ANS : A

• The highly acclaimed author, theta healer, and spiritual coach, Sarika Bhardwaj marked the unveiling of her latest literary gem, “A Fool’s Journey,” published by NotionPress and Orient Digital Media.
• “A Fool’s Journey” is a captivating non-fiction work that delves into the depths of self-discovery and the quest for purpose in life. 
• With a deep-rooted belief in the transformative power of storytelling to touch hearts and change lives, Sarika Bhardwaj’s new book promises to be an enlightening voyage of healing and spiritual growth for its readers.

ANS : A

• The state government has appointed Arvind Kumar, a retired IAS officer and advisor to chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the new chairman of Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC), a quasi-judicial body vested, among other things, with the power to regulate bulk and retail power tariffs.
• Kumar replaces Raj Pratap Singh, a retired IAS officer of 1983 batch.
• The three-member selection committee headed by Justice (retired) of Allahabad high court, Umesh Kumar, in its meeting recommended a panel of two names, that is Arvind Kumar and Alok Kumar.
• Arvind Kumar, apponited as the sixth UPERC chairman, enjoys a rich experience of working in various capacities in the energy/power sector in Uttar Pradesh.

ANS : B

• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Foreign Ministers’ Retreat began in Thailand capital city Bangkok.
• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional multilateral organisation.
• Its members lie in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity.
• It mainly aims to create an enabling environment for rapid economic development; accelerate social progress; and promote collaboration on matters of common interest in the region.

ANS : D

• The ambitious Pradhan Mantri Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) park at Amravati in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra – expected to attract investment of Rs 10,000 crore and create employment for 300,000 individuals – was formally launched.
• During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Government of Maharashtra, and the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, for the establishment of PM MITRA park.
• Spanning across a contiguous 1020 acres of land at Nandgaon Peth, adjacent to the Additional Amravati Industrial Area (MIDC), the park is situated just 30 kilometers away from the Mumbai Nagpur Samruddhi Highway and 147 kilometers from the nearest port, the Wardha Dry Port. As a brownfield park, it already possesses essential infrastructure such as roads, water, and electricity.

ANS : A

• A festive atmosphere prevailed in Hyderabad especially in parts of Old city as the annual Bonalu festival during the Hindu Lunar month of Ashada Masam was celebrated.
• Dressed in traditional best, women were seen carrying ‘Bonam’, on their heads and making an offering to the deity at the temples.
• Bonam means, sweetened meal in a pot.
•  Long queues were witnessed at Akkana Madanna temple, Hari Bowli, Sri Simhavahini Mahankali temple at Lal Darwaza, and other nearby temples in Old City. 

ANS : B

• Marketa Vondrousova beats Ons Jabeur to become first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon title.
• Vondrousova became the first ever unseeded women’s singles player in the history of Open Era to lift the coveted Venus Rosewater Dish.
• With the win, Vondrousova became the fifth left-handed player to win the women’s singles title at Wimbledon in the Open Era, after Ann Jones, Martina Navratilova, Petra Kvitova and Angelique Kerber and the third female Czech player after Jana Novotna (1998) and Petra Kvitova (2011 and 2014) to win at SW19.
• She also became the lowest-ranked player (#42) to win the women’s singles title since the WTA Rankings were introduced.

ANS : C

• Adani Group has commissioned India’s first transnational power project from its Ultra-Supercritical Thermal Power Plant (USCTPP) of Adani Power located at Godda in Jharkhand, India.
• The Adani Group Chairman met with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the follow-up of the full load commencement of Godda plant to supply power to the Bangladesh electricity grid.
• Under the power purchase agreement (PPA) signed with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), the plant will supply 1,496 MW.
• In addition, the Godda plant will supply uninterrupted and reliable electricity at a competitive tariff.
• The Godda power plant is the first in India to have started operations with 100 percent flue gas desulphurization (FGD), selective catalytic reconverter (SCR), and zero water discharge for minimizing emissions, aligning with the norms set by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) of the Government of India.

ANS : D

• World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz ended Novak Djokovic’s hopes of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam to claim his maiden Wimbledon title in a five-set epic.
• It was a second major for the 20-year-old Spaniard following his US Open title last year as he became Wimbledon’s third youngest men’s champion.
• Instead of Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, becoming the oldest male champion at Wimbledon in the Open era, Alcaraz, a 20-year-old from Spain, became the third-youngest.
  • The age gap between the two was the widest in any men’s Slam final since 1974.
• Australian Open and French Open champion Djokovic had been bidding to equal Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles and match Margaret Court’s all-time mark of 24 Slams.

ANS : A

• Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the Aapda Rahat Kosh- 2023 website, initiating a digital platform aimed at aiding the disaster- affected people of Himachal Pradesh.
• Individuals can donate money in Aapda Rahat Kosh-2023 from anywhere using various payment methods such as debit card, credit card, net banking, QR code and UPl.
• During the launch, the chief minister said that the magnitude of the tragedy was vast and people from across the country and abroad have expressed their desire to assist.
• He said that to facilitate this support, the department of digital technology and governance developed a transparent web link where anyone can donate online and receive a receipt on their mobile device.
• The system has been integrated with multiple payment gateways to ensure seamless transactions.

ANS : B

• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami informed that the ‘Harela’ festival is a symbol of happiness, prosperity, peace, environment and nature conservation.
• He participated in a program organized on the theme of ‘Water Conservation and Rejuvenation of Water Streams‘ at International Cricket Stadium, Maharana Pratap Sports College, on the occasion of Harela festival.
• Harela is a unique folk festival of Uttarakhand, which depicts the interrelationship between humans and the environment.
  • During the festival, the people of Uttarakhand worship nature in different ways.
• They also take part in the tree plantation drive organised by the Forest Department in Dehradun.
• Since the festival marks the beginning of Sawan from this day, the festival is being celebrated by all in unique and special ways, while the season has already arrived in other parts of the country.
• The festival is an indicator of greenery and the beginning of a new season.
• It is also believed that Lord Shiva resides in Uttarakhand, hence the importance of the festival increases manifold.
• Earlier on the occasion of the Harela festival in 2020, former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat inaugurated ‘Smriti Van‘ at the Asthal village of Dehradun, in memory of the famous folk singer of the state late Jeet Singh Negi.