2024 Latest Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020

1 .

Who won the title of Mrs World 2022, after defeating contestants from 63 countries?

A)

Shaylyn Ford

B)

Sargam Koushal

C)

Kate Schneider

D)

Caroline Jurie

Correct Answer : Sargam Koushal

India's Sargam Koushal beat Mrs Polynesia to secure the Mrs World 2022 title.

* Sargam Koushal of India was crowned Miss World at a gala event hosted in Las Vegas. She brought back the crown with the utmost glory after 21 long years.

* With participants from over 63 countries, Koushal’s win is indeed prestigious and a reason for revelry. Koushal beat Mrs Polynesia to secure the title.

* The beauty queen is originally from Jammu and Kashmir and worked as a teacher in Vizag. Her husband works for the Indian Navy..

Source : India Today

Published On : December 19, 2022

2 .

Who inaugurated a football stadium at the P A Sangma Sports Complex, Dakopgre in Tura (Meghalaya) on 16th Dec 2022?

A)

James Sangma

B)

Conrad K Sangmaat

C)

N. Biren Singh

D)

Pema Khandu

Correct Answer : Conrad K Sangmaat

Meghalaya CM, Conrad K Sangmaat has inaugurated a football stadium at the P A Sangma Sports Complex, Dakopgre in Tura on Friday (16th Dec 2022).

* The stadium and the two indoor stadiums are built over a combined area of over 17,000 sqm.

* The indoor stadiums, along with gymnasium, swimming pool, a table tennis Hall, squash hall and a badminton hall will be ready for inauguration by December 2023.

* The government has also launched a talent identification programme for athletes..

Source : New Indian Express

Published On : December 18, 2022

3 .

Which Ministry has organised Delhi International Arts Festival in collaboration with Prasiddha Foundation at Kartavya Path, New Delhi on 16th Dec 2022?

A)

Ministry of Culture

B)

Ministry of Education

C)

Ministry of Rural Development

D)

Ministry of Women and Child Development

Correct Answer : Ministry of Culture

Ministry of Culture in collaboration with Prasiddha Foundation inaugurated Delhi International Arts Festival at Kartavya Path with the tagline - ‘Where Bharat Meets India’ 16th Dec 2022.

* The festival is being organised from 16th December to 30th December 2022.

* In the opening ceremony Kuchipudi dance performance choreographed by Jayarama Rao was performed. On the occasion Prism Theatre society performed Hindi theatre ‘Veer Abhimanyu.’ At Kartavya Path a music performance by artists from Dominican Republic attracted a large number of people.

* In the festival dance performances such as Kathak, Odissi along with theatre, classical musical performances and other cultural performances will be organised.

* A series of events and performances will be organised at various venues like Kartavya Path India Gate Lawns, Central Vista, Samvet Auditorium Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts Janpath, Amphitheatre Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts Janpath, etc in Delhi from 17th to 30th of Dec 2022.

* Festival Aims : To celebrate the great Epics, the Warriors Who Fought for Our Freedom, and the many policy decisions and schemes instituted by our Government towards 'Women Empowerment', towards 'Cleaning Our Holy Rivers', towards keeping our Country 'Clean and Free from Dirt and Disease'..

Source : PIB

Published On : December 18, 2022

4 .

Which govt launches alternative farming system for poppy planters?

A)

Nagaland

B)

Assam

C)

Manipur

D)

Meghalaya

Correct Answer : Manipur

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh Thursday(15th Dec 2022) launched the alternative farming system for poppy planters in nine hill districts of Manipur.

* Illegal poppy cultivation has become one of the major causes of concern for officials in Manipur. According to official sources, 14,315 acres of illicit poppy, cultivated mostly in the hill districts of Manipur, were destroyed by security forces in the previous term of the present government.

* Concerned by the trend of largescale illicit poppy plantation, the Manipur government had earlier this year launched the ‘War on Drugs’ campaign.

* The alternative farming system will benefit ‘jhumias’ or poppy planters of nine districts, namely Churachandpur, Pherzawl, Noney, Tamenglong, Senapati, Kangpokpi, Ukhrul, Kamjong, Tengnoupal and Chandel.

* At Thursday’s programme, organised by the Manipur government’s Eastern Border Areas Development Authority (EBADA), Singh also distributed seeds of Rabi crops, nursery items, tools and equipment to 17 registered farmers societies from Senapati, Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, Kamjong, Ukhrul, Chandel, Tengnoupal, Tamenglong and Noney.

* The EBADA receives funding from the North Eastern Council Shillong, Government of India..

Source : Indian Express

Published On : December 18, 2022

5 .

Indian-origin Leo Varadkar re-elected as Prime Minister of which country?

A)

Ireland

B)

Germany

C)

Norway

D)

Finland

Correct Answer : Ireland

Indian-origin Leo Varadkar, former Irish Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Fine Gael party, has been elected as the new prime minister of Ireland following a vote in the lower house of the Irish parliament.

* On Saturday(17h Dec 2022), total of 87 members of the house voted in favour of his nomination as the new prime minister while 62 members voted against it, Xinhua News Agency reported.

* Following his appointment as new prime minister by Irish President Michael D. Higgins, Varadkar announced a reshuffle of the cabinet.

* According to a list of the cabinet members, former Irish Prime Minister and leader of Fianna Fail Micheal Martin will become the new deputy prime minister and minister for foreign affairs and defence while former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Simon Coveney will become minister for enterprise, trade and employment.

* Former Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe will be the minister for public expenditure and reform while former Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath will take Donohoe's position as the new finance minister.

* There are altogether 15 members in the cabinet. All the positions held by other cabinet members have remained the same.

* After the nomination was approved by the lower house of the Irish parliament, the new cabinet held its first meeting on Saturday(17th Dec 2022) night.

* This is the second time that Varadkar has been elected as Irish prime minister. He first became the Irish prime minister in June 2017. In June 2020, the Fine Gael party led by Varadkar formed a coalition government with Fianna Fail and Green Party, in which he served as deputy prime minister and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment..

Source : Business Standard

Published On : December 18, 2022

6 .

_________ has been asked by RBI to pause onboarding of new online payment merchants.

A)

Paytm

B)

PayU

C)

Razorpay

D)

PayPal

Correct Answer : Razorpay

Fintech firm, Razorpay has been asked by RBI to pause onboarding of new online payment merchants.

Reason : As the central bank requires to make certain changes and provide more information before it is granted the final payment aggregator (PA) licence.

Another fintech firm, Cashfree has also been asked to to temporarily stop onboarding new customers.

It is one among several fintech companies to receive in-principle approval from the RBI for a PA licence..

Source : Financial Express

Published On : December 18, 2022

7 .

Renew Power has signed a 150 MW renewable energy deal with whom?

A)

Meta India

B)

Microsoft India

C)

Amazon India

D)

Google India

Correct Answer : Microsoft India

ReNew Power, subsidiary of renewable energy company ReNew Energy Global Plc, on Friday(16th Dec 2022) announced that it has signed a renewable energy agreement of 150 MW with Microsoft India, in one of the largest such deals in the country.

* As part of the arrangement, ReNew will produce 150 MW of clean energy from a recently commissioned solar site near Bikaner.

* This deal signifies that corporates globally, including India, are increasingly integrating renewable energy into their operations in every form, and this partnership further paves the way for innovative models that will accelerate the energy transition.

* “ReNew Power is delighted and proud to partner with Microsoft, known for its sensitivity towards environment, sustainable business practices, and as global climate leader in the corporate world,“ said Sumant Sinha, Chairman and CEO of ReNew Power.

* This venture will help contribute towards Microsoft’s ambition of shifting to 100 percent supply of renewable energy by 2025. For its part, ReNew is committed to be a catalyst for global energy transition and will continue to offer innovative solutions to companies to support their climate goals," Sumant added.

* “Microsoft is striving to run 100% on renewable energy by 2025 and turn carbon negative by 2030. We are happy to partner with ReNew Power to meet our sustainability targets, and to also help our customers and partners on their sustainability journey," said Rohini Srivathsa, National Technology Officer, Microsoft India said.

* ReNew is one of the largest renewable energy independent power producers globally. ReNew develops, builds, owns and operates utility-scale wind energy, solar energy and hydro projects.

* As of October 10, 2022, ReNew has a gross total portfolio of 13.4 GW of renewable energy projects across India, including commissioned and committed projects..

Source : Mint

Published On : December 18, 2022

8 .

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union Ministers paid tribute to _________ on his 71st death anniversary on 14th Dec 2022.

A)

Bhagat Singh

B)

Subhas Chandra Bose

C)

Lal Bahadur Shastri

D)

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Correct Answer : Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union Ministers paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 71st death anniversary on Wednesday (14th Dec 2022).

* Stating that the country will forever be grateful to Patel, PM Modi said, “Remembering Sardar Patel on his Punya Tithi. India will always be grateful to him for his monumental service, his administrative skills, and the untiring efforts to unite our nation.”

* Sardar, or Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel, was an Indian leader. From 1947 until 1950, he was India’s first deputy prime minister. He was a barrister and a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress who led the country’s independence movement and guided its integration into a single, independent nation. He was a member of the Indian National Congress’s conservative wing.

* Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, known as the “Iron Man of India,” was born in Nadiad village in present-day Gujarat on October 31, 1875.

* In India’s freedom struggle, he was a political and freedom leader.

* He is known as the Iron Man of India because of his strong views on the union of princely states into one nation, his good attitude toward women’s emancipation, and his active participation in shaping India into what it is now.

* Vallabhbhai Patel was given the title of ‘Sardar’ by Mahatma Gandhi.

* In 1991, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna. Since 2014, his birthday has been celebrated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day). Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel joined the princely kingdoms in British Indian territory, preventing India from becoming divided.

* Due to his role in uniting the shards of princely kingdoms into a single nation, he is known as the ‘Bismarck of India.’

* Modern All India Services was founded by him.

* He served as India’s first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.

* Sardar Patel, 75, died of a major heart attack in Bombay on December 15, 1950.

Integration of Princely States :

* Sardar Patel, India’s first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, was instrumental in the union of 565 princely kingdoms into the Indian Union.

* Travancore, Hyderabad, Junagadh, Bhopal, and Kashmir were among the princely kingdoms that refused to join India.

* Sardar Patel worked relentlessly to reach an agreement with the princely kingdoms, but he did not shy away from using Sama, Dama, Dand, and Bhed techniques when necessary.

* He had used force to acquire the princely realms of Junagadh, governed by the Nawab, and Hyderabad, ruled by the Nizam, both of whom had refused to join the Union of India.

Source : Indian Express

Published On : December 17, 2022

9 .

________ makes solar panels mandatory for new homes built after 2025.

A)

London

B)

Washington D.C

C)

Moscow

D)

Tokyo

Correct Answer : Tokyo

All new houses in Tokyo built by large-scale homebuilders after April 2025 must install solar power panels to cut household carbon emissions, according to a new regulation passed by the Japanese capital's local assembly on Thursday(15th Dec 2022).

* The mandate, the first of its kind for a Japanese municipality, requires about 50 major builders to equip homes of up to 2,000 square metres (21,500 square feet) with renewable energy power sources, mainly solar panels.

* Tokyo Governor "Yuriko Koike" noted last week that just 4% of buildings where solar panels could be installed in the city have them now.

* The Tokyo Metropolitan Government aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared with 2000 levels.

* Japan, the world's fifth-largest carbon emitter, has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 but faces difficulty as it has relied heavily on coal-burning thermal power after most of its nuclear reactors were in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster..

Source : Reuters

Published On : December 17, 2022

10 .

Which edition of Youth Co:Lab, Asia Pacific's largest youth innovation movement was jointly launched by Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and UNDP India December 15th 2022?

A)

5th edition

B)

6th edition

C)

7th edition

D)

8th edition

Correct Answer : 5th edition

The 5th edition of Youth Co:Lab, Asia Pacific’s largest youth innovation movement was jointly launched by Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and UNDP India on Thursday (December 15th 2022).

The applications for this edition were launched by Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director AIM, NITI Aayog and Mr. Dennis Curry, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP India.

Speaking at the event Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog said “Entrepreneurs are a powerful force in leading social change and accelerating the movement in meeting the SDGs target actions.

Youth has exuberance, ideas and the zeal to change the world and providing them with every opportunity can create a sustainable change. Hence, I invite all of our young innovators and entrepreneurs to participate in this incredible opportunity to unleash their creativity and build their solutions through the Youth Co:Lab.”

Youth Co:Lab is an initiative launched in 2019 by UNDP India in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog and aims to establish a common agenda for Asia-Pacific countries to invest in and empower youth to accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Atal Innovation Mission, along with UNDP India are driving this movement through the fifth edition of Youth Co:Lab India and have been supporting young social entrepreneurs who can be a powerful force in leading social change and furthering the implementation of SDGs target actions.

The Youth Co:Lab initiative, till date, has been implemented in 28 countries and territories, reaching over 200,000 participants, benefitting more than 11,000 young social entrepreneurs and supporting over 1,240 social enterprises.

Through Youth Co: Lab, 30 early-stage start-ups would be supported by the springboard programme, and the best would be provided a seed grant for scaling up their start-up.

The 5 focus thematic areas for Youth Colab 2022-23 are :

* Digital and Financial Literacy for Youth

* Gender Equality and Women Economic Empowerment

* Developing FinTech Solutions focused on Biodiversity Conservation

* Promoting Biodiversity-friendly Lifestyles through Technological Solutions in Finance

* Accelerating Circular Economy through Upcycling Innovations

* Behavioural Nudges for LiFE ( Lifestyle For Environment)

* Passionate young founders with solutions that solve real problems and/or create meaningful co-innovation opportunities aged 18-29 can apply and will be supported throughout the programme..

Source : PIB

Published On : December 17, 2022