2023 Latest Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020

1 .

Who has been elected 137th president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review?

A)

Ashwiyaa

B)

Apsara Iyer

C)

Soma Mondal

D)

Falguni Nayar

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Apsara Iyer

A second-year Indian-American student at Harvard Law School has been elected president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review, becoming the first woman from the community to be named to the position in the prestigious publication’s 136-year history.

Apsara Iyer was elected the 137th president of the Harvard Law Review, which was founded in 1887 and is among the oldest student-run legal scholarship publications.

Apsara Iyer’s distinguished predecessors in the role include Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and former president Barack Obama.

She aims to include more editors in the process of reviewing and selecting articles and upholding the publication’s reputation for “high-quality" work.

Career of Apsara Iyer :

* The Crimson report said Iyer graduated from Yale in 2016 and received a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Math and Spanish.

* Iyer worked in the office in 2018 before coming to the Law School, and took a leave of absence after her first year studying law to return to the role, it said.

* Iyer has previously been involved in the Law School’s Harvard Human Rights Journal and the National Security Journal and is also a member of the South Asian Law Students Association...

Source : Mint

Published On : February 7, 2023

2 .

Which country Hackers Steal $1.7 Billion Cryptocurrency in 2022?

A)

China

B)

North Korea

C)

Nigeria

D)

Turkey

Correct Answer : Option (B) - North Korea

North Korea-backed hackers stole $1.7bn (£1.4bn) of crypto in 2022, says blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis.

* This nearly quadruples the country's previous record for cryptocurrency theft - $429m in 2021.

* The loot also made up 44% of the $3.8bn stolen in crypto hacks last year, which the firm called "the biggest year ever for crypto hacking".

* Experts have said the country, facing heavy sanctions, is turning to crypto theft to fund its nuclear arsenal.

* North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests and analysts expect the seventh one 2023, as the country accelerates its nuclear weapons programme under leader Kim Jong-un. 2022, Pyongyang launched a record number of ballistic and other missiles. This is despite the country's struggling economy.

* "For context, North Korea's total exports in 2020 totalled $142m worth of goods, so it isn't a stretch to say that cryptocurrency hacking is a sizable chunk of the nation's economy," Chainalysis said in a report on Wednesday (1st Feb 2023).

* These hackers typically launder crypto through "mixers", which blend cryptocurrencies from various users to obfuscate the origins of the funds, the firm said.

* Other experts have also said that North Korea launders stolen crypto through brokers in China and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

* Last month, the FBI confirmed that North Korea-affiliated Lazarus Group was responsible for a $100m crypto heist on a blockchain network called Horizon bridge last year.

* Overall, decentralised finance protocols, or DeFi, accounted for over 82% of cryptocurrency stolen in 2022..

Source : BBC

Published On : February 7, 2023

3 .

Who inaugurated 'India Energy Week 2023' in Bengaluru, which is being held from 6th to 8th February 2023?

A)

Narendra Modi

B)

Amit Shah

C)

Droupadi Murmu

D)

S. Jaishankar

Correct Answer : Option (A) - Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India Energy Week (IEW) 2023 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on 6th Feb 2023.

* Being held from 6th to 8th February 2023, IEW is aimed to showcase India's rising prowess as an energy transition powerhouse.

* As part of the event, he also Launched E20 Fuel and Flagged off Green Mobility Rally organised by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited on behalf of Oil & Gas PSUs and PLL.

* Governor of Karnataka, Chief Minister of Karnataka, Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs and Hon’ble Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Labour & Employment also graced the occasion.

* In line with the Ethanol Blending roadmap, Prime Minister launched E20 fuel at 84 Retail Outlets of Oil Marketing Companies in 11 States/UTs.

* E20 is a blend of 20% ethanol with petrol. The Government aims to achieve a complete 20% blending of ethanol by 2025, and HPCL and other oil marketing companies are setting up 2G-3G ethanol plants that will facilitate the progress.

* Ethanol Blending programme has been a key focus areas of the Government to achieve Aatmanirbharta in the field of energy. Due to the sustained efforts of the Government, Ethanol production capacity has seen a six times increase since 2013-14.

* The achievements in the course of last eight years under under Ethanol Blending Program & Biofuels Program have not only augmented India’s energy security but have also resulted in a host of other benefits including reduction of 318 Lakh Metric Tonnes of CO2 emissions and foreign exchange savings of around Rs 54,000 crore.

* As a result, there has been payment of around Rs 81,800 crore towards ethanol supplies during 2014 to 2022 and transfer of more than Rs 49,000 crore to farmers.

* Primee Minister also flagged off Green Mobility Rally organised by HPCL. The Rally witnessed participation of 57 vehicles running on sustainable green energy sources viz., E20, E85, Flex Fuel, Hydrogen, Electric etc.

* The Rally helped in creating public awareness for the Green fuels. During the culmination program of the Rally, Hon’ble Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Labour & Employment, Shri Rameswar Teli during his address said that this Green Mobility Rally will help raise a lot of awareness in the Nation towards Green and Sustainable fuels.

* Government of India’s policy push like Ethanol Blending Program and National Green Hydrogen Mission will fuel Indian economy towards its target of 5 trillion dollar economy and realizing Net Zero by 2070...

Source : PIB

Published On : February 6, 2023

4 .

The 6th SCO Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) Leaders Meeting is being hosted by the CAG in Which City on 6th February 2023?

A)

Kanpur

B)

Mumbai

C)

Lucknow

D)

Ahmedabad

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Lucknow

The 6th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) Leaders’ Meeting is being hosted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in Lucknow on 6th February 2023.

The meeting was inaugurated by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Anandiben Patel.

Theme : 'Integrating Emerging Technologies in Audit'

Discussions topics : Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security, and concerns of digital technology...

Source : AIR

Published On : February 6, 2023

5 .

Bangladesh would receive electricity from the Godda power plant in Which State from March 2023?

A)

Odisha

B)

Uttarakhand

C)

Chhattisgarh

D)

Jharkhand

Correct Answer : Option (D) - Jharkhand

Bangladesh will start receiving electricity from the Godda power plant in Jharkhand from the first week of March 2023, says state minister for power Nasrul Hamid.

* Dhaka on Sunday (5h Feb 2023), Nasrul Hamid said 750 megawatt power will come from the first unit of Adani power plant in Godda in March 2023.

* Another 750 megawatt of power will come from the second unit of the Godda power plant in April 2023.

* Setting to rest speculation on the issue, the power minister said that there is no concern about Adani’s electricity import and discussion on it is baseless, reports the official news agency BSS. He said Bangladesh will get the electricity from the Indian company at a competitive market price.

* The Minister also assured that several coal based power plants will start production soon and there is no worry about the electricity supply during the coming irrigation season. He said that the first unit of the Maitree super thermal power plant at Rampal has already come into operation and the SS power and Barisal power plant will start generating electricity soon.

* The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) signed an agreement with Adani group for importing electricity from its plant at Godda in Jharkhand.

* Consequently, two units of 800 MW each are being built by the Adani power company to supply electricity exclusively to Bangladesh. It has also constructed a dedicated transmission line to supply power from India to Bangladesh..

Source : AIR

Published On : February 6, 2023

6 .

Whic countries are announced (4th Feb 2023) a formal trilateral cooperation initiative in the areas of defense, nuclear energy, and technology?

A)

India, Russia, and Sweden

B)

India, Germany, and UK

C)

India, Japan, and USA

D)

India, France, and UAE

Correct Answer : Option (D) - India, France, and UAE

India, France, and the UAE on Saturday (4th February 2023) announced a formal trilateral cooperation initiative in the areas of defense, nuclear energy, and technology.

* The Foreign Ministers of the three countries held a telephonic meeting to adopt a roadmap for the implementation of this initiative.

* Aim : To promote the design and execution of cooperation projects in the fields of energy

* The countries will discuss further collaboration and training between their defense forces..

Source : Times of India

Published On : February 6, 2023

7 .

Indian Railways Launches WhatsApp Food Delivery Facility _____ App.

A)

IR-Food

B)

Zoop

C)

Gusto

D)

grubhub

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Zoop

Passengers traveling in Indian Railways can now order food online through WhatsApp while undertaking a journey by using their PNR number.

* This comes as a step further towards making e-catering services more customer-centric in Indian Railways.

* The Indian Railways has recently started WhatsApp Communication for railway passengers to order food through e-catering services.

* “Business WhatsApp number +91-8750001323 has been started for the purpose."

Indian Railways Launches WhatsApp Food Delivery Facility ‘Zoop’ :

The Indian Railways initially planned a two-stage implementation of e-catering services through WhatsApp Communication.

In the first phase, the Business WhatsApp number will send a message to the customer booking e-ticket for opting for e-catering services by clicking the link www.ecatering.irctc.co.in.

* The customers will be able to book meals of their choice with this option from the restaurant of their choice available at stations enroute directly through the e-catering website of IRCTC.

* In the next phase of the service, WhatsApp number will be enabled to become an interactive two-way communication platform for the customer.

* An AI power chatbot will handle all queries about e-catering services for the passengers and will also book meals for them.

* WhatsApp Communication gas has been implemented for e-catering services on selected trains based on customer feedback and suggestions.

* Approximately 50,000 meals are served in a day to customers through IRCTC e-catering services enabled through its website..

Source : Mint

Published On : February 6, 2023

8 .

Which Retail has become the first Indian retailer to introduce Central Bank Digital Currency (Digital Rupee)?

A)

Reliance Retail

B)

DMart

C)

Future Retail

D)

V-Mart Retail

Correct Answer : Option (A) - Reliance Retail

Reliance Retail has become the first Indian retailer to introduce Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), also known as digital rupee.

* The company has piloted the use of Digital Rupee in one store in Mumbai, and plans to make this facility available in all its stores in Mumbai within the next three to four months, in accordance with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) norms.

* The launch of this facility was in collaboration with Innoviti Technologies, ICICI Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank. At the launch event, V Subramaniam, Director of Reliance Retail Ltd , stated that just like the use of Unified Payments Interface (UPI), digital currency will also become a part of India’s payment ecosystem.

* “This historic initiative of pioneering digital currency acceptance in our stores aligns with our strategic vision of offering choice to Indian consumers. As more Indians shift towards digital transactions, this initiative will provide a secure and efficient alternative payment method for customers,” said Subramaniam.

* Protective layer : Reliance Retail has 17,000 stores spread across 7,000 cities in India. Subramaniam noted that around 70 per cent of transactions at the company’s stores are digital, with over 30 per cent of these being through UPI and 30 per cent through credit cards.

* “The technology behind this is more advanced than UPI, providing customers with a better protective layer for their transactions. Additionally, these transactions will be anonymous, making the adoption rate faster in my view,” said Subramaniam...

Source : The Hindu Businessline

Published On : February 6, 2023

9 .

Which Corporation has received Rs. 253.35 crore project from the State Bank of India (SBI) for providing 4G LTE connectivity to 15,000 offsite ATMs across the country?

A)

Ircon International

B)

Rail Vikas Nigam

C)

RailTel Corporation

D)

Container Corporation of India

Correct Answer : Option (C) - RailTel Corporation

RailTel Corporation informed on Thursday (2nd Feb 2023), that the company has received a Work Order from the State Bank of India (SBI) for providing 4G LTE connectivity to 15,000 offsite ATMs across the country.

The mini-ratna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Railways will also take care of the operation and maintenance of the entire network for a period of five years.

“Besides last mile connectivity, the project also includes the establishment of Network Operations Centre (NOC), backhaul connectivity to the Data center & Disaster Recovery center (DC-DR) of SBI, live dashboard for SLA monitoring, 24X7 helpdesk, etc".

This SBI project is one of the largest projects in providing last-mile connectivity on 4G LTE technology in India.

RailTel has been selected through competitive bidding and the total cost of the project is estimated at ₹253.35 Crores (excluding taxes)...

Source : Mint

Published On : February 6, 2023

10 .

Which company appoints 'Raul Rebello' as new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)?

A)

Muthoot Finance

B)

Tata Capital

C)

Mahindra Finance

D)

Manappuram Finance

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Mahindra Finance

Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd's Board of Directors appointed Raul Rebello as Managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) designate.

He will replace Ramesh Iyer, who will be retiring on April 29, 2023.

Currently, he is serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company.

Before to joining Mahindra Financial, he worked as the executive vice president and head of rural lending and financial inclusion at Axis Bank Ltd...

Source : BQ Prime

Published On : February 6, 2023