Correct Answer :   Tanzania

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Tanzania has announced (21st March 2023) its first outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus disease (MVD), after five fatalities and three further cases were reported at a hospital in the country’s north-west Kagera region.

* Through contact tracing, approximately 161 people have been identified as at risk of infection, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The government has deployed an emergency response team to the area and neighbouring countries have stepped up surveillance.

* The efforts by Tanzania’s health authorities to establish the cause of the disease is a clear indication of the determination to effectively respond to the outbreak,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s regional director for Africa.

* Patients displaying symptoms of the disease were first detected last week in two Kagera villages, according to a health memorandum on Tuesday (21st  March 2023) by the Tanzanian health minister Ummy Mwalimu.

* MVD was first discovered in 1967 in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany and Belgrade, Serbia. It is from the same “virus family” as Ebola and causes a severe hemorrhagic fever, while fatality rates have varied from 24% to 88%.

* There have been several outbreaks since its discovery, with the worst being Angola in 2004-2005, where there were 252 cases and 227 deaths.

* The virus is initially transmitted to people from fruit bats, and then from person to person through body fluids or contaminated objects. Family members and health workers are particularly vulnerable to infection.

* Symptoms : The disease can range from fever, nausea and rash at the onset, to jaundice and severe weight loss as the disease progresses. It has an incubation period of up to 21 days.

* There are no vaccines or treatments for the virus, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alleviating symptoms by rehydration or managing the patient’s blood and oxygen levels, can increase the chances of survival..

Source : Theguardian

Correct Answer :   Aliya Mir

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Jammu and Kashmir’s only female wildlife rescuer, Aaliya Mir who works as a project manager with Wildlife SOS, a non-governmental organisation established in 1995 to protect and conserve India’s natural heritage, forests and wildlife, has been awarded by the administration for her work and conservation efforts.

* Aaliya, a wildlife conservationist has become the first woman from J&K to be felicitated with an award for her conservation efforts in the region.

* She received the award from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on the International Day of Forests event held by the Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment of the J&K government.

* Aaliya was felicitated with an award in recognition of her efforts spanning diverse aspects of wildlife conservation.

* This includes the rescue and release of wild animals, treatment of injured animals, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, and managing two bear rescue centres in Kashmir.

* Despite having rescued Asiatic black bears, Himalayan brown bears, birds, leopards and other mammals, Aaliya is best known for her work with snakes.

* Over the years, she has rescued snakes from the most unlikely places like kitchens, lawns, gardens and toilets of residences, government buildings and offices, school and university premises, and from tyres and engines of vehicles.

* One particular instance made headlines when the Wildlife SOS team led by Mir rescued a Levantine viper – a highly venomous snake – from the chief minister’s residence in an hour-long operation and safely released it back into the wild...

Source : Greaterkashmir

Correct Answer :   Axis Bank

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Private sector lender Axis Bank on Thursday (23rd March 2023) launched 'MicroPay', first pocket-sized swipe machine of India, based on 'Pin on Mobile' technology for accepting digital payments.

* The bank launched 'MicroPay' along with Ezetap by Razorpay and MyPinpad as the technical solution partners.

* Micropay is a "Pin on mobile" solution that enables a merchant's smartphone to act as a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal, providing a unique customer experience and simplifying digital payments.

* This solution has the potential to revolutionise digital payments in India, especially in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities where retail and grocery stores often have limited working capital and need cost-effective payment options.

* The launch of Micropay by Axis Bank is expected to have a significant impact on small businesses, making digital payments more accessible and cheaper.

'Micropay' and 'PIN on Mobile' technology :

* The new Pin on mobile technology offers merchants an affordable way to accept payments through cards, UPI and BAR codes while maintaining high security standards.

* Pin on mobile technology is a small, low-cost card reader that connects via Bluetooth to a merchant's smartphone.

* Customers can enter their Pin directly on the merchant's device, in compliance with PCI standards for software-based Pin entry on COTS phones, ensuring the security of the Pin...

Source : CNBC

Correct Answer :   Rs 40,000 Crore

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India would be exporting defence equipment and materials worth Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000 crore by 2026, Union minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday (28th March 2023).

* The defence minister was delivering the Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw memorial lecture here on 'The role of youth in nation building', organized by Symbiosis International University.

* First, there should be a sense of self-confidence that we will make India 'atmanirbhar' (self-reliant). In 2014, we used to do defence exports of only Rs 900 crore, but since India has adopted Indianization (program), today we are doing the defence export of Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 16,000 crore.

* There is a need to create an eco-system, and more than the eco-system, there is a need to generate self-confidence among ourselves, as with self-confidence, anything is possible," he added. He was proud of the country's defence forces which are now meeting 80 per cent of their needs through indigenous procurement.

* Defence minister Rajnath Singh also urged the country’s youth to contribute to India’s growth by ideating, innovating, and setting up new companies and research and development establishments. He cited the establishment of a link between academia and industry as an example of the government’s efforts to promote research and development. He emphasized the need to direct the energy of youth towards nation-building and social welfare and to moderate this energy through values, cultures, and traditions.

Retail investors in India benefit from government initiatives :

Singh also spoke about the steps taken by the government to promote retail investment, such as curbing insider trading, promoting technology and digital architecture in the trading process, and making the trading process more transparent. He noted that the increased participation of retail investors has contributed to the depth and resilience of the market.

Government Aims to Transform India into a Powerful Nation: Singh

Finally, Singh emphasized India’s growing stature on the international stage, citing the country’s projected rise in the global economic rankings and the increased attention it receives at international forums. He urged his audience to embrace self-confidence and work towards creating a brighter future for India..

Source : Zeebiz

Correct Answer :   Bharali Bedabrate

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Indian weightlifter Bharali Bedabrate clinched the men's 67kg bronze medal at the the IWF World Youth Championships in Durres, Albania.

* The 15-year-old lifted a total of 267kg(119kg+148kg) to finish third on Monday (27th March 2023) night.

* Armenia's Seryozha Barseghyan 275kg(128kg+147kg) and Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Al Marzouq 270kg (119kg+148kg) won the gold and silver medals respectively..

Source : Outlook India

Correct Answer :   Dhanush Loganathan

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India's Dhanush Loganathan, on Saturday (26th March 2023), bagged the bronze medal in men's 49kg weight division at the ongoing Weightlifting Youth World Championships in Albania.

* Loganathan lifted a total of 200kg for the bronze, behind two Filipinos Prince Delos Santos (205kg) and Eron Borres (201kg).

* Dhanush Loganathan also bagged the silver medal in snatch discipline with a best lift of 88kg - Santos took the gold at 92kg, while Borres had the silver at 87kg.

* The trio also swept the clean and jerk podium with the Indian taking the bronze, thanks to a lift of 112kg. Borres took the gold here with 114kg, while Santos settled for silver with 113kg.

* Competing in the women's 40 kg event, 14-year-old Jyoshna lifted a combined total of 115 kg.

Source : The Bridge

Correct Answer :   Archana Suseendran

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Tamil Nadu’s Archana Suseendran beat Hima Das in the 100m final and made the most of the Assam sprinter’s disqualification in the 200m to claim a double and steal the thunder in the women’s events in the AFI Indian Grand Prix 2 at the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (Kerala) here 27th March 2023.

Archana Suseendran won the 100m in 11.52 seconds, 0.22 seconds ahead of Hima Das, and the 200m in 23.21 seconds.


Men AFI Indian Grand Prix 2 :

* 100m (races A&B): 1. Sanjeet (Haryana) 10.65 seconds; 2. Amiya Kumar Mallick (Odisha) 10.66; 3. Hassan Saaid (Maldives) 10.76.

* 200m (races A&B): 1. Muhammed Anas Yahiya (Kerala) 21.54 seconds; 2. Hassan Saaid (Maldives) 21.61; 3. SK Kaven (Tamil Nadu) 21.62.

* 400m (races A, B, C & D): 1. Muhammed Ajmal (Kerala) 46.65 seconds; 2. Nihal Joel (Karnataka) 47.24; Rahul Ramesh Kadam (Maharashtra) 47.26.

* 1500m: 1. Jinson Johnson (Kerala) 3:44.52; 2. Rahul (Delhi) 3:47.00; 3. Prakash Balu Gadade (Maharashtra) 3:48.57.

* 10000m: 1. Jagat Singh Gurjar (Delhi) 30:33.03; 2. Kiran Matre (Maharashtra) 30:33.14; 3. Pritam Kumar (Delhi) 30:35.57 in.

* 3000m Steeplechase: 1. Balkishan (Haryana) 8:39.84; 2. Atul Poonia (Rajasthan) 8:42.51; 3. Sunil Jinabh (Gujarat) 8:50.68.

* Long Jump: 1. Nirmal Sabu (Kerala) 7.72m; 2. KM Sreekanth (Kerala) 7.28; 3. Aditya Kumar Singh (Madhya Pradesh) 7.26.

* Triple Jump: 1. Eldhose Paul (Kerala) 16.27m; 2. Karthik Unnirkishnan (Kerala) 15.80; 3. Abdulla Aboobacker (Kerala) 15.77.

* Shot Put: 1. Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Punjab) 19.76m; 2. Karanveer Singh (Punjab) 19.17; 3. Sahib Singh (Delhi) 19.07.

* Javelin Throw: 1. Arshdeep Singh (Punjab) 73.02m; 2. Izhar Ahmed (Uttar Pradesh) 67.33; 3. Samarjeet Singh Malhi (Rajasthan) 54.47.

Women AFI Indian Grand Prix 2 :

* 100m : 1. Archana Suseendran (Tamil Nadu) 11.52 seconds; 2. Hima Das (Assam) 11.74; 3. AT Daneshwari (Karnataka) 11.80.

* 200m: 1. Archana Suseendran (Tamil Nadu) 23.21 seconds; 2. AT Daneshwari (Karnataka) 24.13; 3. R Anu (Kerala) 24.33.

* 400m (races A & B): 1. Dandi Jyothika Sri (Andhra Pradesh) 53.56 seconds; 2. Aishwarya Kailash Mishra (Maharashtra) 54.09; 3. Subha Venkatesan (Tamil Nadu) 54.61.

* 1500m: 1. Chanda (Delhi) 4:20.81; 2. Ankita Dhyani (Uttarakhand) 4;22.07; 3. KM Deeksha (Madhya Pradesh) 3:27.33.

* 3000m Steeplechase: 1. Komal Chandrakant Jagadale (Maharashtra) 10:26.20; 2. K Swetha (Kerala) 11:49.12; 3. Priti (Haryana) 14:22.02.

* 100m Hurdles: 1. Pranjali Dilip Patil (Maharashtra) 13.84 seconds; 2. Unnathi Aiyappa Bolland (Karnataka) 13.96; 3. Sowmiya Murugan (Andhra Pradesh) 14.45.

* Pole Vault: 1. Malavika Ramesh (Kerala) 3.10m; 2. Nagamme Ravindra Baje (Kerala) 3.00; 3. Chinchumol Mathew (Kerala) 2.90.

* Triple Jump: 1. Nayana James (Kerala) 13.22m; 2. Gayathri Sivakumar (Kerala) 13.19; 3. Renu (Haryana) 12.83.

* Hammer Throw: 1. Rekha Singh (Uttarakhand) 53.75m; 2. KM Fatma (Uttar Pradesh) 50.04; 3. Kessia Mariam Benny (Kerala) 48.91..

Source : Indian Athletics

Correct Answer :   First Citizens Bank

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All of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank's deposits and loans have been purchased by First–Citizens Bank. This step has brought a lot of relief to the customers and investors of Silicon Valley Bank.

* In its statement on Monday (27th March 2023), First Citizens said, it has entered into an agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to purchase out of FDIC receivership substantially all loans and certain other assets and assume all customer deposits and certain other liabilities of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, National Association.

* Notably, on March 10, Silicon Valley Bank, one of the most prominent lenders to the start-up ecosystem got closed.

* First-Citizens Bank has acquired more than 35 banks since 1971.

* Under the agreement, First Citizens will assume SVB's assets worth $110 billion, deposits of $56 billion, and loans of $72 billion. This is based on the latest information provided by FDIC.

* Silicon Valley Bank, the second largest bank failure on American soil since the 2008 great financial crisis. FDIC was appointed as the receiver for SVB after the California department shut down the lender in mid-March.

* Also, as part of the deal, First Citizens Bank will additionally receive an available line of credit from the FDIC for contingent liquidity purposes.

* Further, First Citizens signed a loss share agreement with the FDIC to provide further downside protection against potential credit losses.

* FDIC's latest data shows that SVB had more deposits than what First Citizens has acquired.

* The US-government-backed insurer, FDIC, in its statement revealed that as of March 10, 2023, SVB, National Association, had approximately $167 billion in total assets and about $119 billion in total deposits.

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   Nikhat Zareen

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Indian Women Boxer, Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain have managed to win a gold medal at the Women's World Championships 2023.

* Nikhat Zareen defeated two-time Asian champion Nguyen Thi Tam of Vietnam 5-0 in the 50kg category final at the Women's World Boxing Championship in New Delhi.

* Lovlina Borgohain has secured her first gold at the competition after settling for bronze in the 2018 and 2019 editions.

* She defeated Australia's Caitlin Parker in the 75kg middle-weight category.

* Mary Kom (6), Nikhata Zareen(2), Sarita Devi(1), Jenny RL(1), and Lekha KC(1) are the Indian women who won gold at the World Boxing Championships.

Correct Answer :   ICICI Lombard General Insurance

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Private sector general insurer ICICI Lombard on Thursday (23rd March 2023) launched an 'Anywhere Cashless' feature for its health insurance policyholders, which allows customers to avail cashless facilities even at non-empanelled hospitals.

* Under this facility, which the company claimed is an industry-first initiative, customers will not have to bear any out-of-pocket expenses, which has been one of the major pain-points for customers.

* The new feature can be availed of through the 'IL takecare' app. However, the company said the 'Anywhere Cashless' feature is subject to each hospital offering cashless facility and that for one to use this feature the policyholder must inform the company 24 hrs before admission.

* The feature provides a hassle-free experience through all aspects of the hospitalization -- from admission to discharge.

* It also lets customers choose a nearby or recommended hospital and focus on their family's well-being instead of dealing with insurance details at the time of treatment, said Alok Agarwal, the executive director of the company..

Source : OI