Daily Current Affairs for State Exams 24 May 2023

दैनिक करंट अफेयर्स 24 मई 2023

GBU-57

Why in news: The US military recently posted photos of a powerful bomb called GBU-57, which was designed to penetrate deep into the Earth and destroy underground facilities.

A.This is known as the "Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP)".It is a GPS-guided, earth-penetrating strike weapon intended for use against hard and deeply buried targets.

B.MoP is one of the most powerful non-nuclear bombs in the world.It is manufactured by Boeing and used by the United States Air Force. It is used to destroy enemy bunkers such as hiding supplies of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

C.The bomb is 20.5 feet long and has a diameter of 31.5 inches.Weight: The 14,000kg warhead case is made of a special high-performance steel alloy that can reportedly penetrate concrete up to 200 feet.

D.The bomb is equipped with a delayed-action fuse, allowing the warhead to avoid impact, until the bomb stops traveling underground.

 (SOURCE – LIVEMINT)

 The Hanke’s Annual Misery Index (HAMI) 2022

Why in news: India ranks 103 out of 157 on the world misery index.The 2022 ranking of Hanke's Annual Misery Index were calculated by economist Steve Hanke after factoring in aspects like unemployment, inflation, bank-lending rates and the percentage change in GDP

A.Zimbabwe has been named the world's most miserable country on Hanke's annual Grief Index (HAMI). The southern African nation suffers from skyrocketing inflation, which reached 243.8 percent last year. According to the index, the policies of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his ZANU-PF party have also resulted in massive misery for Zimbabwean citizens.

B.The 2022 ranking of Hanke's annual misery index was calculated by economist Steve Hanke taking into account aspects such as unemployment, inflation, bank-lending rates and percentage changes in GDP.

C.Of the 157 countries analysed for the ranking, Switzerland received the honour of being the least unhappy country in the world. Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Argentina, Yemen, Ukraine, Cuba, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Haiti, Angola, Tonga and Ghana made up the 15 most unhappy countries in the world.

D.India is ranked 103rd in the list of 'World's Most Miserable Countries'. According to the index, the major contributor to misery in India is unemployment.

E.India fared better than countries like Brazil (rank 27), Pakistan (rank 35), Nepal (rank 63) and Sweden (rank 88).

F.Finland, which has been ranked the world's happiest country for six consecutive years by the World Happiness Report, was ranked 109th on the Unhappiness Index. The United States was one of the least unhappy countries with a rank of 134.

(SOURCE – NEWS ON AIR)

OpenAI-backed robotics firm 1X deploys the world’s first AI robot in the workforce

Why in news: Vancouver-based robotics firm Sanctuary AI and Tesla are preparing their AI-powered robots to take over the workforce. Another firm has officially deployed its humanoid robot in a professional environment.

A.Robotics start-up 1X which is backed by Sam Altman's OpenAI has surpassed Elon Musk's Tesla in deploying the first AI robot in the workforce. The robot named Eve has reportedly been integrated into the Android manufacturing site as a security guard. The robot is reportedly redefining surveillance and security.

B.EVE is supported by advanced monitoring systems such as cameras, motion detectors and alarm sensors. And, the craziest part of the robot is that if an Android misbehaves, Eve can reportedly enter their body through virtual reality and take control.

C.The humanoid robotics market is projected to reach $17.3 billion by 2027, and it's hardly surprising that companies are pursuing to develop the most advanced humanoid robots.

D.Humanoid robotics firm 1X Technologies recently announced a series A2 fundraising led by OpenAI to produce Android on commercial sale. 

E.The company plans to use the funds to increase its efforts to build its bipedal Android robot NEO and increase the construction of Eve to make it available for Norway and North America.

F.1X, formerly known as Hallody Robotics, makes Android. According to its description on the official website, 1X is at the forefront of enhancing labor through the use of safe and advanced technologies in robotics, said Brad Lightcap, COO of OpenAI and manager of the OpenAI Start-up Fund, adding that the company believes in 1X's vision and impact on the future of work.

G.The latest development comes days after Tesla announced its advanced humanoid known as Optimus or Tesla Bot. Many videos have appeared on the Internet demonstrating the capabilities of the developed robot. The Tesla bot was introduced in 2022, 

H.The AI-powered robot is capable of lifting items weighing up to 25 kg and the company demonstrated its capabilities by deploying it as employees in a retail store. The robot was seen performing tasks such as merchandise packing, tagging and cleaning.

 (SOURCE – INDIAN EXPRESS)

 National workshop on NeVA, making state legislatures paperless

Why in news: The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is going to organize a two-day National Workshop on National e-Vidhan Applications (NEVA)

A.NEVA will make the functioning of state legislatures paperless and integrate all 37 legislative houses on 'one nation one application'

B.The focus of this workshop is to encourage legislatures of all States/UTs to move towards the NEVA platform and bring transparency, accountability and accountability in the conduct of the functioning of the House through the use of technology.

C.The National e-Vidhan Application (NEVA) is one of the 44 Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) under the "Digital India Programme" of the Government of India, which aims to make the functioning of all state legislatures paperless by turning them into 'digital houses'. 

D.So far, 21 state legislatures have signed MoUs for implementation of NEVA and the project has been approved for 17 assemblies and funds have been released to them for implementation of the project. Out of them, 9 legislatures have already gone completely digital and are live on the NEVA platform. They are operating all their business ends in a digital and paperless manner.

E.The workshop will be attended by all stakeholders of the NEVA project including secretaries and senior officials of state legislatures, nodal/IT secretaries of state governments and National Informatics Centre (NIC).

F.The national workshop will have six sessions over a period of two days. The first session will be on "NEVA as a Platform for Digital House". One session will be on experience-sharing by representatives of 9 assemblies, representing different states, which have gone live through NEVA. A session on 'Steps required for implementation of NEVA' will be provided by CPMU, NEVA team.

G.On the second day of the national workshop, a session will be dedicated to 'NEVA: Keeping pace with emerging technologies to enable good governance'. Three tech experts from Google Inc, Microsoft and IBM will express their views and guidance on emerging latest technologies like AI etc. Which can act as a roadmap to meet the contemporary needs of all stakeholders of NEVA.

 (SOURCE –NEWS ON AIR)

 India and Australia sign agreements in the field of migration, mobility partnership and Green Hydrogen

Why in news: All India Radio and Australia signed agreements in the field of migration and mobility partnership and on green hydrogen task force. 

A.The meeting discussed a range of issues including cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, defence and security, renewable energy, green hydrogen, critical minerals, education, migration and mobility and people-to-people ties. 

B.The two leaders also exchanged views on India's initiatives under the G-20 Presidency, UN Security Council reform and regional developments, including in the Indo-Pacific. 

C.India-Australia relations are based on mutual trust and confidence. He said there was constructive discussion on strengthening strategic cooperation in the field of mining and critical minerals. 

D.Discussions were held on taking the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to new heights. The issue of attacks on temples in Australia and activities of separatist elements had been discussed with their Australian counterparts in the past. They will not accept any element that damages the friendly and warm relations between the two countries by their actions or views. 

E.The two countries reiterated their shared desire for early conclusion of the Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement later this year. 

F.He also announced the establishment of a new Australian Consulate General in Bengaluru and said it will help connect Australian businesses to India's fast-growing digital and innovation ecosystem.

(SOURCE – TIMES OF INDIA)

Tirukkural

Why in news:  The Ramgarh pit in Rajasthan's Baran district, which is believed to have formed around 600 million years ago, is set to undergo a remarkable transformation. The site will soon be converted into a captivating geo-tourist attraction. 

A.This crater, which is the third of its kind in India and the first in the state of Rajasthan, will soon be opened to visitors. The other two craters are Lunar Crater in Maharashtra and Dhala Crater in the state of Madhya Pradesh. 

B.Ramgarh Crater will attract a large number of tourists. The Rajasthan tourism department expects the crater to attract 30,000 to 40,000 visitors per year.

C.The work of giving concrete shape to this scheme has started. The site will be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 57.22 crore. The development project will cover various aspects including aesthetics, infrastructure improvement and decorative additions to the surrounding area.

D.The site of Ramgarh Crater encompasses a harmonious blend of geology, archaeology and history. It has also been designated as a reserve conservation area by the forest department.

E.The pit was discovered in 1869, when it was located about 12 km from Mangrol tehsil of Baran district. The Ramgarh Crater, which has a diameter of 3.5 km, was formed 600 million years ago after the impact of a meteorite from space. This crater is also recognized as the 200th crater in the World Geo-Heritage Register.

F.A Khajuraho style Shiva temple located on the periphery of the crater dates back to the 10th century, known as 'Mini Khajuraho'. This architectural marvel includes two lakes, which serve as natural habitats for a diverse array of migratory birds. It also houses a 950-year-old Devi temple, a cluster of ancient temples and the revered Kelpuri Samadhi site. The area also has a good wildlife presence including cheetal deer and wild boar. The region has immense potential to become a captivating tourist destination.

(SOURCE –The Hindu)

 3rd Khelo India University games start in Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh

Why in news: The 3rd Khelo India University Games began with a Kabaddi event on the evening of 23 May 2023 in Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh. 

A.As many as 15 teams from various universities are participating in the event. Around 1200 players from various universities are participating in basketball, weightlifting, boxing and kabaddi. 

B.The Khelo India University Games will continue till June 3 and the closing ceremony will be held in Varanasi. The games will be held at four venues - Gautam Buddh Nagar, Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Varanasi.

C.A total of 15 university teams including Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak will participate in the competition, which includes both women and men's categories. A total of 190 registered athletes will compete for distinction at these Games.

(SOURCE – INDIAN EXPRESS)

 India commonwealth day

Why in news: Empire Day, also known as Commonwealth Day, seeks to bring 2.5 billion Commonwealth citizens together to celebrate their shared ideals and values and work towards a sustainable and peaceful future.

A.In 2023, Commonwealth Day will emphasize the group's efforts to promote solidarity and a sense of common humanity, as well as create a peaceful and unified global community.

B.An international holiday called Commonwealth Day is celebrated every year on March 13. However, it is celebrated on May 24 in India and some other countries.

C.After the demise of Queen Victoria on January 22, 1901, Commonwealth Day was first celebrated in 1902 as a way to honour her.

D.The Commonwealth Day theme for this year is "Building a Sustainable and Peaceful Shared Future".

E.Commonwealth Day is a reminder of the cooperation, unity and brotherhood of member countries. It has a deep symbolic meaning as it stands for integration and gives commonwealth countries a platform on which their steadfast commitment to equality, peace and democracy is reaffirmed.

 (SOURCE – ECONOMIC TIMES)

दैनिक करंट अफेयर्स 24 मई 2023, अंग्रेजी में पीडीएफ़ डाउनलोड करें।

दैनिक करंट अफेयर्स 24 मई 2023, हिंदी में पीडीएफ़ डाउनलोड करें।