Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 20th September 2023

1. The foundation stone of Downstream Petrochemical Complex and Refinery Expansion Project has been laid in which state?

[A] Maharashtra

[B] Madhya Pradesh

[C] Gujarat

[D] Rajasthan

Answer: [B] Madhya Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, laid the foundation stone of Downstream Petrochemical Complex and Refinery Expansion Project, at BPCL’s Bina Refinery in Madhya Pradesh. This state-of-the-art refinery, which will be developed at a cost of about Rs. 49,000 crore, and will produce about 1200 Kilo-Tonnes Per Annum of ethylene and propylene, which are vital components for various sectors like textiles, packaging, pharma, among others.

2. Which Union Ministry recently launched the Swachhata Special Campaign 3.0 Portal?

[A] Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

[B] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

[C] Ministry of Women and Child Development

[D] Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

Answer: [A] Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

Union Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launches the Swachhata Special Campaign 3.0 Portal. Swachhata campaign, the first mass awareness campaign launched by PM Modi on August 15, 2014 soon after taking over charge in May, 2014, achieved four primary objectives including change in work culture, eOffice, use of Open Spaces and Archive culture.

3. Which Ministry is associated with OIML (International Organization of Legal Metrology) Certificates?

[A] Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food Distribution

[B] Ministry of Commerce and Industry

[C] Ministry of Science and Technology

[D] Ministry of MSME

Answer: [A] Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food Distribution

India becomes the 13th country in world that can issue Internationally Accepted OIML (International Organization of Legal Metrology) Certificates. OIML is an Intergovernmental organization which was established in 1955. It has 63 Member States and 64 Corresponding Members and India became its member in 1956. India has now become authority for issuing internationally accepted OIML certificate for selling weights and measures anywhere in the world. Department of Consumer Affairs can issue OIML Pattern Approval certificate.

4. Which city is the host of ‘4th G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group Meeting’?

[A] Gandhi Nagar

[B] Varanasi

[C] Mysuru

[D] Guwahati

Answer: [B] Varanasi

The G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) meeting witnessed engagement from over 80 delegates from G20 member countries, invitee countries and International Organisations including World Bank, New Development Bank, NGFS among others. The Working Group aims to mobilise sustainable finance to help ensure global growth and stability and promote the transition towards greener, more resilient and inclusive societies and economies. The G20 Sustainable Finance Report, 2023 was also finalised in the meeting held in Varanasi.

5. When was the National Logistics Policy (NLP) launched in India?

[A] 2022

[B] 2020

[C] 2018

[D] 2016

Answer: [A] 2022

India marks one year of launch of National Logistics Policy on 17th September 2023. To complement PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP), the National Logistics Policy (NLP) was launched on 17th September 2022 by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. While the PM GatiShakti NMP addresses integrated development of the fixed infrastructure and network planning, the NLP addresses the soft infrastructure and logistics sector development aspect, inter alia, including process reforms, improvement in logistics services, digitization, human resource development and skilling.

6. Which Union Ministry is the top procurer on Government e-Marketplace (GeM) as of 2023?

[A] Ministry of Defence

[B] Ministry of MSME

[C] Ministry of Commerce and Industry

[D] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

Answer: [A] Ministry of Defence

The Ministry of Defence has emerged as the leading Ministry amongst a total of 56 Ministries/Departments participating in the Government e-Marketplace (GeM). Since its inception, the Ministry has contributed significantly to the Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of GeM, which has reached an impressive Rs. 73,225 Crores as of 12 September 2023. Procurement through GeM reaches over Rs. 18,790 Cr in the current Financial Year 2023-24.

7. What is the Annual rate of inflation based on all India Wholesale Price Index in August 2023?

[A] (-) 0.52%

[B] (-) 1.52%

[C] (+) 0.52%

[D] (+) 0.52%

Answer:[A] (-) 0.52%

The annual rate of inflation based on all India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) number is (-) 0.52% for the month of August, 2023 (over August, 2022) against (-) 1.36% recorded in July, 2023. The negative rate of inflation in August 2023 is primarily due to fall in prices of mineral oils, basic metals, chemical & chemical products, textiles and food products as compared to the corresponding month of previous year.

8. Which institution is set to hold a hearing on religious freedom in India?

[A] USCIRF

[B] National Archives and Records Administration

[C] ICCR

[D] NITI Aayog

Answer: [A] USCIRF

US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) announced it will hold a hearing on religious freedom in India next week. Since 2020, USCIRF has recommended that the US Department of State designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.

9. Which country clinched the Asia Cup 2023 title in cricket?

[A] Pakistan

[B] India

[C] Sri Lanka

[D] Bangladesh

Answer: [B] India

India recorded a 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 final in Colombo. Led by Mohammed Siraj’s bowling performance of six wicket haul, India stunned Sri Lanka, creating multiple records on the way. India extended its record of most Asia Cup ODI titles with its eighth win. Mohammed Siraj equalled the fastest ODI five-wicket haul with a 16-ball five-for-record shared with Chaminda Vaas.

10. Which institution released the ‘Consultation Paper on Digital Inclusion in the Era of Emerging Technologies’?

[A] NITI Aayog

[B] TRAI

[C] NASSCOM

[D] RBI

Answer: [B] TRAI

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued a Consultation Paper (CP) titled “Digital Inclusion in the Era of Emerging Technologies”. This paper aims to address the challenges and opportunities brought about by rapid advancements in emerging technologies, with a specific focus on ensuring inclusivity, especially for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). It also highlights the challenges faced by the MSME sector in adopting emerging digital technologies.

11. Which institution directed Regulated Entities to release property documents promptly?

[A] RBI

[B] Ministry of Finance

[C] Ministry of Corporate Affairs

[D] CBDT

Answer: [A] RBI

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued directives to all Regulated Entities (RES), including banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), to release original movable or immovable property documents within 30 days of full loan repayment. Starting from December 1, 2023, lenders must also remove any charges registered with registries within the same timeframe. In cases of delay, lenders must compensate borrowers at a rate of Rs 5,000 per day of delay, and borrowers can choose to collect their documents from relevant outlets or branches.

12. Which country banned iPhone 12 Sales over Radiation concerns?

[A] China

[B] France

[C] USA

[D] UK

Answer: [B] France

France’s radiation watchdog, the Agence Nationale des Frequences (ANFR), has prohibited the sale of Apple’s iPhone 12 due to tests revealing that the smartphone exceeded European radiation exposure limits. The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of the iPhone 12, which measures the rate of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the body, was found to be higher than legally allowed.

13. McDermitt Caldera, which was seen in the news, is located in which country?

[A] Russia

[B] Bulgaria

[C] USA

[D] Australia

Answer: [C] USA

Geologists have made a new discovery along the Nevada-Oregon border, unearthing a vast lithium deposit within the McDermitt Caldera. This deposit is believed to contain 20 to 40 million metric tonnes of lithium, potentially doubling the quality of lithium reserves found anywhere else globally. This could help the United States reduce its reliance on China for lithium, a critical component in electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines.

14. Which state announced a framework for the state’s proposed fact-checking unit?

[A] Tamil Nadu

[B] Karnataka

[C] Odisha

[D] Punjab

Answer: [B] Karnataka

Karnataka’s IT Minister unveiled a framework for the state’s proposed fact-checking unit. The unit will consist of an oversight committee, a review Single Point of Contact (SPOC), and nodal officers. The oversight committee will include representatives from various domains, such as the Department of Information Technology, the police, Indian Institute of Science, and civil society. It will operate impartially and conduct fact-checking in multiple languages, including Kannada, English, and regional languages.

15. Kokyet Turban, which was seen in the news, is associated with which state?

[A] Manipur

[B] Assam

[C] West Bengal

[D] Rajasthan

Answer: [A] Manipur

The traditional Kokyet or turban of the state has been selected as part of the dress code for the Marshals of the Indian Parliament. The Indian government is introducing new uniform codes for both houses of parliament, including Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, for an upcoming special parliamentary session. Other items introduced in the uniform code include magenta Nehru jackets for secretariat staff and camouflage attire for security officers.

16. Scrub Typhus disease has been identified in which state in recent weeks?

[A] Uttar Pradesh

[B] Madhya Pradesh

[C] Bihar

[D] Odisha

Answer: [D] Odisha

Officials in Odisha’s Bargarh district have confirmed at least five deaths due to scrub typhus infections in recent weeks. Scrub typhus is a vector-borne disease that spreads through infected chiggers (larval mites) and is common during the rainy season. Symptoms include fever, headache, body ache, and skin marks.

17. Recently, Scientists have engineered E. Coli Bacteria to Generate Electricity from which material?

[A] Wastewater

[B] Sandpaper

[C] Air

[D] Seawater

Answer: [A] Wastewater

Recently, scientists have achieved a groundbreaking feat by engineering E. coli bacteria to generate electricity from wastewater. The bioengineered E. coli can produce electricity while metabolizing various organic substrates, including wastewater collected from a local brewery. The researchers enhanced the bacteria’s extracellular electron transfer (EET) capabilities, making them highly efficient “electric microbes.” This development has far-reaching implications, as the engineered E. coli can generate electricity from diverse sources.

18. Which is set to become the first country to engage in commercial deep sea mining?

[A] India

[B] Japan

[C] Norway

[D] USA

Answer: [C] Norway

Norway is set to become the first country in the world to engage in commercial deep sea mining, potentially opening an offshore area larger than the United Kingdom to mining operations. Despite international calls for a global moratorium on deep sea mining, Norway’s government is pushing ahead with its proposal to extract seabed minerals. The government argues that deep sea mining could help Europe reduce its reliance on China for critical minerals used in electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels.

19. Tharman Shanmugaratnam has been sworn in as the President of which place?

[A] Indonesia

[B] Vietnam

[C] Japan

[D] Singapore

Answer: [D] Singapore

Tharman Shanmugaratnam, an Indian-origin economist born in Singapore, has been sworn in as the ninth President of Singapare. He will serve a six-year term, succeeding President halimah Yacob. Tharman has been a public figure in Singapore, holding various prominent positions, including senior minister, coordinating minister for social policies, and Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019.

20. NavIC is a navigation system developed by which county?

[A] Russia

[B] India

[C] Japan

[D] USA

Answer: [B] India

NavIC stands for Navigation with Indian Constellation (NaviC), which is a navigation system established by ISR0. It is a regional navigation satellite system which was erstwhile known as Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). The Indian government will soon require smartphones to integrate with the NavlC, according to Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology. By January 1, 2025, 5G phones wilI need to offer mandatory support for NavIC, while other phones operating in the L1 band currently using GPS must provide NaviC support by December 2025.