Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 29th July 2023

1. Which institution notified the ‘Depositor Education and Awareness’ (DEA) Fund?

[A] NITI Aayog

[B] RBI

[C] SEBI

[D] PFRDA

Answer: [B] RBI

A sum of 5,729 crore from the “Depositor Education and Awareness” (DEA) Fund has been allocated to banks to reimburse unclaimed deposits. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) notified the “Depositor Education and Awareness Fund Scheme, 2014,” regarding unclaimed deposits and specifies the utilization of the fund, including promoting depositors’ interests and other designated purposes by the RBI.

2. Which institution released the Draft Telecommunication Consumers Education and Protection Fund?

[A] NASSCOM

[B] NITI Aayog

[C] TRAI

[D] Prasar Bharti

Answer: [C] TRAI

Recently, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) unveiled the draft Telecommunication Consumers Education and Protection Fund (Sixth Amendment) Regulation, 2023, seeking input from stakeholders. It seeks to make changes in the Telecommunication Consumers Education and Protection Fund Regulations, 2007.

3. Byculla railway station, India’s oldest railway station, is in which state/UT?

[A] Maharashtra

[B] New Delhi

[C] West Bengal

[D] Gujarat

Answer: [A] Maharashtra

Byculla railway station is India’s oldest railway station. Following five years of extensive restoration efforts, India’s oldest railway station in central Mumbai, with a remarkable 169-year- old history, has been meticulously revived. As a result of this remarkable achievement, the station has been honoured with the prestigious Asia Pacific cultural heritage award by UNESCO.

4. India is set to establish an Innovation platform with which country?

[A] UAE

[B] Finland

[C] Switzerland

[D] Germany

Answer: [C] Switzerland

The Swiss Network in India is working on the development of an Indo-Swiss Innovation Platform, aimed at strengthening collaborations between Switzerland and India. The platform is an extension of the Switzerland-India Science and Innovation Alliance, established during former President Ramnath Kovind’s visit to Switzerland in September 2019.

5. According to a study, climate change could potentially turn which Indian state to a Water deficit desert?

[A] Rajasthan

[B] Gujarat

[C] Punjab

[D] Madhya Pradesh

Answer: [C] Punjab

According to a new research by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), climate change could potentially turn Punjab, India, into a water- deficient desert in the future. The reasons are absence of required rain, lack of crop diversification and indiscriminate pumping of groundwater. The state is currently known for its bumper agricultural output.

6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the second Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam in which city?

[A] Varanasi

[B] Amritsar

[C] Jodhpur

[D] New Delhi

Answer: [D] New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the second Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam, commemorating the third anniversary of the National Education Policy’s introduction. The event will take place at ITPO, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Additionally, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, and the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Guwahati jointly conducted a press conference in Guwahati, discussing the implementation of NEP 2020.

7. Which bill has been recently withdrawn by the Union Government from the Lok Sabha

[A] Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill

[B] DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill

[C] Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill

[D] Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill

Answer: [B] DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill

Recently, the government withdrew the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019 from Lok Sabha. It aimed to build a new regulatory framework for the use of DNA fingerprinting technology in the criminal justice system. The Bill, introduced in Parliament multiple times, faced opposition on grounds of the accuracy of DNA technology, potential threats to individual privacy, and the possibility of abuse.

8. The National Dental Commission Bill, 2023, seeks to propose to set up which entity?

[A] National Dental Commission

[B] Union Dental Authority

[C] Dental Colleges Regulatory Authority

[D] Dentists Regulatory Authority

Answer: [A] National Dental Commission

The National Dental Commission Bill, 2023 has been passed by the Lok Sabha to ensure the availability of affordable, high-quality dental education and accessible oral healthcare services. The National Dental Commission Bill seeks to repeal the Dentists Act, 1948 and proposes to set up ‘National Dental Commission’ modelled after the NMC.

9. National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill’ is associated with which Union Ministry?

[A] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

[B] Ministry of Home Affairs

[C] Ministry of Women and Child Development

[D] Ministry of Science and Technology

Answer: [A] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

The Lok Sabha has passed the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023. The bill aims to establish regulations and uphold education and service standards for nursing and midwifery professionals. It comes under the aegis of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023 aims at setting up National Nursing and Midwifery Commission (NNMC) and to repeal the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947.

10. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed to include two synonyms for a community in which state?

[A] Madhya Pradesh

[B] Sikkim

[C] Chhattisgarh

[D] West Bengal

Answer: [C] Chhattisgarh

In the Lok Sabha, the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was introduced to make changes to the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. The purpose of this amendment is to include two synonyms for the Mahar community in the State of Chhattisgarh in its Scheduled Castes list.

11. What is the name of the region situated at the boundary of space, located around 50 to 400 miles above the Earth’s surface?

[A] Ionosphere

[B] Stratosphere

[C] Chromosphere

[D] Exosphere

Answer: [A] Ionosphere

The ionosphere is a region situated at the boundary of space, located around 50 to 400 miles above the Earth’s surface. SpaceX launched 15 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit atop a Falcon 9 rocket, which is said to have resulted in a temporary disruption in the Earth’s ionosphere, as per NASA.

12. With reference to space science, what is ‘Bennu’?

[A] Exo-planet

[B] Satellite

[C] Asteroid

[D] Star

Answer: [C] Asteroid

NASA regards Bennu as one of the most dangerous asteroids in the solar system. University of Arizona planetary science expert, Dante Lauretta, and astrophysicist, Brian May, have collaborated to produce “Bennu 3-D: Anatomy of an Asteroid,” the world’s first comprehensive 3D atlas of an asteroid. The book, featuring data and images from the Osiris-Rex mission, details their undertaking with NASA to collect samples from the near-Earth asteroid, Bennu.

13. Te’omim Cave, which was seen in the news, is located in which city?

[A] Jerusalem

[B] Paris

[C] Rome

[D] Cairo

Answer: [A] Jerusalem

The Te’omim Cave in Jerusalem was found to host more than 100 ceramic lamps squeezed into the cave’s crevices. In a new study, researchers propose that these objects were probably employed for summoning deceased spirits and uncovering their hidden knowledge, a ritual referred to as necromancy.

14. Which country approved a comprehensive judicial reform bill called ‘Reasonableness Bill’?

[A] USA

[B] China

[C] Israel

[D] Australia

Answer: [C] Israel

Recently, the Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, approved a crucial provision of a comprehensive judicial reform bill aimed at limiting the authority of the Supreme Court. The bill, known as the “reasonableness bill,” intends to remove the Supreme Court’s ability to declare government decisions as unreasonable.

15. Which country is experiencing a phenomenon known as “full-time children”?

[A] China

[B] Japan

[C] Australia

[D] USA

Answer: [A] China

The surge in youth unemployment in China is leading to a phenomenon known as “full-time children”. In this context, “full-time children” refers to grown-up individuals who receive a salary from their parents to fulfill the role of being their children. They spend time with their parents, accompany them for shopping, assist with household tasks, and so on.

16. ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ campaign aims to create a garden in which city?

[A] New Delhi

[B] Mumbai

[C] Gandhi Nagar

[D] Ladakh

Answer: [A] New Delhi

As part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebration, the Union government has initiated the ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ campaign, aimed at creating a garden along the Kartavya Path in Delhi. Soil collected from various regions of India in August will be used for this purpose. The campaign includes events at different levels, starting with panchayat-level programs scheduled between August 9 and 15, followed by village, block, urban local body, state, and national-level programs.

17. Which city hosted the meeting of ‘High- Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)’?

[A] Rome

[B] Washington

[C] Paris

[D] New York

Answer: [D] New York

World leaders assembled at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and urged for a renewed dedication to eliminate poverty, which is a crucial challenge outlined in the United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The HLPF serves as the primary global platform for monitoring and assessing progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and SDGs. The event took place in New York under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council.

18. What is ‘Silver cockscomb’, which was seen in the news?

[A] Vaccine

[B] Weed

[C] Virus

[D] Cryptocurrency

Answer: [B] Weed

Silver cockscomb is a weed that can spread quickly and suppress the growth of other crops. Soliga tribe in Karnataka is currently using it as a vegetable. In Karnataka’s Chamarajanagara district, where silver cockscomb is referred to as anne soppu. It is also known as lagos spinach.

19. Island of Rhodes, which was in the news, is in which country?

[A] Greece

[B] Japan

[C] USA

[D] Australia

Answer: [A] Greece

Around 19000 tourists and residents were transported amidst wildfires on the Greek island of Rhodes. Greece said it was its biggest safe transport of residents and tourists in emergency conditions. Rhodes is a hugely popular holiday destination among visitors from Britain.

20. Which racing driver has won the Hungarian Grand Prix 2023 tournament?

[A] Max Verstappen

[B] Lewis Hamilton

[C] Sergio Perez

[D] Charles Leclerc

Answer: [A] Max Verstappen

Verstappen delivered his Red Bull team a record- breaking 12th consecutive Formula One win as he wins Hungarian Grand Prix. Verstappen’s seventh straight win stretched his lead over Perez to 110 points in the championship.