Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 30th May 2023

Correct Answer:  C. Nepal

Explanation:  Nepal has decided to allow India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited to develop a second hydropower project in the country. At present SJVN is developing a 900-MW Arun -III hydroelectric project, a run-of-river located on the Arun River in Eastern Nepal, scheduled to be completed in 2024. A meeting of the Investment Board Nepal (IBN) chaired by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda approved the draft project development agreement (PDA) to be signed with India’s state-owned SJVN to develop the 669-megawatt (MW) Lower Arun Hydropower project in eastern Nepal. India Secured Approval to Set Up Second Hydropower Project in Nepal: Key Points

• The decision for development comes days before Prime Minister Prachanda visited India.
• The draft needs to be endorsed by the Council of Ministers before it gets implemented. The previous meeting of the IBN had approved a Rs 92.68 billion investment for the development of the project.
• The development of this 669-MW transformative project will prove to be a milestone for the socio-economic development of the country, according to the statement by the IBN.
• The SJVN has formed a local company, Lower Arun Power Development Company, in Nepal.
• The Lower Arun project located in the Sankhuwasabha and Bhojpur districts will not have any reservoir or dam and will be a tailrace development of Arun-III, which will mean water re-enters the river for the Lower Arun project.
• This is the third project undertaken, all through negotiation windows, on the Arun River after the 900 MW Arun-III and 695 MW Arun-IV hydroelectricity projects.
• The three projects will generate nearly 2,300 MW of electricity from the river in the Sankhuwasabha district.

Correct Answer:  A. Navigation satellite

Explanation:  The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved yet another milestone as its geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) rocket, GSLV-F12, successfully placed the navigation satellite NVS-01 into orbit. This launch aims to enhance the continuity of Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) services, providing accurate and real-time navigation in India and its surrounding region. Let’s delve deeper into this significant achievement. The 51.7-meter-tall GSLV-F12 rocket took off from the second launch pad at Sriharikota, located about 130 kilometers from Chennai. Amid clear skies, the rocket blasted off at the scheduled time of 10:42 am, embarking on its mission to deploy the NVS-01 satellite.

The successful launch of the second-generation navigation satellite, NVS-01, ensures the continuity of NavIC services. NavIC, previously known as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), was developed by ISRO to meet the positioning, navigation, and timing requirements of the country. With a constellation of seven satellites and a network of ground stations operating 24×7, NavIC offers two services: the Standard Position Service (SPS) for civilian users and the Restricted Service for strategic users.

Correct Answer:  C. Goa

Explanation:  The 14th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM14) and 8th Mission Innovation (MI8) meetings will be held in Goa in July this year. The theme of these meetings is ‘Advancing Clean Energy Together’. Scheduled on the margins of the G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting, these meetings will bring together governments, international organisations, private sector, academia, innovators, civil society, early career researchers and policy-makers featuring high-level ministerial dialogues, global initiative launches, award announcements, minister-CEO roundtables and a wide array of side-events cutting across diverse themes of clean energy transition.

Correct Answer:  C. 2026-27

Explanation: Growing at a steady pace, UPI transactions are likely to reach 1 billion per day by 2026-27, accounting for 90 per cent of the retail digital payments in the country, said a PwC India report. Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which is driving the digital payments revolution, accounted for about 75 per cent of the total transaction volume in the retail segment during 2022-23, said the PwC report titled “The Indian Payments Handbook – 2022-27”.

• UPI is projected to account for 90 per cent of the total transaction volume in retail digital payments over the next five years, the report said.
• The Indian digital payments market saw steady growth at a CAGR of 50 per cent (volume-wise) and is expected to reach 411 billion transactions in FY 2026-27 from 103 billion in FY 2022-23.
• “It is estimated that UPI will record 1 billion transactions per day by FY2026-2027, going from 83.71 billion transactions in 2022-23 to 379 billion transactions by 2026-27,”.

Correct Answer:  C. H.S. Prannoy

Explanation:  India’s world No.9 shuttler, H.S. Prannoy has clinched his maiden BWF World Tour title 2023, held at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 badminton tournament. In finals, he beating Weng Hong Yang of China 21-19, 13-21, 21-18. He had previously clinched the title at the 2017 US Open, which was a part of the BWF Grand Prix.

• Women’s singles: Akane Yamaguchi
• Men’s Double: Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae
• Women’s doubles: Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee
• Mixed doubles: Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai

Correct Answer:  D. Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Explanation:  President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won the presidential election of In Turkiye, extending his rule to a third decade. He defeated opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in runoff vote. Out of 99.43% of the votes, Erdogan got 52.14% of the votes and Kilicdaroglu received 47.86%. The vote seals Erdogan’s place in history as he extends his 20-year rule for a further five years.

Correct Answer:  B. Six

Explanation:  Despite demands from several communities to be counted as a separate religion, the next Census will only count Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain as distinct religion options. Census 2021, which was to be conducted in two phases, has been postponed indefinitely, with the Central government initially attributing the delay to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next Census is also set to be the first digital Census, where respondents will have the option to fill in the questionnaire from the comforts of their own homes.

• No separate codes: Though respondents can additionally write the name of any other religion in the Census form, no separate code will be provided.
• Commuter queries: New queries about travel plan and metro usage have been added.
• A question on types and causes of disabilities has been expanded to include “acid attack, intellectual disability, chronic neurological disease and blood disorder.
• A code directory is added to streamline data processing.

Correct Answer:  C. Justice SV Gangapurwala

Explanation:  Chief justice of five High Courts has been appointed by the Government. Article 217 states that the Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal.The government has appointed chief justices of five high courts.

• Justice R D Dhanuka has been appointed as chief justice of the Bombay High Court. He will have four-day tenure.
• Justice SV Gangapurwala has been appointed as the chief justice of the Madras High Court.
• Justice M S R Ramachandra Rao has been appointed as the chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
• Justice S V Bhatti has been appointed as the chief justice of the Kerala High Court.
• Justice Augustine George Masih becomes the new Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.

Correct Answer:  B. Praveen Kumar Srivastava

Explanation:  Vigilance Commissioner Praveen Kumar Srivastava has been appointed as the acting Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC). He appointment comes after Suresh N. Patel completed his term as the chief of the anti-corruption watchdog Central Vigilance Commission on December 24. The commission is headed by a CVC and can have a maximum of two Vigilance Commissioners. Besides Mr. Srivastava, former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Arvind Kumar is the other Vigilance Commissioner. The tenure of a CVC and vigilance commissioner is of four years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years.

Correct Answer:  D. 30th May

Explanation:  World Vape Day is an annual event that is celebrated on May 30th. The day is dedicated to raising awareness about the potential benefits of vaping as a harm reduction tool for smokers. Vaping is the act of inhaling an aerosol that is produced by heating a liquid that contains nicotine. The liquid can also contain flavorings and other additives. Vaping is often seen as a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes, as it does not produce the same harmful chemicals that are found in tobacco smoke.

World Vape Day is an annual event that was first celebrated in 2012. The day is dedicated to raising awareness about the potential benefits of vaping as a harm reduction tool for smokers. The World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) is the organization that started World Vape Day. The WVA is a non-profit organization that advocates for the rights of vapers and for the regulation of vaping products.

Correct Answer:  B. G.C. Murmu

Explanation:  Comptroller and Auditor General Girish Chandra Murmu has been re-elected as External Auditor of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for a four-year term from 2024 to 2027.  CAG is already holding this position in WHO since 2019 for a four-year term from 2019 to 2023. The election was held today in the Seventy-sixth World Health Assembly in Geneva, where the CAG of India was re-elected with an overwhelming majority of 114 out of 156 votes in the first round of voting itself. After the election, in his address to the World Health Assembly, Mr Murmu outlined his vision as External Auditor for WHO while emphasizing the process improvement for better outcomes, transparency, and a professional approach.

Correct Answer:  B. Cordelia Cruises

Explanation:  Cordelia Cruises of India is all set for its first international voyage to Sri Lanka in June 2023. The new route is likely to boost Indian cruise traffic by 25-30 percent. CEO of Cordelia Cruises Jurgen Bailom told news agencies that the connectivity enhancement and the ties with Sri Lanka will be successful and bring great opportunities for both nations and businesses. The cruise will set sail on 5th of June from Chennai and reach Hambantota on the 7th before proceeding to Trincomalee. Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe is likely to attend the reception on 7th of June to celebrate the sailing debut.

Correct Answer:  D. Jammu and Kashmir

Explanation:  In Jammu and Kashmir, in a major boost to Jammu Tourism potential, ambitious Jambu Zoo near Nagrota in the outskirts of Jammu city will be thrown open to the public. Spread over 3200 canals of land in Nagrota area on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the Zoo is considered as North India’s largest Zoo and has become a major tourism highlight for people visiting Kashmir or Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra. At present infrastructure has been raised on 1200 kanals and the rest of the area has been kept for further expansion. The Zoo will also have an open amusement theatre and park for children and will have battery operated vehicles for the visitors to move around.

• The facility would be a major attraction for tourists coming to the city.
• The Zoo’s entry is free for the first week in order to attract visitors and popularize the Zoo.
• The70 crore rupees worth Zoo projects were completed in Mid May after which a team of Central Zoo Authority conducted an inspection for the registration purpose in the light of the mandatory clearance obtained by the Department of Wildlife of J&K Government.
• It has been named after the founder of Jammu city, King Jambu Lochan, the Zoo will have an artificial waterfall and 27 famous species of animals, including Royal Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Lion, leopards, bears, crocodiles etc.

Correct Answer:  B. Lionel Messi

Explanation:  Lionel Messi broke Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for most goals scored in Europe’s top five leagues in May 2023. Lionel Messi broke the record of Christiano Ronaldo. This victory also marked a significant personal milestone for Messi, as his goal became his 496th in European league competitions, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s previous record for the top five leagues in Europe. Paris Saint-Germain sealed an 11th Ligue 1 title. Lionel Messi plays for the Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team.