Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 9th August 2023

1. What is India’s GST collection for the month of July 2023?

[A] Rs 1.05 lakh crore

[B] Rs 1.15 lakh crore

[C] Rs 1.65 lakh crore

[D] Rs 1.95 lakh crore

Answer: [C] Rs 1.65 lakh crore

India’s gross revenues from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hit a three-month high to cross 1.65 lakh crore in July 2023. July’s collections were 2.2% higher than the previous month’s GST collection. However, at 10.89%, it was the slowest uptick in collections since July 2021 compared to revenues from the same month last year.

2. Which state/UT launched the ‘Amrit Brikshya Andolan’ app?

[A] Assam

[B] West Bengal

[C] Odisha

[D] Gujarat

Answer: [A] Assam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the Department of Forest and Environment’s Amrit Brikshya Andolan web portal/mobile application and the Wood-based Industry (WBI) registration web portal, along with the theme song for the Amrit Brikshya Andolan. It is an initiative aimed at planting a total of1 crore commercially-viable saplings across the State by individuals from various walks of life.

3. ‘Unmesha’ and ‘Utkarsh’ festivals were inaugurated in which state/UT?

[A] Madhya Pradesh

[B] Goa

[C] Gujarat

[D] Maharashtra

Answer: [A] Madhya Pradesh

The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, is scheduled to visit Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, to inaugurate two events: the ‘Unmesha’ International Literature Festival and the “Utkarsh’ Festival of Folk and Tribal Performing Arts. These events are organized by the Ministry of Cuiture in collaboration with Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi, respectively.

4. Which Union Ministry has recently introduced a fresh visa category named ‘Ayush Visa’?

[A] Ministry of Home Affairs

[B] Ministry of External Affairs

[C] Ministry of Ayush

[D] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Answer: [A] Ministry of Home Affairs

The Ministry of Home Affairs has recently introduced a fresh visa category named “Ayush Visa” to cater to foreign nationals seeking medical treatment, including therapeutic care, wellness, and yoga in India. The Ayush Visa has been introduced to address the requirement for a dedicated visa program for foreign visitors seeking treatment under Ayush systems or Indian medicine.

5. Starlab station is a joint venture of Voyager Space and which institution?

[A] Boeing

[B] Airbus

[C] SpaceX

[D] Dhruv

Answer: [B] Airbus

The International Space Station has entered its final phase of operation, with interhational agreements running until 2028-2030. With a view to replace orbital complex as part of a public- private partnership, NASA has launched various programs. Voyager Space and Airbus announced the creation of a joint venture to build and operate the Starlab station. The joint venture will have a European jV entity to serve the European Space Agency and the space agencies of its member states.

6. Vostok Station is a Russian research station in which region?

[A] Russia

[B] Antarctica

[C] Canada

[D] Egypt

Answer: [A] Russia

Vostok Station is a Russian research station in inland Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarctica. Scientists have successfully grown watermelons at the Vostok Station, located at the Pole of Cold. This impressive accomplishment marks a significant achievement in agricultural endeavors within the challenging conditions of Antarctica.

7. Samuel Peralta is a physicist and art enthusiast from which country?

[A] Russia

[B] Canada

[C] India

[D] USA

Answer: [B] Canada

The Lunar Codex program, led by Samuel Peralta, a physicist and art enthusiast from Canada, aims to immortalize a diverse array of human-made artworks. It aims to send a collection of digitized art to the moon. Lunar Codex is stored on memory cards or laser etched on NanoFiche, a 21st-century update on film- based microfiche. These will ensure that the art forms reach the lunar surface safely.

8. Iceberg Alley, which was seen in the news, is located in which country?

[A] Ukraine

[B] Bangladesh

[C] Canada

[D] Australia

Answer: [C] Canada

A massive iceberg was observed drifting towards Newfoundland, a Canadian island, recently. The location, known as ‘Iceberg Alley’, frequently witnesses such colossal ice formations and was where the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in 1912.

9. Typhoon Doksuri has hit which country recently?

[A] Philippines

[B] China

[C] Japan

[D] Indonesia

Answer: [B] China

In the city of Beijing, the amount of rain over the past week has broken a 140-year-old record after being hit by Typhoon Doksuri. Typhoon Doksuri’s aftermath is causing widespread devastation, leading to thousands of evacuations. At least 10 people have died and 18 are missing, and officials have evacuated millions of people.

10. Which country has organised ‘Operation Shield’ exercise?

[A] Ukraine

[B] Brazil

[C] Argentina

[D] USA

Answer: [B] Brazil

Brazil’s Operation Shield is a police operation that targeted criminal gangs in slums areas in Rio de Janeiro. At least 45 people have lost their lives in a recent series of lethal security force operations conducted in Brazil.

11. Which city is the host of the ‘G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Ministerial Meeting’?

[A] Chennai

[B] Mumbai

[C] Gandhi Nagar

[D] Sri Nagar

Answer: [A] Chennai

The G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Ministerial Meeting concluded recently in Chennai. The event concluded without reaching consensus on significant climate-related matters. Crucial topics like transitioning away from fossil fuels remained unresolved during the meeting.

12. Which country has recognised ‘acts of genocide’ against Yazidis by Islamic State?

[A] USA

[B] UK

[C] Australia

[D] Germany

Answer: [B] UK

The UK has formally acknowledged that acts of genocide were committed against the Yazidi people by Daesh in 2014. The Yazidis were subjected to massacres, forced marriages and sex slavery during the jihadists’ 2014-15 rule in the Iraq province of Sinjar. It was announced ahead of events to mark “the 9 year anniversary of atrocities” committed by Islamic State against Kurdish-speaking Yazidi minority in Iraq.

13. After approval from U, which country is set to sell its “David’s Sling” anti-missile defense system to Finland?

[A] UAE

[B] Israel

[C] Germany

[D] France

Answer: [B] Israel

The US Government has granted approval for Israel to sell its “David’s Sling” anti-missile defense system to Finland. Following the approval, Israel’s Ministry of Defense, the Finnish Ministry of Defense, and Rafael Advanced Systems, the Israeli defense contractor responsible for developing the system, will partake in a signing ceremony for a procurement agreement valued at around 316 million Euros.

14. What is the total number of documented cyber incidents targeting government organizations or systems in 2023 (up to June)?

[A] 54,314

[B] 74,314

[C] 112,474

[D] 212,474

Answer: [C] 112,474

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), responsible for overseeing cyber security incidents in India, documented cyber incidents targeting government organizations or systems for the years 2018 to 2023 (up to June). The reported incidents were 70,798 in 2018, 85,797 in 2019, 54,314 in 2020, 48,285 in 2021, 192,439 in 2022, and 112,474 in 2023 (up to June).

15. Which country has organised the ‘Ocean Shield-2023’ in the Baltic Sea?

[A] Russia

[B] Ukraine

[C] USA

[D] Japan

Answer: [A] Russia

Ocean Shield-2023 exercises are live-fire naval exercises carried out in the Baltic Sea by Russia. Drill involves over 30 military vessels and boats, 20 support vessels, 30 naval aviation and Aerospace Forces of Russia aircraft, and about 6,000 troops.

16. Which Union Ministry launched ‘Vivad se Vishwas II-(Contractual Disputes)’ scheme?

[A] Ministry of MSME

[B] Ministry of Commerce and Industry

[C] Ministry of Finance

[D] Ministry of Corporate Affairs

Answer: [C] Ministry of Finance

The Ministry of Finance launched a settlement scheme for contractual disputes with vendors or suppliers to government and its undertakings. The ‘Vivad se Vishwas II- (ontractual Disputes)’ was announced during this year’s Union Budget. October 31 has been set as a deadline for firms Department of Expenditure to submit their claims for consideration.

17. Which country released the ‘Guidelines for the Construction of Minor Mode of the Mobile Internet’?

[A] China

[B] Russia

[C] USA

[D] UAE

Answer: [A] China

China’s internet requlator recently released the draft of the “Guidelines for the Construction of Minor Mode of the Mobile Internet”. It proposes regulations to restrict children’s smartphone usage to a maximum of two hours per day and mandated all tech companies to implement a “minor node” with limitations.

18. Which city has deployed ‘AI-powered smart pedestrian crossing system’?

[A] New Delhi

[B] Dubai

[C] Paris

[D] Rome

Answer: [B] Dubai

In collaboration with Derq, Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) has successfully deployed 14 Al-based intelligent pedestrian crossing systems. The newly implemented system utilizes Al algorithms specially designed to identify and monitor vehicles and other road users as they approach the pedestrian crosswalk.

19. As per recent data, what is the number of hours of housework per day done by women in India?

[A] Three hours

[B] Five hours

[C] Seven hours

[D] Nine hours

Answer: [C] Seven hours

As per a recent survey, women do seven hours of housework per day and men under three hours in India. The Tamil Nadu government launched camps to facilitate the registration of applicants for the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam, or women’s basic income scheme. The scheme will provide Rs. 1,000 per month to women in eligible households.

20. Which Union Ministry launched the e-CARe portal?

[A] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

[B] Ministry of External Affairs

[C] Ministry of Defence

[D] Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Answer: [A] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Union Health Ministry announced the launch of e-CARe (e-clearance for after life remains) portal to bring bodies from abroad. Nodal officers from the Airport Health Organisation (APHO) will monitor the portal throughout the day.