Weekly Current Affair (22th to 31st January) - Free MCQ Practice Test

The Union Ministry of Tourism in association with Ministry of Culture, Sangeet Natak Academy and State Government of Andhra Pradesh successfully organised the prequel event of Krishnaveni Sangeetha Neerajanam.
It is a first of its kind festival to celebrate the rich heritage of classical music and promote lesser-known tourist attractions. The main event is to be organized in December 2023 in Vijayawada. The event will also feature spectacular display and sale of regional cuisine, local handicrafts and handlooms.

World AIDS Day is observed on December 1st every year. The theme for 2023 is “Let Communities Lead”. This theme highlights the importance of communities in the HIV response and the goal of ending AIDS by 2030. World AIDS Day is an international day that raises awareness of the AIDS pandemic and mourns those who have died from the disease. It also celebrates victories, such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

The EU has introduced a new policy called the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism or CBAM to account for carbon emissions from imported goods. This applies to imports of products like iron, steel and aluminum which require a lot of energy to make and therefore result in high emissions.  Under the CBAM, companies importing these goods into the EU will have to buy carbon certificates corresponding to the polluting emissions.

This is to ensure imported products face similar carbon costs that European producers pay already under EU emissions rules.  The aim is to prevent European manufacturers being undercut by cheaper imports not subject to carbon pricing. It also incentives foreign exporters to transition toward cleaner production.  However, organizations like the World Bank and UN warn that these extra charges could negatively impact developing countries that export to EU, especially industries unable to quickly cut emissions. So while CBAM protects EU competitiveness, it may burden trading partners and needs to be designed sensitively.

This is to ensure imported products face similar carbon costs that European producers pay already under EU emissions rules.  The aim is to prevent European manufacturers being undercut by cheaper imports not subject to carbon pricing. It also incentives foreign exporters to transition toward cleaner production.  However, organizations like the World Bank and UN warn that these extra charges could negatively impact developing countries that export to EU, especially industries unable to quickly cut emissions. So while CBAM protects EU competitiveness, it may burden trading partners and needs to be designed sensitively.

A total of 4,45,256 cases of crime against women were registered across India in 2022, up from 4,28,278 in 2021 and 3,71,503 in 2020. The rate of crime against women per lakh population stood at 66.4 while the charge sheeting in such cases was logged at 75.8, showed the data in the annual crime report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
NCRB functions under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The majority of crimes against women under the Indian Penal Code were of cruelty by husband or his relatives (31.4 per cent) followed by kidnapping and abduction of women (19.2 per cent). Delhi registered the highest rate of crime against women in the country at 144.4, while the country’s average rate was 66.4. Uttar Pradesh (65,743) registered the maximum FIRs in cases of crime against women in 2022.

According to media reports, around 1,000 migrating birds died in Chicago after colliding with illuminated buildings. This incident raised concerns about how ‘stopover’ cities are increasingly becoming less hospitable for migrating birds. The study reveals that finding a hospitable stopover is essential for mass bird migration to happen.
Light pollution doesn’t negatively impact birds only but also humans. It can disrupt humans’ circadian rhythms, leading to health problems, including depression, insomnia, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The Sri Lankan cabinet has given clearance to allow China’s energy major Sinopec to establish a new $4.5 billion petroleum refinery plant at the strategic Hambantota port in the island nation.
The upcoming plant of Sinopec, which entered the Sri Lankan market in July this year, would be the largest foreign direct investment with $4.5 billion for Sri Lanka.

Victims of chemical warfare in Syria are leading international efforts to set up a specialist tribunal to prosecute illegal toxic attacks that killed and maimed thousands during the civil war. This proposed Exceptional Chemical Weapons Tribunal has quietly garnered engagement from over 40 countries across continents in assessing the political, legal and logistical viability. If created through a treaty, this court based in The Hague could try perpetrators of chemical strikes worldwide, not just limited to Syria. Survivors believe such a tribunal could provide delayed justice and deter future use of prohibited weapons.

Cab aggregator Uber announced the launch of its global flagship electric vehicle service Uber Green in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The feature allows residents of the tech city to book sustainable, eco-friendly rides on the app. The riders can pick more sustainable means to travel in all quiet and clean Electric vehicles.

Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has been appointed as the youth voter awareness ambassador for Jammu and Kashmir.
Chief electoral officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole announced the collaboration and said that Suresh Raina holds considerable influence, particularly among the youth.

Google introduced Gemini as its most capable and general model yet. The first version, Gemini 1.0, is optimized for different sizes: Ultra, Pro, and Nano.
These are the first models of the Gemini era and the first realization of the vision as the company formed Google DeepMind earlier this year.