Correct Answer : Option (D) - Chhattisgarh

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The 85th plenary session of the Indian National Congress concluded at Raipur, the state capital of Chhattisgarh on Sunday (26th Feb 2023).

* The three-day Congress summit, attended by nearly 15,000 delegates from various states, discussed socio-political, political economic and international affairs and adopted six resolutions making the party’s stand clear on issues and laying down party roadmap for them.

* In his concluding address, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Congress is committed to continuing its fight to preserve and protect the Constitution and called upon the youth to come forward to spread the message of peace, unity and brotherhood.
 
* Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reiterated his party's resolve to continue the struggle against corruption and the policies through which wealth is getting concentrated in the hands of a few.

* The plenary also enacted certain amendments to the Congress constitution including providing 50 per cent reservation for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other weaker sections and women in the party’s organisational setups..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer : Option (C) - October 2024

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The Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet, on Wednesday (22nd Feb 2023), approved the extension of Secretary of Department of Defence - Aramane Giridhar. This extension is beyond his age of superannuation.

* Aramane Giridhar was due to retire in June this year (2023) after completing 60 years of superannuation.

* As per the notification, Giridhar will remain in his post until October 31, 2024 or till furtrher order whichever is earlier.

* Giridhar is a 1988-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre. He took over as the defence secretary on November 1 2022..

Source : CNBC

Correct Answer : Option (D) - Maharashtra

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People of Maharashtra are observing 26th Feb 2023 the 56th death anniversary of great revolutionary and freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar.

* The Governor of state Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minster Devendra Fadnavis extended their tributes to the great social reformer.

* CM Shinde in his message described Savarkar as a true patriot, a great revolutionary, a brilliant orator, a gifted writer, and a social reformer.

* Mr Fadnavis twitted describing Savarkar as an ardent patriot, a true worshiper of the goddess of freedom, a great revolutionary and a university of Hinduism.

* Uddhav Thackeray faction leader Sanjay Raut described Veer Savarkar as a legend of Maharashtra who is the brave son of the state. Mr Raut urged the Central Government to confer Savarkar with Bharat Ratna..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Kerala

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* The Kerala government on Sunday(26th Feb 2023) entered into an agreement with the United Nations (UN) Women to boost women-friendly activities in the State's tourism sector.

* A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Kerala Tourism and UN Women India agreed to work towards promoting gender-inclusive tourism sites in the State.

* The MoU was signed by Kerala Tourism Director P B Nooh and UN Women India representative Susan Ferguson and it would be implemented by the Responsible Tourism Mission.

* In addition to offering advice for baseline research, implementing women-friendly tourist destinations, and supporting interventions to change pervasive discriminatory social norms, this will be accomplished by creating modules and building the capacity of relevant stakeholders, according to the press release.

* The four-day summit was officially opened by Kerala’s Minister of Tourism, P A Mohamed Riyas, who stated that the MoU was a continuation of the State government’s increased efforts towards women-friendly tourism since October last year.

* There are 280 delegates and 70 speakers in the conclave..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer : Option (A) - Australian

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* Australian National University's researchers are trying to reveal the fifth layer of the Earth.

* Seismic waves generated by earthquakes have revealed new insights about the deepest parts of Earth’s inner core.

* The team believes that presented evidence of a distinct layer inside Earth known as the innermost inner core.

* This layer is a solid ‘metallic ball’ that sits within the center of the inner core.

* So far, scientists believed that there are only four layers on the Earth.

Source : Times now News

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Bibek Debroy

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The Foundational Literacy and Numeracy report was released by Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).

* The IndiaDialog organised by Institute for Competitiveness and US-Asia Technology Management Center, Stanford University, on February 23 & 24, 2023.

* The second edition of the State of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy highlights the focus on language as a critical foundational skill and its importance in acquiring early literacy.

* A special section in the report covers insights into states/UTs to assess children's learning outcomes on the National Achievement Survey (NAS) and Foundational Learning Study (FLS) 2022.

* State profiles and their performance on Distance from the Frontier are covered, enabling states/Union Territories to track progress on foundational learning.

* The second edition of the foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) report captures the role of language in education and focuses on improving the learning outcomes using appropriate assessments and medium of instruction. It captures the fundamental concepts children require to become skilled readers and highlights distinct challenges faced in a multilingual environment.

* In this context, it is crucial to understand the need to integrate the medium of instruction and teaching in languages familiar to children. A section of the report explicitly focuses on the numerous initiatives currently implemented at the national and state level in collaboration with public-private organizations, demonstrating their efforts in achieving foundational learning goals as outlined in NIPUN.

* The report continues to be a benchmark for states and union territories to track their performance relative to their peers in achieving universal foundational learning by 2026-27.

* The report has been authored by Amit Kapoor, Chair, Institute for Competitiveness, Natalia Chakma, Researcher, Institute for Competitiveness, and Sheen Zutshi, Research Manager, Institute for Competitiveness.

* Punjab has emerged as the top-performing state on education and health-related indicators.

* Delhi, Goa, Maharashtra, J&K, Kerala, Rajasthan, Sikkim, TN, and Puducherry were ranked as high-performing states and UTs.

* Meghalaya, D&N Haveli, Nagaland, Telangana, UP, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, and Ladakh were among underperformed..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Bangladesh

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The government of Bangladesh signed an agreement with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to increase the use of solar energy in the country.

The agreement was signed on Thursday (23rd February 2023) between the ISA Director General Ajay Mathur and the Bangladesh Power Division Secretary Md. Habibur Rahman. The agreement is to be implemented by December 2026.

Signing the agreement, State Minister for Power "Nasrul Hamid" said that the government has set up a target of generating 40 percent of its total energy through renewable sources by 2041.

Aim :  Bangladesh aims to produce 4000 MW of solar power by the end of 2030 for which various projects have been taken up.

The Minister said that use of renewable energy sources like wind power, energy from trash, and hydropower is also being promoted in the country to achieve this goal. Net Metering guidelines for rooftop solar installations have also been implemented. In agriculture also, usage of solar power is being encouraged, said the Minister.

Several projects will be taken up under the agreement signed between the government of Bangladesh and ISA. These include 12 trolley mounted solar irrigation systems of 2 kw each for Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), 12 portable solar paddy threshers of 2 kw each, 1.5 kw solar drinking water plant, installation of two rooftop solar of 22 KW capacity and any one railway installation of rooftop solar projects on platforms among others.

The ISA is a coalition of 123 countries formed to promote use of solar energy and deployment of solar technology to ensure energy security and move towards sustainable energy use among participating countries. It was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to mobilise efforts against climate change through deployment of solar energy solutions..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer : Option (D) - Maharashtra

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The Ajanta Ellora International Festival 2023 was held from 25th February to 27th February in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.

The Ajanta Ellora International Festival 2023 festival is a celebration of the cultural heritage and diversity of the region and promises to be a feast for the senses.

The festival showcases the Ellora and Ajanta caves‘ artwork and architecture, as well as performances by local and international artists.

Key Points :

* The Ajanta Ellora International Festival 2023 featured a range of events, including live music performances, dance shows, art exhibitions, and food festivals.

* Visitors will be able to explore the rich history and culture of the region through a series of guided tours, workshops, and talks.

* One of the major attractions of the festival was the nightly light and sound show that was at the Ajanta and Ellora caves.

* The festival also featured a range of traditional arts and crafts, including pottery, weaving, and embroidery. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about these traditional techniques from skilled artisans, and even take home some unique souvenirs.

* The Ajanta Ellora International Festival attracted visitors from around the world and was a great opportunity for people to experience the rich culture and history of the region.

* The festival was organized by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation and supported by the state government.

* Chief Minister of Maharashtra informed that the Ajanta Ellora International Festival is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage, and an opportunity to showcase the diversity and vibrancy of the region..

Correct Answer : Option (D) - Madhya Pradesh

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Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah addressed the 'Kol Janjati Mahakumbh' organized on the occasion of Shabri Mata Janm Jayanti at Satna, Madhya Pradesh, 24th Feb 2023.

Shri Amit Shah offered prayer at Maa Sharda Shaktipeeth. Many dignitaries including Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh "Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan" were present on the occasion.

* Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that the foundation stone of 70 development works worth Rs 507 crore and many other works of Rs 26 crore inaugurated here 24th February 2023, under the leadership of Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Government of Madhya Pradesh has done many works for the welfare of Kol community and tribal brothers and sisters.

* The Union Home minister noted that Antyodaya means to pave the way to live with dignity for the poor of the society.

* He noted that after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, his government is the government of Tribals, Dalits, and backward and poor people.

* Fulfilling every promise, PM Modi has worked to implement poor welfare schemes at the grassroots level.

* Amit Shah also informed that the Kol community significantly contributed to the freedom movement.

* The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is establishing tribal freedom fighters’ museums across the country for 200 crores, the bravery of 1831’s Kol rebel is engraved in all the museums.

* Whether it is the bravery of Gond Maharani Durgavati, the sacrifice of Rani Kamalapati, or freedom Fighters Buddha Bhagat and Jova Bhagat, all of them have been revered and commemorated by the government of Madhya Pradesh under the leadership of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan.

* The union home minister and Minister of Cooperation informed that during the previous government, Rs 24,000 crore were given to the Tribal community in the budget, which was increased to around Rs. 90,000 crores by PM Modi...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer : Option (A) - Sri Lanka

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Sri Lanka's Board of Investment on Wednesday (22nd Feb 2023) approved two wind power plants by India's Adani Green Energy Ltd with a total investment of $442 million.

* The two wind power plants of 350 MW are scheduled to be commissioned in two years and accordingly, they will be added to the national grid by 2025.

* Adani Green Energy is the renewable energy unit of the embattled Adani Group, whse seven listed companies have lost some $125 billion in market value after a US short seller last month alleged improper use of tax havens and stock manipulation by the apples-to-airports conglomerate.

* The island nation hiked power prices by a hefty 66% last week, part of effortsto nail down a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as it struggles to find a way out of its worst financial crisis in more than seven decades.

* A group of Adani officials are in Colombo to evaluate multiple projects with Sri Lanka. The conglomerate is also involved in building a $700 million terminal project at Sri Lanka's largest port.

* The Sri Lankan Board of Investment statement said the Adani wind power project will generate 1,500 to 2,000 new job opportunities..

Source : India Times