22nd February 2023 Daily Current Affairs in English
1. Which country hosts the ‘Munich Security Conference’?
[A] USA
[B] Germany
[C] France
[D] Israel
Answer : [B] Germany
The Munich Security conference is an annual conference that focuses on global security issues. It brings senior politicians and military leaders from across the world to Germany’s Munich. In the 2023 conference, which was held recently, a major focus was given to the war in Ukraine. For the first time in many years, Russia did not send a delegation to this event.
2. Kuno National Park, which was seen in the news, is in which state?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] Gujarat
[D] Assam
Answer : [B] Madhya Pradesh
Kuno National Park is a wildlife sanctuary and national park located in Madhya Pradesh. It is named after the Kuno River and was initially established in 1981 as a wildlife sanctuary. In 2018, it was granted national park status. As part of the Cheetah Reintroduction Project, 12 more cheetahs were released into the Kuno National Park, bringing the total number of cheetahs to 20.
3. Which state/UT is expected to be the most climate-vulnerable region in India, as per a recent report?
[A] Bihar
[B] New Delhi
[C] Uttarakhand
[D] Maharashtra
Answer : [A] Bihar
As per the XDI’s Gross Domestic Climate Risk report, the economies of India, China and the US will witness the worst impact of the climate change. This report revealed that 14 Indian states will remain within the top 100 most climate-risk prone territories among more than 2,600 regions in the world by 2050. Bihar, with a global ranking of 22, is expected to be the most climate-vulnerable region in India by 2050.
4. Which city is the host of the first-ever G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) meeting?
[A] Panaji
[B] Khajuraho
[C] Mysuru
[D] Jaipur
Answer : [B] Khajuraho
The first-ever G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) meeting is set to take place in Khajuraho, India. It will focus on protecting and restoring cultural property. This exhibition will showcase 25 artifacts that have been returned to India after being smuggled out of the country. The CEG’s goal is to reduce illicit trafficking of cultural property by 2030, regulate online trading platforms, and raise public awareness about restitution laws and conventions.
5. What is the expansion of ‘ecDNA’, which are recently found by the scientists as helping agents for cancer to spread?
[A] existential DNA
[B] extrachromosomal DNA
[C] evolutional DNA
[D] extra-resistant DNA
Answer : [B] extrachromosomal DNA
Scientists have found small pieces of DNA known as extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) that help cancer to spread. The discovery was made by a team of researchers working on the Cancer Grand Challenges initiative. These small pieces of genetic material also known as oncogenes, can make cancer cells more resistant to current cancer treatments.
6. Which institution released the ‘Global Security Outlook Report 2023’?
[A] World Bank
[B] NITI Aayog
[C] World-Economic Forum
[D] International Monetary Fund
Answer : [C] World-Economic Forum
World Economic Forum (WEF) recently released the ‘Global Security Outlook Report 2023’ in collaboration with Accenture. It warned that the cyber-attacks are expected to cause an unprecedented threat in the coming 2 years. The report also predicts catastrophic cyber events mainly due to the present geopolitical instability.
7. ‘Rio Carnival’ is an annual festival observed in which country?
[A] Argentina
[B] Brazil
[C] Canada
[D] France
Answer : [B] Brazil
Rio Carnival is an annual festival that takes place before Lint (a period of abstinence for Christians). The festival is observed in Brazil. Over 40 million people attended the event. During this period, Christians give up certain items and activities to resist personal temptations and reaffirm their spiritual commitments. Rio Carnival commences a week before the Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lint. It will mark the end of the Rio Carnival.
8. The term ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ is officially defined in which law/statute?
[A] Rome Statute
[B] Statute of the International Court of Justice
[C] Charter of the United Nations (UN)
[D] International Human Rights Law
Answer : [A] Rome Statute
Crimes against humanity are atrocities committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack targeting any civilian population. The term ‘crimes against humanity’ has been officially defined in the 1998 Rome Statute. In a recent Security Conference, United States Vice President Kamala Harris says Russia committed ‘crimes against humanity’ in Ukraine.
9. Which country passed a New Citizenship Law that allows deportation and stripping of citizenship?
[A] Italy
[B] China
[C] Israel
[D] Afghanistan
Answer : [C] Israel
Israel has passed a new Citizenship Law that allows the deportation and stripping of citizenship of individuals who received funding from the Palestinian Authority or an associated organization. This legislation amends Israel’s 1952 Citizenship Law. The new law applies to Israeli citizens and permanent residents, who are imprisoned after being convicted for terror, aiding terror, harming sovereignty, inciting war and assisting the adversary during the times of war.
10. Which act governs a civil marriage where the state sanctions the marriage rather than religion?
[A] Secular Marriage Act of 1954
[B] Special Marriage Act of 1954
[C] Sikh Marriage Act of 1954
[D] Sovereign Marriage Act of 1954
Answer : [B] Special Marriage Act of 1954
The Special Marriage Act of 1954 (SMA) was passed by the Indian Parliament to govern the civil marriages that are sanctioned by the state instead of the religion. It is designed to enable interfaith or inter-caste marriages without the couple giving up their individual religious identities. This law applies to people of all faiths, including Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, and Buddhists living across India.
11. ‘Aircraft’s Feathered Position’ has been revealed as the human error in the airplane crash occurred in which country?
[A] USA
[B] Nepal
[C] Bangladesh
[D] China
Answer : [B] Nepal
A preliminary report on the recent Yeti Airlines crash in Nepal revealed that the plane’s propellers were found in an unusual ‘feathered position’. Feathering is part of the checklist that needs to be followed when faced with emergencies such as a forced landing. This report assessed that this might have occurred because of a human error. All 72 people aboard the plane, including 68 passengers and 4 crew members, lost their lives in the crash.
12. ‘Mehrauli Archaeological Park’ is a heritage area located in which state/UT?
[A] Uttar Pradesh
[B] New Delhi
[C] Kolkata
[D] Punjab
Answer : [B] New Delhi
The Mehrauli Archaeological Park is an archaeological area in Mehrauli, one of the seven mediaeval cities that constitute present-day Delhi. It is situated adjacent to the Qutub Minar World Heritage Site and the Qutb complex. It houses over 100 historically important monuments. It is the only area in Delhi that has had over 1,000 years of continuous occupation. A G20 meeting is set to take place in the park in this year.
13. What is the name of transactions, where a portion of developing nation’s foreign debt is waived in exchange for investments in environment?
[A] Debt-for-nature swaps
[B] Climate Fiscal swaps
[C] Environmental Incentive
[D] Resource for Climate Investment
Answer : [A] Debt-for-nature swaps
Debt-for-nature swaps are financial arrangements where a fraction of a developing country’s foreign debt is waived, and in return, the country makes investments in local environmental conservation. Debt-for-nature swaps have been implemented successfully in many countries to promote environmental conservation. However, they are not seen as a long-term solution since only small portion of the debt is waived off.
14. Lavani Folk Art is a traditional dance form famous in which state/UT?
[A] Goa
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Odisha
[D] West Bengal
Answer : [B] Maharashtra
Lavani folk art is a traditional art form in which women dancers wearing brightly coloured sarees, perform on stage before live audience. This indigenous art form gained popularity during the Peshwa era in the 18th century. There are various sub-genres of Lavani. The most popular among them is the Shringarik or the erotic kind. A younger generation of women dancers is accused of vulgarizing the traditional folk-art form.
15. Vertiplane X3 Drone was used to carry out transportation of drugs in which state?
[A] Bihar
[B] Uttarakhand
[C] Odisha
[D] West Bengal
Answer : [B] Uttarakhand
The Vertiplane X3 drone was used to carry out a demonstration in Uttarakhand, where it transported 2 kg of anti-tuberculosis drugs from AIIMS Rishikesh to a district hospital in Tehri Garhwal. The demonstration covered an aerial distance of around 40km in just 30 minutes. The drone is a ‘made-in-India hybrid’ e-VTOL with a maximum speed of 120 kmph. It was developed by Tech-Eagle Innovations.
16. As per a recent report, fossil fuel-related items contributed to what percent of India’s annual inflation rate?
[A] 10
[B] 20
[C] 30
[D] 50
Answer : [B] 20
A report titled ‘Fossil Fuel Prices and Inflation in India’ was released recently by Cambridge Econometrics. According to this report, fossil fuel-related items like transport and household energy contributed to 20 percent of India’s annual rate of inflation between April and May 2022. Between January 2021 and August 2022, prices of fuel and power surged nearly 5 times faster than the overall consumer price in India. This has increased household expenses on fuel and electricity.
17. S H Raza, who was seen in the news recently, was associated with which profession?
[A] Business person
[B] Sports person
[C] Artist
[D] Writer
Answer : [C] Artist
Syed Haider Raza, known as S.H. Raza, was an Indian artist known for his abstract paintings. He was a founding member of the Progressive Artists Group of Bombay. He was the recipient of numerous awards and accolades throughout his career. Raza passed away in 2016 at the age of 94. The walls of Centre Pompidou in Paris will come alive with S.H. Raza’s paintings as part of the largest-ever exhibition of his work.
18. United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) mission was created to maintain peace between which forces?
[A] Israel-Palestine
[B] Israel-Syria
[C] Pakistan-India
[D] Armenia-Azerbaijan
Answer : [B] Israel-Syria
The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) was created by the UN in 1974 to maintain peace between Israeli and Syrian forces. It also supervises the implementation of the disengagement agreement. The UNODF is currently deployed along the Area of Separation between Syrian and Israeli borders. The Indian Government has sent an Army team that was deployed in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) mission to provide relief material to the earthquake-hit Syria.
19. APJ Abdul Kalam Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission-2023 was launched from which state?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Goa
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] Karnataka
Answer : [C] Tamil Nadu
The APJ Abdul Kalam Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission-2023 was launched from Pattipolam village in Tamil Nadu by the Martin Foundation in association with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation and Space Zone India. More than 5,000 students from grades six to twelve across the country designed and developed 150 PICO satellite, which were launched. The selected students were taught about satellite technology.
20. What is ‘2011 AG5’, which was seen in the news?
[A] Meteor
[B] Exo-planet
[C] Asteroid
[D] Star
Answer : [C] Asteroid
One of the most elongated asteroids, designated 2011 AGS, passed safely past the Earth at around 1.8 million kilometers. It is elongated asteroid with the similar dimensions of the Empire State Building was discovered for the first time in 2011. It is measured to be 1,600 feet long and around 500 feet wide.