Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 20th May 2023

1. ‘Samudra Shakti-23’ is a bilateral exercise conducted between India and which country?

[A] Sri Lanka

[B] Indonesia

[C] France

[D] Israel

Answer: [B] Indonesia

Samudra Shakti-23 is a bilateral exercise between India and Indonesia. It is being held from May 14 to 19 this year. INS Kavaratti, indigenously designed and built ASW Corvette is participating in the 4th edition of Bilateral exercise. Exercise Samudra Shakti is aimed at enhancing interoperability, jointness and mutual cooperation between both navies.

2. Which country is set to launch ‘NVS-01 Navigation Satellite’?

[A] USA

[B] India

[C] UAE

[D] Russia

Answer: [B] India

NVS-01 Satellite is set to be launched by ISRO on May 29. It is a navigation satellite that will be launched aboard the GSLV Mk-II. It aims to augment the seven-satellite navigation constellation NavIC. The NVS-01 satellite will replace the navigational capabilities of another satellite IRNSS-1G in the constellation. It will retain its communication and messaging capabilities.

3. Burachapori wildlife sanctuary is situated in which state/UT?

[A] Assam

[B] West Bengal

[C] Odisha

[D] Arunachal Pradesh

Answer: [A] Assam

Burachapori wildlife sanctuary is a protected area situated in Assam, on the south bank of the Brahmaputra River. The state government recently announced the plan to open the traditional path of wild animals from the Kaziranga National Park to Orang National Park through this wildlife sanctuary.

4. Where is the ‘Great Grandfather Tree’ located?

[A] India

[B] China

[C] Greece

[D] Chile

Answer: [D] Chile

The “Great Grandfather” tree is currently in the process of being organized as the oldest tree in the world. Situated in Chile, this tree is believed to be around more than 5,000 years old. The sample which was extracted and other dating methods suggest the tree is up to 5,484 years old. The current record-holder is a 4,853 year old bristlecone pine tree in California.

5. Sanchar Saathi portal, which was launched recently, is used for which activity?

[A] Grievance Redressal

[B] Tracking Lost or Stolen Mobile

[C] Nomination for Awards

[D] GST Filing

Answer: [B] Tracking Lost or Stolen Mobile

The Department of Telecommunications, Government of India has finally launched the Sanchar Saathi portal, to help users track their lost or stolen mobile phones. It uses the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) system, to block or locate lost mobile phones. The system is managed by the Centre for Department of Telematics (CDoT).

6. Which institution developed the ‘non- aqueous all-organic redox flow battery’ (NORFB)?

[A] IISC Bengaluru

[B] IIT Madras

[C] IIT Delhi

[D] IIT Kanpur

Answer: [B] IIT Madras

The ‘Non-aqueous all-organic redox flow battery’ (NORFB) was developed recently by scientists at IIT Madras. It is a flow battery that promises to provide better performance. The Researchers have developed a new type of electrolyte using ‘pyrylium salts’, which are a class of organic chemicals. The battery has been demonstrated with an average coulombic efficiency of 97 percent.

7. Which city is the host of the inaugural ministerial meeting of the India- EU Trade and Technology Council?

[A] New Delhi

[B] Rome

[C] Brussels

[D] Mumbai

Answer: [C] Brussels

The inaugural ministerial meeting of the India- EU Trade and Technology Council will be held on May 16 in Brussels. The formation of the Trade and Technology Council was announced in April 2022. It is the second bilateral forum for the EU and the first one established with any partner for India.

8. Which country is the host of ‘Cannes International Film Festival’?

[A] USA

[B] India

[C] France

[D] Spain

Answer: [C] France

Cannes International Film Festival will be organized from 16th to 27th May. The Indian delegation for this event will be led by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan. The India Pavilion’ at Cannes-2023 showcases country’s culture and heritage inspired by Saraswati Yantra and National flag’s colors and country’s creative economy to the world.

9. Which Union Ministry is associated with the ‘Training Programme on Legislative Drafting’?

[A] Ministry of Defence

[B] Ministry of Justice

[C] Ministry of Home Affairs

[D] Ministry of Law

Answer: [C] Ministry of Home Affairs

The Training Programme on Legislative Drafting will be inaugurated by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The programme was organised by the Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies (ICPS), in collaboration with the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE).

10. Which department launched the ‘Automated Return Scrutiny Module for GST returns’?

[A] CBIC

[B] NASSCOM

[C] NITI Aayog

[D] RBI

Answer: [A] CBIC

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) recently launched the Automated Return Scrutiny Module for GST return. The newly rolled out module will help officers scrutinize GST returns of Centre Administered Taxpayers based on identified risks and data analytics.

11. Which Union Ministry announced the finalization of the Model Prisons Act, 2023?

[A] Ministry of Home Affairs

[B] Ministry of Defence

[C] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

[D] Ministry of External Affairs

Answer: [A] Ministry of Home Affairs

Union Ministry of Home Affairs recently announced the finalization of the Model Prisons Act, 2023. There is no provision for reform and rehabilitation of prisoners in the existing Act. The new act is expected to serve as the guiding document for states and for the adoption in their respective jurisdictions.

12. Which institution launched the ‘UTSAH Portal’?

[A] RBI

[B] UGC

[C] AICTE

[D] UPSC

Answer: [B] UGC

The University Grants Commission (UGC) launched two user-friendly portals, UTSAH (Undertaking Transformative Strategies and Actions in Higher Education) and PoP (Professors of Practice). Through the UTSAH portal, universities can access detailed information about UGC’s initiatives. PoP portal aims to bridge the gap between academia and the industry by facilitating the recruitment of experienced professionals.

13. The statue of Late Nathuram Mirdha was recently inaugurated in which state?

[A] Assam

[B] Rajasthan

[C] Punjab

[D] Arunachal Pradesh

Answer: [B] Rajasthan

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar unveiled the statue of Late Nathuram Mirdha, former Member of Parliament, freedom fighter and a popular farmers’ leader in Merta City, Nagaur, Rajasthan. Nathuram Mirdha was a six-time Member of Lok Sabha and served as a Union Minister from 1979-80 and 1989-90.

14. Which institution built the ‘INS Mormugao’ guided missile destroyer of the Indian Navy?

[A] Cochin Shipyard

[B] Mazagon Dock Ltd

[C] Garden Reach Shipbuilders

[D] GAIL

Answer: [B] Mazagon Dock Ltd

INS Mormugao is the second ship of the Visakhapatnam-class stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. It was built at Mazagon Dock Limited and the ship was commissioned on 18 December 2022. A Brahmnos Supersonic cruise missile was test fired using this vessel recently.

15. Which Union Ministry launched the fourth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL)?

[A] Ministry of Home Affairs

[B] Ministry of Defence

[C] Ministry of External Affairs

[D] Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Answer: [B] Ministry of Defence

The fourth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) for Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSU) was released recently by the Union Defence Ministry. The list covered 928 strategically-important Line Replacement Units (LRUs), sub-systems, spares and components.

16. Pasang Dawa Sherpa, who was seen in the news, is associated with which field?

[A] Sports Person

[B] Mountaineer

[C] Politician

[D] Business person

Answer: [B] Mountaineer

Pasang Dawa Sherpa recently became the second person in the world to climb Mount Everest for the 26th time. This record was earlier set by the Nepalese guide Kami Rita Sherpa. His record comes after he completed his first successful climb in 1998.

17. SCO adopts which country’s proposal for developing Digital Public Infrastructure?

[A] UAE

[B] India

[C] Sri Lanka

[D] Bangladesh

Answer: [B] India

Shanghai Cooperation Orgánisation (SCO) members have unanimouśly adopted India’s proposal for developing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). India has the record of developing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) like the UPI and Aadhaar to ease government services.

18. Sarabjot Singh and T.S. Divya, who were séen in the news, are associated with which sports?

[A] Shooting

[B] Cricket

[C] Badminton

[D] Table Tennis

Answer: [A] Shooting

In the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup being held at Baku in Azerbaijan, Indian pair Divya TS and Sarabjot Singh wNon gold in the 1Om air pistol mixed team event. The Indian pair defeated the Serbian legends Damir Mikec and Zorana Arunovic in the final match. It was a second ISSF World Cup qold for Sarabjot who had won the individual air pistol in Bhopal in March this year.

19. Deepak Bhoria and Nishant Dev, who were seen in the news, play which sports?

[A] Boxing

[B] Wrestling

[C] Shooting

[D] Hockey

Answer: [A] Boxing

Indian boxers Mohammad Hussamuddin (57kg), Deepak Bhoria (51 kg) and Nishant Dev (71 kg) signed off with bronze medals at the World Championships in Tashkent. Hussamuddin was forced to withdraw from his semi-final bout after suffering a knee injury.