The country’s industrial production growth fell to 4.3% in December from 7.3% in November 2022, mainly due to subdued performance of the manufacturing sector, as per the official data released on Feb 11.

However, there was an improvement in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), which stood at 1% in December 2021, on year-on-year basis. As per the IIP data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), manufacturing sector’s output grew 2.6% in December 2022 from 0.6% a year ago. Growth stood at 6.4% in the preceding month of November 2022.

Mining output rose by 9.8% during the month under review, from 2.6% in December 2021. Power generation rose 10.4% in December 2022 as against 2.8% in the year-ago month. As per use-based classification, capital goods segment recorded a growth of 7.6% in December against a decline of 3% in the corresponding month of the last fiscal.

Consumer durables output fell 10.4% as against a contraction of 1.9% a year ago. Consumer non-durable goods output expanded 7.2% as against a growth of 0.3% earlier. Infrastructure/construction goods too posted a growth of 8.2% as against 2% in the same month of 2021.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Feb 11  issued an updated alert list of entities which are neither authorised to deal in forex  nor allowed to operate electronic trading platforms’  (ETPs) forex transactions.

Total 34 entities, including FX Western, eToro, Pepperstone, iFOREX, Alpari and Quotex feature in the banking sector regulator’s alert list.

The RBI has cautioned the public not to undertake forex transactions on unauthorised ETPs and to remit or deposit money for such unauthorised transactions. The central bank has said an entity not having its name in the list should not assume that it is authorised by the RBI to deal in forex. It advised firms to check the list of authorised persons from its website to get latest update. 

India thrashed Australia by an innings and 132 runs inside three days in the opening Test to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series in Nagpur on  feb 11

Brief Scores: Australia 1st innings: 177 and 2nd innings: 91 all out in 32.3 overs (Ravichandran Ashwin 5/37).

India 1st innings: 400 all out in 139.3 overs (Rohit Sharma 120, Axar Patel 84, Ravindra Jadeja 70; Todd Murphy 7/124). India win by an innings and 132 runs.

Q1.  Name the state which has decided  to implement the dress code for the govt hospital staff  and decided to ban the Jeans, skirts, makeup, 'funky' hairstyles etc ?

1. Punjab
2. Uttar Pradesh
3. Haryana
4. Uttarakhand
5. None of These

Q2. Name the country which has banned the import of fresh roses from countries like India and China ahead of Valentine's Day ?

1. Bangladesh
2. Bhutan
3. Sri Lanka
4. Nepal
5. None of These

Q3. Name the person  who had served as East Germany’s last communist leader during a turbulent tenure that ended in the country’s first and only free election and who  has died recently ?

1. Hans Modrow
2. Clara Zetkin
3. Leo Jogiches
4. Paul Levi
5. None of These

Q4. The China-based Alibaba has sold its remaining 3.3% direct stake in the fin-tech firm One97 Communications, which operates under the brand of

1. Stripe
2. Klarna
3. Plaid
4. Paytm
5. None of These

Q5. India has thrashed Australia by an innings and 132 runs inside three days in the opening Test to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series in

Mumbai

Nagpur

Kolkata

Ranchi

None of These

Answers

1--------------------3 Haryana

2---------------------4 Nepal

3---------------------1 Hans Modrow

4---------------------4 Paytm

5---------------------2 Nagpur

The government on Feb 9 said lithium reserves have been found for the first time in the country in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lithium is a non-ferrous metal and is one of the key components in EV batteries.

Upon exploration by the Geological Survey of India (GSI), lithium reserves have been found in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, the mines ministry had said that to strengthen the critical mineral supply chain for emerging technologies, the government was taking several proactive measures to secure minerals, including lithium, from Australia and Argentina.

Currently, India is import-dependent for many minerals like lithium, nickel and cobalt.

After a prolonged wait, works on India’s much-publicised High-Speed Rail Project to run the bullet trains between Mumbai and Ahmedabad chugged off on Feb 9.

Construction of a tunnel for the double line between Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Shilphata in Maharashtra has been started as part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor.

The BKC station will be the only underground station on which works were set in motion, will be the only underground station in Mumbai Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor.

 According to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, 21 km out of a total of 508.17 km of rail track is planned to be underground while the rest will be elevated.

The tunnel will ensure the protection of the bird sanctuary and mangroves around Thane creek. 

Supreme Court will now work with the full strength of 34 judges as the Centre on Feb 9   notified the appointment of Justices Rajesh Bindal and Aravind Kumar as Supreme Court judges.

Rajesh Bindal, Chief Justice, Allahabad HC

Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice, Gujarat HC

All is set for the snow-covered Gulmarg ski resort in Jammu and Kashmir to host the third edition of Khelo India Winter Games, India’s biggest winter sports extravaganza, from Feb 1o .In the five-day event from February 10-14, about 1,800 players from across the country would participate in 11 different winter sports disciplines in Gulmarg in north Kashmir, which is covered with a thick blanket of snow after fresh snowfall. The mega national winter event includes snow skiing, snow rugby, snow ice stock, snow baseball, snow mountaineering, snowshoeing, ice hockey, figure skating and speed skating.

On February 4, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Union Sports Minister launched the 3rd Khelo India National Winter Games anthem, mascot and jersey. This year’s mascot, the Snow Leopard, depicts the vibrant heritage of the Himalayas.