24th & 25th February 2023 Daily Current Affairs in English
1. The term ‘Corrupt Practice’ is defined in which act in India?
[A] Indian Penal Code
[B] Representation of People’s Act
[C] Code of Criminal Procedure
[D] Indian Evidence Act
Answer : [B] Representation of People’s Act
Issues concerning ‘corrupt practice’ is dealt with by Section 123 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951. Recently, the Supreme Court observed that no individual in India cast their votes based on the education qualifications of the candidate. Therefore, false information regarding the electoral candidate’s education qualifications cannot be considered as corrupt practice.
2. ‘New START Treaty’ which was seen in the news, is a treaty between which two countries?
[A] USA-UAE
[B] USA-Russia
[C] France-India
[D] India-Sri Lanka
Answer : [B] USA-Russia
The New START Treaty is the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the US and Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced Russia’s intention to suspend the participation in this treaty. The treaty caps the number of strategic nuclear warheads that the two countries can deploy. It was signed in 2010 between former US President Barack Obama and Russia President Dmitry Medvedev.
3. ‘The Mukaab’ is a new development project, associated with which country?
[A] Saudi Arabia
[B] Israel
[C] France
[D] Australia
Answer : [A] Saudi Arabia
The Mukaab is a new development project that has been announced by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. The ambitious plan aims to build the largest inner-city building in the world named ‘The Mukaab’ in Riyadh, the country’s capital. It aims to develop the world’s largest modern downtown in Riyadh in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
4. ULTRASAT, is the first telescope mission of which country?
[A] UAE
[B] Israel
[C] Iran
[D] France
Answer : [B] Israel
ULTRASAT, Israel’s first telescope mission, is set to be launched into a geostationary orbit in early 2026 through a partnership between NASA and the Israel Space Agency. The ultra-violet observatory will focus on observing short-duration space events such as supernovae and the merging of neutron stars, utilizing its wide field of view to quickly capture ultraviolet light from such sources.
5. When is the ‘International Mother Language Day 2023’ observed?
[A] 18 February
[B] 21 February
[C] 24 February
[D] 27 February
Answer : [B] 21 February
February 21 is observed as the International Mother Language Day Its aim is to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism across the world. It was first announced by the UNESCO’s General Conference in 1999 and formally recognized by the UNGA in 2002. The year 2008 marked the International Year of Languages. The theme for 2023 is ‘Multilingual edition – a necessity to transform education’.
6. Who had launched the inaugural edition of ‘Sansad Ratna Awards’?
[A] Narendra Modi
[B] APJ Abdul Kalam
[C] Atal Bihari Vajpayee
[D] Sushma Swaraj
Answer : [B] APJ Abdul Kalam
The Sansad Ratna Awards recognize and felicitate the top performing Members of Parliament based on their work in the apex legislative body. These awards were instituted in 2010 based on the concept initialized by former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam. The inaugural edition of these awards was launched by the former President APJ Abdul Kalam. The 13th edition of the Sansad Ratna Award ceremony will be held in March this year in New Delhi.
7. Which state/UT instituted a Feed Back Unit (FBU) to gather feedback related to functioning of government bodies?
[A] Karnataka
[B] New Delhi
[C] Gujarat
[D] Maharashtra
Answer : [B] New Delhi
Delhi Government’s Feed Back Unit (FBU) was instituted in 2015. It is responsible for gathering ‘relevant information and actionable feedback’ related to the functioning of the government bodies and autonomous institutes in the Delhi government’s jurisdiction. The FBU is also responsible for conducting sting operations or trap cases. Its personnel are known as intelligence assets and it directly answers to the Chief Minister’s Office. It is being criticized for being extra-judicial body that answers to only one individual.
8. Kalpitiya is a coastal town located in which country?
[A] Sri Lanka
[B] India
[C] Japan
[D] Philippines
Answer : [A] Sri Lanka
Whale stranding is a phenomenon that occurs when whales become stranded on land, and cannot return to the ocean. Several factors have been proposed as reason for mass stranding, including the topography of the region, illness, human activities, and increasing noise pollution in the oceans. Certain regions such as Tasmania, New Zealand’s Golden Bay, and Massachusetts’s Cape Cod are known hotspots for whale stranding. Recently, 14 pilot whales got stranded on the shore of Sri Lanka’s Kalpitiya.
9. What is the name of the organism that is not native to a particular area?
[A] Indigenous species
[B] Invasive species
[C] Individual species
[D] Introductory species
Answer : [B] Invasive species
An Invasive species is an organism that is not indigenous, or native, to a particular area. The Burmese python is a species of constrictor snake found in Southeast Asia. It is one of the world’s largest snakes, capable of growing more than 20 feet long and weighing over 200 pounds. It has become an invasive species in certain parts of the world, particularly in the Everglades wetland in the US. The snake feeds on a variety of animals and this invasive species is a significant threat to native wildlife.
10. As per a recent study, people in India, Pakistan, Peru and China are more vulnerable to which condition?
[A] Glacial lake outburst
[B] Heat Waves
[C] Landslides
[D] Dust Storms
Answer : [A] Glacial lake outburst
Glacial lake outburst is an occurrence where water is suddenly released from a lake that is dammed by a glacier, causing flooding downstream. According to a study titled ‘Glacial Lake outburst floods threaten millions globally’, around 15 million people around the world are vulnerable to the glacial lake outburst. More than half of the vulnerable population live in India, Pakistan, Peru, and China.
11. A Metallic Ball has been discovered at the centre of the inner core, in which layer of the Earth?
[A] Third
[B] Fourth
[C] Fifth
[D] Sixth
Answer : [C] Fifth
Researchers have discovered the fifth layer of the Earth by measuring seismic waves generated by earthquakes. They revealed the presence of a solid “metallic ball” at the centre of the inner core, referred to as the ‘innermost inner core’. This is expected to reveal new insights into the deepest parts of the planet’s inner core.
12. What is the name of farming method which consists of stacked layers, allowing for high planting density?
[A] Low-Cost Vertical Farming Structure
[B] Low-Cost Dense Farming Structure
[C] Low-Cost Diagonal Farming Structure
[D] Low-Cost traditional Farming Structure
Answer : [A] Low-Cost Vertical Farming Structure
A new low-cost vertical farming structure has been developed by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) for growing crops such as cabbage and cauliflower, as well as flowers like lilium and gerbera. The structures consist of vertically stacked layers, allowing for high planting density and utilization of the available unit area in the poly-house by up 5-6 times.
13. Which country has announced 30 days paid marriage leave plan?
[A] Indonesia
[B] China
[C] Japan
[D] South Korea
Answer : [B] China
China has introduced a 30 days paid marriage leave plan is aimed at increasing the country’s declining birth rate. This policy change aims to encourage young couples to get married and have children, and is seen as an effective way to increase the fertility rate. The extension of marriage leave is especially being implemented in areas with relatively slow economic development.
14. Which institution released the ‘Draft Guidelines on Minimum Capital Requirements for Market Risk’?
[A] SEBI
[B] NITI Aayog
[C] RBI
[D] Finance Ministry
Answer : [C] RBI
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently released draft guidelines on minimum capital requirements for market risk in accordance with Basel III standards. These guidelines set boundaries between the trading book and banking book of banks, and specify instruments that will be subject to market risk capital requirements and those subject to credit risk capital requirements.
15. FLDG arrangement, which was seen in the news, is related to which field?
[A] Sports
[B] Diplomacy
[C] Finance
[D] Agriculture
Answer : [C] Finance
First loss default guarantee (FLDG) arrangement allowed fin-tech companies to provide a guarantee to compensate for up to a certain percentage of default in a loan portfolio. The RBI has banned the FLDG arrangement under its digital lending guidelines due to concerns regarding fin-techs taking on default risks without regulation. Fintech lenders are exploring alternative business models.
16. AMASR Act, which was seen in the news, is related to which field?
[A] Archaeology
[B] Aviation
[C] Defence
[D] Economy
Answer : [A] Archaeology
The AMASR (Amendment) Bill is a proposed legislation that aims to make several changes to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act. The Act regulates the preservation of historical monuments and archaeological sites. It seeks to redefine the current definition of a ‘monument’ which currently requires it to be at least 100 years old.
17. A severe form of ‘Mpox Virus’ has been found in immunosuppressed people suffering from which disease?
[A] HIV
[B] COVID-19
[C] Cancer
[D] Tuberculosis
Answer : [A] HIV
Mpox virus is an orthopoxvirus that causes monkeypox or mpox, a disease that has symptoms similar to smallpox but less severe. This pathogen is deathly in 15 percent of affected people and it was largely confined to Africa. A severe form of this virus has been found in immunosuppressed people living with the advanced stage of HIV.
18. Agasthiyamalai Elephant Reserve, which was seen in the news, is located in which state/UT?
[A] Karnataka
[B] Tamil Nadu
[C] Odisha
[D] Madhya Pradesh
Answer : [B] Tamil Nadu
Agasthiyamalai Elephant Reserve is the fifth elephant reserve in Tamil Nadu. It is situated close to the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR). The Tamil Nadu government has recently issued an order to establish a biodiversity museum and a conservation center with eco-park in the Agasthiyamalai Elephant Reserve. It will be funded by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
19. Horaglanis populi, which was seen in the news, belongs to which species?
[A] Cat fish
[B] Spider
[C] Turtle
[D] Snake
Answer : [A] Cat fish
Horaglanis populi is a newly discovered species of aquifer-dwelling catfish. It was found in the lateritic aquifer systems in Kerala. The state currently has 4 endemic species of Horaglanis genus. The new species has 4 pairs of well-developed barbels and a blood-red body. Its length is less than 3.2 cm. It is blind and does not have pigments. It is highly vulnerable to extinction due to its small ranges.
20. Which country recently ratified the country’s entry into the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)?
[A] India
[B] USA
[C] Philippines
[D] Sri Lanka
Answer : [C] Philippines
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a free trade agreement between 15 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The Philippines Senate recently ratified the country’s entry into the RCEP. The RCEP, which was signed in 2020, represents the largest trade bloc in history. RCEP aims to increase economic integration and reduce trade barriers among its member nations.