This is the current affairs of 8th April 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. Which policy has been approved by the Union Cabinet for the space programme?
a. Indian Moon Policy 2024
b. Indian Space Policy 2023
c. Indian Earth Policy 2023
d. none of these
Answer: b. Indian Space Policy 2023
The Central Cabinet has approved the Indian Space Policy 2023 on April 6, 2023.
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Q. Which of these is to be encouraged in the Indian Space Policy 2023?
a. Role of private sector
b. To increase the share in the global space industry
c. Promotion of research and education
d. All of the above
Answer: d. All of the above (Role of private sector, increasing share in global space industry and promoting research and education)
– The Central Cabinet has approved the Indian Space Policy 2023 on April 6, 2023.
– The aim is to enhance the role of the country’s Space Department and to provide significant participation to research, education, startups, and private industries.
– This policy defines the roles and responsibilities of ISRO and private sector organizations.
– This policy is for the development of the space sector in the next decade.
How many startups are there in ISRO?
– Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the central government had opened up the space sector for private companies in 2020.
– Due to this, the number of startups in ISRO has reached approximately 150 within three years.
Why is the space policy necessary?
– The global space industry is worth more than $500 billion, with the United States and China spending the most.
India’s current share is only 2%.
– It is necessary to encourage the private sector to increase India’s share.
ISRO
– Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was established in 1962.
– On August 15, 1969, INCOSPAR was renamed as Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
– In the year 2020, the central government allowed private sector participation in the space sector.
– Currently, FDI up to 100% is allowed only through government route in the area of satellite establishment and operation in the space sector.
– ISRO Chairman – S. Somnath.
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2. Public sector banks deposited how much unclaimed amount lying in various accounts with RBI?
a. 30,012 crores
b. 31,012 crores
c. 35,012 crores
d. 38,012 crores
Answer: c. 35,012 crores
– Public sector banks have handed over Rs. 35,012 crore of unclaimed deposits to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) without any claims being made.
– The aim of this step is to reduce the amount of unclaimed deposits held by banks and ensure that the money is used for productive purposes.
– This is the amount that has been lying in bank accounts for 10 years or more without anyone claiming it.
– Banks make efforts to locate the account holders or their legal heirs. In case of non-receipt, the amount is transferred to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund (DEAF) of RBI.
Number of account holders’ money:
– These unclaimed deposits are related to 10.24 crore accounts that were transferred to RBI by the end of February 2023.
– Finance Minister Bhagwat Karad revealed this in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
– The largest share of this amount is Rs. 8,086 crore from SBI, followed by Rs. 5,340 crore from Punjab National Bank, Rs. 4,558 crore from Canara Bank, and Rs. 3,904 crore from Bank of Baroda.
– RBI Governor – Shaktikanta Das
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3. In which state did President Draupadi Murmu inaugurate ‘Gaj Utsav’ in April 2023?
a. Assam
b. Mizoram
c. Nagaland
d. Sikkim
Answer: a. Assam
– The ‘Elephant Festival’ was organized in Kaziranga National Park in Assam.
– President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated it on April 7, 2023.
– This festival is being celebrated in India to mark the completion of thirty years of elephant conservation.
– It is being organized by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Assam
– Chief Minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma
– Capital: Dispur
– Governor: Gulab Chand Kataria
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4. NASA’s Human Moon Mission Artemis II will be launched in 2024, how many astronauts including women will go in it?
a. 5
b. 3
c. 6
d. 4
Answer: d. 4
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Q. Name the first female astronaut selected for NASA’s Human Moon mission?
a. Christina Koch
b. Victor Glover
c. Reid Wiseman
d. Jeremy Hanson
Answer: a. Christina Koch
Artemis II Space Travelers:
– Four people, including a woman, will go on the mission. Three of them are from the United States and one is from Canada.
– Their names are, in order, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen.
– Victor Glover will be the first black astronaut to participate in a Moon mission.
The American space agency NASA has announced its important lunar mission, Artemis II.
– This mission is scheduled to be launched in 2024 and will last for ten days.
– During this mission, the space travelers will orbit around the Moon but will not land on its surface.
They will venture further into space where humans have never been before.
– Prior to this, on November 16, 2022, NASA launched the Artemis I mission. It was a non-human mission designed to prepare for future human missions.
By 2025, the path for American space travelers to land on the surface of the Moon in the Artemis III mission will be clear again.
– Astronauts will research water and ice present in the south pole of the Moon.
NASA’s goal with the Artemis mission:
– NASA’s first moon mission was Apollo, which aimed to be the first to land on the moon.
– At that time, Russia (the Soviet Union) was the biggest competition.
– But this time, NASA’s goal is competition for research.
NASA wants to study things located outside of Earth.
– NASA’s scientists want to go to the moon and try to create fuel, food, and buildings using the ice and soil there.
ISRO’s Moon exploration mission
– Chandrayaan-1 was launched on October 22, 2008.
– Chandrayaan-2 was launched on July 22, 2019.
– Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has announced India’s third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3, which will include a lander and a rover.
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5. Who is the richest person in Asia as per Forbes 37th Annual World Billionaire List 2023?
a. Gautam Adani
b. Mukesh Ambani
c. Ratan Tata
d. Shiv Nadar
Answer: b. Mukesh Ambani
– Forbes released the 37th Annual World Billionaires list on April 4th, 2023.
– Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani secured the 9th position in the list of world’s richest people.
Mukesh Ambani’s current wealth is estimated at $83.4 billion.
– In terms of Indian currency, this amounts to around 6.83 lakh crore rupees.
He is the chairman of Reliance Industries.
Gautam Adani slips down global list continuously
– In January 2023, Gautam Adani was the third richest person in the world with a net worth of approximately $126 billion.
– After the Hindenburg report, he has been continuously slipping down the global list.
– Currently, he is at the 24th position in the billionaire list of 2023.
– His current net worth is around $47.2 billion (approximately 3.8 lakh crore rupees).
Top 5 countries with the most billionaires
– United States – 735 billionaires
– China – 495 billionaires
– India – 169 billionaires (166 in 2022)
– Germany – 126 billionaires
– Russia – 105 billionaires
Top World Billionaires List for the year 2023:
Name – Net Worth – Source – Country
1- Bernard Arnault and family – $211 billion – LVMH – France
2- Elon Musk – $180 billion – Tesla, SpaceX – USA
3- Jeff Bezos – $114 billion – Amazon – USA
9- Mukesh Ambani – $83.4 billion – Diversified – India
24- Gautam Adani – $47.2 billion – Infrastructure, Commodities – India
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6. Who became the new President of National Rifle Association of India (NRAI)?
a. Pawan Tripathi
b. Kalikesh Narayan Singh
c. Alok Kumar Sharma
d. Vinay Agarwal
Answer: b. Kalikesh Narayan Singh
– Kalikesh Narayan Singh has been elected as the new president in place of Raninder Singh. He was previously the Senior Vice President.
– This announcement was made by the Ministry of Sports on April 6, 2023.
– The Ministry of Sports has removed those individuals who have been on this post for more than 12 years.
National Rifle Association of India (NRAI)
– NRAI is the apex body for shooting sports. It was formed in 1951.
– Minister of Sports – Anurag Thakur.
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7. When is World Autism Awareness Day celebrated?
a. April 2
b. April 3
c. April 4
d. 5 April
Answer: a. April 2
– This day is proclaimed by the United Nations.
The first World Autism Awareness Day was celebrated in 2008.
– Theme for the year 2023: “Transforming Narratives: Contribution at Home, Work, Art, and Policy-making.”
– Autism is a disorder that occurs during brain development and affects a person’s social behavior and communication skills.
– The affected person exhibits limited and repetitive behavior, such as repeating the same task over and over again.
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8. Name the first woman to become an umpire in a men’s full member T20 International match?
a. Vrinda Rathi
b. Janani Narayanan
c. Claire Polosak
d. Kim Cotton
Answer: d. Kim Cotton
– They are from New Zealand.
– While women umpires have been seen in international cricket matches before, this was the first time in men’s cricket.
– Kim Cotton became the first female on-field umpire in men’s T20I cricket as a full member.
– She umpired during the second match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Dunedin, New Zealand on April 5, 2023.
– Kim Cotton has been umpiring since 2018.
– Since then, she has umpired in 24 women’s ODI matches and 54 women’s T20I matches.
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9. Who is the chairman of the high level committee on unfinished real estate projects?
a. Amitabh Kant
b. Rajiv Kumar
c. Abhay Kant
d. Rahul Khanna
Answer: a. Amitabh Kant
– The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has formed a 14-member committee to address the issues of incomplete real estate projects.
– Sherpa Amitabh Kant of the G-20 has been appointed as its chairman.
– The committee will focus on incomplete projects and provide recommendations to complete them within six months.
– This committee has been formed after a recommendation by the Central Advisory Council under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016.
– Union Minister – Hardeep Singh Puri.
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10. Where was the 4th Asian Kho Kho Championship 2023 held?
a. Assam
b. Mizoram
c. Karnataka
d. Bihar
Answer: a. Assam
– The fourth Asian Kho Kho Championship 2023 was held in Tamulpur, Baksa district of Assam.
– India emerged as the winner in both the men’s and women’s categories.
– In the final, the Indian men’s team defeated Nepal by six points and one inning margin, while the Indian women’s team defeated the Nepali players by 33 points and an inning margin.
– Sixteen teams participated in this championship, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, and Sri Lanka.
This event was held for the first time in a public place.
Assam
– CM – Himanta Biswa Sarma
– Governor – Gulab Chand Kataria
– Capital – Dispur
