ANSWER: A

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: C

• AR4 Tech, a start-up in Coimbatore, has partnered Sodion Energy of Singapore to make sodium ion battery packs for domestic and export markets.

ABOUT SODIUM ION BATTERY

• Sodium-ion batteries (Na-ion batteries or NIBs) are an emerging battery technology that utilizes sodium ions (Na+) as charge carriers.
• Sodium-ion batteries offer an alternative energy storage solution to Lithium Ion Batteries (LIB) with potential benefits such as cost-effectiveness and abundance of sodium resources.
• Working (similar to LIBs)-
  • During charging, sodium ions are moved from the positive electrode (cathode) to the negative electrode (anode), and during discharge, they move back to the cathode, generating electrical energy in the process.

ADVANTAGES

• NIBs have a number of advantages over other types of batteries, including their safety, affordability, and long lifespan.
• They are a good fit for applications where fast charging and high discharge rates are required, such as electric vehicles which are required to climb slopes or carry heavy loads.
• NIBs also shine in applications such as Backup Power Supplies, Solar Energy Storage and even Starter Batteries for gasoline vehicles.
• NIBs are close to Lead Acid Battery LABs in price but perform similarly to LIBs.

ANSWER: D

• Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members have approached India to restart negotiations on the free trade agreement.
• India had GCC had agreed to explore an FTA in 2004 but after two rounds of discussions in 2006 and 2008, the process was abandoned.
• The council is the largest trading bloc of India.

 ABOUT GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL

• GCC is a political and economic union of six countries in the Gulf region — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.
• Established in 1981 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), the GCC promotes economic, security, cultural and social cooperation between the six states.
• HQ- Riyadh
• Official language- Arabic.
• It holds a summit every year to discuss cooperation and regional affairs.
• The GCC consists of the Supreme Council, the Ministerial Council and the Secretariat General.

ANSWER: A

• Visitors to Pench Tiger Reserve will now be able to experience cycle safari.
• The cycle safari will be on the Kolitmara to Kunwara Bhivsen stretch.
• This stretch is 48 km long and it takes visitors through the forested areas of Narhar, Banera and Chargaon.

ABOUT PENCH TIGER RESERVE

• The Reserve is located in the southern reaches of the Satpura hills in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts in Madhya Pradesh and continues in Ramtek, Parseoni and Saoner tehsil of Nagpur district, Maharashtra as a separate Sanctuary.
• It includes the Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park, the Pench Mowgli Sanctuary and a buffer.
  • It is 25^th tiger reserve of India.
• The Pench Tiger reserve (PTR) derives its name from the River Pench, which divides the reserve in almost two equal halves and Totladoh reservoir built on the Pench river plays an important role in enriching and sustaining the wild life in the tiger reserve.
• It is spread over 741.41 Sq.km of area.
• Flora– teak, saag, mahua, and various grasses and shrubs.
• Faunal species include tiger, leopard, sloth bear, Sambar, Nilgai, Indian gaur, wild dog, wolf etc.

ANSWER: B

• National Highways Authority of India organized a brainstorming session with stakeholders for expediting adoption of Insurance Surety Bonds for NHAI contracts.
• NHAI has urged insurance companies and contractors to analyze use of Insurance Surety Bonds as an additional mode of submitting Bid Security and /or Performance Security Deposit.
• The Insurance Surety Bonds, when issued, would be cost effective and provide adequate security for NHAI projects.

ABOUT INSURANCE SURETY BONDS

• Insurance Surety Bonds are instruments where insurance companies act as ‘Surety’ and provides the financial guarantee that the contractor will fulfil its obligation as per the agreed terms.
• Surety bonds act as a viable option to bank guarantees and offer longer maturity terms than the traditional banking products.
• Ministry of Finance has granted equivalence status to e-BGs and Insurance Surety Bonds, aligning them with BGs for all government procurement processes.
• They are one of the most cost-effective ways to finance contract security options and could provide an estimated capital relief of Rs. 50,000 crore for the infrastructure sector.

ANSWER: D

• A Lion Tailed Macaque has been sporadically spotted by conservationists in the forests of Nadugani, shared by the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu and Nilambur in Kerala.

ABOUT LION TAILED MACAQUE

• Scientific name – Macaca silenus
• It is also known as the wanderoo or bearded monkeys.
• It is an Old World monkey endemic to the Western Ghats of South India.
• They have a grey mane around their face and a lion-like, long, thin, and tufted tail.
• Males of this species communicate with their home ranges with sounds, one of its distinguishing characteristics.
• Lion-tailed macaques are omnivores and diet consists of local fruits, seeds, flowers, insects, snails, and small vertebrates.
• Protection status
  • IUCN red list Status- Endangered
  • CITES- Appendix-1
  • WPA 1972- Schedule 1

ANSWER: B

• Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa from India finished second in International Chess Federation- FIDE World Cup and Magnus Carlsen finally managed to win the FIDE World Cup for the first time in his career.
• The chess tournament that took place in Baku, Azerbaijan.

ABOUT RAMESHBABU PRAGGNANANDHAA

• Praggnanandha, who turned 18 during the World Cup, was the youngest World Cup finalist ever.
• Pragg seeded at 31, is also the lowest seed to make the final of the World Cup.
• He became a Grand Master at the age of 12.

ANSWER: D

• Women’s Equality Day is observed annually on August 26^th.
• It marks a global recognition of the ongoing struggle for equal rights and opportunities for women.
• History– On this day, the 19^th Ammendment to the US Constitution was officially certified in 1920.
  • The amendment provided women the right to vote.
• Women’s Equality Day was first celebrated on August 26, 1971.
• The theme for Women’s Equality Day 2023 is “Embrace Equity”.

ANSWER: A

• In the state, there are only two eye banks in the districts of Kangra and Shimla.
• Other than two out of 12 districts medical colleges of Himachal, there are no eye banks at district level.
• However, eye donation fortnight is organized every year in the districts under the National Blindness and Visual Impairment Control Program in Himachal.