23,January, 2019 Current Affairs - Daily Current Affairs
23,January, 2019 Current Affairs
- Daily Current Affairs
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1.
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How many MoU's signed between India and
Afghanistan, recently?
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Answer: Option C
Explanation:
India signed 11
Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with Afghanistan for 26 projects worth
9.5 million dollars in the field of infrastructure, public services such as
health clinics and governance-related projects. The MoUs signed will involve
the construction of classrooms, orphanages, health clinics, canal protection
walls and enhancing economic opportunities for women. The projects will be
developed in seven provinces of Afghanistan- Balkh, Ghor, Herat, Kabul,
Bamyan, Badghis and Kapisa. It will help local communities in education,
employment and livelihood generation and capacity building. These projects
which are part of 577 community-based Small Development Projects (SDP) are
being funded by India from 2005-2021 and worth $120 million.
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2.
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Who was named as ICC's Emerging Player Of
The Year?
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Answer: Option D
Explanation:
Rishabh Pant was
named the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Emerging Player Of The Year
following an impressive show in India's first-ever Test series win in
Australia. The 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman scored 350 runs in the
four-match Test series that India won 2-1 to script history in 71 years and
11 attempts. With an unbeaten 159-run knock in the 4th Test in Sydney,
Rishabh Pant became the first Indian wicket-keeper to score a Test century in
Australia. Earlier, he equalled the record for the most catches taken in a
Test with 11 against Australia in Adelaide in December.
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3.
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Who is the head of the committee which is
formed by Madras High Court to weed out invasive plant species from Western
Ghats?
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Answer: Option A
Explanation:
The Madras High
Court has expressed serious concern over the exotic invasive species that
have stifled the growth of the native shola forests and grasslands on the
Western Ghats. The committee will be headed by Cherukuri Raghavendra Babu,
the chairman of the expert committee on invasive species in Chennai National
Biodiversity Authority. A division bench of justices M M Sundaresh and N
Sathish passed the interim order on a batch of Public Interest Litigation
(PIL) petitions seeking to restrain the Tamil Nadu government from
cultivating eucalyptus trees in Western Ghats for commercial purpose.
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4.
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Where did Prime Minister Narendra Modi
unveil a statue of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the father of Indian space programme?
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Answer: Option B
Explanation:
The Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiled a statue of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the
father of Indian space programme at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad,
Gujarat. The statue was commissioned by Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC)
and was closely supervised by Kartikeya Sarabhai and Mallika Sarabhai, the
son and daughter of Dr. Sarabhai. The statue was installed to mark the
innovator's birth centenary year, and to instill a scientific temperament
among Gujarat's children. The statue which has been sculpted by
Ahmedabad-based artist Dhruv Shilpi is 6-ft-tall, made up of bronze statue
and weighs 1,050 kg. It shows Dr Sarabhai seated on a chair and work on his
table. A public gallery was also set up adjacent to the statue featuring
Vikram Sarabhai's life and work.
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5.
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Which country has taken over the Chair of
the Group of 77 (G-77) for 2019?
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Answer: Option C
Explanation:
The State of
Palestine has launched the historical phase by presiding Group of 77 (G-77)
for 2019 on January 15. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas succeeded
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi with a promise to confront
"assaults" on multilateralism and a pledge to seek a peaceful
two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The decision to elect
Palestine as the 2019 Chair of the G77 was taken in September 2018 by the
foreign ministers of the Groups' member states. For this, the UN General
Assembly (UNGA) in 2017 adopted a resolution granting the observer-state of
Palestine additional rights to act as chair of the G-77. The bloc - which
through an expanding membership is now comprised of 134 countries - rotates
chairmanship duties each year to different members. The G-77 is the global
body's largest intergovernmental organisation of developing countries
including India. It is established in 1964 by 77 developing countries in
Geneva. It claims to provide the means for the countries of the South to
articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their
joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within
the UN system and promote South-South cooperation for development.
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6.
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Which state government to give 10% quota
to economically weaker sections in general category?
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Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Assam Cabinet
headed by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has approved 10 percent quota for
the economically weaker sections of the general category in government
employment and government education institutes. The cabinet also approved the
guidelines for disbursement of ₹5,000 each to five lakh farmers of the state
under theMukhya Mantri Krishi Sa Sajuli Yozana for the purchase of farm tools
and implements. In another decision, the Cabinet approved a loan amount of
₹95 crore under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) from NABARD,
in-order to construct and strengthen embankments, dykes and other
infrastructure across the state. Furthermore, the cabinet also approved
incentives for government doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers under
Ayushman Bharat & Atal Amrit Abhiyan.
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7.
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Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF) was
as the "State Festival" of __________.
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Answer: Option D
Explanation:
Arunachal
Pradesh Chief Minister, Pema Khandu declared Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival
(PPHF) as the "State Festival" at Seijosa in East Kameng district,
Arunachal Pradesh. Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF) is only conservation
festival of Arunachal Pradesh. The PPHF festival was celebrated first time in
2015 to recognize the role played by the resident Nyishi tribe in conserving
hornbills in the Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR).
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8.
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Which company will create an independent
Institute for Ethics in Artificial intelligence (AI) with an investment of
$7.5 million?
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Answer: Option C
Explanation:
Social media
giant Facebook announced that it will create an independent Institute for
Ethics in Artificial intelligence (AI) with an initial investment of $7.5
million over a period of five years. Technical University of Munich (TUM) in
Germany will collaborate with this project which aims to explore fundamental
issues affecting the use and impact of AI. The Institute will address issues
that affecting the use and impact of AI such as Safety, Privacy, Fairness,
and transparency. TUM was ranked 6th in the world for AI research by the
Times Higher Education magazine in 2018.
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9.
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Sitanshu Yashashchandra has been awarded
Saraswati Samman, 2017, for his poetry collection "Vakhar". He
belongs to the state of;
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Answer: Option B
Explanation:
Noted Gujarati
poet Sitanshu Yashashchandra has been awarded Saraswati Samman, 2017, for his
poetry collection in Gujarati named "Vakhar". This is the 27th
edition of the prestigious award instituted by K.K.Birla foundation given
every year to an outstanding work of an Indian citizen published during the
last 10 years in any of the languages mentioned in Schedule 8 of the
constitution. The award comprises of a citation and a plaque apart from award
money of 15 lakh rupees. Noted film director and author Gulzar gave away the
award at a solemn function at National museum auditorium in New Delhi. Mr.
Yashashchandra, recipient of the Padmashri in 2006, is known for seamlessly
blending history with poetry.
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10.
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The government has constituted a high
power committee to monitor the pricing of medicines and healthcare products.
It will be headed by;
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Answer: Option A
Explanation:
The government
has constituted a high power committee to monitor the pricing of medicines
and healthcare products. The committee will be headed by a Niti Aayog member
(Health). It will be tasked with recommending price controls and monitoring
the prices of specific drugs and health products to ensure their
affordability. The Standing Committee on Affordable Medicines and Health
Products (SCAMHP) will be the recommending body to the National
Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). The committee will also include the
chief economic adviser and other policymakers.
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11.
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Who has become the first woman IPS DIG
and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officer to successfully complete the
South Pole expedition?
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Answer: Option C
Explanation:
Aparna Kumar has
become the first woman IPS DIG and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officer
to successfully complete the South Pole expedition. Ms Kumar has successfully
reached the South Pole after covering 111 kilometres of walking on the snow.
She also carried equipment weighing 35 Kilograms along with her. She has
already scaled the top six mountain peaks of the six continents of the globe.
Ms Kumar reached the South Pole on January 13 where she unfurled the National
and ITBP flags. Ms Kumar is a 2002 batch UP Cadre IPS officer, who has been
posted at the Northern Frontier Headquarters of ITBP in Dehradun.
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12.
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Who conferred the Pradhan Mantri
Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2019.
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Answer: Option C
Explanation:
The President of
India, Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar
2019. The awards were presented to 26 shortlisted awardees including one
joint award for National Child Award (now renamed as Bal Shakti Puraskar)
under the category of innovation, scholastic, sports, art and culture, social
service and bravery. Under National Child Welfare Awards category, 2
individuals and 3 institutions were awarded. The names of awardees were
finalized by the National Selection Committee under the Chairpersonship of
Minister of Women and Child Development, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi.
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13.
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India ranks __________ in the global
talent competitive index.
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Answer: Option A
Explanation:
India has moved
up one position to rank 80th on the global talent competitive index, but
remains a laggard among the BRICS nations. Switzerland continues to top the
list, released on the first day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual
Meeting at Davos by INSEAD business school in partnership with Tata
Communications and Adecco Group.
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14.
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World's oldest man who died due to
natural causes in Japan at the age of 113.
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Answer: Option D
Explanation:
World's oldest
man Masazo Nonaka died due to natural causes in the Japan's northern most
island of Hokkaido at the age of 113. Masazo Nonaka was born on 25 July 1905
and have lived with his four generation family. Japan has one of the world's
highest life expectancies. The Longest living man on record Jiroemon Kimura
who died after his 116th birthday in June 2013 was also from Japan.
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15.
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This company has decided to invest $ 400
million dollars for over 40 % stake in BrainBees Solutions.
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Answer: Option C
Explanation:
SoftBank has
decided to invest $400 million for over 40 per cent stake in BrainBees
Solutions, which owns and operates omni-channel baby and mother care product
retailer FirstCry. SoftBank is valuing 8 years old Pune based venture,
FirstCry at $600-700 million and planning to pick over 40 per cent stake
whereas FirstCry Founder, Supam Maheshwari and Amitava Saha will retain 12-14
per cent stake. As per SoftBank officials the money will come in tranches
linked to financial and business performance milestones. Morgan Stanley acted
as the Financial advisor for this big deal.
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16.
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The cabinet of this state has decided to
cater 5% reservation each for Kapu community and the economically backward
classes (EBCs).
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Answer: Option B
Explanation:
Andhra Pradesh
cabinet has decided to cater 5% reservation each for Kapu community and the
economically backward classes (EBCs) among the forward castes. The cabinet
approved the decision of doubling the welfare pensions given under the NTR Bharosa
Scheme. Pensions of Rs 1000 and Rs 1500 are doubled to Rs 2000 and Rs 3000
respectively. It is believed that 54.61 lakh pensioners will be benefited
from this decision. The cabinet decided to give exemption of life tax for
autos and quarterly tax for tractors. It has also approved the proposal of
motor vehicle tax arrears. In total 9.79 lakh vehicle owners will be
benefited to the extent of Rs 66.50 crores.
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17.
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The only Indian port which listed amongst
the top 30 container ports globally as per Lloyds Report.
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Answer: Option C
Explanation:
The Jawaharlal
Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India's premier container port got listed amongst
the top 30 container ports globally, as per the latest Lloyds Report. JNPT
notched up five spots, to be 28th on the list, compared to its previous
ranking. This is a validation of all the efforts and strategic initiatives
being implemented at JNPT in order to enhance overall port efficiency.
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18.
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Which country is the biggest supporters
of international aid as per the survey of the World Economic Forum?
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Answer: Option D
Explanation:
The World
Economic Forum (WEF) released a survey ahead of its annual meeting which
states that Indians are biggest supporters of international aid. 95 per cent
of Indians supported the international aid and expect India to help other
nations. World Economic Forum worked with Qualtrics to poll over 10000 from
different parts of the world. South Asian Countries like India, Pakistan and
Bangladesh exhibit widespread support for international aid leaving behind
European countries.
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19.
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Arjuna Award winner Raghbir Singh Bhola
passed away recently. He belongs to which of the following sport?
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Answer: Option B
Explanation:
Former Indian
hockey player Raghbir Singh Bhola, a two-time Olympic medallist, has passed
away aged 92. In 2000, he was honored with the Arjuna Award for his
achievements in hockey. He served in diverse roles such as the member of the
IHF selection committee, FIH international umpire, manager of the Indian
hockey team, TV commentator and government observer at the Olympic Games.
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20.
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With which Institute Omega Healthcare
Management Services has signed an MoU for advanced use of the latest
technology in providing healthcare solutions?
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Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Omega Healthcare
Management Services has signed a pact with IIIT-Bangalore for advanced use of
the latest technology in providing healthcare solutions. The MoU is aimed at
building industry-grade AI engines that can be embedded as part of Omega's
business solutions to solve healthcare business challenges. The pact also
entails research programmes in artificial intelligence (AI) and Data Science,
aiming to focus on specific business-related processes along with expected
outcomes, with the programme being collectively decided by both
organisations.
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