Correct Answer :   IIT Madras

---

The first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to be set up in Africa will come up in October 2023 in Tanzania.

* IIT Madras will set up its first International campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania, with plans to to start the classes by October 2023.

* This information was shared by IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti in his presidential address at IIT Madras’ 64th Institute Day.

* In February 2023 , a team of five professors from IIT Madras visited Tanzania and held discussions with various officials on starting the campus..

Source : The Hindu Businessline

Correct Answer :   ITC Limited

---

Shares of ITC have been on a roll this year, gaining over 21 per cent since the start of this year (2023). The stock recently crossed Rs 400 per share, hitting a 52-week high.

* ITC’s market capitalization touched Rs 5 lakh crore and it became the 11th listed Indian firm to achieve the milestone.

* Some other companies that have achieved this milestone include Reliance Industries Limited, Tata Consultancy Services, HDFC Bank, Infosys, ICICI Bank, Hindustan Unilever, LIC, SBI, HDFC, and Bharti Airtel.

* The cigarettes-to-hotels conglomerate has continued to gain this year, despite the gloomy mood in domestic and global markets. On Thursday, ITC shares hit a record high of Rs 402.60 as it gained over 1 per cent during intraday trade.

* ITC, which is usually considered a safe bet by analysts, has performed well across all its business segments, including paper, FMCG, and hotels. This has attracted many investors, who seem to have found a safe bet in ITC amid worsening macroeconomic factors and dampened global cues.

* Analysts remain bullish on the stock, given its strong operating performance, and most brokerages have favourable ratings on the stock...

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   162%

---

According to Prodigy Finance’s Study Abroad Insights Report 2022, its services have received significant growth in Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions in India, where they saw an uptick of 162%.

* Cities like Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Chennai have the highest number of loan applications in 2022.

* In Tier 1 cities, Delhi saw a massive increase of 237% followed by Hyderabad.

* Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities witnessed a growth of an average of 53% and 109% respectively..

Source : Financial Express

Correct Answer :   Kerala

---

The Kerala government on Wednesday (20th April 2023) launched a project for reviving the sports culture in the State by opening quality playgrounds in every panchayat of the southern state.

* The 'One Panchayat, One Playground' project was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Kallikkad here where he said that a good sports culture was essential for building a healthy and happy society.

* The playgrounds would serve as a hub of local gatherings and social interactions. "It is with this goal in mind that the 'One Panchayat, One Playground' project has been devised," the Chief Minister said at the event.

* The project will address the lack of quality playgrounds in around 450 local bodies in the State, Vijayan said.

* Within three years, the playgrounds will be built and for the first phase of the project, a list of 113 panchayats has been prepared, the Chief Minister said.

* Each playground would cost around Rs one crore, half of which would be footed by the Sports department and the rest would be raised from the MLA and local body funds, through CSR, public private partnerships, etc,..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Manohar Lal Khattar

---

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Wednesday (20 April 2023) announced three online services to digitally empower people, and said that Persons With Disabilities (PwDs) will now get their pensionary benefits at home.

The newly launched online services are : Pro-active Divyang Pension Service, ‘Tau se Poochho’ WhatsApp chatbot and online booking of government rest houses.

These IT initiatives will prove to be a milestone in the state government’s vision of paperless and transparent governance, Khattar said here. About the Pro-active Divyang Pension Service for the physically challenged, Khattar said the government is committed to deliver all services for them at doorsteps.

Now, we have decided to give automated pension benefits to Persons With Disabilities (PwDs) and such beneficiaries will not have to visit the offices to get their benefits.

Khattar told reporters that data of PwDs having more than 60 percent disability that is available under the Parivar Pehchan Patra (family id) scheme will be certified by the Haryana Parivar Pehchan Authority every month.

The data of all such PWDs found eligible after verification will be shared with the SEWA Department, he said, adding if all beneficiaries give their consent, pension benefits will start from next month.

Referring to another service, he said the Haryana Parivar Pehchan Authority has created a WhatsApp Chatbot called ‘Tau Se Poochho’ along with a web-based chatbot solution..

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Radha Iyengar Plumb

---

The US Senate on Tuesday (18th April 2023) confirmed Indian-American "Radha Iyengar Plumb" as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense.

* She won by a vote of 68-30. "By a vote of 68-30, the Senate confirmed Executive Calendar #19 Radha Iyengar Plumb to be a Deputy Under Secretary of Defense".

* US President Joe Biden had nominated security expert Radha Iyengar Plumb to the post of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the latest Indian-American to be named for a key position.

* She is currently serving as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Defense & was nominated for the top Pentagon position in June 2022.

* Prior to her appointment as Chief of Staff, she was the Director of Research and Insights for Trust & Safety at Google and had previously served as Global Head of Policy Analysis at Facebook.

* Before her Silicon Valley work, Plumb was a senior economist at the RAND Corporation where she focused on improving the measurement and evaluation of readiness and security efforts across the Department of Defense...

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Sandeep Singh

---

Former Vice-Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sandeep Singh (Retd) has been appointed as the new Military Advisor to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).

The officer is expected to take over his new appointment on 24 April 2023.

Air Marshal Sandeep Singh was commissioned in the IAF as a fighter pilot on December 22, 1983. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and National Defence College, Singh is an Experimental Test Pilot and Cat ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor.

He has flown several aircraft and has nearly 4900 hours of operational and test flying experience on Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, MiG-21, Kiran, AN-32, AVRO, Jaguar and Mirage 2000.

He has played a key role in the induction, production and weaponisation of the Su-30 MKI aircraft in India.

He held several important field assignments in his career, including Project Test Pilot of the Su-30 Project Team at Moscow, Commanding Officer of a frontline Su-30MKI Sqn, Chief Test Pilot at ASTE, Commander of two Flying Bases, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Plans), Commandant ASTE, Senior Air Staff Officer of Eastern Air Command and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff. Singh was also the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of South Western Air Command before taking over as the VCAS.

In recognition of his meritorious services of an exceptionally high order, the Air Marshal was awarded Vayu Sena Medal in 2006, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2013 and Param Vishisht Sewa Medal in 2022. He was appointed as honorary Air ADC to the President of India on 30 September 2021...

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   Bangkok

---

The 8th India-Thailand Defence Dialogue being organized in Bangkok 20th April 2023. Special Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Nivedita Shukla Verma will co-chair the meeting with Deputy Permanent Secretary for Defence, Thailand General Nuchit Sribunsong.

During the dialogue, they will review the defence cooperation between the two countries and explore new initiatives to further strengthen bilateral engagements.

Both sides will also exchange views on regional and global issues of shared interest. India and Thailand share a strategic partnership and defence is a key pillar of this cooperation. ..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   325 million dollars

---

S President Joe Biden's administration announced 325 million dollars as the 36th security package in new military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, 19 April 2023.

It will help its military in its war against Russia. The package also includes additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) which is a missile launcher mounted on a truck that can fire multiple guided missiles in quick succession, advanced missiles and anti-tank mines, and also Patriot air defense system.

The current aid brings a total of US military assistance for the Kyiv government to more than $35.4 billion.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken briefed in a statement that this will strengthen Ukraine’s defenders on the battlefield and will include more ammunition for US-provided HIMARS and artillery rounds, as well as anti-armor systems, small arms, logistics support vehicles..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Tezpur University Assam

---

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Indian Army and Tezpur University on Wednesday (19th April 2023) for training the Indian Army personnel in the Chinese language.

Lt Col Mahendra Rawat, Defence PRO of Guwahati said that the course will be for a duration of 16 weeks and will be conducted at Tezpur University.

“The MoU was signed by HQ 4 Corps on behalf of the Indian Army and The Registrar, Tezpur University in presence of the Vice Chancellor Prof SN Singh,” Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said.

Tezpur University established in 1994 by an act of parliament as a central university is one the pioneers in the North East in the teaching of foreign languages including Chinese with highly qualified faculty.

He further said that this Chinese language course will improve the in-house Mandarin expertise and empower the army personnel to engage with the Chinese Military personnel as and when the situation demands...

Source : The Print