Correct Answer :   Hun manet

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Hun Manet, the eldest son of Cambodia's longtime leader Hun Sen, has been appointed by the country's king as the next prime minister and will take the reins later this month.

Prime Minister Hun Sen released a royal decree on Monday (7th August 2023) from King Norodom Sihamoni detailing the long-awaited transition that heralds the first change in leadership since 1985. The document follows a request from the ruling Cambodian People's Party, which won 96% of seats in an election last month widely seen as a sham after their only credible rivals were barred from running.

The decree, which comes into force on Aug. 7, states that the King has named Manet as "Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia for the 7th legislature of the National Assembly."

Manet now has to prepare the composition of the government for approval of the National Assembly, Cambodia's parliament, which will convene for a vote on Aug. 22 to finalize the transition.

Hun Sen, who turned 71 on the weekend, appears to have sped up the transition to his eldest son after announcing his plans to step down in the days following the widely panned election. The certification of the election results was released on Saturday, significantly faster than for previous ballots..

Source : Asia.nikkei

Correct Answer :   Nirmala Sitharaman

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Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday (6th August 2023) laid the foundation stone for an archeological museum at Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin district.

Adichanallur was one of the five archaeological sites declared to be developed as ‘Iconic Sites’ in the Union Budget 2020-21. Adichanallur is an archaeological site located on the banks of river Tamirabarani in this district.

“The main objective of the museum would be to focus on establishing the significance of the archaeological sites identified as part of the cultural landscape of the Tamirabharani valley, not limiting to the site of Adichanallur. The museum will be built as a tribute to the history of Iron Age culture in Southern India, in the context of Adichanallur,” her office said in one of a series of tweets.

Sitharaman was accompanied by local MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi among others.

The museum will house the excavated artefacts, the archaeological significance of the site and history of the region, another tweet on her official handle said.
The building will house display galleries, an audio-visual hall, a souvenir shop, a cafeteria apart from administration spaces.

As part of the development plan, fresh exploration/excavation of archaeological remains has been taken by the ASI, Trichy (Tiruchirappalli) Circle.

“The extensive urn burial site at Adichanallur was first discovered by Dr Jagor of Berlin Museum in 1876. Englishman Alexander Rea excavated a good number of urns during 1910s and discovered gold diadems with parallels from Mycenae, bronze objects, notably lids with exquisite finials depicting many animal forms, iron objects besides thousands of potsherds,” her office said.

The excavation was resumed during 2003-04 and 2004-05.

“Carbon dating of samples excavated in 2004 from the Adichanallur site has revealed that they belong to the period between 1000 BC and 600 BC. In 2005, around 169 clay urns containing human skeletons were unearthed that date back to at least 3,800 years. The archaeological excavation at Adichanallur again commenced on October 10, 2021 as part of Iconic Site development,” it added.

Meanwhile, an official release quoted Sitharaman as saying that as part of a concerted effort to preserve India’s rich cultural heritage, the government was working tirelessly to repatriate artefacts belonging to Adichallanur from abroad with a focus on items currently held in Berlin, Germany.

So far, the government’s efforts have resulted in the return of over 350 ancient artefacts and items of historical importance to India.

She also highlighted various comprehensive efforts taken by the Centre to honour, preserve, and showcase India’s rich cultural heritage for both present and future generations.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, numerous heritage sites, including Somnath, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, have been revitalised.

She further stated that over 3.3 lakh manuscripts containing 3.4 crore pages have been digitised..

Source : Daily Excelsior

Correct Answer :   Tata Play

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More than a year after French firm Arianespace’s Ariane-5 put into space PSU NewSpace India Limited’s (NSIL) GSAT-24, the first satellite that was dedicated fully for a private firm is set to go live Monday (7th August 2023).

GSAT-24 is a dedicated satellite for Tata Play’s (formerly TataSky) direct-to-home (DTH) services. In an exclusive interview with STOI, TataPlay MD and CEO Harit Nagpal confirming the satellite would go live Monday(7th August 2023), said the satellite will increase its channel carrying capacity, improve signal reception and picture quality for customers.

“We’ve used four Isro satellites so far. But in the past, Isro launched satellites and then looked for customers. Depending on who wanted the transponders at the time, Isro would move satellites to an orbital slot customers wanted,” Nagpal said.

“...This meant that if we wanted to expand capacity, we had to wait for the satellite and then for it to go to our orbital slot. If it wasn’t designed for an orbital slot of a specific geography, it wouldn’t be effective in the fringe areas of that geography. For instance, we used a satellite earlier that could not cover Andamans, another one whose reach in the northeast wasn’t very strong,” he added.

TataPlay’s — then TataSky — bid for GSAT-24 was made nearly a decade ago, when Isro first mooted such a model. “About 7-8 years ago, Isro reached out to platforms and asked for requirements over the next 10 years. We bid for this satellite then and Isro built it for our needs, which is covering all areas of India from our orbital slot. That’s the advantage of having a custom-built satellite. It covers Andamans, Lakshadweep, northeast, Kashmir and every part of India. From our end, we’ve signed off on the life of the satellite and committed to pay for it until its life ends,” Nagpal said.On how customers could benefit, Nagpal, while reiterating that additional satellite provides additional bandwidth, said the firm already had 24 dedicated transponders which gives its customers 600 channels and services...

Source : Times of India

Correct Answer :   Keki Mistry

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Cyrus Poonawalla Group, a diversified group of businesses across sectors like pharmaceuticals, finance, clean energy, hospitality, and more, on Monday (7th August 2023) said that it has appointed Keki Mistry, former HDFC Ltd's CEO & Vice Chairman, as the strategic advisor to all the financial services ventures spearheaded by Adar Poonawalla.

According to a press release by the company, Mistry, with over 4 decades of experience, is one of the most respected professionals in the Indian Financial Services industry. He had served as the CEO and Vice Chairman of HDFC Ltd from 2010 till its merger with the HDFC Bank Ltd.

I am happy to share some news with our stakeholders and shareholders; today the highly respected Keki Mistry, with decades of experience in the financial sector, joins our group as strategic advisor to our financial services vertical. https://t.co/ExO9284Aq1

— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) August 7, 2023

Post its merger with HDFC Bank, Mistry joined the bank as an Additional & Non- Executive Director (Non-Independent) on 30th June 2023. He is also the Non-Executive Chairman of HDFC Ergo General Insurance Company Limited..

Source : Business Today

Correct Answer :   6 August 2023

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Renowned folk singer Gaddar died at the age of 77 in Hyderabad on Sunday (6th August 2023). Gaddar passed away at a private hospital while undergoing treatment for a heart-related ailment.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paid tribute to the folk singer and said he was saddened to hear about his death.

Rahul Gandhi said, “Saddened to hear about the demise of Shri Gummadi Vittal Rao, Telangana’s iconic poet, balladeer and fiery activist. His love for the people of Telangana drove him to fight tirelessly for the marginalised. May his legacy continue to inspire us all."

Gaddar passed away at 3 pm, according to the Apollo Hospital release. “Shri Gummadi Vittal alias Gaddar aged 77, passed away at Apollo Spectra Hospital, Ameerpet, today at 3 pm, due to lungs and urinary problems and advanced age."

It said that Gaddar was suffering from severe heart disease and was admitted to the hospital on July 20. "He was suffering from severe heart disease and got admitted on July 20th, 2023. He underwent a bypass surgery on August 3rd, 2023 and recovered from it," the hospital release said.

He is a past patient of lung and urinary problems, which along with advanced age aggravated and led to his passing away, the release stated.

Congress, in a statement, said, “The death of Gaddar, who has been fighting tirelessly for the people for decades, is a great loss for the people of Telangana. Revanth Reddy called on the Congress ranks as a sign of condolence for Gaddar's death. The Congress ranks should pay tribute by putting up Gaddar's portraits on the main roads in all mandal centres."

BJP leader Etala Rajender also expressed deep shock over the death of Gaddar, saying his death was a great loss for Telangana. "His struggle for Telangana is unforgettable. Even if he is not physically present, his song will live on forever," Etala Rajender said.

Etala Rajender condoled the death of Gaddar and expressed his deepest condolences to the family members of Gaddar..

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   Tamil Nadu

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Tamil Nadu bagged the Best Performing State award 2023 in cadaver organ donation .

Tamil Nadu leads all Indian states in organ donations with 1,705 people donating their organs and saving 6,247 human lives.

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Thursday (3 August 2023) said growing awareness and transparent policy were among the reasons that made the state win the best-performing state award in organ donation.

Since 2008, 1,705 people in Tamil Nadu donated their organs facilitating 786 heart, 801 lung, 1,565 liver and 3,046 kidney transplants, 37 pancreases, besides small intestines and other organs, benefitting 6,247 recipients, he said.

Subramanian said this after receiving the award along with Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi from Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi.

The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) award was presented at the 13th Indian Organ Donation Day (IODD) ceremony meant to felicitate the donor families.


MK Stalin :

“Much of the success of organ donation is due to the high awareness levels in the state. Even our Chief Minister M K Stalin and his wife have pledged to donate their organs,” the Health Minister told the media in Chennai.

About 40 government hospitals and 120 private hospitals across Tamil Nadu have been provided organ harvest licenses. Transplants were performed even under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, he said..

Source : The Federal

Correct Answer :   INR 450 million

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Colombo, India has handed over INR 450 million in advance to Sri Lanka to fund its unique digital identity project, the most crucial step in the island nation's digitalisation programme being implemented through the Indian grant assistance.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe's office here said that the fund from the government of India was given on Friday (4th August 2023).

During a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat, key stakeholders, including Presidential Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka, State Minister of Technology, Kanaka Herath, Indian High Commissioner, Gopal Bagley, and First Secretary of the Indian High Commission, Eldos Mathew and others engaged in extensive discussions on the project's execution..

Source : Economic Times

Correct Answer :   ₹ 16,884 Crore

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The State Bank of India (SBI) on Friday (4th August 2023) reported its highest-ever quarterly profit at ₹ 16,884 crore in the April-June quarter of 2023-24 -- a nearly three-fold jump over ₹ 6,068 crore in the year-ago period -- buoyed by a steep fall in bad loans and higher interest income.

On a consolidated basis, the bank's net income soared more than two-fold to ₹ 18,537 crore in the quarter from ₹ 7,325 crore a year ago. Total income was ₹ 1,32,333 crore in the period as against ₹ 94,524 crore in the April-June quarter of 2022-23.

On a sequential basis, some of the key numbers such as margins and net interest income showed marginal deterioration while loan loss provisions more than doubled, leading to SBI shares tanking nearly 3 per cent on bourses. This had an upset chairman Dinesh Khare opening his earnings address, wondering aloud why the markets and analysts look only at sequential numbers.

"For a bank, the first quarter is unique as most institutions hold back pay-outs or pay-ins to the last quarter of the fiscal year. In our case in the Q4 of FY23, we had ₹ 830 crore of interest income from a tax refund plus there are various other one-off gains, while in the first quarter has none of them at all.

"So a fair comparison is and should be annualised and not sequential; for other quarters I wouldn't mind a sequential comparison," the chairman told reporters at his headquarters here.

The bank counter, which has the highest market value among all the nearly three dozen central enterprises, closed 2.94 per cent down at ₹ 573.25 on the BSE after hitting a low of ₹ 571.50 intra-day with a market cap of ₹ 5.27 lakh crore.

In the March 2023 quarter (Q4FY23), the bank had booked ₹ 16,695 crore of net income, which on a sequential basis is only 1.14 per cent growth in the reporting quarter.

The bank's total income rose to ₹ 1,08,039 crore in the first quarter as against ₹ 74,989 crore. Of this, interest income printed in at ₹ 95,975 crore, 32.06 per cent more than the year-ago period, and the key net interest income clipped at 24.71 per cent to ₹ 38,905 crore, Mr Khare said..

Source : NDTV

Correct Answer :   Manik Saha

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Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Saturday (5th August 2023) launched state-level Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 5.0, the vaccine catch-up campaign, which focuses on reaching zero-dose children aged between 0 and 5 years and pregnant women who might have missed any vaccine doses in the national immunization schedule.

Addressing the inauguration programme at Kailasahar in Unakoti district of the state on Saturday (5th August 2023), the Chief Minister Dr. Saha said, “The Tripura government is contemplating to strengthen the district hospitals so as to reduce the pressure on Agartala GBP hospital.”

Dr. Saha, who also holds the health portfolio, said that the government in its budget this year has allocated Rs. 59 Crore for ‘Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Yojna’ to cater the medical needs of the people of the state.

He also said that the government will open drug de-addiction centres in all the districts of the state in collaboration with AIMS. On a different note, Chief Minister Dr. Saha said that there have been several incidents reported from various corners of the state, where the doctors were assaulted. He said, “Attacks on doctors and health workers in hospitals can adversely affect the health care service.

Doctors should be trusted and respected, as they always strive to give their best in the service of patients.”

Dr. Saha however underlined the achievements of the BJP-led coalition government in the health sector and said that the government is committed to render quality health care to the people of the state and contemplating to establish better infrastructure to reduce patients’ movement to abroad.

With the launching of the IMI 5.0, the state of Tripura has set a target of full immunization during the three months long drive for vaccination.

The first round of the vaccination drive of the IMI 5.0 will be held from August 7 to 12, second round from September 11 to 16 and the third round from October 9 to 14.

During these three rounds, children of 0-5 years age group and pregnant women, who have missed any dose of vaccine as per National Immunization Schedule (NIS), will be vaccinated..

Source : Tripur

Correct Answer :   ₹1.39 lakh crore

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The Union Cabinet has approved a last-mile broadband connectivity plan for 6.4 lakh villages across the country under the BharatNet project with an outlay of Rs 1.39 lakh crore, according to sources.

Around 1.94 lakh villages have been connected under the BharatNet project at present, and the balance is likely to be connected in two and a half years, they added.

"The Cabinet in its meeting, held on Friday (4th Aug 2023) evening, has approved Rs 1,39,579 crore for providing last mile optical fibre-based connectivity to homes in all villages of the country," one of the sources said.

The last-mile connectivity will be provided by Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), an arm of state-owned BSNL, in partnership with village level entrepreneur (VLE).

"The model to take fibre-to-the-home, with the help of a local entrepreneur, was finalised after the successful completion of a pilot project. The pilot project was initially carried out to connect villages in four districts and then expanded to 60,000 villages across most states," as per sources.

Customer premise equipment and additional fibre required for connecting homes are provided by BBNL, and local entrepreneurs have been tasked with maintaining the network.

"Around 3,800 entrepreneurs were involved in the pilot project that was carried out for 60,000 villages, who provided 3.51 lakh broadband connections. Average data consumption per household has been recorded to the tune of 175 gigabytes per month," one of the sources said.

The project is being rolled on a 50 per cent revenue-sharing basis between BBNL and VLE, and the monthly broadband plan price starts from Rs 399 onward.

According to sources, there are 37 lakh route kilometres (rkm) of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) laid in the country, out of which BBNL has laid 7.7 lakh rkm..

Source : Economic Times