Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 1st July 2023
1. Kyriakos Mitsotaki has been elected as the Prime Minister of which country?
[A] France
[B] Greece
[C] South Korea
[D] Japan
Answer: [B] Greece
Kyriakos Mitsotakis has achieved a majority and has been re-elected for a second term as the Prime Minister of Greece. New Democracy, led by Mitsotakis, secured over 40 percent of the votes, guaranteeing them a minimum of 158 seats out of the total 300 seats in parliament, based on the preliminary count of approximately 96 percent of the votes.
2. What is the rank of India in ‘WCC’s Global Competitiveness Index’?
[A] 12
[B] 25
[C] 40
[D] 56
Answer: [C] 40
Denmark, Ireland and Switzerland have been named the top three among 64 economies in the 2023 Global Competitiveness Index. India has been placed at the 40th position in the same index. The 2023 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking was published by the World Competitiveness Center for the 35th consecutive year.
3. Which bloc has conducted a joint military drill named ‘Solidarity Exercise’?
[A] EU
[B] G-20
[C] ASEAN
[D] BIMSTEC
Answer: [C] ASEAN
‘Solidarity exercise’ is a joint military drill involving the ASEAN nations-Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines. This year, Indonesia holds the rotating chair of the regional bloc. The military exercise has been planned amid the tensions with China.
4. Which organisation approved USD 255.5 million loan for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in India?
[A] ADB
[B] AIIB
[C] World Bank
[D] IMF
Answer: [C] World Bank
World Bank recently approved USD 255.5 million loan for the Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education Project. Its aim is to improve technical education in India. This funding will support approximately 275 selected government-run technical institutions over the course of the next five years.
5. Utah Mountains, which were seen in the news for Watermelon Snow, is situated in which country?
[A] Russia
[B] Ukraine
[C] USA
[D] Indonesia
Answer: [C] USA
Watermelon snow is a natural occurrence found in mountainous regions worldwide, where the vibrant color of the snow is caused by a green algae bloom that thrives in cold, snowy conditions. This phenomenon can give the appearance of the snow changing color, but it is actually due to the presence of the algae. This was recently reported in the Utah Mountains, USA.
6. Honeybee hives in which country faced the second highest mortality rate ever recorded?
[A] India
[B] USA
[C] Australia
[D] Indonesia
Answer: [B] USA
According to a recent survey by the University of Maryland and Auburn University, honeybee hives in the US faced the second highest mortality rate ever recorded, with beekeepers losing almost half of their managed colonies. However, the survey also revealed that the total number of honeybee colonies in the country has remained relatively steady, despite this significant loss.
7. Which company introduced ‘Perspectives’ tab feature, which allows users to explore diverse viewpoints on a particular topic?
[A] Google
[B] Microsoft
[C] Apple
[D] Samsung
Answer: [A] Google
Google, owned by Alphabet, introduced the ‘Perspectives’ tab feature, which allows users to explore diverse viewpoints on a particular topic. By selecting the filter, users can access a range of content such as videos from platforms like TikTok and YouTube, written posts from discussion boards and social media, and more, as explained in a blog post by Google.
8. Which country announced the ‘In-country’ renewable H-1B visas for India?
[A] Australia
[B] USA
[C] UK
[D] Germany
Answer: [B] USA
The US is set to introduce in-country renewable H-1B visas. During his speech to the Indian diaspora in Washington DC, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an announcement regarding ‘In-country’ renewable H-1B visas. It removes the need for individuals to travel abroad to renew their work visas.
9. Which institution released a report titled ‘Compliance Status of Coal-Based Power Plants’?
[A] NITI Aayog
[B] World Economic Forum
[C] Centre for Science and Environment
[D] UNEP
Answer: [C] Centre for Science and Environment
A report titled “Compliance Status of Coal-Based Power Plants” was released recently by the Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The report reveals that as of April 2023, a mere 5 percent of the India’s coal- based thermal power generation capacities had implemented the Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) mechanism.
10. ‘Kharchi Puja’ is observed in which state/UT?
[A] Tripura
[B] Assam
[C] West Bengal
[D] Odisha
Answer: [A] Tripura
The Historical ‘Kharchi Puja’ started at the revered fourteen gods temple in Khayerpur. The event brought together devotees from various locations, symbolizing the revival of age-old customs and traditions. Kharchi Puja is a festival celebrated in Tripura and is performed in Agartala in July or August. The festival is centered around the worship of Chaturdasa Devata, the ancestral deity of the Tripuri people.
11. Which state/UT is associated with ‘Swarnim Himalaya’ campaign?
[A] Assam
[B] Uttarakhand
[C] Himachal Pradesh
[D] West Bengal
Answer: [C] Himachal Pradesh
Swarnim Himalaya campaign is organized to remove plastic waste from the Himalayan region. The campaign has been initiated by the team. ‘Healing Himalaya’. It was organized in partnership with the Himachal Pradesh Environment, Science and Technology Department, Forest department, Himachal Pradesh Police, and the civic body of Shimla.
12. ‘Hasarius mumbai’, which was discovered recently, belongs to which species?
[A] Spider
[B] Snake
[C] Turtle
[D] Cat
Answer: [A] Spider
Hasarius mumbai is a new species of jumping spider. It was found inhabiting the rocks near the streams at the Bombay Natural History Society’s (BNHS) conservation education centre in Goregaon East, Mumbai. This is the third species of the genus from India, following H. adansoni and H. kjellerupi. The species includes 600 genera and more than 6000 described species.
13. Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft is associated with which space agency?
[A] ISRO
[B] NASA
[C] CAN
[D] JAXA
Answer: [B] NASA
By utilizing NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft’s Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) instrument, planetary scientists studied the Martian atmosphere and observe surface characteristics in extraordinary detail. The IUVS instrument aboard MAVEN is capable of measuring wavelengths ranging from 110 to 340 nm, which fall beyond the range of wavelengths visible to the human eye.
14. National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) successfully trained the civil servants from which country?
[A] Sri Lanka
[B] Maldives
[C] Nepal
[D] Bangladesh
Answer: [B] Maldives
The ‘National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG)’ has signed MoU with the Government of Maldives to enhance the skills and capabilities of 1,000 civil servants in the field of public administration and governance by 2024. NCGG has already imparted training to 685 officers from Maldives. It has recently trained the 24th batch of civil servants from Maldives.
15. Which company announced the opening of a Global FinTech Operations Center in GIFT City, Gujarat?
[A] Apple
[B] Google
[C] Microsoft
[D] Samsung
Answer: [B] Google
Tech Major Google announced the opening of a Global FinTech Operations Center in GIFT City, Gujarat. Google is also investing USD 10 billion in India’s digitisation fund including in companies working in Artificial Intelligence.
16. Jos Buttler, who recently passed the 10,000 runs in the T20 format, is from which country?
[A] Australia
[B] England
[C] South Africa
[D] New Zealand
Answer: [B] England
England’s Jos Buttler scripted history as he completed 10,000 runs in T20 cricket. He is only the ninth batter to achieve this feat. In 372 matches, Buttler has scored 10080 runs at an average of 34.16 with 6 centuries in T-20 format.
17. Which High Court ruled that ‘Caste will have no role to play in appointment of temple priests’?
[A] Madras High Court
[B] Delhi High Court
[C] Allahabad High Court
[D] Calcutta High Court
Answer: [A] Madras High Court
Madras High Court ruled that Caste will have no role to play in appointment of temple priests. The court added that in temples governed by the Agama, the Trustees/Fit Person only have to ensure that the priest to be appointed is well- versed and properly trained to perform the rituals.
18. Which country is the host of the SAFF Championship in 2023?
[A] Nepal
[B] India
[C] Sri Lanka
[D] Bangladesh
Answer: [B] India
In the SAFF championship India is set to face Lebanon in the semi-final at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. India earlier recorded a 2-0 win over Nepal in the SAFF Championship. In 2022, India retained the SAFF U20 title by beating Bangladesh 5-2 in the final.
19. ‘Peacock softshell turtles’ or ‘Nilssonia Formosa’ are found in which country?
[A] Myanmar
[B] India
[C] Indonesia
[D] Sri Lanka
Answer: [A] Myanmar
In Myanmar, Burmese peacock softshell turtles, which are critically endangered, have successfully hatched and started their journey in Indawgyi Lake recently. Also known as Nilssonia Formosa, these turtles are only found in Myanmar. It is one of five species in the genus Nilssonia.
20. India recently signed an agreement to establish strategic partnership with which country?
[A] Egypt
[B] Myanmar
[C] Afghanistan
[D] Sri Lanka
Answer: [A] Egypt
India and Egypt have signed an agreement establishing a strategic partnership between the two nations. The strategic partnership between the two countries will encompass four key components, namely political, defense, and security cooperation, economic engagement, collaborative efforts in the fields of science and academia, as well as cultural exchanges and fostering people-to-people connections.