Correct Answer :   Pankaj Kapur

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Veteran actor Pankaj Kapur will soon release his debut novel 'Dopehri', based on a play of the same name which he wrote and directed several years ago. "Dopehri" is the story of Amma Bi, an elderly widow who lives alone in her deserted family haveli in Lucknow. Her only companion is a dishevelled young servant who comes in twice a day. Every afternoon, Amma Bi hears the sound of footsteps on the stairs and her heart fills with panic. She peeks out the door only to find no one there. After considering a move to an old peoples' home, an anxious Amma Bi ends up taking in a lodger, a young woman named Sabiha, with a mysterious occupation and a winsome personality. When Sabiha's secret is revealed, Amma Bi discovers reserves of ingenuity, skill and love she never knew she had, and what started out as the tale of a haunted haveli turns into a heart-warming one about ageing, self-discovery and female bonding. Originally written in Hindi, "Dopehri" will be published simultaneously by HarperCollins in three editions: Hindi (in Devanagari script), Hindi (in Urdu script) and in English translation.

Correct Answer :   Karnataka

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The 6-day Brahmakalashothsava festival is celebrated in the ancient Chandkuru Sri Durga Parameshwari Temple annually in Polali, Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka. The presiding deity of the temple, which has a history of nearly 1,700 years, is Shri Rajarajeshwari. The highlight of this temple is its mud idols and this is probably the only idol of this size (about 9ft height) in Karnataka. Other than the presiding deity Rajarajeshwari - two other idols Bhadrakali on the left (may be bigger than the presiding deity in height) and Lord Subrahmanya and Ganesha are on the right hand side. It is in news recently because several Dalits and OBCs from Chandkuru and surrounding villages in Belthangady taluk boycotted festival in a centuries-old temple due to separate seating arrangement had been made for people of the upper caste.

Correct Answer :   Lakshadeep

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Lakshadweep is an archipelago of 36 islands and scattered over approximately 78,000 square km of the Arabian Sea with population of approximately 65,000. Recently, the team of scientists at CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) carried out first-ever genetic studies on the people of Lakshadweep Islands. The team was was led by Dr. K Thangaraj . The scientist have studied the major islands of Agatti, Andorth, Bitra, Chetlat, Kadmat, Kalpeni, Kiltan and Minicoy of Lakshadweep and demonstrated a close genetic link of Lakshadweep islanders with people from Maldives, Sri Lanka and India. They analyzed DNA samples of 557 individuals from these 8 major islands for mitochondrial DNA and 166 individuals for Y chromosome markers. The paternal and maternal ancestries of the majority of island populations suggest their arrival from distinct sources.

Correct Answer :   Mumbai

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The 15th Finance Commission of India (FCXV) chaired by Shri N.K. Singh, had a 2-day visit to the financial capital of India, Mumbai (at the headquarters of the RBI), on 8th and 9th May 2019 to conduct meetings with the Reserve Bank of India (which is headed by its Governor Shri Shaktikanta Das), the Banks and the Financial Institutions. The meeting was attended by several banks, namely, State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda (BOB), Bank of India (BOI), Bank of Maharashtra, Central Bank of India (CBI), Union Bank of India (UBI), Axis Bank Ltd. HDFC Bank Ltd., ICICI Bank Ltd., IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Yes Bank Ltd, IDFC First Bank Ltd., IDBI Bank Limited. The FCXV also held an elaborate meeting with several distinguished economists to discuss the different Terms of Reference of the FCXV.

Correct Answer :   Konkan Railways Corporation

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Konkan Railways Corporation Ltd has signed a contract agreement with Nepal's Department of Railways to supply two 1600 HP DEMU train sets. These trains will be used to operationalise railway link between Jayanagar in India and Kurtha in Nepal. The train sets will be manufactured by the Integrated Coach Factory, Chennai. The agreement was signed in Kathmandu in the presence of Indian Ambassador Manjeev Puri and Nepal's Secretary, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Madhusudan Adhikari. Each train set will comprise of one driving power car, three trailer cars with one air-conditioned, one driving trailer car with standard accessories.

Correct Answer :   Vietnam

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India and Vietnam reiterated their commitment to build a peaceful Indo-pacific region, with respect to each other's national sovereignty and international law. The announcement regarding the same was made after delegation level talks between Indian Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and his Vietnamese counterpart Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. Vice President Naidu is on a 4-days visit to Vietnam. During the talks, both the sides deliberated on cooperation in various areas and anticipated for a consensus of concerned countries on a code of conduct in the South China Sea.

Correct Answer :   Dia Mirza

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Indian actress Dia Mirza and Alibaba chief Jack Ma have been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the new advocates for the UN's ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They will be among the new class of 'SDG Advocates', which includes 17 influential public figures.

Correct Answer :   Dengvaxia

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States has approved first vaccine named Dengvaxia for the prevention of dengue disease but with certain conditions that use dengue vaccine only in people who have a previous history of the disease. The vaccine is also known as CYD-TDV and made by company Sanofi Pasteur. The vaccine is a live, attenuated dengue virus. Under the vaccination, 3 doses will be provided to the patient and after 1st dose there will be a difference of 6 months between 1st dose and 2nd dose and also a difference of 6 months between 2nd dose and 3rd dose.

Correct Answer :   Stanford University

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Scientists from Stanford University, Shanhui Fan along with Masashi Ono have demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to produce a measurable amount of electricity in an infrared photodiode from the coldness of the universe.The infrared semiconductor uses the temperature difference between Space and Earth to produce the electricity. The study was published in a journal named Applied Physics Letters. The new device has generated about 64 nanowatts per square meter. According to the theoretical calculations, the device can generate almost 4 watts per square meter, roughly one million times what practically generated. In the new technology, the negative illumination effect allows electrical energy to be harvested as heat leaves a surface.

Correct Answer :   Year of Next of Kin

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The Indian Army is commemorating '2019' as the 'Year of Next of Kin'. As a part of this commemoration, the Army has planned to reach out to the next of kin of battle casualties, ex-servicemen and serving soldiers to resolve their pension related issues and to let them know of their entitled financial benefits, welfare schemes. The issue has gained importance because most of the next of kin of the late soldiers were unaware of their entitled financial benefits. The Indian Army has stated that the issue has worsened due to non-digitised personal records, and also because of complications from various policy provisions and their multifarious interpretations.