This is the current affairs of 14 & 15 January 2023. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. Who has been elected the new President of Taiwan?
a. KMT Se Hou
b. Wen- J
c. William Lai Ching-te
d. Sai Ing-Wen
Answer: c. William Lai Ching-te
– In Taiwan, the leader of the ruling party and Vice President William Lai Ching-te has won the presidential election.
– Presidential and parliamentary elections took place in Taiwan on January 13, 2024.
– Lai Ching-te and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are considered staunchly anti-China.
– With this victory, the Democratic Progressive Party will begin its third term.
– In reality, Beijing has repeatedly claimed Taiwan as its territory and continues to threaten the island nation with its military strength.
China declares Lai Ching-te as separatist:
– William Lai’s Democratic Progressive Party rejects China’s territorial claims.
– This is why China had declared Lai Ching-te as a separatist even before the elections.
– Allegedly, China had warned the Taiwanese people that if they wanted to avoid a military conflict, they should choose the right option.
Taiwan:
– Official Name: Republic of China (ROC)
– President: Tsai Ing-wen
– Newly Elected President: Lai Ching-te
– Currency: New Taiwan Dollar
– Population: 29 million
China-Taiwan Dispute: What and Why?
– The official name of Taiwan is the Republic of China (ROC).
– Whereas China’s official name is the People’s Republic of China.
– Initially, Taiwan was a part of China, where two main political parties existed – the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang Party.
– The Kuomintang Party had control over a significant part of China.
– Both parties were in conflict with each other, leading to the Chinese Civil War (1927-1949).
– At the end of the civil war, the Communist Party took control of a large part of China.
– At that time, Mao Zedong was the leader of the Communist Party.
– The Kuomintang Party had to flee, and they reached Taiwan.
– The leader of the Kuomintang Party was Chiang Kai-shek.
– At that time, the communist navy was not as powerful, so Mao’s army could not take control of Taiwan by crossing the sea.
– After that, Taiwan declared itself a separate country. Chang Kai-shek became its first president.
– China claims Taiwan and says it is a part of China.
– However, Taiwan considers itself a separate country.
– Xi Jinping clarified in 2019 that Taiwan would eventually be unified with China. He proposed the formula of ‘One Country, Two Systems,’ which Taiwan rejects, seeking complete independence and sovereignty.
Diplomatic Relations of Most Countries, Including India:
– Due to pressure from China, most countries, including India, do not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
– Instead, Taiwan establishes institutions named ‘Taipei Economic and Cultural Centers’ in most countries. These centers are located in major cities, including Delhi in India.
China in the United Nations:
– After World War II, Chiang Kai-shek, as China’s representative, signed the United Nations Charter in 1945.
– During this time, China also became one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
– In 1949, when Chiang Kai-shek, with his 2 million supporters, moved to Taiwan, Taiwan was still officially considered part of China in the United Nations.
– However, during the Vietnam War, when American soldiers were trapped, China gained recognition in the United Nations in 1971.
– Since China and the Soviet Union were supporting a faction in Vietnam and were skilled in guerrilla warfare, the situation was unfavorable for the United States.
– It is believed that as part of a deal, the United States supported China, and in 1971, present-day China replaced Taiwan in the United Nations, becoming the recognized China and a permanent member of the Security Council.
During this time, then-U.S. President Richard Nixon visited China.
– In the following years, the United States re-established relations with China and severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
– The One China Policy agreement was reached between China and the United States, acknowledging that Taiwan is a part of China.
– Despite China’s objections, the United States continued to supply weapons to Taiwan.
– While the U.S. has supported the One China Policy for decades, its stance on the Taiwan issue remains ambiguous.
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2. Famous classical singer Prabha Atre passed away on 13 January 2024, which honor did she receive?
a. Padmabhushan
b. Padmashree
c. Padmavibhushan
d. all three above
Answer: d. all three above
– The famous classical singer Prabha Atre has passed away at the age of 92 due to a heart attack.
– Prabha Atre, who had connections with Pune, was honored with Padma Shri in 1990, Padma Bhushan in 2002, and Padma Vibhushan in 2022.
– Hailing from a Kirana Gharana background, Prabha Atre’s three books on her music compositions, Swaragini, Swararangi, and Swaranjani, are quite popular.
– Prabha Atre has also served as a former Assistant Producer at All India Radio and is an A-grade drama artist.
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Swachh Survekshan Award 2023
– President Draupadi Murmu presented the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023 at a ceremony at Bharat Mandapam (Delhi) on 11 January 2024.
#National Performance#
3. Which cities with population of more than one lakh got the first prize of Swachh Survekshan 2023?
a. Surat and Jabalpur
b. Indore and Agra
c. Mumbai and Chennai
d. Indore and Surat
Answer: d. Indore and Surat
– Both of these are cities with a population of more than 1 lakh.
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4. The President gave the first prize to Surat and Indore in the Swachh Survekshan 2023 (city with population more than 1 lakh), in which Indore got the first place for which time?
a. 5th
b. 6th
c. 7th
d. 8th
Answer: c. 7th
– Indore is a city of Madhya Pradesh.
– Surat is a city of Gujarat.
– President Draupadi Murmu presented the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023 at a ceremony at Bharat Mandapam (Delhi) on 11 January 2024.
– This survey is conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
– Indore city has secured first position in the survey for the seventh consecutive time.
– Along with this, Surat also got the first place.
Swachh Survekshan 2023 ranking in cities with population more than one lakh
1. Indore
1. Surat
3. Navi Mumbai
4. Greater Visakhapatnam (GVMC)
5. Bhopal
6. Vijayawada
7. New Delhi (NDMC)
8. Trirupati
9. Greater Hyderabad
10. Pune
Which city has a better position in the states?
1- Maharashtra: Navi Mumbai, Pune (Rank 3, 10 in the country)
2- Madhya Pradesh: Indore, Bhopal (Rank 1, 5 in the country)
3- Chhattisgarh: Raipur (Rank 12 in the country)
4- Odisha: Bhubaneswar (Rank 34 in the country)
5- Telangana: Greater Hyderabad (Rank 9 in the country)
6- Andhra Pradesh: Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Trirupati (Rank 4, 6, 8 in the country)
7- Punjab: SAS Nagar, Mohali (Rank 82 in the country)
8- Gujarat: Surat, Ahmedabad (Rank 1, 15 in the country)
9- UP: Noida (Rank 14 in the country)
10- Tamil Nadu: Tiruchirappalli (Rank 112 in the country)
14- Haryana: Rohtak, Karnal (Rank 109, 115 in the country)
15- Bihar: Patna (Rank 77 in the country)
19- Uttarakhand: Dehradun (Rank 68 in the country)
25- Rajasthan: Jaipur (Rank 171 in the country)
Important facts
– The central government has set a target of making all cities garbage free by the year 2026. For this, ‘Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0’ is going on.
– Theme of Swachh Survekshan 2023 – Waste to Wealth
– Theme of Swachh Survekshan 2024 – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
– This means reduce waste, recycle and reuse.
Madhya Pradesh
– CM: Mohan Yadav
– Gunwarar: Mangubhai Patel
– Capital: Bhopal
– Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs- Hardeep Singh Puri
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5. Which city with population less than one lakh was given the first prize of Swachh Survekshan 2023?
a. Lucknow
b. Saswad
c. Lonavala
d. Patan
Answer: b. Saswad (city in Maharashtra)
Ranking in cities with population less than one lakh
1. Saswad (Maharashtra)
2. Patan (Chhattisgarh)
3. Lonavala (Maharashtra)
4. Karad (Maharashtra)
5. Panchgani (Maharashtra)
Maharashtra
CM – Eknath Shinde
Governor – Ramesh Bais
Capital – Mumbai
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#State Performance#
6. Which Cantonment Board got the top award of Swachh Survekshan 2023?
a. Ahmedabad Cantt, Gujarat
b. Agra Cantt, Uttar Pradesh
c. Ahmednagar Cantt, Maharashtra
d. Mhow Cantt, Madhya Pradesh
Answer: d. Mhow Cantt, Madhya Pradesh
– Out of total 61 Cantonment Boards, Mhow Cantt has secured the top position.
Top-5 Cantonment Board
1. Mhow Cantt – Madhya Pradesh
2. Devlali Cantt – Maharashtra
3. Ahmedabad Cantt – Gujarat
4. Secunderabad Cantt – Telangana
5. Ahmednagar Cantt – Maharashtra
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7. Who got the top award among cleanest Ganga cities in Swachh Survekshan 2023?
a. Patna, Bihar
b. Haridwar, Uttarakhand
c. Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
d. Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
Answer: c. Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
– Three cities of Uttar Pradesh are at the top position in the list of total 88 clean Ganga cities.
Top 10 Clean Ganga Cities
1. Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
2. Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
3. Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh
4. Haridwar, Uttarakhand
5. Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh
6 Patna, Bihar
7 Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
8 Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
9 Rajmahal, Jharkhand
10 Sahibganj, Jharkhand
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8. Who was awarded the best performing state (among less than 100 urban local bodies {ULBs}) in Swachh Survekshan 2023?
a. Bihar
b. Maharashtra
c. Madhya Pradesh
d. Odisha
Answer: b. Maharashtra
– Maharashtra has the highest score of 3721.55.
– There are a total of 27 states in the list with less than 100 urban local bodies {ULBs}. Arunachal Pradesh is at 27th place.
Top 10 States [Less than 100 Urban Local Bodies {ULBs}]
1. Maharashtra
2. Madhya Pradesh
3.Chhattisgarh
4. Odisha
5. Telangana
6. Andhra Pradesh
7. Punjab
8. Gujarat
9. Uttar Pradesh
10. Tamil Nadu
14. Haryana
15. Bihar
19. Uttarakhand
25. Rajasthan
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9. When is National Youth Day celebrated?
a. 9 January
b. 10 January
c. 11 January
d. 12 January
Answer: d. 12 January
– This day is celebrated on the birthday of Swami Vivekananda.
– He was born on 12 January 1863.
– National Youth Day was announced by the Government of India in the year 1984.
– It was celebrated for the first time in the year 1985.
– Its objective is to inspire the youth with the ideals and thoughts of Swami Vivekananda.
– Every year 12-16 January is celebrated as National Youth Week.
– International Youth Day: 12 August
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10. When is Indian Army Day celebrated?
a. 14 January
b. 15 January
c. 16 January
d. 17 January
Answer: b. 15 January
– It is celebrated in the honor of Indian Army
– In the year 1949, Lieutenant General K M Cariappa of the Indian Army was made the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
– In memory of this, Army Day is celebrated on 15 January.
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11. In which state the three-day International Camel Festival was organized in January 2024?
a. Gujarat
b. Rajasthan
c. Uttar Pradesh
d. Uttarakhand
Answer: b. Rajasthan
– International Camel Festival was held in Bikaner, Rajasthan from 12 to 14 January 2024.
The three-day camel festival witnessed colorful programs of local art and culture including camel race, horse racing, Bikaner carnival, classical forms of arts, celebrity night and fire dance.
