Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: February 8, 2023
The section on current affairs is included in the question paper for almost every competitive examination like UPSC, SSC, IAS, Railway-RRB, UPPSC, UGC NET, SBI, MPPSC, and so on. Furthermore, if we have an effective preparation strategy, scoring high in this section is not difficult. Any exam’s current events section may be aced by candidates with the correct resources and daily news analysis.
Our experts at Embibe have chosen the most current occurrences from across the world and have put them in this article. To provide students with the most recent current affairs, we analysed the day’s most recent news, from The Hindu to the BBC.
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“Success can come to you by courageous devotion to the task lying in front of you”
–Sir CV Raman
Current Affairs: Geopolitics
India, France and UAE Announce Cooperation Initiatives under a Trilateral Framework
India, France and the UAE recently announced a formal trilateral cooperation initiative in the areas of defence, nuclear energy and technology.
The Foreign Ministers of the three countries held a telephonic meeting to adopt a roadmap for implementing this initiative.
A joint statement released by the three sides said the trilateral initiative would serve as a forum to promote the design and execution of cooperation projects in the fields of energy, with a focus on solar and nuclear energy.
Details:
The initiative follows the first meeting of the foreign ministers of India, France and the UAE on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York on 19 September 2022.
In this context, the three countries will explore the possibility of working with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to pursue “concrete, actionable projects on clean energy, the environment, and biodiversity”.
India, France and the UAE will also use the trilateral initiative as a platform to promote cultural cooperation through joint projects, including heritage promotion and protection.
Other Areas of Defence Cooperation between India and France:
The three services of both countries have regular defence exercises, viz.,
Exercise Shakti (Army)
Exercise Varuna (Navy)
Exercise Garuda (Air Force)
India entered into a contract with a French firm to build six Scorpene submarines in India’s Malegaon dockyards through a technology-transfer arrangement in 2005.
Also, India and France signed the inter-government agreement in 2016, under which France agreed to provide 36 Rafale fighter jets at the cost of around ₹60,000 crore to India.
Question:
India has recently announced a formal trilateral cooperation initiative in the areas of defence, nuclear energy and technology with UAE and which of the following countries?
A. Germany
B. France
C. Ukraine
D. Russia
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: International
India Delivers Fifty Buses to Sri Lanka under the Economic Assistance Scheme
India recently delivered 50 more buses to Sri Lanka at the Presidential Secretariat premises as Sri Lanka celebrated its 75th Independence Day on 4 February.
High Commissioner of India Gopal Baglay handed over the buses to Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Details:
Commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland had bagged the contract for supplying 500 buses to the Sri Lanka Transport Board, of which 75 buses had already been delivered to the Island nation earlier this year.
The order is a part of a Line of Credit extended by the Export-Import Bank of India under the Economic Assistance Scheme of the Indian government.
Question:
Recently India delivered 50 more buses to Sri Lanka at the presidential secretariat premises under the Economic Assistance Scheme of the Indian government. These buses are made by which of the following companies?
A. Tata
B. Marcopolo
C. Swaraj
D. Ashok Leyland
Answer: D
Current Affairs: Science and Technology
IIT Madras Collaborates with ISRO to Develop an Astronaut Training Module
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras recently announced a collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to curate a training module for the Indian Spaceflight Programme.
An MoU was signed between ISRO and IIT Madras for collaboration on the application of Extended Reality (XR) and other technologies in the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.
This training module will be created based on Augmented Reality (AR)/ Virtual Reality (VR) / Mixed Reality (MR).
About the Collaboration:
As per the collaboration guidelines, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) would utilise the advanced technologies created at the eXperiential Technology Innovation Centre (XTIC) at IIT Madras in order to promote Research and Development (R&D) in the field of Extended Reality.
Details:
XR, to be sure, includes an amalgamation of AR, VR and MR solutions to simulate a physical object. Using XR technologies can help manufacturers and researchers visualise how an object would work in physical reality before it is built and applied.
Such solutions have been used in various fields, such as healthcare, aviation and other fields, where reaching a real-world usage space (such as oil fields, in mid-air flights, or in between critical surgeries) is difficult.
To create such platforms, companies typically develop a highly accurate digital replica of a product or an environment, typically called a ‘digital twin’, and use it to assess and validate products.
Question:
Recently ISRO confirmed the collaboration with which of the following Institutes for the development of astronaut training modules?
A. National Institutes of Technology (NITs)
B. Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs)
C. IIT Delhi
D. IIT Madras
Answer: D
Current Affairs: Technology
Indian Railways Launches WhatsApp Food Delivery Facility for Passengers
Passengers travelling in Indian Railways can now order food online through WhatsApp while undertaking a journey by using their PNR number.
Indian Railways has recently started WhatsApp communication for railway passengers to order food through e-catering services. “The Business WhatsApp number +91-8750001323 has been started for the purpose”.
Details:
Initially, two stage-implementation of e-catering services was planned through WhatsApp Communication. In the first phase, the Business WhatsApp number will send a message to the customer booking e-ticket for opting for e-catering services by clicking the link www.ecatering.irctc.co.in.
In the next phase of the services, WhatsApp number will be enabled to become an interactive two-way communication platform for the customer wherein an AI power chatbot will handle all queries of e-catering services for the passengers and will also book meals for them.
Approximately 50,000 meals are served daily to customers through IRCTC’s e-catering services enabled through its website and App.
Question:
Recently Indian Railways launched a food delivery facility for passengers by using which of the following Apps?
A. Zomato
B. WhatsApp
C. Swiggy
D. Uber Foods
Answer: B
Current Affairs: Books and Authors
Dr Peggy Mohan bags ‘Mathrubhumi Book of The Year’ Award
Author Dr Peggy Mohan has bagged the ‘Mathrubhumi Book of The Year’ award at the fourth edition of the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL 2023), which concluded recently.
MBIFL 2023, also known as ‘Ka’ in Malayalam, featured Nobel and Booker Prize winners, Jnanpith awardees, and over 400 names in creative fields, among others.
Details:
Her book ‘Wanderers, Kings and Merchants’, portraying the evolution of language as the outcome of migrations, won an award that carries ₹2 lakh as a cash prize and a sculpture.
Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah presented the award to Mohan at the valedictory ceremony of the four-day MBIFL 2023.
About the author:
The Trinidad-born author, also a linguist who earned a PhD in linguistics from the University of Michigan, USA, migrated to India and worked as a professor of Language Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia University, New Delhi.
Question:
Which of the following authors recently bagged the ‘Mathrubhumi Book of The Year’ award at the fourth edition of the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL 2023)?
A. Dr Peggy Mohan
B. Salman Rushdie
C. Vinod Kumar Shukla
D. U.A. Khader
Answer: A
Check out the Highlights of Union Budget 2023 by clicking on the link given below: Union Budget 2023-24
Current Affairs: National
India’s Largest Helicopter Manufacturing Facility to be Inaugurated in Karnataka’s Tumakuru
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) helicopter factory in Karnataka’s Tumakuru recently.
The foundation stone of the facility, which is a dedicated new greenfield helicopter factory, was also laid by PM Modi in 2016.
The facility will enhance India’s capacity and ecosystem to build helicopters.
Details:
This helicopter factory is Asia’s largest helicopter manufacturing facility and will initially produce Light Utility Helicopters (LUH).
This facility will enable India to meet its entire requirement of helicopters indigenously and will attain the distinction of enabling self-reliance in helicopter design, development and manufacture in India.
The factory will have a manufacturing set-up of Industry 4.0 standards.
According to the PMO, over the next 20 years, HAL has plans to produce more than 1000 helicopters in the class of 3-15 tonnes from Tumakuru.
About Light Utility Helicopters (LUH):
LUH is an indigenously designed and developed 3-tonne class, single-engine multipurpose utility helicopter with a unique feature of high manoeuvrability.
The LUH is designed and developed as a replacement for Cheetah and Chetak helicopters which are being operated by the Indian Armed forces. It is a new generation helicopter incorporating the state of the art technology features like a Glass cockpit with Multi-Function Displays (MFD) powered by a single Turbo Shaft engine with sufficient power margin to cater to demanding high-altitude missions.
The helicopter is designed to be capable of flying at 220 kmph with a service ceiling of 6.5 km and a range of 350 km with a 500 kg payload.
About Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
It was established as Hindustan Aircraft Limited in 1940 by Walchand Hirachand in Bangalore (now Bengaluru), Karnataka. It comes under the Ministry of Defence.
The name was changed to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on 1 October 1964 after it was merged with Aeronautics India Limited by the Government of India.
Headquartered in Bengaluru.
Factbook: 7-02-2023
Kerala Crowned Inaugural Champions of National Beach Soccer Championships
Kerala has won the National Beach Soccer Championship title by defeating Punjab 13-4 in the final held at Dumas Beach, Surat.
In the game played for third place, Delhi defeated Uttarakhand 3-1.
Kerala’s goalkeeper Santhosh Kasmeer was awarded the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
Rajasthan’s Amit Godara became the highest goalscorer with 27 goals.
The best player of the tournament was awarded to Kerala’s Siju S.
India Welcomes Congo to the International Solar Alliance
India has recently welcomed Congo into the International Solar Alliance.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement was signed by Raymond Serge Bell, Ambassador of the Republic of Congo, in the presence of the Joint Secretary (Economic Diplomacy).
International Solar Alliance is a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation whose primary function is to promote solar development by reducing the cost of financing and technology.
It is the nodal agency to implement ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’.
It was launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on 30 November 2015 at the Conference of the Parties (COP-21) to the UNFCCC in France (Paris) along with 121 solar resource-rich nations.
Member-113 countries have signed this Framework Agreement.
Its Headquarters is in Gurugram, India.
Mrugng Monty Desai Appointed as Head Coach of Nepal Men’s Team
Mrugng Monty Desai, a high-performance coach from India, has been appointed as the head coach of Nepal men’s national cricket team, announced the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) recently.
Monty Desai will replace another former Indian cricketer Manoj Prabhakar, who resigned from his post in December 2022.
Nepal Cricket Association has signed a two-year deal with Monty Desai.
Monty has been the head coach of teams like the West Indies, Canada, and the UAE.
Monty has also served as the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals team in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Currently, the captain of the Nepal Cricket Team is Rohit Kumar Paudel
Grammy Award 2023
In recognition of the album “Divine Tides”, which he co-wrote with rock legend Stewart Copeland, artist Ricky Kej received his third Grammy Award.
This is undoubtedly a proud moment for India.
The Bengaluru-based Indian music producer and composer, who was up for Best Immersive Audio Album, won the award for “Divine Tides”. At the live event held at the Crypto.com venue in Los Angeles, USA, the outcome was revealed.
Ricky Kej, an Indian musician and environmentalist who was born on 5 August d1981, has been nominated for three Grammy Awards and has won two of them.
Kej has performed in over 30 nations, including Geneva and the UN’s New York and New York locations.
Kej was introduced as a UNHCR “Goodwill Ambassador” in December 2022.
Ricky is only the fourth Indian and youngest person from India to have won a Grammy Award.
Hillary Clinton Launches a Global Climate Fund in India
Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton announced the GCRF-Global Climate Resilience Fund in partnership with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA).
GCRF will work to tackle challenges faced due to rising temperatures due to climate change.
SEWA is the single largest women worker’s Central trade union in India, founded in 1972 in Ahmedabad by Elaben Bhatt.
It has been working to improve the livelihoods of poor self-employed women workers from the informal economy through various initiatives using technology, technical training, etc.
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