Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 31, 2023

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is an annual event observed on 30 July every year.
The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons aims to raise awareness and prevent the widespread issue of people trafficking and modern slavery, which affects many countries around the world.
The theme for the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2023 is “Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind.” In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly approved a Global Action Plan aimed at combating trafficking in persons worldwide.

India recorded a 23.5% increase in tiger population between 2018 and 2022, taking the number of big cats in the wild to 3,682, more than the initially estimated 3,167 and accounting for 75%of the tigers in the world.
In April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released an interim estimation of 3,167 tigers. India had 2,197 tigers in 2018, up from 1,411 tigers in 2006.
Around 80% of the tigers (2,885) now reside in eight of the 18 tiger states, including Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Assam. Madhya Pradesh has the highest tiger population of 785, followed by 563 in Karnataka and 444 in Maharashtra.

The central Indian and Western Ghats landscapes have contributed 2,526 tigers to the total number, making them the densest tiger regions in the world, according to a state-wise estimation reported on 29 July (International Tiger Day).

Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) received a grant of Rs.10 crore from NITI Aayog to set up India’s first Atal Incubation Centre in fisheries.

NITI Aayog provided a grant of Rs.10 crore to the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (FUFOS) to set up India’s first Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) in fisheries which will be dedicated to promoting research, technological advancement and entrepreneurship in fisheries and allied sectors.

Kerala CM: Pinarayi Vijayan
Kerala Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan

ISRO launches seven Singaporean satellites, including DS-SAR, in a commercial mission using a PSLV-C56 rocket.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched seven Singaporean satellites, onboard a PSLV rocket in a commercial mission.
The Bengaluru-headquartered space agency launched PSLV-C56 carrying Singapore’s DS-SAR, a Radar Imaging Earth Observation Satellite, along with six co-passenger satellites from Sriharikota, about 135 km from Chennai at 6:30 AM on 30 July.
ISRO Head: S Somnath
ISRO HQ: Bengaluru

Indian Embassy in Muscat Counsellor Irshad Ahmad has been appointed as India’s next Ambassador to Syria.

Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan recently discussed India-Syria bilateral cooperation including development partnership, trade and capacity building with Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous.

Syria Capital: Damascus
Syria Currency: Syrian pound

The government has extended the unemployment scheme, the Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana, under the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation for a period of two years up to June 30, 2024.
It has been decided to extend the Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana for the period 01.07.2022 to 30.06.2024 with the relaxed eligibility conditions and enhanced rate of relief.
This is the third extension to the scheme with two extensions given each in 2020 and 2021 to financially support ESIC beneficiaries who had lost jobs during the pandemic.

Goa will host the world’s biggest national male pageant “The Rubaru” Mr. India competition.
It is the biggest and most respected competition for men in the world.
This renowned event will take place this August with the national finals taking place at the Bogmallo Beach Resort on August 5. In August, Goa will welcome 32 of the most handsome, charismatic and talented men from different parts of India for the 19th season of the Rubaru Mr India competition.
The Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant, will be at the event as the chief guest.
Goa Capital: Panaji
Goa Governor: P. S. Sreedharan Pillai

Among all states, Maharashtra topped the list with the highest number of missing women in 2021, with a reported count of 56,498.
In 2021, a total of 375,058 women (above 18 years) were reported missing in India, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) as mentioned in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) press release.
Additionally, 90,113 girls (under the age of 18) were also reported missing in India during the same year. The second-highest number of missing women was in Madhya Pradesh with 55,704 cases.
Following closely, West Bengal reported 50,998 missing women, while Odisha recorded 29,582 cases in the same year.
The National Crime Records Bureau is an Indian government agency responsible for collecting and analyzing, crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code and Special and Local Laws. NCRB is headquartered in New Delhi and is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

Prime Minister recently launched “Urea Gold”, a new variety of Urea, during an event in Rajasthan’s Sikar. Urea Gold is a new variety of Urea coated with Sulphur.
It is being introduced to address the Sulphur deficiency in soil and save input costs for the farmers. Urea Gold surpasses the existing Neem-coated urea in terms of both economic viability and efficiency.
Sulphur-coated urea facilitates a gradual release of nitrogen, thereby enhancing its availability and uptake by crops.

Rajasthan CM: Ashok Gehlot
Rajasthan Capital: Jaipur

Madhya Pradesh had the highest crime rate against people belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community in 2021, according to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data.
In the same year, Kerala topped the list for crimes against individuals from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, the data shows.

In 2020 as well, MP had the highest crime rate against SCs, and in the previous year, it ranked second after Rajasthan, the data shows.
According to the NCRB data, MP had a crime rate of 63.6 against SCs in 2021, against the national average of 22.6.
Rajasthan ranked second in crimes against people belonging to the SC community with a rate of 60.8.
Rajasthan CM: Ashok Gehlot
Rajasthan Capital: Jaipur

Shankari Chandran’s ‘Chai Time in Cinnamon Gardens’ (Ultimo Press 2022) has won the 2023 Miles Franklin Award, Australia’s biggest literary prize. This is the third book authored by the Sydney-based mother of four, whose parents emigrated from Sri Lanka in the 1980s.
The Miles Franklin Award was established in 1954 by the estate of ‘My Brilliant Career author Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin to celebrate the Australian character and creativity.
It supports the betterment of literature by each year recognising the novel of the highest literary merit which presents Australian life in any of its phases.

Bhutan has announced the successful elimination of rubella. On July 29, the World Health Organisation recognised Bhutan’s efforts to tackle this highly contagious and potentially devastating disease.

Rubella A contagious viral infection preventable by vaccine and best known by its distinctive red rash.
The disease can spread through direct contact with the saliva or mucus of an infected person or through the air by respiratory droplets produced from coughing or sneezing.
Symptoms often appear two to three weeks after exposure and also include mild fever and headache.
There’s no treatment to get rid of an established infection, but medications may help with symptoms. Vaccination can help prevent the disease.

Bhutan Capital: Thimpu
Bhutan Currency: Bhutanese ngultrum (BTN)

Renowned veteran journalist and Asian News International (ANI) founder Prem Prakash was honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in the national capital, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the field of journalism.

Asian News International is an Indian news agency that offers syndicated multimedia news feeds to news bureaus in India and elsewhere.
Established by Prem Prakash in 1971, it was the first agency in India to syndicate video news and as of 2019, is the biggest television news agency in India.

Surinder Pal Dhammi, better known as Surinder Shinda, was an Indian singer of Punjabi music who is considered a “grandfather of MOC”, and has been described as “legendary”. He had numerous hit songs including “Jatt Jeona Morh”, “Putt Jattan De”, “Truck Billiya”, “Balbiro Bhabhi” and “Kaher Singh Di Mout”. Punjabi folk singer Surinder Shinda, 70, passed away after a brief illness in Ludhiana.

IFS officer Prabhat Kumar has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of South Africa. Mr. Kumar who is an Indian Foreign Services officer is presently serving as Special Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He is expected to take up the new role shortly.
He has served as Additional Secretary (Passport Seva Project) and Chief Passport Officer in the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. He has also been India’s Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan and also to Colombia and Ecuador.

South Africa Capital: Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein
South Africa Currency: South African Rand