Correct Answer :   April 21

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National Civil Services Day is celebrated in India on April 21 every year. It is a day to commemorate the contribution of civil servants towards the development of the country. On this day, civil servants across the country are recognized for their hard work and dedication towards serving the people.

The civil services in India consists of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and a comprehensive list of All India Services and Central Services Group A and Group B.

History of National Civil Services Day : National Civil Services Day was first celebrated in India on April 21, 2006. The day was chosen to commemorate the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel (Iron Man of India), the Home Member of Parliament, introduced the All India Services on April 21, 1947.

* The former Indian Civil Services under British India were later transformed into All India Services under the total Indian administration.

* Sardar Patel played a key role in the integration of the princely states into the Indian Union and is considered to be one of the founding fathers of the Indian civil services.

Significance of National Civil Services Day : National Civil Services Day is a day to recognize and appreciate the efforts of civil servants towards the development of the country. It is a day to acknowledge the role of civil servants in providing essential services to the people of India. The day serves as a reminder of the importance of public service and encourages civil servants to continue serving the people with dedication and commitment.

Correct Answer :   Dominic Raab

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UK Deputy Prime Minister "Dominic Raab" resigned Friday (21st April 2023) after an independent investigation found he bullied civil servants.

* Raab’s announcement the day after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak received findings into eight formal complaints that Raab, who is also justice secretary, had been abusive toward staff members during a previous stint in that office and while serving as Britain’s foreign secretary and Brexit secretary.

Raab, 49, denied claims he belittled and demeaned his staff and said he “behaved professionally at all times,” but had said he would resign if the bullying complaints were upheld.

* The investigation made two findings of bullying against him and dismissed the others, Raab said in his resignation letter.

* Dominic Raab became the Deputy Prime Minister of Britain on October 25, 2022..

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   HDFC Bank

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HDFC Bank has appointed Kaizad Bharucha as the Deputy Managing Director (MD) and Bhavesh Zaveri as the Executive Director of the bank for a period of 3 years, effective from April 19, 2023.

* The board of HDFC Bank had, on November 24, 2022, recommended the names of Bharucha and Zaveri to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for appointment to the board.

* Kaizad Bharucha is a career banker with experience of over 35 years. He has been with the bank since 1995. In his role as Executive Director, Bharucha was responsible for wholesale banking covering areas of corporate banking, PSUs, capital and commodities markets, financial institutions, custody, mutual funds, global capability centre and financial sponsors coverage. He had previously handled corporate banking, emerging corporates group, business banking, healthcare finance, agri lending, tractor financing, commerical vehicle finance etc.

* Bharucha has extensive experience in risk management, credit management, and banking and business management..

Source : Business Today

Correct Answer :   IIT Madras

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The first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to be set up in Africa will come up in October 2023 in Tanzania.

* IIT Madras will set up its first International campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania, with plans to to start the classes by October 2023.

* This information was shared by IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti in his presidential address at IIT Madras’ 64th Institute Day.

* In February 2023 , a team of five professors from IIT Madras visited Tanzania and held discussions with various officials on starting the campus..

Source : The Hindu Businessline

Correct Answer :   ITC Limited

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Shares of ITC have been on a roll this year, gaining over 21 per cent since the start of this year (2023). The stock recently crossed Rs 400 per share, hitting a 52-week high.

* ITC’s market capitalization touched Rs 5 lakh crore and it became the 11th listed Indian firm to achieve the milestone.

* Some other companies that have achieved this milestone include Reliance Industries Limited, Tata Consultancy Services, HDFC Bank, Infosys, ICICI Bank, Hindustan Unilever, LIC, SBI, HDFC, and Bharti Airtel.

* The cigarettes-to-hotels conglomerate has continued to gain this year, despite the gloomy mood in domestic and global markets. On Thursday, ITC shares hit a record high of Rs 402.60 as it gained over 1 per cent during intraday trade.

* ITC, which is usually considered a safe bet by analysts, has performed well across all its business segments, including paper, FMCG, and hotels. This has attracted many investors, who seem to have found a safe bet in ITC amid worsening macroeconomic factors and dampened global cues.

* Analysts remain bullish on the stock, given its strong operating performance, and most brokerages have favourable ratings on the stock...

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   162%

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According to Prodigy Finance’s Study Abroad Insights Report 2022, its services have received significant growth in Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions in India, where they saw an uptick of 162%.

* Cities like Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Chennai have the highest number of loan applications in 2022.

* In Tier 1 cities, Delhi saw a massive increase of 237% followed by Hyderabad.

* Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities witnessed a growth of an average of 53% and 109% respectively..

Source : Financial Express

Correct Answer :   Kerala

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The Kerala government on Wednesday (20th April 2023) launched a project for reviving the sports culture in the State by opening quality playgrounds in every panchayat of the southern state.

* The 'One Panchayat, One Playground' project was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Kallikkad here where he said that a good sports culture was essential for building a healthy and happy society.

* The playgrounds would serve as a hub of local gatherings and social interactions. "It is with this goal in mind that the 'One Panchayat, One Playground' project has been devised," the Chief Minister said at the event.

* The project will address the lack of quality playgrounds in around 450 local bodies in the State, Vijayan said.

* Within three years, the playgrounds will be built and for the first phase of the project, a list of 113 panchayats has been prepared, the Chief Minister said.

* Each playground would cost around Rs one crore, half of which would be footed by the Sports department and the rest would be raised from the MLA and local body funds, through CSR, public private partnerships, etc,..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Manohar Lal Khattar

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Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Wednesday (20 April 2023) announced three online services to digitally empower people, and said that Persons With Disabilities (PwDs) will now get their pensionary benefits at home.

The newly launched online services are : Pro-active Divyang Pension Service, ‘Tau se Poochho’ WhatsApp chatbot and online booking of government rest houses.

These IT initiatives will prove to be a milestone in the state government’s vision of paperless and transparent governance, Khattar said here. About the Pro-active Divyang Pension Service for the physically challenged, Khattar said the government is committed to deliver all services for them at doorsteps.

Now, we have decided to give automated pension benefits to Persons With Disabilities (PwDs) and such beneficiaries will not have to visit the offices to get their benefits.

Khattar told reporters that data of PwDs having more than 60 percent disability that is available under the Parivar Pehchan Patra (family id) scheme will be certified by the Haryana Parivar Pehchan Authority every month.

The data of all such PWDs found eligible after verification will be shared with the SEWA Department, he said, adding if all beneficiaries give their consent, pension benefits will start from next month.

Referring to another service, he said the Haryana Parivar Pehchan Authority has created a WhatsApp Chatbot called ‘Tau Se Poochho’ along with a web-based chatbot solution..

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Radha Iyengar Plumb

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The US Senate on Tuesday (18th April 2023) confirmed Indian-American "Radha Iyengar Plumb" as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense.

* She won by a vote of 68-30. "By a vote of 68-30, the Senate confirmed Executive Calendar #19 Radha Iyengar Plumb to be a Deputy Under Secretary of Defense".

* US President Joe Biden had nominated security expert Radha Iyengar Plumb to the post of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the latest Indian-American to be named for a key position.

* She is currently serving as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Defense & was nominated for the top Pentagon position in June 2022.

* Prior to her appointment as Chief of Staff, she was the Director of Research and Insights for Trust & Safety at Google and had previously served as Global Head of Policy Analysis at Facebook.

* Before her Silicon Valley work, Plumb was a senior economist at the RAND Corporation where she focused on improving the measurement and evaluation of readiness and security efforts across the Department of Defense...

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Sandeep Singh

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Former Vice-Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sandeep Singh (Retd) has been appointed as the new Military Advisor to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).

The officer is expected to take over his new appointment on 24 April 2023.

Air Marshal Sandeep Singh was commissioned in the IAF as a fighter pilot on December 22, 1983. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and National Defence College, Singh is an Experimental Test Pilot and Cat ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor.

He has flown several aircraft and has nearly 4900 hours of operational and test flying experience on Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, MiG-21, Kiran, AN-32, AVRO, Jaguar and Mirage 2000.

He has played a key role in the induction, production and weaponisation of the Su-30 MKI aircraft in India.

He held several important field assignments in his career, including Project Test Pilot of the Su-30 Project Team at Moscow, Commanding Officer of a frontline Su-30MKI Sqn, Chief Test Pilot at ASTE, Commander of two Flying Bases, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Plans), Commandant ASTE, Senior Air Staff Officer of Eastern Air Command and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff. Singh was also the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of South Western Air Command before taking over as the VCAS.

In recognition of his meritorious services of an exceptionally high order, the Air Marshal was awarded Vayu Sena Medal in 2006, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2013 and Param Vishisht Sewa Medal in 2022. He was appointed as honorary Air ADC to the President of India on 30 September 2021...

Source : India Today