Correct Answer :   IIT Hyderabad

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The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Industry Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) has been inaugurated at the Indian Institute of Technology - Hyderabad 16th April 2023.

* This is the biggest such facility in the country. DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat inaugurated the facility at the campus of the IIT-Hyderabad at Sangareddy in Telangana.

* Speaking on the occasion, he said the centre will take up futuristic projects towards long-term directed research needed for DRDO. He said the DIA CoE IITH is the largest centre among all 15 CoEs in the country and DRDO team will work with IIT-H to identify the target projects in each of these domains and execute to complete in a period of 3-5 years.

* The research cell, which marked the beginning of the collaboration between DRDO and IITH three years ago, has now been transformed into a Centre of Excellence.

* The CoE will have seven verticals of technology projects that will be undertaken at DIA-CoE at IITH.IITH director, Professor B S Murty said, the centre is a major step towards Atmabibhar Bharat in the Defence sector...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   17th April 2023 – 21st April 2023

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The Ministry of Panchayati Raj will be celebrating National Panchayat Awards Week during 17th April 2023 – 21st April 2023 as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) 2.0 in the run-up to the National Panchayati Raj Day (24th April, 2023).

* To celebrate this monumental occasion in the right spirit and in line with the AKAM 2.0 directives of adopting “whole-of-society” and “whole-of-government” approach as well as enhancing the outreach of AKAM 2.0 to touch the lives of every Indian, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has conceptualized a series of Thematic Conferences.

* The National Panchayat Awards Week on the Theme : “Panchayaton ke Sankalpon ki Siddhi ka Utsav” (पंचायतों के संकल्पों की सिद्धि का उत्सव) where the representatives of high performing Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) will not only receive their coveted Awards but will also deliberate and discuss their achievements in the presence of other stakeholders that can set examples for others to follow.

* The five-day National Panchayat Awards Week will commence with organizing ‘National Conference on Incentivization of Panchayats-cum-Award Ceremony’ in New Delhi 17th April 2023.

* The President of India has very kindly accorded her consent to inaugurate ‘National Conference on Incentivization of Panchayats-cum-Award Ceremony’ on 17th April, 2023 to flag off the National Panchayat Awards Week, confer the National Panchayat Awards and address the august gathering on this occasion.

* The National Conference on Incentivization of Panchayats-cum-Award Ceremony is expected to witness participation of more than 1,500 delegates from across the country...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Russia

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Russia’s Gazprombank has expanded its links with banks in India to expedite trade between the two countries in national currencies, a key executive told Reuters on Monday (17th April 2023), as Russia this year has become the biggest supplier of oil to India.

* Trade between India and Russia has surged since the West imposed sanctions against Russia for its invasion last year of Ukraine, which has altered flows of oil and other goods.

* “We worked hard to establish our level of partnership with Indian banks and our representatives here worked hard,” Elena Borisenko, deputy chairman of the board of management of Gazprombank, told Reuters on the sidelines of an India-Russia business dialogue event in New Delhi on Monday (17th April 2023).

* Gazprombank is Russia’s third-largest lender by assets and a key conduit of the Russian energy trade.

* Due to higher purchases of oil, the trade balance is tilted increasingly in favour of Russia. That balance could be improved through Russian companies investing in infrastructure projects in India, Borisenko said.

* “We are hoping that it (trade) will be better, it will be improving, and … payments between Russia and Indian will be more and more in national currencies,” the executive said.

* India last year implemented a broader framework to facilitate overseas trade in rupees and since then many foreign banks, including Gazprombank and other Russian institutions, have opened vostro accounts with Indian banks..

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Syria

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Syria has witnessed a troubling transformation into the world's foremost narco-state, as its economic survival now depends heavily on the production and export of Captagon, also known as the "poor man's coke".

* This highly addictive amphetamine has become the primary lifeline of the country's economy, generating more than 90% of its foreign currency.

* The pervasive presence and profitability of Captagon in Syria have raised concerns about the devastating impact of drug trafficking on the country's social fabric, health, and security.

* Collins Dictionary provides a definition of a "narco-state" as a nation where a significant portion of the economy is reliant on the illicit trade of narcotic drugs.

* Captagon, a banned illicit drug recognized by the UNODC (2021), is a synthetic stimulant that combines amphetamine and caffeine.

* Originally introduced by a German pharmaceutical company in 1961 for medical purposes such as treating conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, narcolepsy, and depression, Captagon was later found to be highly addictive and detrimental to mental and physical health, leading to its prohibition.

* Captagon, commonly known as "party pills," is a highly sought-after recreational drug among young people in the Gulf states. Additionally, it is favoured by armed individuals for the sense of invincibility it can induce, earning it nicknames like "Captain Courage" or “Jihadi magic potion."

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   7.65%

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The United States has emerged as India's biggest trading partner in 2022-23 on account of increasing economic ties between the two countries.

* According to the provisional data of the commerce ministry, the bilateral trade between India and the US has increased by 7.65 per cent to USD 128.55 in 2022-23 as against USD 119.5 billion in 2021-22. It was USD 80.51 billion in 2020-21.

* Exports to the US rose by 2.81 per cent to USD 78.31 billion in 2022-23 as against USD 76.18 billion in 2021-22, while imports grew by about 16 per cent to USD 50.24 billion, the data showed.

* On the other hand, during 2022-23, India's two-way commerce with China declined by about 1.5 per cent to USD 113.83 billion as against USD 115.42 billion in 2021-22.

* Exports to China dipped by about 28 per cent to USD 15.32 billion in 2022-23, while imports rose by 4.16 per cent to USD 98.51 billion in the last fiscal. Trade gap widened to USD 83.2 billion in the last fiscal as against USD 72.91 billion in 2021-22.

* Experts believe that the trend of increasing bilateral trade with the US will continue in the coming years also as New Delhi and Washington are engaged in further strengthening the economic ties.

* Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President A Sakthivel said that increasing exports of goods such as pharmaceutical, engineering and gems and jewellery is helping India to push its shipments to America..

Source : Economic Times

Correct Answer :   Nandini Gupta

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19-year-old Nandini Gupta from Rajasthan’s Kota has been crowned Femina Miss India 2023. The first and second runner-ups in the coveted beauty pageant were Delhi’s Poonja and Manipur's Thounaojam Strela Luwang respectively.

* Nandini was crowned the new beauty queen of India at the 59th edition of India’s most prestigious beauty pageant. The gala ceremony was held at the Indoor Stadium, Khuman Lampak, Imphal, Manipur.

* “WORLD - here she comes! Nandini Gupra has conquered our stage and taken over our hearts with her magnetism, charm, endurance and beauty! We’re so proud and can’t wait to see her on the Miss World stage! We’re so proud of your journey and all the hard work you’ve undertaken to earn the crown to your full credit. May you shine always! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome your new reigning queen, Nandini Gupta, Femina Miss India World 2023,” read the post shared on the official website of Femina Miss India.

* Nandini holds a degree in Business Management and is also a model. The grand finale ceremony held on 15th April 2023 was a star-studded affair and celebs like Ananya Pandey and Kartik Aaryan gave power-packed performances. The event was hosted by Bhumi Pednekar and Maniesh Paul...

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   Pema Khandu

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Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu, on Sunday (April 16, 2023), inaugurated the Shar Nyima Tsho Sum Namyig Lhakhang (Gonpa) at Gyangkhar village.

* Gyangkhar village is located at Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

* The Gonpa has a great historical importance for the well-being and betterment of humans, particularly for the people of Shar Nyima Tsho Sum and all Buddhists in general, said Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu.

* The 11- 12th-century Gonpa was on the verge of collapse but it has been restored with a new structure.

* The sacred place has been restored with new structure, other requisites, performing all rituals and blessings for the well-being and betterment of all sentient beings, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu said...

Source : Nenow

Correct Answer :   Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)

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* Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is planning to set up a joint venture with US-based clean energy technology company LanzaJet Inc and multiple domestic airlines for production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), people aware of the development said.

* The proposed venture will set up a plant to make SAF with alcohol-to-jet technology at the state-run company’s Panipat refinery in Haryana at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore.

* IOC will possess a 50% share, while LanzaJet Inc will hold a 25% share..

Source : India Times

Correct Answer :   Japan, India, and France

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Japan, India and France have announced a common platform for talks among bilateral creditors to coordinate restructuring of Sri Lanka's debt.

* The move is expected to serve as a model for solving the debt woes of middle-income economies.
 
* Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki told a briefing that to be able to launch this negotiation process with such a broad-based group of creditors is a historical outcome.  He said this committee is open to all creditors.
 
* French Director General of the Treasury Emmanuel Moulin told the briefing that the group is ready to hold the first round of talks as soon as possible.
 
* The island nation of 22 million people last month secured a 2.9 billion dollar programme from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to tackle its huge debt burden.

* But the middle-income economy could not apply for relief under the G-20’s common framework for debt treatments, which targets only low-income countries.  This has put the onus on major economies to come up with an alternative scheme, leading to the creation of the new platform.
 
* Sri Lanka owes 7.1 billion dollar to bilateral creditors, with 3 billion dollar owed to China, followed by 2.4 billion dollar to the Paris Club and 1.6 billion dollar to India, according to official data from Sri Lankan government..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   New Delhi

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IFGE- CBG Producers Forum is organizing Two Day Global Conference on Compressed Biogas under theme “Towards Progressive Policy Framework for a Robust CBG Foundation and Growth” supported by Ministry for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India.

* The Conference is being held on 17th & 18th April 2023 at Silver Oak, Indian Habitat Centre, New Delhi, with the objective to apprise the industry regarding the initiatives taken by Government of India for development of Compressed Biogas Industry and to identify the areas where policy modifications are required.  

* Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Hon’ble Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest and inaugurate the conference. Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Hon’ble Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India will grace the Dinner Session as the Chief Guest and Shri Pankaj Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India will grace the occasion as the Guest of Honour.

* India is dedicated to achieve net zero target by 2070, there are several initiatives taken by current leadership and government by various means to reduce emission.

* Compressed Biogas (CBG) has also an important role in emission reduction and it is being promoted by SATAT Scheme (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation). CBG has higher calorific value and properties similar to CNG and can be utilized as alternative green renewable and can replace CNG in automotive, industrial and commercial areas, given the abundance of biomass availability within the country...

Source : PIB