Correct Answer :   Star Health and Allied Insurance

---

Star Health and Allied Insurance (Star Health), a standalone health insurer, has entered into a strategic corporate alliance with Standard Chartered Bank (SCB).

Under this tie-up, SCB will offer Star Health’s insurance products through their extensive branch network across India. SCB currently has 100 branches spread across 42 cities.

With this branch network, SCB will serve as a convenient one-stop destination for its customers seeking comprehensive health insurance coverage.

Bancassurance is an insurance distribution model where insurance companies partner with banks to sell policies. Both the bank and the insurance company get to benefit from this arrangement. While the bank earns a commission from the insurance company, the insurer gains from the bank’s distribution network.

This strategic alliance will enhance Star Health’s distribution network. As of June 30, 2023, the standalone health insurer had over 6.4 lakh agents and 38 bancassurance partners.

Anand Roy, MD and CEO, Star Health and Allied Insurance Co. Ltd., said, “Our health insurance policies are crafted to cater to the varied health insurance requirements of individuals, offering holistic protection for every customer.

By collaborating with Standard Chartered, we not only expand the reach but also deliver top-tier services that align with the needs of India’s affluent clientele.”

Saurabh Jain, MD & Head, Wealth Management India, Standard Chartered Bank, said, “Health and protection are key needs today for clients managing their wealth, with Standard Chartered’s Wealth Expectancy Report for 2022 revealing that over 54 per cent of respondents in India have prioritised health and wellness post-pandemic. We are pleased to partner with Star Health and bring their products and services to address the evolving health needs of our clients.”

The escalating healthcare costs in India have resulted in an unprecedented surge in the demand for health insurance. Customers now require comprehensive policies that cater to their medical requirements, encompassing benefits such as OPD Care, Hospi Cash, and Critical Illness Coverage.

This partnership will help increase insurance penetration in India and contribute to Star Health’s endeavor to make quality health insurance accessible to everyone in every part of the country..

Source : The Hindu Businessline

Correct Answer :   Aditi Swami

---

Aditi Swami’s tryst with history continued. A day after winning India’s maiden gold medal in the World Archery Championships as a member of the women’s compound team, the 17-year-old became the youngest-ever world champion and claimed the country’s first-ever individual title at senior level, beating Mexico’s Andrea Bercerra 149-147 in the individual women’s compound event final in Berlin on Saturday.

Aditi perhaps is going through the best phase of her career. Only last month she won the Under-18 world titles in both individual and team categories in the Youth Championships in Limerick, thus becoming both the cadet and senior world champion at the same time.

This is just the beginning for the NEW world champion.

@TRUBALLAXCEL #ArcheryNews #WorldArchery pic.twitter.com/xepBqZfW7R

— World Archery (@worldarchery) August 5, 2023

Hours later, India got its second world champion when Ojas Deotalebecame the firstever male archer from the country to win gold. Ojas hit perfect 150 points in the final against Poland’s Lukasz Przybylski who scored 149 in men’s compound individual event. India thus ended with three gold and one bronze medal in the championship..

Source : Times of India

Correct Answer :   Prarthana Thombare

---

Prarthana Thombare has clinched the doubles title at the women's tennis hardcourt event in Barcelona, Spain in August 2023.

The Asian Games bronze medallist, combined with Russian Anastasia Tikhonova, edged out France’s Estelle Cascino and Latvia’s Diana Marcinkevica 3-6, 6-1, 10-7 in the final.

It is the second title of the year and 26th overall for Prarthana, who bagged bronze with Sania Mirza in 2014 at Incheon.

Siddhant Banthia and Sai Karteek Reddy won their second title this season in ITF men’s event in Astana, Kazakhstan.

They defeated Estonia’s Daniil Glinka and Karl Kiur Saar 7-5, 6-7, 10-4 to lift the trophy in the hard-court event. It is the first crown for both the players who had triumphed in their first appearance as a team in an event in Jakarta in June 2023.

In the ITF women’s event in Foxhills, Britain, Rutuja Bhosale in partnership with Destanee Aiava of Australia beat the top seeds Talia Gibson and Petra Hule of Australia in the doubles final. It was the 22nd career doubles title for the 27-year-old Rutuja..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Mrunal Thakur

---

Mrunal Thakur will be honoured with the  Diversity in Cinema Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023. The award is a recognition of Thakur’s versatile performances across films of different languages.

The recognition comes as Thakur completes a year of having made her debut in South Indian Cinema with Telugu film Sita Ramam (2022).

Expressing her joy at receiving this award, Thakur said, “I am truly honoured and humbled to receive the Diversity in Cinema Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. This recognition reaffirms my belief in the power of storytelling that transcends languages and cultures. As an artist, I've always aimed to explore a wide spectrum of characters, and this award motivates me to continue pushing boundaries and taking up roles that challenge and inspire me. I am grateful for the opportunities I've had and excited for what the future holds in this incredible journey of cinema”.

Thakur was last seen in Lust Stories 2. She has Made in Heaven Season 2 Hi Nanna opposite Telugu star Nani, and VD 13 with Vijay Deverkonda..

Source : Film Companion

Correct Answer :   Rs 1,09,947.86 Crores

---

The combined market valuation of seven of the top-10 most valued firms eroded by Rs 1,09,947.86 crore last week, with State Bank of India taking the biggest hit, in-tandem with weak trend in equities.

Last week, the BSE benchmark fell by 438.95 points or 0.66 per cent.

From the top-10 pack, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, Hindustan Unilever, ITC, State Bank of India, Bharti Airtel and Bajaj Finance were the laggards while Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), HDFC Bank and Infosys witnessed addition in their market valuation.

The valuation of State Bank of India tumbled Rs 38,197.34 crore to Rs 5,11,603.38 crore.

Shares of State Bank of India on Friday (4th August 2023) fell by nearly 3 per cent after the company's first quarter earnings failed to cheer investors.

The market capitalisation (mcap) of ICICI Bank eroded by Rs 17,201.84 crore to Rs 6,79,293.90 crore.

ITC's valuation tanked Rs 16,846.18 crore to Rs 5,66,886.01 crore and that of Bajaj Finance fell by Rs 14,366.34 crore to Rs 4,32,932.18 crore.

The mcap of Reliance Industries went lower by Rs 11,806 crore to Rs 16,98,270.74 crore and that of Hindustan Unilever declined by Rs 9,069.42 crore to Rs 5,98,299.92 crore.

Bharti Airtel's valuation dipped by Rs 2,460.74 crore to Rs 4,97,908.56 crore.

However, the mcap of TCS jumped Rs 31,815.45 crore to Rs 12,59,555.25 crore.

Infosys added Rs 15,791.49 crore taking its valuation to Rs 5,72,062.52 crore. The mcap of HDFC Bank climbed Rs 7,080.63 crore to Rs 12,47,403.26 crore.

Reliance Industries remained the most valued firm of the country, followed by TCS, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Hindustan Unilever, Infosys, ITC, State Bank of India, Bharti Airtel and Bajaj Finance..

Source : Times of india

Correct Answer :   India

---

Made-in-India laser-guided Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) were successfully test-fired from Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Army 4th August 2023 from the KK Range in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar.

The missiles hit targets with precision and successfully defeated them from two different ranges. Telemetry systems recorded the flight performance of the missiles.

The all-indigenous Laser Guided ATGM employs a High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead to defeat Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA)-protected vehicles.

The ATGM has been developed with multi-platform launch capability and is currently undergoing technical evaluation trials from a 120 mm rifled gun of MBT Arjun.

With today’s trials, conducted with the support of Armoured Corps Centre & School (ACC&S), Ahmednagar, the consistency of ATGM’s capability to engage targets from minimum to maximum range has been established successfully.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO and the Indian Army for the successful performance of the laser-guided ATGMs..

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   Israel

---

Indian Air Force (IAF) received (3rd August 2023) air-launched Israeli Spike Non Line of Sight (NLOS) Anti-Tank Guided Missiles(ATGM) from Israel which can hit targets upto 50 km from a helicopter and 32 km from the ground.



The NLOS missiles will be integrated with the fleet of Russian-origin Mi-17V5 helicopters, manufactured by Kazan Helicopters.

Key features of Spike Non Line of Sight (NLOS) missiles :

* It was designed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
* It is available in various configurations, including man-portable, vehicle-launched, and helicopter-launched variants.
* Utilizes a fire-and-forget system with lock-on before launch and automatic self- guidance features.
* The long and extended range versions of the Spike introduce the “Fire, Observe and Update” operating mode.
* Air-launched SPIKE NLOS ATGMs are capable of executing precise strikes against ground targets from standoff distances.
* Demonstrates the ability to inflict significant damage to enemy tank regiments and effectively halt their advances.
* It has the highest level of survivability due to stand-off range and passive guidance.
* It enables the handling of Anti-access/area denial (A2AD) targets

Increased production of missiles through “Make-in-India” :

A limited quantity of Spike NLOS ATGMs has been placed on order. There is intent to produce a more substantial amount of these missiles through the “Make-in-India” approach.

Correct Answer :   India

---

The Indian women's compound archery team etched their names in history by clinching a gold medal at the World Archery Championships held in Berlin, Germany on Friday, 3 August 2023. This victory marked India's first-ever gold at the archery world championships in any category.

The triumphant team comprised Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Parneet Kaur, and Aditi Gopichand Swami.

In the final round, they showcased an exceptional performance against the Mexican team, consisting of Dafne Quintero, Ana Sofia Hernandez Jeon, and Andrea Becerra.

The Indian trio emerged victorious with a score of 235-229, demonstrating their prowess and precision in the sport.

“We’re very happy we’ve won the first title for India,” Aditi told World Archery.

HISTORIC win for India 🇮🇳🥇
New world champions at the Hyundai @worldarchery Championships.#WorldArchery pic.twitter.com/8dNHLZJkCR

— World Archery (@worldarchery) August 4, 2023

“We just focused on our shooting, and we were confident that we would win.”

Their journey to the final was equally impressive. After receiving a bye in the first round, the Indian women's compound team faced and defeated formidable opponents from Chinese Taipei and Turkey in the quarter-finals and pre-quarterfinals, respectively. Their semi-final match was a nail-biting encounter against the defending champions, Colombia. The Indian team triumphed with a score of 220-216, securing their spot in the final.

This victory adds to India's impressive tally at the World Archery Championships, where the country bagged a total of 11 medals, including six gold, one silver, and four bronze.

Jyothi, Parneet and Aditi will also be in action in the individual compound event..

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   Russia

---

Russia announced Wednesday (2nd August 2023) that it had begun naval exercises in the Baltic Sea, amid rising tensions with its European neighbours over the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia regularly holds naval drills in the Baltic Sea, often in response to NATO exercises in the area.

The Russian navy has played a key role in Moscow's assault on Ukraine by pummelling the Western-backed country with ship- and submarine-launched cruise missiles, among other weapons.

"The Ocean Shield-2023 naval exercises have begun in the Baltic Sea," the defence ministry said in a statement.

It added that 30 warships and boats as well as 20 support vessels would participate alongside some 6,000 military personnel.

During the drills, the navy will practise how to protect sea lanes, transport troops and military cargo, and defend the coastline, the statement said.

"In total, it is planned to perform more than 200 combat exercises, including with the use of weapons," it said..

Source : NDTV

Correct Answer :   Gukesh D

---

D Gukesh posted a win over home favourite Misratdin Iskandarov in a second round match of the World Cup at Baku, Azerbaijan on Tuesday (1st August 2023) and overtook senior compatriot Viswanathan Anand in the live world (FIDE) rankings.



The 17-year old Gukesh outclassed Iskandarov of Azerbaijan in 44 moves in the second game of their second-round match.

"Gukesh D won again today and has overcome Viswanathan Anand in live rating! There is still almost a month till next official FIDE rating list on September 1, but it's highly likely that 17-year-old will be making it to top 10 in the world as the highest-rated Indian player," the international chess federation (FIDE) said in a tweet.

If he stays ahead of Anand till September 1, he will become the first Indian to surpass Anand since Pravin Thipsay in July 1986 in the FIDE world rankings.

Gukesh has been set on achieving this target for a while now. Speaking to ESPN in June, Gukesh had outlined his goals for the year: "My very short-term goal is to enter the top-10. I'm quite close to it, almost there. In a few years, I would like to see myself competing seriously in the World Championship cycle.

First of all, I would like to qualify for the Candidates tournament. I believe I have a fair shot and I'll give my best. After Vishy [Anand] sir, I don't think anyone came close to qualifying for the Candidates. Right now, with this whole group of young talents, it's a very fair shot."

The latest gain of 2.5 rating points took Gukesh's live rating to 2755.9, while Anand's is 2754.0. As a result, Gukesh replaced Anand as the World No. 9 in live rankings while the five-time World champion slipped to 10th.

Anand, who first made it to the World's top-10 in July 1991, has remained India's top-ranked player in all published lists since January 1987.

Gukesh will take on compatriot S L Narayanan in the third round of the World Cup.

Meanwhile, quite a few Indians advanced to the third round on Thursday, including R Praggnanandhaa and Nihal Sarin in the men's section and D Harika and R Vaishali in the women's.

Indian GM B Adhiban bowed out, losing 0.5-1.5 to Daniil Dubov while unfancied compatriot Karthik Venkataraman held the No.2 seed Hikaru Nakamura to a 1-1 score and forced a tie-break..

Source : Espn