Correct Answer :   7th June 2023

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Gitanjali Aiyar, one of India's first English female news presenters on national broadcaster Doordarshan, passed away on Wednesday (7th June 2023). She was in her mid 70s.

* The award-winning anchor, who was suffering from Parkinson's disease, collapsed after returning home from a walk, sources close to the family said.

* "She had Parkinson's disease and was on medication. She collapsed after returning home from a walk," said a close friend of Aiyar.

* Graduated from Kolkata's Loreto College, Aiyar joined Doordarshan in 1971 and was awarded the best anchor four times. She also won the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Outstanding Women in 1989.

* Besides presenting news programmes, Aiyar, a diploma holder from the National School of Drama (NSD), had also been a popular face in several print advertisements and even acted in Sridhar Kshirsagar's TV drama "Khandaan".

* In her decades-long illustrious career, she was also associated with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

* Several noted personalities took to Twitter to condole the demise of the eminent personality..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Rs 12,911 crore

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The Central government has agreed to sanction ₹12,911 crore to Andhra Pradesh for completing the first phase of Polavaram Project, an official statement from the state government 6th June 2023 said.

* The union finance ministry has issued a memorandum approving this quantum of funds.

* According to officials, the sanctioned amount of ₹12,911 crore also includes ₹2,000 crore to cover the extra expenditure caused by the allegedly faulty construction of the diaphragm wall built during the TDP government.

* Officials said that the finance ministry has sent this memorandum to the union water resources ministry, including offering exemption from compound payment of bills as it is causing project delay.

* Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visited the project site and comprehensively examined the progress of the dam works, directing irrigation officials to complete the repairs of the damaged diaphragm wall at the earliest for speeding up the main project works.

* Mr Reddy also instructed officials to develop the project site as a favoured tourist destination by constructing a hotel and providing other amenities for visitors, including building a bridge at Polavaram.

* The chief minister also criticised a section of the media for allegedly exaggerating the state of cracks in the guide wall and creating a "ruckus about small damage".

* Meanwhile, officials explained that the designs of the guide wall have been approved by the Central Water Commission (CWC) which has been informed of the cracks, whose repairs will be undertaken as per the technical body's suggestions.

* They also apprised the Chief Minister that works related to 48 radial gates, river sluice gates, tunnel work at the power house, vibro compaction and sand filling at gap 1, as well as transportation of sand to the Earth-Cum-Rock-Fill dam at gap 2 area have been completed, while the approach channel works are nearing completion.

* Furthermore, the Chief Minister has been informed that all repairs to the diaphragm wall will be completed by December, including increasing the height of the upper cofferdam..

Source : NDTV

Correct Answer :   June 7th

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World Food Safety day is celebrated on June 7 annually across the globe to highlight the importance of maintaining food standards.

World Food Safety day Aim : The day was aimed at inspiring the UN member nations to prioritise food safety standards and work collaboratively to protect consumers from foodborne diseases.

World Food Safety Day 2023 Theme :  The theme of this year’s World Food Safety Day 2023 is “Food standards save lives.” Most people depend on the information in the packaging of consumable items to know whether their food is safe. These food safety standards guide farmers and those who process food.


World Food Safety Day History :

* The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which implements the FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, supported a proposal to celebrate World food Safety day, in 2016. A year later, in July, the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in its 40th session supported the idea by adopting a resolution which was supported by WHO.

* Finally, on December 20, 2018, World Food Safety day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 73/250. The inaugural World Food Safety Day was observed on June 7, 2019, marking a milestone in global efforts to address food safety challenges.

* Further, the World Health Assembly passed the resolution WHA73.5, on August 3, 2020, to recognise and highlight the importance of World Food Safety Day as an important pedestal to create all-round awareness about food safety, prevention of foodborne illness worldwide and strengthening global efforts to maintain food safety.


Significance Of World Food Safety Day 2023 :

* Modern farming practices have led to a rise in accumulation of pesticides, chemicals and additives in food which, if not regulated, will harm consumers. Water contamination is also a major problem. World Food Safety Day ensures that food standards are adhered to ensure optimum health for all consumers.

The significance of World Food Safety Day 2023 lies in several key aspects :

* Public Health : Food safety is essential for public health. Contaminated or unsafe food can lead to foodborne illnesses, causing significant health problems and even death. According to WHO, around 600 million people fall ill and 420,000 die each year due to foodborne diseases. World Food Safety Day highlights the importance of safe food practices to protect public health and prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses.

* Global Cooperation : World Food Safety Day serves as a platform to foster international collaboration and cooperation in addressing food safety issues. It brings together governments, organizations, businesses, and consumers to share knowledge, best practices, and experiences in food safety management. Collaboration is crucial to developing and implementing effective food safety measures at local, national, and international levels.

* Food Security : Ensuring food safety is closely linked to food security. Unsafe food can undermine food security by causing illnesses, reducing productivity, and affecting economic growth. By promoting food safety, World Food Safety Day contributes to the overall goal of achieving food security for all, which is one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

* Consumer Awareness : World Food Safety Day plays a crucial role in raising consumer awareness about food safety issues. It encourages individuals to become more informed and vigilant about the safety and quality of the food they eat. Through education and information campaigns, consumers can make better choices, handle food safely, and demand accountability from food producers and suppliers.

* Sustainable Development : Food safety is an integral part of sustainable development. It encompasses various aspects such as food production, processing, storage, distribution, and consumption. Ensuring food safety contributes to reducing food waste, improving food quality, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. World Food Safety Day highlights the need for sustainable and responsible approaches to food production and consumption.

Correct Answer :   Joyeeta Gupta

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Indian-origin scientist "Joyeeta Gupta" has been awarded the Spinoza Prize, the highest distinction in Dutch science which is also sometimes referred to as the ‘Dutch Nobel Prize’, according to a statement.

The University of Amsterdam statement said she was awarded for her outstanding, pioneering and inspiring scientific work in which she focuses on a just and sustainable world.

Gupta will receive 1.5 million euros to spend on scientific research and activities related to knowledge utilisation. The official presentation will take place on October 4, it said.

A professor of Environment and Development in the Global South at the University of Amsterdam, Gupta is also the co-chair of the Earth Commission.

She plans to use the prize money to work towards implementing the ideas she presented in her inaugural lecture in 2014 – on sharing the ‘eco-space’ (environmental utilisation space) globally, according to the statement.

This would require some kind of global environmental constitution. Such a constitution would aim at protecting environmental conditions in an equitable manner worldwide using constitutional law and would be a fitting way to bring global environmental and developmental issues together..

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   5

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 The United Nations General Assembly elected Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and South Korea to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday (6th June 2023) for two-year terms starting on Jan. 1, 2024.

It has five permanent veto-wielding members : Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

This comes when India has been insisting the United Nations Security Council to be more inclusive and add more permanent and non-permanent members.

Stating that the current composition of the UN Security Council (UNSC) no longer aligns with the realities of an interconnected and multipolar world, India’s permanent representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj on Thursday urged for urgent reform of the UN body.

Reform of the United Nations Security Council is a critical issue that demands urgent attention, she said. The world is evolving and there is a pressing need for a Council that is more representative, inclusive and effective in maintaining global peace and security, Khamboj said.

The Indian envoy was speaking at a Roundtable on Security Council Reform at the UN headquarters hosted by the Permanent Missions of Brazil, India, South Africa and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on Thursday.

India has repeatedly called for more inclusiveness in the UNSC for the countries of the world and has urged for multilateralism on various occasions.

Addressing the UNSC on Thursday Kamboj said that the reforms of the UNSC are a critical issue that has long been debated and demands urgent attention.

She said it is time to recognize the contributions of countries that have demonstrated their ability to foster peace, promote development, and tackle global challenges. She said that by expanding the Security Council’s membership in both permanent and non-permanent categories, its legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness can be enhanced.

A reformed Security Council would enable to pool resources, expertise and perspectives from a wider range of countries. Empowering us to confront these issues with greater effectiveness and unity.

She also reminded the council that 73 heads of state and government at UNGA 77 were in agreement last year supporting the pressing need for reform.

“No less than 73 heads of state and government at UNGA 77 last year were in agreement, as you would all recall, on the pressing need for reform,” she said.

Source : ANI

Correct Answer :   7th June 2023

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Ivan Manuel Menezes, the India-born CEO of the world's biggest spirits company Diageo, died on Wednesday (7th June 2023), days after the firm said he was hospitalised for treatment.

Menezes, 64, who was to retire at the end of this month, was admitted to hospital for treatment of conditions, including a stomach ulcer, sources in know of the matter said.

The reason for his death in London was not immediately known.

Diageo had on Monday announced that CEO-designate Debra Crew will assume the top role on an interim basis immediately as Menezes undergoes medical treatment.


About Ivan Manuel Menezes :

* Menezes, born 10 July 1959 Pune, whose father Manuel Menezes was the chairman of Indian Railway Board, was educated at the prestigious St. Stephen's College in Delhi and Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

* Menezes joined Diageo in 1997 after its formation through the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan. He rose quickly in the ranks to become an executive director in July 2012 and chief executive officer in July 2013. He was knighted in 2023.

* His brother Victor Menezes is the former chairman and CEO of Citibank.


Diageo :

* Diageo, the maker of Johnnie Walker whisky, Tanqueray gin and Don Julio tequila, had on March 28 announced the appointment of Crew to replace Menezes.

* "During Ivan's tenure, Diageo has made great strides towards its ambition to become one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world.

* "Diageo has grown significantly during this period, now selling over 200 brands in more than 180 markets and is today, the number one company by net sales value in Scotch whisky, vodka, gin, rum, Canadian whisky, liqueurs, and also tequila, a category in which only eight years ago the company had no substantive position," the company had said in the March 28 announcement..

Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer :   Ministry of Power

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The Ministry of Power and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy have jointly launched a National Mission to quickly identify emerging technologies in the power sector and develop them indigenously, at scale, for deployment within and outside India.

* The National Mission, titled “Mission on Advanced and High-Impact Research (MAHIR)”.

Aim : To facilitate indigenous research, development and demonstration of the latest and emerging technologies in the power sector. By identifying emerging technologies and taking them to the implementation stage, the Mission seeks to leverage them as the main fuel for future economic growth and thus make India a manufacturing hub of the world.

* The Mission will be funded by pooling financial resources of the Ministry of Power, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Central Public Sector Enterprises under the two Ministries. Any additional funding needed will be mobilized from Government of India's budgetary resources.

* Planned for an initial period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28, the Mission will follow the technology life cycle approach of Idea to Product.

* Commenting on the launch of the MAHIR, Union Power & NRE Minister Shri R. K. Singh said that the Mission will serve as a catalyst for national priorities such as achieving Net Zero emissions and promoting initiatives like Make in India and Start-up India. He said that it will also contribute towards achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

* Power Secretary Shri Alok Kumar said that MAHIR will work towards Industry-Academia -Government collaboration to create an ecosystem for innovation and translation of research in the power sector.

* “MAHIR will work with premier institutions such as IITs, IIMs, NITs, IISERs and Universities on the one hand and public & private power sector start-ups and established industries with government acting as an enabler for creating an innovation ecosystem,” the Power Secretary added.


Mission Objectives :

The key objectives of the Mission are as follows :

* To identify emerging technologies and areas of future relevance for the Global Power Sector and take up indigenous end-to-end development of relevant technologies

* To provide a common platform for Power Sector Stakeholders for collective brainstorming, synergetic technology development and devise pathways for smooth transfer of technology

* To support pilot projects of indigenous technologies (developed especially by Indian Start-ups) and facilitate their commercialization

* To leverage foreign alliances and partnerships to accelerate research & development of advanced technologies and to build competencies, capabilities and access to advanced technologies through bilateral or multilateral collaborations, thereby facilitating exchange of knowhow and Technology Transfer.

* To seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and to create vibrant & innovative ecosystem in the Power Sector of the country

* To make our Nation among the leading Countries in Power System related Technologies & Applications development.

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Madhya Pradesh

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In Madhya Pradesh government has launched, Chief Minister's Learn and Earn scheme - will be launched to teach employable skills to the youth.

* In the scheme, 703 work areas have been identified for training.

* The most important aspect of this learn-and-earn scheme is that along with learning skills, the youth will also be given an allowance of Rs 8,000 to 10,000.

* Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the government is making continuous efforts to connect the youth with employment.

* At least one lakh youth will be provided training under the scheme.

* As per the schedule, the registration of establishments providing training to youth will start from today and the registration of youth willing to learn work will start from 15th June.

* The youth will start working from 1st August 2023. .

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   6.3%

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The World Bank on Tuesday (6th June 2023) raised its 2023 global growth forecast as the US and other major economies have proven more resilient than forecast, but said higher interest rates would cause a larger-than-expected drag 2024.

* However, it trimmed India's GDP growth forecast to 6.3% in FY24 from 6.6% forecast in January 2023.

* Real global GDP is set to climb 2.1% in 2023, the World Bank said in its latest Global Economic Prospects report. That's up from a 1.7% forecast issued in January 2023 but well below the 2022 growth rate of 3.1%.

* The development lender cut its 2024 global growth forecast to 2.4% from 2.7% in January 2023, citing the continuing effects of tighter monetary policy, particularly in reducing business and residential investment.

* "Growth over the rest of 2023 is set to slow substantially as it is weighed down by the lagged and ongoing effects of monetary tightening, and more restrictive credit conditions," it said.

* The bank predicted global growth rebounding to 3.0% in 2025.

* In January 2023, the World Bank had warned that global GDP was slowing to the brink of recession, but since then, strength in the labor market and consumption in the US had exceeded expectations as has China's recovery from COVID-19 lockdowns.

* US growth for 2023 is now forecast at 1.1%, more than double the 0.5% forecast in January 2023, while China's growth is expected to climb to 5.6%, compared to a 4.3% forecast in January 2023 after COVID-reduced growth of 3% in 2022.

* The bank, however, halved its previous 2024 US growth forecast for the U.S. to 0.8%, and cut China's forecast by 0.4 percentage point to 4.6%.

* The euro zone got a forecast increase to 0.4% growth for 2023 from a flat outlook in January, but the forecast for next year was also cut slightly..

Source : Business Today

Correct Answer :   Microsoft

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Wipro announced (6th June 2023) the launch of the Wipro Industry Innovation Experience for Financial Services, featuring a new suite of banking and financial services solutions built on Microsoft Cloud.

The Innovation Experience will bring together Microsoft Cloud capabilities with Wipro FullStride Cloud, as well as leverage Wipro’s and Capco’s deep domain expertise in financial services. Together, Microsoft and Wipro will develop new solutions to help financial services clients accelerate growth and deepen client relationships.

The Innovation Experience will allow financial services firms to explore new solutions in an immersive 3D environment. Solutions currently available as part of the Experience range from prevention of financial crime and loan origination to those that help transform core banking systems and maximize cloud investments.

Harpreet Arora, Senior Vice President and Global head of BFSI Domain and Consulting, Wipro Limited, said : “By combining Microsoft Cloud with Wipro FullStride Cloud’s portfolio and deep financial services expertise, we are uniquely positioned to offer clients transformative solutions to tackle their biggest challenges and deliver tangible business outcomes. This Innovation Experience in partnership with Microsoft will also foster and speed up the collaboration that is necessary to continuously help our clients.”

Bill Borden, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Financial Services at Microsoft, said : “Using Microsoft Cloud for Financial Services, Wipro has delivered a variety of new, innovative solutions that will help financial institutions speed time to value and drive sustainable growth. We’re excited that our joint customers can now test drive them via Wipro’s virtual Industry Innovation Experience for Financial Services.”

Nitish Mittal, Partner, Everest Group, added : “Financial services enterprises are looking to enhance their industry cloud journey by focusing on expertise for complex domain challenges leveraging platform-based cloud operating models. This Microsoft and Wipro partnership is an evolutionary step in this direction to help financial services clients accelerate their transformation and enhance cloud value realization.”


Solutions currently included in the Innovation Experience include :

* Core Banking Transformation – a bundled solution empowering banks to overcome legacy challenges, deliver new capabilities, and realize the benefits of NextGen banking.

* Intelligent Volume Optimization and Risk Management (IVOR) – an AI-powered anti-money laundering solution that helps detect financial crime by making operations more accurate, efficient, and cost-effective.

* NetOxygen – a digital cloud-based loan origination solution that streamlines the lender/borrower experience, enabling an automated, end-to-end lending process that scales cost effectively, delivering a faster and seamless digital mortgage experience.

* FinOps – a comprehensive cloud operations and management solution that enables banks to capitalize on their cloud investments, drive innovation, optimize operations and scale products quickly..

Source : Wipro.