Current Affairs Quiz 20th July 2023 Quiz

Exp. Chachin Grazing Festival celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh

The Chachin grazing festival was celebrated with great enthusiasm by local graziers in the Tawang region near Bumla Pass, Arunachal Pradesh.

The festival featured a medical camp for aiding local graziers and a veterinary camp for their yaks.

The two-day event held at Chachin saw enthusiastic participation from Graziers from all over Tawang region.

Chachin and other traditional grazing areas, near Bumla Pass have historically served as the backbone of the local Monpa lifestyle that is largely dependent on nomadic herding – a primitive form of subsistence farming – as means of livelihood.

The event showcased the rich pageantry of Monpa culture.

Nearly 100 graziers and their herds of yaks attended the event from nearby villages.

About Arunachal Pradesh

• Capital – Itanagar
• Chief Minister – Pema Khandu
• Governor – LG (Retd) Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik

Exp. India will host global food regulators summit

The Global Food Regulators Summit 2023 has been organized in New Delhi. This is for the first time that a meeting like this is organized as a G20 event.

In this high-profile meeting, food regulators from over 40 countries participated along with representatives from 30 International Organisations and 25 International Research Institutes and universities.

The summit was organized by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The Summit will provide a valuable platform to the participants to deliberate on a cohesive network on Food Safety and Regulatory aspects, effective understanding of compliance requirements and mutual exchange of best practices, experiences and success stories on food safety norms and regulations.

This is the first time the summit is being held outside Rome, Italy. The Global Food Regulators Summit will bring focus on the crucial aspect of food safety, which needs as much attention as food security.

Exp. Comic Con India announces first edition in Chennai

Comic Con India has announced its first-ever edition in Chennai.

Chennai Comic Con will take place on February 17 and 18, 2024 at the Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam.

The event will showcase a range of international and Indian comic creators, artists and industry figures while immersing fans in a ‘world of comics, manga, anime and all things pop culture.

Previous editions of Comic Con India have happened in cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.

Chennai has a passionate community of pop culture enthusiasts, and we are excited to provide them with an unforgettable experience filled with comics, creativity, and connection.

Exp. Lucknow University unveils ‘heritage point’

Lucknow University has unveiled a “heritage point” at its zoology department, featuring bricks from the 19th century and a 100-year-old wooden log.

The items mark the university’s centenary year. The log, extracted from a mango tree on the campus, is also over a century old, according to scientists.

A stone plaque next to the heritage point documents the university’s historical progression. The university’s vice chancellor inaugurated the heritage point, which aims to display the rich heritage of the institution to students

Featuring some bricks that were exclusively moulded in the early 19th century, and a 100-year-old wooden log that clearly exhibits the annual rings formed around it.

Exp. Henley Passport Index 2023- India ranked 80th; topped by Singapore

Singapore has overtaken Japan to become the most powerful passport in the world in 2023, according to the latest Henley Passport Index. Those who possess a Singaporean passport can visit 192 countries visa-free.

Japan that dominated the top spot for five years, now ranks third on the list along with Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea and Sweden.  Citizens of these countries can visit 189 countries visa free.

Indian passport holders can now enter 57 countries visa free or get a visa on arrival as India has gone up five positions to be in the 80th spot.

The US, which once topped the ranking nearly a decade ago, slid two places to eighth place with 184 destinations listed as visa free, the same as Lithuania.

The UK jumped two places to fourth position with 188 visa-free countries accessible, a position it last held in 2017.

Afghanistan stands at the bottom of the ranking, its passport holders can visit just 27 destinations without a visa. Just above sit Iraq with a score of 29 and Syria with 30, rounding out the three weakest passports in the world.

• Rank 1 – Singapore; Number of countries citizens can visit visa-free: 192
• Rank 2 – Germany, Italy and Spain; Number of countries citizens can visit visa-free: 190
• Rank 3 – Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, Sweden and Japan; Number of countries citizens can visit visa-free: 189
• Rank 4 – Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom; Number of countries citizens can visit visa-free: 188 (Image: Shutterstock)
• Rank 5 – Czech Republic, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland; Number of countries citizens can visit visa-free: 187
• Rank 6 – Australia, Hungary, Poland; Number of countries citizens can visit visa-free: 186
• Rank 7 – Greece, Canada; Number of countries citizens can visit visa-free: 185.
• Rank 8 – Lithuania, United States; Number of countries citizens can visit visa-free: 184
• Rank 9 – Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia; Number of countries citizens can visit visa-free: 183
• Rank 10 – Iceland, Estonia; Number of countries citizens can visit visa-free: 182
• Rank 80 – India; Number of countries citizens can visit visa-free: 57

Recent index

• World’s most powerful military – Strongest (1. USA, 2 Russia, 3. China, 4. India, 5. UK); Weakest (1. Bhutan, 2. Benin, 3. Moldova, 4. Somalia, 5. Liberia)
• Global Peace Index 2022 – India at 126, topped by Iceland; last Afghanistan
• Global Competitiveness Index 2023: India ranked 40; topped by Denmark
• Global Liveability Index 2023 – Rank 1 Vienna, Austria; Cities from India (141 – New Delhi, 141 – Mumbai, 144 – Chennai, 147 – Ahmedabad, 148 Bengaluru)
• Global Gender Gap Index 2023: India ranked 127; topped by Iceland
• World Press Freedom Index 2023: India ranked 161; topped by Norway

Exp. US’s largest reptile sanctuary wants to import gharials from India

The United States’ largest reptile bank based in Arizona has applied to the federal government to import six gharials and another equal number of mugger crocodiles from Tamil Nadu, which it argued would help preserve these endangered species.

The Phoenix Herpetological Society has applied for permission in this regard to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Phoenix Herpetological Society has requested a permit to import three male and three female captive-bred gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) and three male and three female captive-bred mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris kimbula and Crocodylus palustris) from Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Tamil Nadu.

Exp. ADB retains India’s growth forecast at 6.4% for the current fiscal

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has retained India’s economic growth forecast at 6.4 percent for the current financial year (2023-24).

ADB has set growth forecast at 6.7 percent for India for the next financial year (2024-25).

The ADB noted that inflation is expected to continue to fall, and is expected to approach its pre-pandemic levels as fuel and food prices decline

The bank forecasted 3.6 percent inflation this year for developing economies in Asia, and 3.4 percent in 2024.

India’s economy grew by 7.2 percent in the 2022-23 fiscal ended in March 2023.

Updated GDP List

• World Bank – 6.3% (FY24), 6.4% (FY25), 6.5% (FY26)
• MOODY’S. – 5.5% (FY23)
• S&P – 6% (FY24)
• IMF – 5.9% (FY24), 6.3% (FY25)
• ADB – 6.4% (FY24), 6.7% (FY25)
• RBI – 6.8% (FY23)
• FITCH RATING – 6.3% (FY24), 6.7% (FY25)

About Asian Development Bank (ADB)

• Founded – 19 December 1966
• Headquarters – Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines
• President – Masatsugu Asakawa
• Vice President – Ashok Lavasa
• Director of ADB for India – Takeo Konishi
• Executive Director – Sameer Kumar Khare
• Member Counrtries – 68 (Nuie)

Exp. Simplifai launches world-first generative Al tool for insurance

An Al automation solutions provider, Simplifai has launched Simplifai Insurance GPT a world-first custom-built GPT tool, fuelled by the company’s revolutionary no-code Al-powered platform.

With Insurance GPT, Simplifai has strengthened its end-to-end business process automation capabilities, providing enriched communication between insurers and their customers through the power of generative AI – delivering fast, concise, and accurate responses in a secure way.

While several insurance product providers have merely begun to integrate ChatGPT or Google Bard into their services, Simplifai’s InsuranceGPT large language model (LLM) is the first to be trained specifically on information directly relevant to the insurance sector.

Recent Facilities Launched in Banks & Insurance Sector

• Bank of India inaugurates IFSC Banking Unit at GIFT City
• PNB launched the virtual branch, PNB Metaverse.
• Indian Bank rolls out digital services under ‘Project WAVE’ initiative
• Bank of India launched Centralised Pool Buy-Out and Co-Lending Cell
• Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance launches ‘Nishchit Pension Plan’

Exp. Cement Manufacturers Association elects Neeraj Akhoury as its president

Managing Director of Shree Cement, Neeraj Akhoury has been elected as the new President of the Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA).

While JSW Cement Managing Director Parth Jindal has been appointed as Vice President of CMA.

Both were unanimously elected at the Extraordinary General Meeting of CMA.

Akhoury, who has 30 years of experience in the steel and cement industries, takes over from UltraTech Cement’s Managing Director K C Jhanwar.

CMA represents almost 80 percent of the total installed cement capacity in India.

Recent Appointment

• MD of Michelin India – Shantanu Deshpande
• Chairman of UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) – Arvind Kumar (replace Raj Pratap Singh)
• President of NAREDCO Delhi Chapter – Harshvardhan Bansal
• First woman director of IIT, to led IIT Zanzibar – Preeti Aghalayam
• CMD of India Tobacco Company Limited (ITC Ltd) – Sanjiv Puri (reappointment)

Exp. Ami Bera receives Champion of Healthcare Innovation Award

An Indian-American physician-turned-politician, Dr. Ami Bera has received the Champion of Healthcare Innovation Award for his contributions to making high-quality care affordable and accessible in the US.

Bera the longest-serving Indian-American serving in the US Congress, was among those facilitated during the council’s Innovation Expo held here last week.

Bera served as Chief Medical Officer for Sacramento County in California before being sworn in as a Congressman in 2013 and has represented Sacramento County in the US House of Representatives since then.

He is currently a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation.

He is also a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Recent Awards

• Economic Times (ET) HR World Future Skills Awards 2023 – NTPC Ltd
• Golden Peacock’ Environment Management Award 2023 – Adani Transmission Limited
• 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

Exp. Keerthana upstages Anupama for World U-21 snooker title

Keerthana Pandian defeated fellow Indian Anupama Ramachandran in the final to emerge as the IBSF World under-21 women’s snooker champion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Bengaluru’s Natasha Chethan made it a memorable outing for the Indians by claiming the bronze medal.

Natasha lost 1-3 to the eventual winner in the last-four stage, while Anupama had outclassed Hong Kong China’s Chan Wai Lam 3-0 in the other semis.

Exp. Prithviraj Tondaiman bags bronze medal at ISSF Shotgun World Cup

In shooting, India shooter Prithviraj Tondaiman bagged the bronze medal in the men’s trap event at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup Lonato 2023 in Italy.

Prithviraj Tondaiman’s bronze was India’s only medal at the Lonato shooting meet. This was his second individual ISSF World Cup medal, having won a bronze in Doha in March.

Prithviraj Tondaiman finished third in the final with 34 points. Britain’s Nathan Hales won the gold medal with 49 points while Qi Ying of the Republic of China bagged the silver medal with 48 points.

In the women’s trap event, none of the Indians managed to progress beyond the qualification round. Overall, India finished ninth in the medals tally at Lonato, which was topped by the USA with two golds and one silver. The ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Italy was a qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Exp. Ashok Leyland bags orders worth Rs 800 crore from Indian Army

Ashok Leyland, the Indian flagship of the Hinduja Group and the largest supplier of logistics vehicles to the Indian military, has bagged orders worth Rs 800 crore from the Indian Army.

The contracts awarded to Ashok Leyland include for the production of “field artillery tractors” (FAT 4×4) and “gun towing vehicles” (GTV 6×6).

The FAT 4×4 and GTV 6×6 are specialized vehicles employed by the artillery for towing light and medium guns, respectively.

Both these platforms featured prominently in the first “positive indigenization list” that the government promulgated in August 2020. This was followed in May 2021 by a second positive indigenization list, comprising of 108 items; and then a third indigenization List of 101 items in April 2022.

Ashok Leyland vehicles, especially the 7.5 tonne Stallion, have formed the backbone of the army’s logistics supply chain since the Kargil conflict in 1999. They are manufactured for the military in a dedicated production line in Ordnance Factory Jabalpur.

The budget component for military transportation this year allocates Rs 6,717 crore for revenue expenditure. In addition the budget caters for Rs 4,038 crore in capital expenditure.

CEO of Ashok Leyland – Shenu Agarwal.

Exp. 20 July – National Moon Day

National Moon Day, also known as the Space Exploration Day, is observed on July 20 every year to commemorate the anniversary of the United States’ first crewed mission to the moon, and the landing of astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on moon on July 20, 1969.

Theme 2023 – Lunar Exploration, Coordination and Sustainability

On this day, the spaceflight Apollo 11 that carried Neil Armstrong and the pilots Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins landed on the moon for the first time.

The grand Apollo 11 was a mission that became a reality eight years after the national goal was announced by then US President John F Kennedy.

Armstrong was the commander of the mission while Buzz and Collins were the lunar module pilots.

The celebration behind the day is not only about the landing on the moon but also about the progress made by mankind towards lunar exploration so far.

In 1971, President Richard Nixon proclaimed National Moon Landing Day on July 20, two years after the man’s first moon landing. However, it was not followed by a resolution.

In 2019, President Donald Trump proclaimed July 20 as the 50th Anniversary Observance of the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing, but no National Moon Day was declared.

Exp. 20 July – World Chess Day

World Chess Day is observed every year on 20 July.

The game of chess offers important opportunities to contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, including strengthening education, gender equality, and social inclusion

International Chess Day was announced in 1996 by UNESCO to commemorate the establishment of the International Chess Federation, commonly known as FIDE by its French acronym.

FIDE was founded in Paris, France, and currently has its headquarters in Switzerland.

FIDE is an international body responsible for connecting various international chess federations and acts as the governing body for international chess competitions.

FIDE was recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 1999.