Correct Answer :   Narendra Singh Tomar

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Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar has unveiled Thursday (22nd June 2023) a new feature (face authentification) on the PM-Kisan mobile app.

Farmers registered under the centrally-sponsored scheme PM-KISAN can now complete e-KYC by scanning their face without one-time password or fingerprint as the government on Thursday (22nd June 2023) launched a "face authentification" feature on the mobile application.

* "Through PM-Kisan mobile App, remote farmers can do e-KYC by scanning their face without OTP or fingerprint," it said.

* Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), eligible farmers are provided with a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each every four months.

* The scheme was launched in February 2019 but is being implemented with effect from December 2018. The 13th installment of PM-KISAN was paid to more than 8.1 crore farmers.

* The new mobile app is very easy to use and easily available for download on the Google Play Store. The app will also provide very important information related to the scheme and PM-KISAN accounts to the farmers..

Source : Economic Times

Correct Answer :   Indian Railways

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Indian Railways (IR) is proactively working towards the achievement of Net Zero Carbon Emission by 2030. IR has strategized multipronged approach.

As part of its commitment to reduce carbon footprints, Indian Railways is taking several initiatives. In line with this, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Indian Railways, Government of India and United States Agency for International Development/India (USAID/India) on 14th June, 2023 for collaboration on Renewable energy and Energy Efficiency.

The MoU was signed by Shri Naveen Gulati, Member (Traction and Rolling Stock), Railway Board, Indian Railways and Ms. Isabel Coleman, Deputy Administrator, USAID, in the presence of Sh. Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman & CEO, Railway Board.

USAID is an agency of the U.S. Government that supports international development and advances its Mission objectives by supporting economic growth, agriculture and trade, clean energy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, global health, democracy and conflict mitigation and management, and humanitarian assistance.

Through MoU, technical assistance and support would be provided to Indian Railways. The MoU broadly includes but not limited to the following areas:-

* Long-term energy planning including clean energy for Indian Railways.
* Develop an Energy Efficiency Policy and Action Plan for IR Buildings.
* Planning for clean energy procurement to achieve Indian Railways’ net-zero vision.
* Technical support for addressing regulatory and implementation barriers.
* Bid design and bid management support for system-friendly, large-scale renewable procurement.
* Supporting Indian Railways in the promotion of e-mobility.
* Collaboratively host events, conferences, and capacity-building programs in the mentioned identified areas including field visits and study tours (domestic/international).

The collaboration of Indian Railways with USAID, India will go a long way in helping Indian Railways to achieve Net Zero Carbon Emission by 2030..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Yogi Aditynath

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath on Friday (23rd June 2023) unveiled the tickets sales for the premier two-wheel racing competition to be held at the Buddh International Circuit from September 22 to 24, 2023.



The tickets for the inaugural MotoGP Bharat to be held in Greater Noida in September range from Rs 800 to Rs 40,000.

As reported by PTI earlier this month, the lowest denomination of tickets are from Rs 800 in order to cater to the mass audience. The Main Grandstand ticket prices range between Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000, depending on the tier a fan would prefer with a centre stage view. A more plush and exclusive experience can be had with a ticket in the Platinum Corporate Box which is priced at Rs 40,000.

The Indian promoters of the event, Fairstreet Sports, also honoured the UP CM, who has been instrumental in paving the way for MotoGP's smooth ride to make its maiden entry into the country, with the first ticket of the historic race event.

"MotoGP is the world's biggest, fastest, and oldest bike racing competition. It is a matter of pride and joy that for the first time India will be hosting MotoGP," Adityanath was quoted as saying in a press release. On behalf of MotoGP, the organisers also gifted the CM a helmet of the renowned Italian rider Enea Bastianini.

"The use of 30 per cent ethanol in the bike used in the competition is commendable. It is helpful in reducing the carbon footprint. Uttar Pradesh is the largest ethanol-producing state in the country. From this point of view, organising this grand event is important," Adityanath said.

MotoGP Bharat will be the biggest motorsport event to take place in India since the Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix. "It's a moment of great pride and exhilaration for us at FairStreet Sports as we open the ticket sales for India's premier global motorcycling event MotoGP Bharat.

"This event will catapult India on the world map of motorcycling excellence where the world's best riders and machines compete for supremacy on the tarmac.

"The race, in more ways than one, is a corroboration of a lot of belief, collective efforts and a latent need for global sports popularity in the ‘New India' we all are so proud of," said Pushkar Nath Srivastava, Chief Operating Officer of FairStreet Sports. The tickets went live from Friday (23rd June 2023) on BookMyShow.

Correct Answer :   Hyderabad

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Lloyds Banking Group, one of the UK’s largest financial services organisations, said on 21st June 2023 that it is setting up a technology centre in Hyderabad and will recruit 600 people by the end of 2023.

Lloyds’s captive will come up in the Knowledge City. The group, which has brands such as Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland under its belt, said it plans to expand its digital capabilities through the tech centre.

Lloyds’ Group Chief Operating Officer Ron van Kemenade said in a statement that the investment “reflects India's rise as a tech innovation powerhouse”, which the company would utilise to meet customers’ needs and support its long-term growth strategy.

“As we grow our presence in the area, and create additional roles, there will be a wealth of opportunities in Hyderabad, especially given its highly talented engineers and impressive technology ecosystem,” he said.

The new captive is part of the group’s strategic investment of £3 billion over the next three years to transform its digital offerings.

The hiring target of 600 is an initial number and the roles will be in technology, data, and cybersecurity, it said.

Like in the case of several other banking captives, Lloyds won’t offer banking services in the country. The captive will focus on using technology and digital data and analytics capabilities to drive innovation and end-to-end product delivery..

Source : Moneycontrol

Correct Answer :   Hasmukh Adhia

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Former Union Finance Secretary and retired Gujarat cadre bureaucrat Hasmukh Adhia, who is principal advisor to chief minister Bhupendra Patel has been appointed as chairman of GIFT (Gujarat International Finance Tec) City, and as Chairman and Director of the Vadodara based Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd (GACL) and the Chairman and Director of the Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC).

Adhia replaces Sudhir Mankad in GIFT City, and took charge on Wednesday (21st June 2023).

Adhia, a 1981 batch bureaucrat, headed the task force to chart the Gujarat roadmap in making India a five-trillion dollar economy, the report for which was submitted to the Gujarat government May last.

Adhia was principal secretary to Narendra Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.

In orders passed on Monday (19th June 2023), the Gujarat government also appointed the advisor to the CM and a former Gujarat cadre IAS officer SS Rathore as chairman of the DREAM (Diamond Research and Mercantile) City in Surat.

For the GMDC which has acquired two major coal mines in Odisha in its first venture outside Gujarat, this appointment is a “break from tradition” as officials describe it and “a matter of great pride” , for the State PSU which has ambitious expansion plans. So far the Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) would hold the position of chairman of GMDC..

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   Surat

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The city of Gujarat, Surat has set a Guinness World Record with over 1.53 lakh people participating in a yoga event at one place on the International Day of Yoga (IDY), organized on 21st June 2023.

* Guinness officials handed over the certificate to chief minister Bhupendra Patel at the venue.

* Two 4km-long stretches of roads, each around 300 meters wide, connecting the Y junction were covered with carpet for participants.

* The participants were divided into groups of 1,000 each and facilities for around 137 such groups were put in place..

Source : TOI

Correct Answer :   20th June 2023

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Sylvester daCunha, the creative genius behind the iconic 'Amul Girl' campaign, died on Tuesday (20th June 2023) night in Mumbai.

He conceived the 'Utterly Butterly' campaign for Amul, the brand owned by Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), in 1966.

In 1969, daCunha solidified his legacy by establishing daCunha Communications.

The 'Utterly Butterly' campaign for Amul had celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2016.

It was daCunha who decided to change the "boring image" that had previously been used for the butter brand. DaCunha was quoted as saying that the idea was to have a girl who would "walk her way in the Indian kitchen and the housewife's heart."

Amul has been associated with witty and tongue-in-cheek moment marketing ads for decades. The first such advertisement imitated the Hare Krishna movement in 1969, with the caption "Hurry Amul, Hurry Hurry."

The Amul girl, with a buttered toast in one hand and a prompt one-liner on her lips, has been a commentator on the zeitgeist for 50 years..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   GE Aerospace

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As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on his maiden US State visit, GE Aerospace said Thursday (22nd June 2023) that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force (IAF).



GE Aerospace and HAL have reached an agreement that includes potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India. The collaboration is part of the Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft (LAC) Mk2 program. However, GE Aerospace is currently working with the US government to obtain the necessary export authorization for this endeavour.

The plans to develop complex jet engine technology in India by Ohio-based GE Aerospace, a subsidiary of GE, has been under discussion for over a year now.

GE's plan to manufacture fighter jet engines, a multi-billion dollar government-to-government deal, during US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's visit to India in May.

The MoU between HAL and GE Aerospace represents a significant step forward for GE's involvement in India.

The agreement builds upon GE Aerospace's previous commitment to manufacturing 99 engines for the IAF under the LCA Mk2 program. This new development positions GE Aerospace favourably to expand its product offerings in India, including the F404 engine currently used in the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft.

Furthermore, GE Aerospace's F414-INS6 engine has been selected for the prototype development, testing, and certification of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program.

Correct Answer :   Umesh Kumar

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Former Allahabad High Court judge Umesh Kumar was appointed the chairman of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), by the President of India.

President Droupadi Murmu has exercised the powers conferred by Section 45(b) of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, read with sub-section 2 of Section 84 of the Electricity Act, 2003.

He served as the justice of Allahabad High Court till July 2022.



Who is Justice Kumar?

* The former judge obtained his law degree in 1980 and was elevated to Higher Judicial Services in 2001 following which he was elevated as a District and Sessions Judge in 2014.

* Justice (retired) Kumar was appointed as an additional judge on November 22, 2018 and he took oath as a permanent judge on November 20, 2020. He served in office till July 7, 2022.

* On April, 2022, the judge had ordered the Uttar Pradesh police to take action on priority basis, in a matter concerning a girl's abduction from the chamber of a lawyer.

Correct Answer :   Indian Navy

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On the occasion of International Yoga Day 2023, 'Ocean Ring of Yoga' was organized by the Indian Navy.

The Ministry of AYUSH had planned the 'Ocean Ring of Yoga' program in coordination with the Ministry of Defense and other ministries.

 June 21 was recognized as the International Yoga Day by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in December 2014 at the initiative of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. It was organized for the first time in the year 2015.