4th January 2023 Daily Current Affairs in English

1. Which institution launched its Medium-term Strategy Framework named ‘Utkarsh 2.0’?

[A] ISRO

[B] RBI

[C] DRDO

[D] NITI Aayog

Answer: [B] RBI

The Reserve Bank of India’s Medium-term Strategy Framework for the period 2023-2025 named ‘Utkarsh 2.0’ was launched by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.

The first strategy framework (Utkarsh 2022) covering the period 2019-2022 was launched in July 2019. Utkarsh 2.0 retains the six Vision statements as well as Core Purpose, Values, and Mission statement of the 2022 version.

2. ‘Future Engineer Program’ is an initiative of which multi-national company?

[A] Meta

[B] Amazon

[C] Samsung

[D] IBM

Answer: [B] Amazon

Amazon Future Engineer is a program aimed at increasing access to computer science education for children and young adults. It was launched in India in the year 2021.

National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), Ministry of Tribal Affairs has partnered with Amazon to empower teachers and students in the field of digital education.

3. Which institution developed the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app?

[A] RBI

[B] NPCI

[C] SEBI

[D] NASSCOM

Answer: [B] NPCI

Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) was launched on 30 December 2016 in India. The payment application was indigenously developed by National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI). ·

The app lets users make simple and quick transactions using Unified Payments Interface (UPI). In November 2022, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced the launch of BHIM App open source license model. Recently, the sixth anniversary of BHIM app was celebrated.

4. Which sportsperson won both the World Rapid and World Blitz chess titles?

[A] R Praggnananda

[B] Magnus Carlsen

[C] Koneru Humpy

[D] Harika Dronavalli

Answer: [B] Magnus Carlsen

Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen created a unique feat when he won both the World Rapid and World Blitz chess titles in Almaty.

The 32-year-old became the holder of all three world chess championship titles – in Classical, Rapid and Blitz – for the third time in his career. As of 2022, no other player has ever won both the Rapid and Blitz titles in the same year.

5. India recently signed a ‘Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement’ in which country?

[A] Sri Lanka

[B] Austria

[C] UAE

[D] Bangladesh

Answer: [B] Austria

India signed a ‘Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement’ (MMPA) with Austria for migration and mobility of Indian students and professionals.

External Affairs Minister S Jai Shankar is the first visit of an Indian foreign minister to Austria in 27 years. India had earlier signed mobility agreements with the UK, France, Germany and Finland.

6. What is the total volume of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions in December 2022?

[A] 282 lakh

[B] 282 crore

[C] 782 lakh

[D] 782 crore

Answer: [D] 782 crore

In December, 782 crore transactions in volume terms were done on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform, as per the Department of Financial Services. UPI payments have touched record high of ₹12.82 lakh crore in December. The platform was launched in 2016. In November, as many as 730 crore transactions worth ₹11.90 lakh crore took place via UPI.

7. Which Union Ministry is associated with ‘New industrial policy’?

[A] Ministry of MSME

[B] Ministry of Commerce and Industry

[C] Ministry of Finance

[D] Ministry of Corporate Affairs

Answer: [B] Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is working on a new industrial policy. The draft ‘Statement on Industrial Policy 2022-Make in India for the world’ has been circulated to different ministries for their views and comments. It proposes to increase financing sources for industry and a scheme for promoting Made in India brand.

8. Satyendra Nath Bose, whose birth anniversary was observed recently, was associated with which profession?

[A] Politics

[B] Science

[C] Sports

[D] Business

Answer: [B] Science

Satyendra Nath Bose was a Mathematician and physicist from India. He was born on January 1, 1894, in Calcutta, India. The Government of India honoured him with the title Padma Vibhushan in 1954. Bose became a Fellow of the Royal Society and was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1958. Bose was also appointed as the National Professor, which was the highest honour in India for any scholar.

9. Which Union Ministry launched a five-pronged energy efficiency plan to become carbon-neutral by 2030?

[A] Ministry of Coal

[B] Ministry of Railways

[C] Ministry of Steel

[D] Ministry of Tourism

Answer: [B] Ministry of Railways

Carbon neutrality means having a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere in carbon sinks. Removing carbon oxide from the atmosphere and then storing it is known as carbon sequestration.

The Union Railways Ministry has rolled out a five-pronged energy efficiency plan to become carbon-neutral by 2030. The policy is broadly focuses on five action points namely sustainable buildings, cloud-based data monitoring and management portal, energy efficiency in equipment and appliances, power quality and restoration, and capacity building and awareness.

10. Which sports authority recently introduced ‘Yo-Yo and Dexa Tests’ in team selection criteria?

[A] Hockey

[B] Cricket

[C] Weight Lifting

[D] Archery

Answer: [B] Cricket

Ahead of the ICC Men’s World Cup that takes place in India in October, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has instructed that Yo-Yo and Dexa Tests will be a part of the team selection criteria. Dexa test or DXA test is Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry, which measures bone density using low dose X-rays. The Yo-Yo test is an aerobic endurance fitness test, involving running between markers at increasing speeds.

11. Ajay Kumar Srivastava has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of which bank?

[A] Punjab National Bank

[B] State Bank of India

[C] Indian Overseas Bank

[D] Indian Bank

Answer: [C] Indian Overseas Bank

The Centre has appointed Ajay Kumar Srivastava as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Indian Overseas Bank. Partha Pratim Sengupta has demitted office as MD & CEO of the bank after his superannuation. Sanjay Vinayak Mudaliyar, Chief General Manager at Bank of Baroda is appointed as executive director in IOB. As of 30 September 2022, the Government of India held 96.38% in IOB.

12. which state launched ‘Didir Suraksha Kawach and Didir Doot’ programmes?

[A] Bihar

[B] West Bengal

[C] Rajasthan

[D] Haryana

Answer: [B] West Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a fresh public outreach programme to reach out to people of the State. Under the initiative of Didir Suraksha Kawach (Didi Protection Shield) about 3.5 lakh volunteers of the Trinamool Congress will reach out to all households of the state about government’s flagship programmes. ‘Didir Doot’ app can be downloaded to register their problems.

13. where is the headquarters of the Theosophical Society (TS) located?

[A] Kerala

[B] Tamil Nadu

[C] West Bengal

[D] Odisha

Answer: [B] Tamil Nadu

The Theosophical Society was founded in 1875 by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others. It is a worldwide body with the aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy. The 147th International Convention of the Theosophical Society (TS) was organised at its international headquarters in Adyar. “The theme of this conference is ‘Our Responsibility in the Interconnected World’.

14. What is the total GST revenue collected in December 2022?

[A] 1.2 lakh crore

[B] 1.5 lakh crore

[C] 1.7 lakh crore

[D] 1.8 lakh crore

Answer: [B] 1.5 lakh crore

The gross Goods and Services Tax, GST revenue collected in December, 2022 is Rs 1.495 lakh crore. As per the Finance Ministry, the GST revenues are 15 per cent higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year. During December, revenue from import of goods was eight per cent higher and the revenues from domestic transaction are 18 per cent higher than the revenues from these sources during the same month last year.

15. Which year has been declared as the ‘International Year of Millets (IYM)’?

[A] 2021

[B] 2022

[C] 2023

[D] 2024

Answer: [C] 2023

Government of India sponsored the proposal for International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 which was accepted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Embassies of India across more than 140 countries will be participating in celebration of IYM during 2023. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, organized an opening ceremony for the International Year of Millets – 2023 at Rome, Italy.

16. Which institution operates the ‘DRDO Industry Academia-Ramanujan Centre of Excellence’?

[A] NIT Warangal

[B] IIT Madras

[C] IIT Bombay

[D] IISc Bengaluru

Answer: [B] IIT Madras

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is operating ‘DRDO Industry Academia- Ramanujan Centre of Excellence’. Initially it was established by DRDO while IIT Madras has converted into a ‘Centre of Excellence,’ an interdisciplinary research group that brings in faculty and researchers. This centre conducts direct research in advanced technologies for defence and security.

17. XBB.1.5 Covid variant has caused a huge rise in new cases in which country?

[A] South Africa

[B] Italy

[C] USA

[D] Indonesia

Answer: [C] USA

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that XBB.1.5 has more than doubled its share of the Covid-19 figures each week. In the Northeast region of the country, XBB.1.5 is causing 75% of new cases. The XBB.1.5 strain is a relative of the Omicron XBB variant, which is a recombinant of the Omicron BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 subvariants.

18. Which Ministry has been appointed as the nodal ministry for matters relating to online gaming with monetary risks?

[A] Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

[B] Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports

[C] Ministry of Home Affairs

[D] Ministry of Finance

Answer: [A] Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

The Centre recently appointed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) as the nodal ministry for matters relating to online gaming with monetary risks. As per a notice by the ministry, online companies may be required to practice self regulation. They will also be required to practice due diligence.

19. Anil Kumar Lahoti has taken over the charge of new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of which institution?

[A] UIDAI

[B] Railway Board

[C] PMFBY

[D] Tribes India

Answer: [B] Railway Board

Anil Kumar Lahoti has taken over the charge of new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Railway Board, Ministry of Railways. Prior to this, Anil Kumar Lahoti worked as Member (Infrastructure) of the Railway Board. He was behind the planning and construction of Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi and the Ajmeri Gate side station building. He was also associated with planning for redevelopment of New Delhi station as a World Class station.

20. ‘Koregaon Bhima war memorial’ is located in which state?

[A] Tamil Nadu

[B] Maharashtra

[C] Karnataka

[D] Madhya Pradesh

Answer: [B] Maharashtra

The 205th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle was observed recently as lakhs of Ambedkarites from across Maharashtra and the country congregated at the memorial. The ‘Koregaon Bhima war memorial’ is located in Perne village in Pune. People pay floral tributes to the bravery of the Mahar soldiers who fought against the Peshwa forces in the 1818 battle.