Current Affairs Quiz 17th July 2023 Quiz

Exp. Centre allots additional 1.44 lakh houses under PMAY-Gramin to UP

Uttar Pradesh has been allotted an additional 1,44,220 houses under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojna-Gramin’ (PMAY-G) scheme for the financial year 2023-24.

Following this, the state’s total quota of houses completed will reach 21,68,574.

It is also mentioned in the letter that in line with the scheme’s focus, the state is required to earmark at least 60% of the targets for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes subject to their availability in the housing database.

It is also requested to finalise the District, Block, GP-wise and Category-wise targets in the State as per the User Manual on Housing issued by the Ministry.

The letter also states that the Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the scheme till March 2024 to complete the remaining houses within the cumulative target of 2.95 crore houses.

About Uttar Pradesh

• Capital – Lucknow
• Chief Minister – Yogi Adityanath
• Governor – Anandiben Patel

Exp. Goa to host Energy Transitions Working Group Meeting from July 19

The 4th Energy Transitions Working Group Meeting under India’s G20 Presidency will be held in Goa during July 19 – 20, 2023.

This will be followed by the G20 Energy Ministerial meeting on July 22, 2023, which would be held under the chairpersonship of Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, Shri R. K. Singh.

On the margins of the G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial and Working Group Meetings, the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and 8th Mission Innovation (MI) meeting (CEM14/MI-8) will also be held in Goa during 19th to 21st of July, 2023.

Energy Ministers from G20 member countries, 9 invited countries, and high-ranking officials from 14 international organizations will be part of the Ministerial meeting.

More than 1,000 participants including policymakers, delegates, invitees, business leaders, and researchers are expected to attend various meetings and events across these four days.

The Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy will also hold bilateral meetings with the European Union and seven countries namely Japan, Singapore, South Korea, USA, Germany, France and Australia.

The thrust of these bilateral meetings would be on establishing common certification, regulation and standards for Green Hydrogen besides promoting its export from India.

India, under its G20 Presidency, had identified six priority areas for the Energy Transitions Working Group. These are: (i) Energy Transitions through addressing technology gaps (ii) Low-cost financing for energy transitions (iii) Energy security and diversified supply chains (iv) Energy efficiency, industrial low-carbon transitions, and responsible consumption (v) Fuels for Future and (vi) Universal access to clean energy and just, affordable, and inclusive energy transition pathways.

G20 in News (Note – All Meetings are Under the Presidency of G20 by India)

• G20 Conference on Crime and Security – Gurugram, Haryana (13 – 1 4 July 2023)
• 3rd Trade and Investment Working Group Meeting – Kevadia, Gujarat (11 – 13 July 2023)
• 3rd G20 Culture Group Meeting – Hampi, Karnataka (9 July 2023)
• Urban-20 Mayoral Summit – Ahmedabad & Gandhinagar, Gujarat (7 July 2023)
• 4th edition of the Space Economy Leaders Meeting – Bengaluru, Karnataka (6 July 2023)

Exp. Goa CM inaugurates Ayush Health Services and Research facility

The Ministry of Ayush has established Ayush services for healthcare and Ayush research facilities at Ribandar in Goa. The facility was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Goa Dr. Pramod Sawant.

The facility aims to provide high-quality and affordable Ayush healthcare services to the local community and promote research in traditional medicine by developing a museum, library and a laboratory dedicated to conducting research on medicines of mineral and marine origin.

The institutes will work to provide high-quality and affordable healthcare to every region of the state through Ayush systems of medicine.

The vision is expansion of infrastructure and human resources, promotion of research in the traditional medical systems through effective collaborations with reputed like-minded organizations.

It will also work towards mainstreaming and integration of Ayush services with modern medicines and encourage innovations.

About Goa

• Formation – 30 May 1987
• Capital – Panaji
• Chief Minister – Pramod Sawant
• Governor – S. Sreedharan Pillai

Exp. Assam government launched “Gajah Kotha” campaign

Assam has launched the “Gajah Kotha” campaign to address the growing problem of Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC).

The “Gajah Kotha” campaign involves over 1,200 participants and aims to promote coexistence between humans and elephants.

The main objective is to educate the residents about elephant behaviour, ecology and the cultural importance of elephants in the region.

About Assam

• Capital – Dispur
• Chief Minister –Himanta Biswa Sarma
• Governor – Gulab Chand Kataria

Exp. Govt aims 100 million tonnes coal gasification by 2030

The Ministry of Coal has set a target to gasify 100 million tonnes of coal by FY 2030.

The ministry is considering a comprehensive scheme, with an outlay of ₹6,000 crore, to promote coal and lignite gasification projects for both public sector undertakings (PSUs) and the private sector.

The adoption of gasification technology in India will revolutionize the coal sector, reducing reliance on imports of natural gas, methanol, ammonia, and other essential product.

Currently, India imports around half of its natural gas, most of its methanol, and 13-15% of its total ammonia requirement.

This initiative holds the potential to alleviate the environmental burden by reducing carbon emissions and fostering sustainable practices, contributing to India’s global commitments towards greener future, the statement added.

In October 2022, strategic bilateral agreements were executed, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between BHEL & CIL, as well as an MoU between IOCL, GAIL & CIL. These collaborations aim to foster cooperation and expertise in driving the implementation of SCG projects.

Exp. Jyotiraditya Scindia unveils 4th Runway & Elevated Taxiway in Delhi

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has inaugurated dual elevated Eastern Cross Taxiways and the fourth runway at the Delhi airport.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), the country’s largest airport, handles more than 1,500 aircraft movements daily.

The Eastern Cross Taxiways (ECT), which is 2.1 kilometers long, will reduce passengers’ time on the tarmac after landing and before take-off of flights.

With the ECT, the airport will also be the only one in the country to have an elevated taxiway with roads passing below it.

The ECT will connect the northern and southern airfields on the eastern side of the airport and will reduce the taxiing distance for an aircraft by seven kilometres. It can handle wide-body aircraft, including A-380 and B-777 and B-747.

The airport now has 4 runways & is the 1st airport in India to have an elevated taxiway. Now, the airport will have four runways — RW 09/27, RW 11R/29L, RW 10/28 and RW 11L/29R.

IGIA is operated by the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), a consortium led by GMR Airports Infrastructure Ltd.

The Eastern Cross Taxiway (ECT) will reduce CO2 emissions by 55000 tonnes annually.

The dual-way elevated taxiway is 2.1 km long and 44m wide.

Exp. Sex education to be compulsory in Irish schools

Lessons in relationships and sex education (RSE) are to be compulsory for 15 to 18-year-olds at schools in the Republic of Ireland.

The move is planned as part of changes to the social, personal and health education (SPHE) for senior pupils.

Lessons will be “taught in a way that LGBTQ+ identities, relationships and families are fully integrated”, according to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA).

A major review of RSE in schools in the Republic of Ireland was ordered by the government in 2018. That has already led to changes to the RSE curriculum in primary and post-primary schools.

Under the planned changes in the Republic of Ireland, post-primaries will be expected to provide one hour a week of SPHE lessons to senior pupils.

There will be lessons on health and well-being, relationships and sexuality, and into adulthood. The relationships and sexuality lessons will teach pupils about “nurturing respectful, caring and healthy relationships.

Pupils will also be taught about safe sex, responses to unplanned pregnancy, and accessing sexual health services.

About Ireland

• Capital – Dublin
• Currency – Euro
• Continent – Europe
• President – Michael D. Higgins

Exp. Golden Peacock’ Environment Management Award 2023 to Adani Transmission Limited

Indian company Adani Transmission Limited (ATL) has been awarded the ‘Golden Peacock Environment Management Award’ by the ‘Institute of Directors’ in the ‘Power Transmission Sector’.

In 2023, an assessment group comprising Environment, Health and safety, Energy and Climate Change experts assesses over 520 applications.

These applications were approved by Justice M.N. The review was done by an eminent jury committee headed by Venkatachaliah.

About Golden Peacock Environment Management Award

• The award is given for reducing its ecological footprint through programs such as zero waste in landfills, single-use plastic free, water-positive operations, promoting renewable energy integration and implementation of best-in-class environmental management strategies.
• Steel Authority of India (SAIL) has been awarded with the Golden Peacock Environment Management Award in 2021 in the steel sector by the Institute of Directors. SAIL has been the winner of this award for three consecutive years.

Recent Awards

• SKOCH Award – Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission
• Insurer Innovation Awards 2023 – Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance
• Best Performance in CASA at ICC Emerging Asia Banking Conclave 2022 – J & K Bank
• Lokmanya Tilak Award 2023 – Narendra Modi
• Miss Universe Netherlands – Rikkie Kollé (First transgender woman

Exp. Indian team secures 2 Gold medals at 64th International Mathematical Olympiad

A six-member Indian team won six medals – two gold, two silver, and two bronze at the 64th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2023, which was held in Japan’s Chiba city.

The team finished ninth out of the 112 countries that competed. This is the fourth time the Indian team has finished in the top 10.

The gold medal was won by Atul Shatavart Nadig and Arjun Gupta, who both scored 37 points. Ananda Bhaduri and Siddharth Choppara grabbed silver with 29 points apiece, while Adhitya Mangudy and Archit Manas won bronze with 22 and 20 points, respectively.

India has finished seventh in 1998, seventh again in 2001, and ninth in 2002. India has also won three gold medals for the fourth time since 1998. Furthermore, our country also received.

Exp. India & France sign MoU for construction of three Scorpene submarine

India and France have signed an MoU for the construction of three additional submarines under the P75 program.

The MoU has been signed between Mazgon Dockyard Ltd and Naval Group for the construction of submarines under the P75 programme.

The Scorpene Submarines have advanced stealth features and are equipped with long-range guided torpedoes and anti-ship missiles.

These submarines have a state-of-the-art SONAR suite and sensor suite permitting outstanding operational capabilities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron adopted ‘Horizon 2047: 25th Anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, Towards A Century of India-France Relations’.

Recent MoU in Defence Sector

• Defense ministry signs with HAL to upgrade Dornier Aircraft for ICG
• GE Aerospace signs MoU with HAL to produce fighter jet engines
• The Defence Ministry has signed a contract of 500 crore rupees with ICOMM Tele Limited an to strengthen the Indian Army’s communication system.
• Mazagon Dock signs deal with Germany to build diesel submarines
• Ministry of Defence signed Rs 1,700 crore contract with BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd. for procurement of next-generation maritime mobile coastal batteries and BrahMos missile

Exp. Tajinderpal Singh Toor keeps gold, Parul Chaudhary wins maiden Asians title

Indian shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor and runner Parul Chaudhary won gold medals at the Asian Athletics Championships 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Tajinderpal Singh Toor heaved his best throw of the day on his second attempt to retain his continental title. He started with 19.80m and followed it up with 20.23m.

Tajinderpal Singh Toor also won the gold medal at the last edition of the Asian championships held in Doha four years ago. He claimed a silver at the 2017 edition held in Bhubaneswar.

Tajinderpal Singh Toor, who is also the reigning Asian Games champion and Asian indoor championships gold medallist, holds the Asian and national record of 21.77m set in Bhubaneswar last month.

Parul Chaudhary won her first gold medal at the Asian championships, claiming the top podium in the women’s 3000m steeplechase. The 28-year-old had won bronze in the 5000m race in 2019 but had missed the podium twice in the 3000m steeplechase. She finished fourth in 2017 and fifth in 2019.

Parul Chaudhary clocked 9:38.76 to win her race in Bangkok ahead of the Republic of China’s Xu Shuangshuang (9:44.54) and Japan’s Reimi Yoshimura (9:48.48). India’s Priti claimed the fourth spot in 9:48.50.

The 19-year-old Shaili Singh claimed silver in the women’s long jump event with a 6.54m effort. Shaili Singh, who won silver at the 2021 world U20 championships, produced her best effort with her first attempt and was leading the leaderboards at the halfway stage.

Japan’s Sumire Hata, the reigning Asian indoor champion, came up with a personal best of 6.97m on her final attempt and went on to win the gold medal.

Exp. Mirabai to lead India’s contingent at World Weightlifting Championship

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics silver medalist Mirabai Chanu will lead a five-member Indian contingent at the World Weightlifting Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Riyadh event will be a qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympics and will be held from September 4 to 17.

Chanu will be competing in women’s 49 kg category. The two-time world championships medalist will be aiming for a gold. She won gold in 2017 meet at Anaheim while had to settle for silver last year in Bogota.

BindyarDevi, the 2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships gold medal winner, will be taking part in women’s 55 kg event.

The men’s team consists of 2022 Commonwealth Games champion Achinta Sheuli, who will be taking part in 73 kg category.

The current national-level champion Narayana Ajith, Shubham Todkar, (who secured the gold medal in the 61kg category at the ongoing Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships) will also be competing.

Exp. Ravichandran Ashwin becomes second highest wicket-taker for India

Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has surpassed Harbhajan Singh to become the second-highest wicket-taker for India in international cricket.

With this performance, Ashwin has 709 wickets in 271 international matches. These wickets have come at an average of 25.67 and his best bowling figures are 7/59.

He has 27 four-wicket hauls, 34 five-wicket hauls, and 8 ten-wicket hauls in international cricket.

India’s best bowler in international cricket is Anil Kumble, who has taken 953 in 401 matches at an average of 30.06 with best figures of 10/74.

Harbhajan has now slipped to third position, with 707 wickets in 365 matches at an average of 32.59 and best figures of 8/84.  

Exp. 17 July – World Emoji Day

World Emoji Day is observed every year on July 17.

Emojis have significantly transformed the way internet users across the world communicate and express themselves in the digital world.

The tiny pictures have become an integral part of text messages and regular communication through digital modes.

Due to their ability to express thousands of words with just a tiny pictorial icon, emojis are being increasingly used in text messages and social media posts.

Emojis were first created by an artist to make communication in a virtual world easier. In the late 1990s, a Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita created a set of 176 emojis.

Later in 2014, the founder of Emojipedia Jeremy Burge proposed to initiate a day of celebration for highlighting the increased use of emojis.

Hence, World Emoji Day is observed on July 17 every year. The date was finalized as the ‘Calendar’ emoji shows the same date by default. Eventually, the use of emojis has become an essential part of all communications in the virtual world.

Exp. 17 July – International Justice Day

International Justice Day is celebrated every year on 17 July.

The day is observed to commemorate the significant role played by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and other organizations in providing justice to victims of injustice, including people affected by war crimes, genocide, terrorism, and more.

World Day for International Justice is recognised to highlight the severe cases of human rights abuses and the role of ICC in eradicating them.

It is an opportunity to promote the rule of law, observance of human rights, and opposition to impunity.

It marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute on 17 July 1998, the founding treaty of the ICC, which seeks to protect people from genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.