Option (a) is correct

Explanation:

• When the value of the goods and services that a country imports exceeds the value of the products it exports, it is known as the current account deficit. 
• Statement 1 is correct: The current account deficit (CAD) – which measures the difference between exports and imports of goods and services – narrowed to 0.2 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022-2023, from 2 per cent in the preceding quarter.
• Statement 2 is  correct: The sequential decline in CAD in Q4 of fiscal 2022-23 was mainly on account of a moderation in the trade deficit, from $71.3 billion in Q3 of FY2022 to $52.6 billion in the fourth quarter, coupled with robust services exports.
  • Remittances, which are the second largest major source of external financing after service export, also contributed to narrowing the CAD. 
• The current account deficit is essentially the difference between investment and savings. If a country runs a current account deficit, then it needs foreign savings to finance that gap.
• When the current account deficit is lower, It is treated as a sign of the resilience of the economy.

Option (d) is correct

Explanation:

• Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a statement on the use of cryptocurrency in the Latin America and Caribbean market, and about the rising interest in blockchain-based central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
• A cryptocurrency is a form of digital asset based on a network that is distributed across a large number of computers.
• CBDC is a digital form of currency notes issued by a central bank.
  • CBDCs is a new variant of central bank money different from physical cash or central bank reserve/settlement accounts. 
• Statement 1 is correct: El Salvador is the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin – the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization – as its legal tender
• Statement 2 is correct: Cryptocurrencies and central bank digital currencies are both blockchain-based digital currencies

Option (a) is correct

Explanation:

• British children’s writer and performance poet Michael Rosen has been awarded the prestigious PEN Pinter Prize 2023
• The PEN Pinter Prize was established in 2009 in memory of Nobel-laureate playwright Harold Pinter. 
• Criteria for the annual award:
  • Literary work should reflect a fierce commitment to uncovering the truth about our lives and societies.
  • Nationality: From the UK, Ireland, or Commonwealth countries.

Option (c) is correct

Explanation:

• The Centre has signalled a move towards rolling out Time-of-day(ToD) Tariff System.
• Time-of-day tariff norms are a set of rules and guidelines that dictate how electricity prices vary throughout the day. 
• These norms determine when electricity is cheaper or more expensive based on different time periods, such as peak, off-peak, and sometimes intermediate periods. 
• Statement 1 is correct: Under it, the tariff during solar hours, a duration of eight hours as specified by the State Electricity Regulatory Commission, will be 10-20% lower than the normal tariff. Conversely, during peak hours, the tariff will be 10-20% higher.
• Statement 2 is correct: The new tariff system will come into effect for commercial and industrial consumers, having demand of 10 KW and above, from April 1, 2024.
• For all other consumers except those in the agricultural sector, the new tariff system will be applicable from April 1, 2025. 

Option (c) is correct

Explanation:

• The Bombay High Court ruled that, considering the extent of vertical and horizontal reservations which are already provided, providing additional reservations for transgender persons seems difficult. 
• Statement 1 is correct: In the National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA) v Union of India (2014) case, the Supreme Court ruled that transgender persons have a right to reservation.
• Statement 2 is correct: Vertical reservations are provisions aimed at addressing social asymmetry arising out of caste hierarchy. These include reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC). 
• Statement 3 is correct: Horizontal reservation cuts across all vertical groups to provide affirmative policies for disadvantaged groups within categories. For example, disabled persons are guaranteed horizontal reservation in all the aforementioned vertical categories, general and reserved (vertical) alike, by the Central government.

Option (d) is correct

Explanation:

Recently, People attended the opening ceremony for the new city of Arkadag, dedicated to the country’s former president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, in Arkadag, Turkmenistan.