Correct Answer :   Gujarat

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said coastal security is paramount for the country, and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building infrastructure facilities to ensure peace on the borders.
 
The minister was addressing a gathering at Koteshwar in Kutch district after laying the foundation stone of the BSF's Mooring Place on Saturday (12th August 2023).

He also virtually inaugurated a newly-built Chidiyamod Biarbet link road and OP Tower in Kutch. Mr. Shah said all three projects, with a total outlay of 360 crore rupees will help maintain vigil on the international borders..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Rs 4,000 crore

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and inaugurated rail and road projects worth about 4,000 crore rupees in a program organized at Dhana in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh on Saturday (12th August 2023).

Mr. Modi performed Bhumi Pujan of the memorial and temple of Sant Ravidas, which took shape at a cost of about 100 crores rupees on 11 acres of land at Badtuma near Sagar. He also unveiled the plaque.
 
Along with this, the Samarsata Yatra which started from five places of the state also concluded 12th Aug 2023.
 

On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government is making all out efforts to end hunger and poverty. He said, that's why we started Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana adding that Dalit, deprived, tribal and backward classes are getting the maximum benefit of this scheme. Mr. Modi said that for the first time in the country, the Dalit backward community is getting the respect which was not received in the previous governments.
 
Mentioning various public welfare schemes of the government, Mr. Modi said that from the Matru Vandana Yojana on the birth of a child to Mission Indradhanush, Ayushman Bharat for free treatment, 701 Eklavya residential schools in tribal areas for education, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana for daughters, Mudra Yojana and Stand Up Yojana to make the youth self-reliant, are bringing changes in the lives of the downtrodden, deprived and backward classes.
 
He informed that 8,000 crore rupees have been given to the youth of these sections under the Stand Up scheme. Referring to the government's campaign against diseases, the Prime Minister said that a campaign to eradicate sickle cell anemia is being run to treat seven crore people. Similarly, a campaign is going on to get rid of TB by 2025.
 

Mr. Modi said that the Mahakumbh of harmony is visible in Sagar. He said that there will be grandeur as well as divinity in the memorial of Saint Ravidas.
 
Referring to the rail and road projects, Mr. Modi said that when inspiration and progress join together, a new era of development begins. He said that this will further improve the connectivity of Sagar.
 
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also addressed the meeting. Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangu Bhai Patel, Union Ministers Dr. Virendra Kumar, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Prahlad Patel and ministers of state government and MPs were present in the programme..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Reliance Jio

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Indian telecommunications major, Reliance Jio has completed the work related to connecting Maldives with a High Speed Optic Fibre cable.

A ceremony was held in Hulhumale in Maldives on Friday to land the Ocean Connect Maldives-India Asia Express (OCM-IAX) Submarine Cable System.

The 22.5 million dollar project has been executed in a little over one year since signing of the agreement in February last year (2022) with Ocean Connectivity Maldives.

The IAX cable system originates in Mumbai and connects Singapore, with branches and landings in India, Malaysia, and Thailand. The cable system is expected to be ready for service by end of this year (2023).

The high capacity and high-speed optic fibre system will provide capacity at more than 200 Tera byte per second with speeds of 100Gb/s, over a distance of 16,000 kilometres.

The IAX together with India Europe Express cable system will be one of the most important developments in telecommunications infrastructure in this decade, linking India, Europe to Southeast Asia, and the Maldives..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Kashmir valley

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Director Agriculture Chaudhary Muhamad Iqbal on Friday (11th Aug 2023) said Geographical Indication (GI) Tag to the Mushkbudji aromatic rice will transform the farmers in Sagam village of Kokernag into entrepreneurs.

It is short bold aromatic rice grown in higher reaches of Kashmir valley.

“I can say with authority that the future of the farmers associated with this scented variety of rice is as bright as the sun,” said Iqbal.

He visited Sagam and congratulated the farmers for the rare achievement.

“It will boost the production of the niche crop thus increasing the employability. All those associated with the trade from growers to buyers to sellers to consumers will benefit,” Iqbal said.  

He said that even the tourism sector will reap dividends.

Around 2000 farmers are cultivating the aromatic rice in Tangpawa –Sagam village of Anantnag alone on approximately 5000 Kanals of land.

Iqbal, however, said that in the coming years, it will reach 1000 hectares.

“We are also trying to expand its growth in other parts of the valley,” he said.

As of now only the unique climate and cold water of Tangpawa-Sagam is ideal for its cultivation.

In 2007, the government announced a revival program of the Mushkbudji rice variety in Sagam village of Kokernag.

This precious and aromatic variety had fallen out of cultivation in the 1970s due to blast disease.

 But with support from the agriculture department and SKAUST (K), the stage was set for resurgence.

Drawn by its unique qualities and the prospect of higher revenues, more and more farmers started cultivating this fragrant variety on their lands.

Director Agriculture praised the farmers in general Sagam Farmers Producers Organisation (FPO) with around 500 farmers in particular, NABARD  and Human Welfare Foundation Anantnag, a non-profit organization in the success of the project.

“Mushkbudji was our special project in our Holistic Agriculture program and a major initiative in doubling the income of farmers as envisaged by the Prime Minister,” he said.

Chief Horticulture Officer Anantnag, Ajaz Hussein Dar assured of every possible support to the farmers.

Human Welfare Foundation Chairman, Shabir Baba instrumental in framing the project said that mobilizing the farmers and training them was a challenge which they accomplished successfully.

The farmers also appreciated the efforts of the agriculture department, marketing and planning departments, NABARD and Human Welfare Foundation in the success of the project..

Source : Greater Kashmir

Correct Answer :   Both 1 and 2

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Recently, researchers have developed devices called Placenta-On-a-Chip (POC).

* A bunch of devices mimicking the placenta at various stages of pregnancy can help in drug discovery, study of toxicity of chemicals like caffeine, and understanding the effects of conditions such as preeclampsia and diabetes mellitus during pregnancy.

* In pregnancy, the placenta shields the baby from harmful drugs and chemicals. But some can still cross this barrier and cause harm to the baby in the womb.

* Thus, pregnant women are not given most medications and they continue to suffer. Determining which medicines can be given during pregnancy that would not cross the placenta is a daunting task.

* Researchers have used microfluidic technology which can integrate processes, to create an environment that represents basic organ structure and functions of the placenta.

* The placenta in a lab dish developed by the team allows different cells to interact with each other, incorporate mechanical properties and mimic the blood flow, which closely resembles the in-vivo condition.

* Among various available POC models, these devices are more suitable for probing placental development as well as diseases caused due to defects in the placenta. Also, patient-specific sample screening will be possible for personalised medicine.


Advantage of placenta-on-chip :

* It will enable early detection of adverse conditions and allows researchers and healthcare professionals to observe, study, and identify potential issues that may arise during pregnancy.

* It enables the study of placental function, detection of complications, personalized medicine, and the development of new therapies..

Source : dst.gov.in

Correct Answer :   National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

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NASA's Curiosity Mars rover recently spotted distinctive hexagonal mud cracks on Mars that scientists speculate may offer the first evidence of wet-dry cycles on the planet.


About Mars Curiosity Rover :

* It is a U.S. robotic vehicle designed to explore the surface of Mars.
* It was launched aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on Nov. 26, 2011, and landed on Aug. 5, 2012, after taking eight months and 10 days to reach the Red Planet.
* The rover is currently roaming Mars' landscapelooking for signs of life and learning about the Red Planet's unique environment.
* The rover is part of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission which tested a novel landing method that saw the spacecraft descend on a parachute before its landing system fired up its rockets and hovered as the rover was lowered down onto the surface.

Features :

* It is about 3 metres long and weighs about 900 kg.
* It does not rely on solar cells for its energy needs but rather draws its electric power from a thermoelectric power generator, with the heat source being the radioactive decay of plutonium and the heat sink being Mars’s atmosphere.
* According to NASA, Curiosity has fourmain science goals in support of the agency's Mars exploration program:

What is NASA’s Perseverance rover?

* It is a robotic explorer to land on Mars as part of NASA’s ongoing Mars 2020 Mission.
* Main Job:Seek signs of ancient life and collect samplesof rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for possible return to Earth.
* The rover will collect samples of rock and soil, encase them in tubes, and leave them on the planet's surface to be returned to Earth at a future date.
* Launch: It was launched on July 30, 2020 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
* Landing: Successfully landedon the surface of Mar's Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021.

Features :

* It is about 3 metres long, 2.7 metres wide, and 2.2 metres tall.
* It is about the size of a car, but weighs only about 1,025 kilograms with all instruments on board.
* Power source :Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG). Converts heat from the radioactive decay of plutonium into electricity..

Source : Latestly

Correct Answer :   3.7%

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India’s industrial production growth declined to a three-month low of 3.7% in June 2023 mainly due to poor showing by the manufacturing sector, according to the official data released on Friday (11th August 2023).

The factory output growth measured in terms of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) stood at 12.6% in June 2022 on account of a lower base effect.

The previous low of IIP was at 1.9% in March 2023. Thereafter, it rose to 4.5% in April and further to 5.3% in May.

During the first quarter (April-June) of 2023-24, the IIP growth works out to be 4.5%, down from 12.9% in the corresponding period a year ago. “The growth rates over corresponding period of previous year are to be interpreted considering the unusual circumstances on account of COVID 19 pandemic since March 2020,” an official statement said.

As per the IIP data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), the manufacturing sector’s output grew 3.1% in June 2023 against a 12.9% a year ago.

Power generation rose 4.2% in June 2023 compared to 16.4% a year ago. Mining output rose by 7.6% during the month under review against 7.8% in the year-ago period.

As per use-based classification, the capital goods segment grew 2.2% in June this year compared to 28.6% a year ago.

Consumer durables output during the month declined by 6.9% against a 25.2% growth in the year-ago period. Consumer non-durable goods output increased by 1.2% compared to a growth of 2.9% a year earlier. Infrastructure/construction goods posted a growth of 11.3% over a 9.4% expansion in the same period a year ago.

The data also showed that the output of primary goods logged 5.2% growth in the month against 13.8% in the year-ago period.

The intermediate goods output in June rose 4.5% compared to a 10.5% growth during the corresponding month last year 2022...

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   Madhya Pradesh

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A seven-month-old female tiger cub was found dead under suspicious circumstances at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh

About Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve :

Location :

* It is located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh.
* It is spread over the Vindhya hills.
* Bandhavgarh was declared a national park in 1968 and then became Tiger Reserve in 1993.
* It derives its name from the most prominent hillock in the area, which was said to be given by Hindu Lord Rama to his brother Lakshmana to keep a watch on * Lanka. Hence the name Bandhavgarh (Sanskrit: Brother's Fort).
* It is known for the Royal Bengal Tigers. The density of the tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the highest known in India as well as in the world.

* Topography : Varies between steep ridges, undulating forests and open meadows.


Flora :

* The vegetation of Bandhavgarh is specially filled with Sal forest in the valleys, and Bamboo stretches on the lower slopes of the region.

* Some of the most famous floral species include Saj (Terminaliatomentosa), Dhaora (Anogeissus latifolia), Tendu, Arjun (Terminalia arjuna), Amla (Emblica officinalis), Palas (Butea monosperma) etc.


Fauna :

* The important prey species consists of chital, sambhar, barking deer, nilgai, chinkara, wild pig, chowsingha, langur and rhesus macaque.

* Dependent upon them are the major predators like tiger, leopard, wild dog, wolf and jackal..


Source : NDTV

Correct Answer :   Jio Haptik

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Jio Haptik has been honored with the Tech Startup of the Year (Artificial Intelligence) award at the prestigious 13th Annual Entrepreneur India Awards.

Swapan Rajdev, Haptik’s co-founder & CTO, received the award as the ceremony organized by Entrepreneur India, in media partnership with Entrepreneur magazine and Entrepreneur.com, was held at the Hotel JW Marriott, Aerocity, New Delhi.

Jio Haptik emerged as the winner of the Tech Startup of the Year in AI from 1000 other entries for the same award, highlighting the company’s distinctive contribution to the technology landscape. It is testament to Jio Haptik's commitment to developing groundbreaking AI-driven solutions that set the industry benchmark for innovation and transformation.

Aakrit Vaish, CEO and co-founder of Jio Haptik, was elated as he said: “We are humbled and thrilled to be named the Tech Startup of the Year in Artificial Intelligence. At Jio Haptik, we believe in driving change through AI, and this honor fuels our passion to continue advancing in our mission to redefine the way technology and human interaction converge. We are very excited about the enormous potential of Generative AI to revolutionize business functions and change the way businesses engage with customers.”

The Entrepreneur India Awards recognize and celebrate the country's most innovative entrepreneurs and businesses across various sectors. The accolade of being named the “Tech Startup of the Year in AI" marks a significant milestone in Jio Haptik’s journey.

Jio Haptik is grateful to Entrepreneur India, the esteemed jury, and all those who contributed to this significant achievement. The company reaffirms its dedication to forging new paths in artificial intelligence and is excited about the future of technology..

Source : ANI

Correct Answer :   Kerala

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The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday (9th August 2023) unanimously passed a resolution urging the Central government to officially change the name of the State from Kerala to Keralam.

* Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the contents of resolution in the House under Rule 118 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

* While Keralam is the accepted and common usage in Malayalam, the State is generally referred to as Kerala in official records, especially those in English. The First Schedule of the Constitution also specifies the name of the State as Kerala.

* The name of our State is Keralam in Malayalam language. States were formed based on language on November 1, 1956.

* Kerala Day is also on November 1. The need to unite Kerala for the Malayalam-speaking communities has been strongly evident since the time of the national freedom struggle.

* However, the name of our State is listed as Kerala in the First Schedule of the Constitution. This Assembly unanimously requests the Union government to take immediate steps to amend it to Keralam under Article 3 of the Constitution, says the resolution.

* Article 3 deals with the formation of new States and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing States.

* The resolution also urges the Centre to change the usage as Keralam in all languages mentioned under the Eighth Schedule..

Source : The Hindu