18th March 2023 Tnpsc Current Affairs in English

1. Exercise ‘Al-Mohed-Al Hindi-23’ is held between India and which country?

[A] UAE

[B] Saudi Arabia

[C] Israel

[D] Oman

Answer : [B] Saudi Arabia

Exercise Al-Mohed-Al Hindi-23 is a bilateral exercise between the naval forces of India and Saudi Arabia. It is planned for may this year, to be held in Saudi Arabia’s Jubail. This will be the second such Naval Exercise, while the first one was held in August 2021.

2. Which country is the host of the ‘United Nations 2023 Water Conference’?

[A] USA

[B] UK

[C] India

[D] Bangladesh

Answer : [A] USA

The report titled “Global Bottled Water Industry: A Review of Impacts and Trends” was released recently ahead of the United Nations 2023 Water Conference. The Conference is to be hosted in New York, USA. The report revealed that the bottled water industry is masking the existing issue of the lack of reliable drinking water for all.

3. Which country brokered the ‘Saudi-Iran Détente’ peace deal?

[A] USA

[B] China

[C] India

[D] Russia

Answer : [B] China

The ‘Saudi-Iran Détente’ is a peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia which was recently brokered by China. It is seen as Beijing’s step towards gaining a major influence in West Asia, where it has economic and political interests and rivalry with the US and the western powers.

4. Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, which was seen in the news, is located in which state/UT?

[A] Gujarat

[B] West Bengal

[C] Andhra Pradesh

[D] Karnataka

Answer : [A] Gujarat

Gujarat, the only home of Asiatic lions in India, is set to move 40 lions from Gir National Park to the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary. The Barda Wildlife Sanctuary is expected to house 40 adult and sub-adult Asiatic lions. It is located some 100 km from the Gir National Park.

5. Which state/UT hosted the ‘Kodava Hockey Festival’?

[A] Andhra Pradesh

[B] Odisha

[C] Karnataka

[D] West Bengal

Answer : [C] Karnataka

Kodava Hockey Festival is set to be organized in Napoklu town of Karnataka after a gap of 4 years. The annual event is the world’s largest field-hockey tournament. The Kodava community in the hilly district conducts the inter-family hockey tournament every year where players from 200 families participate. The only rule of forming a team is that all members must be from the same family.

6. ‘TV-D1’ is the first test vehicle demonstration of which mission of India?

[A] Gaganyaan

[B] Samudrayaan

[C] Aditya

[D] Venus Mission

Answer : [A] Gaganyaan

The first test vehicle demonstration (TV-D1) under the Gaganyaan mission will be conducted on May 2023. It aims to test the abort process mid-air, the parachute system, and the recovery of crew members after splashdown.

7. Which is the first NATO country to deliver fighter jet to the warring country?

[A] India

[B] Pakistan

[C] Poland

[D] Finland

Answer : [C] Poland

Poland announced that it would give Ukraine around a dozen MiG-29s, starting with the first four to be delivered in the coming days. This makes it the first NATO country to deliver fighter jet to the warring country. Both Poland and Slovakia later announced it would send 13 MiF-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in the coming weeks.

8. A recent research predicted that a new ocean would be created as which region splits into two separate parts?

[A] Oceania

[B] Europe

[C] Africa

[D] Asia

Answer : [C] Africa

Scientists, in 2020, predicted a new ocean would be created as Africa gradually splits into two separate parts. The East African Rift (EAR) is an active continental rift zone situated in the eastern part of the continent. EAR is a crack that stretches over 56 kilometres and appeared in the desert of Ethiopia in 2005, triggering the formation of a new sea.

9. Thiania indica, which was discovered recently, belongs to which species?

[A] Snake

[B] Spider

[C] Turtle

[D] Gecko

Answer : [B] Spider

Thiania indica is a newly discovered species of jumping spider from the Western Ghats. Thiania indica belongs to the Thiania C.L. Koch genus of jumping spider (that constitute the family Salticidae). It was discovered during an expedition in the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary in December 2021.

10. Which country hosted the ‘Japan-South Korea Summit’ in 2023?

[A] Japan

[B] South Korea

[C] USA

[D] UK

Answer : [A] Japan

The recently concluded Japan-South Korea Summit resulted in the two countries deciding to resolve a trade dispute, which is seen as a major step towards improving the bilateral economic and defence relations. The summit was held in Tokyo, and was attended by South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-Yeol and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

11. INS Dronacharya, which recently received President’s Colour, is based in which state?

[A] Kerala

[B] Goa

[C] Visakhapatnam

[D] Andhra Pradesh

Answer : [A] Kerala

INS Dronacharya is the Indian Navy’s gunnery school situated in Kerala. It recently received President’s Colour. It is responsible for training 820 officers and 2100 ratings per year in small-arms, naval missiles, artillery, radar and defensive countermeasures.

12. Which recently discovered species has been named after KN Ganeshaiah – a famous agriculture scientist and a Kannada writer?

[A] Butterfly

[B] Gecko

[C] Spider

[D] Turtle

Answer : [B] Gecko

Ganeshaiah’s dwarf gecko (Cnemaspis ganeshaiahi) is a newly discovered species of gecko endemic to the Male Mahadeshwara Hills (MM Hills). It is named after KN Ganeshaiah – a famous agricultural scientist and a Kannada writer.

13. St. Patrick’s Day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in which country?

[A] India

[B] Ireland

[C] Australia

[D] Mexico

Answer : [B] Ireland

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated every year on March 17. It marks traditional death date of Saint Patrick – the patron saint of Ireland. The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and also celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.

14. Mustatils are stone structures that have been recorded in which country?

[A] UK

[B] Saudi Arabia

[C] China

[D] Japan

Answer : [B] Saudi Arabia

Mustatils are monumental stone structures made of sandstone walls that have been recorded in Saudi Arabia since the 1970s. recent excavations at the town of AL Ula revealed that these prehistoric structures were used for ritualistic purposes.

15. Which state announced Special Incentives Scheme to produce orthodox tea and specialty tea?

[A] West Bengal

[B] Assam

[C] Sikkim

[D] Arunachal Pradesh

Answer : [B] Assam

The Assam Government, during the state budget, announced the strengthening of the Assam Tea Industries Special Incentives Scheme. The scheme will provide incentives to produce orthodox tea and specialty teat in the north-eastern state.

16. ‘Governor of the Year’ Award for 2023 was conferred recently to the Governor of which country?

[A] Sri Lanka

[B] India

[C] Bangladesh

[D] United Kingdom

Answer : [B] India

‘Governor of the Year’ Award for 2023 was conferred recently to RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das by the international publication Central Banking. It recognized Das’s role in leading the capital markets during the COVID-19 crisis and the Ukraine war.

17. Which Indian American was recently appointed as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Air Force?

[A] Ravi Chaudhary

[B] Raja Chari

[C] Radha Iyengar Plumb

[D] Matthias Maurer

Answer : [A] Ravi Chaudhary

Indian American Ravi Chaudhary was recently appointed as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Air Force. It is one of the key civilian leadership positions in the US Pentagon. He previously served as a Senior Executive at the US Department of Transportation where he was Director of Advanced Programs and Innovation, Office of Commercial Space at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

18. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) signed MoU with which country’s central bank to promote innovation in financial products?

[A] UAE

[B] France

[C] Sri Lanka

[D] Bangladesh

Answer : [A] UAE

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) signed a MoU, to enhance cooperation and jointly enable innovation in financial products and services. Under the MoU, the two central banks will collaborate on various emerging areas of FinTech, especially Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and explore interoperability between the CBDCs of CBUAE and RBI.

19. Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Yojana was launched by which state?

[A] Uttar Pradesh

[B] Madhya Pradesh

[C] Telangana

[D] Goa

Answer : [B] Madhya Pradesh

Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Yojana was launched by the Madhya Pradesh Government to provide Rs. 1,000 monthly aid to women. It is currently increasing women’s usage of bank accounts in Jabalpur district. The application for this scheme is set to start on March 25.

20. Urban Extension Road-2 Project (UER-II) is associated with which state/UT?

[A] Maharashtra

[B] New Delhi

[C] Karnataka

[D] Rajasthan

Answer : [B] New Delhi

The Urban Extension Road-2 (UER II) is an on-going project that will connect Alipur in north Delhi with the Delhi Jaipur Highway. The Union Road Transport Minister announced that the project will enable to transit from Delhi airport to Alipur 20 mins. It is expected to be inaugurated by the end of 2023.