Correct Answer :   Bangkok

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The 8th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue being organized in Bangkok 20th April 2023. Special Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Nivedita Shukla Verma will co-chair the meeting with Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence, Thailand General Nuchit Sribunsong.

During the dialogue, they will review the defence cooperation between the two countries and explore new initiatives to further strengthen bilateral engagements.

Both sides will also exchange views on regional and global issues of shared interest. India and Thailand share a strategic partnership and defence is a key pillar of this cooperation. ..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   325 million dollars

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S President Joe Biden's administration announced 325 million dollars as the 36th security package in new military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, 19 April 2023.

It will help its military in its war against Russia. The package also includes additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) which is a missile launcher mounted on a truck that can fire multiple guided missiles in quick succession, advanced missiles and anti-tank mines, and also Patriot air defense system.

The current aid brings a total of US military assistance for the Kyiv government to more than $35.4 billion.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken briefed in a statement that this will strengthen Ukraine’s defenders on the battlefield and will include more ammunition for US-provided HIMARS and artillery rounds, as well as anti-armor systems, small arms, logistics support vehicles..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Tezpur University Assam

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A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Indian Army and Tezpur University on Wednesday (19th April 2023) for training the Indian Army personnel in the Chinese language.

Lt Col Mahendra Rawat, Defence PRO of Guwahati said that the course will be for a duration of 16 weeks and will be conducted at Tezpur University.

“The MoU was signed by HQ 4 Corps on behalf of the Indian Army and The Registrar, Tezpur University in presence of the Vice Chancellor Prof SN Singh,” Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said.

Tezpur University established in 1994 by an act of parliament as a central university is one the pioneers in the North East in the teaching of foreign languages including Chinese with highly qualified faculty.

He further said that this Chinese language course will improve the in-house Mandarin expertise and empower the army personnel to engage with the Chinese Military personnel as and when the situation demands...

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Cuba

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Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel clinched a second five-year term Wednesday (19th April 2023) in a parliamentary vote for which he was the sole candidate in a country where political opposition is illegal.

* Diaz-Canel’s bid was confirmed by 97.66 percent of votes cast in the Communist Party of Cuba-aligned National Assembly, its president Esteban Lazo announced in the chamber.

* Diaz-Canel, 62, took over the reins in 2018 as Cuba’s first civilian leader after nearly 60 years of hegemony by the Castro brothers, vowing to “always defend the party" even as he set out in pursuit of cautious economic liberalization.

* His first five years in office were marked by the worst economic crisis in three decades and a widely criticized response to historic anti-government protests which triggered a tightening of US sanctions..

Source : News18

Correct Answer :   Narendra Singh Tomar

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* Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar 19th April 2023 launched the SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory) Portal and Mobile App to deal with the challenges of seed production, quality seed identification, and seed certification.

* AIRIt has been developed on the theme of Uttam Beej - Samriddh Kisan.

* Mr. Tomar said that the government is constantly trying to overcome the challenges and difficulties faced by agriculture sector through various schemes and programmes and SATHI portal is a revolutionary step.
 
* Mr. Tomar said that seeds, pesticides, fertilizers and irrigation play a major role in agriculture. Inferior quality or spurious seeds affect the growth of agriculture and it also affects production..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Virat Kohli

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HSBC India has roped in Indian cricketer Virat Kohli as their Brand Influencer.

* As per the company, Virat Kohli will help to amplify HSBC’s purpose of ‘Opening up a world of opportunity’ as it strives to support the ambitions of an aspirational India going global.

* The company mentioned that as part of the association, a multi-media campaign featuring Virat Kohli will also be launched.

* Commenting on this association, Hitendra Dave, CEO, HSBC India said “We are looking forward to having Virat Kohli as our Brand Influencer and see him as a perfect fit for our values of taking responsibility, collaborating and succeeding together as a team as well as getting things done.”..

Source : Financial Express

Correct Answer :   10,000 Km

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NHAI is working towards development of around  10,000 km of Optic Fibre Cables (OFC) infrastructure across the country by FY2024-25.

National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), a fully owned SPV of NHAI, will implement the network of Digital Highways by developing integrated utility corridors along the National Highways to develop OFC infrastructure.

Around 1,367 km on Delhi - Mumbai Expressway and 512 km on Hyderabad - Bangalore Corridor have been identified as pilot routes for the Digital Highway development.

Providing internet connectivity to remote locations across the country, the OFC network will help to expedite the roll out of new age telecom technologies like 5G & 6G.

Recently inaugurated, 246 km long Delhi – Dausa – Lalsot section of the Delhi - Mumbai Expressway features a three-meter-wide dedicated utility corridor used to lay Optical Fibre Cables, which will serve as the backbone for the roll out of the 5G network in the region. OFC laying work along the National Highways has started and is targeted for completion in about a year.

OFC network will allow direct plug-and-play or ‘Fibre-on-demand’ model for the Telecom / Internet Services. The network will be leased out on a Fixed Price Allotment mechanism on ‘Open for All’ basis through a web portal to eligible users. OFC allotment policy is being finalized in consultation with DoT and TRAI.

Creation of Digital Highways will not only have a catalytic impact on the growth and development but will also contribute to the digital transformation of our country...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Angela Merkel

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Former Chancellor "Angela Merkel" received Germany's highest Order of Merit on Monday (17th April 2023).

* The Grand Cross award was handed to her by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

* The award has only been given twice before, to former chancellors Konrad Adenauer and Helmut Kohl. All three former leaders belong to the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

* The Order of Merit entails no financial reward.

* Merkel led Germany from 2005 to 2021, totaling four terms in office. She did not seek a fifth term.

* She was the first woman to take the post of chancellor and the first German head of government to have grown up in socialist East Germany..

Source : DW

Correct Answer :   IIT Roorkee

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Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Science and Technology Centre for Disaster Reduction (NCDR), Taiwan, while the scientists and faculty members of NCDR, along with their Director Dr. Hongey Chen visited the institute.

This MoU Aims : To develop scientific and academic cooperation and scientific research to promote relations and mutual understanding between NCDR and the Centre of Excellence in Disaster Mitigation and Management (CoEDMM) of IIT Roorkee.

The key objective of the MoU is mutually developing technology solutions to natural hazards, including earthquakes, landslides, floods, debris flow, and compound disasters.

IIT Roorkee and NCDR Aim : To co-establish an early warning sensor network equipped with P-Alert sensors at selected locations in Uttarakhand.

Prof K K Pant, Director IIT Roorkee, highlighted, “Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is an integral part of social and economic development, and this would be a lasting cooperation of IIT Roorkee with the National Science and Technology Centre for Disaster Reduction (NCDR), Taiwan in development of sustainable mitigation of natural hazards for the future. We recognize building resilient infrastructure and reaffirm the interrelationship between disaster risk reduction and sustainable development."

Dr. Hongey Chen, Director, National Science and Technology Centre for Disaster Reduction (NCDR), Taiwan, emphasized, “It is important to work in tandem with the South Asia Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (SAADRI), and we are thankful to IIT Roorkee in promoting disaster risk management and capacity-building programs by introducing advanced science and technology.”

The MoU signing ceremony is followed by a Technical workshop on Earthquake Early Warning Systems (EEWS). In India, the nation’s first Earthquake Early Warning System (EEWS), namely Uttarakhand Earthquake Early Warning System (UEEWS), is established at the IIT Roorkee. At present, the alert system is active only within Uttarakhand, India. The EEWS should be extended to other regions within and outside India. This being the motivation of SAADRI and CoEDMM IIT Roorkee, Prof. K. K. Pant congratulated the organizers and wished the event a grand success..

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   New York

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New York City has emerged as the wealthiest city in the world, with 340,000 resident millionaires, according to a new report published by Henley & Partners and New World Wealth 2023.

* The report analysed the number of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) with investable wealth of over USD 1 million, and found that cities in the USA and China dominated the Top 10 list.

* Only one European city, London, made it onto the list, dropping down to 4th place with 258,000 resident HNWIs.

* Tokyo, which was the wealthiest city ten years ago, fell to 2nd place with 290,300 millionaires.

* The San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles came in 3rd and 6th places, with 285,000 and 205,400 resident HNWIs, respectively.

* Singapore, widely regarded as the most business-friendly city in the world and a top destination for migrating millionaires, ranked 5th with 240,100 resident millionaires. While Sydney comes in 10th place with 126,900 millionaires.

* China had three cities in the Top 10, with Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai taking 7th, 8th, and 9th places, respectively.

* Hangzhou in China topped the charts as the fastest-growing city for resident millionaires, with 105 percent growth between 2012 and 2022..

Source : CNBC