Correct Answer :   Hardeep Singh Puri

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The Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri announced the ‘Women Icons Leading Swachhata’ (WINS) Awards 2023 on 7th March 2023, on the eve of International Women’s Day.

The WINS Awards 2023 Aim : To recognize celebrate and disseminate inspiring and exemplary initiatives in urban sanitation and waste management by women led organizations and individual women.

* The applications are open from 8th March to 5th April 2023.  

Applications for the Awards are open to :

(i) Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
(ii) Micro-enterprises
(iii) Non-Government Organisations (NGOs)
(iv) Startups
(v) Individual Women Leaders/Swachhata champions.

Applications will be considered under the thematic areas of :

(i) Management of Community/Public Toilets
(ii) Septic Tanks Cleaning Services
(iii) Treatment Facilities (Used Water/Septage)
(iv) Municipal Water collection and /or Transportation
(v) Operation of Material Recovery Facilities
(vi) Waste to Wealth products
(vii) Treatment Facilities
(Solid Waste Management)
(viii) IEC, Training, Capacity Building
(ix) Technology and Intervention
(x) Others.

The Application Form will be made available to all States..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Ram Chandra Paudel

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* Veteran Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Paudel has been elected the Himalayan nation’s third president since a centuries-old monarchy was abolished in 2008.

* In the two-man race for the largely ceremonial position, the 78-year-old Paudel secured 33,802 votes. His rival, Subash Chandra Nembang, received 15,518 votes, Nepali media reported on Thursday (9th March 2023).

* Paudel, a former speaker, has been a six-time lawmaker and has held a ministerial position five times, including interior ministry.

* He began his political career as a student leader during the decades-long partyless Panchayat system that lasted to 1990. He was imprisoned while fighting against the former king’s rule.

* The vote comes following a dramatic split in the communist-dominated governing coalition headed by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, a former Maoist rebel chief.

* The tenure of the outgoing president, Bidya Devi Bhandari, ends on March 12.

* The president is elected by an electoral college comprising of two houses of federal parliament and seven provincial legislators. Nepal is a parliamentary democracy with a ceremonial president as head of the state, but during times of political crisis, the president can play a key function in government formation.

* At least 831 votes were cast in the presidential election out of the 881 eligible votes. The vote weightage of a member of the federal parliament is 79 while it is 48 for a provincial assembly member..

Source : Aljazeera

Correct Answer :   Xi Jinping

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* Xi Jinping has secured a precedent-breaking third five-year term as China’s president, a largely ceremonial role, putting him on track to remain in power for the rest of his life.

* The nearly 3,000 members of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s largely ceremonial parliament, voted unanimously for Xi after the constitution was changed to remove the traditional two-term limit for the post.

* The NPC, whose members are appointed by the ruling Communist party, cast 2,952 votes for Xi over about an hour. No one voted against him.

* No candidate lists were distributed, and Xi as well as those who secured other posts were believed to have run unopposed.

* The election process remains almost entirely shrouded in secrecy, apart from the process by which delegates to the congress placed four ballots into bright red boxes placed around the vast auditorium of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing where they meet.

* Xi, was also unanimously named commander of the two million-member People’s Liberation Army.

* China’s politics has extended into the era of winner takes all,” Wen-Ti Sung, an expert in Chinese politics at the Australian National University, told Al Jazeera. “Xi Jinping is the biggest winner.

* Since taking power in 2012, 69-year-old Xi has sidelined any potential challengers and filled the party with his supporters, turning himself into China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong...

Source : Aljazeera

Correct Answer :   B Gopkumar

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Axis Asset Management Company (AMC) on Thursday (9th March 2023) announced that MD and CEO Chandresh Nigam will leave the firm after 10 years at the helm, after requesting not to be considered for reappointment. His term ends on April 30.

* According to a release, Nigam had joined Axis AMC on July 1, 2009 as head of equities, and took charge as the MD and CEO on May 1, 2013.

* The board approved the appointment of B Gopkumar, MD and CEO of Axis Securities, to succeed Nigam from May 1 to April 30, 2026.

* Gopkumar has been in charge of Axis Securities since October 2019. In addition, the fund house has on-boarded former Credit Suisse head of India equity research Ashish Gupta as the chief investment officer.

* The change of guard comes fresh on the heels of the regulator’s recent interim order on the front-running case, barring 21 entities from accessing the securities markets and directing them to disgorge Rs 30.6 crore in unlawful gains.

* SEBI had cracked the whip on the fund house last year after being alerted by its internal surveillance system that trades by certain entities between September 2021 and March 2022 were not executed in the normal course.

* The regulator established links through a series of WhatsApp messages, identifying Axis MF’s former chief dealer Viresh Joshi as ‘jadugar’, who was the mastermind of a fraudulent scheme of front-running...

Source : Financial Express

Correct Answer :   Ministry of Tourism

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The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India , has bagged  Golden & Silver Star at The International ‘Golden City Gate Tourism Awards 2023’ in ‘TV/Cinema Commercials International and Country International’ Category at ITB, Berlin 2023.

* The awards were received by Shri Arvind  Singh, Secretary (Tourism) Government of India on 08th March 2023 at ITB, Berlin being held from the 7th to 9h March 2023.

* The Golden City Gate Tourism Multi-media Awards are given annually in various categories related to the Tourism and Hospitality sectors.

* The ‘Golden City Gate’ is a creative multi-media international competition for countries, cities, regions and hotels. The entries received for the awards are judged by an international jury comprising film and tourism experts. The annual award ceremony takes place at ITB Berlin, the world’s leading tourism trade show.

* The Promotional films / television commercials received the awards were produced by the Ministry as part of its Post Covid Promotional Global Campaign on India reopening.

* Ministry of Tourism has developed the new Incredible India brand films for welcoming of foreign tourists to the country after the pandemic. These brand films have been widely circulated within the domestic and international travel industry for wider usage in for promotional and marketing purposes.

* The films were also widely promoted through the soical media handles of the Ministry which have been very well received the world over. The commercials have been produced in English with voice overs in 9 international languages, viz. German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Arabic...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   United States

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The India - United States Fifth Commercial Dialogue meeting was held in New Delhi 10th March 2023. During the meeting, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo acknowledged that bilateral goods and services trade has almost doubled since 2014, surpassing 191 billion US dollars as recorded in 2022. 

* Both sides welcomed further steps to enhance their commercial collaboration and tap into market potential across multiple sectors, and also enable an environment for investment by small and medium-sized industries and startups.

* Both Ministers recognized that small businesses and entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of the US and Indian economies.

* There is a need to facilitate collaboration between the SMEs of the two countries while fostering innovation ecosystems that facilitate their post-pandemic economic recovery and growth.

* In this context, both sides announced the launch of a new Working Group on Talent, Innovation and Inclusive Growth under the Commercial Dialogue. 

* This will further the cooperation on Start-ups, SMEs, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, including in digital and emergent technologies.

* A Memorandum of Understanding on establishing a semiconductor supply chain and innovation partnership under the framework of India - US Commercial Dialogue was signed between the two countries. ..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Narendra Modi

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Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate 3rd Session of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 10th March, 2023.

The theme of the third Session of NPDRR is “Building Local Resilience in a Changing Climate”, which is aligned with the 10-Point Agenda promulgated by the Prime Minister of India, to build local capacities, especially in the context of a rapidly changing disaster risk scenario in the wake of climate change.

The NPDRR will be attended by over 1000 distinguished guests including Union Ministers, Ministers of Disaster Management from States, Parliamentarians, Representatives of local bodies, Heads of specialized disaster management agencies, academicians, representatives from private sector organizations, media and civil society organizations.

Chaired by Union Home Minister and Minister ofCooperation Shri Amit Shah, NPDRR is a multi-stakeholders National Platform which is characterized by a process,where all stakeholders get together to share knowledge, experiences, views and ideas, and discuss the latest developments and trends in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), identify gaps, make recommendations, and forge partnerships to further accelerate disaster risk reduction efforts.

The 3rd Session would also help mainstream disaster management practices across Ministries and Departments, States and Union Territories, urban and rural local-self-governments, academic institutions, NGOs, CSOs, PSUs, and communities.

Jointly organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), the NPDRR will comprise four Plenary Sessions, one Ministerial Session, and eight Thematic Sessions.

An exclusive Ministerial Session, chaired by Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, will be held after the inaugural ceremony, where Ministers from Centre, State and Union Territories will deliberate on further strengthening of disaster risk reduction systems at various levels.

Over two days, the subject experts, practitioners, academicians and delegates will deliberate upon various cross cutting issues on disaster risk reduction based on the SENDAI Framework and the 10-point agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction given by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Doda

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In Jammu and Kashmir, Army installed the tallest 'Iconic National Flag' in the hilly Doda district on 9th March 2023.

The tricolour which has been installed on a 100 feet-high pole, the highest Tricolour in the Doda district, was unfurled by GOC Delta Force, Maj Gen Ajay Kumar along with Commander 9 sector RR Brig. Samir K Palande, DC Doda Vishesh Paul Mahajan, and SSP Abdul Qayoom.

During the ceremony, GOC said the Flag is a tribute to the countless soldiers of the Chenab Region who have made the ultimate sacrifice while safeguarding the unity and integrity of the nation. On this occasion, he also honoured the next of kin of martyred soldiers.

The hundred feet high mast national flag, the first of its kind in the Doda district is not only a proud moment for the Army only but for all the residents of the hilly district.

Locals especially students and Veer Naris (war widows) who had gathered in large numbers to witness the historic event and expressed gratitude to the Army for making them part of the historical moment.

Doda district of Jammu Division was once a hotbed of terrorists. But the situation has altogether changed with people working closely with security agencies and Government in maintaining peace and ensuring the development of the Chenab region..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Thomas A. Sangma

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Thomas A. Sangma was sworn in as the Speaker of the 11th Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Thursday (9th Mar 2023), after being elected to the post unopposed.

Sangma took the Oath to Office and Secrecy at the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly’s Hall, which was attended by several dignitaries and MLAs.

Speaking on the occasion, the MLAs congratulated the new Speaker and exhibited confidence that with his vast experience and knowledge, Sangma will do justice to the post of the Speaker.

Thomas A Sangma, a former Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, has been in politics for over a decade. He has also served as a Cabinet Minister in the Meghalaya government.

Sangma’s appointment as Speaker comes after the resignation of former Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh following the end of the 10th Meghalaya Legislative Assembly’s tenure.

Sangma’s nomination was approved unanimously by the members of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance-II (MDA) coalition.

The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly has a total of 59 members, out of which the MDA-II has a majority with 45 seats. Election to 1 seat has been postponed due to the sudden death of HDR Lyngdoh who was also contesting for this election.

During the swearing in ceremony an obituary message from all the MLAs was also read for the two politicians who passed away recently, HDR Lyngdoh and AH Scott Lyngdoh.

The new Speaker’s role is crucial in maintaining the decorum and smooth functioning of the Assembly..

Source : Hub Network

Correct Answer :   Columbia

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Colombia has opened military services to women for the first time in 25 years. In February last month, a contingent of 1,296 women has been recruited into the Colombian army.

Colombia has long compulsory military service for males aged 18 to 24. This year, the authorities have allowed women in the same age group to voluntarily join the army.

Colombia is a South American country whose capital is Bogota and its currency is the Colombian Peso..

Source : AP News