This is the current affairs of 20th & 21st April 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. In which country more than 3000 Indians got stuck due to civil war?
a. Malawi
b. South Africa
c. Mozambique
d. Sudan
Answer: d. Sudan
“Prepare an evacuation plan immediately, Officer: PM”
– The African country Sudan is currently struggling with a severe civil war.
– There is a war going on for control between the army and paramilitary forces here.
– Due to this war, more than 3000 Indians have been stranded in Sudan.
– To evacuate them, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting.
– He met with officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Defence.
– The PM directed them to immediately prepare a plan to evacuate Indians from Sudan and work on it.
“Siddaramaiah and Jaishankar’s heated tweets”
– Among the stranded people in Sudan, about 30 belong to the Hakki Pikki tribe of Karnataka. They are stuck in the Sudanese city of El Fasher.
– On this issue, there have been heated tweets between former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar.
– When Siddaramaiah asked the Foreign Minister to bring these people back, Jaishankar told him not to politicize the issue.
– Siddaramaiah also responded to this later.
Sudan
– Capital – Khartoum
– Currency – Sudanese pound.
Why the bloody conflict between the army and RSF?
– A brutal war is going on between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to seize power.
– Tensions escalated between the two on April 13, 2023.
– After this, Sudan’s semi-military Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced that it had taken control of the Presidential Palace, the Chief of Staff’s residence, and the Khartoum International Airport.
– Earlier, the military had control over these places.
– On the other hand, the military is also taking military action to remove the RSF’s control.
– The military staged a coup in Sudan on October 25, 2021.
– Since then, the military has been running the country through the Universal Council.
– Its chairman, Chief of Staff Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Deputy Chairman of the military force Rapid Support Forces (RSF) General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
– Now both are fighting, and the result is a civil war.
Death of Indian Citizen
– In the fight between the military and paramilitary forces, an Indian citizen named Albert Augustine died on April 14-15, 2023.
– He was 48 years old and was from Kerala.
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2. Arunachal Pradesh and which state signed MoU to resolve the 51-year-old border dispute?
a. Bihar
b. Nagaland
c. Manipur
d. Assam
Answer: d. Assam
– This agreement took place on 20 April 2023.
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3. Assam and Arunachal Pradesh signed an agreement to settle the border dispute in the presence of which union minister?
a. Rajnath Singh
b. Nirmala Sitharaman
c. S Jaishankar
d. Amit Shah
Answer: d. Amit Shah
– The governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh signed this agreement on April 20, 2023, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
– The Union Home Minister announced, “Both states have resolved the dispute at the 800-kilometer border.”
– There has been an inter-state boundary dispute between the two states since 1972.
– To resolve the dispute, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam and CM Pema Khandu of Arunachal Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Assam-Arunachal Pradesh Border Dispute
– During British rule, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Mizoram were included in undivided Assam.
– Nagaland became a separate state in 1963.
– In 1972, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Mizoram became separate states. Initially, except for Meghalaya, they were Union Territories and later got statehood status.
– According to the Assam Reorganization (Meghalaya) Act of 1969, the demarcation of its boundaries was done.
– Since then, there has been a different interpretation of the border, leading to disputes between the states.
Dispute over 123 villages
– The dispute is regarding 123 villages that are spread across 12 districts of Arunachal Pradesh and eight districts of Assam.
– An agreement has been reached for 71 villages after the MOU on April 20, 2023.
– However, it is important to note that at least 49 still need to be resolved.
Assam also has border disputes with these states
– Apart from Arunachal Pradesh, there are also border disputes with Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya in Assam.
– However, most of the border disputes with Meghalaya have already been resolved.
– For this, an MoU was signed under the leadership of Home Minister Amit Shah on March 29, 2022.
Assam
– Capital – Dispur
– CM – Himanta Biswa Sarma
– Governor – Gulab Chand Kataria
Arunachal Pradesh
– Capital – Itanagar
– CM – Pema Khandu
– Governor – Kalyan Tripathi Parikar
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4. Which of the following got the NMC’s nod to set up the first medical college in 60 years of statehood?
a. Meghalaya
b. Assam
c. Nagaland
d. Manipur
Answer: c. Nagaland
– Nagaland became a separate state from Assam in 1963.
– In its 60 years of existence, Nagaland is getting its first medical college established in the capital city of Kohima.
– It is named Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research.
– The National Medical Commission (NMC) has given approval for its establishment on April 18, 2023.
– According to Nagaland’s Health and Family Welfare Minister P. Pangnyu Phom, the NMC and the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) have approved 100 seats (MBBS) for the medical college.
When will the medical college start?
– The formal classes of the medical college will begin around June-July this year.
How many seats are there and for whom?
– Out of the 100 seats for MBBS, 85 seats are reserved for students from Nagaland. The remaining 15 seats will be reserved for students from other states.
Nagaland:
– CM: Neiphiu Rio
– Governor: R.N. Ravi
– Capital: Kohima
National Medical Commission (NMC):
– Chairman – Dr. Suresh Chandra Sharma
– Established on: September 25, 2020
– Headquarters: New Delhi
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5. When is World Earth Day celebrated?
a. 24 April
b. 23 April
c. 22 April
d. 21 April
Answer: c. 22 April
– The theme for the year 2023 is “Invest In Our Planet”.
– This day is celebrated to raise awareness among millions of people about environmental challenges related to our planet, such as climate change, global warming, pollution, and conservation of biodiversity.
– World Earth Day is celebrated globally by 192 countries.
– In September 1969, in a conference in Seattle, Washington, seeing the indiscriminate cutting of forests and trees in the 60s and 70s, American Senator Gerald Nelson from Wisconsin announced the celebration of this day.
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6. Attack on army truck by terrorists in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, five martyred
– On April 20, 2023, in Poonch district, terrorists attacked an army truck with gunfire and grenades during the afternoon.
– As a result, the vehicle caught fire.
– In this attack, five soldiers of the National Rifles unit were martyred.
– Heavy rain was happening at the time of the incident, which the terrorists took advantage of.
– The responsibility for the attack has been taken by the People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF).
– This terrorist organization is a group supported by Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Truck was carrying fruits for Iftar
– According to the Indian Express, the army truck was carrying fruits for the Iftar scheduled to be held at 7 pm on April 20.
– Invitations were sent to many people in the village with a population of 4,000 for the Iftar program, and arrangements were being made by the National Rifles unit.
Defense expert says Pakistan carried out the attack due to the G-20 tourism meet
– Defense expert Major General (Retired) PK Sehgal cited a lack of vigilance as the reason for this attack.
– He said, “It is a standard operating procedure that such attacks can happen when there is bad weather, rain, fog at that time.”
This year’s second attack, disrupting the G-20 tourism working group meeting
– A meeting of the G-20 tourism working group, scheduled to take place in Srinagar between May 22 and 24, is being feared to be disrupted by militants.
– Concerns are being raised about the possibility of militants disrupting its preparations.
– Earlier this year, a major terrorist attack occurred in Jammu and Kashmir on January 1, where seven civilians were killed in a blast in the Dangri village of Rajouri.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister’s trip
– The terrorist attack occurred on the day when Pakistan announced its participation in the meeting of foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
– The attack took place in the afternoon of April 20, and the announcement of Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto’s visit to India was made in the evening.
– However, experts have differing opinions on this matter. Some believe that terrorists do not want India and Pakistan to reconcile.
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7. In which state the meeting of SCO Foreign Ministers will be held on 4-5 May 2023?
a. Goa
b. Uttar Pradesh
c. Haryana
d. Kerala
Answer: a. Goa
– Currently, India is the President of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
– The meeting of foreign ministers of its member countries will be held in Goa on 4th and 5th May 2023.
– Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will participate in it.
– Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it.
– This will be the first time since 2014 that a Pakistani minister will visit India.
– In 2014, former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, had visited India.
S Jaishankar and Bilawal Bhutto came face-to-face in Tashkent.
– In the year 2022, Uzbekistan was the President of SCO. At that time, a meeting of SCO foreign ministers was held in the capital, Tashkent.
– On July 29, 2022, the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan were face-to-face.
– During this time, there was also an occasion when Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto were sitting next to each other.
– Despite this, there was no conversation between them, not even a greeting.
– Jaishankar talked to everyone except the Pakistani Foreign Minister.
– Here, all the foreign ministers shook hands, but Jaishankar and Zardari remained separate.
SCO: Shanghai Cooperation Organization
– It was formed in 2001.
– It is a political, economic, and security organization.
– Initially, there were six members in the SCO – Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
– Later, India and Pakistan joined the organization.
– Eight members: China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
– Four observer countries: Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia.
– Dialogue partners: Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Nepal, Egypt, Cambodia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.
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8. Pamela Chopra, wife of late Yash Chopra, passed away on 20 April 2023, why was she famous in these?
a. Cricketer
b. Playback Singer
c. Comedian
d. Scientist
Answer: b. Playback Singer
– Besides being a playback singer, she was also a good writer.
– She was 74 years old and passed away at Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital.
– She was admitted to the hospital due to pneumonia.
– Her family includes her sons, film producer Aditya Chopra and actor Uday Chopra.
– Pamela Chopra married Yash Chopra in 1970 and had a significant impact on his career.
– She sang several songs for her films, including “Surkh Jode Ki Jagma” in Kabhi Kabhie, “Khud Se Jo Vaada Kiya Tha” in Silsila, and “Ghar Aaja Pardesi” in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
– She wrote the story for Yash Chopra’s 1976 film Kabhi Kabhie, which starred Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhee, Shashi Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Rishi Kapoor, and Neetu Kapoor.
Note: Yash Chopra passed away in October 2012.
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9. Name the world’s most powerful rocket, which was launched by SpaceX on 20 April 2023 and exploded 30 km above?
a. LMV3
b. Starship
c. Falcon Heavy
d. Delta IV
Answer: b. Starship
– The starship made of stainless steel has been created by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, the world’s second richest businessman.
– This was the first orbital test of the starship.
– SpaceX said that the starship experienced rapid unscheduled disassembly (RUD) before stage separation.
– We learn from these kinds of tests and achieve success.
– Today’s test will help us improve the reliability of the starship.
– Elon Musk congratulated the team on this launch. He wrote on Twitter, “Congrats to SpaceX team for exciting Starship test launch!
– Much learned from this test’s objectives. ”
4 minutes after liftoff, the rocket self-destructed
– 33 engines on the Super Heavy booster ignited and the Starship slowly ascended.
– About a minute later, the rocket passed through the period of maximum aerodynamic pressure.
– Due to several engines failing on the Super Heavy booster stage, the rocket became unstable.
– The upper stage of the Starship vehicle was supposed to separate from the booster, but that did not happen.
– 4 minutes after liftoff, the automatic flight termination system destroyed the rocket.
About Starship:
– Elon Musk’s company SpaceX has created the world’s most powerful rocket, the ‘Starship’.
– The unique thing is that it is the world’s first rocket made of stainless steel.
– SpaceX has prepared it to reach interplanetary travelers to Mars in just 6 months.
– Humans are also supposed to be sent to the moon with it.
– NASA has signed two contracts with SpaceX worth 23,000 crore and 9,000 crore rupees for the ‘Artemis’ moon mission.
– In 2025, NASA astronauts will go to the moon with it.
Flying from the launchpad is a big success:
– SpaceX said that the teams will continue to review the data and work towards the next flight test. Despite the failure of the Starship, employees at SpaceX headquarters were seen celebrating because flying from the launchpad is a big success.
– Elon Musk had also said two days before the Starship launch – success may not be achieved, but excitement is guaranteed.
How will Starship reach Mars in the future?
– Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket together create a reusable transportation system capable of refueling in orbit.
– This system can also refuel itself from the natural resources present on the surface of Mars.
– Talking about sending humans to Mars, Starship will be launched with the Super Heavy booster. After launch, the booster will separate and return to Earth.
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10. In which state has announced grants to Panchayats for celebrating local festivals?
a. Odisha
b. Chhattisgarh
c. Himachal Pradesh
d. Manipur
Answer: b. Chhattisgarh
Which scheme will provide this funding?
– Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched the “Chief Minister Chhattisgarhi Parab Samman Nidhi Yojana” for the state’s non-scheduled areas on April 20, 2023.
– This funding will be provided under this scheme.
How many panchayats will receive the funding?
– Each panchayat in Chhattisgarh, which is more than 6,000, will receive a grant of Rs 10,000 to celebrate Chhattisgarhi festivals.
– Although Rs 10,000 is not a significant amount, people are following their tradition due to Chhattisgarhi festivals, which are held through panchayats.
– And the new generation is also adopting this tradition.
Chhattisgarh
– Chief Minister: Bhupesh Baghel
– Governor: Biswa Bhusan Harichandan
– Capital: Raipur
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11. When is National Civil Services Day celebrated?
a. 23 April
b. 22 April
c. 21 April
d. 20 April
Answer: c. 21 April
Theme for the year 2023: “Developed India: Empowering Citizens and Reaching the Last Mile.”
– This day is dedicated to the public servants who work for the progress of the country.
– On April 21, 1947, India’s first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, addressed the newly appointed and formed administrative service officials.
– Sardar Patel’s speech was held in New Delhi, during which he referred to civil servants as “India’s Steel Frame.”
– This means that civil servants who work at various levels of government are the supportive pillars of the country’s administrative system.
– Before this, during British rule, civil services were called the Indian Civil Service, which was later changed to All India Services.
