Prime Minister Narendra Modi on  Jan 15 virtually flagged off the Vande Bharat train service between Secunderabad in Telangana and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. “Vande Bharat is a true replica of India which is coming out of the mentality of dependence and moving towards Atmanirbharta (self-reliance),” the PM said before flagging off the train.

The PM said seven Vande Bharat trains have covered the distance of 23 lakh kilometres, equivalent to 58 rounds of earth. More than 40 lakh passengers have travelled in Vande Bharat trains so far, he added. 

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is on course to become a 200-ship maritime force in another five years, its director general VS Pathania said.

He also said that the ICG, the fourth largest coast guard force in the world, has grown at a rapid pace over the years, with 158 ships in its inventory at present.

Pathania, when approached by PTI, explained that the ICG is expected to have close to 180 ships in two years and over 200 ships in the next five years, thus meeting the force's target.

Pathania said that the coast guard has 27 bigger vessels, which are 150-metre long.

The ICG has got approval from the Union government for six offshore patrol vessels and 14 fast patrol vessels. Pathania said that the maritime force is growing in keeping with the security requirements of the country.

He said that the ICG has big and small ships available round the clock across maritime areas in the eastern and western sea boards of the country.

The ICG also has in its inventory helicopters and Dornier aircraft meant for various missions, from security of the maritime zones to rescue operations.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol received an honour guard welcome  on Jan 15 on a trip to the United Arab Emirates as he hopes to expand his country's military sales in Abu Dhabi .

Yoon's visit comes as South Korea conducts business deals worth billions of dollars and stations special forces troops to defend the UAE, an arrangement that drew criticism under his liberal predecessor. Now, however, it appears the conservative leader wants to double down on those military links even as tensions with neighbouring Iran have already seen Tehran seize a South Korean oil tanker in 2021.

Yoon arrived at Qasr Al Watan palace in Abu Dhabi. He was greeted by Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who took office in May after serving as the country's de facto ruler for years.

An honour guard of traditionally dressed Emiratis greeted Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee. They twirled model Lee-Enfield rifles alongside troops on camelback and horseback. Inside, a military band played the South Korean and Emirati national anthems.

After the ceremony, South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted Sheikh Mohammed as saying the UAE planned to invest $30 billion in South Korea.

The importance of the trip for Seoul could be seen in the South Korean business leaders attending a camel meat luncheon at the palace. They included Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won.

The funeral of Greece's last king, Constantine II, will take place on  Jan 15 with a host of European royalty expected to descend on Athens for the service.

The ceremony will see royals from Britain, Denmark, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain pay their respects to the former monarch, who died on  jan 10 .

But there has been controversy in Greece over the funeral arrangements.

Constantine was a divisive figure in the country's history and the government has decided not to grant him the honour of a state funeral.

The private service begins at noon at the Athens Metropolitan Cathedral, with almost 200 guests expected.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Katerina Sakellaropoulou will not attend the funeral.

The Greek government will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos and Culture and Sports Minister Lina Mendoni.

Prominent Nepali journalist Tribhuvan Poudyal was among the 68 passengers who were killed when a Yeti Airlines aircraft, with 72 on board crashed into a river gorge while landing at the newly-opened airport in the resort city of Pokhara.

The deadly crash, which took place on Jan 15 , is Nepal's deadliest aviation accident in over 30 years.

Poudyal, 37, was a central executive member of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), an umbrella organisation of journalists in Nepal.

Paytm Payments Bank on Jan 16 said it has received final approval from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU).

Under Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), a BBPOU is allowed to facilitate bill payment services for electricity, phone, DTH, water, gas insurance, loan repayments, FASTag recharge, education fees, credit card bills and municipal taxes.

BBPS is owned by the National Payments Corporation of India. So far, Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) has been undertaking this activity under in-principle authorisation from RBI.

Under RBI's guidance, PPBL will display all agent institutions onboard on its website.

The combined wealth of India’s 100 richest has touched Rs 54.12 lakh crore. The wealth of the top 10 richest stands at Rs 27.52 lakh crore, a 32.8 per cent rise from 2021, according to Oxfam’s latest report titled “Survival of the Richest: The India Story”.

The report says that inequality in India continues to rise with the top 1% of the population holding 40.6% of the total wealth of India in 2021 and the bottom 50% collectively holding just 3% of the total wealth,

The Oxfam report says that the inequality in wealth distribution has only been accentuated by the pandemic.

According to the report, the top 10% own more than 80% of the wealth. The wealthiest 10% owns more than 72%, the top 5% owns nearly 62%, and the top 1% owns nearly 40.6% of the total wealth in India.

The report points to the irony that while the country still has the world’s highest number of poor at 228.9 million, the total number of billionaires in India increased from 102 in 2020 to 166 billionaires in 2022. 

Q1. Name the prominent Nepali journalist who was among the 68 passengers who were killed when a Yeti Airlines aircraft, with 72 on board crashed into a river gorge while landing at the newly-opened airport in the resort city of Pokhara ?

1. Tribhuvan Poudyal
2. Rishi Dhamala
3. Indra Lohani
4. Bharat Jangam
5. None of These

Q2. Name the payments bank which  has received final approval from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU) ?

1. FINO Payments Bank Ltd
2. India Post Payments Bank Ltd
3. Paytm Payments Bank
4. Airtel Payment Bank
5. None of These

Q3. Name the Arab nation which has been visited by the South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol as he hopes to expand his country's military sales ?

1. Saudi Arab
2. United Arab Emirates
3. Qatar
4. Iraq
5. None of These

Q4. The 8th new Vande Bharat train  which has been flagged off virtually , it will run between

1. Secunderabad and  Visakhapatnam
2. Hyderabad and  Visakhapatnam
3. New Delhi and Secunderabad
4. Hazrat Nizamuddin and Visakhapatnam
5. None of These

Q5. The National Youth Day or Rashtriya Yuva Divas is celebrated every year on January 12 to commemorate the birth anniversary of

1. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
2. Subhas Chandra Bose
3. Rabindranath Tagore
4. Shankaracharya
5. None of These

Answers

1----------------1  Tribhuvan Poudyal

2---------------3    Paytm Payments Bank

3----------------2   United Arab Emirates

4-----------------1   Secunderabad and  Visakhapatnam

5-------------------5    None of These

Ans  Swami Vivekananda