General Knowledge(GK) (or) General Awareness

Correct Answer :   Bombay Jayashri

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* Carnatic vocalist Bombay Jayashri has been selected for the Sangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy for 2023.

* The Nritiya Kalanidhi award for dance will go to Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari.

* The executive committee of the Music Academy at its meeting on March 19, 2023, unanimously decided to confer the awards, said N. Murali, president of the Academy.

* Initially, she was trained under her parents and later under T R Balamani and violin maestro Lalgudi G Jayaraman.

* She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2021.

* While the Nritiya Kalanidhi award 2023 will be conferred to Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer, Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari.

* The awards will be conferred to awardees in January 2023..

Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer :   INS Dronacharya

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INS Dronacharya, the premier gunnery school of the Indian Navy, will receive the prestigious President's Colour on Thursday (16th Mar 2023) in recognition of its commendable services.

* President Droupadi Murmu will confer the award, according to the defence ministry. The award is considered the highest honour that the President, who is also the Supreme Commander of the three services, bestows on a unit for its exceptional service to the nation.

* Located in Kochi, INS Dronacharya is entrusted with the training of officers and sailors of the Navy, Coast Guard and friendly foreign maritime forces on all aspects of gunnery and missile warfare.

* Training of officers and sailors to deliver ordnance on target effectively is the core focus of INS Dronacharya.

* INS Dronacharya was designated as the Centre for Excellence in gunnery and missile warfare in 2004.

* The unit is affiliated with the Indian Army School of Artillery in the spirit of jointmanship. The alumni of the institution have distinguished themselves in war and peace through exemplary acts of courage, unwavering commitment and impeccable professionalism.

* INS Dronacharya include one Mahavir Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Yudh Seva Medal, five Veer Chakra and seven Shaurya Chakra awardees.

* "The Gunnery School has evolved over a period of time to become an institution of international repute providing training on all facets of gunnery and missile warfare," the ministry said.

* The ceremonial parade for the presentation of colours would be reviewed by the President.

* The governor and chief minister of Kerala will also be present on the occasion..

Source : ABP Live

Correct Answer :   Bengaluru

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Bengaluru won the 'Partnership for Healthy Cities' award at a summit held in London on Wednesday (5th March 2023) for effectively enforcing smoke-free laws.

BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath said Bengaluru has been lauded for its efforts to curb public smoking and, thereby, significantly reducing the burden of non-communicable diseases.

The global summit brought together mayors and officials from over 50 cities to discuss public health concerns and the best practices that can save lives and create healthier spaces.

The focused effort from smoke-free Bengaluru resulted in a reduction of public-place smoking (from 18.2% in 2017 to 13.3% in 2021) and a notable increase in display of 'no-smoking' signs (from 23.1% in 2017 to 75% in 2021), said Trilok Chandra KV, special commissioner (health)...

Source : Times of India

Correct Answer :   Reserve Bank of India

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of the UAE sign MoU to promote innovation in financial products and services The Reserve Bank of India and the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (15th March 2023) to promote innovation in financial products and services.
 
* As per the MoU, both central banks will work together to explore Central Bank Digital Currencies and investigate interoperability between the CBDCs of CBUAE and RBI.

* They will conduct proof-of-concept and pilot tests of the bilateral CBDC bridge to facilitate cross-border transactions of remittances and trade. This collaboration is expected to increase efficiency and reduce costs in cross-border transactions, furthering the economic ties between India and UAE.
 
* The MoU also includes technical collaboration and knowledge sharing on matters related to Fintech and financial products and services. This collaboration will help both central banks enhance their capabilities and contribute to the development of a robust financial ecosystem.

* The collaboration between RBI and CBUAE is a significant step towards promoting innovation and collaboration in the field of FinTech. The joint exploration of CBDCs and cross-border testing is expected to pave the way for increased efficiency and cost reduction in cross-border transactions, benefiting both India and UAE...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   IDFC First Bank

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IDFC First Bank has tied up with Mumbai Indians as the official banking partner for three years.

IDFC First Bank is India's first universal bank which has introduced services like monthly interest credit on the savings accounts, zero charges on all savings account services and a lifetime free credit card.

The IPL opening ceremony will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Significantly, IPL is starting on 31st March 2023, in the first match, Gujarat Titans will face four-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings.

Correct Answer :   6%

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India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is estimated to grow at 6 per cent in the upcoming financial year 2023-24, slower than the 7 per cent estimated for the current year 2022-23, according to CRISIL.

* ‘Rider in the Storm : Tracing India’s Growth in a Volatile World’ published Thursday (16th Mar 2023), the research and ratings agency said that “in fiscal 2024, the Indian economy will grow a tad slower, hemmed in by sluggish exports and the lagged impact of rate hikes manifesting fully”.

* However, it also said that corporate revenue would continue to grow in double digits, buoyed by strong domestic demand.

* On the inflation front, CRISIL predicts that retail inflation will average 5 per cent over 2023-24, lower than the 6.8 per cent it has averaged in 2022-23 so far. This lower estimate is based on the view that “lower commodity prices, expectation of softer food prices, cooling domestic demand, and base effect” will help moderate inflation...

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Rs 70,500 Crore

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The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the defence ministry’s apex body for clearing weapons procurement, met on Thursday (16th Mar 2023) under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisitions worth Rs 70,500 crore.

* Which are being processed under the highest-priority category of “Buy {Indian –IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)}”, Indian Navy acquisitions account for more than Rs 56,000 crore.

* These largely include indigenous BrahMos missiles, Shakti Electronic Warfare (EW) systems, and Maritime Utility Helicopters.

* Including the latest proposals, AoNs granted for capital acquisitions in the current financial year 2022-23 amount to over Rs 2.71 trillion. Out of these, 99 per cent of the procurement will be sourced from Indian industries.

* “Such quantum of indigenous procurement will galvanise Indian industries towards achieving the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” said a defence ministry press release.

* The Navy’s additional procurement of BrahMos missile systems will enhance its maritime strike capabilities and anti-surface warfare operations. Meanwhile, the acquisition of utility helicopters will multiply the navy’s operational readiness in the domain of search & rescue operations, casualty evacuation, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).

* Similarly, Shakti EW systems will equip and modernise the Navy’s frontline warships for countering the adversaries’ naval operations.

* Accordance of AoN for medium speed marine diesel engine under the “Make-I” category is significant as, for the first time, India is venturing into the development and manufacturing of such engines indigenously.

* For achieving the same objectives, the DAC accorded approval to Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) proposal for equipping the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter with the indigenous Long Range Stand-Off Weapon (LRSOW).

* For the Army’s artillery modernisation programme, AoN was accorded for procurement of 155mm/52 caliber Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) along with High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) and Gun Towing Vehicles (GTVs).

* The DAC also accorded AoN for procurement of Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) MK-III from Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) for the Indian Coast Guard...

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Commercial Bank

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Commercial Bank, a digital Bank in Qatar, announced the launch of UPI remittance service to India, becoming the first bank in Qatar to offer this service. Customers can use Commercial Banking digital platforms to initiate UPI payments using UPI-ID.

* The transactions can be completed within 60 seconds and are available 24/7.

* Expressing happiness at the launch, Joseph Abraham, Group Chief Executive Officer, Commercial Bank, said, this represents a significant step forward in our efforts to enhance the customer experience and provide more convenient, secure, and accessible financial services to our clients.

* UPI is an innovative payment system that aligns with our commitment to offer seamless banking services to our customers and we are confident that these services will support us to meet the evolving needs of our customers in today's fast-paced digital world, he added.

* UPI (Unified Payment Interface) is a fast and convenient payment system that allows customers to transfer money between bank accounts in real-time using UPI-ID.

* UPI-ID is a unique identifier that does not require bank account details or IFSC codes to create a beneficiary. Customers can use Commercial Banking digital platforms to make UPI payments using UPI-ID.

* UPI-ID for the beneficiary can be easily created by visiting respective Indian Bank Digital Platforms and by following the steps required...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   NASA

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NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has been unveiled a new generation of spacesuit for humanity's return trip to the Moon.

The novel design of the spacesuit comes with specialist features to support astronauts as they conduct scientific experiments on the lunar surface. The prototype is said to be a better fit for female space travellers.
 
NASA said that it hopes to have the updated suit ready for the Artemis III mission to the Moon in 2025.

When NASA announced that humanity would return to the moon after more than five decades, they promised to send the first woman and person of colour to the lunar surface.

However, previous plans to send female astronauts to space have been scuppered by the lack of spacesuits in their size.
 
A well-fitting suit is crucial to prevent excessive fatigue and at worst, physical harm. The existing spacesuits worn by US space travellers have not been fully redesigned since 1981...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   15th March - 30 March , 2023

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The third edition of the Sea Dragon 2023 exercises is being started in the USA (host) from  15th March - 30 March , 2023.

* It is a coordinated multilateral anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise for long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

* In this exercise, Indian Navy participated with its P8I aircraft, which arrived at Guam, USA on 14 March 2023.

* Apart from India, US Navy with P8A, Japan with P1, Canada with CP 140, and South Korea with P3C participated.

Source : PIB