Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: March 15, 2023
Do you know that the current affairs section is considered important in every competitive exam? You need to understand that it can be difficult to study for the Current Affairs section while also studying for other subjects. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. The right current affairs study material will assist you in thoroughly preparing for this section and scoring well.
Rather than leaving the current events section until the last minute, study them daily and then review them weekly.
Current Affairs: National
Rajasthan man sets Guinness World Record for the longest bicycle journey
Narpat Singh Rajpurohit, 34, from Rajasthan’s Barmer, has set a Guinness World Record for the longest bicycle journey in a country by cycling 30,121.64 km.
Details:
Rajpurohit, who got his certificate, said he started his journey from Jammu in January 2019 and completed it in April 2022 in Jaipur. The journey covered 29 states.
He also planted 93,000 saplings during his journey.
About Guinness World Record:
It is known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as The Guinness Book of Records and in previous United States editions as The Guinness Book of World Records; it is a reference book published annually, listing world records both of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world.
Question:
Who among the following has recently set the Guinness World Record for the longest bicycle journey in a country by cycling 30,121.64 km?
A. Naveen John
B. Bruce Bursford
C. Charles Minthorn Murphy
D. Narpat Singh Rajpurohit
Answer: D
Check out the Highlights of the Economic Survey 2022-23 by clicking on the link given below: Economic Survey 2022-23
Current Affairs: Defence
Exercise La Perouse – 2023
The third edition of the two-day multilateral maritime exercise La Perouse began in the Indian Ocean region on 13 March 2023.
This edition is witnessing the participation of personnel, ships and integral helicopters of the Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Indian Navy, Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, Royal Navy and the United States Navy.
Rationale/Details of Exercise:
The biennial exercise La Perouse is conducted by the French Navy and is aimed at enhancing maritime domain awareness and optimising maritime coordination amongst the participating navies in the Indo-Pacific Region.
The two-day exercise provides an opportunity for like-minded navies to develop closer links in planning, coordination and information sharing for seamless maritime operations.
The exercise will witness complex and advanced naval operations, including surface warfare, anti-air warfare, air defence exercises, cross-deck landings and tactical manoeuvres.
Vessels:
Indigenously built guided missile frigate INS Sahyadri and fleet tanker INS Jyoti is participating in this edition of the exercise.
Participation of the Indian Navy in the exercise showcases the high levels of synergy, coordination and interoperability between the friendly navies and their commitment to a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.
Question:
Which of the following is not a participating nation of the third edition of the multilateral exercise La Perouse-2023?
A. UAE
B. Australia
C. France
D. USA
Answer: A
Current Affairs: Defence
Indian Navy to get 200 BrahMos missiles in a historic USD 2.5 billion deal
BrahMos Aerospace is set to bag USD 2.5 billion cruise missiles ordered from the Indian Navy.
The Indo-Russian joint venture company has recently carried out test firings of the missile with a high level of indigenous content. It is also going to equip the missile with an indigenous seeker too.
The rationale behind this acquisition:
It will help the Indian Navy stock the missiles in its arsenal, which are deployed on warships.
These will also be part of the mobile coastal missile batteries of the force.
About the latest BrahMos:
The strike range has been increased from 290 km to more than 400 km.
The indigenous content in the missile system has also been increased.
Its system has been upgraded and indigenized to increase the participation of Indian industry and manufacturers.
The Missile system is exported to the Philippines as well.
About BrahMos Aerospace
It is headed by Atul Rane, and he is working towards achieving a USD 5 billion export target.
After the first export deal with the Philippines at $375 million his team is targeting USD 5 billion by 2025.
Question:
Consider the following statements about BrahMos
According to recent news, the Indian Navy is to get 200 BrahMos missiles in a historic USD 2.5 billion deal
The strike range has been increased from 290 km to more than 400 km
The Missile system is exported to the Philippines and Taiwan as well
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
A. Only 1
B. Only 1 and 2
C. Only 1 and 3
D. All are correct
Answer: B
Current Affairs: Arts and Entertainment
Two big wins for India at Oscars 2023
The 95th Academy Awards saw India win two trophies. The Best Original Song was won by RRR’s Naatu Naatu.
As MM Keeravaani and Chandrabose picked the trophy, the music composer sang a song dedicating his award to India.
The Elephant Whisperers won the award for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 95th Academy Awards.
Important points to remember from oscar-2023:
“Naatu Naatu” from RRR wins Best Original Song, making it the first Indian production to win an Oscar in this category
“The Elephant Whisperers” wins Best Documentary Short, bringing another Oscar to India
Deepika Padukone presents at the Oscars and introduces the live performance of “Naatu Naatu”
“Everything Everywhere All At Once” wins five Oscars out of its 11 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing
Michelle Yeoh wins Best Actress for “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, becoming the first Asian winner of the award
Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis win Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively, for “Everything Everywhere All At Once”
Jr NTR releases a statement expressing his elation over RRR’s win and congratulating the team of “The Elephant Whisperers”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates the team behind RRR for their exceptional win and praises the popularity of Naatu Naatu
The wins for “RRR” and “Everything Everywhere All At Once” at the 95th Academy Awards demonstrate the growing influence of Indian cinema in the global film industry
About Elephant Whisperers:
The Elephant Whisperers is a 2022 Indian-American Tamil short documentary film directed by documentary filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves in her directorial debut.
The documentary is about the bond that develops between a couple and an orphaned baby elephant, Raghu, who was entrusted to their care.
About RRR:
RRR is an Indian Telugu-language period action film directed by S.S. Rajamouli and produced by D. V. V. Danayya.
The film stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt, and Ajay Devgn in lead roles.
RRR is a fictional story set in the 1920s and is based on the lives of two revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem. N. T. Rama Rao Jr. plays the role of Komaram Bheem, while Ram Charan plays Alluri Sitarama Raju.
Fact:
As of 2022, apart from Mother India, only two Indian films have been nominated for the Oscars—Salaam Bombay! (1988) and Lagaan (2001).
Question:
Who among the following is the director of the film Elephant Whisperers, which won Best Documentary Short Subject at the 95th Academy Awards 2023?
A. S. S. Rajamouli
B. D. V. V. Danayya
C. MM Keeravaani
D. Kartiki Gonsalves
Answer: D
Current Affairs: National
The first methanol-run buses were unveiled in Bengaluru
Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, unveiled the pilot trial of MD15 buses and the Prototype launch of M100 (100% Methanol).
The event was organised by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) at Vidhana Soudha recently.
The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), NITI Aayog, Indian Oil Company (IOC), and Ashok Leyland are working together to carry out the initiative, which aims to lower the level of pollutants.
About Methanol:
Methanol can be produced through the reaction of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen, which are also known as syngas. The syngas can be produced from various sources, such as natural gas, coal, or biomass.
Methanol can be blended with gasoline or used as a standalone fuel in vehicles with modified engines. It has a high octane rating, which means it can improve engine performance and reduce harmful emissions.
The project came at a time when many state governments and the Union Government were working on providing cleaner fuel options. The National Biofuel policy also talks about ethanol blending, which is a clean, low-cost alternative to fossil fuel-based products.
Question:
The first methanol-run buses were recently unveiled in which of the following cities?
A. Jaipur
B. Bengaluru
C. Chennai
D. Kochi
Answer: B
Check out the Highlights of Union Budget 2023 by clicking on the link given below: Union Budget 2023-24
Factbook: 14-March-2023
MoD inks over ₹900 crore contract for Normal Refit of Sindhukirti Submarine at Hindustan Shipyard Limited
In another boost to achieve ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, the Ministry of Defence, on 13 March 2023, signed a contract for Normal Refit of Sindhukirti Submarine at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam at an overall cost of ₹934 crore.
Sindhukirti is the 3rd-kilo-class diesel-electric submarine. After completion of the refit, Sindhukirti will be combat-worthy and will join the active submarine fleet of the Indian Navy.
This refit has been offloaded to develop alternate repair facilities for submarines and is a further step towards undertaking a Medium refit with Life Certification at HSL.
The project involves more than 20 Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and would lead to employment generation of 1,000 man-days per day for the project duration.
TCS marks its debut on the Forbes list of America’s Best Large Employers
This recognition is based on an independent survey of 45,000 employees working for American companies with more than 1,000 employees.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading software major, announced recently that it has been featured on the Forbes annual list of America’s Best Large Employers.
The list is based on an independent survey of 45,000 employees working for American companies with more than 1,000 employees. TCS claims to have hired over 21,000 people in the last three years and boasts a diverse and engaged workforce of more than 45,000 people across the US.
Top 3 Companies on Forbes List of America’s Best Large Employers
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Houston Methodist
Mayo Clinic
Biden announces nuclear-powered submarines for Australia
President Joe Biden together with the leaders of Australia and the United Kingdom has recently announced that Australia will purchase nuclear-powered attack submarines from the US.
This step is taken by Australia due to the growing concerns about China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
The agreement “represents the biggest single investment in Australia’s defence capability in all of our history”, said the Australian Prime Minister.
It is also the first time in 65 years that the US has shared its nuclear propulsion technology.
Two submarines, the USS Missouri and the USS Charlotte are “nuclear powered, not nuclear-armed.”
These boats will not have any nuclear weapons of any kind.
India remains world’s top arms importer: SIPRI report
India remains the world’s top arms importer between 2018-2022 despite the Narendra Modi government’s push towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing, says Stockholm International Peace Research (SIPRI) in its latest report after tracking arms sales around the world.
As India accounts for 11 per cent of the world arms’ imports, followed by Saudi Arabia (9.6 per cent) and Qatar (6.4), the SIPRI report also depicts the rise of French companies as key suppliers, with Paris displacing Washington as the second biggest supplier of arms to New Delhi.
Russia continues to be India’s Numero Uno provider of military hardware; however, its share in total Indian arms imports fell from 64 per cent to 45 per cent between the two-time frames.
Bank run
Since the 2008 financial crisis, Silicon Valley Bank has been the largest bank to fail in the US.
Also, Signature Bank met the same fate.
The failure, which was due to a consistent increase in interest rates, led to the Bank’s run.
A bank run occurs when a large number of people simultaneously take out their money deposited with a bank or any other financial institution over fears that it could go out of business.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was established in 1933 in response to the bank run during the period of the Great Depression.
Operation Trishul
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has extradited 33 fugitives involved in various criminal activities under its ‘Operation Trishul’ since 2022.
Under ‘Trishul’, CBI geolocates criminals with the help of Interpol channels and seeks their deportation or extradition through a formal route.
It utilises Interpol’s Star Global Focal Point Network, analysis of financial crime files and using Interpol’s channels to identify the dispersal of proceeds of crime.
Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) or Bhu-Aadhaar
The Department of Land Resources is organising the National Conference – Bhumi Samvaad IV on the implementation of the Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) or Bhu-Aadhaar on 17th March 2023 in New Delhi.
About the conference:
The theme of the National Conference is – “Digitizing and Geo-Referencing INDIA with Bhu-Aadhaar (ULPIN)”.
This conference is being organised under the Bhumi-Samvaad series of Dialogues and Deliberations on Land Administration and Governance in the country.
It is the 4th such conference with States/ UTs, Ministries and Departments, and other stakeholders like the Geospatial community, startups, and academia.
The ULPIN:
The Bhu-Aadhaar or ULPIN is a 14-digit alpha-numeric number generated based on the latitude-longitude of the vertices of each land parcel.
It is a single, authoritative source of truth of information on any parcel of land or property to provide integrated land services to the citizens as well as all stakeholders.
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