Current Affairs Quiz 25th April 2023 Quiz

Exp. PM Modi flagged off India’s first water metro project in Kochi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off the country’s first water metro that connects ten small islands surrounding the port city of Kochi in Kerala.

Water Metro is a unique urban mass transit system with the same experience and ease of travel as that of the conventional metro system. It is very useful in cities like Kochi.

Metro Lite is a low-cost Mass Rapid Transit System with the same experience and ease of travel in terms of comfort, convenience, safety, punctuality, reliability, and environment friendliness as that of the conventional metro system.

It is a low-cost mobility solution for tier-2 cities and smaller cities with Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic up to 15,000.

The metro project will start with eight electric hybrid boats manufactured by Cochin Shipyard Limited.

Total cost of the project is Rs 1,137 crore. German funding agency KFW and the state government funded the project.

PM Modi in News

• PM Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various projects worth 10,900 crore rupees in Guwahati
• PM Modi addresses 5th International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
• PM Modi flagged off Bhopal-New Delhi 11^th Vande Bharat Express
• PM Modi inaugurated CBI’s diamond jubilee celebrations

Exp. First G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting begins in Bengaluru

The First G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting begins in Bengaluru, Karnataka

The two-day meeting, under the G20 Indian Presidency, will be jointly chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Shaktikanta Das.

The meeting will be deliberated on issues such as strengthening multilateral development banks.

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

• G-20 Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering Conference – Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh (19-20 April 2023)
• G20 Space Economy Leaders Meet – Shillong, Meghalaya (17-18 April 2023)
• 2nd G20 Health Working Group Meeting – Goa (17 – 19 April 2023)
• G20 MACS Meeting of Agri Chief Scientists – Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (17 – 19 April 2023)
• 2nd Women 20 (W20) international Meeting – Jaipur, Rajasthan (13 – 14 April 2023)
• 2nd meeting of G20 Development Working Group – Kumarakom, Kerala (7 April 2023)

Exp. PM Modi laid foundation stone for first Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone for India’s first Digital Science Park coming up at the Technocity campus in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Located adjacent to the Kerala University of Digital Sciences Innovation and Technology in around 14 acres of land, the ₹1,500 crore Digital Science Park project has been conceived as a multidisciplinary cluster-based interactive innovation zone focused on digital technologies.

It will house two buildings with a total area of two lakh sq ft. The first one will spread out over 1.5 lakh sq ft across five floors and host Centres of Excellence, including research labs and a digital incubator. The second will house the administrative office and digital experience centres.

The project is to be completed in two years.

In the 2022-23 Budget, the State government had announced the establishment of the Digital Science Park over an area of 10 lakh sq ft in two blocks. Of total outlay of ₹1,500 crore, it has already sanctioned ₹200 crore. The rest will be generated from other sources, including industry partners.

PM Modi in News

• PM Modi addressed the ‘One World TB Summit’ at Rudrakash Convention Centre, at Varanasi.

• PM Modi inaugurated new ITU Area Office and Innovation Center in New Delhi

• PM Modi unveiled Bharat 6G Vision Document & 6G Research and Development Test Bed and Call Before U dig App.
• PM Narendra Modi has launched an app called ‘Call Before u Dig’.

Exp. Maharashtra school installs Al machine to assess food quality

A unique artificial intelligence-based machine has been installed at Todsa Ashram School of Etapalli in Maharashtra in a bid to improve the nutrition level of tribal children of Gadchiroli.

The initiative was taken by the administration under project Bhamragad and there are eight government schools part of it.

Notably, the machine takes a photo of the student with her/his plate of food and within a few seconds, without any human intervention, identifies whether the quality of the food is good.

About Maharashtra

• Capital – Mumbai
• Chief Minister – Eknath Sindhe
• Governor – Ramesh Bais

Exp. Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated National Technology Centre in Chennai.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated the Discovery Campus of the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts at IITM, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

This centre aims at enabling Research & development for the marine sector enabling solutions towards achieving the ultimate goal of building a robust marine industry in the country.

This state-of-the-art centre will ensure advancement in the field of maritime technology, as well as modernization & upgradation possibilities in the port & operations towards achieving the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat by 2047.

The institute acts as a technological arm of the Ministry and develops cutting-edge technologies and application products to provide solutions to various challenges faced by the Ports and Shipping Sector.

Recent Inauguration by Sarbananda Sonowal

• Sarnbanada Sonowal flags off International Yoga Mahotsav in Dibrugarh
• Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated School of Logistics, Waterways, and Communication in Agartala, Tripura.
• Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated ‘Ayush Utsav’ in Kashmir
• Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Unani Institute in Silchar
• Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated ‘Ayush Utsav’ in Kashmir

Exp. UK tests emergency alert system on millions of phones

The UK conducted its first test of a new emergency alert service with millions of mobile phones set to emit a loud alarm and vibrate at 3:00 pm (1400 GMT).

A message will say: “This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new U.K. government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.”

Emergency services and the government hope to use the system to alert people to issues such as severe flooding and fires.

The national system, modelled on similar schemes in Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States, aims to warn the public if there is a danger to life nearby but has generated criticism over “nanny state” intrusion.

About United Kingdom (UK)

• Capital – London
• Currency – Pound sterling
• Prime Minister – Rishi Sunak

Exp. Canara Bank partners with Reserve Bank of India innovation hub

Canara Bank, in collaboration with Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), has announced the launch of “Digitalised Submission of Form 15G/15H”.

Form 15G (Individual and HUF) and Form 15H (Individual-Senior Citizen) are self-declaration forms that an individual submits to the bank requesting not to deduct TDS on interest income as their income is below the basic exemption limit.

At the start of every financial year, especially in the first few weeks of April, several citizens – especially senior citizens – make their 15G & 15H submissions to their banks.

Presently, our Bank is accepting submission of these forms through online Banking/ Mobile banking which requires knowledge and access to Mobile / Internet Banking.

The Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) recognized the problem, engaged with various banks to explore possible solutions, and developed a blueprint to resolve the issue.

The suggested solution employs technologies that elderly citizens are already familiar with, and uses an OMNI-channel approach. As a result, all depositors, including senior citizens, can now conveniently submit their Tax Waiver forms through SMS and Website, using their registered mobile phone number, from anywhere and at any time.

About Canara Bank

• Founded – 1906
• Headquarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka
• MD & CEO – K Satyanarayana Raju
• Tagline – Together with Can

Recent Facilities Launched in Banks & Insurance Sector

• South Indian Bank debuts 2 flexible savings accounts SIB SEAFARER and SIB PULSE for NRIs
• AU Small Finance Bank launches bill payments via video banking

• City Union Bank launches India’s 1st Voice Biometric Authentication Banking App
• Karnataka Bank launched a special home loan campaign ‘KBL Centenary Mahotsav’
• SIDBI launches new financing solution “Mission 50K-EV4ECO” for electric vehicle space

Exp. Rajesh Kumar Singh takes charge as DPIIT secretary

Senior IAS officer Rajesh Kumar Singh has assumed the charge of secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

Singh has replaced Anurag Jain, who was appointed secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Before DPIIT, Singh was serving as Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Singh is an Indian Administrative Service Officer of 1989 Batch from Kerala cadre.

Other Appointment

• Secretary of Department of School Education – Sanjay Kumar
• Secretary in Ministry of Road Transport and Highways – Anurag Jain
• Corporate Affairs Secretary- Manoj Govil
• Revenue Secretary – Sanjay Malhotra
• National Security Advisors – Ajit Doval
• Cabinet Secretary- Rajiv Gauba
• Principal Secretary to PM – Pramod Kumar Mishra

Exp. “Locked Shields” cyber-defense exercise 2023 organized in Tallinn

The 2023 edition of the annual exercise “Locked Shields” hosted by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence in Tallinn (Estonia).

“Locked Shields” is the world’s largest cyber defence exercise. It involves protecting computer systems from real-time attacks and simulating tactical and strategic decisions in critical situations.

More than 3000 participants from 38 countries including NATO allies and partners took part in the exercise.

The exercise simulates real-time attacks and tests strategic decision making in critical situations.

The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence helps participating countries and organizations improve their cyber defence capabilities.

Recent Exercise

• Ex INIOCHOS-23 between Indian Air Force & Hellenic Air Force (Greece) – Andravida Air Base, Greece
• ‘Ex KAVACH’ between Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard – Andaman and Nicobar Command
• Cope India Exercise between India & USA – Kalaikunda Airbase, West Bengal
• Konkan Exercise between India & UK – Arabian Sea
• AFINDEX 2023 Exercise between Africa & India – Pune
• 3rd Sea Dragon Exercise between India & USA – Guam, USA

Exp. Health Ministry receives PM’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration

The Union Health Ministry’s National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme has received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2022. The award was in the innovation category.

Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan received the award at the 16th Civil Services Day event.

As per a statement, over 220 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far.

The nationwide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16, 2021, with health workers being the first to be inoculated. This was followed by vaccines for frontline Covid workers beginning in February 2021.

In March of that year, India opened up vaccination for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. Vaccination for all (18 years and above) was opened up May 1, onwards.

PM Gati Shakti national master plan initiative received an award for excellence in public administration 2022 in the ‘Innovation (Central).

Recent Awards

• GREEN4SEA Tanker Operator award – Synergy Goup
• Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2023 – Shanti Lakra
• 1st woman IAF officer to get Gallantry Award – Deepika Misra
• Germany’s highest Order of Merit – Angela Merkel
• Prestigious Santokbaa Humanitarian Award – Sonam Wangchuk

Exp. 23 April – Khongjom Day

Khongjom Day is an annual event celebrated on 23 April to commemorate the soldiers who fought in the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891.

The event was held at Kheba Ching in Khongjom, Thoubal district of Manipur.

The observance of Khongjom Day commemorates the sacrifices made by the people of Manipur in the fight for freedom and independence.

The Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891 took place at Khongjom and marked the beginning of colonial rule in the region.

About Manipur

• Capital – Imphal
• Chief Minister – Biren Singh
• Governor – Anusuiya Uikey

Exp. 24 to 30 April – World Immunization Week

World Immunization Week, celebrated in the last week of April, aims to highlight the collective action needed to protect people from vaccine-preventable diseases.

WHO works with countries across the globe to raise awareness of the value of vaccines and immunization and ensures that governments obtain the necessary guidance and technical support to implement high-quality immunization programmes.

The ultimate goal of World Immunization Week is for more people – and their communities – to be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Theme 2023 – The Big Catch-Up

The aim of this week is to increase awareness around the benefits of immunization and also to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Exp. 25 April – World Malaria Day

World Malaria Day is observed on April 25 across the world.

Objective – To highlight the significant impact of malaria on global health and encourage action to prevent and eliminate the disease.

Theme 2023 – Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement

Malaria, which is caused by the Plasmodium parasite and transmitted through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, poses a serious threat to human life.

The United Nations General Assembly declared April 25th as World Malaria Day in December 2007, and it has been observed annually on this date since the first World Malaria Day in 2008.

Exp. Co-founder of Webchutney Sidharth Rao passes away

The co-founder and former CEO of Webchutney, Sidharth Rao passed away.

Rao started Webchutney in 1999 when he was just 19 years old.

In 2013, Webchutney was acquired by Dentsu Aegis Network but Rao stayed on to steer it as its CEO, going on to become head of the India unit of dentsuMB, the global creative network of the Japanese multinational media network in 2021.

In 2022, he stepped down as group CEO of dentsuMB India and joined hands and launched a new venture in the marketing technology (MarTech) space, called Punt Partners along with serial entrepreneur Madhu Sudan.

Dentsu Webchutney won one of the biggest awards on the advertising stage when it walked away with the Agency of the Year honour at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2022.

Exp. Pakistani-Canadian journalist Tarek Fatah passes away

Pakistani-Canadian journalist Tarek Fatah, passed away at the age of 73.

Fatah is a self-described “Midnight’s Child”, born on November 20, 1949 in Karachi.

Fatah was recognized for his critiques of Islamic extremism and the Pakistani establishment, as well as his support for queer rights.

After his parents migrated from Bombay to Karachi, he was born and later attended the University of Karachi where he studied biochemistry and became a leftist activist before eventually transitioning into journalism.