This is the current affairs of 17 October 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 appointed as the new Governor of Odisha?
a. Manohar Lal Khattar
b. Shivraj Singh Chauhan
c. Raghubar Das
d. Rakesh Maria
Answer: c. Raghubar Das
– President Draupadi Murmu has appointed former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Raghuvir Das, as the new Governor of Odisha.
– He will replace Ganeshi Lal.
– Currently, Raghuvir Das is the National Vice President of the BJP.
– He served as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand from 2014 to 2019.
Odisha
CM – Naveen Kumar
Capital – Bhubaneswar
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2. Who has been appointed as the new Governor of Tripura?
a. Shivraj Singh Chauhan
b. Mukesh Balayogi
c. Alluri Sitaram Raju
d. Indra Sena Reddy Nallu
Answer: d. Indra Sena Reddy Nallu
– President Draupadi Murmu has appointed BJP leader Indra Sena Reddy Nallu as the new Governor of Tripura.
– He will replace Satyadev Narayan Arya.
He is a national executive member of the BJP.
Tripura
– CM: Manik Sah
– Capital: Agartala
– Appointment of the Governor
– As per Article 155 of the Constitution, the President of India appoints the Governor of a state on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers.
Qualifications for Becoming a Governor
– As per Article 157 of the Constitution, a person to be eligible for appointment as Governor must be:
– A citizen of India,
– At least 35 years of age,
– Not a member of any state legislature or Parliament,
– Not hold any office of profit.
Term of the Governor
– The Governor is appointed for a term of 5 years and holds the office at the pleasure of the President, similar to the President of India.
– Like the President, the Governor of a state is the head of the state executive.
– The Governor exercises his powers on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers of the state, headed by the Chief Minister.
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3. Who became the new Permanent Representative/Ambassador of India to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva?
a. Indra Mani Pandey
b. Arindam Bagchi
c. Nagaraj Naidu
d. Ruchira Kamboj
Answer: b. Arindam Bagchi
– Instead of Indra Mani Pandey, Arindam Bagchi has been appointed as India’s new permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland.
– Arindam Bagchi is an officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) from the 1995 batch.
– Before his new appointment, he had worked as the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs.
– Prior to that, he had served as Ambassador to Croatia and Deputy High Commissioner in Sri Lanka.
About the United Nations:
– The United Nations (UN) is an international organization established in 1945.
– Its activities include maintaining international peace and security, protecting human rights, providing humanitarian assistance, promoting sustainable development, and upholding international law.
– Its headquarters are in New York, USA, with another office located in Geneva, Switzerland.
– India’s permanent representative to the UN headquarters in New York is Ruchira Kamboj, while Arindam Bagchi serves as the permanent representative in the office in Geneva and for international organizations.
The United Nations Office in Geneva
– In Geneva, there are approximately 40 international organizations, 180 permanent missions, and more than 400 non-governmental organizations.
– Among them are organizations such as WHO (World Health Organization), WTO (World Trade Organization), WMO (World Meteorological Organization), ILO (International Labour Organization), UNAIDS, UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
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4. The Supreme Court, while refusing to give legal recognition to gay marriage, said about which Act that it is the job of Parliament to make changes?
a. IPC
b. Spacial Marriage Act
c. HIndu Marriage Act
d. Muslim Marriage Act
Answer: b. Spacial Marriage Act , 1954
– The Supreme Court has rejected the legalization of same-sex marriage.
– On October 17, the Constitution Bench of 5 judges stated that the court cannot amend the Special Marriage Act.
– The court can only interpret the law and implement it.
– Chief Justice Deepak Chandrachud said that whether changes are needed in the provisions of the Special Marriage Act or not is a matter for the Parliament to decide.
– The court did not recognize marriage as a fundamental right.
– According to the verdict, same-sex couples have no right to adopt children.
The judges who delivered the verdict are:
Chief Justice Deepak Chandrachud
– Justice Hima Kohli
– Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul
– Justice Ravindra Bhat
– Justice P.S. Narasimha
What was the case?
– During the hearing, the petitioners argued that “India is a marriage-based culture” and LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and other non-heterosexual identities) couples should have the same rights as any heterosexual couples, such as the status of “spouse.”
– Financial and insurance matters, divorce, inheritance, and succession cases, and even issues related to adoption and surrogacy.
– The exclusion of LGBTQIA+ marriages under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 is considered discriminatory under Article 14.
– However, the Supreme Court dismissed the case.
Directions to the Central and State Governments from the Supreme Court:
– Ensure that there is no discrimination against same-sex couples.
– Educate the public about their rights. Establish helplines for their assistance.
– Perform sex change operations on a child only when they are capable of understanding it.
– Do not forcibly administer hormones to change a person’s sexual orientation.
– Do not force them to return to their families against their will.
– FIRs against such couples should be filed only after a primary investigation.
Supreme Court tells the Centre: Form a Committee for the Rights of LGBTQ+
– The Central Government has formed a committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary to address the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals.
– This committee will address the concerns of same-sex couples, but it will not interfere in the matter of recognizing their marriages.
– The committee will consider issues such as including same-sex couples in ration cards as a family, enrolling same-sex couples for joint bank accounts, pension, gratuity, and more.
– The report of the committee will be reviewed at the Central Government level.
– Note: In India, homosexuality was already decriminalized by a previous Supreme Court ruling.
– LGBTQ: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (Homosexual), and more.
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5. Central government increased the minimum support price (MSP) of Rabi crops, so what is the MSP of wheat for 2024-25 season?
a. Rs 2275 per quintal
b. Rs 1850 per quintal
c. Rs 5440 per quintal
d. Rs 6425 per quintal
Answer: a. Rs 2275 per quintal
– Under the chairmanship of PM Narendra Modi, the Economic Affairs Cabinet Committee increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of 6 Rabi crops on October 19, 2023.
– The new MSP is for the Rabi Marketing Year 2023-24.
What are Rabi Crops?
– The sowing of Rabi crops primarily takes place in the months of October to November.
– The harvesting of Rabi crops occurs between March and April.
– Rabi crops require cool temperatures during their growth period and dry and warm conditions during the harvesting time.
– Examples include wheat, barley, chickpea, lentils, rapeseed, mustard, safflower, and more.
What are Kharif Crops?
– Kharif crops are those crops that are sown in June-July and harvested around October.
– These crops require higher temperatures and humidity during the sowing period and a dry (arid) environment during the ripening time.
– Examples include rice, sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, maize, mung beans, urad beans, soybeans, and more.
Minimum Support Price (MSP):
– MSP for a crop is the price at which the government purchases that crop from the farmers.
– MSP functions as an alternative to market prices and ensures that farmers receive a fair return for their produce.
– It helps recover the cost of cultivation (and some profit) for farmers.
– The government encourages the production of certain crops by setting MSP.
– However, a report by NITI Aayog states that only about 6% of farmers in the country benefit from MSP because procurement of grains at MSP does not occur in most states.
Does the government purchase all agricultural products at MSP?
– The government does not purchase all agricultural products at MSP.
– The government announces MSP for a total of 23 crops (both Kharif and Rabi combined).
– The central government, with an eye on the country’s food security, procures these cereals. So that there is no shortage of food grains throughout the year.
How many crops are included in MSP?
– Seven types of cereals (rice, wheat, maize, pearl millet, sorghum, finger millet, and barley)
– Five types of pulses (chickpeas, pigeon peas/toor, urad, mung, and masoor)
– Seven types of oilseeds (rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soybean, sunflower, sesame, safflower, and ramtil)
– Four commercial crops (cotton, sugarcane, jute, and raw jute)
How is MSP determined?
– The government announces MSP.
– For this, the government bases its decision on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
– The CACP was established in 1965.
CACP considers the following factors for MSP:
– Demand and supply of a commodity
– Cost of production
– Changing trends in market prices (both domestic and international)
– Inter-crop price parity
– Terms of trade between agriculture and non-agriculture (i.e., the ratio of agricultural wages and prices of agricultural products)
– Minimum of 50 percent margin over the cost of production
– Potential impact of MSP on consumers of that product
‘Flawed Production Estimate’
– United Farmers Forum, a platform for nearly 500 agricultural organizations, raised questions about the central government’s claims and stated that the new MSPs are not linked to the actual cost of cultivation.
Agriculture Minister – Narendra Singh Tomar
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6. Which new sports did the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decide to include in the Los Angeles Olympics 2028?
a. Baseball/Softball
b. Lacrosse, Cricket
c. Squash, Flag Football
d. All of the above
Answer: d. All of the above (Baseball/Softball, Lacrosse, Cricket, Squash, Flag Football)
– This decision was made during the 141st session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
– In the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, five new sports have been included. There have been no changes to the existing games.
– The cricket competition will feature six teams, and the qualification format will be determined by the OIC or ICC.
– Cricket will return to the Olympics after 128 years. It was last played at the 1900 Paris Olympics.
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7. In which city was the 141st session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) held in October 2023?
a. New Delhi
b. Paris
c. New York
d. Mumbai
Answer: d. मुंबई / Mumbai
– The IOC meeting was held in Mumbai from October 15 to 17, 2023.
– Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present during the opening ceremony. He presented India’s bid for the 1936 Olympics, although the decision on this is pending.
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
– Established on: June 23, 1894, by Pierre de Coubertin
– Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
– Thomas Bach is the ninth and current President of the IOC, having been elected to this position for the second time in 2021.
– Bach is the first Olympic champion to hold this position. He is originally from Germany.
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8. When is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty celebrated?
a. 16 October
b. 17 October
c. 18 October
d. 19 October
Answer: b. 17 October
Theme of the Year 2023
– Decent Work and Social Protection: Putting dignity in practice for all
– The objective of this day is to raise awareness about the need for poverty eradication, particularly in developing countries, around the world.
– Declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992.
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9. When is International Chefs Day celebrated?
a. 19 October
b. 20 October
c. 21 October
d. 22 October
Answer: b. 20 October
Theme 2023
– Growing Great Chefs
– The purpose of this day is to educate people around the world about healthy eating.
– International Chefs Day was established by Dr. Bill Gallagher, former President of the World Association of Chefs Societies (Worldchefs), in 2004.
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10. Which Indian won the FIDE Under-20 World Junior Rapid Chess Championship?
a. Nihal Sarin
b. Raunak Sadhwani
c. Gukesh D
d. Arjun Erigaceae
Answer: b. Raunak Sadhwani
– The FIDE Under-20 World Junior Rapid Chess – Championship took place in Italy in October 2023.
India’s Grandmaster Raunak Sadhwani became the champion.
– He is 17 years old and hails from Nagpur, Maharashtra.
