This is the current affairs of 17 & 18 August 2023. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. Supreme Court bans stereotypical words for women in judgments and pleadings, what will be used in place of the word ‘affair’ as per the new handbook?
a. Relationship Outside of Marriage
b. Man or Woman in love
c. Wife
d. None of these
Answer: a. Relationship Outside of Marriage
– The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court launched the Gender Stereotype (Traditional) Combat Handbook on August 16, 2023, to curb the use of offensive words against women.
– CJI D.V. Chandrachud stated that this will help judges and lawyers understand which words are sexist and how they can be avoided.
What’s in the Gender Stereotype Combat Handbook:
– This handbook contains a list of offensive words and provides words and phrases that can be used in their place.
– These can be used for presenting arguments in court, issuing orders, and preparing its copies.
– This handbook is not only for lawyers but also for judges.
– It includes words that previous courts have used.
– It also explains why certain words are inappropriate and how they can distort the law.
#List of words#
Word: replacement
– Adulteress : Woman who has engaged in sexual relations outside of marriage
– Affair : Relationship outside of marriage
– Bastard : Non-marital child or, a child whose parents were not married
– Biological sex / biological male/ biological female : Sex assigned at birth
– Born a girl/boy : Assigned female/male at birth
– Career woman : Woman
– Carnal intercourse : Sexual intercourse
– Chaste woman : Woman
– Child prostitute : Child who has been trafficked
– Concubine / keep : Woman with whom a man has had romantic or sexual relations outside of marriage
– Dutiful wife/Faithful wife / Good wife/Obedient wife : Wife
– Easy virtue (e.g., a woman of easy virtue) : Woman
– Effeminate (when used pejorative-ly) : Accurately describe the characteristic using a gender neutral term (e.g., confident or responsible)
– Eve teasing : Street sexual harassment
– Faggot : Accurately describe the individual’s sexual orientation (e.g., homosexual or bisexual)
– Fallen woman : Woman
– Feminine hygiene products : Menstrual products
– Forcible rape : Rape
– Harlot : Woman
– Hermaphrodite : Intersex
– Hooker : Sex worker
– Hormonal (to describe a woman’s emotional state) : Use a gender neutral term to describe the emotion (e.g., compassionate or enthusiastic)
– Housewife : Homemaker
– Indian woman/western woman : Woman
– Ladylike : Use a gender neutral description of behaviour or charac- teristics (e.g., amusing or assertive)
– Layabout/ Shirker : Unemployed
– Marriageable age : A woman who has attained the legal age required to marry
– Mistress : Woman with whom a man has had romantic or sexual relations outside of marriage
– Prostitute : Sex worker
– Provider / Breadwinner : Employed or earning
– Provocative clothing / dress : Clothing / dress
– Ravished (e.g., she was “ravished” by him) : Sexually harassed/ assaulted or raped
– Seductress : Woman
– Sex change : Sex reassignment or gender transition
– Slut : Woman
– Spinster : Unmarried woman
Survivor or Victim? An individual who has been affacted by sexual violence may identify themselves as either a “survivor” or “victim”. Both terms are applicable unless the individual has expressed a preference, in which case the individual’s preference should be respected.
– Transsexual : Transgender
– Transvestite : Cross-dresser
– Unwed Mother : Mother
– Violated (e.g., violaded her) : Sexually harassed/ assaulted or raped
– Whore : woman
– Woman of loose morals / easy virture / promiscuous woman / wanton woman : woman
- Select words
Word: replacement
– Adultries: A woman who is in a sexual relationship outside marriage
– Affair: Relationship outside marriage
Bastard: A child whose parents are not married
– Biological Sex / Biological Male / Biological Female : The gender assigned at birth
Prostitute/Hooker: Sex worker
Unwed Mother: Mother
Child Prostitution: Smuggled child
Eve teasing: street sexual harassment
– Provocative clothing / dress (provocative clothes) : Clothing / dress
Feminine: Use of gender neutral words instead
– Good Wife: Wife
– Concubine / Keep (Concubine): A woman who has a physical relationship with a man outside of marriage.
– Indian Woman / Western Woman : Woman
– Housewife: Womanmaker
Kolkata High Court’s Prepared Lexicon:
– The legal lexicon described by CJI Chandrachud has been prepared by a committee chaired by Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya of the Kolkata High Court.
– This committee included retired Justice Prabha Sridevan, Justice Geeta Mittal, and Professor Jhuma Sen, who are currently faculty members at the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences in Kolkata.
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2. The central government has approved the Vishwakarma scheme, under this how much amount will be spent in five years?
a. 5,000 Crore
b. 10,000 Crore
c. 12,000 Crore
d. 13,000 Crore
Answer: d. 13,000 Crore
– The Central Cabinet approved the Vishwakarma Scheme on Wednesday, August 16, 2023.
– This scheme will provide assistance to the country’s small laborers, ranging from loans to skill development.
– The government will spend ₹13,000 crores over 5 years on this scheme.
– The goal of the Vishwakarma Scheme is to empower 3 million families engaged in traditional professions such as weaving, goldsmithing, blacksmithing, laundry work, barbering, etc.
18 Traditional Occupations in the Scheme:
– This scheme will include professions like weavers, boat builders, gunsmiths, blacksmiths, hammer and tool kit makers, lock makers, goldsmiths, potters, sculptors, stone breakers, cobblers, locksmiths, basket/weaving/broom makers, traditional doll and toy makers, barbers, garland makers, washermen, tailors, and makers of fishing nets.
How Much Help will Craftsmen and Artisans Receive:
– Craftsmen and artisans will receive the PM Vishwakarma Certificate and ID card, along with credit assistance of up to ₹1 lakh (first installment) and ₹2 lakhs (second installment) at a subsidized interest rate of 5%.
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3. Union cabinet approved how many rail projects at a cost of 32,500 crores?
a. 5
b. 6
c. 7
d. 8
Answer: c. 7
– These projects spread across nine states will add 2,339 kilometers to the existing network.
– These new railway projects will cover 35 districts across nine states: UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Telangana.
– Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnav stated that these projects will expand the current Indian Railway network by 2,339 kilometers.
These seven railway projects are as follows:
1- Proposed doubling of the 96-kilometer Gorakhpur Chavani – Valmiki Nagar (Bihar) single-line section at a cost of ₹1,269.8 crores.
2- Doubling of the 239-kilometer Guntur – Bibinagar (Telangana) single-line section at a cost of ₹3,238 crores.
3- Doubling of the Chopan-Churk single-line section, which will provide rapid connectivity to the Singrauli mining area in Madhya Pradesh and the cement industry region of Churk-Chopan (UP) to Varanasi, Lucknow, and Delhi.
4- Doubling of the Mahbubnagar (Telangana) – Dhone (AP) section along with Mudkhed (Maharashtra) – Medchal (Telangana) section at a total cost of ₹5,655.4 crores.
5- The 53-kilometer Samakhiali – Gandhidham section (Gujarat) at a cost of ₹1,571 crores.
6- A third line between Nergundi and Barang in Odisha and Kurda Road-Vijaynagram in Odisha at a cost of ₹5,618 crores.
7- Multi-tracking of the 374.5-kilometer Son Nagar-Andal line at a cost of ₹13,606 crores.
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4. The Union Cabinet approved the extension of Digital India program by five years, how much amount is planned to be spent under it?
a. 5,000 Crore
b. 10,000 Crore
c. 12,000 Crore
d. 14,903 Crore
Answer: d. 14,903 Crore
What will happen in the second phase of the Digital India Program?
– Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnav, mentioned that as part of the project, 625,000 IT professionals will be reskilled and upgraded. 265,000 people will be trained in IT trends.
– Under the National Supercomputing Mission, 18 supercomputers have already been deployed. Now, an additional nine supercomputers will be added to this.
– The expansion of the Computer Emergency Response Team, India (CERT-In), is also included.
– This fund will also be used to enhance and modernize the National Knowledge Network (NKN), which is a high-speed broadband network established in 2010 to improve connectivity among educational and research institutions.
– The Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) platform, which provides access to nearly 1,700 government services, will incorporate 540 more services.
– The AI-enabled translation tool called “Bhashini,” developed in collaboration with Microsoft and Open AI, will be presented in all 22 languages included in Schedule 8 of the constitution.
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5. The Union Cabinet approved the ‘PM E-Bus Seva Yojana’ of ₹ 57,613 Crore, under which how many electric buses will be run in 169 cities of the country?
a. 5000
b. 10,000
c. 12,000
d. 15,000
Answer: b. 10,000
– The estimated cost of the PM E-Bus Service Scheme will be ₹57,613 crores, out of which the central government will provide ₹20,000 crores.
– An official statement has indicated that this scheme will assist in bus operations for a period of 10 years.
– According to Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, this scheme will be implemented in two phases.
– Using the Public-Private-Public-Partnership (PPPP) model, 10,000 e-buses will be deployed in 169 cities.
– Under the Green Urban Mobility Initiatives, the basic framework will be enhanced in 181 other cities.
– The adoption of electric mobility services will help reduce noise and air pollution in Indian cities and also control carbon emissions.
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6. Which American aircraft maker company started production of AH-64 Apache attack helicopters for the Indian Army in August 2023?
a. Boing
b. GE Aerospace
c. Lockheed Martin
d. Comp Air
Answer: a. Boing
– Boeing announced on August 16th that it has commenced the production of Apache helicopters for the Indian Army in the United States.
– The AH-64 Apache is one of the most advanced multi-role combat helicopters globally and is operated by the American military as well as the Indian Army.
– Boeing will deliver a total of six AH-64E Apaches to the Indian Army.
– Prior to this, Boeing had delivered 22 Apache helicopters of the AH-64E model to the Indian Air Force in 2020.
– Subsequently, the Indian Army entered into an agreement with Boeing to manufacture six additional helicopters.
– The delivery of these helicopters is expected to be completed by 2024.
What’s special about the Apache helicopter?
– The helicopter is 16 feet tall and 18 feet wide, requiring two pilots for operation.
– It features two engines to power its large rotor blades, enabling it to achieve a speed of 280 kilometers per hour.
– The helicopter’s design makes it difficult to detect on radar.
– Beneath the helicopter, a 30mm rifle can be loaded with up to 1200 rounds of ammunition.
– The flying range is approximately 550 kilometers, allowing it to fly for over three hours on a single tank of fuel.
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7. Where did the WHO and the Ministry of AYUSH together organize the first ‘Traditional Medicine Global Summit’?
a. Ahmedabad
b. Gandhinagar
c. Delhi
d. Mumbai
Answer: b. Gandhinagar
– The first global summit on the subject of Traditional Medicine was held on August 17th and 18th, 2023, in the capital city of Gujarat, Gandhinagar.
– The event was inaugurated by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).
– The summit saw participation from health ministers of G20 member countries, scientists, practitioners of traditional medicine, healthcare workers, and members of civil society organizations.
– In the year 2022, with the support of the Indian government, WHO established the Global Center for Traditional Medicine.
– Following this, the first global event on this subject has taken place.
– Health Minister – Mansukh Mandaviya
– AYUSH Minister – Sarbananda Sonowal
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8. Which male player received the ‘ICC Player of the Month’ award for July 2023?
a. Chris Woakes
b. Babar Azam
c. Virat Kohli
d. Riley Rossov
Answer: a. Chris Woakes (England player)
– The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced this award in August 2023.
– Chris Woakes is an England player.
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9. Which female player received the ‘ICC Player of the Month’ award for July 2023?
a. Harmanpreet Kaur
b. Beth Mooney
c. Ashley Gardner
d. Alyssa Healy
Answer: c. Ashley Gardner
– Ashley Gardner is an Australian player. He is spin bowling all rounder.
ICC
– Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
– Established: 15 June 1909
– Chairman: Greg Barclay
– CEO: Geoff Allardyce
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10. Famous player Mohammad Habib passed away on 15th August 2023, he was associated with which sport?
a. Cricket
b. Football
c. Hockey
d. Tennis
Answer: b. Football
– He was 75 years old. Was born on 17 July 1949.
– Habib was the great footballer of India in the 70s.
– He played international football till 1975.
– He was also given the Arjuna Award for his contribution to sports.
– He has played 35 international matches.
– He had played Mohun Bagan, East Bengal Club.
– Habib is the only Indian football player who scored a goal against legendary footballer Pele.
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11. When is World Humanitarian Day celebrated?
a. 18 August
b. 19 August
c. 20 August
d. 21 August
Answer: b. 19 August
2023 की थीम
– No Matter What
– This day has been declared by the United Nations.
– In fact, on August 19, 2003, there was a devastating bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq.
– It killed 22 humanitarian aid workers, including Sergio Vieira de Mello, the United Nations Special Representative for Iraq.
– After this, this day was declared as World Humanitarian Day.
