Correct Answer :   Al Etihad Payments

---

NPCI International Payments Limited, the international arm of National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), is going to enter into an agreement with Al Etihad Payments to facilitate cross border transactions.

The MoU will be signed for the development of UAE's domestic card service based on India's RuPay debit and credit card stack.

This agreement will be signed in the presence of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

Correct Answer :   Ajay Jadeja

---

Former Indian batter Ajay Jadeja has been appointed as the Mentor of the Afghanistan Cricket Team for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 which will start on Thursday(5th Oct 2023) in India.

Ajay Jadeja has played 15 Test matches for India from 1992 to 2000, scoring 576 runs at 26.18 with 4 half-centuries to his name and a best of 96. He has also represented India in 196 One Day Internationals (ODIs) during the period, having scored 5359 runs at 37.47 with 6 hundred and 30 fifties to his name in the format, as per the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

He has also been part of 111 First Class and 291 List A games and has scored over 8000 runs in each format with 31 hundreds and 88 fifties combined in both formats of the game.

Currently, the Afghanistan Cricket team is in India getting ready for the World Cup. Their preparations, however, were hampered during the initial round of warm-up games when their match against South Africa was cancelled due to heavy rain in Thiruvananthapuram. Not a single ball was bowled.

Afghanistan will play their ICC Men's Cricket World Cup warm-up match against Sri Lanka in Guwahati on Tuesday (today) and they will start their World Cup campaign on October 7 in Dharamshala facing Bangladesh.

Afghanistan squad : Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Riaz Hassan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil,Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Abdul Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-Ul-Haq

Reserves : Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fareed Ahmad..

Source : Hindustan Times

Correct Answer :   Sachin Tendulkar

---

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday (3rd Oct 2023) named legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar as the 'Global Ambassador' for the Cricket World Cup 2023, which begins tomorrow in Ahmedabad.

Sachin, who has participated in a record six 50-over World Cups, will unveil the World Cup trophy before the inaugural match between England and New Zealand, thereby officially opening the tournament.

"From being a ball boy in 1987 to representing the country in six editions, World Cups have always held a special place in my heart. Winning the World Cup in 2011 is the proudest moment of my cricketing journey," Tendulkar said.

"With so many special teams and players set to compete fiercely in the World Cup here in India, I am eagerly looking forward to this fantastic tournament. Marquee events like the World Cup sow the seeds of dreams in young minds. I hope this edition too inspires young girls and boys to take up sports and represent their countries at the highest level," he added.

The largest Cricket World Cup ever will also feature an eclectic group of ICC ambassadors, including West Indies legend Vivian Richards, South Africa's AB de Villiers, England's World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan, Australia's Aaron Finch, Sri Lanka's spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, New Zealand's Ross Taylor, India's Suresh Raina and former captain Mithali Raj, as well as Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez.

Claire Furlong, ICC General Manager for Marketing and Communications, said, "It's a real honour to have Sachin as our Global Ambassador as we celebrate the one-day game and prepare for what we know will be the largest Men's Cricket World Cup ever...

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   12th to 14th October 2023

---

The 50th India International Knit fair will be held from 12th to 14th October 2023 at the India Knit Fair Association complex (IKFA) in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu.

The main theme of the fair is Active and Sportswear, Environmental Social Governance, Artificial Intelligence and digitalisation. Seventy exhibitors from Tiruppur, Chennai, Coimbatore, Karur, and Gujarat will take part in the fair.

Chairman of the Association, A. Sakthivel said  that the IKFA has tied up with Sourcing Consultants Association, Association of Buying Agents for Textiles, Brand Sourcing Leaders, and the NIFT Alumni. Leading buyers and their representatives from Europe, US, UK and other countries have been invited for the fair..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Sikkim

---

SBI Life Insurance Company has signed a bancassurance pact with the State Bank of Sikkim (SBS) at the bank's headquarters in Gangtok, Sikkim.

The landmark agreement highlights SBI Life's commitment to make insurance solutions accessible to the residents of Sikkim, through its trusted bancassurance partner.

Ensuring greater reach and penetration, the partnership will see extensive distribution network of the State Bank of Sikkim spread across the state offer SBI Life's diverse range of protection, wealth creation and savings insurance products to its customers.

This partnership will not only ensure easy accessibility of insurance products but will also empower the customers to address their complete financial needs under one roof.

SBI Life Insurance Company is carrying on business of life insurance and annuity. The Company’s life insurance business comprises of individual life and group business, including participating, non-participating, pension, group gratuity, group leave encashment, group superannuation, group immediate annuity, unit-linked insurance products, variable insurance products, health and micro insurance..

Source : Moneyworks4me

Correct Answer :   Assam

---

The Assam government on Tuesday (3rd Oct 2023) said that it will conduct a socio-economic survey of the state's five indigenous Muslim communities so that measures can be taken for their upliftment.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma held a meeting with senior officials at the state secretariat regarding it.

The findings of the assessment will guide the state government to take suitable measures, aimed at comprehensive socio-political and educational upliftment of the indigenous minorities, it said.

The development comes a day after the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar released findings of its much-awaited caste survey, months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which revealed that OBCs and EBCs constitute 63 per cent of the state's total population..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Jammu and Kashmir

---

Basohli Pashmina, a more than 100-year-old traditional craft from Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, has got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, an official spokesman said on Tuesday (03 Oct 2023).

The Department of Industries and Commerce achieved the milestone in coordination with NABARD Jammu and Human Welfare Association, Varanasi, the spokesman said.

Earlier this year, the famed Basohli painting and Chikri wood from Rajouri district of Jammu division received the GI tag.

Basohli Pashmina, a hand-spun product known for extreme softness, fineness and light-weight, has insulating properties and extended life, the spokesman said, adding all these qualities make the Basohli Pashmina unique.

Pashmina products include shawls for both men and women, mufflers, blankets and basket.

Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom Jammu initiated steps to revive the centuries old craft of Basohli Pashmina by setting up common facility centres for weavers, increasing the periphery of registered weavers as well as cooperative societies, developing clusters and providing benefits of various departmental schemes to them, the spokesman said.

GI tag is a name or a sign given to certain products related to specific geographical locations..

Source : Hindustan Times

Correct Answer :   Narayan Rane

---

Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Department, Narayan Rane, inaugurated the ‘Khadi Mahotsav’ organized by Khadi and Village Industry (KVIC) in Mumbai on Monday (2nd Oct 2023).

Addressing the gathering, Narayan Rane applauded the commendable work being done by Khadi and village industries, highlighting their substantial growth in recent years. He noted that in 2014-15, KVIC had a business turnover of 30 thousand crore rupees, which has since surged to an impressive one hundred and thirty-four thousand crore rupees.

He added that this remarkable growth can be attributed to innovative methodologies implemented over the past nine years.
 
The ‘Khadi Mahotsav’ will be held till October 31st. It will not only showcase Khadi products but also feature 'Vocal for Local' exhibitions to promote indigenous products. During this period, customers can avail themselves of a 20 to 25 percent discount on Khadi products. The festival is also hosting a jingle competition for the youth and a video game competition centered around Khadi and village industry themes..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   USA

---

Outside India, The largest statue of Dr. BR Ambedkar will be unveiled in the United States on October 14, 2023. The 19-foot statue, named ‘Statue of Equality,’ is part of the Ambedkar International Centre (AIC) being built on 13-acre land in Accokeek city of Maryland, approximately 35 kms south of Washington.

“This is the largest statue of Babasaheb outside India and has been installed as a part of the Ambedkar Memorial being constructed at this centre,” said the AIC.

Born on April 14, 1891, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar – popular among his followers as Babasaheb – was the chairman of the Constituent Assembly’s most crucial Drafting Committee that earned him the moniker Architect of the Indian Constitution.

Post-Independence, he was also the Minister of Law and Justice in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s first Cabinet. Ambedkar played a key role in social movements that fought for the rights of Dalits and untouchables.

Ambedkar died on December 6, 1956, months after he embraced Buddhism on October 14 that year, the date coinciding with the unveiling of the statue in Maryland. October 14 is celebrated as Dhamma Chakra Parivartan Din by Ambedkarites.

The statue has been made by renowned artist and sculptor Ram Sutar, who also built the statue of Sardar Patel, called as Statue of Unity, and installed on an island in Narmada, metres downstream of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat.

“Large number of representatives of the Ambedkarite movement and his followers are expected to attend the event from across the USA and other parts of the world,” it said.

According to the AIC, this memorial will serve to spread Babasaheb’s messages and teachings and showcase a symbol of equality and human rights.

Representatives from various countries are expected to attend the statue’s unveiling ceremony on October 14..

Source : OutLook

Correct Answer :   Nitin Gupta

---

The Union government has extended the tenure of Nitin Gupta, the incumbent chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), till June 30, 2024.  A notification in this regard was issued 30th Sep 2023.

The nine-month extension for Gupta came on the day when he was scheduled to retire and demit office. As per the Centre's notification, his service period has been extended “on a contract basis".

The government order said the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the reappointment of Gupta as the CBDT Chairman..

Source : AIR