Correct Answer :   Bhutan

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Bhutan king "Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck" on Monday (3rd April 2023) arrived in India for a two-day visit.

* He was welcomed by Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar, who received him at the airport.

* The king will hold talks with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (4th April 2023).

* Bhutan holds strategic importance for India and the defence and security ties between the two countries have seen significant growth in the last few years..

Source : Deccan Herald

Correct Answer :   ₹35,012 Crore

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Public sector banks (PSBs) have transferred unclaimed deposits of ₹35,012 crore as of February 2023 to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad informed the Lok Sabha on Monday (3rd April 2023).

* “As per information available with the RBI, as of the end of February 2023, the total amount of unclaimed deposits transferred to RBI by PSBs in respect of deposits which have not been operated for 10 years or more was ₹35,012 crore," Karad said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

* SBI tops the list with an unclaimed amount of ₹8,086 crore, while Punjab National Bank has ₹5,340 crore and Canara Bank has ₹4,558 crore. These unclaimed deposits belong to 10.24 crore accounts transferred to the RBI.

* To a question that if SBI officials do not assist/extend any help to the family of deceased and even they do not contact the family who have submitted death certificates of deceased, the minister said, the bank provides help to family of the deceased in settling all cases of claims...

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   Bahrain

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Bahrain has taken a significant step towards incentivizing investments and job creation by launching a new initiative, the Golden Licence.

* The Golden Licence is designed to provide streamlined services and benefits to local and foreign businesses with large-scale investment projects in Bahrain.

* This initiative is a testament to Bahrain's growing investment attractiveness, as the country has recently achieved its highest real GDP growth rate in almost ten years.

* Companies with significant strategic projects and investments exceeding US$50 million or those creating more than 500 jobs in Bahrain will be eligible for the Licence.

* The Golden Licence offers various benefits, including prioritized land allocation for investments, infrastructure services, utilities, and streamlined access to government services like business licensing and building permit approval, as well as support from Tamkeen and Bahrain Development Bank.

* This initiative was introduced by Bahrain's Cabinet, chaired by Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

Aim : To attract local and international investments to create job opportunities, in line with Bahrain's Economic Recovery Plan.

* Under the Licence, companies will enjoy integrated cooperation with different government departments and a designated account manager from Bahrain's Economic Development Board. There may also be a review of existing laws and regulations where necessary and applicable.

* The Golden Licence is an essential step for Bahrain's fiscal and economic reforms to attract and incentivize investments that promote job creation and contribute to the country's economic growth where Indians constitute the country's largest expatriate groups with a population of 350,000..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Anjali Sharma

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Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has congratulated Anjali Sharma of Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh for conquering Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, wearing Luanchari.

* Lunachari is traditional dress of Himachal Pradesh.

* Anjali Sharma is working to promote Gaddi culture on the peaks of the mountains.

* Earlier, at the age of 15, Anjali had conquered the peak of 5289 meters in the first attempt.

* She has also conquered Hanuman Tibba and Pahar Deo with a height of 6001 meters.

* Lunachari is a traditional dress of Himachal Pradesh.

About Mount Kilimanjaro :

* Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s tallest mountain and the world’s largest free-standing mountain.

* It is located in Tanzania, has an elevation of 5,895 meters (19,340 ft) and is the highest peak on the African continent.

* The mountain is a snow-capped volcano.

* It is made up of three cones : Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira.

* It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

* It is also called a stratovolcano (a term for a very large volcano made of ash, lava, and rock).

Correct Answer :   $5.98 Billion to $578.78 Billion

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India's foreign exchange reserves rose $5.98 billion to $578.78 billion as on March 24, 2023, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data showed on Friday (31st April 2023).

* Data for the previous week showed that India's foreign exchange reserves rose to $572.8 billion, the highest level since early February.

* India's foreign currency assets (FCA), the biggest component of the forex reserves, saw a rise of $4.38 billion to $509.72 billion.

* India's gold reserves rose by $1.37 billion to $45.48 billion while SDRs and India's reserve position in the IMFs saw an increase of $18.41 million and $5.15 million each.

* At the start of the last year 2022, the overall forex reserves were at about $633 billion. Much of the decline can be attributed to RBI's recent intervention and a rise in the cost of imported goods.

* Indian rupee firmed against the dollar on Friday (31st April 2023) on likely fiscal year-end related inflows and strength in local equity markets. The rupee finished at 82.1650 per dollar, compared to its previous close of 82.3375.

* The currency halted a five-quarter long losing run with gains of 0.67%, while for the overall financial year it declined 7.8%, its biggest loss since 2020.

* Indian equities rallied 1.6% on the last day of the fiscal year, as most Asian shares rose and European stocks opened higher after fears over a wider banking crisis seemed to abate...

Source : Economic Times

Correct Answer :   France

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France has invited PM Narendra Modi to visit Paris as a guest at the annual Bastille Day parade, which will be held in July 2023.

The PM and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to discuss several major agreements including those on the Indo-Pacific region, nuclear power, and defense, as the two countries mark the 25th year of their strategic partnership.

Earlier, Manmohan Singh was invited as the b Day parade guest in 2009.

About Bastille Day Parade :
 
* The Bastille Day military parade is a French military parade held on the morning of 14 July each year in Paris since 1880.

* It is one of the oldest regular military parades in the world.

* The fall of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 is widely regarded as the beginning of the French Revolution.

* The Bastille was a fortress prison located in the heart of Paris, which became a symbol of royal tyranny and oppression...

Source : The Hndu

Correct Answer :   Odisha

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Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik released Rs 877 crore to the accounts of over 43 lakh farmers through direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode on the occasion of Utkal Divas (1st April 2023).  

* The state government extended another round of funds to Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) for undertaking kharif operation.

* However, farmers of the by-election bound Jharsuguda district did not receive the KALIA benefit in view of the model code of conduct in force.

* Congratulating the farmers on the occasion of the formation of Odisha as a separate state, the chief minister said the development of the state is closely linked with the welfare of the farmers.

* While emphasising on crop diversification, the CM said the state government has taken host of measures for the development of agriculture sector. The need of the hour is farm mechanisation and use of modern technology to increase productivity and income of the farmers.

* In a bid to increase production of nutritious food, the state government has launched several grain-based schemes on mission mode. He advised the farming community to go for crop diversification in a big way.

* Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Ranendra Pratap Swain said the KALIA has made the farmers self-reliant and freed them from the clutches of private money lenders.The state government is providing financial assistance of Rs 4,000 in two instalments during kharif and rabi seasons to partly meet the input cost.

About KALIA scheme :

It was launched in December 2018.

Aim : To reduce poverty and accelerate agricultural prosperity.

Source : New Indian Express

Correct Answer :   3rd April 2023

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Former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court Thottathil B Radhakrishnan passed away at a private hospital in Kochi early this morning (3rd April 2023). He was 63.

* Justice Radhakrishnan also served as the Chief Justice of Telangana, Hyderabad and Chattisgarh High Courts and was a  judge of the Kerala High Court.

* An expert in civil, constitutional and administrative matters, he also chaired the expert committee formed by the Kerala Forest Department to conduct field studies and record details of houses, commercial establishments and other structures that surround wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in the state...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Reserve Bank of India

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The Reserve Bank of India has appointed Neeraj Nigam as executive director, effective 3rd April 2023, the central bank said in a release.

* Prior to this, Nigam was heading the Bhopal office of the central bank as regional director.

* Nigam will oversee the departments of consumer education and security, financial inclusion and development, legal, and secretary in his capacity as executive director.

* In the RBI's central office as well as regional offices, Nigam has more than three decades of expertise in regulation and supervision, human resource management, property management, currency management, bank accounts, and other areas...

Source : Freepress Journal

Correct Answer :   Ron Malka

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Adani Group on Monday (3rd April 2023) appointed Ron Malka, former envoy of Israel to India, as the Executive Chairman of the Haifa Port Company (HPC).

* A consortium of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) and Israel's Gadot Group won the tender in July last year to privatise the strategic Port of Haifa in Israel for USD 1.18 billion.

* Malka has shared the news on his Twitter handle and said that he has assumed charge as the Executive Chairman of the company.

* Malka served as the ambassador of Israel to India from 2018 to 2021.

* The Port of Haifa is the second largest port in Israel in terms of shipping containers and the biggest in shipping tourist cruise ships.

* The Adani Group officially took over the Israeli port in January this year at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials.

* Israel expects that the Adani Group's major entry into the country will lead to more Indian investments, especially in the fields of renewable energy and defence...

Source : Economic Times