10th February 2023 Daily Current Affairs in English
1. National Research Foundation is an autonomous agency that comes under the aegis of which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Science and Technology
[B] Ministry of Electronics and IT
[C] Ministry of Home Affairs
[D] Ministry of Education
Answer : [A] Ministry of Science and Technology
National Research Foundation is an autonomous agency that comes under the aegis of Ministry of Science and Technology (DST). The Union Budget 2023-24 has earmarked Rs. 2,000 crore as an outlay for the National Research Foundation to boost research and innovation within India.
2. When is the ‘International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation’ observed?
[A] February 1
[B] February 2
[C] February 4
[D] February 6
Answer : [D] February 6
International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is observed on February 6 each year to raise global awareness about the issue concerning the female genital mutilation (FGM). This day was established in 2003 after the Campaign against Female Genital Mutilation officially declared “Zero Tolerance to FGM” in Africa on February 6.
3. NISAR is an Earth-observation satellite jointly developed by ISRO and which other country’s space agency?
[A] Japan
[B] USA
[C] Israel
[D] France
Answer : [B] USA
The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is an Earth-observation satellite jointly developed by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The SUV-size satellite will be shipped to India in a special cargo container flight later this month. It is expected to be launched into outer space in 2024 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre NISAR will provide critical information on Earth’s crust, ice sheets, and ecosystems.
4. Medium-density Amorphous Ice, which was seen in the news, was created in a container filled with which material?
[A] Plastic
[B] Stainless Steel
[C] Water
[D] Paper
Answer : [B] Stainless Steel
Medium-density Amorphous (MDA) Ice is a new form of ice that was recently discovered by scientists. This ice has same density and structure as water. The ice was created by scientists in a container with stainless steel balls at a C. the MDA ice does not have any ordered structure. It will provide the opportunity to improve the understanding of the properties of water.
5. ‘India Energy Week’ is observed in India, during which month?
[A] September
[B] December
[C] February
[D] June
Answer : [C] February
The India Energy Week is being organized from February 6 to 8 in India. The objective of this week-long event is to showcase India’s influence as a leader in the energy transition. While inaugurating the 2023 India Energy Week, Prime Minister Modi launched Indian Oil’s ‘Unbottled’ initiative, which involves using recycled polyester and cotton for creating retail customer attendants and LPG delivery personnel uniforms. Indian Oil’s Indoor Solar Cooking System was also rolled out for commercial purposes.
6. Who is the only living Indian to win the Grammy Award thrice?
[A] A R Rahman
[B] Ricky Kej
[C] Resul Pookutty
[D] Babbu Mann
Answer : [B] Ricky Kej
Ricky Kej is an Indian musician and environmental activist. The Indian music composer recently won his third Grammy Award for the album ‘Divine Tides’. He is the youngest person to win this award and only the fourth Indian to achieve this feat. He recently made another history by becoming the only living Indian to win the Grammy Award thrice.
7. Erzincan earthquake occurred in which country in 1939?
[A] USA
[B] Turkey
[C] Japan
[D] Philippines
Answer : [B] Turkey
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the earthquake that hit Gaziantep in southern Turkey was the country’s worst disaster since 1939 Erzincan earthquake. The 1939 Erzincan earthquake resulted in the deaths of around 33.000individuals. it was caused by the movement of the North Anatolian Fault Zone, which resulted in a quake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale. This earthquake caused damage to the Erzincan Plain and the Kelkit River Valley.
8. ‘Ukaguru spiny-throated reed frog’, which was seen in the news, has been discovered in which country?
[A] Colombia
[B] Tanzania
[C] Greece
[D] China
Answer : [B] Tanzania
A new species of frog known as the Ukaguru spiny-throated reed frog has been discovered in African country Tanzania. The frog has an uncommon characteristic of being completely silent, unlike other frogs that croak, sing, or ribbit. This frog belongs to the ‘spiny-throated’ group. They are only found in small populations, making them vulnerable to extinction.
9. Kiruna, which was seen in the news, is a small town located in which country?
[A] Switzerland
[B] Sweden
[C] Argentina
[D] Ukraine
Answer : [B] Sweden
Kiruna is a town in northern Sweden that houses over 18,000 individuals and a tonne wooden church. This town is currently under threat of being consumed by the world’s largest iron ore mine that is under the control of the Swedish state-owned company LKAB. This entire town is currently being relocated and it is considered as one of the significant relocations happened in the world.
10. The birth anniversary of which 15th-century poet and saint of Bhakti movement, is observed in February every year?
[A] Guru Ravidass
[B] Kabir Das
[C] Basava
[D] Guru Nanak
Answer : [A] Guru Ravidass
Guru Ravidass Jayanti is celebrated to mark the birth of Guru Ravidas, a mystic poet-saint of the Bhakti movement during the 15th century. The poet was a contemporary of Kabir Das and he taught monotheistic spirituality and message of equality and liberation from Indian caste system. His teachings are widely followed in states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, among others.
11. As per a recent report, direct link was found between deforestation of Amazon rainforest and the temperature changes in which country?
[A] India
[B] Japan
[C] Tibet
[D] Indonesia
Answer : [C] Tibet
A new report ‘Teleconnections Among Tipping Elements in the Earth System’ Report, has found a direct link between deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and the temperature changes in Tibet. Tibet is situated more than 15,000 km from the rainforest. It revealed the strong link between climate tipping elements. A tipping point is a threshold beyond which major, irreversible changes occur in a specific region.
12. Which state topped the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data with highest disposal rate of cases of crime against women?
[A] Gujarat
[B] Bihar
[C] Uttar Pradesh
[D] Madhya Pradesh
Answer : [C] Uttar Pradesh
The Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offenses (ITSSO) was launched in 2019 by the Central Government to monitor police investigations of sexual assault cases. It is currently operated by the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau). Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest disposal rate of 97.6 percent, as it disposed of over 74,000 cases against 75,800 cases registered in relation to crime against women.
13. Which company launched India’s first Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (H2ICE) technology?
[A] Tata Motors
[B] Reliance Industries
[C] Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
[D] Mahindra and Mahindra
Answer : [B] Reliance Industries
India’s first Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (H2ICE) technology was launched by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) for heavy-duty trucks. It was developed by RIL in collaboration with vehicle partners like Ashok Leyland and others and was launched during the India Energy Week 2023. The H2ICE technology minimizes carbon emissions and delivers better performance when compared with conventional diesel trucks.
14. India established a ‘Trade and Technology Council (TTC)’ along with which bloc?
[A] SAARC
[B] ASEAN
[C] EU
[D] G-20
Answer : [C] EU
The India-EU Trade and Technology Council was jointly established by the European Union and India. Under this new council, three working groups have been set up with the focus on strategic technologies, digital governance, and digital connectivity, green and clean energy technologies; and trade, investment, and resilient value chains. The working groups will be responsible for preparing for the TTC meeting, which is set to take place before the next bilateral India-EU summit.
15. The eXperiential Technology Innovation Centre (XTIC) is a newly established research institute in which institution?
[A] IISc Bengaluru
[B] IISER Bhopal
[C] IIT Madras
[D] NIT Warangal
Answer : [C] IIT Madras
The eXperiential Technology Innovation Centre (XTIC) is a newly established research institute in IIT Madras. It is India’s research and product innovation centre focusing on extended reality and haptics technology. An MoU was signed recently between ISRO and the IIT Madras to develop a training module for the Indian spaceflight programme at the XTIC. It will be developed using the augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality.
16. Which state budget announced a road map for setting up green hydrogen hubs with outlay of Rs 200 crores?
[A] Telangana
[B] Kerala
[C] Assam
[D] Odisha
Answer : [B] Kerala
The Budget presented by Kerala announced a road map for setting up green hydrogen hubs in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram in the next two years, a scheme of ₹ 200 crore has been announced for viability gap funding/grant/equity support to set up the green hydrogen hubs. An amount of ₹ 20 crore is earmarked additionally for the purpose in the Budget.
17. Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is prevalently found in which Indian state?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Andhra Pradesh
[C] Odisha
[D] Goa
Answer : [B] Andhra Pradesh
As per the CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) trade database, 28 incidents of Red Sanders confiscation, seizure, and specimen were exported from India. These consignments were exported to China (53.5)%, Hong Kong (25.0%), Singapore (17.*%) and the United States of America (3.5%) from 2016 to 2020. Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) or red sandalwood, is an endemic tree species with distribution restricted to the Eastern Ghats of India and is found in Andhra Pradesh.
18. When is the ‘International Day of Human Fraternity’ observed?
[A] February 2
[B] February 4
[C] February 6
[D] February 8
Answer : [B] February 4
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 4 February as the International Day of Human Fraternity in 2020. It celebrates the values of compassion, religious understanding, and mutual respect. On the occasion, the UN chief called for renewed commitment to form an ‘alliance of peace’ amid a surge in hate speech, sectarianism and strife.
19. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs signed MoU with which organization to develop Waste to Energy and bio-methanation projects in million plus cities?
[A] Engineers India Limited
[B] Bharat Electronics Limited
[C] DRDO
[D] Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Answer : [A] Engineers India Limited
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs signed a MoU with Engineers India Limited to develop Waste to Energy and bio-methanation projects in cities with a population of million plus. It was signed as a part of furthering the ‘Green Growth’ agenda. There are 59 million plus cities in India and EIL will assist them in developing such projects for larger quantum of waste integrating circularity in waste management.
20. Which country is the host of 2027 Asian Cup Football?
[A] India
[B] Pakistan
[C] Saudi Arabia
[D] Singapore
Answer : [C] Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia was confirmed as the host of football’s 2027 Asian Cup Tournament at the Asian Football Confederation Congress in Bahrain. Saudi was the only bid presented at the Congress after India’s withdrawal in December 2022. Qatar will host the next edition of the Asian Cup, from June 26 to July 16, 2023. Qatar will become the first country to host three Asian Cups, after 1988 and 2011.