Correct Answer :   Ministry of Shipping

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The Shipping Ministry has formed a committee to draft revised Guidelines for operationalization of Roll on-Roll off (Ro-Ro) and Roll on-Passenger (Ro-Pax) ferry service.

* This committee, headed by the Chairman, Deendayal Port Authority, would also draft the Model Concession Agreement for Ro-Ro or Ro-Pax Terminal Operator and Model License Agreement for Operation of the ferry services in the country.

* This move is in line with efforts to promote coastal shipping through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) route spelled out in the union budget 2023-24.

* The Committee shall delve into the ground realities such as safety standards of vessels, control mechanism on excess boarding of passengers/cargo, online ticketing system, revenue accounting and revenue sharing mechanism among others...

Source : Economic Times

Correct Answer :   Khanan Prahari

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The government has launched a mobile app 'Khanan Prahari' and a web app Coal Mine Surveillance and Management System (CMSMS) for reporting unauthorized coal mining activities so that monitoring and taking suitable action on it can be done by concerned Law and Order enforcing authority.

* Minister of Coal, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi informed in Rajya Sabha, that 462 cases have been reported on the Apps till January 2023.

* The Minister said that CMSMS has been developed to curb illegal mining and take transparent action as an e-Governance initiative of the government on the use of Space Technology.

* The objective of the CMSMS application was to detect citizens' participation against illegal mining by receipt of citizen’s complaints through mobile app and take action on any kind of illegal coal mining activity being carried out within the leasehold boundaries of any Coal Mining Project in the Coalfield Areas...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Mohammad Shahabuddin Chuppu

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Mohammad Shahabuddin Chuppu, a former judge and freedom fighter, was elected unopposed as Bangladesh's 22nd President.

* According to the country's Chief Election Commission, 74-year-old Chuppu will replace President Mohammad Abdul Hamid.

* The development came after the Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal scrutinised nomination papers and declared Chuppu, a member of the Awami League Advisory Council and the party's nominee, the President-elect of Bangladesh, unopposed.

* A gazette was issued on Monday (13th Feb 2023) on the appointment of the new Bangladesh President by the Chief Election Commissioner.

* The tenure of incumbent Hamid, the longest-serving president of Bangladesh, will end on April 23, and according to the Constitution, he cannot hold a third term.

* Senior Awami League leader and seven-time lawmaker Hamid was elected Bangladesh president in the last two elections.

* He was sworn in for his second term on April 24, 2018...

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   13th February 2023

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Acclaimed Indian painter and printmaker, Lalitha Lajmi passed away on Monday (13th February 2023) at the age of 90 due to age-related ailments.

* She was born to a poet father and a poly-linguist writer-mother in Kolkata on October 17 in 1932.

* She was the sister of legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt and mother to director Kalpana Lajmi.

* Her works are held in the collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art, the British Museum, and CSMVS Museum Bombay...

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   39th

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The Post Graduate Programme (PGP) from the Indian School of Business (ISB) continues to be ranked the first in India in the Financial Times (FT) Global MBA Ranking 2023.

* As per the rankings released on Monday (13th Feb 2023), ISB which has campuses in Hyderabad and Mohali, is the only Indian B-school in the top 50 worldwide.

* Indai Rank is 1st

* Global Rank is 39th.

* Asia Rank is 6th.

* ISB is also ranked the first in India and 61 globally for research, reinforcing its vision of being a research-led management institution.

* This ranking also demonstrates the quality of research output generated by its faculty year on year.

* Alumni from the PGP Class of 2019 were surveyed on a multitude of criteria for this year’s ranking.

* The ranking saw ISB perform well on aspects such as salary percentage increase (#2), alumni network (#12), career progress (#28), and career services (#29)...

Source : The Hindu Businessline

Correct Answer :   20th February 2023

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India's first "frozen-lake marathon" at Ladakh's Pangong Tso at a height of 13,862 feet will be held on 20 February 2023 and the army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have been roped in to implement a "proper action plan" for the event, a senior government official said on Sunday (12th Feb 2023).

* The 21-kilometre marathon, with Lukung as its starting point, will end at Maan village.

* The 75 selected athletes from India and abroad are participating in the run, giving them an opportunity to make a bid for a Guinness world record for the world's highest "frozen-lake marathon".

* The marathon is being called the "Last Run" to highlight the issue of climate change.

* It is being organised by the Adventure Sports Foundation of Ladakh (ASFL) in collaboration with the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Leh, the Tourism Department and the Leh district administration.

* Spread along the border of India and China, the 700 square metre Pangong Lake records a temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius during the winters, freezing the salt water lake..

Source : India Times

Correct Answer :   United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ocean Cleanup to eliminate plastic pollution in oceans and rivers around the globe.

* Aim : Aimed at advancing sound plastic waste management systems and reducing overall plastic pollution, and accelerating the deployment of interception technologies in rivers to end marine plastic pollution.

* Plastic pollution presents a serious threat to the health of the world's oceans and to the billions of people who rely on marine resources for food and livelihood. Plastic accumulates in five areas in the world’s oceans, known as the subtropical oceanic gyres.

* These vast circular currents trap floating trash inside of them, resulting in the formation of five ocean garbage patches.

* Collaborative partnerships like this play a crucial role in addressing this complex global challenge...

Source : Hydro International

Correct Answer :   Mumbai

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Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) inaugurated the country’s first electric air-conditioned (AC) double-decker bus in Mumbai on Monday (13th Feb 2023).

* Commuters, however, may have to wait a few more days before they can avail of its services.

* According to BEST, the regional transport agency in Mumbai is yet to finish the registration process for the electric bus and it may take two to three days for the new vehicle to commence commercial operations.

* Once all clearances are obtained, the bus will ply between Kurla bus depot and Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC).

* The tickets will be priced as before — a minimum fare of Rs 6/- will be charged for a distance of 5 km.

* The electric double-decker bus has a seating capacity of 73.

* It is equipped with CCTV cameras and automatic doors, and it can be charged in 80 minutes.

* Currently, the transport undertaking has 45 electric AC buses of various sizes, and this year(2023 ) 100 more wet-lease buses will be added to its fleet in phases..

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   13 February to 17 February 2023

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RBI’s 'Financial Literacy Week' started on 13th and will last till February 17, 2023. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been conducting this every year since 2016 to propagate financial education messages on a particular theme among members of public across the country.

Last year (2022), RBI observed ‘financial literacy week’ from February 14 to February 18, 2022. The central bank held an event to propagate financial education messages on the theme of “Go Digital Go Secure”.

Financial Literacy Week 2023 Theme : The theme for this year’s Financial Literacy Week to be observed during February 13 - 17, 2023 is “Good Financial Behaviour, Your Saviour”, with emphasis on “Saving, planning, and budgeting” and “Prudent use of digital financial services” which aligns with overall strategic objectives of the National Strategy for Financial Education: 2020-2025.

On the occasion, Reserve Bank of India, Ahmedabad Regional Office organised a function at Rajkot where Shri M K Jain, Deputy Governor, RBI, inaugurated the Financial Literacy Week, released the Messages and unveiled the Financial Literacy Posters carrying the theme of FLW 2023.

Senior bankers of the state, senior officials of other Regulators including NABARD & SIDBI and from the State Government attended the function...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Aniket Sunil Talati

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The Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) 12th Feb 2023 elected its new president and vice-president for the term 2023-24.

* Aniket Sunil Talati has been elected as the president of ICAI and Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal as vice president.

* Aniket Talati is the director of ICAI Accounting Research Foundation (ICAI ARF), Indian Institute of Insolvency Professionals of ICAI (IIIPI) and Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) India and the member of various other committees, boards and directorates of ICAI.

* He is also the technical advisor to the ICAI’s nominee on the PAIB advisory group of IFAC and technical advisor to the IFAC board member and is a board member of SAFA (South Asian Federation of Accountants).

* CA Talati graduated with BCom from Mumbai University and MCom from Gujarat University where he was a rank holder. He has led various committees of the Branch and Regional Councils of ICAI.

* Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal has been a chartered accountant for the last 24 years. He is also a Company Secretary and DISA from ICAI. He was elected to the Central Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India thrice in a row (23rd , 24th and 25th)..

Source : Indian Express