Daily Current Affairs Quiz: Feb 22, 2023

Reflecting presence of huge market barriers in the country, India stood at 47th position in Services Trade
Restrictiveness Index(STRI) conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for
the year 2022. However, there was an improvement from last year’s ranking by one position.

Due to Russia-Ukraine war, Russia slipped to 48th position in the index. The report highlighted the privatisation
of Air India, elimination of pricing guidelines for transfers of shares between residents and non residents, and restriction
of foreign participation in certain services sectors.Rank 1:Japan,2 – U.K,Rank 3: Netherland

Union MoS, Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh announced that North India’s first
nuclear power plant would be set up in Gorakhpur in Fatehabad district, Haryana.
▪ The plant will be built on 560 hectares of land.
▪ The first phase will be completed by 2025 and the second by 2028.
▪ As the second phase completes, the plant will be fully operational to generate 2800 MW.
▪ The project will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 20,594 crores.

The 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA (the British Academy of Film and Television
Arts) Awards, were announced at an event held in London’s Royal Festival Hall on 19
February.
▪ A German anti-war drama ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’, a screen adaptation of the
1928 novel by Erich Maria Remarque, won the most, including Best Picture and Best
Director, with seven.
▪ ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ and ‘Elvis’ both movies won four BAFTA awards.

BAFTA 2023 Winners List
• Best film: “All Quiet on the Western Front” -WINNER
• Outstanding British film: “The Banshees of Inisherin” -WINNER
• Best documentary: “Navalny” *WINNER
• Best animated film: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” *WINNER
• Best lead actress: Cate Blanchett, “TÁR” *WINNER
• Best lead actor: Austin Butler, “Elvis” *WINNER

Solution: option b.)

BVR Subrahmanyam was appointed as the new CEO of NITI Ayog. The former head Parmeswaran Iyer now leaves the
role and has shifted to World Bank. Iyer has served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NITI Ayog Institution for a period of around 2 continuous years.

However, he recently announced his drop out from this position. Also, the government appointed BVR Subrahmanyam as
the next CEO of the government nodal agency

About NITI Aayog Agency

The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog is an apex government body that operates to mobilize economic development. This institution is working towards becoming the ‘State of the Art Resource Centre’.

This organization was established in the year 2015 by the NDA government. The first official meeting of the council was directed by
PM Narendra Modi on February 8, 2015. A new initiative called ‘NITI Lectures’ has also been implemented.

There are several other entrepreneurship and learning programmes instigated by NITI Aayog.

▪ Noted Actor and Politician, Nandamuri Taraka Ratna passed away at the age of 39 due to
cardiac arrest in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
▪ He was the grandson of the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and founder of the
TDP, N.T. Rama Rao.
▪ He made his debut with Okato Number Kurraadu (2002) followed by Yuva Rathna (2003),
Taarak (2003), and Bhadradri Ramudu.
▪ He was also awarded the Nandi Award 2009 for Best Villain in Amaravathi.

Solution:option c.)

▪ The first G20 meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors under the G20
Indian Presidency will be held on the 24th and 25th of February in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
▪ Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das will chair the
meeting.
▪ It will see the participation of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the G20
members, invitee members, and heads of International Organisations.

Solution:option a.)

After the world’s highest altitude was destroyed due to hurricane-force winds on Mount Everest, a team
of scientists and Sherpa have again placed its new version atop Mount Everest.

The group has been led by a 31-year-old electrician and mountain guide Tenzing Gyalzen Sherpa.

According to the Guinness World Records report, the team of mountaineers and scientists has installed a
record-breaking weather station at an altitude of 8,810 metres (28,904 ft); just 39 metres (128 ft) below
Everest’s summit.

Solution:option c.)

Ladakh has created history by successfully conducting its maiden 21-km trail running
event in sub-zero temperature at 13,862 feet high Pangong Tso.
▪ It was registered in the Guinness world record as the world’s highest frozen lake half
marathon.
▪ The four-hour-long marathon started from Lukung and ended at Maan village.
▪ Five energy stations, consisting of energy drinks, medical teams, oxygen support, and
mobile ambulances were set up along the route.

Solution:option d.)
India Pavilion’ at Gulfood, Dubai was inaugurated by Pashupati Kumar Paras, Minister of
Food Processing Industries, Government of India in the presence of Sunjay Sudhir,
Ambassador of India to the UAE on 20 February.
▪ The ‘India Pavilion’ is the largest pavilion at Gulfood 2023.
▪ The ‘India Pavilion’ has 306 companies, including leading SMEs and startups, participating
on one platform.
▪ Indian companies are exhibiting in all sectors of Gulffood including beverages, pulses,
cereals, food, meat and poultry, dairy, fats and oils etc.

Solution: option b.)

▪ The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival awards were announced on 20
February with The Kashmir Files winning the Best Film award.
▪ Alia Bhatt also won the Best Actress award for Gangubai Kathiawadi and husband Ranbir
Kapoor won the Best Actor award for Brahmastra.
▪ Anupam Kher received the Most Versatile Actor of the Year award for The Kashmir Files.
▪ Actor-filmmaker Rishab Shetty won the Most Promising Actor award for his Kannada film
Kantara.

Winners list of Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Awards – 2023
• Best Film: The Kashmir Files
• Best Director: R Balki for Chup: Revenge of The Artist
• Best Actor: Ranbir Kapoor for Brahmastra: Part 1
• Best Actress: Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi
• Most Promising Actor: Rishab Shetty for Kantara
• Best Actor In A Supporting Role: Manish Paul for Jugjugg Jeeyo
• Outstanding Contribution In The Film Industry: Rekha
• Best Web Series: Rudra: The Edge of Darkness
• Critics Best Actor: Varun Dhawan for Bhediya
• Film of The Year: RRR

Solution:option d.)

▪ India has won two gold medals in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed team and 10m Air Pistol Mixed
team at the ongoing ISSF Shooting World Cup, Cairo in Egypt.
▪ Indian 10m Air Rifle Mixed team of Narmada Nithin Raju and Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil
defeated Hungary’s Eszter Denes and Istvan Peni by 16-6 to bag the top spot on the
podium.
▪ While the 10m Air Pistol Mixed team of Rhythm Sangwan and Varun Tomar won gold.

Solution: option a.)

▪ International Mother Language Day is celebrated on 21 February to spread awareness of
linguistic, and cultural diversity, and to promote multilingualism.
▪ The theme for 2023 International Mother Language Day is “Multilingual Education – a
necessity to transform education”.
▪ This theme is in line with recommendations made during the Transforming Education
Summit, where emphasis was also placed on the education and languages of indigenous
peoples.
▪ UNESCO announced this day on November17, 1999, and since 2000, this day has been
celebrated all over the world.

Solution:option c.)

▪ Former Gujarat governor and veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Om Prakash
Kohli passed away on 20 February.
▪ He held the responsibility of many posts including the President of Delhi Pradesh BJP.
▪ Apart from being a Rajya Sabha member, he was the 19th Governor of Gujarat from 2014
to 2019.
▪ Kohli began his political career as a volunteer of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and
held various positions with the ABVP, the Delhi University Students’ Union and the Delhi
University Teachers’ Association.
▪ In January 1991, Kohli entered the political arena and took over as the President of the
Delhi BJP.