Current Affairs Quiz 25th May 2023 Quiz

Exp. Indian Railways hands over 20 Broad Gauge Locomotives to Bangladesh

The Indian Railways handed over 20 Broad Gauge locomotives to Bangladesh as part of a grant assistance program.

The initiative is aimed at meeting the growing demand for passenger and freight traffic between the two neighboring countries.

The handing over of these locomotives fulfills an important commitment made during the visit of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in October 2019.

Currently, there are nine interchanges between India and Bangladesh, of which five are already operational and two are under construction.

About Bangladesh

• Capital– Dhaka
• Currency – Taka
• President – Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu
• Prime Minister – Sheikh Hasina

Exp. India and Australia sign Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement

India and Australia have signed agreements in the field of mobility and migration with a view to encouraging the orderly movement of students, researchers, professionals, academics, and others.

The new India-Australia Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (MMPA) has been specifically created for India and will ‘promote the two-way mobility of students, graduates, academic researchers, and business people’.

The agreement will help further facilitate the mobility provision of students, professionals, researchers, academics, and others, including through a new skilled pathway named MATES (Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early Professionals Scheme) specifically created for India.

Prime Minister Albanese announced the establishment of a new Australian Consulate General in Bengaluru to link Australian businesses to India’s digital and innovation ecosystem.

About Australia

• Capital – Canberra
• Currency – Dollar
• President – Anthony Albanese

Recently India signed MoUs with others countries

• India signed air service agreement with Guyana to facilitate easier travel between the two nations.
• India signed MoC with Sweden to promote research networking
• India & Australia sign audio-visual co-production agreement
• India signed MoU with US for semiconductor supply chain
• Auckland University signed MoU wth Tata Memorial Hospital for cancer care
• India signed MoU with South Africa for cooperation in the Disability Sector

Exp. Kerala to be the first fully e-governed state

Kerala is set to declare itself India’s first “total e-governed state”.

The achievement has been realized through a set of policy initiatives of the government seeking to transform the state into a digitally-empowered society.

The delivery of all vital services has already been digitized, covering all key domains including health, education, land revenue, documentation of properties, public distribution system and social security payouts.

Besides digitizing the delivery of government services to the people by making them transparent and inclusive, total e-governance will also ensure inclusion of all sections of society, including the less privileged and marginalized.

The achievement enables online delivery of the whole range of government services by leveraging state-of-the-art technology and platforms.

The government has built a single-window service-delivery mechanism called e-Sevanam, which integrates more than 800 government services online.

About Kerala

• Capital – Thiruvananthapuram
• Chief Minister – Pinarayi Vijayan
• Governor – Arif Mohammad Khan

Exp. PM Modi flagged off Uttarakhand’s first Vande Bharat Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually inaugurated the Delhi (Anand Vihar)-Dehradun Vande Bharat Express.

This is the first Vande Bharat to be introduced in Uttarakhand

The train will cover a distance of 302 km in 4 hours and 45 minutes. The train will run all days of the week except Wednesday.

Earlier, PM Modi flagged off the Vande Bharat Express between Puri and Howrah.

Vande Bharat Train

The first Vande Bharat Express was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 February 2019.

These trains have a self-propelled engine which can save diesel and reduce electricity usage by up to 30%.

The first Vande Bharat Express was manufactured by Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai.

It was manufactured under the ‘Make in India’ programme, at a cost of about Rs 100 crore.

These trains can achieve a maximum speed of 160 kmph.

In the Union Budget for 2022-2023 the government has proposed the development and manufacture of 400 new Vande Bharat trains in the next three years.

Vande Bharat Express Train

• 1st Vande Bharat – Delhi to Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)
• 2nd Vande Bharat – Delhi to Katra (Jammu Kashmir)
• 3rd Vande Bharat – Gandhinagar (Gujarat) to Mumbai (Maharashtra)
• 4th Vande Bharat – Una (Himachal Pradesh) to New Delhi
• 5th Vande Bharat – Chennai (Tamil Nadu) to Mysore (Karnataka)
• 6th Vande Bharat – Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) to Nagpur (Maharashtra)
• 7th Vande Bharat – Hawrah (West Bengal) to New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal)
• 8th Vande Bharat – Secunderabad (Telangana) to Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)
• 9th Vande Bharat -Mumbai (Maharastra) to Solapur (Maharashtra)
• 10th Vande Bharat -Mumbai (Maharashtra) to Sainagar Shirdi (Maharashtra)
• 11th Vande Bharat – Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) to New Delhi
• 12th Vande Bharat – Secunderabad (Telangana) to Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh)
• 13th Vande Bharat – Chennai (Tamil Nadu) to Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu)
• 14th Vande Bharat – Delhi to Jaipur (Rajasthan)
• 15th Vande Bharat –Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) to Kasargod (Kerala)
• 16th Vande Bharat – Howrah (West Bengal) to Puri (Odisha)
• 17th Vande Bharat – Anand Vihar Terminal to Dehradun (Uttarakhand)

Exp. Ireland become first country to introduce health warnings on alcohol

Ireland will introduce mandatory health labelling of alcoholic drinks, warning of the links to cancer, liver disease and the risk of drinking while pregnant.

The new regulations, signed into law by health minister Stephen Donnelly on Monday, will take effect in three years to give businesses time to prepare for the change.

It will also alert consumers to the calorie and alcohol content.

This law is designed to give all of us as consumers a better understanding of the alcohol content and health risks associated with consuming alcohol.

The warnings will provide concise information about the health hazards linked to excessive alcohol consumption, encouraging individuals to make informed decisions.

Health warnings include liver disease, heart problems, increased risk of cancer, mental health problems and other associated risks.

About Republic of Ireland

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

Exp. India’s GDP crossed $3.5 trillion in 2022: Moody’s report

According to Moody’s Report 2023, India’s GDP has crossed USD 3.5 trillion in 2022 and is predicted to continue to be the fastest-growing G20 economy over the next few years.

Moody’s has warned that reform and policy barriers could hamper investment in India.

In a research report, the US-based agency said that bureaucracy could slow approval processes in obtaining licences and setting up businesses, prolonging project gestation.

India’s higher bureaucracy in decision-making will reduce its attractiveness as a destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), especially when competing with other developing economies in the region, such as Indonesia and Vietnam.

Exp. Kotak Mutual Fund launches Nifty 200 Momentum30 Index Fund

Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company has launched the Kotak Nifty 200 Momentum 30 Index Fund, an open-ended scheme.

The new fund aims to track the performance of the top 30 companies within the Nifty 200, selected based on their Normalized Momentum Score.

The new fund offer (NFO) for this scheme will open on May 25 and will close on June 8, 2023

This Normalized Momentum Score is determined by 6-month and 12-month price returns, adjusted for volatility. This selection offers investors exposure to momentum stocks across market capitalizations and diverse sectors.

Exp. YES Bank collaborates with IIT Kanpur to offer support to Incubated Startups

The Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at the IIT Kanpur joined hands with YES Bank by signing an MoU that seeks to provide crucial support to the startups incubated at SIIC.

Under the terms of the MoU, SIIC and YES Bank will collaborate closely to identify innovative startups and extend them the necessary financial backing.

This strategic partnership aims to bolster the startup ecosystem in India by granting these ventures access to a wide range of resources through YES Bank’s specialized startup-focused program called YES Head Startup.

IITs in News

• IIT Madras partnered with DRDO to develop sensor technology for underwater communications
• IIT-Kanpur launched cybersecurity skilling programme
• IIT Guwahati Researchers Develop Time-Bomb Liquid Marbles
• IIT Madras will set up its first international campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania in October 2023.
• IIT Roorkee signs pact with Taiwanese centre for developing tech solutions for earthquakes, floods

Exp. Vijay Shekhar appointed as part-time chairman of Paytm

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given its approval to Paytm Payments Bank for the re-appointment of Paytm CEO, Vijay Shekhar Sharma as part-time chairman for a year.

Currently, One97 Communications owns a 49 percent stake in PPBL and Sharma holds the remaining of the stake in the entity.

Notably, One97 Communications cut down its losses in the March quarter as the fintech firm’s consolidated net loss lowered to Rs 168 crore from Rs 761 crore a year ago, and Rs 392 crore a quarter ago.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma is the promoter of Paytm Payments Bank

About PAYTM

• Founded – August 2010
• Headquarters – Noida, Uttar Pradesh
• Owner – One97 Communications Ltd.
• Founder(s) – Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• Deputy MD of IDBI Bank – Jayakumar S. Pillai
• President and COO of Paytm – Bhavesh Gupta
• MD & CEO of Bank of Baroda (BoB) – Debadatta Chand
• MD & CEO of Bank of India (BoI) – Rajneesh K
• Chairman of LIC – Siddhartha Mohanty

Exp. R. Mukundan appoints as MD & CEO of Tata Chemical Board

Tata Chemicals’ board has re-appointed R Mukundan as MD & CEO for a further term of five years, with effect from 26 November 2023.

The re-appointment of Mr. R. Mukundan was based on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

It is one of the largest chemical companies in India with operations in India.

About Tata Chemical Board

• Founded – 23 January 1939
• Headquarters – Mumbai
• MD & CEO – R Mukundan

Recent Appointment

• Chairman of Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) – Anil Kumar Jain
• Chairman of UPSC – Manoj Soni
• Chairperson of Competition Commission of India (CCI) – Ravneet Kaur (replace Ashok Kr. Gupta)
• CFO of Vedanta Limited – Sonal Srivastava
• Director Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) – Praveen Sood (replace Subodh Jaiswal)

Exp. Sourav Ganguly appointed brand ambassador of Tripura tourism

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has appointed former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly as the brand ambassador of Tripura tourism.

This appointment would help to attract more visitors to Tripura and boost the tourism industry.

The Tripura government believes that Ganguly’s popularity and charisma will draw attention to the state’s unexplored tourist destinations.

The selection of Ganguly as the brand ambassador is expected to attract more visitors to Tripura and give a boost to the tourism industry.

Recent Brand Ambassador

• Virat Kohli – Duroflex (mattress and sleep products maker)
• Alia Bhatt – Gucci’s First Indian Global Ambassador
• Ayushmann Khurrana – Wakefit (Manufacturer of mattresses)
• Rishabh Pant – Star Sports Believe Ambassadors
• Rohit Sharma – JioCinema
• Virat Kohli – Brand influencer of HSBC India
• Ranveer Singh – Star Sports
• Virat Kohli – Luxor Writing Instruments Private Limited
• Shreya Ghodawat – India’s ambassador of ‘She Changes Climate’
• Sachin Tendulkar – Savlon Swasth India

Exp. Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov wins International Booker Prize for ‘Time Shelter’

Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov and translator Angela Rodel were named winners of the International Booker Prize with the novel “Time Shelter” — a first for a book in Bulgarian.

The prestigious award recognizes works of fiction from around the world that have been translated into English and the £50,000 ($62,000) prize is split equally between the author and the translator.

The winning novel focuses on a “clinic for the past” that offers experimental Alzheimer’s treatment.

It is a novel that invites reflection and vigilance as much as it moves us, because the language — sensitive and precise — manages to capture, in a Proustian vein, the extreme fragility of the past.

Recent Awards

• Femina Miss India World 2023 – Nandini Gupta (Kota, Rajasthan)
• France’s highest civilian award Knight of the Legion of Honour – Kiran Nadar
• ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by University of Texas – Naveen Jindal
• Wildlife Conservation Award 2023 – J&K’s Aliya Mir
• Conferred Special literary award – Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
• Abel Prize for maths – Luis Caffarelli

Exp. 25 May – International Missing Children’s Day

International Missing Children’s Day is an awareness event that is observed every year on 25th May.

The aims of the day are to place a spotlight on the issue of child abduction, educate parents on safeguarding measures to protect their children and also honour those who have never been found and celebrate those who have.

Missing Children’s Day began as an observance in the USA in 1983.

The date was chosen following the disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz on 25th May 1979 from New York City.

According to the Polly Klaas Foundation, 99.8 percent of children reported missing come home.

Important Operation for missing person and children

• OPERATION MILAP – Delhi Police
• OPERATION SMILE – Hyderabad Police
• OPERATION MUSKAN – Telangana Police

Operation Smile Muskan and Operation Milap aim to rescue missing children

Exp. 25 May – World Thyroid Day

World Thyroid Day is observed every year on 25 May.

Objective – To educate people on thyroid diseases and be aware of the symptoms

World Thyroid Day was first observed in 2007 by the members of the Thyroid Federation International.

This global healthcare day was created to honour European Thyroid Association (ETA) which was formed in the year 1965.

The day is dedicated to people suffering from thyroid disorders and the researchers who are committed to the study and treatment of thyroid diseases worldwide.

What is thyroid disease?

Thyroid disease is a general term for a medical condition that keeps your thyroid from making the right amount of hormones. Your thyroid typically makes hormones that keep your body functioning normally.

When the thyroid makes too much thyroid hormone, your body uses energy too quickly. This is called hyperthyroidism.

Using energy too quickly will do more than make you tired — it can make your heart beat faster, cause you to lose weight without trying and even make you feel nervous.