Correct Answer : Option (C) - Sudha Murty

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Renowned author and philanthropist Sudha Murty, wife of Infosys co-founder N. R. Narayana Murty, was honored with the Global Indian Award by the Canada India Foundation.

The Global Indian Award, worth $50,000, is given annually to prominent Indians who have excelled in their respective fields.

Sudha Murty was conferred by the Canada India Foundation at the Toronto gala event on Saturday (30th Sep 2023) night, where she was accompanied by the parents of her son-in-law and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to the event.

Murty expressed her gratitude for the recognition and commended the Indo-Canadian diaspora for bridging the cultural gap between the two countries. She also humorously noted that both she and her husband had received the same award in different years, making them the first couple to achieve this distinction.

Sudha Murty generously donated the award money to The Field Institute at the University of Toronto, known for its contributions to mathematics and various other disciplines..

Source : Freepress Journal

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Ruixiang Zhang

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Ruixiang Zhang, Assistant Professor, University of California, Berkeley, USA  awarded with the 2023 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize for his outstanding contributions to mathematics.

The annual cash prize of USD 10,000 will be given at an international conference in Number Theory on December 20 and December 22 at SASTRA University in Kumbakonam

He has made contributions to the Generalization of Vinogradov’s Mean Value Theorem and Breakthroughs in Restriction Theory.

Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer : Option (C) - bronze

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Indian table tennis players Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee picked up a historic bronze medal in the women’s doubles tournament at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China.

Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee lost to Suyong Cha and Sugyong Pak of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the semi-finals 4-3 (11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 2-11) on Monday (2nd Oct 2023). The match lasted 60 minutes.

Losing semi-finalists are awarded the bronze medal in table tennis at the Asian Games.

In the semis, the Mukherjee duo relied on their defensive strength, forcing errors out of the DPR Korean pair to take the first game 11-7. However, Suyong Cha and Sugyong Pak fought back to win the second game 11-8.

Both pairs took a game each next and were level at 2-2 and there was very little separating them. Suyong Cha and Sugyong Pak took an early lead in the fifth game, but Sutirtha and Ayhika didn’t let their opponents slip away. The lead kept going back and forth, but some late errors saw DPR Korea go 3-2 up in the match.

Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee changed gears in the sixth game and attacked their opponents with terrific combination play. They raced to a 6-1 lead and gained crucial momentum, before wrapping up the game 11-5.  

The Indian table tennis pair, however, faltered in the decider and conceded a 6-1 lead in under three minutes. Suyong Cha and Sugyong Pak capitalised on the unforced errors and won the final game 11-2 to make it to the final.

Earlier in the quarter-finals, Ayhika and Sutirtha pulled off a spectacular result, defeating China’s world No. 2 duo and defending world champions in women’s doubles, Chen Meng and Wang Yidi 3-1 (11-5, 11-5, 5-11, 11-9). Chen Meng is also a two-time Olympic gold medallist.

Along the way, the Indian table tennis players also beat Thailand’s Wanwisa Aueawiriyayothin and Jinnipa Sawettabut 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-4) in the round of 16 and Kazakhstan’s Zauresh Akasheva and Anastassiya Lavrova 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-7) in the opener.

In Tunis earlier this year, the Mukherjees became the first Indians to win the WTT Contender women’s doubles title. The Indian duo is ranked 16th in the world.

India finished their Asian Games 2023 table tennis campaign in Hangzhou with one medal..

Source : Olympics

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Karnataka Bank

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Karnataka Bank, a leading private sector Bank is launching “Door -Step Gold Loan” facility named “KBL-Swarna Bandhu” for its customers, a unique product for gold loans with end to end digitization. Through this product Bank will be able to provide Gold Loan Services at customer’s door step. Initially, this product will be available to customers in select centres of the Bank and will be gradually rolled out to all the branches of the Bank.

Karnataka Bank is well positioned to expand its Gold loan portfolio and capitalise on the huge market opportunity. Door step Gold Loan product is a big step towards Bank’s goal of creating a robust & healthy Gold loan portfolio. By leveraging on technology services & Door step service framework, Karnataka Bank aims to focus on quality gold loan portfolio in the ensuing days.

To achieve this, the bank has partnered with SahiBandhu a leading aggregator platform for gold loans backed by The Manipal Group. SahiBandhu will act as a Corporate Business Correspondent and a Lending Service Provider. This collaboration aligns with extant guidelines on digital lending and will also help in improving the gold loan portfolio of Bank. KBL-Swarna Bandhu showcases the comprehensive digital capabilities of both KBL and SahiBandhu.

Mr. SriKrishnan H, MD & CEO of Karnataka Bank has expressed that, “Door Step Gold loan lending model is one of the innovative avenues of lending against gold. “KBL-Swarna Bandhu” shall create a dynamic synergy in the entire gold loan portfolio of the Bank. This arrangement will help us in extending gold loans at the Door step of the customers once again proving our Bank’s orientation towards collaborative digital innnovations to improve the customer service arena and by this we aim to achieve better Customer Delight”.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Sekhar Rao, Executive Director of Karnataka Bank stated that “Bank is progressing on the Fintech initiatives with strong collaborations with partners in various fields. This initiative is also, one among the many such steps taken by the Bank. Our aim is to see this Century old Bank in a new Digital Avatar.”

On KBL-Swarna Bandhu launch, Mr. Rajesh Shet, Co-Founder & CEO of SahiBandhu - A leading Gold Loan aggregator platform, has expressed that, “As we continue to expand our footprint in the ever-evolving financial landscape, we are excited to announce our strategic partnership with Karnataka Bank (KBL). Our innovative tech platform enables gold loan at the customer doorstep. Through our unwavering commitment to customer-centricity, we continue to excel in the gold loan industry. Together with KBL, we are poised to unlock new opportunities, offering digital-first lending solutions through our gold loan aggregator platform.”.

Source : Karnatakabank

Correct Answer : Option (A) - Iran

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards, a branch of the nation's armed forces, launched the Noor 3 spacecraft atop a three-stage Qasem rocket on Wednesday (Sept. 27, 2023).

The spacecraft's two predecessors, Noor 1 and Noor 2, launched in April 2020 and March 2022, respectively, also atop Qased rockets.

Noor 1 fell back to Earth in April 2022, but Noor 2 remains operational — and may work in concert with Noor 3 when the latter satellite comes online.

"Notable that Noor 3 was launched to the *current* altitude of Noor 2, not its original altitude [of about 310 miles, or 500 km]. The two sats are in roughly the same orbital plane, suggesting they may work together. In contrast, Noor 1 was already on its way to reentry when Noor 2 was launched," astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell wrote via X (formerly known as Twitter) on Wednesday.

Notable that Noor 3 was launched to the *current* altitude of Noor 2, not its original altitude. The two sats are in roughly the same orbital plane, suggesting they may work together. In contrast, Noor 1 was already on its way to reentry when Noor 2 was launched pic.twitter.com/S5dqol5dpR

— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) September 27, 2023

Source : Space

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Rohan Bopanna and Rutuja Bhosale

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India's tennis prowess shone brightly as Rutuja Bhosale and seasoned veteran Rohan Bopanna orchestrated a remarkable comeback to secure the gold medal in mixed doubles at the Asian Games on Saturday (30 Sep 2023)

In a riveting encounter, the second-seeded Indian pair fought back from a set down to triumph with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-3, 10-4 against the formidable Chinese Taipei duo of Tsung-hao Huang and En-shuo Liang.

The victory not only sealed a gold medal for India but also provided a glimmer of hope in what had otherwise been a somewhat disappointing tennis campaign for the country at the Asian Games. India had managed to secure only two medals throughout the tournament, with the men's doubles team earning silver being the other achievement.

This two-medal performance at the Asian Games marked India's weakest showing in the event since the beginning of the century. In contrast, India had returned with more substantial medal hauls in previous editions, including four medals in 2002 (Busan), four in 2006 (Doha), five in 2010 (Guangzhou), five in 2014 (Incheon), and three in 2018 (Indonesia).

𝙂𝙊𝙇𝘿 𝙄𝙏 𝙄𝙎!🥇🌟

🇮🇳 mixed doubles duo, @RutujaBhosale12 and #TOPSchemeAthlete @rohanbopanna have clinched GOLD, showcasing their unmatched talent and teamwork on the world stage. 🏆🎾

Let's applaud their remarkable victory at the #AsianGames2022 with pride and passion!… pic.twitter.com/kpZs1JcLq4

— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) September 30, 2023

Source : India Times

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Federal Bank

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted approval to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to acquire a 9.7 per cent stake in Federal Bank.

Earlier this year, the Kerala-based private sector lender had raised ₹959 crore via preferential issue of shares to the World Bank Group member.

‘’The Federal Bank Ltd has received an intimation from the Reserve Bank of India on September 28, 2023, that it has accorded its approval to International Finance Corporation (IFC) for acquiring aggregate holding of up to 9.70 per cent of the paid-up share capital or voting rights of the Bank subject to the conditions specified therein,'' said Federal Bank in a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges on Friday (29th Sep 2023).

‘’The approval has been granted with reference to the application made by IFC to RBI,'' added the bank in its statement. After the central bank's approval, the stake holding is subject to compliance by other regulatory bodies..

Source : Mint

Correct Answer : Option (D) - Manika Batra

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Manika Batra created history on Friday (29th Sep 2023) as she became the first Indian to reach the quarterfinals of the individual table tennis event at the Asian Games 2023. Batra defeated Thailand's Suthasini Sawettabut 4-2.

Manika Batra made history by advancing to the quarterfinals of the women's table tennis competition at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou. On Friday, she triumphed over Thailand's Suthasini Sawettabut in a nail-biting round of 16 match-up, winning 4-2 (11-7, 6-11, 12-10, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6).

After a tense tie at 2-2 following the first four sets, Batra managed to secure victory in the subsequent two sets.

With the win, Batra also became the first Indian singles player to reach the quarterfinals in table tennis at the Asian Games. She is now set to face Wang Yidi, with a spot in the semifinals and a guaranteed medal on the line.

In contrast, the men's competition saw mixed results for the Indian team in their round of 16 matches. The seasoned duo of Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran were defeated 0-3 (5-11, 4-11, 7-11) by China's Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin. However, Manush Utpalbhai Shah and Manav Vikash Thakkar clinched a hard-fought victory of 3-2 (3-11, 11-9, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8) against Singapore's Yew En Koen Pang and Izaac Quek Yong. They will next face top seeds Woojin Jang and Jonghoon Lim in the quarterfinals..

Source : India Today

Correct Answer : Option (A) - India

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Shooters Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Swapnil Kusale and Akhil Sheoran clinched gold in men’s rifle 3P team event at the ongoing Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou on Friday (29th Sep 2023).

En route to their gold medal, the Indian shooters also broke the World Record after achieving a cumulative 1769 points, eight more than the previous record set by the United States in 2022 at the CAT championships.

HIGHLIGHTS :

Swapnil and Aishwary amassed an identical 591 cumulative points to finish first and second respectively in the qualification event to advance into the final, which will happen later in the day. Despite ending up on same points, Swapnil(33) finished above compatriot Aishwary(27) in the rankings table due to superior inner 10s record.

Additionally, both the shooters set a new qualification Asian Games and Asian record.

Akhil, despite finishing fifth in individual rankings, had to unfortunately miss out on the qualification as only two shooters from a country can take part in the final..

Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Roshibina Devi

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India's Roshimina Devi won silver medal in the 60 kg women's Wushu category in the Asian Games 2023.

In the same shooting, the men's 10 meter pistol team (Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Singh Cheema and Shiva Narwal) won the gold medal for the country.

India has won a total of 6 gold medals so far..

Source : The Hindu