14th January 2023 Daily Current Affairs in English

1. Road Transport and Highways Ministry observes Road Safety Week in which month?

[A] November

[B] December

[C] January

[D] February

Answer : [C] January

Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry observes Road Safety Week from 11^th to 17^th of January. During the Week, various activities is being organized throughout the Country to create awareness among general public. Ministry will conduct several activities including Nukkad Nataks (Street Shows) and Sensitization Campaigns at various locations.

2. India signed a MoU to enhance cooperation in training of diplomats, with which country?

[A] Maldives

[B] UAE

[C] Panama

[D] Malaysia

Answer : [C] Panama

India and Panama have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in the training of diplomats. External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with Panama’s Foreign Minister Janaina Tewaney Mencomo in Indore. The Minister from Panama participated in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention.

3. Which country has the world’s most powerful passport, as per the Henley Passport Index 2023?

[A] UK

[B] Japan

[C] India

[D] USA

Answer : [B] Japan

Japan continues to top the list of the world’s most powerful passport for the year 2023, according to the Henley Passport Index report 2023. Japanese citizens can travel to as many as 193 countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival access destinations around the world. The second spot is shared by Singapore and South Korea. Indian passport ranks 85^th in the world’s most powerful passport index 2023 and gives visa-free entry to 59 destinations.

4. Which state is the host of the 26^th National Youth Festival?

[A] Kerala

[B] Karnataka

[C] Bihar

[D] West Bengal

Answer : [B] Karnataka

The 26^th National Youth Festival is scheduled in the twin cities of Hubballi – Dharwad in Karnataka from 12^th to 16^th January. Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur said that the theme of this year’s Youth Festival is ‘Vikasit Yuva, Vikasit Bharat’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Youth Festival-2023 on 12^th January, on the Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

5. What is the new name of the new Integrated Food Security Scheme?

[A] Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana

[B] Pradhan Mantri Antodaya Ann Yojana

[C] Pradhan Mantri Ann Raksha Yojana

[D] Pradhan Mantri Vikas Yojana

Answer : [A] Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana

The Centre has named the new Integrated Food Security Scheme as Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana, PMGKAY. The Union Cabinet had approved new integrated food security scheme for providing free foodgrains to Antodaya Ann Yojna (AAY) and Primary Household (PHH) beneficiaries.

6. Which cricket recently scored a triple century in the Ranji Trophy?

[A] Dinesh Karthik

[B] Prithvi Shaw

[C] Parthiv Patel

[D] Shubman Gill

Answer : [B] Prithvi Shaw

Prithivi Shaw scored a tripie century for Mumbai against Assam in the Ranji Trophy. This was Shaw’s maiden triple hundred in First-Class cricket, while his previous best score was 202. Shaw became the eighth Mumbai batter to reach the milestone. The 23-year-old has scored over 3300 runs in his 41-match first-class career with 12 centuries and 15 half-centuries.

7. Which city is the host of the “All India Presiding Officers (Assembly Speakers) Conference’?

[A] Pune

[B] Jaipur

[C] Chennai

[D] Varanasi

Answer : [B] Jaipur

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has inaugurated the 83^rd All India Presiding Officers in Jaipur. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Speahers and Deputy Speakers of various Legislative Assemblies including the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman also present in the conference. This 83^rd Conference of All India Presiding Officers is being held in Rajasthan after eleven years.

8. National Council of Science Museum (NCSM) organized a sky gazing event in which city?

[A] Pune

[B] New Delhi

[C] Ladakh

[D] Guwahati

Answer : [B] New Delhi

The National Council of Science Museum (NCSM) in association with Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) is organization a sky gazing event at India Gate Lawns, Kartavya Path, Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledges the efforts of National Science Centre, Delhi for organizing events to promote Astro Night Sky Tourism. National Science Centre is part of the National Council of Science Museums, an autonomous body under Ministry of Culture.

9. The Cabinet approved a ₹2,600 crore scheme for promoting digital transactions for promoting which entities?

[A] RuPay debit cards and low-value BHIM-UPI transactions.

[B] RuPay credit cards

[C] Aadhar Enabled Payment system

[D] Bharat Bill Payment system

Answer : [A] RuPay debit cards and low-value BHIM-UPI transactions.

The Union Cabinet approved a ₹2,600 crore scheme for promoting RuPay debit cards and low-value BHIM-UPI transactions. Under the scheme, banks will be provided financial incentives for promoting Point of Sale (PoS) and e-commerce transactions, using RuPay and UPI in the current financial year.

10. How many national Level multistate cooperative export societies have been approved by the Union Cabinet?

[A] Two

[B] Three

[C] Five

[D] Seven

Answer : [B] Three

The Union Cabinet has approved setting up and promoting three National Level multistate cooperative export societies under the Multi State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002. The cooperative society on export, national level cooperative society for organic products, national level multi-state seed cooperative society will serve as umbrella organisations for taking forward the respective sectoral interests of cooperatives from across the country.

11. Which state announced severe penalties for vehicles without High Security Registration Plates (HSRP)?

[A] West Bengal

[B] Odisha

[C] Kerala

[D] Karnataka

Answer : [B] Odisha

Odisha’s State Transport Authority (STA) announced severe penalties against vehicles without High Security Registration Plates (HSRP). In case the vehicle is not affixed with HSRP within the scheduled date mentioned above, e-challan will be issued against the offending vehicle of a fine of Rs 5,000 or Rs 10,000 under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

12. Which country’s researchers have discovered a earth-like exo-planet classified as ‘LHS 475 b’?

[A] USA

[B] Russia

[C] China

[D] Israel

Answer : [A] USA

The research team from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, from the United States confirmed an exo-planet using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope for the first time. Formality classified as LHS 475 b, the planet is almost exactly the same size as our own Earth.

13. Which country has announced a ban on single-use plastic shopping bags from 2024?

[A] USA

[B] UAE

[C] Singapore

[D] China

Answer : [B] UAE

The United Arab Emirates announced a ban on single-use plastic shopping bags to take effect next year. The law would prohibit the import, production and circulation of such bags from January 1, 2024. A similar ban would apply to plastic cups, plates and cutlery from January 1, 2026. The UAE, host of this year’s United Nations climate summit, declared its aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

14. Which film was selected as the ‘best film-drama’ in the Global Globes Award 2023?

[A] Avatar: The Way of Water

[B] Elvis

[C] The Fabelmans

[D] Top Gun: Maverick

Answer : [C] The Fabelmans

In the 80^th annual ceremony of the Global Globes Award 2023, ‘The Fabelmans’ won the ‘best film-drama’ award. Best actor in a TV series – drama was won by Kevin Costner for Yellowstone while Best screenplay was won by Martin McDonagh for The Banshees of Inisherin. The ‘Best non-English langiage film’ was given to Argentina, 1985 (Argentina).

15. ‘Cherchera’ is a traditional festival celebrated in which state?

[A] Bihar

[B] Chhattisgarh

[C] Odisha

[D] Jharkhand

Answer : [B] Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel participated in the traditional Cherchera festival celebration at Dudhadhari Math in the state capital Rajpur. The traditional Cherchera festival is celebrated on the full moon night in the happiness of taking the crops to their homes after cultivation.

16. What is the name of the entity which facilitates e-commerce sites and merchants to accept payment instruments from customers?

[A] Payment aggregators

[B] Fin-tech companies

[C] Payment Corporations

[D] Transfer Agents

Answer : [A] Payment aggregators

Payment aggregators facilitate e-commerce sites and merchants to accept payment instruments from customers. Hitachi Payment Services and BharatPe have recently received in-principle authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as payment aggregators.

17. Which country observes the National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on January 11?

[A] India

[B] USA

[C] South Africa

[D] Australia

Answer : [B] USA

The National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is observed every year in the United States on January 11, to raise awareness about human trafficking. In 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act addressed modern-day slavery and was first federal law to do so. In 2010, President Barack Obama dedicated the entire month of January to awareness and prevention of human trafficking.

18. ‘Duare Sarkar’ scheme is a flagship initiative of which India state?

[A] Uttar Pradesh

[B] West Bengal

[C] Odisha

[D] Andhra Pradesh

Answer : [B] West Bengal

President of India Droupadi Murmu recently presented the seventh edition of the Digital India Awards 2022. 22 Innovative Digital Initiatives by Government entities under 7 categories received Digital India Awards 2022. West Bengal government’s Duare sarkar’ scheme, to provide services at the doorstep of citizens, won the platinum award and the CBSE won Gold award for its ‘Digital Academic Repository-Parinam Manjusha’.

19. Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS) has inaugurated in which city?

[A] Chennai

[B] Kolkata

[C] Mumbai

[D] Bengaluru

Answer : [B] Kolkata

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS) at Joka in Kolkata via video conferencing. SPM-NIWAS has been set up at a cost of around Rs. 100 Crore. Through this apex institute, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) aims to bridge the knowledge and capacity building gap in public health engineering, sanitation and hygiene through various courses.

20. ReNew Power said installed India’s first 3x platform wind turbine generators (WTGs) in which state?

[A] Tamil Nadu

[B] Rajasthan

[C] Karnataka

[D] West Bengal

Answer : [C] Karnataka

ReNew Power said installed India’s first 3x platform wind turbine generators (WTGs) in Gadag, Karnataka. The new WTGs will be a part of the country’s first ‘Round the Clock’ renewable energy project, combining wind, solar and a battery energy storage system (BESS). This project will produce enough energy to power over 1 million households in India annually.