Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 29th September 2023
1. Swati Nayak, who was in the news, has won which award?
[A] Norman E.Borlaug Award
[B] Booker Prize
[C] Pulitzer Prize
[D] Ramon Magsaysay Award
Answer: [A] Norman E. Borlaug Award
Agriculture scientist Swati Nayak became the third Indian agriculture scientist to win the prestigious Norman E. Borlaug Award for 2023, for Field Research and Application, with the World Food Prize Foundation. Ms Nayak is the South Asia Lead for Seed System and Product Management at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in New Delhi.
2. Which Union Ministry established the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC)?
[A] Ministry of Home Affairs
[B] Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
[C] Ministry of Women and Child Development
[D] Ministry of Education
Answer: [B] Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
In 2011, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment established the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Center (ISLRTC) as an autonomous center of IGNOU. ISLRTC has launched an online self-learning course in Indian Sign Language and a comprehensive dictionary containing 10,000 ISL terms on the International Day of Sign Languages. It introduced an initiative by launching 260 signs for financial terms in ISL.
3. As per recent data, what is the percentage of villages declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus?
[A] 50%
[B] 65%
[C] 75%
[D] 80%
Answer: [C] 75%
India reaches a significant sanitation milestone with 75% of its villages now declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus under the Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen. The declaration of over 4.4 lakh villages as ODF Plus represents the efforts toward accomplishing the objectives of Phase II of the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen by 2025.
4. e-UNNAT is the Service Delivery Portal of which state/UT?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Jammu and Kashmir
[C] Odisha
[D] Kerala
Answer: [B] Jammu and Kashmir
Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) has released the sixth edition of National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) – Way forward Monthly Report for States/UTs. It provides a detailed overview of status of e-service delivery across States/UTS. Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala and Odisha provide 100% of their services through their Unified Service Delivery Portals namely e-UNNAT (1028), e-Sevanam (911) and Odisha One (404), respectively.
5. Which company launched ‘Indus Appstore’ developer platform?
[A] BharatPe
[B] Phonepe
[C] Pine Platforms
[D] Paytm
Answer: [B] PhonePe
PhonePe announced the launch of Indus Appstore developer platform, as a Made-in-India app store. At present, the app developers work with only the Google Playstore. For startups and new app launches, Indus Appstore will have a dedicated destination called ‘Launch Pad’ to provide these new apps with better visibility.
6. Which institution is responsible for implementing PM-JAY and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission?
[A] AIIMS
[B] NHA
[C] IMA
[D] NITI Aayog
Answer: [B] NHA
National Health Authority (NHA) is the apex body responsible for implementing India’s flagship public health insurance schemes. NHA is organising ‘Arogya Manthan’ to celebrate 5 years of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and 2 years of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
7. Which company is set to construct Micron’s semiconductor assembly and test plant in Gujarat?
[A] Tata Projects
[B] L&T Construction
[C] Reliance Infrastructure
[D] Shapoorji Pallonji Group
Answer: [A] Tata Projects
TATA Projects has been awarded a contract by Micron Technology to construct the semiconductor assembly and test plant in Sanand, Gujarat. The project includes the design and construction of a first-of-its-kind DRAM (dynamic random access memory) and NAND (non-volatile flash memory) assembly and test facility in India.
8. Which institution has issued recommendations for promoting telecom infrastructure in Northeast?
[A] NASSCOM
[B] TRAI
[C] FICCI
[D] NITI Aayog
Answer: [B] TRAI
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued recommendations for bolstering telecom infrastructure in Northeast. TRAI noted that there is still a lack of high-speed mobile- based internet and fixed broadband connectivity, mainly due to the inadequate transmission bandwidth (optical fibre, Microwave and satellite).
9. Tezu Airport, which was seen in the news, is located in which state/UT?
[A] Jammu and Kashmir
[B] Arunachal Pradesh
[C] Sikkim
[D] Odisha
Answer: [B] Arunachal Pradesh
Recently, the Civil Aviation Minister inaugurated the newly developed infrastructure of the Tezu Airport in Arunachal Pradesh. It was developed at a cost of Rs. 170 crores. The Minister also announced three direct routes from Itanagar under the UDAN 5.0 namely Itanagar to Delhi, Itanagar to Jorhat, and Itanagar to Rupsi which will be operationalised soon.
10. ‘Men’s Double Sculls Team’, which won the first medal for India at the Asian Games 2023, is associated with which sports?
[A] Boxing
[B] Rowing
[C] Wrestling
[D] Shooting
Answer: [B] Rowing
Arvind Singh and Arjun Lal Jat won India’s first medal of the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games with a silver in the men’s lightweight double sculls. At Tokyo 2020, this duo finished 11th, which is India’s best-ever finish in Olympics rowing. Later, Babu Lal Yadav and Lekh Ram won bronze in the men’s pair final.
11. Which country is the host of the 19th edition of “EXERCISE YUDH ABHYAS 2023”?
[A] USA
[B] India
[C] Australia
[D] Sri Lanka
Answer: [A] USA
The 19th edition of “EXERCISE YUDH ABHYAS” is set to be held from September 25 to October 8 this year. The bilateral exercise will be organized in Alaska, USA. Indian Army contingent comprising of 350 personnel will participate in this edition of the Exercise. The lead battalion from Indian side is affiliated to MARATHA Light Infantry Regiment. The previous edition of the Exercise was conducted in Auli, Uttarakhand, India in November 2022.
12. Which city was selected as the ‘Best Smart City’ in India in ‘India Smart Cities Conclave 2023’?
[A] Bengaluru
[B] Indore
[C] Mysuru
[D] Varanasi
Answer: [B] Indore
India Smart Cities Conclave 2023 was organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in Indore and was graded by President Droupadi Murmu. Indore bagged the prestigious honour of ‘Best Smart City’ in India. Gujarat’s Surat came second while Agra in Uttar Pradesh secured the third position. Madhya Pradesh was also adjudged Best State in the country while Tamil Nadu came second. Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh together bagged the third position.
13. The ‘Third Missile Cum Ammunition (MCA) Barge’ was launched in which state/UT?
[A] Gujarat
[B] Uttarakhand
[C] Rajsthan
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Answer: [D] Andhra Pradesh
Recently, the Third Missile Cum Ammunition (MCA) Barge, designated Yard 77 (LSAM 9), was launched at Guttenadeevi, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh. This barge is equipped with both primary and supplementary systems and components from domestic manufacturers.
14. Which country hosts the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus Expert Working Group (EWG) on Counter Terrorism Field Training Exercise (FTX) 2023?
[A] India
[B] Russia
[C] Japan
[D] Singapore
Answer: [B] Russia
The ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus Expert Working Group (EWG) on Counter Terrorism Field Training Exercise (FTX) 2023 is set to be hosted by Russia. India will be represented by Indian Army Contingent consisting of 32 personnel from a Battalion affiliated to the Rajputana Rifles.
15. Which Union Ministry organised the ‘Fourth Gender Samvaad’ recently?
[A] Ministry of Education
[B] Ministry of Rural Development
[C] Ministry of Women and Child Development
[D] Ministry of Home Affairs
Answer: [B] Ministry of Rural Development
The fourth Gender Samvaad was co-organized by Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development and Institute for What Works to Advance Gender Equality (IWWAGE). It aims to create a shared platform to raise awareness on DAY-NRLM’s gender interventions across the country.
16. Which state/UT recently released the ‘State Shack Policy 2023-2026’?
[A] Kerala
[B] Goa
[C] Maharashtra
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Answer: [B] Goa
Goa State Shack Policy 2023-2026 was recently approved by the state government. The shack policy permits unemployed individuals who are residents of Goa to run “temporary” beachfront shacks during the prime tourist season spanning from September 1 to May 31.
17. Haifa, which was seen in the news, is cated in which country?
[A] Greece
[B] Pakistan
[C] Israel
[D] Iran
Answer: [C] Israel
Every year on September 23, diplomats from India’s Embassy in Israel and Israeli government officials gather at the Haifa War Cemetery to pay respects to the Indian soldiers who were killed and wounded in the battle, on foreign soil. This year, the commemoration was undertaken to mark the 105th anniversary of the Battle of Haifa. The Jodhpur Lancers contributed in liberating Haifa from the Ottoman Turks, as per the research of Brigadier M S Jodha.
18. India’s first Green Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus was launched in which state/UT?
[A] Telangana
[B] New Delhi
[C] Kerala
[D] Goa
Answer: [B] New Delhi
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri flagged off the country’s first green hydrogen fuel cell bus in Delhi. The bus is powered by renewable energy- produced Green Hydrogen. The vehicles will undertake operational trials across the national capital and NCR. The trial period, more than 3 lakh kilometres across all buses, will generate data that will serve as a national repository.
19. World’s oldest wooden structure has been discovered in which country?
[A] Zambia
[B] Egypt
[C] Greece
[D] Turkey
Answer: [A] Zambia
Archaeologists have unearthed what is claimed to be the most ancient wooden construction ever found close to the border of Zambia and Tanzania. Located on the banks of a river in Zambia, this basic structure comprises two connected logs from a sizeable willow tree.
20. Tigist Assefa, who broke the women’s marathon world record, is from which country?
[A] Kenya
[B] Ethiopia
[C] Jamaica
[D] South Africa
Answer: [B] Ethiopia
Tigist Assefa from Ethiopia recently broke the women’s marathon world record at the Berlin Marathon. The 26-year-old runner broke the record by crossing the finish line in two hours, eleven minutes, and fifty-three seconds.