11. Which state/UT has recently renamed its Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control Department as the ‘Jal Shakti Department’?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Puducherry
[C] Jammu and Kashmir
[D] Chandigarh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Jammu and Kashmir]
Notes:
The Administrative Council under the chairmanship of Lt Governor G C Murmu recently approved the renaming of the state’s Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control Department as the ‘Jal Shakti Department’.
The council also approved the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission and the strategy to achieve 100 per cent coverage of piped water supply across the UT, by December 2021. It was also proposed to set up a Mission Directorate of Jal Jeevan Mission for implementation of the scheme. Seven districts of the UT would be covered for 100 per cent piped water supply by June 2020, in the initial phase.
12. The indigenous air to ground missile ‘Khagantak’, which was unveiled during the ongoing DefExpo 2020, is built by which firm/organisation?
[A] Defence Research and Development Organisation
[B] Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd
[C] JSR Dynamics
[D] Bharat Electronics Limited
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [JSR Dynamics]
Notes:
A private Indian firm has recently unveiled the indigenous air to ground missile ‘Khagantak’, during the ongoing DefExpo 2020. The firm has manufactured the air to ground missile with a strike range of 180 km.
The Managing Director of JSR Dynamics Air Marshal SB Deo announced the missile and said that when released from a height of 12 km, the missile is an air-launch weapon. It can be used as a guide weapon, which also has artificial intelligence (AI) to recognise the targets. Such indigenous missiles are expected to be a boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative and reduce our dependence on foreign defence manufacturers.
13. The cybersecurity project codenamed Dejfa, that was recently making news, belongs to which country?
[A] Pakistan
[B] Iran
[C] Malaysia
[D] China
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Iran]
Notes:
Digital Fortress (Dejfa in Persian) is the name of a cybersecurity project of Iran. This has been frequently in news in recent times as Iran faces frequent DDoS attacks and cyber attacks. On 8th February also, the agency was able to avert a massive DDoS attack.
14. Which city was host to the National Conference on e-Governance 2020?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Bengaluru
[C] Mumbai
[D] Hyderabad
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Mumbai]
Notes:
23rd edition of the two day annual National Conference on e-Governance recently concluded in Mumbai. Its focus was on improving delivery of public services by promoting use of digital platforms. During the event, Blockchain Sandbox – Maharashtra was also launched. Mumbai Declaration on e-Governance was also unanimously adopted on the concluding day.
15. The Belum Caves festival was recently organized in which state?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Andhra Pradesh
[C] Karnataka
[D] Tamil Nadu
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Andhra Pradesh]
Notes:
Belum cave system is the largest cave system open to the public on Indian subcontinent extending about 3,229 meters. It is located in Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh. The recently concluded Belum Caves festival promoted the caves system.
16. Who is the author of “Gandhi’s Hinduism: The Struggle Against Jinnah’s Islam”?
[A] Natwar Singh
[B] M J Akbar
[C] Inder Malhotra
[D] Fatima Zakaria
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [M J Akbar]
Notes:
M.J. Akbar’s new book “Gandhi’s Hinduism – The Struggle Against Jinnah’s Islam” chronicles the endgame that led to the partition of the subcontinent in 1947 and the creation of Pakistan.
17. Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg, who recently submitted her resignation, was associated with which global organisation?
[A] World Bank
[B] International Monetary Fund
[C] United Nations
[D] Asian Development Bank
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [World Bank]
Notes:
The Chief economist of World Bank, Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg recently announced her resignation. The economist is expected to step down from her role on March 1 and return to teach at Yale University.
Pinelopi Koujianou assumed charge as the Chief economist at the end of April 2018. World Bank President David Malpass announced that Research Director Aart Kraay would take over as an interim Chief economist.
18. Kaamya Karthikeyan of Mumbai recently became the youngest girl in the world to summit Mt Aconcagua. Mt Aconcagua is the highest peak of South America, located in which country?
[A] Brazil
[B] Argentina
[C] Peru
[D] Chile
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Argentina]
Notes:
Kaamya Karthikeyan a student from Mumbai, recently became the youngest girl in the world to scale Mt Aconcagua. Mt Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America, located in Argentina. It is the highest peak outside Asia with the height of 6962 metres.
The student of Navy children school has already scaled the some of the highest peaks in Africa, Europe, and Australia in the past.
19. Which city is host to the 13th UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) (COP 13), 2020?
[A] Mumbai
[B] Madrid
[C] Gandhinagar
[D] Tokyo
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Gandhinagar]
Notes:
The 13th UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) (COP 13) is scheduled to be hosted by India in 2020, at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The COP-13 (Conference of Parties) is to be held from February 15-22, 2020.
It was recently announced that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the summit. The theme of this year’s summit is, ‘Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome them home’.
20. Recently, the Supreme Court of India upheld the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act. When was the original act of 1989 amended?
[A] 2016
[B] 2017
[C] 2018
[D] 2019
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [2018]
Notes:
The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989 was legislated to protect the scheduled communities from harassments and atrocities.
In March 2018, the Supreme court gave a judgement diluting the original act and it even granted anticipatory bail for those booked in the atrocity case. After huge protest, the government amended the original act and passed the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018. This amendment has been upheld by the apex court.