Correct Answer :   Tajinderpal Singh Toor

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Tajinder Pal Singh Toor could not have timed his comeback better. Three months before the Asian Games, the burly shot putter shattered his own Asian record with a huge throw of 21.77m. His personal best of 21.49m achieved two years ago was the previous national and Asian record.

Toor got the mark in his third attempt, having started with 21.09m. The throw was big enough to land him a spot in the Budapest World Championships (21.40m qualifying mark). The Asian Games qualifying mark was a modest 19m.

It puts him at ninth place in the world this season. American Olympic and world champion Ryan Crouser heads the chart with a sensational 23.56m -- the world record – this season..

Source : Hindustan Times

Correct Answer :   Mongolia

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The Indian Army Contingent is participating in the multinational peacekeeping Joint Exercise "Ex Khaan Quest 2023" in Mongolia.

Defence Ministry said, Military contingents and observers from over 20 countries are participating in this exercise.

President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh inaugurated (19th June 2023) the Exercise.
 
The Indian Army is represented by a contingent from the Garhwal Rifles.

The 14-day exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability of the participating nations, sharing experience, and training uniformed personnel for the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations.

The exercise will prepare participants for future UN Peacekeeping missions, develop peace operations capabilities and enhance military readiness.

The exercise includes Command Post Exercise, Field Training Exercises, combat discussions, lectures, and demonstration.

The Ministry said, the military exercise will enhance the level of defence cooperation between Indian Army and participating countries, especially with the Mongolian Armed Forces which will enhance bilateral relations between the two countries..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Bhavani Devi

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Olympian C.A. Bhavani Devi has secured the bronze medal at Asian Fencing Championships 2023 held in China.

In the quarterfinal, she created history by defeating reigning World Champion Misaki Emura and secured India its first-ever medal at the event.

She stunned the world number one 15-10 to enter the women’s sabre semifinal.

However, Bhavani lost to Uzbekistan’s Zaynab Dayibekova in the semifinals by 15-14, securing a bronze medal..

Source : Air

Correct Answer :   Salman Rushdie

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* British-American author, Salman Rushdie has been selected for the prestigious German Peace Prize 2023 for his literary work and his resolve and positive attitude in the face of constant danger.

* He would receive the award in Frankfurt on October 22, 2023.

* Cash prize: €25,000 ($27,300)

* This prize was established in 1950 to recognize a personality committed to serving international understanding between nations and cultures through their work..

Source : DW

Correct Answer :   Gandhi Peace Prize

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The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021 will be conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur. The Jury headed by the Prime Minister took the unanimous decision 18th June 2023.

* The award will be given to Gita Press in recognition of its outstanding contribution to social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.

* Established in 1923, Gita Press is one of world’s largest publishers, having published over 41 crore books in 14 languages, including over 16 crore Shrimad Bhagvad Gita.

* The award given by Ministry of Culture, Gandhi Peace Prize carries an amount of one crore rupees, a citation and a plaque.

* Prime Minister Modi congratulated Gita Press, Gorakhpur. In a tweet, Mr Modi said, Gita Press have done commendable work over the last 100 years towards furthering social and cultural transformations among the people..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty

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India's dynamic duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty scripted history by winning the men's doubles title at the Indonesia Open here on Sunday (18th June 2023), becoming the first pair from the country to claim a Super 1000 event.

The Indians outwitted the Malaysian world champion duo of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik 21-17, 21-18 in an intense contest that lasted 43 minutes.

Satwiksairaj and Chirag gained initiative midway through the first game and they never really gave a sniff to their fancied opponents since then.

In the second game as well, the Indian pair did not allow their opponents to break free and a four-point streak kept them ahead of the curve.

The Indians seemed to be in for a facile victory when the Malaysians nullified four match points to come within sniffing distance of their opponents.

Doubles outing :

However, Satwiksairaj and Chirag, the world No. 6 pair, who won a gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and bronze at the world championships last year, could not be denied when the score read 20-18 in their favour, and this time they converted the match point to script a magnificent win.

The magnitude of the result can be gauged from the fact that this was the first time Satwiksairaj and Chirag are beating Aaron and Soh in 11 attempts.

In fact, the triumph of Satwiksairaj and Chirag in the Indonesia Open is quite unparalleled as they are the first doubles Indian doubles pair to land the title while Saina Nehwal (2010, 2012) and Kidambi Srikanth (2017) had earlier bagged the singles crown in Jakarta...

Source : The Hindu Businessline

Correct Answer :   INS Vagir

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Indian Navy's state-of-the-art submarine, INS 'Vagir', is all set to embark on an operational visit to Colombo from June 19 to June 22, 2023.

This visit is in commemoration of the 9th edition of the International Day of Yoga and aligns with the theme of 'Global Ocean Ring'.

During the visit, the Commanding Officer of the Indian Naval submarine, is scheduled to meet Rear Admiral Suresh De Silva, the Commander of the Western Naval Area, during this visit.

In addition, INS 'Vagir' will also open its doors to visitors and school children, allowing them a rare opportunity to explore the submarine firsthand.

In conjunction with this visit, the Indian High Commission, in collaboration with the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, has planned a grand event on the occasion of International Day of Yoga at Colombo Port on June 21.

Senior defence officials and personnel from both the Indian and Sri Lankan Navies will participate in this celebration.

This visit follows the previous visits of Indian Naval Ships Delhi, Sukanya, Kiltan, and Savitri to Colombo and Trincomalee, during which Yoga sessions were organised alongside the Sri Lanka Navy.

Recently, the Sri Lankan Armed Forces actively took part in a three-day Yoga workshop across five cities in Sri Lanka, organized by the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre.

The International Day of Yoga 2023, themed 'Global Ocean Ring', aims to connect individuals worldwide in their shared pursuit of well-being, resonating with India's ongoing G20 presidency and the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which emphasizes a united and harmonious future for all..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   12.73%

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Gross Direct Tax collections for Financial Year 2023-24 till now have registered a growth of 12.73%. The figure stands at 4,19,338 crore rupees as compared to 3,71,982 crores in the corresponding period of the preceding financial year.

* Net collections are at 3,79,760 crores, showing a growth of 11.18%.
 
* Gross collections include Corporation Tax at 1,87,311 crore, and Personal Income Tax at 2,31,391 crore. Advance Tax collections for the first quarter of 2023-24 stand at 1,16,776 crores, showing a growth of 13.70%. Refunds amounting to 39,578 crores have also been issued in 2023-24 till now..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Lebanon

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Indian men's senior football team clinched the Intercontinental Cup 2023 with a 2-0 victory over Lebanon in the final at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar 18th June 2023.

* The first half was goalless while in the second half, the hosts made it 1-0 in the 46th-minute with Indian captain Sunil Chhetri's goal.

* Lallianzuala Chhangte netted the second goal in the 65th -minute, making it 2-0.  This is India's second title in the tournament, following their win in the inaugural edition in 2018. Korea won in 2019.

* India extended their streak of being unbeaten in the competition as they drew their previous meeting against Lebanon and defeated both Vanuatu and Mongolia.

* This is Chhetri's 87th international goals in 137 appearances. Chhetri is continued to be the third highest goal-scorer among active players in international football, only behind Portuguese ace Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi of Argentina..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Arundhati Roy

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Writer and activist, Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement on the occasion of the French translation of her latest essay, 'Azadi'.

* The French translation 'Liberte, fascisme, fiction' appeared in the leading French publishing group, Gallimard.

* The chant of 'Azadi!' (Urdu for Freedom!) is the slogan of the freedom struggle. "It also became the chant of millions on the streets of India against the project of Hindu nationalism."

* The award ceremony will take place on September 12 at the Lausanne Palace.

* At the award ceremony, Arundhati Roy will discuss the environment and globalization, caste and language..

Source : New Indian Express