Correct Answer :   Bharat BillPay

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NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL) has launched the NOCS platform to provide reconciliation and settlement services for transactions undertaken on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) network.

The services, provided under the guidance of RBI, will serve as the foundation for the ONDC network and enable smooth, secure and timely transfer of funds to network participants.

Integrated Platform : The NOCS platform is integrated with banks, fintechs, and e-commerce players, and will soon go live with the first set of five banks on ONDC—AU Small Finance Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, IDFC First Bank, and YES Bank. According to the release, NBBL is also working closely with ONDC to bring other innovations to the ecosystem and launch more value-added solutions for the customers, sellers, and network participants in the foreseeable future.

Expertise and Populations Scale Platform : NBBL, with its expertise in running the national platform Bharat BillPay, has developed NOCS to aid ONDC in its mission. This will offer a population-scale platform to tackle the challenges posed by the increased volume of transactions occurring among different entities on the network. NBBL operates the Bharat BillPay platform, which processes millions of transactions per month and has over 20,000 billers.

ONDC Platform : The ONDC platform was set up to facilitate the rapid adoption of e-commerce and boost and strengthen the growth of startups in India. This is done by facilitating scalable and cost-effective e-commerce through the open protocol.

Source : The Hindu Businessline

Correct Answer :   Narendra Modi

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on Tuesday (25th April 2023) to inaugurate the 'NAMO Medical Education and Research Institute' located in Silvassa town.

He visited the campus, spread over 14 acres earlier, and also interacted with the workers there, who were involved in the construction of the project.

1) The medical college has been developed under the ministry of health and spread over a sprawling, lush green campus of 14.48 acres built at a cost of ₹203 crore, for which the foundation stone was laid in January 2019.

2) Located in the capital town Silvassa, the campus features a medical college building, a 24x7 central library, residential quarters, hostels for students and interns, research labs, anatomy museum, a club house among others and has an annual intake capacity of 177 medical students.

3) As per the college’s website, the hospital is well equipped with blood bank facilities, Intensive Care facilities, modular operation theatre facilities, and 24X7 emergency & pharmacy services for all indoor and outdoor patients.

4) The institute with its high-class features and modern amenities is expected to facilitate healthcare services for the citizens of the Union Territory more conveniently.

5) The hospital is associated with Shree Vinoba Bhave Civil Hospital in Silvassa, earlier known as the Cottage Hospital, established in the year 1952. The hospital with current capacity of 650 beds has been planned to upgrade to 1,250 beds in the coming time..

Source : Hindustan Times

Correct Answer :   Nirmala Sitharaman

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The Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, launched friday (28th April 2023) a book called “Reflections” in Mumbai.

The author of the book is Narayanan Vaghul, a well-known banker, and it provides a detailed account of his experiences in the financial landscape of India over several decades.

Sitharaman praised Vaghul for his leadership qualities and extensive experience in banking, as well as his contributions to mentoring leaders.

She particularly highlighted his ideas and vision for women empowerment, which she believes will continue to be relevant and valuable as more women take on leadership roles in financial services in India.

Widely considered as the architect of modern banking in India, Shri Vaghul’s book recounts the dramatic, humorous, and often momentous events throughout his illustrious career. Packed with fascinating anecdotes, the book touches upon various initiatives that he was privileged to have been part of.

“Mr. Vaghul is regarded as the Bhishma pitamah of banking in India and the journey of her life epitomizes selfless service, nation building, mentoring and empowerment of women.”

The processes established by Shri Vaghul went on to become strong and sustainable practices in the Indian financial ecosystem. He has been instrumental in mentoring several powerhouses of banking talent and actively groomed more women CEOs in banking, thereby fostering a culture of gender-neutral meritocracy.

Correct Answer :   Emirates

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Dubai-based airline Emirates has unveiled its latest innovation, the world’s first robotic check-in assistant named Sara.

The system is part of a new City Check-in and Travel Store that is set to launch in Dubai’s financial district. Sara will match customers’ faces with scanned passports, check passengers in, and guide them to the luggage drop area.

The facility, which opened on Thursday(27th April 2023), allows customers to drop their luggage as early as 24 hours and up to 4 hours before their flight, arriving at the airport at their leisure. Passengers can check-in via self-check-in kiosks, at dedicated desks with Emirates agents, or with the help of Sara.

The robot is equipped with facial recognition technology and can print boarding passes, making the check-in process more efficient. Sara is also portable and can move around to assist those who need help. Sources suggest that future iterations of Sara will also have arms that can transport luggage.

In addition to the new check-in facility, Emirates passengers with valid boarding passes will have complimentary access to select lifestyle facilities in the ICD Brookfield Place, as well as exclusive discounts and special offers across a range of restaurants, gyms, and luxury stores.

Passengers can connect directly to the airport via taxi or Emirates chauffeur service or take a short 10-minute walk to the Financial Centre Metro Station, which connects seamlessly to the Airport Terminal 3 Metro Station.

Emirates’ latest innovation aims : To enhance the customer experience and make the check-in process more seamless and efficient. The airline continues to lead the way in technology and innovation, setting new standards in the aviation industry..

Source : News On Air

Correct Answer :   Siddhartha Mohanty

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The government  on Friday (28th April 2023) appointed Siddhartha Mohanty as the Chairperson of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) till June 29, 2024.

After that, he will be the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer until June 7, 2025.

Mohanty, the current Managing Director, has been serving as the interim Chairperson of the public sector life insurer since March 14. He replaced M R Kumar, who completed his term on March 13, 2023.

Mohanty joined LIC in 1985 as an apprentice officer and has rich experience in the insurance sector.

He previously served as COO and CEO of LIC Housing Finance Ltd and has held various other positions, such as senior divisional manager of Raipur and Cuttack, chief (legal), chief (investment – monitoring & accounting), executive director (legal), amongst others.

There are three managing directors at LIC – M Jagannath, Tablesh Pandey and Mini Ipe.

LIC is the largest financial institution in the country, with total assets under management (AUM) of over Rs 44.35 crore as of December 2022...

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   ITC

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ITC, one of India’s largest FMCG conglomerates, has surpassed IT major Infosys to become the country’s sixth most valuable company on the stock exchanges.

* With a market capitalization of Rs 5.11 lakh crore, ITC overtook Infosys on Monday (24th April 2023) after overtaking HDFC Ltd on Friday (28th April 2023). This achievement comes after ITC’s share price rose 59% over the past year and 24% so far in 2023, making it the best performer in the benchmark Nifty50.

* Meanwhile, Infosys shares have fallen by 20% in 2023, wiping off Rs 1.80 lakh crore of investors’ fortunes, following its March quarter earnings below street estimates.

* ITC’s growth potential sets it on course to overtake Hindustan Unilever : To become the country’s fifth most valuable company, ITC will need to outperform rival FMCG firm Hindustan Unilever (HUL), which currently commands an m-cap of Rs 5.88 lakh crore.

* However, most analysts are optimistic that ITC shares will continue to rally, as its various businesses are expected to perform better than its peers. Additionally, 95% of analysts tracking ITC shares on Bloomberg have a “buy” recommendation on the stock.

* CLSA, a brokerage firm, maintained an Outperform rating on ITC with a target of Rs 430, citing the improvement in growth visibility in cigarettes aided by stability in the tax structure. “The stock remains strong, and long-term fundamentals are intact. Besides, the strong dividend yield offers support to the stock,” CLSA said.

Correct Answer :   April 28

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World Day for Safety and Health at Work is observed every year on April 28 to promote safe, healthy, and decent work environments across the globe. The day serves as an occasion for individuals and organisations to promote a culture of safety and health in the workplace.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work Theme 2023 : In 2023, the theme for World Day for Safety and Health at Work is "A safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right at work”.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work History : The World Day for Safety and Health at Work was first observed in 2003 after the International Labour Organization (ILO) declared it an annual international campaign to raise awareness of the importance of workplace safety and health. The day coincides with the anniversary of the 1971 adoption of the Occupational Safety and Health Convention by the ILO.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work Significance : The World Day for Safety and Health at Work serves as a reminder of the importance of workplace safety and health for all workers. Every year, thousands of people die or get injured due to work-related accidents and illnesses. This day provides an opportunity for individuals and organisations to reflect on the steps they can take to promote a safer, healthier, and more productive work environment.

The day is also significant because it raises awareness about the link between worker safety and health, and productivity. A safe and healthy work environment leads to increased productivity, employee satisfaction, and reduced absenteeism. It also leads to lower healthcare costs and reduced compensation claims, which can help organisations to save money in the long run...

Source : CNBC

Correct Answer :   Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

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The ‘City Beauty Competition’ portal https://citybeautycompetition.in has been made live by the Ministry on April 26, 2023.

Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the country can participate in this competition through an online process.

The objective of the competition is to encourage and recognize the transformational efforts made by cities and wards across the country to create beautiful, innovative and inclusive public spaces.

Under this competition, wards and public spaces in cities would be judged against five broad pillars viz.,

(i) accessibility
(ii) amenities
(iii) activities
(iv) aesthetics
(v) ecology.

The competition would felicitate the most beautiful wards and public spaces in the cities. While selected wards would be felicitated at the city and State levels, the top most beautiful public spaces in the cities under four categories viz. Waterfronts, Green spaces, tourist/ heritage spaces and market/commercial places would first be felicitated at the State level and the shortlisted entries would thereafter be considered for National level awards.

The last date for participating in the ‘City Beauty Competition’ is July 15, 2023. The participating ULBs can submit the required data/documents (including photographs, videos, presentation and self-reported baseline information) through the online facility created on https://citybeautycompetition.in. Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) as the knowledge partner will provide handholding support to Wards / ULBs / States in this exercise.

The City Beauty Competition provides a unique opportunity to the wards and cities to showcase their interventions towards creating beautiful public spaces.

The competition would promote heritage and culture, sustainable communities and ecological conservation and would also encourage peer learning among states and cities..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Narendra Singh Tomar

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The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the Summit on Farm Machinery Technology, organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Tractor and Mechanization Association (TMA).

* Shri Tomar said that there are about 85 percent small farmers in the country, who should get the benefit of technology & machinery. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the government is continuously working in this direction at its level.

* An amount of Rs.6120.85 crore has been released to the states from 2014-15 to 2022-23 for various activities like training, testing, setting up of CHCs, hi-tech hubs and Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs) under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM).

* Besides 15.24 lakh farm machinery and equipment have been distributed at subsidized rates through state governments, including tractors, power tillers and automated machinery.

* Chief Guest Union Minister Shri Tomar said that by implementing the new system at the Central Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute (CFMTTI), Budni (M.P.), the Government of India has reduced the time taken for completing the testing of tractors to a maximum of 75 working days.

* Also, from the year 2014-15 to 2022-23, 1.64 lakh workers have been trained by the Central Government through its four FMTTI designated authorized test centers. The introduction of the Rupees One lakh crore Agricultural Infrastructure Fund is also an important step in this direction, in which projects worth Rs. 14,000 crore have been approved which are benefitting the farmers.

* Kisan drones are being promoted, for which along with introducing the drone policy, subsidies are being given to various sections including farmers, SC-ST category, women farmers while crop specific SOP has also been issued for application of pesticides with drones...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   157

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The Union cabinet Wednesday (26th April 2023) approved the setting up of 157 nursing colleges at the same locations as medical colleges that have been established since 2014 — a move aimed at filling up nursing vacancies and ironing out disparities in distribution of nursing colleges in the country.

* The colleges will come up over the next two years with the Centre putting in Rs 1,570 crore (Rs 10 crore for each college), which states can add to. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the creation of the new nursing colleges while laying out the current year’s budget.

* With 100 seats per college, the move will add 15,700 BSc nursing seats across the country.

* The highest number of colleges will be in Uttar Pradesh (27), Rajasthan (23), and Madhya Pradesh (14).

* There are currently 1.18 lakh BSc nursing seats in the country, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya while announcing the cabinet decision.

* A committee headed by the Union Health Secretary at the Centre and the Principal Secretary of health or medical education in the state will monitor the progress in their construction, expected to be completed over the next two years..

Source : Indian Express