Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 8th August 2023

1. ‘MPOWER Measures’, which are seen in the news, are associated with which organisation?

[A] UN Women

[B] World Health Organization

[C] World Bank

[D] International Monetary Fund

Answer: [B] World Health Organization

A new World Health Organization (WHO) report revealed that over the past 15 years, 71% of the global population, approximately 5.6 billion people, are now protected by at least one of the measures, five times more than in 2007. The WHO’s MPOWER measures aim to monitor tobacco use and prevention policies, protect people from tobacco smoke, provide assistance to quit tobacco, warn about the dangers of tobacco, enforce bans on tobacco advertising, and raise taxes on tobacco products.

2. Which state/UT has approved ‘Water Tourism and Adventure Sports Policy, 2023’?

[A] Gujarat

[B] Maharashtra

[C] Uttar Pradesh

[D] Goa

Answer: [C] Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved the Uttar Pradesh Water Tourism and Adventure Sports Policy, 2023. The policy aims to transform the state into a water tourism and adventure sports hub, valid for 10 years from the date notified by the state government.

3. What is DCS, that has been launched by the Union Agricultural Ministry?

[A] Digital Crop Survey

[B] Durable Crop Survey

[C] Doubling Crop Survey

[D] Distributive Crop Survey

Answer: [A] Digital Crop Survey

To improve the collection of sowing data, the government has initiated a pilot project called Digital Crop Survey (DCS) in 12 states starting from the Kharif season of 2023. The DCS reference application uses technologies like GIS and GPS, and aims to ensure accurate crop area estimation and support farmers with solutions. It has been created as a publicly available open- source and interoperable tool, adhering to open standards.

4. UNESCO has suggested adding which city to its list of world heritage centres in danger?

[A] New Delhi

[B] Rome

[C] Venice

[D] Paris

Answer: [C] Venice

UNESCO, the United Nations cultural agency, has suggested adding Venice to its list of world heritage in danger, urging Italian authorities to intensify efforts to safeguard the historic city and its lagoon. The recommendation highlights the concerns about potential “irreversible” harm caused by factors such as climate change and over-tourism.

5. ‘FALCON Shield-2023 is a military exercise participated by which countries?

[A] India and USA

[B] China and UAE

[C] China and Russia

[D] India and UAE

Answer: [B] China and UAE

China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will hold their first joint air force training, called FALCON Shield-2023, in Xinjiang, China, in August. The training seeks to strengthen practical exchanges and cooperation between the two air forces, fostering mutual understanding and trust.

6. Which institution has developed a Point-Of- Care Testing (POCT) prototype to detect the UTI-causing bacteria?

[A] IIT Madras

[B] IIT Guwahati

[C] NIV

[D] AIIMS

Answer: [B] IIT Guwahati

UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) is a health problem globally, including India, and is particularly common in females, especially during pregnancy. The Point-Of-Care Testing (POCT) prototype developed at IIT Guwahati, is a photodetector that detects and quantifies a UTI- causing bacteria called ‘Klebsiella pneumoniae’ within five minutes from a patient’s urine sample.

7. ICAR is an autonomous organisation under which Union Ministry?

[A] Ministry of MSME

[B] Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

[C] Ministry of Science and Technology

[D] Ministry of Corporate Affairs

Answer: [B] Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It is the highest authority responsible for coordinating, directing, and overseeing research and education related to agriculture. The government has formed an 11- member high-level committee, led by Additional Secretary (DARE) and Secretary of 1CAR, to propose measures for rationalizing and right- sizing ICAR.

8. What is AU Microscopii, which was seen in the news?

[A] Bacterium

[B] Star

[C] Asteroid

[D] Microscope

Answer: [B] Star

NASA’ s Hubble Space Telescope has detected a series of energetic eruptions at a nearby red dwarf star, known as AU Microscopi. The dwarf star is situated approximately 32 light years away from the Sun. AU Microscopii is approximately 23 million years old.

9. As of 2023, how many people were declared as Fugitive Economic Offenders in India?

[A] 1

[B] 10

[C] 25

[D] 40

Answer: [B] 10

In 2018, the Indian government introduced the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA) as a measure to take action against individuals accused of committing significant economic frauds and fleeing the country to escape prosecution. Under this act, 10 people have been declared as fugitive economic offenders by various courts, from 19 people booked by the Enforcement Directorate. These economic offenders were involved in fraud of over Rs 40,000 crores.

10. Mörigen, which was seen in the news, is a place located in which country?

[A] Russia

[B] Switzerland

[C] France

[D] Germany

Answer: [B] Switzerland

The Swiss settlement of Mörigen, which flourished during the Bronze Age approximately between 800 to 900 BCE, provided a favorable site for such findings. It is situated near the Twannberg field, renowned for containing meteoritic iron fragments from a prehistoric impact predating the last ice age. Here, an ancient Bronze Age arrowhead was found in the 19th century made from a meteorite.

11. Which Asian country recorded a 27% rise in tiger population since 2015?

[A] India

[B] Sri Lanka

[C] Bhutan

[D] Nepal

Answer: [C] Bhutan

On International Tiger Day, it was revealed that Bhutan’s Tiger population has grown by 27% since the previous count in 2015. The announcement was made following the culmination of Bhutan’s National Tiger Survey 2021-22.

12. Which country has decided to suspend the operation of its Taipan helicopter fleet?

[A] USA

[B] Russia

[C] Australia

[D] China

Answer: [C] Australia

After a fatal military drill accident resulting in four deaths, Australia has decided to suspend the operation of its Taipan helicopter fleet. During the Talisman Sabre exercise, in which 30,000 military personnel from countries like Fijl, France, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany were involved, the helicopter was taking part.

13. Which country launched the ‘Cleanup to clean energy’ plan?

[A] India

[B] USA

[C] Japan

[D] Germany

Answer: [B] USA

As part of its Cleanup to Clean energy’ plan, the US government has announced that it will transform Cold War sites into largest solar power project. Formerly employed for atomic bomb development, these sites are now positioned to significantly contribute to promoting clean energy initiatives throughout the United States.

14. Civitavecchia, which was seen in the news, is a city in which country?

[A] Sri Lanka

[B] Italy

[C] Myanmar

[D] Papua New Guinea

Answer: [B] Italy

Italian authorities from the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage reported the discovery of an ancient cargo ship wreckage off the port in Civitavecchia, near Rome. The ship, dating back to the 1st or 2nd century BC, Contains hundreds of well-preserved Roman jars, known as amphorae, found using a remotely operated robot

15. As per a recent study, human-induced climate change has caused a substantial change in the color of?

[A] Earth’s Trees

[B] Earth’s Oceans

[C] Earth’s Moon

[D] Earth’s Soil

Answer: [C] Earth’s Oceans

According to a recent study titled ‘Global climate-change trends detected in indicators of Ocean ecology,” human-induced climate change has caused a substantial change in the color of Earth’s oceans over the last two decades. The study revealed that over 569% of the world’s oceans, surpassing the total land area on the planet, have undergone this color shift.

16. Which country launched the ‘Silk Roadster platform?

[A] Pakistan

[B] China

[C] Ukraine

[D] South Africa

Answer: [C] China

China has initiated a series of new projects under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through Nepal, aiming to enhance collaboration with Southeast and South Asian countries, which may impact India’s strategic interests in the reqion. These projects, collectively known as the ‘Silk Roadster’ platform, were launched to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the BRI.

17. Which institution released the ‘2023 Plastic Overshoot Day Report’?

[A] Earth Action

[B] WMO

[C] UNEP

[D] Oxfam International

Answer: [A] Earth Action

The ‘2023 Plastic Overshoot Day’ Report was released recently by the Swiss-based, research consultancy Earth Action. According to this report, approximately 68,642,999 tonnes of extra plastic waste will be dumped into the environment this year.

18. ‘Eagle Bluff is the name given to the wildfire in which country?

[A] Australia

[B] Indonesia

[C] USA

[D] France

Answer: [C] USA

A wildfire originating in Washington state, USA, crossed into British Columbia, Canada, prompting evacuation orders. The fire, initially called ‘Lone Pine Creek’ on the American side, was later renamed ‘Eagle Bluff’ and posed a significant threat, with around 885 hectares (2,200 acres) estimated to be affected on the Canadiarn side and approximately 2,000 hectares on the U.S. side.

19. Mankurad mango, which received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, is from which state/UT?

[A] Tamil Nadu

[B] Goa

[C] Bihar

[D] Odisha

Answer: [B] Goa

The jalesar Dhatu Shilp (metal craft), Goa Mankurad mango, Goan Bebinca, Udaipur Koftgari metal craft, Bikaner Kashidakari craft, Jodhpur Bandhej craft and Bikaner Usta Kala craft were given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Goa Mankurad variety of mango is also known as malcorada, cardozo mankurad, corado, and Goa mankur. The Portuguese named the fruit malcorada, which means ‘poor coloured’

20. Who has been conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award in 2023?

[A] Draupadi Murmu

[B] Narendra Modi

[C] Amit Shah

[D] Ratan Tata

Answer: [B] Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award. He is the 41st recipient of the award. The Lokmanya Tilak National Award is handed out by the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust. The trust was founded in 1983 in honour of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Other notable recipients include former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh.