This is the current affairs of 22 & 23 October 2023. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. To which city of Palestine did India send humanitarian aid during the Israel-Hamas war?
a. Gaja
b. Jerusalem
c. Jenine
d. Ramallah
Answer: a. Gaja
– The Indian government sent humanitarian aid to the Palestinian city of Gaza on October 22, 2023.
– This city is under Israeli military blockade following the conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas.
– Approximately 6,500 kilograms of medical assistance and 32,000 kilograms of disaster relief supplies were sent via C-17 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force.
– The boxes are labeled as a gift from the people of India to the Palestinians.
What was sent as humanitarian aid:
– The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the C-17 aircraft arrived at El-Arish Airport in Egypt, which is near southern Gaza.
– It includes essential life-saving medicines, surgical supplies, tents, sleeping bags, water purification tablets, and other necessary items.
– This equipment will be transported by truck from the Rafah border to Gaza.
– The Israel-Hamas conflict had kept this border closed since the beginning of the hostilities. However, after the United Nations initiative, Egypt has opened this border only for sending relief supplies.
India had reiterated its stance on the establishment of a Palestinian state:
– The Ministry of External Affairs had stated on October 12, 2023, that India believes in its longstanding support for the establishment of a “sovereign, independent, and viable” state of Palestine. India has consistently advocated for the resumption of direct negotiations to establish a sovereign, independent, and viable state of Palestine, living within secure and recognized borders, side by side with Israel.
– In addition to this, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had condemned the Hamas attack on Israel as an act of terrorism.
– In fact, India was one of the first countries to grant recognition to Palestine as a state back in 1988.
India had recognized the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in 1974.
– India had reaffirmed its solidarity with Palestine during the Non-Aligned Movement Summit it hosted in 1983, standing united with Palestine.
– Prime Minister of Israel – Benjamin Netanyahu
– Prime Minister of Palestine – Mahmoud Abbas
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2. During the Israel-Hamas war, Hamas released two American citizens after the mediation of which country?
a. America
b. Palestine
c. France
d. Qatar
Answer: d. Qatar
– Hamas released two American hostages, Judith and Natalie Rannon, on the night of October 20. These two individuals are mother and daughter.
– Upon their release, American authorities expressed their gratitude to Qatar.
– This has given hope to the families of over 200 more detainees that perhaps one day their relatives and friends can also return home.
– In fact, during the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, many people were taken captive.
– Hamas is holding captives in underground tunnels in Gaza.
Confirmation from the President of France:
– After the release of American citizens, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that this was made possible through Qatar’s mediation.
– The United States wants to evacuate all its citizens and is putting pressure on Israel to delay its plans to enter Gaza for a few days.
– Releasing captives from Gaza is not an easy task, and negotiations and efforts have been ongoing since October 7.
– As soon as the United States learned on October 7 that Hamas had taken several citizens captive, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and raised the issue of the detainees.
– American diplomats were hopeful that Qatar could mediate to secure the release of the captives, and indeed, this has happened.
Operated from Qatar is the Hamas Chief:
– Qatar was chosen for mediation because it is not only an ally of the United States but also has ties with Hamas.
– Hamas Chief Ismail Haniya also operates from the capital, Doha. Qatar has previously mediated between organizations like the United States and Hamas.
Pressure on Israel by the United States – Gaza Attack Delayed for a Few Days:
– In recent days, media reports consistently claimed that President Biden was urging Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to postpone the attack on Gaza for a few days.
– In light of this, Hamas is attempting to improve its image before the Biden administration, in hopes that Israel’s response can be somewhat muted.
About Qatar:
– Capital: Doha
– Amir: Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
– Qatar is ruled by the Thani dynasty.
– The head of state, the Amir, serves as the chief executive. The Prime Minister is the head of the government.
– Qatar is home to one of the world’s largest reserves of petroleum and natural gas.
– Neighboring country: Saudi Arabia
– Sea: The Arabian Gulf (Persian Gulf)
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3. Which Indian village has been declared the world’s best tourist village by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)?
a. Saputara
b. Porbandar
c. Mandvi
d. Dhordo
Answer: d. Dhordo
– On October 19, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) released the list of best tourist villages around the world.
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4. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) gave the world’s best tourist village award to ‘Dhordo’ of which state?
a. Rajasthan
b. Maharashtra
c. Gujarat
d. Kerala
Answer: c. Gujarat
– Dhorado village is located in Kutch, Gujarat.
For this award, there were 230 entries from around the world, out of which eight villages were from India. – Among these, only ‘Dhorado’ was selected as the Best Tourist Village in the world.
About Dhorado:
– Dhorado village is situated between the Thar Desert and the Rann of Kutch.
– It is located near the India-Pakistan border.
The ‘Rann Utsav’ (Rann Festival) is organized in this village.
– The village is famous for its cultural diversity, natural beauty, the annual Rann Utsav festival, and the saline marshy land.
– Due to the Rann Utsav held in this village, during 2022-23, more than 98,000 Indian tourists and 7,400 international tourists participated in the Rann Festival.
– In 2022-23, more than 2.42 lakh tourists have visited the village.
About the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO):
– Establishment: 1946
– Headquarters: Spain
– The UNWTO is an agency of the United Nations (UN) with 156 member countries.
– India became a member of UNWTO in 1975.
– India’s Central Minister of Tourism is Mr. G. Kishan Reddy.
About Gujarat:
– Chief Minister: Bhupendra Bhai Patel
– Governor: Acharya Devvrat
– Capital: Gandhinagar
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5. In which city of Vietnam did External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar unveil the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in October 2023?
a. Hanoi
b. Nha Trang
c. Ho Chi Minh City
d. None of these
Answer: c. Ho Chi Minh City
– This city is commonly known as Saigon.
– The city is surrounded by the Saigon River.
– During this time, the Foreign Minister also held an important meeting with the Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
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6. In which province of Vietnam did External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar unveil the statue of Rabindranath Tagore in October 2023?
a. Hanoi
b. Nha Trang
c. Ho Chi Minh City
d. Bac Ninh
Answer: d. Bac Ninh
– S. Jaishankar further stated, “The historical ties between India and Vietnam are nearly two thousand years old.”
– Historical records indicate that Tagore embarked on a three-day journey to ‘Hanoi City’ in 1929, which had a lasting intellectual and socio-cultural impact on Vietnam.”
About Vietnam:
– Prime Minister: Pham Minh Chinh
– Capital: Hanoi
– Currency: Vietnamese Dong
– Population: 100 million
– Neighboring countries: China, Laos, and Cambodia
– Seas: South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand
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7. Name the first Indian who became the Secretary General of BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation)?
a. Parul Chaudhary
b. Rakesh Mohapatra
c. Indramani Pandey
d. S Jaishankar
Answer: c. Indramani Pandey
– According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Indramani Pandey is the first Indian to become the Secretary-General of BIMSTEC.
– He is an officer of the 1990 batch of the Indian Foreign Service. Prior to this, he served as the Permanent Representative of India in the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Note: India’s new Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva is Arindam Bagchi.
About BIMSTEC:
– Full Name: The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
– Headquarters: Located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
– Member countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
– BIMSTEC includes countries in the Bay of Bengal region. Around 22% of the world’s population resides in the seven countries around the Bay of Bengal.
– Its objective is to work as an organization between South and Southeast Asian countries.
– The organization was formed in 1997 as BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand Economic Cooperation). Later, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan joined, and it became BIMSTEC.
– BIMSTEC’s Secretariat is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
– Objective: To promote technical and economic cooperation among countries in South and Southeast Asia bordering the Bay of Bengal.
– BIMSTEC has 14 key areas: Trade and Investment, Transport and Communication, Energy, Tourism, Technology, Fisheries, Agriculture, Public Health, Poverty Alleviation, Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime, Environment and Disaster Management, People-to-People Contact and Cultural Cooperation, and Climate Change.
Focus on China:
– For China, the Bay of Bengal holds significant importance as it rapidly seeks to establish its access route to the Indian Ocean.
– Since China has initiated the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) across almost all BIMSTEC countries except Bhutan and India, it has become a new battleground for India-China dominance in South and Southeast Asia.
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8. In which city and country was the 4th Asian Para Games held?
a. Beijing, China
b. Hangzhou, China
c. Paris, France
d. Berlin, Germany
Answer: b. Hangzhou, China
– The 4th Asian Para Games were held from October 22 to October 28.
– The opening ceremony took place on October 22, 2023.
Asian Para Games:
– The games are organized by the Asian Paralympic Committee.
– They include participation from para-athletes.
– The official dates for the Asian Para Games were originally scheduled for October 9-15, 2022, but they had to be postponed to 2023 due to the serious impact of COVID-19 in China.
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9. Who was the Indian flag bearer during the opening ceremony of the 4th Asian Para Games?
a. Parul Parmar and Amit Saroha
b. Pramod Bhagat and Sukant Kadam
c. Preeti Pal and Tek Chand
d. Ekta Bhayan and Parveen Kumar
Answer: a. Parul Parmar and Amit Saroha
– Parul Parmar is a para shuttler and Amit Saroh is a para-club thrower.
– The fourth edition of the Asian Para Games will feature 566 medal events across 22 sports, divided into 24 disciplines.
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10. Supreme Court orders government authority to pay how much compensation to family members if employee dies while cleaning sewer?
a. 15 lakh rupees
b. 20 lakh rupees
c. 30 lakh rupees
d. 35 lakh rupees
Answer: c. 30 lakh rupees
– The bench of Supreme Court Justices S. Ravindra Bhatt and Arvind Kumar delivered this judgment on October 20, 2023.
Compensation Orders in Different Situations:
– Death during sewer cleaning: ₹30 lakhs
– Permanent disability during sewer cleaning: ₹20 lakhs
– Other disabilities during sewer cleaning: ₹10 lakhs
Orders Issued by the Supreme Court:
– The Court directed the governments to ensure that manual scavenging is stopped.
– The Supreme Court expressed serious concern that this age-old practice is still ongoing.
– The Court emphasized that this is not just a financial battle but a fight to uphold the freedom of human personality.
– Justice Bhatt said, “If indeed you want to be equal in all respects, then it is obligatory for us to fulfill our promises on the provisions for liberation, such as Article 15(2), which have been given to all sections of society. The Center and the states are mandated to ensure that the practice of manual scavenging is completely eliminated. Article 15(2) of the Constitution states that the government shall not discriminate against any citizen only on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.”
How many people died in the last five years?
– According to the data presented in the Lok Sabha in July 2022, in the past five years, at least 347 people died in India while cleaning sewers and septic tanks.
– Of these deaths, 40% occurred in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi.
Note – Before this, in 2014, the Supreme Court ordered that families of those engaged in sanitation work during sewer cleaning be given compensation of 10 lakh rupees.
Central Government’s “Namaste Yojana” for Sewer Cleaning
– Namaste Yojana: National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem
– This scheme falls under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE).
– It was launched as a central sector scheme in 2022.
– In the Central Budget for 2023-2024, around 100 crore rupees were allocated for this scheme.
– Through this scheme, the government aims to enable 100% mechanical cleaning of septic tanks and sewers in all cities and towns.
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11. When is United Nations Day celebrated?
a. 16 October
b. 20 October
c. 24 October
d. 28 October
Answer: c. 24 October
– This is a symbol of the official establishment of the United Nations in 1945.
– On this day, the United Nations Charter was ratified.
– The official establishment of the United Nations took place.
– This day was first celebrated in 1948.
United Nations
– Headquarters: New York, United States of America.
