General Knowledge(GK) (or) General Awareness

Correct Answer :   Bank of Baroda

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Bank of Baroda announced the launch of the Electronic Bank Guarantee (BG) system in partnership with National E-Governance Services Limited (NeSL), the government-backed Information Utility appointed by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India.

The new facility will enable the public sector bank to issue inland bank guarantees electronically on its digital platform BarodaINSTA.

Being entirely digital, the system will reduce the turnaround time in the process and provide a safer and more accessible medium, claims the Bank. The beneficiary can view the final digital BG on the NeSL portal immediately upon issuance. Such an e-BG eliminates the need for a separate authentication from the BG issuing Bank.

The rationale behind the launch is the faster turnaround time in offering an electronic bank guarantee versus the conventional paper-based process of issuing inland Bank Guarantees. The bank claims that e-BGs will bring down the average turnaround time of a conventional BG from 2-3 days to just a few minutes.

Moreover, e-BGs are stored in a central repository, unlike inland BGs, which are accessible to all stakeholders making it easy to authenticate and verify documents.

“Electronic Bank Guarantee is a transformational reform as we endeavor to make banking simpler, more secure, and easily accessible for our customers. Individual contractors, SMEs, and large corporates are major applicants for bank guarantees and the move to e-BGs – a quick, seamless, transparent, and completely secure process – will benefit them all,” said the bank’s General Manager and head of Forex and Fee income  T. N. Suresh...

Source : Financialexpress

Correct Answer :   Vuppala Prraneeth

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Telangana’s Prraneeth Vuppala has become India’s 82nd Grandmaster after he achieved the required 2,500 FIDE rating points during the Baku Open tournament.

* The State chess player had already achieved three GM norms earlier and needed to cross 2,500 rating points. He got the required points after defeating GM Hans Niemann of the USA in the penultimate round of the Baku Open. Prraneeth is now the sixth Grandmaster from the State of Telangana.

* Speaking after the feat, the 16-year-old said he was delighted to achieve the title. “I am happy and I will keep working hard. My next target is to reach 2,600 rating points. I didn’t set any deadline but want to achieve it as soon as possible,” he said.

* Target “My goal is to achieve 2,800 rating points and become the World Champion. But as of now, my focus is on my next tournament. I am going to participate in the Asian Continental tournament in Kazakhstan starting next month,” he revealed

* The Intermediate CEC first-year student from Vishwa Chaitanya College is working eight to 10 hours daily to achieve his dream.

* He trained with Rama Raju, a noted chess coach at the RACE academy till 2021 and now trains with Israel GM Viktor Mikhalevski.

* Prraneeth earned his first GM norm in March 2022 and achieved the International Master title. Four months later in July 2022, he earned his second GM norm at Biel MTO. He achieved his third and final GM norm at the Formentera Sunway International Chess Festival in Spain in April..

Source : Telanganatoday

Correct Answer :   INS Mormugao

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A BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully tested from the Indian Navy's frontline guided missile ship INS Mormugao on Sunday (14th May 2023). The missile launch displayed the Indian Navy's might at sea.

* INS Mormugao, the latest guided-missile destroyer, successfully hit 'bulls eye' during her maiden BrahMos supersonic cruise missile firing, a Navy official was quoted as saying.

* The ship and her potent weapon, both indigenous, mark another shining symbol of 'AatmaNirbharta' and Indian Navy's firepower at sea.

* Earlier in March, Indian Navy had successfully test-fired in the Arabian Sea the ship-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic missile.

* BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between India and Russia, manufactures supersonic cruise missiles that can potentially be launched from submarines, ships, aeroplanes, or land platforms.

* The BrahMos missile travels at 2.8 Mach, or nearly three times the speed of sound. The BrahMos missiles are also exported by India.

* In January of last year (2022), India signed a $375 million deal with the Philippines to deliver three missile batteries..

Source : Business Today

Correct Answer :   Hockey Haryana

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Hockey Haryana on Sunday (14th May 2023) were crowned Champions of the 13th Hockey India Sub Junior Women National Championship 2023 after they defeated Hockey Jharkhand 3-2 in the final of the 11-day tournament which was held at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha.  

* Notably, Hockey Haryana came from behind twice to defeat Hockey Jharkhand in a thrilling encounter. After Sangita Kumari (7') and Ankita Minz (27') netted a goal each to put Hockey Jharkhand in front, Bhavya (25', 58') equalised and then won the game for Hockey Haryana. Meenakshi (36') also scored a crucial goal for the Champions.

* With the win, Hockey Haryana not only successfully defended their title but also remained unbeaten in the tournament. Speaking on their successful campaign, Hockey Haryana's Coach Azad Singh Malik said, “We are elated to defend the title.

* Despite trailing twice in the summit clash against a strong team like Hockey Jharkhand, we didn’t lose our confidence, stuck to our plan, and backed our skills to make a comeback and win the game. Moreover, we remained unbeaten in the tournament which definitely is a testament to the persistence and perseverance of this squad.”

* Meanwhile, Hockey Association of Odisha finished third in the tournament as they defeated Uttar Pradesh Hockey 4-3 in penalty shootouts after regulation time ended with both teams scoring a goal each in the closely-fought 3rd/4th Place match. Rashmi Raikwar (6') gave an early lead to Uttar Pradesh Hockey, but Sonali Ekka (43') converted a late penalty corner to help Hockey Association of Odisha level the score and force penalty shootouts..

Source : Hockey India

Correct Answer :   Ben Whishaw

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Ben Whishaw has received the best leading actor award for his role in 'This is Going to Hurt (BBC One)' at the BAFTA TV Awards 2023.

While Kate Winslet won the leading actress award for her role in I Am Ruth (Channel 4).

Other awards :

* Drama series: Bad Sisters (Apple TV Plus)
* Mini-series: Mood (BBC Three)
* International: Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix)
* Supporting actor: Adeel Akhtar – Sherwood (BBC One).

Source : Independent

Correct Answer :   NASA

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NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program has launched a second football-stadium-sized, heavy-lift super pressure balloon (SPB) from Wānaka Airport, New Zealand, on a technology mission aimed for 100 days or more of flight in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.

* “To have two long-duration super pressure balloons in flight at the same time performing science in the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitudes has been a goal more than 15 years in the making, and I’m so thrilled that on this day, we did it!” said Debbie Fairbrother, NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program chief. “I could not be prouder of our balloon and science teams for their accomplishment. With these two flights, we are setting ourselves up to support more and more-advanced science in the coming years.”

* Flying on this second balloon is the Extreme Universe Space Observatory 2 (EUSO-2), a science mission from the University of Chicago that aims to build on data collected during a 2017 mission.

* EUSO-2 will detect ultra-high energy cosmic-ray particles from beyond our galaxy as they penetrate Earth’s atmosphere. The origins of these particles are not well known, so the data collected from EUSO-2 will help solve this science mystery. Along with EUSO-2 being a science mission of opportunity, the overall goal of the mission is to test and qualify the super pressure balloon technology for flight.

* This balloon launch is the second and final for NASA’s 2023 New Zealand balloon launch campaign. The first balloon launched at 11:42 a.m. NZST, Sunday (16 April 2023) (7:42 p.m. April 15 in U.S. Eastern Time). That mission is performing nominally and has already completed three revolutions about the Earth’s southern hemisphere flying at about 108,000 feet..

Source : NASA

Correct Answer :   Arinze Ifeakandu

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* Writer Arinze Ifeakandu has won Swansea University's Dylan Thomas Prize 2023 for a “kaleidoscopic reflection of queer life and love in Nigeria”,  for his debut book God’s Children Are Little Broken Things ' at a ceremony in London on May 11, 2023.

* Started in 2006, the Dylan Thomas Prize is "awarded for the best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under," reads a statement on their website. It further reads, "the Prize celebrates the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels,

* His debut book is God’s Children Are Little Broken Things', which is a collection of nine short stories on the themes of queer life, love, and humanity...

Source : India Times.

Correct Answer :   Hriday Hazarika and Nancy Mandhotra

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Indian shooters Hriday Hazarika and Nancy Mandhotra have bagged silver medals in the men’s and women’s 10 meter air rifle events, at the ongoing ISSF World Cup 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

* It was the first-ever ISSF World Cup medal for 21-year-old Hriday Hazarika as well as 19-year-old Nancy Mandhotra.

* Hazarika made it to the men’s 10m air rifle final.

* The Baku meet is the penultimate stage of the ISSF World Cup for rifle and pistol shooters.

* The final stage will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil before the ISSF World Championships in November at Doha.

* India have sent a 34-member team to the ISSF World Cup Baku 2023. The event will end today. .

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   4th

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INS Kavaratti, indigenously designed & built ASW Corvette, arrived at Batam, Indonesia to participate in the 4th edition of India-Indonesia Bilateral exercise Samudra Shakti-23 from 14-19 May 23.

* An Indian Navy Dornier Maritime Patrol aircraft and Chetak helicopter is also participating. The Indonesian Navy will be represented by KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda, CN 235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft and AS565 Panther Helicopter.

* Exercise Samudra Shakti is aimed at enhancing interoperability, jointness and mutual cooperation between both the navies.

* The Harbour phase will comprise Cross deck visits, professional Interactions, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, and sports fixtures.

* During the Sea Phase, weapon firing, Helicopter Operations, Anti-submarine warfare & air defence exercises and boarding operations are planned.

* Samudra Shakti -23 will showcase the high level of interoperability between the two navies and their shared commitment towards peace and stability in the region...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer :   Indian National Congress

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* After the BJP’s debacle in the Karnataka Assembly polls, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has stepped down from the post.

* The Congress has won 135 seats, well above the majority mark of 113 seats in a 224-seat state Assembly.

* The BJP, on the other hand, is set to finish with 65 seats.

* As the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office swung into celebrations after the party’s resounding victory in the Assembly polls, top Congress leaders including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, state party chief DK Shivakumar, and former CM Siddaramaiah displayed a show of strength during a press conference there.

* Will it be Siddaramaiah or DK Shivakumar? All eyes are now on who the Congress will pick as the next chief minister.



Source : Eci.gov