2023-Oct 5 to 10

1. Which of the following personalities has/have recently (in Oct ‘23) awareded with the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2023 by the Royal Swedish Academy of
Science?
1) Svante Pa a bo (Sweden) 2) Katalin Kariko (Hungary) 3) Drew Weissman (United
States of America) 4) Both 1 & 2 5) Both 2 & 3
 The Nobel Prize is awarded for their discovery concerning nucleoside base
modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA (messenger
ribonucleic acid) vaccines against COVID-19.
 These discoveries paved the way for the development of the Pfizer/ BioNTech and
Moderna Covid19 vaccines
 Katalin Kariko is the 13th woman to win the Nobel Prize in medicine or physiology.
 The Nobel Prize is an international award given by the Nobel Foundation in
Stockholm, Sweden, and based on the will of Alfred Nobel, Swedish inventor and
entrepreneur.
 The first Nobel Prize was awarded in 1901 in the field of Physics, Chemistry,
Physiology or Medicine and Literature in Stockholm, Sweden, and the Peace Prize
in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway.
 The winners of the Nobel Prize were called Nobel Prize laureates.
 Alfred Nobel, the founder of the Nobel Prizes was born on October 21, 1833, in
Stockholm, Sweden.
 Alfred Nobel invented “dynamite” in 1866 and also invented a detonator or
blasting cap that could be set off by lighting a fuse.
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

 Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank) Prize was established in 1968 in

Memory of Alfred Nobel for Economic Sciences.
2. Name the company that has recently (in Oct ‘23) approved for joint ventures with
EverEnviro Resource Management Pvt Ltd and GPS Renewables Pvt Ltd for setting
up compressed biogas (CBG) plants.
1) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited 2) Indian Oil Corporation Limited 3)
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited 4) Oil India Limited 5) Mangalore Refinery and
Petrochemicals Limited
 The two joint ventures will be formed with IOCL or one of its subsidiaries and the
two partner companies will have an equal stake of 50 % each in the newly formed
joint ventures.
 This aligns with the government’s plans to establish 5,000 commercial CBG plants
by 2024-25 under the Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transport
(SATAT) scheme which was launched in 2018.
 The IOCL board’s decision is subject to approvals from the NITI Aayog, and the
Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM)
3. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) raised Rs
___________ by issuing India’s first ‘AAA’ rated Indian Rupee-denominated Social
Bonds at a coupon rate of 7.63%.
1) 3,103.20 crore 2) 5,971.10 crore 3) 1,040.50 crore 4) 4,023.25 crore 5) 2,567.20 crore
 NABARD issued bonds privately to eligible institutional investors, which were listed
on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)
 The redemption date for the bonds is September 27, 2028 with coupon payments
taking place yearly.
 A social bond is a type of financial instrument issued by governments,
international organisations, or corporations to raise funds for projects and
initiatives that have a positive social impact on society.
 Nabard-issued bonds have been rated AAA rating by Credit Rating Information
Services of India Limited (CRISIL) and Investment Information and Credit Rating
Agency (ICRA).
 AAA-rated bonds mean the issuers of these bonds have the highest creditworthiness
& lowest risk of default, and are expected to easily meet financial obligations.
 A credit rating is given to a company, organisation or a government body by
calculating its ability to repay the debt and to predict the likelihood of default. On the
other hand, a credit score is given to an individual after taking a look at his credit
history and repayment behaviour.

The list below comprises some of the prominent credit rating agencies in India:
 CRISIL (Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited)
 ICRA (Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency) Limited
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

 CARE (Credit Analysis and Research Limited)

 India Ratings and Research Pvt. Ltd.
 Brickwork Ratings India Pvt Ltd.
 Acuite Ratings and Research Limited
 SMERA Ratings Limited
 Infometrics Valuation and Rating Pvt Ltd
There are exactly four well known CICs in India as of now.

 The Credit Information Bureau Limited or CIBIL

 Equifax
 Experian
 High Mark Credit Information Services - CRIF High Mark
4. Name the Indian Personality who has recently (in Oct ‘23) became the first woman to be
honoured the Global Indian Award by the Canada India Foundation (CIF)?
1) Falguni Nayar 2) Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw 3) Sudha Murty 4) Aditi Gupta 5) Divya
Gokulnath
 The award is presented to her by Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay
Kumar Verma.
 The CIF Global Indian Award is the most prestigious Indo-Canadian event. Given to
an outstanding individual who has helped India become a global economic and
political power.
 Established in 2007, Canada India Foundation (CIF) is a Canadian, not-for-profit,
nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization. It strengthens bilateral relations
between Canada and India.

5. As per the Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index (August 2023 edition) released in October
2023, India has jumped 72 places and attained _________ rank in ‘median mobile
network speeds’ in the index with median download speed of 50.21 Mbps in ‘median
mobile network speeds’ in the index.
1) 59th 2) 62nd 3) 50th 4) 42nd 5) 47th
 The list is topped by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the median
download speeds of 210.89 Mbps. Qatar and Kuwait stand at second and third
rank with the download speed of 192.71Mbps and 153.86Mbps respectively.
 The bottom five countries are – Venezuela (141st), Yemen (142nd), Sudan
(143rd), Afghanistan (144th) and Cuba (145th).
 India was ranked 119 in Speedtest Global Index 2022.
 India’s massive growth in the ranking is due to the roll out of 5th Generation (5G)
internet led by telecom operators Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel across India in
October 2022.
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

 In the ‘fixed broadband speeds’ category of the index India attained 86th rank
with the download speed of 54.17Mbps.
 With the download speed of 254.65 Mbps Singapore tops the category followed
by Hong Kong (243.59 Mbps) and Chile (240.43 Mbps).
 Note:According to the 17th edition of the Global Peace Index 2023 released by
international think-tank, the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), India has
ranked at 126th position by climbing nine positions from 2022. The list is topped
by Iceland.
6. In which city, India’s first solar roof cycling track was inaugurated recently?
1) Ahmedabad, Gujarat 2) Bengaluru, Karnataka 3) Chennai, Tamil Nadu 4) Hyderabad,
Telangana 5) Noida, Uttar Pradesh
 The 23-km long, three-laned and 16 MW solar power generating track is the
second in the world after South Korea's solar rooftop covered track. Similar
ones are now under construction in Dubai and Switzerland.

7. Name the personality who has recently (in Oct ‘23) launched ‘Sankalp Saptaah’, a
unique week-long programme for Aspirational Blocks of India, at Bharat Mandapam,
New Delhi, Delhi, ABP is an initiative to improve governance at the block level to
increase the quality of life of citizens.
1) Amit Shah (Union Minister of Home Affairs) 2) Jagdeep Dhankhar (Vice President of
India) 3) Droupadi Murmu (President of India) 4) Narendra Modi (Prime Minister of
India) 5) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (Union Minister of External Affairs)
 ABP is based on the Aspirational District Programme(ADP) which has
transformed the lives of about 25 crore people in 112 districts.
 ADP was launched in 2018
 The nationwide Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) was launched by the PM
in January, 2023.
 500 aspirational blocks from 329 districts is chosen for the implementation of
the programme.
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

 It is a development initiative aimed at improving the performance of areas

that are lagging on various development parameters.
 It was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23.
 NITI Aayog has launched the Aspirational Blocks Programme, building on the
success of the Aspirational Districts Programme.
 The theme for the first six days is ‘Sampoorna Swasthya’, ‘Suposhit Pariwaar’,
‘Swachhta’, ‘Krishi’, ‘Shiksha’, and ‘Samridhi Diwas’ respectively.
 The seventh day will be a celebration of the work conducted during the entire
week, as ‘Sankalp Saptaah – Samavesh Samaroh’.
8. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, during the 276th Annual Day Celebrations of
Defence Accounts Department (DAD) on 1st October 2023 launched following
initiatives:
 Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched several digital initiatives of the
DAD, including an integrated defence finance dashboard for the Ministry of
Defence (MoD) ‘SARANSH’ (Summary of Accounts, Budget and Expenditure
for Raksha Mantralaya).
 He also launched BISWAS (Bill Information and Work Analysis System) and e-
Raksha Awaas.
 SARANSH’: It aims to provide a more precise and objective representation of
defence financial data across India on payment, accounting, budgeting etc by
leveraging advanced data analytics techniques on the different databases of
various Information Technology (IT) systems running in the DAD.
 BISWAS: It provides real-time detailed analysis of bill processing, with
interactive visualisations of granular data flowing through the various office
automation systems for a Controller office.
 e-Raksha Awaas: It is a centralised and comprehensive software package
developed to streamline and optimize the process of generating timely rent and
allied charges for rentable buildings within the Defence Services and
facilitating the prompt remission of rent and allied charges to Government
Accounts.
9. Which of the following points is/are “correct” with respect to the Arogya Manthan 2023
event hosted by the National Health Authority (NHA)?
A) During the event, the anniversary celebrations of 5 Years of Ayushman Bharat
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and 2 Years of Ayushman Bharat
Digital Mission (ABDM).
B) During the event, Assam tops in the Best Performing State (Large), Best Performing
State (Small) Nagaland, Best Performing State (UT) Jammu and Kashmir in the
“Highest Ayushman Card Creation ''category in AB PM-JAY.
C) For ABDM, Andhra Pradesh was awarded as the Top State in the Digital health
records linked with ABHA per lakh population (State).
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

1) Only A 2) Only A & B 3) Only B & C 4) Only A & C 5) All A, B & C

 AB PM-JAY: Launched on: 23 September, 2018
 Implementing Agency: National Health Authority (NHA)
 It provides a cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary
care hospitalization
 If the Patient consults a specialist like a cardiologists or a dermatologist, who are
usually consulted by a patient, they are known as Secondary Healthcare. While
Tertiary Healthcare are specialized health care which are provided to patients on
the reference of a Secondary Healthcare
 National Health Agency was reconstituted as the National Health Authority on
2nd January 2019 Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Sudhansh Pant
 Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
10. Name the state/UT government that has recently (in Oct ‘23) signed an MoU with
EaseMyTrip to elevate global tourism hotspot.
11. The Federation internationale de football association (FIFA) Council unanimously agreed
that the sole candidacy will be the combined bid of Morocco, Portugal, and Spain,
which will host the event in 2030 and qualify automatically from the existing slot
allocation subject to the completion of a successful bidding process conducted by FIFA
and a decision by the FIFA Congress in 2024.
 The 2026 FIFA World Cup, marketed as FIFA World Cup 26, will be the
23rd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international men's soccer championship
contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It will be
jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico,
and the United States.
12. According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE)’s Consumer Pyramids
Household Survey released in October 2023, India’s unemployment rate fell to a 12-
month low of ________ in September 2023.( CMIE is headquartered in Mumbai,
Maharashtra and Mahesh Vyas is currently serving as its Managing Director(MD).)
1) 6.5% 2) 7.5% 3) 7.1% 4) 8.5% 5) 6.8%
13. 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held in New York City,
United States of America (USA). the I2U2 Group, consisting of India, the United
States of America (USA), Iran, and the United Kingdom, launched a Private
Enterprise Partnership to increase awareness of its initiative in business communities and
fund projects aligning with its objectives.
 The 4-nation grouping also launched its website to strengthen cooperation
between the member countries and partnerships across the globe.
 The public-private partnership aims to enhance awareness of the I2U2 Initiative’s
potential, focusing on 7 key sectors: water, energy, transportation, technology,
space, health, and food security.
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

14. Name the organisation/Agency that has recently (in Oct ‘23) signed an MoU with World
AntiDoping Agency (WADA HQ: Headquarters: Montreal, Canada) to collaborate on
clean, drug-free sport.
1) International Testing Agency 2) National Anti-Doping Agency, India 3) South Asia
Regional Anti-Doping Organisation 4) World Health Organisation 5) Athletics
Integrity Unit
 The agreement will run until 1 October 2027 and provides a framework of
cooperation between WHO and WADA to further their goals.
15. Name the bank that has recently (in Oct ‘23) collaborated with the Outlook Group to
launch “Outlook Money 40After40”, a retirement planning event. (Outlook is India’s
most credible current affairs and news magazine)
1) ICICI Bank 2) IDFC FIRST Bank 3) IndusInd Bank 4) Kotak Mahindra Bank 5)
HDFC Bank
 IDFC FIRST Bank will spread the need & importance of retirement planning
and address the financial needs of the elderly early.
16. Which country, along with India, has commenced the 11th edition of annual joint
military exercise, SAMPRITI-XI 2023 in Umroi, Meghalaya on 3rd october 2023?
1) Japan 2) Sri Lanka 3) Bangladesh 4) Indonesia 5) France

17. Which of the following personalities has/have been recently (in Oct ‘23) awarded with
the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences “for
experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of
electron dynamics in matter.”?
1) Anne L’Huillier, France 2) Ferenc Krausz, Hungary 3) Pierre Agostini, France 4) Both
1 & 2 5) All 1, 2 & 3
 Anne L’Huillier is the 5th woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics.
18. Former Indian cricket Player Sachin Tendulkar was named as the ‘Global
Ambassador’ for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Cricket One Day
International (ODI) World Cup 2023.
 The 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup is the 13th edition of the Cricket World Cup
 The first World Cup was organised in England in June 1975.
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

 India is hosting 4th time cricket world cup, first time India hosted cricket world cup in
1987 along with Pakistan
 2027 (14th ) cricket world cup will be hosted combinedly by South Africa, Namibia,
Zimbabwe and 15th edition will be hosted in 2031 combinedly by India and Bangladesh.
 Mascot: ICC announces two mascots including ‘Blaze‘(female mascot- Bowler) and
‘Tonk’ (male mascot – Batsmen).
 Both the inaugural and final matches are set to be held in Narendra Modi Stadium in
Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

19. Assam government has recently launched the Mukhya Mantri Lok Sevak Arogya
Yojana, an online medical bill reimbursement scheme for the Government employees,
pensioners and their dependents.
20. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the
‘Mukhyamantri Sukh Ashraya Yojana’ at the Ridge in Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) to
provide comprehensive support to orphans, specially-abled children, destitute women,
and elderly individuals in Himachal Pradesh. With this scheme, Himachal Pradesh
became the first state in India to enact a law aimed at supporting orphan children and
other vulnerable sections of society.
21. In October 2023, India won the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-19
Championship 2023 by defeating _______ (country) held at the Dashrath Rangasala
Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal.
1) Bangladesh 2) Nepal 3) Pakistan 4) Bhutan 5) Sri Lanka
 In september 2023, India’s U-16 team secured its status as champion of the
SAFF U-16 Championship 2023, defeating Bangladesh 2-0 in a high-octane
final.

22. Name the subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that has recently (in Oct ‘23)
collaborated with Digital India Bhashini Division to bring linguistic inclusion in the
financial services space.
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

1) Reserve Bank Information Technology Private Limited 2) Indian Financial

Technology and Allied Services 3) Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation
of India 4) Reserve Bank Innovation Hub 5) Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran
Private Limited
 Bhashini is a Independent Business Division under Digital India Corporation (DIC)
under the aegis of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
 Aim: To build a National Public Digital Platform for languages to develop services
and products for citizens by leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and other
emerging technologies.
 This partnership aims to extend the reach of digital financial services to users in their
native tongues, ultimately providing seamless banking experiences for everyone.
23. Identify the correct statements:
A. RBI announced to double the gold loan limit under Bullet Repayment scheme for
Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs), Monetary ceiling for gold loans under this
scheme increased from ₹2.00 lakh to ₹4.00 lakh for UCBs that meet Priority
Sector Lending (PSL) target and sub targets as on March 31, 2023.
B. A bullet repayment scheme is when a borrower pays both the interest and the
principal amount at the end of the loan tenure, without making any repayments
during the loan duration period.
C. 2007: it has been decided to permit Bullet repayment of gold loans up to ₹1.00
lakh as an additional option. 2014: Loan limit increased to ₹2.00 lakh. 2023: Loan
limit further increased to ₹4.00 laksh for UCBs meeting PSL targets.
D. Bullet Repayment: Principal and interest paid in lump sum at the end of the loan
tenure. Equated Monthly Instalment (EMI) Repayment: Fixed monthly
payments that include principal and interest
E. All are true.
24. Name the bank/organisation that has recently (in Oct ‘23) approved a USD 200 million
loan to strengthen flood and riverbank erosion risk management in Assam, India.
1) World Bank 2) Asian Development Bank 3) United Nations Environment
Programme 4) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 5)
African Development Bank
25. In October 2023, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet(ACC) extended the tenure
of Dinesh Kumar Khara as the Chairman of the ___________ (Bank) until 28th August
2024.
1) Bank of Baroda 2) Indian Bank 3) Punjab National Bank 4) Bank of India 5) State
Bank of India
 The proposal under consideration is to raise the age limit for the chairman of the
country's largest lender, State Bank of India, to 65 years from 63 years, and that
for managing directors of other state-owned banks to 62 years from 60.
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

 In 2021, the government extended the superannuation age of the LIC chairman
to up to 62 years by making an amendment to the Life Insurance Corporation
of India (Staff) Regulations, 1960.
 In 2014, the Reserve Bank of India fixed the upper age limit for managing
directors, chief executive officers and other whole-time directors in private
banks at 70 years, in line with the Companies Act, of 2013.
26. Name the personality who has recently (in Oct ‘23) appointed as the Chairman and
Managing Director (CMD) of General Insurance Corporation of India Limited (GIC
Re).
1) Atanu Kumar Das 2) Ramaswamy Narayanan 3) Bishnu Charan Patnaik 4) Devesh
Srivastava 5) Neerja Kapur
 He succeeds Devesh Srivastava, He was appointed based on the recommendation
of the Financial Services Institution Bureau (FSIB) to the Ministry of Finance.
 The government, in 2016, approved the constitution of the BBB to make
recommendations for appointment of whole-time directors as well as non-
executive chairpersons of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and state-
owned financial institutions.
 Delhi High Court in 2020 ruled that the BBB couldn’t select the general
managers and directors of state-run general insurers, as it was not a
competent body.
 The government has transformed Banks Board Bureau (BBB), the headhunter for
directors of state-owned banks and financial institutions, into Financial Services
Institutions Bureau (FSIB) by making some amendments.
27. In October 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) constituted a 9 member external
Working Group chaired by ____________ to suggest Expected Credit Loss (ECL)
framework for provisioning by banks.
1) Raghuram G. Rajan 2) R. Narayanaswamy 3) B. P. Kanungo 4) Muneesh Kapur 5)
Urjit R. Patel
 R Narayanaswamy is a retired Indian accountant and former Professor of Indian
Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
 RBI released a discussion paper in January 2023 proposing a new framework for
provisioning for credit risk, called ‘Discussion Paper on Expected Loss (EL)-
based Approach for loan loss provisioning by banks’
 It states that banks will have to set aside provisions based on their assessment of
the expected losses on their loans, rather than waiting until the loans actually
default.
 Expected Credit Loss (ECL): It is a measure of the potential losses that a
financial institution expects to incur on its loans and other financial assets over
their lifetime.
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

 This new approach replaces the current "incurred loss (IL)" model, which
delays loan loss provisioning, potentially increasing credit risk for banks.
 A key drawback in the IL model was that usually banks made provisions
with a significant delay after the borrower may have started facing financial
difficulties, thereby increasing their credit risk. This led to systemic issues.
28. Which of the following personalities has/have been awarded with the 2023 Nobel Prize
in Chemistry by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in October 2023?
1) Moungi Gabriel Bawendi of France 2) Louis Eugene Brus, United States of
America 3) Alexey Ivanovich Ekimov, Russia 4) Both 1 & 2 5) all
1,2 and 3
About the Quantum dots:
 Quantum dots are semiconducting nanoscale crystals in nanometer size, their
main property is that depending upon their size they change their colours.
 Quantum dots absorb light and then emit it at another wavelength depending upon
the size of the particle
Applications of Quantum dots:
 Quantum dots are used in illuminating computer monitors and television
screens based on Quantumdot Light-Emitting Diodes(QLED) technology.
29. Union Cabinet has given its approval for introduction in Parliament, a Bill, namely, the
Central Universities (Amendment), Bill, 2023.
 It aims to amend the Central Universities Act, 2009 for setting up of Sammakka
Sarakka Central Tribal University at Mulugu District, Telangana. There would
be provision of funds of Rs. 889.07 crore.
 The university would be named after Sammakka-Sarakka – a mother-daughter duo
revered among the local tribal community.
 The community also celebrates ‘Sammakka Sarakka Jathara’ , the most famous tribal
festival. The rituals related to the Goddesses are entirely conducted by the Koya
Tribe priests, in accordance with Koya customs and traditions.
30. Name the University/Institute that has recently (in Oct ‘23) signed an MoU with the
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to advance
Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti (PMGS) National Master Plan (NMP)?
1) Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya 2) Institute of Urban Transport India 3) Rashtriya
Raksha University 4) Navrachana University 5) Central University of Andhra Pradesh
 PMGS was launched formally in October 2021. It is designed as a National Master
Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity.
 PMGS includes the crucial component of GSV, focusing on skill development and
capacity building for logistics professionals. This initiative promises to bring
formalization to the logistics sector
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

 National Logistics Policy core objective is to create an integrated, seamless,

efficient, reliable, green, sustainable, and cost-effective logistics network across
India to drive economic growth and business competitiveness
 GSV, formerly known as the National Road Transport Institute (NRTI), India ‘s first
Railway University and the world’s third, following Russia and China, which was
dedicated to India in December 2018.
 GSV was established as a Central University through an Act of Parliament in 2022.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Railways, GSV is mandated to work across railways,
shipping, ports, highways, roads, waterways, aviation, etc.
 GSV Location– Vadodara, Gujarat
31. Which bank has recently (in Oct ‘23) launched INDIE, a customer centric digital mobile
banking application (app)?
1) Indian Bank 2) ICICI Bank 3) IndusInd Bank 4) Bank of India 5) IDBI Bank

Safety & Security Features:

 INDIE’s offers several industry-first safety and security features like:

 Numberless debit cards – These cards do not have the traditional card details,
such as the card number, expiration date, and CVV (Card Verification Value),
printed on the physical card.
 Single-use disposable virtual debit cards – can be used when customer don’t want
to reveal their card details
 A dynamic PIN for ATM/POS (Automated Teller Machines or Point-of-Sale)
transactions – This feature can be used against static PIN.
 Super OTP (one-time passwords) – ability to access OTP even in low network
zones.
32. Name the company that has recently (in Oct ‘23) merged with the North East Small
Finance Bank Limited (NESFBL) to become Small Finance Bank (SFB).
1) Zerodha 2) Slice 3) InCred 4) Zeta 5) MoneyTap
 Garagepreneurs Internet Private Limited (“GIPL”) is operating through its brand
name ‘slice’ Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Rajan Bajaj
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
 About North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB):
 North East Small Finance Bank Limited is the wholly owned subsidiary of RGVN
(North East) Microfinance Limited. Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive
Officer(CEO) – Rupali Kalita Headquarters – Guwahati, Assam, Established in
– 2015
33. Name the bank that has recently (in Oct ‘23) launched its digital banking proposition in
the Open 2023 campaign. The Open 2023 campaign highlights the top 15 features of the
bank’s digital offerings. It aims to bring all the features in a user-friendly, modern
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

interface for both existing and new customers. It is a one-stop solution for all digital
banking needs with over 250 banking services at anytime
1) IndusInd Bank 2) Axis Bank 3) ICICI Bank 4) YES Bank 5) HDFC Bank
34. In October 2023, _______________ became the first bank in India to issue an ‘Open
Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) Network Gift Card’. The card is powered by
Rupay Network
1) Axis Bank 2) IndusInd Bank 3) YES Bank 4) HDFC Bank 5) ICICI Bank
 OmniCard is the first company to issue ONDC Network Gift Cards(in September
2023); Yes Bank is second company and first banking institution to issue this
card.
35. India’s NPCI and UAE’s AEP Sign Agreement for RuPay DCS:
 NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Al Etihad Payments (AEP)
entered into an agreement to implement a Domestic Card Scheme (DCS) in the
UAE.
 This partnership is set to revolutionize e-commerce, digital payments, and
financial inclusion in the UAE, leveraging India’s expertise in secure payment
systems and its widely acclaimed RuPay card network.
 NIPL: a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI)
 AEP: an indirect subsidiary of the Central Bank of UAE (CBUAE)
 Objectives:
 To seamlessly integrate India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the UAE’s
Instant Payments Platform (IPP).
 To interlink the card switches of both nations, specifically the RuPay switch from
India and UAESWITCH from the UAE.
 NIPL will play a role in assisting AEP in crafting the operational regulations for
their domestic card scheme
 UAESWITCH: The CBUAE introduced UAESWITCH in 1996 to connect the
ATM networks of all banks in the UAE.
 RuPay: RuPay is a secure, domestically developed card payment network by
NPCI that Offers debit, credit, and prepaid card options.
36. Name the Ministry that has recently (in Oct ‘23) organized a curtain raiser event for the
inaugural India Art Architecture Design Biennale (IAADB 2023) in New Delhi, Delhi.
1) Ministry of Tourism 2) Ministry of Culture 3) Ministry of Home Affairs
4) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology 5) Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship
 Aim of Biennale: To bring traditional grassroots artists and contemporary
designers, curators, architects, and thought leaders to the forefront, transcending
age, gender, and genre boundaries.
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

 IAADB will serve as a precursor to India’s participation in the Venice Biennale

2024, promoting dialogue among art, architecture, and design professionals.
What does biennale mean?
 In the art context, biennial (or biennale, as it is sometimes styled) has come to
mean a large international exhibition held every two years.
37. In October 2023, North America’s first ____________ (Personality) Museum opened in
Houston, Texas, United States of America (USA).
1) Mother Teresa 2) Mahatma Gandhi 3) Jawaharlal Nehru 4) Subhas Chandra Bose 5)
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
38. Who has been recently (in Oct ‘23) awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize 2023?
1) Abiy Ahmed (Ethiopia) 2) Dmitry Muratov (Russia) 3) Ales Bialiatski (Belorussia) 4)
Narges Mohammadi (Iran) 5) Maria Ressa (Philippines)
 Nobel Peace Prize 2023 was awarded to 51-year-old Narges Mohammadi from
Iran “for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to
promote human rights and freedom for all”.
 With this win, she became the 2nd Iranian woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize
after Shirin Ebadi (also the first Muslim woman) who won the award in 2003
 Narges Mohammadi is currently serving a 10-year, 9-month jail sentence in Evin
Prison in Tehran on various charges, including spreading propaganda against the
state.

39. What is the capital of Israel?

1) Nazareth 2) Jerusalem 3) Acre 4) Haifa 5) Tel Aviv
 The Capital of Israel is Jerusalem and Israeli Shekel is the currency of Israel.
 Presently, Benjamin Netanyahu is the Prime Minister of Israel & Isaac Herzog
is the present President.
 Note- Israel has formally declared war on Hamas, setting the stage for a major
military operation in Gaza as fighting continues to rage on Israeli soil.
40. The biggest commercial port in India, _____________, completed 25 years of its
operations on 7th October 2023.
 2023-Oct 5 to 10

1) Paradip Port 2) Haldia port 3) Mundra Port 4) Kandla Port 5) Jawaharlal Nehru port
41. Which country has recently (in Oct ‘23) signed two MoUs with India in ocean sciences
and medical product regulation?
1) France 2) Dominican Republic 3) Brazil 4) Ecuador 5) Peru
 Capital – Santo Domingo Currency – Dominican Peso

42. Name the personality who has recently (in Oct ‘23) been awarded with the Nobel Prize
in Literature 2023.
1) Peter Handke (Austria) 2) Annie Ernaux (France) 3) Abdulrazak Gurnah (Tanzania) 4)
Louise Glu ck (United States of America) 5) Jon Olav Fosse (Norway)
 Jon Olav Fosse of Norway was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2023 “for
his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable”. Fosse is the
4th Norwegian writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

43. Name the bank that has recently (in Oct ‘23) launched a Mobile Handheld Device to
provide banking services to financial inclusion customers.
1) Bank of Baroda 2) ICICI Bank 3) State Bank of India 4) HDFC Bank 5) Bank of India
 The State Bank of India (SBI) has launched a “mobile handheld device” for its
financial inclusion customers including senior citizens, differently-abled and the
infirm. The device is designed to enhance accessibility and convenience for
customers who live in remote areas or have difficulty visiting SBI branches.
 The device will initially offer five core banking services which account for
approximately 75 percent of the total transactions that SBI’s Customer Service
Point conduct. • Cash withdrawal • Cash deposit • Fund transfer • Balance inquiry
• Mini statements