Correct Answer :   Dharamshala

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UK-based sports surface specialist SIS Pitches has fitted hybrid cricket pitches at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamshala, marking the first such installation in India.

* The installation of the company’s SISGrass product was completed in partnership with Indian fine turf specialist Greater Ten. The project marks the first in what is expected to be a series of major installations across India in 2024 and beyond.

* SISGrass’ investment in India follows a decision by the International Cricket Council to permit the use of hybrid surfaces for T20 and 50-over competitions. The SIS team has chosen India as its next region of development after widespread success installing hybrids across English cricket grounds.

* The Universal machine used in Dharamshala to install the hybrid surface was first developed by SISGrass in 2017. The machine injects a small percentage of polymer fibre with the natural turf found inside cricket stadiums, and the composition is said to be more resilient to stresses created during play.

* The system is also designed to prolong the life of pitches, guarantee an even bounce and ease pressure on groundspeople. Completed installations are predominantly natural grass, with only 5% of polymer fibre used.

* HPCA Stadium has a capacity of 23,000. Located on the edge of the Himalayas, it is regarded as one of the most picturesque stadiums in cricket.

* Paul Taylor, a former England international and SIS’s international cricket director, said: “India is home to millions of cricket fans, players and professionals who play almost all year round. This huge demand puts pressure on facilities, which can make it difficult for people to access good quality pitches in their local area. Our hybrid system will create far more opportunities for people to participate in the sport, guaranteeing a higher quality of play at every level of competition.”

* R.P. Singh, president of the HPCA, said: “The HPCA has consistently embraced the latest advances in cricket, and we believe SISGrass’s technology will be game-changing. Maintaining top-notch practice pitches is crucial for player development, as traditional surfaces struggle under the demands of rigorous training schedules. SISGrass’s integration of natural grass with synthetic fibres creates a robust and durable playing surface, ensuring players are prepared for competitive play. We are confident the installation will pave the way for a brighter future for Indian cricket, not just in Himachal Pradesh but across the nation.”

* Hybrid pitches have already been sanctioned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for T20 and 50-over competitions, and this year they will be used in four-day County Championship matches for the first time.

* The Universal machine has already been used to install SISGrass at almost every major county ground in England, including Lord’s, the Kia Oval, Edgbaston, Emirates Old Trafford and Trent Bridge.

* The machine will now travel to Ahmedabad and Mumbai, where it will stitch more pitches for practice and match play. The machine will remain in India after the first three installations are complete, making it immediately available to other grounds and facilities as projects are approved..

Source : The Stadium Business

Correct Answer :   Kristalina Georgieva

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The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 12th April 2024 selected Kristalina Georgieva to serve as IMF Managing Director for a second five-year term starting on October 1, 2024. The Board’s decision was taken by consensus.

In line with the selection process it had established on March 13, 2024 (See Press Release No. 24/86), the Board held several discussions, including with Ms. Georgieva, the sole candidate nominated for the position, before making its decision today. Following today’s meeting, the Coordinators of the Executive Board, Mr. Afonso S. Bevilaqua and Mr. Abdullah F. BinZarah, made the following statement:

“In taking this decision, the Board commended Ms. Georgieva’s strong and agile leadership during her term, navigating a series of major global shocks. Ms. Georgieva led the IMF’s unprecedented response to these shocks, including the approval of more than $360 billion in new financing since the start of the pandemic for 97 countries, debt service relief to the Fund’s poorest, most vulnerable members, and a historic Special Drawing Rights (SDR) allocation equivalent to $650 billion. Under her leadership, the Fund introduced innovative new financing facilities, including the Resilience and Sustainability Facility and the Food Shock Window. It replenished the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, with the capacity to mobilize concessional loans to its poorest members, and co-created the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable. It also secured a 50 percent quota increase to bolster the Fund’s permanent resources and agreed to add a third Sub-Saharan African chair to the IMF Board.

“Looking ahead, the Board welcomes Ms. Georgieva’s ongoing emphasis on issues of macroeconomic and financial stability, while also ensuring that the Fund continues to adapt and evolve to meet the needs of its entire membership. It recognizes her focus on strengthening the Fund’s support to its members through effective policy advice, capacity development and financing. The Board looks forward to continuing to work closely with the Managing Director.”

Background :

Ms. Georgieva has served as Managing Director since October 1, 2019 (See Press Release No. 19/351). The Managing Director is the chief of the IMF’s operating staff and Chair of the Executive Board. The Managing Director is assisted by four Deputy Managing Directors in overseeing the Fund’s operations, which serve its membership through about 3,100 staff.

Ms. Georgieva, a national of Bulgaria, has been the IMF’s Managing Director since 2019. Previously she served as Chief Executive Officer of the World Bank from  January 2017. From February 1, 2019, to April 8, 2019, she was the Interim President for the World Bank Group. She previously served at the European Commission as Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, and as Vice President for Budget and Human Resources. Ms. Georgieva has a Ph.D. in Economic Science and a M.A. in Political Economy and Sociology from the University of National and World Economy in Bulgaria, where she also taught from 1977 to 1991..

Source : IMF

Correct Answer :   Nalin Negi

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Nalin Negi has been appointed as the BharatPe Chief Executive Officer over a year after taking interim charge, the fintech announced on 16th April 2024.

In January 2023, Negi was announced as the interim CEO amid a major rejig in leadership positions at the homegrown fintech. He succeeded Suhail Sameer who resigned after overseeing the firm’s operations since co-founder Ashneer Grover was ousted in 2022.

The fintech startup had then revealed that it had hired an "executive search firm" to assist with succession planning and help identify a new CEO.

The new CEO said the firm’s focus under his leadership would be on sustained profitability, scaling lending businesses, and launching new merchant-centric products.

“Nalin as interim CEO and CFO has been instrumental in showcasing substantial growth and strategic advancements across key business segments,” a statement from BharatPe stated.

As per the statement, under Negi's leadership, BharatPe clocked 182% increase in revenue from operations in FY23 and October 2023 happened to be its first earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) positive month.

Negi joined BharatPe in 2022. He comes with over 28 years of experience in building and scaling businesses in the fintech and banking domains. “As the CEO, he will focus on leading the company into its next phase of development,” the firm said.

Rajnish Kumar, Chairman of the Board, BharatPe said Negi’s extensive experience in the fintech industry and the growth witnessed for BharatPe under his leadership, make him a natural choice to lead the company.

Before joining BharatPe, Nalin Negi held several senior leadership positions at financial service organisations including SBI Cards and GE Capital, where he played key roles in driving profitability, strategic partnerships with businesses, and steering SBI Cards IPO..

Source : CNBC18

Correct Answer :   15th April 2024

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Derek Underwood, England's best spinner in the post-World War II era, who gave a torrid time to the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, passed away at Kent on 15th April 2024. He was 78.

* Underwood, a practitioner of slow left-arm orthodox spin, was highly regarded by his contemporaries because of his pin-point accuracy, something which made him 'Deadly' on uncovered pitches of the 60s and 70s.

* The Bromley-man had numbers to match his reputation too — 297 wickets from 86 Tests, the most by an England spinner, and in a First-Class career that spanned 24 years he took 2,465 wickets.

* But the numbers told only a part of the story. One of Underwood's finest moments on the field came in 1977 when he took 29 wickets to help England beat India 3-1 in a five-match series.

* It was the Three Lions' first series win on these shores since their victory in the 1933-34 tour under the legendary Douglas Jardine.

* Hedley Verity, another crafty left-arm spinner, was the architect of that triumph, taking 24 wickets across three Tests.

* Four decades down the line, Underwood kept the legacy of Verity intact in the company of pacer John Lever, who took 24 wickets to support his spin colleague ably.

* It was a wonderful effort from Underwood against a set of Indian batsmen, led by the inimitable Gavaskar, whom he had dismissed 12 times in Test cricket, the most by any bowler.

* Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan and West Indian fast-bowling legend Michael Holding had dismissed the 'Little Master' 11 times each in the longest format.

* Gavaskar too had admitted Underwood's grip on him.

* "It was tough to face Underwood in any conditions. He was so accurate and bowled on the stumps.

* "Since he had this ability to bowl quick when he wanted, you had to be in position very early to play the shots. He was the toughest bowler I faced along with Andy Roberts," Gavaskar had mentioned recently.

* Overall, Underwood played 20 Tests against India taking 62 wickets.

* Though primarily a bowler, Underwood was also a gritty lower-order batter who put his body on the line against some of the fiercest pacers of his time, particularly while coming down as a nightwatchman.

* There were also streaks of controversies in Underwood's career as he had forfeited two years of his Test career to play in the Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket and later he was banned for touring South Africa with the England rebel team in 1981.

* Much after his playing days, Underwood, who was also a successful businessman as a retailer for roll-in pitches, also dabbled with administration, serving as the MCC president for a year in 2008.

* But for an older generation, Underwood's craft will remain beautiful in execution and deadly in its effect..

Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer :   15 April

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World Art Day (WAD) is celebrated every year on 15 April. This day is dedicated to promoting the development, distribution, and enjoyment of art worldwide. The 40th session of UNESCO’s General Conference proclaimed World Art Day in 2019.

The day was established in order to reinforce the link between artistic productions and society, raise awareness of the variety of artistic expressions, and highlight the contributions of artists to sustainable development.

World Art Day offers an opportunity to highlight the importance of art education in schools. It is believed that culture can help lead to inclusive and equitable education. This Day presents an opportunity for everyone to learn, share, and celebrate. World Art Day is dedicated to promoting creativity, innovation, and cultural diversity.

World Art Day 2024 Theme :

The theme of World Art Day 2024 is 'A GARDEN OF EXPRESSION: Cultivating Community Through Art.'

History of World Art Day :

World Art Day 2024 is celebrated every year on 15 April. It is dedicated to the birthday of the famous artist Leonardo da Vinci, who is considered to be the symbol of freedom of expression and peace. The history of World Art Day dates back to 2012, when the International Association of Art (IAA) held a special ceremony in Guadalajara, Mexico, to celebrate the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci. The event was also used to launch the International Association of Art’s national committees. In ancient Greece, there were six official categories of art, namely, architecture, painting, sculpting, music, literature, and dance. However, in 1911, the concept of art expanded with the inclusion of cinema as the seventh art form introduced by Ricciotto Canudo.

Significance of World Art Day :

The significance of World Art Day is to promote and highlight the importance of art in the lives of human beings. It is celebrated to raise awareness about the contributions of various artists throughout the world. This day aims to encourage art education as a means of inclusive and equitable education. It is hoped that the organizers of the day will succeed in piquing interest of art among people, and will inspire others to get involved in creating any form of art. The planet is home to a vast number of wonderful humans who have created, and will continue to create, all sorts of incredible works of art. World Art Day is a day to showcase that art and show appreciation for it..

Source : The Quint

Correct Answer :   10

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India ranked number 10 in cybercrime, with frauds involving people to make advance fee payment being the most common type, according to a new research that surveyed cybercrime experts around the world.

* An international team of researchers has compiled the 'World Cybercrime Index' that ranks roughly 100 countries and identifies key hotspots according to various categories of cybercrime, including ransomware, credit card theft and scams.

* Russia topped the list, and was followed by Ukraine, China, the US, Nigeria and Romania. North Korea was at the seventh position, while the UK and Brazil were at the eighth and ninth positions, respectively, according to the research published in the journal PLoS ONE.

* Through the survey, the researchers asked the experts to consider major types of crime in the virtual world and nominate countries that they thought contributed significantly to each of them.

* The major categories that the researchers identified were - technical products and services such as malware and compromising systems; attacks and extortion including ransomware; data and identity theft including hacking, compromising accounts and credit cards; scams such as advance fee fraud; and cashing out or money laundering involving illegitimate virtual currency.

* Invites to respond to the survey were sent out from March to October 2021. The team received 92 complete survey responses.

* The top six countries appeared among the top ten countries under each cybercrime category, the researchers found. They further found that countries that are cybercrime hubs "specialise" in particular categories.

* "Russia and Ukraine are highly technical cybercrime hubs, whereas Nigerian cybercriminals are engaged in less technical forms of cybercrime," the authors wrote in the study.

* Among the top ranking countries, while some may "specialise" in cybercrime types with middling technical complexity - such as those involved in data and identity theft - others may "specialise" in both high-tech and low-tech crimes, they said.

* India was found to "specialise" in scams. Further, while Romania and the US were found to "specialise" in both high-tech and low-tech crimes, India was found to be a "balanced hub", "specialising" in mid-tech crimes..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Anurag Kumar

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Senior IPS officer Anurag Kumar was on Friday (12th April 2024) appointed to the post of Joint Director, , according to a Personnel Ministry order.

In a significant development in India’s law enforcement landscape, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved (12th April 2024) the appointment of senior IPS officer Anurag Kumar as the Joint Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This move, which comes into effect immediately, underscores the government’s confidence in Kumar’s leadership and expertise to serve in this crucial role.

Anurag Kumar’s Background :

Anurag Kumar is a 2004 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. Prior to his new appointment, he was serving in the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), a premier organization under the Ministry of Home Affairs that focuses on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces across the country.

Kumar’s extensive experience in law enforcement and his demonstrated capabilities in various roles within the police force have made him a strong candidate for this prestigious position. His appointment as the Joint Director of the CBI, one of the most influential law enforcement agencies in India, is a testament to his professional accomplishments and the trust placed in him by the government.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) :

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is India’s premier investigating agency, responsible for probing a wide range of criminal cases, including those related to corruption, economic offenses, and high-profile crimes. The CBI plays a pivotal role in upholding the rule of law and ensuring accountability at the highest levels of government and the private sector.

As a Joint Director of the CBI, Anurag Kumar will be responsible for overseeing and directing various aspects of the agency’s operations, including the investigation of complex cases, coordination with other law enforcement agencies, and the implementation of strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing the CBI’s effectiveness.

The Significance of the Appointment

Anurag Kumar’s appointment as the Joint Director of the CBI comes at a crucial time, as the agency continues to navigate a complex landscape of high-profile investigations and emerging challenges in the realm of white-collar crimes and cybersecurity.

The selection of a seasoned IPS officer like Kumar to this position underscores the government’s commitment to strengthening the leadership and expertise within the CBI. Kumar’s vast experience in law enforcement, combined with his proven track record of successful investigations and administrative acumen, make him well-suited to take on the responsibilities of this role.

Challenges and Expectations :

As the Joint Director of the CBI, Anurag Kumar will be tasked with addressing a wide range of challenges and expectations. These may include :

* Enhancing Investigative Capabilities : Ensuring that the CBI remains at the forefront of investigative techniques and technologies, allowing it to effectively tackle complex and evolving criminal activities.
* Fostering Inter-Agency Coordination : Strengthening the CBI’s collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, both at the state and national level, to streamline investigative efforts and enhance information-sharing.
* Maintaining Transparency and Accountability : Upholding the CBI’s reputation for impartiality and integrity, while ensuring that investigations are conducted in a fair and transparent manner.
* Capacity Building and Training : Spearheading initiatives to develop the skills and expertise of CBI officers, enabling them to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing law enforcement landscape.
* Strategic Vision and Leadership : Providing strategic direction and leadership to the CBI, aligning its priorities with the government’s broader goals of combating corruption and protecting the interests of the nation.

Correct Answer :   Justice Aniruddha Bose

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Supreme Court Justice Aniruddha Bose has been named the new director of the National Judicial Academy (NJA) in Bhopal, as announced by Supreme Court Chief Justice DY Chandrachud during a ceremonial bench held on April 10, 2024.

The NJA, established in 1993, operates under the guidance of the Supreme Court and aims to enhance the skills of judges and facilitate court administration.

About National Judicial Academy (NJA)

Establishment and Structure :
Mandate and Programs :

About Justice Aniruddha Bose :

Background and Career Progression :
Character and Attributes :

Correct Answer :   Arjun Mohan

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Byju's CEO Arjun Mohan has resigned from his position just about seven months after he took over, with founder Byju Raveendran resuming daily operational responsibilities, the company said in a statement on 15th April 2024. Mohan will transition to an external advisory role.

“The changes follow an extensive seven-month operational review and cost optimisation exercise led by outgoing BYJU'S India CEO Arjun Mohan. Mohan will now transition to an external advisory role, lending his deep EdTech expertise to the company and its founders during this transformation phase,” the edtech said the statement.

Raveendran, Founder and Group CEO said, the reorganisation marks the start of BYJU'S 3.0. It would be a “leaner and more agile organisation ready to quickly adapt to evolving market dynamics, especially in the realm of hyper-personalized education,” he said.

He praised Arjun for doing an outstanding job to steer BYJU'S through a challenging period and said that the firm looks forward to his contributions as a strategic advisor.

“This new phase will also see Byju Raveendran taking a more hands-on approach in spearheading the daily operations of the company…recognising the need for strong leadership during this challenging hour, he will now be deeply involved in the company's day-to-day functioning, leveraging his expertise to steer BYJU'S towards its next phase of growth and innovation,” the company’s statement added.

The top-deck rejig cones at a time when the company has consolidated its operations into three focused divisions – The Learning App, Online Classes & Tuition Centres, and Test-prep..

Source : Business Today

Correct Answer :   Singapore

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Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced he will step down on May 15 after nearly 20 years as part of a long-planned leadership change.

In his place, his deputy Lawrence Wong will be the next PM of the country. Lee, 72, was sworn in as the third Prime Minister of Singapore on 12 August 2004.