31. With which organization, Universal Service Obligation Fund has partnered for high speed internet access to North Eastern States?
[A] Airtel
[B] BSNL
[C] Reliance Jio
[D] Vodafone
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [BSNL]
Notes:
- For making available high quality and high speed internet access to the States of North Eastern Region of the country, Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) has signed an Agreement with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) today for hiring of 10 Gbps International Bandwidth for Internet Connectivity to Agartala from Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited BSCCL Bangladesh through Cox Bazar and Kuakata.
- Under the Agreement, USOF will provide financial support to BSNL for a period of three years for hiring the International Bandwidth.
- The availability of high speed internet access will help the citizens in accessing various e-services such as e-governance, e-education, e-health, e-commerce, e-banking, etc.
32. With which organization, India has signed a USD 500 million loans agreement in order to expand metro rail network in Bengaluru?
[A] Asian Development Bank
[B] World Bank
[C] European Central Bank
[D] New Development Bank
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Asian Development Bank]
Notes:
- India has signed a USD 500 million loans agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in order to expand metro rail network in Bengaluru.
- Metro Rail Network in Bengaluru will be expanded with the construction of two new metro lines of 56 kilometers.
- Signatories to an agreement for Bengaluru Metro Rail Project include: Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs, and Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission.
33. Recently, Shanti Lal Jain has been appointed as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of which bank?
[A] Indian Bank
[B] Bank of Baroda
[C] Canara Bank
[D] Punjab National Bank
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Indian Bank]
Notes:
- The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal to appoint Shanti Lal Jain as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Chennai-headquartered Indian Bank.
- The Department of Financial Services had proposed his appointment as the MD and CEO of Indian Bank, which has now been approved by the ACC.
- The Department of Financial Services had proposed his appointment as the MD and CEO of Indian Bank, which has now been approved by the ACC.
- Jain has been assigned his new post for a period of three years.
- Indian Bank is currently headed by Padmaja Chunduru, who took charge in September 2018 and oversaw the process of amalgamation of Allahabad Bank into Indian Bank.
34. In which city, the first of its kind 20-storey building with a metro train, “Zero Mile Freedom Park station” has been inaugurated?
[A] Nagpur
[B] Kolkata
[C] Bengaluru
[D] New Delhi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Nagpur]
Notes:
- A 1.6-kilometer-long stretch of the Sitabuldi – Zero Mile Freedom Park – Kasturchand Park of Nagpur Metro Rail Project was inaugurated in Nagpur
- It will be the first of its kind in the country to be part of a magnificent 20-storey building with a metro train on the fourth floor.
- Out of these, 13 will be used for commercial purpose which will enhance the Metro’s revenue.
35. Which organization has become the first rail operator in India to join TradeLens?
[A] Arshyia Rail Infrastructure Ltd
[B] Gati Ltd
[C] Container Corporation of India Ltd
[D] GatewayRail
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [GatewayRail]
Notes:
- Intermodal logistics service provider GatewayRail has joined hands with blockchain-enabled digital container logistics platform TradeLens.
- TradeLens will help it in its digitalization journey.
- Developed jointly by AP Moller-Maersk and IBM, TradeLens was launched to help modernize the world’s supply chain ecosystems with a special focus on containerized freight and logistics.
- TradeLens brings together data from the entire global supply chain ecosystem. This data allows TradeLens and its network partners to modernize manual and paper-based documents by replacing them with blockchain-enabled digital solutions.
- It also allows the network partners to provide their customers with deeper visibility into the entire journey for their cargo from origin to destination.
- GatewayRail has become the first rail operator in India to join TradeLens.
36. In which city, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has commissioned the largest floating solar PV project of 25 Megawatt?
[A] Kayamkulam
[B] Omkareshwar
[C] Ramagundam
[D] Visakhapatnam
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Visakhapatnam]
Notes:
- National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has commissioned the largest floating solar PV project of 25 Megawatt on the reservoir of its Simhadri thermal station in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
- The floating solar installation has a unique anchoring design which is spread over 75 acres.
- This floating solar project has the potential to generate electricity from more than one lakh solar PV modules.
37. Which state’s seven indigenous food products have been launched by Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti Prahlad Singh Patel?
[A] Assam
[B] Manipur
[C] Odisha
[D] Madhya Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Manipur]
Notes:
- Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti Prahlad Singh Patel has launched seven indigenous food products of Manipur in Imphal, as part of the Make in India initiative.
- The indigenous food products are Black Rice Laddoo, Black Rice Fruit & Nut Cookies, Hot and Spicy Bhujia, Kabok (puffed rice) Mixture, Manipuri Casava Burfi, Bamboo Shoot Muraba and Fig Laddoo.
- These products were developed under the Incubation Lab project of Manipur Food Industries Corporation Limited (MFICL) in collaboration with TQS Global, Ghaziabad with a budget provision of ₹10 lakh.
38. In which state/UT, the cabinet has approved two credit-linked schemes for the agro-based sectors?
[A] Assam
[B] Kerala
[C] Arunachal Pradesh
[D] Ladakh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Arunachal Pradesh]
Notes:
- The Arunachal Pradesh cabinet has approved two credit-linked schemes, which will facilitate Rs 300 crore investments in the agro-based sectors.
- The state government has earmarked Rs 60 crore of subsidies each for Atma Nirbhar Krishi Yojana for agriculture and Atma Nirbhar Bagwani Yojana for horticulture during the fiscal year 2021-22.
- The credit-linked programmes will have three components – bank loans, subsidy and beneficiaries’ contribution.
- The schemes will be available for cultivators, self-help groups and farmer producer organisations (FPOs).
39. Which bank has launched a digital and instant Blocked Account for students aspiring to study in Germany?
[A] Citibank
[B] ICICI Bank Germany
[C] Deutsche Bank
[D] State Bank of India
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [ICICI Bank Germany]
Notes:
- ICICI Bank Germany has announced the launch of a digital and instant Blocked Account for students aspiring to study in Germany.
- A Blocked Account is a special type of account wherein students are required to keep a certain amount of money in order to get a Balance Confirmation Certificate (BCC).
- This account is mandatory for getting a student Visa in Germany.
- This account offers students a complimentary Current Account that the students can use in Germany. It also comes with a VISA debit card which can be used anywhere in the world.
40. Which organization has developed India’s first mRNA-based Covid-19 that has been granted approval for Phase 2/3 clinical trials?
[A] Zydus Cadila
[B] Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd
[C] Serum Institute of India
[D] Bharat Biotech
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd]
Notes:
- India’s first mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine candidate HGCO19 by Pune-based biotechnology company Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd has been granted approval for Phase 2/3 clinical trials.
- Gennova’s mRNA-based Covid -19 vaccine development programme was partly funded by the DBT under Ind CEPI in June 2020.
- DBT further supported the programme under ‘Mission Covid Suraksha ndash; The Indian Covid -19 Vaccine Development Mission’, implemented by BIRAC.
