Correct Answer :   Hirasar

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Gujarat’s first Greenfield Airport at "Hirasar" near Rajkot on 27th July 2023.

The Prime Minister will also address a rally in Rajkot. During his two-day visit to Gujarat from 27th July 2023, the prime Minister is scheduled to attend various programmes in the state. Built over 1500 acres area at a cost of 1,405 crore, the airport has been renamed as Rajkot international airport.
 
The greenfield airport at Hirasar is 30 kilometers away from Rajkot City, the commercial capital of the Saurashtra region. The airport has 45-meter-wide runway which can park 14 planes at any given point.
 

The passenger terminal at the airport can manage more than 1200 travellers per hour, during peak hours. The green filed airport is equipped with a solar power system, a green belt, and a rainwater harvesting system.
 
The air connectivity to the international market will boost industrial growth, especially benefit the Ceramic industry in Morbi, and will generate new employment opportunities in the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the construction of the international airport near Rajkot in 2017..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   21

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Government of India has accorded 'In-Principle' approval for setting up of 21 new Greenfield Airports namely :

Mopa in Goa, Navi Mumbai, Shirdi and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Hassan and Shivamogga in Karnataka, Dabra (Gwalior) in Madhya Pradesh, Kushinagar and Noida (Jewar) in Uttar Pradesh, Dholera and Hirasar in Gujarat, Karaikal in Puducherry, Dagadarthi, Bhogapuram and Orvakal (Kurnool) in Andhra Pradesh, Durgapur in West Bengal, Pakyong in Sikkim, Kannur in Kerala and Hollongi (Itanagar) in Arunachal Pradesh across the country.

Out of these, 11 Greenfield airports viz. Durgapur, Shirdi, Kannur, Pakyong, Kalaburagi, Orvakal (Kurnool), Sindhudurg, Kushinagar, Itanagar, Mopa and Shivamogga have been operationalised.

State Government of Tamil Nadu has submitted an application to Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) for grant of first stage clearance i.e. 'Site-Clearance' for development of a Greenfield airport at Parandur, Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu.

As per GFA Policy, the proposal has been sent to Airports Authority of India (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Ministry of Defence (MoD) for their comments. After completion of this consultation with stakeholders, the proposal is required to be placed before the Steering Committee on Greenfield Airports for their recommendation, with respect to award of Site Clearance.

As per the GFA Policy, 2008, the responsibility of implementation of airport projects including funding of the project, land acquisition, R&R etc rests with the concerned airport developer including the respective State Government (in case the State Government is the project proponent). The timeline for construction of airports depends upon various factors such as land acquisition, mandatory clearances, removal of obstacles, financial closure etc. by the respective airport developers.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation Gen. (Dr) V. K. Singh (Retd) in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha 24th July 2023..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur

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The Central government has cleared the elevation of Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur as Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

The Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal tweeted the development on Monday (24th July 2023).

On July 5, the Supreme Court Collegium had Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the appointment of Justice Thakur as the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.


About Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur :

Born on April 25, 1964, Thakur enrolled as an advocate in 1989 with Bar Council of Delhi and subsequently with Bar Council of Jammu & Kashmir.

He was designated a Senior Advocate in 2011 and appointed as permanent judge of High Court of Jammu & Kashmir on March 8, 2013.

Thakur was transferred to the Bombay High Court on June 10, 2022.

Justice Akula Venkata Sesha Sai is presently the acting Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court which has a sanctioned strength of 37 judges is currently functioning with 30 judges, a vacancy position of 7.

In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, the President of India, after consultation with Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint the following High Court Judges as Chief Justices of High Courts: - pic.twitter.com/x75kKRyyiS

— Arjun Ram Meghwal (@arjunrammeghwal) July 24, 2023

Source : Bar and Bench

Correct Answer :   Russia

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Russian President Vladimir Putin signed new legislation Monday (24th July 2023) which marked the final step in outlawing gender-affirming procedures, a crippling blow to Russia’s already embattled LGBTQ+ community.

The bill, which was approved unanimously by both houses of parliament, bans any “medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person,” as well as changing one’s gender in official documents and public records. The only exception will be medical intervention to treat congenital anomalies.

It also annuls marriages in which one person has “changed gender” and bars transgender people from becoming foster or adoptive parents.

The ban is said to stem from the Kremlin’s crusade to protect what it views as the country’s “traditional values.” Lawmakers say the legislation is to safeguard Russia against “Western anti-family ideology,” with some describing gender transitioning as “pure satanism.”

Russia’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ people started a decade ago when Putin first proclaimed a focus on “traditional family values,” supported by the Russian Orthodox Church.

In 2013, the Kremlin adopted legislation that banned any public endorsement of “nontraditional sexual relations” among minors.

In 2020, Putin pushed through constitutional reform that outlawed same-sex marriage, and last year signed a law banning “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” among adults as well.

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   T V Narendran

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Tata Steel on Monday (24th July 2023) said T V Narendran  has been appointed again as the company's Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director for a period of five years effective September 19, 2023.

His present tenure as CEO & MD will conclude on September 18, 2023, Tata Steel said in a regulatory filing.

"T V Narendran is appointed as CEO & MD of the Company for a further period of five years effective September 19, 2023...not liable to retire by rotation," it said

The re-appointment is subject to shareholders' approval, the company said.

He has over 35 years of experience in the mining and metals industry. Narendran joined Tata Steel in 1988. He was appointed as Managing Director of Tata Steel for India and South East Asia on November 1, 2013.

In October 2017, Tata Steel elevated Narendran as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director globally.

As the CEO & MD, he has overseen the organic and inorganic growth of Tata Steel over the last few years. Narendran oversaw the acquisitions of Bhushan Steel Limited (later known as Tata Steel BSL Limited) and its consequent amalgamation into the Company, the Steel business of Usha Martin Limited, Neelanchal Ispat Nigam Limited and Rohit Ferro-Tech Limited, the company said.

Narendran is also the Chairman of Tata Steel Europe, the Supervisory Board of Tata Steel Nederland BV, Tata Steel Long Products Limited and Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited..

Source : Times of india

Correct Answer :   CAIT

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The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and Meta are expanding their 'WhatsApp Se Wyapaar' program to digitally train and upskill 10 million local traders on the WhatsApp Business App.

Goal : To localize digitization efforts to unleash growth opportunities for businesses with hyper-local digital training in 11 Indian languages across all 29 Indian states.

CAIT will conduct workshops to digitize their storefronts and establish their 'digital dukaan'.

Source : India times

Correct Answer :   PhonePe

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* Digital payments and fintech platform PhonePe on Monday (24th July 2023) launched a feature to pay income tax through its app.

* Aim : To allow taxpayers to pay self-assessment and advance tax directly from the app using UPI or credit card payments

* To enable this feature, the company has partnered with PayMate, a B2B payments and service provider.

* Users can get a 45-day interest-free period and earn reward points on their tax payments, depending on their bank

* The challan for the tax payment will be available within two working days.

Source : Hindustan Times

Correct Answer :   Naveen Patnaik

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Naveen Patnaik of Odisha has become the second longest serving chief minister of a state in India with a tenure of 23 years and 139 days on Sunday (23rd July 2023).

Surpassing the record of former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu. Patnaik, the five-time Chief Minister of Odisha, took charge on March 5, 2000, and has been holding the post for the last 23 years and 139 days.


Past Records :

Patnaik is now second only to Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim, who holds the enviable record of helming a state for the longest time of 24 years and 166 days between December 1994 and May 2019. Basu left office in 2000 after ruling the eastern state for over 23 continuous years, while Chamling lost the assembly polls in May 2019 in the Himalayan state.

Career of Naveen Patnaik :

The 76-year-old Patnaik was in 1997 dismissed as a novice by detractors and well-wishers alike after the death of his father and former chief minister Biju Patnaik. If the Biju Janata Dal returns to power in the assembly polls due next year, Patnaik will be well on his way to become the longest serving chief minister in the country.

He formed a new party on 26 December 1997 in the name of his father as a breakaway faction from Janta Dal. Patnaik also served as Union Minister of Steel and Mines from 1998 to 2000, and he was a member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Aska from 1997 to 2000.


List of the longest-serving chief ministers in India :

Correct Answer :   Odisha

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Odisha Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on Friday (21st July 2023) approved Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana, under which interest subvention on bank loans up to Rs 1 lakh will be provided to beneficiaries to purchase a scooter.

Odisha Mission Shakti Minister Tukuni Sahu said around 75,000 SHG community support staff and nearly 1,25,000 SHG federation leaders will be benefited under the new scheme.

The State government has made budgetary provision of Rs 528.55 crore for execution of the scheme over a period of next five years, she added.


Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana : Enhancing Accessibility and Recognizing Social Impact

* Over the next five years, the state government has allocated a budgetary provision of INR 528.55 crore for the implementation of the Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana, ensuring its extensive reach.This initiative seeks to empower a larger number of Community Support Staff and EC (Executive Committee) members across the State.

* Apart from providing enhanced personal mobility to women, the scheme acknowledges and appreciates the pivotal role fulfilled by Community Support Staff and EC members in fostering social transformation and promoting women’s empowerment throughout the state.

Mission Shakti : Empowering Women in Odisha

* On the 8th of March, 2001, the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, initiated Mission Shakti—a state-sponsored program aimed at empowering women in Odisha through the Self Help Group approach.

* The program emphasizes the critical role of SHGs and their federations in delivering social security and driving social action in areas such as health, nutrition, sanitation, gender, and more.

* Through this model, Mission Shakti aims to elevate women by providing them with a platform to attain economic independence and foster collective growth.

Correct Answer :   Gujarat

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate 'Semicon India 2023', a premier showcase of India's semiconductor capabilities and chip design innovation, on 28 July 2023 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

With the participation of companies like Foxconn, Micron, AMD, IBM, Marvell, Vedanta, LAM Research, NXP Semiconductors, STMicroelectronics, the mega event will shine a light on India's rapid strides towards fostering global semiconductor manufacturing and design ecosystem.

The event will offer deep insight into cutting-edge technologies and innovations in chip-making and will bring together the biggest names in the semiconductor and technology industry.

"The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology...is poised to make significant strides in revolutionising the semiconductor landscape in India with the inauguration of 'Semicon India 2023' in Gandhinagar, by...Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28 July 2023," according to a statement.

Prior to the commencement of the main event, an exclusive exhibition would be inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on July 25, 2023.

The exhibition promises to offer visitors a comprehensive insight into the leading-edge technologies and innovations driving the semiconductor industry.

Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Railways and Communication Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar will also be present at the Semicon India 2023..

Source : Economic Times