Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 18th & 19th June 2023

1. Which state/UT recently withdraw its general consent for the CBI investigations?

[A] Andhra Pradesh

[B] Karnataka

[C] Tamil Nadu

[D] Goa

Answer: [C] Tamil Nadu

The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 (Central Act XXV of 1946) requires the CBI to get prior permission from the state government before going to the state’s jurisdiction for conducting probes. Tamil Nadu recently became the 10th state to withdraw its general consent for the CBI investigations.

2. Which state/UT celebrates ‘Raja’ festival to worship the Mother Earth?

[A] West Bengal

[B] Odisha

[C] Jharkhand

[D] Chhattisgarh

Answer: [B] Odisha

The mother earth is worshipped during Odisha’s Raja festival. This festival is celebrated for three days. The first day of the festival is called ‘Pahili Raja’, the second day is called ‘Majhi Raja’ ‘Raja Sankranti’ or ‘Mithuna Sankranti’, the third day is ‘Bhudaha’ or ‘Basi Raja’ or ‘Sesha Raja’. Notably, ‘Pahili Raja’ falls on the last day of month ‘Jyestha’ and ‘Raja Sankranti’ on the first day of month ‘Asadha’, celebrating the beginning of the rainy season.

3. Which country’s central bank Governor has been honoured with the ‘Governor of the Year’ award?

[A] Sri Lanka

[B] Afghanistan

[C] India

[D] Iran

Answer: [C] India

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das honoured with ‘Governor of the Year’ award at Central Banking Awards 2023. Central Banking is an international economic research journal. The award recognised his role as the RBI chief in managing inflation and handling India’s banking system during crises like COVID pandemic and global turmoils.

4. Which country returned remains of Indigenous Maori and Moriori people to New Zealand?

[A] USA

[B] UK

[C] Germany

[D] France

Answer: [C] Germany

The remains of 95 Indigenous New Zealanders as well as artefacts and cultural treasures have been returned to New Zealand from museums and universities in Germany. The ancestral remains of the 95 Maori and Moriori individuals, including six toi moko – Maori mummified tattooed heads – were welcomed to Te Papa, New Zealand’s national museum.

5. Which state is the host of the ‘Women 20 Summit’ in India?

[A] Tamil Nadu

[B] Odisha

[C] Jammu and Kashmir

[D] Goa

Answer: [A] Tamil Nadu

The ‘Women 20 Summit’ has commenced at Mahabalipuram near Chennai. The theme of this year’s summit is ‘Women-Led Development- Transform, Thrive and Transcend’. The summit consisted of an exhibition, a Janbhagidari event, 8 sessions and a closed-door meeting. The summit also included an exhibition from grassroots entrepreneurs of Tamil Nadu, supported by the Department of Rural Development, Tamil Nadu.

6. Which state has bagged the overall championship in 2023 Janjatiya Khel Mahotsav?

[A] Tamil Nadu

[B] Kerala

[C] Tripura

[D] Odisha

Answer: [D] Odisha

The maiden Janjatiya Khel Mahotsav was held recently in Bhubaneswar with Odisha emerging as overall champion. The Mahotsav is a coordinated effort of the Union Ministry of Culture, Odisha Government, and KIIT University. The event witnessed participation of 5000 tribal athletes, 1000 officials of 2 states.

7. India has recently flagged off the first Agri- SEZ project of which country?

[A] South Africa

[B] Niger

[C] Gabon

[D] Angola

Answer: [C] Gabon

The Union Minister of Education and Skill Development Dharmendra Pradhan has flagged off Gabon’s first Agri- SEZ project, at New Delhi. The project will be implemented by AOM group with Centurion University as the technical and knowledge partner Under this project, 30 farmers and 20 B.Sc./M.Sc. Agri / B.Tech/M.Tech Engineering students from Gajapati district will be travelling together as agri-technical and technical consultants for the agriculture SEZ.

8. The revamped website of PPPININDIA is launched by which institution?

[A] Infrastructure Finance Secretariat

[B] Niti Aayog

[C] IIT Madras

[D] FICCI

Answer: [A] Infrastructure Finance Secretariat

The Infrastructure Finance Secretariat (IFS), under the Department of Economic Affairs, has launched the revamped website of PPPININDIA. PPPININDIA is a website dedicated to promoting and facilitating Public Private Partnerships in India and helps in bridging the gap between the public and private sectors. It brings together government entities, private companies, investors and entrepreneurs for sustainable growth.

9. Where is the 2025 IIAS (International Institute of Administrative Sciences) annual conference proposed to be held?

[A] Kochi

[B] New Delhi

[C] Mussoorie

[D] Hyderabad

Answer: [A] Kochi

The 2025 IIAS (International Institute of Administrative Sciences) annual conference is proposed to be held in India, at Kochi. The event will be attended by 30 member countries, 18 national sections and over 50 academic institutions. The International Institute of Administrative Sciences, which is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, is a federation of member states, national sections and research institutions which elaborate on pubic administration solutions.

10. CPGRAMS platform functions under which department?

[A] Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances

[B] Department of Economic Affairs

[C] Department of Social Security

[D] Department of Consumer Affairs

Answer: [A] Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances

The Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) is an online platform, under the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances. It is available to the citizens 24×7 to lodge their grievances to the public authorities on any subject. The 13th monthly report of CPGRAMS for the month of May 2023 has been released by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances. The report offers a comprehensive examination of various types and categories of public grievances, as well as the way they were addressed.

11. VLA1553, based on the La Reunion strain, is a vaccine against which disease?

[A] COVID-19

[B] Malaria

[C] Chikungunya

[D] Dengue

Answer: [C] Chikungunya

VLA1553, is based on the La Reunion strain of chikungunya, which is of the East Central South African genotype. A Phase III clinical trial has demonstrated that the live chikungunya vaccine provides a high level of protection. The vaccine demonstrated a very high response rate of 98.9 per cent in participants 28 days after receiving the single administration.

12. The black box period of human development is limited to how many days?

[A] 14 days

[B] 30 days

[C] 45 days

[D] 60 days

Answer: [A] 14 days

Researchers have successfully generated artificial human embryos utilizing stem cells. This process bypasses the conventional requirement for eggs and sperm in the embryonic formation process. Model embryos, which resemble those in the earliest stages of human development, could provide a crucial window on the impact of genetic disorders and the biological causes of recurrent miscarriage. The primary objective of this work is to shed light on the “black box” period of human development, which is limited to 14 days under current regulations.

13. The ‘Bhopal Gas Tragedy’ happened in which year?

[A] 1972

[B] 1984

[C] 1992

[D] 1998

Answer: [B] 1984

According to a recent study, the devastating health consequences stemming from the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy persist and affect generations who were not directly exposed to the toxic gas. Even after nearly forty years since the tragedy, subsequent generations suffer from disabilities and cancer.

14. Which energy is released from the antennas of mobile towers and mobile handsets ?

[A] Electromagnetic Field radiation

[B] Extreme Field radiation

[C] Ironizing Field radiation

[D] Magnetic Field radiation

Answer: [A] Electromagnetic Field radiation

Electromagnetic Field radiation (EMF) radiation refers to the RF/Electromagnetic energy that is released from the antennas of mobile towers and mobile handsets. It is classified as non- ionizing and possesses extremely minimal energy levels. Recently, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Delhi LSA, conducted a webinar as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebration. The purpose of the webinar was to raise awareness about Electromagnetic Field (EMF) and its significance.

15. ‘Wihu Kuh festival’ is celebrated by the Tangsa Tribe in which state?

[A] Assam

[B] West Bengal

[C] Arunachal Pradesh

[D] Madhya Pradesh

Answer: [C] Arunachal Pradesh

Wihu Kuh festival is celebrated by Tangsa Tribe in Arunachal Pradesh. The Tangsa tribe is a community known for their agricultural customs and practices. Wihu Kuh, means “paddy transplantation festival,” which marks the beginning of the agricultural season in the region.

16. Which space agency posted a photo of a flower that bloomed in the zinnia plant in the space garden?

[A] ISRO

[B] NASA

[C] JAXA

[D] CNA

Answer: [B] NASA

NASA posted a photo of the flower that bloomed in the zinnia plant which was sowed and grown in the International Space Station. This particular experiment was started on the ISS in 2015 by NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren. The space garden, developed by the ISS, demonstrates the possibility of growing foods outside of the limits of Earth.

17. The government has decided to cease the sale of which products from central pool through Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) to states?

[A] Rice

[B] Wheat

[C] Rice and Wheat

[D] Sugar

Answer: [C] Rice and Wheat

The government has decided to cease the sale of rice and wheat from the central pool through the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) to state governments. This decision will have an impact on certain states, such as Karnataka, which provide free grains to the underprivileged. The decision is aimed at curbing inflation and ensuring adequate stock levels.

18. Which Indian PSU has made significant progress in Forbes’ “The Global 2000” List for 2023 by ascending 52 places?

[A] IOCL

[B] NTPC

[C] PFC

[D] GAIL

Answer: [B] NTPC

Indian Maharatna PSU – NTPC Limited which is the largest power generation company in India, has made significant progress in Forbes’ “The Global 2000” List for 2023. The company has progressed by ascending by 52 places to reach the 433rd rank in the ranking, from its previous position of 485th rank in 2022.

19. Enceladus is the moon of which planet?

[A] Jupiter

[B] Saturn

[C] Uranus

[D] Mars

Answer: [B] Saturn

Enceladus is the 6th largest moon of Saturn. It orbits within the densest part of Saturn’s E ring, the outermost of its major rings. Recently, researchers have found that phosphorus which is a key building block of life, lies in the ocean beneath the icy surface of this moon.

20. Cluster N is associated with which part of Bird?

[A] Brain

[B] Heart

[C] Lungs

[D] Excretory system

Answer: [A] Brain

Recently, researchers from Bowling Green State University in the US and the University of Western Ontario in Canada discovered a region of the brain which is called Cluster N. As per the research, this region of the brain is used by birds to detect and process the magnetic field of the Earth. It becomes active specifically during migratory periods for birds, likely playing a role in their magnetic compass and navigation abilities.