Correct Answer :   SAKHI

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Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) located at Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram has launched a multi-purpose app 'SAKHI' (Space-borne Assistant and Knowledge Hub for Crew Interaction-SAKHI) to assist the Gaganyaan crew.

This app will help in monitoring the health of astronauts and maintaining communication with ISRO on Earth. ISRO can launch Gaganyaan human mission in the year 2025.

Correct Answer :   20 March

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International Day of Happiness is a global event organized by the United Nations every year on 20 March.

On July 12, 2012, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed a resolution declaring March 20 as the International Day of Happiness.

The purpose of this day is to encourage people to lead a simple and happy life.   

Correct Answer :   Uttar Pradesh

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Uttar Pradesh Police will now use the state-of-the-art digital platform Trinetra App 2.0, which has been designed to help in crime prevention and investigation.

UP DGP Prashant Kumar along with ADG Law and Order Amitabh Yash launched the app at the DGP headquarters.

Correct Answer :   USA

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Exercise 'Tiger Triumph - 24' is being organized between India and America. 'Tiger Triumph - 24' is being organized on the eastern seaboard from 18 to 31 March 24.

Highlights of 'Tiger Triumph - 24' :

Objective of Exercise ‘Tiger Triumph – 24’ :

Port phase of the exercise :

About Tiger Triumph :

India-America's growing military cooperation :

Correct Answer :   Malaria disease

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* By Yaounde Declaration, health ministers of 11 African countries commit to end malaria deaths.

* Participating Countries : Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania.

* These countries carry the highest burden of global malaria infections and deaths.

* The declaration includes commitment by African heads of state to allocate 15 per cent of their annual budgets to strengthening the health sector.

* Yaounde is the capital city of Cameroon.

Correct Answer :   Jaideep Hansraj

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Kotak Mahindra Bank has appointed Jaideep Hansraj, current MD and CEO of Kotak Securities, as Group President of 'One Kotak' with effect from April 1, 2024. Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited is an Indian banking and financial services company headquartered in Mumbai.

Correct Answer :   Sheetal Devi

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Para archer and Arjuna Award winner Sheetal Devi has been appointed as the National Disability Icon by the Election Commission of India (ECI). In view of the Lok Sabha elections, ECI and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) organized an exhibition cricket match to promote voter education.

Correct Answer :   Simultaneous elections

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A committee was formed under the leadership of former President Ram Nath Kovind to evaluate the feasibility of 'One Nation, One Election'. Recently the committee has submitted its report to President Draupadi Murmu. 

Correct Answer :   134

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India’s ranking on the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) improved by one position in 2022 to 134 out of 193 countries ranked compared to 135 out of 191 countries in 2021.

On the Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2022, India has been ranked at 108 out of 193 countries with a score of 0.437. Its rank was 122 out of 191 countries with a score of 0.490 in the GII-2021.

This shows a significant jump of 14 ranks on the GII-2022 vis-a-vis the GII-2021, the women and child development ministry said.

However, the country also has one of the largest gender gaps in its labour force participation rate — a 47.8 per cent difference between women (28.3 per cent) and men (76.1 per cent).

After a drop in its HDI value in 2021 and following a flat trend over the past few years, India’s HDI value has increased to 0.644 in 2022, placing the country at 134 out of 193 countries and territories in the just released 2023/24 Human Development Report (HDR).

India ranked 135 out of 191 countries in 2021 on the back of a marginal increase in its HDI value to 0.644 compared to 0.633 in 2021.

The data was published in the United Nations Development Programme’s report titled “Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World”. It builds on the 2021–2022 Human Development Report findings that saw the global HDI value fall for the first time — two years in a row.

The report revealed that while rich countries attained record human development, half of the poorest remain below their pre-crisis level of progress.

In 2022, India saw improvements across all HDI indicators — life expectancy, education, and gross national income (GNI) per capita and life expectancy rose from 67.2 to 67.7 years, expected years of schooling reached 12.6, mean years of schooling increased to 6.57 and GNI per capita saw an increase from USD 6,542 to USD 6,951.

Moreover, India demonstrated progress in reducing gender inequality. The country’s GII value of 0.437 is better than the global and South Asian averages, according to the report.

“India has shown remarkable progress in human development over the years. Since 1990, life expectancy at birth has risen by 9.1 years, expected years of schooling have increased by 4.6 years and mean years of schooling have grown by 3.8 years. India’s GNI per capita has grown by approximately 287 per cent,” it said.

With an HDI value of 0.644, the latest HDR places India in the medium human development category. Between 1990 and 2022, the country saw its HDI value increase by 48.4 per cent, from 0.434 in 1990 to 0.644 in 2022.

India has also shown progress in reducing gender inequality and ranks 108 out of 166 countries in the GII-2022.

“The GII measures gender inequalities in three key dimensions — reproductive health, empowerment and labour market. The country’s GII value of 0.437 is better than the global average of 0.462 and the South Asian average of 0.478,” the report said.

“India’s performance in reproductive health is better than other countries in the medium human development group or South Asia. India’s adolescent birth rate in 2022 was 16.3 (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19), an improvement from 17.1 in 2021,” it said.

The ministry said that over the last 10 years, India’s rank in the GII has become consistently better, indicating progressive improvement in achieving gender equality in the country. In 2014, this rank was 127, which has now become 108..

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   B. Sairam

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Shri B. Sairam is the new Chairman and Managing Director of Northern Coalfields Limited, the Singrauli-based flagship Subsidiary of Coal India Limited. He assumed the charge for the post on Wednesday (13th Mar 2024).

* Shri Sairam brings a vast reservoir of knowledge and experience spanned over 33 years of dedicated service in the coal sector.

* A distinguished graduate mining engineer from NIT Raipur, Shri Sairam has traversed various domains within the coal industry, including mine operations, planning, logistics, and regulatory affairs.

* His commitment to excellence and innovation has been further augmented by his academic pursuits, notably a rigorous 15-month full-time residential PGDM in Energy Management at NTPC School of Business  Delhi. During this program, he underwent a transformative 15-day immersion program at Nanyang Business School, Singapore, enriching his understanding of global energy dynamics.

* Shri Sairam’s unwavering dedication to sustainable energy practices was demonstrated through his involvement in the comprehensive study of the Just Energy Transition efforts in Germany and Poland.

* Before he was appointed as CMD of NCL, he was serving as Director (Technical) in Ranchi-based Central Coalfields Limited where he played pivotal roles in stepping-up company’s organic growth, development of coal logistics like tripling of Tori-Shivpur Line thus augmenting coal dispatch to upcountry power consumers, First Mile Connectivity projects including North Urimiri CHP-Silo, Forest & Environment Clearance, and projectising greenfield and brownfield mines.

* Shri Sairam has been instrumental in community development projects and aligning Coal India’s sustainability vision with UN sustainability goals during his stint as Executive Director at CIL.

* He has also spearheaded key divisions such as Employee Welfare, Public Relations, and Legal.

* Northern Coalfields Limited, Singrauli is a pioneering coal company operating with its 10 highly mechanized mines in Singrauli and Sonebhadra Districts of MP and UP respectively, and eyeing over 135 Million Tonnes of Coal production and Dispatch in FY 2023-24..

Source : Indian PSU