Correct Answer :   10%

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India plans to give green hydrogen fuel producers incentives worth at least 10% of their costs under a $2 billion scheme set to begin before the end of June 2023.

* New Delhi this year (2023) approved a 174.9 billion rupee incentive plan to promote green hydrogen in a bid to cut carbon dioxide emissions and become a major exporter in the sector.

* The government will give incentives worth at least 30 Indian rupees per kilogram (kg) for production of green hydrogen fuel, the official, who is directly involved but did not want to be identified because the discussions are private, told Reuters.

* The cost of manufacturing green hydrogen, which is made using renewable energy rather than power derived from fossil fuels, in India is currently at about 300 rupees per kilogram.

* The total incentive plan for the sector, the government will award about 130 billion rupees for producing green hydrogen and rest will be for manufacturing electrolysers, which are used to split hydrogen and oxygen molecules using electricity.

* India has set targets for half of its installed electricity capacity to be from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 and for the country to attain net-zero carbon emissions by 2070...

Source : India Times

Correct Answer :   250 GW

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The government on Wednesday (5th April 2023) announced a plan to add 250 GW of renewable energy capacity in the next five years to achieve its target of 500 GW of clean energy by 2030.

* The government has decided to invite bids for 50 GW of renewable energy capacity annually for the next five years, i.e., from fiscal 2023–24 to fiscal 2027–28, a Ministry of New and Renewable Energy statement said.

* These annual bids of interstate transmission-connected renewable energy capacity will also include the setting up of wind power capacity of at least 10 GW per annum, it stated.

* The plan finalised by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy at a meeting chaired by Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy R. K. Singh last week is in accordance with the Prime Minister’s announcement at COP26 of achieving 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel (renewable energy and nuclear) sources by 2030.

* India currently has a total renewable energy capacity of 168.96 GW (as of Feb. 28, 2023) with about 82 GW at various stages of implementation and about 41 GW under tender.

* This includes 64.38 GW of solar power, 51.79 GW of hydropower, 42.02 GW of wind power, and 10.77 GW of biopower.

* Considering the fact that renewable energy projects take around 18–24 months for commissioning, the bid plan will add 250 GW of renewable energy and ensure 500 GW of installed capacity by 2030.

* The Ministry of Power is already working on upgrading and adding the transmission system capacity for evacuating 500 GW of electricity from non-fossil fuels, it stated...

Source : BQ Prime

Correct Answer :   India

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India has been elected to the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2024.

* India received a resounding 46 out of 53 votes, ahead of South Korea (23), China (19), and UAE (15).

* India was elected by secret ballot while Argentina, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Ukraine, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the United States of America were elected by acclamation.

* UNSC is the highest body of the global statistical system...

Source : India Times

Correct Answer :   J P Chalasani

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JP Chalasani became the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company (Suzlon Energy) on Wednesday (5th April 2023). Ashwini Kumar resigned from the post due to personal reasons, said the company in its stock filings.

* The announcement of the the successor of the CEO position of the company was held after the meeting of the Board of Directors held on Tuesday (4th April 2023).

* The board approved the appointment of JP Chalasani as the CEO with immediate effect. J P Chalasani was at key managerial positions of the company for a very long time. He had been the Group CEO of Suzlon Energy for the period from April 2016 to to July 2020.

* The company shares were trading 0.25 per cent lower at ₹8.07 per share during intraday trade on BSE on Wednesday (5th April 2023).

About JP Chalasani : Chalasani managed the Group CEO position at Suzlon between April 2016 to July 2020. Even after that, he continued to lead the company as Strategic Advisor to the Suzlon Group.

* In 40 years of carreer, Chalasani has worked in companies like Lloyd, Reliance, NTPC, etc. He has a vast experience in the public and private sector across the entire gamut of the power sector.

* During his 18 years of tenure in the Reliance group, he worked in a number of assignments for the group and also brought major changes in its functioning at different levels.

* J P Chalasani joined the Reliance Group (undivided) as a Vice President in 1995. In 2003, he was appointed to the Board of Reliance Infrastructure as Director Business Development along with Anil Ambani. Chalasani started working for the ADAG group after the demerger of the Reliance Group...

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   Karnataka

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In India Justice Report (IJR) 2022 the State of Karnataka has achieved the top rank among the 18 large and mid-sized States with populations over one crore, as per the justice delivery namely Police, Judiciary, Prisons, and Legal Aid.

* The State of Tamil Nadu has ranked in second position and Telangana in Third. The State of Uttar Pradesh is at rank 18 which is the lowest.

* The State of Gujarat has got the fourth position and Andhra Pradesh is at slot five as per the report which was released on 4th April 2023 in New Delhi.

* The list of Seven Small States with a population less than one crore each, was topped by Sikkim which was ranked second in 2020. Sikkim has been followed by Arunachal Pradesh which was at rank 5 in 2020 [2020 and Tripura is at rank three].

* Tripura was at the rank one in 2020. In this list, the State of Goa is at rank Seven which is the lowest. The India Justice Report (IJR) was initiated by Tata Trusts in 2019, and this is the third edition.

* The foundation’s partners include the Centre for Social Justice, Common Cause, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, DAKSH, TISS-Prayas, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and How India Lives, IJR’s data partner.

* This report is based on 24-month quantitative research. The IJR 2022, like the previous two, has tracked the performance of States in capacitating their Justice delivery structures to effectively deliver mandated services.

* Based on the latest official statistics, from authoritative government sources, the report brings together otherwise siloed data on the four pillars of Justice delivery namely Police, Judiciary, Prisons, and Legal Aid.

* Each pillar was analysed through the prism of budgets, human resources, workload, diversity, infrastructure, and trends against the state’s own declared standards and benchmarks.

* This third IJR also separately assesses the capacity of the 25 State Human Rights Commissions in the country...

Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer :   Nagaland

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Kohima, the capital of Nagaland is hosting the fourth and final B20 sessions organised in the Northeast as part of the G20 dialogue forum for the global business community today(5th April 2023).

* About 60 delegates from 27 countries are participating B20 meeting including five Ambassadors from Cuba, Iceland, Jamaica, Paraguay, one Deputy Head of Missions from Estonia, and two Council Generals from Costa Rica and Germany. 

* Besides, 24 diplomats, 39 overseas industry and 3 diplomats from G20 countries who are of Indian Origin are also participating in the event.

* Addressing the inaugural session, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh exuded confidence that this Business 20 event in Nagaland, will give the business community a unique opportunity to know North East and examine opportunities in North East from close quarters.

* Later in the evening, the visiting delegates would be given an experience of Naga culture and tradition through the Mini Hornbill  festival at the Naga Heritage Village Kisama..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Both (A) and (B)

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On April 3, 2022, the Benarasi Paan, which was featured in Amitabh Bachchan’s famous song “Khaike Paan Benaras Wala,” was granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

* This means that these products have unique qualities specific to their respective regions.

* The Benarasi Paan, known for its distinct taste and unique blend of ingredients, has been awarded the GI tag along with three other Varanasi-based products: Banarasi Langda Mango, Ramnagar Bhanta (Brinjal), and Adamchini Rice.

* The expert Rajinikant, who is a Padma Awardee in GI, has confirmed the designation of these products.

* GI status helps in promoting and protecting the unique identity and quality of traditional products from a specific region, and can also help in boosting the local economy by increasing the demand for these products.

* It’s good to see that the government and organizations like NABARD are working towards promoting and protecting traditional products from different parts of India.

* Geographical Indication (GI) tag is a form of intellectual property protection that is used to recognize products originating from a particular geographical area, and which possess qualities or a reputation that are unique to that area.

* The GI tag indicates that the product has a particular quality, reputation or other characteristic that is essentially attributable to its origin in that region. It helps to protect the unique identity of such products, and to promote their marketing and export. The GI tag is granted by the Geographical Indications Registry, which operates under the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry...

Source : Business Today

Correct Answer :   April 5, 2023

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National Maritime Day is celebrated on April 5 across the country to commemorate the sailing of the first Indian commercial vessel, SS Loyalty. The ship sailed from Mumbai to London.

* National Maritime Day is meant to appreciate the contribution of maritime trade to the growth of the Indian economy and the significance of India's strategic location in international trade.

* National Maritime Day History :  The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways started this day in 1964. This year will mark the 60th National Maritime Day.

* National Maritime Day Significance :  This day is considered to be very important for the maritime sector and it is observed annually to honour the history, ongoing development, and forward-looking vision.

* The purpose of National Maritime Day is to recognise and honour the significant contribution that the maritime industry makes to the growth of the Indian economy. On this day, an annual award ceremony is organised to honour the many players in the shipping sector. The Sagar Samman Varuna Award is given for outstanding contribution to the maritime sector.

* National Maritime Day 2023 Theme : The government announces a theme for National Maritime Day every year. The theme for the 60th maritime day has not been announced as yet. Last year, the theme was ‘Sustainable Shipping beyond COVID-19.’

* Maritime India Vision 2030 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the ‘Maritime India Vision 2030’ in November 2020 at the Maritime India Summit. It is a 10-year blueprint for the development of the Indian maritime sector.

* The vision seeks to improve India's waterways, support the shipbuilding sector, and promote cruise tourism...

Source : CNBC TV

Correct Answer :   Ajay Bhatt

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The decision to induct women officers in the Artillery was taken on March 20, Minister of State for Defence, "Ajay Bhatt" informed the Lok Sabha on March 31, 2023.

* He was replying to a question by BJP MP from Vadodara, Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt, who had asked whether the government proposes to include women in the Artillery units and if so, the steps taken in this regard so far.

* Government has approved the induction of women in the Regiment of Artillery on March 20, 2023, the minister said in his one line reply.

* General Manoj Pande, the Chief of Army Staff, in January had announced that a proposal to induct woman officers in the Regiment of Artillery had been sent to the government. The General had said at the time that gender empowerment in the Army is a focus area and that women are expected to do very well in the Artillery.

* The exact number of woman officers who will be inducted into Artillery will only be known at the time of the commission of the next batch from Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai later this year.

* Artillery is a combat support arm of the Army and is the largest in size after the Infantry. The Artillery Regiments comprise various calibres of guns, surface to surface missiles, tracked guns, mortars and unmanned aerial platforms.

* On March 1, Centre also approved the induction of woman officers in Remount and Veterinary Corps. Out of 20 officers indicted into RVC in 2023, four are women, informed Ajay Bhatt in Parliament.

* First batch of woman cadets has started training in NDA with effect from July 2022 and second batch from January 2023...

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   IIT Kanpur

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* The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur will host the Youth20 (Y20) Consultation under the G20 Presidency of India, from today (5th April 2023).

* More than one thousand two hundred youth delegates from across India and abroad will attend the two-day event.

* The Y20 Consultation is a platform that brings young people together to connect, share ideas and experiences, and deliberate on finding innovative solutions to pressing global concerns.

* The Y20 Consultation, under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, is a pan-India activity in the run up to the final Youth-20 Summit to be held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh...

Source : AIR