18th February 2023 Daily Current Affairs in English
1. Saur Revolution, which was seen in the news, is associated with which country?
[A] USA
[B] Afghanistan
[C] Germany
[D] Russia
Answer : [B] Afghanistan
The Saur Revolution was launched by the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) in 1978 to overthrow Afghan president Mohammed Daoud Khan, who had set up an autocratic one-party system. This socialist revolution is also known as the April Revolution. The Saur Revolution led to the creation of a socialist Afghan government that was closely aligned to the USSR.
2. Article 93 of the Indian Constitution, which was seen in the news, is associated with the appointment of which position?
[A] Governor
[B] Supreme Court Judge
[C] Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha
[D] Deputy Speaker of Rajya Sabha
Answer : [C] Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha
Article 93 of the Indian Constitution mandates the election of the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha. The Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha is the second-highest ranking legislative official in the House of the People. The Supreme Court recently issued notices to the Centre and five states namely Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand over the failure to elect a Deputy Speaker.
3. Which Union Ministry released the ‘Draft Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics Bill’?
[A] Ministry of Tourism
[B] Ministry of Mines
[C] Ministry of Culture
[D] Ministry of Home Affairs
Answer : [B] Ministry of Mines
The Draft Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill was released recently by Ministry of Mines for public suggestions. This proposed legislation has provisions concerning the declaration, preservation, protection and maintenance of geo-heritage sites and geo-relics of national importance. Its objective is to promote research, education and awareness about these sites.
4. Section 133A of IT Act, which was seen in the news, was used to undertake surveys in which office?
[A] Oxfam International
[B] BBC
[C] Amnesty International
[D] Thomas Reuters
Answer : [B] BBC
The IT Department recently launched surveys at the BBC’s offices under Section 133A and other provisions of the IT Act, 1961. The Act allows the IT Department to conduct surveys to gather hidden information. Under Section 133A of the IT Act, an authorized officer is allowed to enter any place of business or profession or charitable activity within their jurisdiction to verify accounting books and other documents as well as stocks, cash and other assets.
5. Which state recently approved Competitive Examination Ordinance, to prevent unfair means in recruitment?
[A] Gujarat
[B] Bihar
[C] Uttarakhand
[D] Telangana
Answer : [C] Uttarakhand
The Uttarakhand Competitive Examination (Measures for Control and Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Ordinance, 2023 was approved by the state government recently. The objective of this ordinance is to prevent offences that adversely affect the process of competitive examinations. The anti-cheating law has provisions providing hefty fines of up to Rs. 10 crores and life imprisonment for the guilty.
6. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was a militant organization formed in which country?
[A] Sri Lanka
[B] India
[C] Nepal
[D] Malaysia
Answer : [A] Sri Lanka
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers, was a militant organization in Sri Lanka that fought for an independent Tamil State called Tamil Eelam. The militant group was founded in 1976 by Velupillai Prabhakaran. It engaged in armed clashes against the Sri Lankan government and armed forces. The LTTE was widely regarded as the most dominant Tamil militant group in Sri Lanka and a feared guerrilla force.
7. Who coined the term ‘BIMARU’ the acronym for Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh?
[A] Ashish Bose
[B] Amartya Sen
[C] Jayati Ghosh
[D] Manmohan Singh
Answer : [A] Ashish Bose
The term BIMARU was coined by the late demographer Ashish Bose in a paper that was presented to the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The term BIMARU is an acronym for Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. BIMARU states are those that are considered to be lagging behind in the overall economic growth and basic amenities like education, healthcare.
8. Periyar Tiger Reserve, which was seen in the news, is a protected area in which state?
[A] Telangana
[B] Kerala
[C] Karnataka
[D] Odisha
Answer : [B] Kerala
Periyar Tiger Reserve is a protected area in Kerala. It was declared as a national park in 1982. A 4-day bird survey, which was conducted recently by the state forest department, has identified 231 bird species in the Periyar Tiger Reserve Among these birds, 14 were endangered and 20 were endemic to the Western Ghats. It also found the presence of 11 bird species that were not recorded during the previous surveys.
9. Which is the first European country to approve a law that grants paid menstrual leave?
[A] Sweden
[B] Spain
[C] Switzerland
[D] Finland
Answer : [B] Spain
Spain recently became the first European country to approve a law that will grant paid menstrual leave. It is part of broader legislation that also provides increased access to abortion in public hospitals. The new Spanish legislation provides paid medical leave for women who suffer from severe period plan. It allows workers who are suffering from menstrual pain to take as much time off as required.
10. Coradion calendula, which was seen in the news, belongs to which species?
[A] Turtle
[B] Fish
[C] Snake
[D] Spider
Answer : [B] Fish
Coradion calendula is a new species of butterfly fish belonging to the genus Coradion. It was recently discovered in Australian waters. Coradion calendula has characteristics that are similar to those of Coradion chrysozonus. Its habitat spans from the North West Shelf east to the northern Cape York Peninsula, close to the Torres Strait. It is likely to feed on sponge tissue and benthic invertebrates.
11. Lumpy skin disease (LSD) occurs prevalently in which species/group?
[A] Cattle
[B] Human Begins
[C] Poultry
[D] Fish
Answer : [A] Cattle
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral illness that affects cattle, caused by the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) of the Capripoxvirus genus. This disease is characterized by the formation of nodules or lumps on the skin, accompanied by fever and other symptoms. It causes reduced milk production, weight loss, damage to hides and welfare issues.
12. National Productivity Council (NPC) is an autonomous government body under which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Home Affairs
[B] Ministry of Commerce and Industry
[C] Ministry of External Affairs
[D] Ministry of MSME
Answer : [B] Ministry of Commerce and Industry
National Productivity Day is observed on February 12 every year in India. It is coordinated by the National Productivity Council (NPC), an autonomous government body that comes under the Ministry Commerce and Industry. The day commemorates the founding of the NPC, which was set up in 1958 to promote the productivity culture in India.
13. Lake Huron, which was seen in the news, is located in which region?
[A] Oceania
[B] North America
[C] Africa
[D] Asia
Answer : [B] North America
Lake Huron is shared by Canada and the United States. It is the third largest of the five lakes by surface area and the fourth largest by volume. It features many islands, with Manitoulin Island being the largest freshwater island in the world. An unidentified flying object was recently shot down over Lake Huron by an American F-16 fighter jet. This is the third such object to be spotted above North American airspace.
14. JANUS-1 Satellite, which was seen in the news, was successfully launched by which country?
[A] India
[B] USA
[C] UK
[D] Japan
Answer : [A] India
The JANUS-1 Satellite is the world’s first cloud-built demonstration satellite. It was fully conceived, designed, and manufactured with Antaris’ end-to-end cloud platform. This satellite was successfully launched recently with the help of the SSLC-D2 rocket developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
15. ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ is a national tribal festival organized by which organization?
[A] TRIFED
[B] FCI
[C] DRDO
[D] ICCR
Answer : [A] TRIFED
The ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ is a national tribal festival organized by the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation (TRIFED). This nationwide festival celebrates the Indian tribal community’s traditional art, culture, crafts, gastronomy, and trade. Special emphasis will be placed on exhibiting millets grown by tribal people.
16. Shinku La Tunnel is proposed to be constructed in which state/UT?
[A] Arunachal Pradesh
[B] Ladakh
[C] Sikkim
[D] West Bengal
Answer : [B] Ladakh
Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the construction of the Shinku La Tunnel. The proposed tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity in Ladakh. This is expected to be a major asset for tourism and other economic activities in the region. It will also benefit the economy of the Zanskar Valley. Covering a distance of 4.1 km, it will be constructed at an altitude of 16,580 feet by the Border Roads Organization (BRO). it is expected to be the world’s highest tunnel.
17. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) functions under which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Home Affairs
[B] Ministry of Defence
[C] Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs
[D] Ministry of External Affairs
Answer : [A] Ministry of Home Affairs
The Cabinet Committee on Security recently gave noted to a proposal that sought to raise 7 new battalion of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). ITBP is a paramilitary force in India tasked with guarding the country’s border with China along the Himalayan mountain range. Established in 1962 after the Indo-China war the ITBP operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
18. Nadi, which was seen in the news, is a city in which country?
[A] New Zealand
[B] Fiji
[C] Ukraine
[D] Sri Lanka
Answer : [B] Fiji
The 12th World Hindi Conference is being organized in Nadi, a city in the Pacific Island nation of Fiji. The theme for this international conference is ‘Hindi – Traditional Knowledge to Artificial Intelligence’. The World Hindi Conference is a key global platform that promotes Hindi language and literature in the international arena.
19. The ‘International Seabed Authority’ is based in which country?
[A] USA
[B] Jamaica
[C] Egypt
[D] Australia
Answer : [B] Jamaica
The International Seabed Authority is an organization of 167 countries and the European Union based in Kingston, Jamaica. It is an intergovernmental organization that was established under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its 1994 Agreement on Implementation. The Authority recently announced that Minerals in Indian Ocean can turn India self-sufficient in nickel and cobalt.
20. 22nd Rang Bharat Mahotsav was organized in which city?
[A] Panaji
[B] New Delhi
[C] Mumbai
[D] Kolkata
Answer : [B] New Delhi
The 22nd edition of the Rang Bharat Mahotsav, an international theatre festival, is being organized in New Delhi by the National School of Drama. The festival will showcase 33 plays in New Delhi and 47 plays in nine other major cities, which include Jammu, Bhopal, Guwahati, Ranchi, Nasik, Rajahmundry, Kevadia, Jaipur, and Srinagar. The festival will also feature various related events such as book launches, national and international seminars, and master-classes by theatre experts.