11. Places of Worship Act protects the character of the places of worship as it stood on which date?
[A] August 15, 1947
[B] January 26, 1950
[C] December 31, 1950
[D] January 1, 1947
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [August 15, 1947]
Notes:
Places of Worship Act, 1991 is a law that protects the character of the places of worship as it stood on August 15, 1947 and prevent any changes that could compromise the character.
The Supreme Court’s 3-judge bench will hear petitions challenging this law in July 2023.
12. ‘Siren sphagnicola’ which was discovered recently, looks like which species?
[A] Turtle
[B] Eel
[C] Spider
[D] Cattle
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Eel]
Notes:
Siren sphagnicola is a newly discovered species of Siren. Sirens are elongated eel-like aquatic salamanders.
The species was found in the seepage areas in the eastern Gulf Coastal Plain of the US. One of these species, Siren reticulata, was recently described.
13. When is the ‘National Maritime Day’ celebrated in India?
[A] April 2
[B] April 5
[C] April 7
[D] April 10
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [April 5]
Notes:
‘National Maritime Day’ is celebrated on April 5 across the country to commemorate the sailing of the first Indian commercial vessel, SS Loyalty.
The ship sailed from Mumbai to London. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the ‘Maritime India Vision 2030’ in November 2020 at the Maritime India Summit. It is a 10-year blueprint for the development of the Indian maritime sector.
14. Genome India Project aims to sequence how many Indian human genomes?
[A] 1000
[B] 10000
[C] 1 lakh
[D] 1 crore
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [10000]
Notes:
Genome India Project is an initiative of the Central Government that involves sequencing of 10,000 Indian human genomes and creating a database.
The Department of Biotechnology has sequenced close to 7,000 genomes and 3,000 of these are already available for public access.
15. ‘Support for Poor Prisoners Scheme’ is associated with which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Home Affairs
[B] Ministry of Defence
[C] Ministry of External Affairs
[D] Ministry of Finance
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ministry of Home Affairs]
Notes:
The ‘Support for Poor Prisoners Scheme’ is set to be launched by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Under this scheme, state government will receive financial support from the Home Ministry to help underprivileged prisoners who are unable to get bail or secure release from prisons due to financial constraints.
16. ‘Rayyanah Barnawi’ is set to become the first woman astronaut from which country?
[A] UAE
[B] Saudi Arabia
[C] Israel
[D] Pakistan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Saudi Arabia]
Notes:
Rayyanah Barnawi is set to become the first woman astronaut from Saudi Arabia. Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni will take off from Florida on a private mission to the International Space Station.
There are two other astronauts who will join Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni in their voyage. They are Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and John Shoffner, a businessman from Tennessee who will serve as pilot.
17. Namda, is the centuries-old traditional craft, is associated with which state/UT?
[A] Arunachal Pradesh
[B] Assam
[C] Jammu and Kashmir
[D] Uttarakhand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Jammu and Kashmir]
Notes:
Namda is a type of rug made using felted wool. This centuries-old traditional craft from the Jammu and Kashmir is at the brink of extinction.
Namda is made in several stages and requires skilled craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations.
18. Which state passed the ‘Restriction on Transfer of Agricultural Land Bill 2023’?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Goa
[C] Odisha
[D] Rajasthan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Goa]
Notes:
The Goa Restriction on Transfer of Agricultural Land Bill 2023 was passed recently by the state legislative assembly.
It seeks to impose restrictions of the sale of agricultural lands in Goa to non-agriculturalists. It aims to save the state’s paddy fields from being taken over by buyers for non-agriculture purposes.
19. ‘Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)’ is associated with which association?
[A] ASEAN
[B] G-20
[C] EU
[D] ISA
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [EU]
Notes:
Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the European Union Space Programme. Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) is one of the six thematic services provided by the Copernicus Programme.
According to C3S, March 2023 witnessed variations on several meteorological fronts.
20. Which institution regulates the ‘Core Investment Companies’?
[A] SEBI
[B] RBI
[C] NSE
[D] PFRDA
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [RBI]
Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulates the Core Investment Companies. Core Investment Companies are specialized NBFCs that are involved in the business of acquisition of shares and securities.
The RBI has simplified the process of applying for registration of CICs, reducing the number of documents to be furnished from 52 to 18.