This is the current affairs of 13 & 14 July 2023. Here are 11 questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. French President Emmanuel Macron has given the highest honor to PM Modi, name it?
a. The Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor
b. President’s Medal
c. george cross
d. none of these
Answer: a. The Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor
– In President Palace in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron awarded the highest honor of France, “The Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor,” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the night of July 13, 2023.
– He has become the first Indian Prime Minister to receive this prestigious honor.
– This award is given for “outstanding merit in serving the nation in civilian or military capacities.”
– According to the official website of France, “Foreigners can be honored with the Legion of Honor if they have provided services to France (such as cultural or economic) or have supported causes endorsed by France, such as human rights, freedom of the press, or humanitarian action. According to the criteria of the award, official figures on diplomatic missions can be awarded the Legion of Honor for supporting political reciprocity and supporting France’s foreign policy in this way.”
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2. Name the French Prime Minister, who received Bastille Day special guest PM Modi at the airport in Paris?
a. Sanna Marin
b. Emmanuel Macon
c. edith cresson
d. Elizabeth Bourne
Answer: d. Elizabeth Bourne
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Paris on July 13, 2023.
– He was received by the Prime Minister of France, Elizabeth Bourne, at the airport. He was welcomed with a red carpet and was also given a guard of honor.
– PM Modi has been invited as the Chief Guest on France’s National Day, also known as Bastille Day, which falls on July 14, 2023.
Completion of 25 years of the India-France strategic partnership
– PM Modi’s visit comes at a time when the India-France strategic partnership has completed 25 years.
Prior to Modi, in 2009, Manmohan Singh became the first Indian Prime Minister to be invited as the Chief Guest on Bastille Day.
President Macron to host a private dinner
– President Emmanuel Macron of France will host a private dinner for Modi at his official residence, the Élysée Palace.
– During this time, there will also be bilateral discussions between the two leaders.
Modi announces 4 declarations for the Indian diaspora
– A statue of Tamil poet and saint Thiruvalluvar will be installed in France. His book, Thirukkural, is famous worldwide and has been translated into several languages.
– Indian students pursuing masters in France will be granted a long-term post-study visa of 5 years. Previously, the post-study visa was limited to 2 years.
– The Indian government has decided to open a new consulate in Marseille with the assistance of the French government.
– Indians in France will also be able to make digital payments through UPI.
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3. The central government approved the purchase of which fighter aircraft from France for the Indian Navy?
a. F-22 Raptor
b. F/A-18F Super Hornet
c. Rafale-M
d. none of these
Answer: c. Rafale-M
– India has given approval for the purchase of this combat aircraft.
– A total of 26 Rafale M will be purchased.
The deal being made between India and France for these Rafale M will be included in the Navy’s fleet. – They are quite different from the Rafale included in the Air Force fleet.
– The airframe of the Rafale M is designed in such a way that it can land on an aircraft carrier, while the Rafale has a standard airframe.
Why was Rafale chosen?
– Rafale M is also manufactured by Dassault Aviation.
This jet will operate from the Indian Navy’s warship INS Vikrant.
– Prior to India, Greece, Indonesia, and the UAE’s militaries have been using Rafale M.
– The Navy conducted trials of the jet in 2022 and submitted its report to the Ministry of Defense.
The Navy believes that Rafale can fulfill its requirements much better.
– The French Navy currently has 240 Rafale M jets.
Dassault began manufacturing these jets in 1986.
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4. The European Parliament (EP) passed a resolution calling for an end to violence in which Indian state on 13 July 2023, which was rejected by India as an internal matter?
a. Gujarat
b. Manipur
c. Jammu and Kashmir
d. Uttar Pradesh
Answer: b. Manipur
– Prior to the arrival of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Paris, France, the European Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg passed a resolution related to India on July 13, 2023.
– The resolution alleges that recent violence has occurred in Manipur due to intolerance towards minority communities.
– The proposal expresses concern that divisive policies influenced by politics are promoting Hindu majoritarianism in the region.
– It states that violence has occurred in Manipur due to intolerance towards minority communities.
– It is believed that international pressure is increasing on India regarding the Manipur violence.
What the European Parliament’s proposal includes:
– The European Parliament, in its proposal, condemns the recent violence, loss of life, and destruction of property in Manipur and criticizes it as “the most strident expression of nationalist rhetoric by prominent members of the Bharatiya Janata Party.”
– The proposal calls on the European Union to “place human rights and democratic values at the center of its relationship with India.”
– Several members also condemned the attacks on Christians.
– The European Parliament has also called for the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from the region and the restoration of internet services.
India’s response:
– India has taken a strong stance regarding the discussion on the Manipur issue in the European Parliament.
– The spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, issued a statement regarding this.
– It was stated that there was a discussion and adoption of a resolution on the Manipur issue in the European Parliament.
– This step is seen as interference in India’s internal affairs.
– We consider it a colonial mindset.
India, including the judiciary, is addressing the situation in Manipur at every level.
– Efforts are underway to maintain peace and brotherhood there.
– We advise the European Union to spend their time and resources on improving their internal matters.
About the European Parliament:
– The European Union is a group of 27 countries that operates as an economic and political bloc.
Its legislative body is the European Parliament (EP).
– However, the European Parliament does not have as much legislative power as the parliaments of its member countries.
– Headquarters of the European Parliament: Strasbourg, France.
– Administrative offices: Luxembourg.
Where the sessions are held: Usually four days a month in Strasbourg, but additional sessions are sometimes held in Brussels.
– Meetings of the committees of the Parliament mainly take place in Brussels, Belgium.
– Member countries: 27.
Reason behind violence in Manipur:
– In Manipur, there have been violent clashes between two groups, Meitei and Kuki, since May 3, resulting in the deaths of more than 142 people.
– The Meitei community has been demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for a long time.
– The High Court had ruled in favor of their demand, after which violence broke out in Manipur.
Manipur:
– Chief Minister: N. Biren Singh.
– Governor: Anusuiya Uikey.
– Capital: Imphal.
– Neighboring states: Nagaland, Assam, and Mizoram.
– Bordering country: Myanmar.
Application of Article 355 of the Constitution in Manipur:
– This provision grants the central government the authority to take all necessary steps for the defense of the state against internal disturbances and external aggression.
– Article 355 has been invoked in Manipur, meaning that the government has deemed the state government unable to maintain law and order.
– The law and order of the state are taken over by the central government.
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5. The launch of Chandrayaan-3 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh took place on 14th July 2023 at 2:35 PM.
Important Point
– Rocket used for the launch – Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3)
– Duration of the journey – Chandrayaan-3 will reach the Moon in 41 days.
– Landing on the Moon – It will land on the lunar surface on 24th-25th August.
– Landing site on the Moon – Soft landing on the South Pole (Southern Hemisphere) of the Moon.
– Over the next 14 days, the rover lander will roam around in 360 degrees and perform several tests. – The lander will also send images of the imprints made by the rover’s wheels on the lunar surface.
The lander carries four scientific instruments.
– The first instrument will measure lunar quakes (moonquakes).
– The second instrument will determine how the lunar surface conducts heat.
– The third instrument will study the plasma environment.
– The fourth instrument will accurately measure the distance between the Earth and the Moon.
ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation)
– Chief: S. Somnath.
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6. When is the world plastic surgery day celebrated?
a. 15 July
b. 16 July
c. 17 July
d. 18 July
Answer: a. 15 July
– The Association of Plastic Surgeons in India (APSI) had announced the celebration of this day.
– This day is observed to raise awareness about the importance of plastic surgery.
– It was first celebrated on 15 July 2021.
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7. In the 50th meeting of the GST Council, the tax on online gaming, horse racing and casino was increased from 18% to how much?
a. 24%
b. 28%
c. 36%
d. 48%
Answer: b. 28%
– The 50th meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council was held on 11th July 2023.
– It was decided to impose a 28% tax on online gaming, horse racing, and casinos.
– Previously, these activities were subject to an 18% tax.
Decisions of the GST Council:
– Approval was given to remove GST on the import of the cancer drug Denutuximab.
– A decision was made to impose a 22% cess on SUVs and MUVs.
– Sedan cars were kept outside the ambit of the 22% cess.
– GST on unpackaged snacks was reduced from 18% to 5%.
– The GST on imitation jewelry and zari threads was reduced from 12% to 5%.
– Satellite launch services provided by private companies were granted a GST exemption.
– Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMP) used in rare diseases will no longer be subject to GST.
– The recommendation to reduce GST on food and beverages in cinema halls from 18% to 5% was also approved.
About GST:
– The GST Council consists of 33 members.
– The Union Finance Minister serves as its Chairperson.
– GST is divided into three components: CGST (Central Goods and Services Tax), SGST (State Goods and Services Tax), and IGST (Integrated Goods and Services Tax) applicable to inter-state transactions.
– GST has four tax categories: 5%, 8%, 18%, and 24%.
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8. Why the 60-year record of flood in Delhi was broken?
a. Unexpected Rain
b. Silt in the Yamuna River
c. Reduced Width of the River due to Illegal Construction
d. All of the above
Answer: d. All of the above (Unexpected Rain, Silt in the Yamuna River, Reduced Width of the River due to Illegal Construction)
– The water level of the Yamuna River in Delhi is flowing 3 meters above the danger mark. The water of the Yamuna has reached the Red Fort.
– 16 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the low-lying areas to assist the people.
There are three reasons for this:
1. Unexpected Rain: There has been 62% more rainfall than the average during the monsoon season. This caused excess water to be released from the Hathini Kund barrage in Haryana. If this had not been done, the devastation could have been significant. The barrage has its capacity, and when there is more water than its capacity, it has to be released.
2. Silt in the Yamuna River: There is a distance of 180 kilometers between the Hathini Kund barrage and Delhi. Previously, it used to take 24 hours for water to reach this distance, but this time the water arrived much faster. The main reason for this is the accumulation of silt in the Yamuna River, which has reduced its depth. There are many bridges in Delhi, and silt has been accumulating around their pillars, which was not removed. This reduced the water-catching capacity of the river.
3. Reduced Width of the River due to Illegal Construction: Illegal construction has been done to such an extent that the width of the river has decreased. People continued with construction activities. When the width and depth decreased, the water reached Delhi rapidly.
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9. Elon Musk announced to start Artificial Intelligence (AI) company, name it?
a. xAI
b. yAI
c. zAI
d. aAI
Answer: a. xAI
– Elon Musk wants to create an xAI company that can compete with OpenAI, the creator of the successful AI chatbot called GPT (ChatGPT), backed by Microsoft.
– Interestingly, Musk initially invested $10 billion in OpenAI, but later he parted ways with the company. In recent months, both ChatGPT and GPT-4 have gained popularity worldwide.
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10. When is World Youth Skills Day celebrated?
a. 13 July
b. 14 July
c. 15 July
d. 16 July
Answer: c. 15 July
The theme for 2023:
– Skilling teachers, trainers, and youth for a transformative future
