Correct Answer :   Rishikesh

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The International Yoga Festival will begin on March 1 this year (2023) in pilgrimage city Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will inaugurate this festival to be organized from 1st March  to 7 March 2023.

* Apart from learning the nuances of yoga, the festival will also provide experience for peace of mind and a healthy body. Along with this, Yoga seekers coming here will also discuss various dimensions of Yoga along with dance, music.

* The festival will start on March 1 in the presence of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj and many other guests.

* Yogacharya Padmashree Shivanand, Padmashree Bharat Bhushan and many other dignitaries will be specially present in the festival.

* Apart from this, participants will be able to learn the nuances of yoga in the presence of instructors from Isha Foundation, Art of Living, Ramamani Iyengar Smriti Yoga Institute, Kaivalyadhama, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram and Sivananda Yoga School.

* A seven-day routine will be fixed for yoga seekers and training will be given to the seekers on different subjects. Yoga sessions will be conducted daily in the morning. Apart from this, a drone show will be organized..

Source : Uttarakhand News

Correct Answer :   Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday (1st Mar 2023) launched Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and 'Swadhan-e-pension-Gov' services for Kangra Central Cooperative Bank.

* The introduction of these services would benefit thousands of account holders of the bank. The introduction of UPI service would make the bank transactions easier and quicker, especially for the elderly and those living in the remote areas.

* Sukhu lauded the efforts of the Kangra Central Cooperative Bank for the initiative and assured them of all possible help from the State Government.

* The Chief Minister also released the annual calendar of the Bank on the occasion..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Rashmi Shukla

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The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of a 1988 batch IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, Rashmi Shukla as director general of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) till her superannuation (30.06.2024), a government order said on Thursday (2nd Mar 2023).

* SSB is the border-guarding force deployed along Nepal and Bhutan border.

* Shukla, was previously posted with the Central Reserve Police (CRPF) and headed the State Intelligence Department in Maharashtra Police.

SSB overview : The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in New Delhi. Its primary mandate is to guard India's borders with Nepal and Bhutan. It is also responsible for promoting a sense of security among the people living in border areas..

Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer :   Reliance Jio

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Reliance Jio has climbed up to number two rank — up from fifth place last year — in a list of the top 10 strongest telecom brands in the world. In this post we will explore the Top 150 most valuable and strongest telecoms operator brands according to Brand Finance 2023 rankings.

As the telecommunications industry continues to grow and evolve, keeping track of who’s-who in terms of establishing a strong presence can be difficult. Brand Finance has compiled a list of companies based on their brand value.

Brand Finance have developed a comprehensive evaluation process to not only assess the value of brands, but also ascertain their relative strength. Utilizing best-practice ISO 20671 guidelines and up-to-date research collated from an expansive survey spanning 38 countries and 31 sectors with over 150,000 respondents – Brand Finance provide crucial insights for businesses looking to make informed decisions about brand performance.

Swisscom increased brand value by 5 percent to $6.3 billion and is the strongest telecoms brand with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 92.

It is the third strongest brand globally and earns an elite AAA+ brand rating. It recently announced its new Fixed Wireless Access 5G service for business customers which is a continuation of its pioneering work in the European 5G market.

Swisscom stands apart from other telco brands due to its robust combination of trust, coverage, and network perceptions. Furthermore, Swisscom’s immensely appreciated customer service has earned it a high brand strength index score that confirms its excellence in the telecommunications industry.

Indian brand Jio is the second-strongest telecoms brand having a brand strength index score of 90/100 and earning an elite AAA+ rating. It increased its brand value up to 6 percent to $5.4 billion; a two-point rise from last year.

The brand focused on rolling out of 5G in India, and is now extending coverage to 257 cities in the country and looking to further increase this at a rapid rate.

5G services have already generated widespread benefits to Indian consumer and in sectors like education, healthcare and agriculture.

These benefits and the growth opportunities presented by Jio’s 5G network have helped Jio build an extremely strong brand strength index score. It is one of only two AAA+ rated telecoms brands in the ranking.

Etisalat by e& rose its brand value by 4 percent to $10.5 billion and is the third strongest telecoms brand globally with a BSI score of 89.1 out of 100...

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Madya Pradesh

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Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated 7 National Highway projects worth Rs 2,444 crore, totaling 204 km in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh.

Key Points :

Churhat Tunnel and Bypass : The length between Rewa to Sidhi has decreased by 7 km with the construction of the Churhat tunnel and bypass. The travel time has been reduced from two and a half hours to just 45 minutes.

The tunnel will also protect the forest ecosystem and the movement of vehicles in the Rewa-Sidhi section will be facilitated.

Devtalab-Naigarhi Road : The connectivity of Rewa district with Prayagraj and Varanasi will be easier with the construction of the Devtalab-Naigarhi road.

Satna-Bela Four-lane Road : The connectivity for coal, cement, and diamond industries in the region will become easier with the construction of the Satna-Bela four-lane road.

The journey from Satna to Rewa can now be completed in 40 minutes and access to famous tourist places like Jhansi, Orchha, Khajuraho, Panna, and Satna will be easy.


Four-lane Rewa-Sidhi Road : Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also approved the demand to make the Rewa-Sidhi Road four-lane, which will facilitate the movement of vehicles.

2-lane Bypass of Rewa : A 19 km long 2-lane bypass of Rewa to 4-lane has also been announced, which will further ease the traffic in the region.

Correct Answer :   Bola Tinubu

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Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the ruling party in Nigeria, was declared the winner and sworn in as president of Africa's most populous country in the early hours of Wednesday, 1s1 March 2023, after a weekend election that the major opposition parties have disputed.

Former governor of Lagos state, Mr. Tinubu, will take command of a nation battling Islamic insurgencies in the northeast, armed attacks, homicides, and kidnappings, strife between farmers and cattle herders, shortages of cash, fuel, and power, and enduring corruption.

According to the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), Tinubu received 8.79 million votes, surpassing Atiku Abubakar, the leading competitor, who received 6.98 million.

Younger people preferred the outsider Peter Obi, who received 6.1 million votes.

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Larsen and Toubro (L&T)

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The Indian government on Wednesday (1st March 2023) approved the purchase of three training ships cadets for $388.5 million from local private defense company Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

Defence Minister Rajnath Sigh tweeted on Wednesday (1st March 2023) that the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, endorsed the signing of a contract for the vessels.

The Ministry of Defence said it will ink the contract later this month, with deliveries to start in 2026.

The ships are to help train officer cadets at sea following basic training for the Indian Navy. India could also use the ships for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

The MoD said the ships would also provide training to cadets from friendly countries, with the aim of strengthening diplomatic relations.

The planned order is expected to bolster the Indian Navy’s training capability. The service currently operates three cadet training ships.

Larsen & Toubro won a tender for the naval program last year under the ministry’s Buy Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) procurement category, beating out five state-run shipyards :

  * Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd.

The Larsen & Toubro shipyard in the town of Kattupalli in Chennai, southern India, is to construct the three ships.

The MoD noted that with the majority of equipment and systems sourced from indigenous manufacturers, these vessels will serve as an example of India’s effort to become self-reliant.

About training ships :

The company said each training ship will be 122 meters in length and 18 meters in breadth. They are to have a displacement of 4,700 tons, the contractor added, while being able to reach a speed of 20 knots, feature an endurance of 60 days and 7,500 miles at 15 knots.

Each ship should house 20 officers, 150 sailors and 200 cadets. Additionally, they will have an bridge and a chart house dedicated for cadet training, plus three classrooms with a seating capacity of 70 in each.

The ships will also feature 75mm and 12.7mm guns, close-in-weapons with fire control systems, combat management and data link systems, and advanced composite communication technology.

Source : Defensenews

Correct Answer :   Kanyakumari

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The Asia's longest-ever cycle race was flagged off from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. The race, after covering a distance of more than three thousand kilometres, will culminate at Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu).

* Asia's longest cycle race began in Srinagar, 1st MArch 2023 as 29 cyclists including one woman set off for the first of its kind 3651-kilometre event.

* The race which has been accorded the status of Asian Ultracycling Championship by the world Ultracycling Association was flagged off today(1st MArch 2023) in Srinagar by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Shri Vijay Kumar Bidhuri.

* The Divisional Commissioner while briefing the media persons about the event said. Earlier addressing the media persons, the Project Director Jeetendra Nayak said that only 1000 km races were held till date in India and maintained that this longest race from Kashmir to Kanyakumari will certainly give an opportunity to all the ultrcyclists in India to participate in this Ultracycling event of International standards.

* The route for this cycle race will be the longest highway covering the National Highway-44 of 3651 kilometres passing through twelve major states, three major metropolitan cities and over twenty major cities of the country..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Pakistan

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Pakistan Prime Minister "Shehbaz Sharif" has appointed Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora as the Ambassador-at-Large for Kartarpur Corridor as part of efforts to attract Sikh pilgrims from across the world, a government notification said on Wednesday (1st March 2023).

* The leading Sikh leader will work in the position in an honorary capacity, the notification said.Arora hailing from Kartarpur in Narowal is also the central general secretary of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) minorities wing. His family has been associated with the protection and welfare of the Sikh holy sites at Kartarpur.

* His appointment comes as Kartarpur failed to attract the number of visitors Pakistan authorities had imagined after opening the critical holy site for Sikhs, especially those in India.

* The Kartarpur corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in the Gurdaspur district in India’s Punjab state.

* The 4 km-long corridor provides visa-free access to Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the Darbar Sahib.

* In November 2019, Prime Minister Khan formally inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor as part of the commemoration of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak at a colourful ceremony, paving the way for Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit one of their religion’s holiest sites in Pakistan without needing a visa.

* Arora, 48, was elected as a member of the provincial assembly of Punjab for the second consecutive term in 2020, according to his profile on the website of the Punjab Assembly.

* In his first tenure during 2013-18, he was the first parliamentarian in Punjab Assembly who came from the Sikh community since 1947.

Source : Outlook India

Correct Answer :   Hekani Jakhalu

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Hekani Jakhalu of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) has created history by becoming the first woman MLA of the Nagaland Assembly.

She was announced the winner from the Dimapur-III constituency in the 2023 Nagaland Assembly elections.

She defeated Azheto Zhimomi of LJP (Ram Vilas) by 1,536 votes.

Of 31,874 votes counted in the constituency, she received 45.16% of the votes, just ahead of the LJP (RV)’s Azheto Zhimomi who received 40.34% votes..

Source : Indian Express