Current Affairs Quiz 30th August 2023 Quiz

Exp. Maharashtra signs MoU with Germany’s professional association football

The Maharashtra Government has signed an MoU with Germany’s professional association football league, ‘Bundesliga’, to build a football team for players under the age of 14.

The agreement was signed by Ranjit Singh Deol, Principal Secretary, Department of School Education and Sports, and Mrs Julia Farr, representative of the Bundesliga, on behalf of the Government of Maharashtra.

It will help young footballers to develop their skills and potentially compete at a high level.

The Bundesliga is Germany’s premier professional football league.

It is one of the leading football leagues in Europe and the best football players and teams belong to the league.

Recent MoUs signed by State Government

• Jharkhand govt signed MoU with TCPL Green Energy Solutions Private Ltd. to set up the country’s “first” hydrogen fuel project in Jamshedpur.
• ISB signed MoU with Goa government for knowledge partnership
• Karnataka govt, Foxconn sign Letter of Intent with Rs 5000 cr investment
• Punjab govt signs MoU with BCEIP to launch online course ‘English for Work’
• Himachal Pradesh signs MoU with Oil India Ltd for Green Hydrogen

Exp. Nirmala Sitharama launched HSBC India’s Green Hydrogen Partnerships

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has launched HSBC India’s partnerships aimed at innovation in Green Hydrogen.

That includes partnerships with IIT Bombay and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation to pursue technological advancements to make green hydrogen more efficient, cost-effective, and scalable.

These two partnerships, with total grant support of Rs 15 crore (USD 2 mn), will focus on innovation projects that will help prioritize green hydrogen as a strategic alternate fuel, help in building a robust, green hydrogen economy, and achieve the government’s vision of an energy-independent nation.

Green hydrogen has a pivotal role to play as we counter climate change and work towards enabling a low-carbon and self-reliant economy.

The partnership with IIT Bombay will encourage researchers, scientists, and students across IITs to develop breakthrough technologies and solutions that address key challenges in green hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and utilization.

Group Chairman of HSBC – Mark Tucker,

CEO of HSBC India – Hitendra Dave

Chairperson of the Board, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation – Jamshyed Godrej

Exp. G20 One Health Workshop inaugurated in Bengaluru

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje has inaugurated the G20 One Health workshop in Bengaluru.

The three-day workshop on One Health-Opportunities and Challenges is attended by delegates from G20 member countries and invited countries.

India’s G20 chairmanship is focused on the theme “One Earth, One Family, and One Future”.

Its goal is to create a harmonious system for sharing knowledge, experience, and resources among nations.

G20 in News

• 2nd G20-Chief Scientific Advisers’ Meeting – Gandhinagar, Gujarat (28 August 2023)
• B20 Summit India 2023 – New Delhi (25 – 27 August 2023)
• 4th G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) – Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (23 – 26 August 2023)
• 4th G20 Trade and Investment Working Group Meeting – Jaipur, Rajasthan (21 – 22 August 2023)
• G20 Film Festival – New Delhi (Opening film – Satyajit Ray’s “Pather Panchali”)

Exp. M.K. Stalin launches expansion of breakfast scheme

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has launched the expansion of the State government’s flagship Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme to benefit 17 lakh students of classes 1 to 5, studying in 31,008 government schools across the State, at a cost of ₹404.41 crore.

A survey conducted among 10 lakh children, of less than six years of age, in urban areas, to check their nutritional status revealed that nearly 92,000 were malnourished.

The government provided nutrient supplements to them, and as a result, 62,000 children recovered from malnutrition.

The objective of the breakfast scheme was to eradicate hunger by enhancing the nutritional status and reducing malnutrition among children.

This scheme would also reduce the burden on working mothers and increase the attendance and retention of children in schools.

About Tamil Nadu

• Formation – 26 January 1950
• Capital – Chennai
• Chief Minister – M K Stalin
• Governor – R N Ravi

Exp. Odisha CM distributes land rights certificates to slum dwellers

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has distributed land right certificates to the 65,000 poor families living in the slums of five metropolitan cities including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, and Rourkela.

Odisha is the only state in the country to give land rights to slum dwellers

On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that “financial assistance will also be provided for the construction of houses.

The second phase of the certificate will be issued next October. This campaign will continue till all the poor families of the city get land rights.

The Jaga Mission program, which started in 2018, provides land rights to poor families living in urban slums. Till now more than two lakh 40 thousand families got land rights in the state. Along with this, 40 thousand families have been given assistance for building houses.

With the aim of making slum-free Odisha, all these slums are being given all kinds of basic facilities and are being converted into Biju model colonies. Till now, 1010 settlements in 68 urban areas have been converted into Biju Model Colony.

The Chief Minister inaugurated 1010 colonies which have transformed into Biju Model Colonies and honoured the cities of Cuttack, Khordha, Koraput and Jajpur for their outstanding work in the construction of Biju Adamas Colony.

About Odisha

• Capital – Bhubaneswar
• Chief Minister – Naveen Patnaik
• Governor – Ganeshi Lal

Exp. Nitin Gadkari launches world’s first 100% Ethanol-fueled Car in ND

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has launched the world’s first 100 percent Ethanol-fueled car in New Delhi.

The world’s first BS-VI (Stage-II), electrified flex-fuel vehicle has been launched which can function fully on ethanol-based fuel.

With the implementation of 20 percent ethanol blending in petrol, the country will save 35 thousand crore rupees annually as import bill.

India has achieved 10 percent of ethanol blending five months in advance of the initial target of 2022.

With the ethanol blending process the farmers have earned 82 thousand crores rupees so far and the country’s import bill has reduced.

The flex fuel is a technology that allows an engine to utilise ethanol-blended petrol or gasoline beyond 20 percent. The aim is to reduce carbon footprint, improve sustainable mobility and decrease the country’s dependency on traditional fuel sources.  

Exp. Yes bank partnered with fintech Zaggle for next-gen corporate credit card

Yes Bank has launched co-branded Corporate Credit Card in collaboration with spend management platform Zaggle, to empower businesses to reimagine their payment processes, streamline reconciliation, and efficiently manage company expenditures.

The new card ‘YES BANK Zaggle Corporate Credit Card’, provides businesses direct control over company expenditures.

This includes the ability to set individual spending limits, apply merchant category restrictions, and implement diverse controls.

Additionally, cardholders gain access to an array of exclusive benefits, spanning rewards, golf privileges, lounge access, and travel insurance.

The partnership with Zaggle enables businesses to bring in operational efficiencies by allowing them to undertake banking transactions, manage company expenditures as well as keep track of all business-related overheads on a single platform.

Executive Director of Yes Bank – Rajan Pental

About Yes Bank

• Founded – 2004
• Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO – Prashant Kumar
• Chairman – Sunil Mehta
• Tagline – Experience our Expertise

Exp. LIC Partners with Saraswat Cooperative Bank to Increase the life Insurance

Life Insurance Corporation of India has tied up with Saraswat Cooperative Bank Ltd in its effort to increase the penetration of life insurance through the Bancassurance channel in Mumbai.

Saraswat Cooperative Bank is India’s largest Urban Cooperative Bank.

Citizens in general and customers of Saraswat Bank, in particular, will now have the opportunity to fulfill their life insurance protection needs through the Bank itself by purchasing insurance products.

The Bank has a vast network of 294 Branches as at 31 March 2023 spread over 6 states and is catering to over 2 million customers. It has also got the distinction of being India’s largest Urban Cooperative Bank.

Being the premier insurer of the country, LIC has plans for all segments of the society under its product basket of Annuity, ULIP, Term Insurance and Savings category.

Recently LIC has launched a close-ended Guaranteed Benefit plan “Dhan Vriddhi” which is available till 30th September 2023 only, to persons of all age ranging from 90 days to 60 years.

Recent MoU in Banking Sector

• Airtel Payments Bank partnered with Frontier Markets to support 1 lakh women
• DBS partners with Maptrasco to complete the first eBL transaction
• Axis Bank partners with RBI innovation hub to launch KCCs and MSME loans
• NHA and IRDAI collaborate to boost digital health integration in insurance
• IIITD-IC partners with YES Bank to scale up Indian startups

Exp. Axis Bank launches ‘Infinity’ Savings Account

A private sector lender, Axis Bank has launched its ‘Infinity Savings Account’ to offer special features for its customers, including no domestic transaction charges in exchange for monthly fees.

The move aims to appeal to those who frequently adopt subscription-based models.

This innovative savings account provides Axis Bank customers with exclusive privileges such as a waived average monthly balance (AMB) requirement, complimentary debit cards, and a waiver of all domestic charges against a small monthly recurring fee of Rs 150 or an annual fee of Rs 1,650.

The bank offers two subscription-based flexible plans: Monthly and Annual.

The Monthly plan is priced at Rs 150 (inclusive of GST) and requires a minimum subscription period of six months. After the initial six months, the plan continues on a 30-day cycle, with Rs 150 deducted every 30 days.

The Annual plan is priced at Rs 1,650 (inclusive of GST) and provides Infinity benefits for 360 days. The plan automatically renews after this period.

Customers can now choose to subscribe to the savings account and not worry about fees for services or maintaining minimum balances.

About Axis Bank

• Founded – 1993
• Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman – Rakesh Makhija
• MD & CEO – Amitabh Chaudhary
• Tagline – Badhti Ka naam Zindagi

Recent Facilities Launched in Banking & Insurance Sector

• SBI launches Aadhaar-based enrolment for social security schemes
• IndusInd Bank launches multi-branded credit card with Qatar Airways
• Canara Bank launches UPI Interoperable Digital Rupee mobile application
• Yes Bank launched ‘iris’app to offer digital banking solutions in India
• RBI launched UDGAM portal to track unclaimed deposits

Exp. Parul breaks national record at World Athletics Championships

Indian athlete Parul Chaudhary finished in the eleventh position in the 3000 meters steeplechase final of the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest Hungary.

She broke the national record in the World Athletics Championships and qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024.

Parul clocked 9:15.31s to break Lalita Babar’s mark of 9:19.76s set during Rio Olympics in 2016 while also finishing comfortably under 9:23.00s, the automatic qualification mark for next year’s Summer Games in the French capital.

Earlier in the preliminary round, Parul ran five seconds faster than her previous personal best (9.29.51) and it helped her finish in fifth place and earn a spot in the final.

Brunei athlete Winfred Mutile Yavi clinched the gold medal, Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech won silver and another Kenya athlete Faith Cherotich achieved winning bronze.

Exp. Max Verstappen wins Dutch Grand Prix 2023

Max Verstappen has won the Dutch Grand Prix for the third consecutive year, once again prevailing at his home race.

With the dominant win, Verstappen has now matched Sebastian Vettel’s all-time record of nine F1 victories in a row.

Fernando Alonso secured a podium position by coming in second.

Sergio Pérez, driving for Red Bull, initially finished third, but a five-second penalty resulted in Pierre Gasly taking third place on the podium.

Recent Grand Prix Winner

• Hungarian Grand Prix 2023 – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• British Grand Prix 2023 – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Austrian Grand Prix 2023 – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Canadian Grand Prix 2023 – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Spanish Grand Prix 2023 – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Monaco Grand Prix 2023 – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Miami Grand Prix 2023 – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Australian Grand Prix 2023 – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Bahrain Grand Prix 2023 – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
• Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 – Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez (Mexico)
• Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2023 – Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez (Mexico)

Exp. Parmeet Singh Sood felicitated at “ET Leadership Excellence Awards

The Economic Times honored the achievements of leaders and change-makers who have made significant contributions in their respective fields.

The Economic Times honored the achievements of leaders and change-makers who have made significant contributions in their respective fields.

Parmeet Singh Sood, Managing Director of Climax Overseas Pvt. Ltd. was awarded the “Excellence in Manufacturing Of Automobile Parts” and felicitated by the well-known Bollywood actress Rakul Preet Singh along with Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva.

Parmeet Singh Sood’s journey began in 1999 as a 21-year-old. Fresh from the University of Bradford, UK, with a degree in Business and Management Studies, Parmeet embraced the challenge of transformation and growth.

He started his career at the grassroots selling door-to-door in the spare parts market of Kenya and then quickly went on to target large aftermarket customers in Europe within the first couple of years of his joining the business.

Recent Awards

• Harward University’s coveted George Ledlie Prize 2023 – Indian-American economist Raj Chetty & Biologist Michael Springer
• Lifetime Achievement Award at RICS South Asia Awards – Subhash Runwal
• Global Leader Award 2023 – Jayesh Saini
• Diversity in Cinema Award at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne – Mrunal Thakur
• Global Visionary Entrepreneur Award – Deepak Shenoy (MD of Medec Dragon Pvt Ltd)

Exp. Priyan Sain Crowned Miss Earth India 2023

Rajasthan’s Priyan Sain clinched the title of Miss Earth India 2023 during the Miss Divine Beauty 2023 national final held in New Delhi.

The 20-year-old student, dancer, and taekwondo player from Jaipur, succeeds last year’s winner Vanshika Parmar, and will now prepare to represent India at the Miss Earth 2023 pageant in Vietnam this December.

She received her crown from reigning Miss Earth from Korea Mina Sue Choi who was invited as a special guest along with Miss Earth Air from Australia Sheridan Mortlock.

At the same event, Praveena Aanjna was named Miss International India 2023 while Pema Choden Bhutia and Tejaswini Shrivastava were both announced as runners-up.

Prior to becoming a finalist for Miss Divine Beauty and eventually winning her national title, Priyan participated in Miss Rajasthan 2022 where she finished as first runner-up.

As a result of winning the Miss India pageant, she will participate in the Miss World pageant to be held in Vietnam.

The Miss India 2023 pageant was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi.  

Exp. 30 August – Small Industry Day

Small Industry Day is celebrated every year on August 30 in India.

This day honours the invaluable contributions of small industries, often overlooked yet pivotal drivers of global economies.

These industries, driven by unwavering resolve, are the backbone of innovation, job creation, and economic dynamism. At present, small industries make up approximately 40% of India’s overall economy.

The roots of Small Industry Day can be traced back to the year 2000. In August of that year, the Indian government created a comprehensive policy package for small-scale industries (SSI).

To mark this occasion, the Ministry of Small-Scale Industries announced that August 30, would be observed as the Small Industries Day, annually.

It was celebrated for the first time on August 30, 2001. On this day, the Ministry of Small-Scale Industries organized a convention for small entrepreneurs in the national capital.

These small-scale industries can range from blacksmiths to tailors, contributing their unique skills and products to their communities.  

Exp. English Poet Jayanta Mahapatra passes away

Eminent littérateur and poet Jayanta Mahapatra passed away at the age of 95.

Mahapatra was the first Indian poet to win a Sahitya Akademi award for English poetry in 1981.

He was also conferred with the Padma Shri award in 2009. However, he returned it in 2015 to protest against “rising intolerance in India”.

The author of ‘Indian Summer’ and ‘Hunger’, considered as classics in modern Indian English literature, Mahapatra penned 27 books of poems, of which seven are in Odia language and the rest in English.