31. ‘Pohela Boishakh’ marks the beginning of the new year in which state?
[A] Odisha
[B] West Bengal
[C] Uttarakhand
[D] Meghalaya
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [West Bengal]
Notes:
Pohela Boishakh, also known as Bengali New Year, is a significant cultural festival in Bangladesh and the Bengali-speaking states of India including West Bengal.
The festival is celebrated on the first day of the Bengali calendar, which usually falls in the month of April. This year, it is celebrated on April 15.
32. The ‘World Chagas Disease Day’ observed across the world during which month?
[A] January
[B] February
[C] March
[D] April
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [April]
Notes:
World Chagas Disease Day is observed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on April 14. It raises awareness about the Chagas disease.
Chagas is a communicable parasitic disease that infected over 6 to 7 million people. The theme for 2023 is Time to integrate Chagas disease into primary health care.
33. Which Indian state/UT announced ‘Dr. B R Ambedkar Award’ for recognising people involved in the welfare of Dalits?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Telangana
[C] Madhya Pradesh
[D] West Bengal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Telangana]
Notes:
The Telangana Government recently announced an award in the name of Babasaheb Dr. B R Ambedkar.
The government will form Rs.51 crore corpus for this award and every year. Rs.3 crore worth of award will be given to anyone involved in the welfare of Dalits.
34. Virginia Norwood, who passed away recently, was associated with which field?
[A] Politics
[B] Aerospace
[C] Business
[D] Sports
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Aerospace]
Notes:
Virginia Norwood, the aerospace pioneer, has passed away recently at the age of 96. She invented a scanner that has enabled scientists to map and study the earth for more than 50 years.
Ms. Norwood, a physicist, was the person primarily responsible for designing the scanner that made the Landsat satellite program possible.
35. Which institution has developed a low-cost camera for multispectral imaging of flame –‘CL-Flam’?
[A] IIT- Madras
[B] IIT- Indore
[C] IISc Bengaluru
[D] IIT Delhi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [IIT- Indore]
Notes:
The CL-Flam is a low-cost camera for multispectral imaging of flame developed by IIT Indore in collaboration with the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and NASA-Caltech, USA.
It is capable of simultaneously capturing multiple spectral 3D images of 4 chemical species in a flame.
36. Which state in India has become the first to adopt Water Budget?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Uttar Pradesh
[C] Madhya Pradesh
[D] Kerala
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Kerala]
Notes:
The state Government of Kerala has introduced the first of its kind Water Budget which aims to address water scarcity in the state through proper utilization of the resources and prevention of wastages.
Thee first phase of the project would cover 94 gram panchayats and 15 block panchayats of the state.
37. What is ‘Cycas pectinate’ that was seen in the news recently?
[A] Plant
[B] Vaccine
[C] Gecko
[D] Spider
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Plant]
Notes:
Cycas pectinate is a plant species of Genus Cycas which is the found in the north-eastern part of India, Nepal, Bhutan, South China etc. It is the only ‘Cycas’ species found in Bhutan.
It usually grows at an elevation of 300 m to 1200 m and in difficult terrains. A new study has found that this vulnerable species is threatened in the Himalayan country due to habitat loss and its overcollection as an ornamental plant.
38. 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.
39. 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.
40. Which state passed a bill to provide reservation in state government jobs from 60 percent to 77 percent?
[A] Kerala
[B] Jharkhand
[C] West Bengal
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Jharkhand]
Notes:
Jharkhand Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services (Amendment) Bill, 2022 proposes a raise in reservation in state government jobs from 60 percent to 77 percent for SC, ST and OBC communities as well as the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
Jharkhand Governor recently returned this bill to the government, directing it to be reviewed.