Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 26th August 2023
1. Indian banking system liquidity slipped into a deficit in which month of 2023?
[A] April
[B] May
[C] July
[D] August
Answer: [D] August
Indian banking system liquidity slipped into a deficit in which month of August since end- March, as the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) temporary liquidity withdrawal and tax outflows impacted banks’ funding. Banking system liquidity stood at a deficit of 236 billion rupees ($2.84 billion) as of Aug. 21, according to RBI data. Liquidity surplus had hit a 13-month high of 2.8 trillion rupees at the start of the month, which has been dropping since then.
2. Which institution plans to set up ‘Research Analyst Administration and Supervisory Body (RAASB)’?
[A] RBI
[B] SEBI
[C] NITI Aayog
[D] NASSCOM
Answer: [B] SEBI
Capital Market Regulator SEBI plans to set up a Research Analyst Administration and Supervisory Body (RAASB) to administer and supervise research analysts. This is along the lines of the Investment Adviser Administration and Supervisory Body set up for administration and supervision of investment advisers.
3. Srettha Thavisin has been elected as the Prime Minister of which country?
[A] Thailand
[B] Cambodia
[C] Sri Lanka
[D] Singapore
Answer: [A] Thailand
Srettha Thavisin from the populist Pheu Thai party secured enough votes in Parliament to become Thailand’s 30th Prime Minister. Earlier, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned from years of self-imposed exile and began an eight-year prison sentence.
4. The African Union has suspended which country until the effective restoration of constitutional order’?
[A] Egypt
[B] Niger
[C] Kenya
[D] South Africa
Answer: [B] Niger
The African Union suspended Niger from all its institutions and activities “until the effective restoration of constitutional order” following last month’s coup. The Executive Council of the 55- nation bloc made the decision after the soldiers overthrew Niger’s democratically elected president almost four weeks ago and placed themselves in power. President Mohamed Bazoum and his family have been kept under house arrest in the capital, Niamey.
5. Which institution is to support Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, including fast-tracking progress on SDGs?
[A] UNDP
[B] UNEP
[C] World Bank
[D] WEF
Answer: [A] UNDP
India’s Ministry of development of north eastern region (MDONER) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) joined hands to enhance and fast track sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the northeastern region. UNDP will support in monitoring and evaluation, capacity building, support for aspirational districts and blocks, and the deployment of emerging technologies in governance.
6. What is the new name of ‘Khelo India Women’s League’?
[A] Asmita Women’s Leaguage
[B] Aspire Women’s Leaguage
[C] Fit India Women’s Leaguage
[D] Bharat Women’s Leaguage
Answer: [A] Asmita Women’s League
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur has announced that the Khelo India Women’s League will officially be known as Asmita Women’s League. ASMITA refers to ‘Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women through Action’. The Asmita Portal serves as a comprehensive resource, offering insights into upcoming leagues among other features.
7. Honey Dabas and Rahul Jograjiya, who recently first medals for India, play which sports?
[A] Archery
[B] Powerlifting
[C] Tennis
[D] Badminton
Answer: [B] Powerlifting
Indian powerlifters, Honey Dabas and Rahul Jograjiya, clinched gold and silver medals respectively on the opening day of the World Para Powerlifting Championships in Dubai. These Medals are historic for India as these are the first ever Gold and Silver for India in any World Championships.
8. Which country has unveiled its latest domestically built drone named “Mohajer-10”?
[A] Israel
[B] UAE
[C] Iran
[D] Malaysia
Answer: [C] Iran
Iran unveiled its latest domestically built drone named “Mohajer-10” with enhanced capabilities like flying at a higher altitude, for a longer duration and the ability to carry a greater payload. The new drone can fly up to a maximum duration of 24 hours at an altitude of 7,000 metres with an operational range of 2,000 kilometres. The payload capacity can reach 300 kilograms, double the capacity of the “Mohajer-6” drone.
9. Madras is the old name of the capital city of which Indian state?
[A] Kerala
[B] Tamil Nadu
[C] Karnataka
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Answer: [B] Tamil Nadu
August 22 is annually celebrated as Madras Day, to commemorate the foundation day of the city of Madras (now Chennai). It was on this day in 1639 that the town of Madrasapatnam, was purchased by the East India Company (EIC) from local kings. After 1947, the state and the city continued to be referred to as Madras. It was, carved out of the Madras presidency that covered parts of other South Indian states. In 1969, the state was officially renamed Tamil Nadu and in 1996, the capital city of Madras became Chennai.
10. Apia is the capital city of which country?
[A] Laos
[B] Samoa
[C] Combodia
[D] Maldives
Answer: [B] Samoa
The first Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Samoa was held in Apia (capital city of Samoa) recently. Both sides discussed their wide range of bilateral relations including their development partnership covering areas such as health, ICT, education, SME and capacity building. Samoa will host the next CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) on 21 October 2024.
11. Which country approved first respiratory syncytial virus vaccine for use in women during pregnancy to protect baby?
[A] India
[B] USA
[C] UK
[D] Germany
Answer: [B] USA
US ‘s FDA approved first respiratory syncytial virus vaccine for use in women during pregnancy to protect baby. The vaccine, known as Abrysvo, can be given between weeks 32 and 36 of pregnancy and is designed to protect infants from the virus from birth to 6 months of age.
12. Where was the Joint Group of Customs (JGC) meeting between India and Bangladesh, held recently?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Dhaka
[C] Mumbai
[D] Kolkata
Answer: [A] New Delhi
The 14th Joint Group of Customs (JGC) meeting between India and Bangladesh was held in New Delhi on 21st and 22nd August. During the meeting, India and Bangladesh reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering customs cooperation and streamlining cross-border trade A set of bilateral issues like opening of new land customs stations, easing port restrictions, development of road and rail infrastructure and pre-arrival exchange of customs data were deliberated during the event.
13. Which state is set to play host to the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2023?
[A] Jharkhand
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] Kerala
Answer: [A] Jharkhand
The upcoming Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023 for women would be held in Jharkhand from 27th October to 5th November 2023. This is the 7th edition of the tournament in which Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, Thailand, and hosts India are expected to participate. Indian Women’s Team won the prestigious title in 2016 and in the following edition in 2018, they finished runners-up.
14. Where is the 4th G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) Meeting held recently?
[A] Varanasi
[B] Rameswaram
[C] Lucknow
[D] Kolkata
Answer: [A] Varanasi
The 4th G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) Meeting was held in Varanasi from 23rd to 26th August 2023, Delegates from G20 member nations, invitee countries, and various international organizations participated in the event. The previous three CWG meetings were held in Khajuraho, Bhubaneswar, and Hampi. The 4th CWG meeting in Varanasi aims to arrive at actionable outcomes while positioning culture at the heart of policy-making.
15. Who has been recognised as the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) national icon for voter awareness and education?
[A] Amitabh Bachchan
[B] Sachin Tendulkar
[C] Alia Bhatt
[D] Kangana Ranaut
Answer: [B] Sachin Tendulkar
The Election Commission of India has recognised former India cricketer and batting legend Sachin Tendulkar as India’s icon for voter awareness and education. Sachin Tendulkar signed a three- year memorandum of understanding with the ECI, in an event held in New Delhi. During the event Chief election commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar and election commissioners were preset.
16. Which is the first state in India to operationalize an ABDM Microsite under the 100 Microsites Project by National Health Authority?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Uttar Pradesh
[C] Gujarat
[D] Mizoran
Answer: [D] Mizoram
The National Health Authority (NHA) had recently announced 100 Microsites project for accelerated adoption of Ayushinan Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) across the country, in this regard, the state of Mizoram becomes the first in India to operationalize an ABDM Microsite in its capital city Aizawl. Under this, all healthcare facilities including the private clinics, small hospitals and labs in the region shall be made ABDM-enabled and will offer digital health services to the patients.
17. Scientists of which institution in association with Khalifa University, U.A.E have developed Cooling Solution for Electronics Applications?
[A] IIT Madras
[B] BITS Pilani
[C] IISC Bangalore
[D] NIT Kozhikode
Answer: [A] IIT Madras
The Scientists at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) in association with the Khalifa University, U.A.E., have developed heat management for miniature electronic devices, particularly for space applications. High- performance computing processors can generate up to 200-250 W or more of power, resulting in heat loads of up to 1 kW, necessitating efficient heat management. The research design uses thin plate electrodes that introduce swirling flows of cooling liquid inside mini-channel fluids, which result in the better heat transfer.
18. What does C in “Bharat NCAP stand for?
[A] Collision
[B] Crash
[C] Car
[D] Cantilever
Answer: [C] Car
The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has recently launched the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) at New Delhi. This aims to enhance road safety by elevating vehicle safety standards for up to 3.5-tonne vehicles in India. This program will commence from 1st Oct 2023 and will be based on Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197.
19. Which institution has forecasted India’s GDP growth at 8.3 per cent for April-June quarter?
[A] CRISIL
[B] World Bank
[C] IMF
[D] State Bank of India
Answer: [D] State Bank of India
The India’s largest lender State Bank of India has made a AI based model using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with 30 high frequency indicators, using which the Bank has forecasted India’s GDP growth for the April-June quarter at 8.3 per cent. This is higher than the projection made by the Monetary Policy Committee’s projection of 8 per cent. The projection report has listed good growth in manufacturing and picking up of services as reasons for higher growth.
20. Which state is planning to set up a Centre for Advanced Manufacturing, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Kerala
[C] Uttar Pradesh
[D] Madhya Pradesh
Answer: [A] Tamil Nadu
The government of Tamil Nadu is planning to establish a Centre for Advanced Manufacturing in Chennai, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. The state hosted a public- private discussion recently which brought together over 20 business leaders to deliberate on establishing the ‘India Centre for Advanced Manufacturing’ in Chennai to support companies in their innovation, sustainability, and R&D endeavors.