1. Unnat Bharat Abhiyan centre of which institution has partnered with CSIR and Vijnana Bharti for promoting rural development?
[A] IIT Madras
[B] IIT Delhi
[C] IIT Kharagpur
[D] IIT Guwahati
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [IIT Delhi]
Notes:
A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Unnat Bharat Abhiyan-Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (UBA-IITD) and Vijnana Bharti (VIBHA), New Delhi.
The objective of the MoU is to provide joint action in the area of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) for rural development of India. UBA is a flagship program of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) by connecting academic institutions with local communities.
2. Which two cities are additionally selected by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs to be made as smart cities?
[A] Leh and Kargil
[B] Ludhiana and Amritsar
[C] Jaipur and Jodhpur
[D] Gangtok and Namchi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Leh and Kargil]
Notes:
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs has formed a five-member central team under Smart Cities Director Rahul Kapoor.
The panel will formulate project reports for both the cities, to improve infrastructure and employment opportunities in Ladakh. These cities have been selected in addition to the 100 smart cities in different states. This idea was initially proposed by the Home Affairs Ministry.
3. Which country has passed a bill to promote the legacies of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr?
[A] India
[B] United States
[C] Australia
[D] United Kingdom
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [United States]
Notes:
The US House of Representatives has recently passed a legislation to promote the legacies of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr.
The bill seeks to set up an educational forum and an exchange programme for Indian and American students to study about the two great leaders. It also seeks to develop a professional development training initiative based on the principles of non-violence.
4. Which country is the first to make Facebook and Google pay its media outlets for news content?
[A] China
[B] Russia
[C] Australia
[D] Germany
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Australia]
Notes:
For the first time in the world, US Technology Giants Facebook and Google will pay the media outlets of Australia for news content.
Australia is set to pass a dedicated law which mandates a royalty-style system. This is a historic move by the country to protest independent journalism. Last year, the Australian government asked the tech firms to negotiate with media companies to use their content.
5. Mahatma Gandhi Setu (bridge), that was seen in news, is located in which state?
[A] West Bengal
[B] Bihar
[C] Gujarat
[D] Uttarakhand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bihar]
Notes:
Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the upstream lane of Mahatma Gandhi bridge, through video conference.
The 5.5 km four lane bridge is built over river Ganga connecting Patna and Hajipur of Bihar. The reconstruction work of this bridge started in the year 2017 and the cost outlay is Rs 1742 crore. The downstream lane of the bridge is to be completed by 2021. The concrete structure of the old bridge will be replaced by new steel deck.
6. Which Union Ministry has received SKOCH Gold Award for its IT enabled Scholarship Schemes?
[A] Ministry of HRD
[B] Ministry of Tribal Affairs
[C] Ministry of Women and Child Development
[D] Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ministry of Tribal Affairs]
Notes:
Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has received SKOCH Gold Award for its “Empowerment of Tribals through IT enabled Scholarship Schemes”.
The 66th SKOCH award ceremony was organised on the title “India responds to Covid through Digital Governance”. The Tribal affairs won the award in ‘Digital India & E-Governance’ competition. The Ministry had integrated its 5 Scholarship Schemes with Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Portal.
7. Who is the Chairman of the High-Level Group on Agricultural Exports set up by the Fifteenth Finance Commission?
[A] Narendra Singh Tomar
[B] Radha Singh
[C] Sanjiv Puri
[D] Preeti Sudan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Sanjiv Puri]
Notes:
The 15th Finance Commission had set up an eight-member High-Level Group on Agricultural Exports headed by the Chairman of ITC, Sanjiv Puri.
It was set up to recommend performance incentives for States to encourage agricultural exports. The group has recently submitted the report that recommended a State-led Export Plan for a crop Value chain cluster (VCC). It also suggested to focus on 22 crop value chains.
8. Lee Teng-hui, who passed away recently, was the first democratically elected President of which country?
[A] Vietnam
[B] Taiwan
[C] Singapore
[D] Malaysia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Taiwan]
Notes:
Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui has recently passed away at the age of 97, after having suffered from Pneumonia.
After a landslide victory, Lee Teng-hui served as the first democratically elected president of Taiwan in the year 1996. He resisted China’s activities to absorb the country and wanted Taiwan to be a ‘country of democracy, freedom, human rights and dignity’.
9. India observed the 100th death anniversary of which freedom fighter, on August 1?
[A] Lala Lajpat Rai
[B] Bal Gangadhar Tilak
[C] Subash Chandra Bose
[D] Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bal Gangadhar Tilak]
Notes:
The 100th death anniversary of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak is being observed on 1st August, across the country.
Tilak was a prominent extremist leader in the Indian National Congress. Being an integral part of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio, he proclaimed “Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it”. Tilak was born on July 23, 1856 in Maharashtra and passed away on August 1 in the year 1920.
10. Which England cricketer has been made the member of House of Lords of the British Parliament?
[A] Ian Botham
[B] Viv Richards
[C] Bob Willis
[D] David Bower
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ian Botham]
Notes:
Veteran England all-rounder Ian Botham has been made a member of the House of Lords of the British Parliament.
The 64-year-old former England captain is the first cricketer to be awarded this honour since 2011. He is among the 36 new members announced by the Government. He was knighted in the year 2007 for his services in cricket and in the field of charity.