This is the current affairs of 8 & 9 June 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. During the Russia-Ukraine war, part of the Nova Kakhovka Dam built on which river in Ukraine broke and flooded a large area?
a. Vaga River
b. Dnipro River
c. Nile River
d. Dniester River
Answer: b. Dnipro River
– The Nova Kakhovka Dam is located in the Kherson region of Ukraine.
About the Nova Kakhovka Dam:
– The Nova Kakhovka Dam is one of the largest dams in Ukraine and is currently under Russian control.
– It is built on the Dnieper River.
– It is used for hydroelectric power, irrigation, and navigation. The dam’s collapse has led to the destruction of the power station.
– The dam was constructed in 1956.
– It has a height of 30 meters, a length of 3.2 kilometers, and covers an area of 18 square kilometers.
– The dam also supplies water to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which helps in cooling the nuclear plant.
– However, since the dam’s collapse, the electricity generation capacity of these nuclear plants has been halved.
– The collapse of the dam has caused damage to both countries.
What damage did the world suffer?
– After the dam collapsed, the global prices of wheat and corn have increased.
– Ukraine supplies wheat, barley, corn, and sunflower oil to the world.
– The crops have been submerged due to the dam collapse, and there are concerns about water scarcity in the fields in the future.
Loss to Ukraine:
– The collapse of the Nova Kakhovka Dam can cause significant damage to Ukraine.
– A large part of southern Ukraine has been hit by severe floods.
– Water has entered several settlements in Kherson.
– Currently, it is estimated that around 16,000 people have been affected.
– In this region, Ukrainian forces were giving a strong response to Russian soldiers. However, due to the floods, this may not be possible now.
what harm to russia
– This dam provides water not only to the Kherson region of Ukraine but also to Crimea.
– Russia has annexed the Kherson area during the ongoing conflict, while Crimea has been under its control since 2014.
– Therefore, the destruction of the dam will also cause damage to the Russian-controlled regions.
– In fact, this dam has been used as a weapon since its inception.
– From the beginning of the conflict, Russia expressed concerns that Ukraine could attack it and tried to shift the responsibility onto Russia to defame it.
– In 2022, an attack was carried out on a bridge connected to this dam, resulting in its destruction.
– During that incident as well, both countries accused each other of the attack.
– Now, due to the floods, Russia will not be able to advance further in this region.
– After the recent attacks, there is a growing anticipation of an escalated and intense conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Statements by Ukraine and Russia:
– Ukrainian President Zelensky referred to it as ‘terrorism’ by Russia.
– He had previously warned that an attack on the Nova Kakhovka Dam would be considered a war against the world.
– On the other hand, Russia has stated that Ukraine is responsible for this devastation.
– Russia has labeled it as a terrorist action carried out by Ukraine.
– A Russian official has stated that only the upper part of the power plant has been damaged by the bombing, not the dam.
Electricity Crisis for Ukraine:
– Several power plants in Ukraine have been destroyed in the Russian attacks, leading to electricity-related problems.
– The closure of the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric project will further worsen the energy crisis as it provides electricity to around 3 million people.
————–
2. Union Cabinet increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Kharif crops in June 2023, by how much did the MSP of paddy increase?
a. ₹ 143
b. ₹ 215
c. ₹ 300
d. ₹ 400
Answer: a. ₹ 143
– The Central Cabinet has increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 17 Kharif crops on June 7, 2023.
– The new MSP is applicable for the Kharif Marketing Year 2023-24.
– Note: Kharif Marketing Year runs from October 2023 to September 2024.
What is the MSP (per quintal) of which Kharif crop?
What are Kharif Crops?
– Kharif crops refer to those crops that are sown in June-July and harvested around October.
– These crops require high temperature and humidity during the sowing period and a dry (dry) environment during the ripening period.
What are Rabi Crops?
– Rabi crops are mainly sown in the months of October to November.
– The harvesting of Rabi crops takes place between March and April.
– These crops require low temperatures for cultivation and a dry and warm environment during the ripening period.
Minimum Support Price (MSP)
– MSP is the price at which the government purchases a crop from farmers.
– MSP works as an alternative to market prices and ensures that farmers receive a fair remuneration for their produce.
– It helps in recovering the cost of cultivation (and some profit) for farmers.
– The government promotes the production of certain crops by setting MSP for them.
– However, a report by NITI Aayog states that only 6% of farmers in the country benefit from MSP, as most states do not procure grains at MSP.
Does the government purchase all agricultural products at MSP?
– The government does not purchase all agricultural products at MSP.
– The government announces MSP for a total of 23 crops (including both Kharif and Rabi seasons).
– The central government purchases these grains considering the food security of the country, ensuring that there is no shortage of grains throughout the year.
How many crops are included in MSP?
– Seven types of cereals (rice, wheat, maize, bajra, jowar, ragi, and barley)
– Five types of pulses (chickpeas, pigeon peas/tur, urad, moong, and masoor)
– Seven types of oilseeds (rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soybean, sunflower, sesame, safflower, and niger seed)
– Four commercial crops (cotton, sugarcane, jute, and raw jute)
How is MSP determined?
– The announcement of MSP is made by the central government.
– For this, the government considers the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) based on a large-scale assessment of agricultural costs and prices.
CACP considers the following factors for MSP:
– Demand and supply of a commodity
– Cost of production
– Changing trends in domestic and international market prices
– Inter-crop price parity
– Terms of trade between agriculture and non-agriculture sectors (i.e., the ratio of prices of agricultural inputs and agricultural products)
– Minimum 50% margin over the cost of production
– Potential impact of MSP on consumers of that product
‘Flawed Production Estimates’
– The United Farmers Front, a platform of around 500 agricultural organizations, raised questions on the claims made by the central government and stated that the new MSPs are not linked to the actual costs of farming.
– Agriculture Minister – Narendra Singh Tomar
—————-
3. RBI did not change the repo rate in the bi-monthly monetary policy review (June 2023), what is this repo rate?
a. 5.5%
b. 5.8%
c. 6.2%
d. 6.5%
Answer: d. 6.5%
– The Monetary Policy Committee of RBI has decided not to increase the repo rate on June 8, 2023.
– This means that the interest rate will remain at 6.50%. RBI has not made any changes in the rates for the second consecutive time.
– According to RBI’s estimation, there is a possibility that inflation will remain above 4% in the financial year 2023-24 (FY24). Due to this, the repo rate has not been increased.
– Additionally, the estimated real GDP growth for the financial year 2023-24 is 6.5%.
What is the Repurchase Rate (Repo Rate)?
– In simple terms, when banks lend us money, we have to pay them interest on that loan.
– Similarly, banks also require a substantial amount of funds for their day-to-day operations, and they borrow from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
– The rate at which the Reserve Bank collects interest on these loans is called the repo rate.
What is the impact of the repo rate on the common people?
– The repo rate is a powerful tool that RBI has to combat inflation.
– When inflation is very high, RBI tries to reduce the money flow in the economy by increasing the repo rate.
– When banks have access to loans at lower interest rates, i.e., when the repo rate is low, they can offer cheaper loans to their customers.
– On the other hand, if the Reserve Bank increases the repo rate, borrowing for banks becomes expensive, and they will charge higher interest rates to their customers.
Reverse Repo Rate:
– This is the opposite of the repo rate.
– When banks have a surplus of funds after their daily operations, they deposit that amount with the Reserve Bank.
– The Reserve Bank pays them interest on this amount.
– The rate at which the Reserve Bank provides interest on this amount is called the reverse repo rate.
– Governor of the Reserve Bank of India – Shaktikanta Das.
—————-
4. Whom did the Central Government appoint as the new Director General (DG) of the Geological Survey of India (GSI)?
a. Janardan Prasad
b. S Raju
c. Rakesh Kumar
d. Vinod Prashad
Answer: a. Janardan Prasad
– Before becoming the Deputy Director General (DDG) of GSI, Jarnadan Prasad held the position of Additional DG.
Please Write Translate Hindi to English
Geological Survey of India (GSI)
– It is an organization under the Ministry of Mines.
– Established: 1851
– Headquarters: Kolkata
– The main task of GSI is to undertake national geological mapping, mineral resource assessment, and modernization-related work.
– It was established in 1851 by the British primarily for the purpose of discovering coal deposits in India, mainly for the railways.
—————
5. When is World Brain Tumor Day observed?
a. 7 June
b. 8 June
c. 9 June
d. 10 June
Answer: b. 8 June
Theme 2023 :
– Protect yourself- keep away from stress
The Importance of Brain Tumor Day:
– The main purpose of observing Brain Tumor Day is to make people aware of it and spread awareness about this disease.
– Brain tumor is a disease related to the brain, which occurs due to abnormal growth of tumors in the brain.
– 70% of brain tumor cases are not cancerous.
– If there is no risk of cancer in the case of a brain tumor, – it can be removed through surgery. Keep in mind that out of 100 patients with brain tumors, only 25 to 30 are affected by cancer.
Brain Tumors in India:
– In its report submitted to the Parliament in September 2022, the Standing Committee on Health and Family – Welfare has stated that during the year 2020, 32,729 people in India were diagnosed with brain tumors.
– According to the Global Cancer Registry report released by WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2018, brain tumors are causing the deaths of 24,000 people in India every year.
—————
6. Which Indian-origin scientist has been awarded the Spinoza Prize, the highest honor in Dutch science?
a. Joyita Gupta
b. Meghnath Saha
c. Amit Jaiswal
d. Neena Gupta
Answer: a. Joyita Gupta
– This award is also known as the ‘Dutch Nobel Prize.’
– This award is the highest honor in the Dutch academic field.
– It is given every year to researchers working in the Netherlands who conduct the best research according to international standards worldwide.
– Amsterdam University has honored Joyita for her outstanding, pioneering, and inspiring scientific work.
– Joyita Gupta will receive €1.5 million to spend on activities related to scientific research and knowledge utilization.
– The official presentation will take place on October 4th.
About Joyita:
– Joyita Gupta is a professor of Environment and Development in the Global South at Amsterdam University.
– She is working on a plan to use the prize money to implement the ideas presented in her 2014 inaugural lecture on ‘Eco-Spaces’ (environmental use space) sharing at a global level.
—————
7. Which Indian won the gold medal in the decathlon event of the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships?
a. Ashok Kumar
b. Rakesh Agarwal
c. Sunil Kumar
d. Vinay Saini
Answer: c. Sunil Kumar
– Where was it held – In Yecheon, South Korea.
– Sunil Kumar scored his career best performance by scoring 7003 points in 10 events decathlon.
– With this, he won the gold medal in this event.
————–
8. How many gold medals did India win in the 20th Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships?
a. 2
b. 4
c. 6
d. 8
Answer: c. 6
– The Asian U20 Athletics Championship was held in Yecheon, South Korea from June 4th to June 7th, 2023.
– This was the 20th edition of the championship.
– It was first held in 1986.
– In 2023, 45 athletes from India participated.
India third position
– In the medal tally, India remained in the third position. – Japan secured the first place, and China was in the second position.
– India won a total of 19 medals, including 6 gold, 7 silver, and 6 bronze medals.
Gold medal winners:
– Shot Put: Siddharth Chaudhary
– Discus Throw: Bharatpreet Singh
– Decathlon: Sunil Kumar
– 400 meters race: Rejoana Malik Hina
– 1500 meters race: Lalita Sandilya
– 4 × 400 meters relay – Indian team
—————
9. News presenter and anchor Gitanjali Iyer passed away, she was associated with which channel?
a. PTI news agency
b. Doordarhan
c. Aaj Tak
d. ABP News
Answer: b. Doordarhan
– Renowned news presenter and anchor Geetanjali Ayyar passed away on June 7th.
– She also presented the program ‘A Date with You’ on All India Radio, featuring English songs.
– She started her career with All India Radio.
– Geetanjali joined Doordarshan in 1971 and received the Best Anchor Person Award four times for her excellent presentations.
– Geetanjali also worked as an advisor in the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). She acted in the television serial ‘Khandan’ as well.
– She was one of the prominent faces of Doordarshan’s prime time news at 9 PM.
– Geetanjali was honored with the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award in 1989 for her outstanding work and achievements.
————–
10. Who became the first cricketer to score a century in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC)?
a. Travis Head
b. Rohit Sharma
c. Will Smith
d. Usman Khawaja
Answer: a. Travis Head
– Australian star batsman Travis Head completed his century on the first day of India’s WTC 2023 final, facing 106 balls.
– Let me tell you that the WTC final between India and Australia is being played at The Oval, England.
– In the match played on June 7th, Travis Head scored this score.
– Before this, the highest score in a WTC final was held by New Zealand’s Devon Conway, who played a innings of 54 (153) runs against India in the WTC 2021 final.
PDF Download: Click here
