Correct Answer :   PK Rosy

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Google Doodle marked the 120th birth anniversary of PK Rosy, the first female lead in Malayalam cinema.

Rosy was born Rajamma in Thiruvananthapuram and her passion for acting began at a young age.

According to Google, in an era when performing arts was discouraged in many sections of society, especially for women, Rosy broke barriers with her role in the Malayalam film "Vigathakumaran" ('The Lost Child').

She played the character of Sarojini, a Nair woman, in the film.

A Dalit woman essaying a Nair character enraged members of the Nair community.

As per reports, her home was burnt down by upper castes and she eloped, got married to lorry driver Kesavan Pillai and spent the rest of her life in Tamil Nadu as 'Rajammal'...

Source : New Indian Express

Correct Answer :   February 10

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Every year World Pulses Day is celebrated on February 10 with an aim to spread awareness about the nutritional and environmental benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production.

Pulses also known as legumes, are considered as global foods, and are produced in almost every country.

World Pulses Day 2023 Theme : 'Pulses for a Sustainable Future'

World Pulses Day history :

* The UN General Assembly recognised the value of pulses in 2013 and adopted the year 2016 as the International Year of Pulses (IYP). The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN increased public awareness of the nourishing and environmental benefits of pulses.

* In 2019, the UN General Assembly dedicated February 10 as World Pulses Day a day to Pulses to increase awareness and access to pulses globally.

* As the International Year of Pulses concluded, Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in West Africa, proposed the observance of World Pulses Day.

* Pulses are nutrient-rich and a great source of protein. They are low in fat and rich in fibre and they help in lowering cholesterol and in controlling blood sugar.

World Pulses Day Significance : Pulses hold significant importance for farmers as a crop because they can both sell and consume them.

* Pulses are also easy to grow and require less water to flourish. They can better tolerate drought and climate-related disasters, providing security and economic stability to the farmers.

* The nitrogen-fixing properties of pulses improve soil fertility and increase the productivity of the farmland. Thus, the celebration of World Pulses Day is important to spread awareness about the importance of pulses and their adoption across the world...

Source : CNBC

Correct Answer :   Narendra Modi

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PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the three-day-long Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023 in Lucknow on 10th February 2023.

He has also inaugurated Global Trade Show and launched Invest UP 2.0.

It is the flagship investment summit of the Uttar Pradesh Government.

Aim : To bring together policymakers, industry leaders, academia, think tanks, and leaders from across the world to collectively explore business opportunities and forge partnerships..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   South Africa

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday (9th Feb 2023) declared a national “state of disaster” over the country’s power crisis, saying it posted an existential threat to South Africa’s economy and society.

* He also promised to designate a minister in his office who will concentrate on increasing the supply of power.

* Since 2008, the nation has struggled with electricity shortages that have reached historic heights, resulting in rolling blackouts every day of this year.

* Since he assumed office in February 2018, Ramaphosa has promised to overhaul the monopoly state power provider Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. and bring new generation capacity online, but many projects have been hampered by bureaucracy and government apathy.

* The disruptions, colloquially referred to as “loadshedding,” pose a threat to the African National Congress’s ability to maintain power in the upcoming elections by seriously undermining public support.

* Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe claimed that the issues may be resolved in six to twelve months, but Eskom Chairman Mpho Makwana has warned that blackouts won’t end until at least 2025 because the utility must keep shutting down its outdated coal-fired units for maintenance..

Source : Bloomberg

Correct Answer :   2

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The Government on Friday (10th Feb 2023) cleared the appointment  of two new judges of the Supreme Court - "Justices Rajesh Bindal" and "Aravind Kumar".

* With this, the Supreme Court has regained its full strength of 34 judges.

* Rajesh Bindal : He was the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court.

* Aravind Kumar : He was Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court.

* Earlier, the government also appointed five judges - Justices Pankaj Mithal, Sanjay Karol, PV Sanjay Kumar, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, and Manoj Misra..

Source : Deccan Herald

Correct Answer :   8 February 2023

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Italian skier "Elena Fanchini", whose career was cut short by a tumor, has died. She was 37.

* Fanchini passed away Wednesday (8 February 2023) at her home in Solato, near Brescia, the Italian Winter Sports Federation announced.

* Fanchini last time competed in December 2017 and missed the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 to undergo cancer treatment.

* She was cleared to return to train nearly one year later but the Italian struggled with injuries and officially announced her retirement in 2020 along with her sister Nadia.

* In her career, the Lovere native took two World Cup wins (2005, 2015) and won a silver medal in downhill at her home World Championships in 2005 in Bormio.

* The news of her death cut celebrations short in the Italian camp in Meribel, France, where Fanchini’s former teammates Federica Brignone and Marta Bassino won world titles on Monday and Wednesday.

* Just a few weeks ago, Sofia Goggia dedicated her win in Cortina d'Ampezzo to Fanchini, whose condition had grown worse in the last few months.

Born : 30 April 1985, Lovere, Italy

Died : 8 February 2023.

Source : Olympics

Correct Answer :   Meenakshi Nevatia

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Drugmaker Pfizer Limited has Thursday (9th Feb 2023) announced the appointment of Meenakshi Nevatia as an Additional Director and Managing Director for five years from April 3, 2023.

* She comes in the place of S Sridhar, who announced his early retirement in August 2022.

* Meenakshi has 30 years of experience across companies including Mckinsey & Co, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, and more recently with Stryker Corporation.

* Nick Lagunowich, Pfizer Global President (Emerging Markets) said, “India is critical to the healthcare ecosystem in the region and globally. It is a place where we aspire to bring many more breakthrough therapies and health solutions to patients across the economic segments.”

* Sridhar, the current India country President, will step down as Managing Director and board member from March 31, 2023.

Source : Hindu Businessline

Correct Answer :   Jammu and Kashmir

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The Jammu and Kashmir government initiated a vital programme to support its farmers and promote sustainable agriculture in the Union Territory.

* The government is investing in a project that will "boost organic food production" and increase economic returns for farmers in the UT.

* This is a part of the government’s larger efforts to create a safer, cleaner and more sustainable environment for agriculture and food production in the region.

* The government has kept a budget of Rs 84 crore to support the program over the next five years. This initiative is part of a larger effort to promote sustainable agriculture, commercial agriculture and healthy food production.

* The project envisages the creation of over 12600 jobs and 300 enterprises in the organic agri-sector.

* The project aims : To create six to seven organic clusters per district, covering a total of 2000 hectares of land. Additionally, it aims to convert another 2,000 hectares into organic production, including niche crops and default organic areas.

* The program will also provide training to 10,000 farmer families in organic farming and establish 200 commercial and 3000 low-cost vermicompost units and 100 Integrated Organic Farming System Units.

* Besides, two Bio-Input Production Units will also be set up to supply organic inputs for the production clusters...

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Uttar Pradesh

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India Health Link signed the MoU with the Uttar Pradesh government under their InvestUP programme.

* The Uttar Pradesh government to set up health ATMs providing screening of various health parameters at more than 4,600 community and primary health care centres in the state.

* Swadeep Srivastava, Co-Founder & President of India Health Link (IHL) said the health ATM, 'hPod', offers a non-invasive digitally-integrated ecosystem that enables Primary, Preventive and Predictive Healthcare.

* This is a self-service, walk-in Health ATM wherein individuals can get their screening done for 20+ health vital parameters including BP, weight, pulse, temperature, and ECG within 10 minutes followed by an instant report.

* India Health Link (IHL) has committed through signing an MoU of up to Rs 1,000 crore investment and opening significant employment opportunities in UP over the next five years by establishing a manufacturing plant in the state's first Medical Device Park, said Srivastava...

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Samsung Semiconductor India Research

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The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Samsung Semiconductor India Research (SSIR) have joined hands to promote research and development in the field of on-chip electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection.

* The partnership seeks to build cutting-edge ESD device solutions to protect ultra-high-speed serial interfaces in advanced integrated circuits (ICs) and system-on-chip (SoC) products.

* Prof. Mayank Shrivastava’s group will conduct the related research at the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering, IISc.

* Samsung India announced that it will hire around 1000 engineers for its R&D institutes, including its Samsung Semiconductor India Research in Bengaluru 2022.

* The research agreement was exchanged by Balajee Sowrirajan, CVP & MD at Samsung Semiconductor India Research, Bengaluru, and Prof Govindan Rangarajan, Director, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), in the presence of delegates from Samsung and IISc.

* Prof Govindan Rangarajan, Director, IISc informed that they are excited to collaborate with Samsung Semiconductor India Research in the crucial area of advanced nanoelectronics device research.

* The partnership reinforces the commitment to strengthen industry-academia engagements that can make a significant impact in the coming years....

Source : The Hindu