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1 .

'Sur Sarita'-Symphony of Ganga' on the launch event of the world's longest river cruise at ________.

A)

Rishikesh

B)

Varanasi

C)

Ayodhya

D)

Kedarnath

Correct Answer : Varanasi

The Ministry of Culture has organized a grand curtain raiser cultural program ‘Sur Sarita’-Symphony of Ganga’ on the launch event of the world’s longest river cruise at Varanasi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the cruise on 13th January 2023. The grand concert named ‘Sur Sarita’-Symphony of Ganga’ was led by the renowned Indian singer Shankar Mahadevan at Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.

On the occasion, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and waterways and AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal noted that the world’s longest river cruise is going to be launched with the inauguration of the MV Ganga Vilas which will create new history in the waterways sector of India and will mark the beginning of a new era of river cruise tourism.

Key Points of 'Sur Sarita-Symphony of Ganga' Organised in Varanasi :

* At the launch event, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath informed that Kashi will launch itself for a new era with the help of a river cruise.

* Kashi is known as the cultural and spiritual capital of the world and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kashi has established itself on the global stage while maintaining its ancient soul.

* Uttar Pradesh CM also added that along with land and sky, Kashi is now going to be connected through waterways as well.

* During the concert, other dignitaries including tourists traveling on Ganga Vilas Cruise got acquainted with the importance of Mother Ganga and their responsibilities towards her, along with enjoying the Sur Taranginis.

* Ganga Vilas Cruise will cross Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bangladesh, and Assam in a journey of 51 days.

* These places have their history of mythology and legends associated with the river. Songs for the concert were chosen from different states to give different flavors to the concert.

* Folk musicians from Assam, Bihar, and Bengal joined popular singer Shankar Mahadevan to pay homage to the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Brahmaputra....

Source : India Times

Published On : January 13, 2023

2 .

Hardeep Singh Puri said since when 20% ethanol will be added to petrol?

A)

March 1, 2023

B)

April 1, 2023

C)

May 1, 2023

D)

June 1, 2023

Correct Answer : April 1, 2023

The phased roll-out of E20 (20 per cent ethanol blending in gasoline) will begin on April 1, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said.

The fuel will be available at select outlets and will not require changes to car engines. The proposed roll-out will give further impetus to the government’s plans of achieving the level of 20 per cent ethanol blending in the overall petrol supply in the country by ethanol supply year 2025-2026.

The Target Area : Being rolled out in 11 states/UTs of Delhi, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Daman Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, E20’s initial target was April 1, 2023, but the government had advanced it. Under phase 1, 15 cities will be covered, the minister said.

A Massive Increase In Ethanol Blending : India has increased the ethanol blending in petrol from 1.53 per cent in 2013-14 to 10.17 per cent in 2022.

To achieve 20 per cent blending by 2025, the country needs 10.2-11 billion litres of ethanol. This would require a production capacity of around 14.5 billion litres because some production has to be kept aside for starch and chemical industry. Of this, around 7.6 billion litres of ethanol will have to be produced from sugarcane while another 7.2 billion litres will have to come from grain- and non-grain-based sources such as rice stubble and so on.

The minister said that this has resulted translating into a forex savings of over â‚¹41,500 crore, reduced GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions of 27 lakh tonnes and has benefitted farmers with expeditious payment of over â‚¹40,600 crore being made to farmers in the last 8 years.

Whats More Is In Line : Oil-marketing companies are targeting the installation of alternative fuel stations, such as electric vehicle charging, compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, liquefied natural gas, and compressed biogas (CBG) at 22,000 retail outlets by May 2024.

The Centre has increased the rate for CBG plants under the SATAT scheme from Rs 46 per kg to Rs 54 per kg.

The government is also investing Rs 19,744 crore into the National Green Hydrogen Mission for developing green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 MMT (million metric tonnes) per annum..

Source : Business Standard

Published On : January 13, 2023

3 .

Socialist stalwart and former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav when did passed away?

A)

9th January 2023

B)

10th January 2023

C)

11th January 2023

D)

12th January 2023

Correct Answer : 12th January 2023

Socialist stalwart and former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav died on Thursday (12th Jan 2023) at a hospital in Gurgaon. He was 75.

A 7-term Lok Sabha and 4-term Rajya Sabha member, Yadav, a former Union Minister, had not been keeping well for some time. Bihar was his political home.

In fact, he was one of the few who had been instrumental in installing Lalu Prasad as Chief Minister of Bihar in 1990.

Born : 1 July 1947, Makhan Nagar

Died : 12 January 2023.

Source : Indian Express

Published On : January 13, 2023

4 .

India's first 5G-enabled drone has been developed by which company?

A)

IG Drones

B)

Skylark Drones

C)

Garuda Aerospace

D)

Teja Aerospace and Dynamics

Correct Answer : IG Drones

Startup firm IG Drones, which was born out of the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) campus in Odisha's Sambalpur has developed a 5G-enabled drone that is capable of vertical take-off and landing.

The drone named Skyhawk can be used in defence and medical applications, among other sectors. The drone can carry a 10 kg payload and has an endurance of around five hours.

With Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) providing 5G services in the country, these drones can be controlled with much more precision and can be controlled from the command centre directly rather than being on the field.

As it's a VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing), it can be operated from any terrain without the need for a conventional runway.

It is IP67 rated and can be controlled via a combination of NavIC + GPS navigational satellites which remain connected in the upper range of 50 to 60 in case of failsafe activation.

"When it will connect several satellites, it will work with precision in medical services delivery and in defence. The drone, if operated at its peak speed, can cover almost 100 kms in 12-15 minutes"

According to KC Sahoo, Chief Administrative Officer of IG Drones, "For use by defence forces, it can give surveillance up to 100-200 kms per day. If someone deploys 20-30 drones, an area can be secured."

Sahoo also reiterated that if 5G services are not available at any locations, they will be downgraded to 3G or 4G, or either latch on to satellites..

Source : Business Insider

Published On : January 12, 2023

5 .

In which city did Union Minister Sonowal and Tripura CM inaugurate the School of Logistics, Waterways, and Communication?

A)

Shillong

B)

Itanagar

C)

Agartala

D)

Guwahati

Correct Answer : Agartala

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, "Shri Sarbananda Sonowal", along with Dr Manik Saha, Chief Minister, Tripura inaugurated the School of Logistics, Waterways and Communication in Agartala on January 11, 2023.

The school will enable the rich pool of talent of the region to become world class experts in the transportation and logistics sector. In order to unlock the promised economic potential of the Northeast, the school will be enable the innate capacity of human resources along our opulent waterways, said Shri Sonowal.

The Centre for Logistic, Communication and Waterways would facilitate in conducting studies/research, training, workshops/seminars for stakeholders like businesses, exporters/importers, Chambers of Commerce and Industries, local entrepreneurs, tourist operators etc.

It has been set up under State Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (SIPARD). SIPARD is an autonomous body funded by the Government of Tripura and partially by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India..

Source : PIB

Published On : January 12, 2023

6 .

The Indian High Commission has signed an MoU to establish a Hindi Chair in which university in Sri Lanka?

A)

Sabaragamuwa University

B)

University of Kelaniya

C)

Wayamba University

D)

Rajarata University

Correct Answer : Sabaragamuwa University

Closely after the International Hindi Diwas, the Indian High Commission signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Hindi Chair at the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.

High Commissioner Gopal Baglay and Vice Chancellor of Sabaragamuwa University Prof. Udaya Rathnayake signed the MoU to establish the Hindi Chair as part of India’s cultural connect through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

The Hindi chair will help in familiarizing students with India, its history, and culture as well as pave way for popularising Hindi by deputing Indian faculties. Mr. Baglay also gave away prizes to the winners of the Hindi Kavita competition held at the university..

Source : AIR

Published On : January 12, 2023

7 .

The 28th edition of Saarang (Saarang 2023), India's largest student-run festival begins at _________ on 11th January 2023.

A)

IIT Bombay

B)

IIT Madras

C)

IIT kharagpur

D)

IIT Kanpur

Correct Answer : IIT Madras

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) Annual Cultural Festival Saarang will be conducted completely in physical mode this year with a slew of diverse events planned on campus.

This year will be the 28th Edition of the Saarang, which is one of the largest student-run festivals.

Saarang 2023 will feature nearly 100 events between the 11th and 15th January 2023 and is expected to attract a footfall of over 80,000 from over 500 colleges across the country.

Over 850 students of IIT Madras across various years and departments are working to make this edition a grand success.

The theme for Saarang 2023 : ‘Mystic Hues’ which celebrates how intertwined colours are with culture and traditions.

* IIT Madras is hosting the Saarang 2023 after two years post Covid-19 pandemic.

* Saarang 2023 launched ‘Panacea’ for this year’s social cause.

* Panacea is a campaign aimed to encourage healthy habits to prevent disease outbreaks.

* This year, three new verticals are being introduced including Nova presents, Media Confluence, Comics, and the Korean Fest.

* The Korean Fest will celebrate journalism, comic books and characters, and Korean culture.

* The event will have lectures by actress Suma Kanakala, Chef Sashi Cheliah, Group Art Director of Amar Chitra Katha Savio Mascarenhas, Journalists Palki Sharma Upadhyay, and actress Revathy..

Source : PIB

Published On : January 12, 2023

8 .

Which state Governor has approved the 30 percent horizontal reservation to domicile women of the state in the government jobs bill?

A)

Gujarat

B)

Uttarakhand

C)

Madhya Pradesh

D)

Uttar Pradesh

Correct Answer : Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (retd) has given his consent to a Bill providing 30 per cent horizontal reservation to domiciled women of the state in government jobs.

* Uttarakhand Public Services (Horizontal Reservation for Women) Bill, 2022 was passed by the state assembly on November 29, 2022.

* With the governor's consent to the Bill, it has become an Act, an official said here on Wednesday (11th Jan 2023).

* The beneficiaries need to be women with a domicile certificate of Uttarakhand.

* According to the Bill, if enough women are not available to fill the reserved seats, they will be filled with qualified male candidates in the order of proficiency.

* Horizontal Reservation refers to the equal opportunity provided to other categories of beneficiaries such as women, the transgender community, or individuals with disabilities.

* The vertical reservation applies separately for each of the groups specified under the law, the horizontal reservation is always applied separately to each vertical category.

Objective of the Uttarakhand Public Services (Horizontal Reservation for women) Bill : The bill seeks to provide 30 percent reservation to women of the state in government jobs. The bill ensures social justice, equality of opportunity, Improvement in living standards, and gender equality in public planning..

Source : Business Standard

Published On : January 12, 2023

9 .

Which state has kicked itself into the Guinness Book of World Records by taking 4,500 penalty kicks in 12 hours?

A)

Gujarat

B)

Maharashtra

C)

Teangana

D)

Kerala

Correct Answer : Kerala

Kerala kicked itself into the Guinness Book of World Records, by taking 4500 penalty kicks within a span of 12 hours at the Dream Goal Penalty Shootout organised at the Payyanad Stadium in Malappuram district (10th Jan 2023).

Former Indian football player "U Sharaffali" took the first kick at 7.38 am, while the last kick was taken by the State Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports V Abdurahiman at 7.38 in the evening.

Many football lovers, students, teachers and others enthusiastically queued up to take the penalty kicks. Officials representing the Guinness Book of World Records were present at the event organised by the State Department of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The Malappuram event obliterated the previous record of 2500 penalty kicks held by Germany..

Source : AIR

Published On : January 12, 2023

10 .

Which Govt "Year of Enterprises" project gets recognition for 'best practice model' to promote MSMEs?

A)

Odisha

B)

Gujarat

C)

Kerala

D)

Rajasthan

Correct Answer : Kerala

The Kerala government’s Industries department got recognition from the centre for its Year of Enterprises project which was selected as one of the best practices in the ‘Thrust on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)’ category.

* Under this project, more than one lakh enterprises were set up in eight months in the state of Kerala.

* The Year of Enterprises has been regarded as the best practice model in the second Chief Secretaries National Conference held in New Delhi from Janurary 5-7, 2023.

* The project by Kerala Government was started in the current fiscal year with the aim to create one lakh enterprises in one year. The state government achieved the goal in eight months, said Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeev.

* As many as 1,01,353 enterprises were set up under the project and the total investment stood at around Rs 6,282 crore by November, 2022.

* Meanwhile, Kerala Industries Minister, P. Rajeeve had earlier said in December that the state government has set up a target to scale up 1,000 MSMEs and turn them into Rs 100 crore turnover companies in the next three years.

* He added that Kerala’s ranking in Ease of Doing Business index has improved to 15th position this year from 28th rank last year.

* The state has witnessed registrations of almost 42,300 MSMEs in the first quarter of this fiscal as compared to only 17,300 MSMEs registered in the state during the entire last fiscal...

Source : Financial Express

Published On : January 12, 2023