20th January 2023 Daily Current Affairs in English
1. What is the theme of the World Economic Forum 2023 meeting?
[A] Cooperation in a Fragmented World
[B] Planet People Partnership
[C] Inclusive and sustainable growth
[D] Promotion of Regional Trade
Answer : [A] Cooperation in a Fragmented World
The World Economic Forum, known for its annual summit in Davos, Switzerland, is a non-governmental organization founded by economic Klaus Scwab. This year’s world Economic Forum theme is “Cooperation in a Fragmented World”. Department for promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) marks India’s presence at WEF through three lounges with focus on investment opportunity, sustainability and inclusive approach.
2. Which institution released the report titled ‘Survival of the Richest’?
[A] World Economic Forum
[B] Oxfam International
[C] NITI Aayog
[D] Reserve Bank of India
Answer : [B] Oxfam International
A new study titled ‘Survival of the Richest’ released by Oxfam International on the first day of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos. The report showed that the richest one percent of the population in India now owns more than 40 percent of the country’s total wealth, while the bottom half of the population shares only 3 percent of the wealth.
3. ‘Varuna’ is a bilateral naval exercise between India and which country?
[A] USA
[B] France
[C] UAE
[D] Sri Lanka
Answer : [B] France
The “Varuna” bilateral naval exercise between India and France is being conducted on the Western Seaboard. The exercise began in 1993 and was given its name in 2001. This 21st edition of the exercise will include advanced air defence exercises and other maritime operations. The exercise has been regarded as a symbol of the strategic relationship between the countries.
4. Which state/UT Police launched the ‘Cyber Congress initiative’?
[A] Kerala
[B] Telangana
[C] West Bengal
[D] Odisha
Answer : [B] Telangana
The Women Safety Wing of Telangana Police recently launched the ‘Cyber Congress initiative’. It aims to train, empower and equip the young generation the knowledge and skills required to protect themselves and their communities from cyber crimes. The students are trained to become ‘cyber ambassadors’ in the region.
5. FPGA, which was seen in the news recently, is associated with which industry?
[A] Electronics
[B] Economics
[C] Sports
[D] Business
Answer : [A] Electronics
Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are reprogrammable chips that are considerably cheaper than application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). They are seen in the news as FPGAs are increasingly used in a wide range of industries, including self-driving cars and the space industry.
6. India is set to host its first Global Tourism Summit in which state/UT?
[A] Uttar Pradesh
[B] New Delhi
[C] Assam
[D] Tamil Nadu
Answer : [B] New Delhi
India is set to host the country’s first Global Tourism Summit in April as part of its G-20 presidency, where all member countries will participate. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is the industry partner for the event, which will be held in New Delhi. The summit is organized to showcase various opportunities for investment and trade in the tourism sector.
7. Which institution has launched the ‘Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA)’ initiative?
[A] World Bank
[B] International Monetary Fund
[C] World Economic Forum
[D] G-20
Answer : [C] World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has launched ‘Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA)’ global initiative. It aims to fund and grow public, private, and philanthropic partnerships (PPPPs) aimed at reaching net-zero, reversing nature loss, and restoring biodiversity by 2050. GAEA also aims to unlock the USD 3 trillion of financing needed each year to achieve these goals. GAEA is supported by over 45 partners, including HCL Technologies.
8. Recently which Indian corporate group announced plans to deploy Asia’s first planned hydrogen powered mining truck?
[A] Tata Group
[B] Reliance Industries
[C] Adani Group
[D] Aditya Birla Group
Answer : [C] Adani Group
The Indian corporate group that announced plans to deploy Asia’s first planned hydrogen powered mining truck is Gautam Adani’s group. Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL), which is part of the diversified Adani portfolio of companies, signed an agreement to launch a pilot project to develop a hydrogen fuel cell electric truck (FCET) for mining logistics and transportation with Ashok Leyland, India and Ballard Power, Canada. This collaboration marks Asia’s first planned hydrogen powered mining truck.
9. Korwa ordnance factory is manufacturing AK-203 assault rifles in a joint venture with which country?
[A] Japan
[B] Russia
[C] USA
[D] France
Answer : [B] Russia
The AK-203 Kalashnikov is a modern assault rifle that is being manufactured at the Korwa ordnance factory in UP’s Amethi district. The AK-203 project is carried out through a joint venture called Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd. The project seeks to manufacture over six lakh rifles over a 10-year period for a cost of Rs 5,124 crore. The first lot of 5,000 rifles will be delivered to the Indian army by March.
10. 1200-year-old miniature votive stupas have been discovered in which state/UT?
[A] Uttarakhand
[B] Sikkim
[C] Bihar
[D] West Bengal
Answer : [C] Bihar
The Patna circle of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered two 1200-year-old miniature votive stupas on the premises of ‘Nalanda Mahavihara’, a world heritage site in Nalanda district. The stupas, carved from stone, depict Buddha figures. Votive stupas are small, portable stupas that are typically made of metal, clay, or stone and are used as offerings in Buddhist temples or shrines. They are used in both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.
11. Saunamara, also known as the ‘Hockey Village’, is located in which state/UT?
[A] Odisha
[B] West Bengal
[C] Punjab
[D] Haryana
Answer : [A] Odisha
Saunamara, a small village in Odisha, is also known as ‘Hockey Village’ of India. It is located at 100km from Birsa Munda Stadium, the world’s largest all-seater hockey-specific venue in Rourkela. The village has given more than 60 national team players, both male and female. It has produced several notable hockey players such as Dilip Tirkey, Amit Rohidas, and Subhadra Pradhan. As the village has a lack of proper hockey grounds, an artificial turf is being prepared by next month.
12. Which author has been awarded the ‘Federal Bank Literary Award 2022’?
[A] K Venu
[B] Sreekumaran Thampi
[C] Anwar Ali
[D] M Mukundan
Answer : [A] K Venu
K Venu, a noted writer, was awarded the Federal Bank Literary Award 2022 for his autobiography ‘Oranweshananthinte Katha’. The award was presented by Balagopal Chandrasekhar, Chairman and Independent Director of Federal Bank, as a part of the Kerala Literature Festival.
13. The Armed Forces Veterans’ Day is celebrated during which month?
[A] January
[B] February
[C] March
[D] April
Answer : [A] January
The Armed Forces Veterans’ Day is celebrated on 14th January every year. As on this day in 1953, the first Indian Commander-in-chief of Indian Army Field Marshal KM Cariappa, who led the Indian forces to victory in the 1947 war, retired from the service. The seventh Armed Forces Veterans’ Day was celebrated across the country, as a mark of respect to the selfless duty of the ex-servicemen and their sacrifices towards the Nation. The Raksha Mantri also launched the ‘Soul of Steel’ Alpine Challenge, an initiative to promote tourism in border areas.
14. As per the recent analysis by NASA, 2022 is tied with 2015 as the _______ warmest on record?
[A] First
[B] Second
[C] Fifth
[D] Sixth
Answer : [C] Fifth
According to an analysis by (NASA), the Earth’s average surface temperature in 2022 tied with 2015 as the fifth warmest on record. Scientists from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) say that global temperatures in 2022 were 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0.89 degrees Celsius, above the average for NASA’s baseline period 1951-1980.
15. As per the UN estimates, over half of the increase in the global population between 2022 and 2050 is concentrated in how many countries?
[A] 4
[B] 6
[C] 8
[D] 10
Answer : [C] 8
The UN estimates that over half of the projected increase in the global population between 2022 and 2050 to be concentrated in just eight countries: the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania. China’s population shrank by 850,000 in 2022 compared to a year ago, according to data released by the National Statistics Bureau.
16. Which Union Ministry implements the ‘National Urban Technology Mission for Municipal Services and ULBs’?
[A] Ministry of Home Affairs
[B] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
[C] Ministry of Science and Technology
[D] Ministry of Electronics and IT
Answer : [B] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
The Centre is set to launch a five-year National Urban Technology Mission which will introduce technological innovations in municipal services and infrastructure of 4,500 urban local bodies in the country. The mission is to be carried by the Ministry of housing and urban affairs. The mission will identify six basic common citizen services which every urban local body will have to offer online.
17. Which institution releases the ‘Business Confidence Index’?
[A] RBI
[B] CII
[C] FICCI
[D] BSE
Answer : [B] CII
The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) releases the Business Confidence Index. The index rebounded to its highest reading in almost two years of 67.6 in the October – December quarter from 62.2 in the previous quarter. As per the report, despite tightening financial conditions and geopolitical tensions, around 73 per cent of the survey respondents expected only a moderate impact of the global slowdown on the Indian economy.
18. When is the ‘National Startup Day’ celebrated every year?
[A] January 6
[B] January 16
[C] January 26
[D] February 6
Answer : [B] January 16
The ‘National Start-up Day’ is observed every year on January 16, to promote the startup culture at the grassroots level. To celebrate National Startup Day and the Indian startup ecosystem, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is organizing the Startup India Innovation week.
19. As per the ‘India Mobile Gaming Report 2022’ which state is the top destination for mobile gamers?
[A] Rajasthan
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Uttar Pradesh
[D] Bihar
Answer : [C] Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh is the top destination for mobile gamers, according to India Mobile Gaming Report 2022. The report was released by the gaming platform Mobile Premier League. Uttar Pradesh is followed by Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar and west Bengal. Other states like Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Himachal Pradesh have seen the highest increase in mobile gamers in 2022 compared to 2021.
20. Pudaang village, where road construction have been started for the first time since Independence, is located in which state?
[A] Himachal Pradesh
[B] Sikkim
[C] Odisha
[D] Chhattisgarh
Answer : [D] Chhattisgarh
The Chhattisgarh government has begun with road construction work in Pudaang village. The road will connect it with rest of the state for the first time since India’s Independence. The Pudang village is surrounded by forests and valleys. Its remote location has been a challenging task for road construction. Residents of the village travelled to Chhattisgarh through Jharkhand border.