Current Affairs

For the month of August

Odisha Study Centre presents

By Tapan Sir
Important for all competitive exams : like OSSC, OSSSC, OPSC, SSC, RAILWAY, Etc.

1. When was Chandrayaan-3 launched ?

Ans : 14th July, 2023
2. Chandrayaan-3 has been launched from which centres ?
Ans : Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota Andhra Pradesh
3. What is the total cost of mission Chandrayaan-3 ?
Ans : 600 crore
4. What is the total weight of Chandrayaan-3 ?
Ans : 3900 kg
➢ Propulsion Module – 2148 kg
➢ Lander Module – 1752 kg (including Rover – 26 kg)
5. Who was the project director of the Chandrayaan-3 mission ?
Ans : P Veeramuthuvel
6. Which launching vehicle is used in the launch of Chandrayaan-3 ?
Ans : GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle)
7. The mission life of the Lander and Rover of Chandrayaan-3 equals to
Ans : 14 Earth days
8. The Chandrayaan-3 mission’s Lander is known as
Ans : Vikram
➢ Rover name – Pragyan
9. On which date was the lander successfully separated from the Propulsion Module ?
Ans : 17th August, 2023
10. Which Indian space agency is responsible for the Chandrayaan-3 mission ?
Ans : ISRO
➢ Present Chairman of ISRO – S. Somanath
➢ Formation of ISRO – 15 August 1969
➢ Headquarter of ISRO – Bengaluru, Karnataka
11. What is the main objective of the chandrayaan-3 mission ?
Ans : To soft-land on the moon
12. Where will Chandrayaan-3 land on the moon ?
Ans : The south pole
13. How many throttle-able engines does the lander for Chandrayaan-3 have ?
Ans : 4
14. When is the Chandrayaan-3 mission scheduled to launch ?
Ans : August 23, 2023
15. Who has recently been appointed as the part-time chairman of UIDAI ?
Ans : Neelkanth Mishra
➢ UIDAI full form – Unique Identification Authority of India
16. Where is South-east Asia’s largest desalination plant located ?
Ans : Tamil Nadu
➢ CM of Tamil Nadu – M K Stalin
17. ICC ties up with ____ for Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
Ans : Mastercard
➢ ICC – International Cricket Council
18. What date has been designated as National Space Day in India By Prime Minister
Narendra Modi ?
Ans : August 23
19. Which state government issues notification banning plastic water bottles below 1
litre ?
Ans : Assam
20. What was the distance of Neeraj Chopra’s remarkable throw during the World
Athletics Championships ?
Ans : 88.17 meters
21. Who has been appointed as the brand ambassador for Indian Oil ?
Ans : Chef Sanjeev Kapoor
22. Muslim Women’s Rights Day – August 1
➢ World Wide Web Day – August 1
23. Which date has the Indian government selected as National Handloom Day ?
Ans : August 7
24. World Lion Day – 10 August
25. Who recently assumed the position of Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect
Taxes and Customs (CBIC) ?
Ans : Sanjay Kumar Agarwal
26. What is the name of the lighter and more compact version of the Weapon Locating
Radar (WLR) recently inducted by Indian Army ?
Ans : Swathi Mountains
27. Who recently assumed the role of Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court ?
Ans : Subhasis Talapatra
28. Which countries are participating in the Malabar series of naval exercises ?
Ans : India, Japan, US, Australia
29. Where has the construction work for the Indian Buddhist Culture and Heritage
Centre recently commenced ?
Ans : Lumbini, Nepal
30. What is the name of the space telescope that captured the image of the Ring
Nebula ?
Ans : James Webb Space Telescope
31. What historical event does Nagasaki Day commemorate ?
Ans : The devastation caused by a nuclear bomb in Nagasaki
➢ Nagasaki Day – August 9th
32. How many medals did India win at the 2023 World Cadet Wrestling Championships
in Istanbul, Turkey ?
Ans : 11 medals
33. Who has been named Tesla’s new Chief Financial Officer ?
Ans : Vaibhav Taneja
34. ____ CM transfers Rs 15 crore online to beneficiaries as part of Godhan Nyay
Yojana ?
Ans : Chhattisgarh
➢ CM of Chhattisgarh – Bhupesh Baghel
35. What percentage of India’s bird species are considered endemic, according to a
recent publication by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) ?
Ans : 5%
36. What is the name of the new COVID-19 variant that is spreading rapidly across the
United Kingdom ?
Ans : Eris
37. Where is the 31st World University Games being held ?
Ans : Chengdu, China
38. On which date did the Athletics Federation of India declare as National Javelin Day
?
Ans : August 7th
➢ Purpose of National Javelin Day in India – To celebrate Neeraj Chopra’s
achievements
39. Which organization has launched the short movie series ‘Halla Bol’ under the
campaign ‘Cheer4India’ ?
Ans : Sports Authority of India (SAI)
40. Who secured the position of the highest paid bank CEO during the fiscal year 2023
?
Ans : Sashidhar Jagdishan (CEO of HDFC Bank)
41. Alex Hales has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate
effect, at the age of 34. He belongs which team ?
Ans : England
42. Which archery team from India made history by winning a gold medal at the World
Archery Championships in Berlin, Germany ?
Ans : Women’s compound archery team
43. The Padma Bhushan awardee and IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, 1960 batch, ____
passed away in Chennai.
Ans : N Vittal
44. What is the name of the missile system that was received by the IAF from Israel ?
Ans : Spike Non Line of Sight (NLOS) ATGM
➢ IAF – Indian Air Force
45. Who developed the Nag ATGM and Helina (Dhruvastra) missiles ?
Ans : Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
➢ Present Chairman of DRDO – Samir V Kamat
➢ Formation of DRDO – 1958
➢ Headquarter of DRDO – New Delhi
46. Which Indian government ministry introduced the Ayush (AY) visa ?
Ans : Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
47. Whose tenure as Cabinet Secretary has been extended, making him the longest-
serving cabinet secretary ?
Ans : Rajiv Gauba
48. Who recently dethroned Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand as India’s top-ranked
chess player in the live world rankings ?
Ans : D. Gukesh
49. Where did the President of India inaugurate the ‘Unmesha’ International Literature
Festival and the ‘Utkarsh’ Festival of Folk and Tribal Performing Arts ?
Ans : Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
50. What are the new categories assigned to Oil India and ONGC Videsh by the Finance
Ministry ?
Ans : Maharatna and Navratna
51. What is the name of the mobile application launched by the National Highways
Authority of India (NHAI) ?
Ans : Rajmargyatra
52. Which Indian state is the recipient of the Rs 1974 crore funding from NABARD ?
Ans : Rajasthan
53. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has confirmed his attendance at the BRICS
Summit in ____.
Ans : Johannesburg, South Africa
➢ BRIC group formed – 16 June 2009
➢ BRIC group was renamed as BRICS
54. Which government ministry has chosen Oracle Cloud Infrastructure for
modernizing the national education technology platform ?
Ans : Ministry of Education
55. What is the name of the company that has jumped 16 places on the Fortune Global
500 list ?
Ans : Reliance Industries Limited
56. Which two organizations have signed an MoU for establishing a 5G tested ?
Ans : Indian Railways and IIT-Madras
➢ MoU – Memorandum of Understanding
57. What is the name of the first technology unveiled by NAL ?
Ans : JALDOST
➢ NAL – National Aerospace Laboratories
58. In which state Government brought unorganised workers in 50 different categories
under the purview of Unorganised Worker’s Social Security Board ?
Ans : Odisha
59. What is the total value of UPI transactions in July ?
Ans : 15 lakh crore
➢ UPI – Unified Payments Interface
60. Whose debut novel, ‘Western Lane’, has been selected for the 2023 Booker Prize
longlist ?
Ans : Chetna Maroo
61. Who has been appointed as the new Corporate Vice President of Microsoft India
and South Asia ?
Ans : Puneet Chandok
62. Who confirmed his retirement from Test cricket after the Ashes series ?
Ans : Moeen Ali (England all-rounder)
63. Name the author of the book “Kargil : Ek Yatri Ki Jubani”.
Ans : Rishi Raj
64. Which state’s metal craft received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag as “Jalesar
Dhatu Shilp” ?
Ans : Uttar Pradesh
65. When and where did India’s first-ever ‘Aviation Security Culture Week’ take place ?
Ans : July 31st to August 5th, 2023 in New Delhi
66. What are the two conservation initiatives in India that have been merged under a
new division ?
Ans : Project Tiger and Project Elephant
67. New division called ‘Project Tiger and Elephant Division’ was established under ?
Ans : Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
68. Who won the Belgian Grand Prix in Formula One ?
Ans : Max Verstappen
69. Which country will host the World Coffee Conference ?
Ans : India
70. Who inaugurated the new building of the Assam Legislative Assembly on July 30th
?
Ans : Om Birla
71. Who has been appointed as the new director of the National Assessment and
Accreditation Council (NAAC) ?
Ans : Prof Ganesan Kannabiran
72. Who will be honoured with the first Maharashtra Udyog Ratna Award by the
Maharashtra Government this year ?
Ans : Ratan Tata
73. Name the author of the book “Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam : Memories Never Die”.
Ans : Dr. Nazema Maraikayar & Dr. Y.S. Rajan
74. India’s tiger population estimates to ____ with an annual growth rate of 6.1%.
Ans : 3925
75. ____ University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) received a grant of Rs. 10
crore from NITI Aayog in order to set up India’s first Atal Incubation Centre in
fisheries.
Ans : Kerala
76. Which district is associated with the Rajouri Chikri Wood Craft that received the GI
Tag ?
Ans : Rajouri (in Jammu and Kashmir)
77. ____ is to launch its first lunar landing spacecraft, Luna-25, on August 11, marking a
significant step in its renewed lunar exploration efforts.
Ans : Russia
78. Which organization will Amit Jhingran lead as the new Managing Director and Chief
Executive Officer ?
Ans : SBI Life Insurance Company Limited
79. India’s first payment bank, ____ also became the first Indian Bank to launch an eco-
friendly debit card for its new and existing customers with a savings bank account.
Ans : Airtel Payment Bank
80. What is the current estimated increase in the elephant population in Karnataka,
according to the 2023 interim report ?
Ans : An increase of 346 elephants
81. What is the ranking of India among the South Asian countries based on the overall
score for Internet Resilience ?
Ans : Sixth
➢ Top – Bhutan
82. What is the name of the satellite that was launched and commissioned through the
partnership between NewSpace India Limited and Tata Play ?
Ans : GSAT-24
83. Which state assembly passes resolution against implementation of Uniform Civil
Code ?
Ans : Kerala
84. Which Indian state holds the highest position in terms of beneficiaries under the
Jan Dhan scheme ?
Ans : Bihar
85. World Elephant Day – August 12
86. International Youth Day – August 12
87. Who inaugurated the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ motorcycle rally at Pragati Maidan in Delhi
?
Ans : Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar
88. What is the name of the mobile application introduced by Chief Minister
Bhupendra Patel to celebrate World Lion Day ?
Ans : Sinh Suchna
89. The redesigned logo of Air India, known as ____ represents limitless possibilities,
progressiveness and a confident outlook for the airline’s future.
Ans : The Vista
90. By which year does India aim to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis.
Ans : 2027
91. Who recently launched the QR code-based ePass for entry at the Supreme Court ?
Ans : Chief Justice of India (CJI) D. Y. Chandrachud
92. Which Indian railway station has recently achieved the status of being Central
Railway’s third ‘Pink Station’ ?
Ans : Amravati Station
93. Lt Governor Shri Manoj Sinha inaugurates 9th India International MSME Expo &
Summit 2023 in ____.
Ans : New Delhi
94. Who recently launched a new book titled “Monsoon A Poem of Love and Longing”
?
Ans : Abhay Kumar
95. What is the name of the solar initiatives launched in power deficit Meghalaya ?
Ans : CM Solar Mission
➢ CM of Meghalaya – Conrad K Sangma
96. Which state records maximum cases of cancer ?
Ans : Uttar Pradesh
97. Which regulatory body granted approval for the merger between Zee
Entertainment and Sony Group’s Indian unit ?
Ans : National Company Law Tribunal (NCLAT)
98. Which award is Mrunal Thakur receive at the upcoming Indian Film Festival of
Melbourne (IFFM) ?
Ans : Diversity in Cinema Award
99. Which film recently received the People’s Choice Award at the Indian Film Festival
of Melbourne ?
Ans : Pathaan
100. What recent honour did filmmaker Karan Johar receive at the Indian Film
Festival of Melbourne ?
Ans : Emerging Filmmaker Award
101. What category of award did the film “Sita Raman” win at the Indian Film
Festival of Melbourne ?
Ans : Best Film
102. World Organ Donation Day – August 13
➢ Theme of 2023 – Step up to volunteer ; need more organ donors to fill the
lacunae
103. What is the theme for India’s Independence Day celebration ?
Ans : Nation First, Always First
104. India celebrating their ____ Independence Day on August 15, 2023.
Ans : 77th
105. Which educational organization forms 19-member panel for textbooks
revision ?
Ans : National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
106. President Smt Droupadi Murmu has given her approval for ____ Gallantry
awards to members of the Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces on the
occasion of Independence Day 2023 ?
Ans : 76 Gallantry awards
107. Who has been appointed as the managing director of Life Insurance
Corporation of India (LIC) ?
Ans : R. Doraiswamy
108. Which naval vessel represented India in the celebration of Singapore’s 77th
Independence Day ?
Ans : INS Kulish
109. What is the name of India’s first long-range revolver set to be launched ?
Ans : Prabal
110. What is the total financial allocation for the ‘Abua Awas Yojna’ announced
by the Jharkhand CM ?
Ans : 15,000 crore
➢ CM of Jharkhand – Hemant Soren
111. Who was recently sworn in as Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister ?
Ans : Anwarul Haq Kakar
112. Who recently achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first player to
secure consecutive ICC Women’s Player of the Month awards ?
Ans : Ashleigh Gardner (Australia)
113. Which cricketer has been honoured with the ICC Men’s Player of the Month
award for his impactful bowling performances ?
Ans : Chris Woakes (England seamer)
114. Which private entity partnered with the Tamil Nadu government to
establish the new street circuit in Chennai ?
Ans : Racing Promotions Private Limited
115. ____ gets USD 40.5 million loan for childhood development programme
from Asian Development Bank.
Ans : Meghalaya
116. What is the name of the multi-national exercise that the Indian Air Force
(IAF) is set to hold with several top air powers from around the world ?
Ans : Tarang Shakti
117. Wipro launches Center of Excellence on generative AI at ____.
Ans : IIT Delhi
118. Typhoon Lan made landfall in ____, August 15, bringing heavy rain and
strong winds. The typhoon has caused flooding and power outages in several areas
and authorities have issued evacuation warnings for some residents.
Ans : Japan
119. Who recently announced his retirement from international cricket after a
15-year career from Pakistan ?
Ans : Wahab Riaz
120. Who has been elected as one of the four vice presidents of World Athletics,
the highest post ever held by an Indian in the global track and field governing body.
Ans : Adille Sumariwalla
121. Where was the launch ceremony of the sixth Project 17A frigate INS
Vindhyagiri held ?
Ans : Kolkata
122. Which state recently unveiled a groundbreaking initiative – The Biodiversity
Atlas of Mayem Village ?
Ans : Goa
➢ CM of Goa – Pramod Sawant
123. Budha Amarnath Yatra began with a batch of over 1,000 pilgrims from base
camp here for ____.
Ans : Jammu and Kashmir
124. Govt Planning Skill Training for ____ women under ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme ?
Ans : 2 crore
125. What is the allocated budget for the extended Digital India project
approved by the cabinet ?
Ans : 14,900 crore
126. Who has recently been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director
(CMD) of Power Finance Corporation (PFC) ?
Ans : Parminder Chopra
127. Who has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India to become the
Managing Director & CEO of the South Indian Bank ?
Ans : PR Seshadri
128. ____ has launched an e-visa facility for Indians from August 1, allowing
travellers to the country to surpass the hassles of obtaining a regular visa.
Ans : Russia
129. Which state government has introduced the Bhagwan Birsa Munda
Jodaraste Scheme ?
Ans : Maharashtra
130. Which organization developed the ‘Floodwatch’ mobile app ?
Ans : Cenral Water Commission (CWC)
➢ Chairman of CWC – Shri Kushvinder Vohra
131. Where was India’s first 3D-printed post office recently inaugurated ?
Ans : Bengaluru
132. Which organization has recently partnered with Jio Institute for a faculty
development program focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and data science ?
Ans : All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
133. World Senior Citizen Day – August 21
134. Women’s Equality Day – August 26
➢ 2023 theme – Embrace Equity
135. International Dog Day – August 26
136. National Sports Day – August 29
137. National Small Industry Day – August 30
138. Which instrument on Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyan rover confirmed Sulphur
presence on the surface of Moon ?
Ans : Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope
139. Which device developed at ISRO’s Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad,
aims to enhance the safety of fishermen during their sea expeditions ?
Ans : Nabhmitra
140. Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Union Road Transport and Highways, unveiled
a 100% ethanol-powered version of the Innova HyCross car from which automotive
manufacturer ?
Ans : Toyota
141. Which country did Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) sign a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with to strengthen the security of the Indian Ocean Region
(IOR), particularly along the eastern coast of Africa ?
Ans : Kenya
142. Which company has selected Celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor to serve as a
brand ambassador for its Indane XTRATEJ LPG brand ?
Ans : Indian Oil
143. With which country has India recently signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration in the field of civil aviation ?
Ans : New Zealand
144. Who has been appointed as the new Chairman of Finance Industry
Development Council (FIDC) ?
Ans : Umesh Revankar
145. What is the title of the book that has been released by Shivraj Singh and
Anurag Thakur, containing speeches of PM Modi ?
Ans : Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas
146. India is now all set to open a climate change and health hub in the ____ in
partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Ans : Delhi
147. Who released a commemorative coin honoring former Andhra Pradesh
Chief Minister N T Rama Rao ?
Ans : President Droupadi Murmu
148. Which state signs MoU with Germany’s professional association football
league to help young players ?
Ans : Maharashtra
➢ MoU – Memorandum of Understanding
149. Droupadi Murmu releases postage stamp in memory of Dadi Prakashmani.
Who is Dadi Prakashmani ?
Ans : An Indian spiritual leader
150. Who secured victory at the Dutch Grand Prix for the third year in a row ?
Ans : Max Verstappen
151. Where did the Indian Air Force make its debut in Exercise BRIGHT STAR-23 ?
Ans : Egypt
152. How many new districts did the Assam Cabinet create following the process
of delimitation ?
Ans : 4 new districts
153. Which Indian city recently became the third to receive an air quality early
warning system ?
Ans : Kolkata
154. Who recently secured a second term as the president of Zimbabwe ?
Ans : Emmerson Mnangagwa
155. What are the newly designated names for the locations where
Chandrayaan-3’s lander and Chandrayaan-2 touched down on the Moon ?
Ans : Shivashakti and Tiranga Point
156. What prestigious award was bestowed upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi
during the event in Athens ?
Ans : Grand Cross of the Order of Honour
157. What is the title of the book authored by long-term cricket administer Amrit
Mathur ?
Ans : Pitchside : My Life in Indian Cricket
158. Which renowned company recently signed a partnership with women’s
tennis champion Iga Swiatek ?
Ans : Infosys
159. How many Atal Residential Schools are planned to be developed in Uttar
Pradesh ?
Ans : 18
160. Which chess player won the FIDE World Cup for the first time in their career
?
Ans : Magnus Carlsen
161. What does the term “White Shipping Information” refer to in the context of
maritime operations ?
Ans : Information about merchant shipping traffic
162. In the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan-2023, which city’s IT hub secured the first
position ?
Ans : Indore
163. With which international organization has the Telangana government
formed a partnership to implement the Recommendation on Ethics of AI ?
Ans : United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
164. ____ , recently got its first AI school at Santhigiri Vidyabhavan in ____.
Ans : Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram
165. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Respiratory
Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine. The vaccine is mainly used for which purposes ?
Ans : Treatment of women during pregnancy
166. How many peak concurrent viewers (PCVs) were recorded during the
Chandrayaan-3 Mission live stream on Youtube ?
Ans : 80 lakh
167. Who recently passed away at the age of 103 and was recognized as one of
India’s greatest mathematicians and statisticians ?
Ans : C Radhakrishna Rao
168. Who is the author of the book “Drunk on Love : The Life, Vision and Songs
of Kabir” ?
Ans : Vipul Rikhi
169. Who recently passed away at the age of 79, known as a pioneer of World
Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and a member of the WWE Hall of Fame ?
Ans : Terry Funk
170. What is the unique feature of Chandrayaan-3’s landing in comparison to
other nation’s lunar missions ?
Ans : Landing on Moon’s South pole
171. Who has recently been appointed as the Chairperson of the National Green
Tribunal (NGT) ?
Ans : Justice Prakash Shrivastava
172. Who is set to become a “national icon” for the Election Commission (EC) to
promote greater voter participation ?
Ans : Sachin Tendulkar
173. What is the new official name for the Khelo India Women’s League, as
announced by Sports Minister Anurag Thakur ?
Ans : Asmita Women’s League
174. What are the dates for the World Water Week 2023 ?
Ans : August 20 to 24
➢ Theme of 2023 – Seeds of Change : Innovative solutions for a Water-Wise
World
175. What is the alternative name for the 10-day-long Onam festivals ?
Ans : Thiruvonam
176. Where is the trial of India’s first hydrogen bus taking place ?
Ans : Leh, Ladakh
177. Which airport in the northeastern region has recently become the first to
introduce the ‘Digi Yatra’ facility ?
Ans : Guwahati Airport
178. Who inaugurated the 9th two-day Indian Region Conference of
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) conference ?
Ans : Om Birla
179. Who recently won a silver medal at the Singapore International Math
Olympiad Challenge (SIMOC) ?
Ans : Raja Anirudh Sriram
180. Who has recently been appointed as the brand ambassador for Bharat
Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), to promote the Pure for Sure initiative and MAK
lubricants ?
Ans : Rahul Dravid
181. Who recently secured a gold medal at the U20 World Wrestling
Championships held in Jordan ?
Ans : Priya Malik
182. ____ sets new record for longest scorpene submarine deployment, covers
7,000 km to reach Australia for exercises.
Ans : INS Vagir