Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 17th February 2023

Correct Answer:  C. Paytm Payments Bank

Explanation:  Paytm Payments Bank became the first payments bank company to launch ’UPI LITE’ features. UPI LITE, a feature enabled by National Payments Corporation of India for multiple small-value UPI transactions. Designed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI LITE was launched by the Reserve Bank of India in September 2022. Once loaded, a UPI LITE wallet allows a user to do instant transactions of up to Rs 200, making the entire experience quick and seamless. A maximum of Rs 2,000 can be added twice in a day to UPI LITE, making the cumulative daily usage up to Rs 4,000.

Correct Answer:  C. Rs. 4,800 crore

Explanation:  The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved Centrally Sponsored Scheme- “Vibrant Villages Programme” (VVP) for the Financial Years 2022-23 to 2025-26 with financial allocation of Rs. 4800 Crore. The scheme will provide funds for development of essential infrastructure and creation of livelihood opportunities in 19 Districts and 46 Border blocks 4 states and 1 UT along the northern land border of the country which will help in achieving inclusive growth and retaining the populatiion in the border areas. In the first phase 663 Villages will be taken up in the programme. The scheme is aimed at developing infrastructure and livelihood opportunities in four states and one Union Territory along the northern borders, including Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh.

Correct Answer:  B. Garuda Aerospace

Explanation:  Drone startup Garuda Aerospace has unveiled its solar-powered drone “SURAJ”, designed specifically for surveillance operations, at Aero India 2023. SURAJ is an ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) high-altitude drone designed specifically for surveillance operations, providing “real-time information to the high command and protecting jawans on the ground.” Principal Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and former DRDO Chief Dr. Satheesh Reddy unveiled it. Recently, Garuda Aerospace had raised USD 22 Million, the “largest ever” Series A funding in the drone sector.

• The drone will carry a versatile payload of high-resolution zoom cameras with thermal imagery and foliage-penetrating lidar sensors with a maximum capacity of 10 kg. This cutting-edge technology will capture, process, and transmit photos and videos in real-time, ensuring that the headquarters and base have access to vital information before planning strategic operations and terms, the start-up said. It has an endurance of 12 hours and can fly at an altitude of 3000 ft.
• Garuda Aerospace’s SURAJ drone, will help in providing military and security support with edge-cutting solutions like real-time monitoring. Garuda Aerospace is also being guided by NAL, DRDO and several other scientists on the development of the SURAJ drone.
• The drone is all set to support various Indian and global giants namely the Indian Army, Navy, Airforce, BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, DRDO, MOD, and MHA, the company said in a release.

Correct Answer:  C. New Delhi

Explanation:  The Economic Times Global Business Summit 2023 was held in New Delhi on 17 February.  The two-day Summit was held on 17-18 February. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Summit. The theme of the two-day Summit is ‘Resilience, Influence and Dominance’. The summit brought together thought leaders, policy makers, academicians and corporate leaders on a common platform seeking to provide solutions to key economic challenges. More than 200 business leaders spoke in 40 sessions at the summit.

• The Global Business Summit is hosted by The Times Group every year.
• Global Business Summit 2023 is the 7th edition.
• It brings together thought leaders, policy makers, academicians and corporate leaders on a common platform seeking to provide solutions to key economic challenges.

Correct Answer:  B. Neal Mohan

Explanation:  An Indian-American, Neal Mohan will become the next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Alphabet-owned YouTube following Susan Wojcicki’s announcement that she will be stepping down from her role as the head of the video-sharing platform. With this, Mohan will be joining the elite list of global tech chiefs of Indian origin such as Google parent Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, IBM’s Arvind Krishna, and Adobe’s Shantanu Narayen.

Who is Neal Mohan?

• He completed his studies in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.
• He completed his MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 2005.
• He worked at DoubleClick Inc. from 1997 to 2003. Worked in
• At Microsoft, he served as Manager, Corporate Strategist from June 2004 to September 2004.
• He returned to DoubleClick as Senior Vice President, Strategy and Product Management.
• He joined Google in 2008.
• From 2008 to 2015, Mohan was in charge of Google’s display and video advertising business.
• Mohan became the Chief Product Officer of YouTube in 2015.

Correct Answer:  C. All India Council for Technical Education

Explanation:  A national level  hackathon KAVACH-2023 was launched on 16 February to identify innovative ideas and technological solutions to address India’s 21st century cyber security and cybercrime challenges. KAVACH-2023 is a one-of-a-kind national hackathon jointly developed by AICTE, Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) and Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre. It identifies innovative ideas and technological solutions to address 21st century cyber security and cybercrime challenges faced by law enforcement agencies and common citizens.

KAVACH-2023 will be organised in two phases. In the first phase, topics related to Fake News/Social Media, Dark Web, Women Safety, Phishing Detection, Video Analytics/CCTV, Obscene Content Detection, Spam Alerts, and Malware Analysis/Digital Forensics will be covered.

Correct Answer:  B. 4th

Explanation:  India and Japan has kick started an exercise ‘Ex Dharma Guardian’ at Camp Imazu in Shiga Province, Japan from February 17 to March 2, 2023. The Indian Army contingent arrived at the exercise location on February 12, 2023. India and Japan will kick off an exercise ‘Ex Dharma Guardian’ at Camp Imazu in Shiga Province, Japan from February 17 to March 2, 2023. The Indian Army contingent arrived at the exercise location on February 12, 2023.

• This will be the 4th edition of the Exercise ‘Dharma Guardian’ between India and Japan. Exercise Dharma Guardian will strengthen bilateral ties and the level of defence cooperation between the Indian Army and the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force.
• Troops of the Garhwal Rifles Regiment of the Indian Army and an infantry regiment from the Middle Army of the Japan Ground Self Defence Force (JGSDF) are participating in the exercise this year to share experiences gained during operations in order to enhance inter-operability in planning and execution.
• In the series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various countries, Exercise Dharma Guardian which is an annual training event with Japan, is crucial and significant in terms of security challenges faced by both nations in the backdrop of current global situation. The scope of this exercise covers platoon level joint training on operations in jungle and semi urban/urban terrain.

Correct Answer:  D. Bengaluru

Explanation:  According to a latest report by specialist in geolocation technologies TomTom, Bengaluru’s traffic has made it the second slowest place to drive through in the world in 2022. Traffic woes in the Silicon valley of India is not hidden from anyone. It would take any one on an average of half an hour to cover 10 km. The absolutely slowest city to drive in in the world is London, where people take 36 minutes and 20 seconds to go 10 kilometres – the longest time for a journey of that distance out of 389 cities in 56 countries surveyed in 2022. In the third and fourth positions are Dublin, Ireland, at 28 minutes and 30 seconds, and Sapporo, Japan, at 27 minutes and 40 seconds. The 12th edition of the report found the traffic trend across 389 cities in 56 countries throughout 2022. The assessment is not only limited to the loss of time while driving, and also focuses on other factors like money, environmental impact, etc. To study the environmental impact the study took into account the CO2 emission per mile driven, and simulating how long it took to complete a 10 km trip within a city, for typical vehicles like EV, petrol and diesel cars.

• Bengaluru ranked fifth in terms of CO2 emissions per driven mile during rush hour. As per the report, London is the major emitter of CO2 in terms of CO2 emissions per driven mile. Reflecting the emotion of nearly all the Bengalurians, Professor Ashish Verma of Institute of Science Bengaluru, believes that the result is not shocking.
• Bengaluru ranks fourth in terms of hours lost due to traffic
• The report found that Bengaluru’s rush hour traffic has led to the loss of as much as 129 hours last year. Even after the rising popularity of WFH option post pandemic, there has been a rising trend in the number of hours lost in traffic jam. Dublin lost as much as 140 hours due to traffic jams.

Correct Answer:  B. Subhash Chandran for ‘Samudrasila’

Explanation:  Writer Subhash Chandran’s novel Samudrashila has been chosen for the Akbar Kakkattil Award instituted by a trust in the memory of the short story writer and novelist from Kozhikode. The novel was selected by a three-member jury from among the literary works published in the last five years. The award consisting of a purse of Rs 50,000 and a sculpture will be presented to Mr. Subhash Chandran by writer M. Mukundan at an event on February 17. M.K. Muneer, MLA, will deliver a commemorative lecture. This novel also won the M. Sukumaran Memorial Literary Award for the year 2021.

• Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, 2001: Ghatikarangal Nilaykunna Samayam(Story)
• Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, 2011: Manushyanu Oru Amukham (Novel)
• Odakkuzhal Award, 2011: Manushyanu Oru Amukham
• Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award, 2014: Manushyanu Oru Amukham
• Vayalar Award, 2015: Manushyanu Oru Amukham
• Padmarajan Award, 2019: Samudrashila
• O. V. Vijayan award for best novel, 2020: Samudrashila

Correct Answer:  D. South Africa

Explanation:  Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced Twelve cheetahs will be flown in from South Africa on 18^th February. Under the ambitious Cheetah reintroduction program, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of eight spotted felines — five females and three males — from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on his 72nd birthday on September 17 last year. Presently, the eight cheetahs at Kuno are killing prey every three-four day and are in good health. One of the cheetahs was unwell as her creatinine levels had shot up. She has recovered after treatment.

• A C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) left the country to bring 12 cheetahs from South Africa. Ten quarantine enclosures have been created at the Kuno National Park for these felines.
• India and South Africa had in January signed an MoU to transport cheetahs from the African country and reintroduce them in Kuno.
• A majority of the world’s 7,000 cheetahs live in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. Namibia has the world’s largest population of cheetahs.
• The cheetah is the only large carnivore that got completely wiped out from India, mainly due to overhunting and habitat loss. The last spotted feline died in 1948 in the Sal forests of Chhattisgarh’s Koriya district.
• National Tiger Conservation Authority Head S P Yadav informed that Seven male and five female cheetahs will embark on the journey to Kuno from O. R. Tambo International Airport, Gauteng, South Africa.
• The cheetahs will arrive at the Gwalior Air Force base in Madhya Pradesh and they will be then taken in IAF’s MI-17 helicopters.
• According to the ‘Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India’ prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India, around 12-14 wild cheetahs that are ideal for establishing a new cheetah population would be imported from South Africa, Namibia, and other African countries as a founder stock for five years initially and then as required by the program.

Correct Answer:  D. Pangong Tso

Explanation: The Pangong Tso Lake in Ladakh will host the first-ever frozen lake marathon on 20^th February 2023, at an altitude of roughly 13,862 feet. The first-ever frozen lake marathon which is of 21-kilometer is India’s first of its kind. The marathon will occur at a height of 13,862 feet and it will be the first of its kind to ever take place in the globe at this altitude.

• On 20th February Adventure Sports foundation of Ladakh (ASFL) in collaboration with Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Leh and Ladakh Tourism Department is going to organize India’s first 21 km long Pangong Frozen Lake Marathon.
• It would be an attempt to make a Guinness world record for the world’s highest frozen lake marathon according to Chief Executive Councilor LAHDC Leh Advocate Tashi Gyalson.
• Deputy commissioner Leh Shrikant Balasaheb Suse informed that the purpose of organizing this frozen lake marathon is to promote sustainable tourism and create awareness about climate and the environment.
• The marathon is the brainchild of the Adventure Sports Foundation of Ladakh (ASFL), who have nicknamed it “The Last Run” to highlight a bleak reality given the precarious state of Himalayan glaciers due to global warming, parts of the lake may be unfit for a race of this kind in the years to come.
• President ASFL, Chamb Tsetan informed that it will be a once-in-a-lifetime-experience with the Pangong Frozen Lake Marathon to be held on 20 February 2023
• Participants will run on frozen sheets of ice on the majestic Pangong Lake during the one-day event. He informed that the reason it is being referred to as the final run is that Pangong Lake won’t be able to ice shortly owing to climate change.

Correct Answer:  C. Akshdeep Singh

Explanation:  Akshdeep Singh and Priyanka Goswami have qualified for World Athletics Championships 2023 and next year’s Olympics in Paris. In the men’s 20km race, Akshdeep Singh completed the race in 1 hour 19 minutes 55 seconds. It is a new national record for the gold medal. He broke the record of 1:20:16, achieved by Sandeep Kumar at the 2021 National Race Walking Championships at Ranchi.

Silver medallist Suraj Panwar completed the race in 1:20:11 while bronze medallist Vikash Singh clocked 1:21:08. In the women’s 20km race walk event, Priyanka Goswami completed the race in 1:28:50. Additionally, 11 athletes including seven men and four women met the qualification standards for the Asian Games. The National Open Race Walking Championships 2023 was held at Ranchi, Jharkhand from 14-15 February.

Correct Answer:  D. South Africa

Explanation:  Union Cabinet has given approval to the signing of an MoU between India and South Africa for cooperation in the disability sector. The bilateral MoU will encourage cooperation between the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities of India and the Government of South Africa. Union Cabinet has given approval to the signing of an MoU between India and Chile for cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Allied sectors. Under the MoU, a Chile-India Agricultural Working Group is to be set up.

This Working Group will be responsible for the supervision, review and assessment of the implementation of this MoU. The meetings of the Working Group will be held once a year alternatively in Chile and India. The MoU will enter into force upon its signature. It will remain in force for a period of five years from the date of execution. Union Cabinet has also given approval to the signing of an MoU between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW).  The MoU provides recognition of the qualification and training of each other’s members.

Correct Answer:  C. Rishab Shetty

Explanation:  Kantara movie actor & director, Rishab Shetty will be honored with the Most Promising Actor Award at the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) Award 2023 on February 20 in Mumbai. He was awarded for his stellar performance in the Kannada film, Kantara. Rishab Shetty is an Indian actor and filmmaker primarily working in Kannada cinema.