Current Affairs Quiz 22nd march 2023 Quiz

Exp. NGEL signed agreement with Indian Oil Corporation Limited for setting up renewable energy projects

NGEL, a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited, has signed a Joint Venture Agreement with IOCL for setting up of renewable energy projects to meet power requirement of IOCL Refineries.

NGEL has set an ambitious target of building a renewable generation portfolio of 60 GW over the next decade.

The signing of the agreement will enable to meet the Government of India’s clean energy targets.

Recent MoUs

• India Post partnered with Shiprocket to benefit Startups and MSMEs
• GAIL signed MoU with Shell Energy India on ethane sourcing
• NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) signed Agreement with IOCL for setting up of renewable energy projects
• BPCL signed an MoU with Brazilian oil company Petrobras to diversify crude oil sourcing
• FuelBuddy partnered with IOCL for doorstep delivery of automotive lubricants

Exp. C-20 India Inception meeting held in Nagpur

The Civil20 India (C-20) Inception meeting hosted by Orange City, Nagpur, Maharashtra from 20 – 21 March 2023.

It is one of the empowered groups, which provides a platform for Civil Society Organisations to voice the people’s aspirations to the world leaders in G20.

The inaugural ceremony attended by Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi and Spiritual leader Mata Amritanandmayi.

Around 250 delegates and 30 speakers participated in the two-day inception meeting.

The delegates has also visit the wildlife in Pench Tiger Reserve of Nagpur along with other tourist places.

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

• G20 Business Summit 2023 – Kohima, Nagaland (5 April 2023)
• First Environment & Climate Sustainability Working Group (ESCWG) Meeting – Gandhinagar, Gujarat (27 – 29 March 2023)
• 3rd Business 20 (B20) Meeting – Gangtok, Sikkim (16 March 2023)

• 2nd Education Working Group meeting – Amritsar, Punjab (15 March 2023)

Exp. 2nd G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group meeting begins in Udaipur

The 2nd Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) meeting under India’s G20 chairmanship began in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

The three-day meeting is focused at the identification of relevant policies and best practices for mobilizing sustainable finance to help ensure global growth and stability.

More than 90 delegates from the member countries of G20, guest countries, and different international organizations are taking part in this mega-event.

The SFWG’s first meeting held in Guwahati on 2nd and 3rd February this year. Third meeting will be held in Mahabalipuram and fourth in Varanasi.

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

• Fourth Y20 Consultation Meeting – Pune, Maharashtra (11 March 2023)
• First Labour 20 (L20) Meeting – Amritsar, Punjab (19 – 20 March 2023)
• Second Business 20 (B20) Meeting – Aizwal, Mizoram (1 – 3 March 2023)
• G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting – New Delhi (1 – 2 March 2023)
• G20 Meeting of Anti-Corruption Working Group – Gurugram, Haryana (1 March 2023)

Exp. TIME list of World’s Greatest Places of 2023 released

The TIME magazine has released its annual list of the ‘World’s Greatest Places’ for the year 2023 and two Indian destinations have made it to the list.

Among the chosen destinations are two locations from India -Ladakh and Mayurbhanj.

Ladakh is a high-altitude region, which is famous for its breathtaking landscapes, crystal-clear lakes, and snow-capped mountains.

Mayurbhanj is a lesser-known destination located in the eastern state of Odisha.

The full list of ‘extraordinary destinations to explore’ in 2023 are

1. Tampa, Florida
2. Willamette Valley, Oregon
3. Rio Grande, P. R.
4. Tucson, Arizona
5. Yosemite National Park, California
6. Bozeman, Montana
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Vancouver
9. Churchill, Manitoba
10. Dijon, France
11. Pantelleria, Italy
12. Naples, Italy
13. Aarhus, Denmark
14. St. Moritz, Switzerland
15. Barcelona
16. Timisoara, Romania
17. Sylt, Germany
18. Berat, Albania
19. Budapest
20. Vienna
21. Brisbane, Australia
22. Kangaroo Island, Australia
23. Dominica
24. Mexico City
25. Guadalajara, Mexico
26. Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
27. Pantanal, Brazil
28. Medellín, Colombia
29. Ollantaytambo, Peru
30. Roatán, Honduras
31. Ladakh, India
32. Mayurbhanj, India
33. Kyoto
34. Nagoya, Japan
35. Isan, Thailand
36. Phuket, Thailand
37. Jeju Island, South Korea
38. Luang Prabang, Laos
39. Giza and Saqqara, Egypt
40. Chyulu Hills, Kenya
41. Musanze, Rwanda
42. Rabat, Morocco
43. Dakar, Senegal
44. Loango National Park, Gabon
45. Freetown Peninsula, Sierra Leone
46. The Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
47. Aqaba, Jordan
48. Jerusalem
49. Sharjah, UAE
50. Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynes

Exp. Ratan Tata appointed to ‘Order of Australia’ for bolstering bilateral ties

Indian industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata has been appointed as an Honorary Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO), for distinguished service to Australia-India bilateral relations, particularly trade, investment and philanthropy.

Ratan Tata is the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, former Chairman of the Tata Group and one of the world’s richest entrepreneurs.

Ratan Tata has been a strong and influential supporter of deeper ties between Australia and India, including advocating for an India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, set to be finalized in 2022.

Recent Appointment

• CMD of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) – G Krishnakumar
• CEO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) – K Krithivasan
• CMD of National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) – Amitava Mukherjee (Additional charge)
• Vande Bharat Express gets Asia’s first woman loco pilot – Surekha Yadav
• MD and CEO of Tech Mahindra – Mohit Joshi

Exp. Lalit Kumar Gupta appointed as CMD of Cotton Corporation of India

Lalit Kumar Gupta has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) for a period of five years.

He was recommended for the post of CMD of CCI by the PESB panel.

Presently, he is serving as Director (Finance) in the same organization.

CCI is a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Textiles.

Recent Appointment

• MD & CEO of Hindustan Unilever Ltd. – Rohit Jawa
• CM of Nagaland – Neiphiu Rio (fifth term)
• Chief Minister of Meghalaya – Conrad Sangma (2nd Term)
• 28th Controller General of Accounts (CGA) – Sanjiva Shankar Dubey (replaced Bharti Das)
• Chairperson of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) – Jishnu Barua

Exp. Bombay Jayashri chosen for Sangita Kalanidhi Award 2023

Renowned Carnatic vocalist Bombay Jayashri has been selected for the Sangita Kalanidhi award for 2023 by the Music Academy.

She is one of the foremost Carnatic musicians of today, trained initially by his parents and later by TR Balamani and violinist Lalgudi G. Jayaraman.

She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2021.

The Nritya Kalanidhi Award for dance has been given to Vasanthalaxmi Narasimhachari. She has specialized in Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi.

Recent Awards

• Sangita Kalanidhi Award 2023 – Bombay Jayashri
• Saraswati Samman for 2022 – Tamil writer Sivasankari (for Survya Vamsam book)
• 32nd Vyas Samman 2022 – Gyan Chaturvedi (For Pagalkhana)
• Pritzker Prize 2023 – David Chipperfield
• Marconi Prize 2023 – Hari Balakrishnan

Exp. Nepalese batsman Aasif Sheikh won 2022 CMJ Spirit of Cricket Award

Nepalese batsman Aasif Sheikh was declared the winner of the Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket Award 2022.

The Award is presented every year by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), UK in conjunction with the BBC.

The CMJ Spirit of Cricket Award was created in 2013 by MCC and the BBC in memory of former MCC President and BBC Test Match Special commentator Christopher Martin-Jenkins (CMJ), who was passionate about promoting the spirit of the game.

Sheikh was honoured for his sporting conduct shown in a Men’s T20 International between Nepal and Ireland in February 2022.

Q.9. Who won the Saudi Arabian Formula One Grand Prix 2023?

सऊदी अरब फॉर्मूला वन ग्रां प्री 2023 किसने जीता है?

(a) Sebastian Vettel / सेबस्टियन वेट्टेली

(b) Lewis Hamilton / लुईस हैमिल्टन

(c) Max Verstappen / मैक्स वेरस्टैपेन

(d) Charles Leclerc / चार्ल्स लेक्लर

(e) Sergio Pérez / सर्जियो पेरेज़

Exp. Sergio Perez won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023.

Max Verstappen came in second position.

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso finished third in his Aston Martin.

He was closely followed by the Mercedes pair George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.

Recent Grand Prix 2023 Winner

• Bahrain Grand Prix 2023 - Red Bull's Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 - Red Bull's Sergio Pérez (Mexico)

Exp. India to host 2023 SAFF Championships in Bengaluru

The 2023 edition of the SAFF Championship, South Asia’s marquee international tournament, will be held in Bengaluru from 21 June to 3 July 2023.

This was announced by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

India will be hosting the tournament for the fourth time and first since the 2015 edition when it was held in Thiruvananthapuram.

All the member associations of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) are expected to participate in the 13th edition of the tournament.

Exp. ISSF Shooting World Cup begins in Bhopal

International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup Shooting Championship is organized in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh from 21 to 27 March.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has formally inaugurated this event.

Around 325 shooters from 33 countries and more than 75 technical officials will participate in the World Cup Shooting Championship.

The Championship is being organized in collaboration with the Government of Madhya Pradesh and the Rifle Federation of India.

It is the 8th World Cup organized in India and the first international shooting tournament to be held outside New Delhi.

Exp. China & South Korea bag titles at All England Open

Li Shi Feng defeated fellow Chinese shuttler Shi Yu Qi to win the men’s singles title at the All England Open badminton championships.

The all-Chinese men’s final ended 26-24 21-5, beginning neck-and-neck in the first game and ending in a decisive victory for 23-year-old Li in the second.

In the women’s singles, to the thunderous roar of her name, South Korea’s An Se Young beat Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold medallist Chen Yu Fei of China 21-17 10-21 21-19.

China has dominated Olympic badminton since the sport made its debut at the Games in Barcelona in 1992, with 47 medals including 20 golds.

Exp. “Women and Men in India 2022” book launched by Inderjit Singh Rao

The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Rao Inderjit Singh,  has launched the 24th edition of “Women and Men in India 2022” in New Delhi.

It covers a wide range of topics, including political participation, education, employment, health, and demographic indicators.

The book offers disaggregated data by gender, rural-urban divide, and geographical region, which helps to understand the differences and inequalities between distinct groups of men and women in India.

It has also highlighted the gender disparity in wages, with men in rural areas earning more than women in urban areas.

Recent Books

• Mundaka Upanishad: The Bridge to Immortality – Dr. Karan Singh (released by – VP Jagdeep Dhankhar)
• India’s Struggle for Independence : Gandhian Era – P. Jyothimani & G. Balan (released by SC Judge V. Ramasubramanian )
• India’s Vaccine Growth Story- From Cowpox to Vaccine Maitri’ – Released by Mansukh Mandaviya
• Modi: Shaping a Global order in flux – JP Nadda
• The Poverty of Political Economy : How Economics Abandoned the Poor – Meghnad Desai

Exp. 21 March – World Down Syndrome Day

World Down Syndrome Day is observed annually on 21 March

Objective – To raise awareness about Down syndrome and support those who are living with this condition.

Theme 2023 – With Us, Not For Us

World Down Syndrome Day was first observed in 2006 after Down Syndrome International (DSI) established the day at their World Congress in 2005.

Exp. 21 March – International Day of Forests

International Day of Forests is observed every year on 21 March.

Objective – To raise awareness about the importance of forests, woodlands, and trees in our lives.

Theme 2023 – Forests and health

The day highlights the value, importance and contribution of forests to balance the life cycle on earth and addresses issues such as deforestation.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests during its 61st session on 20 December 2006.