Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 10th January 2023

Correct Answer:  B. 7%

Explanation:  The Indian economy may grow at 7% in FY23, which is higher than projections made by the Reserve Bank of India and the World Bank, according to the latest estimates by the National Statistical Office, which implicitly assumes lower impact of intensifying global headwinds. The economy grew 9.7% in the first half (April-September) of FY23 according to the data released in Nov. The RBI and the World Bank have projected 6.8% and 6.9% GDP growth for FY23 respectively.

• In FY23, agriculture is expected to remain the bright spot, growing at 3.5 per cent on the back of a good monsoon. While electricity (9 per cent) and construction (9.1 per cent) are likely to see robust growth, driven by post-pandemic recovery, manufacturing (1.6 per cent) is expected to remain the laggard, weighed down by high input cost.
• The services sector, which comprises more than half the economy, is expected to grow at a robust 9.1 per cent, proving to be the key driver of economic recovery.
• Private consumption is expected to grow at 7.7 per cent in FY23, boosted by increased spending on high-value items.
• However, government spending, comprising expenditures by the Centre and the state governments, is expected to remain muted at 3.1 per cent.
• The NSO estimate, however, factors in robust double-digit recovery in investment demand (11.5 per cent) in FY23, as represented by gross fixed capital formation, largely due to a sustained focus on capex by the Central government.

Correct Answer:  A. Adar Poonawalla

Explanation:  Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India has received Patangrao Kadam award for contribution in the fight against COVID-19.  Poonawalla is the first one to be conferred with Dr Patangrao Kadam Memorial Award. Patangrao Kadam was an Indian politician from the state of Maharashtra and the award has been set up in his memory.

Correct Answer:  D. Manpreet Monica Singh

Explanation:  Indian-origin Sikh woman, Manpreet Monica Singh became the first ever female Sikh judge in the US after she was sworn in as a Harris county judge. Born and brought up in Houston, after her father immigrated to the US early in the 1970s, Singh currently lives in Bellaire with her husband and two children. In her career expanding over two decades, the newly appointed judge has been involved in numerous civil rights organizations at the local, state, and national level. An estimated 5,00,000 Sikhs live in the US, with 20,000 Sikhs living in the Houston area. The state’s first South Asian judge, Indian-American Ravi Sandill called it a big moment for the Sikh community. Sandill was also presiding over the ceremony which happened in a packed courtroom.

Correct Answer:  B. 10th January

Explanation:  World Hindi Day or Vishwa Hindi Diwas is celebrated on 10th January every year to promote awareness about the language across the world.  It is also the day when Hindi, India’s national language, was spoken for the first time in the United Nations General Assembly. It was on this day in 1975 that the first World Hindi Conference was held in Nagpur. Since then, such conferences are organised in different parts of the world every year. The language got its name from the Persian term ‘Hind’ which means ‘the land of Indus’. The language is spoken in India, Trinidad, Nepal, Guyana, Mauritius and other countries.

The theme this year is “Hindi – Traditional Knowledge to Artificial Intelligence”. This year, the 12th World Hindi Conference will be organised in Fiji by the Foreign Ministry in collaboration with the Fiji government from February 15 to 17. The location for the 2023 event was decided during the 11th World Hindi Conference held in Mauritius last year.

Correct Answer:  C. Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station

Explanation:  Indian Railways’ Varanasi Cantt Railway Station has been awarded a 5- star ‘Eat Right Station’ certification for providing high-quality, nutritious food to passengers. This certification is granted by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to railway stations adhering to standard food storage and hygiene practices. The ‘Eat Right Station’ certification is awarded by FSSAI to railway stations that set benchmarks in providing safe and wholesome food to passengers. The station is awarded a certificate upon a conclusion of an FSSAI-empanelled third-party audit agency with ratings from 1 to 5. The 5-star rating indicates full compliance by the station to ensure safe and hygienic food is available to passengers.

• The certification is part of the ‘Eat Right India’movement- a large-scale effort by FSSAI to transform the country’s food system to ensure safe, healthy and sustainable food for all Indians. Eat Right India adopts a judicious mix of regulatory, capacity building, collaborative, and empowerment approaches to ensure that our food is suitable both for the people and the planet.
• The other railway stations with Star certification include Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station (Delhi); Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai); Mumbai Central Railway Station, (Mumbai); Vadodara Railway Station, Chandigarh Railway Station and Bhopal Railway Station.

Correct Answer:  D. DY Chandrachud

Explanation:  The Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession (HLS CLP) has announced Chief Justice of India Dr. DY Chandrachud as the 2022 recipient of its “Award for Global Leadership” in recognition of his lifetime service to the legal profession in India and across the world. The award will be presented to him in a virtual event on 11th January 2023.

• Professor David Wilkins of Harvard Law School will have a conversation with Chief Justice Dr. DY Chandrachud at the event.
• The “Award for Global Leadership” is the Centre’s highest Professional Honor.
• The Centre brings together leading academics, legal practitioners, and thought leaders to honor and recognize individuals whose achievements have been impactful to the legal profession.
• Professor Wilkins has praised India and Justice Chandrachud’s contribution to issues such as the mental health and well-being of lawyers.
• The last recipients include Ambassador Samantha Power, Former US Permanent Representative to the United Nations and current Director of the Agency for International Development; Brad Smith, Vice Chair of Microsoft, and Kenneth Frazier, former Chair and CEO of Merck.
• Chief Justice Chandrachud, took oath as the Chief Justice of India in November 2022. He holds an LLM and an SJD from Harvard Law School.

Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud is an Indian judge who is currently serving as the 50th Chief Justice of India. He is the former ex-officio executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority while being J1 of the Supreme court of India. He is also the former chief justice of Allahabad Highcourt and former judge of Bombay High Court.

Correct Answer:  B. Two

Explanation:  According to Cirium Aviation Analytic’s list of the top-performing global airports of 2022 Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport won the 2nd rank, whereas Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport acquired the 7th spot. While Kempegowda International Airport saw on-time departure for 84.08% of 201,897 flights, Delhi’s IGI witnessed 81.84% on-time departure. The top 10 airports accoridng to the report are:

• Tokyo, Japan – (HND) Haneda Airport
• Bengaluru, India – (BLR) Kempegowda International Airport
• Salt Lake City, USA – (SLC) Salt Lake City International Airport
• Detroit, USA – (DTW) Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
• Philadelphia, USA – (PHL) Philadelphia International Airport
• USA – (MSP) Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
• Delhi, India – (DEL) Indira Gandhi International Airport
• Seattle, USA – (SEA) Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
• Bogotá, Colombia – (BOG) El Dorado International Airport
• North Carolina, USA – (CLT) Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Along with the above analytics, Cirium also released a list of most punctual airlines globally wherein Azul Airlines surfaced as “the global leader”. It is a Brazilian carrier based in Barueri, a suburb of São Paulo.

Correct Answer:  B. Kevin McCarthy

Explanation:  The United States Parliament has elected Kevin McCarthy of the Republican Party as the speaker of the House of Representatives after 15 rounds of voting. He is the 55th speaker of the US House of Representatives. He was serving as the House Minority Leader in the House. He has replaced Nancy Pelosi, the leader of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives. After the midterm elections held on November 8, the number of members of former President Donald Trump’s Republican Party has increased to222 in the 435-member House of Representatives. With this, President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party has come in the minority in the House of Representatives. Kevin McCarthy has become thethird most senior US position after US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Correct Answer:  B. October 2024

Explanation:  Union chemicals and fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya has informed that the Fertilizer projects in Odisha’s Talcher will be operational by October 2024. It will be the largest and first coal gasification plant in India. Talcher Fertilizers Ltd has been mandated by the government to revive the erstwhile Talcher plant of FCIL by setting up a new coal gasification-based urea plant with an installed capacity of 12.7 lakh tonne per annum (LMTPA). It is a Rs 13,200 crore worth project which will revive the shut-down fertilizer plant formerly owned by Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd (FCIL). FCIL Talcher unit is being established by Talcher Fertilizers Ltd (TFL), a company promoted by GAIL (India) Ltd. (GAIL), Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd. (RCF), Coal India Ltd. (CIL) and Fertilizers Corporation of India Ltd. (FCIL).

Correct Answer:  B. Mohamed Irfaan Ali

Explanation:  PM Modi inaugurated the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in Indore. President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali will be the chief guest and the Republic of Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi will be the special guest of honour. The theme of the PBD convention is ‘Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal’. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a celebratory day observed on 9 January.

9th January commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India in 1915. To mark this day, the tradition of celebrating Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) started in 2003. 1st PBD Convention was organised on 9 January 2003 to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India.  Since 2015, under a revised format, PBD Convention has been organised once every 2 years.

Correct Answer:  B. 25%

Explanation:  Indian state-run companies will continue to be exempt from the minimum public shareholding (MPS) norm that requires listed companies to maintain a 25% public shareholding, a government notification said. The exemptions from the MPS norm will be valid for a “specified period” even if there is a change in ownership or control after the exemption is granted.

Correct Answer:  C. 2000

Explanation:  Renowned poet and Kashmir’s first Jnanpith awardee Professor Rehman Rahi passed away on 9 January 2023. Rahi wrote several collections of poems and translated the works of celebrated poets into Kashmiri. He received the highest literary award of the country — Jnanpith award — in 2007 for his collection ‘Siyah Rood Jaeren Manz’ (In Black Drizzle). He also received Padma Shri award in 2000.

Correct Answer:  D. Sagar Defence Engineering Private Limited

Explanation:  In a significant boost to the Indian Navy’s (IN) capabilities, the Navy will get autonomous armed Swarm boats from Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt Ltd, the company tweeted. The contract was signed under the SPRINT programme, which is “a scheme to promote niche defence technologies by Indian domestic companies”. The scheme was launched in July 2022 by Prime Minister Sh. Modi.

• SPRINT stands for “Supporting Pole-Vaulting In Research and Development through Innovations for Defence Excellence (IdeX), Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) and Technology Development Acceleration cell (TDAC)”. 
• Under the SPRINT scheme, the Navy is targeting to ink 100 contracts by the end of January 2023 and to induct 75 technologies by 15 August this year. The swarm boat contract is the 50th such contract signed by the Indian Navy.
• The Navy is looking to place another order of 12 systems after the construction of the weaponised boat.
• The platform is capable of doing high-speed interdiction, low-intensity maritime operations, Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4-ISR) missions.

Correct Answer:  C. South Africa

Explanation:  Cricket South Africa (CSA) confirmed that Proteas all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius has retired from international cricket with immediate effect. Since making his international debut in 2016, the 33-year-old has represented South Africa across all three formats in 30 T20 Internationals (T20I), 27 One-Day Internationals (ODI) and three Tests.