Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: December 06, 2022
For competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, IAS, Railway-RRB, UPPSC, UGC NET, SBI, MPPSC, etc., a section of the question paper is dedicated to the Current Affairs section. If the aspirants have an effective preparation strategy, scoring high in this section is not difficult. The candidates can ace the current events section with the right study material and analysis of daily news.
Current Affairs: Days and Events
World Soil Day 2022
A mixture of various minerals, organic compounds, and living organisms, soil forms the foundation of life on Earth.
5 December is celebrated annually as World Soil Day to highlight the importance of healthy soil and promote sustainable management of soil resources.
Theme:
The 2022 World Soil Day theme is ‘Soils: Where Food Begins’.
It emphasises the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being.
The theme aims to highlight the growing changes in soil management, increase soil awareness, and inspire efforts and people to improve soil health.
History:
In 2002, the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) proposed an international day to celebrate soil.
The Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United States (FAO) supported the move and helped formally establish World Soil Day under the leadership of the Kingdom of Thailand within the framework of the Global Soil Partnership.
The FAO Conference endorsed the day in June 2013 and urged at the 68th United Nations General Assembly that World Soil Day be formally adopted.
The same year in December, the UNGA designated 5th December 2014 as the first World Soil Day.
The date was chosen as it coincides with the official birthday of the King of Thailand, H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
He had officially sanctioned the event.
World Soil Day was first officially marked in memory of the monarch in 2016, the year he passed away after serving as the head of state for seven decades.
Significance:
According to the FAO, there are more living organisms in a tablespoon of soil than there are people on Earth!
Plants depend on soil to draw water and nutrients, providing 95% of the food we consume.
Despite being this essential, 33% of soil is degraded.
The degradation occurs when soil loses its nutrients due to multiple reasons, including bad management.
This impacts the plants that are grown in the degraded soil and, in turn, affects the food we eat.
It has been observed that the level of vitamins and nutrients in food had declined drastically over the last 70 years.
World Soil Day is geared towards raising awareness of how crucial it is to maintain healthy soil.
Question:
5th December is celebrated annually as World Soil Day. What is the Theme for the 2022 World Soil Day?
A. Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity
B. Keep Soil Alive, Protect Soil Biodiversity
C. Stop Soil Erosion, Save our Future
D. Soils: Where Food Begins
Answer: D
Current Affairs: Economics
India, World’s First Country to Receive $100 billion in Remittances
The World Bank Report has stated that India, the third largest economy in Asia, is set to become the first country to receive $100 billion in remittances from migrant workers abroad.
India received $89.4 billion in remittances in 2021.
Remittance flows to India were enhanced by wage hikes and a strong labour market in the United States and other rich countries.
Key Points from the Report by the World Bank:
Highly-skilled Indian migrants living in wealthy nations such as the US, UK, and Singapore were sending more money home
Remittances to low and middle-income countries have grown by 5% in 2022 to around $626 billion, around half the rate of growth seen in 2021
The amount of money sent back home by migrants around the world has grown by 5% in 2022
Other top recipient countries for remittances include Mexico, China, Egypt and the Philippines
Domestic and International shocks have affected countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, for whom remittances earned by migrants are expected to drop this year
Barring India and Nepal, other south Asian countries saw a decline of more than 10% in their remittances from 2021 due to the end of government incentives introduced during the pandemic
What Does the $100 billion Remittance Mean for India’s Economy?
In recent years, many Indians have moved to well-paid jobs in high-income countries, such as the US, UK and Singapore
Remittances account for nearly 3% of India’s gross domestic product (GDP). These are also important for filling fiscal gaps
A significant source of cash for India is retained by the inflow of money from Indians abroad
The World Bank Report comes at a time when India lost almost $100 billion of foreign exchange reserves in the past year amid tightening global conditions that weakened currencies, including the rupee against the dollar
Question:
According to the recent World Bank report, which is the first country in the world to receive $100 billion in remittances?
A. India
B. Mexico
C. China
D. Egypt
Answer: A
Current Affairs: Defence
Parakram Diwas
To mark the 51st anniversary of India’s victory in the Longewala battle during the 1971 war, Parakram Diwas is celebrated at Jaisalmer Military Station and Longewala War Memorial in Rajasthan today.
The Longewala battle between India and Pakistan in 1971 was one of the biggest and most decisive wars, which is registered in the Golden words in History.
What Was the Battle of Longewala?
The Battle of Longewala was one of the major decisive battles fought in the Western sector during the India – Pakistan War of 1971.
On the night of 04/05 Dec 1971, Pakistan forces comprising 4000 soldiers, T-59 and Sherman tanks, and a medium artillery battery attacked the Longewala border post in Rajasthan held by 23 PUNJAB.
In spite of being outnumbered, a company of the Indian Army’s 23rd Battalion, Punjab Regiment, commanded by Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, Indian soldiers gallantly held the post and requisitioned support from IAF.
At the dawn of 5th Dec 1971, the Hunter aircraft based at Jaisalmer wreaked havoc on the Pakistani troops with their devastating firepower.
The Hunters of 122 Squadron flew 18 sorties and destroyed 36 enemy tanks and 100 vehicles, and killed 200 Pakistan soldiers in a very short span of time, thwarting the advance of the Pakistani Army in its tracks.
Why Is the Battle of Longewala Important?
The battle of Longewala was crucial in preventing an incursion into the western theatre of the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict allowing military operations in the east to proceed without any hindrance.
More importantly, it denied Pakistan any bargaining chip which it could use against India when the war would end.
Question:
Parakram Diwas celebrated recently to mark the 51st anniversary of India’s victory in which of the following battles/wars?
A. Kargil war 1999
B. Battle of Longewala
C. Battle of Saragarhi
D. Burma campaign
Answer: B
Current Affairs: Geography
Indonesia’s Mount Semeru Volcano Erupts
Indonesia’s Mount Semeru volcano has erupted, sending ash billowing into the sky and sparking evacuations on the country’s main island, Java.
Details:
Authorities raised the volcano’s warning status to the highest level, meaning its activity had escalated.
No injuries have been reported, but nearly 2,000 people were evacuated from the area around the volcano.
Semeru – also known as “The Great Mountain” – is the highest volcano in Java at 3,676 metres (12,060 ft) and one of the most active.
About Indonesia:
An archipelago of 270 million that sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic activity as well as earthquakes, Indonesia is one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth.
Pacific “Ring of Fire”: It is a horseshoe-shaped series of fault lines and is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity.
With 142 volcanoes, Indonesia has the largest population globally living in close range to a volcano, including 8.6 million within 10 km (6.2 miles).
Question:
The recently erupted Mount Semeru volcano is located in which of the following countries?
A. Ecuador
B. Japan
C. Indonesia
D. Philippines
Answer: C
Current Affairs: Appointments and Nominations
Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar Appointed Chairperson of the National Statistical Commission
The government of India has recently appointed Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar, Professor Emeritus at CMI, as the part-time chairperson of the National Statistical Commission (NSC) of India for a period of three years.
About National Statistical Commission:
NSC is an autonomous body formed in June 2005 under the recommendation of the Dr C Rangarajan commission.
The objective of its constitution was to reduce the problems faced by statistical agencies in the country with respect to the collection of data and strengthen public trust in the numbers released by the Government of India.
About Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar:
Mr Karandikar is widely known for his three decades of work on probability theory as well as applications of mathematics and statistics to real-world questions.
He has designed, supervised and analysed nationwide opinion polls for the Indian parliamentary elections and State assemblies since 1998.
He is known for developing a new model and methodology for seat prediction, which has been quite successful over the last 20 years.
Mr Karandikar was a member of the committee constituted by the Election Commission (EC) of India to advise the EC on the sampling scheme for EVM-VVPAT verification.
He was also a member of the expert committee constituted by the Supreme Court in 2019 to suggest steps to deal with fraud in online examinations.
Question:
Who among the following was recently appointed as the chairperson of the National Statistical Commission?
A. Dr G P Samanta
B. T C A Anant
C. Prof Bimal Kumar Roy
D. Prof Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar
Answer: D
Current Affairs: Defence
US Unveiled New B-21 Stealth Bomber
America’s newest nuclear stealth bomber is making its public debut after years of secret development and as part of the Pentagon’s answer to rising concerns over a future conflict with China.
Northrop Grumman Corp recently rolled out its new B-21 “Raider” jet, the first of a new fleet of long-range stealth nuclear bombers for the United States Air Force.
The B-21 Raider is the first new American bomber aircraft in more than 30 years. Almost every aspect of the programme is classified.
What Is B-21 Stealth Bomber?
The B-21 Raider will employ cutting-edge stealth technologies to carry out nuclear missions and long-range bombing
Each aircraft costs about $2 billion or ₹1624 crore to be built
The B-21 Raider will be a subsonic aircraft
Speed: Average of 563 miles per hour
The B-21 Raider, which takes its name from the 1942 Doolittle Raid over Tokyo, will be slightly smaller than the B-2 to increase its range
Other changes likely include advanced materials used in coatings to make the bomber harder to detect and new ways to control electronic emissions
So the bomber could spoof adversary radars and disguise itself as another object, using new propulsion technologies
Importance in Geopolitics:
The bomber is part of the Pentagon’s efforts to modernise all three legs of its nuclear triad, which includes silo-launched nuclear ballistic missiles and submarine-launched warheads, as it shifts from the counterterrorism campaigns of recent decades to meet China’s rapid military modernisation.
The U.S. Air Force plans to build such 100 warplanes that can deploy either nuclear weapons or conventional bombs and can be used with or without a human crew.
B-21 is multi-functional. It can handle anything from gathering intel to battle management and integrating with our allies and partners. And it will work seamlessly across domains, theatres, and the joint force.
Question
Which of the following is the first new American bomber aircraft launched recently in more than 30 years?
A. McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
B. B-21 Stealth Bomber
C. B-2 Strategic Bomber
D. B-52-H Strategic Bomber
Answer: B
Current Affairs: National
Millets-Smart Nutritive Food Conclave
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, initiated the ‘Millets-Smart Nutritive Food’ Conclave in New Delhi today.
The Conclave is being organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry through its apex agricultural export promotion body, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) with the objective of promoting the export of millets.
This Conclave is a pre-launch event of the ‘International Year of Millets – 2023’ (IYoM-2023).
About Conclave:
At the first-of-its-kind Millets Conclave, the government has released an e-catalogue on 30 potential importing countries and 21 millet-producing states of India.
Also, a knowledge book on Millets prepared in association with Knowledge partner ‘Yes Bank’ was released on this occasion.
For exports of Indian millets’ promotion, the government has planned to facilitate the participation of exporters, farmers and traders in 16 international trade expos and Buyer Seller Meets (BSMs).
Millets:
Millets have superior nutritional values in comparison to highly consumed cereals such as rice and wheat.
Millets are rich in calcium, iron, and fibres that help fortify essential nutrients for children’s healthy growth. Also, the usage of millet in infant food and nutrition products is increasing.
Facts about Millet:
India is one of the leading producers of millet in the world, with an estimated share of around 41 per cent in global production.
There are 16 wide varieties of millet, which are produced and exported, including Sorghum (Jowar), Pearl Millet (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi), Minor Millets (Kangani), Proso Millet (Cheena), Kodo Millet (Kodo), Barnyard Millet (Sawa/Sanwa/Jhangora), Little Millet (Kutki), Two Pseudo Millets (BuckWheat/Kuttu), Amaranthus (Chaulai) and Brown Top Millet.
India’s major millet exporting countries are U.A.E, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Oman, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, the U.K. and the U.S.A.
The major millet-importing countries in the world are Indonesia, Belgium, Japan, Germany, Mexico, Italy, the U.S.A, the U.K., Brazil and the Netherlands.
Question:
Consider the following statements
India produces 41 per cent of the total millets production in the world
Millets contain a high percentage of Vitamin B complex
The year 2023 was recently declared the International Year of Millets
Which of the above statements is/are correct
A. Only 1 and 2
B. Only 2 and 3
C. Only 1 and 3
D. All are Correct
Answer: C
Current Affairs: Sports
Odisha CM Launches Trophy Tour of FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the trophy tour of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 in Bhubaneswar, handing over the trophy to Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey today.
The trophy will travel across 13 states and one union territory before returning to Odisha on 25 December.
About Hockey World Cup 2023:
The 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup will be the 15th edition of the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men’s national field hockey teams organised by the International Hockey Federation
Teams: 16 (from 5 confederations)
Venue(s): Kalinga Stadium; Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium, Odisha
Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, India, Argentina, Germany, New Zealand, England, France, Korea, Malaysia, Spain, South Africa, Japan, Chile, and Wales are the 16 teams participating in the World Cup 2023
Chief Minister of Odisha: Mr Naveen Patnaik
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) was established in 1924 in Paris, France
Headquarters of FIH: Lausanne, Switzerland
President of FIH: Mr Narinder Batra
Facts:
India last won the Men’s Hockey World Cup in 1975. This match was played in Malaysia.
Hockey world cup 2023 India will host this tournament for the fourth time. Earlier it had hosted the tournament in Mumbai in 1982, New Delhi in 2010 and Bhubaneswar in 2018.
The special thing is that in 2023, India will complete 75 years of independence. In such a situation hosting the Hockey World Cup will be even more special for it.
Apart from India, Holland has hosted the Men’s Hockey World Cup thrice.
FIH World Cup 2023 Groups:
Pool A:- Australia, South Africa, France, Argentina
Pool B:- Belgium, Japan, Korea, Germany
Pool C:- Netherlands, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand
Pool D:- India, Wales, Spain, England
Todays Fact Book-05 December 2022
India Observes Navy Day on 4th December Every Year
India observes Navy Day on 4th December every year to recognise the role and achievements of the Indian Navy
It also commemorates the launch of Operation Trident in the Indo-Pakistan War in 1971
This year, for the first time, Navy Day Celebrations were conducted outside the National Capital
This year, as India celebrates 75 years of her independence, the Indian Navy has demonstrated India’s combat prowess and capability through an ‘Operational Demonstration’ at Visakhapatnam
The Operational Demonstration has showcased the capability and versatility of Indian Naval ships, submarines, aircraft, and Special Forces
The Navy Day celebrations foster greater outreach, renew maritime consciousness amongst our citizens, and highlight the Navy’s contributions towards national security
Japan Successfully Propelled a Moon Spacecraft Using Steam
In a world first, Japan’s space agency, JAXA, announced it successfully used steam to propel a spacecraft- Equuleus, toward the Moon
Japan’s space agency used steam to propel Spacecraft toward the Moon
It was the world’s first successful orbit control beyond low-earth orbit using a water propellant propulsion system
Equuleus (EQUilibriUm Lunar-Earth point 6U) is a deep-space 6U spacecraft launched by NASA’s Orion Spacecraft
It aims to demonstrate low-energy trajectory control technologies by reaching the Earth-Moon Lagrange point 2 (EML2)
Lagrange points are positions in space where objects sent there tend to stay put due to the precisely equal gravitational pull of two large bodies
SS Rajamouli Bags Best Director Award at New York Film Critics Circle for ‘RRR’
The New York Film Critics Circle just presented their annual awards, and there was a name on the list of winners that was a pleasant surprise – S. S. Rajamouli
The ace director, who is already responsible for the most successful Indian film of all time, might also make history by becoming the first Indian to be nominated for the ‘Best Director’ category at the Oscars
A pre-Independence fictional story, “RRR” stars Ram Charan and Jr NTR as real-life Indian revolutionaries in the 1920s Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, respectively
Other winners at the NYFCC awards include Cate Blanchet for Tár (Best Actress), Colin Ferrell for The Banshees of Inisherin and After Yang (Best Actor)
Coastal Red Sand Dunes of Vizag
Geologists have said that the coastal red sand dunes of Vizag have much significance geologically, archaeologically, and anthropologically and it needs to be protected
Coastal red sand dunes are popularly known as Erra Matti Dibbalu
It dissected and stabilised coastal red sediment mounds located between Visakhapatnam and Bheemunipatnam in Andhra Pradesh
They have very low water and nutrient retention capacity
The dunes are susceptible to aerodynamic lift. This is the push that lets something move up. It is the force that is the opposite of weight.
Wages for MGNREGA Mates Prioritised
Recently, there have been regular complaints from Mates (site supervisors) that their wages under the MGNREGA are delayed, for which the Union Rural Development Ministry has devised a protocol which would prioritise payment to Mates
Mates are frontline supervisors of the programmes
Mates are listed as semi-skilled workers because of the specialist nature of their job
Payments under MGNREGA:
Wages of unskilled workers are to be paid within 15 days, and if there is a delay in payment, then the Centre has to compensate them
Wages of Mates come from the material component, of which the Union government pays 60%
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