Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 20th February 2024

1. Pandaram land is located in which state/UT?

A. Tamil Nadu

B. Lakshadweep

C. Puducherry

D. Andhra Pradesh

• A dispute in Lakshadweep has arisen over the administration’s assertion of government ownership of Pandaram lands, leading to tension with locals. The conflict escalated as the administrator claimed Pandaram properties belonged to the government, contradicting traditional ownership. Locals allege the administration is violating a High Court stay on numbering coconut trees on Pandaram lands, suggesting potential felling. Despite officials refusing to comment on record, a senior official dismissed concerns as presumptions.

2. Researchers have recently discovered a new species of marine amphipod in which lake of Odisha?

A. Tampara lake

B. Kanjia lake

C. Chilika lake

D. Sar lake

• Researchers at Odisha’s Berhampur University discovered a new marine amphipod species, a shrimp-like crustacean, in Chilika lagoon. Belonging to the genus Parhyale, which has 15 global species in marine and brackish water environments, this brown crustacean is around eight mm long with 13 pairs of legs.

3. Where was the 11^th International Puppet Festival inaugurated?

A. Tirunelveli

B. Chandigarh

C. Bhopal

D. Chennai

• The 11th International Puppet Festival was inaugurated at Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh on February 17, 2024. The festival’s inauguration was presided over by the Governor of Punjab and Administrator UT Chandigarh, Banwarilal Purohit, along with Rajeev Verma, Adviser to the Administrator. The festival runs from February 17–21, 2024 and includes special morning shows for students and evening shows for the general public. The festival also features a puppet exhibition that includes live demonstrations of puppet making.

4. India signed a Memorandum of Understanding with which country for sharing open-sourced digital public infrastructure?

A. Colombia

B. Chile

C. Brazil

D. Guyana

• India and Colombia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share India’s open-sourced digital public infrastructure (DPI). The MoU is for cooperation in digital transformation, including sharing successful digital solutions that have been implemented at population scale. India has developed some of the world’s best digital public goods infrastructure, including delivering services to the public during the COVID pandemic.

5. Which day is celebrated as Global Tourism Resilience Day?

A. 17 February

B. 18 February

C. 19 February

D. 20 February

• Global Tourism Resilience Day (GTRD) is celebrated on February 17th every year. The day was designated by the United Nations in 2023 to highlight the need for tourism development to be more resilient to shocks and emergencies. The initiative focuses on bolstering the tourism sector against various challenges, supporting sustainable development, and promoting economic stability, particularly in developing nations.

6. Where was the 12^th edition of MILAN naval exercise held?

A. Kutch

B. Kochi

C. Jaisalmer

D. Visakhapatnam

• The 12^th edition of the MILAN naval exercise took place in Visakhapatnam from February 19–27, 2024. The exercise, which has the theme “Forging Naval Alliances for a Secure Maritime Future,” aims to strengthen collaboration between participating navies.

7. Recently, which country has overtaken Japan as the world’s third largest economy?

A. India

B. Germany

C. France

D. Canada

• As of February 2024, Germany is the world’s third largest economy, surpassing Japan. Japan’s economy was contracted by 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2023, pushing the country into recession. This is due to weak domestic consumption, a weak yen, and a shrinking population. The IMF’s latest projections estimate Germany’s nominal GDP at $4.4 trillion this year, compared with $4.2 trillion for Japan.

8. Who became the second Indian bowler to take 500 wickets in test matches?

A. Ravindra Jadeja

B. Jasprit Bumrah

C. Ravichandran Ashwin

D. Md Siraj

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for reaching 500 Test wickets, making him the second Indian bowler to achieve this after Anil Kumble.
• Ashwin joins an exclusive group of off-spinners with only Muttiah Muralidaran and Nathan Lyon surpassing 500 wickets. Notably, Ashwin is the third off-spinner in history to achieve this milestone. The historic moment occurred on the second day of the ongoing Test against England, dismissing Zak Crawley.

9. Which of the following litterateurs have been named the recipients of the 58^th Jnanpith Award?

A. Kiran Desai and Arvind Adiga

B. Kedarnath Singh and Vikram Seth

C. Gulzar and Jagadguru Rambhadracharya

D. Vikram Seth and Arvind Adiga

• Renowned Urdu poet Gulzar and Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya have been announced as the recipients of the 58th Jnanpith Award by the Jnanpith selection committee.
• This prestigious award is recognition of their significant contributions to literature. In 2022, the award was conferred upon Goan writer Damodar Mauzo, adding to the distinguished list of laureates. The Jnanpith Award, established in 1961, is one of the highest literary honors in India, celebrating outstanding writers in various Indian languages.

10. What is the primary objective of ‘Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti’?

A. Promotion of Indian languages in education

B. Promotion of Foreign Languages

C. Promotion of Science and Technology

D. Promotion of Arts and Science

• The Chairman of Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti recently advocated for promoting Indian languages in education, announcing that textbooks will soon be available in Indian languages on digital platforms. Established by the Ministry of Education in 2021, the committee’s mandate, under the National Education Policy 2020, involves recommending pathways for holistic growth of Indian languages, advising the Ministry on language revitalization, and organizing events to emphasize language promotion.

11. Scientists recently detected water molecules on the surface of two asteroids for the first time ever by using which telescope?

A. SOFIA

B. HEAO 3

C. HETE 2

D. CHIPS

• NASA’s SOFIA airborne observatory, a telescope mounted on a Boeing 747 SP aircraft, recently discovered water molecules on the surfaces of two asteroids, marking the first such detection. Operating for 12 years until its premature end in 2022, SOFIA, jointly operated by NASA and the German space agency, studied infrared light, allowing astronomers to observe the universe from 38,000-45,000 feet, above most of Earth’s infrared-blocking atmosphere. It was the world’s largest airborne astronomical observatory.

12. Recently, NASA and which country’s space agency have joined to launch the world’s first wooden satellite?

A. Japan

B. Russia

C. India

D. UK

• NASA and Japan’s space agency, JAXA, are planning to launch the world’s first wooden satellite, LignoSat, in 2024. The satellite is designed to reduce space debris and is made of biodegradable magnolia wood, known as Hoonoki in Japanese. The satellite is being developed by scientists at Kyoto University.