Correct Answer :   Andaman and Nicobar Islands

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new integrated terminal building of Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) today (July 18, 2023).

Port Blair’s new terminal building is expected to increase ease of travel, ease of doing business and connectivity.

Inaugurated via video conferencing, the terminal building has been buildt with a construction cost of around Rs 710 crores, which is capable of handling about 50 lakh passengers annually.

PM Modi said that even though today’s program is taking place in Port Blair, the entire nation is keenly looking towards the Union Territory as the demand for increasing the passenger handling capacity of Veer Savarkar International Airport is being fulfilled.

PM Modi also expressed his desire to be present on the occasion as he could experience the joyous environment and happy faces of the citizens. He informed that till now the existing terminal had the capacity to handle 4000 tourists, and the new terminal has taken this number to 11,000 and 10 planes can be parked at any given time on the airport now.

PM Modi said, now more flights and tourists will bring more jobs to the area. “The scope of development has been limited to big cities for a long time in India and the Adivasi and island regions of the country had been devoid of development for a long time, but now things are changing fast”, said the PM.

Inaugurating the new integrated terminal building of Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair. It will boost tourism and strengthen the region's economy. https://t.co/Gbey9gseAT

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 18, 2023

Correct Answer :   Amit Shah

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched (18th July 2023) CRCS-Sahara Refund Portal in New Delhi. The portal will help more than 10 crore depositors of Sahara Group claim their money back.

Speaking after launching the portal, Union Minister Amit Shah said, the process of returning the money of depositors, which was stuck in four cooperative societies of Sahara Group, has started with the launch of the Sahara Refund Portal.
 

In the initial phase, the refund portal will disburse up to Rs 5000 crore to depositors. However, each depositor will be able to get only Rs 10,000 in the first phase.

The entire process of refund will be online. According to Home Minister, there are 4 crore depositors who are eligible to get up to 10,000 rupees.

Mr Amit Shah said, once this initiative succeeds, further decisions to address claims of depositors, who have more money stuck in the Sahara Group’s cooperative societies, will be taken..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Sarbananda Sonowal

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The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is coming with the third edition of its most prestigious ‘Global India Maritime Summit’ this year (2023).

Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) in the august presence of Shri Shripad Y. Naik, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Shri Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways will officially launch the Curtain Raiser of Global Maritime India Summit 2023 event on July 18, 2023 at St. Regis, Mumbai, Maharashtra.


The objective of this event :

* To create an international forum for key decision makers and industry leaders;
* To Provide opportunity platform for start-ups, researchers and incubators;
* To Showcase the latest technology and emerging trends in the maritime sector;
* To Recognize and celebrate achievers in the maritime sector and to created a Platform to access skilled manpower through industry academia interaction.

This most awaited event will bring together government officials, influential stakeholders, renowned experts, and visionaries from the maritime domain. This exclusive pre-event will provide a glimpse into the grandeur and significance of the main summit, highlighting India's strength in the maritime sector and setting the stage for fruitful collaborations and new investments opportunities.

The opening ceremony shall be followed by influential speakers from maritime industry and associations who will offer valuable insights, perspectives, and trends shaping the industry.

Representatives from the various Councilates in Mumbai are expected to participate in the event.

As a significant highlight of the Curtain Raiser Event, the official brochure for the Maritime India Summit will be unveiled. The brochure will serve as an essential guide for summit attendees, providing a comprehensive overview of the summit's agenda, speakers, exhibitors, and key initiatives.

The Curtain Raiser Event will also mark the official launch of the Global Maritime India Summit’s dedicated website. The website will serve as a central hub for participants and stakeholders, offering easy access to vital resources and updates.

Organized by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, the Curtain Raiser Event will serve as a precursor to the main summit and will provide an exclusive opportunity to gain valuable industry insights, and witness significant launches.

The Global Summit event is scheduled on 17-19th October 2023 in which more than 30 countries are expected to participate. The event will focus upon new investments opportunities along with collaborations for knowledge and technology, enhancing trade between nations and to promote Ease-of-Doing-Business..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   International Energy Agency (IEA)

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The International Energy Agency (IEA) in collaboration with Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) under the aegis of MoP&NG launched the Oil 2023 medium-term market report, titled: IEA Oil 2023 – Supply and demand dynamics to 2028, in Delhi 17th July 2023 at an event that saw participation from the captains from the Indian oil and gas industry.

Speaking at the launch event, Shri Pankaj Jain, Secretary, MoP&NG in his keynote address said, “India`s demand for energy is growing faster than any other major economy and the same trend is expected to continue. Growth will come in all sectors due to favorable demographics supported by urbanization and industrialization.”

Talking about the consumption of petroleum products in FY 2022-23, the Petroleum Secretary said, “Last year the overall consumption of petroleum products was at 223 MMT, with a growth of about 12% over the previous year.  This growth in the petroleum products has been driven by growth in HSD at 12.1%, the largest contributor with 85.9 MMT and MS with 34.9 MMT consumption during 2022-23 at a growth rate of 13.4% over the previous year.”

Speaking further, Shri Jain said, in both cases, volumes not only crossed pre-covid consumption by a margin but are also highest consumption in history, till date. The growth momentum continues in current year too.

Secretary Petroleum also mentioned that India is the World’s 4th largest refiner, has the 4th largest LNG terminal capacity, 4th largest Auto market and also 3rd largest bio fuels producer. “India`s focus is on decarbonization and it has already achieved 12% ethanol blending in Petrol and has targeted for 20% blending by 2025”, he added.

The launch report of IEA finds that growth of global oil demand is set to slow down, almost coming to a halt by 2028. This is due to hastened shift towards cleaner energy technologies for energy security concerns. Despite robust demand from the petchem and aviation, annual demand growth is expected to decline from 2.4 mb/d in 2023 to just 0.4 mb/d in 2028, putting a peak in demand in sight.In particular, the use of oil for transport is set to decline after 2026 as the expansion of electric vehicles, the growth of biofuels and improving fuel economy reduce consumption. However, some economies, notably China and India, will continue to register growth throughout the forecast.

Commenting on India’s growth forecast on oil, Toril Bosoni, head of the oil industry and markets division at the IEA said, “Around three-quarters of the 2022-28 increase will come from Asia, with India surpassing China as the main source of growth by 2027”.

Alternate clean fuels like biofuels are expected to provide 10% of new liquid fuel supply growth to 2028. As per the report, biofuels production expands nearly 600 kb/d from 2022 to 2028, with Brazil, Indonesia and India combined accounting for 70% of this increase.

IEA report has assessed that global upstream investments in oil and gas exploration, extraction and production are on course to reach their highest levels since 2015, growing 11% year-on-year to USD 528 billion in 2023. Oil producing countries outside the OPEC+ alliance dominate plans for increasing global supply capacity in the medium term, with an expected rise of 5.1 mb/d by 2028 led by the United States, Brazil and Guyana.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq lead the plans for capacity building within OPEC+. IEA has felt that this level of investment, if sustained, would be adequate to meet forecast demand in the period covered by the report. However, it exceeds the amount that would be needed in a world that gets on track for net zero emissions..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   18th July 2023

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Former Kerala chief minister "Oommen Chandy" passed away in a private hospital in Bengaluru this morning (18th July 2023) following prolonged illness. He was 79.

He was undergoing treatment for throat cancer for some time. The State Government has declared two days of official mourning in the State. Offices, schools and colleges will remain closed today as a mark of respect to the departed leader.
 
Oommen Chandy served as the Kerala chief minister twice - from 2004-06 and 2011-16. The veteran leader began his stint as a legislator by winning in the 1970 state assembly elections at the age of 27.

He later went on to win 11 consecutive polls. He represented Puthupally assembly constituency and was the longest serving MLA in the state assembly.

Family sources say that the mortal remains of the leader will be flown to Thiruvananthapuram from Bangalore. His body is kept in former Minister T. John's residence in Bengaluru for the public to pay their last tribute.
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paid tribute to the veteran leader. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and party President Mallikarjun Kharge, who are in the City for an Opposition Party meeting, also paid tribute to the departed leader. Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar paid respects to the departed soul..

Born : 31 October 1943, Kumarakom
Died : 18 July 2023, Chinmaya Mission Hospital, Bengaluru

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Piyush Goyal

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Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister "Piyush Goyal" has launched the sale of subsidised Chana Dal under the brand name ‘Bharat Dal’ at the rate of 60 rupees per kilogram for one kilogram pack and 55 rupees per kilogram for 30 kilogram pack.

The introduction of ‘Bharat Dal’ is a major step taken by the Central government towards making pulses available to consumers at affordable prices.
 
The retail outlets of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation, NAFED in Delhi-NCR are selling the chana dal.

The milling and packaging of the Chana Dal has been undertaken by National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation, NAFED for distribution through its retail outlets in Delhi-NCR and also through the outlets of Kendriya Bhandar and Safal. .

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Australia

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Australia's state of Victoria will not host the 2026 Commonwealth Games due to projected cost overruns, placing the future of the quadrennial multi-sport gathering in doubt.

Victoria state Premier Dan Andrews said the cost of the Games, which were to have been held in four regional hubs, could blow out to more than A $7 billion ($4.8 billion) from a budgeted A $2.6 billion if they went ahead.

"Frankly A$6-A$7 billion for a 12-day sporting event, we're not doing that," Andrews said at a media conference.

"I will not take money out of hospitals and schools to fund an event that is three times the cost as estimated and budgeted for last year."

Andrews said Victoria had already informed the global governing body Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) in "amicable meetings" but the cost of breaking the 2026 contract was yet to be decided.

The CGF and local governing body Commonwealth Games Australia did not provide immediate comment.

The sporting event for mostly former British colonies has struggled to remain relevant, with four of the last five editions held in Australia or Britain.

English city Birmingham stepped in to host the 2022 Games after South Africa were stripped of them in 2017 over a lack of progress in preparations.

Victoria stepped in to bid for the 2026 Games when no other countries showed interest.

Officials had talked up the legacy benefits from new infrastructure in the regional hubs of Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland, and an economic boost of more than A$3 billion from tourism and thousands of new jobs...

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   7.6%

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India could become a developed country by 2047 with an average annual real GDP growth of 7.6 percent over the next 25 years, said an article published by the Reserve Bank in its July 2023 bulletin.

* The task, however, may not be easy, given the current level of capital stocks, infrastructure and skill sets of the people, said the article titled 'India @ 100'.

* Addressing the nation on August 15, 2022 -- the 75th year of India's independence -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid down a vision for the next 25 years to become a developed nation by 2047.

* "India's real GDP needs to grow at 7.6 percent annually over the next 25 years to achieve the per capita income level to become a developed economy," the article, authored by Harendra Behera, Dhanya V, Kunal Priyadarshi and Sapna Goel, said.

* The authors are from the RBI's Department of Economic and Policy Research.

* The central bank said the views expressed in the article are those of the authors and do not represent its views.

* During 2022-23, India recorded a growth of 7.2 percent. The RBI's projection for GDP growth for the current fiscal year is 6.5 percent.

* The article, the authors said, provides an indicative road map for enabling India to become a developed country by 2047-48.

* "India must rebalance its economic structure by strengthening its industrial sector so that its share in GDP rises from the current level of 25.6 percent to 35 percent by 2047-48.

* "Agriculture and services activity would have to grow at 4.9 percent and 13 percent per annum, respectively, in the coming 25 years with their sectoral shares in GDP at 5 percent and 60 percent, respectively, in 2047-48," the article said.

* It also said that to become a developed country by 2047, India's per capita GDP needs to rise by 8.8 times from the current level. In other words, the current per capita GDP of USD 2,500 needs to rise to to USD 22,000.

* "This article explores the potential drivers of growth over the next 25 years and the challenges that may crop up necessitating timely and targeted policy responses to tackle them effectively," it said..

Source : NDTV

Correct Answer :   Shantanu Deshpande

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French tyre major Michelin on Monday (17th July 2023) said it has appointed Shantanu Deshpande as Managing Director of its Indian operations.
     
He will be based out of Pune.
     
Across his 23-year tenure with Michelin, Deshpande held various leadership roles in sales and marketing, both in India and in other geographies such as North America, Africa, Middle East and Asia, the company said in a statement.
     
He had joined Michelin India in 1999 as an Area Sales Manager.
     
He was later appointed India Marketing Director in 2007 and in this role, he was instrumental in establishing the company's presence in the country.
     

From 2012 to 2015, Deshpande served as Vice President Marketing with a Michelin subsidiary in North America.
     
He was Director Marketing B2B business for Africa, India & Middle East Region from 2015 to 2020, the tyre major stated.
     
Since 2020, Shantanu has served as Global Marketing Director for Michelin Group's Urban Business Line based out of Bangkok.
     
Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 175 countries and operates 67 tyre production facilities which together produced around 167 million tyres in 2022..

Source : Outlookindia

Correct Answer :   Amit Shah

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Home Minister Amit Shah 17th July 2023 said India and its youth should become drug-free by the time the centenary of the country's independence is celebrated. Chairing the Regional Conference on 'Drug Trafficking and National Security' in New Delhi.

* Mr Shah said the target is to create an India where not even a single youth is addicted to drugs.

* In his presence, more than 1.40 Lakh kilograms of narcotics of worth 2,378 crore rupees were destroyed in different parts of the country by Narcotics Control Bureau in coordination with the Anti Narcotics Task Force of all states. This is a record for highest quantity of drugs destroyed in a single day.

* In the last year (2022), 10 lakh kilograms of narcotics worth more than twelve thousand crore rupees have been destroyed which is also a record in itself.
 
* Home Minister said that in a country like India, drug trafficking and their usage not only ruins future generations but also affects national security. He said that Home Ministry is continuously running a campaign against drugs through the meetings of Regional Conferences.

* He stressed that the biggest victory in this fight against drugs is to create awareness. He added that this fight cannot be won until awareness is created against drugs in the minds of the youth and parents of the country.
 
* Mr Shah said that for the complete prevention of drug abuse, equal attention must be given on Drug Detection, Destruction of the network, Detention of Culprits, and Rehabilitation of addicts..

Source : AIR