General Knowledge(GK) (or) General Awareness

Correct Answer :   3

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The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has announced the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Cruz and Anne L'Huillier.

He has been given this award for his studies related to Attosecond Pulses of light in matter.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announces the Nobel Prize winners in Physics, Chemistry and Economics every year.

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman.   

Correct Answer :   6.3%

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The World Bank kept its economic growth projection for India at 6.3% for FY24, the same as its previous April estimate. However, it attributed the moderation from FY23’s 7.2% growth to adverse global factors affecting foreign demand and consumption growth.

“The expected moderation is mainly due to challenging external conditions and waning pent-up demand. However, service sector activity is expected to remain strong with growth of 7.4%, and investment growth is also projected to remain robust at 8.9%," the World Bank’s latest India Development Update stated.

The forecast is similar to projections by other institutions such as the OECD, Asian Development Bank and Fitch, but slower than the government’s and the Reserve Bank of India’s estimates, which pegged India’s growth at 6.5%. S&P Ratings pegged India’s growth estimates at 6%. During the April-June quarter, India’s economy grew 7.8%, its quickest pace in a year, buoyed by strong services activity and robust demand.

The World Bank said it expected fiscal consolidation to continue in FY24, with the central government fiscal deficit projected to continue to decline from 6.4% to 5.9% of GDP.

World Bank India director Auguste Tano Kouame said that it was not building in a lot of volatility in fiscal policy due to the upcoming general elections as it was not expecting relaxation in the government’s stated fiscal consolidation path. “I see almost zero risks of fiscal slippages overall despite the elections," he said.

Public debt is expected to stabilize at 83% of GDP. The current account deficit is expected to narrow to 1.4% of GDP, and it will be adequately financed by foreign investment flows and supported by large foreign reserves..

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   Astra BVR

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The Indian Air Force made significant strides to enhance its air defense capabilities with the impending induction of indigenous Astra Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air-to-Air Missiles by end of 2023.

The IAF has entered into contracts with Bharat Dynamics Limited for these advanced missiles, marking a crucial step towards reducing import dependency and bolstering national security.

The first batch of Astra-MK1 missiles, developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory..

Source : WIO News

Correct Answer :   India

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In Football, India won the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-19 Championship after defeating Pakistan 3-0 in a dominating display in the finals at the Dashrath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu this evening. Manglenthang Kipgen and Gwgwmsar Goyary scored for India.
 
Pakistan possessed no threat to the well-composed Indian side, who dominated the game from the start. The first half ended goalless courtesy of an excellent defensive display by the Green Shirts but they could not keep up the same intensity throughout as India opened their account in the 64th minute. The game went in India’s favour as they were up by three goals.

Top Scorers of the Tournament (all 3 goals) :

* Gwgwmsar Goyary (IND)
* Jigme Namgyal (BHU)
* Samir Tamang (NEP)

Best Goalkeeper :

* Lionel Daryl Rymmei (IND)

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   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 :   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 :   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 :   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 :   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 :   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