Current Affairs is the most important area in all competitive exams. But the difficulty level is very high. That’s why; many aspirants get confused, how to select Current Affairs for Preparation of Competitive Examination? In this Post, Daily Current Affairs 16 January 2023, we have tried to cover each and every point and also included all important facts from National/ International news that are useful for upcoming competitive examinations such as UPSC, SSC, Railway, State Govt. etc.
Current Affairs for Competitive Exam – 16 January 2022
India claimed victory over Sri Lanka by a record 317 runs in 3rd ODI
India VS Sri Lanka: India made cricket history by defeating Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI in Thiruvananthpuram, Kerala, by the largest margin of victory ever, 317 runs. With this, India also clean sweeped the series by 3-0. Previous record of a win by a largest ever margin was with the New Zealand, for 290-run win over Ireland in 2008. The hosts were able to record an impressive 390 for five thanks to the exquisite hundreds by Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill. Virat Kohli produced an incredible performance in the third and final ODI of the series, as he smashed an unbeaten 166 off just 110 deliveries, hitting 13 fours and eight sixes.
January 2023 Current Affairs Quiz
Here’s the list of highest victories by runs in ODIs:
317 – India vs Sri Lanka, 2023
290 – New Zealand vs Ireland, 2008
275 – Australia vs Afghanistan, 2015
272 – South Africa vs Zimbabwe, 2010
257 – India vs Bermuda, 2007
Brief scores:
- India: 390/5 in 50 overs (Virat Kohli 166 not out, Shubman Gill 116; Kasun Rajitha 2/81).
- Sri Lanka 73 all out in 22 overs ( Nuwanidu Fernando 19 ; Mohammed Siraj 4/32 ).
Arjun Ram Meghwal handed over 9th to 10th century Nataraja Idol to Officials in Chittorgarh Fort
Arjun Ram Meghwal handed over 9th to 10th century Nataraja Idol to Officials in Chittorgarh Fort: Union Minister of State for Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal handed over the 9th to 10th century Nataraja Idol of the Archeological Department official in Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan. Only 13 idols of ancient significance might be brought to India by the year 2023, according to Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, however after 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought 229 idols to India.
January 2023 Current Affairs Quiz
The Nataraja Idols were stolen from the Shiva temple at Badoli in Chittorgarh in 1998. The idols were brought to India in 2020 from a private museum in London after a long legal process. Union Minister has also ensured to build a ropeway on Chittorgarh fort and connect Chittorgarh with Bharatmala Yojana.
About Arjun Ram Meghwal
Indian politician Arjun Ram Meghwal is now the Minister of State for Parliament Affairs and Culture. He is a member of the Bhartiya Janata Party. He has previously served as the Chief Whip and Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
In 2009, he got elected as the Member of Parliament representing the Bhartiya Janata Party from the Bikaner Constituency. He was sworn in as a parliamentarian in the Lok Sabha in 2009. In 2019, Arjun Ram Meghwal became the Minister of State for Parliament Affairs and Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
Captain Surbhi Jakhmola becomes 1st woman officer to be posted at BRO
Border Roads Organisation: The Border Roads Organization’s Captain Surbhi Jakhmola, a member of the 117 Engineer Regiment of the Indian Army, would be the organization’s first female officer to be posted abroad (BRO). The officer will be sent to Bhutan as part of Project Dantak. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is an executive road construction force in India that supports the Indian armed forces.
January 2023 Current Affairs Quiz
Overview of the news
- The BRO’s deployment comes just days after the Indian Air Force deployed woman fighter pilot squadron leader Avani Chaturvedi to Japan for the exercise Veer Guardian 2023, which will take place at the Iruma Air Base in Sayama, Japan, as well as the Hyakuri Air Base and its adjacent airspace in Omitama from January 16 to 26.
- Avani Chaturvedi, a Su-30MKI pilot and one of India’s first three women fighter pilots will depart for Japan shortly to take part in the exercise. Madhya Pradesh is where Chaturvedi was born, raised, and completed her schooling. She was inducted into the IAF fighter squadron after 6 months of intensive training at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Hyderabad.
- The Indian Armed Forces also deployed a woman officer, Captain Shiva Chauhan of the Corps of Engineers, to a frontline post in Siachen Glacier. The first such deployment has occurred on the highest battlefield in the world. The officer was assigned to the Kumar post in Siachen last week for a three-month assignment after undergoing rigorous training, according to Army officials.
- According to government data presented last month in Lok Sabha, the percentage of women officers in the Indian armed forces is as follows: The Indian Air Force has the highest proportion of women officers, accounting for 13.69%, followed by the Indian Navy at six per cent and the Indian Army at 3.97 per cent.
About the BRO:
BRO builds and maintains road networks along India’s borders and in friendly neighbouring countries. It is also included in the armed forces Order of Battle, ensuring their support at all times. BRO was established on May 7, 1960. BRO was completely handed to the ministry of defence in 2015 to enhance border connectivity. It is responsible for maintaining the road network in the border areas of India.
Director General Border Roads Organization –Lt. Gen. Rajeev Chowdhary.
India’s Richest 1% Own More Than 40% of Total Wealth: Oxfam
India’s Richest 1% Own More Than 40% of Total Wealth: The richest one per cent of Indians own over 13 times more wealth than the bottom 50 per cent, according to a report by Oxfam India. The wealthiest 5% hold 61.7% of the total wealth, which is more than 20 times the 3% owned by the bottom HALF. According to the “Survival of the Richest: The India Supplement”, released by the non-government organisation (NGO), wealth inequality gets denser on the top. More than half of the wealth of the top 10 per cent of richest Indians is owned by the top 1 per cent. The combined wealth of India’s 100 richest persons reached Rs 54.12 lakh crore in 2022. In 2022, the 10 richest Indians had a combined fortune of Rs. 27.52 lakh crore, up 32.8% from the previous year (2021).
January 2023 Current Affairs Quiz
The Humongous Growth In Inequality:
Between 1981 and 2012, the top 10%’s percentage of India’s total wealth increased from 45% to 63%. On the other hand, the wealth of the bottom half halved during the same period. India had a rise in the overall number of billionaires from 102 in 2020 to 142 in 2021 and 166 in 2022. In a stark contrast 22.89 crore persons live in poverty in India – the highest in the world, the report said.
The Unequal Tax Burden:
As per the report, the burden of the tax falls invariably high on the poor. Indirect taxes account for a larger portion of income for the lower 50% of earners than for the middle 40% and top 10% combined. The top 10 % spend the least percentage of their income on taxes among the three groups. Sixty-four per cent of all Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections come from the bottom 50 per cent and 4 per cent from the top 10 per cent. The report also said that the bottom 50 per cent of the population pays six times more on indirect taxation than the top 10 per cent.
According to estimates, the lower 50% of the population pays 6.7% of their income in taxes on a limited number of food and non-food goods. Middle 40 per cent spends half of that at 3.3 per cent of their income on food and non-food items. However, the wealthiest 10% of people only spend 0.4% of their income on these things.
Pandemic Driven Inequality:
Inequality has become worse since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The top 5 per cent have continued to see their prosperity rise to owning around three-fifth of the total wealth in India (nearly 62 per cent), which is higher than the pre-pandemic years.
Poor are unable to afford even basic necessities:
India’s billionaires are doing extremely well for themselves even though the nation is experiencing numerous crises like hunger, unemployment, inflation, and health calamities. The poor meanwhile in India are unable to afford even basic necessities to survive. From 190 million in 2018, there were 350 million hungry Indians in 2022.
The Urban-Rural, Gender and Caste Gap:
Inequality also changes with location, gender and caste. The bottom 50 per cent of those living in rural India pay 3 per cent more tax than the bottom half of the urban population. Between 2018 and 2019, female workers earned 63 paise for every 1 rupee a male worker earned. For Scheduled Castes and rural workers, the situation is worse. During the same period, SCs earned 55 per cent and rural workers 50 per cent of what the advantaged social groups and urban workers earned.
Regional carrier Flybig starts flight service from Itanagar to Guwahati
Regional carrier Flybig starts flight service from Itanagar to Guwahati: Regional carrier Flybig commenced its services from Itanagar to Guwahati. The Flybig carrier has commenced flights from Hollongi in Arunachal Pradesh to Guwahati in Assam. This makes Itanagar the third destination in Arunachal Pradesh and the tenth destination overall on the Flybig network. Flybig flies six days a week to Tezu and seven days to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh from Guwahati. Except for Wednesday, morning flights from Itanagar to Guwahati will run every day.
January 2023 Current Affairs Quiz
About Flybig
Regional airline Flybig is headquartered in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. The airline began its operations in December 2020 and is focused on connecting tier-2 cities within India. The company received a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and received its Air Operator’s Certificate (AoC) on 14th December 2020. It began operations with a single ATR-72-500. The flight commenced on 21st December 2020 and to fulfil its obligations, the airline wet-leased a Dash 8 Q400 from Spicejet.
Virat Kohli becomes fifth highest run scorer in ODI cricket
Virat Kohli becomes fifth highest run scorer in ODI cricket: Star cricketer Virat Kohli became the fifth-highest run-scorer in history of ODI cricket, overtaking Sri Lankan legend Mahela Jayawardene to enter into top-five. Virat has 12,652 runs in 268 ODIs at the time he rose to the fifth-highest run-scorer position, with 45 tonnes and 65 half-centuries. His average was 57.78. In the format, he has a high score of 183.
January 2023 Current Affairs Quiz
As per records, the highest run-scorer in ODI history is Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, who has scored 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83. He has 49 centuries and 96 fifties in this format, with the best of 200*. Followed by Sachin, Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara (14,234 runs in 404 matches), Australian great Ricky Ponting (13,704), Sri Lankan all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya (13,430 in 445 matches) and Virat.
Other important info
- 10 of Sri Lanka’s ODI hundreds by Kohli. He’s the first player to hit ten ODI centuries against an opponent. Kohli also has nine hundreds against West Indies, while Tendulkar also has nine against Australia.
- 96 ODI wins for India against Sri Lanka, the most by a team against an opponent in this format, surpassing Australia’s 95 wins against New Zealand.
- 106 total balls For India, Kohli needed to finish 150 in the second-fastest time. The quickest is by Ishan Kishan, who took 103 balls to reach 150 during his double-ton against Bangladesh last month.
- 73 Sri Lanka’s total in Thiruvananthapuram, their lowest against India in men’s ODIs. Their previous lowest was 96 in Sharjah during the 1984 Asia Cup. It is the third-lowest total against India for any team and the fourth-lowest total for Sri Lanka.
PM Modi announces ‘Aarogya Maitri’ for medical supplies to developing nations
About Aarogya Maitri:- Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a new ‘Aarogya Maitri’ project under which India will provide essential medical supplies to any developing country affected by natural disasters or humanitarian crisis and proposed to set up a ‘centre of excellence’ to facilitate development solutions to these countries.
January 2023 Current Affairs Quiz
In his opening address at the concluding session of the Voice of Global South virtual summit, India will start a “science and technology initiative,” according to Modi, to share its know-how with other developing countries. He announced that New Delhi would establish new scholarships to encourage students from developing nations to attend Indian universities.
The prime minister said India will launch the Global South Science and Technology Initiative to share its expertise in areas such as space technology and nuclear energy, and establish the Global South Center of Excellence for research on development solutions that can be scaled up and implemented around the world.
PM Modi also suggested a Global South Young Diplomats Forum that will help connect youthful officers to the Foreign Ministries.
Startup firm IG Drones Develops India’s First 5G-enabled Drone, Skyhawk
Startup firm IG Drones Develops India’s First 5G-enabled Drone, Skyhawk: Startup firm IG Drones, which was born out of the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) campus in Odisha’s Sambalpur has developed a 5G-enabled drone that is capable of vertical take-off and landing. It doesn’t require a conventional runway because it can VTOL (vertical take-off and land) from any terrain.
January 2023 Current Affairs Quiz
Significance of Skyhawk Drones:
- The drone named Skyhawk can be used in defence and medical applications, among other sectors. The drone can carry a 10 kg payload and has an endurance of around five hours.
- With Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) providing 5G services in the country, these drones can be controlled with much more precision and can be controlled from the command centre directly rather than being on the field.
- With the addition of Artificial intelligence and thermal imaging capabilities, the drones can be used in monitoring border intrusion and also during regular patrolling by the defence forces.
- It is IP67 rated and can be controlled via a combination of NavIC + GPS navigational satellites which remain connected in the upper range of 50 to 60 in case of failsafe activation.
- In the event that an internet connection is not available, the drone can also be controlled through satellite.
About IG Drones Other Projects:
IG Drones is developing new technology-based disaster response and mitigation to increase the efficiency and efficacy of first responders’ aid in emergency response and catastrophe mapping. In the midst of major catastrophes like the Assam Floods, Amphan Cyclone, Fani Cyclone, Jajpur Flood in Odisha, Maharashtra Flood, and Uttarakhand CloudBurst, they have used drone and GIS technologies to save hundreds of thousands of lives.
IG Drones had developed a SaaS global platform for unmanned flight has been a godsend to the disaster management community which has helped their stand to ace at People’s Choice Awards by Airwards.
The SaaS platform also assists in the interpolation of micro-level high-resolution drone data with low-resolution satellite imagery data, which is a key function. Various stakeholders in the pre- and post-disaster ecosystem, ranging from Disaster Management Authorities to Humanitarian Organizations, Growers, and Banking Institutions, have used the SaaS Platform for the analysed Drone data to help bring all important actors together in an integrated framework. They have been recognised as India’s top drone consultancy.
SMBC Bank, Oaktree Submit EoIs for IDBI’s Strategic Stake Sale
SMBC Bank, Oaktree Submit EoIs for IDBI’s Strategic Stake Sale: Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Group (SMBC Bank) of Japan and Oaktree Capital Management are among those that have submitted expressions of interest (EoIs) for the strategic stake sale in IDBI Bank. Oaktree is a US alternative assets firm founded by Howard Marks, one of the world’s most formidable distressed debt investors. The Center and LIC both own the portion that is being auctioned. Tuhin Kanta Pandey, secretary of the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), has stated that “several expressions of interest received for the strategic disinvestment of the government and ownership in IDBI Bank.” The transaction will now move to the second stage.
January 2023 Current Affairs Quiz
The government and LIC together are looking to sell 60.72% in IDBI Bank and had invited bids from potential buyers last October. The government will offload 30.48 per cent of its stake in the bank and the LIC will sell 30.24 per cent. Together, the two own 94.71% of the lender.The Centre holds over 45 per cent stake in the bank. In a recent move, SEBI gave its nod to reclassifying government’s remaining stake after the sale as public making the offer lucrative for prospective buyers. The successful bidder will have to make an open offer for the acquisition of 5.28% of public shareholding. January 7 was the last date for submitting EoIs. The financial bids are expected to be invited by March end.
Eligibility Criteria:
It is widely believed a consortium, two foreign banks and a private equity firm are said to be among those that have submitted the paperwork. There is speculation that JC Flowers, Canada-based Fairfax group and Emirates NBD Bank may be interested.
There is no guarantee that those submitting EoIs will submit firm bids. The government has said that the potential investor should have a minimum net worth of Rs 22,500 crore and have reported a net profit in three out of the past five years to be eligible to bid.
A maximum of four members will be allowed in a consortium and the successful bidder will be mandated to lock in at least 40% of the equity capital for five years from the date of acquisition.
Best Agripreneurs honoured on National Youth Day
Best Agripreneurs honoured on National Youth Day: On the occasion of National Youth Day, 82 best Agripreneurs trained under Agri-Clinic and Agri-Business (AC&ABC) scheme were hounered for their significant contribution through Agri-Clinic and Agri-business services to the farmers.
January 2023 Current Affairs Quiz
An overview of the news
The Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Scheme is a mega flagship scheme of the Government, which was launched by the Government of India in April 2002 in collaboration with NABARD.
It aims to transform unemployed youth into self-employed agri-entrepreneurs through 45 days free residential training in different parts of the country along with access to loans and subsidies from banks.
The scheme is being implemented by the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Hyderabad through a network of 136 Nodal Training Institutes (NTIS) spread across all states.
