5th January Current Affairs : Vision IAS Current Affairs
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
1. With which of the following ministries, the Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh, virtually attended the MoU Exchange Ceremony and signed ‘Outreach Programme’ in January
2023?
1) Ministry of Home Affairs
2) Ministry of Education
3) Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
4) Both 1 & 2
5) Both 2 & 3
Option “5” is correct. Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) virtually attended the MoU Exchange Ceremony ‘Outreach Programme with Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE)’ in New Delhi, Delhi. • The event saw the signing of MoUs and Agreements by MoD, MoE, MoSDE, Indian Army (IA), Indian Navy (IN), and Indian Air Force (IAF) with various stakeholders for the education and skill development of Agniveers. • These MoUs will enable Agniveers to timely complete their education, develop additional qualities and skills while serving in the Armed Forces. i. MoUs with National Institute of Open School (NIOS) will provide 12th Class certificates, and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will award Bachelor’s degree, and diploma (2years) to the Agniveers. ii. The skill sets of Agniveers have been laid down with National Occupational Standards (NOS), in coordination with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Sector Skill Councils (SSCs). • Based on these qualifications, ‘Kaushal Praman Patra‘ will be issued to Agniveers at the time of their exit from the Armed Forces.
2. In January 2023, SEBI amended the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act,______, which will allow Indian state-run companies to continue to be exempt from the Minimum Public
Shareholding (MPS) norm that requires listed companies to maintain a ______ public shareholding.
Option “3” is correct. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has amended the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 which will exempt Indian state-run companies from the Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) norm that requires listed companies to maintain a 25% public shareholding. i. These exempted entities will be the government and public sector undertakings (PSUs) that hold together or individually majority stake from the MPS norm. ii. Currently, as per SEBI norms, a company is required to have a MPS of 25% within one year of the merger with/acquisition of a company or three years after listing. • Now, with the above changes in the regulations, IDBI Bank will also be exempted from MPS.
3. In January 2023, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited launched India’s first green hydrogen-blending operation in the piped natural gas (PNG) network in _____________.
Option “1” is correct.
NTPC Ltd. (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited), India’s state-owned
and largest energy conglomerate, has launched India’s first green hydrogen-blending operation in
the piped natural gas (PNG) network of its Kawas township in Surat, Gujarat.
i. The project is a collaborative effort between NTPC Ltd and Gujarat Gas Limited (GGL) to
decarbonize the cooking sector.
ii. P. Ram Prasad, Head of the project, Kawas, launched the first molecule of green hydrogen
4. In which state ‘Gaan-Ngai festival’ was celebrated by the Zeliangrong or Kabui Community on 4th January 2023?
Option “4” is correct. On 4th January 2023, the Zeliangrong or Kabui Community of Manipur celebrated the Gaan-Ngai festival to bring peace, prosperity and unity to the people of Manipur. The festival also marks the beginning of the new year and bids farewell to the old year. • The Gaan Ngai festival is one of the major festivals of Manipur which is celebrated annually after harvesting. i. The Zeliangrong Naga tribe (comprising Rongmei, Liangmei, Zemei and Pumei) are Tibeto-Burman (Indo-Mongoloid) of the Sino-Tibetan family of the Mongolian race. ii. They are one of the major indigenous Naga communities living in the tri-junction of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland in India.
5. What is the theme of the 108th edition of the Indian Science Congress (ISC) that was virtually inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in January 2023?
1) Reaching the Unreached through Science and Technology
2) Science & Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment
3) Science & Technology for Rural Development
4) Science & Technology for National Development
5) Science & Technology for Future India
Option “2” is correct. Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister(PM) of India, virtually inaugurated and addressed the 108th edition of the Indian Science Congress (ISC), also known as ISC 2023, organised at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj (RTM) Nagpur University, Nagpur, Maharashtra. • 108th ISC is a 5-day event, held from 3rd January 2023 to 7th January 2023. • 2023 also marks the centenary celebration of RTM Nagpur University. i. The focal theme of the ISC 2023 is “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment”.
ECONOMY AND BUSINESS
6. Name the company that has recently (in Jan ‘23) signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad to enhance copper ore production.
Option “1” is correct. State-owned Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, signed an MoU at HCL Corporate Office in Kolkata, West Bengal. i. It is the 1st collaboration of HCL, the only copper miner in India, with IIT (ISM), Dhanbad. ii. The MoU will address HCL’s need for technical assistance, guidance and consultancy work from IITISM for enhancing copper ore production.
7. Which company has recently (in Jan ‘23) partnered with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to manufacture aerostructures in India?
Option “4” is correct. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a subsidiary of General Atomics(GA) based in San Diego, California, United States of America (USA), has partnered with Bharat Forge Limited, a part of Kalyani Group, to manufacture aerostructures – main landing gear components, subassemblies, and assemblies of remotely piloted aircraft in India. i. The partnership between GA and Bharat Forge aims to enhance the capacity building of both companies and provide momentum to the large unmanned aircraft industry of India. ii. Under this partnership, GA-ASI will work with Bharat Forge in the critical field of aerospace manufacturing.
BANKING AND FINANCE
8. Which bank recently (in Jan’ 23) launched the ‘first-of-its-kind’ digital solutions for Exporters?
1) Axis Bank
2) ICICI Bank
3) YES Bank
4) HDFC Bank
5) State Bank of India
Option “2” is correct. In a first-of-its-kind industry initiative, ICICI Bank Limited, has launched Digital Solutions For Exporters, a comprehensive set of banking and value-added services on a single platform. i. The initiative intends to improve operational efficiency of exporters by decongesting the current time-consuming manual procedures. ii. Key Services and Offerings of the Digital Solutions for Exporters are Insta Export Packing Credit (EPC), Trade (Application Programming Interface) APIs, Trade Accounts, Paperless Exports Solutions, Foreign Exchange Solution, Digital Letter of Credit facility (e-LC), Electronic Bills of Lading (e-BL) and Value Added Services.
9. Name the organisation that has recently (in Jan’ 23) signed a USD 220 million loan agreement with the GoI to improve the power sector in Tripura.
1) World Bank
2) International Monetary Fund
3) Asian Development Bank
4) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
5) African Development Bank
Option “3” is correct. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India (GoI) signed a USD 220 million loan pact for Tripura Power Distribution Strengthening and Generation Efficiency Improvement Project. i. The loan amount will be utilized towards improving energy security, quality of supply, efficiency, and resilience of the power sector in Tripura.
10. Name the life insurance company that has recently (in Jan ‘23) launched the “iTerm Prime” insurance plan.
1) Aviva Life Insurance
2) Reliance General Insurance
3) Exide Life Insurance
4) Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance
5) Aegon Life Insurance
Option “5” is correct. Aegon Life Insurance has launched the “iTerm Prime” insurance plan, which will fulfill the requirements of self-employed individuals by offering a special 10% discount (5% discount in addition to the 5% online discount for all) on the first-year premium. i. The flagship term insurance plan, iTerm Prime, gives a minimum sum assured for a life cover of Rs. 25 lakhs with no maximum limit on a consumer’s requirement. ii. The minimum entry age is 18 years, while the maximum age for regular pay is 65 years and 50 years for limited pay. iii. The product also has a “Special Exit Value” (SEV) option, which allows the policyholder to get a refund of all premiums when they reach the age of 55.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
11. Who has recently (in Jan ‘23) become the first woman officer of the Indian Army to be Deployed at Siachen Glacier, World’s Highest Battlefield, in Ladakh?
1) Lieutenant General Punita Arora
2) Captain Deepika Misra
3) Lieutenant General Kanta Handa
4) Captain Shiva Chouhan
5) Lieutenant General Bhawana Kanth
Option “4” is correct. Captain Shiva Chouhan, hailing from Rajasthan, has become the first woman officer of the Indian Army to get operationally deployed at Siachen Glacier, Karakoram range in the Himalayas in Ladakh, the world’s highest battlefield after training at Siachen Battle School. i. She is posted at the “Kumar Post” at an altitude of 15,632 feet where night temperatures are close to -25 degree Celsius.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
12. In which Small Finance Bank (SFB), the SBI Funds Management Limited (SBIFML–SBI Mutual Funds) acquire 9.99% equity capital through various schemes of SBI Mutual Fund?
Option “2” is correct. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved SBI Funds Management Limited (SBIFML – SBI Mutual Funds) to acquire up to 9.99% of the paid-up equity capital of Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) (formerly Equitas Microfinance Ltd) through various schemes of SBI Mutual Fund. i. This approval by RBI is subject to compliance with the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, Master Direction on Prior Approval for Acquisition of shares or voting rights in private sector banks and Master Direction on Ownership in Private sector Banks issued by RBI, provisions of the regulations issued by SEBI, provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and any other statutes as applicable. • This is valid for a year till 2nd January 2024.
APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS
13. Who has been recently (in Jan ‘23) appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister (PM) of the Republic of Kazakhstan?
Option “2” is correct. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed a decree to reshuffle the cabinet replacing 5 ministers and appointing Galymzhan Koishybayev as Deputy Prime Minister (PM) – Chief of Staff of the Government. i. Prior to this appointment, Galymzhan Koishybayev has been serving as the head of the Prime Minister’s Office since March 2019. • He has also served as vice minister of foreign affairs.
14. In January 2023, India took over the leadership of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU).
Who has been recently (in Jan ‘23) elected as the Secretary General of the APPU for a 4-year term?
Option “4” is correct. Dr. Vinaya Prakash Singh, former Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board, will take over as Secretary General of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) for a 4-year term, following the successful elections held during the 13th APPU Congress in Bangkok (Thailand) in August–September 2022. • He will succeed Mr. Lin Hongliang of China, the outgoing Secretary General of the APPU, who was appointed in January 2014. • This marked the first time an Indian has taken the lead of an international postal organisation. i. With this, India will take over the leadership of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) in January 2023.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
15. Which Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)’s Aeromodelling club has recently (in Jan ‘23) engineered 4 state-of-the-art Indigenous ‘Multipurpose Drones’?
Option “5” is correct. The Aeromodelling club of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati(Assam) has engineered 4 state-of-the-art Indigenous Multipurpose Drones capable of surveillance, precision photography and warehouse management. The drones were designed and developed in IIT-Guwahati by the students in collaboration with the professors. i. The 4 drones include, “Warehouse Drones” for complex warehouse and inventory management; • “Reaper Drones” for military and law enforcement usage, • “Ornithopters” based on the design of birds for surveillance in tight spaces and wildlife photography, and • “RAVEN” an indigenously built VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) capable fixed-winged aircraft which can be used as a delivery or surveillance drone.
16. Name the Indian start-up that recently (in Jan’ 23) launched its second satellite, “PushanAlpha,” as a rideshare on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Florida, United States (US).
Option “4” is correct. Bengaluru (Karnataka) based space situational awareness (SSA) start-up Digantara launched its 2nd satellite Pushan-Alpha as a rideshare on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, carrying Transporter-6 mission to the low earth orbit (LEO), from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States (US). • The Pushan-Alpha mission is named after the Hindu Solar (Sun) Deity considered as the God of journeys and protector of travellers. i. Transporter-6 was SpaceX’s sixth dedicated smallest rideshare mission carrying 114 payloads. ii. This launch will complement Digantara’s ROBust Integrating (ROBI) Proton Fluence Meter Mission that was launched on the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) PSLV C53 on June 30, 2022. It was world’s first commercial space-based space weather monitoring system
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
17. Who has recently (in Jan ‘23) released the medical book ‘Human Anatomy’ in Hindi “Manav sharir Rachna Vigyan”, written by Dr Ashvini Kumar Dwivedi along with Dr Vaibhav
Chaturvedi & Dr Kanak Dwivedi (Chaturvedi)?
1) Sarbananda Sonowal (Union Minister of AYUSH)
2) Mansukh L. Mandaviya (Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare)
3) Amit Shah (Union Minister of Home Affairs)
4) Acharya Devvrat (Governor of Gujarat)
5) Mangubhai Patel (Governor of Madhya Pradesh)
Option “5” is correct. Mangubhai Patel, Governor of Madhya Pradesh(MP) released the medical book – ‘Human Anatomy’ in Hindi “Manav sharir Rachna Vigyan” written by Homeopathic Doctor Dr Ashvini Kumar Dwivedi, Professor and Head of Department of Physiology & Biochemistry SKRP Gujarati Homeopathic Medical College, Indore MP. i. Other co-writers of the Book are Dr Vaibhav Chaturvedi & Dr Kanak Dwivedi (Chaturvedi). ii. The book was released during the 3rd convocation ceremony of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi University Bhopal, MP. This will be added to the few books on medical science in the Hindi language. • The book is published by Madhya Pradesh Hindi Granth Academy.
OBITUARY
18. Shyamal Ghosh, former Indian _________ player, passed away in January 2023.
1) Badminton
2) Boxing
3) Football
4) Tennis
5) Wrestling
Option “3” is correct. Shyamal Ghosh, former Indian Football player, passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal, at the age of 71. i. Shyamal Ghosh made his International debut during the Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1974 and went on to play 7 matches for India, including the Asian Games in 1974 in Tehran, Iran. ii. He won the Santosh Trophy thrice in 1975, 1976 and 1977 representing Bengal and he also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from East Bengal in 2016.
IMPORTANT DAYS
19. When was the 5th World Braille Day observed across the globe by the United Nations (UN)?
1) 4th January 2023
2) 3rd January 2023
3) 2nd January 2023
4) 1st January 2023
5) 31st December 2022
Option “1” is correct. The 5th World Braille Day was observed across the globe on 4th January 2023 by the United Nations (UN) to highlight and raise awareness about the importance of Braille as a means of communication for the partially sighted and blind. i. World Braille Day commemorates the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, a 19th-century French educator, who invented Braille in 1824 and 4th January 2023 marks 214th birth anniversary of Louis Braille. ii. The 1st ever World Braille Day was observed on 4th January 2019.
STATE NEWS
20. In January 2023, Union Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated ___________ Bridge in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and the double-lane SrinagarSonamarg-Gumri road connecting the Ladakh region with J&K.
Option “4” is correct. Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated 2 infrastructure projects – Maitra Bridge in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) and the double-lane Srinagar-SonamargGumri road connecting the Ladakh region with J&K. • The 2 projects are aimed to improve road connectivity in J&K and Ladakh. i. Maitra Bridge also known as Jhula Bridge at Ramban, J&K is a 240-feet Bailey suspension bridge connecting the Ramban district administrative complex and Gool sub-division. ii. The Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road with a carriage-way width of 7 metres and road width of 12 metres connects Srinagar to Kargil and Leh with the total length of the road is 84.320 km.
21. Which state’s governor has recently (in Jan ‘23) inaugurated the Octave 2023- Northeastern Cultural Festival?
1) Assam (Jagdish Mukhi)
2) Mizoram (Hari Babu Kambhampati)
3) Tamil Nadu (RN Ravi)
4) Meghalaya (Satya Pal Malik)
5) Sikkim (Ganga Prasad)
Option “3” is correct. Tamil Nadu (TN) Governor Ravindra Narayana Ravi (RN Ravi) inaugurated the Octave 2023 – Northeastern Cultural Festival held under the aegis of the South Zone Cultural Centre, (SZCC) Thanjavur, TN, under the Union Ministry of Culture, to showcase the indigenous art and culture of North East India. i. Octave 2023 is being organised at the Open Auditorium, Bharatiya Vidyashram, Kilpauk, Chennai, TN, from 3rd to 6th January 2023. ii. Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh are among the participating states.
CA STATIC GK
22. The Term ‘Planet Parade’ refer to?
1) Astronomical phenomena which allow people to see several planets in the sky with the naked eye
2) Planet in Kuiper belt without O2
3) Planet present in Asteroid belt without water
4) Planet in Orion’s Belt, which has O2 & Water like earth
5) Astronomical phenomena which allow people to see other planet during perihelion
Option “1” is correct. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently shared a picture that captures a rare phenomenon: all the planets of our solar system witnessed from Earth simultaneously. i. The phenomenon known as the ‘Planet Parade’ allows people to see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Planet parade is an astronomical phenomenon during which several planets may be observed in the sky by the naked eye. ii. The picture was shared by NADA as the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) on 2nd January, 2022.
23. The sixth anniversary of BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) payment app is celebrated on __________.
1) 2nd January 2023
2) 31st December 2022
3) 1st January 2023
4) 30th December 2022
5) 3rd January 2023
Option “4” is correct. The sixth anniversary of indigenously developed payment application BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) is celebrated on 30th December 2022. i. BHIM is an Indian mobile payment app developed by the National Payments Corporation of India, based on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Launched on 30 December 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
24. In January 2023, __________ was appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Indus Towers.
Option “3” is correct. Telecom infrastructure company Indus Towers announced that it has appointed Prachur Sah as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company with effect from January 3, 2023. i. The position had been vacant since the resignation of Bimal Dayal in July, 2022. ii. Prior to his appointment as MD and CEO of Indus Towers, Sah led the oil and gas vertical of Vedanta, Cairn.
25. Who has recently (in Jan ‘23) appointed as the Managing Director (MD) of LG Electronics India?
1) Kim Ki-Wan
2) Hong Ju Jeon
3) Young Lak Kim
4) Hemendu Sinha
5) Koo In-hwoi
Option “2” is correct. South Korean consumer electronics major LG announced the appointment of Hong Ju Jeon as the Managing Director (MD) of its India business. i. Former managing director of LG Electronics India Young Lak Kim has been promoted to the position of Executive Vice President and will be joining as Korea Sales & Marketing Head. ii. Before this, Jeon was in charge of the Gulf region as subsidiary President of LG.
26. Lake Kariba is situated on which continent?
1) Africa
2) South America
3) Australia
4) Asia
5) Europe
Option “1” is correct. Lake Kariba is situated in Africa. It lies 1,300 Km upstream from the Indian Ocean, along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. i. Water levels at the Kariba reservoir (Dam), world’s largest human-made, plunged to a record low of less than 1%, curtailing power supply to Zambia and Zimbabwe and shuttering the tourism and fishing industries. ii. The dam water-storage capacity had 0.97% usable storage on Dec. 28, compared with 20% a year earlier, according to data available on the Zambezi River Authority’s website.
27. In which state ‘Khongjaingamba Ching Wildlife Sanctuary’ is located?
Option “1” is correct. About the Republic of Kazakhstan: President- Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Prime Minister (PM)- Alikhan Smailov Capital- Astana Currency- Kazakhstani Tenge
29. In which year, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC Ltd) was established?
1) 1972
2) 1980
3) 1960
4) 1984
5) 1975
Option “5” is correct. About the NTPC Ltd (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation Limited): Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) – Gurdeep Singh Established – 1975 Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
30. Kaziranga National Park is the home of which of the following animals?
Option “3” is correct. Kaziranga National Park is the home of the world’s most one-horned rhinos, located in the State of Assam. i. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has complimented the people of Assam for their efforts toward rhino conservation in the state after zero poaching incidents were reported in 2022.
