Test: General Awareness (Current Affairs Part IV) - Software Development MCQ

The correct answer is  Railway Protection Force (RPF)

Key Points

• Railway Protection Force (RPF) conducted a month long nationwide Pan India Drive in January 2023 with an objective to make a dent upon the syndicate involved in smuggling of Narcotic Products through the railway network under 'Operation Narcos' and Human Trafficking under 'Operation AAHT'
• During this drive, RPF detected 88 cases and recovered NDPS valued at Rs. 4.7 crore with arrest of 83 peddlers/traffickers of NDPS and also succeeded in rescuing 35 boys & 27 girls from the clutches of traffickers with their arrest i.e. 19 traffickers who were handed over to respective LEAs for taking suitable legal action.
• Railways have outsourced many of their works and services to outside agencies and contractors.
  • This has resulted in many outsiders working/operating in railway premises and in trains.
  • Incidents have been reported, wherein, these outsourced staff have indulged in activities which are illegal and criminal cases have been registered against them.
• RPF is working in a mission mode to ensure that the credentials and criminal antecedents of all the persons engaged on contractual work in railways are verified from the concerned Police and only the persons having no criminal antecedents are allowed in the railway system.
  • A focused initiative in this regard was taken and the contractors were directed to comply with the condition of Police Verification of their staff.

Additional Information

• Railway Protection Force (RPF) is a security force under the ownership of Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways, Government of India established by the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957; enacted by the Indian Parliament for "the better protection and security of railway property and passenger area".
  • It has the power to search, arrest, investigate, and prosecute offenses committed under Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act 1966, The Railways Act, 1989 (amended from time to time).
• Railway has been the preferred mode of trafficking of NDPS for longer distance, and therefore, Government of India, empowered RPF officers, of and above the rank of Astt. Sub-Inspector, to exercise the powers and perform the duties to conduct search, seize NDPS and arrest traffickers under the provisions of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS)Act, 1984 and further hand them over to the empowered law enforcing agencies.

The correct answer is Maharashtra

Key Points

• Ministry of  Sports has launched the application.
• Through this app, the participating athletes, coaches, support staff, and officials from all states participating can get all information about the Games.
• This is the first time that a dedicated app has been launched for Khelo India Youth Games.
• For sports fans, the app gives access to match schedules, medal tally, photo gallery etc.

Additional Information

• Khelo India Youth Games 2022:
  • To be held in eight cities namely Maheshwar, Balaghat, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Ujjain, Indore, and Bhopal in MP
  • Kayaking and Canoeing were introduced for the first time.
  • A world-class Kayaking Canoeing academy is being built by the union government in Tehri, Uttarakhand.

Important Points

• Khelo India Youth Games 2023, the fifth edition of the flagship event under the Indian government’s Khelo India initiative, concluded on February 11, 2023.
• A total of 11 venues spread across eight cities in Madhya Pradesh and New Delhi hosted the different KIYG 2023 events. 
• Maharashtra won the Khelo India Youth Games 2023 title after topping the medals tally with 56 gold medals, 55 silvers and 50 bronze.

The correct answer is Rajasthan

 In News

• ​The medical cover under the Chiranjeevi health scheme has been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh annually per family, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced Friday while presenting the state's Budget for 2023-24.

The correct answer is Tamil Nadu

Key Points

Keeladi:

• Keeladi is a tiny hamlet in the Sivaganga district in south Tamil Nadu.
• It is about 12 km southeast of the temple city of Madurai and is located along the Vaigai river.
• The excavations here from 2015 prove that an urban civilization existed in Tamil Nadu in the Sangam age on the banks of the Vaigai river.

Sangam Age:

• Sangam Age broadly refers to the Ancient History of the Tamilakam, a region south of the Krishna River.
• Kharavelas Hatigumpha inscription, dated to c. 155 BCE provides the earliest epigraphic evidence alluding to a confederacy of Tamil states- Tramiradesasanghatanam, which was 113 years old at the time and had long been a source of danger. 

Relation between Keeladi and Sangam age:

• The Sangam age is a period of history in ancient Tamil Nadu that was believed to be from the third century BCE to the third century CE.
• In 2019, a TNSDA report dated the unearthed artefacts from Keeladi to a period between the sixth century BCE and the first century BCE.
• The findings in the TNSDA report placed Keeladi artefacts about 300 years earlier than the previously believed third century BCE.
• A recent ASI report in 2015 discovered Keeladi, has pushed the Sangam age to 800 BCE based on these archaeological findings.
• Keeladi could also provide crucial evidence for understanding the missing links between the Iron Age (12th century BCE to sixth century BCE) to the Early Historic Period (sixth century BCE to fourth century BCE). 

The correct answer is Mumbai

Key Points

​Kala Ghoda

• Kala Ghoda is a famous art festival celebrated in Maharashtra State.
• It is Mumbai's famous street art festival.
• In the city of Mumbai, a plethora of famous festivals is held. One of them is the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.
• The first time, this festival was celebrated was in 1999, and the festival has become, one of the largest ethnic and multicultural festivals in the city.

Additional InformationOther state festivals

The correct answer is Tamil Nadu

Key Point

• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on 5 September 2022 launched the 'Pudhumai Penn' (modern woman) scheme in Chennai.
• Under this scheme, all girl students, who studied from Classes 6 to 12 in govt schools, will get Rs 1,000 per month to pursue higher education.
• The scheme aims to benefit six lakh girls every year and Rs 698 crore has been allocated in the budget for its implementation.

Additional Information

• ​Tamil Nadu is a state in southern India.
• Tamil Nadu is the tenth-largest Indian state by area and the sixth-largest by population.
• It is famed for its Dravidian-style Hindu temples.
•  It ranks 11th among all Indian states in the human development index.
• ​Tamil Nadu:
  • Governor: R. N. Ravi
  • Capital: Chennai
  • Chief Minister: M. K. Stalin
  • Official Language: Tamil

The correct answer is  Operation Dost

Key Points

• Operation Dost: 

• On 6 February 2023, a catastrophic and destructive Mw 7.8 earthquake struck southern and central Turkiye, as well as northern and western Syria.
• India Launched Operation Dost to help the Earthquake hit Turkiye and Syria. Hence option 1 is correct.
• On 6th February, 2023 when two powerful earthquakes hit Syria and Turkiye, 3 truck load of relief materials were arranged at Hindon airbase consisting of life-saving emergency medicines and protective items within 12 hours.
• The consignment consisted of 5,945-ton emergency relief material which included 27 life-saving medicines, two kinds of protective items and three categories of critical care equipment, valued at approximately Rs 2 crore.
• On 10th February 2023, a bigger lot of relief materials was arranged for both Turkiye and Syria.
• The consignment for Syria consisted of 72 critical care drugs, consumables and protective items of 7.3 tons, valued at Rs 1.4 crore.
• Relief materials sent for Turkiye included 14 types of medical and critical care equipments, valued at Rs 4 crore.

The correct answer is Tamil Nadu

In News 

• The nation's first PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park is set to be established in Virudhunagar District of Tamil Nadu, the Memorandum of Understanding for which was signed between the Central and State governments here on March 22.

Key Points

• The MoU was exchanged between officials in the presence of Tamil Nadu Cjhief Minister M.K.Stalin, State Ministers Thangam Thennarasu, KKSSR Ramachandran, R Gandhi and Union Ministers L Murugan and Darshana Vikram Jardosh, apart from Piyush Goyal.
• The Virudhunagar PM MITRA project will involve infrastructure work at an estimated Rs 2,000 crore, which includes a Central subsidy of Rs 500 crore.
• Upon completion, the textile park will provide employment opportunities to 2 lakh people and would ensure the economic development of southern Tamil Nadu.
• A total of 11 MoUs between State authorities and companies were also exchanged on investment commitments in the PM MITRA project in Tamil Nadu.
• The mega textile park is set to be built on a 1,052 acre site in E Kumaralingapuram in Virudhunagar District, close to the Chennai-Madurai-Kanyakumari national highway (NH-44), and is well connected to Thoothukudi seaport and Madurai airport.
• The proposed project site is owned by the State Industries Promotion Corporation (SIPCOT).

Additional Information

• The Union Ministry of Textiles issued a notification on October 21, 2021 for setting up the seven PM MITRA Parks, as announced in the Union Budget for 2021-22.
  • These seven sites are in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• The government has approved PM MITRA Parks in greenfield/brownfield sites with an outlay of Rs 4,445 crore for a period of seven years upto 2027-28.
• The PM MITRA Parks would help create world-class industrial infrastructure that would attract large-scale investment, including foreign  investment (FDI), and encourage innovation and job creation within the textile sector.
• These parks will enhance the competitiveness of the textiles industry by helping it achieve economies of scale as well as attract global players to manufacture in India.

The correct answer is Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

Key Points

• The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and AYUSH launched the 'Green Tug Transition Programme' (GTTP).
• India's first National Centre of Excellence in Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS) was inaugurated in Gurugram, Haryana.

The correct answer is Kadirabad, Darbhanga.

Key Points

• In Darbhanga, Bihar's first floating solar power plant was officially opened. It has a 2 MW capacity.
• The Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency has overseen its preparation (BREDA).
• There are 4,004 solar modules in the facility. Each module, which is positioned in the pond, can produce 505 MWp of power at its peak.
• They'll produce about 2 MW of clean, green energy.
• In its 25-year lifespan, the floating power plant will generate 2.7 million units yearly and contribute to a reduction of 64,125 tonnes of carbon dioxide. It will also help to advance fish farming.
• 10,000 residents of the state will have access to electricity once the facility is operational.