Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 19th March 2024

1. What are ‘Agray’ and ‘Akshay’?

A. Anti-submarine warships

B. Climate monitoring satellite

C. Medicinal plant found mainly in South India

D. Newly discovered Exoplanets

• Indian Navy launched ships ‘Agray’ and ‘Akshay’ to bolster anti-submarine capabilities. The Ministry of Defence contracted Kolkata-based PSU GRSE for eight ASW Shallow Water Craft (SWC). GRSE built these ships, launched nearly five years post-contract signing.

2. PM-SURAJ Portal is implemented by which ministry?

A. Ministry of Rural Development

B. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

C. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

D. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

• The Prime Minister launched the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan evam Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan (PM-SURAJ) Portal, overseen by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Targeting marginalized groups like Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, and sanitation workers, it offers credit assistance nationwide. Eligible individuals can access support through banks, NBFC-MFIs, and other entities, fostering socio-economic upliftment.

3. Recently, where was the 54^th session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) held?

A. Chennai, India

B. Nairobi, Kenya

C. Melbourne, Australia

D. Paris, France

• The 54th session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) took place from March 11–15, 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya. The US government hosted the event, which was the first CCFH meeting in Kenya. At the session, India presented its recently released Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Modernization of Food Streets. The SOP was presented along the lines of the proposed draft guidelines for Food Hygiene Control Measures in Traditional Markets for Food.

4. Project SOORYA is launched by which organization?

A. ISRO

B. DRDO

C. WHO

D. UNEP

• ISRO’s Project SOORYA is the name of its Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) project, which aims to build the country’s own space station and send Indians to the moon. The project is led by S. Sivakumar, with the initial phase being his responsibility. The first launch of the NGLV, codenamed SOORYA, is expected by 2034-35, and will require a third launch pad at Sriharikota.

5. Operation Rising Sun is related to which one of the following?

A. Smuggling of foreign-origin gold

B. Smuggling of drugs

C. Smuggling of Tiger’s skin

D. Smuggling of red sandalwood

• In March 2024, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) launched Operation “Rising Sun” to bust a major gold smuggling syndicate. The operation took place across four states on March 12 and 13, 2024 and resulted in the seizure of 61.08 kilograms of gold, valued at around Rs 40 crore, along with 19 vehicles, cash, and other electronic items. The gold was recovered from Guwahati, Barpeta, Darbhanga, Gorakhpur, and Araria.

6. Which day is celebrated as International Day of Mathematics every year?

A. 13 March

B. 14 March

C. 15 March

D. 16 March

• The International Day of Mathematics also known as Pi Day, is celebrated annually on March 14th to honor the mathematical constant Pi (approx. 3.14). Originating in 1988 by physicist Larry Shaw, it gained official recognition in 2009 by the US House of Representatives and UNESCO in 2019. This day acknowledges the importance of mathematics globally.

7. ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative launched by which one of the following?

A. IIT Chennai

B. Ministry of Rural Development

C. NITI Aayog

D. UGC

• NITI Aayog launched the ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative to foster self-reliance and sustainable growth. Under the Aspirational Blocks Programme, it promotes local products from 500 blocks through the Aakanksha brand. Aakanksha serves as an umbrella brand, facilitating international market access. The initiative includes a dedicated window on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal for these products.

8. What is Devin AI?

A. India’s first government owned OTT platform

B. Species of Fish known for its high omega 3 content

C. World’s first fully autonomous AI software engineer

D. Anti-drone system

• Cognition, a US based company, introduces Devin, the world’s first fully autonomous AI software engineer. Devin excels in software development, possessing advanced skills like coding, debugging, and problem-solving. Utilizing machine learning, it continuously enhances its abilities. Devin remembers context, self-learns, and rectifies errors.

9. What is the rank of India in Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2022 released by the United Nations Development Programme?

A. 106

B. 107

C. 108

D. 110

• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) releases the Gender Inequality Index (GII) in their Human Development Report. The 2022 GII was released on March 13, 2024, and shows that India has improved its ranking by 14 ranks from 2021 to 2022. India’s rank is 108 out of 193 countries with a score of 0.437. The GII measures gender inequalities based on three aspects of human development, including reproductive health. The index ranges from 0, where women and men fare equally, to 1, where one gender fares as poorly as possible in all measured dimensions.

10. Recently, Prime Minister of India inaugurated the first Oil Palm Processing Mill under Mission Palm Oil in which state?

A. Arunachal Pradesh

B. Assam

C. Karnataka

D. Maharashtra

• The Prime Minister inaugurated the first Oil Palm Processing Mill under Mission Palm Oil in Arunachal Pradesh. Launched in 2021, the National Mission for Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) aims to boost oil palm cultivation and crude palm oil production. This scheme targets a significant increase in oil palm area and productivity by 2025-26, focusing on the North East and Andaman-Nicobar Islands.

11. Recently, who among the following has been selected as the new election commissioner?

A. Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu

B. Arun Goel and Anup Chandra Pandey

C. Sukumar Sen and RK Trivedi

D. KVK Sundaram and SL Shakdhar

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-member selection panel has appointed Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the new Election Commissioners in the Election Commission of India.
• However, there seems to be dissent from the Opposition member of the panel, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who has questioned the process of their appointment. The appointments have been made under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Act 2023.

12. What is the rank of India in the Global Human Development Index, according to UNDP’s latest report?

A. 133

B. 134

C. 145

D. 140

• India ascended to 134^th place in the 2023/24 Global Human Development Index (HDI) by UNDP. Initiated in 1990, HDI assesses health, education, and standard of living. It highlights people’s well-being over mere economic metrics. Scores range from 0 to 1, with 1 indicating higher human development. Categories include Very High, High, Medium, and Low human development, emphasizing holistic progress beyond economic growth.