AC + ADDA Dec 7 Flashcards
- In December 2023, ___________ became the 1st state in the country to get the highest number of
Geographical Indication (GI) tags (18) in a single day.
1) Assam
2) Jharkhand
3) Uttar Pradesh
4) Uttarakhand
5) Madhya Pradesh
Answer- 4) Uttarakhand
Explanation:
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.
• Chief Minister (CM) of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami officially distributed GI certificates
to 18 products.
i. With these 18 new products, the total number of GI products in Uttarakhand has become 27.
ii. The 9 products from Uttarakhand – Tejpat, Basmati Rice, Aipan Art, White Rajma of Munsiyari,
Ringal craft, Thulma, Bhotiya, Chiura Oil and Copper products have already received GI tag
- 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
Answer- 1) Gram Manchitra
Explanation:
The Union Minister of State (MoS) of Panchayati Raj, Kapil Moreshwar Patil launched the Geographic
Information System (GIS) application “Gram Manchitra” to encourage technology driven spatial
planning by the Gram Panchayat.
i. 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.
ii. Gram Manchitra will serve as a support system for the formulation of Gram Panchayat
Development Plan (GPDP).
iii. 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.
- 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
Answer- 2) India
Explanation:
On December 4, 2023, during the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), India
became 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).
• A total of 11 countries(first-mover countries), including India, have joined the BESS
consortium during the COP28.
i. The BESS consortium is committed to achieving a combined commitment of 5 Gigawatts (GW) of
BESS by the end of 2024.
ii. The other first-mover countries are: Barbados, Belize, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania,
Mozambique, Nigeria, and Togo
Note: COP28 is being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 30 November to 12 December
2023.
- 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
Answer- 5) All A, B & C
Explanation:
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.
• CH4D aims to help low- and middle-income countries realize the ‘methane triple-wins’ of
reducing methane emissions, improving resilience, and strengthening livelihoods.
i. 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.
• GFMR is financially supported by a coalition including the UAE, USA, Norway, BP, ENI, Equinor,
Occidental, Shell, and TotalEnergies.
ii. WB also launched an 18-month “blueprint for methane reduction” to set up 15 national
programs to reduce methane emissions.
• The proposals were launched at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), being held in Dubai, United Arab
Emirates (UAE) from 30 November to 12 December 2023.
- 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
Answer- 1) Bank of Baroda
Explanation:
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.
i. The accounts under the BOB Parivar Account will be operated independently by the primary
account holder.
ii. This eliminates the need to maintain a quarterly average balance (QAB) in every single account. The
QAB is recorded at the Group/Family level.
iii. Eligibility:
• Savings account segment is open to a family of a minimum 2 members and a maximum of 6
members.
• Current account segment is open to proprietorship, partnership, LLP, and Pvt. Ltd. companies,
which are group companies or sister concerns.
- 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
Answer- 3) HDFC Bank
Explanation:
HDFC Bank Limited in partnership with Tata Neu launched the co-branded credit card “Tata Neu
HDFC Bank credit card” powered by RuPay/Visa.
i. The credit card is available in 2 variants:
• Tata Neu Infinity HDFC Bank Credit Card
• Tata Neu plus HDFC Bank Credit Card.
ii. Eligibility:
• For salaried individuals: Age: Minimum 21 years & Maximum 60 Years Net Monthly Income
should be more than Rs 25,000
• For Self-Employed Person: Age: Minimum 21 years & Maximum 65 Years Income Tax Return
should be more than Rs 6 Lakhs per annum.
Note: This collaboration will help Tata Neu to expand into financial services which aims to provide
online payment services to its customers.
- Which of the following points is/are “correct” with respect to the recent step taken by the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) in December 2023?
A) Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 98 million loan to improve the
horticulture crop farmers’ access in India to certified disease-free planting materials.
B) ADB approves additional funding of USD 100 million for the Odisha Integrated and Resilient
Urban Development Project.
C) IIFL Home Finance Ltd and Asian Development Bank jointly hosted the 15th chapter of the
‘kutumb’ event and the 10th in series with ADB in Delhi.
1) Only A
2) Only A & B
3) Only B & C
4) Only A & C
5) All A, B & C
Answer- 4) Only A & C
Explanation:
Asian Development Bank (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).
i. ADB approves additional funding of USD 200 million for the Uttarakhand Integrated and Resilient
Urban Development Project. This is in addition to a USD 125 million loan sanctioned in November
2021 for water supply and sanitation services in Dehradun and Nainital.
• ADB and India aims to attain the goal with the objectives of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation
and Urban Transformation and Swachh Bharat Mission.
ii. IIFL Home Finance Ltd and Asian Development Bank jointly hosted the 15th chapter of the ‘kutumb’
event and the 10th in series with ADB in Delhi, India to discuss the green building ecosystem and
affordable housing.
• IIFL Home Finance Ltd. and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) joined forces for a Technical
Assistance (TA) initiative named ‘Enabling the Ecosystem to Improve Access to Green Affordable Housing for Women’ addressing key areas such as green building, affordable
housing, and women’s housing access in India.
• ‘Kutumb’ has played a significant role in helping IIFL Home Finance Ltd. serve more than
250,000 customers
- Name the company that has (in Dec ‘23) joined the Bharat BillPay in the Credit Card
Category.
1) RBL Bank
2) HSBC credit card
3) Axis Bank
4) IDBI Credit Card
5) SBI Card
Answer- 5) SBI Card
Explanation:
SBI Card has joined the credit card category of Bharat
BillPay. The integration of the SBI Card into Bharat
BillPay was made by NPCI Bharat BillPay (NBBL), a
wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI).
• The goal of this partnership is to make credit
card bill payments more convenient and
accessible.
i. This will enable SBI Card’s approx 1.68 crore
customers to pay and manage their credit card bills through Bharat BillPay’s supported payment
channels.
ii. These channels include: Online via banks, Payment apps, Bharat BillPay physical outlets.
iii. Credit card issuers already present in this category include Kotak Mahindra Bank, BoB Financial,
Federal Bank, AU Small Finance Bank, IndusInd Bank, and Canara Bank.
- Which Life Insurance company has recently (in Dec ‘23) launched a budget-friendly term
insurance plan for salaried individuals?
1) HDFC Life Insurance Limited
2) Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Limited
3) TATA AIA Life Insurance Limited
4) SBI Life Insurance Limited
5) Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Limited
Answer- 2) Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Limited
Explanation:
Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI) has launched the ABSLI Salaried Term Plan, a budget-friendly
term insurance plan for salaried individuals.
• The plan is categorised as a non-linked, non-participating, Life Individual, pure risk, and
premium plan.
i. ABSLI Salaried Term Plan provides long-term comprehensive protection with a policy term of up to
49 years. The minimum & maximum entry age is 21 to 55 years, respectively, with a maximum maturity age of 70 years.
ii. The policyholders can also choose between multiple PPT (Premium Payment Term) options i.e., Limited Pay (5, 7, 10, 12, 15 and 20 Years) & Regular Pay.
- Name the bank that has recently (in Dec ‘23) partnered with Accenture to improve
operational efficiency.
1) Canara Bank
2) Bank of India
3) IndusInd Bank
4) Union Bank of India
5) Indian Bank
Answer- 4) Union Bank of India
Explanation:
The Union Bank of India (UBI) has partnered with Accenture, a leading global professional services
company, to design and develop a scalable and secure enterprise data lake platform with advanced
analytics and reporting capabilities.
i. The partnership aims to improve operational efficiency, enhance customer-centric banking
services, and manage the risk of Union Bank of India.
ii. The platform generates business-relevant insights by using leverage structured and unstructured
data from within the bank as well as from external sources.
- According to ‘Global Credit Outlook 2024: New Risks, New Playbook’ released by S&P
Global Market Intelligence in December 2023, India is set to become the third-largest economy
in the world by ___________(year).
1) 2027
2) 2025
3) 2030
4) 2026
5) 2028
Answer- 3) 2030
Explanation:
According to ‘Global Credit Outlook 2024: New Risks, New Playbook’ released by S&P Global Market
Intelligence, India is set to become the third-largest economy in the world by 2030 and it is
projected to be the fastest-growing major economy in the next 3 years.
Largest Economy:
i. At present, India is the fifth largest economy in the world.
ii. The top five economy along with their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are as follows (according to
the ranking):
• United States Of America (USA) – USD 26,954 Billion
• China – USD 17,786 Billion
• Germany – USD 4,430 Billion
• Japan – USD 4,231 Billion
• India – USD 3,730 Billion
- 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
Answer- 2) Build for Bharat
Explanation:
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.
i. Objective: To tackle diverse challenges in digital commerce and to promote industry innovation to
develop practical solutions.
ii. The initiative, organized at a national-scale in more than 50 cities across India, plans to utilise
India’s technological and entrepreneurial potential.
- Name the personality who has recently (in Dec ‘23) honoured with the Public Relations
Society of India (PRSI) National Award 2023.
1) Vaishnavi Ramakrishnan
2) Shailaja Vardhan
3) Prathap C Reddy
4) Saurabh Bose
5) Suganthy Sundararaj
Answer- 5) Suganthy Sundararaj
Explanation:
Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) honoured Suganthy Sundararaj, Regional Head of Public
Relations at Apollo Hospitals, with the PRSI National Award 2023 for her outstanding contributions
to PRSI and the industry.
i. The award was presented during the International Public Relations (IPR) Festival 2023 held in New
Delhi, Delhi from 25th to 27th November 2023.
ii. The award recognised her dedication to the PR industry and her role in shaping the strategic
management of the PR function in the healthcare domain.
- In December 2023, State Bank of India (SBI) is set to acquire an additional ___________ stake
in SBI Pension Funds Private Limited (SBIPFPL) for a cash consideration of Rs. 229.52 crore.
1) 10%
2) 40%
3) 20%
4) 50%
5) 30%
Answer- 3) 20%
Explanation:
The Executive Committee of the Central Board (ECCB) of State Bank of India (SBI) has approved SBI
to acquire an additional 20% stake in SBI Pension Funds Private Limited (SBIPFPL) for a cash
consideration of Rs. 229.52 crore.
• These stakes are currently held by SBI Capital Markets Limited (SBICAPS), a wholly-owned
subsidiary of SBI.
i. After the acquisition, SBI will own 80% of the stake in SBIPFPL whereas the remaining 20% of the
stake will be owned by SBI Funds Management Limited. The acquisition will be completed by 15th
December 2023.
ii. The acquisition is based on the valuation report of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Limited
Liability Partnership (LLP).
Note- SBI Funds Management Limited is a joint venture of SBI (62.53%) and Amundi (36.73%), a
French asset management company.
- Which of the following points is/are “correct” with respect to the Propulsion Module (PM)
of Chandrayaan-3, as of December 2023?
A) The Propulsion Module (PM) of Chandrayaan-3 by the Indian Space Research Organisation’s
(ISRO) retreats from an orbit around the moon to an orbit around Earth.
B) ISRO performed three maneuvers, including the first orbit-raising maneuver (from 150 km
to 5112 km), the second maneuver moved PM to Earth orbit of 1.8 lakhs x 3.8 lakhs km, and the
final Trans-Earth Injection (TEI) maneuver.
C) The orbit period (time taken to revolve around Earth) of PM is nearly 13 days with a 27-
degree inclination.
1) Only A
2) Only A & B
3) Only B & C
4) Only A & C
5) All A, B & C
Answer- 5) All A, B & C
Explanation:
The Propulsion Module (PM) of Chandrayaan-3 by the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO)
retreats from an orbit around the moon to an orbit around Earth.
• On 14th July 2023, ISRO successfully launched Chandrayaan-3 into orbit onboard the Launch
Vehicle Mark-3 Mission 4 (LVM3 M4) rocket from SDSC SHAR (Satish Dhawan Space Centre-
Sriharikota Range), Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh (AP) to Soft-land on the moon’s south pole.
• The propulsion module separated the lander on 17th August 2023 and the lander successfully
Soft-landed on the moon’s south pole on 23rd August 2023.
i. ISRO performed three maneuvers, including the first orbit-raising maneuver (from 150 km to 5112
km), the second maneuver moved PM to Earth orbit of 1.8 lakhs x 3.8 lakhs km, and the final Trans-
Earth Injection (TEI) maneuver.
ii. In the post-TEI maneuver, the propulsion module made four moon fly-by (gravity assist
maneuvers) before departing the Moon’s sphere of influence (SOI).
iii. The orbit period (time taken to revolve around Earth) of PM is nearly 13 days with a 27-degree
inclination.
iv. ISRO is set to launch India’s first X-ray polarimeter satellite (XPoSat) to investigate the
polarisation of intense astronomical X-ray sources.
• It has two payloads, including the POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and the XSPECT
(X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing).
• XPoSat is set to be launched by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Satish
Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota in December 2023. The mission life is expected to be
approximately 5 years.
- The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) eWeek 2023 is being
observed from ___________ with the theme of “Shaping the future of the digital economy.”
1) 7th to 11th December 2023
2) 6th to 10th December 2023
3) 5th to 9th December 2023
4) 4th to 8th December 2023
5) 3rd to 7th December 2023
Answer- 4) 4th to 8th December 2023
Explanation:
The United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) eWeek, previously known
as UNCTAD eCommerce Week 2023 is being observed
from 4th to 8th December 2023 at the International
Conference Center of Geneva(CICG) in Geneva,
Switzerland.
i. The theme of UNCTAD eWeek 2023 is “Shaping the
future of the digital economy.”
ii. UNCTAD eWeek 2023 is organised by UNCTAD in collaboration with ‘eTrade for all’ partners with
the support of the Swiss government.
iii. eWeek 2023 is set to host a diverse array of events, spanning over 150 sessions, held in person,
online, and in a hybrid format.
• The event combines high-level policy discussions with learning and experience-sharing
sessions.
- Which company has recently (in Dec ‘23) announced a plan to manufacture its first all-
electric car, a sports utility vehicle (SUV) called ‘eVX’ from its Hansalpur factory in Gujarat in
2024-2025?
1) Maruti Suzuki
2) Hyundai Motor
3) Tata Motors
4) Mahindra and Mahindra
5) Bajaj Auto
Answer- 1) Maruti Suzuki
Explanation:
India’s leading car maker Maruti Suzuki will manufacture its first all-electric car, a sports utility
vehicle (SUV) called ‘eVX’ from its Hansalpur factory in Gujarat in 2024-2025.
i. Suzuki Motor Gujarat Private Ltd (SMG), the entity operating the car manufacturing plant in
Hansalpur, is a fully-owned subsidiary of Maruti Suzuki. It began its operations in February 2017.
ii. The eVX will come with a 60kWh battery pack promising a range of about 560 km on a full charge.
- 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
Answer- 3) Iran
Explanation:
Iran successfully launched indigenous ‘bio-space capsule’ prototype, aiming to fly astronauts by
2030 (end of 2029).
• The launch took place on 6th December 2023 and saw the capsule reach a height of 80 miles
(130 km).
• The capsule weighed 1,100 lbs (500 kg) and was launched atop one of the nation’s Salman
solid-propellant rockets.
