General Knowledge(GK) (or) General Awareness

Correct Answer :   Ujjivan Small Finance Bank

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Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (Ujjivan SFB) on Friday (15 September 2023), announced the introduction of the Maxima Savings Account and Business Maxima Current Account for the premium customer segment.

The annual interest rate on the Maxima Savings Account is up to 7.5 percent and customers can open the account with Rs 1 lakh.

Customers also have the flexibility to maintain Rs 15 lakh or more in fixed deposits to meet the balance eligibility criteria of the Maxima Savings Account. Other services offered by Maxima Savings Account include higher transaction limits, free cheque and DD Issuances, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank said in a statement.

A complimentary health prime benefit is also offered with the Maxima Savings Account to applicable customers, it said.

Business Maxima Current Account provides businesses and entrepreneurs with services designed to meet their unique needs. It features online banking, instant fund transfers, and cash management options.

Notable features include the ability for businesses to define their own cash deposit limit, a higher daily ATM withdrawal limit of Rs 5 lakh per day, the provision of beyond banking services such as account services for merchants, and free installation and rental fees for POS services. In addition, business account holders will have access to specialised relationship managers to guide and serve their customised banking needs, the bank said.

Both the Maxima Savings Account and the Business Maxima Current Account offer a RuPay Select Debit Card that provides access to wellness services, exclusive merchant offers, airport lounge access, and a premium health checkup..

Source : CNBC

Correct Answer :   Nischal

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The 16-member Indian shooting team finished its campaign with two medals, a Gold and a Silver, at the ISSF World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

19-year-old Nischal gave India its second medal when she won the silver in women’s 50m rifle 3 positions on the final day of the tournament.

* Elavenil Valarivan won the gold medal in the 10m air rifle event on Saturday (16th Sep 2023).

* India’s Asian Games-bound shooters skipped the meet.

* 2018 Asian Games champion Saurabh Chaudhary returned empty-handed after failing to qualify for the final in the men’s 10m air pistol event on Thursday.

* Nischal, who made her senior ISSF World Cup debut in Baku earlier this year, scored 458.0 in the final at Rio across kneeling, prone and standing positions to finish behind Norway’s Jeanette Hegg Duestad, who won gold with a score of 461.5.

* Jeanette Hegg Duestad is a three-time world champion and an Olympian. Stephanie Grundsoe of Denmark won the bronze in Rio with 447.6 points.

* Nischal started her day by shooting 587 in the elimination round. In the qualification round for the final, she shot 592 to rewrite Anjum Moudgil’s previous national record of 591 set at the President’s Cup last year.

* She came second behind reigning world champion Miao Wanru of the People’s Republic of China, who shot 594 to top qualifiers but came fourth in the final.

* Anjum Moudgil and Ayushi Podder also competed in the women’s 50m rifle 3P event but did not make it to the eight-shooter final from the 55-member field.

* Anjum shot 586 to finish 10th while Ayushi was 35th with a score of 580.

* The Rio meet was the last rifle and pistol ISSF World Cup of the year. It will be followed by the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha, Qatar, scheduled from November 18 to 27..

Source : Thestatesman

Correct Answer :   2nd

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The Indian Navy is gearing up for the second(2nd) edition of its Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Seminar, known as 'Swavlamban-2023,' set to take place on 4th October to 5th October 2023.

This seminar follows the resounding success of the inaugural edition held in July 2022.

The first edition of Swavlamban witnessed the honourable Prime Minister launching the 'SPRINT Challenges' initiative.

Under SPRINT, 75 challenges were presented to startups and MSMEs, aimed at fostering the use of indigenous technology within the Indian Navy.

Aim : The Navy is committed to developing a minimum of 75 technologies and products in line with the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' celebrations.

SPRINT, which stands for Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), is a collaborative initiative involving the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), NIIO (Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation), and Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC).

This initiative received an overwhelming response, with 1106 proposals submitted.

After a rigorous evaluation process, 113 winners under the DISC 7 SPRINT category, each receiving grants of up to 1.5 crore, were declared.

Additionally, 5 winners in the DISC7 SPRINT-PRIME category, receiving grants of up to 10 crores, were announced. These winners are actively developing prototypes in collaboration with iDEX and industry partners.

The projects span a wide spectrum of niche technologies, including blue-green lasers for underwater applications, autonomous weaponized swarms, underwater swarm drones, various firefighting aids, and the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for diverse applications.

Notably, an ultra-endurance small drone designed for maritime missions is also in development.

Swavlamban-2023, scheduled for October 4-5, 2023, in New Delhi, aims to showcase these 75 prototypes.

The event will feature live demonstrations of select promising technologies, highlighting the Indian Navy's commitment to innovation and indigenization in defence technology..

Source : ToI

Correct Answer :   Elavenil Valarivan

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Indian Olympian and shooter Elavenil Valarivan secured a gold medal in the women’s 10 m air rifle event at the ongoing International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday (16th Sep 2023) night.

* She secured a gold by firing 252.2 points in the final of the event. This is India’s first medal in the tournament. In the second place was France’s Oceanne Muller. She scored 251.9 points, falling just short of the Indian. The third position was grabbed by China’s Jiale Zhang, scoring 229 points.

* Sports Authority of India (SAI) Media shared the news of Elavenil’s win on their X (Formerly Twitter) handle.

* The Rio event will be the last ISSF World Cup for rifles and pistol shooters in 2023 before the finals in Doha, Qatar, from November 18 to 27.

* The Indian shooters chosen for the Asian Games 2023, which begin on September 23 in Hangzhou, China, have chosen to skip the Rio World Cup.

* India finished with four medals – one gold, two silvers, and one bronze – at the May ISSF World Cup for rifle and pistol shooters in Baku, Azerbaijan.

* At the ISSF World Cups staged so far in 2023, Indian shooters have won a total of 23 medals – seven gold, four silver, and 12 bronze. The Indians are presently fourth in the medal standings..

Source : Telangana Today

Correct Answer :   Karnataka

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The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala — the famed Hoysala temples of Belur, Halebid and Somananthpura in Karnataka have been added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage list.

This inclusion marks the 42nd UNESCO World Heritage Site in India and comes just a day after Rabindranath Tagore's Santiniketan also received this distinguished recognition.

The temples were finalised as India’s nomination for consideration as World Heritage for the year 2022-2023. The 'Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala' have been on UNESCO's Tentative list since April 15, 2014.

All these three Hoysala temples are already protected monuments of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).


What is the history and significance of Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala?

The sacred ensembles of the Hoysalas, constructed during the 12th and 13th centuries are represented here by the three components of Belur, Halebid, and Somnathapura.

While the Hoysala temples maintain a fundamental Dravidian morphology, they exhibit substantial influences from the Bhumija style prevalent in Central India, the Nagara traditions of northern and western India, and the Karnataka Dravida modes favoured by the Kalyani Chalukyas, a PIB statement said describing the temples.

List of all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India :

1. Agra Fort (1983)

2. Ajanta Caves (1983)

3. Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar (2016)

4. Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)

5. Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (2004)

6. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004)

7. Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)

8. Dholavira: a Harappan City (2021)

9. Elephanta Caves (1987)

10. Ellora Caves (1983)

11. Fatehpur Sikri (1986)

12. Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (2014)

13. Great Living Chola Temples (1987)

14. Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)

15. Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)

16. Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)

17. Hill Forts of Rajasthan (2013)

18. Historic City of Ahmadabad (2017)

19. Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (1993)

20. Jaipur City, Rajasthan (2019)

21. Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana (2021)

22. Kaziranga National Park (1985)

23. Keoladeo National Park (1985)

24. Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)

25. Khangchendzonga National Park (2016)

26. Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (2002)

27. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)

28. Mountain Railways of India (1999)

29. Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988)

30. Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993)

31. Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat (2014)

32. Red Fort Complex (2007)

33. Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)

34. Sun Temple, Konârak (1984)

35. Sundarbans National Park (1987)

36. Taj Mahal (1983)

37. The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (2016)

38. The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010)

39. Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018)

40. Western Ghats (2012)

41. Santiniketan, West Bengal

42. Sacred ensembles of the Hoysalas, Karnataka

Correct Answer :   Carlos Sainz

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Ferrari's Carlos Sainz won the Singapore Grand Prix 2023 on Sunday (Sep 17, 2023) to end Formula 1 leader Max Verstappen's record run of 10 wins in a row and shatter Red Bull's dream of going through the season unbeaten.

McLaren's Lando Norris finished a close second and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton took third place as Red Bull ended up off the podium for the first time since last November's Brazilian Grand Prix.

In a strategic, slow-burning thriller of a race, Sainz - nicknamed "smooth operator" - played his hand perfectly after starting on the pole, slowing the field to close any safety car window and saving his tyres before helping former teammate Norris stave off the chasing Mercedes pair.

Mercedes' George Russell, pushing hard for the win on far fresher medium tyres than the leaders, crashed on the last lap while in third place..

Source : Channel News Asia

Correct Answer :   India

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India has won the Cricket Asia Cup 2023 title by defeating Sri Lanka. The 16th edition of the tournament was co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Teams from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India and Nepal participated in it.

The Indian team has dominated this tournament. India has won the Asia Cup title a record 8 times. The Sri Lankan team has won this title 6 times. Pakistan has won the Asia Cup twice.


Asia Cup Winners List :

The 6 nations' cricket tournament Asia Cup 2023 is over on 17th September 2023 in Sri Lanka. The first match was played between Pakistan and Nepal in Multan, Pakistan on 30th August 2023 and the final match was played between India and Sri Lanka. The Asia Cup Winners list from 1984 to 2023 is given below in tabular form. The Asia Cup Winners List table contains the Asia Cup year, winner team, runner-up team, and hosting country.

Correct Answer :   Rahul Mishra

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* Rahul Mishra received the French government's Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres honor 2023.

* This award was previously won by his compatriots Ritu Kumar, Ritu Beri, and Wendell Rodricks.

* His works that highlight the highest standards and craft of local artisans in India have been shown at prestigious fashion weeks in Paris, Milan, and Mumbai..

Source : Money Control

Correct Answer :   IndusInd Bank

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IndusInd Bank on Thursday, (14 September 2023), announced the launch of the ‘Virtual Commercial Card' to redefine cross-border transactions for corporates and travel agents.

* In a tie-up with Visa, this virtual card has additional layers of security which grants the users control over their international expenses, making it a safe and hassle-free experience for the customers, IndusInd Bank said.

* Launched as ‘Virtual commercial Credit Card’, this offering is tailored to cater to the requirements of corporates and travel industry, who make numerous bookings in multiple foreign currencies.

* "With the Virtual Commercial Cards, these commercial users can generate virtual cards or credentials in foreign-denominated currencies as well, safeguarding the parent card number, ensuring utmost security for transactions. Each virtual card can be fully customised with transaction-specific limits and even the expiry dates can be defined to ensure secure and seamless payment experience," IndusInd Bank said.

* Ramakrishnan Gopalan, Head – Products, India & South Asia, Visa said, “Providing a high degree of control, reduced complexity and complete transparency, this commercial card solution built on the Visa Payables Automation platform also allows for multiple user access and better expense management, while providing the highest standards of transaction security.”

* Sheetal Lalwani, Cofounder & COO, Juspay said, “We’re making it easy for the buyers and suppliers in the corporate & travel industry to streamline their payments processes with our intuitive, frictionless, tokenisation-cum-AFA regulation compliant, and maker-checker workflow based Virtual commercial Card solution in partnership with Indusind Bank and Visa."..

Source : CNBC

Correct Answer :   Neeraj Chopra

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Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra finished second in the men’s event at the Diamond League Final in Eugene, Oregon, USA 0n 16th Sep 2023.

The Indian's best throw of 83.80 meter came in his second attempt. However, Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch, won his third title with a best throw of 84.24 meter.

Reigning Olympic and world champion Chopra, who holds the Indian national record of 89.94 meter, won a world championship silver medal at the same venue last year (2022) with an 88.13 meter effort.

Earlier this month, Chopra, who won India's first-ever gold at the World Athletics Championships, failed to defend his Diamond League title, falling just short of Jakub Vadlejch 85.86 meter again, who took home the trophy.

Next, he will defend his title at the Asian Games 2023 starting in Hangzhou later this month..

Source : AIR