Current Affairs - January, 2023 - Free Time Learning

1 .

A british linguist and educator specialised in Dravidian languages, Ronald E. Asher has passed away at the age of ______.

A)

88 Years

B)

90 Years

C)

93 Years

D)

96 Years

Correct Answer : 96 Years

Ronald E. Asher, a British linguist and educator specialised in Dravidian languages, has died (26 December 2022) of old age in London, his family sources said on Wednesday. He was 96.

A fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, London, Asher won a gold medal from Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Trichur, in 1983 and was honoured by the Royal Society, Edinburgh in 1991. He was also a recipient of a medal from College de France, Paris in 1970.

Asher was born on July 23, 1926 in Gringley-on-the Hill, England.

His relationship with Kerala began during his days at the University of London where V K Krishna Menon, well-known diplomat and political thinker from Kerala, famed to have been the right hand of Jawaharlal Nehru, had delivered one of his prolonged, passionate and provocative speeches.

Asher at that time was pursuing his studies in comparative linguistics at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University.

It was obligatory to learn a new language as part of the course. He first took up Tamil that gradually led him to Malayalam with its well-known kinship with Tamil.

He has spoken passionately of his sweet intimacy with Malayalam that he developed during his postgraduate days.

His longing to learn Malayalam did not find easy fulfillment as there were no proper tools that would help a foreigner to learn the language. He got an opportunity to spend a few months in Kerala in 1963 when he could avail study leave to do research on the spoken forms of Tamil and Malayalam.

Born : 23 July 1926, Gringley on the Hill, United Kingdom

Died : 26 December 2022.

Source : The Print

Published On : January 13, 2023

2 .

Who has been appointed as the First Woman Chief Secretary of Telangana on 11th January 2023?

A)

Vasudha Mishra

B)

Rani Kumudini

C)

Anita Rajendra

D)

Santhi Kumari

Correct Answer : Santhi Kumari

Senior IAS officer A. Santhi Kumari has become the first woman Chief Secretary of Telangana State. The state government on Wednesday (11th January 2023 ) issued a GO appointing the 1989 batch IAS officer to the top post.

She will be in service for two years and four months as she is due for retirement in April 2025.

She succeeded Somesh Kumar, a day after the Telangana High Court quashed a 2015 order of the Central Administrative Tribunal that allowed Somesh to work in the Telangana cadre although he was allotted to the Andhra Pradesh cadre in 2015 and Centre's DoPT issuing orders within hours after HC verdict directing him to join AP cadre by January 12, 2022.

A. Santhi Kumari is currently serving as special chief secretary in the forest and environment department.

Official sources in the CMO said that the Chief Minister zeroed in on Santhi considering her impressive career graph as an IAS officer, sincerity, dedication and commitment in her previous stint in Chief Minister's Office for four years as secretary.

She is known as a 'non-controversial' and a 'no-nonsense officer' in bureaucratic circles...

Source : Deccan Chronicle

Published On : January 13, 2023

3 .

China's Alibaba Group sold a 3.1% stake in Indian digital payments firm Paytm for a total of _______ Million through a block deal on 12th Jan 2023.

A)

$125 Million

B)

$138 Million

C)

$152 Million

D)

$167 Million

Correct Answer : $125 Million

China's Alibaba Group sold a 3.1% stake in Indian digital payments firm Paytm worth $125 million through a block deal on Thursday (12th Jan 2023), a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Alibaba, which held a 6.26% stake in Paytm as at end-September, sold the stake at 536.95 rupees apiece.

Paytm's stock fell as much as 8.8% to 528 rupees in afternoon trading, and was last down 5.8% as of 2:37 p.m. IST.

Morgan Stanley advised Alibaba on the deal..

Source : Money Control

Published On : January 13, 2023

4 .

Which State Tourism Board signed a MoU with chapters of 8 countries of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO)?

A)

Gujarat

B)

Karnakata

C)

Madhya Pradesh

D)

Uttar Pradesh

Correct Answer : Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board signed MoUs with chapters of eight countries of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) at the MP Tourism Pavilion of Brilliant Convention Centre in Indore at the 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas Convention.

These MoUs were signed with France Metropole Paris, Mauritius, Reunion Island, Martinique, Sri Lanka, GOPIO International, Malaysia, and Mauritius.

The MoUs were signed by Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture and Managing Director Tourism Board Shri Sheo Shekhar Shukla on behalf of the Tourism Board and presidents of eight countries of GOPIO.

Principal Secretary Shri Shukla said that these MoUs have been executed with the aim of boosting cooperation in the development of the Tourism sector of the State, and promotion, and publicity of tourist places..

Source : AIR

Published On : January 13, 2023

5 .

'Sur Sarita'-Symphony of Ganga' on the launch event of the world's longest river cruise at ________.

A)

Rishikesh

B)

Varanasi

C)

Ayodhya

D)

Kedarnath

Correct Answer : Varanasi

The Ministry of Culture has organized a grand curtain raiser cultural program ‘Sur Sarita’-Symphony of Ganga’ on the launch event of the world’s longest river cruise at Varanasi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the cruise on 13th January 2023. The grand concert named ‘Sur Sarita’-Symphony of Ganga’ was led by the renowned Indian singer Shankar Mahadevan at Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.

On the occasion, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and waterways and AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal noted that the world’s longest river cruise is going to be launched with the inauguration of the MV Ganga Vilas which will create new history in the waterways sector of India and will mark the beginning of a new era of river cruise tourism.

Key Points of 'Sur Sarita-Symphony of Ganga' Organised in Varanasi :

* At the launch event, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath informed that Kashi will launch itself for a new era with the help of a river cruise.

* Kashi is known as the cultural and spiritual capital of the world and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kashi has established itself on the global stage while maintaining its ancient soul.

* Uttar Pradesh CM also added that along with land and sky, Kashi is now going to be connected through waterways as well.

* During the concert, other dignitaries including tourists traveling on Ganga Vilas Cruise got acquainted with the importance of Mother Ganga and their responsibilities towards her, along with enjoying the Sur Taranginis.

* Ganga Vilas Cruise will cross Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bangladesh, and Assam in a journey of 51 days.

* These places have their history of mythology and legends associated with the river. Songs for the concert were chosen from different states to give different flavors to the concert.

* Folk musicians from Assam, Bihar, and Bengal joined popular singer Shankar Mahadevan to pay homage to the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Brahmaputra....

Source : India Times

Published On : January 13, 2023

6 .

Hardeep Singh Puri said since when 20% ethanol will be added to petrol?

A)

March 1, 2023

B)

April 1, 2023

C)

May 1, 2023

D)

June 1, 2023

Correct Answer : April 1, 2023

The phased roll-out of E20 (20 per cent ethanol blending in gasoline) will begin on April 1, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said.

The fuel will be available at select outlets and will not require changes to car engines. The proposed roll-out will give further impetus to the government’s plans of achieving the level of 20 per cent ethanol blending in the overall petrol supply in the country by ethanol supply year 2025-2026.

The Target Area : Being rolled out in 11 states/UTs of Delhi, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Daman Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, E20’s initial target was April 1, 2023, but the government had advanced it. Under phase 1, 15 cities will be covered, the minister said.

A Massive Increase In Ethanol Blending : India has increased the ethanol blending in petrol from 1.53 per cent in 2013-14 to 10.17 per cent in 2022.

To achieve 20 per cent blending by 2025, the country needs 10.2-11 billion litres of ethanol. This would require a production capacity of around 14.5 billion litres because some production has to be kept aside for starch and chemical industry. Of this, around 7.6 billion litres of ethanol will have to be produced from sugarcane while another 7.2 billion litres will have to come from grain- and non-grain-based sources such as rice stubble and so on.

The minister said that this has resulted translating into a forex savings of over â‚¹41,500 crore, reduced GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions of 27 lakh tonnes and has benefitted farmers with expeditious payment of over â‚¹40,600 crore being made to farmers in the last 8 years.

Whats More Is In Line : Oil-marketing companies are targeting the installation of alternative fuel stations, such as electric vehicle charging, compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, liquefied natural gas, and compressed biogas (CBG) at 22,000 retail outlets by May 2024.

The Centre has increased the rate for CBG plants under the SATAT scheme from Rs 46 per kg to Rs 54 per kg.

The government is also investing Rs 19,744 crore into the National Green Hydrogen Mission for developing green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 MMT (million metric tonnes) per annum..

Source : Business Standard

Published On : January 13, 2023

7 .

Socialist stalwart and former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav when did passed away?

A)

9th January 2023

B)

10th January 2023

C)

11th January 2023

D)

12th January 2023

Correct Answer : 12th January 2023

Socialist stalwart and former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav died on Thursday (12th Jan 2023) at a hospital in Gurgaon. He was 75.

A 7-term Lok Sabha and 4-term Rajya Sabha member, Yadav, a former Union Minister, had not been keeping well for some time. Bihar was his political home.

In fact, he was one of the few who had been instrumental in installing Lalu Prasad as Chief Minister of Bihar in 1990.

Born : 1 July 1947, Makhan Nagar

Died : 12 January 2023.

Source : Indian Express

Published On : January 13, 2023

8 .

India's first 5G-enabled drone has been developed by which company?

A)

IG Drones

B)

Skylark Drones

C)

Garuda Aerospace

D)

Teja Aerospace and Dynamics

Correct Answer : IG Drones

Startup firm IG Drones, which was born out of the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) campus in Odisha's Sambalpur has developed a 5G-enabled drone that is capable of vertical take-off and landing.

The drone named Skyhawk can be used in defence and medical applications, among other sectors. The drone can carry a 10 kg payload and has an endurance of around five hours.

With Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) providing 5G services in the country, these drones can be controlled with much more precision and can be controlled from the command centre directly rather than being on the field.

As it's a VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing), it can be operated from any terrain without the need for a conventional runway.

It is IP67 rated and can be controlled via a combination of NavIC + GPS navigational satellites which remain connected in the upper range of 50 to 60 in case of failsafe activation.

"When it will connect several satellites, it will work with precision in medical services delivery and in defence. The drone, if operated at its peak speed, can cover almost 100 kms in 12-15 minutes"

According to KC Sahoo, Chief Administrative Officer of IG Drones, "For use by defence forces, it can give surveillance up to 100-200 kms per day. If someone deploys 20-30 drones, an area can be secured."

Sahoo also reiterated that if 5G services are not available at any locations, they will be downgraded to 3G or 4G, or either latch on to satellites..

Source : Business Insider

Published On : January 12, 2023

9 .

In which city did Union Minister Sonowal and Tripura CM inaugurate the School of Logistics, Waterways, and Communication?

A)

Shillong

B)

Itanagar

C)

Agartala

D)

Guwahati

Correct Answer : Agartala

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, "Shri Sarbananda Sonowal", along with Dr Manik Saha, Chief Minister, Tripura inaugurated the School of Logistics, Waterways and Communication in Agartala on January 11, 2023.

The school will enable the rich pool of talent of the region to become world class experts in the transportation and logistics sector. In order to unlock the promised economic potential of the Northeast, the school will be enable the innate capacity of human resources along our opulent waterways, said Shri Sonowal.

The Centre for Logistic, Communication and Waterways would facilitate in conducting studies/research, training, workshops/seminars for stakeholders like businesses, exporters/importers, Chambers of Commerce and Industries, local entrepreneurs, tourist operators etc.

It has been set up under State Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (SIPARD). SIPARD is an autonomous body funded by the Government of Tripura and partially by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India..

Source : PIB

Published On : January 12, 2023

10 .

The Indian High Commission has signed an MoU to establish a Hindi Chair in which university in Sri Lanka?

A)

Sabaragamuwa University

B)

University of Kelaniya

C)

Wayamba University

D)

Rajarata University

Correct Answer : Sabaragamuwa University

Closely after the International Hindi Diwas, the Indian High Commission signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Hindi Chair at the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.

High Commissioner Gopal Baglay and Vice Chancellor of Sabaragamuwa University Prof. Udaya Rathnayake signed the MoU to establish the Hindi Chair as part of India’s cultural connect through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

The Hindi chair will help in familiarizing students with India, its history, and culture as well as pave way for popularising Hindi by deputing Indian faculties. Mr. Baglay also gave away prizes to the winners of the Hindi Kavita competition held at the university..

Source : AIR

Published On : January 12, 2023