Correct Answer :   Manipur

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Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh launched the College Fagathansi Mission at a grand function organized at the Moirang College in Bishnupur District 6th Jan 2024.

The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stones and inaugurated various development projects taken up in Moirang Assembly Constituency.

The projected for which foundation stones were laid are Football Ground with Natural Grass at Moirang Kangjeibung Lampak, Construction of Type-II Quarter at Phougakchao Ikhai Police Station under SACI 2023-24, Construction of Prefabricated structures for Accommodation of CAPF Coys at Moirang under SRE (NE), Construction of Type-IV, Type-III and Type-II Quarters at Moirang Police Station under SACI 2023-24, 10 bedded Integrated Ayush Hospital at Moirang, Construction of KGBV Thamnapokpi, Construction of Block Public Health Unit (BPHU) at CHC Moirang, Construction of PHSC Ngangkhalawai, Development of INA Martyrs' War Memorial Complex, Moirang (Museum Component), Development of INA Martyrs' War Memorial Complex, Moirang (Auditorium Component), Construction of OPD, Casualty Block, Ward and IPD Blocks for CHC Moirang, Construction of 20 bedded Paediatric Ward at CHC Moirang and Construction of Football field with RCC Gallery at Moirang Local Ground under Khelo India Scheme.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh maintained that the State Government had been giving priority in the health and education sector since the formation of his government in 2017. The School Fagathansi Mission was introduced to provide better school education in Government schools as everyone, irrespective of their income, wants to get their wards admitted in good schools, he added.

He continued that 60 schools, one from each Assembly Constituency, was taken up under the School Fagathansi Mission to develop the infrastructure in the first phase. Later, another 60 schools were covered, making a total of 120 schools..

Source : India Todayne

Correct Answer :   Assam

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Chandubi Festival :

* It is organised every year for five days starting from the first day of the New Year along the Chandubi lake, which is situated in the state of Assam.

* The main attractions of the Chandubi festival are the local folk culture, ethnic cuisine, local handloom and dresses, boating, etc.

* The major aim of the Chandubi Festival is to promote eco-tourism in this biodiversity hotspot of Assam.

* Preserving the waterbody, the water level of which has rapidly been lowering over the years, has been the motive for organising the festival every year.

* The festival has been providing an opportunity to generate livelihood to different tribes – Rabhas, Garos, Gorkhas and tea tribes – living in the area by selling different food items and homemade beverages, and traditionally woven attire.

Key points about Chandubi lake :

* It was created during a massive earthquake in the year 1897.

* The name Chandubi is derived from two words where Chand means five and Dubi means sinking in Khasi language.

* This freshwater lake was turned into an economically viable water body that would sustain different communities living around the lake.

* It is a very prosperous wetland of the state that houses numerous species of aquatic flora and fauna..


Source : Hindustan Times

Correct Answer :   Kerala

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Kerala women created a Guinness World Record after singing in over 100 languages. Suchetha Satish performed in a total of 140 languages in a Dubai concert on November 24, 2023. The concert is titled Concert for Climate. The video of her performance was shared on Instagram. She could be seen singing melodious songs, and it was a complete treat to ears.

Ms Satish shared the news on her Instagram handle. She captioned, "Happy to share the news that by God's grace, I have set a new Guinness World Record by singing in 140 languages in 9 hours, on Nov 24th 2023, during my concert by climate. Thank you all for your wishes and support."

According to the official Guinness World Records page, Ms Satish broke the record by performing 140 languages raising awareness about climate change at the Indian Consulate Auditorium in Dubai. There are over 140 representing over 140 nations attending the COP 28 summit in Dubai.

The stage was set for the 75th anniversary celebrations of India's independence and the 50th formation of the UAE.

Suchetha Satish is a 16-year-old who attempted the feat during 'Music Beyond Borders' in Dubai on August 19 and broke the record of another Indian who sang in 76 languages in 2008.

Ms Satish sang in 29 Indian languages and 91 international languages. She attempted at 12 oms and with a rendition of a Sanskrit song called "Janki Jane" from Dhwani which is a Malayalam movie. She ended her streak with a Hindi song which is written by her mother, Sumitha Ayilliath, and composed by Bollywood composer Monty Sharma.

Many users commented on her post and applauded her for creating this record.

One of the users,  "Congratulations Suchetha. Incredible! A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. I am proud to be part of this beautiful journey. Well done."

Another user wrote, "Glorious achievement. May you have many more such achievements in the years to come. Kudos."

One of the users praised Sucheta and commented, "That achievement was incredible. The entire mankind would be proud of you Suchetha. My hearty congratulations.".


Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Mamata Banerjee

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West Bengal Chief Minister "Mamata Banerjee" has launched this Yogyasree scheme to help the SC/ST students. This is a free training scheme for the students who want to compete in the various competitive exams. This is a new social welfare scheme ahead of Lok Sabha Polls.

She has also started an anti-ragging toll-free number for the students and asked the university and colleges to circulate this notification.


What is the Yogyasree Scheme?

* The scheme is dedicated to the SC/ST students of the state. The scheme will help the SC/ST students mainly in the state. The Chief Minister has announced this scheme on Monday at an event in Kolkata.

* She has also talked about the benefits and impact of various welfare schemes currently run by the West Bengal government, like- Kanyashree, Yuvasree, Sabujshree, etc.

* Under this scheme, almost 50 training centers will be opened throughout the state, where the SC and ST students can train in any competitive exam free of cost.

* Also, 46 training centers will help the students to prepare for government jobs, civil services, etc.

* As other benefits, she said that during her time English as a subject is being taught in every school of the state. Where it was not being taught in every school during the time of other governments that had power in the state.

* The Chief Minister has also said that the government is very eager to set up new English Medium schools in the state.

The objective of the Yogyasree Scheme :

The main objectives of launching this scheme are-

Key features of the Yogyasree Scheme :

Some key features of this scheme are-



Who is eligible for the Yogyasree Scheme?

The eligibility criteria are-

* To get the benefits of this scheme, the students need to belong to the category.
* The students must have a permanent residence in the West Bengal State.

Documents needed for the Yogyasree Scheme :

Here is the list of documents that are needed to apply for this scheme-

How to apply for the Yogyasree Scheme?

To apply for this scheme, you need to visit the official website of this scheme. It is mentioned in the table section. Although the process of applying for the scheme is still not updated on the Website, you can check out that website from time to time and you will get the information once it is updated on the website.

Correct Answer :   PhonePe

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Walmart-owned fintech major PhonePe has appointed former Yes Bank Chief Digital Officer Ritesh Pai as CEO of its international payments business.

Prior to this, Pai was working with cross-border payments firm Terrapay and was based in Dubai. At TerraPay, Pai was responsible for launching and implementing its payment products and solutions globally.


Customer-centric :

“PhonePe has achieved market leadership in India with its unwavering commitment to product innovation and building customer-centric solutions. I am confident that this same focus will help us expand our footprint beyond national borders, taking our payment technology to an international audience,” Pai said.

This appointment comes on the back of PhonePe appointing Chief Executives for each of its different business verticals in November last year. Hemant Gala was made the CEO of the lending business. Vishal Gupta was appointed the Chief Executive of insurance, Vivek Lohcheb became the CEO for e-commerce app Pincode and Ujjwal Jain became the Chief Executive of PhonePe’s wealth offerings Share.Market.

“Ritesh has been an early believer and staunch supporter of the company and was very instrumental in our early UPI success story. I’m delighted that he’s joined us to lead our international growth plans. I would like to wish him the very best in his new role,” said Sameer Nigam, CEO and Founder of PhonePe.

Recently, PhonePe-owned app platform Indus Appstore Co-Founder Rakesh Deshmukh stepped down as CEO after a decade-long stint as Indus Appstore gears up to launch its Android mobile app marketplace in the coming months..

Source : The Hindu Businessline

Correct Answer :   January 9

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Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, also known as NRI Day (Non-Resident Indian), is celebrated every year on January 9. It holds great significance in recognising and honouring the Indian diaspora spread across the globe. NRI Day marks the contribution and achievements of overseas Indians in various fields, fostering a strong connection between the homeland and its diasporic communities.


Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2024 Theme :

* The theme for Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2021 was “Contributing to Atmanirbhar Bharat" and 2023 was "Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India's Progress in Amrit Kaal"

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas History :

* Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was first introduced in 2003 by the then Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on January 9, 1915.
 
* It was celebrated every year from 2003 to 2015. But it was amended in the year 2015, and since then, Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas is celebrated at an interval of every two years. The Ministry of External Affairs has chosen a special theme on this occasion.

Source : Zeebiz

Correct Answer :   Denmark

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At the Global Investors Meet (GIM) 2024, Denmark unveiled the Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI), a pivotal initiative under the Green Strategic Partnership (GSP) signed between India and Denmark in 2020. The GFAI aims to accelerate collaboration in the sustainable energy solutions sector, aligning with the joint global objective of carbon neutrality.


Strategic Alliance for Sustainable Growth :

Led by the Danish Embassy and the Consulate-General of Denmark in India, the GFAI focuses on advancing the green fuels sector, particularly green hydrogen. Nine leading Danish organizations, including Maersk, Novozymes, and Danfoss, commit as founding members, highlighting a strategic approach to fostering innovation and collaboration.

Ecosystem for Collaboration :

The primary goal of the GFAI is to establish an ecosystem promoting collaboration among businesses, government entities, research institutions, and financial stakeholders. This initiative bolsters India’s efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2070, showcasing a commitment to sustainable energy growth.


Advisory Board and Key Partners :

The GFAI’s advisory board includes key entities such as the India Hydrogen Alliance and the Danish Energy Agency. This alliance underscores the commitment to sustainable energy solutions, further cementing the bond between India and Denmark in the pursuit of a greener future.

Correct Answer :   ONGC

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State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has started oil production from its flagship deep-sea project in Krishna Godavari basin in Bay of Bengal.

ONGC has started producing from the Cluster-2 project in KG-DWN-98/2 block and will slowly ramp up output. In a social media post, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, first oil production commences from complex and difficult block.

Mr Puri said, production is expected to be 45 thousand barrels per day and over 10 million standard cubic metres per day of gas. The project is expected to add 7 percent to current national oil production and 7 percent to national Natural Gas production.

It is situated offshore the Godavari river delta in the Bay of Bengal. It is located 35 kilometres off the coast of Andhra Pradesh in water depths ranging from 300-3,200 metres. The discoveries in the block are divided into three clusters -- Cluster-1, 2 and 3. Cluster 2 is being put to production first...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Christopher Nolan

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Oppenheimer," the other half of the box office phenomenon dubbed Barbenheimer, scored eight nominations, the second most of any movie or TV show. "Oppenheimer" won best drama motion picture, beating out five other films, including Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" and Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein biopic "Maestro."

"Oppenheimer" director Christopher Nolan also took home a Golden Globe, as did actors Robert Downey Jr. and Cillian Murphy and the film's composer, Ludwig Göransson.

This was the first Golden Globes being held since the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which used to run the award ceremony, disbanded following a series of scandals. The Golden Globes assets were sold to Dick Clark Productions, which had long co-produced the show with the HFPA.

The ceremony was broadcast live on CBS and streamed live on Paramount+ and the CBS app. CBS and Paramount+ are part of Paramount Global, which also owns CBS News.

Below is the full list of nominees and winners.


Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture :

* Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers" — Winner
* Emily Blunt, "Oppenheimer"
* Danielle Brooks, "The Color Purple"
* Julianne Moore, "May December"
* Jodie Foster, "Nyad"
* Rosamund Pike, "Saltburn"


Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture :

* Robert Downey Jr., "Oppenheimer" — Winner
* Ryan Gosling, "Barbie"
* Robert DeNiro, "Killers of the Flower Moon"
* Charles Melton, "May December"
* William Dafoe, "Poor Things"
* Mark Ruffalo, "Poor Things"


Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television :

* Ali Wong, "Beef" — Winner
* Brie Larson, "Lessons in Chemistry"
* Riley Keough, "Daisy Jones & the Six"
* Elizabeth Olsen, "Love and Death"
* Juno Temple, "Fargo"
* Rachel Weisz, "Dead Ringers"


Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television :

* Steven Yeun, "Beef" — Winner
* Matt Bomer, "Fellow Travelers"
* Sam Claflin, "Daisy Jones & the Six"
* David Oyelowo, "Lawmen: Bass Reeves"
* Jon Hamm, "Fargo"
* Woody Harrelson, "White House Plumbers"


Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Television Series :

* Elizabeth Debicki, "The Crown" — Winner
* Meryl Streep, "Only Murders in the Building"
* Hannah Waddingham, "Ted Lasso"
* Christina Ricci, "Yellowjackets"
* Abby Elliott, "The Bear"
* J. Smith-Cameron, "Succession"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Television Series :

* Matthew Macfadyen, "Succession" — Winner
* James Marsden, "Jury Duty"
* Ebon Moss-Bachrach, "The Bear"
* Billy Crudup, "The Morning Show"
* Alexander Skarsgård, "Succession"
* Alan Ruck, "Succession"
* Best Screenplay — Motion Picture
* Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, "Anatomy of a Fall" — Winner
* Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, "Barbie"
* Tony McNamara, "Poor Things"
* Celine Song, "Past Lives"
* Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer"
* Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, "Killers of the Flower Moon"


Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy :

* Jeremy Allen White, "The Bear" — Winner
* Jason Sudeikis, "Ted Lasso"
* Bill Hader, "Barry"
* Jason Segel, "Shrinking"
* Steve Martin, "Only Murders in the Building"
* Martin Short, "Only Murders in the Building"


Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television :

* "Ricky Gervais: Armageddon" — Winner
* "Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact"
* "Chris Rock: Selective Outrage"
* "Wanda Sykes: I'm an Entertainer"
* "Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love"
* "Trevor Noah: Where Was I"


Best Motion Picture — Non-English Language :

* "Anatomy of a Fall" (France) — Winner
* "The Zone of Interest" (United Kingdom)  
* "Society of the Snow" (Spain)
* "Fallen Leaves" (Finland)
* "Past Lives" (United States)
* "Io capitano" (Italy)



Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy :

* Ayo Edebiri, "The Bear" — Winner
* Natasha Lyonne, "Poker Face"
* Quinta Brunson, "Abbott Elementary"
* Rachel Brosnahan, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"
* Selena Gomez, "Only Murders in the Building"
* Elle Fanning, "The Great"


Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama :

* Kieran Culkin, "Succession" — Winner
* Brian Cox, "Succession"
* Pedro Pascal, "The Last of Us"
* Jeremy Strong, "Succession"
* Gary Oldman, "Slow Horses"
* Dominic West, "The Crown"
* Best Motion Picture — Animated
* "The Boy and the Heron" — Winner
* "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"
* "Elemental"
* "The Super Mario Bros. Movie"
* "Wish"
* "Suzume"


Best Director — Motion Picture :

* Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer" — Winner
* Martin Scorsese, "Killers of the Flower Moon"
* Greta Gerwig, "Barbie"
* Yorgos Lanthimos, "Poor Things"
* Bradley Cooper, "Maestro"
* Celine Song, "Past Lives"


Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy :

* Emma Stone, "Poor Things" — Winner
* Margot Robbie, "Barbie"
* Natalie Portman, "May December"
* Fantasia Barrino, "The Color Purple"
* Alma Pöysti, "Fallen Leaves"
* Jennifer Lawrence, "No Hard Feelings"


Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama :

* Cillian Murphy, "Oppenheimer" — Winner
* Bradley Cooper, "Maestro"
* Leonardo DiCaprio, "Killers of the Flower Moon"
* Colman Domingo, "Rustin"
* Andrew Scott, "All of Us Strangers"
* Barry Keoghan, "Saltburn"

Best Original Score — Motion Picture :

* Ludwig Göransson, "Oppenheimer" — Winner
* Robbie Robertson, "Killers of the Flower Moon"
* Mica Levi, "The Zone of Interest"
* Daniel Pemberton, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"
* Jerskin Fendrix, "Poor Things"
* Joe Hisaishi, "The Boy and the Heron"


Best Original Song — Motion Picture :

* "What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell (from "Barbie") — Winner
* "Dance the Night" by Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (from "Barbie")
* "Addicted to Romance" by Bruce Springsteen (from "She Came to Me")
* "Road to Freedom" by Lenny Kravitz (from "Rustin")
* "Peaches" by Jack Black, Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond and John Spiker (from "The Super Mario Bros. Movie")
* "I'm Just Ken" by Andrew Wyatt and Mark Ronson (from "Barbie")


Cinematic and Box Office Achievement :

* "Barbie" — Winner
* "Oppenheimer"
* "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"
* "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"
* "The Super Mario Bros. Movie"
* "John Wick: Chapter 4"
* "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1"
* "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour"


Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television :

* "Beef" — Winner
* "Lessons in Chemistry"
* "Daisy Jones & the Six"
* "All the Light We Cannot See"
* "Fellow Travelers"
* "Fargo"


Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy :

* "The Bear" — Winner
* "Ted Lasso"
* "Abbott Elementary"
* "Jury Duty"
* "Only Murders in the Building"
* "Barry"


Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama :

* Sarah Snook, "Succession" — Winner
* Bella Ramsey, "The Last of Us"
* Helen Mirren, "1923"
*  Keri Russell, "The Diplomat"
* Emma Stone, "The Curse"
* Imelda Staunton, "The Crown"


Best Television Series – Drama :

* "Succession" — Winner
* "The Last of Us"
* "The Crown"
* "The Morning Show"
* "The Diplomat"
* "1923"


Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy :

* Paul Giamatti, "The Holdovers" — Winner
* Jeffrey Wright, "American Fiction"
* Matt Damon, "Air"
* Joaquin Phoenix, "Beau is Afraid"
* Timothée Chalamet, "Wonka"
* Nicolas Cage, "Dream Scenario"


Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy :

* "Poor Things" — Winner
* "Barbie"
* "American Fiction"
* "The Holdovers"
* "May December"
* "Air"


Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama :

* Lily Gladstone, "Killers of the Flower Moon" — Winner
* Carey Mulligan, "Maestro"
* Sandra Hüller, "Anatomy of a Fall"
* Annette Bening, "Nyad"
* Greta Lee, "Past Lives"
* Cailee Spaeny, "Priscilla


Best Motion Picture — Drama :

* "Oppenheimer" — Winner
* "Killers of the Flower Moon"
* "Maestro"
* "Past Lives"
* "The Zone of Interest"
* "Anatomy of a Fall".


Source : CBS News

Correct Answer :   Sweden

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A groundbreaking development in agricultural technology has emerged from the laboratories of Linkoping University in Sweden. Scientists have unveiled an electrically conductive “soil” engineered to foster exceptional growth in crops, particularly barley seedlings, marking a potential 50 per cent surge in growth within a mere 15-day period.


Hydroponics: A Paradigm Shift in Agriculture :

* This innovative soilless cultivation method, termed hydroponics, harnesses a sophisticated root system activated through a novel cultivation substrate. With hydroponics, the prospect of cultivating food in urban landscapes under meticulously controlled conditions becomes a tangible reality.

* Linkoping University’s Prof. Stavrinidou highlights the crucial importance of their breakthrough amidst global challenges, stating, ‘Growing world population and climate change show existing agricultural methods alone can’t sustain our planet’s food needs.


eSoil: The Electrically Conductive Cultivation Substrate :

* The team’s brainchild, an electrically conductive cultivation substrate christened eSoil, is tailored explicitly for hydroponic cultivation.

* Published in the esteemed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, their groundbreaking research highlights the remarkable acceleration in barley seedling growth by up to 50 per cent within a fortnight when their roots were electrically stimulated.


Hydroponics Unveiled: Growth Without Soil :

* In hydroponic cultivation, plants thrive sans soil, reliant solely on water, nutrients, and a supportive substrate for root attachment. This enclosed system facilitates water recycling, ensuring precise nutrient delivery to each seedling.

* Consequently, minimal water usage and optimal nutrient retention distinguish hydroponics from conventional methods. Moreover, the vertical cultivation potential of hydroponics, using towering structures, maximizes space efficiency.

Breaking Norms: Barley Seedlings in Hydroponics :

* While crops like lettuce, herbs, and select vegetables are already successfully cultivated using this method, grains have typically not been part of hydroponic agriculture, except for fodder purposes.

* However, the recent breakthrough study challenges this norm, showcasing the viability of cultivating barley seedlings hydroponically with significantly improved growth rates attributed to electrical stimulation.


The Sustainable Alternative: eSoil’s Composition :

* Traditionally, mineral wool serves as the cultivation substrate in hydroponics. However, this non-biodegradable material entails an energy-intensive production process, prompting researchers to seek sustainable alternatives.

* Enter eSoil: a pioneering electronic cultivation substrate fashioned from cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer, combined with a conductive polymer known as PEDOT.

* While the blend isn’t novel per se, its unprecedented application in plant cultivation and the creation of a plant interface mark a groundbreaking stride.


Low Energy, High Impact: Redefining Root Stimulation :

* Diverging from prior research that employed high voltage for root stimulation, the Linkoping researchers’ “soil” boasts significantly lower energy consumption and eliminates high voltage hazards.

* Professor Stavrinidou envisions advancing hydroponics. “While not a sole solution, it holds immense potential for global food security, especially in challenging regions” she concludes.