This is the current affairs of 17 & 18 May 2023. Here are 10 questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
PDF Download: Click here
1. Which country’s Prime Minister Sitiweni Rabuka apologized to the people of Indian origin?
a. New Zealand
b. Fiji
c. Guam
d. Australia
Answer: b. Fiji
————-
2. Why did Fiji’s PM Sitiveni Rabuka apologize to the people of Indian origin?
a. 1987 coup and atrocities
b. 1980 coup and assassination
c. 1996 coup and atrocities
d. 2006 coup
Answer: a. 1987 coup and atrocities
Fiji
Countries located in the South Pacific Ocean
– Capital: Suva
– President – William Katoniwere
– Prime Minister – Sitiveni Rabuka
– Official language – English, Fijian and Hindi
– Currency – Fijian Dollar
– In 1887, Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka executed a military coup. At that time, he was an officer in the army.
– Rabuka removed the government with influence from people of Indian origin and seized power.
– During this time, due to the atrocities, many people of Indian origin had to flee from there.
– Rabuka was accused of the Indian-origin population outnumbering the native Fijians. (Currently 37.5% of the population is of Indian origin)
Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka Apologizes
– The coup he executed against people of Indian origin in 1987 was not right.
– On May 14, 1987, he and all those who were with him apologize for the military coup. We acknowledge our mistakes and particularly regret harming so many people, especially the Indo-Fijian community.”
Apology Prior to PM Modi’s Visit
– It is noteworthy that Fiji’s PM made this apology ahead of the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled for May 22, 2023.
How did indians reach fiji
– Fiji, a country located in the Pacific Ocean, became a British colony in 1874.
– Between 1879 and 1916, more than 60,000 people were brought from India to work in sugarcane fields there.
– They were referred to as “Girmitya” laborers.
– In 1916, the British government ceased bringing people from India.
Government with Influence of Indian-Origin in Fiji
– Britain granted Fiji independence in 1970. Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara was elected as the first Prime Minister.
– In 1987, a government with the dominance of people of Indian origin came into power.
– There were allegations that at that time, the population of Indian-origin people, known as Fiji-Indians, exceeded the population of the native people.
– During the same time, Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka executed a bloodless coup to seize power.
– He stated that the people of Fiji should have more influence in politics.
– After that, he took another political step and declared Fiji a republic.
– After the coup, a large number of Indians left Fiji.
– Sitiveni Rabuka is now the Prime Minister of Fiji.
– He is now apologizing for the coup and the atrocities committed against these people.
There were coups even after 1987
– In 1999, Mahendra Chaudhry became Fiji’s first Prime Minister of Indian origin.
– However, just a year later, he was ousted from power by business tycoon George Speight and retired military chief Ilisoni Ligairi.
– The objective, once again, was to empower indigenous Fijians as the main political force.
– Then, in 2006, another coup took place. This time, it was orchestrated by military chief Frank Bainimarama, who alleged that the government was corrupt and soft on those who had staged the coup before the year 2000.
————-
3. In view of the economic crisis in America, Biden canceled his visit to which country, due to which the Quad meeting (24 May 2023) also had to be cancelled?
a. India
b. Australia
c. Japan
d. China
Answer: b. Australia
– The meeting of the Quad, which was scheduled to take place in Sydney, was canceled after the cancellation of US President Joe Biden’s visit to Australia.
– The Quad meeting was scheduled for May 24, 2023.
– However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will still visit Australia and engage in bilateral discussions.
Why the meeting was canceled
– Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated that the Quad meeting scheduled in Sydney after the cancellation of Joe Biden’s visit to Australia has been canceled.
– Biden has decided to prioritize his domestic tour in the United States due to the ongoing economic crisis.
– However, Biden will travel to Hiroshima, Japan, to participate in the G7 Summit.
– It is believed that during the G7 Summit, the member countries of the Quad can meet with each other.
What circumstances arose in America that Biden’s trip had to be cancelled?
– America is trapped in a severe economic crisis.
According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the American government will run out of funds after June.
– This means that pension payments for the elderly will be halted, government employees will experience delays in receiving their salaries, there will be delays in military personnel receiving their allowances, and there is also a possibility of a significant increase in interest rates in America.
– In fact, the U.S. government had reached its debt limit of $31.4 trillion on January 19, 2023.
– Since then, the Treasury Department has been making payments for various bills of the country through different accounts.
– Now the government needs to increase America’s credit limit (borrowing capacity).
– However, a meeting took place between Republican and Democratic leaders at the White House on Tuesday. Despite this meeting, no deal has been reached between the two parties so far that would increase the limit by June.
Credit limit is not increasing under the pressure of opposition
– A meeting took place at the White House on Tuesday between President Biden and Republican and Democratic leaders. Despite this meeting, no deal has been reached between the two parties so far that would increase the country’s credit limit by June.
– Now the American government is considering various options that can help overcome this crisis.
– However, there is hope that the credit limit of the American government will be increased.
India also has investment
– All countries have significant investments in the United States.
– India’s investment (through bonds) is approximately $40 billion.
– Therefore, when news of an economic crisis emerges there, countries around the world are affected.
– The purpose of the Quad is to demonstrate unity against China’s growing dominance and power, but this project has been deemed a “temporary push.”
How much damage will the cancellation of the Quad meeting cause to America?
– Professor Swarn Singh from JNU says that the cancellation of Biden’s visit will be seen as a setback for America.
– If the President of the United States, who has such a global presence, has to cancel his visit due to internal reasons, it does not send the right message to other countries because such situations are not observed in China.
– When such upheavals occur in America, it sends a message to the world that despite its significant global influence, the situation at home is such that the President had to cancel his visit.
————-
4. When is International Museum Day celebrated?
a. 16 May
b. 17 May
c. 18 May
d. 19 May
Answer: c. 18 May
Theme 2023 :
– Museums, Sustainability and Well-being
– This day was announced by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in 1977.
– This day is celebrated to highlight the importance of museums in any culture.
————
5. Which industrial group’s chairman Srichand Parmanand passed away on 17 May 2023?
a. Tata
b. Hinduja
c. Hero
d. TVS
Answer: b. Hinduja
– Shrichand Paramanand took his last breath in London at the age of 87.
– He was a British citizen of Indian origin and the Chairman of the Hinduja Group.
– In fact, the Hinduja Group is one of the wealthy business families in Britain.
– This company was founded in 1914 by Paramanand Deepchand Hinduja.
– After the death of the group’s founder, Paramanand Hinduja, in 1971, his sons took over the business.
– Shrichand was the eldest among the four brothers. His other brothers are Gopichand, Prakash, and Ashok, who are the owners of the Hinduja Group.
– These four brothers are also known as the Hinduja Brothers.
– Their group’s businesses range from trucks and lubricants to banking and cable television.
– The Hinduja Group holds the largest stake in the truck manufacturing company Ashok Leyland.
– The Hinduja brothers have an estimated wealth of around 100 billion dollars worldwide.
———–
6. When is World Telecom Day celebrated?
a. 15 May
b. 16 May
c. 17 May
d. 18 May
Answer: c. 17 May
Theme 2023
– Empowering the least developed countries through information and communication technologies
– This day was known as World Telecommunication Day to commemorate the establishment of the International Telecommunication Union on 17 May 1865.
————
7. Which portal was launched by the central government to block and track stolen or lost mobiles?
a. Sanchar Mitra
b. Sanchar Seva
c. Sanchar Sakshi
d. Sanchar Saathi
Answer: d. Sanchar Saathi
– A day before World Telecom Day, on May 16, 2023, Minister of Telecommunications Ashwini Vaishnav launched the Communication Companion portal.
– Vaishnav stated that merely blocking the SIM card is not a solution; it is necessary to block the phone itself.
What will the Sanchar Saathi portal do?
– When anyone will give information about lost mobile on this portal, then there will be some identity verification.
– Immediately after this the portal will block the phone by interacting with the online telecom operator and law enforcement agency.
– Through this portal, anyone can check how many sims are active in his name.
– If you see any such number in it which you have not taken then you can block that too.
Who developed the Communication Companion?
– It was developed by the Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT).
– Rajkumar Upadhyay, the CEO and Chairman of C-DOT, stated that the system has an in-built mechanism to detect mobile smuggling.
– The pilot project of this system was initially implemented in telecom offices in Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and the North-East region, and it has now been rolled out nationwide.
Phones can be tracked even if the IMEI number is changed.
– Currently, criminals often change the IMEI number of a device after stealing a mobile, making it difficult to track or block the device.
– This portal can track and block the device even if the IMEI number is changed.
The process to block and track a mobile phone:
– Step 1: First, visit the official website of the Communication Companion at https://sancharsaathi.gov.in.
– Step 2: Now, click on the “Block Stolen/Lost Mobile” option.
– Step 3: Fill in the required information on the website, such as device information, lost information, and mobile owner’s personal information.
– Step 4: Provide self-declaration.
– Step 5: An ID will be displayed, which can be used to check the status of your request.
————
8. Which countries will PM Modi be visiting in May 2023?
a. Japan
b. Papua New Guinea
c. Australia
d. All of the above
Answer: d. All of the above (Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia)
————-
9. In which city will PM Narendra Modi participate in the G-7 Summit?
a. Delhi
b. Sydney
c. Hiroshima
d. Nagasaki
Answer: c. Hiroshima
– Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a trip to three countries in May 2023.
– These countries include Japan, Papua New Guinea, and Australia.
– The G7 Summit will be held from 19th to 21st May.
– Accepting the invitation from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, PM Modi will participate in the G7 Summit.
– Hiroshima, Japan, is hosting the G7 Summit under the chairmanship of Japan.
————
10. Who has been appointed as the new chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) by the Central Government?
a. Ravneet Kaur
b. Rajendra Gupta
c. Vishal Singh
d. Akshay Murthy
Answer: a. Ravneet Kaur
– Ravneet Kaur is an IAS officer of the 1988 batch from the Punjab cadre.
– The central government has appointed her as the new Chairperson of the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
– This position had been vacant since October 2022 after the completion of the tenure of former Chairman Ashok Gupta.
– Ravneet Kaur will take the place of CCI member Sangita Verma, who has been serving as the Acting Chairperson since October last year after Ashok Kumar Gupta stepped down from the position.
CCI (Competition Commission of India):
– It is the primary national competition authority in India.
– It was established under the Competition Act, 2002.
– It falls under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
– It promotes competition in the market and regulates anti-competitive activities.
PDF Download: Click here
