DEC 1-7, 2023

1. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Terms of Reference for
the Sixteenth Finance Commission. The 16th Finance Commission’s recommendations, upon the acceptance by
the government, would cover the period of five (5) years commencing April 1, 2026.
 The Commission shall make its report available by 31st day of October, 2025 covering a period of five years
commencing on the 1st day of April, 2026 to March 31, 2031.
 Article 280(1) of the Constitutions lays down that the modalities for setting up of a Finance Commission to make
recommendation on the distribution of net proceeds of taxes between the Union and the States, allocation
between the States of respective shares of such proceeds; grants- in-aid and the revenues of the States and
measures needed to supplement the resources of the Panchayats during the award period.
 In 2017, the 15th Finance Commission was set up with a mandate to make recommendations for the five-year
periods from 2020-21 to 2024-25, latter the mandate was extended by a year till 2025-26. Its Chairman was
Nand Kishore Singh.

 The last time the commission was granted a 6-year time frame was for the 9th Finance Commission, formed in
1987.
 The First FC was constituted under the chairmanship of Kshitish Chandra (KC) Neogy on 6th April, 1952.

 The recommendations made by the Commission are only of advisory nature and are not binding on the
government.
 It is up to the Union government to implement its recommendations on granting money to the states.
 The commission submits its report to the president of India. The President lays it before both Houses of
Parliament along with an explanatory memorandum as to the action taken on its recommendations.
2. Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan:
 The Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) with a
budget of Rs 24,104 crore (Central Share: Rs. 15,336 crore, State Share: Rs. 8,768 crore).
 The scheme was announced by PM Narendra Modi on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas in Jharkhand’s Khunti.
 Primary Beneficiaries: Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), comprising 75 communities located in 18
states and the Union Territory (UT) of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, are the primary beneficiaries of PM-
JANMAN.
 The scheme will adequately address the critical infrastructure needs of the villages and habitations of these
communities located in remote areas.
3. Cabinet approves continuation of CSS FTSCs for further 3 years i.e. till March 31, 2026
 The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of the Fast Track Special Court (FTSCs) for a further three years
i.e. from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2026.
 The financial implication for the same will be Rs 1952.23 crore (Rs. 1207.24 crore as Central Share and Rs. 744.99
crore as State share).
 The Central share is to be funded from Nirbhaya Fund.

About FTSCs: FTSCs established in August 2019 as CSC(Centrally Sponsored Scheme) for rape and Protection of Children
from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) cases.

 Initially launched for one year, it was extended to 31.03.2023, and now further extended to March 31, 2026.
 It is implemented by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice, augmenting State resources.
 The scheme involves 30 States/Union Territories, operating 761 FTSCs, including 414 exclusive POCSO Courts.
4. Name the new life insurance plan that has recently launched by the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) with
Lifetime Guaranteed Returns.
1) Jeevan Utsav 2) Jeevan Anand 3) Jeevan Dhan Sanchay
4) Jeevan Dhan Vridhhi 5) Jeevan Jyoti
 The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched Jeevan Utsav plan, a Non-Linked, Nonparticipating,
Individual, Savings, Whole Life Insurance plan, which provides insurance coverage for the entire lifetime of the
insured individual.
5. Who has recently won the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, the highest civilian award of France, for the
contributions in promoting space cooperation between India and France?
1) Kalpana Kalahasti 2) V R Lalithambika 3) Ritu Karidhal 4) Nandini Harinath 5) Tessy Thomas
 DEC 1-7, 2023

 Dr V R Lalithambika, a distinguished scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was honoured
with “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur”, the highest civilian award of France, for her contributions in promoting
space cooperation between India and France.
 On behalf of the French Government, Thierry Mathou Ambassador of France to India, conferred the award to
her during the event held in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
 She becomes the 2nd ISRO scientist to receive the award. Previously, A S Kiran Kumar, former chairman of ISRO
received the award in 2019.
6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi got a first-hand feel of the indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas. Which of
the following agencies/companies designed and developed the LCA Tejas?
1) Aeronautical Development Agency 2) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited 3) Defence Research and Development
Organisation
4) Both 1 & 2 5) Both 1 & 3
7. Which of the following points is/are “correct” with respect to the World’s Top 100 Arms Producing Companies
2022 report released in December 2023?
A) Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has released the report titled “World’s Top 100 Arms
Producing Companies 2022”.
B) For the 1st time, three Indian Public Sector Units (PSUs): Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat
Electronics Limited (BEL) and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) are listed in the Top 100 arms
producing companies.
C) Lockheed Martin Corporation from the United States ranked 1st in the List followed by Raytheon
Technologies from the United States. 3rd Northrop Grumman Corporation from United States
1) Only A 2) Only A & B 3) Only B & C 4) Only A & C 5) All A, B & C
 HAL has moved to 41st position in 2022 ranking compared to 42nd in 2021 with revenue generation of
USD 3.4 billion for 2022. BEL secured 63rd position, its position went a step down compared to 2021
(62nd) and the revenue generated is USD 1.9 billion.
 Total share of 3 Indian PSUs accounted just 1% of the global arms sales of USD 597 billion in 2022.
Aggregate arms revenue of these 3 PSUs went up by 7.4% to USD 6.4 billion.
 The United States (U.S.) continues to dominate the Top 100 list with 42 companies.
 After U.S., China has the most number of companies listed in the report.
 There were 8 companies based in China, listed in the top 100 and total revenue generated by them is
USD 108 billion in 2022 which accounted for 18% share of the top 100 arms revenue.
8. 18 products of Uttarakhand including 12 agricultural goods, 4 Handi-craft goods, 1 food-stuff and 1 manufactured
goods received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Uttarakhand has become the 1st state in the country to get
the highest number of 18 GI tags in a single day.
 GI certificates are given to products which have unique properties due to the specific geographical
origin or location. GI products primarily include agricultural, natural or manufactured goods.
 GI Tag is governed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects
of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
 GI tag in India is regulated by the Geographical India of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act,
1999. Darjeeling Tea was the 1st product in India that received GI tag in 2004.
 The tag is valid for 10 years. It can be renewed after the completion of 10 years.
9. Name the Geographic Information System (GIS) application that has recently (in Dec ‘23) launched by Kapil
Moreshwar Patil, Union Minister of Panchayati Raj to encourage technology driven spatial planning by the Gram
Panchayat.
1) Gram Manchitra 2) Gram Pustika 3) Gram Sanskaran 4) Gram Dastaavez 5) Gram Patrika
 It utilizes geo-spatial technology to offer a dynamic, unified platform for Gram Panchayats to
visualize and plan diverse developmental projects spanning natural resource management, water
harvesting, sanitation, agriculture, and more.
 Gram Manchitra will serve as a support system for the formulation of Gram Panchayat
Development Plan (GPDP).
 This newly launched app will be aided by MoPR’s previously launched mActionSoft application,
which will enhance the platform by integrating geo-tagged data from assets, providing a detailed
view of Gram Panchayat projects.
 DEC 1-7, 2023

 mActionSoft, mobile-based solution captures photos with Global Positioning System (GPS)
coordinates/Geo-Tags, creating a transparent record of works and assets, particularly those
funded by the Finance Commission.
10. The BESS consortium is committed to achieving a combined commitment of 5 Gigawatts (GW) of BESS by the end
of 2024. A total of 11 countries(first-mover countries), have joined the BESS consortium during the COP28. Name
the country that has recently (in Dec ‘23) become a member of the Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
Consortium, led by the Global Leadership Council (GLC) of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet
(GEAPP).
1) Australia 2) India 3) Bangladesh 4) Indonesia 5) Pakistan
 The other first-mover countries are: Barbados, Belize, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania,
Mozambique, Nigeria, and Togo
 BESS Consortium is a multi-stakeholder partnership set up to ensure these BESS benefits transform
energy systems across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). BESS Consortium’s first-mover
countries will be supported by resources like the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World
Bank(WB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), COP28 Presidency
with additional partners and countries expected to join.
11. Which of the following points is/are “correct” with respect to the recent step taken by the World Bank (WB) in
December 2023?
A) The World Bank (WB) launched partnership platforms namely the Global Methane Reduction
Platform for Development (CH4D), a hub for methane reduction in agriculture and waste.
B) WB launched its Global Flaring and Methane Reduction Partnership (GFMR) with USD 255 million in
new grant funding to catalyse oil and gas methane and flaring reduction in developing countries.
C) WB also launched an 18-month “blueprint for methane reduction” to set up 15 national programs to
reduce methane emissions.
1) Only A 2) Only A & B 3) Only B & C 4) Only A & C 5) All A, B & C
 Methane (CH4) is 80 times more dangerous than Carbon dioxide (CO2) in contributing to global
warming
 Methane represents around 19% of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Rice production
accounts for 8%, livestock 32%, and waste 18% of all human-driven methane emissions.
12. Name the bank that has recently (in Dec ‘23) launched the Parivar Account for Savings and Current Accounts.
1) Bank of Baroda 2) Union Bank of India 3) Bank of India 4) Bank of Maharashtra 5) Indian Bank
 Bank of Baroda (BOB), a leading public sector bank(PSB), has launched the BOB Parivar Account for
Savings and Current Accounts which groups all the bank accounts belonging to members of a single
family under One Family.
 The ‘My Family, My Bank’ segment was launched under the “BOB Ke Sang Tyohaar Ki Umang” festive
campaign of BoB.
 The accounts under the BOB Parivar Account will be operated independently by the primary account
holder.
 This eliminates the need to maintain a quarterly average balance (QAB) in every single account. The
QAB is recorded at the Group/Family level.
 Eligibility:
a. Savings account segment is open to a family of a minimum 2 members and a maximum of 6
members.
b. Current account segment is open to proprietorship, partnership, LLP, and Pvt. Ltd.
companies, which are group companies or sister concerns.
 Both the BOB Parivar Saving Accounts and the BOB Parivar Current Account segments are classified into
3 different categories: Diamond, Gold and Silver.
 These accounts vary on Pooled Quarterly Average Balance (PQAB) requirements. For Savings Account:
a. Diamond – Rs 5 lakh and above
b. Gold- Rs 2 lakh and above
c. Silver – Rs 50000 and above
 For Current Account:
a. Diamond- Rs 10 lakh and above
b. Gold – Rs 5 lakh and above
 DEC 1-7, 2023

c. Silver – Rs 2 lakh
 Benefits:
a. The benefits of this account includes, Concessional interest rates on retail loans for savings
account holders.
b. Concession in manual NEFT(National Electronic Funds Transfer)/RTGS (Real Time Gross
Settlement) charges.
c. Complete waiver of processing charges on Retail loans.
 About Bank of Baroda (BOB): MD & CEO– Debadatta Chand Established in
1908 Headquarters– Vadodara, Gujarat Tagline– “India’s International Bank
13. Which bank, along with Tata Neu has recently (in Dec ‘23) launched Tata Neu Infinity and plus Credit Card?
1) YES Bank 2) Axis Bank 3) HDFC Bank 4) ICICI Bank 5) IndusInd Bank
14. ADB has approved a USD($) 98 million(Rs.816 Cr) loan to improve the horticulture crop farmers’ access in India to
certified disease-free planting materials.
 This initiative aims to improve the crop yield, quality, and resilience to impacts of climate change.
 This project will support the Government of India’s Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Program(CPP).
 The CPP aims to enhance the availability of disease-free, quality planting material for high-value
horticultural crops.
 The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the National
Horticulture Board and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
15. ADB approves additional funding of USD 200 million for the Uttarakhand Integrated and Resilient Urban
Development Project. This is in addition to a USD125 million loan sanctioned in November 2021 for water supply
and sanitation services in Dehradun and Nainital.
16. Name the initiative that has been recently (in Dec ‘23) launched by the Open Network for Digital Commerce
(ONDC) to tackle diverse challenges in digital commerce Space.
1) e-Bharat 2) Build for Bharat 3) Bharat Digital 4) Switch for Bharat 5) e-Pincode
 The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has launched a nationwide initiative
called ‘Build for Bharat‘ in collaboration with Google Cloud India Private Limited, Antler
Innovation India Private Limited, Paytm(One97 Communications Limited), Protean eGov
Technologies Limited and Startup India.
 Objective: To tackle diverse challenges in digital commerce and to promote industry
innovation to develop practical solutions.
17. Which country has recently (in Dec ‘23) launched an indigenous 'bio-space capsule' prototype, aiming to fly
astronauts by 2030?
1) China 2) Israel 3) Iran 4) Japan 5) South Korea
18. Which payment infrastructure provider company has recently (in Dec ‘23) tied up with Visa to issue credit cards
to small business owners in India?
1) Paytm 2) IppoPay 3) Razorpay 4) PhonePe 5) Freecharge
19. In which state/UT, ‘tantalum’ a rare metal was discovered?
1) Uttarakhand 2) Jammu and Kashmir 3) Uttar Pradesh 4) Kerala 5) Punjab
 Tantalum, with the atomic number 73, is a grey, heavy, and highly corrosion-resistant metal. It is known
for its hardness and ductility, allowing it to be stretched into thin wires without breaking and
widespreadly used in electronics and semiconductors.
20. According to the GoI report ‘The Third National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change’ released in December 2023, India reduced its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) emission intensity
by __________ between 2005 and 2019. This was 11 years ahead of the target.
1) 22% 2) 33% 3) 52% 4) 44% 5) 25%
 The emission intensity of the economy refers to the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted for
every unit increase of gross domestic product (GDP). It is different from absolute emissions.
 The energy sector accounted for the maximum share of anthropogenic emissions (75.81%), followed by
agriculture (13.44%), Industrial Process and Product Use (8.41%), and waste (2.34%).
 The LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry) sector removed 4,85,472 Gigatonnes Of Carbon
Dioxide Equivalent (Ggco2e) of emissions. iii.Considering total emissions and removals, India’s net
national emissions in 2019 were 26,46,556 GgCO2e (or 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2e).
21. In which Indian city, the world's first portable hospital, the ‘Aarogya Maitri Aid Cube' was unveiled recently?
 DEC 1-7, 2023

1) New Delhi, Delhi 2) Mumbai, Maharashtra 3) Bengaluru, Karnataka 4) Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 5)
Gurugram, Haryana
 The world’s first portable hospital, the ‘Aarogya Maitri Aid Cube,‘ which can be set up within one hour
of arriving at the emergency site to treat the injured, was unveiled in Gurugram, Haryana.
 It was designed indigenously under Project BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and
Maitri).
22. What is India’s rank in the International Institute for Management Development (IMD)’s 7th edition of World
Digital Competitiveness Ranking (WDCR) 2023 released in December 2023?
1) 35th 2) 42nd 3) 49th 4) 30th 5) 32nd
 The report measures the capacity and readiness of 64 economies based on three broad categories
which are: Knowledge, Technology and Future readiness.
 The U.S.A reclaimed its top position (Rank 1) which performs well in all three categories – Knowledge,
Technology and Future Readiness.
 The report mentioned that India made a little progress in the field of cyber security knowledge (Rank
45) but perform low in the fields of technology and future readiness.
 In the previous edition of WDCR 2022 report, India was ranked at 44th position.
 India slipped a rank below in Asia-Pacific Region, stays 12th position among 14 countries. Earlier, India
ranked 11 for 4 consecutive years (2019-22) in the Asia-Pacific region.
 Among 27 nations with population exceeding 20 million, India rank has dropped to 18th position from
16th as compare to last year.
 Top 5 best performing countries in the WDCR Report 1. U.S. A (United States of America) 2.
Netherlands 3. Singapore 4. Denmark 5. Switzerland
 Top 3 worst performing countries in the WDCR Report: 64th Venezuela, 63rd Mongolia, 62nd Colombia
23. In December 2023, Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a USD _____________ loan for Uttarakhand
Climate Resilient Power System Development Project to improve the quality, efficiency, and reliability of power
supply.
1) 300 Million 2) 200 Million 3) 500 Million 4) 400 Million 5) 100 Million
24. Name the company that has recently (in Dec ‘23) partnered with DBS Bank India, Visa and Amazon to provide an
extensive range of services to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
1) Muthoot Finance 2) Aditya Birla Finance 3) Bajaj Finance 4) Godrej Capital 5) Mahindra & Mahindra
Financial Services
25. Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) and Business Finland have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
boost the startup ecosystems in India and Finland.
26. Who was recently (in Dec ‘23) awared with the WISE Prize for Education 2023 by the Qatar Foundation at the
11th edition of the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Summit?
1) Harshad Mehta 2) Safeena Husain 3) Ketan Parekh 4) Pratik Gandhi 5) Sucheta Dalal
 Safeena Husain, the founder and board member of Educate Girls, was awarded the WISE Prize for
Education 2023 by the Qatar Foundation at the 11th edition of the World Innovation Summit for
Education (WISE) Summit.
 Safeena Husain became the first Indian woman to receive the WISE Prize for Education, and she
received the WISE Prize medal along with USD 500,000 prize money.
 Educate Girls,an Indian Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), established in 2007, enrolled 1.4
million girls in schools and supported education for more than 18.6 million children through the
government education system.

Best Film Conferred upon the Best Film selected by International Jury from among Rs 40 Lacs + Certificate+ Golden
Award around 15 films of International Competition in IFFI Peacock medal
27. Which of the following points is/are “correct” with respect to the 54th edition of the International Film Festival of
India (IFFI) held at Goa?
A. Indian actress, Padma Shri Awardee Madhuri Dixit was honoured with the Special Recognition to
Bhartiya Cinema award.
B. American Actor Michael Douglas was honoured with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award of
the Year(2023)
C. Endless Borders directed by Abbas Amini (Persian) won the Best Film Award under Golden Peacock
Category.
 DEC 1-7, 2023

D. The film “Odh” directed by Akhil Lotlikar won the best film award at “75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow”
(CMOT).
E. “Panchayat 2” a comedy-drama series in Hindi streamed on Amazon Prime Video in 2022 won the
prestigious OTT Award for web series.
F. All of the above are true.
28. Who has recently topped the first edition of ‘India’s Top 200 Self-made Entrepreneurs of the Millennia 2023’
released by First Private (Private Banking by IDFC First Bank Limited) and Hurun India?
1) Abhay Soi 2) Radhakishan Shivkishan Damani 3) Deepinder Goyal 4) Vijay Shekhar Sharma 5) Kunal Shah
 It is a list of the 200 most valuable companies in India founded after the millennium (year 2000).
 The cumulative value of all companies in the list is Rs 30 lakh crore.
 This value is equivalent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Denmark.
 Financial services and Retail led the way with 46 and 30 companies in the list. This is followed by Healthcare with
26 entrants.
 The average age of entrepreneurs featured in the list is 44. Kaivalya Vohra(21) of Zepto is the youngest
entrepreneur to feature in the list
 Ashok Soota (80) of Happiest Minds is the oldest on the list.
 Women in the list: The list also recognized 20 women entrepreneurs.
 Ghazal Alagh(35) of Mamaearth and Saumya Singh Rathore(35) of Winzo are the youngest women on the list of
women entrepreneurs.
 As per the list, Falguni Nayar of Nykaa is the top women entrepreneur.
 Geographical Distribution: Top 3 cities accounts for over half of India’s top entrepreneurs.
 They are: Bengaluru (Karnataka) – 129, Mumbai (Maharashtra) – 78 , Gurugram (Haryana) & New Delhi (Delhi)
– 49.
29. Which Small Finance Bank (SFB) has recently partnered with Water.org to offer accessible financing solutions for
water and sanitation solutions?
1) Jana SFB 2) Utkarsh SFB 3) Capital SFB 4) Ujjivan SFB 5) AU SFB
30. Name the bank that has recently signed an MoU with NCDEX e-Markets Limited (NeML) to strengthen the
integration of e-procurement and e-auction systems.
1) YES Bank 2) Federal Bank 3) RBL Bank 4) IndusInd Bank 5) IDFC FIRST Bank
 Under this initiative, farmers’ list crop details on NeML’s platform, with the government purchasing them at
the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
 Federal Bank’s host-to-host integration with NeML’s e-procurement platform will enable a secure payment
processing system.
 NeML’s eAuction solution offers a price-discovery mechanism, benefiting the Government of India by providing a
robust price-discovery mechanism for various commodities
 NeML, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Commodity and
Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX).
 It was incorporated on October 18, 2006
31. Name the company that has recently launched the three Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW
SWC) project: Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mahe, INS Malvan, and INS Mangrol at its Kochi Yard in Kerala for the
Indian Navy (IN).
1) Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers
2) Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited
3) Hindustan Shipyard Limited
4) Goa Shipyard Limited
5) Cochin Shipyard Limited
32. In which state ‘The Hump World War-II (WW-II) Museum’ was inaugurated?
1) Maharashtra 2) Himachal Pradesh 3) Arunachal Pradesh 4) Assam 5) West Bengal
 Pema Khandu, Chief Minister (CM) of Arunachal Pradesh along with Eric Garcetti, Ambassador of the
United States of America(USA) to India inaugurated ‘The Hump World War-II (WW-II) Museum’ in
Pasighat, East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh
 This 2nd of its kind museum in Asia is dedicated to the fallen airmen of the Allied forces who
participated in the ‘Hump’ airlift during WWII. The Hump Museum is named after the Hump route, a
treacherous air route from Assam (India) to Yunnan (China).
 The route traverses regions of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Tibet, Yunnan and Myanmar.
 DEC 1-7, 2023

 Around 650 aircraft crashed during 1942-45 on missions over this territory

33. The World Bank said it will increase the amount it spends annually on climate-related projects to 45% of its
financing over 2024 to 2025, up from 35% now, as part of a policy overhaul to better respond to climate change.
34. the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Bank of England (BoE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
for cooperation and information exchange regarding the Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
 The MoU establishes a framework for the BoE to rely on the RBI’s regulatory and supervisory activities.
 The BoE will also assess and recognize CCIL as a counterparty to clear and settle bonds and overnight indexed
swap trades.
 It emphasizes cross-border cooperation for international clearing activities and demonstrates BoE’s commitment
to deferring to other regulators’ regimes.
 The MoU enables BoE to assess CCIL’s application for recognition as a third-country Central Counterparty (CCP), a
prerequisite for UK banks to clear transactions through CCIL.
 It should be noted that in terms of section 3 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (“PSS Act”), RBI is
the designated authority for the regulation and supervision of payment systems, including CCIL, which operates
in India under the PSS Act.
35. 5 Indians including Bose Krishnamachari, an Indian painter and artist-curator hailing from Kerala, are featured on
2023 Power 100, the annual ranking of the most influential people in art, published by Art Review, a London-
based magazine.
 Bose Krishnamachari is ranked 38th on the list. He has curated the murals on Manaveeyam street in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Traditional Historical and Colonial Architecture photography exhibition and
‘Contextual Cosmologies.
 The other Indians on the list were, Prateek Raja & Priyanka Raja, Gallerists and Cofounders of Experimenter,
Kolkata(West Bengal) ranked 62nd. Dayanita Singh, Photographer (Delhi) ranked 78th. Natasha Ginwala, an
independent curator, researcher, and writer, ranked 94th.
 Top ranked: 1. Nan Goldin(USA)
36. Which bank has recently (in Dec ‘23) re-appointment Chandra Shekhar Ghosh as the Managing Director (MD) and
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for 3 years?
1) IndusInd Bank 2) IDFC FIRST Bank 3) IDBI Bank 4) Bandhan Bank 5) Federal Bank
37. In December 2023, Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Indian Railways is set to
install an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based surveillance system, named ___________ to reduce elephant deaths on
railway tracks.
1) Gaj Yatra 2) Haathi AI 3) Gajraj System 4) Gajraj MIKE 5) Janvar System
 This technology was tested on a 150-kilometer stretch of Assam in 2022. Based on the field
experience, improvements were made in the system exhibiting a 99.5% accuracy in detecting
elephants on tracks.
38. Who has recently (in Dec ‘23) become India’s 84th Grandmaster(GM) by crossing the 2500 Elo live ratings in the
4th edition of the Llobregat Open Chess Tournament (Llobregat Open 2023)?
1) Vaishali Rameshbabu 2) Sayantan Das 3) Vignesh N. R. 4) Pranesh M 5) Koustav Chatterjee
 She is the third Indian female, after Koneru Humpy (2002) and Harika Dronavalli (2011), to get the GM title.
 Vaishali and her brother Praggnanandhaa became the world’s first sister-brother pair to be GrandMasters
39. Name the state government that has recently (in Dec ‘23) signed an MoU with the National Dairy Development
Board (NDDB) for the holistic development of the dairy sector.
1) Jharkhand 2) Madhya Pradesh 3) Gujarat 4) Uttar Pradesh 5) Assam