Correct Answer :   4%

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Union minister Anurag Thakur on Friday (24th March 2023) announced that the government has increased the dearness allowance or DA for central government employees by 4 per cent to 42 per cent with effect from January 1, 2023.

* The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief will be ₹12,815.60 crore per annum, the information and broadcasting minister told reporters after the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

* The release of the additional instalment of dearness allowance to employees and dearness relief to pensioners will be effective from January 01, 2023.

* This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.

* The government has also extended the subsidy under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana for another year.

* In a major relief to Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries and to shield them from high LPG prices, the government approved a subsidy of ₹200 per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 12 refills per year.

* The Cabinet has also given its approval for Minimum Support Price or MSP for raw jute for the 2023-24 season.

* The MSP of raw jute has been fixed at ₹5,050 per quintal. This would ensure a return of 63.20 per cent over the all-India weighted average cost of production...

Source : Hindustan Times

Correct Answer :   March 24, 2023

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Gordon Moore, the co-founder of Intel, has died at the age of 94. He was a driving force behind the development of modern computing devices.

* Intel said in a blog post he died peacefully on Friday, March 24, 2023, surrounded by family at his home in Hawaii.

* Moore was one of regarded as an influential figure in the Silicon Valley. Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai have shared posts remembering him.

* In July 1968, Intel was founded by Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce, who had been longtime colleagues. Initially, Moore served as executive vice president, and then in 1975, he became president.

* In 1979, Moore was promoted to chairman of the board and chief executive officer, which he held until 1987, when he relinquished the CEO position but continued as chairman.

* Later in 1997, Moore was appointed chairman emeritus and eventually stepped down in 2006.

* During his lifetime, Moore also dedicated his focus and energy to philanthropy, particularly environmental conservation, science and patient care improvements. Along with his wife of 72 years, he established the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which has donated more than $5.1 billion to charitable causes since its founding in 2000...

Source : INTEL

Correct Answer :   Kerala

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The Kerala government has been fined Rs 10 crore by the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for their inability to prevent the uncontrolled pollution of the designated Ramsar sites.

Why NGT slaps Penalty on Kerala Govt :

* The order by NGT was made in lines with a petition alleging failure of statutory and administrative authorities in taking remedial action for protection of the Vembanad and Ashtamudi lakes hit by illegal waste dumping.

* The penalty was imposed on the basis of the ‘polluter pays principle’ which had to be deposited in a ring-fenced account to be operated under the authority of the Chief Secretary.

* The penalty of ?10 crore has been imposed which had to be made within a month.

* The penalty will be utilised for conservation/restoration measures by preparing an action plan to be preferably executed within six months.

About Vembanad Lake :

* This is the largest lake in Kerala and the longest Lake in India.

* The lake has its source in four rivers, Meenachil, Achankovil, Pampa and Manimala

* In 2002, it was included in the list of wetlands of international importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention.

* It is the second-largest Ramsar site in India only after the Sundarbans in West Bengal.

* The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is located on the east coast of the lake.

* In 2019, Willingdon Island, a seaport located in the city of Kochi, was carved out of Vembanad Lake.

National Green Tribunal (NGT) :

* It is a special body established under the National Green Tribunal Act (2010).

Aim : To effectively and expeditiously deal with cases related to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.

What is Ramsar Sites :

* These are wetlands deemed to be of “international importance” under the Ramsar Convention. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the convention was signed in.

* Ramsar sites are trans-boundary in which case more than one Contracting Party is responsible for their conservation and management..

Correct Answer :   Rahul Roy-Chowdhury

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Rahul Roy-Chowdhury has been appointed as the CEO of Grammarly, the San Francisco-headquartered online text editing platform based on artificial intelligence.

The Indian-origin executive, who is currently serving as the global product head at the company, will take over as CEO from May 1, 2023.

Who is Rahul Roy-Chowdhury?

Before joining Grammarly in May 2021, Rahul Roy-Chowdhury worked at Google for 14 years where he served in multiple capacities, including vice-president of product management.

He also spent two years as a product manager at Google’s office in Bengaluru between 2007 and 2009, following which he moved to California.

Rahul Roy-Chowdhury has an MBA from Stanford University and a Master’s degree in computer science from Columbia University. He has a BA in mathematics from Hamilton College in New York as well.

With his appointment, Rahul Roy-Chowdhury joins the growing number of Indian-origin top executives who are at the help of major corporations around the world...

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   Amit Shah

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday (23rd March 2023) inaugurated the Vedic Heritage portal in New Delhi.

Aim : The portal aims to communicate message enshrined in the Vedas.

* It will help common people to have a general understanding about the Vedas. The portal will be a one-stop solution for the user, who would like to search any information regarding the Vedic heritage.

* Speaking on the occasion, Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy said, the audio visual recording  of four vedas have been uploaded on the Vedic Heritage portal.

* This portal has over 18 thousand mantras of the four vedas with a duration of over 550 hours. He said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking care of the heritage along with the development of India...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Haldwani

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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday (23rd March 2023) announced the government will set up a sports university in the Kumaun region’s Haldwani town.

* Dhami, who made the announcement on the occasion of completion of one year of the formation of his government, said there had been longstanding demands from several sports associations for such a university.

* The international stadium of Haldwani will be upgraded into a sports university.

* Earlier, the chief minister also held a meeting with the officials and discussed the proposed university.

* Dhami said there is no dearth of sporting talent in the state, and the university will give such talented people a chance to hone and display their skills further...

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   March 24

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World Tuberculosis Day is observed every year on March 24. The significance of World Tuberculosis Day is to educate the world about the impact of tuberculosis.

World Tuberculosis Day is observed to reflect on the progress made in the fight against the disease and to refocus on the commitment to eradicate the epidemic. Additionally, World Tuberculosis Day also offers a reminder that tuberculosis is not merely a health disorder but also a social issue since malnutrition and poverty also contribute to spread of the disorder.

World Tuberculosis Day 2023 Theme : The theme for 2023 World Tuberculosis Day is "Yes! We can end TB!".

The objective behind the theme is to inspire hope and encourage high-level leadership, faster adoption of new World Health Organisation recommendations, growth in investments, accelerated actions, adoption of innovations, and multisectoral collaboration to tackle tuberculosis.

History of World Tuberculosis Day :

* On March 24 1882, Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis.

* The discovery was the most critical step taken towards the control and elimination of tuberculosis.

* Officially, the first World Tuberculosis Day was first celebrated in 1982 on the 100th anniversary of Dr. Koch's announcement...

Source : Money Control

Correct Answer :   Varanasi

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a visit to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi 24th March 2023. The Prime Minister is addressing the One World TB Summit at Rudrakash Convention Centre on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day.

* The summit is being organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Stop TB Partnership.

* The Prime Minister will also launch various initiatives in Varanasi today (24th March 2023). In March 2018, during the End TB summit held in New Delhi, Prime Minister had called on India to achieve TB-related SDG targets by 2025, five years ahead of the stipulated time. International delegates from over 30 countries are scheduled are present at the summit.

* Addressing the One World TB Summit in Varanasi on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that India has taken many new initiatives in the global fight against TB. Continuous efforts of the government along with the strength of public participation has resulted in reducing the number of TB patients in the country.

* Talking about the achievements in the fight against TB PM Narendra Modi said that today 80 percent of the drugs used in TB treatment are being made in India. The number of labs has been increased and the patients have been brought under the ambit of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

* Prime Minister said that more than 2000 crore rupees have been sent into account of 75 lakh patients of TB under various schemes.

* On the occasion, Union Minister of Health Mansukh Mandviya informed that every year 24 lakh people are diagnosed with TB in the country and around 94 thousand people die due to the disease. He added that after the clarion call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, thousands of volunteers including kids and Indians living abroad came forward to become Ni- Kshaya Mitra.

* UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath informed the gathering that 20 percent of the TB patients in the country reside in UP and in the last five years around 16 lakh 90 thousand patients have received more than 420 crore rupees as financial help...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Egypt

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Egypt joined the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) as an official member.

Egypt completed all the necessary procedures to become an eligible member on February 20, 2023.

About NDB :

* BRICS' New Development bank was established in July 2014, after an intergovernmental agreement was signed by the partner nations at the sixth BRICS summit in Fortaleza.

* NDB bank includes India, Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa as member countries..

Source : India Times

Correct Answer :   Narendra Singh Tomar

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* Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday (23rd March 2023) launched DigiClaim, under the ambit of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, for claim disbursal through National Crop Insurance Portal.

* The launch of a DigiClaim Module, the insurance claims of over one thousand 260 crore rupees have been disbursed today to insured farmers of six states.

* The states are Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Haryana.

* Speaking on the occasion, Mr Tomar said that one lakh 32 thousand crore rupees claim amount has been disbursed till date to the insured farmers.

* He said that the government is in touch with those states who have opted out from this scheme. He said, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab government have expressed their interest to adopt this scheme again.

* Telangana, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand have also been approached to rejoin Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. He added that out of these states, Telangana and Jharkhand have indicated their willingness to come back under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana...

Source : AIR