General Knowledge(GK) (or) General Awareness

Correct Answer :   Haryana

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In a first in the country, hydrogen-powered trains are expected to run from Haryana’s Jind district by the end of this year (2023) and first hydrogen plant of country is being set up in Jind, said Shobhan Chaudhry, general manager (GM) of Northern Railway who visited the spot on Thursday (22nd June 2023).

Officials claimed that hydrogen powered trains have been running only in Germany and the whole world is keeping a watch on this project and how India will commence such trains.

India’s first hydrogen plant is being set up near the railway junction of Jind district. The plant development has entered the final phase and hydrogen will be produced from water, said officials.

The first prototype of the hydrogen train, expected to commence in the fiscal of 2023-2024 between Jind-Sonipat section of Northern Railway. They said that now trains are being run by diesel and electric and this will be the new for the country.

The hydrogen fuel based train of eight bogies will be environment friendly. The officials apprised the GM about the method of filling the hydrogen in trains and a process of collection of this fuel, said Jai Prakash, deputed as station master in Jind district..

Source : Times of India

Correct Answer :   Indian Bank

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Manipal Technologies Limited on Thursday (22nd June 2023) said it has partnered with state-owned Indian Bank to drive financial inclusion by offering customised banking products.

The partnership aims to build a sustainable network of corporate business correspondents (CBCs) that will enhance the availability, affordability, and accessibility of financial services, particularly in underserved markets and rural areas.

As part of this association, Manipal Technologies Limited (MTL) will work closely with Indian Bank to offer tailor-made banking products in rural locations.

The initial focus will be serving more than 600 locations and gradually expanding the presence in newer regions in states such as Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Punjab, MTL said.

Bank Aim : We aim to empower individuals with seamless access to financial services, ranging from account opening, withdrawals, deposits, lead generation, opening FDs (fixed deposits), and applying for loans.

"Our alliance with MTL will further enable us to reach the last mile and serve the unbanked and underbanked customers of Bharat," Sujay Kumar, Project Leader for selection of Corporate Business Correspondent, Indian Bank.

Abhay Gupte, MD and CEO of MTL, said the company's extensive network of trained field business correspondents will enable Indian Bank in reaching out to individuals in remote areas and ensuring they have convenient access to financial services.

MTL has diversified businesses across domains, including fintech, financial inclusion, doorstep banking, fraud risk management, gold loans, digital solutions, print management, cards, commercial print, and secure solutions..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Priya AS

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The prestigious Kendra Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar - 2023 (award for children's literature) in Malayalam language has been bestowed upon Priya AS for her book 'Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal'.

Ganesh Puthur bagged the Yuva Puraskar, 2023 (Malayalam) for his collection of poems titled 'Achante Alamara'.

'Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal', set amidst the backdrop of the devastating 2018 floods, has been published by Purna Publications. Notably, the book has also been honoured with the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Best Children's Literature.

The book was featured in the ‘Sammanapothi’ series, edited by Dr K Sreekumar.

Meanwhile, Puthur's poem 'Achante Alamara' was first published in Mathrubhumi weekly.

Bal Sahitya Puraskar consists of a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and an engraved copper plaque. Similarly, Yuva Puraskar award consists of a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and an engraved copper plaque.

Source : Mathrubhumi

Correct Answer :   NTPC

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NTPC Ltd., India’s largest power generator, has been recognized by Team Marksmen as the "Most Preferred Workplace of 2023-24."

* This esteemed award acknowledges NTPC’s outstanding performance in several key areas, highlighting the organization’s commitment to organizational purpose, employee centricity, growth, recognition and rewards, intrapreneurial culture, work-life balance, diversity, equality and inclusion, safety, and trust.

* NTPC’s dedication to achieving excellence in human resource development is evident through its continuous process improvement, engagement initiatives, and learning and development opportunities.

* The organization’s progressive approach, prioritizing “People before PLF” (Plant Load Factor), has significantly contributed to making NTPC a preferred workplace.

* This recognition adds to NTPC’s collection of accolades as one of India’s Best Employers over the years.

Receiving the Prestigious Award : Sital Kumar, CEO (UPL) & ED (HR) of NTPC, along with other NTPC officials, proudly accepted the distinguished recognition on behalf of the organization. The award ceremony was conducted by Team Marksmen in association with India Today and Business Standard, following a comprehensive consumer study conducted across the industry.

Excellence in People Practices : NTPC’s consistent success in receiving these awards serves as a testament to its exemplary people practices, placing it on par with the best companies worldwide. The company’s unwavering focus on organizational purpose, employee well-being, growth opportunities, recognition and rewards, fostering an intrapreneurial culture, work-life balance, diversity and inclusion, safety measures, and building trust has set a benchmark for others to follow.

Correct Answer :   A.K. Bhattacharya

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Veteran Journalist Ashok Kumar Bhattacharya (AK Bhattacharya) has authored a new book titled “India’s Finance Ministers: From Independence to Emergency (1947-1977)” which highlights the role of India’s finance ministers who shaped India’s economy in the first 30 years(from 1947 to 1977) after Independence. The book is published by Penguin Business an imprint of Penguin Random House.


The essence of the book :

* The book is divided into 3 main parts: Nehru and his finance ministers, those under Shastri and Indira Gandhi, and Indira Gandhi as her own finance minister.

* Economic Journalist AK Bhattacharya is the editorial director of Business Standard and the writer of a long-running column – Raisina Hill. he has also served as the editor of the Pioneer and Business Standard.

* As the book makes it clear, though Nehru was a towering personality, the finance ministers he worked with like John Matthai, CD Deshmukh, TT Krishnamachari and Morarji Desai were no pygmies.

Correct Answer :   Madhya Pradesh

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Hockey Madhya Pradesh won the 13th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2023 on Thursday (22nd June 2023) after defeating Hockey Chandigarh in the Final at the iconic Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium.

Meanwhile, Hockey Haryana defeated Hockey Association of Odisha to finish third in the competition.

Hockey Madhya Pradesh defeated Hockey Chandigarh by 4-2 in the Final.

The goalscorers for Hockey Madhya Pradesh were Shreyas Dhupe (17’, 46’), Mohd Konain Dad (25’), and Ali Ahmad (52’). Meanwhile, Sumit (9') and Surinder Singh (31') scored for Hockey Chandigarh.

Hockey Haryana defeated Hockey Association of Odisha 3-1 in the 3rd/4th place match. Shubham (4'), Captain Rohit (28'), and Prikshit Panchal (51') all scored to put Hockey Haryana in command. Meanwhile, Hockey Association of Odisha's lone goal came from Akash Soreng (53')..

Source : Hockey India

Correct Answer :   Airtel Payments Bank

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Airtel Payments Bank (APB) has partnered with Care Health Insurance to offer its customers health insurance products via the Airtel Thanks app.

* Customers of APB, the payments banking arm of Bharti Airtel, will have access to family health insurance products with a host of sum-insured options, ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh.

* The offerings will also include coverage towards pre-existing ailments and day care treatment.

* Customers can opt for the health insurance services through the Airtel Thanks app and pay using an APB account, net banking or debit cards of other banks.

"Our tie up with Care Health Insurance will enable us to take benefits of health insurance to millions of under-insured and uninsured Indians through our extensive distribution network and digital reach,” Ganesh Ananthanarayanan, Chief Operating Officer, APB, said in a statement Wednesday (21st June 2023)..

Source : India Times

Correct Answer :   India-United States

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India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) was launched at an event in Washington DC, USA on 21 June 2023. The INDUS X event was co-organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Ministry of Defence, and US Department of Defence (DoD) and hosted by US-India Business Council (USIBC).

Shri Anurag Bajpai, Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Promotion), MoD, led the Indian delegation in the two-day INDUS-X event on 20-21 June 2023.

A reception for Indian and US Government representatives, defence start-ups, think tanks, incubators, investors, industries and other stakeholders was orgainsed on 20 June 2023. Amb. Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, gave the keynote address.

Mr. Frank Kendall, US Secretary of the Air Force, gave the opening keynote address on 21 June at the INDUS-X event. He stated that the India-US relationship is growing exponentially. He emphasised that there is enormous potential for startups of both nations to collaborate in deeptech innovations, especially in Space and Artificial Intelligence (AI) domain.

Shri Anurag Bajpai, in his welcome remarks on “Investing in the Future of US-Indian Defence relations”, hailed the launch of iCET as a landmark event in India-US relationship. He said this was an opportune moment for this event, as the leaders of the two largest and oldest democracies of the world meet in Washington.

The Joint Secretary stressed on the co-development and co-production of advanced technologies by Indian and US start-ups. He further asked the participants to develop mechanisms for future collaboration across industries, academia, and investors. The Joint Secretary also gave an overview of the Make in India initiative, focussing on Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the philosophy of “Make in India, for the world”..

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   India

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India has recently decided to join the Artemis accord, which brings together like-minded countries on a civil space exploration platform.

Under this, NASA and ISRO have also agreed on a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024.

The Artemis Agreement is a non-binding agreement designed to advance civilian space exploration in the 21st century.

Correct Answer :   Axis Bank

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Axis Bank 21st June 2023 announced the launch of its latest feature, ‘One-View’, on Axis Mobile Application. Axis Bank is the first private sector Bank to introduce this new-age banking feature leveraging the Account Aggregator ecosystem to create a seamless banking experience for its customers.

This feature simplifies the process of managing finances for customers, by providing them access to multiple bank accounts on one single platform, enabling them to track their balances and spending on a real-time basis.

“Axis Bank believes in the power of ‘OPEN’ Banking and we have been continuously investing in digital-first products that reimagine customer propositions.

In this endeavor, we are excited to launch the ‘One-View’ feature on Axis Mobile App leveraging the Account Aggregator ecosystem.

This proposition offers a seamless banking experience and provides convenience to customers by eliminating the need for multiple mobile banking applications. We believe this is transformational and a step further towards the future of banking." said Sameer Shetty, President & Head – Digital Business & Transformation, Axis Bank.


Account Aggregator framework Key benefits for customers :

* Seamless onboarding process to link their non-Axis Bank accounts in the Axis Mobile app

* A comprehensive view of their account balances and transaction statements across multiple bank accounts

* Eliminates the need to manage multiple mobile banking applications

* Allows customers to download and email transaction details from their linked accounts

* Customers can delink any single or all non-Axis Bank accounts at their convenience

* Account Aggregator provides a secure way of sharing information which has customer consent and data privacy as its core design principles.

Source : Mint