2023-September Part-3

1. In September 2023, __________ became the 2nd city in India to Implement the Emission
Trading Scheme (ETS) for particulate pollution.
1) Surat 2) Ahmedabad 3) Mumbai 4) Gandhinagar 5) Indore
2. Which State Government has recently (in Sept ‘23) approved the proposal of
Mukhyamantri Rajya Samajik Suraksha Pension Yojana for transgender community and
included under the other backward class (OBC) category and avail the financial aid of Rs
1000 per month.
1) Odisha 2) Maharashtra 3) Jharkhand 4) West Bengal 5) Madhya Pradesh
3. Vi Foundation, the CSR arm of telecom operator Vi, has unveiled a tech solution- Donate
Book with the aim to bring together book donors, organisations/schools in need of books
and NGOs working for the cause.
4. According to data from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) released in
September 2023, In India ___________ Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions
were performed for the first time in August 2023.
5. Mumbai Police has recently (in Sept ‘23) rescued over 5,000 minors under _________
(Operation).
1) Operation Kaveri 2) Operation Ganga 3) Operation Vigil 4) Operation Yamuna 5)
Operation Muskaan
6. In which state, Puthur zoological park will be open in 2024?
1) Tamil Nadu 2) Kerala 3) Karnataka 4) Telangana 5) Andhra Pradesh
 The Puthur zoological park, one of the largest in Asia, will be opened for the
public by the beginning of 2024.
 The Central Zoo Authority has accorded permission to transfer animals from the
Thrissur Zoo to the Puthur Zoological Park in Kerala.
7. Name the company that has recently (in Sept ‘23) collaborated with the Ministry of
Education (MoE) & Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to
launch ‘Education to Entrepreneurship: Empowering a generation of students, educators,
and entrepreneurs’ for a period of 3 years.
1) Tata Consultancy Services 2) Infosys 3) Wipro 4) IBM 5) Meta
 Meta envisages training 500,000 entrepreneurs in digital marketing within the
next three years through its partnership with NIESBUD.
 META’s partnerships with NIESBUD, CBSE & AICTE will catalyse infinite
possibilities for equipping our population with critical digital skills and
empowering micro entrepreneurs and small businesses.
8. Which Public Sector Financial Institutions of GoI has recently (in Sept ‘23) signed an
MoU with Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) to co-finance
Renewable Energy (RE) Projects?
1) Industrial Finance Corporation of India 2) National Bank of Financing Infrastructure
and Development 3) India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd 4) Export-Import Bank of
India 5) Small Industries Development Bank of India
 This collaboration will support India’s target to achieve 50% share of energy from
non-fossil fuels by 2030.
 2023-September Part-3

 IREDA is a Mini Ratna (Category-I) Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE)

under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Establishment– 1987
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
 India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL): IIFCL has been registered as
a NBFC-ND-IFC (Non-Banking Financial Company-Non Deposit- Infrastructure
Finance Company) with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) since September 2013
and follows the applicable prudential norms of the RBI. Establishment– 2006
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
 The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) signed
Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Union Bank of India (UBI) and
Bank of Baroda (BoB).
 These agreements will enable IREDA to work with UBI and BoB in loan
syndication and co-lending for a variety of renewable energy projects involving
both established and cutting-edge renewable energy technology.
 Loan syndication occurs when two or more lenders come together to fund one
loan for a single borrower. Syndicates are created when a loan is too large for one
bank or falls outside the risk tolerance of a bank. The banks in a loan syndicate
share the risk and are only exposed to their portion of the loan.
9. In September 2023, The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services (IPBES) published a report titled Assessment Report on Invasive
Alien Species and their Control (known as the “Invasive Alien Species Report”). As per
the report, the global economic cost of invasive alien species exceeded USD
___________ annually in 2019, with costs having at least quadrupled every decade since
1970.
1) 124 billion 2) 423 billion 3) 139 billion 4) 312 billion 5) 256 billion
 IPBES-10 took place from 28 August – 2 September 2023 in Bonn, Germany.
 The report emphasized that not all alien species become invasive, Invasive alien
species (tending to spread very quickly and undesirably or harmfully. )are a
specific subset of alien species that establish and spread, causing harm to
ecosystems and sometimes people.
 IPBES Headquarters– Bonn, Germany Established on– 2012
10. Name the company that has recently (in Sept ‘23) launched industry-first Soundbox to
enable merchants to accept both mobile and card payments.
1) BharatPe 2) PhonePe 3) Paytm 4) Razorpay 5) Freecharge Answer- 3) Paytm
 Paytm(One97 Communications Limited) launched industry-first Paytm Card
Soundbox which enables merchants to accept both mobile and card payments
across all Visa, Mastercard, Amex and RuPay networks through Soundbox with
‘tap and pay’ feature.
 The soundbox provides both audio and visual payment confirmation through a
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen to the merchant and the customer.
 Tap and Pay: Paytm Card Soundbox includes built-in ‘tap and pay’ functionality,
allowing merchants to accept card payments of up to Rs 5,000
 2023-September Part-3

 This device combines the efficacy of a Point of Sale (POS) unit, Unified
Payments Interface (UPI) Quick Response (QR) code card, and even a sound box
confirming the transaction.

11. Which of the following points is/are “correct” with respect to the step taken by the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in September 2023?
A) RBI circular titled ‘Operation of Pre-Sanctioned Credit Lines at Banks through UPI’
announced the inclusion of pre-sanctioned credit lines as funding accounts in Unified
Payments Interface (UPI).
B) The circular applies to Scheduled Commercial Banks, excluding Payment Banks,
Small Finance Banks, and Regional Rural Banks.
C) Banks can establish terms and conditions for the use of these credit lines, including
credit limits, credit periods, interest rates, in accordance with their board-approved
policies.
1) Only A 2) Only A & B 3) Only B & C 4) Only A & C 5) All A, B & C
What is Credit Line in UPI :
 A credit line in UPI refers to a pre-approved amount of credit that a bank offers to
its customers. This credit line allows customers to make transactions or payments
even if they don’t have sufficient funds in their bank account at that moment.
 It’s essentially a short-term loan or credit limit that the bank provides to the
customer with applicable fees or interest
12. In September 2023, India won __________medals & secured third place in the 53rd
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championships 2023 held in Baku,
Azerbaijan.
1) 16 2) 12 3) 10 4) 28 5) 14
 China topped the medal tally with 28 medals (15 golds, 7 silver and 6 bronze)
followed by Ukraine in second place with 12 medals (6 gold, 4 silver and 2
bronze).
 Amanpreet Singh 25m standard pistol men(Gold)
 Esha Singh and Shiva Narwal 10m air pistol mixed team(Gold)
13. Which state government has recently (in Sept ‘23) launched MukhyaMantri Sporting
Abilities, Rebuilding Aspirations and Livelihood (SABAL) Scheme to empower
specially-abled children?
 2023-September Part-3

1) Karnataka 2) Gujarat 3) Himachal Pradesh 4) Jharkhand 5) Madhya Pradesh

14. Name the company that has been recently (in Sept ‘23) named as the official sponsor of
the Indian Contingent for the 19th Asian Games 2022.
1) Paytm 2) OPPO 3) MRF 4) Amul 5) PUMA
 Amul is named as the official sponsor of the Indian Contingent for the 19th Asian
Games 2022 to be held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8,
2023.
15. As of September 2023, which of the following space agencies has ‘Not’ launched a Solar
mission to space?
1) National Aeronautics and Space Administration 2) Indian Space Research
Organisation 3) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency 4) China National Space
Administration 5) Roscosmos
16. Which of the following points is/are “correct” with respect to the launches made by the
Ministry of Education in September 2023?
A) Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education (MoE) launched the
Malaviya Mission – Teachers Training Programme in New Delhi, Delhi.
B) The Portal is set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for teachers
interested in capacity-building programs.
C) The MoE also inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Microsoft
Corporation to help children learn Artificial Intelligence (AI) by developing creative
expression in classrooms.
1) Only A 2) Only A & B 3) Only B & C 4) Only A & C 5) All A, B & C
 Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching
(PMMMNMTT), a central sector scheme launched in 2014, aims to address the
issues on teacher training/ capacity building and the professional development of
faculty in Higher Education Institutions and provide fund for capacity building
training of faculties of HEIs.
17. In which city India’s 1st Solar City was inaugurated in September 2023?
1) Chandrapur, Maharashtra 2) Tuni, Andhra Pradesh 3) Churu, Rajasthan 4) Sanchi,
Madhya Pradesh 5) Bankura, West Benga
 This is in line with Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi’s vision of developing a solar
city in every state by 2070.
 Sanchi Solar City will reduce annually about 13,747 tonnes of carbon dioxide
emissions, which is equivalent to having more than 2 lakh adult trees.
 Sanchi is famous for its Buddhist stupa which is regonised as the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.
 In October 2022, PM Narendra Modi declared Modhera village in Gujarat as India’s
first 24×7 solar-powered village.
18. In September 2023, the ________ edition of Surya Nepal Kathmandu Kalinga Literary
Festival (KLF) was held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
1) 5th 2) 3rd 3) 2nd 4) 4th 5) 6th
19. Name the Life Insurance Company that has recently (in Sept ‘23) introduced ‘Life ACE’
Plan, a non-linked, participating, Individual Life Insurance Savings Plan.
 2023-September Part-3

1) Max Life Insurance 2) Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance 3) ICICI Prudential Life Insurance
4) SBI Life Insurance 5) Tata AIA Life Insurance
20. Which company has recently (in Sept ‘23) launched India’s first White Label ATM
(WLA) Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in
association with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)?
1) CCAvenue Payment Gateway 2) Instamojo Payment Gateway 3) Hitachi Payment
Services 4) Cashfree Payments Services 5) Razorpay Payment Gateway
 Hitachi Payment Services Private Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., and an
integrated payment solutions provider, launched India’s first-ever Unified
Payments Interface (UPI)-Automated Teller Machine (ATM) as a White Label
ATM (WLA), in association with the National Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI), offering secure cardless cash withdrawals.
 The UPI-only white-label ATM will improve customer security by eliminating the
need for physical cards.
 The launch of the ‘UPI ATM’ seamlessly merges the convenience and security of
UPI with traditional ATMs.
 At Present, Hitachi Payment is the only WLA operator to offer a cash deposit
facility.
 White Label ATM (WLA):
o ATMs set up, owned and operated by non-banks are called WLAs.
o Non-bank ATM operators are authorised under the Payment & Settlement
Systems Act, 2007 by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
21. Which company has recently (in Sept ‘23) signed an MoU with Israel Aerospace
Industries Ltd (IAI) to enhance Short Range Air Defence Systems of India?
1) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited 2) Defence Research and Development Organisation
3) Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited 4) Bharat Dynamics Limited 5) Bharat Electronics
Limited
22. Which Railway Station has recently (in Sept ‘23) certified as “Green Railway Station”
with the highest rating of Platinum by IGBC (Indian Green Building Council)-
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)?
1) Mumbai Central Railway Station 2) Vijayawada Railway Station 3) Guwahati Railway
Station 4) Chandigarh Railway Station 5) Vadodara Railway Station
 This becomes the 2nd railway station under the South Central Railway (SCR)
Zone to bag a Platinum rating after Secunderabad railway division(Telangana),
which bagged the rating in 2018.
 Earlier in 2019, Vijayawada Railway Station was holding the Gold Standard
Rating from IGBC – CII, which is valid for 3 years.
 In June 2023, Vijayawada Station became the 1st station in India to equip
platforms with a Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) solar roof, installing a
total capacity of 130 kilowatts ‘peak’ (kWp) of solar power.
23. Name the company that has recently (in Sept ‘23) partnered with Bharat Electronics
Limited (BEL) to launch ‘Indrajaal’, India’s 1st Artificial Intelligence (AI) Enabled
Counter Drone.
 2023-September Part-3

1) Wipro PARI Robotics 2) DiFACTO Robotics 3) Kuka Robotics 4) Grene Robotics 5)

echasoft Robotics
24. The _____________ feet-tall 'Nataraja' statue made of 'Ashtadhatu' is installed at the
Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Delhi where the G20 summit will be held in September
2023.
1) 45 2) 32 3) 27 4) 56 5) 42
 The 27 feet tall, 18-ton-weight statue is the tallest statue made of Ashtadhatu and
is sculpted by the renowned sculptor Radhakrishnan Sthapaty of Swami Malai in
Tamil Nadu and his team in a record 7 months. 34 generations of Radhakrishnan
have been making idols since the Chola Empire period.

25. The Bairabi-Sairang railway project is located in ____________ (state).

26. The Union Cabinet has approved a scheme for Viability Gap Funding (VGF) aimed at
developing Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
 The scheme is part of the government’s efforts to enhance renewable energy
integration and reduce peak power demand costs. It was first introduced in the Union
Budget 2023. Total project outlay: Rs.9,400 crore.
 2023-September Part-3

 Government contribution: 40% of the total project cost, amounting to Rs.3,760 crore,
provided as VGF. Remaining 60% of project costs to be invested by participating
companies.
 Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme: Launched in 2004.
 Aimed at supporting infrastructure projects under the Public-Private Partnership
(PPP) model. Provides government grants to projects that are economically justified
but not commercially viable due to large capital investments, long gestation periods,
and the inability to increase user charges to commercial levels.

27. In which city, India’s first 500 Kilo-volt-amperes (kVA) Underground Power
Transformer Station was inaugurated in September 2023?
28. In September 2023, the Government of India unveiled “G20 India”(18th Meeting), a
mobile app which will offer a comprehensive, interactive guide to event-related
information. Which ministry has created the G20 India app?
29. Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan 2023-37 (MIPP): This plan outlines the Navy’s
infrastructure needs for the next 15 years, aligning with the government’s sustainability
goals and broader policy directives.
30. Which country’s Navy, along with Indian Navy (IN) has recently (in Sept ‘23) conducted
a Passage Exercise (PASSEX)?
31. According to Asian Development Bank (ADB)'s 2023 Trade Finance Gaps, Growth and
Jobs Survey released in September 2023, the global trade finance gap rose to
______________ in 2022.
1) USD 5.0 trillion 2) USD 4.5 trillion 3) USD 3.2 trillion 4) USD 2.5 trillion 5) USD 1.2
trillion
 This indicates that the global economy is still struggling to rebound from the
effects of COVID - 19 pandemic.
 2023-September Part-3

 The trade finance gap is the difference between requests and approvals for
financing to support imports and exports.
 The 2023 trade gaps survey focuses on environmental, social, and governance
(ESG) issues for the first time (along with digitalization), to evaluate the impact
on relevant supply chains and the trade finance gap
32. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a circular stating that crediting
funds to the SEBI Investor Protection and Education Fund (IPEF) should be made only
through online mode.
 The new guidelines replaced previously issued SEBI guidelines in 2020 which
prescribed that the amounts shall be credited to the IPEF through online mode or
by Demand Draft (DD).
 Payment methods: The payment can be made through internet banking, National
Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), Unified
Payments Interface (UPI) and Debit cards.
 Under Section 205 C of the Companies Act, 1956, the government has instituted
an Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF).
 This fund serves as a repository for unclaimed funds related to dividends, matured
deposits, matured debentures, share application money, and similar items.
 The IPEF has been set up for the promotion of investors’ education, awareness
and protection.
 Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority(IEPFA) is responsible for
administrating IEPF
33. Name the company that has recently (in Sept ‘23) partnered with the KredX (Minions
Ventures Private Limited) to make Business-to-Business (B2B) digital payments
rewarding for both enterprises and vendors.
1) Visa 2) American Express 3) Mastercard 4) Capital One 5) Discover Card
34. Which company has recently (in Sept ‘23) launched ‘SimplySAVE Merchant Card’, a
Credit Card for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)?
1) HDFC Cards 2) SBI Cards 3) American Express 4) Visa Inc 5) Mastercard
35. Which space agency, along with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited (MHI) has recently
(in Sept ‘23) launched the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 47 (H-IIA F47) carrying X-ray
astronomical satellite X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) and Lunar
lander Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM)?
1) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency 2) Indian Space Research Organisation 3) Space
Exploration Technologies Corporation 4) Canadian Space Agency 5) Roscosmos
36. Name the state government that has recently (in Sept ‘23) signed an MoU with National
Central Cooling Company PJSC (Tabreed) , Abu Dhabi(United Arab Emirates-UAE)
based cooling-as-aservice provider, to develop Asia’s largest District Cooling System
(DCS)
1) West Bengal 2) Karnataka 3) Madhya Pradesh 4) Telangana 5) Haryana
 District Cooling is an environmental friendly, energy saving and economical
cooling method. DCS involves using a central chiller plant to cool water, which is
then circulated for indoor cooling purposes to industrial, commercial and
residential buildings through a closed loop pipe network.