Correct Answer :   Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)

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* Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is planning to set up a joint venture with US-based clean energy technology company LanzaJet Inc and multiple domestic airlines for production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), people aware of the development said.

* The proposed venture will set up a plant to make SAF with alcohol-to-jet technology at the state-run company’s Panipat refinery in Haryana at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore.

* IOC will possess a 50% share, while LanzaJet Inc will hold a 25% share..

Source : India Times

Correct Answer :   Japan, India, and France

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Japan, India and France have announced a common platform for talks among bilateral creditors to coordinate restructuring of Sri Lanka's debt.

* The move is expected to serve as a model for solving the debt woes of middle-income economies.
 
* Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki told a briefing that to be able to launch this negotiation process with such a broad-based group of creditors is a historical outcome.  He said this committee is open to all creditors.
 
* French Director General of the Treasury Emmanuel Moulin told the briefing that the group is ready to hold the first round of talks as soon as possible.
 
* The island nation of 22 million people last month secured a 2.9 billion dollar programme from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to tackle its huge debt burden.

* But the middle-income economy could not apply for relief under the G-20’s common framework for debt treatments, which targets only low-income countries.  This has put the onus on major economies to come up with an alternative scheme, leading to the creation of the new platform.
 
* Sri Lanka owes 7.1 billion dollar to bilateral creditors, with 3 billion dollar owed to China, followed by 2.4 billion dollar to the Paris Club and 1.6 billion dollar to India, according to official data from Sri Lankan government..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   New Delhi

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IFGE- CBG Producers Forum is organizing Two Day Global Conference on Compressed Biogas under theme “Towards Progressive Policy Framework for a Robust CBG Foundation and Growth” supported by Ministry for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India.

* The Conference is being held on 17th & 18th April 2023 at Silver Oak, Indian Habitat Centre, New Delhi, with the objective to apprise the industry regarding the initiatives taken by Government of India for development of Compressed Biogas Industry and to identify the areas where policy modifications are required.  

* Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Hon’ble Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest and inaugurate the conference. Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Hon’ble Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India will grace the Dinner Session as the Chief Guest and Shri Pankaj Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India will grace the occasion as the Guest of Honour.

* India is dedicated to achieve net zero target by 2070, there are several initiatives taken by current leadership and government by various means to reduce emission.

* Compressed Biogas (CBG) has also an important role in emission reduction and it is being promoted by SATAT Scheme (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation). CBG has higher calorific value and properties similar to CNG and can be utilized as alternative green renewable and can replace CNG in automotive, industrial and commercial areas, given the abundance of biomass availability within the country...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   15 April

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World Art Day is celebrated each year on 15 April. UNESCO too proclaimed this day at the 40th session of it’s General Conference in 2019. The day is celebrated to honor the contributions of artists and promote the importance of art in our lives.

World Art Day Theme 2023 : This year's theme is 'Art is good for the health'.

World Art Day History :

* First observed in 2012, World Art Day was celebrated to commemorate the renowned artist Leonardo Da Vinci -- renowned for his incredible artistic work ‘Mona Lisa’. The painting is considered as the most influential painting in the world.

World Art Day Significance :

* With the World Art Day being celebrated, it gives people an opportunity to reunite and share mutual circumstances. Also, the day gives artists opportunity to express one’s inner thoughts without saying much.

* Several activities across the world like debates, cultural events, workshops, and conferences are being organised to commemorate this day and celebrate their work.

* Few of the most celebrated painters and sculptors of the world includes: Leonardo Da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, M F Hussain, Amrita Sher-Gill, etc..

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   G. Kishan Reddy

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The Bharat Gaurav Tourist train on Ambedkar Circuit was launched from Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station in New Delhi on Friday (14th April 2023) by "G. Kishan Reddy", Minister of Tourism, Culture and DONER, and Dr Virendra Kumar, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Aim : To provide passengers with glimpses into the life of Bharat Ratna Baba Saheb Ambedkar while promoting domestic tourism and the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.

* The 07 nights and 08 days tour is the government's first initiative to tour on the Ambedkar circuit and includes visits to prominent places associated with the life of Baba Saheb Ambedkar, such as New Delhi, Mhow, Nagpur, and sacred Buddhist sites such as Sanchi, Sarnath, Gaya, Rajgir, and Nalanda.

* There is a pantry car that serves vegetarian meals for the tourists and the special train has been equipped with an infotainment system, CCTV cameras, and security guard services.

* The Bharat Gaurav Tourist train first stop is at New Delhi Railway Station, from where tourists were taken by buses to visit Baba Saheb Ambedkar Memorial in New Delhi. The next stop is at Dr Ambedkar Nagar (Mhow), the birthplace of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, followed by Nagpur railway station, where tourists will visit Deekshabhoomi, a consecrated monument of Navayana Buddhism and where Babasaheb Ambedkar had embraced Buddhism in 1956.

* After Nagpur, the train moves to Sanchi, where tourists will see the stupa and other Buddhist sites. The train will then proceed to Varanasi, where tourists will visit Sarnath and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The next destination will be Gaya, where tourists will witness the famous Mahabodhi Temple and other monasteries...

Source : CNBC

Correct Answer :   Varanasi

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The message from Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) on G20 MACS Meeting to be held on 17-19 April 2023 in Varanasi :

* The meeting will feature the MAHARISHI Initiative i.e., Millets And Other Ancient Grains International ReSearcH Initiative. This International Initiative will focus on Research and Awareness wi agro-biodiversity, food security, and nutrition aligning with the International Year of Millets 2023.

* “Agriculture is the foundation of the civilization, culture and heritage of India. Indian Agriculture is unique, diversified and vast providing livelihood and income to more than half of our population.

* During the last 75 years, the country has marched from a ship-to-mouth to self-sufficient to a food exporting nation.

* It achieved science- and policy-backed agri-revolutions including Green, White, Blue, Yellow, Golden, Silver, Brown, Grey and rainbow revolutions, which transformed Indian agriculture.

* Food production increased by 6 to 70 times since 1950 with only 1.3 times increase in the net cultivated area.

* The Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) in G20 is instrumental in promoting joint action to put science-based solutions for achieving sustainable, resilient and profitable agri-food systems. It provides a good platform for discussion, deliberations and exchange of knowledge, science and technologies for food and nutrition security and strengthening cooperation among the G20 nations.

* In consonance with India’s G20 Presidency theme “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, the Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) will pursue discussion on food and nutrition security, resilience to climate change, One Health approaches, digital agriculture, and public–private partnerships for research, education and extension.

* The 12th MACS meeting under India’s Presidency has identified the theme of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems for Healthy People and Planet. In this theme, there are four priority areas on which focused discussion will take place. The areas are, firstly Food Security and Nutrition – the role of frontiers in science and technology;

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   125 Feet

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Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday (14th April 2023) unveiled the 125-ft tall bronze statue of BR Ambedkar in Hyderabad, to mark the 132nd birth anniversary of the architect of the Indian Constitution.

* The statue in Hyderabad is India's tallest statue of Ambedkar.

* The unveiling ceremony was held on a grand scale with arrangements in place to ensure that over 35,000 people from all 119 constituencies attended it. As many as 750 state-run Road Transport Corporation buses were being operated for the public.

* The statue stands next to the State Secretariat on the banks of Hyderabad's famous Hussain Sagar lake.

* KCR held a meeting recently with his ministers and other officials to discuss the inauguration of the statue. There, it was decided that flower petals would be showered from a helicopter on the statue.

* Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar was invited as the sole chief guest at the event..

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   Narendra Modi

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (14th April 2023) rolled out a series of railway projects across the Northeast, besides commissioning a methanol plant and laying the foundation stone for a bridge over the Brahmaputra river.

Modi virtually inaugurated the five railway works along with other projects from the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, where he is on a day-long tour.

The new railway projects rolled out by him are Digaru-Lumding and Gauripur-Abhayapuri sections, while the doubling of tracks between New Bongaigaon and Dhup Dhara was also inaugurated.

Electrification of the Raninagar-Jalpaiguri-Guwahati, Senchoa-Silghat, and Senchoa-Mairabari sections was also launched by Modi. The total cost of these projects is Rs 7,300 crore.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for the Palasbari-Sualkuchi bridge over the Brahmaputra River. It will be constructed at an expenditure of Rs 3,200 crore over the next 3-4 years.

The state government has already received environmental and other clearances from various agencies for starting the construction work.

Modi also virtually commissioned a methanol plant at Namrup in Dibrugarh by Assam Petrochemicals Ltd (APL) with 500 tonnes per day (TPD) capacity, constructed at an investment of Rs 1,709 crore.

In this plant, the Assam government has a 51 percent stake and 49 percent is held by Oil India. After commissioning, APL will be able to sell methanol to other states as well as export to neighbouring countries.

The fourth project launched by Modi is the Rs 124-crore beautification work of the 'Rang Ghar', an amphitheatre built by Ahom King Pramatta Singha in the 18th century. This two-storied oval-shaped pavilion in Sivasagar is one of the largest of its kind in Asia..

Source : CNBC

Correct Answer :   April 14th

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World Chagas Disease Day 2023 : To raise awareness about a life-threatening disease that can cause serious heart and digestive issues, every year April 14 is observed as World Chagas Day.

* The disease is also called American trypanosomiasis, silent disease or silenced disease. It is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma crizu. This parasite is transmitted to humans through the triatomine bug which is also known as the kissing bug.

* The disease usually affects impoverished people living in rural areas under poor hygiene conditions. People in regions like Central America, Mexico and South America are more prone to catching the disease.

World Chagas Disease Day History :

* World Chagas Disease Day was first observed on April 14, 2020 with an aim to raise the awareness and the visibility of the people suffering from the disease. April 14 was chosen to mark the day as the first case of Chagas disease in a human was reported on this day in 1990.

* A Brazilian girl named Berenice Soares de Moura was the first patient of Chagas Disease. The disease got its name from Dr Calros Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas who diagnosed the disease. It was later termed as the silent disease because of its slowly progressing and frequently asymptomatic clinical course.

World Chagas Disease Day Significance :

* Chagas Disease can be transmitted to humans in various ways. These include eating partially or uncooked food contaminated by the feces of the infected bug, during blood transfusion from an infected person, or getting in contact with wild animals infected with the parasite.

* Once infected, Chagas disease can cause a person to suffer heart failure and can lead to severe digestive and cardiac alterations that can prove fatal.

* Experts have observed that during the past few decades, Chagas disease has been increasingly detected in Canada, the United States of America and in European and some Western Pacific countries. Thus, it becomes important to raise awareness of the disease and urge people to take adequate measures to keep it at bay..

Source : News18

Correct Answer :   Ghana

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Ghana has become the first country to approve a highly effective malaria vaccine developed at Oxford university in the UK.

* The R21/Matrix-M vaccine, the first to exceed the World Health Organization’s target of 75% efficacy, has been cleared for use by Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority in children aged 5-36 months, the group at highest risk of death from malaria.

* Prof Adrian Hill, the director of the Jenner Institute, which is part of the Nuffield Department of medicine at Oxford University, said: “This marks a culmination of 30 years of malaria vaccine research at Oxford with the design and provision of a high efficacy vaccine that can be supplied at adequate scale to the countries who need it most.”

* However, observers warned it was “no silver bullet” in the complex fight against the mosquito-borne disease. An estimated 619,000 people died from malaria in 2021, the vast majority of them children in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the WHO.

* In Ghana, where the disease is both endemic and perennial, an estimated 5.3m cases and 12,500 estimated deaths were recorded.

* The WHO has yet to recommend the R21 vaccine for widespread use and until it does there is a question mark over the amount of international funding available for it. The vaccine’s phase 3 trial is ongoing, but earlier trials have shown efficacy levels of 77%, a level maintained after a single booster dose given a year later.

* In contrast, the RTS,S vaccine, which the WHO recommended for use in a landmark move in 2021, has more modest efficacy levels.

* The Serum Institute of India, the biotechnology giant that is manufacturing the R21 vaccine, said it has the potential to manufacture more than 200m doses annually.

* Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of the Serum Institute, said the licensure of the vaccine by Ghanaian authorities was a significant milestone in the fight against malaria...

Source : The Guardian