Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 4th August 2023

1. As per Health Ministry data, which state recorded the most deaths due to heatwaves till June-end?

[A] Bihar

[B] Rajasthan

[C] Kerala

[D] Gujarat

Answer: [C] Kerala

As many as 120 people died in Kerala due to heatwave till June-end, the highest in the country, said a Health Ministry statement in the Lok Sabha. Gujarat saw 35 deaths due to heatwaves. It is followed by Telangana with 20.

2. Which Union Ministry has set up a working group to decriminalise laws to further promote ease of doing business?

[A] Ministry of Finance

[B] Ministry of MSME

[C] Ministry of Commerce and Industry

[D] Ministry of Corporate Affairs

Answer: [C] Ministry of Commerce and Industry

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has set up a working group to decriminalise laws to further promote ease of doing business. The group comprised representatives from industry associations, business chambers, legal professionals, and officials of seven ministries. It would also have representatives of the National Housing Bank, NABARD and CPCB.

3. Which institution releases Digital Payments Index (DPI) in India?

[A] RBI

[B] NPCI

[C] NITI Aayog

[D] Finance Ministry

Answer: [A] RBI

Digital payments across the country registered a growth of 13.24 per cent in a year through March 2023, as per RBI’s index that measures the adoption of online transactions. RBI’s Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) stood at 395.57 at end- March 2023 compared to 377.46 in September 2022 and 349.30 in March 2022. The index is a base to capture the extent of digitisation of payments across the country.

4. Which state/ UT saw the highest number of deaths due to rabies in the country in 2022?

[A] Andhra Pradesh

[B] West Bengal

[C] New Delhi

[D] Maharashtra

Answer: [C] New Delhi

As per the information given by the Health Ministry in the Lok Sabha this week, Delhi saw the highest number of deaths due to rabies in the country in 2022. While Delhi reported 48 fatalities, West Bengal saw 38 deaths, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra at 29 each.

5. Which country has granted Pakistan a two- year rollover on USD 2.4 billion loan?

[A] China

[B] USA

[C] Russia

[D] Germany

Answer: [A] China

China has granted Pakistan a two-year rollover on a USD 2.4-billion loan for a period of two years. This move is expected to provide relief to Pakistan, which is facing a severe Balance of Payments crisis. Its current reserves barely cover two months’ worth of import bills.

6. Which personality has said that the Earth has entered an “era of global boiling”?

[A] US President

[B] UN Secretary-General

[C] WMO Chief

[D] IMF Chief

Answer: [B] UN Secretary-General

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a powerful message on climate change, urging immediate radical action to address the record-shattering July temperatures. He said that this phenomenon indicate that the Earth has entered an ‘era of global boiling’ surpassing warming phase.

7. Which country has executed a 45-year-old woman over charges of trafficking heroin?

[A] China

[B] Singapore

[C] Bangladesh

[D] North Korea

Answer: [B] Singapore

Singapore has hanged a 45-year-old woman who was caught with 31 grams of heroin. This is the first time the city-state has executed a woman in nearly 20 years. Saridewi Binte Djamani was hanged after being convicted of trafficking “not less than 30.72 grams” of the drug in 2018.

8. Which European country has been qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024?

[A] Ireland

[B] Greece

[C] Spain

[D] Croatia

Answer: [A] Ireland

Ireland, a rising force in international cricket, has secured its spot in the prestigious ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Ireland remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, having registered victories against Italy, Denmark, Austria, and Jersey before their clash against Germany resulted in a washout.

9. ‘Ashura processions’ is associated with which religion?

[A] Hinduism

[B] Jewism

[C] Islam

[D] Sikhism

Answer: [C] Islam

Shia Muslims around the world take out Ashura processions to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, a grandson of the Prophet, who was killed in the Battle of Karbala in present day Iraq Thousands of Shia Muslims in Srinagar held a Muharram procession for the first time in over three decades, following the government’s permission.

10. DGCA fined which airline for deficiencies in their procedures related to frequent tail strike incidents?

[A] Air India

[B] IndiGo

[C] Spicejet

[D] Akasa

Answer: [B] IndiGo

The DGCA fined IndiGo Rs 30 lakhs and issued a show cause notice due to deficiencies in their documentation and procedures related to frequent tail strike incidents on their A321 aircraft. Tail strikes occur when the tail of an aircraft hits the ground or any stationary object, with a majority happening during landings.

11. Under Free Movement Regime (FMR), tribes living along the border can travel up to what distance inside the other country without a visa?

[A] 5 kilometres

[B] 8 kilometres

[C] 16 kilometres

[D] 20 kilometres

Answer: [C] 16 kilometres

The Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India-Myanmar border has complicated the volatile situation in Manipur due to migration of tribal Kuki-Chin people from Myanmar. The border between India and Myanmar runs for 1,643 km in the four states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh. The FMR allows tribes living along the border to travel up to 16 km inside the other country without a visa.

12. Which country grants stapled visas to Indian nationals from Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir?

[A] Myanmar

[B] China

[C] Bangladesh

[D] Afghanistan

Answer: [B] China

A stapled visa is an unstamped paper attached to a passport page using a pin or staples, which can be easily torn off or removed as desired. China has adopted a policy of granting stapled visas to Indian nationals from Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. While China considers these visas as valid documents, the Government of India has consistently rejected this stance.

13. India is collaborating with which country to frame a ‘Consensus Document’ for G-20?

[A] China

[B] Japan

[C] South Africa

[D] Bangladesh

Answer: [B] Japan

As the G20 chair, India is working with Japan and other G7 countries on the one side, and Russia- China on the other side to formulate the G20 leaders’ declaration in Delhi. Japan holds the current chairmanship of the G7 grouping, which has been the most vocal over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

14. Parkachik Glacier is located in which state/UT?

[A] Arunachal Pradesh

[B] Ladakh

[C] Jammu and Kashmir

[D] Sikkim

Answer: [B] Ladakh

Researchers from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology have conducted a recent study, indicating the potential formation of three glacial lakes near Parkachik Glacier in Ladakh due to rapid ice melting. The increasing glacial melt is concerning as it raises the risk of glacial lake outbursts and may also cause water scarcity, given that glaciers serve as the main water source for the region.

15. ‘Secondary Towns Development Sector Project’ is associated with which state/UT?

[A] Rajasthan

[B] Gujarat

[C] Manipur

[D] Karnataka

Answer: [A] Rajasthan

Recently, the Indian government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have entered into an agreement, securing a USD 200 million loan as extra funding for the existing Rajasthan Secondary Towns Development Sector Project. The loan aims to extend water supply and sanitation systems, boost urban resilience, and preserve the heritage in chosen towns.

16. ‘Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam’ was organised to commemorate the anniversary of which scheme/policy?

[A] Beti Bachao; Beti Padhao

[B] National Education Policy

[C] Samagra Shiksha

[D] Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

Answer: [B] National Education Policy

Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. He also released the first instalment of funds under the PM SHRI Scheme. The two-day conference aligns with the third anniversary of the introduction of National Education Policy – NEP 2020.

17. India recently signed a MoU with which country to collaborate on the sharing of INDIA STACK?

[A] Papua New Guinea

[B] Malta

[C] Laos

[D] Thailand

Answer: [A] Papua New Guinea

India and Papua New Guinea have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the sharing of INDIA STACK. It was signed between the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) of the Papua New Guinea and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) of India.

18. What is the expansion of ‘CDMDF’ which was launched by the Union Finance Minister recently?

[A] Corporate Debt Market Development Fund

[B] Company Debt Market Development Fund

[C] Client Debt Market Development Fund

[D] Corporate Dual Market Development Fund

Answer: [A] Corporate Debt Market Development Fund

The AMC Repo Clearing Limited (ARCL) and Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF) were inaugurated by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The CDMDF was announced in the 2021-22 Union Budget to enhance liquidity in the Corporate Bond market during stressed and normal times.

19. Which institution has launched the ‘100 Microsites Project’?

[A] NABARD

[B] NITI Aayog

[C] National Health Authority

[D] National Insititute of Virology

Answer: [D] National Health Authority

The National Health Authority has introduced the 100 Microsites Project, aiming to expedite the adoption of digital health services nationwide. These microsites will consist of small and mid- sized health facilities that will be fully aligned with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission standards.

20. Which Union Ministry is associated with the ‘Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC)’?

[A] Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change

[B] Ministry of MSME

[C] Ministry of Finance

[D] Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Answer: [A] Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC) was launched on the sidelines of the 4th G-20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) and Environment and Climate Ministers meeting in Chennai. Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav said that this mission of this coalition is to promote greater company-to-company collaboration, build advanced capabilities across sectors, bring learnings from diverse and global experiences of the coalition members among others.