Miscellaneous Current Affairs

The New Parliament Building, which is a component of the Central Vista redevelopment project, was officially opened by the Prime Minister on 28 May 2023. One of the centerpieces of the event was the installation of a revered golden scepter called sengol near the speaker’s seat. Sengol represents the independence, sovereignty, cultural diversity and history of India.

What is Sengol?

Sengol, which is derived from the Tamil word “semmai” and means “righteousness”, has a deeper meaning. It was constructed of gold or silver and was often decorated with precious stones. Emperors carried a sengol scepter during ceremonial events to symbolize their power. It is associated with the Chola Empire, one of the most enduring and powerful dynasties in South India.

History of Sengol :

In essence, “sengol” is a scepter. One of the longest ruling dynasties in history, the Chola dynasty of South India, where Sengol first appeared. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, accepted “Sengol” as a symbol of the handover of authority from the British. After this it was kept in the Allahabad Museum.

What matters most is the expectation that the person receiving the sengol will rule justly and fairly. On 14th August, the “sacred sengol ceremony” was held shortly before Pandit Nehru’s famous midnight “Tryst of Destiny” speech. It represents the need for just, policy-compliant and morally righteous governance.

From the ninth to the thirteenth century CE, the Cholas ruled parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Sri Lanka. They were famous for their temple construction, maritime trade, administrative effectiveness and military might. The Sengol scepter was traditionally passed from one Chola king to another as a symbol of legitimacy and succession. A high priest or guru usually presides over the event, blesses the new emperor and confers on him the title of Sengol.

Significance of Sengol :

Sengol holds relevance in the political symbolism of India. The recent decision of the Government of India to install Sengol in the new Parliament House underlines its historical continuity and reaffirmation of national pride. It is seen as a reflection of the values ​​India gives to the religion and its principles. After knowing about Sengol and its historical fact, PM Narendra Modi decided to present it to the nation on the opening day of the Parliament. Sengol’s presence in the Parliament House will serve as a link to India’s rich cultural and historical heritage for the present and future generations of Indians.

Qns : Who recieved Sengol for the first time?

(A) Narendra Modi
(B) Mahatma Gandhi
(C) Jawaharlal Nehru
(D) Indira Gandhi

Ans : (C) Jawaharlal Nehru

• Earlier this week, OpenAI launched the official ChatGpt app for iPhone users.
• In the first 6 days since of its initial launch in the United States on 18th May, the ChatGPT mobile app crossed the half a million downloads mark, making it one of the highest-performing new apps, outperforming other AI & chatbot apps, Microsoft Edge and Bing apps in terms of downloads.
• Its availability was expanded to 32 more countries just after a week of its launch. The list of new countries include Algeria, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Estonia, Ghana, India, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nauru, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Qatar, Slovenia, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.
• Earlier this week, it expanded into 11 more countries including New Zealand, Nigeria, South Korea, the U.K. and European nations such as France, Germany and Ireland.

About the ChatGPT :

This technology has revolutionized the way people interact with computers and has made it more user-friendly. It can be used to build business models, code or write theater scripts. Apart from such capabilities, it appears attractive due to its cost-free availability and exclusion of advertisements. Additionally, it enables voice input via OpenAI’s Whisper speech recognition engine, giving ChatGPT Plus users access to the advanced capabilities of GPT-4’s.

Qns : OpenAI launched which app in India for iPhone users on 18 May?
(A) ChatGPT app
(B) GPT-3.5 architecture
(C) Language model training
(D) OpenAI research initiative
Ans : (A) ChatGPT app

• Bulgarian author Georgi Gospodinov won the 2023 International Booker Prize for his novel “Time Shelter”.
• The novel was translated into English by Angela Rodel and is the first Bulgarian novel to win the International Booker Prize.
• “Time Shelter” is a captivating and remarkable literary work that explores themes of time, identity, and the human experience.

International Booker Prize :

The International Booker Prize is an international literary prize held in the United Kingdom. The launch of the International Prize was announced in June 2004 as a complement to the Man Booker Prize. Sponsored by the Man Group, from 2005 to 2015 the prize was awarded every two years to a living author of any nationality for a work published in English or generally available in English translation.

Qns : Which author won the 2023 International Booker Prize for his novel “Time Shelter”?

(A) Niel Gaiman
(B) Salman Rushdie
(C) Georgi Gospodinov
(D) None of the above

Ans : (C) Georgi Gospodinov

• Mpox is a rare but potentially serious disease caused by a virus belonging to the poxvirus family. It can cause a rash on various parts of the body and is similar to smallpox.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on 11th May that mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is no longer a global health emergency, nearly a year after the disease spread worldwide.
• The emergency declaration for mpox was issued in July 2022 during a major global surge in cases. This indicates the ability of WHO to take quick and effective measures to address emerging global health threats.
• Since January 2022, mpox has affected more than 87,000 people and caused 140 deaths in 111 countries. This highlights the need for continued vigilance and preparedness to prevent and control outbreaks of infectious diseases globally.
• The successful containment of mpox underscores the importance of international cooperation and collaboration in responding to global health threats. It also highlights the critical role of public health measures, such as surveillance, rapid response, and vaccination, in controlling infectious diseases.

Qns : What organization declared mpox no longer a global health emergency on 11th May 2023?

(A) The United Nations
(B) The World Health Organization
(C) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(D) The World Food Programme

Answer : (B) The World Health Organization