GK & Current Affairs: April 17, 18, 2015
1. Which state of India is known for highest per capita alcohol consumption?
[A]Gujarat
[B]Kerala
[C]Tamil Nadu
[D]Telangana
Answer: Kerala
Notes:
As of 2015, Kerala has India’s highest per capita alcohol consumption at more than eight litres per person yearly.
2. World Earth Day is observed on which of the following days?
[A]April 20
[B]April 21
[C]April 22
[D]April 23
Answer: April 22
Notes:
Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 annually. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and celebrated in more than 192 countries each year.
3. Recently, the European Union has proposed a 10 point action plan to stem ___?
[A]Terrorism
[B]Migrant crisis
[C]Child labour
[D]Woman harassment
Answer: Migrant crisis
Notes:
The European Union unveiled a 10-point action plan to stem the tide of migrants crossing the Mediterranean after the latest disastrous loss of life, promising to step up both control and rescue operations.
4. The 13th United Nations congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice was concluded in ____?
[A]Doha, Qatar
[B]Tokyo, Japan
[C]Mumbai, India
[D]Shanghai, China
Answer: Doha, Qatar
Notes:
The 13th United Nations congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice was ended in Doha, Qatar. Doha declaration
5. As of 2015, how many Presidents of China have been conferred with the Pakistan’s highest civilian award Nishan-e-Pakistan?
[A]One
[B]Two
[C]Three
[D]Four
Answer: Three
Notes:
In April 2015, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain conferred the country’s top civil award Nishan-i-Pakistan on Chinese President Xi Jinping. President Xi was decorated with Nishan-i-Pakistan for his “outstanding contribution in the promotion of the relationship between the two countries”. He is the third Chinese leader who has been awarded the Nishan-i-Pakistan. The other two recipients are Premier Li Peng and President Hu Jintao.
6. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action is a declaration related to ____?
[A]Human Rights
[B]Woman Empowerment
[C]Global Warming
[D]Whales Protection
Answer: Human Rights
Notes:
The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, also known as VDPA, is a human rights declaration adopted by consensus at the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993 in Vienna, Austria.
7. Which bank announced the launch of “Tap n Pay” new innovative NFC (Near Field Communication) based contactless payment system?
[A]Axis Bank
[B]HDFC Bank
[C]ICICI Bank
[D]Corporation Bank
Answer: ICICI Bank
Notes:
ICICI Bank announced launch of new innovative NFC (Near Field Communication) based contactless payment system in partnership with Tech Mahindra. Called “Tap n Pay”, it allows users to make over-the-counter payments without using any cash or card. The users have to just tap the NFC enabled tag or mobile phone at the merchant’s point-of-sale device to make payments. The ‘Tap n Pay’ platform is available to all consumers, irrespective whether they have an ICICI Bank account or not.
8. The Pollution Management and Environmental Health (PMEH) program has been launched by which of the following bodies?
[A]United Nations
[B]World Bank
[C]Asian Bank
[D]European Union
Answer: World Bank
Notes:
The World Bank established a Pollution Management and Environmental Health (PMEH) program that builds upon experiences in urban and rural pollution reduction from around the world to promote more systematic and effective responses to deadly and costly pollution. The program was officially launched on Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day (April 18, 2015) in Washington, D.C. The programme with an initial total allocation of around $45 million, will focus on air quality management in five major urban areas in India, China, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa.
9. Janaki Ballabh Patnaik, who died recently, was a former chief minister of which state?
[A]Bihar
[B]Odisha
[C]West Bengal
[D]Jharkhand
Answer: Odisha
Notes:
Janaki Ballabha Patnaik was a former chief minister of Odisha and governor of Assam. He was Chief Minister of Odisha from 1980 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 1999, holding that post for the longest time on record before Naveen Patnaik.
10. Which state recently launched the campaign ‘Subodham’ to help people overcome alcohol, drug abuse?
[A]Kerala
[B]Gujarat
[C]Madhya Pradesh
[D]Karnataka
Answer: Kerala
Notes:
The Kerala government has launched a major campaign “Subodham” to help people in the state overcome alcohol, drug and other substance abuse. The “Subodham” project, envisaged by the excise department, will be implemented by a high-level committee comprising experts from various fields. The campaign aims to free one lakh people from drug and alcohol addiction each year. “‘Subodham’ heralds the first step towards ‘Punarjani 2030 Project’, a state government initiative to completely eradicate the menace of substance abuse in Kerala.