Correct Answer :   Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

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The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body of India has announced the launch of ‘Learning Science via Standards’, a unique initiative for students for learning science via standards.

The ‘Learning Science via Standards’ initiative focuses on a series of lesson plans aimed to use scientific concepts, principles and laws to help students understand their practical applications in manufacturing, functioning and testing of quality characteristics of different products as stated in the relevant Indian Standards.  

The subjects for the lesson plans are largely related to products used in day-to-day life and have been chosen based on their relevance to education as part of the course curriculum as well as to industrial applications. 

BIS officials and resource personnel will transact the lesson plans to the students for an interactive learning experience. These lesson plans will also be hosted on the BIS website...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   14th March

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Every year on March 14, people throughout the world mark the International Day of Action for Rivers to bring attention to how important rivers are to our daily lives.

Aim : To raise awareness of the disparities in access to clean water as well as the increased pollution of freshwater environments like rivers as a result of overt human activities.

The 26th annual International Day of Action for Rivers, which is being observed this year, is a day to raise community awareness of the need to safeguard our rivers. People must cooperate and be committed to river management if rivers are to be preserved and used profitably.

International Day Of Action For Rivers 2023 Theme : The theme of the 2023 International Day of Action for Rivers is “Rights of Rivers,” which calls for the designation of rivers as a national treasure. It also involves the legal authority to prevent rivers from becoming sewage or trash disposal areas.

International Day Of Action For Rivers 2023 Significance : The event is significant because it demonstrates how crucial rivers are to sustaining human life. Rivers and other freshwater environments are crucial sources of clean water for agriculture and drinking, but are sadly being subjected to significant quantities of pollution and contamination by both the general people and industries. The people who rely on these freshwater resources for their daily needs suffer as a result.

* International Day Of Action For Rivers History : The first International Day of Action for Rivers was commemorated in March 1997, according to the website of the international non-profit organisation International Rivers.

* At the first International Conference of Dams Affected Peoples in Curitiba, Brazil, representatives from more than 20 countries supported the creation of the International Day of Action Against Dams and For Rivers, Water, and Life.

* The day will be observed on March 14 in honour of Brazil’s Day of Action Against Big Dams, it was also decided..

Correct Answer :   14th March

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Every year on March 14, the International Day of Mathematics, also known as Pi Day, is observed to honour the mathematical constant Pi, which expresses the proportion of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.

The value for Pi is 3.14. Every year, all nations are welcome to take part in events that are open to the public and students in schools, museums, libraries, and other locations.

At its 205th meeting, the Executive Council of UNESCO declared March 14 to be the International Day of Mathematics.

International Day of Mathematics 2023 Theme : According to the celebration’s official website, the theme for Pi Day 2023 is “Mathematics for Everyone,” which was suggested by Marco Zarco Rotairo of Trece Martires City National High School in the Philippines.

International Day of Mathematics 2023 Significance : The purpose of the holiday is to recognise and celebrate the value of mathematics in our daily lives. Pi is a fundamental constant that is important for calculations, and scientists have studied and employed mathematics. Also, Albert Einstein’s birthday anniversary falls on this day. The renowned theoretical scientist Stephen Hawking passed away on this day in 2018.

International Day of Mathematics History :

* In 1988, American physicist Larry Shaw recognised the day by planning a major party at the San Francisco Exploratorium.

* The initial celebration was carving a pie into the shape of pi and reciting the number pi to all possible decimal places.

* Mathematician Archimedes of Syracuse is credited for determining Pi’s value for the first time. When Leonhard Euler used the sign of Pi in 1737, the scientific community eventually embraced it.

* Pi Day will be recognised as International Mathematics Day in 2019 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its 40th General Conference...

Correct Answer :   $43 billion

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Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) on Monday (13th March 2023) struck a $43 billion deal to acquire Seagen Inc (SGEN.O) and its targeted cancer therapies as it braces for a steep fall in COVID-19 sales and generic competition for some top-selling drugs.

Seagen marks Pfizer's largest purchase in a string of recent acquisitions utilizing a once-in-a-lifetime cash windfall from its COVID-19 vaccine and treatment. It will add four approved cancer therapies with combined sales of nearly $2 billion in 2022.

Washington-based Seagen is a pioneer of antibody-drug conjugates, which work like "guided missiles" designed to destroy cancer while sparing healthy cells.

Seagen's shares were trading up more than 16% at $200.93 on Monday (13th Mar 2023), well below Pfizer's offer price of $229, signaling investor concern over a possible prolonged antitrust review. Pfizer shares were nearly 3% higher.

Pfizer's bid represents a 32.7% premium to Seagen's closing price on Friday.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) clearance is sort of the open question at this point with regards to the deal, said Needham & Co analyst Ami Fadia, pointing to an overlap in bladder cancer treatments as an area the FTC could look into.

However, Fadia said there was less than a 50% chance of the FTC challenging the deal in court.

Pfizer, on a conference call to discuss the planned acquisition, acknowledged that antitrust regulators are likely to closely review the deal due to its size, but said the companies expect to be able to complete the transaction in late 2023 or early 2024...

Source : Reuters

Correct Answer :   15 March 2023

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Actor Sameer Khakhar, best known for his role in the iconic television show Nukkad, has died. He was 71. He was suffering from respiratory and other medical problems, and was admitted to the MM Hospital, Borivali, where he breathed his last.

His funeral is taking place 15th March 2023 at 10.30 am and will proceed to Babhai Naka Crematorium, Borivali.

* He rose to fame with his roles in TV shows ‘Nukkad’ and ‘Circus’.

* He was also featured in ‘Shrimaan Shrimati’, and ‘Adaalat’.

* He also played vital roles in films, including ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’, ‘Jai Ho’, and ‘Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi’.

* He was last seen in the OTT series ‘Farzi’..

Born : 9 August 1952
Died : 15 March 2023

Source :Indian Express

Correct Answer :   NITI Aayog

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NITI Aayog on Tuesday (14th Mar 023) launched Atal Tinkering Laboratories(ATL) Sarthi, a comprehensive self-monitoring framework to strengthen the ecosystem of Atal Tinkering Labs.

NITI Aayog has said that Atal Innovation Mission is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories in schools across the country to foster curiosity, creativity, and imagination in young minds.

Atal Tinkering Labs Sarthi is a charioteer and it will enable the Atal Tinkering Labs to be efficient and effective.
 
Mission Director Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog Dr. Chintan Vaishnav said that Atal Innovation Mission aims to foster millions of young innovators in India by setting up Atal Tinkering Labs in schools.

He said, to further improve their performance, Atal Innovation Mission has launched ATL Sarthi. He said, it will provide a monitoring and evaluation framework to enhance the performance of Atal Tinkering Labs...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Two

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The government has appointed M Jagannath and Tablesh Pandey as Managing Directors of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).


* M Jagannath took the charge as MD on March 13, 2023.

* Before this, he was working as the Zonal Manager of South Central Zone, Hyderabad and While Tablesh Pandey is an Executive Director at the Central office of LIC in Mumbai and will take charge on April 1, 2023.

* Pandey will replace present managing director B C Patnaik.

* The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointments, according to a circular issued by the Department of Personnel and Training.

* The government had last week appointed Siddhartha Mohanty, who is currently serving as the managing director (MD) of LIC, as its Acting Chairperson for three months from 14th March 2023.

* Jagannath is currently Zonal Manager, South Central Zone, Hyderabad while Pandey is Executive Director, Central office, Mumbai. Apart from Mohanty, currently LIC has two MDs – Mini Ipe and BC Patnaik. Patnaik will retire by the end of March.

* The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) is expected to finalise the name of the new Chairperson for LIC in the coming weeks. Mohanty is considered as the frontrunner for the Chairperson post.

* LIC is the largest financial institution in the country with total assets under management (AUM) of over Rs 41.66 lakh crore (as of September 2022)..

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   Signature Bank

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State regulators closed New York-based Signature Bank on Sunday (12th March 2023), making it the third largest failure in U.S. banking history.

* Becoming the second bank in the country after Silicon Valley Bank.

* The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has been appointed as a receiver, which typically means it will liquidate the bank’s assets to pay back its customers, including depositors and others.

* The standard insurance amount from FDIC is $250,000 per depositor, per bank, for each account ownership category...

Source : India Times

Correct Answer :   75

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There is no provision under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 to declare a site as a “Water Heritage Site” under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

* The Ministry of Jal Shakti had constituted a Committee to identify 75 Water Heritage Structure (WHS) in reference to 75 years of India's Independence.

* A total of 421 nominations were received through States/UTs, Central Agencies, NGOs and general public and out of which Committee has recommended 75 water heritage structures, which includes 5 Water Heritage Structure from Gujarat and 4 Water Heritage Structure from Andhra Pradesh respectively.

* In this connection, "Jal-Itihas" sub-portal under India-WRIS portal, showcasing the 75 WHS, was launched (https://indiawris.gov.in/wris/) on 5th January, 2023 at the 1st All India State Ministers Conference on Water at Bhopal. State/UT wise details of these WHS are at Annexure. At present there is no central fund allocated/disbursed for maintenance of these sites..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Shashikant Jagannath Wani

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State-owned power producer SJVN Ltd on Tuesday (14th Mar 2023) said the power ministry has appointed Shashikant Jagannath Wani as an independent director of the company for three years.

* His appointment is effective from Monday (13th March 2023).

* "Ministry of Power ...Has appointed Shashikant Jagannath Wani as Non-Official Part-Time Director (Independent Director) on the board of directors of the company with effect from 13th March 2023 for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier," according to a BSE filing.

* He is not related to any director on the company's board, it said, adding that the director being appointed is not debarred from holding the office of director.

* Wani holds Diploma in Homeopathy & Biochemistry from State Council of Homeopathy, Madhya Pradesh.

* In his current role as a chairman and director at Shri Sainath Education Society, he is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the institute, developing and implementing strategic plans, managing budgets, and ensuring academic excellence.

* He is also director at Dilawar Singh Dada Patpedhi, Taloda, District Nandurbar, Maharashtra..

Source : Zeebiz