Correct Answer :   Anurag Singh Thakur

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Jammu and Kashmir, the Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur along with the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha and other dignitaries 4th February 2023 launched the Mascot, Theme Song and Jersey for the 3rd edition of Khelo India Winter Games at Raj Bhawan, Jammu.

* The event marks the beginning of the biggest sporting extravaganza at the world-famous Ski resorts of Gulmarg in the Baramulla district of Kashmir division from the 10-14 February 2023.

* During the launch ceremony, Anurag Singh Thakur said, Khelo India Winter Games is a part of Khelo India Abhiyaan, a thought of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage youth towards games and make India an emerging soft sports power on the global stage.

* Worth to mention, the 3rd edition of Khelo India Winter Games is scheduled to be held from the 10th to the 14th Febryary 2023 and is supported by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and is being organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council as well as the Winter Games Association of Jammu and Kashmir.

* Around one thousand 500 athletes from across the country will take part in the games.   

* The main attractions during the mega event are a snowshoe race, ice skating, ice hockey, skiing, nordic ski, snowboarding, ski mountaineering and ice stock among others during the 5-day mega event.

* Nine sports events will feature in the Winter Games. The 1st edition of the Khelo India Winter Games took place in 2020 and hosts Jammu and Kashmir topped both editions of the games so far. ..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   5th February 2023

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Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in the campaign against al Qaeda following the militant group's Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, died in Dubai on Sunday (5th February 2023) after a prolonged illness.

* Pervez Musharraf, who was in Dubai since March 2016, was undergoing treatment for amyloidosis. It is a rare disease that occurs when an abnormal protein, called amyloid, builds up in your organs and interferes with their normal function.

* Pervez Musharraf was the tenth president of the South Asian nation after the successful military coup in 1999 and 7th top general from 1998 to 2007.

* Musharraf, 78, was facing treason charges for suspending the Constitution in 2007 over the imposition of an extra-constitutional emergency, a punishable offence for which he was indicted in 2014.

* Musharraf was born on August 11, 1943, in Delhi and completed his early education at St Patrick’s High School in Karachi.

* The former president pursued higher education at Forman Christian College in Lahore.

* A retired General, Musharraf was a veteran of the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistan wars.

* He assumed power after engineering a successful military takeover of the Pakistani government in 1999.

* In 2002, he won a general election which was widely reported as almost certainly to have been rigged.

* Notably for India, Musharraf made some strides towards solving the Kashmir question and move towards peace. In 2006, he told  that Pakistan could be willing to give up its claim on Kashmir if India agreed to a self-government plan.

* Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, was declared a fugitive in the Benazir Bhutto murder case and Red Mosque cleric killing case.


Born : 11 August 1943, Old Delhi, Delhi

Died : 5 February 2023, American Hospital Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Source : Reuters

Correct Answer :   Bengaluru

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NTPC will host G20 international seminar on Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) on 5 February 2023 in Bengaluru.

the seminar is likely to be attended by industries, policy makers, scientists and academicians from different countries.

India has assumed the presidency of G20 from 1 December 2022 for a period of one year. In its presidency, the first Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) meeting is scheduled to be held from 5th February to 7 February 2023.

“NTPC, India’s largest integrated power utility, on behalf of Ministry of Power, Govt of India, will be hosting a side event in form of an International Seminar on Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage (CCUS) on 5th February 2023 at Taj Westend, Bengaluru."

This seminar will focus on underlining the importance of CCUS for achieving clean energy transition and subsequently moving towards net zero.

Government has a major focus on CCUS as it aims to achieve net zero carbon emission by 2070 and energy PSUs including NTPC and ONGC are looking at harnessing the potential for the sector in India...

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   Haryana

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The 36th edition of the Surajkund International Crafts Mela commenced in Faridabad, Haryana on February 3, 2023, and will continue till February 19, 2023 and is open to all from 10:30 am to 8:30 pm.

* Organised by the Surajkund Mela Authority and Haryana Tourism in collaboration with the Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs, the fair is considered to be one of the largest craft fairs in the world, showcasing the richness and diversity of the handicrafts, handlooms and cultural fabric of India.

* This year’s (2023) theme state is the "north-east region", and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is participating as the partner nation, which includes India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

* It was inaugurated by the Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar.

* He told India has become the fastest-growing economy in the world, and artisans and craftsmen have made significant contributions to it. “Earlier, our country was in 10th place in terms of economic progress, whereas under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has now jumped to 5th place, and I am hopeful that India will soon be at the first position”...

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   Bhupender Yadav

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Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav on Saturday (4th Feb 2023) launched the ‘Save Wetlands Campaign’ in the presence of Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant.

This campaign is structured on a “whole of society” approach to wetlands conservation, enabling affirmative actions for wetlands conservation at all levels of society and involving all strata of society.

The campaign, over the next year, will include sensitizing people to the value of wetlands, increasing the coverage of wetlands and building citizen partnerships for wetlands conservation.

Two publications were also released during the occasion, ‘India’s 75 Amrit Dharohar- India’s Ramsar Sites Factbook’ and ‘Managing Climate Risks in Wetlands – A Practitioner’s Guide.

The Factbook is a one-stop resource of information on the 75 Ramsar Sites, including their values, threats they faced and management arrangements. Meanwhile, the practitioner’s Guide on Climate Risk Assessment provides step-wise guidance on assessing the site-level climate risks and integration of adaptation and mitigation responses into the wetland management plan..

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Manoj Sinha

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Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday (4th February 2023) inaugurated the SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2023 at Aquaplex Crown at Bagh-e-Bahu, Jammu.

The fair is witnessing participation of women Self Help Groups from around 25 States and UTs across the country. The 11-day-long fair is first of its kind in the Union Territory of J&K.

The mega event will provide a platform for the rural SHG women to sell and promote their self-made products & create marketing linkages with various selling platforms. Seventy-five stalls and 10 food courts have been set up at the exhibition site showcasing crafts, handicrafts, handloom and cuisine.

The Self Help Groups will display handicraft, handloom and natural food items from different rural areas across the country.

This will be a National-level fair that will exhibit unique and famous indigenous products from various states and UTs. Several cultural events and plays on different Government schemes and campaigns will also be held during the fair...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Kerala

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The Kerala government on Friday (3rd Feb 2023) announced a scheme of Rs 200 crore for developing green hydrogen hubs at Trivandrum and Kochi.

“A scheme of Rs 200 crore is announced for viability gap funding, grant, equity support to set up green hydrogen hubs in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram over the next two years,” said K N Balagopal, Minister for Finance, in his Budget speech.

He said that an additional amount of Rs 20 crore is also earmarked for this.

“Kerala aims to become a 100 per cent renewable energy dependent state by 2040 and a net carbon neutral state by 2050. The state has a favorable atmosphere for the production of green hydrogen"

Green hydrogen, which is produced using renewable energy, can play an important role in eco-friendly development as hydrogen fuel can be used in long haul vehicles and ships to reduce carbon emission to a great extent...

Source : Economic Times

Correct Answer :   4th Feb 2023

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Popular South Indian playback singer Vani Jayaram breathed her last (4th Feb 2023) at Chennai. She was 78.

* The Government announced the Padma Bhushan award for the late singer this year.

* She did playback for over one thousand Indian movies and recorded over 10 thousand songs.

* she sang in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Gujarati, Haryanvi , Assamese, Tulu and Bengali languages.

* She had won National Film Awards three times and also was honoured with a lifetime achievement award by Filmfare (2013).

* She won State Government awards from the States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisa and Gujarat. She was also the Best Female Singer at the NAFA event at New York in 2017.

Born : 30 November 1945, Vellore

Died : 4 February 2023, Chennai.

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Gujarat

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The Ministry of Tourism recently stated that the first G20 Tourism Working Group meeting will be held in Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch and the delegates of Rann of Kutch meeting will be taken to Dholavira which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

As part of India’s G20 presidency, Gujarat will host the first Tourism Working Group (TWG) meeting in the state’s Rann of Kutch from 7th February to 9 February 2023.

About Dholavira :

* Dholavira is an archaeological site of immense importance associated with the Indus Valley Civilization.

* It represents the ruins of an ancient city of the Harappan civilization that was inhabited over a period of 1,200 years from 3000 BCE through 1800 BCE.

* Location : The site is located near the village of Dholavira, in the Kutch District of the Indian state of Gujarat.

* Dholavira is the fifth largest site of the Indus Valley Civilization in the sub-continent.

* It lies between two seasonal streams, the Mansar in the north and Manhar in the south.

* It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021...

Source : New Indian Express

Correct Answer :   February 4

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Each year on February 4, World Cancer Day is celebrated worldwide. It is believed to have brought everyone together in the fight against cancer.

World Cancer Day seeks to save millions of lives by educating the public, promoting awareness, and pressuring individuals and governments around the world to take action every year.

On World Cancer Day, we demonstrate to the world the value of teamwork and teach ourselves that every single person, no matter how tiny or large, can make a difference in the fight against cancer.

February 4th, is World Cancer Day 2023, which is being observed to create a cancer-free world. We should all pledge to play a part in this effort, regardless of who we are or how we behave, no matter where we are. Every year on February 4th, we observe World Cancer Day to increase public awareness of cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.

What is Cancer?
It is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in a body. There are several types of cancer, usually named for the organs or tissues where the cancers form. The world has the highest incidence of this disease.

World Cancer Day History:

In 2000, World Cancer Day originated at the first World Summit Against Cancer and was held in Paris. At this Summit, several leaders of government agencies, and cancer organizations from around the world signed the Charter of Paris Against Cancer. It was a document of 10 articles that outlined a cooperative global commitment to improving the quality of life of cancer patients and to the continued investment in and advancement of cancer research, prevention, and treatment. Article X of the charter formally declared February 4 as World Cancer Day.

As per World Health Organization (WHO), if the incidence of cancer continues to grow at the reported rate, the number of deaths worldwide from cancer will increase to more than 16.3 million by 2040. Also, 40 percent of deaths from cancer are preventable according to WHO.

UICC was established in the year 1993. It has its headquarters in Geneva. It is a membership-based organization taking care of Cancer around the world and helping in medical research.

World Cancer Day Theme 2022-2024 : Them The theme for World Cancer Day 2022-2024 is Close the Care Gap.

Every single person has the ability to make a difference, large or small, but together the health community can make real progress in reducing the global impact of cancer.