Correct Answer : Option (B) - South Indian Bank

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South Indian Bank has introduced SIB SEAFARER and SIB PULSE, two flexible saving accounts, for NRI customers.

SIB SEAFARER :

* Flexibility to maintain a minimum balance of Rs.10,000/- in linked accounts

* No minimum balance is required for the maintenance of the NRI Term Deposit of Rs.2 lakh and above

SIB PULSE :

* Flexibility to maintain a minimum balance of Rs.10,000/- in linked accounts

* NR Term Deposit above Rs.2 Lakh or RD with minimum monthly installment above Rs.20,000/-.

Source : Mint

Correct Answer : Option (D) - Harmanpreet Kaur

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The Indian team captain "Harmanpreet Kaur", created history on Tuesday (18th April 2023) by becoming the first-ever Indian woman to be named among the Wisden Cricketers of the Year 2023.

* The Wisden Cricketers of the Year is a prestigious honor awarded by the Wisden Almanack, one of the most respected cricketing publications in the world, dating back to 1889.

* The award recognizes the most exceptional cricketing performances by players from around the world. Harmanpreet Kaur is the only woman in this year’s (2023) list, alongside four men who made significant contributions to the sport during the English summer.

* Harmanpreet Kaur’s exceptional performance in the second ODI of the series against England at Canterbury earned her a place in the coveted list.

* She played a crucial role in leading India to their first ODI series win on English soil since 1999, smashing an impressive 111-ball-143. This knock was instrumental in helping the Indian women’s team whitewash the hosts, demonstrating her exceptional skills as a captain and player..

Source : Female Cricket

Correct Answer : Option (A) - AU Small Finance Bank

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AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) has integrated with the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) to launch bill payment services through video banking.

Aim : The primary aim of this initiative is to promote digital accessibility and enhance economic capability, leading to greater financial inclusions.

* Ankur Tripathi, CIO, AU Small Finance Bank said, For our bank customers, we have already been catering to over 400+ services through video banking.

* Now, with the introduction of bill payment services on video banking, we aim to offer our customers the comfort of a face-to-face interaction while paying their bills at their convenience. We thank National Payments Corporation of India and other dignitaries for supporting this innovation.

* AU SFB’s video banking service underscores its commitment to providing innovative solutions to its customers. This platform enables customers to pay bills without the need to visit a branch, which is particularly beneficial for those with mobility issues or residing in remote areas and senior citizens.

* With the aid of expert banking representatives, customers can make payments to 20K+ billers across 20+ categories, from their AU account.

* People can make payments likeFASTag, loan repayment, insurance, investments, education fees, municipal taxes, utility payments including gas, electricity, mobile, landline, water, DTH bills, and others through AU SFB’s video banking service..

Source : The Hindu Businessline

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Utsa Patnaik

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Utsa Patnaik, a renowned economist of national and international repute, has been selected for the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023.

* The award is given every year by the Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust. The prestigious national award honours outstanding social scientists selected by a national-level jury specially constituted for this purpose, from the nominations received.

* This year (2023), the jury unanimously selected Prof. Utsa Patnaik.

* The award will be given with a citation and a prize money of ₹2 lakh at a function to be held in Chennai. The date of this event will be announced shortly by the Trust..

Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer : Option (A) - Toyota

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) recently introduced a new platform for its Bangalore customers - Wheels on Web. It is an online retail sales platform that offers a seamless virtual experience to the customers by enabling them to book, purchase and get delivery of their preferred Toyota models at the comfort of their home.

* The company said that the "Wheels on Web" is a Business to Customer (B2C) platform that reflects the company’s core commitment to enhance customer experience in its digital space, enabling hassle-free car buying with innovative features and services.

* Along with the ability to book, buy and enjoy the vehicle delivery at the comfort of their home, the platform provides digital viewing of the car exteriors, interiors, colour, and variants.

* Toyota customers can select a host of value-added services – Accessories, Service Packages and Extended Warranty via the platform.

* Toyota’s Wheels on Web also enables customers to trade-off his/her existing car. They can also choose easy and multiple finance options through selected financial institutions. In addition, they can pay the booking amount/full payment or downpayment online.

* Toyota customers will receive auto communication via WhatsApp and e-mail at every stage from booking to delivery. Further, they can also check the status of booking details via individual login or account access.

* Atul Sood, Vice President, Sales and Strategic Marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said "In line with our core philosophy of ‘Customer First’, we are continuously striving to deliver ever-better services to the consumers.

* We believe that our newly launched ‘WOW’ (Wheels on Web), online retail platform, will revolutionize the car buying experience in India"..

Source : Mint

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Kenya

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SayariLabs, in collaboration with the Kenya Space Agency and Endurosat, has launched Kenya’s first 3U Earth observation satellite, the Taifa-1, 15th April 2023 aboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9 full thrust rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E), Vandenberg Space Force Base in the USA.

* A team of Kenyan engineers from SayariLabs, designed and constructed Taifa-1 in collaboration with Bulgarian aerospace manufacturer Endurosat AD, which helped offset the design cost.

* The satellite was intentionally designed to weigh a ton to reduce development time and launch costs and to facilitate entry for developing countries without the capacity for large satellites.

* Taifa-1’s launch is the first step towards developing a proposed constellation of small EO satellites for Kenya. It is expected to significantly contribute to spurring the growth of Kenya’s space economy by improving satellite development, data analytics, processing, and application capabilities.

* In addition, the mission is expected to provide accurate and timely Earth observation data to stakeholders across various sectors for strategic developmental decisions. For example, the data will support agriculture, natural resource management, and environmental observations.

* Additionally, the satellite launch demonstrates Kenya’s progress in developing satellite manufacturing capabilities for socio-economic benefits..

Source : Africa News

Correct Answer : Option (A) - 5

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* Indian Swimmer, Vedaant Madhavan has claimed 5 gold medals for India at the Malaysian Invitational age group Championships 2023 held in Kuala Lumpur.

* He won gold in the 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, and 1500m swimming categories.

* In 2022, he also participated in the 48th Junior National Aquatics Championships and became the first person in India to break the record of the 1500m freestyle by finishing the race within 16:01.73 seconds..

Source : India Today

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan

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India's Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan claimed twin gold medals following a stellar run at the Brazil Para-Badminton International 2023.

* The 18-year-old Nithya defeated Peru's Giuliana Poveda Flores 22-20 21-11 in the women's singles SH6 category finals to win the gold medal.

* She also combined with Sivarajan Solaimalai to beat Hong Kong's Chu Man Kai and Choi Wing Kei 21-11 21-17 in the mixed doubles SH6 final.

* The participants of SH6 classification comprises 'standing/short stature' players.

* Tokyo Paralympic champion Pramod Bhagat and Sukant Kadam also struck gold in the men's doubles after defeating Korean pair of Joo Dongjae and Shin Kyung Hwan 22-20 21-19 in finals of SL3-SL4 class.

* The SL3/SL4 class has players who play standing with severe/minor lower limb impairment.

* Bhagat also signed off with a singles silver after losing 12-21 13-21 to fellow Indian Kumar Nitesh in SL3 category, while Sukant secured a bronze.

* Among others, Tarun claimed a silver after losing 7-21 13-21 to France's Lucas Mazur in the summit clash.

* Manasi Joshi too settled for a silver after losing 11-21 21-18 0-21 to Turkey's Halime Tildiz...

Source : Economic Times

Correct Answer : Option (D) - Chennai

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The Asian Champions Trophy 2023 hockey tournament will be held in Chennai, India from 3 August to 12 August 2023, Hockey India (HI) confirmed on Monday (17th April 2023).

* The Asian Champions Trophy, in its seventh edition, will be held in Chennai for the first time. It will also be the first international hockey competition to be hosted in Chennai since the Asia Cup was held there in 2007.  

* The tournament will also serve as a preparatory event for the Indian men’s hockey team ahead of the Asian Games in September-October to be held in Hangzhou, China.

* The Asian Champions Trophy was last held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2021. South Korea defeated Japan in the final on penalties to win their maiden title. India defeated Pakistan 4-3 in the bronze medal match...

Source : Olympics

Correct Answer : Option (C) - 1.34%

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According to the government data, India's annual Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation has declined to a 29-month low of 1.34% in March 2023, as input prices continued to moderate.

* This is the 10th straight month of decline in WPI-based inflation.

* The WPI inflation data was 3.85% in February, 4.73% in January 2023, and 14.63% in March 2022.

* While the food index inflation eased to 2.32% in March 2023 from 2.76% in February 2023..

Source : Mint