Correct Answer :   Piyush Goyal

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Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal along with Hon'ble Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Government of Canada, will co-chair the discussions for the sixth India- Canada Ministerial Dialogue on Trade and Investment (MDTI) 8th May 2023 in Ottawa.

* MDTI is a bilateral mechanism which provides institutional mechanism to discuss a broad spectrum of trade and investment related issues and cooperation areas.

* The Dialogue will focus on various themes including strengthening the Bilateral Trade Relationship between India and Canada, Investment Promotion and Cooperation, Green Transition – including Critical Minerals discussion and new Areas of Cooperation such as promoting B2B engagements.

* The Ministers will also review India-Canada CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) negotiations. At the last MDTI meeting in March 2022, both Ministers launched the CEPA negotiations with a possibility to have an interim agreement or EPTA (Early Progress Trade Agreement). Since then, seven rounds of negotiations have been held.

* The Minister will also be visiting Toronto from 9th to 10th May 2023, where he will have various engagements to promote trade & investment. These engagements will include meetings with CEOs of key Canadian companies, Round Table of Indian and Canadian CEOs, interaction with Canadian and Indian companies based in Canada and Financial Sector Round table etc. The Minister would be accompanied by a delegation of Indian CEOs led by FICCI.

* The Minister will inaugurate the Indian Pavilion at SIAL CANADA-2023, which is the largest food innovation trade show in North America with participation of more than 1000 national & international exhibitors from 50 countries.

* The event will address the needs of the retail, food service & food processing industries. At SIAL Canada, Indian business participation consists of delegation from Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

* There will also be a Trade and Investment Promotion Event for the Agricultural and Food Processing sector with Indian companies and Canadian importers on the sidelines of SIAL-2023. This event is likely to be attended by 200 companies..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Nityanand Rai

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Union Minister Nityanand Rai inaugurated the Dawki Land Port in Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district to promote trade and commerce between India and Bangladesh.

* The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs inaugurated the land port on Thursday (4th May 2023) in the presence of Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar.

* Rai said the land port is expected to boost the tourism and business sectors.

* "This (port) has been made keeping in mind the two countries' requirements. It has good infrastructure, a slew of facilities such as godown, canteen, cargo for tourists and electric substation. The aim is to bring together all the agencies and stakeholders under a single roof," he said.

* The Dawki Land Port is located in West Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, 55 km from the district headquarters, Jowai, and about 84 km from Meghalaya's capital Shillong. The corresponding Land Port in Bangladesh is Tamabil, located in the Sylhet district.

* The Dawki Land port will serve as a vital trade and transportation hub between India and Bangladesh and will facilitate the movement of goods, people, and vehicles across the border. It will also facilitate passenger movement across the border..

Source : Republic World

Correct Answer :   Neera Tanden

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* United States President Joe Biden on Friday (5th May 2023) named Indian-American "Neera Tanden" as his Domestic Policy Advisor to help him craft and implement his domestic policy agenda.

* Tanden replaces Susan Rice as Biden's Domestic Policy Advisor.

* "Tanden will be the first Asian-American to lead any of the three major White House policy councils in history," Biden said.

* Tanden currently serves as Senior Advisor to President Biden and Staff Secretary.

* She served in both the Obama and Clinton administrations, as well as presidential campaigns and think tanks.

* Tanden previously served as senior advisor for health reform at the Department of Health and Human Services..

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   May 7

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World Athletics Day is observed every year on May 7 to mark the importance of athletes and sportspersons globally.

World Athletics Day 2023 Theme : The theme for World Athletics Day 2023 is 'Athletics for All – A New Beginning'.

World Athletics Day History : World Athletics Day was established by the late Primo Nebiolo, the then-president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The first World Athletics Day was held on May 15, 1996, with the participation of over 50 countries. The IAAF, founded in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 17, 1912, is known as World Athletics since 2019. Headquartered in Monaco, it is the premier international governing body for athletics and athletes.

World Athletics Day 2023 Significance :  The aim of World Athletics Day 2023 on May 7 is to promote the importance of athletics as a sport and encourage young and school children to take up athletics. World Athletics Day was also established to promote inclusivity in sport. The day celebrates and promotes maximum participation of people in athletics, including school athletics, running, and social responsibility..

Source : Economic Times

Correct Answer :   KITS Warangal

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The Centre for Innovation Incubation Research and Entrepreneurship (C-i2 RE) was inaugurated 5th May 2023 by IT Minister K Taraka Ramarao at the Kakatiya Institute of Technology & Science (KITS) Warangal campus in Telangana.

* On the occasion, the Minister said, the Centre will promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the student community to inculcate research and innovative skills among the students, faculty, and young researchers.

* Over five crore rupees have been invested in the necessary infrastructural facilities.  He said, the Centre will be helpful to design live projects for the benefit of society.

* The main objective of the Innovation Centre is to face the latest Engineering, technological and entrepreneurship challenges in the 21st Century and to adopt advanced technologies. KITS Warangal is known for its quality education and the ethical behaviour of students in their place of work..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   BharatPe

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BharatPe Group, has announced that it will be rebranding Payback India, multi-brand loyalty program to Zillion.

* This new brand identity is in line with the company’s vision to make Zillion ubiquitous to loyalty and rewards across the country.

* Aim : The new brand identity aims to target customers across age groups and add a new dimension to their overall shopping experience, across categories and brands.

* Zillion will offer a wide range of options for customers to earn and redeem at a wide range of partners across the country. The customers will be able to earn ‘Zillion coins’ for their routine spends, that will in turn add a moment of delight in their life.

* The Zillion logo incorporates this, signifying experiencing joy of spark and finding ‘aha’ moments everywhere. Customers will be able to earn Zillion coins across the network of offline and online partners, including groceries, fuel, entertainment, travel, apparel and more..

Source : Brand Equity

Correct Answer :   New Delhi

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National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in association with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) organized the ‘River-Cities Alliance (RCA) Global Seminar: Partnership for Building International River-Sensitive Cities’ in New Delhi on 4th May 2023.

Aim : The purpose of the RCA Global Seminar was to provide a platform for officials of member cities and international stakeholders to discuss and learn good practices for managing urban rivers.

* The RCA Global Seminar witnessed participation from Embassies/High Commissions of select countries and their respective river cities in order to highlight objectives, achievements, and potential collaborative outcomes of RCA.

* State Missions for Clean Ganga (SMCGs) and funding agencies like World Bank, ADB, JICA & KfW also were part of the discussions.

* The RCA Global Seminar was presided over by Mr. G. Asok Kumar, Director General (NMCG).  

* Addressing the gathering, Mr. G. Asok Kumar expressed happiness on the increase in number of cities joining the RCA and the immense interest NMCG has been able to generate on this issue.

* He noted that the trickle started with the Urban River Management Plan and has been flowing ever since. He emphasized the importance of issues related to climate change and urban water management, and how urban planners have a serious challenge at hand. “Climate change is a reality. We can see it now in Delhi where in the month of May we are needing blankets”..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Haryana-eSamiksha portal

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Haryana Government will be introducing a new feature on the Haryana-eSamiksha portal to enable Administrative Secretaries and Head of Departments to monitor the follow-up action taken on decisions made during their meetings and presentations.

* This was discussed during a meeting led by the Chief Secretary, Mr. Sanjeev Kaushal, along with officers from the Human Resource Department and National Informatics Centre.

* Mr. Kaushal informed that the portal will provide updates on file number, meeting date, chairperson, meeting description, and other documents such as the minutes of meeting (MOM), which can be accessed by officers of the concerned departments.

* Additionally, the portal facilitates the automatic tracking of action points, proposals, issues, projects, schemes, and targets, starting from online submission to compliance.

* He said, the new feature will enhance the monitoring and tracking of important decisions thereby increasing accountability and transparency in the administrative processes...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Manipur

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The Centre has “taken over” control of security in violence-hit Manipur on Friday (5th May 2023) by deploying 12 companies, comprising around 1,000 personnel, of the Border Security Force (BSF) and airlifting anti-riot vehicles to the northeastern State, even as stray incidents of violence and looting were reported from parts of the State.

* Around 3,200 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, as well as Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) teams have been deployed since Thursday (4th May 2023).

* Article 355 of the Indian Constitution is a part of emergency provisions contained in Part XVIII of the Constitution of India, from Article 352 to 360.

* It encourages the centre to take all necessary steps to protect the state against internal disturbances and external aggression.

* It empowers the Centre to take necessary steps to protect a state...

Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer :   Narendra Modi

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted French President Emmanuel Macron's invitation to be the guest of honour at France's traditional military parade held during Bastille day, on 14th July 2023, the French presidency said on Friday (5th May 2023).

* "An Indian armed forces contingent will take part in the parade alongside French forces", the presidency said in the statement, adding Modi's visit will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the "strategic partnership" between France and India.

* "This historic visit will also allow joint initiatives to take on the big challenges of our time, such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and the achievement of sustainable development targets."

* Bastille Day is named after the fall of a fortress that symbolized the French revolution of 1789.

* PM Modi will be 2nd Indian PM to be the guest of honour after Manmohan Singh in 2009..

Source : Reuters