41. When is ‘World Sparrow Day’ celebrated every year?
[A] March 18
[B] March 19
[C] March 20
[D] March 21
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [March 20]
Notes:
Every year March 20 is observed as World Sparrow Day to raise awareness about sparrows around the world. It highlights the huge decrease in population of the bird as the house sparrow is on the verge of extinction.
The initiative was started by the India-based Nature Forever Society (NFS), founded by the conservationist Mohammed Dilawar. The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated in 2010 across the globe.
42. ‘RAISE 2020’, which was seen in news, is the first global Artificial Intelligence Summit of which country?
[A] France
[B] United States
[C] India
[D] United Arab Emirates
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [India]
Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is to organise the first Global AI Summit in India (RAISE 2020).
This was in news recently, as the AI summit was postponed to October 5-6, 2020 due to the rising number of cases of Covid-19. It was initially scheduled to be held in the month of April. The summit is to be attended by academics, AI start-ups and big tech firms.
43. Former RBI Deputy governor R Gandhi and Ananth Narayan have been appointed on the board of which Indian bank?
[A] State Bank of India
[B] Punjab National Bank
[C] Yes Bank
[D] Bank of Baroda
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Yes Bank]
Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed former RBI Deputy Governor R Gandhi and former banker Ananth Narayan on the board of Yes Bank.
They have been appointed as Additional directors on the board for two years. Ananth Narayan was serving as the regional head of financial markets in the Standard Chartered Bank. R Gandhi was earlier appointed to Yes Bank’s board last year. Prashant Kumar has been appointed Chief Executive of Yes Bank.
44. Who took oath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for the fourth time, after the Chief Minister Kamal Nath resigned?
[A] Vinay Sahastrabuddhe
[B] Shivraj Singh Chauhan
[C] Gopal Bhargava
[D] Arun Singh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Shivraj Singh Chauhan]
Notes:
Senior leader of the Bharathiya Janata Party, Shivraj Singh Chauhan recently took oath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for the fourth time.
The leader had ruled the state for nearly thirteen years, before Kamal Nath won in the assembly elections in December 2018. Now Kamal Nath has resigned after 22 rebel MLAs who were the supporters of Jyotiraditya Scindia, who recently joined BJP, resigned.
45. What is the rank of India in the Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom 2020?
[A] 87
[B] 95
[C] 103
[D] 120
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [120]
Notes:
America-based Heritage Foundation released its Index of Economic Freedom last week. Singapore emerged as the top nation in the index and overtook Hong Kong as the world’s most independent and free economy.
Singapore achieved this feat for the first time since 1995, the report was first published. Hong Kong has ever been placed at the top since then. India is ranked in 120th position in the report and It improved its score by 1.3 points from 2019 to score 56.5 in 2020
46. The first COVID-19 dedicated hospital of India is set up in which city?
[A] Mumbai
[B] Pune
[C] Indore
[D] Cochin
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Mumbai]
Notes:
Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital along with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has set up a dedicated COVID-19 centre at Seven Hills Hospital, Mumbai.
The 100 bedded hospital will serve patients, who are checked positive for COVID-19. It is fully funded by Reliance Foundation and has been set up in 2 weeks. It also includes a negative pressure room which prevents cross-contamination and controls infection.
47. According to a recent study, the glaciers of which India state are losing mass faster than other parts of the Himalayas?
[A] Uttarakhand
[B] Sikkim
[C] Arunachal Pradesh
[D] Assam
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Sikkim]
Notes:
The Scientists from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun have recently found that glaciers in Sikkim are melting at a higher magnitude than other Himalayan regions. The Institute is an autonomous research institute for the study of Geology of the Himalayas, under the Department of Science and Technology.
The study, which has been published in Science of the Total Environment, revealed that glaciers in Sikkim have deglaciated at a higher magnitude from 1991 to 2015. They also revealed that small-sized glaciers in Sikkim are disappearing and larger glaciers are thinning due to climate change.
48. The companies in the digital industry have decide to temporarily offer SD content instead of HD and ultra-HD streaming. What does SD stand for?
[A] Standard Domain
[B] Simplified Domain
[C] Standard Definition
[D] Simplified Definition
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Standard Definition]
Notes:
The companies in the digital industry have decide to temporarily offer SD (Standard Definition) content instead of HD (High Definition) and ultra-HD streaming.
By Standard Definition, the bitrates of the streaming will not be higher than 480p on cellular networks until 14th April. As a higher number of people are staying at home during the nation-wide lockdown, there is an extra-ordinary surge in the consumption of mobile internet. This step would ensure that the cellular network remains robust.
49. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) recently approved Rs 1,340-cr recapitalisation for which category of banks?
[A] Co-operative Banks
[B] Public Sector Banks
[C] Regional Rural Banks
[D] Payment Banks
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Regional Rural Banks]
Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved a Rs 1,340-crore recapitalisation plan for the weak regional rural banks (RRBs).
This recapitalisation will help them to improve their capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) during the financial year 2020-21, as they are stipulated to maintain a minimum CRAR of 9 per cent. The Centre and the respective sponsor banks provide the funds in the ratio 50:50, as they fund Rs. 670 Cr each.
50. What is the current Cash Reserve Ratio, as per the recent announcement from the Reserve Bank of India?
[A] 4%
[B] 3.75%
[C] 3.5%
[D] 3%
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [3%]
Notes:
The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India recently made an announcement after the Monetary Policy committee (MPC) meeting, to tackle the crisis caused by Covid-19 pandemic.
RBI had advanced the MPC meeting due on March 31- April 3 to March 24-27. It has announced that the Cash Reserve Ratio has been decreased 100 bps to 3 per cent and the repo rate has been decreased to 4.4 per cent. Policy rate corridor has been widened from 50 to 65 bps. All commercial banks are permitted to allow a 3-month moratorium on repayment of term loan EMIs.