Q1. Which of the following agency for the first time is deploying laser-equipped anti-drone technology and anti-drone guns along the Intentional Border (IB) with Pakistan at 30 spots in Punjab ?

1. Central Reserve Police Force
2. Indo-Tibetan Border Police
3. Sashastra Seema Bal
4. Border Security Force
5. None of These

Q2. Name the country which has  granted  its citizenship to former US security contractor Edward Snowden ?

1. UK
2. Sweden
3. Russia
4. Ukraine
5. None of These

Q3. Name the country which has  expressed grave concern about Russia’s possible use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine  and announced an additional ban on exports of chemical weapons-related goods to Russia ?

1. US
2. UK
3. France
4. Germany
5. None of These

Q4. The  Indian government has extended the foreign trade policy (FTP) for another six months with effect from

1. Oct 1, 2022
2. Dec  1, 2022
3. Jan 1, 2023
4. Apr 1, 2023
5. None of these

Q5. Name the agency which on Sep 26  has projected India's economic growth at 7.3 per cent in the current fiscal with downside risks and said inflation is likely to remain above RBI's upper tolerance threshold of 6 per cent till the end of 2022 ?

1. S&P Global Ratings
2.  Fitch Ratings
3. India Ratings & Research
4.  Asian Development Bank
5.  None of These

Answers

1--------------------- 4  Border Security Force

2----------------------3   Russia

3--------------------- 5 None of These, Japan

4--------------------- 1  Oct 1, 2022

5----------------------1 S&P Global Ratings

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on  Sep 26 announced that his new political outfit will be named as 'Democratic Azad Party'.

The development comes exactly a month after Azad resigned from the Congress party. Announcing the name of the new party, Azad said that the outfit will be secular, democratic and independent from any influence.

Azad also unveiled the flag of the Democratic Azad Party. The flag has three colours - mustard, white and blue.

Azad has been Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 2005 to 2008.

Legendary musician and composer Sachin Dev Burman's palatial home in Cumilla district of Bangladesh is all set to be transformed into a cultural complex, with the Sheikh Hasina government having sanctioned Taka 1.10 crore (Rs 86 lakh) for the project.

Dev Burman, born in 1906, spent the first 18 years of his life in this South Chartha village rajbari (palace) in Cumilla, said Golam Faruk, an advocate and a prolific writer who edited a 596-page book on the musician. His father, a descendant of Tripura royal family, had moved to Cumilla to look after the princely estates.

The palace, where the music maestro was born and raised, was listed as a protected monument on Nov 30, 2017.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had visited Agartala to attend the convocation of Tripura University in 2012 and assured a delegation of writers and cultural activists there that the house would be preserved and converted into a cultural centre and museum.

In May 2017, Hasina had visited Cumilla to attend the 116th birth anniversary of poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, and laid the foundation stones of seven projects, one of which was for the 'Sachin Dev Burman Cultural Complex'.

Dev Burman, popularly known as 'sachin karta', lived in Cumilla until 1924.

He left for Kolkata that year to pursue higher education and then later to Mumbai in 1944. Those of the Dev Burman family, who lived in the Cumilla house, migrated to India after 1947.

Dev Burman's first major breakthrough in Mumbai came in 1947 with 'Do Bhai'.

He went on to compose music for several epic Hindi films including ‘Pyaasa', ‘Kagaaz ke Phool', ‘Guide', ‘Abhimaan' and ‘Mili'.

He also sang songs in semi-classical and folk styles of Bengal.

Pakistan Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has stepped down in the middle of a trip abroad amid a serious economic crisis that the country faces following the devastating floods.

The decision to change ranks in the top cabinet position came after a vital PML-N meeting was held in London on Sep 25  under the chairmanship of party supremo Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistan media reports said Ismail is being replaced by a senior PML-N leader Ishaq Dar as the cash-strapped country's new financial czar.

The resignation of Ismail comes after continued speculation that former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was unhappy with some of his key decisions, including the hike in fuel prices.

The leaders who attended the key London meeting were Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, and outgoing finance minister Miftah Ismail. Other party leaders including Ishaq Dar and Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan also attended this meeting.

Tens of thousands of Hasidic Jews gathered in the Ukrainian city of Uman for their annual pilgrimage,  despite authorities asking them to skip the trip because of the war.

Every year, Hasidic Jewish pilgrims come to Uman in central Ukraine from across the world to visit the tomb of one of the main figures of Hasidic Judaism for the Jewish new year celebration of Rosh Hashanah.

Uman is relatively far from the frontline, but Ukrainian and Israeli authorities still urged worshippers to skip the celebrations taking place between September 25 and 27 this year.

Despite the warnings, crowds of Hasidim dressed in traditional black clothing gathered in Uman, celebrating in the streets.

Pilgrims often cite a religious text from Rabbi Nachman, the founder of an ultra-Orthodox movement who died in the city in 1810, in which he promised he would "save (worshippers) from hell" if they came to visit his tomb on Rosh Hashanah.

Continuing with the depreciation, Rupee slipped further from the past week's low and hit another lifetime low on  Sep 26 morning. This consistent depreciation follows the ongoing strengthening of the US dollar index for a two-decade, on hopes that demand for safe-haven currency such as the dollar would pick up.

On  Sep 26 morning, it crossed 81.50 against the US dollar. On Sep 23, it closed at 81.25. Notably,  on  Sep 22 depreciation was the biggest single-day fall for the rupee since February 24.

Exports of gems, jewellery, sugar confectionery, cereals, electrical machinery and other products to the UAE have registered a healthy growth after the two countries implemented a trade deal in May.

The commerce ministry said that Indian exports to the UAE, excluding petroleum products grew from USD 5.17 billion in June-August 2021 to USD 5.92 billion during June-August 2022, an increase of over 14 per cent.

However, sectors which recorded negative growth during the period include ships, boats and floating structures, apparel, pharmaceutical products, aluminium and articles, organic chemicals, carpets and other textile floor coverings, and silk.

The India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) came into effect from May 1.

According to the ministry's analysis, exports of electrical machinery and equipment rose by 67 per cent to USD 916.53 million during June-August 2022.

Similarly, exports of gems and jewellery increased by 33 per cent to USD 1.4 billion.

The outbound shipments of cereals; sugars and sugar confectionery; Inorganic chemicals; and nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances increased by 161 per cent, 237 per cent, 74 per cent, and 27 per cent to USD 281.36 million, USD 111.49 million, USD 156.92 million, and USD 267.89 million respectively during the period under review.

Exports of vehicles and accessories; coffee, tea, mate and spices; edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers; and essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations too recorded positive growth, the commerce ministry data showed.

Sectors which recorded negative growth during the period include ships, boats and floating structures (- 67 per cent), apparel (- 47 per cent), pharmaceutical products (- 37 per cent), aluminium and articles (- 26 per cent), organic chemicals (- 4 per cent), carpets and other textile floor coverings (- 33 per cent) and silk (- 35 per cent).

Liudmila Samsonova of Russia extended a remarkable summer run by clinching her third title in two months after beating rising Chinese player Zheng Qinwen 7-5, 7-5 at the Toray Pan Pacific Open on Sept 25.

No. 30-ranked Samsonova won in Washington and Cleveland in August and also reached the fourth round of the US Open. The 23-year-old has now won 18 of her last 19 matches and didn’t drop a set in Tokyo.

Samsonova added that the exclusion of Russian players from Wimbledon had helped her game though she stopped short of supporting the move.