Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 3rd January 2023

Correct Answer:  B. Bone density scan

Explanation:  The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that Yo-Yo Test and Dexa will be a part of the selection criteria. BCCI has also discussed the player’s availability, workload management, and fitness parameters in the team review meeting along with the roadmap of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. ICC Cricket World Cup is scheduled in October and November, and it is to be hosted by India.

• BCCI has shortlisted 20 players who will be rotated for proper preparations for the ODI World Cup 2023.
• The BCCI will give preference for international cricket while making sure the IPL is not diluted.
• The Men’s FTP and preparations for ICC CWC 2023, the National Cricket Academy (NCA) will work in tandem with the IPL franchisees to monitor the targeted Indian players participating in the IPL 2023.
• The emerging players will have to play a substantial domestic season to be eligible for selection to the National team.
• The meeting was held ahead of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka, which begins on 3rd January 2023 in Mumbai.
• It was in the process of being held after England thrashed India by 10 wickets in the Men’s T20 World Cup semifinals.
• The meeting was attended by BCCI President Roger Binny, Honorary Secretary Jay Shah, Captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid, Head of Cricket (NCA) V.V.S. Laxman, and Chairman of Senior Men selection Committee Chetan Sharma.

Correct Answer:  B. Kolkata

Explanation:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS) at Joka in Kolkata via video conferencing. SPM-NIWAS has been set up with a budget of Rs 100 crore, on 8.72 acres of land at Joka, Diamond Harbour Road, Kolkata, West Bengal. The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) aims to bridge the knowledge and capacity-building gap in the field of public health engineering, sanitation & hygiene, through short, medium, and long-term courses which are not just related to engineering but also cover aspects of management, health, accounting, law, and public policies.

• The conference was chaired by the Union Minister for Kal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
• The Union Minister reiterated the Prime Minister’s vision of cooperative federalism and states that under Swachh Bharat Mission, Namami Gange, and Jal Jeevan Mission, the combined efforts are being recognized around the globe.
• Smt. Vini Mahajan, Secretary, DDWS, urged States to focus on water service delivery.
• She also asked the participating states to list issues in water service delivery, discuss, and come out with an action plan for effective implementation of the program.
• DDWS has set up sanitation and miniature models at the Institute for awareness generation and capacity building through visual depiction.
• These models include Eco-San Toilet, Septic Tank, Tiger Toilet, Twin Pit Toilet, NADEP Composting Pit, Vermicomposting Tank, Sanitation Chamber, Magic Pit, Soak Pit, Water Stabilization Pond, and Constructed Wetland.

Correct Answer:  C. Chhattisgarh

Explanation:  International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the US-based international organisation has selected the anti-drug & illicit liquor campaign ‘Nijaat’ of Chhattisgarh police for ‘Leadership in Crime Prevention’ award in the institutional category. The prestigious IACP 2022 Award has selected the de-addiction drive ‘Nijaat’, which was executed following the directive by chief minister Bhupesh Baghel to act tough against drug peddlers, and bootleggers and check to smuggling of drugs. A successful singular campaign, ‘Nijaat’ witnessed the striking results to achieve a drug-free society with missionary zeal.

• The campaign was launched by the Chhattisgarh police under the leadership of the IPS officer Santosh Kumar Singh who pioneered the drive with intensified efforts in districts of Korea, Rajnandgaon and presently continuing in Korba.
• The drive took the onus to wipe out the abuse of illicit drugs, narcotics and bootlegging while simultaneously preventing its smuggling or trading.
• The district police, where the campaign was launched, pursued a three-pronged strategy: tough action against businesses of illegal drugs or narcotics, high-spirit public awareness, and extending support in counselling & rehabilitation as a de-addiction engagement process.

Correct Answer:  C. Austria

Explanation:  External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India and Austria will sign five agreements and two of them are in the interest of the Indian community living in Austria. The two agreements would be in the interest of the Indian community. There is an agreement on ‘Migration and Mobility‘ for people who want to work in Austria and who want to come to India for business, or who come here as students and professionals. Another agreement is on the ‘Working Holiday’ program that will enable Indian students in Austria to work for 6 months. S Jaishankar is on an official visit to Austria where he held a meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. This is the first India-Austria EAM-level visit in the last 27 years which is taking place in 2023 against the backdrop of 75 years of diplomatic relations.

Correct Answer:  C. Tripura

Explanation:  The Election Commission (EC) is focusing on 929 polling booths across Tripura, setting a target of 92 per cent voter turnout in the assembly elections due early this year. These booths recorded a voter turnout of less than 89 per cent, which was the average across 3,328 booths in the 2018 assembly polls. The EC is also working on ‘Mission Zero Poll Violence’ to make the assembly elections peaceful.

• According to the ECI, these booths recorded a voter turnout of less than 89 percent in the 2018 assembly polls. Except for these booths almost all the booths in the state recorded a voter turnout of 91 % or more .The voter turnout was 89.5% in the 2018 Tripura assembly election.
• The Election commission plans to launch an awareness campaign, poll officials will visit senior citizens and persons with disability, and appeal to them to cast their votes.
• The ECI will make requisite arrangements such as ramps, wheelchairs and separate queues will be arranged at every polling station to felicitate senior citizens and persons with disability. This will also ensure that voters can cast their votes peacefully in the assembly election to be held in 2023.

Correct Answer:  B. 8.3%

Explanation:  Unemployment rate in India rose to 8.30 per cent in December 2022, the highest in 16 months, according to data from Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). It was 8 per cent in the month of November. While urban unemployment rose to 10.09 per cent in December, from 8.96 per cent in November, rural unemployment moved to 7.44% from 7.55%, the data revealed. The urban unemployment rate rose to 10.09% in December from 8.96% in the previous month, while the rural unemployment rate slipped to 7.44% from 7.55%.

• The rise was “not as bad as it may seem,” as there was a simultaneous increase in the labour participation rate, which rose to 40.48 per cent in December, the highest in 12 months.
• Most importantly, the employment rate has increased in December to 37.1%, which again is the highest since January 2022.
• The unemployment rate had declined to 7.2% in the July-September quarter compared to 7.6% in the previous quarter, according to separate quarterly data compiled by state run National Statistical Office (NSO) and released in November.
• In December, the unemployment rate rose to 37.4% in the northern state of Haryana, followed by 28.5% in Rajasthan and 20.8% in Delhi.

Correct Answer:  C. 57.8

Explanation:  India’s manufacturing output reached to a 13-month high. India’s manufacturing sector activity hit to a 13-month high in December. According to a monthly survey, strong demand conditions supported by healthy inflows of new business increased the manufacturing output. S&P Global India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) was at 57.8 in December, it was up from 55.7 of November. The business conditions have improved to a great extent in the last two years.

PMI data for December points towards an improvement in overall operating conditions for the 18th continued month. As per the survey, Advertising, product diversification and favourable economic conditions supported sales growth. For the third quarter of the current fiscal year, the PMI average was recorded highest in a year. The output of eight core sector industries grew by 5.4 percent in November. The cost pressures remained relatively low in December and the overall inflation rate was the second slowest since September 2020. PMI is a survey-based indicator of business conditions. It includes measures of business output, new orders, employment, costs, selling prices, etc. In PMI, score below 50 indicates contraction while score above 50 indicates expansion. The S&P Global India Manufacturing PMI is compiled by S&P Global.

Correct Answer:  B. Croatia

Explanation:  Croatia has switched to the euro and entered Europe’s passport-free zone – two important milestones for the country after joining the European Union (EU) nearly a decade ago. At midnight, the Balkan nation bid farewell to its kuna currency and became the 20th member of the eurozone. It is now the 27th nation in the Schengen zone, the world’s largest passport-free travel area, which enables more than 400 million people to move freely around its members. Croatia, a former Yugoslav republic of 3.9 million people that fought a war of independence in the 1990s, joined the EU in 2013.

• Experts say the adoption of the euro will help shield Croatia’s economy at a time when inflation is soaring worldwide after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent food and fuel prices through the roof.
• But feelings among Croatians are mixed. While they welcome the end of border controls, some fear the euro switch will lead to an increase in the cost of living as businesses round up prices when they convert them.
• Experts say the adoption of the euro will lower borrowing conditions amid economic hardship. Croatia’s inflation rate reached 13.5 percent in November compared with 10 percent in the eurozone.
• Croatia’s entry into the Schengen borderless area is expected to provide a boost to the Adriatic nation’s key tourism industry, which accounts for 20 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).

Correct Answer:  B. Ministry of Ayush

Explanation:  The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), the two prominent institutions under the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India for regulating medical education and conducting scientific research respectively, have launched ‘SMART’ (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research in Teaching Professionals). The program aimed to boost scientific research in priority healthcare research areas through Ayurveda colleges and hospitals.

• The proposed initiative is conceptualised with an objective to identify, support and promote innovative research ideas in healthcare research areas including Osteoarthritis, Iron Deficiency Anaemia, Chronic Bronchitis, Dyslipidemia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Obesity, Diabetes Mellitus, Psoriasis, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)”.
• The eligible Ayurveda academic institutions may apply by 10 January, 2023. All details regarding contact information, eligibility criteria and application process has been shared to all recognized academic institutions and hospitals through NCISM”.
• The large network of Ayurveda colleges and hospitals across the country is an asset for the country in terms of its healthcare needs. This network has not only been offering healthcare services in hardest times, but it also has contributed significantly in terms of healthcare research in the country.
• The ‘SMART’ program will certainly motivate teachers for taking up projects in designated areas of healthcare research and create a large database.”

Correct Answer:  C. Jason Moo

Explanation:  Bank of Singapore (BoS), the private banking arm of Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), announced that it has appointed Jason Moo as its new CEO. BoS’s announcement comes after Bloomberg’s article on Dec 26, 2022. Moo will succeed Bahren Shaari officially from March 6 onwards. Moo comes with over 25 years of experience in private banking, wealth management and capital markets. This includes 22 years in Goldman Sachs, as well as time spent in New York, Hong Kong and Singapore. From 2017 to 2019, Moo was the CEO for Goldman Sachs (Singapore). Moo joins BoS from Julius Baer where he was head of private banking, Southeast Asia and branch manager Singapore. Aside from Singapore, he has also worked in New York and Hong Kong. Shaari was appointed CEO in 2015. Under his leadership, the bank successfully integrated Barclays Asia after the acquisition, and grew its assets under management from US$55 billion to US$109 billion as at September 30 2022.

The Bank of Singapore is the private banking arm of OCBC Bank. Formerly known as ING Asia Private Bank, it was acquired by OCBC Bank in 2009 from ING Group for US$1.46 billion. As of 30 September 2022, Bank of Singapore’s assets under management was US$109 billion.  The Bank of Singapore serves high net worth individuals and wealthy families in its key markets of Asia, Greater China, the Indian subcontinent and other international markets.

Correct Answer:  B. 27

Explanation:  27 Indians living overseas have been chosen by the Indian government for the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards (PBSA), for outstanding achievements both in India and abroad. The award is the highest honour conferred upon Indians living abroad, including Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) or organisations/institutions established and run by them. The jury that selected the recipients comprised Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar as its chairman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as its Vice-Chair, among other distinguished dignitaries from different fields. The awards will be conferred upon the recipients by President Droupadi Murmu during the 17th edition of the PBSA, which is scheduled to be held from 8-10 January in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. As per the Ministry of External Affairs, the theme for Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2023 will be “Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal”. This theme highlights the importance of the Indian diaspora in contributing to India’s progress.

Correct Answer:  B. II, IV, V only

Explanation:  State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank continue to be identified as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs), under the same bucketing structure as in the 2021 list of D-SIBs. The additional Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) requirement for D-SIBs was phased-in from April 1, 2016 and became fully effective from April 1, 2019. The additional CET1 requirement will be in addition to the capital conservation buffer.

• The Reserve Bank issued the Framework for dealing with Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) on July 22, 2014. The D-SIB framework requires the Reserve Bank to disclose the names of banks designated as D-SIBs starting from 2015 and place these banks in appropriate buckets depending upon their Systemic Importance Scores (SISs). Based on the bucket in which a D-SIB is placed, an additional common equity requirement has to be applied to it. In case a foreign bank having branch presence in India is a Global Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB), it has to maintain additional CET1 capital surcharge in India as applicable to it as a G-SIB, proportionate to its Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) in India, i.e., additional CET1 buffer prescribed by the home regulator (amount) multiplied by India RWA as per consolidated global Group books divided by total consolidated global Group RWA.
• The Reserve Bank announced SBI and ICICI Bank as D-SIBs in 2015 and 2016. Based on data collected from banks as on March 31, 2017, HDFC Bank was also classified as a D-SIB, along with SBI and ICICI Bank. The current update is based on the data collected from banks as on March 31, 2022.

Correct Answer:  C. USD 1 million

Explanation:  Google plans to collaborate with the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) for project Vaani. Project Vaani aims to ensure the collected and produced data will be open-source. This collaboration is aimed to build an artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) model to collect and transcribe open-source speech data from across all of India’s 733 districts. The tech giant also announced a fund of $1 million to Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to build India’s first Responsible AI center. The center aims to research on various aspects of bias in artificial intelligence (AI) in Indian perspective.

Correct Answer:  B. Manipur

Explanation:  Imoinu Day is celebrated in Manipur as a part of the Meitei Cultural ritual. The traditional festival of Imoinu Day is celebrated on the 12th day of the Meitei Lunar Month of Wakching. Every year on this day, people of the valley serve dishes in odd numbers as part of the Imoinu Eratpa ritual. They regard Imoinu Eratpa as a goddess of health, prosperity, abundance, and order of domesticity in Manipur.

• Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singhinformed that the celebration keeps the tradition alive and reinforces belief in traditional elements in Manipur. Manipur Governor La Ganesan, Chief Minister N Biren Singh, and other ministers have extended their warm greetings to the people of Manipur on the occasion of the Imoinu Eratpa festival.
• Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said that Imoinu Eratpa is celebrated with traditional gaiety and religious fervor, seasonal fruits, vegetables, and fish are offered, and lights are lit around the houses to evoke the blessings of Goddess Imoinu, believed to be the Goddess of wealth and prosperity.

The festival is dedicated to the goddess Imoinu or Emoinu. In Meitei mythology, Imoinu is associated with household, hearth, kitchen, wealth, peace, and prosperity. She is also associated with the incarnations of the goddess Leimarel Sidabi. Celebrating this festival brings the worshippers wealth and prosperity. People pray for peace and positivity in their life. People during the festival offer rice, vegetables, and fruits to the goddess. The Meitei community also offers rice, vegetables, and fish, Aallago Attu.