Correct Answer :   Shaktikanta Das

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RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das launched a Financial Inclusion Dashboard 'ANTARDRIHSTI' 5th June 2023.

* To provide the required insight to assess and monitor the progress of financial inclusion by capturing relevant parameters.

* It will enable the ability to gauge extent of financial exclusion at granular levels across the country.

* Presently, the dashboard is intended for internal use in the RBI.

* It will further facilitate greater financial inclusion through a multi-stakeholder approach..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   IIT Madras

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MoS for Education and External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh released the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Rankings 2023 on June 5, 2023.

IIT Madras has retained its position as the number 1 college under the overall category for the fifth consecutive year and the best engineering institute for the eighth consecutive year.

The top management college is IIM-Ahmedabad, however, three engineering colleges are under the top 10 B-school category.

Under the best university category, IISc Bangalore has topped the university rankings followed by JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia.

Three private universities have also made it to the list. Meanwhile, AIIMS Delhi too, retains the number one position under the medical colleges category.

Research category : IISc Bengaluru has earned the top spot

Agriculture and Allied Sectors : IARI, New Delhi

Medical category : AIIMS Delhi.

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   June 5

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World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 every year to raise awareness and encourage action for the protection of our planet.

It was first established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972, and since then, over 150 countries participate in various activities to celebrate this day. World Environment Day is an important day to raise awareness and encourage action for the protection of our planet.

About World Environment Day 2023 : As the largest global platform for environmental public outreach, World Environment Day has been celebrated by millions of people across the world since its establishment by the United Nations Environment Programme during the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972.

The UNEP has called for greater efforts to limit waste and transition to a circular economy, as well as releasing a Beat Plastic Pollution Practical Guide and encouraging social media posts under the hashtag BeatPlasticPollution.

More than 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, with less than 10% recycled and an estimated 19-23 million tonnes ending up in bodies of water each year. Microplastics also pose a threat to health, with each person consuming an estimated 50,000 plastic particles annually.


World Environment Day 2023 Theme : The 50th anniversary of World Environment Day will be hosted by Côte D’Ivoire, with the theme of “solutions to plastic pollution”.

In previous years, the themes included “Beat Air Pollution” (2019), “Biodiversity” (2020), and “Ecosystem Restoration” (2021). The theme will be announced several months in advance to allow for preparation and planning of events and activities.


World Environment Day History :

* The year 1972 saw a landmark conference organized by the United Nations in Stockholm, which prioritized the environment as its central agenda.

* The event also acknowledged the fundamental right of all individuals to a healthy environment.

* This historic conference paved the way for global efforts to safeguard and preserve the natural world, resulting in the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme.

* Additionally, it marked the official declaration of June 5th as the universal day for environmental awareness.

* Since its inception, the UNEP has dedicated itself to numerous global initiatives aimed at safeguarding our earth’s resources.


World Environment Day 2023 Significance :

* The significance of World Environment Day 2023 is immense, from raising awareness about environmental issues to initiating transformational changes in environmental policies worldwide.

* As our planet’s natural resources continue to dwindle, environmental approaches have become overly politicized, and impact-lacking plans have failed to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change, pushing our planet towards an imminent ecological collapse.

* In such dire circumstances, World Environment Day 2023 stands as a powerful catalyst for environmental activists, providing a platform to voice their concerns and highlight the negative impacts of global warming to the global community.

* Losing lives, property, and biodiversity is just a fraction of the consequences of environmental indifference.

* For over fifty years, World Environment Day has been instrumental in making common people conscious of the plight of our surrounding nature and impelling them to take affirmative action.

Correct Answer :   Nitin Gadkari

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Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the 4-Lane Section between Nagaon Bypass-Teliagaon, and Teliagaon-Rangagara and laid the foundation for Mangaldai Bypass and the 4-lane section between Daboka-Parakhuwa in Assam, in the presence of Chief Minister Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma , MP Shri Dilip Saikia , MP Shri Pradyut Bordoloi , and State Minister of Forest & Environment Shri Chandra Mohan Patowary  through video conferencing today (5th June 2023).

* These 4 projects are worth 1450 Crores symbolizing a significant investment in the state's infrastructure.

* The 18 Km long 4-Lane section between Nagaon Bypass-Teliagaon and Teliagaon-Rangagara is worth Rs 403 Crore.

* This widened highway enhances accessibility between North Assam and Upper Assam, fueling economic growth and opening new opportunities.

* The foundation  for the construction of a 15 Km bypass in Mangaldai on NH 15 with a total cost of 535 Crores will strengthen the link between Assam, West Bengal, and Arunachal Pradesh, fostering seamless travel and regional integration.

* The foundation  for a 13 Km long bypass between Daboka and Parakhuwa on NH-29 with a total cost of 517 Crores strengthens connections along the Guwahati-Dimapur Economic Corridor, fostering links to Myanmar and Thailand. The bypass will enhance inter-regional connectivity between Assam and Nagaland..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   4th June 2023

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Veteran actor Sulochana, who featured in more than 250 Hindi and 50 Marathi films, passed away in Mumbai on Sunday (4th June 2023) due to age related issues. She was 94.

* Sulochana began her career with Marathi films in the early 1940s and soon moved to Hindi films, where she essayed several mother roles in movies like Shammi Kapoor’s Dil Dekhe Dekho, Dilip Kumar’s Aadmi and Dev Anand’s Jhonny Mera Naam among others.

* Her daughter Kanchan Ghanekar confirmed her death with Indianexpress.com and said, “She had age related health issues and breathing difficulties. She died this evening at 6pm.” According to a family statement, her ‘antim darshan’ will be held at her Prabhadevi residence in the city.

* Her cremation will be held on Monday (5th June 2023) at 5:30 pm at Shivaji Park crematorium.

* Other credits of the actor include Kora Kagaz, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar–in which she played Vinod Khanna’s mother–, Himmatwala and Andar Baahar, in which she played Jackie Shroff’s mother.

* Sulochana featured in several films starring Dev Anand–including Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai, Duniya and Amir Garib among others– where she played either his mother or a relative. The actor also had a long collaboration with Rajesh Khanna, and featured in some of his films like Bahraon Ke Sapne, Kati Patang, Mere Jeevan Saathi, Prem Nagar and Adhikar among others.

* Sulochana, whose Marathi titles include Sasurvas, Vahinichya Bangdya, Meeth Bhakar, and Dhakti Jau, was honoured with Padma Shri in 1999..

Source : Indian Epress

Correct Answer :   Telangana

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A non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released its annual compendium, titled 'State of India's Environment 2023.

It is based on four parameters i.e. environment, agriculture, public health, and infrastructure.

* In terms of overall environmental performance, the report has ranked Telangana at the top for its progress in increasing its forest cover and in municipal waste treatment. However, the state has performed below average in parametres such as "share of waterbodies not in use", "stage of groundwater extraction" and "change in number of polluted river stretches".

* Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra follow Telangana, in that order. The bottom rung is occupied by Rajasthan, Nagaland and Bihar.

* The bottom-ranked 10 states include six from the northeast, including Assam.

* In agriculture, Madhya Pradesh takes the top slot for the highest share of net value added, and its jump in foodgrain production. However, almost half the crop area in the state remains un-insured.

* Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh feature on the second, third and fourth spots. The bottom is populated by Delhi, Goa and Meghalaya, among others.

* Delhi leads in public health – it has allocated the highest share of its budget to health and boasts of a robust network of healthcare facilities. It, however, has a low immunisation rate.

* Sikkim, Goa and Mizoram follow Delhi.

* Madhya Pradesh, which is at the bottom, has a high incidence of maternal mortality ratio and infant mortality rate. Chhattisgarh, Assam and Uttar Pradesh also range in the bottom half.

* In public infrastructure and human development, Gujarat leads the rankings – it makes the cut for its performance in providing employment and tap water connections. The state, however, ranks comparatively low in sex ratio and has a high proportion of rural households using unclean cooking fuels.

* Jharkhand occupies the bottom spot, and is preceded by Nagaland, Rajasthan and Arunachal Pradesh.

Source : CSE India

Correct Answer :   Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST)

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The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking was honored with the prestigious 'Climate And Health' award at the UITP Awards 2023 function held in Barcelona on Sunday (4th June 2023).

Additionally, BEST was recognized as one of the top three finalists in the 'Public And Urban Transport Strategy' category.

UITP Awards : Celebrating Global Excellence in Public Transport : UITP (Union Internationale des Transports Publics), a 138-year-old organisation, serves as the global association for public transport stakeholders and sustainable transport modes. The UITP Awards are highly sought-after prizes in the field of public transport, and this year's winners were selected by a distinguished international jury panel consisting of 21 members.

BEST's International Recognition and Participation : Entries from around the world, including countries such as Brazil, Spain, Luxembourg, France, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and the United States, were considered for the awards. BEST officials expressed pride in being acknowledged among the most ambitious and innovative public transport projects globally.

Multiple Accolades Highlighting BEST's Commitment to Smart Mobility : This recent accolade follows BEST's recognition by FICCI for 'Smart Mobility' and its participation in the Mumbai Sustainability Summit 2023 in the Environment Sphere. These achievements showcase BEST's commitment to progressive, climate-friendly, and sustainable mobility.

Key Initiatives Driving BEST's Success at UITP Awards :

* UITP acknowledged BEST for its significant initiatives, including the introduction of electric buses to promote renewable energy, the implementation of paperless ticketing, the launch of premium bus services, and improvements in last mile connectivity.

* These efforts have revolutionised the passenger experience by digitizing services through the BEST Chalo App, facilitating seamless door-to-door journeys.

* BEST has also pioneered the adoption of the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) philosophy, making it the first in India to do so..

Source : Free Press Journal

Correct Answer :   Jitendra Singh

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Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh on Sunday (4th June 2023) said that Bhaderwah, Jammu & Kashmir has emerged as the Lavender capital of India and agri StartUp destination.

“It is a moment of pride for all of us as Bhaderwah has emerged as the Lavender capital of India and Agri StartUp destination,” Jitendra Singh said after inaugurating 2 days Lavender festival at Bhaderwah.

CSIR, Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu had organised the event as part of its ‘One Week One Lab Campaign’.

Singh described Bhaderwah as the birthplace of India’s purple revolution and the destination of agri-StartUps.

The Minister said that the valley of Bhaderwah is the best example of the development of the present progressive government at the centre which should have been celebrated much earlier, Bhaderwah being the best place for lavender cultivation in terms of land and climate.

Singh while referring to lavender cultivation in the region, said that Lavender is an avenue of employment generation and research opening many paradigms of development.

The CSIR-Aroma Mission is a flagship project of CSIR under which Lavender cultivation is being promoted in the temperate regions of J&K.

Aim : The aim of the project is to increase the income of small and marginal farmers and develop agriculture-based Startups. The project is being directly monitored by Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of Science & Technology. Under his directions, CSIR-IIIM is implementing Lavender cultivation in Bhaderwah and other parts of J&K.

The net annual income of farmers who switched from maize to Lavender cultivation has increased many folds from around Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000 per hectare to Rs 3,50,000 to Rs 6,00,000 per hectare.

Farmers of the Bhaderwah, Doda district, produced 300, 500, 800, and 1500 Litres of Lavender oil in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. They earned over Rs 5 Crore between 2018-2022 by selling dry flowers, Lavender plants, and Lavender oil, an official statement said..

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Bengaluru Circle

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State Bank of India, Bengaluru Circle launched ‘Project Kuber’, which will have four Transaction Banking Hubs and One Corporate Salary Package Hub. These hubs will help to increase the market share in liability products of SBI.

Nand Kishore, chief general manager, SBI, Bengaluru Circle, inaugurated these hubs on Friday (2nd June 2023). They are located at SBI Administrative Building, in KG Road, and Sampige Road, in Malleswaram.

Transaction Banking Hubs will offer services to corporate/non-corporate clients, from account opening to onboarding them on SBI’s digital platforms.

It will be a one-stop destination for all payment and collection-related requirements. There is a dedicated team of professionals, who will facilitate business partners and customers to avail digital banking services like Yono Business, e-Payments, Cash Management Products, etc..

Source : New Indian Express

Correct Answer :   Ajay Banga

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Indian American "Ajay Banga" took over as the President of the World Bank on Friday (2nd June 2023), making him the first person of colour to head either of the two global financial institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

* On 3rd May 2023, the Executive Directors of the World Bank selected Banga, 63, as the 14th President of the World Bank for a five-year term.

* In February, President Joe Biden announced that the US would nominate Banga to lead the World Bank.

* Banga has become the first-ever Indian-American to head the World Bank. He replaces David Malpass, who announced his decision to step down in February.

* On Thursday, a media release said that Treasury Yellen met with Banga at the Treasury Department. During their engagement, Yellen warmly welcomed Banga's upcoming presidency and conveyed her strong desire for the Treasury to continue close collaboration with him in building on the strong progress made so far on evolving multilateral development banks..

Source : AIR