This is the current affairs of 9 March 2024. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. Which writer and philanthropist was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by President Draupadi Murmu, who is a relative of the British PM?
a. Akshata Murthy
b. Arundhati Roy
c. Sudha Murthy
d. Rohini Nilekani
Answer: c. Sudha Murthy
– Is she the wife of Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys company?
– Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of Britain, is their son-in-law.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the information
– PM Modi informed about this on March 8, 2024, on the occasion of International Women’s Day on social media platform X.
Sudha Murthy
– She was born in Karnataka. She is 73 years old.
– She is a renowned writer, philanthropist, and engineer.
– During her post-graduation (in engineering) in 1974, she was the only girl in her department.
– She has written more than 30 books in various genres.
Some of her famous books include “The Mother I Never Knew”, “Three Thousand Stitches”, “The Man from the Egg”, and “Magic of the Lost Temple”.
– She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2006 and the Padma Bhushan in 2023.
– Her husband is Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys company.
– Their daughter is Akshata Murthy, and their son-in-law is the Prime Minister of Britain.
– Their son is Rohan Murthy, who is the founder of the U.S.-based software development firm Soroco.
The husband was given a loan to establish Infosys
– Infosys is now among the top 10 valuable companies in India.
– After Tata Group’s TCS, it is the second-largest tech company.
– Infosys’ market capitalization is around INR 6,69,920.64 crores. Its business operates in several countries including America and England.
– In 1981, Narayana Murthy along with 6 others founded Infosys.
– Sudha Murthy has mentioned in several interviews that when Narayana Murthy planned to start the company, they were living in a single room with his wife Sudha Murthy.
– The name Infosys was decided, but there was a shortage of money.
– Narayana Murthy borrowed INR 10,000 from his wife at that time (in 1981) to contribute.
Induction in the Rajya Sabha:
– Article 80 of the Indian Constitution provides for the formation of the Rajya Sabha.
– The maximum number of members of the Rajya Sabha can be 250, but currently, the number is 245.
– Of these, 233 members are elected from states and Union territories, and 12 members are nominated by the President from literature, science, art, and social service fields.
– The minimum age for a Rajya Sabha member is 30 years.
– The minimum age for a Lok Sabha member is 25 years.
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2. Under which mission the Central Government approved a fund of Rs 10,372.92 crore to encourage AI development?
a. AI Development Mission
b. Atal AI Mission
c. India AI Mission
d. AI India Movement
Answer: c. India AI Mission
– AI stands for Artificial Intelligence.
– Name of the mission: India AI Mission.
– Amount of fund: INR 10,372.92 crores.
– Duration of the fund: For the next five years.
Decision of the Cabinet
– The Cabinet approved the fund on March 7, 2024, for financing AI computing infrastructure and start-ups in India.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
– AI refers to Artificial Intelligence.
– It’s a machine that can think, analyze data on its own, converse, speak languages, and understand them. It can search for answers to difficult questions and perform given tasks.
– Examples of AI include OpenAI’s GPT chat and Google’s Duplex. These are just examples; AI is now being used in various more effective ways.
– OpenAI company’s ‘Sora’ is also a text-to-video model. Currently, Sora is available for selected people only.
– ‘Sora’ can create a video of up to 1 minute from text input. It can create multiple shots in a one-minute video. It can create complex scenes with multiple characters. Sora can create more realistic videos from the given input. It can incorporate physical-world elements into its creations.
Objective of India AI Mission
– Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the mission last year (in 2023).
– Its objective is to establish AI computing capabilities within the country.
– This will provide better services to start-ups and entrepreneurs, and will also promote AI applications in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and education.
Target of Computing Capacity in GPU
– Under this mission, the government will consider establishing computing capacity of more than 10,000 GPUs (Graphics Processing Units).
– It’s a special electronic circuit that rapidly performs mathematical calculations to present graphics and images.
GPU is used for both professional and personal computing.
What is the price of a GPU chip?
– NVIDIA’s A100 chip is considered the most modern for AI applications.
– Its price is approximately $10,000.
– This means the cost of a data center with 10,000 GPUs could be at least $100 million (approximately INR 8,000 crores).
National Data Management Office will be established for AI
– A National Data Management Office for AI will be established.
– It will collaborate with government departments.
– And will oversee how non-personal data can be made available for AI development.
Central Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal.
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3. Which country became the 32nd member country of military alliance NATO?
a. Ukraine
b. Japan
c. Sweden
d. Finland
Answer: c. Sweden
NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization
– On March 7, 2024, Sweden joined the military alliance NATO.
– It became the 32nd country to join this military alliance.
– Sweden had applied to join NATO along with Finland in May 2022, a few months after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.
– Turkey and Hungary were two countries that were concerned about Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Eventually, they accepted Finland and Sweden’s cases. Now both countries are NATO members.
Sweden:
– It is a Nordic country in Northern Europe.
– Sweden shares land borders with Norway and Finland.
– Its maritime borders are with Denmark, Germany, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
– Prime Minister: Ulf Kristersson
– Capital: Stockholm
Russia Concerned:
– The new developments have increased tension for Russia.
– The reason behind this tension is NATO’s Article 5, which states that an attack on any member country will be considered an attack on all NATO countries.
– Russia had opposed Sweden’s membership, stating that if NATO forces were deployed in Sweden, we would take further steps. Russia had expressed the same opposition for Finland as well.
– In fact, earlier in 2022, when Ukraine tried to join NATO, Russia attacked it in retaliation.
– Now Russia has said that Sweden’s joining NATO is increasing tension and militarization.
Security Responsibility of Sweden to NATO:
– NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced Sweden’s NATO membership.
– He said, ‘After more than 200 years of neutrality, Sweden will now also receive security guarantees under Article 5. Now its security responsibility will be of NATO countries.’
What is NATO:
– NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
– It is a military and political alliance of European and North American countries.
– After the Second World War, the Soviet Union and America emerged as the two biggest powers, wanting to establish their dominance over the world. This led to strained relations between America and the Soviet Union, marking the beginning of the Cold War.
– To deter the Soviet Union, American and European countries formed a military alliance.
– It was established on April 4, 1949.
– Headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium.
– At the time of its establishment, 12 countries including the USA were its members. Now there are 32 member countries, including 30 European and two North American countries.
– The biggest responsibility of this organization is to defend the NATO countries and their population.
– According to NATO’s Article 5, an attack on any member country will be considered an attack on all member countries.
– Turkey, which joined NATO in 1952, is the only Muslim member country of NATO.
NATO Member Countries:
– Sweden
– Finland
– Albania
– Belgium
– Bulgaria
– Canada
– Croatia
– Czech Republic
– Denmark
– Estonia
– France
– Germany
– Greece
– Hungary
– Iceland
– Italy
– Latvia
– Lithuania
– Luxembourg
– Montenegro
– Netherlands
– North Macedonia
– Norway
– Poland
– Portugal
– Romania
– Slovakia
– Slovenia
– Spain
– Turkey
– United Kingdom
– United States
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4. When is International Women Judges Day celebrated?
a. 12 March
b. 11 March
c. 10 March
d. 9 March
Answer: c. 10 March
– This day is proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
– The purpose of celebrating this day is gender equality and women’s empowerment.
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5. When is CISF Raising Day celebrated?
a. 12 March
b. 11 March
c. 10 March
d. 9 March
Answer: c. 10 March
– CISF: Central Industrial Security Force
– It was established in 1969 as one of the six paramilitary forces in the country.
– The 55th foundation day was celebrated in the year 2024.
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6. The first country in the world whose Parliament passed the law making abortion a constitutional right?
a. USA
b. Japan
c. China
d. France
Answer: d. France
– On March 4, 2024, the French Parliament passed a bill to constitutionalize the right to abortion.
– After the approval of the bill, the phrase “My Body My Choice” was written in large letters with lights on the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Support in France:
– Recent surveys have shown that more than 80% of the French population supports abortion rights, which is consistent with previous surveys. The same survey also revealed that a significant portion of people are in favor of including it in the constitution.
Abortion Laws Around the World:
– Many countries around the world allow conditional abortion, but no country besides France has given it constitutional rights.
Abortion Rights Revoked in the United States:
– On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 ruling of ‘Roe v. Wade’, thereby revoking the constitutional right to abortion.
– The Supreme Court had granted women the constitutional right to abortion in the ‘Roe v. Wade’ ruling 50 years ago, but it reversed this decision in 2022.
Abortion Laws in India:
– Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act of 1971, abortion is conditionally permitted in India.
– A registered medical practitioner (doctor) must approve abortion up to 20 weeks of pregnancy termination.
– For terminating pregnancies between 20-24 weeks, the opinion of two registered medical practitioners (doctors) is necessary.
– If there are significant abnormalities in the fetus, the opinion of a state-level medical board is necessary for termination after 24 weeks.
– In September 2022, the Supreme Court granted all women the right to abortion, whether married or unmarried.
– The court stated that under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP Act 1971), everyone has the right to abortion up to 22 to 24 weeks.
– Under the MTP Act, a woman does not need to prove that she has been raped or sexually assaulted to have an abortion within this period.
– Previously, only married women and rape victims were permitted abortion under the MTP law.
Note: Since September 2022, marital rape is recognized in India as ‘marital rape’.
Countries Permitting Abortion with Significant Restrictions:
– Approximately 50 countries including Libya, Indonesia, Nigeria, Iran, and Venezuela permit abortion if a woman’s health is at risk. Many others permit it in cases of rape, incest, or fetal abnormalities.
Countries Where Abortion is Illegal:
– Abortion is illegal in approximately 24 countries.
– These countries have a population of around 90 million or 5% of women of childbearing age. These include countries from Africa, Asia, Central America, and Europe.
France:
President: Emmanuel Macron
Prime Minister: Gabriel Attal
Capital: Paris
Language: French
Currency: Euro
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7. How many artists did President Draupadi Murmu present the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for the year 2022 and 2023 in March 2024?
a. 90
b. 94
c. 99
d. 100
Answer: b. 94
– On March 6, 2024, President Draupadi Murmu honored 94 artists in the field of performing arts with the Music and Drama Academy Awards at a special decoration ceremony held at the Science Building.
– Three of these artists could not participate in the award ceremony due to poor health.
– They will later receive this award.
For the year 2022:
– 12 in the music category
– 12 in the dance category
– Nine in the theater category
– 11 from folk and tribal arts
– Two for overall contribution/scholarship in performing arts
For the year 2023:
– 12 in the music category
– 12 in the dance category
– Nine in the theater category
– 11 from folk and tribal arts
– Two for overall contribution/scholarship in performing arts
Note: Two joint awards were given among the distinguished artists.
– In the same ceremony, the President also honored some distinguished artists with the Music and Drama Academy Fellowship (Academy Gem).
How many artists received the Music and Drama Academy Fellowship (Academy Gem)?
1. Vinayak Khebdekar
2. R. Vishveshwaran
3. Sunaina Hazarilal
4. Raja and Radha Reddy (Joint Fellowship)
5. Dulal Roy
6. D.P. Sinha
About the awards:
– The Music and Drama Academy Awards have been presented since 1952.
– While a cash prize of ₹300,000 is given in honor of the Academy Fellow.
– A cash prize of ₹100,000 is given in the Music and Drama Academy Awards.
– Additionally, a copper plate and a shawl are given.
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8. Who presented the country’s first ‘National Creators Awards’ in March 2024?
a. President (Draupadi Murmu)
b. Prime Minister (Narendra Modi)
c. Vice President (Jagdeep Dhankhar)
d. Chief Justice (Dipak Chandrachud)
Answer: b. Prime Minister (Narendra Modi)
– On March 8, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the first National Creators Awards 2024 at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
About the awards:
– These awards are an attempt to recognize excellence and impact in various fields such as storytelling, advocacy for social change, environmental sustainability, education, and gaming.
– Over 150,000 nominations were received in 20 different categories.
– Subsequently, approximately 1 million votes were cast for digital creators in various award categories.
– A decision was made on 23 winners, including three international creators.
Some important names:
– ‘Green Champion’ award in the category (Pankti Pandey)
– Best storyteller award (Keertika Govindasamy)
– ‘Cultural Ambassador of the Year Award’ (Singer Maithili Thakur)
– Best creator in the tech category (Gaurav Choudhary)
– For favorite travel creator (Kamya Jani)
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9. Some information about upcoming elections
The Election Commission held a meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs and top officials of the Railways to discuss deployment of security personnel and logistics ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha and four state assembly (Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh) elections.
The Election Commission has requested 340,000 Central Armed Police Force personnel for the elections. With approximately 970 million voters, the Election Commission will set up around 1.25 million polling stations across India.
Last Lok Sabha elections were announced on March 10, 2019, and voting took place in seven phases from April 11, 2019. Vote counting was done on May 23, 2019.
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10. When is Jan Aushadhi Diwas celebrated?
a. 7 March
b. 8 March
c. 9 March
d. 10 March
Answer: a. 7 March
– This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the benefits and importance of generic drugs.
– The 6th anniversary of this day was celebrated in 2024.
– World Generic Medicine Day began on March 7, 2019.
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