Current Affairs Quiz 7th September 2023 Quiz

Exp. India Post and Shiprocket partner to strengthen e-commerce export

The Department of Posts has entered into an agreement with Bigfoot Retail Solution Pvt Ltd (Shiprocket), a leading e-commerce enablement platform.

The collaboration aims to enhance e-commerce exports by leveraging India Post’s extensive presence and shipping solutions.

This agreement will lead to technical integration between Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra and Shiprocket and enable India-based sellers, using Shiprocket, to directly generate e-PBE and shipping labels from Shiprocket platform itself.

India Post has taken a series of steps in the recent past like expansion of Foreign Post Offices, introduction of Postal Bill of Export to enable commercial exports through post offices, launch of a competitive International Tracked Packet Service and setting up of Dak Ghar Niryat Kendras (DNKs) across the country.

The online order processing, export documentation, compliances and Customs clearance has been made easy through electronic Postal Bill of Export (PBE) which can be filed on DNK portal.

The exporters can avail packaging, label printing, pickup facility and induct their shipments to the nearest DNK in any part of the country.

Recent MoU

• Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) and IIT-Guwahati sign pact to develop green carbon from bamboo dust
• NITI Aayog and UNDP sign MoU on fast-tracking SDGs
• AICTE partnered with Jio Institute for faculty development programme
• BHEL signs MoU with Greenstat to explore opportunities in Hydrogen value chain
• Voyager Space signed MoU with New Space India Limited (NSIL) to foster collaboration in spacecraft launch

Exp. Ministry of Tourism unveiled the G20 Tourism and SDG Dashboard

Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has unveiled the G20 Tourism and SDG Dashboard.

Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy launched the dashboard in a virtual ceremony

It showcases best practices, case studies, and insights from G20 countries, all modeled for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This dashboard is a lasting legacy of India’s G20 Presidency, reflecting its dedication to global collaboration and sustainable growth in the global tourism industry.

The G20 Tourism and SDG Dashboard serves as a comprehensive online public platform, amalgamating the collective knowledge of the G20 Tourism Working Group

The dashboard offers insights into sustainable tourism practices and also provides a platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and growth.

Exp World’s tallest Nataraja statue installed at G20 summit venue

The world’s tallest Nataraja statue has been installed at Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the G20 summit in Delhi.

The 28-foot-tall statue weighing 20 tonnes was made in a record time of seven months by sculptor Radhakrishnan Sthapathy and his team at Swamimalai in Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu.

The statue was built in Ashtadhatu (8 metals) using the traditional casting method.  

Exp. Nagaland govt announces Saturday to be a holiday for all schools

The Nagaland government has announced Saturday to be a holiday for all schools in the State.

This was announced by the Advisor for School Education & SCERT, Dr. Kekhrielhoulie Yhome during the State-level Teacher’s Day celebration in Kohima.

Saturdays will be strictly observed as Holidays, as teachers need time for their families while children need time and an environment outside the classroom for holistic development.

Dr. Yhome also announced that the Department will make it mandatory for all to have a School Children Health Card in collaboration with the Health Department from next year, allowing every child to get medical attention at the doorstep of their school.

Other announcements also included students coming from Government High Schools to be given first preference for admission to Government Higher Secondary Schools.

About Nagaland

• Formation – 1 December 1963
• Capital- Kohima
• Chief Minister- Neiphiu Rio
• Governor- La. Ganesan

Exp. Country’s first solar city inaugurated in Sanchi of MP

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has inaugurated the country’s first solar city Sanchi.

Roof-top solar panels have been installed in all institutions like railway stations, schools, government offices, street lights, and post offices in Sanchi.  Solar study lamps are also being used in homes in the city.

Annually about 13 thousand 747 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced in Sanchi Solar City, which is equivalent to more than two lakh adult trees.

Along with this, there will be a saving of more than seven crore rupees annually in the energy-related expenditure of the government and the citizens.

About Madhya Pradesh

• Capital – Bhopal
• Chief Minister – Shivraj Singh Chauhan
• Governor – Mangubhai C. Patel

Exp. REC signs USD 100 million Loan Agreement with EXIM Bank

REC Ltd has signed a foreign currency term loan agreement for $100 million with the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank).

The funds will be raised as part of REC’s broader market borrowing programme of Rs 1.20 lakh crore for 2023-24.

The loan has been tied up for a 5-year tenor and is benchmarked to SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate).

The first tranche of $505 million was raised from Bank of Baroda, Gujarat International Fin Tec-City (GIFT City) IFSC Banking Unit, Axis Bank, and State Bank of India, London Branch on August 3.

Tranche IIof $ 645 million was raised from State Bank of India, Bank of India, GIFT City IBU, among others on August 31.

REC, a subsidiary of Power Finance Corporation Ltd, plans to raise the share of renewable energy in its loan portfolio to 25-30% by FY30 from the current 6.8%.

Recent MoU in Banking Sector

• IREDA signs MoU with IIFCL to finance renewable energy projects
• Razorpay partners with Truecaller for instant checkout
• LIC Partners with Saraswat Cooperative Bank to Increase the life Insurance
• Airtel Payments Bank partnered with Frontier Markets to support 1 lakh women
• DBS partners with Maptrasco to complete the first eBL transaction

Exp. Government approves Rs 3,760 crores for Viability Gap funding Scheme

The Government has approved the Scheme for Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for the development of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

The scheme envisages the development of four thousand Mega Watt hour of BESS projects by 2030-31, with the financial support of up to 40 percent of the capital cost as budgetary support.

It has an initial outlay of about 9,400 crore rupees including budgetary support of 3,760 crore rupees. The VGF shall be disbursed in five tranches linked with the various stages of implementation of BESS projects.

In another decision, The Government also approved 1164 crore rupees as an additional fund requirement under the Industrial Development Scheme, 2017 for Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The funds will help meet the committed liabilities under the scheme up to 2028-29.

The Government announced Industrial Development Scheme, in 2017 for Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Under this scheme, the total financial outlay was 131.90 crore rupees, which was exhausted during the financial year 2021-22.

Exp. The first WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit 2023 held in Gujarat

World Health Organization (WHO) has released the outcome document of the first WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit 2023 in the form of “Gujarat Declaration”.

The declaration reaffirmed global commitments towards indigenous knowledges, biodiversity and traditional, complementary and integrative medicine.

WHO underlined that the application of rigorous scientific methods is needed to better understand, assess and, where appropriate, apply more holistic, context-specific, complex and personalized approaches for health and well-being for all.

It reiterates that India as host of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre at Jamnagar, Gujarat has an important role in scaling up WHO’s capacities to support member states and stakeholders in taking forward the summit action agenda and other relevant priorities.

The First global summit on Traditional Medicine was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and co-hosted by the Ministry of Ayush, from August 17-18, 2023, at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

About World Health Organization (WHO)

• Formation – 7 April 1948
• Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
• First President – Andrija Štampar
• Director General – Tedros Adhanom (Ethiopia)
• Deputy Director General – Soumya Swaminathan (Indian)
• Member Countries – 194

Exp. IDFC First Bank makes digital rupee app interoperable with UPI QR codes

IDFC FIRST Bank has unveiled a new enhancement, the integration of UPI QR Codes with its Central Bank Digital Currency app, the IDFC FIRST Bank Digital Rupee to enhance the adoption of digital rupee and boost its utilization.

The UPI interoperability feature will dramatically enhance the adoption of CBDC across the country

This development allows individuals to easily use digital rupees for payments through existing UPI QR codes at various merchant outlets.

The digital rupee is an initiative by the Reserve Bank of India launched last year. This digital form of legal tender is issued by the central bank and shares the essential attributes of physical currency, such as trustworthiness, security, and transaction finality with instantaneous settlement in the digital realm.

About IDFC First Bank

• Founded – October 2015
• Headquarters – Mumbai
• MD & CEO – V. Vaidyanathan
• Executive Director – Madhivanan Balakrishnan

Exp. FSIB recommends Vinay M. Tonse for the post of SBI managing director

The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) has recommended Vinay Tonse’s name for the position of managing director (MD) in the State Bank of India (SBI).

At present, Tonse is working as deputy managing director with the Corporate Accounts Group at the country’s largest lender.

One MD post fell vacant after Swaminathan Janakiraman, then MD at the bank, was appointed as deputy governor at the Reserve Bank of India in June 2023

At present, SBI has three managing directors: Challa Sreenivasulu Setty (International Banking, Global Markets & Technology), Ashwini Kumar Tewari (Risk, Compliance & Stressed Assets) and Alok Kumar Choudhary (Retail Business & Operations).

About State Bank of India (SBI)  

• Founded – 1 July 1955
• Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman – Dinesh Kumar Khara
• Managing Director – Alok Kumar Choudhary, Challa Sreenivasulu Setty, and Ashwini Kumar Tewari
• Imperial Bank of India was previous name of SBI.
• The presidency Banks of Bengal, Bombay and Madras with merged in 1921 to Imperial Bank of India.
• Tagline – (1) Pure Banking Nothing Else

(2) With you all the way

(3) A bank of the common man

(4) The banker to every Indian

(5) The Nation banks on us  

Exp. Neeraj Mittal appointed as Secretary of DoT

Neeraj Mittal has been appointed as Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

He is replacing K Rajaraman, who is now the chairman of the International Financial Services Centers Authority (IFSCA) in Gujarat.

Neeraj Mittal is a 1992-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.

He is currently serving as the Principal Secretary in the Department of Information Technology, Tamil Nadu.

Prior to this, he worked as Senior Advisor in the World Bank Group and as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

While, S Krishnan, a 1989 batch IAS officer, was appointed as the new Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

His appointment comes after the retirement of the previous secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma on August 31.

VL Kantha Rao has been selected as the Secretary in the Ministry of Mines.

Umang Narula has been designated Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, bringing his broad administrative experience to this vital portfolio.

Chanchal Kumar of the 1992 batch and Bihar cadre has been appointed as Secretary in the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region.

Recent Appointment

• Additional DG of Military Nursing Service (MNS) – Delos Flora
• IESF Membership Committee for 3-year term from India – Lokesh Suji
• Secretary of Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) – Vumlunmang Vualnam (replace Rajiv Bansal)
• Chairperson of NASSCOM – Rajesh Nambiar
• President of NASSCOM – Debjani Ghosh

Exp. President confers National Teachers’ Award for 2023 on 75 teachers

President Droupadi Murmu has conferred the National Teachers’ Award 2023 on 75 exceptional educators at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on the occasion of Teacher Day.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan constituted three separate national juries of eminent individuals to meticulously select these outstanding teachers.

Each of the awardees will be granted a certificate of merit, a cash prize of Rs 50,000, and a prestigious silver medal.

This year’s distinguished recipients include 50 school teachers, 13 college teachers, and 12 educators from the Department of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

These teachers have been chosen for their unwavering dedication to enriching the lives of students and enhancing the quality of education across the nation.

The National Teachers’ Award, organized by the Department of School and Literacy under the Ministry of Education, is an annual event dedicated to honouring the nation’s finest educators.

President Murmu in News

• President Murmu unveiled the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and ‘Gandhi Vatika’ in New Delhi
• President Murmu launches advanced frigate Vindhyagiri in banks of Hooghly River, Kolkata
• President Murmu inaugurated unique ‘Festival of Libraries 2023’ in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
• President Murmu inaugurates new Jharkhand High Court building
• President Murmu presented the President’s Colour to INS Dronacharya in Kochi

Exp. Mahindra to sponsor ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023

Mahindra & Mahindra will be an associate sponsor with Star Sports for the ICC Cricket World Cup which starts next month.

As the broadcast associate sponsor for Star Sports and co-powered sponsor for Disney+Hotstar during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, the auto major aims to reach vast audience across its key target markets, solidifying its visibility throughout the cricketing season.

This sponsorship is a key milestone in our mission to connect deeply with the passion of millions of Indians. The automaker sees a strong synergistic resonance between its SUVs and tractor brands and the vibrant spirit of Indian cricket.

The World Cup will get underway on October 5 and the final will be played on November 19.

Exp. Harper Collins releases a book ‘Fire on the Ganges’ by Radhika Iyengar

A book titled “Fire on the Ganges: Life Among the Dead in Banaras” is authored by Radhika Iyengar and it is released by Harper Collins.

The book explores the city of Banaras in India, particularly its relationship with death and the afterlife.

Radhika Iyengar is an award-winning journalist.

She won the Red Ink award for Excellence in Indian Journalism (2018).

Recent Book

• Irrfan: A life in Movies – Shubhra Gupta
• Kuch Adhure Shabd – IAS officer Ashutosh Agnihotri
• Monsoon – Abhay K
• Raag Prakash – Om Prakash Kaul (released by Himachal CM)
• As the wheel turns –Ranjit Pratap (released by M Venkaiah Naidu)
• A Fool’s Journey – Sarika Bhardwaj
• Prism: The Ancestral Abode of Rainbow – Vinod Mankara
• The Yoga Sutra for Children – Roopa Pai
• Master Residential Real Estate – Ashwinder Singh
• India Secret War BSF – Ushinor Majumdar