7th February 2023 Daily Current Affairs in English

1. Which institution conducted the ‘G20 Cyber Security Exercise and Drill’?

[A] NASSCOM

[B] CERT-In

[C] NITI Aayog

[D] CDAC

Answer : [B] CERT-In

The Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), inaugurated the G20 Cyber Security Exercise and Drill. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) conducted the Cyber Security Exercise and drill in hybrid mode under India’s G20 presidency. Over 400 domestic and international participants attended the drill.

2. Which Union Ministry implements the ‘Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana’ scheme?

[A] Ministry of Education

[B] Ministry of Skill Development

[C] Ministry of Home Affairs

[D] Ministry of Minority Affairs

Answer : [B] Ministry of Skill Development

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) implemented by National Skill Development Corporation. The Union Budget 2023 aims to give a push to job creation through proposals such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0 and setting up to 30 Skill India international centres to encourage expansion in businesses and industry.

3. What is the fixed interest rate of the ‘Mahila Samman Bachat Patra’ announced recently?

[A] 6.5%

[B] 7.0%

[C] 7.5%

[D] 8.0%

Answer : [C] 7.5%

In the Union Budget 2023, Finance Minister announced Mahila Samman Bachat Patra, a one-time new small savings scheme, for a two-year period up to March 2025. This initiative will avail a deposit facility for a woman up to Rs 2 lakh for two-year period at a fixed interest rate of 7.5% with partial withdrawal option. Maximum deposit limit of Senior Citizens’ Saving Scheme was increased from ₹ 15 lakh to ₹ 30 lakh.

4. As per the proposed ‘National Data Governance Policy’, India Data Management Office (IDMO) will be formed under which Ministry?

[A] Electronics and IT Ministry

[B] Home Affairs Ministry

[C] Science and Technology Ministry

[D] External Affairs Ministry

Answer : [A] Electronics and IT Ministry

The Union Budget 2023 announced that the ‘National Data Governance Policy’ will be brought out to aid innovation and research by start-ups and academia. It seeks for the formation of an India Data Management Office (IDMO) under the IT ministry. The new policy reform is that the anonymized datasets will be offered as part of the India datasets programmes to the Artificial intelligence ecosystem.

5. Who are the beneficiaries of the PM-VIKAS scheme announced in the Union Budget 2023?

[A] Teachers

[B] MSMEs

[C] Artisans

[D] Students

Answer : [C] Artisans

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new initiative for empowering the Vishwakarma community. The PM VIKAS (Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman) yojana will provide support by providing skills training to artisans and craftsmen people engaged in traditional and skilled professions. The special package will help integrate them with MSME value chain.

6. The Union Budget announced a Mission to eliminate Sickle Cell Anaemia by which year?

[A] 2025

[B] 2030

[C] 2035

[D] 2047

Answer : [D] 2047

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while presenting the Union Budget 2023-24 that the Centre will work in mission mode to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047. This programme will include awareness creation and universal screening of 7 crore people in 0 – 40 years age group in affected tribal areas and counselling through collaboration of central ministries and state governments.

7. Which institution released the ‘Prospects for children in the polycrisis’ Report?

[A] NITI Aayog

[B] World Bank

[C] UNICEF

[D] World Economic Forum

Answer : [C] UNICEF

The UNICEF recently released the ‘Prospects for Children in the Polycrisis: A 2023 Global Outlook’, report. It explains ‘polycrisis’ as multiple, simultaneous crises that are strongly interdependent. As per the report some effects of the crises include higher food and energy prices leading to global hunger and malnourishment, limited access to healthcare, slow recovery from learning losses etc.

8. Which Union Ministry released the ‘E-Waste (Management) Amendment Rules, 2023’?

[A] Ministry of Electronics and IT

[B] Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

[C] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

[D] Ministry of Home Affairs

Answer : [B] Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), issued the E-Waste (Management) Amendment Rules, 2023. It seeks to amend the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, by adding Cadmium and lead in Solar panels, solar Photovoltaic panels among others. They will come into force from April 01, 2023.

9. What is the expansion of PVTG, with respect to Government schemes?

[A] particularly vulnerable tribal groups

[B] primarily vulnerable tribal groups

[C] particularly valuable tribal groups

[D] primarily valuable tribal groups

Answer : [A] particularly vulnerable tribal groups

Finance Minister stated that the Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission will be launched, to improve socio-economic conditions of the particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs). Rs 15,000 crore will be made available to implement the Mission in the next three years under the Development Action Plan for the Scheduled Tribles.

10. Scientists from which institution sequenced the draft genome of four native Indian cow breeds?

[A] IIT Madras

[B] IISc Bengaluru

[C] IISER Bhopal

[D] NIV Pune

Answer : [C] IISER Bhopal

Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, have sequenced the draft genome of four native Indian cow breeds. For the first time, the genetic makeup of four native Indian cow breeds – Kasaragod Dwarf, Kasaragod Kapila, Vechur, and Ongole has been unravelled.

11. Which institution funds the project which has developed a robot to clean oil tanks?

[A] NITI Aayog

[B] Oil India

[C] IOCL

[D] BPCL

Answer : [B] Oil India

Bengaluru – based start-up, Beta Tank Robotics, has developed a robot which can operate in oil tanks in petroleum refineries. It was incubated at IIT Guwahati, and the project was funded by State-owned Oil India Limited. The robot does the job similar to a vacuum cleaner and thereby eliminates risks to human beings.

12. India agreed to constitute task force to boost cooperation in semiconductor industry with which country?

[A] USA

[B] Israel

[C] Australia

[D] Finland

Answer : [A] USA

India and the USA have agreed to constitute task force to boost cooperation in semiconductor industry. The task force will involve India’s Semiconductor Mission, India Electronics Semiconductor Association and the US Semiconductor Industry Association. This was announced during the inaugural meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).

13. Which city is the host of the First G20 Sustainable Financial Working Group meeting?

[A] Mysuru

[B] Guwahati

[C] Shimla

[D] Puducherry

Answer : [B] Guwahati

First G20 Sustainable Financial Working Group meeting was recently inaugurated in Guwahati, Assam. Guest delegates visited several places of importance like Kaziranga National Park, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Gorbhanga Reserve Forest, Brahmaputra’s River Island and Brahmaputra Heritage Centre.

14. ‘MISHTI’ which was announced in the Union Budget 2023, is related to which field?

[A] Man-hole cleaning

[B] Mangrove plantations

[C] Motor vehicles

[D] Make in India

Answer : [B] Mangrove plantations

Union Finance Minister announced an initiative called MISHTI ‘Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes’. Under the scheme, mangrove plantations will be taken up along the country’s coastline apart from salt pans, wherever feasible, through the convergence of the job guarantee scheme MGNREGS, the Compensatory Afforestation Fund, and other sources.

15. Upper Bhadra Project, which was mentioned in the Union Budget, is located in which state?

[A] Andhra Pradesh

[B] Karnataka

[C] Tamil Nadu

[D] West Bengal

Answer : [B] Karnataka

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a grant of ₹ 5,300 crore for the Upper Bhadra Irrigation Project in Karnataka in the Union Budget 2023. The fund will be used to provide sustainable micro irrigation and filling up of surface tanks for drinking water. Karnataka was the only state mentioned in the budget.

16. What is the total budget outlay announced for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana?

[A] Rs 49000 crore

[B] Rs 59000 crore

[C] Rs 69000 crore

[D] Rs 79000 crore

Answer : [D] Rs 79000 crore

In the Union Budget 2023, the Government enhanced the outlay for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana by 66 per cent to 79000 crore. Pradhan Mantri Yojana is an initiative by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The Finance Minister also proposed to use Permanent Account Number (PAN) card as a common identifier for all digital systems of government agencies.

17. What is the total a capital outlay allotted for the Railways in the Union Budget 2023?

[A] Rs 1.4 lakh crore

[B] Rs 2.4 lakh crore

[C] Rs 3.4 lakh crore

[D] Rs 4.4 lakh crore

Answer : [B] Rs 2.4 lakh crore

The Indian Railways has been allocated a capital outlay of Rs 2.4 lakh crore in the Union Budget 2023-24. This is the highest ever allocation to the national transporter. Last year, a gross budgetary support of Rs 1.37 lakh crore was allotted in fiscal 2022-23. It is estimated that there is a need to lay 1 lakh kilometres of tracks over the coming 25 years as more goods movement shifts from roads to railways.

18. Reliance Consumer Products announces strategic partnership with Maliban Biscuit Manufactories based in which country?

[A] China

[B] Sri Lanka

[C] UK

[D] UAE

Answer : [B] Sri Lanka

Reliance Consumer Products announces strategic partnership with Sri Lanka’s Maliban Biscuit Manufactories. Reliance Consumer Products Limited is the FMCG arm of Reliance Retail Ventures Limited. Maliban is Sri Lanka’s pioneering biscuit manufacturer well-known for the last 70 years for its range of products.

19. Which institution releases the ‘Digital Payments Index’?

[A] NITI Aayog

[B] Ministry of Finance

[C] RBI

[D] NPCI

Answer : [C] RBI

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) releases the Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) twice a year, to measure the adoption of online transactions, digital payments across India. As per the recent data, the digital payments registered a growth of 24.13% in a year through September 2022. RBI-DPI stood at 377.46 in September 2022 against 349.30 in March 2022 and 304.06 in September 2021.

20. ‘Ekushey Boi Mela’ is the largest book fair organized in which country?

[A] Nepal

[B] Bangladesh

[C] Myanmar

[D] Thailand

Answer : [B] Bangladesh

The biggest book fair of Bangladesh ‘Ekushey Boi Mela’ was inaugurated in Dhaka by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The theme of this year’s book fair is ‘Poro Boi, Goro Desh: Bangbandhur Bangladesh’- Read books, build the country, a country of Bangabandhu’s dream. The Prime Minister also distributed the Bangla Academy Award 2022 in recognition of the literary works in Bangla.