11. What is the total merchandise value of Government e Marketplace (GeM) as of 2022-23?
[A] Rs 1 lakh crore
[B] Rs 2 lakh crore
[C] Rs 5 lakh crore
[D] Rs 10 lakh crore
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Rs 2 lakh crore]
Notes:
In the financial year 2022-2023, procurement of goods and services from government portal Government e Marketplace (GeM) has crossed the Rs 2 lakh crore mark.
After the GeM portal was launched in 2017, business worth about Rs 400 crore was done and the business tripled last year to Rs 1 lakh crores, while it reached the 2 lakh crore-mark in 5 years.
12. Which country has launched a law that mandates firms to reveal their gender pay gaps by early 2024?
[A] India
[B] Australia
[C] USA
[D] Japan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Australia]
Notes:
Australia, with gender pay gap of 13.3% as of 2023, has launched a new law that mandates firms with over 100 employees to reveal their gender pay gaps by early 2024.
This is expected to make businesses more accountable and improve working conditions of women in the country.
13. Which country launched the ‘Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative’?
[A] USA
[B] UK
[C] Australia
[D] Germany
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [USA]
Notes:
Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative was launched by the US to increase Ukraine’s capacity to defend itself from Russia’s aggression.
Under this initiative, USD 2.6 billion military aid package was announced by the US. USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry.
14. Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry signed agreement with which company to boost India’s creative economy?
[A] IBM
[B] Amazon India
[C] Google
[D] Microsoft
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Amazon India]
Notes:
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Amazon India have signed a collaboration agreement in New Delhi to boost India’s creative economy and promote creative talent in the country.
As part of the agreement, Amazon Prime Video will sponsor scholarships, create internship programmes, and offer job opportunities for students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute.
15. What is India’s growth forecast for this fiscal year, as per the World Bank?
[A] 6.1 %
[B] 6.3 %
[C] 6.7 %
[D] 7.2 %
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [6.3 %]
Notes:
The World Bank has forecast a 6.3% economic growth rate for India in the current fiscal year (FY) 2023-24, in its South Asia Economic Focus: Expanding Opportunities: Toward Inclusive Growth report.
This is a downgrade of 0.7 percentage points since its October forecast. The primary reasons for this are high borrowing costs and slower income growth causing weaker consumption, as well as the government tightening fiscal expenditure.
16. ‘Muthuvans’ are tribal cultivators in the hills of which state?
[A] Kerala- Tamil Nadu
[B] Odisha- Jharkhand
[C] Bihar- Jharkhand
[D] Karnataka- Maharashtra
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Kerala- Tamil Nadu]
Notes:
Muthuvans are tribal cultivators in the hills of Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore and Kerala’s Adimali and Devikulam forest regions.
According to an expert committee appointed by the Kerala High Court regarding human-animal conflict and the wild tusker Arikompan, the Muthuvan tribal community have coexisted with the wild animals in Chinnakkanal, However, the subsequent unscientific resettlements in the region triggered an increase in human-animal conflict.
17. How many villages are covered under the ‘My Village My Heritage Programme’?
[A] 1 thousand
[B] 10 thousand
[C] 1 lakh
[D] 10 lakh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [1 lakh]
Notes:
My Village My Heritage Programme is implemented under the aegis of the National Mission for Cultural Mapping (NMCM).
NMCM seeks to develop a comprehensive database of art forms, artists and other resources across India. Over 1 lakh villages have been covered under this programme.
18. Which country recently legalized ‘Human Composting’ burial option?
[A] USA
[B] Italy
[C] Germany
[D] Sri Lanka
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [USA]
Notes:
Human Composting, also known as natural organic reduction, is a burial method involving the reduction of human body into nutrient rich soil.
New York recently became the 6th state of the United States to legalize this a burial option.
19. Which city is the host of the ‘Third Regional Symposium on Greening the Judiciaries’?
[A] New York
[B] Nairobi
[C] New Delhi
[D] Dhaka
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Nairobi]
Notes:
The Third Regional Symposium on Greening the Judiciaries in Africa was organized by the Africa Judicial Education Network on Environmental Law (AJENEL) in Nairobi, Kenya.
It was held based on the theme ‘Strengthening the Role of Judiciaries in Addressing Climate Change in Africa’.
20. What is the rate of interest payable in General Provident Fund (GPF) for the April to June 2023 quarter?
[A] 7.1%
[B] 7.3 %
[C] 7.5 %
[D] 8.1 %
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [7.1%]
Notes:
The government has retained the interest rate payable on savings in General Provident Fund (GPF) at 7.1% for the April to June 2023 quarter.
Interest rates on General Provident Fund (GPF) are revised periodically according to the government’s issued notifications.