CURRENT AFFAIRS FEBRUARY 2023

AHMAD KHAN
LC1, DU
WHICH STATE/UT’S TABLEAU WON THE BEST TABLEAU
AWARD FOR REPUBLIC DAY 2023?

• Uttarakhand received first place for their tableau, with Maharashtra and
Uttar Pradesh coming in second and third place, respectively.
• The tableau for Uttarakhand included the state's wildlife and religious
landmarks. Reindeer, deer, and numerous birds were depicted roaming in
the foreground of the tableau in the world-famous Corbett National Park.
THE 5TH EDITION OF THE ‘KHELO INDIA YOUTH GAMES
2022’ STARTED AT -

• The fifth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games 2022 started at TT Nagar
Stadium in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on 30th January.
• The event was inaugurated by Anurag Singh Thakur (Union sports
minister) and MP CM, Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
• The mascot of Khelo India Youth Games 2022 is ‘Asha’. While the theme
song is ‘Hindustan Ka Dil Dhadka Do…’ sung by famous singer Shaan..
• The torch of Khelo India Youth Games was named ‘Amarkantak’.
AS PER AISHE REPORT, WHICH STATE HAS THE HIGHEST
NUMBER OF COLLEGES IN INDIA?
• The Union Ministry of Education has released the All India Survey on
Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021.
• According to the report Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of colleges
in the country, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka.
• There are 8,114 colleges in Uttar Pradesh and 32 colleges per one lakh
population.
• Similarly, Maharashtra is at number two with 4,532 colleges and 34
colleges per lakh population.
WHICH CITY WILL BECOME THE NEW CAPITAL OF
ANDHRA PRADESH?

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy announced on 31

January 2023 that Visakhapatnam would become the new capital of the
state.
• Amaravati was made the capital in the year 2015 during Chandrababu
Naidu’s government before the Reddy government.
'YAYA TSO' HAS BEEN PROPOSED AS THE FIRST
BIODIVERSITY HERITAGE SITE OF -

• Yaya Tso Lake has been proposed as the first Biodiversity Heritage Site of
Ladakh under the Biological Diversity Act.
• Yaya Tso, known as birds’ paradise for its beautiful lake located at an
altitude of 4,820 metres.
AS PER UNION BUDGET 2023, A MISSION WILL BE
LAUNCHED TO ELIMINATE SICKLE CELL ANAEMIA BY -

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced her government’s plan

to launch a mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047.
• Presenting the Union Budget for 2023-24 in the Lok Sabha on 1st
February 2023, Sitharaman said that “A mission to eliminate sickle cell
anaemia by 2047 will be launched."
WHAT IS THE NAME OF 1ST INDIAN SPACE MISSION TO
OBSERVE THE SUN?

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is aiming to launch the

Aditya-L1 mission by June or July 2023.
• Aditya-L1 is the first Indian space mission to observe the Sun and the
solar corona.
• Scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru recently
handed over one of the most challenging scientific payloads to the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
THE UNION BUDGET 2023-24 ADOPTS HOW MANY
PRIORITIES?

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Union

Budget 2023-24 in Lok Sabha, said that the budget is adopting 7 priorities
that will guide us through 'Amrit Kaal'.
• 7 priorities are: (1) Inclusive Development, (2) Reaching the last mile, (3)
Infrastructure and investment, (4) Unleashing the potential, (5) Green
Growth, (6) Youth Power & (7) Finance Sector.
ASIA'S 1ST FLOATING FESTIVAL HAS BEEN ORGANISED
IN

• The Gandhisagar Floating Festival has been organized in Mandsaur

district, Madhya Pradesh from 1st to 5th February 2023.
• This festival is a special one because it is Asia's first floating festival.
• The five day festival will focus on all possible fun things a tourist visiting
Mandsaur can experience.
WHO HAS DECLARED THE 'JAI JAI MAHARASHTRA
MAJHA' AS STATE SONG?
• The Maharashtra government announced the "Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha"
as the state song, which is usually performed at school cultural events on
May 1, second only to the national anthem.
• The decision was taken by the Maharashtra cabinet, headed by Chief
Minister Eknath Shinde.
• The song will now be played on official occasions.
• In addition to the daily prayer and the national anthem, the song Jai Jai
Maharashtra Majha will be played in all schools.
WHICH IS THE FIRST DISTRICT TO REGISTER 10,000
NEW MSMES?

• Ernakulam in Kerala has been named as the first district to achieve

registration of 10,000 new MSMEs.
• This will help boost the contribution of MSMEs by generating new jobs
and diversifying India's GDP.
WHICH INDIAN MUSIC COMPOSER HAS WON HIS 3RD
GRAMMY AWARD AT THE 65TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS
CEREMONY?

• Indian music composer, Ricky Kej won his third Grammy Award in the best
new age album category for 'Divine Tides' at the 65th Annual Grammy
Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
• He has shared this award with Stewart Copeland, who collaborated with
Kej on the album.
THE INAUGURAL SEASON OF THE WOMEN’S PREMIER
LEAGUE (WPL) 2023 WILL BE HELD IN -

• The inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 will be
held in Mumbai (Maharashtra) from 4 - 26 March.
• All the tournament matches will be held in the Brabourne Stadium and the
DY Patil Stadium.
• The auction of WPL players will take place on February 13 in Mumbai.
• IPL team owners: Mumbai Indians, RCB, Delhi Capitals, Capri Global
Holdings (Lucknow), and Adani Sportsline
INDIA RANKS AS WORLD'S LARGEST MILK PRODUCER
WITH HOW MUCH CONTRIBUTION?

• India is the world's largest milk producer, contributing 24% to global milk
production in the year 2021-22, according to production data from the
Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistics Database
(FAOSTAT).
• India's milk production has registered a growth of 51 per cent during the
last eight years - 2014-15 and 2021- 22 and has increased to 220 million
tonnes in the year 2021-22.
RECENTLY, AN EARTHQUAKE WAS HIT TURKEY AND
SYRIA WITH HOW MUCH MAGNITUDE?

• An earthquake of 7.8 magnitude hit southeastern Turkey and northwest

Syria.
• It is one of the most deadly earthquakes in the history of Turkey.
• The Indian government has decided to immediately send search and
rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force to Turkey.
INDIA HAS LAUNCHED 'OPERATION DOST' TO PROVIDE
AID TO WHICH COUNTRY?

• As part of “Operation Dost,” India has deployed a field hospital, supplies,

and rescue personnel to the earthquakestricken countries of Turkey and
Syria.
WHAT IS INDIA'S RANK IN THE WORLD HAPPINESS
INDEX 2023?

• The World Happiness Index 2023 is an annual report released by the

Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
• Finland was named the world’s happiest country for the fifth year in a
row, with an average life rating of 7.842.
• Finland was followed by Denmark (7.62), Switzerland (7.571), Iceland
(7.554), Netherlands (7.464).
• With an average life evaluation of 3.819, India now holds the 136th place.
IN A FIRST IN INDIA, 59 LAKH TONNES OF LITHIUM
HAVE BEEN FOUND IN -

• For the first time in India, reserves of 59 lakh tonnes of Lithium have been
found in the Reasi district of Jammu division.
• Geological Survey of India has discovered lithium deposits in the Salal-
Haimana area of Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir.
WHICH STATE HAS TOPPED THE MEDALS TALLY AT THE
5TH KHELO INDIA YOUTH GAMES?

• The fifth Khelo India Youth Games was concluded at the Upper Lake in
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• Maharashtra has topped the medals tally by winning 154 medals (53 gold,
54 silver, and 47 bronze).
• While Haryana placed second with a total of 116 medals, followed by
Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
WHO HAS BECOME THE MOST EXPENSIVE PLAYER IN
WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE (WPL)?
• India's star opener Smriti Mandhana has become the costliest player in
the ongoing player auction for the Women's Premier League (WPL).
• She joined Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 3.4 crore after winning the
highest bid in the ongoing Women's Premier League 2023 auction in
Mumbai.
• A total of 448 players were included in the auction, out of which 87
players were bought by the franchises. 30 foreign players were also
involved in this.
WHO IS SET TO BECOME THE FIRST FEMALE
ASTRONAUT OF SAUDI ARABIA?

• Saudi Arabia's first female astronaut is set to go into space this year.
• Saudi female astronaut Rayna Barnawi will join Saudi Ali Al-Qarni on a 10-
day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) this year.
• SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is to carry them. The crews are to be launched
from Florida.
WHO IS THE FIRST INDIAN TO RECEIVE THE UNESCO’S
INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE AWARD 2023?

• An eminent linguist, Dr. Mahendra Kumar Mishra will be honored with

UNESCO’s International Mother Language Award 2023.
• Reason: For the promotion of the mother language in India.
• Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina will present this award to Dr. Mahendra
Kumar Mishra at the International Mother Language Institute, Dhaka.
• He is the first Indian to receive this prestigious award for the promotion of
a language.
RECENTLY, WHICH STATE'S POLICE HAS RECEIVED THE
PRESTIGIOUS PRESIDENT’S COLOUR AWARD?

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah has presented the President’s Colour
award to Haryana Police in recognition of its exceptional service.
• Shah presents the President’s Colour on behalf of President Droupadi
Murmu.
• The President’s Colour is a special flag given to a military, paramilitary or
police unit as a mark of recognition for its services.
WHAT IS THE NAME OF INDIA’S FIRST AI-BASED
CHATBOT?

• Homegrown financial technology firm Velocity has launched India's first

AI chatbot integrated with OpenAI's ChatGPT, called "Lexi".
• Velocity has integrated this latest advancement in artificial intelligence
with its existing analytics tool, Velocity Insights.
• To be very basic, a chatbot is software that imitates human conversations.
• ChatGPT has human-like answers and this feature unlocks tremendous
growth which encouraged Google to create its own AI chatbot, Bard.
HOW MANY CHEETAHS HAVE COME FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO
KUNO NATIONAL PARK IN MADHYA PRADESH?

• Twelve cheetahs from South Africa have reached Kuno National Park in
Madhya Pradesh on February 18.
• The second group of Cheetahs, Of the 12 cheetahs, seven are male and five
are female.
• The first group of Namibian cheetahs reached Kuno National Park in
Madhya Pradesh on 17th September 2022, as part of the ambitious
cheetah reintroduction programme.
• India and South Africa on 27 January signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to introduce 12 African Cheetahs annually over the next 8
to 10 years.
NORTH INDIA’S FIRST NUCLEAR PLANT IS SET TO COME
UP IN -

• The first Nuclear Plant of North India is set to come up in Gorakhpur

village in Fatehabad district of Haryana.
SAURASHTRA WON THE “RANJI TROPHY 2022-23”
TITLE BY DEFEATING -

• Saurashtra won the Ranji Trophy 2022-23 title by defeating Bengal by 9

wickets in the final match played on February 19.
• Saurashtra won their second Ranji Trophy title at the Eden Gardens in
Kolkata. Saurashtra won the Ranji Trophy title for the first time in 2019-
20.
• Saurashtra captain Unadkat was adjudged Man Of The Match for his nine-
wicket haul in the match.
“INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY” IS
OBSERVED ANNUALLY ON -
• The International Mother Language Day is observed annually on the 21st
of February.
• The day aims to raise awareness regarding linguistic and cultural diversity
and to promote multilingualism.
• Theme 2023: “multilingual education - a necessity to transform
education”.
• International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General
Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999.
WHO HAS BEEN SELECTED BY THE BCCI AS THE TITLE
SPONSOR OF THE WOMEN'S PREMIER LEAGUE?
• The title sponsor of the Women's Premier League starting next month has
been announced. WPL’s title sponsorship has been received by the Tata
Group.
• Tata Group is already the sponsor of India's prestigious Indian Premier
League. The BCCI has released the schedule for the first season of the
Women's Premier League. A total of five teams are participating in the first
season.
• The first edition of the Women's Premier League is starting on 4 March. In
the first match, the teams of Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians will be
participating.
WHO HAS BECOME THE NEW MAYOR OF DELHI?

• Shelly Oberoi becomes the new mayor of Delhi.

• Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Shelly Oberoi won the mayoral election.
• Shelly Oberoi received 150 votes while BJP candidate Rekha Gupta
received 116 votes.
WHICH STATE’S HIGH COURT HAS BECOME THE FIRST COURT
TO PUBLISH JUDGMENTS IN A REGIONAL LANGUAGE?

• Kerala High Court has become the first court to publish Judgments in
regional language.
• The Kerala High Court released two of its recent judgments in Malayalam
on February 21.
• The Malayalam judgements were posted on the court's website, just below
the English version.
FORMER SUPREME COURT JUSTICE S. ABDUL NAZIR
TOOK OATH AS THE GOVERNOR OF WHICH STATE?

• Former Supreme Court Justice S. Abdul Nazeer has taken an oath as the
Governor of Andhra Pradesh. He replaced Vishwabhushan Harichandan.
Andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra
administered Justice Nazeer in his sworn ceremony to assume the
position.
• This was done by President Draupadi Murmu on February 12, 2023. He
has served as a former judge in the Karnataka High Court.
WHICH STATE LAUNCHED A ROBOTIC SCAVENGER,
BANDICOOT, TO CLEAN SEWAGES IN THE TOWN OF
GURUVAYUR?
• Kerala has become the first state to have robotic scavengers for manhole
cleaning.
• “Bandicoot” is the robotic scavenger that has been launched by Kerala
government to clean sewages in the temple town of Guruvayur.
• Kerala has become the first state in India to use robotic technology to
clean all its commissioned manholes.
• Under the Guruvayur sewerage project, Bandicoot was launched in
Thrissur district.
AUSTRALIA WON THE TITLE OF WOMEN'S T20 WORLD CUP
2023, IN WHICH COUNTRY TOURNAMENT WAS ORGANIZED?

• Australia won the Women's T20 World Cup 2023 for the sixth time in the
final match played at Newlands, Cape Town Ground. The Australian cricket
team defeated South Africa by 19 runs.
• In the final match, Australia's team scored 156 runs losing 6 wickets.
Australian all-rounder Ashley Gardner won the Player of the Series title on
the basis of his brilliant performance in the T20 World Cup 2023.