Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 13th & 14th August 2023

1. Which institution released the publication titled ’75 Endemic Birds of India’?

[A] NITI Aayog

[B] Zoological Survey of India

[C] UNEP

[D] Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Answer: [B] Zoological Survey of India

A recent publication by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) points out that about 5% of birds found in the country are endemic and are not reported in other parts of the world. The publication, titled 75 Endemic Birds of India, was recently released on the 108th foundation day of the ZSI. India is home to 1,353 bird species, which represents approximately 12.40% of global bird diversity. Of these 1,353 bird species, 78 (5%) are endemic to the country.

2. ‘Indian Buddhist Culture and Heritage Centre’ is being constructed in which country?

[A] Myanmar

[B] Sri Lanka

[C] Nepal

[D] Thailand

Answer: [C] Nepal

In Nepal, the construction work of the Indian Buddhist Culture and Heritage Centre has begun in Lumbini after Bhumi Pujan ceremony with special recitation by Buddhist monks. The 1.60- billion-rupee heritage Centre is expected to be built in zero-net technology and may be completed in one and a half years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then Prime Minister of Nepal, Sher Bahadur Deuba, jointly laid the foundation stone during Mr. Modi’s Lumbini visit in 2022.

3. India provides financial assistance of Rs 45 crore to support digital identity project of which country?

[A] Bangladesh

[B] Sri Lanka

[C] Laos

[D] Cambodia

Answer: [B] Sri Lanka

India has handed over z45 crore in advance to Sri Lanka to fund its unique digital identity project. It constitutes 15 per cent of the total funds required for the Successful implementation of the project as an advance payment. The project aims to collect biographic and biometric information, including facial, iris, and fingerprint data, which will be stored in a centralised system.

4. Which Indian player finished as runner-up at the Australian Open badminton tournament?

[A] Lakshya Sen

[B] HS Prannoy

[C] K Srikanth

[D] Chirag Shetty

Answer: [B] HS Prannoy

India’s HS Prannoy finished runner-up at the Australian Open Super 500 badminton tournament after losing a three-game thriller to China’s Weng Hong Yang in the men’s singles finals. The 31-year-old player from Kerala had beaten Weng in a three-game play to claim the Malaysia Masters in May.

5. Which institution released the ‘StilI Unprepared’ Report?

[A] Oxfam International

[B] World Bank

[C] NASSCOM

[D] Risk Horizons

Answer: [D] Risk Horizons

A report by Climate Risk Horizons titled ‘Still Unprepared’ said that India’s major banks remain unprepared to confront climate risks. This comes despite the country facing extreme weather events on 314 of 365 days in 2022. The analysis ranks banks on several criteria, including a Fossil Fuel Exclusion Policy, Emissions Disclosure, Climate scenario analysis and Net Zero Targets.

6. Which institution has developed the ‘Bhartiya Vastra evam Shilp Kosh’ portal?

[A] TRAI

[B] NIFT

[C] National Jute Board

[D] Central Silk Board

Answer: NIFT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Bhartiya Vastra evam Shilp Kosh’ – ‘A Repository of Textiles and Crafts’ e-portal during the National Handloom Day celebration in New Delhi. Developed by National Institute of Fashion Technology -NIFT in partnership with the Ministry of Textiles, the portal aims to showcase India’s wide range of textiles and crafts in a unified catalog, reflecting the nation’s cultural richness.

7. Postal Life Insurance (PLI) is associated with which Union Ministry

[A] Ministry of Finance

[B] Ministry of Communication

[C] Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

[D] Ministry of Women and Child Development

Answer: [B] Ministry of Communication

Postal Life Insurance (PLI), a prominent insurance player since 1884, is enhancing its Customer-centered strategy by launching the “Direct Incentive Disbursement” pilot initiative in the Delhi and Uttarakhand Circles, Under this, the agents will experience transfer of commissions from the previous month directly to their Post Office Savings Bank Accounts.

8. Which Union Ministry formulated the ‘National Strategy and Roadmap for Medical and Weliness Tourism’?

[A] Ministry of Tourism

[B] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

[C] Ministry of External Affairs

[D] Ministry of Culture

Answer: [A] Ministry of Tourism

National Strategy and Roadmap for Medical and Wellness Tourism was formulated by the Union Tourism Ministry to promote medical tourism. It is undertaking various media campaigns under the ‘Incredible India’ brand-line, to promote various tourism destinations and products of the country.

9. Spectroscopic Investigations of Nebular Gas (SING) device, developed in India, is to be exported to which country?

[A] USA

[B] Germany

[C] Israel

[D] China

Answer: [D] China

The export of the Spectroscopic Investigations of Nebular Gas (SING) device, which was meant for Tiangong space station, is being delayed because of export challenges between India and China. It is designed to be among the nine global experiments conducted aboard Tiangong. SING is a small spectrograph payload designed to observe extended sources over a wide field of view (FOV) in the NUV range from 1400 to 2700.

10.’Luna-25′ is the lunar lander developed by which country?

[A] Russia

[B] Germany

[C] USA

[D] UAE

Answer: [A] Russia

The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, has announced the completion of the assembly of a Soyuz rocket for the launch of the Luna-25 lunar lander, marking Russia’s return to lunar exploration after 1976. The relocation is scheduled to occur in Russia’s Shakhtinsky settlement situated in the Khabarovsk region, southeast of the launch location.

11. Which country’s researchers achieved net energy gain in a nuclear fusion reaction for the second time?

[A] China

[B] USA

[C] India

[D] Israel

Answer: [B] USA

American researchers have achieved net energy gain in a nuclear fusion reaction for the second time, following a significant accomplishment in December 2022. This achievement is considered a significant advancement in the journey towards harnessing a nearly boundless, secure, and environmentally friendly energy resource.

12. The oldest fossilized remains of a plant- eating dinosaur ‘Tharosaurus indicus’ has been found in which Indian state?

[A] Punjab

[B] Rajasthan

[C] West Bengal

[D] Gujarat

Answer: [B] Rajasthan

Scientists from IIT-Roorkee and GSI have unearthed the oldest fossilized remains of a plant-eating dicraeosaurid dinosaur in Jaisalmer, indicating India’s significant role in dinosaur evolution. The new species is named Tharosaurus indicus,’ and its fossils date back to 167 million years.

13. ‘Azure-thighed tree frog’ is a newly discovered species of treefrog, found in which country?

[A] India

[B] China

[C] Sri Lanka

[D] New Guinea

Answer: [D] New Guinea

Azure-thighed treefrog (Litoria azuroscelis) is a newly discovered species of treefrog, which has been found in New Guinea. Azure-thighed treefrog as measuring approximately 2.5 inches in length. Its back displays a hue of dark green, while its groin and thighs exhibit a shade of purplish blue.

14. Which country released the draft regulations governing facial recognition technology usage?

[A] India

[B] China

[C] UK

[D] USA

Answer: [B] China

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) revealed its introduction of initial guidelines designed to oversee security measures pertaining to facial recognition technology within the nation. The CAC emphasized the necessity for restricted and essential use of facial recognition technology, highlighting that its deployment should strictly follow stringent protective measures.

15. Which country has objected to the incorporation of the Sanskrit phrase Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” in the G-20 logo?

[A] Bangladesh

[B] China

[C] Iran

[D] Russia

Answer: [B] China

China has objected to the incorporation of the Sanskrit phrase ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and chosen as the Indian presidency’s G20 theme, in various G20 documents, including the G20 Energy Ministers’ Outcome document and Chair’s Summary on Energy Transitions, released last month. China’s contention was that the term Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ could not be used in official G20 texts since it is in Sanskrit, a language not among the United Nations’ six recognized official languages.

16. Vaquita porpoise’, which was recently seen in the news, is endemic to which region?

[A] Mexico

[B] Australia

[C] South Asia

[D] West Africa

Answer: [A] Mexico

Porpoises are a group of fully aquatic marine mammals. Although similar in appearance to dolphins, they are more closely related to narwhals and belugas. Vaquita porpoises are endemic to the northern end of the Gulf of California. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) released its inaugural ‘extinction alert,’ focusing on the vaquita porpoise, a species with a mere 10 remaining individuals located in the Gulf of California or Sea of Cortez in Mexico.

17. As per a recent report, sovereign credit ratings of how many countries wilI be impacted, without reductions in emissions?

[A] 19

[B] 39

[C] 59

[D] 99

Answer: [C] 59

A recent research has unveiled connections between a nation’s creditworthiness and the repercussions of climate change. Unless emission cuts 0ccur, about 59 countries, including India, might witness a decline in their sovereign credit ratings, and global corporate debt could escalate in the next ten years.

18. As per a recent report, countries from which region face the highest energy poverty?

[A] South Asia

[B] Africa

[C] East Asia

[D] Baltic region

Answer: [B] Africa

Approximately 38 countries lack basic electricity access, with an average per capita electricity consumption of 118 kWh. Out of these, 30 are from sub-Saharan Africa, where energy poverty is acute. An analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment indicates that over 60% of Africa’s population is grappling with severe energy poverty as of 2021.

19. Which Indian has been chosen as the vice- chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)?

[A] Raman Sukumar

[B] Renee Borges

[C] Raghavendra Gadagkar

[D] Aparna Watve

Answer: [A] Raman Sukumar

During the election at the United Nations Environment Programmne headquarters in Nairobi, Raman Sukumar, an expert on the Asian elephant, was chosen as a vice-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). His appointment was specifically for the position of Working Group II Vice-Chair within the newly formed IPCC Bureau, which encompasses 34 members including the Chair and three Vice-Chairs.

20. Which institution is developing the ‘Organ Donation Registry’ in India?

[A] NHA

[B] NMC

[C] AIIMS

[D] IMA

Answer: [A] NHA

The Organ Donation Registry is being developed by the National Health Authority (NHA) and the union health ministry following consultation with the NITI Aayog for an overhaul of the National Organ Tissue Transplantation Organization. It aims to enhance transparency and efficiency in organ transplantation. This initiative, developed in collaboration with NITI Aayog, aims to revamp the National Organ Tissue Transplantation Organization (NOTTO) to eliminate intermediaries.