Current Affairs Quiz 1st September 2023 Quiz

Exp. ADB and Fourth Partner Energy Collaborate for Solar Power Plant in Tamil Nadu

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Fourth Partner Energy Private Limited (Fourth Partner) have signed a long-term loan of up to Rs 120 crore (about USD 14.7 million) to construct and operate a 25-megawatt solar photovoltaic-based power plant to increase clean and low-cost energy supply.

The power plant is located in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu. It is expected to generate about 50.7 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually and will directly sell power to commercial and industrial users.

Fourth Partner is India’s one of the leading renewable energy solutions platforms.

India’s open-access renewable energy policy allows a group of consumers to purchase electricity directly from an independent power producer (IPP).

Open access energy procurement can play an important role in businesses achieving their net zero emissions targets.

This is ADB’s first direct financing to a renewable energy plant of this nature and is expected to crowd in international commercial financing to further decarbonize the commercial and industrial sector.

ADB estimates nearly 41,700 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year will be avoided through the plant, which would otherwise have been generated by conventional fossil fuel plants.

ADB has supported the development of renewable energy in India since 2007 when it financed the first set of wind projects under the IPP model.

Recent Loan Approved by ADB

• ADB approves USD 40.5 mn loan for childhood development in Meghalaya
• India, ADB signed $200 million loan deal to enhance urban services in Rajasthan.
• Inda, ADB signed $130 million loan MoU to boost horticulture in Himachal Pradesh
• India, ADB signed $295 million loan pact to upgrade the state highways in Bihar
• India, ADB signed $200 million loan deal to enhance urban services in Rajasthan

Exp. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah launched ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme

The Karnataka government has launched the ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ women’s financial aid scheme in Mysuru.

Under this scheme, about 1.1 crore women heads of family will get Rs 2,000 every month.

The Karnataka government has earmarked ₹17,500 crore for the ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ programme in the current financial year.

Gruha Lakshmi scheme is one of the five pre-poll ‘guarantees’ of the Congress.

Karnataka government has already implemented three of the five ‘guarantees’ (pre-poll promises) — ‘Shakti’, ‘Gruha Jyothi’ and ‘Anna Bhagya’ — and ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ is the fourth one.

The fifth one is the ‘Yuva Nidhi’ scheme that promises to provide unemployment allowance to the state’s youth.

About Karnataka

• Capital – Bengaluru
• Chief Minister –Siddaramaiah
• Deputy Chief Minister – DK Shivakumar
• Governor – Thawar Chand Gehlot

Exp. ISRO-developed device for fishers’ safety successfully tested at Neendakara

Nabhmitra’, a device developed by ISRO-Space Applications Centre (Ahmedabad) for the safety of fishermen, was successfully tested at Neendakara.

The satellite-based communication system enables two-way messaging services from and to the sea.

Weather and cyclone warnings will be communicated in the local language, the boats can also send distress messages to the authorities.

In emergency situations like capsizing and fire, fishers can press a button on the device and get in touch with the control centre. While the control centre will receive the alert including the location of the boat, the crew on the boat will get a response message from the control centre.

The device was installed on a fishing vessel in Neendakara and tested in the presence of scientists and Fisheries department officials.

About Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)

• Founded – 15 August 1969
• Headquarters – Bangalore, Karnataka
• Founder / 1st Chairman – Vikram Sarabhai
• 10th Chairman – S Somanath
• Aryabhata India’s first satellites Launched on 19 April 1975

Exp. Gujarat announced 27% reservation for OBCs in local bodies like panchayat

Bhupendra Patel-led Gujarat government has announced 27 percent reservation for OBCs in elections to local self-governance institutes while maintaining quotas for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

Earlier, only 10 percent of seats in local bodies such as village panchayats and municipalities were reserved for OBC candidates.

Complying with the directive of the Supreme Court, the state had constituted Justice KS Zaveri Commission fix reservations for OBC communities in the local bodies. The commission submitted its report to the government in April this year.

The five-year tenure of 7,100-gram panchayats, 75 Nagar Palikas, two district panchayats and 19 taluka panchayats has ended. The State Election Commission has appointed administrators to oversee the work of these bodies.

The OBC community is about 52 percent of the population in Gujarat, while there are more than 146 castes classified in OBC in Gujarat, and now more than 50 MLAs in BJP belong to the OBC community.

About Gujarat

• Capital- Gandhinagar
• Chief Minister- Bhupendra Rajnikant Patel
• Governor- Acharya Devvrat

Exp. India and New Zealand signs a MoU to boost cooperation in civil aviation

India and New Zealand have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost cooperation in civil aviation.

This will cover the scheduling of new routes, codeshare services, traffic rights, and capacity entitlement.

The MoU was signed by Civil Aviation Secretary, Rajiv Bansal and the New Zealand High Commissioner David Pine in New Delhi.

According to the MoU, the designated airlines of New Zealand may operate any number of services with any type of aircraft, with third and fourth freedom traffic rights to and from six points in India, namely New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.

The designated airlines of India may operate any number of services with any type of aircraft with third and fourth freedom traffic rights to and from Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

Three more points in New Zealand to be named by the Government of India.

About New Zealand

• Capital – Wellington
• Currency – Dollar
• Prime Minister – Chris Hipkins

Recently India signed MoUs with others countries

• ICG signs MoU with Philippine Coast Guard to enhance maritime cooperation
• India signs MoU with Trinidad and Tobago on sharing INDIA STACK
• India and Laos sign MOUs for five quick impact projects in education, health, water facility, and IT.
• India & Argentina signs MoU for bilateral exchange of young researchers
• India & Sri Lanka sign MoU on cooperation in field of renewable energy

Exp. NITI Aayog and UNDP sign MoU on fast-tracking SDGs

Central think tank NITI Aayog and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed an MoU to formalize a cooperative framework to fast-track India’s pursuit to achieve its sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The MoU will focus on the two organizations’ cooperation in a range of areas, including SDG localization, data-driven monitoring, Aspirational Districts and Blocks, among others.

NITI Aayog is the nodal body for the monitoring of SDGs in India and reviews the process through a nationwide SDG index. The memorandum of understanding between the think tank and UNDP was signed for a period of years.

Midway to 2030, India’s leadership is critical for making the SDGs a reality. India nearly halved multidimensional poverty between 2015-2016 and 2019-2021, demonstrating that despite complex challenges, accelerating progress towards the Goals is possible.

Recent MoU

• AICTE partnered with Jio Institute for faculty development programme
• BHEL signs MoU with Greenstat to explore opportunities in Hydrogen value chain
• Voyager Space signed MoU with New Space India Limited (NSIL) to foster collaboration in spacecraft launch
• Defense ministry signs with HAL to upgrade Dornier Aircraft for ICG
• GE Aerospace signs MoU with HAL to produce fighter jet engines

Exp. Centre launches ‘Awareness Campaign And Training Of Trainers’ Initiative

Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda has launched the ‘Awareness Campaign and Training of Trainers’ as a part of the ‘Mission for Elimination of Sickle Cell Anaemia’ in New Delhi.

The programme envisages training of grassroots-level functionaries so as to create awareness in this direction among the masses, especially in tribal regions.

The government declared a Mission to eliminate Sickle Cell Anaemia by 2047 in the budget of 2023-24.

This Mission will entail awareness creation, universal screening of 7 crore people in the age group of 0-40 years in affected tribal areas and counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments.

The Mission was formally launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on 1st July 2023 in Shahdol District of Madhya Pradesh.  

Exp. India to host 1st edition of ‘Global IndiaAl 2023’ in October 2023

India will host the first edition of the Global India AI 2023 Conference in October 2023.

It will provide a unique platform for deliberation on various topics including next-generation learning and foundational artificial intelligence models, AI applications in healthcare, governance, electric vehicles, and computing systems.

Several leading players and experts in artificial intelligence, researchers, startups, and investors will participate in the conference.

The government’s vision is to gather the world’s best and brightest minds under one roof to deliberate the future of AI and its impact in several sectors.

The conference will also serve as a showcase for the vibrant India AI ecosystem that comprises key initiatives such as DI Bhashini, India Datasets Program, India AI Future design program for startups, and India AI Future Skills program dedicated to nurturing world-class AI talent pool.

Exp. Tripura to set up pink toilets for women

The Tripura government has initiated efforts to install pink toilets for women in urban areas.

The number of self-help groups (SHGs) has risen from over 4,000 in 2018 to 50,000 in 2022.

We will set up pink toilets for women in urban areas and an outlay (for it) has been earmarked in the budget.

The government has also thirty-three percent reservation for women in government jobs.

50 percent reservation for them to operate shops in government shopping complexes are some of the steps taken toward women empowerment.

The state government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy on drug trafficking and infiltration.

About Tripura

• Capital – Agartala
• Chief Minister – Manik Sarkar
• Governor – Satyadeo Narain Arya

Exp. Umesh Revankar appointed as chairman of FIDC

The Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC) has appointed Umesh Revankar as its new chairman.

FIDC is the representative body for asset and loan financing of Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs).

The managing committee elected Revankar unanimously during a meeting held in Mumbai.

He currently holds the position of executive vice chairman for Shriram Finance and has decades of experience and expertise in the financial services industry.

He played a pivotal role in making Shriram Transport Finance Company the largest commercial vehicle financer in India.

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• SEBI whole-time members – Kamlesh Varshneym & Amarjeet Singh (replace SK Mohanty & Ananta Barua)
• MD and CEO of South Indian Bank – PR Seshadri (effect from 1 October 2023)
• CEO of Power Finance Corporation (PFC) – Parminder Chopra
• MD of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) – R Doraiswamy (replace Mini Ipe)
• MD & CEO of SBI Life Insurance Company– Amit Jhingran

Exp. Geetika Srivastava is first woman to head Indian mission in Pakistan

A 2005 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Geetika Srivastava will be India’s new charge d’Affaires at its high commission in Islamabad.

Geetika, who is currently serving as the Joint Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), is the first woman to head India’s mission in Pakistan.

Geetika is currently handling the Indo-Pacific division in MEA and will succeed Dr M Suresh Kumar, who is expected to return to India soon.

From 2007 to 2009, Geetika served in the Indian Embassy in China where she mastered Mandarin language. She has also had stints at the Regional Passport Office in Kolkata and has been the director of the Indian Ocean region division in the foreign ministry.

New Delhi and Islamabad haven’t had high commissioners since August 2019 after Pakistan downgraded the diplomatic relations between the two nations following the abrogation of Article 370, which granted a special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Exp. Jaya Varma Sinha appointed as Chairman of Railway Board

The Secretariat of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed Jaya Verma Sinha as the first woman CEO and chairperson of the Railway Board.

She succeeds Anil Kumar Lahoti.

Sinha as the CEO and Chairperson of the Railway Board, making her the first woman to ever hold that post in the Ministry of Railways’ 105-year-old history.  Vijaylaxmi Vishwanathan was the first female member of the Railway Board.

Ms Sinha, an alumnus of Allahabad University, joined the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) in 1986 and worked in three railway zones: Northern Railway, South Eastern Railway, and Eastern Railway.

Her tenure will end on August 31, 2024.

Ms Sinha was the public face of the railways in the wake of the tragic Balasore accident, that killed nearly 300 people in Odisha, explaining the complex signaling system to the media.

During her four-year tenure as Railway Advisor in the High Commission of India in Dhaka, Bangladesh, she played a key role in the inauguration of the Maitree Express, a train service that connects Kolkata and Dhaka.

Recent Appointment

• First Woman to head Indian mission in Pakistan – Geetika Srivastava (replace M Suresh Kumar)
• First Woman field Director of Kaziranga NP – Dr Sonali Ghosh (replace Jatindra Sarma)
• First female IPS officer of Arunachal Pradesh – Tenzing Yangki
• First woman to chair the Rajya Sabha – Phangnon Konyak (Nagaland)
• 1st woman to be top Navy officer in US history – Lisa Franchetti
• First woman director of IIT, to led IIT Zanzibar – Preeti Aghalayam
• First Muslim woman federal judge in US history – Nusrat Chowdhary

Exp. Army signs deals for 130 tethered drones and 19 tank-driving simulators

The Army has signed contracts for the procurement of 130 tethered drones and 19 tank-driving simulators under Emergency Procurement (EP) and they will be delivered in 12 months.

The armed forces are currently executing the fourth tranche of EPs sanctioned by the Defence Ministry.

Indian Army has signed the contract for procurement of 130 Tethered Drones and 19 Tank Driving Simulators. The induction of such new equipment will enhance the overall operational preparedness.

The long-endurance tether drone systems are contracted at an approximate value of ₹250 crore and can be used in high-altitude areas.

In the last few months, the Army has issued several tenders for a range of drones and technologies including logistics, load-carrying drones, anti-drone systems, and loitering munitions, among others.

In the last three years, in the backdrop of the stand-off in Eastern Ladakh, the Army had also concluded a series of contracts with Indian start-ups for small drones for surveillance and load-carrying.

Under the fourth tranche of EP, the Army has so far signed 49 contracts worth ₹7,600 crore and another 34 contracts of similar amount are lined up and expected to be concluded by end-September, as reported earlier.

Exp. 31 August 2023 – World Sanskrit Day

In a bid to honour one of the world’s oldest known languages, every year World Sanskrit Day is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu calendar month of Shravan or Sawan month.

This year World Sanskrit Day, which is also known as World Sanskrit Diwas, is being observed on August 31.

The celebration of the day aims at the awareness and promotion of Sanskrit language. Apart from this, the celebrations also mark the sanctity and divinity of the language, which is also considered the Dev Vani (language of the Gods).

Sanskrit has also been used to write some crucial scriptures in Hinduism like Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita. Many believe that Sanskrit was created and passed on by Lord Brahma to rishis.

The celebration of Sanskrit Day and Sanskrit Diwas was declared by the government of India in 1969. The day was supposed to be a tribute to the work of the renowned Sanskrit scholar Paṇini and his legacy.

This is why, annually World Sanskrit Day is observed on the birth anniversary of Panini, whose contribution to the evolution of the language stands significant and unmatched till date.

Exp. 1 to 7 September – National Nutrition Week (NNW)

National Nutrition Week (NNW) is observed annually in India from September 1 to 7.

This dedicated week aims to raise awareness among people about the vital role of nutrition and the significance of cultivating healthy eating habits.

Throughout National Nutrition Week, several seminars, workshops, educational programmes, conferences, and public awareness campaigns are organized across the country.

These activities are designed to educate people about the advantages of maintaining a balanced diet, the positive impact of proper nutrition, ways to prevent diseases linked to poor dietary habits, and strategies to overcome nutritional deficiencies.

The theme of Nutrition Month 2023, according to UNICEF, is “Healthy Diet Going Affordable for All”