Current Affairs Quiz 7th and 8th October 2023 Quiz

Exp. SBI launches Mobile Device for banking convenience

The State Bank of India (SBI) has launched a ‘Mobile Handheld Device’ as part of its financial inclusion drive in a bid to improve accessibility and convenience.

The drive “aims to empower financial inclusion and extend essential banking services to the masses.”

In its first stage, the gadget will offer five main banking services that account for 75 percent of transactions at CSP outlets.

This technology-driven initiative underscores SBI’s commitment to deepening financial inclusion and social welfare through digitization by providing convenient and doorstep banking to our customers”.

The device will specially benefit customers facing difficulties in accessing customer service outlets, such as senior citizens.

Recent Facilities Launched in Banking & Insurance Sector

• PhonePe launched its own app store platform Indus Appstore

• Utkarsh Small Finance Bank launched of Interoperable Cardless Cash Withdrawal (ICCW) Using UPI on ATMs
• Axis Bank Launched ‘NEO For Business’ Ban Platform for MSMEs
• Ujjivan SFB launched Maxima Savings Account & Business Maxima Current Account
• ACKO Insurance introduced the ‘Platinum Health Plan’

Exp. RBI appoints Muneesh Kapur as new Executive Director

The Reserve Bank of India has appointed Muneesh Kapur as the Executive Director.

Prior to being promoted as ED, Shri Kapur was Adviser-in-Charge, the Monetary Policy Department and Secretary to the Monetary Policy Committee.

He also served as Adviser to the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund during 2012-15.

As Executive Director, Kapur will look after the Department of Economic and Policy Research.

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• MD and CEO ICICI Lombard – Sanjeev Mantri (replace Bhargav Dasgupta)
• Vice-president for Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Market Solutions – Bhargav Dasgupta
• MD and CEO of HDFC Bank – Sashidhar Jagdishan (reappointment for 3 year)
• Chairman of Mastercard India- Rajnish Kumar (Former SBI Chief
• Statutory auditor of Paytm – S.R. Batliboi

Exp. Ramaswamy N appointed as CMD of GIC Re

Ramaswamy N has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re).

This appointment follows the decision by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

Ramaswamy, a veteran in the insurance industry, has diverse experience of over three decades at GIC Re.

He began his journey with GIC Re in 1988 as a direct recruit officer. Over the years, he managed a wide spectrum of non-life insurance classes, including Fire, Engineering, Miscellaneous, Motor, Liability, Aviation, Marine, and Agriculture.

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• MD & CEO of South Indian Bank – PR Seshadri
• Part-time chairman of Dhanalakshmi Bank – KN Madhusudanan
• Country head of Wholesale Banking at Yes Bank – Manish Jain (replace Ravi Thota)
• Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Yes Bank – Pankaj Sharma
• Deputy Governor of RBI – M. Rajeshwar Rao (reappointment for 1 year)

Exp. Norwegian author Jon Fosse wins Nobel Prize 2023 in Literature

Norwegian author Jon Fosse has been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable.

The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded by the Swedish Academy, Stockholm, Sweden. The Nobel Prize amount for 2023 is set at Swedish kronor (SEK) 11.0 million per full Nobel Prize.

Fosse is today one of the most widely performed playwrights in the world and has become increasingly recognized for his prose.

Jon Fosse, born in 1959, is widely considered one of the most important writers of our time. For almost forty years he has written novels, plays, poems, stories, essays, and children’s books. His award-winning work has been translated into more than fifty languages, and his plays have been staged over a thousand times all over the world.

Fosse’s first novel, Raudt, svart (Red, Black), was published in 1983, but he considers a short story Han (He), published in a student newspaper in 1981, as his actual literary debut.

The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded 115 times to 119 Nobel Prize laureates between 1901 and 2022.

The Nobel Medal in Literature was designed by Swedish sculptor and engraver Erik Lindberg and represents a young man sitting under a laurel tree who, enchanted, listens to and writes down the song of the Muse.

Exp. Narges Mohammadi awarded Nobel Peace Prize 2023

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2023 to Narges Mohammadi for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all.

Her brave struggle has come with tremendous personal costs. Altogether, the regime has arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes.

In September 2022 a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Jina Amini, was killed while in the custody of the Iranian morality police. Her killing triggered the largest political demonstrations against Iran’s theocratic regime since it came to power in 1979.

Under the slogan “Woman – Life – Freedom”, hundreds of thousands of Iranians took part in peaceful protests against the authorities’ brutality and oppression of women.

The regime cracked down hard on the protests: more than 500 demonstrators were killed. Thousands were injured, including many who were blinded by rubber bullets fired by the police. At least 20,000 people were arrested and held in regime custody.

The motto adopted by the demonstrators – “Woman – Life – Freedom” – suitably expresses the dedication and work of Narges Mohammadi.

To date, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate is Malala Yousafzai, who was 17 years old when awarded the 2014 Peace Prize.

The oldest Nobel Peace Prize laureate to date is Joseph Rotblat, who was 87 years old when he was awarded the prize in 1995.

Exp. India win gold in Trap men’s team event

Indian shooters wrapped up their historic campaign at the Asian Games 2023 with gold and silver medal in the men’s and women’s trap shooting team events, respectively, in Hangzhou.

Kynan Chenai, Zoravar Singh Sandhu and Prithviraj Toindaman won the gold medal for India in the men’s trap team with an Asian Games record of 361.

The women’s trap team of Manisha Keer, Preeti Rajak and Rajeshwari Kumari won silver with a combined score of 337.

Medals in the trap team events at the Shotgun Ranges were awarded on the basis of cumulative scores of the shooters from each country in the qualifying round.

Kynan Chenai missed just three shots in the qualifying round and topped with 122/125.

The 46-year-old Zoravar Singh Sandhu, who was a member of the Indian men’s team that won a silver medal 25 years ago in Bangkok, was second in the qualifying round with 120. Prithviraj Toindaman was 11th with 119.

Exp. Boxer Preeti Pawar settles for bronze in 54kg Weight Category

India’s Preeti Pawar won the bronze medal in the women’s 54kg category in boxing at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou.

She lost to China’s Yuan Chang 0-5 on points in the semi-final at the Hangzhou Gymnasium.

Preeti became the second boxer to win the bronze medal after Nikhat Zareen. It’s pertinent to note that Chang is the reigning Asian Games gold medallist.

She won silver and gold medals at the Khelo India Youth Games in 2020 and 2021 respectively, and a silver medal at the Youth Asian Championships in 2021. Her transition to the senior level began with a bang, earning her a bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Championships in her first event at that level.

Exp. Indian men’s football team wins SAFF Under-19 Championship

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.

Manglenthang Kipgen and Gwgwmsar Goyary scored for India.

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.

Exp. Table Tennis players won bronze medal in women’s doubles tournament

Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee have won the bronze medal in the women’s doubles in table tennis in the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou.

The Indian duo lost to the North Korean pair of Sugyong Pak and Suyong Cha 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, 2-11 in the semi-final at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Gymnasium Table 1.

Aykhika and Sutirtha fought hard for 59 minutes before going down.

Exp. Athlete walks 100 m on slackline in less than two minutes, sets world record

An athlete from China broke the world record for the ‘fastest 100 metres slackline walk’.

Shi Hailin accomplished this feat by walking on a slackline suspended 100 metres above the ground between two hills in only 1 minute 14.198 seconds.

With this, he surpassed the previous record of 1 minute 59.73 seconds held by Lucas Milliard of France in 2016.

The world record took place 1,600 m above sea level at the Guanyindang camp in Mount Wugong, Pingxiang. Though Hailin walked more than 222 m in total, he was timed specifically within a marked 100 m area.

Exp. Indian men’s hockey team Clinches Gold at Asian Games 2023

Indian men’s hockey team dished out a clinical performance to reclaim the Asian Games gold medal after a nine-year wait as they thumped Japan 5-1 in the final in Hangzhou.

India sealed their place in next year’s Paris Olympics courtesy of the win, claiming their fourth Asiad gold after 1966, 1998, and 2014.

Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice in the final, converting two penalty corners after Manpreet Singh had given India the lead with a bullet reverse strike in the second quarter.

India led 2-0 at half-time, and Amit Rohidas converted another penalty corner to triple India’s lead.

This victory marks the Indian men’s hockey team’s fourth gold medal at the Asian Games, following triumphs in 1966, 1988, and 2014 editions.  

Exp. Arjun Singh and Sunil Singh Salam win bronze in Asian Games 2023

India won the bronze medal in the men’s canoe double 1000m event at the Asian Games.

The India duo of Arjun Singh and Sunil Singh finished third with a timing of 3:53.329.

This was India’s second Asian Games medal in canoeing, following a bronze medal by Johnny Rommel and Siji Kumar Sadanandan in the same event in Hiroshima in 1994.

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan won gold and silver respectively.

Exp. Dipika Pallikal, and Harinder Pal Sandhu clinch gold in Squash Mixed

Dipika Pallikal and Harinder Pal Sandhu won gold medal in Mixed Doubles Squash event defeating Malaysian pair by 2-0 in the final.

Dipika Pallikal and Harinder Pal Sandhu defeated Malaysia’s Aifa Azman-Mohd Syafiq Kamal 2-0 (11-10, 11-10) in the mixed doubles final.

Aifa Azman and Mohd Syafiq Kamal, both gold medallists in team events at the Asian Games, began aggressively and didn’t let the Indian pair settle.

Pallikal and Sandhu struggled with their returns as Azman-Kamal raced to a 10-8 lead.

This is the first time a squash mixed doubles tournament has featured at the Asian Games.

Exp. Indian team wins gold in men’s 4x400m relay in Asian Games 2023

The Indian quartet won the gold medal in the men’s 4x400m relay at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou.

The team comprising of Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Rajesh Ramesh and Muhammad Ajmal Variyathodi finished with a time of 3:01.58.

While Qatar finished second, it was the Sri Lankans who took home a bronze after finishing third.

India qualified for the finals by clocking the fastest time of 3:03.81 minutes in the heat 1 ahead of Qatar, Japan, and Iraq.

India also holds the Area Record in the event achieved by the same quartet at the recently concluded Athletics World Champions in Belgium.

The team clocked 2:59.05 minutes to qualify for the finals behind the eventual champion USA in that event.

Exp. Indian Women’s Kabaddi Team Clinches Gold at Asian Games 2023

India achieved the magical figure of 100 medals at the ongoing Asian Games after the women’s kabaddi team defeated Chinese Taipei 26-25 in a thrilling final to clinch gold in Hangzhou, China.

India was held to a 34-34 draw by the same opponent in the group stage but the women in blue managed to run down the clock with a one-point lead at the end in the summit clash.

This is the women’s kabaddi team’s third title triumph in the continental showpiece, doing one better than its runner-up finish in the last edition of the Games in Indonesia and fulfilling the country’s expectations of touching the historic three-figure mark for the first time.

India, the 2010 and 2014 champions, reclaimed the gold medal after a shock defeat against Iran in the 2018 final.

Exp. Jyothi Surekha Vennam wins Gold in Women’s Archery at Asian Games 2023

India’s Jyothi Surekha Vennam won the gold medal in the women’s individual compound archery event at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

Jyothi defeated So Chaewon of South Korea 149-145 in the final to complete a hattrick of gold medals, having already won titles in the women’s and mixed team events.

It is India’s seventh medal in archery this edition.

Exp. Sonam Malik bags bronze in women’s freestyle 62kg category

Indian grappler Sonam Malik took home a bronze medal in women’s freestyle 62kg category by China’s Long Jia at the ongoing 19th Asian Games.

The 21-year-old Indian got the better of Long Jia 7-5 by a solitary point to claim a podium finish.

This achievement marks India’s third wrestling bronze medal in this edition of the Asian Games.

Earlier, Sunil Kumar had secured a bronze in the Greco-Roman category, and Antim Panghal had won a bronze in the women’s 53kg category.

Exp. 7 October – World Cotton Day

World Cotton Day is observed every year on October 7.

The day’s celebrations promote fair trade and help developing nations engage in all aspects of the cotton industry to improve their economies.

Theme 2023 – Making cotton fair and sustainable for all, from farm to fashion

The first World Cotton Day was suggested by the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 7 October 2019, with support from Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mali, known as the Cotton Four or C4 countries.  

Exp. 6 October – World Smile Day

World Smile Day is an annual celebration observed on the first Friday of October. This year it falls on October 6.

World Smile Day aims to promote goodwill and positivity by smiling at others and performing acts of kindness while serving as a reminder of the power of a simple smile to brighten someone’s day and improve the world around us.

Theme 2023 – Radiate Joy

The first World Smile Day celebration was held in Worcester, MA in 1999 as a way to encourage people to do acts of kindness and spread happiness by simply smiling, and has continued each year since then.

Exp. 6 October – World Cerebral Palsy Day

World Cerebral Palsy Day is observed every year on 6 October.

Objective – To raise awareness about Cerebral Palsy, support those living with the condition, and advocate for greater inclusion and understanding.

It also emphasizes that when individuals, families, caregivers, and communities come together, they become a powerful force for positive change and inclusion.

Theme 2023 – Together Stronger.

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture.