2nd February Current Affairs : Vision IAS Current Affairs
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
1. In January 2023, the first “G20 International Financial Architecture Working Group Meeting”, under the G20 (Group of Twenty) Indian Presidency, was held in _______.
Option “2” is correct On January 30 – 31, 2023, the first “G20 International Financial Architecture Working Group Meeting” under the G20 (Group of Twenty) Indian Presidency was held in the Union Territory of Chandigarh. • India assumed the G20 Presidency for a year, from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023. • The “International Financial Architecture Working Group” is focused on addressing ways to strengthen the international financial architecture, improve finance for development, and address vulnerabilities in the global financial system. i. First G20 International Financial Architecture Working Group Meeting (2023) was inaugurated by Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) and Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).
2. Which country’s Trade and Investment Commission recently signed (in Jan ‘23) an MoU with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to collaborate on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes?
1) Australia
2) Japan
3) Germany
4) France
5) Russia
Option “1” is correct The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), an Australian Government agency, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to collaborate on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes. i. The partnership will focus on Australian training standards and delivery in sectors such as automotive, allied health, mining, information technology (IT), cyber security, renewable energy, logistics, supply chain, and water management. ii. The Australia-India Future Skills Initiative is a 4-year flagship programme of the Australian government. • It intends to encourage bilateral cooperation between Australia and India in the domains of education and training.
3. Name the Defense department that recently (in Jan’ 23) began its annual mega exercise “Poorvi Aakash” in the northeastern region to test its combat readiness.
1) Assam Rifles
2) Indian Army
3) Indian Air Force
4) Indian Navy
5) Border Security Force
Option “3” is correct The Indian Air Force (IAF) has started its annual mega exercise ‘Poorvi Aakash’ in the northeastern region to check its combat preparedness. The mega air drill which is being held after a gap of two years due to COVID-19. i. The IAF’s frontline fighter jets including the Rafale and Su-30MKI aircraft, and other assets deployed in the region are engaged in the exercise. The Shillong-headquartered Eastern Air Command is carrying out the exercise.
4. Name the Exercise that was recently (in Jan ‘23) conducted by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in North Bengal.
Option “5” is correct From January 21-31, 2023, a joint training exercise namely ‘Exercise Trishakti Prahar (ThreeForce Strike)’ was held between the all arms and services of Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF) and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in North Bengal. i. Aim: To practice battle preparedness of Security Forces using weapons & equipment in an integrated environment, involving all arms of the Army, Indian Air Force & CAPFs ii. Army Commander for Eastern Command Lieutenant General Rana Pratap Kalita reviewed the firepower exercise. iii. This exercise was strategically important in the Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chicken’s Neck, in North Bengal. • North Bengal comprises six districts of West Bengal- Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Coochbihar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda.
5. In January 2023, the National Security Advisor (NSA) of India, and Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor of the United States (US) has launched the inaugural meeting of the “US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET)” (2023) in Washington, DC, US. Who is the current (as of Jan ‘23) NSA of India?
Option “4” is correct On January 31, 2023, the inaugural meeting of the “US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET)” (2023) was formally launched by Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor (NSA) of India, and Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor of the United States (US) in Washington, DC, US. i. India and the US unveiled an ambitious agenda during the inaugural iCET dialogue to establish themselves as “trusted technology partners” and strengthen their defence partnership with an emphasis on co-production and co-development. ii. In May 2022, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden jointly announced the “U.S.-India initiative on critical and emerging technologies (iCET)”.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
6. Which country has been invited as the ‘theme country’ at the 2025 Madrid International Book Fair in Spain?
1) Japan
2) India
3) Germany
4) United States of America
5) Australia
Option “2” is correct Jose Maria Ridao, the Ambassador of Spain, announced that India will be invited as the focal (theme) country at the Madrid International Book Fair in 2025 in Madrid, Spain. i. The announcement was made during the event held at the Spain Pavilion at the 46th International Kolkata Book Fair (IKBF 2023) at Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal. ii. Spain is the theme country of the 46th International Kolkata Book Fair which will be held from 31st January 2023 to 12th February 2023.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
7. Name the personality from India who was recently (in Jan’ 23) honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Honour at the 2023 edition of the India-United Kingdom (UK) Achievers Honours.
1) Manmohan Singh
2) Amartya Kumar Sen
3) Raghuram Rajan
4) Raja Chelliah
5) Shankar Acharya
Option “1” is correct Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister (PM) of India and Member of Parliament (MP) Rajya Sabha (constituency- Rajasthan), was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Honour at the 2023 edition of the prestigious India-United Kingdom (UK) Achievers Honours, a first-of-its-kind celebration of the UK’s Indian alumni, held on 25th January 2023 in London, UK, for his contribution to economic and political life. • British Indian peer Lord Karan Bilimoria received the Living Legend Honour. • Virendra Sharma MP from Ealing Southall, who chairs the Indo-British All Party Parliamentary Group, was also bestowed with the Living Legend Honour. i. The India-UK Achievers Honours was organised by the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK (NISAU UK) in partnership with the British Council in India and supported by the UK Government’s Department for International Trade and the UK Higher Education Sector.
BANKING AND FINANCE
8. Which company has recently (in Jan ‘23) launched the Industry 1st Asset mCollect Repossession Module for banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs)?
1) Open Financial Technologies
2) Mobicule Technologies
3) Uniphore Software Systems
4) Rheal Software
5) Binmile Technologies
Option “2” is correct Mumbai (Maharashtra) based Mobicule Technologies Private Limited (Mobicule), a niche player and expert in debt collection, has announced the launch of the mCollect Repossession module, an industry first for banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). i. The revolutionary Asset Repossession Solution, a component of its debt collection and recovery product, is a comprehensive solution that maps all the complex processes involved in the repossession of an asset.
9. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data (released in Jan ‘23), the Digital Payments Index was increased to ________ in September 2022 from 349.30 in March 2022.
1) 409.21
2) 420.12
3) 377.46
4) 382.91
5) 399.14
Option “3” is correct The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) – Digital Payments Index (DPI), a measure of the extent of digitisation of payments across the country for September 2022 increased to 377.46 as against 349.30 in March 2022 and 304.06 in September 2021 (100 in March 2018-Base). i. As per the index, Digital payments across the country registered a growth of 24.13 % in a year. ii. The RBI-DPI has increased across all parameters with significant growth in payment infrastructure and payment performance.
10. Name the personality who has recently (in Jan ‘23) appointed as a member of the Advisory Committee of Srei Infrastructure Finance Limited (SIFL) and Srei Equipment Finance Limited (SEFL).
1) Satyanarayana Raju
2) Farokh N. Subedar
3) Vijay Kumar Shukla
4) V. Ramachandra
5) Ashok Chandra
Option “4” is correct On January 31, 2023, the RBI appointed V. Ramachandra, former Chief General Manager of Canara Bank, as a member of the Advisory Committee of Srei Infrastructure Finance Limited (SIFL) and Srei Equipment Finance Limited (SEFL) with immediate effect. • The appointment follows the resignation of Farokh N. Subedar from the Advisory Committee, which took effect on January 31, 2023. i. The RBI constituted a three-member advisory committee after superseding the boards of SIFL and SEFL in October 2021. • The 3-Member Advisory Committee: • Venkat Nageshwar Chalasani, former Deputy Managing Director, SBI. • In June 2022, Chalasani was appointed as a member of the Advisory Committee, upon the resignation of R. Subramaniakumar. • T. T. Srinivasaraghavan, former Managing Director (MD), Sundaram Finance Limited. • V. Ramachandra, former Chief General Manager, Canara Bank.
11. Which bank has recently (in Feb ‘23) received partially relaxed restrictions from the Reserve Bank of India for transactions made under the Liberalized Remittances Scheme (LRS)?
1) CSB Bank (India)
2) HSBC Bank (India)
3) DBS Bank (India)
4) Standard Chartered Bank (India)
5) SBM Bank (India)
Option “5” is correct The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has partially relaxed the restrictions it had imposed on SBM Bank (India) Limited (“SBM Bank India”) with regard to transactions made under the Liberalised Remittances Scheme (LRS). i. It has partially relaxed the restrictions by permitting Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and Point-ofSale (POS) transactions under LRS via Know Your Customer (KYC) -compliant internationally active debit cards issued by the bank. ii. The relaxation will be effective till March 15, 2023 or till a further order by the RBI. Note- On January 23, 2023, the RBI issued a directive to “SBM Bank India” directing it to immediately stop all transactions under the LRS until further orders in accordance with sections 35A and 36(1)(a) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
12. The Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE)’s lab has recently (in Jan ‘23) developed an UnFurlable Reflector Antenna (UFRA) for Space Radar. The LRDE is the laboratory of which organisation?
1) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
2) Bharat Electronics Limited
3) Indian Space Research Organisation
4) Bharat Dynamics Limited
5) Defence Research and Development Organisation
Option “5” is correct Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)’s lab based in Bengaluru (Karnataka), has developed an UnFurlable Reflector Antenna (UFRA), one of the major subsystems of radar. • The UFRA has a significant role in both the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Military. i. LRDE has developed the UFRA system with a rim truss-based deployable mechanism, primary arm, reflector mesh, tension ties, nets, and motor. ii. The deployment of the antenna to the required height was achieved by an unfurlable deployment mechanism.
OBITUARY
13. Shanti Bhushan, Former Union Minister of __________ from 1977 to 1979, passed away in January 2023.
1) Law and Justice
2) Home Affairs
3) Finance
4) Rural Development
5) Health and Family Welfare
Option “1” is correct Shanti Bhushan, former Minister of Law (1977-1979) and eminent Jurist, passed away in New Delhi, Delhi, at the age of 97. i. Shanti Bhushan served as the Union Minister of Law from 1977 to 1979 under the premiership of Morarji Desai and he was a member of Rajya Sabha (1977 to 1980). ii. He introduced the 44th Amendment to the Indian Constitution, officially known as the Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1978, which reversed many of the provisions of the 42nd Amendment (The Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976) approved by the Indira Gandhi government when he served as the Law Minister. iii. His son, Prashant Bhushan has authored a book titled “The Case that Shook India: The Verdict That Led to the Emergency” about India’s historic case Raj Narain vs Indira Nehru Gandhi handled by Shanti Bhushan.
ENVIRONMENT
14. As per the Asian Waterbird Census 2023, conducted in January 2023, which state/UT the 52 avian species were observed?
Option “4” is correct 52 avian species were observed in the Asian Waterbird Census-2023, which was conducted in the union territory of Ladakh between 17th and 19th January 2023. • The observations were recorded on the eBird app, an online bird observations database that offers real-time data about bird distribution and abundance to scientists, researchers, and amateur naturalists. i. The census was organised by the Himalaya project and the Department of Wildlife Protection of Ladakh in collaboration with the Ladakh Biodiversity Council, a statutory body of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). • Himalaya project, a joint project by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and MoEFCC. ii. The Asian Waterbird Census-2023 was organised in and around Chumathang, and Puga (the two major hot springs in eastern Ladakh), and major birding sites like Tso Kar, and Shey and Phey villages along the banks of the Indus River. • The waterbird census was led by Padma Gyalpo, a known birder (person who observes or identifies wild birds in their habitats) from Shey.
IMPORTANT DAYS
15. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Day was observed across India on 1st February 2023 to commemorate its _________ Raising Day of the ICG.
1) 45th
2) 47th
3) 43rd
4) 46th
5) 48th
Option “2” is correct Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Day is annually observed across India on February 1 to commemorate its Raising Day, operating under the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India (GoI). • 1st February 2023 marks the observance of the 47th Raising Day of the ICG. i. Indian Coast Guard is the 4th largest coast guard in the world, with approximately 158 ships and 70 aircraft in its inventory. ii. The interim Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was established on 1st February 1977 to prevent the seaborne smuggling of goods. • The ICG was established by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India.
STATE NEWS
16. Which state Government has recently (in Jan ‘23) signed an MoU with Patanjali Foods Limited for development and area expansion under palm oil cultivation?
Option “1” is correct Nagaland Government and Patanjali Foods Limited (formerly known as Ruchi Soya Industries Limited) signed an MoU for development and area expansion under oil palm cultivation and processing for Zone-II (Mokokchung, Longleng and Mon districts) in Nagaland under the National Mission on Edible Oil- Oil Palm (NMEO-OP). i. This MoU is for the development and area expansion of palm oil cultivation and processing for Zone II of Nagaland. ii. Patanjali Foods Ltd is already working in the states of Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Tripura in the North East.
17. In January 2023, Maharashtra Government decided to recognise ‘Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha’ as the state song of Maharashtra. The song ‘Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha’ was written by whom?
Option “5” is correct The Cabinet of Maharashtra, headed by Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde, decided to recognise ‘Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha’, written by Raja Badhe and sung by balladeer Krishnarao Ganpatrao Sable (popularly known as Shahir Sable), as the state song of Maharashtra. • With this, Maharashtra becomes the 12th Indian state to have a state song. i. The iconic Marathi song “Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha” which means “glory to Maharashtra” and also referred to as ‘Maharashtra Geet’ was composed by well-known musician Shrinivas Khale. ii. The song will be adopted on 19th February 2023, the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire.
18. In January 2023, Union minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal hosted the “Me-Dam-Me-Phi” festival in New Delhi, Delhi. In which state, the Me-Dam-Me-Phi festival is annually observed on 31st January?
Option “3” is correct Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways & Minister of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), hosted “Me-Dam-Me-Phi”, a festival of Assam’s Tai Ahom community to worship and pay respect to the ancestors in New Delhi, Delhi. • Along with hundreds of members of the Assamese community living in Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region), the ceremony was attended by several Union Ministers, MPs, and ambassadors from Thailand and Laos. i. The Me-Dam-Me-Phi festival is annually observed across Assam on January 31.
19. Name the state that has recently (in Jan ‘23) launched the “Aarohini Initiative Training Programme” for the safety and security of girls in all 746 Kastuba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV).
Option “1” is correct Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister (CM) of Uttar Pradesh (UP), launched the “Aarohini Initiative Training Programme” for the safety and security of girls in all 746 Kastuba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) in UP. i. Under the newly launched campaign, the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan will work to ensure the safety and security of girls in all 746 KGBV. ii. The Aarohini Initiative was established in 2011. It is a girls’ empowerment and education program rooted firmly in the philosophy that girls and boys must receive an education.
20. Which city was recently (in Jan ‘23) declared as the capital of Andhra Pradesh by the Chief Minister (CM) of Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy?
Option “4” is correct Chief Minister (CM) of Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, stated that Visakhapatnam will be declared as the new capital of Andhra Pradesh during the International Diplomatic Alliance Meet, a curtain-raiser event for the Global Investors Summit, held in New Delhi, Delhi. • He also announced that the government of AP will be organising the Global investor Summit in Visakhapatnam on 3rd-4th March 2023. • Note: He also described AP as one of the fastest-growing Indian states with 11.43% Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). i. In 2019, after YS Jagan Mohan Reddy took charge as the CM, the government decided to develop 3 capitals – Visakhapatnam as the executive capital, Amaravati as the legislative capital and Kurnool as the judicial capital. ii. In March 2022, the AP High Court ruled against 3 capitals and directed the government to develop Amaravati as AP’s capital.
CA STATIC GK
21. Who is the current (as of Jan ‘23) Chief executive officer (CEO) of Razorpay Software Private Limited?
1) Abhay Singhal
2) Harshil Mathur
3) Amit Gupta
4) Kunal Shah
5) Rahul Kothari
Option “2” is correct Harshil Mathur is the present Chief executive officer (CEO) and Co-founder of Razorpay Software Private Limited. The other Co- Founder – Shashank Kumar. i. RazorpayX, the merchant banking platform of fintech firm Razorpay, announced its foray into a new product line called “FX Services for Start-ups.” ii. The FX service has an annualized run rate of Rs 350 crore, and the company expects to grow 3-4 times in the next financial year.
22. Which bank is the sponsor of National Assets Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL)?
1) Bank of Maharashtra
2) Punjab National Bank
3) Bank of India
4) State Bank of India
5) Canara Bank
Option “5” is correct i. NARCL has been incorporated under the Companies Act and has applied to Reserve Bank of India for licence as an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC). NARCL has shareholding from 15 Indian banks, and Canara Bank is the sponsor bank of this ARC. ii. NARCL has been set up by banks to aggregate and consolidate stressed assets for their subsequent resolution.
23. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme was introduced in 2020-21 across _______ key manufacturing sectors, as a major boost to the Make in India initiative.
1) 14
2) 12
3) 15
4) 10
5) 16
Option “1” is correct The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme was introduced in 2020-21 across 14 key manufacturing sectors, as a major boost to the Make in India initiative. i. The scheme incentivizes domestic manufacturing in strategic growth sectors where India has a comparative advantage. ii. The Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise (MSME) eco-system is likely to benefit from the significant gains in employment and production of the PLI Scheme.
24. Which bank is the largest public shareholder in the YES bank, as of February 2023?
1) Bank of Maharashtra
2) Punjab National Bank
3) Bank of India
4) State Bank of India
5) Canara Bank
Option “4” is correct State Bank of India (SBI) is the largest public shareholder in the YES bank, holding a 30% stake. About YES Bank: Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Prashant Kumar Establishment – 2004 Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra Tagline – Experience Our Expertise
25. How many Small Finance Banks (SFB) are there in India?
1) 14
2) 12
3) 15
4) 10
5) 16
Option “2” is correct According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), There are 12 Small Finance Banks (SFB) in India. List of Small Finance Banks (SFB) • Au Small Finance Bank Ltd. • Capital Small Finance Bank Ltd • Fincare Small Finance Bank Ltd. • Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd • ESAF Small Finance Bank Ltd. • Suryoday Small Finance Bank Ltd. • Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Ltd. • Utkarsh Small Finance Bank Ltd. • North East Small Finance Bank Ltd • Jana Small Finance Bank Ltd • Shivalik Small Finance Bank Ltd • Unity Small Finance Bank Ltd
26. In which year did the former Prime Minister (PM) of India, “Manmohan Singh,” receive the Padma Vibhushan award from the Government of India in the field of civil service?
1) 1975
2) 1987
3) 1991
4) 1990
5) 1995
Option “2” is correct About Dr Manmohan Singh: • Dr Manmohan Singh was born on 26th September 1932, in Punjab. • In 1971, he joined the Government of India as an Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Commerce (MoC). He was appointed as Chief Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance in 1972. • He has been a Member of the Rajya Sabha since 1991. He served as PM of India for two terms from 2004 to 2014. • He has authored several books, which include, Untold Story of Arvind Kejriwal: Story of a Common man, India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth, Collateral and Financial Plumbing, and Changing India. • In 1987, he was conferred with Padma Vibhushan from Government of India in the field of Civil Service.
27. Who has recently (in Feb ‘23) taken charge as the new General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Bengal Sub Area?
Option “4” is correct Major General H Dharmarajan, a recipient of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal Bar, Vishisht Seva Medal, took charge as the new General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Bengal Sub Area. i. The General is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Indian Military Academy (IMA) Dehradun and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. ii. The General has attended Higher Command Course at Washington DC and National Defence College (NDC) in New Delhi.
28. In which state ‘Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary’ is located?
Option “5” is correct About the Indian Coast Guard: Director-General- Virender Singh Pathania Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi Motto- “Vayam Rakshamah” means “We protect”
30. Who is the current (as of Feb ‘23) President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)?
Option “3” is correct About the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII): The CII is a non-government, non-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization having members from both the public and private sectors. President – Sanjiv Bajaj Incorporated – 1992 [Established as Engineering and Iron Trades Association (EITA) in 1895] Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
