Daily GK Update - 18 January 2024 Current Affairs

                Current Affairs

                                        National Affairs

India International Science Festival 2023 Kicks Off Today

• The India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023 has commenced today on January 17, marking the beginning of a four-day extravaganza celebrating the achievements of India in the frontier areas of science and technology.
• Organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India, and coordinated by the National Innovation Foundation-India, IISF 2023 aims to foster scientific temperament, acknowledge achievements, and spread awareness among the Indian populace.

Chhattisgarh Launches Mahtari Vandana Yojana 2024.

• The state of Chhattisgarh, inspired by the successful implementation of the ‘Aarthik Sarkari Ladli Bahna Yojana‘ organized by the Madhya Pradesh government, has recently launched a new scheme known as Mahtari Vandana Yojana 2024.

                                      International Affairs

Switzerland to Host Ukraine Peace Summit on Zelenskiy’s Request

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has secured Switzerland’s agreement to host a global peace summit aimed at resolving the conflict sparked by Russia’s incursion into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Iran strikes Targets in Pakistani Territory.

• Iran conducted a series of strikes in different neighboring regions.
• These strikes were conducted in a coordinated manner to target terrorist camps in Iraq and Pakistan.

                                                Economy

LIC overtakes SBI to become the most valuable PSU.

• In a significant turn of events, the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has not only staged an impressive comeback but has also surpassed the market capitalization of the State Bank of India (SBI).

                                                  Sports

Rohit Sharma tops the list of batters with most hundreds in T20.

• Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma has created history by becoming the first batsman to score five centuries in T20 Internationals (T20Is).

Indian President Inaugurated 5th Meghalaya Games.

• the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, inaugurated the 5th Edition of the Meghalaya Games in Tura, Meghalaya.

Praggnanandhaa Surpasses Viswanathan Anand to Become India’s No.1 Chess Player

• Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, an 18-year-old chess prodigy from Chennai, achieved a historic milestone in his career by defeating World Champion Ding Liren from China.
• This significant victory occurred during the fourth round of the 2024 Tata Steel Chess Tournament held in Wijk aan Zee.

1. Who inaugurated the 5th Edition of the Meghalaya Games?

(a) Prime Minister Narendra Modi

(b) Sports Minister Anurag Thakur

(c) President Droupadi Murmu

(d) Chief Minister Conrad Sangma

Answer- President Draupadi Murmu

2. Which Indian state recently launched the Mahtari Vandana Yojana 2024 scheme?

(a) Madhya Pradesh

(b) Chhattisgarh

(c) Uttar Pradesh

(d) Rajasthan

Answer- Chhattisgarh

3. Which country will host the Ukraine peace summit at the request of President Zelenskiy?

(a) Germany

(b) France

(c) Turkey

(d) Switzerland

Answer- Switzerland

4. Which Indian company recently surpassed the market capitalization of the State Bank of India (SBI)?

(a) Reliance Industries

(b) Tata Motors

(c) Life Insurance Corporation of India

(d) Infosys

Answer- Life Insurance Corporation of India

5. Who recently surpassed Viswanathan Anand to become India's No.1 chess player?

(a) D. Gukesh

(b) Nihal Sarin

(c) Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa

(d) Adhiban Baskaran

Answer- Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa

                                    Daily Vocabulary

Word and its meaning

Synonym

Antonym

Bugle

A brass instrument, typically used for military signals.

Trumpet, horn, brass instrument.

Muted, silent, quiet.

Eschew

To deliberately avoid or abstain from.

Avoid, shun, abstain from.

Embrace, accept, indulge in.

Atavistic

Relating to or characterized by the recurrence of past traits, as in remote ancestors.

Primitive, ancestral, retrogressive.

Progressive, advanced, modern.

Hegemonic

Dominant or controlling, especially in a political or social context.

Dominant, influential, authoritative.

Submissive, subservient, powerless.

Obfuscating

Making something unclear or difficult to understand.

Confusing, muddling, obscuring.

Clarifying, elucidating, explaining.