Current Affairs - January, 2023 - Free Time Learning

1 .

In which city does PM Modi inaugurate the 108th Indian Science Congress?

A)

Bengaluru

B)

Ahmedabad

C)

Lucknow

D)

Nagpur

Correct Answer : Nagpur

The 108th Indian Science Congress (ISC) will be held at R.T.M. Nagpur University in Nagpur, Maharashtra, from January 3-7, 2023.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Indian Science Congress through video conferencing on January 3, 2023. ISC 2023 is the first major scientific event to be held in India this year (2023).

PM Modi told the gathered scientists that the country is now ranked 40th on the Global Innovation Index 2022, up from the 81st rank in 2015, and underlined that scientific developments should ultimately make the country atmanirbhar.

This year (2023), the Indian Science Congress is focused on ‘Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment’ and will showcase achievements made by women scientists as well as young innovators across the country.

“When the spirit of national service gets infused in science along with passion, results are unprecedented. I am sure, India’s scientific community will ensure a place for our country of which it was always.

Deserving,” he said. The Prime Minister also stressed on the increasing importance of data gathering and analysis as well as the importance of traditional knowledge alongside modern knowledge..

Source : Indian Express

Published On : January 4, 2023

2 .

Which country took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first six months of 2023?

A)

Italy

B)

Sweden

C)

Germany

D)

Finland

Correct Answer : Sweden

The Swedish presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first six months 1 January - 30 June 2023.

During the first half of 2023, Sweden holds the presidency of the Council of the EU. Sweden has identified four priorities for the work under its third presidency of the Council :

* security - unity

* competitiveness

* green & energy transition

* democratic values and the rule of law – our foundation

The Swedish presidency will prioritise continued economic and military support for Ukraine, as well as support for Ukraine's path towards the EU. It will devote its attention to European competitiveness, reducing risks of volatile energy prices and energy market reform, the green transition and the upholding of the rule of law..

Source : Consilium

Published On : January 4, 2023

3 .

Karnataka seer Sri Siddeshwara Swamiji when did passes away?

A)

31st Dec 2022

B)

1st Jan 2023

C)

2nd Jan 2023

D)

3rd Jan 2023

Correct Answer : 2nd Jan 2023

Senior Lingayat pontiff and famous Karnataka seer Siddeshwara Swami passed away after prolonged illness on Monday (2nd Jan 2023). He breathed his last at his ashram. Siddeshwara Swami was 81-year-old.

The seer of the Sri Jnana Yogashrama of Vijayapura was suffering from various ailments but had refused to take treatment other than pain relief. He had been facing age-related ailments for several weeks and had been confined to a wheelchair.

His mortal remains will be kept at his ashram till 8 am on Tuesday (3rd Jan 2023). After that, his body will be kept at Sainik School till evening 5 pm and will be taken for final cremation from there..

Source : Times Now News

Published On : January 3, 2023

4 .

The Election Commission has appointed folk singer Maithili Thakur as the icon of which state?

A)

Punjab

B)

Gujarat

C)

Bihar

D)

Maharashtra

Correct Answer : Bihar

The Election Commission has appointed folk singer, Maithili Thakur as the state icon for Bihar.

* She will create awareness among the voters for their participation in the electoral process.

* She was born in Madhubani district of Bihar.

* She is a trained in Indian classical and folk music.

* She was recently selected for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar of the Sangeet Natak Akademi for her contribution to the folk music of Bihar for 2021..

Source : Business Standard

Published On : January 3, 2023

5 .

Noted Rabindra Sangeet exponent Sumitra Sen when did passes away?

A)

3rd Jan 2023

B)

1st Jan 2023

C)

27th Dec 2022

D)

25th Dec 2022

Correct Answer : 3rd Jan 2023

Eminent Rabindra Sangeet exponent Sumitra Sen died at her city residence on Tuesday (3rd Jan 2023) morning. She was 89.

She will be remembered for her rendition of songs like Jokhon Porbe Na Mor, Sokhi Vabona Kahare Bole and Mone Ki Dwidha.

Her rendition of Aaj Jyotsna Raate Shobai Gechhe Bone in Ritwik Ghatak’s classic movie Komal Gandhar has remained a steadfast interpretation of the song.

She was honoured with the Sangeet Mahasamman award by West Bengal government in 2012.

About the Rabindra Sangeet :Rabindra Sangeet also known as Tagore Songs, are songs from the Indian subcontinent written and composed by the Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore, winner of the 1913 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Rabindra Sangeet refers to the 2000 plus songs and poetry of love and devotion composed by Tagore.

Out of these only 730 songs for which the bard had written the notations are currently sung. These songs are regarded as cultural treasures of Bengal in both West Bengal and the predominantly Muslim Bangladesh...

Source : Indian Express

Published On : January 3, 2023

6 .

Who inaugurated the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation at Joka in Kolkata via video conferencing?

A)

Mamata Banerjee

B)

Mahua Moitra

C)

Suvendu Adhikari

D)

Narendra Modi

Correct Answer : Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi 30th Dec 2022 inaugurated the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS) at Joka in Kolkata via video conferencing.

SPM-NIWAS has been set up with a budget of Rs 100 crore, on 8.72 acres of land at Joka, Diamond Harbour Road, Kolkata, West Bengal.

The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) aims to bridge the knowledge and capacity-building gap in the field of public health engineering, sanitation & hygiene, through short, medium, and long-term courses which are not just related to engineering but also cover aspects of management, health, accounting, law, and public policies.

* The conference was chaired by the Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

* The Union Minister reiterated the Prime Minister’s vision of cooperative federalism and states that under Swachh Bharat Mission, Namami Gange, and Jal Jeevan Mission, the combined efforts are being recognized around the globe.

* Smt. Vini Mahajan, Secretary, DDWS, urged States to focus on water service delivery.

* She also asked the participating states to list issues in water service delivery, discuss, and come out with an action plan for effective implementation of the program.

* DDWS has set up sanitation and miniature models at the Institute for awareness generation and capacity building through visual depiction.

* These models include Eco-San Toilet, Septic Tank, Tiger Toilet, Twin Pit Toilet, NADEP Composting Pit, Vermicomposting Tank, Sanitation Chamber, Magic Pit, Soak Pit, Water Stabilization Pond, and Constructed Wetland..

Source : PIB

Published On : January 3, 2023

7 .

When is the birth anniversary of the first female teacher in Modern India, Savitri Bai Phule celebrated?

A)

January 4

B)

January 3

C)

January 2

D)

January 1

Correct Answer : January 3

3 January 2023 marks the 192nd birth anniversary of India's first woman teacher Savitribai Phule. Born on January 3, 1831, Savitribai Phule was a 19th-century social reformer and poet, who strived to help girls achieve better education.

* Savitribai Phule and her husband Jyotirao Phule are credited with opening India's first girl school at Bhide Wada in Pune in 1848.

Early life : Savitribai Phule was born into a family of farmers in Maharashtra's Naigaon on January 3, 1831. At the age of nine, she married 13-year-old Jyotirao Phule. Her husband was an advocate of female education and made sure that Savitribai Phule attains good quality education. He taught her at home and trained her to become a teacher.

* Savitribai Phule went on to become India's first woman teacher and headmistress and opened 18 schools for girls with her husband. The reformer was also one of the first feminists of modern India who, with her husband, played an instrumental role in the struggle for women's rights in India during the British Raj.

Work : Savitribai Phule relentlessly worked to eradicate social evils and led campaigns against child marriage and the Sati tradition among other practices. She stood up against caste-based discrimination and set up a care program for widows. She also denounced the practice of widows shaving their heads.

* Savitribai Phule opened a care centre for pregnant rape victims called “Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha” where she helped them deliver their children.

* Besides women's rights, Savitribai Phule fought for peasants, backward castes, and Dalits. Through her poetry, she raised her voice against discrimination and emphasized the need to attain education.

Savitribai Phule died on March 10, 1897, while treating a patient..

Source : NDTV

Published On : January 3, 2023

8 .

Election Commission Launches ________ to Take Voter Turnout in Tripura to over 90%.

A)

Mission-900

B)

Mission-929

C)

Mission-942

D)

Mission-978

Correct Answer : Mission-929

The Election Commission (EC) is focusing on 929 polling booths across Tripura, setting a target of 92 per cent voter turnout in the assembly elections due early this year (2023).

* These booths recorded a voter turnout of less than 89 per cent, which was the average across 3,328 booths in the 2018 assembly polls. The EC is also working on ‘Mission Zero Poll Violence’ to make the assembly elections peaceful.

* According to the ECI, these booths recorded a voter turnout of less than 89 percent in the 2018 assembly polls. Except for these booths almost all the booths in the state recorded a voter turnout of 91 % or more .The voter turnout was 89.5% in the 2018 Tripura assembly election.

* The Election commission plans to launch an awareness campaign, poll officials will visit senior citizens and persons with disability, and appeal to them to cast their votes.

* The ECI will make requisite arrangements such as ramps, wheelchairs and separate queues will be arranged at every polling station to felicitate senior citizens and persons with disability. This will also ensure that voters can cast their votes peacefully in the assembly election to be held in 2023.

About Tripura’s Assembly And the Elections : The Tripura Legislative Assembly has 60 seats. The election to constitute the 12th Legislative Assembly of Tripura was held on 18 February 2018.

The 12th legislative assembly term will end on 22 march 2023.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party with 36 seats and it formed the government for the first time in Tripura..

Source : Economic Times

Published On : January 3, 2023

9 .

Who inaugurated the Indian Library Congress in Kannur on 1st January 2023?

A)

Oommen Chandy

B)

M. V. Govindan

C)

Pinarayi Vijayan

D)

Dr KV Kunhikrishnan

Correct Answer : Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister "Pinarayi Vijayan" on Sunday (1st January 2023) inaugurated Indian Library Congress at the Collectorate Ground in Kannur.

The People’s Mission for Social Development and Library Council organized the event in association with Kannur University.

The program was presided over by Dr V Shivdan, and Higher Education Minister Dr R Bindu announced 100 new libraries to be dedicated to the Kannur district.

Ramachandran Gadnapally MLA, Kannur District Panchayat President PP Divya, Kasaragod District Panchayat President Baby Balakrishnan, MV Jayarajan, Prabir Purkayastha, TK Govindan, PK Vijayan, Dr KV Kunhikrishnan, Pramod Vellachal, and others were present..

Source : The Print

Published On : January 3, 2023

10 .

Which program for Ayurveda professionals (NCISM, CCRAS) launched to regulate and boost R&D in Ayurveda on 2nd Jan 2023?

A)

SMART

B)

AYUSH

C)

SMART-IND

D)

AYUSH-R&D

Correct Answer : SMART

The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), the two prominent institutions under the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India for regulating medical education and conducting scientific research respectively, have launched (2nd Jan 2023) ‘SMART’ (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research in Teaching Professionals).

The program aimed to boost scientific research in priority healthcare research areas through Ayurveda colleges and hospitals.

Important points of ‘SMART’ :

* The proposed initiative is conceptualised with an objective to identify, support and promote innovative research ideas in healthcare research areas including Osteoarthritis, Iron Deficiency Anaemia, Chronic Bronchitis, Dyslipidemia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Obesity, Diabetes Mellitus, Psoriasis, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)”.

* The eligible Ayurveda academic institutions may apply by 10 January, 2023. All details regarding contact information, eligibility criteria and application process has been shared to all recognized academic institutions and hospitals through NCISM”.

* The large network of Ayurveda colleges and hospitals across the country is an asset for the country in terms of its healthcare needs. This network has not only been offering healthcare services in hardest times, but it also has contributed significantly in terms of healthcare research in the country.

* The ‘SMART’ program will certainly motivate teachers for taking up projects in designated areas of healthcare research and create a large database...

Source : PIB

Published On : January 3, 2023