31. The PTP-NER Scheme has been launched by which Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Home Affairs
[B] Ministry of Finance
[C] Ministry of Tribal Affairs
[D] Ministry of Commerce
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Ministry of Tribal Affairs]
Notes:
The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched a new Central Sector Scheme “Marketing and Logistics Development for Promotion of Tribal Products from North -Eastern Region (PTP-NER)”.
The scheme with a substantial outlay of Rs.143 crore is intended to benefit Scheduled Tribes of North-eastern India. programme has been designed to strengthen the opportunities for tribal craftsmen to support their livelihoods.
32. Kisan Sampark Abhiyan Programme is associated with which state / UT?
[A] Bihar
[B] Odisha
[C] Jammu and Kashmir
[D] Ladakh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Jammu and Kashmir]
Notes:
The Agriculture Production Department of Jammu and Kashmir will launch the Kisan Sampark Abhiyan programme, which seeks to ensure the overall welfare of farmers across the Union Territory. The scheme will cover 3565 panchayats in J&K.
To ensure that the programme is successful, nearly 2400 resource persons have been identified and trained for all districts.
33. Which fungus is associated with a recent outbreak of “atypical” pneumonia at a Paper Mill in Michigan, USA?
[A] Yeast
[B] Blastomyces
[C] Mushrooms
[D] Molds
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Blastomyces]
Notes:
The blastomyces fungus is linked to the recent outbreak of “atypical” pneumonia among the employees of the Escanaba Billerud Paper Mill in the US.
The fungus is endemic to Michigan and is generally found in moist soil and decomposing wood. If disturbed, microscopic spores from the fungus can get dispersed in air and travel freely. Human beings can contract blastomycosis by inhaling the spores.
34. Who has been conferred with the ‘Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023’?
[A] Urjit Patel
[B] Shaktikanta Das
[C] Amartya Sen
[D] Utsa Patnaik
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Utsa Patnaik]
Notes:
Utsa Patnaik, a famous economist, has been chosen for the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023. The award is conferred every year by the Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust to honour social scientists.
Utsa Patnaik, a renowned Indian Marxian economist, taught at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
35. Miguel Diaz-Canel, who was seen in the news, is the President of which country?
[A] Italy
[B] Cuba
[C] Israel
[D] South Africa
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Cuba]
Notes:
Miguel Diaz-Canel recently became the first non-Castro leader in Cuba to be re-elected as president. He won a second five-year term in a parliamentary vote that had him as the sole candidate. The 62-year-old leader took over the reins in 2018 as Cuba’s first civilian leader after around 60 years of hegemony by the Castro brothers.
36. Which Indian scientist had demonstrated that plants feel pain and have sensations?
[A] Jagadish Chandra Bose
[B] Sir CV Raman
[C] Satyendra Nath Bose
[D] Srinivasa Ramanujam
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Jagadish Chandra Bose]
Notes:
Recently, a group of researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel have reported that their team pick up distress noises – very distinct, high-pitched sounds in the ultrasonic range made by plants when they faced stress.
This phenomenon was stated a century ago by Indian scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose, who demonstrated that plants feel pain and have sensations just like animals.
37. What is the name of the legal status that grants specific rights and responsibilities to same-sex couples ?
[A] Co-Living Rights
[B] Civil Union
[C] LGBT Rights
[D] Non-Marital Relation Rights
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Civil Union]
Notes:
A “civil union” refers to the legal status that allows same-sex couples specific rights and responsibilities normally conferred upon married couples. These civil unions would be accompanied by rights such as inheritance rights, employment benefits to spouses, which are generally conferred upon married couples.
Recently, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, began hearing a batch of petitions seeking legal recognition of same sex marriage.
38. What is the name for the hybrid solar eclipse which will transit from an annular eclipse to a total eclipse?
[A] Ningaloo Eclipse
[B] Partial Eclipse
[C] Helcos Eclipse
[D] Lumbar Eclipse
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ningaloo Eclipse]
Notes:
The Ningaloo Eclipse is a hybrid solar eclipse in which the eclipse will transit from an annular eclipse to a total eclipse in certain regions of the world and again transit back to an annular eclipse.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth. There are four types of solar eclipses: total, partial, hybrid, and annular.
39. NMDC is exploring lithium reserves for mining in which country?
[A] Sri Lanka
[B] Bangladesh
[C] Australia
[D] Maldives
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Australia]
Notes:
Indian iron ore miner NMDC Ltd. is exploring lithium reserves, about 200 km off Perth, Australia.
NMDC is the majority owner of a mine located in Mt Bevan in Australia. India found lithium deposits for the first time in the country in February and is planning to auction a block for mining.
40. ‘Yerevan’ is the capital city of which country?
[A] Armenia
[B] Argentina
[C] Azerbaijan
[D] Iran
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Armenia]
Notes:
A new India-Iran-Armenia trilateral grouping was announced recently. The first trilateral political consultation between the foreign affairs ministries of the three countries was held recently in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital.
For India, Armenia has emerged as a key geopolitical partner in recent years. This trilateral grouping is expected to open opportunities for cooperation in areas like energy, transportation, trade, among others.