General Knowledge(GK) (or) General Awareness

Correct Answer :   Coco Gauff

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Coco Gauff, a 20-year-old American tennis player, is positioned to make history by becoming the first woman to win consecutive US Open titles since Serena Williams, who achieved this feat from 2012 to 2014.

As the third seed, Gauff is looking to overcome recent form challenges and restore her peak performance.

Despite some setbacks in recent tournaments, Gauff’s strong position and past successes highlight her potential to achieve this significant milestone in tennis history.

Correct Answer :   Danny Jansen

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Danny Jansen made history in Major League Baseball (MLB) by becoming the first player to appear for two different teams in the same game.

This rare event occurred when Jansen was traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Boston Red Sox during a doubleheader.

Jansen then played in the second game against his former team, marking a unique milestone in baseball history.

Correct Answer :   Susmita Debnath

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Susmita Debnath, a talented yoga practitioner from Howrah, won gold in the artistic solo category at the Asia Pacific Yoga championship held in Sri Lanka.

Despite facing financial challenges, her determination and the support from her family and community led to this significant achievement, underscoring the increasing recognition of yoga as a competitive sport on the international stage.

Correct Answer :   Surfing Team

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The Indian Surfing Team has made history by qualifying for the 2026 Asian Games for the first time, earning one quota each for both Men and Women.

This achievement was the result of ranking points accumulated in the 2024 Asian Surfing events.

The Surfing Federation of India President, Arun Vasu, highlighted the dedication and hard work of the surfers, coaches, and the federation, which played a crucial role in securing this milestone for Indian sports.

Correct Answer :   INS Mumbai

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INS Mumbai, an Indian Navy ship, is scheduled for a three-day visit to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

This visit is significant as it marks INS Mumbai's first-ever visit to Sri Lanka and represents the eighth visit by an Indian Navy ship to the country this year.

During the visit, INS Mumbai will deliver spare parts for the Sri Lanka Air Force's Dornier maritime patrol aircraft and participate in various joint activities.

The ship will also replenish its fuel and provisions, and the crew will have the opportunity to visit local sites in Colombo and Galle.

Correct Answer :   Lando Norris

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Lando Norris secured a commanding win at the Dutch Grand Prix, marking his second career victory and his first in Formula One.

Despite Red Bull's Max Verstappen's strong performance, Norris's McLaren showcased superior pace and strategy, overcoming initial struggles at the start to dominate throughout the race.

This victory narrowed Verstappen's championship lead and boosted McLaren's position in the standings, with Verstappen admitting he could never match Norris's pace.

Correct Answer :   Bandhan Bank

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Bandhan Bank introduced the Avni savings account for women on August 22, 2024, coinciding with its Foundation Day.

The Avni account is tailored for well-off women and requires a minimum average quarterly balance of ?25,000.

It offers exclusive benefits such as a debit card with free airport lounge access, personal accident insurance coverage, and discounts on various services.

The launch also included the Bandhan Bank Delights loyalty program, which rewards customers with Delight Points for banking activities, redeemable for various rewards.

Correct Answer :   Bandhan Bank

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On August 22, 2024, Bandhan Bank, celebrating its Foundation Day, introduced Avni, a savings account tailored specifically for women. This launch is accompanied by the Bandhan Bank Delights loyalty program, designed to offer rewards, discounts, and exclusive benefits.

Avni Savings Account :

The Avni account caters to well-off women with a minimum average quarterly balance requirement of ?25,000. It includes an exclusive debit card with benefits such as free airport lounge access, personal accident insurance coverage of ?10 lakh, and lost card liability of ?3.5 lakh. Additional perks include discounts on annual locker rentals, gold loan processing fees, and beauty and wellness products.

Bandhan Bank Delights Loyalty Program :

Bandhan Bank Delights, the bank’s new loyalty initiative, allows customers to earn Delight Points through various banking activities, including account opening and card transactions. These points can be redeemed for rewards such as travel, merchandise, entertainment, and even converted to air miles.

Bank’s Strategic Focus :

The introduction of Avni aligns with the Reserve Bank of India’s recent call for banks to innovate in deposit mobilization. As CASA (Current Account Savings Account) deposits decline, Bandhan Bank’s strategy to offer attractive products like Avni aims to capture a larger share of household savings, which are increasingly invested in other financial instruments.

About Bandhan Bank: Key Points :

Foundation : Started as an NGO, became an NBFC-MFI, and received a universal banking license on August 23, 2015.

Headquarters : Kolkata, West Bengal.

Leadership : Interim MD and CEO is Ratan Kumar Kesh.

Tagline : “Aapka Bhala. Sabki Bhalai.”

Focus : Private-sector bank with a strong emphasis on financial inclusion and customer-centric products.

Correct Answer :   Shikhar Dhawan

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Shikhar Dhawan has announced (24th Aug 2024) his retirement from international and domestic cricket with immediate effect. The left-hander took to social media to call time on his career spanning over 13 years for India, in which he played 34 Tests, 167 ODIs and 68 T20Is scoring 2315, 6793 and 1579 runs respectively in the three formats.

"It's important to turn the page to move forward in a story, and in life. That's why, I am announcing my retirement from international and domestic cricket," Dhawan said in his retirement video. "I've told myself to not feel sad that you won't play for India again, but feel happy that you played for the country."

The 38-year-old played his last game for India, an ODI against Bangladesh at Chattogram, in December 2022 while his last T20I was in Sri Lanka in July 2021. Dhawan had not played a Test for India since 2018. His last competitive appearance was for the Punjab Kings in IPL 2024 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in April following which an injury ended his season prematurely.

Dhawan thanked his family, his fans for showing him love, his childhood coaches along with the various Indian and IPL teams he has played with during his career.

Dhawan shot to fame in the 2004 U-19 World Cup scoring three centuries as he amassed 505 runs. Along with Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, he was part of a strong Delhi batting order. He became known for his strong offside game with his elegant cover drives and cuts. He finally made his debut for India in the ODI format in 2010 against Australia but was dismissed for a duck.

However, three years later in March 2013, he was given his Test debut against Australia at Mohali but unlike the ODI debut this was a memorable one. He smashed the fastest Test century on debut, in only 85 deliveries. He kicked on from there in 2013, forging a strong opening partnership with Rohit Sharma playing an instrumental role as India went on to lift the Champions Trophy in England, scoring 363 runs and two hundreds in the process.

Dhawan's 137 against South Africa at the MCG in the 2015 Cricket World Cup was one of his most memorable knocks as he took on the likes of Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Wayne Parnell and Vernon Philander to the cleaners, and came to be known as the man for the ICC events. Dhawan started the ICC 2019 World Cup in similar fashion, with a hundred against Australia, but a hairline fracture on his thumb ruled him out of the rest of the tournament.

In his 222-game IPL career, Dhawan scored 6,769 runs and is a one-time championship winner with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, in 2016, forming a pivotal partnership with David Warner. The turn of the decade saw international appearances come few and far between, though.

Dhawan also captained India in 15 games (12 ODIs and 3 T20Is), and 33 games in total for two IPL franchises - Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad - across the IPL, and the erstwhile Champions League T20. He had a win-loss record of 8-5 (2 no-results) when he captained India. He led the side to ODI series wins against Sri Lanka in 2021, and West Indies and South Africa in 2022. However in the franchise tournaments, Dhawan struggled with the load of captaining the side, with a win loss record of 13 wins to 20 defeats..

Source : Cric Buzz

Correct Answer :   Eastern Railways

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Eastern Railways is expanding the One Station One Product (OSOP) initiative, allowing local artisans to set up stalls at Howrah and other stations to sell their handmade products.

This move aims to support West Bengal's artisans and entrepreneurs by providing them with a platform to market and sell their creations.

Artisans can register for a 15-day or 30-day period, with the fee covering registration costs plus free electricity for a specific number of units, facilitating their business operations at the station.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to promote local crafts and support local businesses.