This is the current affairs of 31 October & 1 November 2023. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. Who was elected as the Regional Director of WHO’s South-East Asia region?
a. Dr. Shambhu Acharya
b. Saima Wazed
c. Renjusha Menon
d. Harshavardhana
Answer: b. Saima Wazed
– Here are the translations of the provided Hindi sentences:
– She is the daughter of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
– She has been appointed as the new Regional Director for the South-East Asia Region of the World Health Organization (WHO).
– This election took place during the 76th session of the WHO.
– Saima Vajed will assume office on February 1, 2024.
– She will replace Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh. Dr. Poonam is an Indian and is also the first woman to hold this position.
WHO
– Director-General: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
– Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
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2. Who became the Prime Minister of Slovakia for the fourth time?
a. Vikram Peter
b. Robert Fico
c. Antony Blinken
d. Zuzana Caputova
Answer: b. Robert Fico
– Prior to this, they served as the Prime Minister from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018.
– Robert Fico is considered a supporter of Russia, and he also announced during his election campaign that if his government comes into power, they will stop providing military aid to Ukraine.
Slovakia
– President: Zuzana Čaputová
– Capital: Bratislava
– Currency: Euro
– This is a landlocked country.
– Neighboring countries: Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine
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3. Name the Indian winner of Global Teacher Award 2023?
a. Rakesh Parmar
b. Virendra Verma
c. Deep Narayan Nayak
d. Rajendra Mahato
Answer: c. Deep Narayan Nayak
– They are among the top 10 finalists for the Global Teacher Prize 2023.
– This award was given by the Varkey Foundation, based in the United Kingdom, in October 2023, with the support of UNESCO and Dubai Cares.
– The winners received a total of one million (ten lakh) US dollars as the award.
About the Winner:
– Deep Narayan Nayak is a teacher at the Tilka Manjhi Adiwasi Free Primary School in Jamuria, Asansol district, West Bengal.
– During the COVID-19 lockdown, he was awarded the title of “Teachers of the Street” for his exceptional efforts in education.
– During that time, he had created billboards on the walls of homes along the roadside, aiming to bridge the digital divide in education.
– In fact, during the COVID-19 pandemic, schools had shifted online, but online learning was difficult for economically disadvantaged communities.
Top 10 Global Teacher Prize 2023 List:
1- Deep Narayan Nayak
2- Erik Asomani Asante
3- Geisha Bonilla
4- Melissa Tracey
5- Artur Proidakov
6- Annie Ohana
7- Sister Jeff
8- Mariette Wheeler
9- Nicholas Gaube
10- Shafina Vohra
West Bengal:
– CM (Chief Minister) – Mamata Banerjee
– Governor – Shri C.V. Anand Bose
– Capital – Kolkata
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4. Competition Commission of India (CCI) became a member of the 18-member steering committee of which international network?
a. International Competition Network (ICN)
b. Amnesty International
c. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
d. None of these
Answer: a. International Competition Network (ICN)
– The International Competition Network (ICN) includes 140 competition agencies from around the world.
– The Steering Group with 18 members is the highest authority of ICN, and India’s CCI is a part of it.
– ICN is an organization at the global level to facilitate cooperation among competition law authorities.
– It was established in October 2001.
– It does not have a formal secretariat or campus.
About CCI:
– The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is a statutory body of the Indian government, established under the Competition Act, 2002 in March 2009.
– The objective of CCI is to promote fair competition in the economy, which will provide producers with ‘equal opportunities’ and work for the welfare of consumers by functioning in the markets.
– It consists of a Chairperson and six additional members.
– The appointment of all CCI members is made by the Central Government.
– Headquarters: New Delhi.
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5. Which of these Indians is included in the Global AI (Artificial Intelligence) Multi Stakeholder Advisory Body announced by the UN Secretary General?
a. Amandeep Singh Gill
b. Sharad Sharma
c. Nazneen Rajni
d. All of the above
Answer: d. All of the above (Amandeep Singh Gill, Sharad Sharma and Nazneen Rajni)
Indian Members in the Global AI Advisory Body (BODI):
– Amandeep Singh Gill, Co-founder of iSPIRT Foundation
– Sharad Sharma, Think Tank India Stack
– Najnin Rajani, Lead Researcher at the Indian tech company Hinge Face
– United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres established this body on October 26, 2023.
– This body will provide recommendations for strengthening international cooperation through AI’s challenges and its better use.
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6. National Unity Day is celebrated on 31st October on the birth anniversary of which great man?
a. Bhagat Singh
b. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
c. Jawaharlal Nehru
d. Chandrashekhar Azad
Answer: b. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
– To commemorate India’s “Iron Man,” Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, National Unity Day has been declared on October 31st every year since 2014.
– He also served as India’s first Deputy Prime Minister.
– In 2022, it marks the 147th birth anniversary of the freedom fighter Vallabhbhai Patel.
– Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a significant role in integrating 565 princely states into India.
– This is why National Unity Day is observed in his memory.
– In his honor, the Indian government has erected a massive statue near the Narmada River in Gujarat.
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7. Who was made the head of the international jury panel of the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI)?
a. Shekhar Kapur
b. Shekhar Suman
c. Jose Luis Alcan
d. Helen Leek
Answer: a. Shekhar Kapur
– The 54th edition of IFFI (International Film Festival of India) will be held in Goa from November 20 to 28, 2023.
– In this prestigious international competition and festival, they will play a significant role in evaluating entries for the award of the Best Debut Feature Film by a director.
Other Members:
– Jose Luis Alcaine (Cinematographer)
– Jerome Palarde (Film Producer)
– Catherine Dussart (Film Producer)
– Helen Leake (Film Producer)
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8. Who was declared India’s first ‘City of Literature’ by UNESCO?
a. Gwalior
b. Agra
c. Kozhikode
d. Delhi
Answer: c. Kozhikode (a city in Kerala)
– UNESCO released its latest list of 55 creative cities on World Cities Day on October 31, 2023.
– It is the first city in the country to achieve this distinction.
– In Kozhikode, there are more than 500 libraries and over 70 publishers.
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9. Which Indian city was declared the ‘City of Music’ by UNESCO?
a. Varanasi
b. Gwalior
c. Patna
d. Jabalpur
Answer: b. Gwalior
– With the inclusion of Kozhikode and Gwalior, the network now claims to represent 350 creative cities in over 100 countries, spanning seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music.
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10. When is World Vegetarian Day celebrated?
a. 1st November
b. 2nd November
c. 3rd November
d. 4th November
Answer: a. 1st November
– World Vegetarian Day was established in 1977 by the North American Vegetarian Society.
– Subsequently, this day started to be celebrated worldwide.
– Approximately 22% of the global population is vegetarian, and this number could increase.
