7211 LSTWeeklyManthan17April-23April2023 V28042023

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MANTHAN
A General Awareness Weekly
17th April to 23th April, 2023
A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 1

PREFACE
Dear Students,
The ‗Current Affairs‘ section is an integral part of any examination. This edition of Manthan has been developed by our
team to help you cover all the important events of the Week. This comprehensive bulletin will help you prepare the
section in a vivid manner. We hope that our sincere efforts will serve you in a better way to fulfill aspirations.
Happy Reading
Team CL

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
National
Constitution Bench formed in same-sex marriage case

 The Supreme Court announced the formation of a new Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India
DY Chandrachud to hear a series of petitions seeking legal recognition of same sex marriages.
 The other four Associate Judges on the Bench are Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, S. Ravindra Bhat, Hima
Kohli and P.S. Narasimha. The presence of Justice Kaul, the senior most judge in the Supreme Court after the
Chief Justice, provides an additional gravitas. It is not often that the second senior most judge joins a
Constitution Bench as an Associate Judge.
 The Centre had expressed its concern about the ―psychological impact‖ that same-sex unions could have on
children, but refused to link its worries to stigma about same-sex relationships. The government‘s recent
affidavit sought to explain how same-sex marriage was antithetical to the view held by many in India that
marriage was a ―holy union, a sacrament and a sanskar‖ between a biological man and a woman.
The constitution bench is the name given to the benches of the Supreme Court of India. The Chief Justice of
India has the power to constitute a Constitution Bench and refer cases to it. Constitution benches are set up when
the following circumstances exist: Interpretation of the Constitution: Article 145(3) provides for the
constitution of at least five judges of the court which sit to decide any case ―involving a substantial question of
law as to the interpretation‖ of the Constitution of India. President of India seeking SC‘s opinion: When the
President has sought the Supreme Court‘s opinion on a question of fact or law under Article 143 of the
Constitution. Article 143 of the Constitution provides for Advisory jurisdiction to the SC. As per the provision, the
President has the power to address questions to the apex Court, which he deems important for public welfare.
Conflicting Judgments: When two or more three-judge benches of the Supreme Court have delivered
conflicting judgments on the same point of law, necessitating a definite understanding and interpretation of the
law by a larger bench. The Constitution benches are set up on ad hoc basis as and when the above-mentioned
conditions exist. Constitution benches have decided many of India‘s best-known and most important Supreme Court
cases, such as: K. Gopalan v. State of Madras (Preventive detention) and Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala
(Basic structure doctrine).
Jagan Mohan Reddy wealthiest CM, Mamata Banerjee least well-off: ADR report
 Twenty-nine of the 30 incumbent Chief Ministers are crorepatis with Andhra Pradesh‘s Jagan Mohan
Reddy having the highest assets totalling Rs. 510 crore, according to poll affidavits analysed by the
Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has the lowest total assets of about Rs. 15 lakh, the ADR
said. There are 28 state Chief Ministers and two union territories — Delhi and Puducherry — also have chief
ministers. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir does not have a chief minister currently. Out of the 30
CMs analysed, 29 (97 per cent) are crorepatis with the average assets being Rs. 33.96 crore for every CM.
According to the ADR report, out of the 30 CMs, 13 (43 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases
including those related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and criminal intimidation.

 The top three chief ministers in terms of assets are Andhra Pradesh's Jagan Mohan Reddy (over Rs. 510
crore), Arunanchal Pradesh's Pema Khandu (over Rs. 163 crore) and Odisha's Naveen Pattnaik (over Rs.
63 crore), according to the ADR. The three CMs with the lowest declared assets are – West Bengal's Mamata
Banerjee (over Rs.15 lakh), Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan (over Rs. 1 crore) and Haryana's Manohar Lal (over Rs.1
crore), the ADR said.
In India, a Chief Minister is the elected head of government of each state out of the 28 states and sometimes a
union territory (UT). Currently, only the UTs of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir (currently vacant) and
Puducherry have serving Chief Ministers. According to the Constitution of India, the Governor is a state's head,
but de facto executive authority rests with the Chief Minister. Following elections to the State legislative
assembly or Vidhan Sabha in a state, the state's governor usually invites the party (or coalition) with a majority
of seats to form the government. The governor appoints and swears in the Chief Minister, whose council of
ministers are collectively responsible to the assembly. Based on the Westminster system, given that they retain
the confidence of the assembly, the Chief Minister's term can last for the length of the assembly's life, a
maximum of five years. There are no limits to the number of terms that the chief minister can serve. A Chief
Minister heads a state government's council of ministers and can be deputised in that role by a deputy chief minister.
Pawan Kumar Chamling was the longest served Chief Minister of Sikkim and India, surpassing Jyoti Basu.
Pema Khandu is the youngest Chief Minister of India.
Indian government launches Ambedkar circuit tourist train

 The Bharat Gaurav Tourist train tour on Ambedkar Circuit was flagged off by Shri G. Kishan Reddy,
Minister of Tourism, Culture and DONER, & Dr. Virendra Kumar, Minister of Social Justice and
Empowerment today from Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. The government of India on April 14 launched
the first Ambedkar circuit tourist train which will cover prominent places associated with the life of DR.
B.R. Ambedkar as well as important Buddhist heritage sites.
 The Minister said that the train also aims to promote domestic tourism and the spirit of Ek Bharat Shrestha
Bharat. He also informed that government under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi has developed the sites
related to Babasaheb Ambedkar not only in India but also in London.
 The ‗Bharat Gaurav Tourist train‘ is being operated under the ‗Dekho Apna Desh‘ initiative which is
aimed at promoting domestic tourism, and is a joint collaboration between the Ministries of Tourism and
Railways. The 8-day tour includes visits to places linked to Dr. Ambedkar like New Delhi, Mhow, Nagpur,
Sanchi, Sarnath, Gaya, Rajgir and Nalanda.
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956) was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer
and political leader who headed the committee drafting the Constitution of India from the Constituent Assembly
debates, served as Law and Justice minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru, and inspired the Dalit
Buddhist movement after renouncing Hinduism. Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 in the town and military
cantonment of Mhow (now officially known as Dr Ambedkar Nagar) (now in Madhya Pradesh). In 1990, the
Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was posthumously conferred on Ambedkar. The salutation Jai
Bhim (lit. "Hail Bhim") used by followers honours him. He is also referred to by the nickname Babasaheb (BAH-
bə SAH-hayb), meaning "Respected Father". In 1956, he completed his final work, The Buddha and His
Dhamma, which was published posthumously.
IAF to deploy Rafale jets in first overseas exercise

 India will deploy four Rafale jets, two C-17 aircraft and two IL-78 mid-air refuellers for a nearly three-
week multinational air exercise at France‘s Mont-de-Marsan military base. It will be the first overseas
exercise for the Indian Air Force‘s Rafale jets. Besides the IAF and the French Air and Space Force (FASF), the
exercise will be participated by air forces from Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom,
Spain and the United States. ―Participation in this exercise would further enrich the employment philosophy of
the India Air Force, by imbibing the best practices from other Air Forces,‖ the IAF said in a statement.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft
assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to
conduct aerial warfare during armed conflict. It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air

force of the British Empire which honoured India‘s aviation service during World War II with the prefix Royal.
After India gained independence from United Kingdom in 1947, the name Royal Indian Air Force was kept and
served in the name of Dominion of India. With the government‘s transition to a Republic in 1950, the prefix Royal
was removed. Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari is currently serves as the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS).
The President of India holds the rank of Supreme Commander of the IAF. The rank of Marshal of the Air
Force has been conferred by the President of India on one occasion in history, to Arjan Singh. On 26 January
2002, Singh became the first and so far, only five-star rank officer of the IAF.
Country‘s First Mangrove Pitta Bird Census Undertaken in Bhitarkanika

 Odisha forest officials have sighted 179 mangrove pitta birds in the first ever census conducted of these
exotic and colourful birds in the country. The habitats of these beautiful birds are confined to mangrove forest
areas in Odisha‘s Bhitarkanika and Sundarban in West Bengal. The census was carried out for the first time in the
country to study the population analysis of these birds.
 Of the wetland sites in Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary covered for the census, the enumerators sighted the
highest number of these birds in Mahipura river mouth in the national park area. Mangrove pitta are colourful
birds which have black head with brown crown, white throat, greenish upper parts, buff under-parts and
reddish vent area. It is found in mangrove forests where it feeds on crustaceans, mollusks and insects.
A Mangrove is a small tree or shrub that grows along coastlines, taking root in salty sediments, often
underwater. The word ‗mangrove‘ may refer to the habitat as a whole or to the trees and shrubs in the mangrove
swamp. They can survive under extreme hostile environments such as high salt and low oxygen conditions.
Sundarbans in West Bengal are the largest mangrove forest regions in the world. It is listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. The second largest mangrove forest in India is Bhitarkanika in Odisha created by the two
river deltas of River Brahmani and Baitarani. The total mangrove cover in the world is one 1,50,000 sq kms. Asia
has the largest number of mangroves worldwide.
Dr. Jitendra Singh launches ‗YUVA PORTAL‘ to identify potential young Start-Ups
 Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched - YUVA PORTAL in New Delhi, which will
help in connecting and identifying potential young Start-Ups. Dr Singh also launched the One Week -One
Lab programme. He underlined that unless the stakeholders‘ participation is broad-based, particularly in the
Industry, the StartUps may not remain sustainable for want of proper industry mapping and the right aptitude.
 Highlighting India‘s global excellence in technology, innovation and Start-Ups, Dr Jitendra Singh said, each of
the 37 CSIR Labs is dedicated to a different exclusive area of work. The Minister said, the One Week - One Lab
programme will offer the opportunity to the CSIR labs to showcase the work being done by them so that
others can avail of it.
Jitendra Singh is an Indian physician and politician. He is the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the
Ministry of Science and Technology and Minister of state (Independent Charge) ministry of earth science and
Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office; Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of
Atomic Energy and Department of Space. He won the Udhampur seat in the Indian general election, 2014 and
2019 with highest ever margin of votes for the 16th Lok Sabha and 17th Lok Sabha
Government launches ‗Sangathan se Samriddhi‘ scheme to bring marginalised rural women into
SHGs network
 The ‗Sangathan Se Samriddhi‘ campaign was launched by Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh, with
the aim of empowering marginalized rural households. The campaign seeks to achieve this objective by
ensuring that all eligible rural women are included in Self Help Groups (SHGs). During the launch event, the
Minister stated that the government‘s goal is to expand the coverage of SHGs to include 10 crore women, up from
the current nine crore. The Minister said the government is targeting to bring 10 crore women under the
purview of SHGs from the existing nine crore. Mr. Singh expressed happiness that the number of members,
which was just 2.35 crore in May 2014, has now crossed nine crore. Government has set a target that every
woman associated with SHGs should be able to earn one lakh rupees per annum.

The Ministry of Rural Development, a branch of the Government of India, is entrusted with the task of
accelerating the socio-economic development of rural India. Its focus is on special rural grants for health and
education, piped filtered drinking water programs, public and affordable housing programs, public work programs
and grants for rural roads and infrastructure. It also provides special grants to rural local bodies. Giriraj Singh is the
current Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department. He is the Member of Parliament from
the Begusarai (Bihar) Lok Sabha constituency in the 17th Lok Sabha.
In a first, Kerala adopts water budget to tackle summer water shortage

 Kerala became the first state to adopt a water budget in a bid to come up with a solution to water scarcity
in certain regions there. The first phase of the project would cover 94 gram panchayats and 15 block panchayats.
The Public Water Budget was released by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, along with the launch of the third
phase of the Ini Njan Ozhukatte (Let me flow now) project, for the rehabilitation of irrigation networks in the
Western Ghats.
 The idea of a water budget was first mooted by the state in 2019. The current Budget was prepared based
on the availability and consumption of water in the state. The budget gives data about the availability of water
at a particular place and its consumption based on the population in the region. The move is intended to create
awareness among people regarding the proper use of water, avoiding its wastage. The budget was prepared by the
Centre for Water Resource Development Management and the state water department.
Kerala is a state on the southwestern, Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956 following the
States Reorganisation Act by combining Malayalam-speaking regions. Kerala has the highest literacy rate
93.91% in the 2011 census; the highest life expectancy, 77 years; and the highest sex ratio, 1,084 women per 1,000
men. Arif Mohammad Khan is the current Governor of Kerala. Kerala is known as ―God‘s own country‖ and is
one of the popular tourist destinations in India. Pinarayi Vijayan is the current Chief Minister of Kerala, in
office since 25 May 2016. As per the census 2011, Haryana has the lowest child sex ratio i.e.834 per thousand
males. Kerala is the largest producer of the rubber in the India. The records of population density 2011 of
India state that the density 2011 has increased from a figure of 324 to that of 382 per square kilometer. Bihar is
the most thickly populated state (1106 persons/sq km.) followed by west bengal-1028 and Kerala 860.
Indian Navy conducts offshore security exercise ‗Prashthan‘

 Indian Navy, other defence, state and civilian agencies conducted a coordinated exercise code-named
―Prasthan‖‗. The exercise was conducted in the offshore development area off Maharashtra‘s Mumbai. The
exercise is held every six months to validate measures and procedures to address contingencies that may occur in
oil production platforms. The current exercise was conducted on the Greatdrill Chaaya platform about 30
nm South West of Mumbai harbour.
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme
Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water
navy, it operates significantly in the Persian Gulf Region, the Horn of Africa, the Strait of Malacca, and routinely
conducts anti-piracy operations and partners with other navies in the region. Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar
is the current Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS). General Anil Chauhan is a four-star general of the Indian Army,
who is the current and 2nd Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Indian Armed Forces.
Himachal Pradesh launches project Sanjeevani to empower dairy farmers

 Himachal Pradesh‘s economy is largely banking on agriculture and animal husbandry. With a livestock
population of about 4.41 million, their care is an essential part of every rural household. For them, the state
government has launched a project named Sanjeevani that helps in empowering the livelihood of small dairy
farmers and livestock owners. It will enhance the lives of farmers by providing them convenient and quality care
for livestock at their doorsteps.
 Telemedicine and technology will help reducing the turnaround time of services and also arrest outbreaks
to one extent. For this a collaboration was signed by the Animal Husbandry Department with Bharat Financial
Inclusion Ltd. (BFIL), a subsidiary of IndusInd Bank.

Himachal Pradesh (―Province of the Snow-laden Mountains‖) is a state in the northern part of India. Situated
in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the eleven mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape
featuring several peaks and extensive river systems. Himachal Pradesh is the northernmost state of India and
shares borders with the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the north, and the states of
Punjab to the west, Haryana to the southwest, Uttarakhand to the southeast and a very narrow border with
Uttar Pradesh to the South. The state also shares an international border to the east with the Tibet
Autonomous Region in China. Himachal Pradesh is also known as ‗Dev Bhoomi‘ or ‗Land of God‘ and ‗Veer
Bhoomi‘ which means ‗Land of Braves‘. Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was
declared as the summer capital of British India. Dharamshala is the winter capital city. Rajendra Arlekar is
the current Governor of it.
Ganga mission clears projects worth Rs. 638 crore

 The Jal Shakti Ministry‘s National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) cleared eight projects worth Rs. 638
crore. The projects include the rejuvenation of river Hindon, a tributary of the Yamuna, stretches of which rank
as among the most polluted in the country. This clean-up comprises four projects, worth Rs. 407.39 crore,
approved for pollution abatement in Shamli district, Uttar Pradesh. Once commissioned, the projects will
stem the flow of polluted water into the Krishni River, which, as of now, discharges pollution from Shamli district
into the Hindon.
 The four projects in Shamli district are: (i) the construction of a 5 million litres per day (MLD) sewage
treatment plant (STP), 5 KLD (kilo litres a day) septage co-treatment facility, interception & diversion (I&D)
and other works in Babri and Bantikhera villages; ii) 5 MLD STP, 5 KLD septage co-treatment facility, I&D and
other works in Banat town; iii) 40 MLD STP, 20 KLD septage co-treatment facility, I&D and other works in
Shamli town and iv) 10 MLD STP, 10 KLD septage co-treatment facility, I&D and other works in Thanabhawan
town.
Ministry of Jal Shakti ('water power/strength/capabilities') is a ministry under Government of India which was
formed in May 2019 under the second Modi ministry. This was formed by merging of two ministries; Ministry of
Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is an Indian politician from Rajasthan who is currently serving as Union Cabinet
Minister in Ministry of Jal Shakti. He is a member of parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
representing Jodhpur in the Lok Sabha.
Namami Gange Programme is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as ‗Flagship Programme‘ by the
Union Government of India in June 2014 with budget outlay of Rs.20,000 crore. The program had aims of
controlling pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga. It aimed at engaging with the UK
community which will connect various interest groups including Scientists, Technology companies, Investors and
community members. NMCG (National Mission For Clean Ganga) has decided to declare Chacha Chaudhary
the popular comic book character, as the mascot of the Namami Gange Programme a statement issued by the
Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Bengal tops list of States with most ponds and reservoirs: first-ever water body census
 India has 24.24 lakh waterbodies like ponds, tanks and lakes, with West Bengal accounting for the most
(7.47 lakh) and Sikkim the least (134), according to the report of the first census of waterbodies released by
the Ministry of Jal Shakti recently. The 1st Census of Water Bodies released in March 2023, for the first
time, collected information on encroachment of water bodies.
 The census, conducted by the Union Jal Shakti ministry, also highlights the disparities between rural and
urban areas. Of the total number of water bodies, 97 per cent (23, 55, 055) are in rural areas and only 2.9 per
cent (69,485) in urban areas, stated the report, released. While 59.5 per cent of water bodies taken up for
enumeration were ponds, tanks constitute 15.7 per cent, reservoirs 12.1 per cent, water conservation
schemes/percolation tanks/check dams 9.3 per cent, lakes 0.9 per cent and others 2.5 per cent. The census report
also found that of the total water bodies, 55.2 per cent are owned by private entities and 44.8 per cent are
under public ownership.

 A smart phone was used to capture latitudes, longitudes and photographs of the water bodies. All
states/UTs made efforts to complete the field work, data entry and validation work and the validated data was
again examined at the central level before generation of the final table. The tabulated data was again shared with
states for final confirmation about their reported data.
 West Bengal has the highest number of ponds and reservoirs, whereas Andhra Pradesh has the highest
number of tanks. Tamil Nadu has the highest number of lakes and Maharashtra is the leading state with
water conservation schemes.‖ West Bengal‘s South 24 Parganas has been ranked as the top district having
the highest (3.55 lakh) number of water bodies across the country. The census also collected data on
encroachment of water bodies for the first time. 1.6% water bodies are reported to be encroached, out of
which 95.4% are in rural areas and remaining 4.6% in urban areas.
The census defines a water body as all natural or man-made units bounded on all sides with some or no
masonry work used for storing water for Irrigation or Other purposes (example industrial, pisciculture,
domestic/drinking, recreation, religious, groundwater recharge, etc). Water bodies are usually of various types known
by different names like tank, reservoirs, ponds and bundhies, etc. A structure where water from ice-melt, streams,
springs, rain or drainage of water from residential or other areas is accumulated will also be treated as a water body.
Water being a State subject, steps are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. In order to
supplement their efforts, the Central Government provides technical and financial assistance through various
schemes and programmes.
Centre working towards development of around 10,000 Kilometers of Optic Fibre Cables
infrastructure across country by 2024-25
 Centre is working towards the development of around ten thousand Kilometers (10,000) of Optic Fibre
Cables infrastructure across the country by 2024 - 25. The Optic Fibre Cables network, developed by the
National Highway Authority of India will help expedite the rollout of new-age telecom technologies like 5G
and 6G internet connectivity to remote locations across the country. National Highways Logistics Management
Limited will implement the network of Digital Highways by developing integrated utility corridors along the
National Highways to develop Optic Fibre Cables infrastructure. Around one thousand 367 kilometers on Delhi -
Mumbai Expressway and 512 km on Hyderabad - Bangalore Corridor have been identified as pilot routes for the
Digital Highway development.
Nitin Jairam Gadkari is the in the Government of India. He is also the longest serving Minister for Road
Transport & Highways currently running his tenure for over 8 years. Gadkari earlier served as the President of
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from 2009 to 2013. Gadkari contested 2014 & 2019 Loksabha elections
successfully from current Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nagpur constituency, Maharashtra and
won it.
India releases first edition of Dogri version of Indian Constitution

 Union Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju released the first edition of the
Dogri version of the Constitution of India at University of Jammu. The translation of the Constitution into
different languages is not a new concept. The Constitution was originally written in English and Hindi and
has since been translated into several other languages. The translation of the Constitution into Dogri was a
long-standing demand of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and its release has been welcomed by the people of
the state.
 He revealed that the government is digitizing about 6,5000 words of legal glossary to frame a core vocabulary for
understanding of all the citizens. These investments will make the process of delivery of justice easily accessible
and freely available. The Constitution of India is amongst the world‘s longest-written constitutions and has
guided India‘s nation-building process for over seven decades. Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs
organised a seminar on ―Seven Decades of the Constitution of India‖ on the occasion of Azadi ka Amrit
Mahotsav (75 years of Independence of India) in coordination with the Parliamentary Research & Training
Institute for Democracies (PRIDE).

Dogri is a language spoken in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and is one of the 22 official
languages recognized by the Indian Constitution. Dogri is one of the official languages of the Indian union
territory of Jammu and Kashmir. On 22 December 2003, in a major milestone for the official status of the
language, Dogri was recognized as a national language of India in the Indian constitution. The earliest written
reference to Dogri (using the paleonym Duggar) is found in the Nuh sipihr (―The Nine Heavens‖), written by the poet
Amir Khosrow in 1317 CE. Dogri is descended from Sanskrit, the language of the Vedas (1500–1200 BCE).
Central government notifies Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023

 The Central government notified the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023. The rules have addressed the
Supreme Court guidelines in a writ petition between the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and the People
for Elimination of Stray Troubles. The apex court has in various orders specifically mentioned that relocation
of dogs cannot be permitted.
 As per the Rules, Animal Birth Control programme for sterilization and immunization of stray dogs are to
be carried out by local bodies, municipalities, municipal corporations and panchayats. By effective
implementation of the rules, the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme can be conducted by the local bodies
which will help in reducing stray dog population, addressing the animal welfare issues. The municipal
corporations need to implement the ABC and Anti Rabies Program jointly. The rules also provide guidelines on
how to deal with the human and stray dog conflicts without relocating dogs in an area.
 One of the requirements under the rules is that the ABC Programme needs to be carried out by AWBI-
recognized organizations specifically recognized for the said programme. The list of such organizations will
be made available on the website of the AWBI which will also be updated time to time. The Central Government
has already issued letters to all State Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries of Animal Husbandry Department
and Urban Development Department.
PM Narendra Modi launched nine campaigns under Inclusive Development on April 24 in
Madhya Pradesh
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched nine campaigns under Inclusive Development (Samaveshi
Vikaas) theme during the National Panchayati Raj Day in Madhya Pradesh. He also launched the Website and
Mobile App ―Samaveshi Vikaas‖ at the event.
 The mobile app is designed with the objective to ensure the documentation of public participation and the
website is expected to provide real-time progress of various activities under Samaveshi Vikaas campaigns.
The website will also enable the government to generate reports and assess and monitor the progress of the
campaigns through technical tools.
Madhya Pradesh (meaning Central Province) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest
city is Indore. Madhya Pradesh is the second largest Indian state by area and the fifth largest state by
population. It borders the states of Uttar Pradesh to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the southeast, Maharashtra to the
south, Gujarat to the west, and Rajasthan to the northwest. Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel is the current Governor
of Madhya Pradesh. Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the current Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, having been
elected to the same position 3 times in the past, and a Member of Legislative Assembly in Madhya Pradesh
from Budhni.
Health Ministry Proposes 100 Food Streets in 100 Districts across Country
 In a significant and innovative move, the Union Health Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of
Housing & Urban Affairs has requested states and Union Territories to develop 100 food streets in 100
districts across the country.
 The aim of this project is to encourage safe and healthy food practices among food businesses and
community members, thus, reducing foodborne illnesses and improving overall health outcomes. The financial
assistance for the initiative in the form of Rs. 1 crore per food street/district will be given to fill up critical
gaps. 100 such food streets will be opened up in 100 districts across the country. This assistance will be
provided under NHM in the ratio of 60:40 or 90:10 with the condition that standard branding of these food
streets will be done as per FSSAI guidelines.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is an Indian government ministry charged with health policy in
India. It is also responsible for all government programs relating to family planning in India. Mansukh
Laxmanbhai Mandaviya is currently serving as the Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and
Fertilizers of India. He is also a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat.
L Murugan becomes 1st Union Minister to visit India‘s first village on Indo-Myanmar border in
Phek district, Nagaland
 Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting L Murugan became the first Union Minister to visit India‘s first village on the Indo-
Myanmar border in Phek district of Nagaland.
 The Union Minister visited the International Trade Centre in Avangkhu under Phek where he was given a
rousing traditional welcome by the villagers, leaders and womenfolk. Speaking at the public interaction
programme held at the International Trade Centre in Avangkhu, Dr L Murugan recalled about Modi
Government‘s commitment towards developing the North East including the border areas of the region.
 He reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s vision that the last village is India‘s first village. He expressed the
hope that the International Trade Centre at Avangkhu will also witness increased business activities due to
increase in trade volume and better connectivity. Dwelling on the piggery development in the state, Dr
Murugan said National Livestock Mission (NLM) has been supporting entrepreneurs of the state and
strengthening farm infrastructure and technology.
Myanmar is formerly known as Burma, is a country in Southeast Asia. It is the largest country in Mainland
Southeast Asia. Myanmar is bordered by Bangladesh and India to its northwest, China to its northeast, Laos and
Thailand to its east and southeast, and the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal to its south and southwest. The
country‘s capital city is Naypyidaw, and its largest city is Yangon (Rangoon). The kyat is the currency of
Myanmar (Burma). Following the 2020 Myanmar general election, in which Aung San Suu Kyi‘s party won a
clear majority in both houses, the Burmese military (Tatmadaw) again seized power in a coup d‘état. Min
Aung Hlaing is army general who has ruled Myanmar as the chairman of the State Administration Council
since seizing power in the February 2021 coup d‘état. He took the nominally civilian role of prime minister of
Myanmar in August 2021 upon the formation of the Provisional Government. Myint Swe is currently serving as
Acting President of Myanmar as well as First Vice President. The Tatmadaw is the official name of the armed
forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma).
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approves proposal for bringing in industry-friendly reforms
 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal for bringing in industry-friendly reform related to
Authority Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP). The AHSP is the authority which is responsible for
generating, maintaining, updating or declaring obsolete the entire history and technical information of
defence products. The Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) was the AHSP for the majority of
defence items designed, developed and manufactured by various Defence PSUs and Private Industries.
Under the existing procedure, certain bottlenecks were experienced by the industry to bring timely improvements
in their products and technologies in line with changing times. Therefore, the government has decided now to
liberalise the AHSP procedures and make it industry-friendly. The Indian defence companies, which have
developed products, systems, subsystems, and components on their own indigenous capabilities except critical
stores, will now be allowed to own and account for their final designs and specification as AHSP.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the
government relating directly to national security and the Indian armed forces. The President of India is the
ceremonial commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the country. Rajnath Singh is currently serving as the
Defence Minister of India. He has been Member of parliament, Lok Sabha two times from Lucknow (Lok
Sabha constituency) and once from Ghaziabad (Lok Sabha constituency).
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International
India surpasses China to become world‘s most populous nation with 142.86 cr people: UN
 India has overtaken China as the world‘s most populous nation, according to UN data released. India‘s
population surpassed 1.428 billion, slightly higher than China‘s 1.425 billion people, news agency
Bloomberg reported the UN‘s World Population dashboard as saying.
 According to a new UNFPA report, 25 per cent of India‘s population is in the age group of 0-14 years, 18 per
cent in the 10 to 19 age group, 26 per cent in the age bracket of 10 to 24 years, 68 per cent in 15 to 64 years
age group, and 7 per cent above 65 years. Estimates by different agencies have suggested that India‘s
population is expected to keep rising for nearly three decades before it peaks at 165 crore and then would start
declining.
 Many demographers estimate it could happen this month, if it hasn‘t already. India‘s population is expected to
reach 1.429 billion by the end of the year, according to the U.N. China will fall to second place, with 1.426
billion people. Both dwarf the U.S. at a projected 340 million.
India is the seventh-largest country by area, and is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on
the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with 7 countries such as Pakistan
and Afghanistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the
east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; its Andaman and Nicobar Islands
share a maritime border with Thailand, Myanmar, and Indonesia. The song Vande Mataram, composed in
Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji, was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom.
It has an equal status with Jana-gana-mana. The poem was first sung by Rabindranath Tagore in the 1896
session of the Indian National Congress. On 24 January 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India has adopted
―Vande Mataram‖ as national song. ―Jana Gana Mana‖ is the national anthem of the Republic of India. It was
originally composed as Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata in Bengali by polymath Rabindranath Tagore. The first
stanza of the song Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India as the National
Anthem on 24 January 1950. A formal rendition of the national anthem takes approximately 52 seconds. It was
first publicly sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta (now Kolkata) Session of the Indian National
Congress. ―Sare Jahan se Accha‖ formally known as ―Taranah-e-Hindi‖ is an Urdu language patriotic song
for children written by poet Muhammad Iqbal in the ghazal style of Urdu poetry. The poem was published in
the weekly journal Ittehad on 16 August 1904.
China completes world‘s first rice gene index database, provides free service for global scholars
 China has set up the world‘s first comprehensive rice pan-genomic database based on homologous genes—
the rice gene index database, which will provide free online search and analysis service for rice research
scholars worldwide. The database established by Professor Zhang Jianwei‘s group at the National Key
Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, in collaboration with
universities and research teams at home and abroad, is like a proximate dictionary, in which every gene of
Asian rice can easily find homologous or similar genes, as well as trace its evolutionary history.
 Asian cultivated rice is a staple food for half of the world‘s population. It is recorded that there are
approximately 780,000 rice accessions in the world, of which more than 130,000 Asian rice germplasm and its
wild relatives are collected in the GeneBank of the International Rice Research Institute.

China is a country in East Asia and the world‘s second most populous country after India as per UN, with a
population of around 1.404 billion. Beijing is the capital of the People‘s Republic of China. Xi Jinping is serving
as president of the People‘s Republic of China. National People‘s Congress is the national legislature of the
People‘s Republic of China. With 2,980 members in 2018, it is the largest parliamentary body in the world.
China‘s currency yuan joins the International Monetary Fund‘s basket of reserve currencies. China claims
sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, a huge source of hydrocarbons. However, several ASEAN member
countries, including Vietnam, Philippines and Brunei, have made counterclaims. Chinese claims in the South
China Sea are described in part by the nine-dash line. China and India are the two neighbouring countries in
Asia. India shares 3488 km of border with China that runs along the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh. The Belt and Road Initiative, known in Chinese and
formerly in English as One Belt One Road or OBOR for short, is a global infrastructure development strategy
adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to invest in nearly 70 countries and international organizations.
Europe‘s most powerful nuclear reactor kicks off in Finland

 Finland‘s much-delayed and costly new nuclear reactor, Europe‘s most powerful by production capacity,
has completed a test phase lasting over a year and started regular output, boosting the Nordic country‘s
electricity self-sufficiency significantly. The Olkiluoto 3 reactor, which has 1,600-megawatt capacity, was
connected into the Finnish national power grid. It will help Finland to achieve its carbon neutrality targets and
increase energy security at a time when European countries have cut oil, gas and other power supplies from
Russia, Finland‘s neighbor.
Finland is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and
Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, across from Estonia.
Helsinki is the capital and largest city. Euro is the official currency of it.
World‘s first rewilding centre

 The world‘s first rewilding centre has newly opened near one of Scotland‘s most famous lochs to ―breathe
life‖ into the ―huge potential of the Highlands‖. The charity behind the project hopes it can show how nature
recovery can inspire people, as well as benefit rural communities and create jobs.
Kuwait‘s Crown Prince announces dissolution of National Assembly and calls for new elections
 Kuwait‘s Crown Prince, Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, has announced the dissolution of the
2020 National Assembly and the call for new elections in the coming months. The decision was made based
on Article 107 of the constitution, which allows for such action as a constitutional solution. The decision to
dissolve the National Assembly came after the Constitutional Court ruled to invalidate the 2022 National
Assembly due to the invalidity of the decree dissolving the 2020 parliament and reinstating the latter.
 Kuwait is considered a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a high degree of political freedom and
participation. The country has a unicameral National Assembly, which is composed of 50 members elected for
four-year terms. The Emir of Kuwait serves as the head of state, while the Prime Minister, who is appointed by
the Emir, serves as the head of government.
Kuwait is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of
the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south. Kuwait also shares maritime
borders with Iran. Most of the country's population resides in the urban agglomeration of the capital city Kuwait
City. As of 2021, Kuwait has a population of 4.67 million people where 1.45 million are Kuwaitis and 3.2
million are foreign nationals. The Kuwaiti dinar is the currency of Kuwait. Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is
the Crown Prince of Kuwait. Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is the Emir of Kuwait.
South Korea, US and Japan begin trilateral missile defence exercise in international waters of
East Sea
 South Korea, the United States, and Japan began a trilateral missile defence exercise in the international
waters of the East Sea. The move comes amid increased efforts to sharpen deterrence against North Korean
ballistic missile provocation.

 The exercise focuses on practicing procedures to detect and track a computer-simulated ballistic missile target and
share related information. This includes three Aegis-equipped destroyers, the South‘s ROKS Yulgok Yi I, the
US‘ USS Benfold, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force‘s JS Atago. Earlier, the three countries during
senior-level defence dialogue called the Defense Trilateral Talks and agreed to hold missile defense and anti-
submarine exercises regularly to counter the North‘s threats.
South Korea is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land
border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by
the Sea of Japan. The South Korean won is the official currency of South Korea. Yoon Suk-yeol is the current
President of South Korea. Han Duck-soo is the current Prime Minister of South Korea. 38th parallel, popular
name given to latitude 38° N that in East Asia roughly demarcates North Korea and South Korea.
Ukraine, World Bank agree on $6 bn recovery programme

 Ukraine and the World Bank Group have agreed on a special program to respond to the challenges and
restore Ukraine, which will enable Kiev to attract up to $6 billion. According to Ukrainian Prime Minister
Denys Shmyhal, the funds, which will be raised through the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD), will be used to restore critical, social and transport infrastructure in Ukraine.
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country by area in Europe after Russia, which
it borders to the east and north-east. Ukraine also shares borders with Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia,
and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the south; and has a coastline along the Sea of Azov and
the Black Sea. With a population of 43 million, Ukraine is the eighth-most populous country in Europe. The
nation‘s capital and largest city is Kyiv. The hryvnia, hryvna, or sometimes gryvnya, has been the national currency
of Ukraine since 2 September 1996. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a Ukrainian politician, former actor
and comedian, who is the sixth and current President of Ukraine.
NFSU becomes first government university of India to open a campus abroad

 India‘s National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) opened its first overseas campus in Jinja, Uganda,
and became the first government university of India to open a campus abroad. NFSU is an institution of
national importance and the world‘s first university dedicated exclusively to forensic sciences. The campus in
Uganda was established due to the high demand for courses in forensic sciences among African students on
scholarships provided by the government of India.
EU lawmakers back ban on goods linked to deforestation
 The European Parliament approved a landmark deforestation law to ban imports into the EU of coffee,
beef, soy and other commodities if they are linked to the destruction of the world‘s forests. The law will require
companies that sell goods into the European Union to produce a due diligence statement and ―verifiable‖
information proving their goods were not grown on land deforested after 2020, or risk hefty fines.
A Caribbean island‘s quest to become the world‘s first climate-resilient nation
 Dominica is one of the most disaster-vulnerable countries on Earth, meaning the country faces a choice
between building resilience or risking becoming locked in an unsustainable cycle of destruction and rebuilding
from hazards that could eventually make living there unfeasible. Dominica‘s Prime Minister declared the
country had found itself ―on the front line of the war on climate change‖ and announced plans to make
Dominica ―the world‘s first climate-resilient nation‖.
Dominica is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island.
The Eastern Caribbean dollar is the currency of all seven full members and one associate member of the
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Roosevelt Skerrit is the current Prime Minister of Dominica.
----------------

ECONOMY AND FINANCE
YES Bank first Indian company with over 50 lakh shareholders

 Private sector lender YES Bank has become the first Indian company to have over 50 lakh shareholders,
according to the shareholding pattern of the bank on March-end. Tata Power was a far second with 38.5 lakh
shareholders, followed by Reliance Industries with 33.6 lakh shareholders, according to the December 2022
shareholding disclosures. The bank had 50.6 lakh shareholders as of March 31, 2023, all of whom were public
shareholders.
Yes Bank is an Indian bank headquartered in Mumbai, India and was founded by Rana Kapoor and Ashok
Kapoor in 2004. Prashant Kumar has been appointed the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Yes
Bank for a period of three years. As of 28 July 2020, Yes Bank is an associate of State Bank of India which has a
30% stake in the company.
Stanford University‘s AI Index report

 Stanford University‘s AI Index report states that India is ranked fifth in terms of investments received by
startups offering AI-based products and services in 2022. AI startups in India received a total investment of
$3.24 billion, surpassing countries such as South Korea, Germany, Canada, and Australia. However, India is still
behind the US, China, the UK, and Israel in terms of AI investments received.
Solar Energy Corporation of India gets Miniratna Category-I status
 The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) was accorded the status of Miniratna Category-I Central
Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE). SECI is the primary implementing agency of MNRE for renewable energy
schemes and projects. SECI, an arm of the MNRE, is the primary project implementing agency formed on
September 20, 2011. SECI is the only CPSE dedicated to the renewable energy sector.
 Incorporated in the year 2011, SECI is the primary implementing agency of the Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy, Govt. of India for Renewable Energy schemes/projects towards fulfillment of India's
international commitments. Till date, SECI has awarded Renewable Energy (RE) project capacities of over 56
GW. SECI is also active in setting up of projects through its own investments as well as for other public sector
entities as Project Management Consultant (PMC). SECI enjoys highest credit rating of AAA by ICRA. It is
the only CPSU dedicated to the renewable energy sector. It is under the administrative control of the
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and set up on 20th Sept, 2011 to facilitate the
implementation of the National Solar Mission (NSM).
Criteria for grant of Miniratna status to CPSEs: Miniratna Category-I status: The CPSEs which have made
profit in the last three years continuously, pre-tax profit is Rs.30 crores or more in at least one of the three
years and have a positive net worth are eligible to be considered for grant of Miniratna-I status. Miniratna
Category-II status: The CPSEs which have made profit for the last three years continuously and have a positive
net worth are eligible to be considered for grant of Miniratna-II status. Miniratna CPSEs should have not
defaulted in the repayment of loans/interest payment on any loans due to the Government. Miniratna CPSEs shall not
depend upon budgetary support or Government guarantees.

Odisha Government launched the world‘s first MissCall-based payment system ‗MissCallPay‘
 Odisha Government launched the world‘s first MissCall-based payment system ‗MissCallPay‘ at the
State‘s first-ever Fintech Festival – an initiative to enhance the adoption of digital payments and promote
Bhubaneswar as a fintech hub of East India.
 ‗MissCallPay‖ solution is aimed at serving 90 million Indian mobile subscribers, who are still not on UPI.
Users who find it challenging to use UPI apps on smartphones do so primarily due to digital illiteracy.
MissCallPay enables any kind of payment by just giving a missed call, be it for an electricity bill, a gas bill, a
merchant transaction at a store, a mobile recharge, or even a person-to-person payment.
 MissCallPay runs on newly launched UPI 123pay rails of NPCI and was unveiled by the RBI Governor to
increase penetration of UPI-based digital payments into the hinterlands of India and is in line with the
government‘s objective of accelerated, inclusive and resilient growth by enabling digital payments for all, so as to
uplift the economy as well as the weaker sections by means of financial inclusion.
The modern state of Odisha was established on 1 April 1936, as a province in British India. The ancient
kingdom of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in 261 BCE resulting in the Kalinga
War, coincides with the borders of modern-day Odisha. Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century CE sun temple at
Konark about 35 kilometres northeast from Puri on the coastline of Odisha, India. The temple is attributed to
king Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty about 1250 CE. Ganeshi Lal is current Governor of
Odisha. Naveen Patnaik is the current and 14th Chief Minister of Odisha.
U.S. emerges as India‘s biggest trading partner in FY23 at $128.55 billion; China at second
position
 The U.S. has emerged as India‘s biggest trading partner in 2022-23 on account of increasing economic ties
between the two countries. According to the provisional data of the Commerce Ministry, the bilateral trade
between India and the U.S. has increased by 7.65% to $128.55 in 2022-23 as against $119.5 billion in 2021-22. It
was $80.51 billion in 2020-21.
 On the other hand, during 2022-23, India's two-way commerce with China declined by about 1.5% to $113.83
billion as against $115.42 billion in 2021-22. Exports to China dipped by about 28% to $15.32 billion in 2022-
23, while imports rose by 4.16% to $98.51 billion in the last fiscal. Trade gap widened to $83.2 billion in the last
fiscal as against $72.91 billion in 2021-22.
Top 5 countries with the highest number of billionaires
 Forbes‘ 2023 ranking of the world‘s wealthiest people has once again revealed the countries with the most
billionaires. The Forbes 2023 rich list reveals that 2,640 billionaires of the world hail from 77 countries or
territories.
 The country with the highest number of billionaires is, unsurprisingly, the US. The United States of America
has 735 billionaires – same as last year, according to Forbes. While the US cannot claim to be home to the
world‘s richest person – that honour goes to France with Bernard Arnault – it is home to the likes of Elon
Musk, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.
 LeBron James and Tiger Woods were among the 50 people who joined the billionaires list for the first time
this year, even as Sam Bankman-Fried, Kanye West and dozens others dropped off. The country ranking second
in terms of the number of billionaires it has produced is China. This year, China is home to 495 billionaires, a
not-insignificant drop from last year‘s 539 Chinese billionaires. India is home to 169 billionaires with a
collective net worth of $675 billion.
Forbes is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes
family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics.
Forbes also reports on related subjects such as technology, communications, science, politics, and law. Its
headquarters is located in Jersey City, New Jersey. Primary competitors in the national business magazine
category include Fortune and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. The magazine is well known for its lists and rankings,
including of the richest Americans (the Forbes 400), of the America‘s Wealthiest Celebrities, of the world‘s

top companies (the Forbes Global 2000), Forbes list of The World‘s Most Powerful People, and The World‘s
Billionaires. The motto of Forbes magazine is ―Change the World‖. Its chair and editor-in-chief is Steve
Forbes, and its CEO is Mike Federle.
World‘s Wealthiest Cities

 New York City is the world‘s wealthiest city with 58 billionaires, followed by Tokyo and The Bay Area at the
second and third spot respectively, a report by investment migration firm Henley & Partners noted.
 Analysing high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) with an investable wealth of over $1 million, the report included
four US cities in the top 10- New York City, The Bay Area, Los Angeles and Chicago. New York held its top
spot as the number of high net worth individuals in the city surged 40 percent in 2012-2022.
 Singapore ranked fifth with 2,40,100 HNWIs while Sydney ranks 10 th with 1,26,900 HNWIs. From India,
Mumbai was part of the list with 59,400 HNWIs followed by Delhi with 16 billionaires, Bengaluru with 8
billionaires, Hyderabad with 5 billionaires and Kolkata with 7 billionaires.
World‘s First Carbon Import Tax Approved by EU Lawmakers
 The European Union‘s parliament approved legislation to tax imports based on the greenhouse gases
emitted to make them, clearing the final hurdle before the plan becomes law and enshrines climate regulation
in the rules of global trade for the first time. It caps nearly two years of negotiations on the import tax, which
aims to push economies around the world to put a price on carbon-dioxide emissions while shielding the
EU‘s manufacturers from countries that aren‘t regulating emissions as strictly, or at all. The tax gives credit to
countries that put a price on carbon, allowing importers of goods from those countries to deduct payments made
for overseas emissions from the amount owed at the EU‘s borders.
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in
Europe. A monetary union was established in 1999, coming into full force in 2002, and is composed of 19
member states which use the euro currency. The union and EU citizenship were established when the
Maastricht Treaty came into force in 1993. The EU traces its origins to the European Coal and Steel Community
(ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC), established, respectively, by the 1951 Treaty of Paris and
1957 Treaty of Rome. The original member states of what came to be known as the European Communities were
the Inner Six: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and West Germany. The United Kingdom
became the first member state to leave the EU on 31 January 2020. Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen is a German
politician and physician who has been President of the European Commission since 1 December 2019. Charles
Michel is a Belgian politician serving as President of the European Council.
Uttar Pradesh on its way to become first state to have 100 pc electric vehicles in govt departments
 In a major push to promote sales and usage of electric vehicles (EVs) in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath‘s government has set a target and has flung into action to convert vehicles used
in all government departments into EVs in a phased manner by 2030. By achieving this target before 2030,
Uttar Pradesh can become the first state in the country to have 100 per cent EV in government departments.
Under this, the government has provided an exemption from tax and registration fees for three years on the
purchase of EVs. At the same time, this exemption will be valid for five years on the purchase of EVs
manufactured in the state.
Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world.
It was created on 1 April 1937 as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh during British rule, and was renamed
Uttar Pradesh in 1950, giving the acronym UP. The state is divided into 18 divisions and 75 districts with the
capital being Lucknow. On 9 November 2000, a new state, Uttarakhand, was carved out from the state‘s
Himalayan hill region. The two major rivers of the state, the Ganges and Yamuna, join at Allahabad and flow
further east as Ganges. The state contributes 80 seats to the lower house of the Indian Parliament, Lok Sabha and
31 seats to the upper house of the Indian Parliament, Rajya Sabha. Anandiben Mafatbhai Patel is serving as
the current Governor of Uttar Pradesh. She also served as Governor of Madhya Pradesh. She has served as the
first female Chief Minister of Gujarat. Yogi Adityanath is serving as the current Chief Minister of Uttar
Pradesh.

TCS tops LinkedIn‘s 2023 Top Companies India list showcasing best places to work
 Tata Consultancy Services has emerged as the top company in a list, which showcases the best places to work
and grow careers, for 2023. TCS is followed by Amazon (2) and Morgan Stanley (3) in the ‗2023 Top
Companies India‘ list prepared by LinkedIn.
 A vast majority of the companies, that is 10 out of 25 companies are from the financial services/ banking/
fintech space, including companies such as Macquarie Group (5), HDFC Bank (11), Mastercard (12), and
Yubi (14).
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an Indian multinational information technology (IT) services and
consulting company with its headquarters in Mumbai. It is a part of the Tata Group and operates in 150 locations
across 46 countries. TCS is the second largest Indian company by market capitalization and is among the most
valuable IT service brands worldwide.
ITC Mughal first hotel in world to get Zero Water Certification from US council
 An Indian hotel — ITC Mughal — has become the world‘s first hotel to be awarded the LEED Zero Water
Certification by US Green Building Council. The hospitality major says LEED Zero is the new standard for
global cities, communities and buildings as they strive to achieve a sustainable future.
 ―In LEED Zero Water, a balance is maintained between total potable water consumption and total
alternative or recycled water use.‖ As part of its efforts to be self-sufficient, ITC Mughal has been following a
sustainable process which ensures that water requirements for its buildings and processes are met by capturing
rainwater and treating it for appropriate consumption.
Bengaluru startup opens India‘s first commercial Li-ion cell manufacturing line
 Bengaluru-based Log9 Materials, an advanced battery-technology and deep-technology startup,
inaugurated India‘s first commercial lithium-Ion (Li-ion) cell manufacturing facility on its campus in
Jakkur. The facility will produce batteries for electric vehicles.
 Log9‘s commercial Li-ion cell manufacturing line has an initial capacity of 50 MWh. This facility will cater
to the manufacturing of lithium-titanate oxide and lithium iron phosphate cells. The startup also launched its
indigenously developed battery management system—Charvik, incorporated with state-of-the-art power control
mechanisms—and its academic engagement programme named Log9 Rise to support talent pool creation in
battery technologies in the country.
Apple opens its first India retail store at BKC, Mumbai
 Apple Inc., which has been operating for more than 25 years in India opened Apple BKC, its first retail
store in the country at Jio Centre, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai in a significant move to solidify
its base in this part of the world. The iPhone maker's chief executive Tim Cook has arrived in the country to
inaugurate the exclusive store at Bandra Kurla Complex. The Apple store is launched at a time when
Apple is commemorating 25 years in India.
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company that specializes in consumer electronics,
computer software and online services. Apple is the largest information technology company by revenue
(totaling $274.5 billion in 2020) and, since January 2021, the world‘s most valuable company. As of 2021, Apple
is the fourth-largest PC vendor by unit sales and fourth-largest smartphone manufacturer. It is one of the Big
Five American information technology companies, alongside Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Meta (Facebook),
and Microsoft. Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne to develop and
sell Wozniak‘s Apple I personal computer. It was incorporated by Jobs and Wozniak as Apple Computer, Inc. It is
headquartered in Silicon Valley, California.
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Inventions/Discoveries
World‘s first human death from H3N8 bird flu recorded in China
 A Chinese woman has become the first person to die from a type of bird flu that is rare in humans, the
World Health Organisation (WHO) said, but the strain does not appear to spread between people. The 56-year-old
woman from the southern province of Guangdong was the third person known to have been infected with the
H3N8 subtype of avian influenza. Though rare in people, H3N8 is common in birds in which it causes little to
no sign of disease. It has also infected other mammals. There were no other cases found among close contacts of
the infected woman.
Avian influenza or bird flu refers to the disease caused by infection with avian influenza Type A viruses.
Infrequently, the virus can infect mammals from birds, a phenomenon called spillover, and rarely can spread between
mammals. H5N1, a subtype of avian influenza, has the potential to infect other mammals such as minks, ferrets,
seals, domestic cats, and others through contact with infected birds, their faeces, or infected bird carcasses. Avian
Influenza type A viruses are classified based on two proteins on their surfaces – Hemagglutinin (HA) and
Neuraminidase(NA). There are about 18 HA subtypes and 11 NA subtypes. Several combinations of these two
proteins are possible e.g., H5N1, H7N2, H9N6, H17N10, etc. There are four types of influenza viruses: influenza
A, B, C, and D. Influenza A and B are the two types of influenza that cause epidemic seasonal infections nearly
every year. Influenza C mainly occurs in humans, but has been known to also occur in dogs and pigs. Influenza
D is found mainly in cattle. It‘s not known to infect or cause illness in humans yet.
SpaceX halts first Starship launch attempt due to issues with Super Heavy booster
 SpaceX scrubbed the launch of the Starship rocket system‘s first orbital test due to issues with the booster
stage‘s pressurisation system. The Elon Musk-led company used the attempted launch as a wet dress rehearsal
and continued to the countdown and did everything but actually launch the rocket.
 The first Starship launch attempt was streamed on SpaceX‘s YouTube channel. The company has two backup
launch attempts and could still attempt a launch during one of them. The stainless steel Starship launch vehicle
stands at approximately 119 metres tall and is one of the biggest and most powerful rocket systems ever
built. Together, the Starship spacecraft (second stage) and the Super Heavy rocket (first stage), are referred to as
Starship.
Starship is a super heavy-lift space launch vehicle under development by SpaceX. At 120 metres (390 feet) in
height and with a liftoff mass of 5,000 metric tons (11,000,000 pounds), Starship is the largest and most powerful
launch vehicle ever flown and the first intended to be fully reusable. The launch vehicle consists of the first-stage
Super Heavy booster and the second-stage Starship spacecraft. The Space Exploration Technologies Corporation
(SpaceX) is an American spacecraft manufacturer, launcher, and a satellite communications corporation
headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk with the stated goal of reducing
space transportation costs to enable the colonization of Mars. The company manufactures the Falcon 9, Falcon
Heavy, and Starship launch vehicles, several rocket engines, Cargo Dragon and Crew Dragon spacecraft, and
Starlink communications satellites.

IIT Madras Researchers develop pocket-friendly device to detect milk adulteration in 30 seconds
 Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) Researchers have developed a three-dimensional (3D)
paper-based portable device that can detect adulteration in milk within 30 seconds. The test could be even
performed at home. It can detect multiple substances commonly used as adulterating agents including Urea,
detergents, soap, starch, hydrogen peroxide, sodium-hydrogen-carbonate, and salt, among others.
 Unlike conventional laboratory-based methods to test the purity of milk, which are both expensive and time-
consuming, this new technology is affordable and could also be used to test other liquids such as water, fresh
juices, and milkshakes for traces of adulteration. Only a milliliter of any liquid would be as a sample to test for
adulterants. Milk is one of the most vital foods important to lead a healthy lifestyle and yet is the most
adulterated food item in the world. The adulteration of milk is a growing menace, especially in developing
countries like India, Pakistan, China, and Brazil. Consumption of adulterated milk could cause medical
complications such as kidney problems, infant death, gastrointestinal complications, Diarrhoea, and even cancer.
Dairy is the single largest agricultural commodity contributing 5 per cent of the national economy and
employing more than 8 crore farmers directly. India has the world's largest dairy herd with over 300 million
bovines, producing over 187 million tonnes of milk. India is first among all countries in both production and
consumption of milk. Most of the milk is domestically consumed, though a small fraction is also exported. Indian
cuisine, in particular North Indian cuisine, features a number of dairy products like paneer, while South Indian cuisine
uses more yogurts and milk. Milk and dairy products play a part in Hindu religious practice and legend. India is
ranked 1st in milk production contributing 23 per cent of global milk production.
Gaia discovers a new family of black holes

 Using data from ESA‘s Gaia mission, astronomers have discovered not only the closest but also the second
closest black hole to Earth. The black holes, Gaia BH1 and Gaia BH2, are respectively located just 1560
light-years away from us in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus and 3800 light-years away in the
constellation Centaurus.
 In galactic terms, these black holes reside in our cosmic backyard. The two black holes were discovered by
studying the movement of their companion stars. A strange ‗wobble‘ in the movement of the stars on the sky
indicated that they are orbiting a very massive object. In both cases, the objects are approximately ten times more
massive than our Sun. Other explanations for these massive companions, like double-star systems, were ruled out
since they do not seem to emit any light.
A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. The gravity is so
strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space. This can happen when a star is dying. Because no light
can get out, people can't see black holes. They are invisible. Space telescopes with special tools can help find
black holes. The special tools can see how stars that are very close to black holes act differently than other stars.
Scientists have also detected the gravitational waves generated when two black holes collide. The concept was
theorized by Albert Einstein in 1915 and the term ‗black hole‘ was coined by John Archibald Wheeler. The
light surrounding the black hole right to the edge of the event horizon, which is the goal of the Event Horizon
Telescope. In April 2019, the scientists at the Event Horizon Telescope Project released the first-ever image of
a Black Hole (more precisely, of its shadow). A gravitational singularity, spacetime singularity or simply
singularity is a condition in which gravity is so intense that spacetime itself breaks down catastrophically.
World‘s first mid-infrared solar observation telescope starts assembly

 The world‘s first mid-infrared solar observation telescope developed by China has started installation and
testing in northwest China‘s Qinghai Province. The telescope is equipped with Infrared System for the
Accurate Measurement of Solar Magnetic Field (AIMS) to fill the gap in such fields around the world. The
mid-infrared range observation of the sun would help improve accuracy in measurement of the solar
magnetic field.
 AIMS has adopted the off-axis optical system design for the first time in the country's astronomical
observation history. The focal plane scientific instrument is equipped with a high spectral resolution mid-
infrared imaging spectrometer and polarization measurement system.

New coral reef discovered in Ecuador‘s Galapagos Islands
 A scientific expedition has discovered a previously unknown coral reef with abundant marine life off
Ecuador‘s Galapagos Islands. ―A deepwater scientific expedition has found the first totally pristine coral reef,
approximately two kilometers (1.2 miles) long, at 400 meters (deep), on the summit of a submarine mountain‖.
 Scientists had believed that the only Galapagos reef to survive El Nino weather in 1982 and 1983 was one
called the Wellington reef, along the coast of Darwin Island, but the new discovery shows other coral has
persisted. The reef has more than 50% living coral.
Coral polyps are tiny and fleshy sea anemones that live in tropical and subtropical oceans and seas. They live in
shallow waters along with microscopic algae called Zooxanthellae, with which they share a symbiotic relationship.
This algae has photosynthesis abilities that feed the coral polyps with carbon compounds which give them energy.
In return, the polyps provide protection to Zooxanthellae. Coral reefs in India are found in a lot of areas including
the Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. The Gulf of
Kutch in the northwest has some of the most northerly reefs in the world.
India joins 6 leading nations in quantum tech as Cabinet approves Rs. 6003 crore National
Quantum Mission
 The Union Cabinet approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM), putting India among the top six
leading nations involved in the research and development in quantum technologies. NQM, planned during
2023 – 2031, is worth Rs. 6,003.65 crore and will mainly work towards strengthening India‘s research and
development in the quantum arena alongside indigenously building quantum-based (physical qubit) computers
which are far more powerful to perform the most complex problems in highly secure manner.
 ―The National Quantum Mission will help India take a quantum leap in this area of research. It will have
wide-scale applications ranging from healthcare and diagnostics, defence, energy and data security.‖ DST will
lead this national mission, supported by other departments. Presently, R&D works in quantum technologies are
underway in the US, Canada, France, Finland, China and Austria.
 Quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, and are faster than regular and supercomputers, which
use conventional bits. For instance, according to reports, Google‘s quantum processor, Sycamore, in 2019
completed a task in 200 seconds that Google claimed, in a Nature paper, would take a state-of-the-art
supercomputer 10,000 years to finish.
Science images from balloon-borne dark matter observatory Super BIT released
 The first images for research purposes captured by NASA‘s Super Pressure Balloon Imaging Telescope
(SuperBIT) instrument have been released. The dark matter observatory consists of a telescope mounted on a
balloon lofted to an altitude of 32.9 kilometres.
 The platform allows researchers to investigate scientific targets from a near-space environment. Using a
balloon is much more economical than a launch vehicle to deploy an instrument in orbit. The super-pressure
balloon can gather scientific data by circumnavigating the world for up to 100 days after deployment.
 The height of the balloon prevents most of the atmospheric interference for the imaging instrument on board. The
goal of the observatory is to map the amount of dark matter in its targets, by measuring the amount of light
from distant sources that is amplified and distorted. The targets of SuperBIT exhibit weak gravitational
lensing, as against the strong gravitational lensing of more massive targets, such as galaxy clusters. The first
science image consists of the Tarantula Nebula and the Antennae Galaxies.
 The Tarantula Nebula is a region of star formation at a distance of 161,000 lightyears from the Earth, and
is a well-studied stellar nursery that has previously been imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope as well as
the James Webb Space Telescope. The Antennae Galaxies are a pair of interacting galaxies, designated as
NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 at a distance of 66 million lightyears. The Antennae Galaxies are also well studied,
and have been previously imaged by a number of instruments, including the Hubble Space Telescope, the
Chandra X-ray observatory, and the retired Spitzer telescope. By carefully analysing the images of the
Antennae Galaxies, astronomers can investigate if particles of the mysterious substance known as dark
matter bounce off each other in the colliding pair.

Indian Army orders ‗Made-in-India‘ Nagastra-1 attack drones
 The Indian Army has achieved a significant accomplishment in the field of defence under the ‗Make-in-India‘
initiative by signing a contract to purchase more than 450 completely indigenous Nagastra-1 loitering
munitions. Solar Industries Nagpur announced that they have secured a contract to provide the Indian Army
with the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called ‗Nagastra‘, surpassing competitors from Israel and Poland.
 Under the emergency procurement provisions, the Indian Army has signed the contract for the acquisition of
Nagastra-1 loitering munitions, which must be delivered within one year. These emergency procurement deals
can have a maximum value of Rs. 300 crores. According to the statement, the Nagastra-1 loiter munition has
advanced features such as abort, recover, and reuse capabilities, which make it superior to similar systems
developed by more technologically advanced countries.
 An official from Solar Industries stated that the Indian government's push for self-reliance in ammunition and
defence systems has led to the creation of the first domestic Loiter Munition (LM) called Nagastra-1. This
LM was developed by the company's 100% subsidiary, Economic Explosives Ltd (EEL), in collaboration
with Z-Motion from Bangalore.
ISRO‘s PSLV successfully places 2 Singapore satellites into orbit
 The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) successfully placed two Singaporean satellites, TeLEOS-2
and Lumelite-4, in orbit aboard the trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, while also carrying out experiments
with seven payloads attached to its PS4 upper stage.
 ―PSLV- C55/TeLEOS-2 mission is accomplished successfully. In a textbook launch, the vehicle placed
TeLEOS-2 and LUMELITE-4 satellites precisely into their intended 586 km circular orbit‖. After that, the
16 kg Lumelite-4 was also placed into the desired orbit. The TeLEOS-2 satellite has been developed under a
partnership between the Defence Science and Technology Agency of Singapore and ST Engineering, a
Singaporean technology and engineering group.
Earth Day 2023: UN report points to continuous advance of climate change
 As we celebrate Earth Day, it seems that the Earth itself has little to celebrate. From the depth of the ocean to
the peaks of mountains, climate change is continuing its assault on our planet, according to a report by the United
Nations‘ World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). In terms of temperature, the years between 2015 and
2022 were the eight warmest on record.
 This is despite the cool impact of the La Nina over the past three years. Melting of glaciers and sea level
rise reach records in 2022 and it will continue for thousands of years. Ice levels in the Antarctic Sea fell to its
lowest on record and the melting of some glaciers was quite literally off the charts. The massive impacts of
climate change also made themselves evident with many extreme weather effects across the world, including
continuous droughts in East Africa, widespread floods in Pakistan, and record-breaking heat waves in China and
Europe.
 Not only did such hazardous climate and weather-related events worsen conditions for the more than 95
million that were already displaced when 2022 began, but it also added to that number. We need accelerated
climate action with deeper, faster emissions cuts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. We
also need massively scaled-up investments in adaptation and resilience, particularly for the most vulnerable
countries and communities who have done the least to cause the crisis.
Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 every year. The day is also known as International Mother Earth Day. The
day is observed to spread awareness about issues, including the rampant increase in pollution, global warming, and
deforestation, which harm the environment and result in the destruction of the planet. Countries from all over the
world come together to raise awareness about the dire need to protect our environment. Senator Gaylord Nelson
established Earth Day in the 1970s. He wanted to promote ecology and increase public awareness of issues
pertaining to the environment. The theme of World Earth Day 2023 is "Invest in Our Planet", calling for
businesses to shift towards sustainable practices.
---------------

SPORTS
Sports Personalities in News

Aman Sehrawat clinches India‘s first gold medal at Asian Wrestling Championships
 Aman Sehrawat clinched India‘s first gold medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2023 in Astana,
Kazakhstan. Sehrawat topped the podium in men‘s 57 kg freestyle category on the penultimate day of the
competition. He defeated Kyrgyzstan‘s Almaz Smanbekov 9-4 to win the gold medal. Aman Sehrawat‘s victory
in Astana ensured the men‘s freestyle 57 kg gold medal stayed with India for the fourth year running.
India to Host Men‘s Asian Champions Trophy Hockey for The First Time In Chennai
 India will host the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament for the first time from August 3 to 12 in
Chennai, with international matches returning to the city after 16 years. The seventh edition of the prestigious
continental event, which was inaugurated in 2011, will serve as a precursor to the Asian Games hockey
competition in Hangzhou, China.
Suryakumar Yadav named Wisden‘s leading T20I cricketer
 The Indian duo of Suryakumar Yadav and Harmanpreet Kaur has added another feather to their outstanding
crown after bagging the Wisden Almanack‘s leading cricketer in the World awards. Suryakumar won the
honour of Wisden Almanack‘s leading T20I cricketer while Harmanpreet Kaur became the first Indian
woman to win the Cricketer of the Year award.
India claim World Cup gold in compound mixed team
 Jyothi Surekha Vennam and her debutant partner Ojas Deotale were at their ruthless best and prevailed
over Chinese Taipei 159-154 as India grabbed the compound mixed team gold to open their account in the
World Cup Stage 1. This was also India‘s second ever World Cup gold medal in the mixed compound event.
Jyothi and veteran Abhishek Verma had clinched their maiden gold in World Cup-3 in Paris 2022.
13-year-old daily wager, daughter of farmer part of first-ever Indian women‘s blind cricket team
 A 13-year-old bricklayer from Odisha and a farmer‘s daughter who lost vision in the right eye while
playing with wooden arrows are a part of the first-ever Indian women‘s cricket team for the blind. Most of
the team members come from humble and varied backgrounds and their first flight out of India to play a T20
series in Nepal next week could well be life-changing. Men‘s cricket for the blind has been staged for more than
two decades and the women‘s game has finally seen the light of day.
Global Chess League unveils its official logo
 Global Chess League (GCL), a joint venture by FIDE and Tech Mahindra unveiled its official logo which
resembles a chess board with 64 squares. The logo has been strategically launched 64 days before the
inauguration of the first-ever GCL, a number that is well-known in the chess world. GCL is the world‘s largest
and first-ever league-styled chess tournament set to take place from June 21 st, 2023, to July 2nd, 2023. The
first edition of GCL will feature six teams with six players each, including a minimum of two female players and
one icon player per team.
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MISCELLANEOUS
DMRC‘s Majlis Park-Maujpur corridor to be India‘s first ring Metro corridor
 The Majlis Park-Maujpur corridor under the Phase IV of the Delhi Metro will become the first ring metro
corridor in the nation. It will allow the commuters to travel with ease without having to worry about interchange
and boarding different trains. The network is expected to be completed by 2024. The 12.32 km-long Majlis Park-
Maujpur corridor, with eight stations, is an extension of the Pink Line and will be connecting places like Burari,
Jharoda Majra, Jagatpur village, Soorghat, Sonia Vihar, Khajuri Khas, Bhajanpur and Yamuna Vihar to the
existing line.
Manipur CM inaugurates Hun-Thadou cultural festival at Kangpokpi
 The 5th edition of HUN- a Thadou Cultural Festival 2023 kicked off at Thomas Ground in Kangpokpi
district of Manipur. HUN festival is an annual cultural festival and a civilising act of the Thadous community of
Manipur and it is celebrated at the arrival of the new year according to the community.
 Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren attended the opening ceremony of the two days festival and declared the
opening of the festival. Other state ministers, MLA, top civil and police officers also attended the opening
ceremony. The closing ceremony was attended by the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda. The
Miss Universe 2021 Harnaz Kaur Sandhu and other celebrities were joined the festival.
Rajnath Singh inaugurates ‗celebration of India‘s cultural heritage‘ at Somnath
 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh termed the Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam (STM) as a celebration of
India‘s cultural heritage. ―As part of Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam, we have got the opportunity to assemble on
the premises of Somnath, the first jyotirlingam of the country and bear witness to a moment which shows the
cultural unity of India. This confluence of Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu is not just a meeting of people of the two
regions but a celebration of the cultural heritage of the country.‖
----------------

PERSONS IN NEWS
Oliver Dowden named U.K. deputy Prime Minister after Dominic Raab‘s resignation
 The British government named Oliver Dowden as deputy Prime Minister replacing Dominic Raab who
resigned earlier in the day following a report into claims he bullied colleagues. Dominic Raab‘s resignation
means a third senior minister has departed over their personal conduct since Rishi Sunak became the Prime
Minister of Britain in October 2022.
New York‘s Senate confirms Rowan Wilson as the state‘s first Black chief judge
 New York‘s Senate confirmed Rowan Wilson as the State‘s first Black chief judge. Mr. Wilson has been an
associate judge of the Court of Appeals, New York‘s highest court, since 2017. Ms. Hochul tapped him earlier
to lead the seven-member high court and oversee the state‘s judicial system. The confirmation vote comes after
months of conflict between Hochul and her fellow Democrats in control of the Senate over the direction of the
court.
Sony photography prize winner reveals image is AI creation, refuses award
 The winner of a prominent photography contest has declined to accept the award after revealing that his work was
generated using artificial intelligence rather than a camera. ‗Pseudomnesia: The Electrician,‘ by German artist
Boris Eldagsen, depicts a melancholy black-and-white ‗image‘ of two ladies from different generations and
won first place in the Sony World Photography Awards‘ creative open category.
Raj Subramaniam honoured with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
 Raj Subramaniam, the CEO of FedEx, a renowned global transportation company, and an Indian-American,
was recently honored with the distinguished Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award. This award is the highest
civilian recognition bestowed by India upon individuals of Indian descent and Indian diaspora. Due to
travel restrictions, Subramaniam, aged 55, received the award from Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India‘s Ambassador to
the US, at a ceremony held at India House on Saturday instead of receiving it in India earlier this year.
Sonam Wangchuk conferred with Prestigious Santokbaa Humanitarian Award
 Sonam Wangchuk, a distinguished engineer, innovator, educationist, and sustainable development
reformist, has been honored with the prestigious Santokbaa Humanitarian Award. The award has been initiated
by Shree Ramkrishna Exports (SRK), a leading company in diamond crafting and exports, and its philanthropic
arm Shree Ramkrishna Knowledge Foundation (SRKKF). Wangchuk is the Founder-Director of Students‘
Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL).
Angela Merkel receives Germany‘s highest honor
 Former Chancellor Angela Merkel received Germany‘s highest Order of Merit. The Grand Cross award was
handed to her by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The award has only been given twice before, to former
chancellors Konrad Adenauer and Helmut Kohl. All three former leaders belong to the conservative Christian
Democratic Union (CDU).
----------------

AWARDS
Utsa Patnaik selected for Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023
 Utsa Patnaik, a renowned economist of national and international repute, has been selected for the
Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023. The award is given every year by the Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust.
The prestigious national award honours outstanding social scientists selected by a national-level jury
specially constituted for this purpose, from the nominations received. The award will be given with a citation
and prize money of Rs. 2 lakh at a function to be held in Chennai. The date of this event will be announced
shortly by the Trust.
Kumar Mangalam Birla received AIMA‘s ‗Business Leader of the Decade‘ award
 Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, received the ‗Business Leader of the Decade
Award‘ at All India Management Association‘s (AIMA) 13th Managing India Awards ceremony. Birla, who is
credited for taking control of the diversified group and successfully consolidating its operations since his early
days, won the award for his contributions to the Indian industry over the last decade. Tata Steel Chairman T V
Narendran was facilitated with ‗AIMA-JRD Tata Corporate Leadership‘ award. Leading engineering
services company ABB India bagged the ‗MNC in India of the Year‘ award.
Asha Bhosle received Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar
 Legendary singer Asha Bhosle was felicitated with the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar award. The family and
the trust instituted the award in the memory of Lata Mangeshkar, who died following multiple organ failure.
Bhosle, the younger sister of Lata Mangeshkar, received the recognition on April 24, the memorial day of
their father and theatre-music veteran Deenanath Mangeshkar. This award, known as the Lata Deenanath
Mangeshkar Puraskar, is given every year to an individual who has made a path-breaking contribution
towards the nation, its people and society. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was its first recipient.
 Veteran ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas received the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar for
contribution to Indian music; Gauri Theaters of Prashant Damle fan foundation for Best Drama of the Year
(―Niyam Va Ati Lagu‖); Sadguru Seva Sangh Trust for yeoman Social Service; Granthali Prakashan with the
Vagvilasini Puraskar for contribution to literature; actor-director Prasad Oak with the Vishesh Puraskar for
contribution to cinema and drama; and actor Vidya Balan with the Vishesh Puraskar for contribution to cinema.
Uttar Pradesh bags national award for sanitation
 Uttar Pradesh has been selected for the prestigious Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) HUDCO Awards
2022-23 for its Swachh Virasat Abhiyan. The state will be awarded for Best Practices to Improve the Living
Environment and get Rs. 1 lakh from union minister for housing and urban Affairs Hardeep Puri in New
Delhi. Under it, 75 tourist and historic areas were selected, and special campaigns were carried out including
nukkad natak, puppet shows etc.
Maharashtra‘s Latur Gets PM‘s Excellence Award for District Health Service
 Latur district in Maharashtra received the Prime Minister‘s Award for Excellence in Public
Administration at the National Civil Services Day event in New Delhi. The award was bestowed on the district
for health services rendered to some 50 lakh people through a wide network of primary health centres and sub-
centres.
 Latur has 233 ‗arogyavardhni‘ (wellness) centres under the Centre‘s flagship Ayushman Bharat scheme
and services offered include health check-ups of pregnant women, children, adolescent girls, treatment of
infectious diseases, cancer, and diabetes as well as advice on leading a healthy lifestyle.
----------------

IMPORTANT DAYS
World Chagas Disease Day
 World Chagas Disease Day is observed on April 14 to raise awareness around Chagas disease. It was first
celebrated on April 14, 2020, and was named after Carlos Ribeiro Justiniano Chagas, the Brazilian doctor who
diagnosed the first case on April 14, 1909. The theme for World Chagas Disease Day 2023 is Time to
integrate Chagas disease into primary health care.
International Day for Monuments and Sites
 The International Day for Monuments and Sites also known as World Heritage Day is an international
observance held on 18 April each year around the world with different types of activities, including visits to
monuments and heritage sites, conferences, round tables and newspaper articles. On 18 April 2023, the world
celebrated the International Day for Monuments and Sites with the theme "Heritage Changes".
World Liver Day 2023
 World Liver Day is celebrated across the world on April 19. The day focuses on raising awareness about liver-
related disorders and diseases as the highly complex organ of the body is responsible for immunity, digestion, as
well as metabolism, making it important to keep the liver healthy. For 2023, the theme for World Liver Day is
‗Be Vigilant, Do Regular Liver Check-Up, Fatty Liver Can Affect Anyone.‘
National Civil Service Day
 Every year on 21 April Civil Service Day is celebrated to rededicate and recommit themselves to the cause of
the people. On this day Civil servants from various parts of the country come together, share their experiences and
also learn about others‘ experiences of working in the public sector.
World Creativity and Innovation Day 21 April
 The United Nations designated 21 April as World Creativity and Innovation Day to raise the awareness of
the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development.
International Mother Earth Day 22 April
 Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 every year. The day is also known as International Mother Earth Day.
The day is observed to spread awareness about issues, including the rampant increase in pollution, global
warming, and deforestation, which harm the environment and result in the destruction of the planet. Countries
from all over the world come together to raise awareness about the dire need to protect our environment.
 Senator Gaylord Nelson established Earth Day in the 1970s. He wanted to promote ecology and increase
public awareness of issues pertaining to the environment. The theme of World Earth Day 2023 is "Invest in
Our Planet", calling for businesses to shift towards sustainable practices.
UNESCO names Strasbourg World Book Capital for 2024
 UNESCO‘s World Book Capital Advisory Committee named Strasbourg, France the World Book Capital
for 2024. Strasbourg will hold the title between 24 April 2024 (World Book Day) and 24 April 2025, then the
torch will be passed to its successor. The title itself was first established in 2001 and is aimed at highlighting the
power of the written word to both entertain and teach. The enjoyment of reading books is celebrated on World
Book Day on April 23.
---------------

QUESTIONS
1. According to poll affidavits analysed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), who among the following
Indian Chief Ministers had the highest assets totalling Rs. 510 crore?
(a) Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu (b) Jagan Mohan Reddy
(c) M.K. Stalin (d) Eknath Shinde
2. Name the first overseas exercise for the IAF‘s Rafale aircraft which is scheduled to be held in April 2023.
(a) Exercise Orion (b) Exercise Venice (c) Exercise Leopard (d) Exercise Galaxy
3. According to UN, which of the following countries population is projected to surpass China‘s sometime this year?
(a) India (b) Brazil (c) USA (d) Indonesia
4. Which of the following countries has set up the world‘s first comprehensive rice pan-genomic database based on
homologous genes—the rice gene index database?
(a) China (b) South Korea (c) Japan (d) India
5. Which of the following banks has become the first Indian company to have over 50 lakh shareholders?
(a) IDFC First Bank (b) YES Bank
(c) Kotak Mahindra Bank (d) RBL Bank
6. The Stanford University‘s AI Index report states that India is ranked _______ in terms of investments received by
startups offering AI-based products and services in 2022.
(a) Second (b) Third (c) Fifth (d) Sixth
7. Which of the following was recently accorded the status of Miniratna Category-I Central Public Sector Enterprise
(CPSE)?
(a) Solar Energy Corporation of India (b) Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited
(c) Hindustan Steelworks Construction Limited (d) India Trade Promotion Organization
8. Who among the following recently clinched India‘s first gold medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2023 in
Astana, Kazakhstan?
(a) Mukesh Rajawat (b) Aman Sehrawat (c) Vipul Shroff (d) Anand Mhatre
9. Recently, World‘s first human death from H3N8 bird flu was recorded in _______.
(a) South Korea (b) China (c) India (d) Japan
10. World Chagas Disease Day is observed on _______ to raise awareness around Chagas disease.
(a) April 12 (b) April 14 (c) April 16 (d) April 18
11. Which of the following states forest officials have sighted 179 mangrove pitta birds in the first ever census
conducted of these exotic and colourful birds in the country?
(a) Jharkhand (b) Chhattisgarh (c) Odisha (d) Uttarakhand
12. Recently, The Supreme Court announced the formation of a new Constitution Bench headed by _______ to hear a
series of petitions seeking legal recognition of same sex marriages.
(a) DY Chandrachud (b) Mukesh Shah (c) Ajay Rastogi (d) Sanjay Kishan Kaul
13. Recently, Europe‘s most powerful nuclear reactor kicked off in _______.
(a) Finland (b) Norway (c) Sweden (d) Germany
14. Which of the following states launched the world‘s first MissCall-based payment system ‗MissCallPay‘ at the
State‘s first-ever Fintech Festival – an initiative to enhance the adoption of digital payments?
(a) Odisha (b) West Bengal (c) Uttar Pradesh (d) Jharkhand

15. Which of the following countries has emerged as India‘s biggest trading partner in 2022-23 on account of
increasing economic ties between the two countries?
(a) Mauritius (b) USA (c) Canada (d) China
16. Recently, Forbes‘ 2023 ranking of the world‘s wealthiest people has once again revealed the countries with the
most billionaires. The country with the highest number of billionaires is _______.
(a) USA (b) China (c) India (d) Canada
17. Which of the following IIT‘s r researchers have developed a three-dimensional (3D) paper-based portable device
that can detect adulteration in milk within 30 seconds?
(a) Indian Institute of Technology Madras (b) Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
(c) Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (d) Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
18. Recently, Using Data from _______ Gaia mission, astronomers have discovered not only the closest but also the
second closest black hole to Earth.
(a) JAXA (b) ISRO (c) ESA (d) CERN
19. India will host the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament for the first time in _______.
(a) Bhubaneswar (b) Chennai (c) Hyderabad (d) Rourkela
20. The International Day for Monuments and Sites also known as World Heritage Day is an international observance
held on _______ each year around the world.
(a) 14 April (b) 16 April (c) 18 April (d) 20 April
21. Who among the following felicitated with the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar award in April 2023?
(a) Alka Yagnik (b) Kavita Krishnamurthy (c) Asha Bhosle (d) Sunidhi Chauhan
22. Who among the following Union Cabinet Ministers launched ‗Sangathan Se Samriddhi‘ campaign which will empower
marginalized rural households by bringing all eligible rural women into the fold of Self Help Groups (SHGs)?
(a) Amit Shah (b) Giriraj Singh (c) Nirmala Sitharaman (d) Anurag Thakur
23. World Liver Day is celebrated across the world on _______.

24. The world‘s first mid-infrared solar observation telescope is developed by _______.
(a) China (b) Japan (c) Canada (d) India
25. Recently, Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched _______ in New Delhi, which will help in
connecting and identifying potential young Start-Ups.
(a) ANANT PORTAL (b) YOUNG PORTAL (c) YUVA PORTAL (d) LAKSHYA PORTAL
26. Which of the following countries is not part of trilateral missile defence exercise in the international waters of the East Sea?
(a) South Korea (b) United States of America
(c) China (d) Japan
27. Recently, Rajnath Singh inaugurated ‗celebration of India‘s cultural heritage‘ as part of the Saurashtra Tamil
Sangamam (STM) at _______.
(a) Somnath (b) Bhuj (c) Rani Ki Vav (d) Kota
28. Which of the following Metros will become the first ring metro corridor in the nation?
(a) Delhi Metro (b) Mumbai Metro (c) Kolkata Metro (d) Lucknow Metro
29. Which of the following countries Crown Prince, Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, has announced the
dissolution of the 2020 National Assembly and the call for new elections in the coming months?
(a) Kuwait (b) Saudi Arabia (c) Oman (d) Jordan

30. According to a report by investment migration firm Henley & Partners, which of the following cities is the world‘s
wealthiest city with 58 billionaires?
(a) New York (b) Paris (c) London (d) Singapore
31. Which of the following states became the first state to adopt a water budget in a bid to come up with a solution to
water scarcity in certain regions?
(a) Tamil Nadu (b) Andhra Pradesh (c) Karnataka (d) Kerala
32. Recently, Indian Navy, other defence, state and civilian agencies conducted a coordinated exercise code-named
_______.
(a) ―Prasthan‖ (b) ―Unity 2023‖ (c) ―Prashast‖ (d) ―Pratham‖
33. Which of the following states has launched a project named Sanjeevani that helps in empowering the livelihood of
small dairy farmers and livestock owners?
(a) Assam (b) Arunachal Pradesh
(c) Himachal Pradesh (d) Meghalaya
34. Recently, The Jal Shakti Ministry‘s National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) cleared eight projects worth ₹638
crore. The projects include the rejuvenation of river Hindon, a tributary of the _______.
(a) Chambal (b) Ganga (c) Yamuna (d) Betwa
35. Recently, Ukraine and the World Bank Group have agreed on a special program to respond to the challenges and
restore Ukraine, which will enable Kiev to attract up to _______.
(a) $2 Billion (b) $4 Billion (c) $6 Billion (d) $9 Billion
36. Which of the following states is on its way to become first Indian state to have 100 pc electric vehicles in
government departments?
(a) Uttar Pradesh (b) Madhya Pradesh (c) Rajasthan (d) Karnataka
37. Recently, A scientific expedition has discovered a previously unknown coral reef with abundant marine life off
_______ Galapagos Islands.
(a) Ecuador‘s (b) Argentina‘s (c) Chile‘s (d) Peru‘s
38. Who among the following became the first Indian woman to win the Cricketer of the Year award announced by
Wisden Cricketers Almanack for 2023?
(a) Smriti Mandhana (b) Harmanpreet Kaur
(c) Shefali Varma (d) Renuka Singh Thakur
39. Every year on _______ Civil Service Day is celebrated to rededicate and recommit themselves to the cause of the
people.
(a) 15 April (b) 18 April (c) 21 April (d) 24 April
40. Name the renowned economist of national and international repute who has been selected for the Malcolm
Adiseshiah Award 2023.
(a) Utsa Patnaik (b) Bindiya Yadav
(c) Anamika Jain (d) Alankrita Sengupta
41. According to the report of the first census of water bodies released by the Ministry of Jal Shakti recently, which of
the following states has the most water bodies like ponds, tanks and lakes?
(a) Maharashtra (b) Uttar Pradesh (c) West Bengal (d) Bihar
42. The Centre is working towards the development of around _______ Kilometers of Optic Fibre Cables infrastructure
across the country by 2024 - 25.
(a) three thousand (b) five thousand (c) ten thousand (d) twenty thousand

43. Recently, The first edition of the Dogri version of Indian Constitution was released at the _______.
(a) University of Kashmir (b) University of Jammu (c) Delhi University (d) Jawaharlal Nehru University
44. Recently, The 5th edition of HUN- a Thadou Cultural Festival 2023 kicked off in _______.
(a) Manipur (b) Ladakh (c) Sikkim (d) Nagaland
45. Recently, The _______ approved a landmark deforestation law to ban imports into the EU of coffee, beef, soy and
other commodities if they are linked to the destruction of the world‘s forests.
(a) European Commission (b) World Bank
(c) European Parliament (d) International Monetary Fund
46. According to UN data released, India‘s population surpassed _______ billion.

(a) 1.345 (b) 1.386 (c) 1.428 (d) 1.543
47. Name the Indian hotel which has become the world‘s first hotel to be awarded the LEED Zero Water Certification
by US Green Building Council?
(a) The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai (b) Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur
(c) ITC Mughal, Agra (d) Rambagh Palace, Jaipur
48. According to the ‗2023 Top Companies India‘ list prepared by LinkedIn, which of the following has emerged as the
top company in a list, which showcases the best places to work and grow careers, for 2023?
(a) Morgan Stanley (b) Amazon (c) HDFC Bank (d) Tata Consultancy Services
49. The World Creativity and Innovation Day to raise the awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in all
aspects of human development is celebrated every year on _______.
(a) 12th April (b) 15th April (c) 21st April (d) 24th April
50. Recently, India joined 6 leading nations in quantum tech as Cabinet approves _______ crore National Quantum
Mission.
(a) Rs. 4017 (b) Rs. 6003 (c) Rs. 7005 (d) Rs. 8007
51. Who among the following has recently approved a proposal for bringing in industry-friendly reform related to
Authority Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP)?
(a) Shri Rajnath Singh (b) Smt Nirmala Sitharaman
(c) Shri Amit Shah (d) Shri Anurag Thakur
52. Name the Indian who recently grabbed the compound mixed team gold to open their account in the World Cup
Stage 1.
(a) Apoorva Mangalani (b) Aditi Ram
(c) Meenakshi Jha (d) Jyothi Surekha Vennam
53. Who has been recently named as the new deputy Prime Minister of Britain?
(a) Oliver Dowden (b) Silvester Isaac (c) Thomas Jonas (d) Dominic Raab
54. Recently, Apple Inc. opened Apple BKC, its first retail store in the country in _______.
(a) Kolkata (b) Hyderabad (c) Mumbai (d) Bengaluru
55. What is the name of NASA‘s Super Pressure Balloon Imaging Telescope instrument?
(a) PowerBIT (b) NestBIT (c) SuperBIT (d) UniqueBIT
56. Recently, The Indian Army has achieved a significant accomplishment in the field of defence under the ‗Make-in-
India‘ initiative by signing a contract to purchase more than 450 completely indigenous _______ loitering munitions.
(a) Agnidand-2 (b) Nagastra-1 (c) Toofan-3 (d) Vinashak-3

57. Which of the following cricket teams won the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup for maximum times?
(a) India (b) Pakistan (c) England (d) Australia
58. Who among the following recently received the ‗Business Leader of the Decade Award‘ at All India Management
Association‘s (AIMA) 13th Managing India Awards ceremony?
(a) Anil Ambani (b) Mukesh Ambani
(c) Kumar Mangalam Birla (d) Azeem Premji
59. Which of the following districts of Maharashtra recently received the Prime Minister‘s Award for Excellence in
Public Administration at the National Civil Services Day event in New Delhi?
(a) Raigad (b) Sangli (c) Latur (d) Chandrapur
60. International Mother Earth Day is celebrated every year on _______.

61. Recently, the Union Health Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has requested
states and Union Territories to develop _______ food streets in 100 districts across the country.
(a) 200 (b) 100 (c) 300 (d) 400
62. Recently, L Murugan became the first Union Minister to visit India‘s first village on the Indo-Myanmar border in
Phek district of _______.
(a) Nagaland (b) Manipur (c) Mizoram (d) Tripura
63. Recently, which country has been declared as ―the world‘s first climate-resilient nation‖?
(a) Antigua and Barbuda (b) Dominica (c) Grenada (d) Guyana
64. Recently, India‘s National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) opened its first overseas campus in _______ and
became the first government university of India to open a campus abroad.
(a) Uganda (b) Nigeria (c) Liberia (d) Suriname
65. Which of the following Indian cities based Log9 Materials, an advanced battery-technology and deep-technology
startup, inaugurated India‘s first commercial lithium-Ion (Li-ion) cell manufacturing facility?
(a) Jaipur (b) Bhopal (c) Bengaluru (d) Hyderabad
66. Recently, The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) successfully placed two _______ satellites, TeLEOS-2
and Lumelite-4, in orbit aboard the trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
(a) Malaysian (b) Indonesian (c) Singaporean (d) Canadian
67. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched nine campaigns under Inclusive Development (Samaveshi Vikaas)
theme during the National Panchayati Raj Day in _______.
(a) Odisha (b) Madhya Pradesh (c) Uttar Pradesh (d) Haryana
68. Recently, Global Chess League (GCL), a joint venture by FIDE and _______ unveiled its official logo which
resembles chess board with 64 squares.
(a) Tech Mahindra (b) Infosys (c) TCS (d) Wipro
69. Which of the following states has been selected for the prestigious Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) HUDCO
Awards 2022-23 for its Swachh Virasat Abhiyan?
(a) Madhya Pradesh (b) Uttar Pradesh (c) Rajasthan (d) Maharashtra
70. UNESCO‘s World Book Capital Advisory Committee named _______ the World Book Capital for 2024.
(a) Milan (b) Accra (c) Port Louis (d) Strasbourg

ANSWER KEY AND EXPLANATION
1. b Twenty-nine of the 30 incumbent chief ministers are crorepatis with Andhra Pradesh‘s Jagan Mohan Reddy having
the highest assets totalling Rs. 510 crore, according to poll affidavits analysed by the Association for Democratic
Reforms (ADR).
2. a An Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent departed for France, to participate in Exercise Orion at Mont-de-Marsan, an
Air Force base of the French Air and Space Force (FASF). The exercise will be conducted from 17 April to 05 May
2023, with the IAF Contingent comprising four Rafale, two C-17, two ll-78 aircraft and 165 air warriors. This
would be the first overseas exercise for the IAF‘s Rafale aircraft.
3. a The United Nations has said India‘s population is projected to surpass China‘s sometime this year.
4. a China has set up the world‘s first comprehensive rice pan-genomic database based on homologous genes—the rice
gene index database, which will provide free online search and analysis service for rice research scholars
worldwide.
5. b Private sector lender YES Bank has become the first Indian company to have over 50 lakh shareholders, according
to the shareholding pattern of the bank on March-end.
6. c Stanford University‘s AI Index report states that India is ranked fifth in terms of investments received by startups
offering AI-based products and services in 2022.
7. a The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) was accorded the status of Miniratna Category-I Central Public
Sector Enterprise (CPSE).
8. b Aman Sehrawat clinched India‘s first gold medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2023 in Astana,
Kazakhstan.
9. b World‘s first human death from H3N8 bird flu recorded in China.
10. b World Chagas Disease Day is observed on April 14 to raise awareness around Chagas disease.
11. c Odisha forest officials have sighted 179 mangrove pitta birds in the first ever census conducted of these exotic and
colourful birds in the country.
12. a The Supreme Court announced the formation of a new Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY
Chandrachud to hear a series of petitions seeking legal recognition of same sex marriages.
13. a Europe‘s most powerful nuclear reactor kicks off in Finland.
14. a Odisha Government launched the world‘s first MissCall-based payment system ‗MissCallPay‘ at the State‘s first-
ever Fintech Festival – an initiative to enhance the adoption of digital payments and promote Bhubaneswar as a
fintech hub of East India.
15. b The U.S. has emerged as India‘s biggest trading partner in 2022-23 on account of increasing economic ties between
the two countries.
16. a The country with the highest number of billionaires is, unsurprisingly, the US.
17. a Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) Researchers have developed a three-dimensional (3D) paper-
based portable device that can detect adulteration in milk within 30 seconds. The test could be even performed at
home.

18. c Using data from ESA‘s Gaia mission, astronomers have discovered not only the closest but also the second closest
black hole to Earth.
19. b India will host the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament for the first time in Chennai, with international
matches returning to the city after 16 years.
20. c The International Day for Monuments and Sites also known as World Heritage Day is an international observance
held on 18 April each year around the world with different types of activities, including visits to monuments and
heritage sites, conferences, round tables and newspaper articles.
21. c Legendary singer Asha Bhosle will be felicitated with the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar award. The family and the
trust instituted the award in the memory of Lata Mangeshkar, who died following multiple organ failure.
22. b Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh launched ‗Sangathan Se Samriddhi‘ campaign. It will empower
marginalized rural households by bringing all eligible rural women into the fold of Self Help Groups (SHGs).
23. c World Liver Day is celebrated across the world on April 19.
24. a The world‘s first mid-infrared solar observation telescope developed by China has started installation and testing in
northwest China‘s Qinghai Province.
25. c Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched - YUVA PORTAL in New Delhi, which will help in
connecting and identifying potential young Start-Ups. Dr Singh also launched the One Week -One Lab programme.
26. c South Korea, the United States, and Japan began a trilateral missile defence exercise in the international waters of
the East Sea. The move comes amid increased efforts to sharpen deterrence against North Korean ballistic missile
provocation.
27. a Rajnath Singh inaugurates ‗celebration of India‘s cultural heritage‘ at Somnath.
28. a The Majlis Park-Maujpur corridor under the Phase IV of the Delhi Metro will become the first ring metro corridor
in the nation.
29. a Kuwait‘s Crown Prince, Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, has announced the dissolution of the 2020
National Assembly and the call for new elections in the coming months.
30. a New York City is the world‘s wealthiest city with 58 billionaires, followed by Tokyo and The Bay Area at the
second and third spot respectively, a report by investment migration firm Henley & Partners noted.
31. d Kerala became the first state to adopt a water budget in a bid to come up with a solution to water scarcity in certain
regions there. The first phase of the project would cover 94 gram panchayats and 15 block panchayats.
32. a Indian Navy, other defence, state and civilian agencies conducted a coordinated exercise code-named ―Prasthan‖‗.
33. c Himachal Pradesh has launched a project named Sanjeevani that helps in empowering the livelihood of small dairy
farmers and livestock owners.
34. c The Jal Shakti Ministry‘s National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) cleared eight projects worth ₹638 crore. The
projects include the rejuvenation of river Hindon, a tributary of the Yamuna, stretches of which rank as among the
most polluted in the country.
35. c Ukraine and the World Bank Group have agreed on a special program to respond to the challenges and restore
Ukraine, which will enable Kiev to attract up to $6 billion.

36. a UP on its way to become first state to have 100 pc electric vehicles in govt departments.
37. a A scientific expedition has discovered a previously unknown coral reef with abundant marine life off Ecuador‘s
Galapagos Islands.
38. b Suryakumar won the honour of Wisden Almanack‘s leading T20I cricketer while Harmanpreet Kaur became the
first Indian woman to win the Cricketer of the Year award.
39. c Every year on 21 April Civil Service Day is celebrated to rededicate and recommit themselves to the cause of the people.
40. a Utsa Patnaik, a renowned economist of national and international repute, has been selected for the Malcolm
Adiseshiah Award 2023.
41. c India has 24.24 lakh waterbodies like ponds, tanks and lakes, with West Bengal accounting for the most (7.47 lakh)
and Sikkim the least (134), according to the report of the first census of waterbodies released by the Ministry of Jal
Shakti recently.
42. c Centre is working towards the development of around ten thousand Kilometers of Optic Fibre Cables infrastructure
across the country by 2024 - 25.
43. b The first edition of the Dogri version was released at the University of Jammu.
44. a The 5th edition of HUN- a Thadou Cultural Festival 2023 kicked off at Thomas Ground in Kangpokpi district of
Manipur.
45. c The European Parliament approved a landmark deforestation law to ban imports into the EU of coffee, beef, soy
and other commodities if they are linked to the destruction of the world‘s forests.
46. c India‘s population surpassed 1.428 billion.
47. c An Indian hotel — ITC Mughal — has become the world‘s first hotel to be awarded the LEED Zero Water
Certification by US Green Building Council.
48. d Tata Consultancy Services has emerged as the top company in a list, which showcases the best places to work and
grow careers, for 2023.
49. c The United Nations designated 21 April as World Creativity and Innovation Day to raise the awareness of the role
of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development.
50. b India joins 6 leading nations in quantum tech as Cabinet approves Rs. 6003 crore National Quantum Mission.
51. a Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal for bringing in industry-friendly reform related to
Authority Holding Sealed Particulars (AHSP). The AHSP is the authority which is responsible for generating,
maintaining, updating or declaring obsolete the entire history and technical information of defence products.
52. d Jyothi Surekha Vennam and her debutant partner Ojas Deotale were at their ruthless best and prevailed over Chinese
Taipei 159-154 as India grabbed the compound mixed team gold to open their account in the World Cup Stage 1.
53. a The British government named Oliver Dowden as deputy Prime Minister replacing Dominic Raab who resigned
earlier in the day following a report into claims he bullied colleagues.
54. c Apple Inc., which has been operating for more than 25 years in India opened Apple BKC, its first retail store in the
country at Jio Centre, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai in a significant move to solidify its base in this part
of the world.

55. c The first images for research purposes captured by NASA‘s Super Pressure Balloon Imaging Telescope (SuperBIT)
instrument have been released.
56. b The Indian Army has achieved a significant accomplishment in the field of defence under the ‗Make-in-India‘
initiative by signing a contract to purchase more than 450 completely indigenous Nagastra-1 loitering munitions.
57. a The first T20 Blind Cricket World Cup was held at Aditya Academy Ground in Bangalore, India in 2012. India
defeated Pakistan by 29 runs in the final. On 12 February 2017, India defeated Pakistan in the final at Bengaluru,
India. On 17 December 2022, India defeated Bangladesh at Bengaluru, India.
58. c Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, received the ‗Business Leader of the Decade Award‘ at
All India Management Association‘s (AIMA) 13th Managing India Awards ceremony.
59. c Latur district in Maharashtra received the Prime Minister‘s Award for Excellence in Public Administration at the
National Civil Services Day event in New Delhi.
60. b ―The term Mother Earth is used because it ―reflects the interdependence that exists among human beings, other
living species and the planet we all inhabit‖. It is decided to designate April 22 as International Mother Earth Day.
61. b In a significant and innovative move, the Union Health Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing &
Urban Affairs has requested states and Union Territories to develop 100 food streets in 100 districts across the
country.
62. a Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting L Murugan became the first Union Minister to visit India‘s first village on the Indo-Myanmar
border in Phek district of Nagaland.
63. b Dominica‘s prime minister declared the country had found itself ―on the front line of the war on climate change‖
and announced plans to make Dominica ―the world‘s first climate-resilient nation‖.
64. a India‘s National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) opened its first overseas campus in Jinja, Uganda, and
became the first government university of India to open a campus abroad.
65. c Bengaluru-based Log9 Materials, an advanced battery-technology and deep-technology startup, inaugurated India‘s
first commercial lithium-Ion (Li-ion) cell manufacturing facility on its campus in Jakkur.
66. c The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully placed two Singaporean satellites, TeLEOS-2 and
Lumelite-4, in orbit aboard the trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, while also carrying out experiments with
seven payloads attached to its PS4 upper stage.
67. b Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched nine campaigns under Inclusive Development (Samaveshi Vikaas) theme
during the National Panchayati Raj Day in Madhya Pradesh.
68. a Global Chess League (GCL), a joint venture by FIDE and Tech Mahindra unveiled its official logo which
resembles a chess board with 64 squares.
69. b Uttar Pradesh has been selected for the prestigious Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) HUDCO Awards 2022-23 for
its Swachh Virasat Abhiyan.
70. d UNESCO‘s World Book Capital Advisory Committee named Strasbourg, France the World Book Capital for 2024.

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p‖3zzzZ

17th April to 23th April, 2023

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 1

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 2

Constitution Bench formed in same-sex marriage case

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 3

Indian government launches Ambedkar circuit tourist train

IAF to deploy Rafale jets in first overseas exercise

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 4

Country‘s First Mangrove Pitta Bird Census Undertaken in Bhitarkanika

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 5

In a first, Kerala adopts water budget to tackle summer water shortage

Indian Navy conducts offshore security exercise ‗Prashthan‘

Himachal Pradesh launches project Sanjeevani to empower dairy farmers

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 6

Ganga mission clears projects worth Rs. 638 crore

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 7

India releases first edition of Dogri version of Indian Constitution

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 8

Central government notifies Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 9

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 10

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 11

Europe‘s most powerful nuclear reactor kicks off in Finland

World‘s first rewilding centre

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 12

Ukraine, World Bank agree on $6 bn recovery programme

NFSU becomes first government university of India to open a campus abroad

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 13

YES Bank first Indian company with over 50 lakh shareholders

Stanford University‘s AI Index report

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 14

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 15

World‘s Wealthiest Cities

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 16

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 17

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 18

Gaia discovers a new family of black holes

World‘s first mid-infrared solar observation telescope starts assembly

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 19

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 20

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 21

Sports Personalities in News

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 22

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 23

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 24

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 25

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 26

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 27

23. World Liver Day is celebrated across the world on _______.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 28

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 29

46. According to UN data released, India‘s population surpassed _______ billion.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 30

60. International Mother Earth Day is celebrated every year on _______.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 31

13. a Europe‘s most powerful nuclear reactor kicks off in Finland.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 32

27. a Rajnath Singh inaugurates ‗celebration of India‘s cultural heritage‘ at Somnath.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 33

46. c India‘s population surpassed 1.428 billion.

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 34

A General Awareness Weekly, 2023 Page : 35

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