Daily & Latest Current Affairs in 2025

Correct Answer :   Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar

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Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar has been appointed as the new Vice Chief of Army Staff, while incumbent Lt Gen B S Raju will take charge as South Western Army Commander, official sources said on Thursday (16th February 2023).

* Lt Gen Rashim Bali has been appointed as the commander of Leh-based 14 Corps which takes care of security along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in the Ladakh sector.

* Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, the current commander of the 14 Corps, will become the new Chief of Staff of Udhampur headquartered Northern Command.

* They said Lt Gen BS Raju, at present serving as the Vice Chief of Army Staff, has been appointed as South Western Army Commander.

* Lt Gen NSR Subramani, currently the Chief of Staff at the headquarters of the Northern Command in Udhampur, has been promoted to the rank of Army Commander and appointed as the next Central Army Commander.

* The sources said Lt Gen Suchindra Kumar too has been promoted as Army Commander and appointed as the new Vice Chief of Army Staff. He is serving as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) in the Army Headquarters at present.

* They said Lt Gen Raju will succeed Lt Gen Amardeep Singh Bhinder when he retires from service by the end of February 2023.

* Lt Gen Subramani will take over as the Central Army Commander from Lt Gen Yogendra Dimri, who also superannuates by the end of this month.

* Lt Gen Kumar, Lt Gen Raju and Lt Gen Subramani will assume their new responsibilities on March 1, 2023.

* Lt Gen Kumar is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He was commissioned into 1 Assam Regiment in June 1985.

* He has commanded the 59 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion, an Infantry Brigade, and an Infantry Division on the Line of Control.

Source : NDTV

Correct Answer :   17th February

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United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution from Jamaica to declare the first-ever Global Tourism Resilience Day on 17th February 2023.

* In an effort to future-proof the sustainability of tourism. The move to mark the day annually was supported by more than 90 countries.

* The UNGA invites everyone to observe February 17 as a day to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable tourism, in accordance with local, regional and national priorities and through education, activities and events. The first Global Tourism Resilience Conference will be held in Jamaica on February 15, culminating on Global Tourism Resilience Day.

Global Tourism Resilience Day History : Global Tourism Resilience Day was proclaimed earlier this month by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in resolution A/RES/77/269. The day calls for the celebration of tourism’s resilience and the promotion of sustainable tourism practices. It was established as a result of Jamaica’s initiatives to promote resilience in international tourism, which included suggesting that February 17 be formally recognised as Global Tourism Resilience Day. More than 90 countries endorsed the idea of the celebration.

The ratification of Global Tourism Resilience Day has made it a part of the ongoing Global Tourism Resilience Conference being hosted by Jamaica. This hybrid conference is an important part of the efforts being made by the Ministry of Tourism and its partners, including the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), to boost the resilience of the global tourism industry. Through this conference, attendees can participate in discussions and share knowledge on how to address challenges facing the tourism industry, including the impacts of crises and disasters.

Global Tourism Resilience Day Significance : The significance of Global Tourism Resilience Day lies in its ability to bring attention to the importance of sustainable tourism practices and their role in creating a more resilient and sustainable world. The tourism industry has been hit hard by a series of crises and challenges over the past few years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and political unrest.

Despite these challenges, the industry has shown remarkable resilience, adapting to changing circumstances and finding new ways to promote sustainable tourism practices. Global Tourism Resilience Day is a way to recognise and celebrate this resilience and to encourage the tourism industry to continue working towards a more sustainable and resilient future..

Source : News9live

Correct Answer :   IIT Kanpur

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Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has developed an energy-efficient compressed air-based pipeline system for transporting coal and minerals, offering round-the-clock monitoring with considerable savings in time and costs .

* The cargo-based hyperloop system, developed by Professor Bishakh Bhattacharya and research scientists Kanhaiya Lal Chaurasia and Yashasvi Sinha at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, will address challenges such as material loss, uncertainty in delivery time and air pollution.

* An energy efficient pipeline system for evacuating coal, which accounts for almost 75 per cent of India’s power consumption, will not only save transportation time, but also reduce dust pollution at the mining sites and loading points.

* Developed at IIT Kanpur’s Smart Materials, Structures and Systems (SMSS) Lab, the system has already undergone a successful demonstration at the recent UP Global Investors Summit 2023 and has received positive feedback from experts in the field.

Hyperloop : The system is designed to transport coal or slurry from one point to another with compressed air as its energy source.

* The robot travels at around 120 km an hour and can transport the loaded block to the designated receiving or unloading sub-section continuously, IIT Kanpur said in a statement.

* This will be a continuous process and there could be more than one robotic vehicle operating in series depending on the workload and requirement. Even parallel pipeline loops can increase transportation efficiency significantly.

* Each module of the vehicle is connected to the adjacent modules through a ball and socket joint. This provides connectivity as well as manoeuvrability to the system which enables the robot to pass through complex bends present in the pipeline network...

Source : The Hindu Businessline

Correct Answer :   Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports

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Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Hyderabad (NIPER Hyderabad) signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create nutritional supplement testing capacity in India.

* This will provide information & build awareness about the risks associated with use of nutritional supplements, increase research opportunities in the clean sport & anti-doping domain and provide options for safe and dope-free nutritional supplements for sportspersons.

* This MoU is a form of mutual commitment in compliance with the mandate towards strengthening the field of “Food for Special Dietary Use for Sportspersons”.

* This collaboration will help develop tools for dissemination of data and information generated by the testing laboratory at NIPER Hyderabad for the benefit of the sports ecosystem and the public in India.

* It will also educate the athletes about the harmful components present in the nutritional supplements that may affect their long-term performances.

* Smt. Sujata Chaturvedi, Secretary (Sports), Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India addressed the gathering and expressed Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India’s continuous commitment towards creating a clean sporting environment in the country.

* She further added that this MoU is a step to empower our athletes and sports ecosystem to make informed decisions regarding nutritional supplements.

* Smt. S. Aparna, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India congratulated everyone on achieving this milestone towards nation’s growth in testing nutritional supplements for sportspersons...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Bengaluru

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Bengaluru is the second slowest city in the world to drive in as one can cover just 10 km in 29 minutes and 10 seconds in the city, stated a report by TomTom, a Dutch multinational developer of location technology.

* It took 29 minutes and 9 seconds to travel 10 km in Bengaluru city centre last year, it stated.

* Tom Tom, a multinational developer of traffic-based technologies, released its index on Thursday. It detailed traffic trends across 389 cities in 56 countries, throughout 2022.

* Tom Tom, in its research, stated that Bengaluru is globally the second slowest city to drive in, where it takes 29 minutes and 10 seconds of travel time to cover 10 km by road.

* London ranks first with an average of 36 minutes and 20 seconds to travel 6.2 miles (10 km). Ireland's capital, Dublin, Japanese town of Sapporo and Milan in Italy, rank third, 4th and 5th.

1. London : 36 min 20 sec
2. Bengalure : 29 min 10 sec
3. Dublin : 28 min 30 sec
4. Sapporo : 27min 40 sec
5. Mila : 27 min 30 sec
6. Pune : 27 min 20 sec
7. Bucharest : 27 min 20 sec
8. Lima : 27 min 10 sec
9. Manila : 27 min
10. Bogota : 26 min 10 sec.

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   G Kishan Reddy

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Tourism Minister "G Kishan Reddy" has Announced that the Tourism Ministry will organise 1st Global Tourism Investors' Summit from the 17th to 19th May 2023 in New Delhi to showcase opportunities in the Tourism and hospitality sector.

* The Summit will deliberate on potential opportunities for investment across tourism segments including hotels and restaurants, adventure and eco tourism, cruise and other related tourism sectors.

* Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy has said that the Government is working in a mission mode to promote and develop the Tourism sector in India.

* The number of domestic and international tourists is increasing in the country and India is emerging as a major tourism destination in the world.

* Mr Reddy said, the Government is focussing on connectivity, civic infrastructure, tourist amenities and soft infrastructure to promote and develop the tourism sector.

* The Minister said, with India hosting G - 20 Presidency, the Government is also working with State governments, local bodies and other Ministries to attract foreign tourists.

* Mr Reddy said, the Government is providing foreign language training to taxi drivers and tourist guides to help foreign delegates understand the rich culture of the country with ease...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   India

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India has been elected as the Chair of the 62nd Session of the Commission for Social Development on 15 February 2023. The announcement was made at the 13th plenary meeting-61st session of the commission for social development.

* Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj expressed gratitude on behalf of India. “It is an honor for me to be elected, on behalf of India, as Chair of the 62nd session of the Commission for Social Development.”

* The 62nd session, the priority theme of the session is decided as “Fostering Social Development and Social Justice through Social Policies to accelerate Progress on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to achieve the overarching goal of poverty eradication.”

* Along with India as the Chair, the commission also elected Jon Ivanovski (North Macedonia), Carla María Carlson (Dominican Republic), and Thomas Lammar (Luxembourg) as Vice-Chairs of the 62nd session.

* The opportunity comes at a time when India is leading the G20 and is steering the global agenda through its G20 Presidency. In addition, India has undertaken a number of initiatives and policies to advance the social development of its citizens, which might be very advantageous for other nations.

* 61st session, the commission decided to forward four draft resolutions to the Economic and Social Council for adoption (ECOSOC). Out of the four, there was a draft resolution that focused on creating full employment and decent work for all with an aim to overcome inequalities and accelerate the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   New delhi

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To advance India’s cyber-preparedness, KAVACH-2023, a national level hackathon was launched 16th Feb 2023 in New delhi to identify innovative ideas and technological solutions for addressing the cyber security and cybercrime challenges of the 21st century.

While addressing media, Dr. T G Sitharam, Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), said that KAVACH-2023 is a unique kind of national hackathon jointly conducted by Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, AICTE;

Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D, MHA) and Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C, MHA) to identify innovative ideas and technological solutions for addressing the cyber security and cybercrime challenges of the 21st century faced by our Law Enforcement Agencies and common citizens.

The occasion Shri Balaji Srivastava, IPS, Director General, BPR&D, said that it will be a 36-hours long event, during which youth from educational institutions across the country and registered start-ups will participate to find robust, secure and effective technological solutions for cyber security by using their technical expertise & innovative skills. It will advance the blockage of cyber security crimes with a robust system monitoring and safety provisions...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Aadhaar Mitra

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The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to has recently launched a chatbot to help people get an answer to their queries related to the Aadhaar card. It is called "Aadhaar Mitra".

The Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML)-based chatbot can answer queries related to Aadhaar enrolment number, PVC Card order status and complaint status, among other things. It is available in both English and Hindi languages.

"This chatbot is trained to respond to the resident's queries and aimed at improving the resident's experience," the FAQ section of the UIDAI Chatbot reads.

What can Aadhaar Mitra answer?

According to UIDAI's website, "Aadhaar Chatbot is well trained to answer queries on Aadhaar related topics, provide information about Locate Aadhaar Center, Check Aadhaar Enrolment/ Update status, Check PVC Card Order status, File a Complaint, Check Complaint status, Locate Enrolment Center, Book An Appointment".

The user does not need to go to an Aadhaar enrollment centre to update the card anymore. It can be done through the chatbot. They can also apply for a duplicate Aadhaar if the original is lost.

How to use Aadhaar Mitra?

"Resident can simply type his query in Chatbot and get the desired answers immediately," UIDAI says. Here is a step-by-step guide to using Aadhaar Mitra:

* Go to www.uidai.gov.in

* Click/ Tap on the "Aadhaar Mitra" box in the bottom right corner. The chatbot will open saying, "Hi, I am your Aadhaar Mitra. How May I help you!!"

* Tap on "Get Started" to ask the query.

* Now in the search box, enter the query and click on the Enter button. The chatbot will reply with the answer.

* Also, you can click on the suggested query option available at the top...

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Neal Mohan

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Indian-American, Neal Mohan has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of YouTube.

* YouTube Chief Executive and one of the first Google employees, Susan Wojcicki, is stepping down from her role at the tech giant that started in her garage nearly 25 years ago. she said in a personal update on the video-sharing platform on Thursday (16th Feb 2023).

* Wojcicki, 54, will be replaced by her deputy Neal Mohan, a senior advertising and product executive who joined Google in 2008.

* Mohan, a Stanford graduate, was appointed chief product officer at YouTube in 2015.

* He focused on building YouTube Shorts, Music and subscription offerings in the role.

* He previously spent nearly six years at DoubleClick, a company Google acquired in 2008, and later served for about eight years as senior vice president of display and video advertising at Google.

* Prior to Google, he worked as a Senior Analyst at Accenture and later joined Microsoft.

* He is an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business..

Source : Business Today