Correct Answer :   India-Bangladesh

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Saturday (18th March 2023) jointly inaugurated the India-Bangladesh friendship diesel pipeline.

The pipeline will start a new chapter in India-Bangladesh relations, PM Modi said at the inauguration.

The foundation stone for the construction of this pipeline was laid by both the prime ministers in September 2018.

Numaligarh Refinery Limited has been supplying petroleum products to Bangladesh since 2015. This is the second cross-border energy pipeline between India and its neighbours.

According to the Prime Minister Office, the cooperation in the power and energy sector has become one of the hallmarks of India-Bangladesh relations.

Bangladesh is India’s top-most development partner and its largest trade partner in the region.

The operationalisation of the Friendship Pipeline will enhance ongoing energy cooperation between the two countries and will further growth in Bangladesh, particularly in the agriculture sector..

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   Punjab

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The Punjab AAP government has cancelled the 813 gun licenses across the state in a bid to clamp down on the “gun culture” in the state, Punjab Urban Housing, and Development Minister Aman Arora said during a press conference on 12th March 2023.

* Rules have to be followed for keeping a gun. Now there is a ban on carrying and displaying weapons in public functions, religious places, marriage ceremonies, or any other events in Punjab. Random checking will be done in different areas in the coming days,” the AAP leader said, hinting at a “complete ban on those glorifying violence and weapons.

* Arora added that as of date there are a total of 3,73,053 arms licenses in Punjab but the government is continuously taking action to end gun culture.


Why is Punjab clamping down on gun culture?

The Punjab government has been under pressure from the opposition over “worsening” law and order after the murders of kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal Ambian in March 2022, singer Sidhu Moosewala in May 2022, the November 2022 killings of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri and Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Singh.

The state’s recent move to suspend licenses is one in a series of similar measures undertaken by the state previously. On November 13, 2022, the Punjab government ordered a complete ban on the public display of weapons and songs glorifying violence..

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   Brazil

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The geology of Brazil’s volcanic Trindade Island has fascinated scientists for years, but the discovery of rocks made from plastic debris in this remote turtle refuge is sparking alarm.

Melted plastic has become intertwined with rocks on the island, located 1,140 km (708 miles) from the southeastern state of Espirito Santo, which researchers say is evidence of humans’ growing influence over the earth’s geological cycles.

The pollution on this island comes from fishing nets, which are very common debris on Trinidad Island’s beaches..

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   GAIL India

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GAIL (India) Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shell Energy India Private Limited to explore prospects of importing and handling of ethane and other hydrocarbons.

* It is primarily used as petrochemical feedstock and is separated from the other components of natural gas in most well-developed gas fields.

* In a bid towards diversification of the feedstock for its petrochemical plant, country’s largest gas firm is looking to import ethane from ethane-surplus countries with matured export terminal infrastructure, GAIL announced on Friday (17th March 2023).

* It will be transported further through GAIL’s 14,830 km of natural gas pipelines to demand centres.

* Reliance Industries has also begun to import ethane from the United States (US) to replace natural gas and naphtha as fuel at its petrochemical plants. Ethane is expected to be produced in large volumes in North America due to the shale gas revolution, which has generated an abundance of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

* Ethane is mainly used to produce ethylene, which is then used by the petrochemical industry to produce a range of intermediate products, most of which, are converted into plastics, packaging films, wire coatings, squeeze bottles and synthetic rubber, among others...

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   G Krishnakumar

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G Krishnakumar has taken over as the new chairman and managing director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), the company said on Friday (17th March 2023).

* Krishnakumar, an electrical and electronics engineer from National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli and a postgraduate in finance management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, was executive director in the company before his elevation.

* Government headhunter, the Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) had, in December last year, picked up Krishnakumar over company's Director (Finance) Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta, Director (Refineries) S Khanna, and Director (Marketing) Sukhmal Kumar Jain.

* A company statement said Krishnakumar has taken over as the chairman and managing director of the company.

* He is an avid quizzer and a voracious reader. He is also a passionate cricket fan and a golfer.

* Krishnakumar replaces Arun Kumar Singh, who retired as chairman in October 2022. Post that, Gupta was holding additional charge of the chairman.

* Krishnakumar will hold the position of chairman and managing director till April 2025 or until any further notice, whichever is earlier, according to an official order..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Kerala

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According to the Ministry of Education, Bihar has the lowest literacy rate in India at 61.8%, followed by Arunachal Pradesh at 65.3% and Rajasthan at 66.1%.

* Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India at 94%, followed by Lakshadweep at 91.85% and Mizoram at 91.33%.

* Union Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi shared this information in response to a written question in Lok Sabha.

* The literacy rate in rural India is 67.77% compared to 84.11% in urban India.

The Adult Literacy Rate: The Samagra Shiksha Scheme :

* To improve adult literacy rates, a centrally sponsored scheme called Saakshar Bharat was implemented in rural areas of 404 districts in 26 states and one union territory, which had a female literacy rate of 50% or below according to Census 2001.

* The scheme aimed to raise the overall literacy rate of the country to 80% and reduce the gender gap to 10% points by the end of the XII five year plan. The programme was prolonged to March 31, 2018.

* The Samagra Shiksha Scheme aims to provide universal access and retention in education, bridging gender and social category gaps, and enhancing learning levels from pre-school to senior secondary levels.

* The central government assists states and union territories in implementing the Samagra Shiksha Scheme as a program...

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   Svaya Robotics

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The indigenous robots and wearable exoskeletons were developed by Hyderabad-based Svaya Robotics in collaboration with the DRDO Labs,  Research and Development Establishment (R&DE), Pune, and the Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL), Bengaluru, as technology demonstrators with their design inputs.

* Both are dual-use robots and have multiple use cases in both Industry and healthcare.

Quadruped robots :

* They are four-legged robots that can walk or run on uneven and rough terrains.
* The robots can carry 25 kg in payload and walk along with the soldier.
* It is made for navigating in unstructured terrains to provide remote reconnaissance and inspection, which otherwise are not safe for humans to operate in.

Exoskeleton :

* It is developed to suit Indian soldiers’ anthropometry and augment soldier strength for walking long distances.
* These active exoskeletons, when worn by soldiers, can carry heavy loads without expending much effort..

Source : New Indian Express

Correct Answer :   Kavilmadam Ramaswami Parvathy

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India’s Kavilmadam Ramaswami Parvathy, who has served in leading roles at the World Food Programme in Türkiye and Afghanistan, has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan.

* Parvathy took up her new post as Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan Wednesday (15th March 2023), following the appointment by the Secretary-General and confirmation from the host Government, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

* “We remain with full gender parity among our 130 Resident Coordinators,” Dujarric said.

* Parvathy brings more than 30 years of experience in development and humanitarian sectors, focusing on strategic planning, performance, risk management, people management, conflict analysis and humanitarian access negotiations, a statement issued here said.

* Prior to her appointment as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Parvathy served as Representative and Country Director for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Türkiye, addressing the food and nutrition needs of the most vulnerable people.

* In this role, she led the emergency response of WFP, providing much-needed food assistance to hundreds of thousands of earthquake-affected people immediately in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in the southeast region of Türkiye.

* Parvathy actively contributed to the UN multi-sectoral response in support of the efforts of the government to provide emergency assistance to the earthquake-affected people.

* Previously, Parvathy has worked as Representative and Country Director for WFP in Liberia and as Deputy Country Director (Programme and Operations) for WFP in Afghanistan. In other career assignments, Parvathy has served in the Asia Pacific, West Africa, and the regional and global headquarters of WFP, further contributing to ending hunger in the world..

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   CISF

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Union Home Ministry has announced a 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The Home Ministry announced the relief for former Agniveers via a notification after amending rules under the Central Industrial Security Force Act, of 1968.

The Home Ministry also announced a relaxation in the upper age limit for ex-Agniveers depending on their batch. The upper age limit for candidates of the first batch shall be relaxed by up to five years whereas the upper age limit for candidates of other batches shall be relaxed by up to three years, as per the Home Ministry notification. It further said that they will also be exempt from the physical efficiency test.

In case you have joined the armed forces at the upper age limit of 21 years under the Agnipath scheme, you can still be recruited by the CISF till 30 years of age after four years of service in the Army or Navy or Air Force in case you belong to the first batch. For those belonging to the second batch, this age limit has been extended to 28 years of age.

List of relaxations for Agniveers in CISF recruitment provided by Home Ministry :

* Upper age limit waiver of up to five years for candidates belonging to first batch

* Upper age limit relaxed by up to three years for candidates belonging to other batches

* Exemption from physical efficiency test

* Those belonging to the first batch and entering the armed forces at 21 years of age can be recruited till 30 years of age

* Those belonging to the second batch and entering the armed forces at 21 years of age can be recruited till 28 years of age

* ‘Last week, the Home Ministry had announced similar measures for recruitments in the Border Security Force (BSF).

Agnipath Scheme :  Central government unveiled the recruitment scheme for Armed Forces aimed at youths between 17-and-a-half years of age and 21 years of age on a four-year short-term contractual basis.

Source : Business Today

Correct Answer :   Singapore Changi Airport

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Singapore Changi Airport reclaimed its top spot after a hiatus of two years on the annual ranking of the world’s best airports announced on Wednesday (15th March 2023) at the World Airport Awards held at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Amsterdam.

Skytrax, a leading UK-based airline and airport review and ranking site released the rankings.

Notably, the airport previously topped Skytrax’s list for eight years in a row before dropping a couple of spots down the list in 2021 and 2022.

Check out the world’s top 20 airports for 2023 :

* Singapore Changi Airport
* Hamad International Airport
* Tokyo International Airport (Haneda)
* Incheon International Airport
* Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
* Istanbul Airport
* Munich Airport
* Zurich Airport
* Narita International Airport
* Madrid-Barajas Airport
* Vienna International Airport
* Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
* Rome Fiumicino Airport
* Copenhagen Airport
* Kansai International Airport
* Chubu Centrair International Airport
* Dubai International Airport
* Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
* Melbourne Airport
* Vancouver International Airport.

Source : Indian Express