This is the current affairs of 30th March 2023. Here are 10 questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. NPCI implements interchange fee of up to 1.1% on which type of UPI payment above Rs 2000?
a. Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI)
b. Postpaid Payment Instrument (PPPI)
c. Bank to Bank Account Transfer
d. None of the above
Answer: a. Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI)
NPCI: National Payments Corporation of India
– The organization that operates UPI, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has issued a circular.
– From April 1, 2023, an interchange fee of up to 1.1% will be charged on UPI payments of more than Rs. 2000 made through prepaid instruments such as wallets or cards.
– However, bank account-to-account UPI transactions will remain free.
– This contributes to more than 99.9% of total UPI transactions. Therefore, most people will not have to pay the charge.
Mobile wallet companies have been wanting to charge for a long time.
– For the past two years, banks and mobile wallet companies have been pressuring the government and NPCI for transaction charges.
– After a lot of effort, they have come close to this decision, that UPI will not be kept free anymore.
In other words, fees will now be charged on UPI transactions.
What is a Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI)?
– Two things are being used here, which are necessary to understand.
– PPI stands for Prepaid Payment Instrument – such as using a company’s mobile wallet, and using UPI through the wallet to make payments.
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2. Which countries made an agreement to integrate their air defense due to threat from Russia?
a. Norway and Sweden
b. Finland and Denmark
c. UK and France
d. a and b
Answer: d. a and b (Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark)
– These countries are part of the Nordic group (five countries – Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland). However, only four countries have made this agreement.
– Nordic – its literal meaning is northern islands.
– In March 2023, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark agreed to integrate their air defense to counter the Russian threat.
– Air force chiefs of all three countries signed the agreement.
– This agreement was made in the presence of NATO Air Command Chief General James Hekker.
The first reason behind the agreement
– Since there has been a war going on between Russia and Ukraine for over a year, the possibility of it ending immediately is not visible.
In this case, the Nordic countries are concerned about their security.
The second reason behind the agreement
– In fact, Sweden and Finland applied to join the NATO military alliance last year. But Turkey has blocked this process.
– In this case, both countries (Sweden and Finland) felt threatened by Russia. For this reason, (Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark) agreed to integrate air defense.
In this case, if Sweden suffers from Russian aggression, other countries will also help them.
– In such a case, if there is an attack on Sweden or Finland from Russia, NATO will automatically be included in it due to integrated air defense.
Four countries have air defense power:
– They have about 394 fighter planes and the goal of the four countries is to work as one force ultimately.
– Meaning that the four countries will work as a single air force. For this, there will be a joint command.
– These countries will be able to use each other’s air surveillance system and use each other’s fighter planes.
Air defense power of Nordic countries:
Country, Aircraft, and Number:
– Norway: F-16 (56) and F-35 (37) aircraft
– Sweden: Gripen jet (more than 90)
– Finland: F/A-18 Hornet jet (62) and F-35 (64)
– Denmark: F-16 (58) and F-35 (27) aircraft
Prime Ministers of Nordic countries:
– Norway: Jonas Gahr Støre
– Sweden: Stefan Löfven
– Finland: Sanna Marin
– Denmark: Mette Frederiksen
– Iceland: Katrín Jakobsdóttir
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3. Election Commission announced the Karnataka assembly elections, when will the polling be held here?
a. May 10
b. May 15
c. June 10
d. June 13
Answer: a. May 10
– Karnataka assembly elections will be held on May 10th.
The results will be announced on May 13th.
– The Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, Rajiv Kumar, said that voting will be done in one phase.
– The total number of voters in Karnataka is 5.21 crores.
Elections will be held on 224 assembly seats.
Karnataka
– CM – Basavaraj Bommai
– Governor – Thaawar Chand Gehlot
– Capital – Bangalore
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4. Which IPS officer set a new record by swimming from Gateway of India to Elephanta Caves?
a. Rajesh Verma
b. Umesh Kushwaha
c. Krishna Prakash
d. Amit Khanna
Answer: c. Krishna Prakash
– IPS officer Krishna Prakash swam from Gateway of India in Mumbai to Elephanta Caves in March 2023.
– He completed the 16.20 kilometer journey in just 5 hours and 26 minutes.
– He became the first person to do so.
– In 2017, he won the Ironman triathlon and in 2018, he won the Ultraman, which is one of the toughest athletic competitions in the world.
– He is a Special IG of VIP Security and Coastal Security in Maharashtra.
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5. Who bought Silicon Valley Bank of America?
a. SBI
b. Swiss Credit
c. First Citizen Bank
d. Bank of America
Answer: c. First Citizen Bank
– Silicon Valley Bank was the 16th largest bank in America and provided financial support to tech companies and venture capital firms investing in new age companies.
– Due to poor economic conditions in March 2023, America’s Silicon Valley Bank was declared closed and it was acquired by First Citizens Bank.
– The bank was purchased by First Citizens Bank from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in the US.
– FDIC has revealed that Silicon Valley Bank will now operate under the name First Citizens.
– First Citizens Bank is the 30th largest bank in the US in terms of assets.
– It has acquired 35 banks in America since 1971.
– The closure of Silicon Valley Bank caused problems for some startups in India as their funds were stuck in the bank.
– This bank used to provide loans to startups.
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6. Which armored regiments of the Indian Army were awarded the President’s Standard?
a. 49 Armored Regiment
b. 4 Armored Regiment
c. 24 Armored Regiment
d. 43 Armored Regiment
Answer: a. 49 Armored Regiment
– In a program held at the Suratgarh Military Station in the Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan, the Indian Army’s Armoured Regiment was honored with the Presidents Standard.
– The honor was given to the 49 Armoured Regiment by the Army Chief General Manoj Pandey on behalf of the President.
– It is the highest honor given to a military unit by the supreme commander in recognition of their service to the nation.
– It is equivalent to the Presidents Colours, which is given to smaller military formations or units.
– So far, four Armoured Regiments of the Indian Army have received this award. These are the 49 Armoured Regiment, 51 Armoured Regiment, 53 Armoured Regiment, and 54 Armoured Regiment.
– The supreme commander is the President of India. The Armoured Corps is one of the premier combat branches of the Indian Army.
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7. Which country became the dialogue partner country of SCO in March 2023?
a. France
b. Bangladesh
c. Saudi Arab
d. Australia
Answer: c. Saudi Arab
– A step has been taken towards joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) by Saudi Arabia, and it has come close.
– Saudi Arabia has now been made a dialogue partner.
SCO: Shanghai Cooperation Organization
– Eight members: China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
– Four observer: Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia
– Dialogue partners: Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Nepal, Egypt, Cambodia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia
Saudi Arabia
Capital: Riyadh
Currency: Saudi riyal
King: Salman bin Abdul Aziz
Prime Minister: Mohammed bin Salman
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8. Who got the wildlife conservation award of Jammu and Kashmir?
a. Bhavna Rathore
b. Alia Mir
c. Mohd Faizal
d. Virat Singh
Answer: b. Alia Mir
– Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha awarded her the Wildlife Honor.
– Aliya Mir has become the first woman in a centrally governed state to receive this award.
– Alia works for the charity Wildlife SOS.
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9. Who launched the Vedic Heritage Portal prepared by the Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts (IGNCA)?
a. Amit Shah
b. Narendra Modi
c. Rajnath Singh
d. Rahul Gandhi
Answer: a. Amit Shah
– Home Minister Amit Shah launched the Vedic Heritage Portal on March 23, 2023.
– It is a digital repository of Vedic knowledge and traditions collected from across the country.
– The portal was developed over seven years and at an estimated cost of five crore rupees.
– It is a one-stop solution for researchers and other interested people.
– It contains more than 18,000 audio-visual materials related to over 550 hours of Vedic mantras, prepared in collaboration with Vedas, Vedic research institutions, Vedic families, and experts from around the world.
– The audio content is available in a mix of Sanskrit, English, and Hindi.
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10. How many gold medals did India win in IBA Women’s World Boxing Championship 2023?
a. 3
b. 4
c. 5
d. 6
Answer: b. 4
List of winners:
– Nikhat Zareen (50 kg) – Gold
– Lovlina Borgohain (75 kg) – Gold
– Nitu Ghanghas (48 kg) – Gold
– Sweety Boora (81 kg) – Gold
– The 13th edition of the Women’s World Boxing Championship 2023 was organized by the International Boxing Association (IBA).
– The event was held from March 15 to March 26, 2023.
