Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: January 20, 2023
Competitive exams like UPPSC, UGC NET, SBI, MPPSC and so on include a current affairs section in the question papers. Most candidates fail to clear the exam as they face difficulty attempting this question paper section. However, scoring well in this section becomes easy if the candidates keep themselves updated with the news worldwide.
Our Embibe specialists have curated the latest events from around the world and are included in this article.
Motivation++
“Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground”
―Theodore Roosevelt
Current Affairs: History and Culture
2,000 Years Ancient City Discovered Beneath Guatemala’s Rainforest
Researchers have discovered the ruins of a large Mayan town hiding beneath the rainforest in Guatemala while surveying the region from the air.
The remains of the sprawling Mayan settlement have been discovered using laser technology.
This study uses airborne Lidar data to demonstrate how complex societies organised their infrastructure to reflect their socioeconomic organisation and political power.
The imaging shed new light on the area – which has been studied in the past for its Mayan ruins.
What Is Mayan Civilisation?
The Maya are probably the best-known of the classical civilisations of Mesoamerica.
Originating in the Yucatán peninsula around 2600 B.C., they rose to prominence around A.D. 250 in present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, northern Belize and western Honduras.
The Maya developed astronomy, calendrical systems and hieroglyphic writing based on the inherited inventions and ideas of earlier civilisations.
The Maya were noted as well for elaborate and highly decorated ceremonial architecture, including temple-pyramids, palaces and observatories, all built without metal tools.
They were also skilled farmers, clearing large sections of tropical rainforest and, where the groundwater was scarce, building sizable underground reservoirs for the storage of rainwater.
About Yucatan Peninsula:
The Yucatan Peninsula is Mexico’s southeastern projection, extending into the Atlantic Ocean.
It separates the Gulf of Mexico to the north and west and the Caribbean Sea to the east.
What is LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging)?
It is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth.
These light pulses—combined with other data recorded by the airborne system—generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.
The discovery was made using an aerial survey with LiDAR technology. In a nutshell, lasers were beamed down from the plane and the reflected light constructed an image of the landscape.
Question:
Recently researchers have discovered the ruins of a large 2,000 years old ancient city beneath Guatemala’s rainforest using LiDAR technology. This city is associated with which of the following Civilisations?
A. Mesopotamia Civilisation
B. Indus Valley Civilisation
C. Roman Civilisation
D. Mayan Civilisation
Answer: D
Current Affairs: Defence
Sri Lanka and the US Conducting Joint Military Exercises
Sri Lanka and the US are conducting week-long joint military exercises starting today to prepare for disaster relief and maintain a and open Indo-Pacific amid China’s increasing military manoeuvring in the strategic region.
The exercise commenced today, 19 January, and will end on 26 January.
This is the fifth CARAT/MAREX exercise between the US and Sri Lanka, and this year includes participants from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and Maldives National Defence Force.
Rationale:
The exercise will be held for one week. It has been organised to enhance the US and partner navies’ abilities to work together in response to traditional and non-traditional maritime security challenges.
The exercise will also focus on building relationships through sports, cultural, and information exchanges.
The Exercise Is Being Organised to Promote:
Regional security cooperation
Maintain and strengthen maritime partnerships, and
Enhance maritime interoperability
What Is CARAT/MAREX?
CARAT/MAREX Sri Lanka is a bilateral exercise between Sri Lanka and the US designed to promote regional security cooperation, maintain and strengthen maritime partnerships, and enhance maritime interoperability.
Question:
CARAT/MAREX exercise is being conducted between the USA and which of the following Indian neighbours?
A. Bangladesh
B. Sri Lanka
C. Myanmar
D. Nepal
Answer: B
Check out the Highlights of the Economic Survey 2022-23 by clicking on the link given below: Economic Survey 2022-23
Current Affairs: Important Days and Events
First-Ever Military Tattoo and Tribal Dance Festival
The first-ever military tattoo and tribal dance festival will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on 23–24 January as part of Republic Day celebrations and to mark the 126th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
A military tattoo is a performance of music or a display of the armed forces.
The two-day festival ‘Aadi Shaurya – Parv Parakram Ka’ will showcase the prowess of the Indian armed forces and the beauty of tribal culture.
Objective:
The objective is to celebrate together the bravery of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, embrace the true spirit of India and renew the commitment to building a strong and prosperous ‘New India’.
The Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs jointly organise the event, with Indian Coast Guard being the coordinating agency.
Other Details:
The program will include a Military Tattoo (Paramotor Gliding, Hot Air Balloon, Horse Show, Motorcycle Display, Air Warrior Drill, Navy Band) and an hour of traditional dance performances (Khukuri Dance, Gatka, Mallakhamb, Kalaripayattu, Thangta) by tribal artists from across the country.
The grand finale will include a performance by famous singer Kailash Kher.
Question:
The first-ever military tattoo and tribal dance festival will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi, to celebrate together the bravery of which of the following leaders?
A. Jawaharlal Nehru
B. Subash Chandra Bose
C. Mahatma Gandhi
D. Bhagat Singh
Answer: B
Current Affairs: Defence
IL 38 Aircraft of Indian Navy to Fly for the First and Last Time over Kartavya Path on Republic Day
For the first and last time, the Navy’s vintage IL38 will fly overhead Kartavya Path—earlier known as Rajpath—as part of a 50 aircraft-strong flypast on Republic Day.
About IL 38 Aircraft:
The Indian Navy aircraft IL 38 was decommissioned on 17 January 2022 after completing 44 years of service to the nation.
The IL 38 is a formidable air asset and was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1977. It was an all-weather with long endurance and substantial operating range aircraft.
About Republic Day flypast:
The Republic Day flypast will see the modern Rafale fighter jets as well as the vintage Dakota, which was the first major transport aircraft inducted into the Indian Air Force (in 1946) and participated in the wars with Pakistan in 1947-48 and 1971.
No single-engine fighter jet is participating in the flypast.
The IAF’s marching contingent in the Republic Day parade will be led by Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy.
The theme of the IAF’s tableau this year is the Indian Air Force: Power Beyond Boundaries, which will have the airborne early warning and control aircraft Netra, LCA Tejas MK II, the LCH Prachand, the Airbus C-295 aircraft among the elements displayed.
Question:
Which of the following aircraft of the Indian Navy will fly for the first and last time over Kartavya Path on Republic Day 2023?
A. Tu-142MK-E Aircraft
B. Dornier 228 Aircraft
C. IL 38 Aircraft
D. HAL TEDBF Aircraft
Answer: C
Current Affairs: Index and Rankings
Global Fire Power Index- Military Rankings
The recently released Global Firepower Index ranks the countries based on their potential military strength.
India is ranked fourth in the index.
The Global Firepower Index ranked 145 countries. The countries were evaluated based on prolonged offensive and defensive military campaigns.
India’s rival on the subcontinent, Pakistan, ranked No. 7, breaking into the top 10 again from No. 9 in the previous year.
Details:
Since 2006 GlobalFirepower (GFP) has provided a unique analytical display of data concerning 145 modern military powers.
The GFP ranking is based on each nation’s potential war-making capability across the land, sea, and air fought by conventional means.
The results incorporate values related to manpower, equipment, natural resources, finances, and geography represented by 60+ individual factors used in formulating the finalised GFP ranks – which provide an interesting glimpse into an increasingly volatile global landscape where war seems all but an inevitability.
New to 2023 are Belize, Benin, and Senegal.
List of the Top Ten Countries on the Global Power Index 2023:
US, Russia, China, India, UK, South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, France, and Italy.
Score Calculation:
A Global Power Index rating of 0.000 is the perfect score, which no country has so far attained.
The smaller the score value, the more powerful the fighting capability, even if only on paper.
The GPI does not take into account nuclear capabilities. The ranking is purely in terms of conventional capabilities.
Question:
What is India’s rank in the recently published Global Firepower Index, which ranks each nation based on its potential military strength?
A. 2nd
B. 3rd
C. 4th
D. 5th
Answer: C
Check out the Highlights of Union Budget 2023 by clicking on the link given below: Union Budget 2023-24
The joint venture between India and Russia, Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), has started producing AK-203 Kalashnikov assault rifles at Korwa in Uttar Pradesh, according to Alexander Mikheev, Director General of Rosoboronexport of Russia.
Last week, Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande said the first batch of 5,000 rifles would be delivered to the Army by March.
What Are AK-203 Assault Rifles?
India is the first country to start producing the AK-200-series assault rifles of the world-famous brand.
Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, has produced the first batch of 7.62 mm Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles.
The first lot of 5,000 AK-203 rifles, out of the total of 6,01,427 to be manufactured over a period of 10 years for ₹5,124 crores.
Who Developed These Rifles:
India and Russia signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) in February 2019 for the production of AK 203 assault rifles.
For this, a Joint venture was formed between Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) on the Indian side and Rosoboron Exports and Concern Kalashnikov on the Russian side.
Rationale:
Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited fully complies with the government of India’s Made in India initiative and DAP (Defence Acquisition Procedure) 2020.
It plans to ensure 100 per cent localisation of the production of AK-203 rifles in India.
The move will lend greater firepower to the Indian armed forces.
Question:
The joint venture between India and Russia, Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), has started producing AK-203 Kalashnikov assault rifles recently in which of the following states?
A. Gujarat
B. Uttar Pradesh
C. Maharashtra
D. Rajasthan
Answer: B
Fact Book – 19 January 2023
Bhopal Declaration
In Madhya Pradesh, more than 300 intellectuals from India and abroad released the Bhopal Declaration after discussing the G-20 agenda in the two-day meeting of Think-20 under G20 in Bhopal.
Key highlights of the Bhopal Declaration
Appeal to all stakeholders to focus more on inclusive development care for the welfare of every section of society in comparison to GDP.
Encourage a model of development led by women.
Bridge the gap between North and South, and Promote traditional medicine systems like AYUSH.
Greater Scaup
It is a rare species of duck (locally known as Sadangman) that was recently sighted in Loktak lake (Manipur) after a gap of over 90 years.
Loktak lake is famous for Keibul Lamjao National Park and Sangai, the dancing deer.
Greater Scaup is a migratory bird widely distributed across Arctic and Subarctic regions, where it mainly nests in coastal tundra habitats.
It belongs to the family of Anatidae.
IUCN status: Least Concern.
India Registers Ten New Livestock Breeds
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has registered ten new breeds of livestock species, including cattle, buffalo, goat and pig, in the last one year.
About:
The registration was done by the ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR).
The process involves the identification and surveying of these breeds through visits to the native areas.
This has taken the total number of indigenous breeds to 212.
The ten new breeds include:
Three new cattle breeds (Kathani, Sanchori, Masilum)
One buffalo breed (Purnathadi)
Three goat breeds (Sojat, Karauli, Gujari) and
Three pig breeds (Banda, Manipuri Black, Wak Chambil)
Since 2010, this is the third highest increase in registration of indigenous breeds, after 15 new breeds in 2018-19 and 13 new breeds in 2019-20 were recorded.
In 2010, there were only 129 indigenous breeds registered, called ‘extant breeds’.
Centre Appoints Pankaj Kumar Singh as Deputy National Security Advisor
Pankaj Kumar Singh, the former director general of the Border Security Force (BSF), was recently appointed as the deputy national security advisor (Dy NSA) of India, according to an order issued by the Centre.
The 1988-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Rajasthan cadre, who headed the BSF till 31 December last year before he retired, has been appointed as Dy NSA on a re-employment contract of two years, the order said.
In his new role as Dy NSA, he will assist NSA Ajit Doval in creating and implementing the country’s national security strategies, including assessing threats posed by terrorism, data security, cyber threats, the readiness of concerned agencies and cooperation between different organisations dealing with security issues.
Question:
Who has recently been appointed as Deputy National Security Advisor by the Central government?
A. Dattatray Padsalgikar
B. Vijaya Latha Reddy
C. Vikram Misri
D. Pankaj Kumar Singh
Answer: D
J&K Becomes the First Indian UT to Shift to e-Governance Mode Completely
Leading the digital transformation in governance, Jammu and Kashmir has become the first union territory (UT) in India to have entirely shifted to a digital mode of administration.
It means that all governance and administrative services in the state are now ‘only’ available digitally.
According to the state administration’s guidelines, no service will be unavailable, and applicants won’t need to go to a government office.
The UT administration constituted a ‘Coordination Cell’ for monitoring the progress of the implementation of online services in Jammu and Kashmir.
Question:
Which of the following is the first Union Territory in the country to completely shift to e-governance mode recently?
A. Pondicherry
B. Delhi
C. Jammu and Kashmir
D. Daman and Diu
Answer: C
UNGA Adopts Resolution on ‘Education for Democracy’ Co-Sponsored by India
Recently, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution titled “Education for Democracy” that reaffirms the right of everyone to education.
The resolution, which was co-sponsored by India, recognises that “education for all” contributes to the strengthening of democracy.
The resolution will recognise the importance of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
This is not the first time the United Nations General Assembly has adopted an education resolution.
Earlier in 2015, a similar resolution was passed in the General Assembly, encouraging all UN entities to use education to promote peace, human rights and democracy.
The purpose of the resolution was to encourage member states to integrate Education for Democracy into their education standards.
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