Correct Answer :   HPCL

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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu said on Tuesday (16th May 2023) that an ethanol plant would be set up in Una district by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) on 30 acres of land with an outlay of Rs 500 crore.

* The Chief Minister was presiding over a meeting to discuss the aspects of construction of the proposed ethanol plant.

* Sukhu said the government is ready to invest 50 per cent equity in the project and would extend cooperation to the company setting up the plant.

* HPCL assured the Chief Minister to take up the government's proposal with the company's Board of Directors.

* The Chief Minister also directed the district administration to start land acquisition for the approach road from Bhanjal to Jeetpur Behri within 10 days and to ensure that all obstacles in the construction of the plant are removed.

* Sukhu said the plant would provide employment and self-employment opportunities to the local people and farmers from Kangra, Hamirpur and Bilaspur, while the neighbouring districts of Punjab will also benefit from the grain-based ethanol plant...

Source : India Times

Correct Answer :   16th May

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The International Day of Living Together in Peace is celebrated annually on May 16th to encourage peace, tolerance, inclusivity, understanding, and solidarity among individuals and communities globally.

* Its goal is to emphasize the significance of cultivating peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and harmony among people of different backgrounds.

* The International Day of Living Together in Peace is an opportunity for people from all over the world to come together and celebrate peace. It is also a time to reflect on the challenges that we face in building a more peaceful world.


International Day of Living Together in Peace History :

* In the aftermath of World War II, the United Nations recognized the importance of preventing future wars and addressing global inequality.

* To promote peace and equality, the UN initiated efforts like the International Year for the Culture of Peace in 2000 and the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for Children of the World from 2001 to 2010.

* The adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace in 1999 further highlighted the need for long-lasting peace and non-violence.

* In 2017, the UN General Assembly reaffirmed its commitment by designating May 16 as the International Day of Living Together in Peace. This day aims to foster inclusion, tolerance, solidarity, and peace among diverse communities worldwide.


International Day of Living Together in Peace 2023 Significance :

* The day holds great importance in promoting diversity, dialogue, and cultural bridges. It encourages the rejection of violence, discrimination, and exclusion, while fostering a culture of peace and understanding. It reminds us of the vital role peaceful coexistence plays in creating a just, inclusive, and sustainable world.

* Governments, organizations, and individuals can take part in various activities to promote living together in peace. These include interfaith dialogues, cultural exchanges, peace education programs, community-building initiatives, and campaigns against prejudice and discrimination. The day serves as a moment of reflection on the significance of unity, empathy, and compassion in building peaceful and resilient societies.

Correct Answer :   May 16

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The International Day of Light is observed on May 16 every year to commemorate Theodore Maiman’s successful operation of the laser in 1960.

This day serves as a reminder to enhance scientific collaboration and leverage its capacity to promote peace and sustainable progress. The International Day of Light is an annual event that recognizes the crucial significance of light in science, culture, art, education, and sustainable development.


International Day of Light History :

* The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially established the International Day of Light on December 20, 2017.

* This significant day was created to mark the anniversary of a groundbreaking scientific achievement—the successful operation of the laser by physicist and engineer Theodore Maiman on May 16, 1960.

* Since its inception, the International Day of Light has grown into an annual global event that emphasizes the significance of light-based technologies and their influence on society.   


International Day of Light Significance :

* The International Day of Light holds great significance as it recognizes and highlights the essential role that light plays in various aspects of our lives. It raises awareness about the importance of light-based technologies in fields such as science, culture, art, education, and sustainable development.

* The day serves as a platform to promote scientific knowledge, innovation, and cooperation among different sectors of society. It also underscores the potential of light-based technologies in addressing global challenges and building a more sustainable and inclusive future.

* Additionally, the International Day of Light pays tribute to groundbreaking scientific achievements and honors the contributions of scientists, engineers, and researchers in advancing our understanding and utilization of light.

Correct Answer :   Amit Shah

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday (5th May 2023) inaugurated a training programme on Legislative Drafting here in the national capital, stressing the need to draft a very “simple and clear law”.

* Addressing the gathering at the event, Shah stressed the need to draft a “simple and clear act” to avoid interference from the court and any kind of dispute.

* Noting that legislative drafting is an ongoing process, the Home Minister also emphasised upgrading the skill while drafting any act.

* “We should focus on drafting a very simple and clear act so that it should be beyond any dispute and it avoid the intervention of the court,” Shah said.

* “Drafting of legislation is an ongoing process so there is a necessity for skill upgradation. If we fail to do so we would be irrelevant,” he added.

* The Programme, being organized by the Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies (ICPS) in collaboration with the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE), aimed at creating an understanding of the principles and practices of legislative drafting among officers of Parliament, State Legislatures and various ministries, statutory bodies and other government departments.

* The Legislative drafting has a major impact on the interpretation of the policies and the regulations implemented for the welfare of society and the state.

* Since legislative draftsmen are responsible for producing legislation which promotes democratic governance and gives effect to the rule of law, so it is necessary that they are imparted training from time to time to sharpen their skills. The training programme will help them in their capacity building...

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Ministry of Corporate Affairs

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* The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has set up the Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE) to centralise the process of striking off companies from the MCA Register.

* According to the ministry, the C-PACE will reduce the burden on the registry and provide stakeholders with hassle-free filing, timely and process-bound striking off of their company’s names from the register. The establishment of C-PACE is part of MCA’s efforts towards ease of doing business and ease of exit for companies.

* The C-PACE institution, established under sub-section (1) of section 396, will be operational through the Registrar of Companies (RoC) for the purpose of processing and disposal of applications.

* R.K. Dalmia, director, inspection and investigation, MCA, inaugurated the Office of C-PACE on May 1, 2023. Harihara Sahoo, ICLS, has been appointed as the first registrar of the office of C-PACE, which will work under the supervision of the Director General of Corporate Affairs (DGCoA), New Delhi.

* The C-PACE will help keep the registry clean and provide stakeholders with more meaningful data. With the establishment of the C-PACE, companies can look forward to a hassle-free exit process...

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   India & Bangladesh

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The first group of 10 start-up companies under the 50 start-ups exchange programme between India and Bangladesh returned to Dhaka after completing a successful five-day visit to India from 8 May to 12 May 2023.

* These Start-ups belong to sectors such as e-commerce, health, transport and logistics, energy, education and skill development.

* Under this programme, 50 Start-ups from Bangladesh and 50 Start-ups from India will exchange visits to each other’s countries for exploring partnerships, expanding business relations, sharing experience and knowledge and expanding youth and entrepreneurial cooperation. The framework of the programme was decided by the Prime Ministers of the two countries during their recent bilateral summits.

* During their stay, they were introduced to India’s ‘Start-up India’ initiative. They participated in interactive sessions focused on establishing a Start-up and business model creation process, role of incubator, marketing of projects and services, cyber security and artificial intelligence including data protection, start-up evaluation and methods to secure funding.

* The High Commission of India in Bangladesh organised an interactive session in Dhaka on Sunday (14th May 2023) with the group of 10-startups who visited India.

* During the interaction High Commissioner Pranay Verma highlighted the vibrant start-up ecosystems in both India and Bangladesh based on their growing emphasis on innovation and technology.

* He underlined the potential for the Bangladeshi Start-ups to tap into the Indian markets, especially in the North-Eastern states of India. He emphasised that the start-up community in both India and Bangladesh had the opportunity to enhance cooperation as the two countries explored ways to further enhance ease of doing business, including trade settlement in local currencies and collaboration in digital payment platforms..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Ashutosh Dixit

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Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit on Monday (15th May 2023) took over as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, according to the Minister of Defence.

* Ashutosh Dixit, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, was Commissioned in the fighter stream on December 6 in 1986.

* He is a graduate of the Staff Course, Bangladesh and National Defence College, New Delhi.

* Mr Dixit is a qualified flying instructor as well as an experimental test pilot, with over 3,300 hours of flying experience on fighter, trainer and transport aircraft.

* He participated in operations 'Safed Sagar' and 'Rakshak'.

* Air Marshal Dixit commanded a Mirage 2,000 Squadron, a frontline fighter base in the Western sector, as well as a premier fighter training base.

* He has earlier served as Principle Director of Air Staff Requirement, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Projects) & Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans) at Air Headquarters..

Source : NDTV

Correct Answer :   Bhupender Yadav

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Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister "Bhupender Yadav" 15th May 2023 launched a mobile application, called Meri LiFE (My life) in New Delhi.

* This app is inspired by the concept of LiFE, envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP 26, which emphasizes mindful and deliberate utilization instead of mindless and wasteful consumption.

* Speaking on the occasion, Mr Yadav said that this app will showcase the power of citizens, especially young people in saving the environment.

* He also mentioned that through this app, simple actions in daily lives can have a larger climate impact. The Minister expressed hope that the portal and app together drive a national movement for LiFE.

* Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) was launched by the Prime Minister in October 2022 at Kevadia, Gujarat and focuses on bringing about behaviour changes in individuals through simple easy to do actions.

* In order to further catalyze pan-India advocacy and awareness about LiFE, a month-long mass mobilisation drive is currently underway. This drive will culminate on 5th June this year (2023) in a mega celebration of World Environment Day..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Laos

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* The annual ASEAN Tourism Forum will be hosted by Laos in January 2024.

* Theme : The theme of the forum will be "Quality and Responsible Tourism -- Sustaining ASEAN Future".

* The forum will include a tourism exhibition and serves to spur tourism and further service improvement in associated businesses.

* Previously, Laos hosted the ASEAN Tourism Forum in 2004 and 2013.

* The Lao government is working to promote the country’s potential as a nature-based tourism destination..

Source : Economic Times

Correct Answer :   France

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The 76th Cannes Film Festival will begin in France Today (16th May 2023). The festival will officially commence with the world premiere of the Johnny Depp starring film Jeanne Du Barry.

* Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L Murugan will lead the Indian delegation at the 12-day event.

* Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur will address the inaugural session through a video message to showcase India as a global hub for content creation.

* Ahead of his visit to the Cannes Film Festival, Dr Murugan said, India has cleared its first incentive grant for an international film and more such projects are in the pipeline.

* Dr Murugan said, ‘India will participate in the Cannes Film Festival in the spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (One Earth, One Family, One Future), showcasing our rich culture under the powerful creative economy’...

Source : AIR