This is the current affairs of 12 & 13 April 2024. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. In view of the military tension in West Asia (Middle East), India issued an advisory against entry of Indians into which two countries?
a. Iran and Israel
b. UAE and Saudi Arabia
c. Israel and Oman
d. Iran and Qatar
Answer: a. Iran and Israel
– The conflict between Israel and Hamas in West Asia is now escalating.
– American intelligence suggests that Iran is planning an attack on Israel.
– As tensions rise between Iran and Israel, India and four other countries issued a travel advisory on April 12, 2024.
– The advisory recommends that citizens avoid traveling to Iran and Israel. The countries issuing the advisory include the United States, Britain, Russia, and France. France has urged against travel to Iran, Lebanon, Israel, and Palestinian territories.
– India has advised all Indian citizens not to travel to Iran and Israel until further notice.
– The Ministry of External Affairs has stated, “Indian citizens residing in Iran or Israel should immediately contact the Indian embassies there and register themselves. Everyone should ensure their safety and minimize going out.”
Why did India issue a travel advisory?
– Essentially, on April 1, 2024, Israel conducted an airstrike near the Iranian embassy in Syria.
– Thirteen people, including two top army commanders of the Iranian Quds Force, were killed.
– Following this, Iran threatened to retaliate against Israel.
– India issued this travel advisory at a time when the Wall Street Journal claimed that Iran could attack Israel within the next two days. The WSJ provided this information on Friday, citing American intelligence.
– According to WSJ’s report, Iranian officials have shared plans for the attack with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who is assessing its potential impact.
America sought help from China and Saudi Arabia to prevent Iran’s attack.
– Amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, China, Turkey, and several European countries.
– Blinken urged all countries to persuade Iran not to attack.
– Prior to this, America issued advisories for its citizens working in Israel, especially diplomats. The U.S. embassy staff has been instructed not to venture outside without caution from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, or Beersheba.
– On the other hand, British Foreign Minister Lord Cameron also phoned his Iranian counterpart, advising against escalating the dispute.
– Earlier on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at preparations for war on fronts beyond Gaza, without directly naming Iran.
Israel shuts down GPS system, cancels soldiers’ leaves.
– Israel recently shut down its GPS navigation system. It’s believed that GPS is turned off to prevent guided missile attacks. Additionally, all soldiers’ leaves were also canceled.
What is the Iranian Quds Force?
– The Quds Force is a semi-military and secretive branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It was established in 1979 by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Revolution and Iran’s first Supreme Leader.
– Following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which ousted the reigning Shah from power and established a theocratic state in Iran, the IRGC was created to deal with both domestic and external threats.
– In 2019, the United States designated the IRGC (and its Quds Force component) as a terrorist organization.
What problem does Israel have with the
Quds Force?
– Tehran has deployed Quds Force units throughout the entire Middle East to secure its interests beyond Iranian borders.
– Iran does not recognize the legitimacy of Israel, and both countries have openly engaged in hostile behavior towards each other since the early 1990s. Each has conducted covert struggles and clandestine campaigns against the other.
– The Quds Force supports the Lebanese Shia terrorist group Hezbollah both militarily and financially, and it has been used to launch attacks against Israeli and American interests in the region.
– The Quds Force has a significant presence in Syria, and it is said to operate dozens of military bases throughout the country.
– When the Syrian Civil War erupted in 2011, the Quds Force initially established a presence in the country under the guise of “protecting Shia pilgrimage sites.”
– They remained actively involved in the conflict, fighting against ISIS on behalf of the Syrian government forces and working with the Russians to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power despite strong opposition from the United States.
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2. Who became the youngest Prime Minister of Ireland?
a. Michael D Higgins
b. Leo Varadkar
c. Simon Harris
d. Pascal Donohoe
Answer: c. Simon Harris
– Simon Harris became the new Prime Minister of Ireland on April 9, 2024.
– He is 37 years old, making him the youngest Prime Minister of Ireland.
– He succeeded Leo Varadkar.
Ireland
– Capital: Dublin
– President: Michael D. Higgins
– Prime Minister: Simon Harris
– Currency: Euro
– Neighboring Country: United Kingdom
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3. Who became the new Prime Minister of Iceland?
a. Leo higgins
b. Bjarni Benediktsson
c. Katrin Jakobsdottir
d. Sigurur Ingi
Answer: b. Bjarni Benediktsson
– Prior to this, he was the Foreign Minister of Iceland.
– Bjarni Benediktsson was appointed as the Prime Minister on April 9, 2024, replacing former Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir.
– Katrin Jakobsdottir resigned from the position of Prime Minister to contest in the upcoming presidential elections in Iceland.
Iceland
– Iceland, a Nordic island nation, is defined by its dramatic landscape with volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, and lava fields.
– Capital: Reykjavik
– Prime Minister: Bjarni Benediktsson
– Currency: Icelandic Krona
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4. How much percentage of GDP has the household debt in the country reached its highest level in December 2023?
a. 20%
b. 25%
c. 35%
d. 40%
Answer: d. 40% (According to private financial services firm Motilal Oswal)
Motilal Oswal’s report on private financial services firms:
– Household debt: 40% in December 2023
– Household savings: 5% in December 2023
Note – Prior to this, the RBI had released similar data for September 2023. At that time, savings had dropped by up to 5.5%.
What impact will this have on the economy?
– Household debt is increasing in the country, while savings are decreasing. This could have a negative impact on the economy.
– Most of this debt consists of unsecured loans, which do not require any collateral. – This is very risky. There is a risk of defaulting on these loans. If such cases increase, it becomes very difficult for banks to manage themselves.
– The impact of increased debt and decreased savings will be twofold – short-term and long-term effects.
Short-term effects of household loans:
– In the short term, household loans can contribute to economic growth and increased employment opportunities.
– As loans increase, people often purchase items such as phones, cars, and other goods. – This leads to increased consumption, which in turn stimulates industries and boosts the economy.
Long-term effects of household loans:
– In the long term, the opposite effect may occur. Development rates may decrease.
– As people repay loans, they may begin to reduce their household expenses. This can lead to a decrease in consumption.
– Initially, people may spend more, but when the pressure of loan repayment increases, they may start to cut back on spending.
– This reduction in consumption can lead to economic downturns and financial crises.
– If families become unable to repay loans on a large scale, it can have a cascading effect on banks, leading to their collapse.
This was observed during the 2008 financial crisis.
– Recently, a Nobel Prize was awarded for this study. It demonstrated the sensitivity of banks to the economy.
Note – This topic will be useful for GS Paper 3 in the UPSC mains exam.
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5. When is National Safe Motherhood Day celebrated?
a. 11 April
b. 12 April
c. 13 April
d. 14 April
Answer: a. 11 April
– This day also marks the birth anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi, the wife of Mahatma Gandhi.
– In 2003, following the initiative of the White Ribbon Alliance, the Government of India declared April 11, 2022, as National Safe Motherhood Day.
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6. When is the International Day of Human Space Flight celebrated?
a. 11 April
b. 12 April
c. 13 April
d. 14 April
Answer: b. 12 April
– On this day, April 12, 1961, Soviet citizen Yuri Gagarin made the first human spaceflight.
– He became the first person to travel into space.
– The United Nations General Assembly has declared this day.
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7. Physicist Peter Higgs passed away on 8 April 2024. For which discovery did he was receive the Nobel Prize in 2013?
a. Big bang
b. Higgs boson particle
c. New Universe
d. Atom
Answer: b. Higgs-boson particle (It is also called God particle)
– Peter Higgs was a British physicist. He was 94 years old.
– He discovered the Higgs boson particle, also known as the “God particle.”
– This helped explain how the universe was formed after the Big Bang.
– He demonstrated how the boson binds this universe together. For this, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2013.
What is the Big Bang?
– According to the Big Bang theory, the beginning of the universe started from a single point. This point was smaller than an atom. At this point, there was no matter, energy, space, or time. According to the Big Bang theory, all matter and energy in the universe were compressed into a single point. After that, the universe began to expand.
Confirmation of the Higgs boson occurred in 2012.
– In 1960, Higgs proposed a process regarding the structure of fundamental particles in the universe.
– He hypothesized the existence of a particle called the Higgs boson in this process.
– In 2013, British physicist Peter Higgs and Belgian physicist François Englert won the Nobel Prize in Physics.
– Both scientists conducted theoretical research to understand the mass of subatomic particles.
The Indian connection to the “God Particle”:
– India also contributed to the discovery of the “God particle.” The name “Higgs” in “Higgs boson” is after British physicist Peter Higgs.
– Meanwhile, the term “boson” honors the Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose.
– In a July 2012 article in The New York Times, Bose was referred to as the “Father of the God Particle.”
– Born on January 1, 1874, in Kolkata, Satyendra Nath Bose made significant contributions to quantum mechanics and mathematical physics.
– Bose wrote a research paper on quantum statistics and submitted it to a British journal for publication, but it was not accepted.
– In 1924, Bose wrote a letter to Albert Einstein along with his research paper, and Einstein had it published in a German journal.
– Recognizing the importance of Bose’s work, Einstein got it published, and it was in this journal that the term “boson” was first used.
– It was Einstein who named Satyendra Nath Bose’s discovery as “boson.”
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8. According to ‘Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2024’, the number of unicorn companies in India has reduced to how much?
a. 100
b. 89
c. 76
d. 67
Answer: d. 67
– The term “unicorn” refers to a privately held startup company valued at over $1 billion.
– The number of “unicorn” companies in the country decreased for the first time in four years, with 67 remaining in 2024.
– However, Indian founders have started 109 unicorn companies outside the country.
– The “Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2024,” released on April 9, 2024, revealed this information.
Top 3 countries with unicorn companies:
– The report also mentioned that although the number of startup companies achieving unicorn status in India has decreased, the country maintains its position as the third-largest center for unicorns in the world.
– The United States maintained its lead with 703 unicorns.
– China secured the second position with 340 unicorns.
Biggest decline in Byjus
– The report states that the education-technology firm Byju’s has now fallen out of the unicorn status.
– Byju’s valuation was over $22 billion by 2023, but now it has fallen below $1 billion.
– According to the report, the food delivery platform Swiggy and the fantasy gaming firm Dream11 are India’s most valuable unicorns.
– Their worth is eight to eight billion dollars each.
– Following them is Razorpay, valued at $7.5 billion.
– However, India’s top two unicorn companies are ranked 83rd and 94th globally.
Damage from startups outside the country
– Anas Rahman Junaid, chief researcher at Hurun India, said that despite good returns on the share index, the overall decline in the number of Indian companies in the list of 1,453 unicorns indicates a lack of investment in the startup sector.
– Additionally, the trend of starting companies outside the country has also hurt India’s prospects.
– Indian firm founders started 109 unicorns outside the country, while the number inside the country was 67.
Top 5 Unicorns in the World
ByteDance – ₹16.64 trillion
SpaceX – ₹14.98 trillion
OpenAI – ₹8.32 trillion
Ant Group – ₹6.65 trillion
Shein – ₹5.40 trillion
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9. First private bank to open branch in Lakshadweep Which one is it?
a. HDFC Bank
b. ICICI Bank
c. IDFC Bank
d. UDCI Bank
Answer: a. HDFC Bank
– HDFC Bank has opened a branch in the Kavaratti Island of Lakshadweep.
– This is the first private bank to open a branch here.
HDFC Bank
– CEO: Shashidhar Jagdishan
– Headquarters: Mumbai
Lakshadweep
– It is a union territory.
– Capital: Kavaratti
– Administrator: Praful Patel
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10. Name the coach of national women’s hockey?
a. Virendra Verma
b. Harendra Singh
c. Sahil khanna
d. Narendra Singh
Answer: b. Harendra Singh
– He is a former Indian hockey player and recipient of the Dronacharya Award.
– Hockey India has appointed him as the coach of the senior national women’s hockey team.
– Prior to this, he was appointed as the coach of the Indian senior men’s national team in 2018.
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