Correct Answer : Option (D) - Droupadi Murmu

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The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu laid foundation stone for “Divine Light House” of Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya (PBKIVV) at Dasabatia, Tamando (July 27, 2023) and launched its theme of the year “The Year of Positive Change” for conducting seminars and conferences.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya is not just an organization, but also a social and spiritual campaign run by women.

The President said that both material and spiritual development are necessary for humanity. She added that technology is the driver of change and that change is unavoidable and necessary for development.

She stated that materialistic changes can give us happiness but one can attain mental peace by following the spiritual path. She was happy to note that Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya is paving the way for spirituality through meditation and a disciplined lifestyle.

The President said that from time to time some negative thoughts disturb our minds. She added that by due to lack of introspection, we start falling prey to negative thinking.

She said that feelings of envy and hatred start increasing within us. She added that the biggest challenge before us today is to get rid of negative thoughts and move towards positivity. She appreciated Brahma Kumaris organization’s efforts for making humanity aware and helping people move forward in a positive direction..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Chennai

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that protecting and caring for mother earth has taken the shape of climate action in the country 28th July 2023.

He emphasised upon ensuring the development of the last person in society. He said, countries of the global south are particularly affected by climate change and environmental issues.

The Prime Minister recalled the need for enhanced actions and commitments under the UN Climate Convention at the Paris Agreement.

In a video message at the concluding session of 4th Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group meeting (ECSWG) in Chennai 28th July 2023, the Prime Minister stressed upon the importance of environmental protection and reiterated the country's unwavering commitment to combating climate change issues.

He said that India led the way to cleaner energy through its ambitious nationally determined contributions. He mentioned about India’s achievement on installed electric capacity on non- fossil fuel sources 9 years ahead of the target of 2030, and setting the bar even higher through updated targets.

PM addressed the gathering by quoting Tirukural saying, even the wealth of the wide sea will be diminished, if the cloud that has drawn its waters up, does not gives them back again.

He mentioned that in India, nature and its ways have been regular sources of learning. These are found in several scriptures as well as oral traditions. Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadhav and Troika countries Ministers from Indonesia and Brazil also addressed the meeting. Two technical sessions are planned 28th July 2023 on the themes of climate change, Blue Economy, Resource Efficiency & Circular Economy, Land and Biodiversity and Water Resource Management.

Source : AIR

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Sanjay Kumar Mishra

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The Supreme Court on Thursday (27th July 2023) extended the term of the Director of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) Sanjay Kumar Mishra till September 15, 2023 in "larger public interest".

Mishra's term was to end on July 31 as per the July 11 judgment which held the previous extensions given to the officer to be illegal.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, and Sanjay Karol partly allowed Centre's plea to extend Mishra's term till October 15, 2023. The bench however added that no further extensions will be allowed to him.

In ordinary circumstances, we would not have accepted such an application having held that the extension granted to him was illegal. We allowed him to continue till July 31 to allow smooth transition. Taking into consideration larger public interest, we permit ED director to continue for some more period.

We add that no further application would be entertained for grant of extension. We also direct that the respondent will cease to be the director of ED with effect of midnight of 15th/16th September 2023", the bench ordered. The Centre cited the involvement of the  outgoing ED director in the review of India’s anti-money laundering mechanisms  by the Financial Action Task Force(FATF), a global peer review body..

Source : Livelaw

Correct Answer : Option (A) - Gujarat

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India has emerged as a powerful energy conductor for the semiconductor industry of the world 28th July 2023.

Inaugurating the Semicon India 2023 conclave in Gandhinagar, Gujarat (28th July 2023), he urged global private players to grab the right opportunity to invest in the Indian semiconductor industry.

Saying that the foundation of the fourth industrial revolution is related to the Indian aspirations, the Prime Minister said, a stable, responsible, reform-oriented-government, expanding infrastructure and technology development, and massive talent pool make India a trusted partner in the global supply chain post pandemic.

Reiterating the government's commitment to create a vibrant semiconductor ecosystem, the Prime Minister said, the government is giving 50%  financial assistance to the technology players who wish to set up semiconductor manufacturing in the country.

Govt provides :

The government has identified more than 300 educational institutes that will provide academic courses dedicated to the semiconductor sector to create skilled engineers.

The Prime Minister said, the electronic industry in India is growing by leaps and bounds. Electronic manufacturing and exports have also expanded in the country substantially over the past 9 years.

Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel Says : The industry-friendly policies and infrastructure development make Gujarat the best destination for the semiconductor sector.

* Union Minister of IT Ashwini Vaishnav said, considering the vast potential of the semiconductor industry globally, the Government of India has taken steps to promote semiconductor manufacturing in the country.

* He said the three recent MOUs with the semiconductor giants, will help India to emerge as the semiconductor hub in the days ahead.

* The three-day conclave is being organized by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to showcase India's semiconductor strategy and development in the field of Semiconductors.

* Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar, was also present at the inaugural ceremony..


Source : AIR

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Anurag Thakur

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Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur 27th July 2023 inaugurated the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships 2023 in Greater Noida. The event is being held in India for the first time.

The international event will see the participation of more than 30 Indian weightlifters, including many Khelo India Athletes who in the past month alone gave India its best-ever performance at the Weightlifting Commonwealth Championships by winning 61 medals in total.
 
In his address, Mr Thakur expressed happiness that India is hosting this prestigious event where more than 15 nations from the Asian region, 200 athletes, and more than 50 technical staff and coaches are participating.

He said, events like these are the bedrock for future sporting successes. He conveyed best wishes to all the athletes participating in this event.

The Minister also spoke about the achievements of various iconic Indian weightlifters such as Karnam Malleshwari, and Mirabai Chanu who inspire younger athletes to compete with more power.

He also congratulated the new crop of athletes like Martina Devi, Harshada Garud, and Dhanush Loganathan who in the past have won multiple Khelo India Games medals and other medals at the highest level.
 
The Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships will begin 28th July 2023and will conclude on the 5th of August 2023..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer : Option (D) - Niger

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Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has been removed from power, according to a group of soldiers who appeared on the West African nation's national television late on Wednesday (26th July 2023), hours after the president was held in the presidential palace.

Reading from a statement, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, seated and flanked by nine other officers, said defence and security forces had decided: "Put an end to the regime that you know due to the deteriorating security situation and bad governance."

Abdramane said Niger's borders are closed, a nationwide curfew declared, and all institutions of the republic are suspended.

The soldiers warned against any foreign intervention, adding that they will respect Bazoum's wellbeing.

The military takeover, which marks the seventh coup in the West and Central Africa region since 2020, could further complicate Western efforts to help countries in the Sahel region fight a jihadist insurgency that has spread from Mali over the past decade.

Land-locked Niger, a former French colony, has become a pivotal ally for Western powers seeking to help fight the insurgencies, but they are facing growing acrimony from the new juntas in charge in Mali and Burkina Faso.

Niger is also a key ally of the European Union in the fight against irregular migration from sub-Saharan Africa.

France moved troops to Niger from Mali last year after its relations with interim authorities there soured. It has also withdrawn special forces from Burkina Faso amid similar tensions.

Bazoum's election was the first democratic transition of power in a state that has witnessed four military coups since independence from France in 1960.

The United States says it has spent around $500 million since 2012 to help Niger boost its security. Germany announced in April that it would take part in a three-year European military mission aimed at improving the country's military.

"Bazoum has been the West's only hope in the Sahel region. France, the U.S. and the EU have spent much of their resources in the region to bolster Niger and its security forces," said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel programme for Germany's Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung think-tank.

He said a coup would create an opportunity for Russia and other actors to spread their influence in Niger..

Source : Reuters

Correct Answer : Option (D) - New Delhi

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Shri Alok Sharma, Director General Postal Services & Lt Gen Rajinder Dewan, Quartermaster General jointly inaugurated first Permanent Aadhaar Enrolment Centre (PAEC) for Army at 1 Central Base Post Office (CBPO), New Delhi on July 25, 2023. Maj Gen M K Khan, Addl DG APS, was also present.

The PAEC will facilitate Aadhaar related services (enrolment and updation) for tri-services personnel (Defence & civil) and their dependents through their Field Post Offices (FPO) in 48 identified locations in the country. All Command HQs, Corps HQs and selected FPOs are identified for establishment of PAEC services.

Department of Posts (DoP) and UIDAI, have supported immensely for establishment of these PAEC in terms of training, equipment’s and tech support. These 48 PAEC will be functional in both Field and Peace locations.

Director General Postal Services & QMG conveyed their best wishes to Army Postal Service Corps for this new service. They also expressed that expansion of this service through more FPOs in near future will facilitate troops to get user friendly government service in their vicinity.

QMG, Addl DG APS, Officers & Other Ranks of APS have conveyed their sincere gratitude to DoP for this initiative to introduce Aadhaar service in Army through FPOs..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer : Option (C) - R Seshasayee

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Asian Paints on Tuesday (25th July 2023) announced that its board approved the appointment of R Seshasayee, as the chairman of the board and the company, with effect from October 1, 2023. He will continue to hold the position till January 22, 2027.

Seshasayee will replace Deepak Satwalekar, whose term ends on September 30.

The paint major, in a regulatory filing, said, considering the impending retirement of Deepak Satwalekar as an Independent Director of the company, the Board of Directors at their meeting held today (25th July 2023) have appointed R Seshasayee, Independent Director, as the Chairman of the board and the company with effect from October 1, 2023 upto the conclusion of his term of appointment on January 22, 2027.

"The Board of Directors and the entire Asian Paints family places on record, a deep sense of appreciation for the long-standing leadership and contribution from Deepak Satwalekar towards the success of the company"

According to the details, Seshasayee was the managing director of Ashok Leyland Limited from 1998 to 2011, the Executive Vice Chairman from 2011 to 2013 and the Non-Executive Vice Chairman from 2013 to 2016.

He was also the Non-Executive Chairman of IndusInd Bank from 2007 to 2019. He has served as an Independent Director on the Boards of various companies, including ICICI Bank and Infosys Ltd (Chairman from 2015 to 2017). He was the President of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers during 2001- 2003 and President of Confederation of Indian Industry during the year 2006-2007.

Seshasayee was appointed as an Independent Director of Asian Paints Limited on January 23, 2017. He is the Chairman of the Investment Committee and the member of the Audit Committee and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee of the Board of Directors of Asian Paints Limited..

Source : Business Today

Correct Answer : Option (A) - Amit Shah

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah will launch a virtual platform, part of the unique initiative of 'Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar' under the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', on Thursday (27th July 2023) at Qutub Minar in New Delhi, the Ministry of Culture said.

The ministry has initiated 'Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar' (MGMD), a pan-India project under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping in coordination with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).

The main objective of the project is to culturally map India's 6.5 lakh villages, spanning 29 states and 7 Union territories, on a comprehensive virtual platform, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday (26th July 2023).

Shah will officially launch the virtual platform during a grand projection mapping show at the Qutub Minar slate at 7 pm on Thursday (27th July 2023). The platform will connect people with villages of India, it said..

Source : Economic Times

Correct Answer : Option (B) - India AI and Meta

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In order to foster collaboration in the field of AI and Emerging Technologies, ‘India AI’ – an IBD under Digital India Corporation and Meta, India have signed an MoU here 26th July 2023.

The MoU was signed by Shri Abhishek Singh, CEO of India AI, and Shri Shivnath Thukral, Director & Head of Public Policy, Meta in India.

The objective of the MoU is to establish a framework for collaboration and cooperation between ‘India AI’ and Meta in the field of Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies including to make Meta’s open-source AI models available for use by Indian AI ecosystem.

Shri Abhishek Singh, CEO of ‘India AI’ stated, “India is at the forefront of adopting digital technologies and it is evident that AI and Emerging Technologies will play a pivotal role in expanding the advantages of technology to a broader population. Through this partnership with Meta, the joint research and development endeavours will tackle large-scale challenges by leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies like Llama and other open-source solutions.”

Sir Nick Clegg, President, Global Affairs, Meta opined, “Meta’s open approach to AI innovation is complementary to India’s leadership on digital issues. Giving businesses, startups and researchers access to these technologies can open up a world of social and economic opportunities. ‘India AI’ is an exciting programme and with close collaboration between government and industry, we can strengthen India’s digital leadership and help to ensure AI tools are built for India’s unique needs.”

‘India AI’ and Meta have entered into a collaboration aimed at advancing research and development in AI & Emerging Technologies, seeking breakthroughs in AI technology and its applications. Additionally, both organisations may also consider establishing a Centre of Excellence to nurture the startup ecosystem of AI & other Emerging Technologies.

Leveraging Meta's AI research models like LlaMA, Massively Multilingual Speech, and No Language Left Behind, the partnership will focus on building datasets in Indian Languages to enable translation and large language models, with priority given to low-resource languages. This effort will foster social inclusion, improve government service delivery, and spur innovation using large language models, Generative AI, cognitive systems, and translation models.

Furthermore, ‘India AI’ and Meta will strive to enhance accessibility to AI compute resources for researchers, startups, and organizations with limited resources. Knowledge sharing and collaboration in AI & Emerging Technologies will be facilitated through workshops, seminars, conferences, and similar platforms.

Both organisations are dedicated to developing programs and initiatives that enhance AI & Emerging Technologies skills and expertise among researchers, professionals and students in India, contributing to the growth of AI talent in the country.

Additionally, ‘India AI’ and Meta share a common goal of raising awareness about AI's potential benefits and risks among various stakeholders, including policymakers, businesses, civil society, and the general public. They will also work together to promote responsible AI practices through the collaborative development of comprehensive tools and guidelines..

Source : PIB