Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 28th September 2023

1. Indian Navy recently organised its inaugural trilateral exercise with the navies of which countries?

[A] Indonesia and Australia

[B] Sri Lanka and Australia

[C] France and Australia

[D] USA and Canada

Answer: [A] Indonesia and Australia

The maiden India-Indonesia-Australia Trilateral Maritime Exercise was organized this year. Indian Navy’s indigenously built warship INS Sahyadri took part in this exercise. The trilateral exercise provided an opportunity for the three maritime nations to strengthen their partnership and improve their collective capability to support a secure Indo-Pacific region. INS Sahyadri, the indigenously designed ship, participated in the exercise.

2. Which state has launched its ‘Action Plan for Management of Paddy Stubble Burning'”

[A] Punjab

[B] Haryana

[C] Uttar Pradesh

[D] Rajasthan

Answer: [B] Haryana

Haryana submitted its ‘State Action Plan for Management of Paddy Stubble Burning’ to Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). In the plan, Haryana aims to significantly reduce and potentially eliminate fire incidents resulting from paddy stubble burning this year. To achieve this, the state plans to implement bio-decomposer applications in 5 lakh acres of land during the current harvesting season.

3. Which city launched the ‘Swachhata Train’ initiative as part of Swachhata Pakhwada?

[A] Mumbai

[B] Ahmedabad

[C] Mysuru

[D] Kochi

Answer: Ahmedabad

Recently, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) launched the ‘Swachhata Train’ initiative as part of Swachhata Pakhwada to promote waste management awareness and cleanliness in the city. It aimed to raise consciousness regarding the significance of cleanliness and waste management within the city.

4. Which state/UT organised India’s First Lighthouse Festival?

[A] Kerala

[B] Goa

[C] Maharashtra

[D] Gujarat

Answer: [B] Goa

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the maiden edition of ‘Bharatiya Prakash Sthamb Utsav’ or Indian Lighthouse Festival at the historic Fort Aguada in Panjim, Goa. This festival is part of a vision to transform 75 lighthouses across India into thriving tourist hubs.

5. Which country’s space agency launched the ‘Osiris-Rex spacecraft’?

[A] USA

[B] Japan

[C] China

[D] UAE

Answer: [A] USA

The Osiris-Rex spacecraft, a NASA mission, successfully delivered dust samples from the asteroid Bennu and is set to make its return to Earth. It was launched by NASA in 2016. Scientists will analyse the asteroid sample to investigate the origins of life on Earth. The OSIRIS-REX, now renamed OSIRIS-APEX (OSIRIS- Apophis Explorer), will study Apophis when the asteroid comes close to the Earth in 2029.

6. The Indian Navy (IN) signed MoU with which institution for Defense Technology Collaboration?

[A] IIT Madras

[B] IISc Bengaluru

[C] IIT Delhi

[D] IIT BHU

Answer: [B] IISC Bengaluru

The Indian Navy and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on technical research and development in various engineering fields related to defense technologies. The MoU aims to promote academic cooperation, enhance scientific understanding, and facilitate capacity building, equipment development, and faculty exchange between the two organizations.

7. Which state unveiled a statue of Adi Shankaracharya named ‘Statue of Oneness’?

[A] Gujarat

[B] Madhya Pradesh

[C] Uttar Pradesh

[D] Uttarakhand

Answer: [B] Madhya Pradesh

The 108 feet tal statue of Hindu saint Adi Shankaracharya, named ‘Ekatmata Ki Pratima’ (Statue of Oneness), was unveiled at Omkareshwar, in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister recently unveiled the statue, which portrays Shankaracharya during his visit to Omkareshwar at the age of 12.

8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of an international cricket stadium in which city?

[A] Ahmedabad

[B] Varanasi

[C] Bengaluru

[D] Guwahati

Answer: [B] Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of an international cricket stadium in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The stadium is inspired by Lord Shiva and will be constructed on an expanse of more than 30 acres. It will have a capacity of 30,000 spectators, which can be expanded to 40,000 in the future.

9. Which country is set to host the Artificial Intelligence (AI) safety summit?

[A] USA

[B] UK

[C] Australia

[D] Canada

Answer: [B] UK

British Prime Minister is Rishi Sunak is scheduled to convene the Artificial Intelligence (AI) safety summit in November, this year. It will bring together governments, technology firms, and scholars to discuss on the hazards presented by the technology. The European Union is considering whether to send officials to Britain’s summit.

10. Indian Air Force recently conducted its inaugural air show in which state/UT, near the international border?

[A] Arunachal Pradesh

[B] Punjab

[C] Sikkim

[D] Jammu and Kashmir

Answer: [D] Jammu and Kashmir

The Indian Air Force conducted its inaugural airshow at the Jammu airbase near the international border with Pakistan. The event highlighted the IAF’s operational capabilities and aimed to raise public awareness about aviation hazards, with pilots carefully choosing flight paths to avoid the international border’s proximity to Pakistan.

11. Which state has recently launched the ‘CM National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA)’?

[A] Tamil Nadu

[B] Punjab

[C] Uttar Pradesh

[D] Maharashtra

Answer: [B] Punjab

The state assembly of Punjab is transitioning to a paperless system with the introduction of the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA). The application has been recently inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Singh Mann. A two-day conference and workshop on NeVA was held in conjunction with the launch to promote the digitization of legislative proceedings.

12. 12U2 is a partnership of how many countries?

[A] 2

[B] 4

[C] 5

[D] 10

Answer: [B] 4

12U2 is a partnership between India, Israel, the UAE, and the U.S. with an aim to tackle global challenges and advance economic opportunities. The 12U2 Group recently launched its website at the sidelines of the UNGA. The Group aims to mobilize private sector capital and expertise to achieve a variety of goals, including modernizing infrastructure, advancing low carbon development pathways, and improving public health.

13. Congestion Tax is set to be launched in which Indian city?

[A] New Delhi

[B] Mumbai

[C] Bengaluru

[D] Kolkata

Answer: [C] Bengaluru

A congestion tax is set to be introduced during rush hours on nine designated routes in Bengaluru. This is an effort to ease traffic congestion in the city with an aim to discourage the use of private vehicles and promote the use of public transportation. It is estimated that Bengaluru suffers a loss of 19,725 crore per year due to traffic delays, congestion, stoppage of signals, time loss, fuel loss and related factors.

14. Which equipment is used to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen by utilizing electricity?

[A] Electrolysers

[B] Neutralisers

[C] Electrolytes

[D] Water splitter

Answer: [A] Electrolysers

Electrolysers are instruments employed in the industrial process of splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen by utilizing electricity generated from renewable sources like solar, wind, or nuclear power. According to a recent report by the International Energy Agency, China is expected to have authority over 50% of the global installed capacity of electrolysers for low-carbon hydrogen production by the conclusion of 2023, despite a decrease in new projects due to rising inflation.

15. Which tech giant has developed an Al-powered coding assistant named ‘Studio Bot’?

[A] Microsoft

[B] Google

[C] Intel

[D] Apple

Answer: [B] Google

Studio Bot is an Al-powered coding assistant for Android development, launched by Google. It has recently been rolled out in more than 170 countries and territories. The Bot is powered by artificial intelligence and can understand natural language, so that one can ask development questions in plain English. Studio Bot can help Android developers generate code, find relevant resources, learn best practices, and save time.

16. Who has authored the novel ‘Western Lane’?

[A] Chetna Maroo

[B] Chetan Bhagat

[C] Arundhati Roy

[D] Vikram Seth

Answer: [A] Chetna Maroo

Chetna Maroo’s Debut Novel – Western Lane, has been Shortlisted for 2023 Booker Prize. Chetna Maroo is an author of Indian descent residing in London, has made it to the shortlist for the Prize with her first novel. This book delves into the world of the British Gujarati community, skillfully employing the game of squash as a symbol to explore intricate human emotions.

17. A biodiversity knowledge centre named Neelakkurinji has been opened in which state?

[A] Tamil Nadu

[B] Kerala

[C] Andhra Pradesh

[D] Karnataka

Answer: [B] Kerala

A biodiversity knowledge centre named Neelakkurinji has been recently opened in Adimaly in Idukki district of Kerala. The biodiversity centre is located at the entry point of the Munnar hill station. The centre has been set up by the Kerala State Haritha Keralam Mission, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Idukki district panchayat.

18. Tamil Nadu Public Health Act has been invoked for control of which communicable disease?

[A] Typhoid

[B] Covid

[C] Dengue

[D] Chicken Box

Answer: [C] Dengue

In the wake of a surge in dengue fever cases in Tamil Nadu, the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine of the state has invoked provisions of the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act 1939, for control of the disease. Failure to report a notifiable disease, failure to comply with notices requiring measures against mosquito breeding or interrupting mosquito control work would attract penalties under the Act.

19. Which institution has recently developed a portable device to determine the quality of water and soil?

[A] BITS Pilani

[B] IIT Madras

[C] IISC Bangalore

[D] DRDO

Answer: [B] IIT Madras

IIT-Madras has recently developed a device to determine the quality of water and soil. The device is a portable, point-of-use tool that can detect heavy metals in both soil and water. The current high-end techniques such as ‘Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy’ (ICP-OES) require sophisticated labs and lengthy procedures. However, the device developed by IIT M less complex and can be operated by anyone wanting to measure soil and water quality.

20. Which Indian Financial Institution has recently raised 10,000 crore through the issue of infrastructure bond?

[A] State Bank of India

[B] Punjab National Bank

[C] Infrastructure Finance Corporation of India

[D] IDBI Bank

Answer: [A] State Bank of India

The country’s largest lender – State Bank of India, has raised Rs 10,000 crore at a coupon rate of 7.49 percent through its fourth infrastructure bond issuance. The investors were from provident funds, pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, and corporates. The proceeds of bond issue will be utilised in enhancing long-term resources for funding infrastructure and the affordable housing segment.