This is the current affairs of 25 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. The expansion of BRICS has been decided in the summit held in South Africa, name its new member countries?
a. UAE / Argentina, Saudi Arabia, UAE
b. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran
c. Pakistan, France, Japan
d. a और b दोनों / both a and b
Answer: d. both a and b (Argentina, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia and Iran)
– 15th BRICS Summit Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
– Summit Dates: August 22nd to 24th, 2023
Decision to Include 6 New Countries in BRICS
– There are currently five BRICS countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa.
– Starting from January 1st, 2024, six new member countries will join: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Iran.
– Total member countries: 11.
More than 40 countries are vying to become members of BRICS in Qatar.
– More than 40 countries are competing to join BRICS. However, during the 15th summit, the decision was made to only make six countries permanent members.
– South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that in the first phase of the meeting, these countries have been invited to become members of the organization.
PM Modi Welcomes New BRICS Members
– PM Modi congratulated the countries that received invitations to join BRICS. He said, “India has always supported the expansion of BRICS.”
– Without naming Western-dominated organizations, PM Modi implied that the expansion of BRICS indicates the need for major global institutions to evolve over time.
Discussion on Organization’s Currency Next Year
– South African President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed that to challenge the dominance of the dollar, discussions will be held with the reserve banks and finance ministers of all countries about the organization’s currency. Conversations about this will take place next year.
Modi and Jinping’s Dialogue
– Prime Minister Modi raised the issue of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with Chinese President Jinping.
– There was also a brief conversation between the two leaders.
– Later, Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said, “Modi and Jinping agreed that military deployment in Ladakh will be reduced, and tensions will be decreased. Officials from both countries who discuss this matter will be asked to expedite this process.”
– The Foreign Secretary further stated, “During the conversation with Jinping, the Prime Minister brought up the unresolved issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of peace at the border to maintain normal relations between the two countries.”
– The Foreign Secretary mentioned that this wasn’t a formal bilateral discussion but took place during sideline talks with BRICS leaders.
China’s Focus on Bangladesh
– Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was also present at the BRICS Summit on special invitation. She had a meeting with the Indian Prime Minister during this time.
– However, drawing the world’s most attention was the meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the President of China.
– After the meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that Beijing will support Bangladesh in opposing “external interference” and will deepen economic cooperation, including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) support.
– China’s support for Bangladesh comes in the backdrop of recent tensions between Dhaka and Washington (USA), which issued a public call for “free and transparent” elections at the end of this year (2023).
– India has also expressed objections to this public appeal by the United States.
Why BRICS is Important for India
– India’s foreign policy is against the dominance of any single country on the world stage.
– India supports a multipolar world. In this context, BRICS is crucial for India.
– Another significant reason is that through this platform, India can openly voice its concerns against the dominance of Western countries and receive support from other member nations.
– By being a part of this organization, India challenges the dominance of developed countries in major institutions like the WTO, World Bank, and IMF.
Note:
– There are currently five BRICS countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa.
– Starting from January 1st, 2024, six new member countries will join: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Iran.
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2. In the year 2024, the 16th BRICS summit will be held in the city of ‘Kazan’ of which country?
a. China
b. Brazil
c. India
d. Russia
Answer: d. Russia
– After the 15th BRICS Summit, Russia has been given the chairmanship for the 16th summit.
– The next summit will take place in the city of Kazan, Russia in the year 2024.
– This announcement was made by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
– In fact, Russian President Putin did not physically attend the summit in Johannesburg (South Africa) but addressed the summit virtually.
– In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him due to allegations of war crimes. South Africa is a member of this court. Therefore, Putin did not attend the Johannesburg summit.
About the City of Kazan:
– This city is situated on the banks of the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka rivers.
– It is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan within the Russian Federation.
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3. ‘Astra’ is an indigenous missile of what kind of firepower, which was tested by fighter aircraft ‘Tejas’ in August 2023?
a. Air to Air Strike
b. Air to Ground Strike
c. Aurface to Air Strike
d. Air-to-Sea Strike
Answer: a. Air to Air Strike
Astra Missile Test Fire
– What type of missile – Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air-to-Air missile.
– Test fire date: August 23, 2023.
– Where it took place: Off the coast of Goa.
– Tested on which aircraft: Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’.
– Altitude of the test: Approximately 20,000 feet.
About Astra Missile
– Astra is an indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air-to-Air missile.
– It is capable of engaging and destroying highly maneuverable supersonic aerial targets.
– Developed by DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation).
– Weight: 154 kilograms.
– Length: 12.6 feet, Diameter: 7 inches.
– Maximum altitude capability: Up to 66,000 feet.
– Speed: 5,556.6 km/h.
DRDO
– Establishment: 1958.
– Headquarters: New Delhi.
– Chairman: Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy.
– Under the Ministry of: Ministry of Defence.
About Tejas
– Tejas is a lightweight and versatile fighter jet.
– Developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
– Top speed: 2,205 km/h.
– Range: 3,000 kilometers.
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4. Name the winner of FIDE Chess World Cup 2023
a. R Praggnanandha
b. Magnus Carlsen
c. Jean-Christophe Duda
d. Timour Radjabov
Answer: b. मैग्नस कार्लसन / Magnus Carlsen
– He is a player from Norway.
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5. Name the Indian runner up of FIDE Chess World Cup 2023?
a. R. Praggnanandhaa
b. Viswanathan Anand
c. Gukesh D
d. Arjun Erigaisi
Answer: a. आर प्रज्ञानानंद / R. Praggnanandhaa
– Magnus Carlsen defeated Indian young player R Praggnanandhaa in the final. R Praggnanandhaa became the runner-up.
– After two drawn games, the decision of the winner was made through a tiebreaker.
– If Praggnanandhaa had won this match, an Indian would have won this title after 21 years. Before this, Viswanathan Anand had won this championship in 2000 and 2002. At that time, even Praggnanandhaa was not born.
– R Praggnanandhaa was born on August 10, 2005, in Chennai. He is 18 years old.
– He was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2022.
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6. What is the new name of Khelo India Women’s League?
a. Sports women’s league
b. Susmita Mahila League
c. Asmita Mahila League
d. None of these
Answer: c. Asmita Mahila League
– Central Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur, announced this in August 2023.
– ASMITA stands for “Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action.” The goal is to empower women to achieve milestones in sports through action and inspiration.
– The ‘Khelo India’ program was first organized in the year 2018.
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7. United World Wrestling suspends the membership of Wrestling Federation of India, giving what reason?
a. Elections not on time
b. Sexual Abuse Allegations
c. Discrimination Against Players
d. None of these
Answer: a. Elections not on time
– In August 2023, United World Wrestling suspended the membership of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
– In fact, United World Wrestling had written a letter to the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) in May 2023.
– The letter stated that the Wrestling Federation of India should conduct elections within the next 45 days. Along with this, a warning was also given that if elections were not held, the membership would be suspended.
Impact on Athletes
– This is being considered a significant setback for Indian wrestlers.
– Now, Indian wrestlers will have to participate in international tournaments under a neutral flag.
– They won’t be able to compete under the Indian flag in competitions.
Why couldn’t the WFI elections take place?
– In recent days, some Indian female wrestlers had accused the President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, of sexual harassment.
– Following this, the Ministry of Sports suspended the officials of WFI, formed an ad-hoc committee, and appointed former Judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, MM Kumar, as the election officer for new elections in the Wrestling Federation.
– However, first the Assam Wrestling Association and later the Haryana Wrestling Association challenged this move in the courts, leading to legal battles and delays, resulting in the inability to hold elections in a timely manner.
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8. Who is the new prime minister of Thailand?
a. Srettha Thavisin
b. Heya Thaawon
c. Pita Limajaroenrat
d. Chonlanan Shrikew
Answer: a. Srettha Thavisin
– Srettha Thavisin was elected the Prime Minister of Thailand on August 23, 2023.
Thailand
– It is a country in South East Asia.
– Capital: Bangkok
– Prime Minister: Srettha Thavisin
– Currency: Thai Baht
– It is bordered by Laos and Cambodia on the eastern border, Malaysia on the southern border and Myanmar on the western border.
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9. Padma Vibhushan awardee Kalyampudi Radhakrishna Rao (CR Rao) passed away on 22 August 2023 at the age of 102, was he among the following?
a. Musician
b. Author
c. Statistician
d. Cricketer
Answer: c. Statistician
– They were Indian-American statisticians and mathematicians.
– They were born on September 10, 1920, in the Bellary district of Karnataka.
– Their demise occurred in the United States.
– They were honored with the National Medal of Science by former U.S. President George Bush.
– They were also awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1969 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001.
– They were also recipients of the International Prize in Statistics-2023.
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10. When is the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition observed?
a. 24 August
b. 23 August
c. 22 August
d. 21 August
Answer: b. 23 August
Year 2023 Theme:
– Fighting slavery’s legacy of racism through transformative education
– This day was celebrated for the first time in 1998.
– It was declared by UNESCO.
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11. When is World Gujarati Language Day celebrated?
a. 24 August
b. 23 August
c. 22 August
d. 21 August
Answer: a. 24 August
– Is this day celebrated in commemoration of the birth anniversary of the great Gujarati writer ‘Veer Narmad’?
– Poet Veer Narmad is considered the creator of the Gujarati language.
– Veer Narmad was born on August 24, 1833, in Surat, Gujarat.
– Narmad wrote his first poem at the age of 22.
