Tag: current affairs for APSC

Assam Current Affairs & GK – January 2022

Posted on by admin

Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – January 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the month of January 2022)

Go To Assam Current Affairs                      Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

Current Affairs Assam -Assamexam

Click to Download Current Affairs 2022 Complete Module PDF

Assam partners with National Dairy Development Board to set up Rs 2,000-cr dairy joint venture

  • The Assam Govt and National Dairy Development Board signed an agreement to create a Rs 2,000-crore joint venture for holistic development of the sector in the state.
  • A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Guwahati in the presence of Union Animal Husbandry & Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state Agriculture Minister Atul Bora and other senior officials.
  • As per the MoU, a joint venture company will be set up for Rs 2,000 crore with a target of processing 10 lakh litres of milk through six new units in seven years.
  • Milk from more than 4,100 dairy cooperative societies will be processed, packed and marketed.
  • This will benefit more than 1,75,000 farmers associated with dairy farms in Assam and increase their earnings, Sarma said.
  • Two cattle feed and organic manure manufacturing units will also be set up as per the agreement.
  • The milk producers will be provided subsidies for market price fluctuation of their produce and urged all the cooperatives to engage in healthy competition for the economic growth of Assam.
  • As part of the dairy development project, more than 15,000 high milk-yielding Gir cows will be brought to Assam to ensure high returns to the farmers of Assam.
  • This joint venture will be guided and managed by NDDB, and it will introduce technological innovations.
  • The foundation stone of Guwahati-based Purabi Dairy’s expansion initiative was laid under the World Bank-funded Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transportation Project.As part of the expansion project, Purabi Dairy’s processing capacity will be upgraded from the existing 60,000 litres per day to 1.5 lakh litres.

 

Urjit Patel appointed as Vice-President of AIIB

  • Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Urjit Patel has been appointed as a vice-president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a Beijing based multilateral development bank.He will be one of the five Vice Presidents of the AIIB with a three-year tenure.
  • Urjit Patel was the 24th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) succeeding Raghuram Rajan in September 2016 and was with RBI till December 2018.

AIIB & India

  • India is a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) with the 2nd highest voting share after China.
  • India has emerged as AIIB’s biggest beneficiary by obtaining $6.8 billion funding for 29 projects.
  • AIIB has funded projects across sectors in India especially in transport and energy sectors.

Members of AIIB

  • Except the US and Japan, most of the developed and developing countries have joined the bank. In late December, the AIIB approved the application of Iraq to join, becoming the bank’s 51st regional member to bring its membership to 105.
  • Jin Liqun is the current President of AIIB.

 

India State of Forest Report 2021 – Highlights

TheUnion Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released the biennial ‘India State of Forest Report 2021’ prepared by the Forest Survey of India (FSI).

The ISFR-2021 provides information on forest cover, tree cover, mangrove cover, growing stock, carbon stock in India’s forests, forest fire monitoring, forest cover in tiger reserve areas, above ground estimates of biomass using SAR data & climate change hotspots in Indian forests.

(OF: Open Forest; MDF: Moderately Dense Forest; VDF: Very Dense Forest)

Major Findings

Forest and Tree Cover

  • The total forest and tree cover of the country is 80.9 million hectare which is 62 per cent of the geographical area of the country.
  • Increase in Forest & Tree Cover: As compared to the assessment of 2019, there is an increase of 2,261 sq kmin the total forest and tree cover of the country. Increase in forest cover has been observed in open forest followed by very dense forest.
    • Forest Cover:1,540 sq km
    • Tree Cover:721 sq km.
  • Top Three States Showing Increase in Forest Cover:Andhra Pradesh (647 sq km) followed by Telangana (632 sq km) and Odisha (537 sq km).
  • Area-wise Largest Forest Cover: Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra.
  • Forest Cover as Percentage of Total Geographical Area: In terms of forest cover as percentage of total geographical area, the top five States are Mizoram (84.53%), Arunachal Pradesh (79.33%), Meghalaya (76.00%), Manipur (74.34%) and Nagaland (73.90%).
  • 17 states/UT’s have above 33 Percent of the Geographical Area Under Forest Cover: Out of these states and UT’s, five states/UTs namely Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have more than 75 per cent forest cover while 12 states/UTs namely Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Goa, Kerala, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Assam, Odisha, have forest cover between 33 per cent to 75 per cent.

Mangrove Cover

  • Total mangrove cover in the country is 4,992 sq km.
  • An increase of 17 sq Km in mangrove cover has been observed as compared to the previous assessment of 2019.
  • Top three states showing mangrove cover increaseare Odisha (8 sq km) followed by Maharashtra (4 sq km) and Karnataka (3 sq km).
  • Carbon Stock
  • Total carbon stock in country’s forest is estimated to be 7,204 million tonnes and there an increase of 79.4 million tonnes in the carbon stock of country as compared to the last assessment of 2019.
  • The annual increase in the carbon stock is 39.7 million tonnes.
Click to Download Current Affairs 2022 Complete Module PDF

Kerala’s Kumbalangi village is India’s first sanitary-napkin-free panchayat

  • Kumbalangi village in Cochin is all set to become India’s first sanitary-napkin-free panchayat. The village has previously won acclaim as India’s first model tourism village.
  • This move is a part of ‘Avalkayi’ initiative, which is being implemented in the Ernakulam parliamentary constituency, in association with “Thingal Scheme” of HLL Management Academy’s and Indian Oil Corporation.

 

Avalkayi Initiative

  • Under this initiative, menstrual cups will be distributed to women aged 18 and above in Kumbalangi village. 5000 menstrual cups will be distributed under it.

Model Village

  • In the same event, Governor will also declare Kumbalangi village as a model village. The model village project is implemented as a part of ‘Pradhan Mantri Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (PM-SAGY)’.

About Kumbalangi village

Kumbalangi is an island village, located in the outskirts of Kochi city of Kerala. It is a major tourist attraction and is famous for the Chinese fishing nets. It is situated amidst backwaters, about 12 km from the city center. The village is also the first eco-tourism village in India.

Kumbalangi Integrated Tourism Village project

This project seeks to transform the tiny island of Kumbalangi into a model fishing village and tourism spot. Project is being implemented by panchayat (village council) while state Govt is providing financial assistance. This project was started in 2003 to help the local people, economy and locality through tourism.

 

Assam to expansion of Orang National Park

  • The Assam Govt has recently decided to increase the size of Orang National Park. The park is to be expanded thrice.
  • Assam is to add 200.32 square kilometre to the Orang National Park. The area to be added consists of Brahmaputra river. It also includes sandbars and islands of the river.
  • Tigers and Rhinos are using the islands and sandbars that are being included. Orang region in the northern bank of Brahmaputra is essential to Kaziranga Orang Riverine Landscape. This is because animals move between the Orang and Kaziranga stretch through these lands. This stretch is 180 km. It is a corridor connecting two habitats.
  • The rhinos and Gangetic Dolphins are to be benefitted greatly with the addition of this extra land. It will also benefit 16 species of turtles.
  • Orang NP is a major rhino habitat. It became a tiger reserve in 2016.
  • The other seven national parks in Assam are Dehing Patkai, Dibru – Saikhowa, Manas, Kaziranga, Nameri, Raimona.

 

Future plans for Kaziranga – Orang

  • Gharials became extinct in the region six decades ago. The Assam Govt is planning to reintroduce gharial here.

 

National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries

  • National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries are declared under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. On the other hand, the Biosphere reserves are declared under UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme, 1971.
  • The Wildlife Protection Act says that the area comprised within the forest as decided by the State Govt is declared as the wildlife sanctuary and National Parks.
  • The National Parks, Wild Life sanctuaries and other wildlife related subjects were moved to Concurrent List. Earlier it was under the state list. In 1976, the 42nd constitutional amendment moved these subjects to concurrent list.
Click to Download Current Affairs 2022 Complete Module PDF

Lt Gen Manoj Pande appointed as next Vice Chief of Army Staff

  • Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Manoj Chandrashekhar Pande has been appointed as the next Vice Chief of Army Staff.He will succeed Lt Gen CP Mohanty who is scheduled to superannuate on January 31, 2022.
  • Lt Gen Manoj Pande has taken active part in Operation Vijay and Operation Parakram.

 

S Somnath appointed new Chairman of ISRO

  • Dr S Somnath is to become the new chairman of ISRO. He is to succeed K Sivan.
  • Currently he is the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

Biography: S Somnath

  • Somnath completed his college pre – degree in Maharaja College, Ernakulam.
  • He studied his engineering in TKM College of Engineering. He joined the VSSC centre in 1985. He completed his master’s in Indian Institute of Science in aerospace engineering.
  • He was associated with PSLV project in its early phases. Under his leadership, the experimental test flight of LVM3-X/CARE was completed.
  • In 2010, he became the Associate Director of ISRO. He was the project director of GSLV Mk – III.
  • In 2014, he acted as the Deputy Director of Propulsion and space Ordinance Entity. In 2015, he was made the director of Liquid propulsion system centre at Valiamala, Thiruvananthapuram.

About Chairman of ISRO

  • The chairman of ISRO is the secretary to the Govt of India. He is an executive of Department of Space. The Department reports to the prime minister directly.
  • Vikram Sarabhai is the longest serving chairman of ISRO. He served for 12 years. In 1962, he urged Nehru to establish INCOSPAR (Indian National Committee for Space Research) under Department of Atomic Energy. INCOSPAR became ISRO in 1969.

 

Lakshya Sen won “Yonex-Sunrise India Open” Badminton title

  • India’s Lakshya Sen secured his maiden Super 500 title by winning “Yonex-Sunrise India Open”, on January 16, 2022.
  • He secured the title with a stunning straight-game victory over reigning world champion from Singapore, Loh Kean Yew in the men’s singles final.
  • 20-year-old Lakshya had earlier claimed his maiden world championships medal with a bronze in Spain in December 2021.

Doubles’ final

  • In the doubles’ final, top doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won against three-time world champions Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan from Indonesia. The pair become India’s first men’s team to win the Yonex-Sunrise India Open. The world no. 10 Indian pair had won its first Super 500 tournament in 2019 in Thailand.

India Open Badmintor tournament

  • India Open is an annual badminton event. It has been held in India since 2008. It is a BWF World Tour Super 500 Grade international badminton tournament.
  • The first three editions of the India Open were designated as Grand Prix Gold events. It was upgraded to BWF superseries tournament in 2011. India open is categorised as one among seven BWF World Tour Super 500 events by BWF since 2018.

 

Indonesia’s New Capital at Nusantara

  • The Indonesians are moving to a new capitalcalled ‘Nusantara’, it is East Kalimantan. Till now, Jakarta was the capital of Indonesia.
  • Nusantarais located in the Borneo island. The plan to shift the capital here was announced in 2019.It was announced by President Joko Widodo.
  • Jakarta has been the capital of Indonesia since 1949. Jakarta is facing environmental and financial issues. Pollution is increasing in Jakarta and it has been consistently ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world.
  • Currently, Jakarta is densely populated, also, Jakarta is sinking. By 2050, most of the Jakarta is expected to go under water. This is mainly because Jakarta is surrounded by several rivers. These rivers are prone to frequent floods. Between 2019 and 2020 many cities in Jakarta sank up to 10.7 cm.

The other countries that recently changed its capital are as follows:

  • Brazil changed from Rio De Janeiro to Brasilia. Brasilia is more centrally located. The country changed in 1960.
  • In 1991, Nigeria changed its capital from Lagos to Abuja.
  • Kazakhstan changed its capital from Alamty to Nur – sultan.
  • In 2005, Myanmar changed its capital from Rangoon to Naypyidaw.

 

SEBI’s Saa₹thi mobile app about security markets

  • The Securities and Exchange Board of India, SEBI launched the Saarthi mobile application. The application provides information about security markets. It is highly useful for investors.
  • The application provides explanation about mutual funds, its working, trading and settlement, KYC (Know Your Customer) processes, developments in the market, etc. Also, the application includes grievance redressal mechanism.
  • The application uses both Hindi and English. It is available for both iOS and android users. In future, the app will be made available in local languages as well.
  • Recently, the number of individual investors entering the market is increasing. The app was launched to help these individual investors. Also, the new investors are using smart phones to do trading. Thus, they are being assisted through mobile apps.

Security Markets

  • Security markets are those markets where the securities are bought and sold. Securities are nothing but guarantees. The securities are forfeited when the concerned person fails to repay the money.
  • In simple terms, the securities are the tradable financial instruments that raise capital in public and private markets.

Rise in individual investor in India

  • In India, the individual investors have been increasing. Their share was 39% in 2020. In 2021, it has increased to 45% according to NSE (National Stock Exchange) data.
  • The interest rates in the banks are reducing. The Fixed Deposit rates are varying between 2.9% and 5.4%.Thus, the returns from such investments is very low. There is increase in global liquidity. Also, people are spending more time at home because of the pandemic.
  • The market capitalization at BSE (Bombay stock Exchange) increased by 1.8 times. It increased by 1.6 times in Russia. The other countries with significant increase are China, France and South Africa.
  • It is evident that market capitalization is higher in India as compared to other countries.

Waterfowl Census in Kaziranga National Park

  • The Kaziranga National Park is a Tiger Reserve and a World Heritage site. The park recently conducted its water fowl census.
  • The census is conducted in the 52 wetlands in the parks. In 2021, the bird count increased to 93,491. It was 34,284 in 2020. The bird count has increased by 175% in one year.
  • Around 126 species were spotted during the census. The census used point count method.
  • The census reported 868 deers. This includes 173 males, 557 females and 138 yearlings. Unfortunately, the deer population has decreased. Earlier it was 907. The population of deers in the park decreased mainly because of floods.
  • 66,776 wetlands birds were reported. Of this 42,205 were counted in the national park area. 24,571 were counted in Burhachapori Wildlife sanctuary and Laokhowa.
  • Of all the animals, the bar headed geese were in greatest numbers. There were 16,552 bar headed geese. Also, the census reported 5,631 common teal, 9,493 northern pintail and 2,236 ferruginous ducks.
  • 40,000 hog deers were reported. They are the main food for the tigers in the park.
  • 35 elephants were spotted.
Click to Download Current Affairs 2022 Complete Module PDF

Omo Kibish I is the oldest Human Fossils

  • As per a recent study, one of the oldest known Homo sapiens fossils, Omo Kibish I, may be around 35,000 years older than it was previously thought.
  • Omo Kibish I was first unearthed in Ethiopia in 1967.The study used volcanic ash to date the fossils and thus there were 22,000-year margin of error.
  • New minimum age for Omo I is consistent with most recent theories of human evolution. Study also brings it closer to the age given to oldest Homo sapiens remains, which were discovered in 2017 in Morocco. Remains in Morocco were dated to 300,000 years ago. Omo I is the only fossil, with all the morphological characteristics of modern man.

 

Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura celebrated Statehood Day January 21

  • Every year, the states of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura celebrate their statehood day on January 21. These states were formed under the North Eastern Region (Reorganization) Act, 1971.
  • The princely states of Manipur and Tripura were joined with India in 1949. They were then granted the union territory status.
  • In 1972, Meghalaya and Tripura were granted complete statehood. The states were formed under the North Eastern Region (Re-organization) Act, 1971.
  • In 1947, the north eastern region of India comprised of Assam plains, North Eastern Frontier Tracts and hill districts. Later in 1949, the princely states of merged with India. They were made as union territories. The state of Nagaland was formed in 1963.
  • In 1969, the Assam Reorganization (Meghalaya) Act was enacted. Under the act, Meghalaya was carved out of Assam and was made an autonomous state. This was done under the sixth schedule of Indian constitution.
  • In 1972, the North Eastern Reorganization act was enacted. It granted full statehood to Meghalaya and Tripura. Also, under the act, the NEFA and Mizo hills of Assam were made the union territories.
  • The Mizo Accord was signed in 1986. The state of Mizoram was created in 1987.
  • In 1987, NEFA, that is, Arunachal Pradesh was granted full statehood.

 

 

 

Assam’s Shakuntala Choudhary and Dhaneswar Engti conferred Padma Awards 2022

  • ·         Ms. Shakuntala Choudhary and Shri Dhaneswar Engti from Assam receive the Padma Shri Award for the year 2022. The Padma Awards were announced on Tuesday 25 January by the Indian government.
  • ·         Shakuntala Choudhary from Assam has been selected for her contribution to social work for the welfare of society.Shakuntala Choudhary was earlier honored by the government of India with the National Awards for Senior Citizens – Vayoshestha Samman in the year 2021. She works as the supervisor at the Kasturba Ashram located in Guwahati and is recognized as a well-known social worker of the state. She has immense contribution to the well-being and empowerment of women across the country.
  • ·         Dhaneswar Engti from Karbi Anglong district is a well-known lyricist and a writer who is widely recognized for his contribution to the field of Karbi music and Karbi literature. He has been selected for the most prestigious award in the field of Literature and Education. Notably, the renowned writer has earlier received the prestigious award of Kristinandan Literary in the year 2017.
  • ·         Six esteemed personalities from the Northeast will be receiving the fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri for the year 2022.
  • ·         On 25th January, 2022, on the eve of 73rd Republic Day, Padma Awards were declared. The President has approved conferment of 128 Padma Awards including 2 duo case (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one) – 4 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri Awards. 34 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 posthumous awardees.

 

19 January observed as Kokborok Day in Tripura

  • On 19 January 2022 Tripura observed 44th Kokborok Day, also known as the Tripuri Language Day.
  • The day commemorates the initial recognition of Kokborok as the official language in 1979.
  • The state Govt. is stressing more on regional languages and renamed Baramura hills to Hatai Kotor two years ago.
  • Govt in Tripura officially rechristened two more locations with Kokborok names while observing the 44th Kokborok Day – Gandacherra was renamed as Ganda Twisa, where the picturesque Dumbur Lake is there and Atharomura range to Hachuk Berem in Kokborok language.

 


India becomes the largest exporter of Cucumber and Gherkins

  • India emerged as the ‘Pickle King of The World’, in a recent development.
  • India crossed the exports of worth USD 200 million of agricultural processed product, pickling gherkins, cucumber or cornichons, in the financial year 2020-2021.
  • With this, India became the largest exporter of cucumbers and gherkins worldwide.
  • India exported 1,23,846 metric tonnes (MT) of cucumber and gherkins, with a value of USD 114 million during April-October 2021.
  • In 2020-21, India shipped 2,23,515MT of cucumber and gherkins with value worth USD 223 million.
  • India meets 15 percent of total global requirement of demand of gherkins. Indian plants are of international standards and have been made to cater to the requirements of foreign countries.
  • Export of pickled cucumber – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh process and export the pickled cucumber across the world. Pickled cucumbers are imported by more than 20 countries, namely, USA, France, South Korea, Japan, Israel, Canada, Germany etc.
  • Gherkin is also known as pickled cucumber. It is a cucumber that has been pickled in vinegar, brine, or other solution and left to ferment for some time.

 

Steps by APEDA to promote export

  • Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has also undertaken several initiatives in infrastructure development, product promotion in international market and food safety management systems across processing units. The gherkin manufacturing and exporting companies are ISO, IFS, BRC, FSSC 22000 or HACCP certified or they possess all the certifications.

 

National Girl Child Day celebrated on January 24

  • Every year the National Girl Child Day is celebrated on January 24. The day is celebrated to promote the rights of girl child in the country. Also the day aims to spread the importance of education, health and nutrition of the girl child.
  • The first national girl child day was celebrated in 2008. It is an initiative of Ministry of Women and Child Development.
  • International Girl Child Day is celebrated on October 11. It is celebrated by the United Nations and several other international organisations. The United Nations celebrated the first International Day of Girl Child in 2012.
  • 8 percentage of girls are married before the age of 18 years. The under five mortality rate of girl children is 40 per 1000 livebirths. This is 11% higher than that of the under five mortality rate of boy child.
Click to Download Current Affairs 2022 Complete Module PDF

Govt of Assam conferred its highest award ‘Assam Baibhav’ on Ratan Tata

  • Govt of Assam conferred its highest civilian award ‘Assam Baibhav’ on Ratan Tata, on January 24, 2022. However, Ratan Tata did not attend the event personally because of Covid-19 situation. Award was received by his representative during a programme held in Guwahati.
  • Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma announced to confer Assam Baibhav, Assam Saurav and Assam Gaurav Awards, for the year 2021.
  • Assam Saurav award was conferred on Professor Dipak Chand Jain, Lovlina Borgohain, Professor Kamalendu Deb Krori, Dr Lakshmanan S, and Neel Pawan Baruah.
  • Assam Gaurav award was conferred on Manoj Kumar Basumatary, Munindra Nath Ngatey, Dharanidhar Boro, Hemoprabha Chutia, Dr Basanta Hazarika, Kaushik Baruah, Khorsing Terang, Akash Jyoti Gogoi, Namita Kalita, Dr Asif Iqbal, Kalpana Boro, Boby Hazarika, and Bormita Momin.

FACTFILE: Assam Baibhav

  • It is the highest civilian award of Assam. It was declared on the occasion of “Asom diwas” (Assam Day). The Award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. Furthermore, the recipient can avail medical treatment at Govt expense, throughout his life. Obverse of the award has an image of Jaapi and words “Assam Baibhav” has been inscribed in Assamese script, on the leaf of Hollong tree.


India rank 85th in 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index

  • The Transparency International recently released the Corruption Perception Index. According to the index, India ranked 85 among the world countries. The report said that the score of corruption has been stagnant for India over a decade.
  • The rankings were created based on the corruption in the public sector of the countries. Based on this, the Corruption Perception Index is calculated. Here zero means highly corrupt, a score of 100 means the country is clean. India scored 40.
  • India in the ranking:India scored 86th in the ranking in 2020. In 2019, India was ranked 80th. According to the report, the journalists in India are facing severe risks.
  • Relative performance of India: Around 86% of the countries showed little or no improvement since 2012. India was one among them. India was in 94th position in 2012.
  • Top Countries: Denmark topped the index followed by Denmark, New Zealand. Their scores were around 88.


India’s first Graphene Innovation Centre set up in Kerala

  • The first Graphene innovation centre of the country is set up in Kerala. This is the first research and development centre being established for graphene.
  • The central Govt has allocated Rs 86.41 crores of funds for the project. The centre is to be built along with the support of Kerala Govt. Tata steel is the industrial partner.
  • The state Govt run Digital University Kerala and the Centre for Materials for Electronics will join hands along with the state and central Govts in implementing the project.

About Graphene

  • Graphene is the strongest material in the world. Also, it is the thinnest material. Graphene has good electrical conductivity and chemical stability. It is transparent, light in weight and has a large surface area.
  • Graphene has the ability to replace indium. It brings down the cost of Organic Light Emitting Diode. Graphene is an isotope of carbon. It has a two – dimensional honeycomb nanostructure.
  • Graphene is addressed to as “Wonder material” for its electronic and electrical properties.
  • Graphene is a zero gap semiconductor. This means the conduction band and the valence band are at the same energy level. For an element to conduct electricity, it should have free electrons in conduction band.

Applications of Graphene

  • It is used to make tennis racquets. Also, graphene is used in making composite materials, biological engineering, energy storage and filtration. It is also used in lubricants, paints, functional fluids, batteries, coatings, oils, capacitors, display materials, solar cells.
  • Graphene is also used to add strength to other materials. Adding a very little amount of graphene to metals, plastics or any other materials makes it highly stronger.
  • As Graphene has high surface area to volume ratio, it is ideal to be used in making super capacitors.
  • Graphene has anti – corrosion coatings. It is used in drug delivery, sensors, paints and solar panels.


James Webb Space Telescope succeeded the Hubble Space Telescope.

  • The James Webb Space Telescope succeeded the Hubble Space Telescope. It was jointly built by NASA, European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency. It uses infrared light to make observations.
  • It was at first called the “Next Generation Space Telescope”. It was renamed in 2002. James Webb was a former NASA administrator. He played a major role in the Apollo programme of NASA. It has a large sized 6.5 metre mirror.
  • The telescope is to be used to look deep into the cosmos. It will capture light from the very first star population. That is, the telescope will study stars that were formed 13.5 billion years ago.
  • The main telescope used is Korsch telescope. The transponders in the James Webb Telescope use S – band for tracking. S – band is a part of the microwave band. It covers frequencies between 2 GHz and 4 GHz. Usually the S – band is used for communication between NASA and International Space Station. Also, S – band is used for airport surveillance, for weather monitoring, air traffic control.
  • Orbit of the telescope is Halo Orbit. The halo orbit is an orbit near one of the Lagrange points. The Halo orbits exist only in three body system. For instance, in sun, earth and moon.
  • The Space Telescope Science Institute located in Baltimore, Maryland operates as the Science and Operation Centre of the James Webb Space Telescope.
Click to Download Current Affairs 2022 Complete Module PDF

Anantha Nageswaran appointed new Chief Economic Advisor

  • The Govt of India has appointed Anantha Nageswaran as the new Chief Economic Advisor. He is a former member of Prime Minister Economic Advisory Council.

BIOGRAPHY :Anantha Nageswaran

  • Nageswaran has taught in Business schools in India and Singapore. He is a visiting professor at Kre University. Krea University is one of the top private universities of the country. It is sponsored by IFMR. IFMR is Institute for Financial Management and Research.
  • He has completed post-graduation from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Also he has a doctoral degree from the Massachusetts institute.
  • Nageswaran worked as a senior advisor to the International Financial Services Authority of India (IFSCA) between 2019 and 2021.
  • Between 1994 and 2011, he worked as a currency economist at the Union Bank of Switzerland.

Chief Economic Advisor

  • The post of CEA was lying vacant after Dr Krishnamurthy Subramanian left office in December 2021. He succeeded Arvind Subramanian in 2018.
  • The CEA reports to the Finance Minister of India.The post is equivalent to Secretary in India.
  • The CEA is the head of the Department of Economic Affairs that operates under Ministry of Finance.

PM Economic Advisory Council

  • It is an independent body. Nageswaran had led the council for PM Modi. Currently Dr Bibek Debroy is the Chairman of the council. The council advises the PM on national and international economic issues.

IFSCA

  • IFSCA aims to bring a strong global connect between India and rest of the world. It was created in 2020 at the GIFT city, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
  • IFSCA develops and regulates financial services and financial products. It is governed by nine members. Each member from IRDAI, SEBI, RBI, PFRDA.Two members from Ministry Finance and two members as recommended by the selection committee. It is led by a chair person.

 

 

Rafael Nadal won his 21st Grand Slam at Australian Open

  • Rafael Nadal won his 21st Grand Slam title as he beat Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open Final to grab his Grand Slam.
  • Roger Federer of Switzerland and Novak Djokovic of Serbia have won 20 Grand slams.

Asteroid named after Nadal

  • In 2003, the 128036 astroid in the main asteroid belt was named after him. The asteroid is now called the Rafale Nadal asteroid. The asteroid was named by the International Astronomical Union.

BIOGRAPHY: Rafael Nadal

  • Nadal is ranked at fifth place by the ATP ranking. He was ranked number one for 209 weeks. Nadal has won 62 ATP singles titles. This includes 13 French open titles.Also, he has won Olympic gold medal, five Davis Cup titles.
  • He has continuously won 81 matches on clay. This is the world longest single surface win.
  • He was the first person to win on all the three different surfaces such as clay, grass and hard surface.
  • He is the youngest to win Grand Slam. He won his first grand slam when he was 24 years old.
  • The top level tennis players Roger Federer, Noval Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are addressed to as the Big three. Nadal is the only left – handed player of the big three.

 

 

Rapid Train connectivity in Manipur – First freight train to enter Manipur

  • On January 27, 2022, the first goods train reached the Rani Gaidinliu station of Manipur. This is the first freight train to enter Manipur after 75 years. This shows the rapid transformation happening in the state of Manipur.
  • Manipur is a hilly state. The new railway line built in the state is 111 km long. It runs from Jiribam to Imphal. The Jiribam railway station is 17 km from the Assam – Manipur border.
  • The Railway department is to construct 46 tunnels along the new rail line. Also, it includes 153 bridges. The world tallest bridge is in this line. It is in Noney district. The bridge is 141 metres high.
  • The Railways has spent Rs 14,000 crores in constructing the railway line so far. The construction started in 2013. The line was to be constructed up to Imphal. Now, there are plans to extend up to Moreh. Moreh is a trading centre located in Manipur-Myanmar border.

 

India’s First Geo Park in Jabalpur, MP

  • The first geological park of India will be built in Lamheta, Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
  • Park will be constructed with an investment of Rs 35 crores, over five-acre land.
  • The geological park will be built in Lamheta, because this place is among significant places in world, from geological point of view. In 1928, William Henry Sleeman had discovered Dinosaur fossil from this area. UNESCO has also recognised Lamheta as geo heritage site.
  • Geopark is a unified area, which advances the protection and use of geological heritage in sustainable manner. It also promotes the economic well-being of the people living there.
  • Lamheta Formation is also called as Infratrappean Beds. It is a sedimentary geological formation found in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. It is associated with the Deccan Traps. It is of Maastrichtian age and is known for dinosaur fossils.

FACTFILE: Geological Survey of India (GSI)

  • GSI was founded in 1851. It is a scientific agency of India, working under ministry of Mines organisation. It is one of the oldest organisations worldwide and the second oldest survey organisation in India, following Survey of India. The Survey of India was founded in 1767.
  • It was set to conduct geological surveys and studies of India. It also acts as prime provider of basic earth science information to general public, industry and Govt besides official participant in coal, steel, cement, metals, power industries and international geoscientific forums.

Go To Assam Current Affairs                      Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

Click to Download Current Affairs 2022 Complete Module PDF

Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz for APSC 2024 – Set 349: January 2024, Week 1

Posted on by admin

Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz for APSC 2024 – Set 349: January 2024, Week 1

(Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Go to Current Affairs – Home Page   |    Current Affairs & GK Quiz – Home Page Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

Q1. Who has been appointed as the Chairman of the Sixteenth Finance Commission?

  1. Arvind Panagariya
  2. Niranjan Rajadhyaksha
  3. Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh
  4. Ajay Kumar

Arvind Panagariya

 

Q2. Which state has become first in recording entries on the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) platform?

    1. Assam
    2. Madhya Pradesh
    3. Kerala
    4. Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

  • Uttar Pradesh has retained top rank for the third straight year in ensuring extensive usage of the Supreme Court e-committee’s Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS), a nationwide platform integrating courts, police, prisons and forensic labs. 
  • Madhya Pradesh and Bihar trail at second and third position respectively. 
  • The wide adoption by U.P. police aims to employ ICJS’s data analytics to predict crimes, manage law & order situations better and reduce pendency of cases.

 

Q3. China’s cutting-edge ocean drilling vessel designed to penetrate the Earth’s crust and reach the mantle for the first time in human history is

  1. Yaogan
  2. Mengxiang
  3. Zhuque
  4. Shuijing

Mengxiang

China has unveiled its first ocean drilling vessel, the Mengxiang, which is designed to delve into the Earth’s crust and explore the mysteries of the mantle. If successful, this will mark humanity’s first exploration into the upper mantle.

 

Q4. Who has been recently appointed as the new Chief of Materiel of the Indian Navy?

  1. Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi 
  2. Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti
  3. Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh 
  4. Vice Admiral Naveed Ashraf

  Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh

Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh has taken over as the new Chief of Materiel of the Indian Navy from Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani. Vice Admiral Deshmukh is an alumnus of VJTI Mumbai and a postgraduate from Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

The Chief of Materiel is the head of the Materials Branch of the Navy, dealing with logistics and maintenance. 

 

Q5. Which oceanographic research vessel of the Indian Navy has embarked on the Sagar Maitri Mission-4 to Oman?

  1. RV Sindhu Sankalp 
  2. INS Sagardhwani
  3. INS Samundar
  4. RV Sindhu Sadhana

INS Sagardhwani

INS Sagardhwani, an oceanographic research vessel of the Indian Navy, has embarked on the Sagar Maitri Mission-4 to Oman. The goal of the mission is to establish long-term scientific partnerships and collaboration with Indian Ocean Rim countries for ocean research and development.

 

Q6. Which company has decided to introduced “Copilot key” in PC keyboards?

  1. Apple
  2. Google
  3. Microsoft
  4. Yahoo

Microsoft

 

Q7. Joint military exercise ‘Desert Cyclone’ is conducted between India and which country?

  1. USA
  2. Iran
  3. Australia
  4. UAE

UAE

The Joint Military Exercise ‘Desert Cyclone’, between India and UAE is being organized in Mahajan, Rajasthan. The exercise aims to enhance interoperability by learning and sharing best practices in operations.

 

Q8. India’s first submarine tourism will be started in which state?

    1. Tamil Nadu
    2. Gujarat
    3. Maharashtra
    4. Kerala

Gujarat

The Gujarat government, in partnership with Mazgaon Dock Limited, is set to pioneer India’s first-ever submarine tourism project at Dwarka.

Q9. Who among the following has been honoured with M S Swaminathan Award?

  1. Prof B R Kamboj 
  2. Jadav Payeng
  3. M. Yoganathan  
  4. Rajendra Singh 

Prof B R Kamboj 

Prof. B.R. Kamboj, the Vice Chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, has been bestowed with the prestigious M.S. Swaminathan Award. He was awarded with this prestigious award for his significant contributions as a scientist and extension specialist in the field of agronomy.

 

Q10. Which space agency has launched XPoSat aboard PSLV-C58?

  1. ISA
  2. NASA
  3. ISRO
  4. JAXA

ISRO

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) aboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C58.

 

Q11. Who among the following has been appointed as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff

  1. Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi
  2. Vice Admiral Ajit Singh
  3. Vice Admiral Gurpreet Singh
  4. Vice Admiral Kuldeep Yadav

Vice Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi

The Vice Chief is the deputy of the Chief of the Naval Staff and is usually the second highest ranking officer of the Indian Navy.

 

Q12. Who will represent India at Uganda NAM Summit in January 2024?

  1. Amit Shah
  2. Dr S Jaishankar
  3. Nirmala Sitaraman
  4. Rajnath Singh

Dr S Jaishankar

India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is set to represent India at the upcoming Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Uganda’s capital Kampala.

 

Q13. Who becomes the first woman to amass a $100 billion?

  1. Nita Ambani 
  2. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers 
  3. Julia Koch 
  4. Jacqueline Mars
Françoise Bettencourt Meyers

 

Q14. Which city will host the International Kite Festival ahead of Ram Temple’s consecration?

  1. Jamnagar
  2. Surat
  3. Ayodhya
  4. Rajkot
Ayodhya

Q15. First all-girls Sainik School inaugurated recently in which state?

  1. Assam
  2. Himachal Pradesh
  3. Bihar
  4. Uttar Pradesh 
Uttar Pradesh

The first-ever all-girls Sainik School was inaugurated in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh.

 

Go to Current Affairs – Home Page   |    Current Affairs & GK Quiz – Home Page

Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz for APSC 2023 – Set 345: October 2023, Week 2

Posted on by admin

Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz for APSC 2023 – Set 345: October 2023, Week 2

(Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Quiz Home Page Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

 

Q1. Who recently launched India’s first 5G Training Labs and 5G applications in the health sector in all the eight North Eastern States?

  1. Jitendra Singh
  2. Narendra Modi
  3. Amit Shah
  4. Kishan Reddy


Kishan Reddy

India’s first 5G training labs and 5G applications in the health sector have been launched in all the eight North Eastern States. The project is centrally funded through North East Council (NEC) and being implemented by Assam Electronic Development Corporation (AMTRON), a PSU of Assam government.

 

Q2. Which state’s Yak Churpi has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag?

  1. Arunachal Pradesh
  2. Assam
  3. Himachal Pradesh
  4. Mizoram

Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh’s Yak Churpi has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. It is a naturally fermented dairy product crafted from the milk of yaks. Churpi is a traditional food of the tribal yak herders in the state. It is rich in protein and has been a lifeline for them in the harsh conditions of the Himalayan region.

 

Q3. Who was awarded the 2023 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize in Mathematics?

  1. Neena Gupta
  2. Ruixiang Zhang
  3. Adam Harper
  4. Will Sawin

Ruixiang Zhang

Mathematician Ruixiang Zhang, an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, USA, was awarded the 2023 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize in Mathematics for his pioneering contributions to number theory.

 

Q4. Where is the world’s second-largest Hindu temple outside India located, which was recently inaugurated?

  1. Australia
  2. US
  3. New Zealand
  4. United Kingdom

US

The world’s second-largest Hindu temple outside India is located in Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, US. It is called the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple and is set to be inaugurated on 8th October 2023.

 

Q5. What is India’s rank in the IMD World Talent Ranking for 2023?

  1. 32nd
  2. 42nd
  3. 56th
  4. 59th

56th

India slipped four spots to the 56th position (Out of 64 economies) in the 2023 World Talent Ranking, compared to its 52nd position in the 2022 ranking.

Top Ranking countries are

  1. Switzerland
  2. Luxembourg
  3. Iceland
  4. Belgium
  5. Netherlands


Q6. Which state will be the location of the newly approved Sarakka Central Tribal University?

  1. Chhattisgarh
  2. Jharkhand
  3. Andhra Pradesh
  4. Telangana

Telangana

The Sarakka Central Tribal University will be located in Mulugu district, Telangana. It is a commitment made by the Central government as a part of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The university will have a budget of Rs 889 crore and will aim to provide quality education to tribal students in the region. It will offer a variety of courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as research programs.

 

Q7. When is World Tourism Day 2023 celebrated?

  1. September 25
  2. September 26
  3. September 28
  4. September 27

September 27

World Tourism Day 2023 is observed worldwide on September 27. This annual celebration, initiated by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), aims to promote and highlight the significance of tourism across the globe. It serves as a platform to raise awareness about the importance of tourism and its positive impact on economies and cultures.

 

Q8. The Indian-origin professor who has been awarded the 2023 Dutch Spinoza Prize for climate change research?

  1. Dr. Rajendra Pachauri
  2. Jaap Sinninghe Damsté
  3. Dr. Joyeeta Gupta
  4. Dr. Sunita Narain

Dr. Joyeeta Gupta

Dr. Joyeeta Gupta is an Indian-origin professor at the University of Amsterdam who has been awarded the prestigious Dutch Spinoza Prize for her groundbreaking work in the field of climate change. The Spinoza Prize is the highest scientific award in the Netherlands. It is awarded annually to two or three researchers who have made outstanding contributions to their field.

 

Q9. The recently established 54th Tiger Reserve in India, Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is located in which state?

  1. Uttar Pradesh
  2. Karntaka
  3. Rajasthan
  4. Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

India’s 54th Tiger Reserve, the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, was established in Madhya Pradesh in 2023. It is the seventh tiger reserve in the state.

 

Q10. When is World Nature Day celebrated?

  1. October 1
  2. October 3
  3. October 5
  4. October 7


October 3

World Nature Day is celebrated on October 3 every year. It is a day to raise awareness about the challenges facing our environment, particularly due to climate change. The theme for World Nature Conservation Day 2023 is ‘Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet’. This theme highlights the importance of forests for both people and the planet. Forests provide us with essential resources such as food, water, and clean air. They also play a vital role in regulating the climate and protecting biodiversity.

ADRE 2023 Test Series Assamexam

Current Affairs – Home Page | Current Affairs & GK Quiz – Home Page

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 343: September 2023, Week 5

Posted on by admin

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 343: September 2023, Week 5

(Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Quiz Home Page Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

Q1. Assam Govt. has launched the “Mukhyamantrir Atmanirbharshil Asom Abhiyan” to provide financial grant of what amount to the deserving young individuals, to improve job opportunities in the state?

  1. Rs. 2 Lakh to 5 Lakh
  2. Rs. 3 Lakh to 5 Lakh
  3. Rs. 5 Lakh to 10 Lakh
  4. Rs. 10 Lakh

Rs. 2 Lakh to 5 Lakh

 

Q2. Which village in Assam has been chosen as the Best Tourism Village of India for the year 2023?

  1. Biswanath Ghat
  2. Chunbari Gaon
  3. Ranthali
  4. Sarthebari

Biswanath Ghat

Biswanath Ghat in Assam has been chosen as the Best Tourism Village of India in 2023 by the Ministry of Tourism.

 

Q3. Which is the oldest paramilitary force in the country?

  1. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
  2. Border Security Force (BSF)
  3. Assam Rifles
  4. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

Assam Rifles

 

Q4. Which country has become Bangladesh’s leading export partner?

  1. China
  2. India
  3. United States
  4. England

India

  • India has become Bangladesh’s leading export partner, surpassing Japan and China.

 

Q5. When is Engineers’ Day celebrated in India?

  1. February 28
  2. September 15
  3. July 31
  4. December 13

September 15

 

Q6. How many elephant corridors are there in India, as per the “Elephant Corridors of India” report released by the Union Environment Ministry?

  1. 92
  2. 106
  3. 129
  4. 150

150

The “Elephant Corridors of India” report released by the Union Environment Ministry states that there are 150 elephant corridors in India.

 

Q7. India’s rank in the Global Innovation Index 2023 is

  1. 24th
  2. 29th
  3. 36th
  4. 40th

40th

India retains 40th rank out of 132 economies in the Global Innovation Index 2023 rankings published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. India’s improved significantly from its rank of 81 in 2015.

 

Q8. Who has been honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2023?

  1. Dilip Kumar
  2. Dharmendra
  3. Amitabh Bachchan
  4. Waheeda Rehman

Waheeda Rehman

 

Q9. When is the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation celebrated?

  1. September 5
  2. September 12
  3. September 19
  4. September 30

September 12

United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation is celebrated to recognize and promote economic, social, and political developments in regions and countries in the South and highlight UN efforts for technical cooperation among developing nations.

 

Q10. Who is regarded as the ‘Father of Green Revolution in India’?

  1. M.S. Swaminathan
  2. C. V. Raman
  3. Verghese Kurien
  4. Amartya Sen

M.S. Swaminathan

 

Current Affairs – Home Page | Current Affairs & GK Quiz – Home Page

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 342: September 2023, Week 4

Posted on by admin

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 342: September 2023, Week 4

(Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Quiz Home Page Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

Q1. Recently, which state’s cabinet recommended the withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) on September 9, 2023?

  1. Nagaland
  2. Assam
  3. Manipur
  4. Meghalaya

Assam

The Assam cabinet has recommended to the central government to withdraw the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from the state. AFSPA gives the armed forces sweeping powers to search, arrest and shoot to kill in areas declared as “disturbed”. It has been in force in Assam since 1990.

 

Q2. Where will PepsiCo India set up its new food manufacturing plant, which will be PepsiCo’s first food-focused manufacturing plant in the Northeast region?

  1. Sikkim
  2. Tripura
  3. Arunachal Pradesh
  4. Assam

Assam

PepsiCo India has announced that it will invest Rs 778 crore to set up a new food manufacturing plant in Nalbari district, Assam. The plant is expected to be operational by 2025 and will create direct and indirect employment opportunities for around 500 people. It will produce Lay’s potato chips, Kurkure snacks, and other food products.

 

Q3. Who is the author of the book ‘Fire on the Ganges: Life Among the Dead in Banaras’?

  1. Radhika Iyengar
  2. Jhumpa Lahiri
  3. Kiran Desai
  4. Anita Nair

Radhika Iyengar 

 

Q4. Which multinational group/organization was granted permanent membership in the G20 under India’s presidency?

  1. BRICS
  2. OPEC
  3. ASEAN
  4. African Union

African Union

  • The African Union was granted permanent membership in the G20 under India’s presidency of the forum.
  • The announcement was made at the G20 summit in New Delhi on September 9, 2023.

 

Q5. Which railway station has recently received the ‘Green Railway Station’ certification with the highest rating of Platinum from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC)?

  1. Vijayawada Railway Station
  2. Guwahati Railway Station
  3. Rani Kamlapati Railway Station
  4. Warangal Railway Station

Vijayawada Railway Station

 

Q6. Who is known as the “Father of the Atomic Bomb”?

  1. Ernest Rutherford
  2. Albert Einstein
  3. J. Robert Oppenheimer
  4. Niels Bohr

J. Robert Oppenheimer

J. Robert Oppenheimer is known as the “Father of the Atomic Bomb” due to his major contribution to the Manhattan Project during World War II. He was the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory, where the atomic bomb was developed. Recently the movie Oppenheimer was also released.

 

Q7. Who is recently crowned as the Miss International India 2023?

  1. Nandini Gupta
  2. Shweta Sharda
  3. Praveena Anjana
  4. T Strela Luwang

Praveena Anjana

 

Q8. Which country has won the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup?

  1. China
  2. Germany
  3. USA
  4. England

German

Germany won the 2023 FIBA World Cup, defeating Serbia 83-77 in the final.

 

Q9. Recently, handwoven Rayagada Shawls received GI tag. Mainly, Dongria Kondhs made these Shawls from hand-spun cotton and are known for their intricate designs and vibrant colours. The Rayagada Shawls from which state

  1. Nagaland
  2. Odisha
  3. Sikkim
  4. Himachal Pradesh

Odisha

The Dongria Kondhs are a tribal group indigenous to Odisha. They are known for their unique culture and traditions, including their handwoven Rayagada Shawls. The shawls are made from hand-spun cotton and are known for their intricate designs and vibrant colours.

 

Q10. According to the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2023, which city has the cleanest air in India (among cities with populations over one million)?

  1. Coimbatore
  2. Bangalore
  3. Kochi
  4. Indore

Indore

Current Affairs – Home Page | Current Affairs & GK Quiz – Home Page

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 339: September 2023, Week 1

Posted on by admin

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 339: September 2023, Week 1

(Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Quiz Home Page Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

 

Q1. Recently, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced a major outreach program called “Raijyor Xomadhon (public solutions)” with the aim of

  1. bridging the social infrastructure gap and assessing the implementation of various Govt schemes
  2. bridging e-governance services to the doors of every citizens
  3. improving the health and education scenario in the the rural areas
  4. Solving bottleneck issues in agriculture and primary sectors

Bridging the social infrastructure gap and assessing the implementation of various Govt schemes

 

Q2. Which personality from Assam has been awarded the 65th Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2023?

  1. Manmohan Singh
  2. Ravi Kannan
  3. Bhabendra Nath Saikia
  4. Hema Bharali

Ravi Kannan

 

Q3. Tharman Shanmugaratnam has been recently elected as President of which country?

  1. Mauritius
  2. New Zealand
  3. Singapore
  4. Seychelles

Singapore

  • He won the election with 70.4% of the votes.
  • Shanmugaratnam was previously the Senior Minister of Singapore from 2019 to 2023. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister for eight years. He studied at the London School of Economics, Cambridge University, and Harvard University.

 

Q4. Which country’s military force has recently unveiled the artificial intelligence robot ‘Valkyrie’ for aerial combat?

  1. China
  2. USA
  3. Saudi Arabia
  4. UK

USA

 

Q5. Which Union Ministry has recently introduced a fresh visa category named ‘Ayush Visa’?

  1. Ministry of Ayush
  2. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  3. Ministry of Home Affairs
  4. Ministry of External Affairs

Ministry of Home Affairs

  • “Ayush Visa” to cater to foreign nationals seeking medical treatment, including therapeutic care, wellness, and yoga in India.
  • To address the requirement for a dedicated visa program for foreign visitors seeking treatment under Ayush systems or Indian medicine.

 

Q6. Which Union Ministry has recently launched the sixth edition of Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2023?

  1. Ministry of Electronics and IT
  2. Ministry of Science and Technology
  3. Ministry of Education
  4. Ministry of Home Affairs

Ministry of Education

  • Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell and the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) have launched the sixth edition of Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2023.
  • Since its inception in 2017, the Smart India Hackathon has become a global model for hackathons and innovation frameworks.
  • This event presents 239 problem statements, including 182 software challenges and 57 hardware challenges.

 

Q7. Which of the following is the blockchain-based project recently launched by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)?

  1. Grapevine
  2. PayOne
  3. Falcon
  4. Oxygen App

Falcon

  • Falcon is an open-source project that aims to simplify the management and use of blockchains based on ‘Hyperledger Fabric’ and supported on Kubernetes clusters. Essentially, Falcon is expected to help developers innovate on blockchain-based payment solutions.

 

Q8. Who is the chairperson of the Committee set up to assess the viability of the “one nation, one election” concept?

  1. Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud
  2. Ramnath Kovind
  3. Ranjan Gogoi
  4. Arjun Ram Meghwal

Ramnath Kovind

The members of the panel include Union home minister Amit Shah, ex-J&K chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission chairman N K Singh, Constitution expert Subhash C Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve, and ex-Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.

 

Q9. In August 2023, the number of UPI transactions performed reached a milestone of

  1. 10 billion
  2. 12 billion
  3. 20 billion
  4. 50 billion

10 billion

 

Q10. NITI Aayog signed a MoU with which institution on fast tracking SDGs?

  1. World Bank
  2. Asian Development Bank
  3. UNDP
  4. UNEP

UNDP

  • The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to formalise a framework of cooperation on a range of areas, including SDG localisation, data-driven monitoring, Aspirational Districts and Blocks, among others.
  • The MoU was signed for a period of five years.
  • NITI Aayog is the nodal Institution for coordinating the adoption and monitoring of SDGs at the national and sub-national levels. UNDP plays the integrator role in coordinating efforts to fast-track progress on the SDGs within the UN system.

 

Current Affairs – Home Page | Current Affairs & GK Quiz – Home Page

https://youtu.be/JdWRBJgmTEc

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 338: August 2023, Week 5

Posted on by admin

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 338: August 2023, Week 5

(Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Quiz Home Page Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

 

Q1. The North East Venture Fund (NEVF) was set up by

  1. North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Limited (NEDFi)
  2. Assam Gramin Vikash Bank
  3. SEBI
  4. SBI

North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Limited (NEDFi)

G Kishan Reddy, the Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), revealed in a written reply at the Lok Sabha that the North East Venture Fund (NEVF) has made substantial investments in 37 startups across various sectors, amounting to Rs 56.84 Crore.

 

Q2. Assam’s govt has recently planned to establish a ‘Knowledge Hub’ and an ‘Assam Institute of Urban Affairs’. Who is the present Housing and Urban Affairs Minister of Assam?

  1. Ranjeet Kumar Dass
  2. Atul Bora
  3. Chandra Mohan Patowary
  4. Ashok Singhal

Ashok Singhal

Assam’s government has unveiled an ambitious plan to establish a ‘Knowledge Hub’ and an ‘Assam Institute of Urban Affairs.’ Led by Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal, these initiatives aim to introduce cutting-edge urban planning concepts and expertise to the state.

 

Q3. Which club football tournament is the oldest in Asia and the third oldest in the world?

  1. AFC Champions League
  2. Santosh Trophy
  3. Durand Cup
  4. Bengal Cup

Durand Cup

 

Q4. Which nation emerged as the champion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023?

  1. England
  2. Germany
  3. Spain
  4. France

Spain

 

Q5. Who was honored with the Lokmanya Tilak National Award on 01 August 2023?

  1. Rajnath Singh
  2. Amit Shah
  3. Nirmala Sitharaman
  4. Narendra Modi

Narendra Modi

 

Q6. Who is the winner of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2023?

  1. Praggnanandhaa
  2. Gukesh D
  3. Magnus Carlsen
  4. Viswanathan Anand

Magnus Carlsen

 

Q7. What film was awarded the “Best Feature Film” at the 69th National Film Awards?

  1. RRR
  2. Pushpa: The Rise
  3. Gangubai Kathiawadi
  4. Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

 

Q8. Who has been recently declared as the National Icon of the Election Commission of India (ECI)?

  1. Sachin Tendulkar
  2. Neeraj Chopra
  3. MS Dhoni
  4. Shahrukh Khan

Sachin Tendulkar

 

Q9. Which country recently achieved the historic feat by becoming the first country to successfully land on the South Pole of the lunar surface?

  1. China
  2. United States
  3. India
  4. Japan

India

 

Q10. Assam has recently unveiled state’s longest flyover measuring 2.63 kilometers, connecting Maligaon Chariali to Kamakhya Gate in Guwahati. The flyover is

  1. Brahmaputra Flyover
  2. Lachit Flyover
  3. Nilachal Flyover
  4. Kamrup Flyover

Nilachal Flyover

 

Current Affairs – Home Page | Current Affairs & GK Quiz – Home Page

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 337: August 2023, Week 4

Posted on by admin

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 337: August 2023, Week 4

(Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Quiz Home Page Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

 

Q1. The Badminton Association of India’s National Center of Excellence (NCE) was recently inaugurated at

  1. Tezpur
  2. Dibrugarh
  3. Guwahati
  4. Agartala

Guwahati

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) is the governing body for badminton in India. The BAI National Center of Excellence (NCE) was inaugurated in Guwahati, Assam on August 11. The BAI was formed in 1934 and has been holding national-level tournaments in India since 1936. The NCE is a major boost to the sport in India.

 

Q2. Which day is declared to be celebrated as the National Space Day in India?

  1. August 23
  2. August 19
  3. August 14
  4. August 07

August 23

PM Modi announced the celebration of India’s National Space Day on August 23 every year, naming the landing site of the lander as ‘Shiv Shakti Point’, and designating the point on the moon with symbols of Chandrayaan-2 as ‘Tricolor Point.

 

Q3. Which of the following countries are set to join the BRICS on 1 January 2024?

  1. Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE
  2. Argentina, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE
  3. Argentina, Egypt, Japan, Saudi Arabia and UAE
  4. Argentina, Bangladesh, Egypt, Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE

Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates

 

Q4. Who is the winner of the Miss Diva Universe 2023 beauty pageant?

  1. Nandini Gupta
  2. Sini Shetty
  3. Divita Rai
  4. Shweta Sharda

Shweta Sharda

 

Q5. India’s first space-based solar observatory, which will be launch on 2nd September, in

  1. Surya-L1
  2. Aditya-L1
  3. Solar module -1A
  4. SOLRAD 1

Aditya-L1

 

Q6. Which Union Ministry launched the ‘ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) initiative’?

  1. Ministry of Education
  2. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
  3. Ministry of MSME
  4. Ministry of Finance

Ministry of Education

  • Union Ministry of Education inaugurated the logo, slogan – “Jan Jan Sakshar,” and the mobile application for ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram.
  • The ULLAS initiative aims to transform education and literacy nationwide by creating a learning ecosystem that provides basic education, digital and financial literacy, and critical life skills to individuals aged 15 and above who missed the chance to attend school.

 

Q7. What is the main focus of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023?

  1. Protecting individuals’ personal data and enabling lawful data processing
  2. Promoting digital entrepreneurship
  3. Ensuring every citizens has free access to digital services
  4. Regulating social media platforms

Protecting individuals’ personal data and enabling lawful data processing

 

Q8. Who became the first Foreign Head of the Government to receive ‘The Grand Cross of the Order of Honour’ from the Greek govt?

  1. Angela Merkel
  2. Rishi Sunak
  3. Narendra Modi
  4. Emmanuel Macron

Narendra Modi

 

Q9. Who recently became India’s first-ever gold medalist at the World Athletics Championships?

  1. Neeraj Chopra
  2. Mirabai Chanu
  3. Abhinav Bindra
  4. Sushil Kumar

Neeraj Chopra

 

Q10. What city retained its top position and won the National Smart City Award in the fourth edition of the India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC)?

  1. Trichy
  2. Indore
  3. New Delhi
  4. Surat

Indore

Current Affairs – Home Page | Current Affairs & GK Quiz – Home Page

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 336: August 2023, Week 3

Posted on by admin

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 336: August 2023, Week 3

( Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Quiz Home Page Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

Q1. The first instance of captive breeding of the Himalayan vulture in India at which state?

  1. Assam
  2. West Bengal
  3. Bihar
  4. Karnataka

Assam

  • Researchers have recorded the first instance of captive breeding of the Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis) in India at the Assam State Zoo, Guwahati.
  • Categorised as ‘Near Threatened’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species, the Himalayan vulture is a winter migrant to the Indian plains, and a resident of the high Himalayas.

 

Q2. According to Elephant Census-2023, which state has the maximum population of elephants?

  1. Assam
  2. Karnataka
  3. West Bengal
  4. Tamil Nadu

Karnataka

According to Elephant Census-2023, Karnataka leads the country in the total number of elephants. Elephant counts in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have experienced a minor rise, while numbers in Kerala have nearly reduced by half, based on the recent Elephant Population Estimates shared by the southern Indian states.

 

Q3. Hurricane Dora and tropical storm Greg have recently hit which region?

  1. New Zealand
  2. Hawaii
  3. Philippines
  4. Australia

Hawaii

  • The tropical storm Greg has reached near Hawaii state of the United States which is already reeling under the devastating impact of wildfire.
  • Hurricane Dora created high gusty winds over Maui recently and complicated the wildfire problem. It also became a typhoon, and was the second tropical system on record to remain at hurricane strength across the eastern, central and western Pacific basins.

 

Q4. Which institution recently launched a Centralised Web Portal UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits – Gateway to Access inforMation)?

  1. SEBI
  2. RBI
  3. SBI
  4. LIC

RBI

  • Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched a Centralised Web Portal UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits – Gateway to Access inforMation).
  • The launch of the web portal will aid users to identify their unclaimed deposits/ accounts and enable them to either claim the deposit amount or make their deposit accounts operative at their respective banks.

 

Q5. IIT Bombay partners with which financial institution to support Innovation-Led Green Hydrogen Initiatives?

  1. HSBC
  2. Citibank
  3. Barclays
  4. HDFC Bank

 HSBC

  • IIT Bombay has partnered with HSBC to pursue technological advancements towards making green hydrogen production more efficient, cost-effective, and scalable.
  • The focus will be on innovative projects that will help position green hydrogen as a strategic alternate fuel; help in building a robust, green hydrogen economy and achieve the government’s vision of an energy-independent nation.

 

Q6. Rajouri Chikri woodcraft, which has received Geographical Indication (GI) tags recently, is a craft from which state/UT?

  1. Rajasthan
  2. Karnataka
  3. Himachal Pradesh
  4. Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir

Two products from Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri and Anantnag districts—the Rajouri Chikri woodcraft and the Mushqbudji rice variety—have earned the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tags. With its honey-toned appearance and smooth, refined texture, Chikri wood is found in the mountainous regions of the Jammu province.

 

Q7. In FY 2022-23, Government e-marketplace (GeM) registered its highest ever Gross Merchandise value of approximately

  1. ₹1 lakh crore
  2. ₹2 lakh crore
  3. ₹5 lakh crore
  4. ₹7 lakh crore

₹2 lakh crore

  • In Financial Year 2022-23, Government e-marketplace (GeM) registered its highest ever Gross Merchandise Value of ₹ 2,01,113 crore.
  • The Economic Survey 2021-22 observed that prices on GeM were observed to be 9.5% lower in comparison with other online platforms for 10 out of 22 commodities.

 

Q8. Which state has recently inaugurated India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) school?

  1. Telangana
  2. Maharashtra
  3. Kerala
  4. Karnataka

Kerala

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) school called as Santhigiri Vidyabhavan in Kerala’s capital city, Thiruvananthapuram. The AI school is a result of a collaboration between iLearning Engines (ILE) USA and Vedhik eSchool.

 

Q9. ‘MPOWER Measures’ are associated with which organisation?

  1. United Nations Environmental Program
  2. World Bank
  3. World Health Organization
  4. NASA

 World Health Organization

A new World Health Organization (WHO) report revealed that over the past 15 years, 71% of the global population, approximately 5.6 billion people, are now protected by at least one of the measures, five times more than in 2007.

The WHO’s MPOWER measures aim to monitor tobacco use and prevention policies, protect people from tobacco smoke, provide assistance to quit tobacco, warn about the dangers of tobacco, enforce bans on tobacco advertising, and raise taxes on tobacco products.

 

Q10. Which country’s hockey team is the winner of the Asian Champions Trophy 2023?

  1. India
  2. Japan
  3. Malaysia
  4. South Korea

 India

India won the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 after a sensational final against Malaysia with the final score of 4-3.

Current Affairs – Home Page | Current Affairs & GK Quiz – Home Page

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 335: August 2023, Week 2

Posted on by admin

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 335: August 2023, Week 2

( Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Quiz Home Page Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

Q1.  Which state/UT has recently launched the ‘Amrit Brikshya Andolan’ app?

  1. Tripura
  2. Assam
  3. Gujarat
  4. Uttar Pradesh

Assam

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the Department of Forest and Environment’s Amrit Brikshya Andolan web portal/mobile application and the Wood-based Industry (WBI) registration web portal, along with the theme song for the Amrit Brikshya Andolan. It is an initiative aimed at planting a total of 1 crore commercially-viable saplings across the State by individuals from various walks of life. 

 

Q2. Which institution has released the Digital Payments Index (DPI) in India?

  1. RBI
  2. Finance Ministry
  3. NITI Aayog
  4. NPCI

RBI

Digital payments across India registered a growth of 13.24 per cent in a year through March 2023, as per RBI’s index that measures the adoption of online transactions.

RBI’s Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) stood at 395.57 at end-March 2023 compared to 377.46 in September 2022 and 349.30 in March 2022. The index is a base to capture the extent of digitisation of payments across the country.


 

Q3. Now, Indian companies can list themselves on foreign exchanges through which of the following institution/organisation?

  1. BSE
  2. SEBI
  3. RBI
  4. IFSC

IFSC

 

Q4. As per the Supreme Court, which institution retains power to scrap Article 370?

  1. Prime Minister of India
  2. Chief Justice of India
  3. President of India
  4. Parliament

President of India

The Supreme Court said that the President of India retains power to scrap Article 370, after Constituent Assembly dissolved in 1957. Clause (3) of Article 370 gave the President power to notify the Article inoperative or modify it. But a provision had made it necessary that such a move would have to be recommended by the Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly.

 

Q5. Which Union Ministry has set up a working group to decriminalise laws to further promote ease of doing business?

  1. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
  2. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  3. Ministry of Finance
  4. Ministry of MSME

Ministry of Commerce and Industry

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has set up a working group to decriminalise laws to further promote ease of doing business. The group comprised representatives from industry associations, business chambers, legal professionals, and officials of seven ministries. It would also have representatives of the National Housing Bank, NABARD and CPCB.

 

Q6. Which state launched the ‘Gruha Jyothi scheme’?

  1. Odisha
  2. Chhattisgarh
  3. Karnataka
  4. Madhya Pradesh

Karnataka

The Karnataka government launched the Gruha Jyothi free power scheme, which aims to provide free electricity up to 200 units for every household in the state. About 2.14 crore households will get benefited from the Gruha Jyothi scheme./bg_collapse]

 

Q7. Which institution releases the ‘Rice Price Index’?

  1. World Bank
  2. NITI Aayog
  3. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
  4. International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

In July 2023, the United Nations food agency reported that the rice price index rose by 2.8%, reaching its highest level in nearly 12 years. The increase was driven by strong demand and export restrictions imposed by India, affecting prices in key exporting countries, as indicated by the Food and Agriculture Organization’s All Rice Price Index.

 

Q8. What is going to be the applicable Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate on full face value of online gaming?

  1. 5%
  2. 12%
  3. 18%
  4. 28%

28%

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, in its 51st meeting held recently, decided to stick to its earlier decision to impose a 28 per cent tax on the full-face value of the bets placed on online gaming, casinos and horse-trading. The council said a 28 per cent GST would apply from October 1.


 

Q9 The world’s first hundred percent Ethanol fuelled Car has been developed by which automobile major?

  1. Maruti Suzuki
  2. Tata Motors
  3. Toyota
  4. Tesla

Toyota

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari unveiled the prototype of the world’s first Bharat Stage (BS)-VI-compliant electrified flex-fuel car, developed by Toyota Kirloskar Motor. The car, which runs on 100 per cent ethanol (E100), is based on the Toyota Innova HyCross. It can cover 40 per cent of its distance on ethanol and the remaining 60 per cent on electric, with the petrol engine shut off.

 

Q10. Approximately, how many Income Tax Returns were filed for AY 2023-2024 in India?

  1. 2.71 crore
  2. 3.57 crore
  3. 6.77 crore
  4. 8.80 crore

6.77 crore

The total number of ITRs for AY 2023-24 filed till 31st July, 2023 are more than 6.77 crore, which is 16.1% more than the total ITRs for AY 2022-23 (5.83 crore) filed till 31st July 2022. Over 64.33 lakh ITRs were filed on a single day-on 31st July, 2023.

 

Current Affairs – Home Page | Current Affairs & GK Quiz – Home Page