Correct Answer :   India and Australia

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India and Australia on Friday (10th March 2023) signed an audio-visual co-production agreement that seeks to offer filmmakers financial incentives amounting to up to 30 per cent of the expenditure incurred in the respective countries.

* The agreement was signed by Information and Broadcasting Secretary "Apurva Chandra" and Australian High Commissioner "Barry O’Farrell" during the ongoing visit of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to India.

* Australia is the 16th country with which India has a co-production agreement that would benefit mainly small filmmakers keen on shooting movies, web series, advertisements or carrying out post-production work or visual effects in that country.

* “For all qualifying projects, the international film production company can claim a payable cash incentive of up to 30 per cent on qualifying expenditure in India, subject to a maximum of Rs 2 crore,” Chandra told reporters here.

* Australia will also offer reciprocal benefits to Indian filmmakers shooting or engaged in post-production activities in that country.

* Chandra said in case of shooting of foreign films, a 5 per cent bonus, up to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh, as additional reimbursement would be granted for employing 15 per cent or more manpower in India.

* In addition to the incentives from the Centre, a number of state governments also offer concessions to foreign filmmakers.

* India announced incentive schemes for shooting foreign films and audio-visual co-production projects at the Cannes Film Festival last year.

* The incentive schemes came into effect from April 1 last year (2022) and at least 25 applications were received in the last six months.

* The government established a Film Facilitation Office (FFO) to ease the process of film shooting in India. The FFO acts as a single-window platform for coordination with various states as well as bodies such as the Indian Railways and the Archaeological Survey of India among others.

* Chandra said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has also engaged Invest India to run the FFO...

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   1.78 Billion

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The World Bank has announced financial aid of 1.78 billion dollars to provide relief and recovery for earthquake-hit Turkey.

The earthquake caused widespread damage in southeastern Turkey and its surrounding areas.

Based on the extensive experience of the World Bank in Disaster Risk Management, an effective damage assessment has also been initiated to estimate the magnitude of the disaster and identify priority areas in Turkey.

Through contingent emergency response components (CERCs), 780 million dollars have been offered in immediate assistance. Under ‘Operation Friend' India is also helping Turkey.

Correct Answer :   India and US

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India and the US on Friday (10th March 2023) inked an initial pact on increasing private sector cooperation in the area of semiconductors under which the two countries would facilitate business opportunities and develop an ecosystem with a view to reduce their dependency on China and Taiwan.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing semiconductor supply chain and innovation partnership under the framework of IndiaUS Commercial Dialogue was signed by US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal during the Commercial Dialogue here.

According to a joint statement, both sides have agreed to set up a semiconductor sub-committee, led by the Department of Commerce for the US side and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Ministry of Commerce and Industry for the Indian side.

The committee will convene its first engagement in mid-year to review recommendations from the joint industry-led task force launched in connection with the iCET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies).

Raimondo, who was on a four-day visit to India, was accompanied by the chief executive officers of 10 US companies. She met several ministers besides holding meetings with Goyal...

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   New Delhi

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The second edition of 'World Food India-2023’ will be organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, from 3-5 November, 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

* The Curtain Raiser Event to WFI-2023 was held 10th March 2023 in National Media Centre, New Delhi. During the event, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Shri Pashupati Kumar Paras, and Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, launched the website, publicity brochure and promotional video for WFI-2023.

* Addressing the Curtain Raiser event, Shri Pashupati Kumar Paras emphasised that India is one of the fastest-growing economies with many investment opportunities, especially in the food processing sector.

* He outlined five pivotal elements of the WFI-2023 as Millets - ‘Shree Anna-The Super Food of India’, Innovation and Sustainability ‘Green Food’, White Revolution 2.0, making India an export hub and focus on technology and digitisation.

* Shri Paras said that during the three-day event, the government expects leading players in the food processing sector from across the globe to showcase their strengths.

* Shri Paras added that industry professionals' meets, exhibitions and Food Street - a specially curated food experience arena, are also planned to explore collaborations and B2B/G contracts. He said that the event will highlight the myriad opportunities, infrastructure available, incentives, and benefits to the investors...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   7th March 2023

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Pat McCormick, who became the first diver to sweep the 3-meter and 10-meter events at consecutive Olympics, has died. She was 92.

* She died Tuesday (7th March 2023) of natural causes at an assisted living facility in the Orange County city of Santa Ana, her son, Tim, said.

* McCormick won the springboard and platform events at the 1952 Helsinki Games. She accomplished the feat again four years later at the Melbourne Games. Tim McCormick was born just five months before the Olympics in Australia.

* Greg Louganis equaled McCormick’s accomplishment when he swept the 3-meter and 10-meter titles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and again in 1988 at Seoul.

* McCormick’s daughter, Kelly Robertson, competed on the same Olympic teams as Louganis.

* She won a silver medal on springboard in 1984 and a bronze in the same event in 1988.

* Pat McCormick won the James Sullivan Award as the nation’s top amateur athlete in 1956, the second woman to do so.

* Born Patricia Joan Keller on May 12, 1930, in Seal Beach, California, as a youngster she was known for executing dives that weren’t allowed in competition while practicing off a bridge.

Born : May 12, 1930 Seal Beach, California, U.S.

Died : March 7, 2023 (aged 92) Orange County, California, U.S.

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   Narayan Rane

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Union Minister for MSME Shri Narayan Rane launched the MSME Competitive (LEAN) Scheme at the NDMC Convention Centre, Delhi on 10th March 2023.

* Speaking on the occasion Shri Rane said that LEAN has the potential to become a national movement and that it aims to provide a roadmap to global competitiveness for the MSMEs of India.

* He added that LEAN will not only attempt to improve quality, productivity & performance, but also the capability to change the mind-sets of manufacturers and transform them into a world class manufacturers. Union MoS, MSME Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma also addressed the gathering.

* This Scheme is an extensive drive to create awareness amongst MSMEs about LEAN Manufacturing practices and motivate and incentivize them to attain LEAN levels while also encouraging them to become MSME Champions.

* Under the scheme, MSMEs will implement LEAN manufacturing tools like 5S, Kaizen, KANBAN, Visual workplace, Poka Yoka etc under the able guidance of trained and competent LEAN Consultants to attain LEAN levels like Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. Through the LEAN journey, MSMEs can reduce wastages substantially, increase productivity, improve quality, work safely, expanding their markets, and finally becoming competitive and profitable.

* To support MSMEs, Government will contribute 90% of implementation cost for handholding and consultancy fees. There will be an additional contribution of 5% for the MSMEs which are part of SFURTI clusters, owned by Women/SC/ST and located in NER.

* In addition to the above, there will be an additional contribution of 5% for MSMEs which are registering through Industry Associations/ Overall Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) organizations after completing all levels. There is a unique feature to encourage Industry Associations and OEMs for motivating their supply chain vendors to participate in this scheme...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   30%

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The world is off-track to achieve its global target of reducing sodium intake by 30% by 2025, which is essential to save millions of lives globally, according to a first-of-its-kind report by the World Health Organization (WHO).

* Sodium, an essential nutrient, increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and premature death when consumed in excess.

* The main source of sodium is table salt (sodium chloride), but it is also a part of other condiments such as sodium glutamate which is naturally found in some foods and is also used as a flavour enhancer.

* The global average salt intake is estimated to be 10.8 grams per day, more than double the WHO recommendation of less than 5 grams of salt per day (one teaspoon).

* The report shows that only 5 per cent of WHO member states are protected by mandatory and comprehensive sodium reduction policies and 73 per cent of members lack full range of implementation of such policies.

* India has mandatory declaration of sodium on pre-packaged food but no other mandatory measure, WHO said.

* Implementing highly cost-effective sodium reduction policies could save an estimated seven million lives globally by 2030.

* It is an important component of action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of reducing deaths from noncommunicable diseases.

* However, only nine countries -- Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Uruguay -- have a comprehensive package of recommended policies to reduce sodium intake...

Source : Tribune India

Correct Answer :   Odisha

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The Odisha government has announced a new livelihood and income-generating scheme for the tribal people with an outlay of Rs 500 crore, an official said on Friday (10th March 2023).

* The state cabinet led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the scheme during its meeting held on Thursday (9th March 2023), Parliamentary Affairs Minister Niranjan Pujari said in the Odisha Assembly on Friday (10th March 2023).

* The ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare department will implement the livelihood cluster development initiative under Mukhya Mantri Janajati Jeebika Mission.

* The state-funded scheme will be implemented in 119 tribal sub-plan (TSP) blocks of the state through 22 integrated tribal development agencies (ITDAs) utilising a total outlay of Rs 500 crore over a period of three years (2023-24 to 2025-26).

* As per the scheme, over 1.5 lakh tribal households will be supported by ensuring timely access to quality inputs, infrastructure support incidental to livelihood, introduction of better production practices, training and capacity building support and marketing assistance in a convergence mode.

* The ST & SC Development department, through this new scheme, will enable the tribal households to venture into well planned farm-based and off-farm livelihood activities at the household level to enhance their income and quality of life on a sustained basis, officials said.

* This new initiative will supplement the Odisha government's vision of improving the lives and livelihoods of the tribal communities in the state by enhancing their economic power and strengthening their sources of livelihood.

* The state cabinet has also approved a special package of incentives for a very large investment proposal of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).

* The Central-PSU has proposed setting up of a mega Dual Feed Cracker (DFC) at Paradip with investment of Rs 58,042 crore for production of ethylene, polypropylene, poly vinyl chloride (PVC), phenol, Is-Propyl Alcohol (IPA) etc.

* The Dual Feed Cracker will enable significant industrial development in various downstream industries like plastic, pharma, agro-chemical, personal care products, speciality chemicals, paints, packaging materials etc.

* The IOCL and its downstream industries will generate employment for about 25,000 people, both directly and indirectly..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Uttarakhand

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Uttarakhand has become the india's first state to launch the 'Resham Keet Bima' scheme for protecting its sericulturists, state agriculture minister Ganesh Joshi said on Thursday (9h March 2023).

* Under the pilot project, which started from Uttarakhand, in the first phase, 200 sericulturists from five blocks of four districts -- Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital -- have been insured from the ill effects of climate change, scarcity of water and other hazards.

* The scheme, which is being run under Saral Krishi Beema, was launched in the presence of Uttarakhand co-operative Silk Federation Limited chairperson Ajeet Singh, CMD of Agriculture Insurance Company of Indian Limited Girijia Subramanian, NABARD CGM VK Bisht and director of silk directorate AK Yadav in Dehradun on Thursday (9th Mar 2023).

* According to Ajeet Singh, the project is a step to promote the production of silk in the state. Nearly 12,000 families are linked directly and indirectly to sericulture in the state and last year, nearly 300 metric tonnes of silk fibroin was produced in Uttarakhand by 6,000 stakeholders.

* The insurance by the government will certainly shield us from tough natural situations and keep us motivated to retain silk production, said Mahaveer Singh, a sericulturist from Haridwar...

Source : India Times

Correct Answer :   Sumant Kathpalia

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Private lender IndusInd Bank on Friday (10th March 2023) said that the Reserve bank of India had approved the re-appointment of Sumant Kathpalia as management director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of the bank.

* IndusInd Bank said the central bank has approved the re-appointment of Sumant Kathpalia as MD and CEO for a period of two years from 24 March, 2023.

* The nod by RBI comes nearly six months after the IndusInd Bank's board of directors had cleared another term for Kathpalia, who has been the lender's MD & CEO since March 2020.

* At IndusInd Bank, he has been part of the management team for 15 years ago. He has been a key member of the top-level executive committee looking at IndusInd Bank-wide financial management, managing investor relations and evaluating inorganic growth opportunities.

* "In his prior role as Head - Consumer Bank at IndusInd Bank, Kathpalia has been instrumental in setting up several new businesses from scratch to cater to the needs of individual and SME segments," the bank said.

* IndusInd Bank's recorded a rise of 68.71% in profit after tax to ₹1,959.20 crore for the quarter ended December 2022 from a profit of ₹1,161.27 crore in the same quarter last year. The lender also recorded a significant drop in gross NPA and provisions during the quarter.

* Meanwhile, in Q3FY23, the bank's net interest income (NII) stood at ₹4,495.34 crore increasing by 18.5% from ₹3,793.57 crore in Q3 of FY22. But up by 4.5% from ₹4,302.05 crore in Q2FY23..

Source : Mint