Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 2nd September 2023
1. Kishore Jena, who was seen in the news, is associated with which sports?
[A] Tennis
[B] Javelin Throw
[C] Badminton
[D] Table Tennis
Answer: [B] Javelin Throw
Odisha’s javelin star Kishore Jena became the first from the state to represent India at the finals of the World Athletics Championship. At the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, he finished fifth with a personal best of 84.77 metres.
2. Pragyan rover of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, has confirmed the presence of which element on the moon’s surface?
[A] Potassium
[B] Sulphur
[C] Sodium
[D] Chlorine
Answer: [B] Sulphur
During a recent experiment, the Alpha Particle X- ray Spectroscope (APXS) on board the Pragyan rover of Chandrayaan-3 detected the presence of sulphur and other minor elements in the lunar South Pole region. APXS instrument also carries radioactive sources that emit alpha particles and X-rays onto the surface sample.
3. Which state raised the OBC quota to 27% in local bodies?
[A]Gujarat
[B] Assam
[C] Jharkhand
[D] Madhya Pradesh
Answer: [A] Gujarat
The Gujarat government has increased the reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the state’s panchayats and urban local bodies from 10% to 27%. This decision was made based on recommendations of the K.S. Jhaveri Commission, which was formed based on a 2022 Supreme Court order on deciding the level of OBC quotas in Gujarat.
4. Goa Shipyard Ltd signed an MoU for capacity building and collaboration in ship design and construction with which country?
[A] Australia
[B] France
[C] Kenya
[D] UAE
Answer: [C] Kenya
Goa Shipyard Ltd and Kenya Shipyard Ltd signed an MoU for capacity building and collaboration in ship design and construction. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Defence Aden Bare Duale held bilateral talks New Delhi to promote military industry cooperation and deepen maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region.
5. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to construct 25-mw solar power plant in which state?
[A] Gujarat
[B] Rajasthan
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] West Bengal
Answer: [C] Tamil Nadu
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Fourth Partner Energy Private Limited signed a long-term loan of up to 1.2 billion Indian rupees to construct and operate a 25-megawatt solar photovoltaic-based power plant in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is expected to generate about 50.7 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually and increase clean and low-cost energy supply to commercial and industrial customers.
6. Which Union Ministry extended the deadline for enabling Aadhaar-based payment for MGNREGA workers?
[A] Ministry of Rural Development
[B] Ministry of Finance
[C] Ministry of MSME
[D] Ministry of Electronics and IT
Answer: [A] Ministry of Rural Development
As 42 per cent workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme still not eligible for Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS), the deadline for enabling Aadhaar-based payment for MGNREGA workers was extended till December 31 Earlier, the deadline was September 1 and this is the fifth extension by the Centre. This was announced by the Ministry of Rural Development.
7. What is the new brand identity of Tata for its electric vehicle business?
[A] TATA.ev
[B] NEXON.ev
[C] TEV
[D] TATA Electro
Answer: [A] TATA.ev
Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, a subsidiary of Tata Motors, has announced the introduction of its new brand identity, TATA.ev, for the EV business. Tata has also revealed a logo for its .ev brand. The .ev brand will be used by Tata Motors’ Passenger Electric Mobility division and it will not cover Tata Motors’ electric commercial vehicles, as of now.
8. Which was the first major sports event to offer equal prize money to men and women?
[A] BWF world championship
[B] US Open
[C] Australia Open
[D] NBA world championship
Answer: [B] US Open
The 50th anniversary of the U.S. Open becoming the first sporting event to offer equal prize money to men and women was recentiy held. The ceremony was attended by former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, former tennis player Billie Jean King, amateur player Gabby Bell, singer Sara Bareilles, and president of the United States Tennis Association Brian Hainline.
9. Which country’s cricket board announced to equalise women’s match fees with men’s team?
[A] Bangladesh
[B] England
[C] West Indies
[D] Australia
Answer: [B] England
The England Cricket Board (ECB) announced that it will increase the match fees for the England Women’s cricket team to bring them in line with the Men’s cricket team. England joins the likes of New Zealand, India and South Africa in announcing equal match fees for both men’s and women’s teams.
10. Who is the oldest man to win singles clash at US Open, as of 2023?
[A] Jimmy Connors
[B] Stan Wawrinka
[C] Tommy Haas
[D] Takao Suzuki
Answer: [B] Stan Wawrinka
Former US Open champion Stan Wawrinka became the oldest man to win a singles contest at the tournament since 40-year-old Jimmy Connors in 1992. The 38-year-old Swiss veteran, who claimed the last of his three Grand Slam titles in New York in 2016, outclassed Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
11. Which country has been recently hit by- tropical storm Idalia?
[A] Cuba
[B] South Africa
[C] Austalia
[D] India
Answer: [A] Cuba
Western Cuba was lashed by tropical storm Idalia and is likely to turn into a major hurricane as it moves towards the Gulf Coast in Floria. Evacuations have been ordered by the officials. Idalia was churning around 80 miles off Cuba’s western tip.
12. Which US state Assembly passed anti-caste discrimination Bill?
[A] Texas
[B] California
[C] Atlanta
[D] Florida
Answer: [B] California
California’s legislature has passed Senate Bill (SB) 403, which seeks to add caste among the categories officially protected from discrimination in the state. The Bill introduces comprehensive measures to counter discrimination across sectors such as education, employment, housing and public services.
13. The ancient city of Kalhu is located in which present-day country?
[A] Greece
[B] China
[C] Iraq
[D] USA
Answer: [C] Iraq
In a new study published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, researchers have successfully extracted ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick, uncovering a wealth of information about the plant life cultivated during that era. The brick analyzed in this study was found in the palace ofthe Neo-Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II, located in the ancient city of Kalhu, in modern day Iraq:
14. Which European country has announced a ban on wearing the abaya robes in schools?
[A] Germany
[B] France
[C] Spain
[D] Portugal
Answer: [B] France
The French government announced its decision to ban children from wearing the abaya, the loose-fitting, ful|- length robes worn by some Muslim women, in state-run schools. France has enforced a ban on religious symbols in state schools since 2004, to uphold its strict brand of secularism, known as laicite.
15. Terry Gou, who is to run as Taiwan’s Presidential candidate, is the founder of which company?
[A] Foxconn
[B] Samsung
[C] Kia
[D] Ali pay
Answer: [A] Foxconn
Terry Gou, who founded Apple supplier Foxconn, has announced that he will run as an independent candidate in Taiwan’s presidential election. The country’s Presidential elections are scheduled to take place in September this year. Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., is a major supplier to Apple and has many fa ctories in China that manufacture iPhones.
16. Which state implements the ‘Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana’?
[A] Rajasthan
[B] Karnataka
[C] Assam
[D] West Bengal
Answer: [A] Rajasthan
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved an increase in minimum wages for labourers by Rs 26 per day. This increase would be effective from January 1, 2023. He also announced that registered insured employees and their dependent families under the Employees State Insurance (ESI) Scheme of Rajasthan will also get the benefit of Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana under the ESI category.
17. As per the annual lightning report, which state recorded the highest number of flashes in 2022- 23?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Mizoram
[C] Madhya Pradesh
[D] Sikkim
Answer: [C] Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh is found to be the lightning hub of India with maximum flashes of 987,095 in 2022- 23 and highest deaths of 340 per year, according to the fourth annual lightning report. It highlights that the country recorded more than 20 million lightning strikes in 2022-23, 60% increase in cloud-to-ground lightning from 2019-20. The Lightning Resilient India Campaign is a collaborative endeavour between the climate resilient observing systems promotion council (CROPC) and the India meteorological department (IMD).
18. Which country hosted the 19th African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN)?
[A] Kenya
[B] Ethiopia
[C] Nigeria
[D] Gabon
Answer: [B] Ethiopia
The 19th African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Environment ministers of the African continent have agreed to institute national and regional strategies to minimise environmental impacts in the extraction and processing of critical mineral resources.
19. ‘Kampala Ministerial Declaration’, which was seen in the news, is associated with which field?
[A] Cyber security
[B] Migration, Environment and Climate Change
[C] Artificial Intelligence
[D] Housing and Urban Infrastructure
Answer: [B] Migration, Environment and Climate Change
A total of 48 African countries have agreed to adopt the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC) to address the nexus of human mobility and climate change in the continent. It was co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Uganda with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
20. Shinon Meeras, a centre showcasing the history of Dard-Shina tribes, was opened in which state/UT?
[A] Jammu and Kashmir
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Goa
[D] Jharkhand
Answer: [A] Jammu and Kashmir
Recently, Shinon Meeras, a centre showcasing the history of Dard-Shina tribes, was opened to the public at the Gurez Valley in Kashmir. Dard is a strong community of around 38000 people living in the valley, which speaks the rapidly fading Shina language. The first such cultural centre has been curated and developed by the Indian Army and the Lieutenant-Governor’s administration.