Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 22nd April 2023

Correct Answer:  D. Himachal Pradesh

Explanation:  imachal Pradesh (HP) has become the first Indian state to develop a DNA database for unidentified bodies. The process of creating this database started in April 2022. So far, the records of 150 DNA samples of unidentified bodies had been stored in the database. The Directorate of Forensics Services, Junga, in Shimla (HP), had procured DNA profile databasing and matching technology, Smallpond TM software from the United States(US) at a cost of Rs 55 lakh in 2022. It was the first lab to acquire this technology and the facility is at par with international standards. The database would be useful in the identification of bodies. To identify, the DNA samples of the relatives would be matched with the data/samples stored in the DNA profiling database and accurate details would be available within seconds.

A database is being prepared and it will have the capacity to store 20,000 DNA profiles, which can be scaled further. More than 100 bodies are recovered in different parts of the state every year and these remain unidentified. Thus the DNA database would be beneficial in bringing transparency, eliminating data inconsistency and catching the criminal in cases where crime led to death. Private, local database of DNA profile information enables efficient matching of new DNA profiles with the existing ones. Earlier, Acharya Institute of Management and Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), had started a pilot project called UMID (Unidentified Bodies and Missing Persons identification and DNA database) and created a database of over 400 unidentified/missing persons.

Correct Answer:  B. 360 MW

Explanation:  Adani Power Ltd said it has signed an agreement with MPSEZ Utilities Limited (MUL) for power supply. Adani Power has entered into a long-term power supply agreement (PSA) with MUL for 360 MW capacity to be supplied from its 4,620 MW power plant at Mundra, Gujarat, for 15 years.

Correct Answer:  C. Arun Sinha

Explanation:  The appointment of Arun Sinha as the new Chairman of the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) has finally been announced by the government, after a prolonged delay. Sinha, who has served as an advisor in NTRO for two years, belongs to the 1984 batch Kerala cadre. The position of NTRO Chairman had been vacant for the past three to four months, and Sinha’s appointment comes as a much-needed relief for the organization. Moreover, with this appointment, the government is expected to expedite the process of appointing the heads of the Border Security Force and the Indian Coast Guard, which have also been lying vacant for a while.

Sinha’s appointment as NTRO Chairman is expected to bring fresh impetus to the organization and help it achieve its objectives more efficiently. As an experienced bureaucrat, Sinha is well-equipped to lead NTRO and guide it towards achieving its goals of providing technical intelligence to various agencies of the Indian government. The National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) is a technical intelligence agency in India that was established in 2004. It functions under the National Security Advisor and reports to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The organization is responsible for providing technical intelligence to various agencies of the Indian government, including the Intelligence Bureau, the Research and Analysis Wing, and the Defence Intelligence Agency.

Correct Answer:  C. Privatizing space missions in India 

Explanation:  The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) formally published the Space Policy 2023. The policy formally laid down the regulations of privatizing space missions in India, and also denoted clear guidelines of operations for NewSpace India Limited (Nsil) — Isro’s commercial arm — and Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe). IN-SPACe, the nodal private space project authorization body, has been tasked with maintaining a ‘stable and predictable regulatory framework to provide a level playing field to non-government entities (NGEs) in the space sector. NGEs in the space sector include corporate firms and startups, which as per the Policy will be “allowed to undertake end to end activities in space.

Correct Answer:  B. 3rd

Explanation:  India has solidified its position as the third-largest hub for startup unicorns, with a total of 68 companies valued at over $1 billion, according to The Hurun Research Institute’s Global Unicorn Index 2023. Edtech giant BYJU’S leads the way in India with a valuation of $22 billion, followed by food delivery and quick commerce startup Swiggy and fantasy sports platform Dream11, both worth $8 billion. While no Indian startups were included in the list of top 10 global startups, logistics unicorn Delhivery secured the 14th spot on the list of top IPOs last year.

• The report also revealed that 70 unicornswere founded by Indian co-founders outside of India, bringing the total number of unicorns founded by Indians globally to 138. The majority of these were founded in the US, with 64, while two were founded in the UK, and one each in Germany, Singapore, Indonesia, and Mexico. According to the report, founders from India, China, and Russia are producing more offshore unicorns than any other country.
• The number of unicorns globally has risen to 1,361, up 303 from last year, with the US leading the way with 666 unicorns, while China comes second with 316 unicorns. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the fastest unicorn creation rate in history, with an average of one new unicorn per day.

One of the standout performers in the global unicorn landscape is OpenAI, the owner of generative AI tool ChatGPT, which has jumped from 272nd to 17th spot in the rankings, with its valuation increasing by $17 billion to reach $20 billion. Other companies that have seen significant changes in valuation include San Francisco-based note-taking application Notion Labs, up by $8 billion, Guangzhou-based Shein, which added $45 billion, and LA-based SpaceX, up by $37 billion. The report highlights the companies that experienced the biggest drops in valuation since last year, with Bytedance leading the list with a significant decrease of $150 billion. Following closely behind were fintech giants Stripe and Klarna.

Correct Answer: D. Jodhpur

Explanation:  The two-day Millets Fair Cum – Exhibition will conclude at Jodhpur in Rajasthan. In the concluding day, a detailed discussion will be done on promoting the production of Millets and its use among the consumers. There will also be a discussion on promoting Sri Anna and its products in foreign countries. Prizes and appreciation letters will be given to the winners in the exhibition competition. Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will be the chief guest and Minister of State for Food Processing and Jal Shakti Prahlad Singh Patel and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Kailash Chowdhary will be present as a special guests on this occasion.

Correct Answer:  C. Moon Village Association

Explanation:  The Moon Village Association (MVA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) have joined hands for the global outreach activities in connection with the proposed Chandrayaan-3. To increase the impact of Isro’s lunar programme at a global level and ensuring further international cooperation It will focus on the global aspect of lunar exploration and identify communicate, and encourage the youth to focus on the benefits every lunar mission.

Correct Answer:  C. Dominic Raab

Explanation:  UK Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Dominic Raab resigned on 21 April 2023. Dominic Rennie Raab is a British politician who has served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Secretary of State for Justice, and Lord Chancellor since October 2022, having previously served from 2021 to September 2022. He has been Member of Parliament for Esher and Walton since 2010.

Correct Answer:  B. Deepika Misra

Explanation:  Wing Commander Deepika Misra has made history as the first female Air Force officer to receive a gallantry medal. She was awarded the Vayu Seva Medal for gallantry by the President of India on Independence Day in the previous year, and recently received the award from the Air Chief Marshal of the Indian Air Force at an investiture ceremony in New Delhi. In August 2021, Wing Commander Deepika Mishra was assigned the task of carrying out Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations following flash floods in northern Madhya Pradesh. Despite adverse weather conditions, including strong winds and the approaching night, she was the sole individual to arrive at the disaster site that same evening. Her courageous actions and dedication to duty helped rescue 47 individuals, and as a result, she became the first female Air Force officer to be honored with a gallantry award, the Vayu Seva Medal for gallantry, which she received at an investiture ceremony in New Delhi from Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.

Correct Answer:  C. 22nd April

Explanation:  Earth Day is observed on April 22 each year. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the rapidly-rising levels of pollution, climate change, and other circumstances that contribute to damaging the environment and threaten the survival of our planet. The day is marked by various activities such as tree planting, recycling drives, clean-up campaigns, and environmental education programs. The objective of Earth Day is to remind individuals and communities of their responsibility to protect the planet and its ecosystems from pollution, climate change, and other environmental threats. By taking part in Earth Day activities, people can make a positive impact on the environment and contribute towards a more sustainable future.

The theme each year is announced by the earthday.org portal, which globally organises environmental movements to commemorate the day. The theme this year is — ‘Invest in our Planet,’ with a clear motto of ‘everyone accounted for, everyone accountable.’ The emphasis of the theme is getting the more than one billion people who participate in Earth Day activities each year to take action in their own communities. It also wants governments, institutions, and enterprises to do their part.

Correct Answer:  C. Arun Singhal

Explanation:  The Fertilizers Secretary in the central government, Arun Singhal, was appointed as the Director General of the National Archives of India. The National Archives of India (NAI) is an attached office under the Ministry of Culture. Mukhmeet Singh Bhatia has been appointed as Chairperson of the National Authority Chemical Weapons Convention.

Correct Answer:  B. West Bengal

Explanation: According to the “Water Bodies – 1st Census Report” released by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, West Bengal (WB) has topped the list of states with the most number of ponds and reservoirs, Tamil Nadu has the highest number of lakes while Andhra Pradesh (AP) has the highest number of tanks and Maharashtra is the leading state with water conservation schemes. India has 24.24 lakh water bodies such as ponds, tanks and lakes with West Bengal accounting for the most (7.47 lakh) and Sikkim the least (134).

• The top 5 states (in number of water bodies) are, West Bengal (30.8% i.e., 747480) followed by Uttar Pradesh(10.1% i.e., 245087), Andhra Pradesh(7.9% i.e., 190777), Odisha 7.5% i.e., 181837) and Assam (7.1% i.e., 172492).
• With 3.55 lakh water bodies, South 24 Parganas of West Bengal is ranked as the top district with the highest number of water bodies across India.

Correct Answer:  D. Abu Dhabi, UAE

Explanation:  The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) signed a host member agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to establish its first overseas office, an Interim Operational Hub, at Abu Dhabi Global Market, Abu Dhabi, UAE. The agreement was signed by Jin Liqun, President and Chair of the Board of Directors of AIIB, and His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Governor of AIIB, during the signing ceremony in Abu Dhabi. The agreement is in line with UAE’s commitment towards enhancing cooperation with international organizations and institutions focused on sustainable economic development for developing countries.

AIIB’s rapid growth has prompted the opening of the Hub, which aims to bring the bank closer to clients and to the forefront of its business, providing proximity to global financial centres and connectivity with the international infrastructure ecosystem. The move is a result of AIIB’s rapid growth, as the bank aims to bring itself closer to clients and improve its engagement with them. The Hub in the UAE will provide a strategic destination in the Middle East and the world, supporting AIIB’s development agenda and financing infrastructure projects to achieve sustainable economic growth.

Correct Answer:  D. Union Bank of India

Explanation:  As per the report on Enhanced Access & Service Excellence (EASE) Reforms Index for Q3 FY23 published by Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), the Union Bank of India, for the first time, secures 1st rank among all PSB (Public Sector Banks) for adopting various reforms prescribed for PSBs. EASE is an initiative by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, as part of the PSB Reforms Agenda and is currently under its 5th iteration which focuses on Enhanced Digital experience, Data – driven, Integrated and Inclusive Banking.

• The performance of PSBs is measured on 5 themes under EASE 5.0, in which, Union Bank of India has set the benchmark under the four themes i.e., ‘Digitally – enabled customer offerings’, ‘Big data and analytics’, ‘Modern Technology Capabilities’ and ‘Employee development and Governance’ secured 1st rank amongst PSBs.
• Union Bank of India was performing well in areas related to building analytics capabilities for retaining and deepening relationships, effective credit monitoring, comprehensive digital collection management system, fraud resilience and cyber security.
• The bank also adopts modern technology capabilities for integrated banking experience, customer centric digital offerings, employee development and better governance measures which resulted the Bank to continue its momentum.