31. With which country, the Union Cabinet has given approval for India to partner with in the field of Disaster Management?
[A] South Korea
[B] Switzerland
[C] Bangladesh
[D] Nepal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Bangladesh]
Notes:
- The Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of Disaster Management, Resilience and Mitigation signed between India and Bangladesh in March this year during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Bangladesh.
- It will also help in strengthening the areas of preparedness, response and capacity building in the field of Disaster Management.
- The MoU envisages that the countries will extend mutual support to each other at the time of large scale disaster in the field of relief, response, reconstruction and recovery.
- Both the countries will also exchange relevant information, remote sensing and other scientific data.
- They will also share best practices in the field of disaster response, recovery, mitigation, capacity building for ensuring resilience, etc.
- India and Bangladesh will extend cooperation in the field of advanced information technology, early warning systems, remote sensing and navigation services and expertise for disaster preparedness, response and mitigation and real time data sharing.
- They will also support training of officials in the field of Disaster Management and conduct joint disaster management exercises bilaterally.
- The MoU also envisages joint research activities in the field of Disaster management.
32. Recently, with which country, Indian has participated in a bilateral Maritime partnership exercise in the Persian Gulf region?
[A] Saudi Arabia
[B] Qatar
[C] Bahrain
[D] Kuwait
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Bahrain]
Notes:
- Indian Navy and the Royal Bahrain Naval Force have participated in a bilateral Maritime partnership exercise in the Persian Gulf region.
- The exercise took place at Manama, Bahrain.
- INS Kochi participated in this exercise.
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. Recently, which ministry has launched Arogya Dhara 2.0 scheme?
[A] Ministry of AYUSH
[B] Ministry of Home Affairs
[C] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
[D] Ministry of Finance
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Ministry of Health and Family Welfare]
Notes:
- Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has inaugurated Arogya Dhara 2.0 to increase the reach of Ayushman Bharat – Jan Arogya Yojana and create more awareness about the scheme.
- The minister launched three initiatives — Adhikar Patra, Abhinandan Patra, and Ayushman Mitra.
- Adhikar Patra will be issued to the beneficiaries during their hospital admissions for treatment under the PM-JAY scheme to make them aware about their rights so that they can claim free and cashless health care services.
- The Abhinandan Patra, is a ‘thank you note’ that will be issued to the beneficiaries during their discharge after the treatment under PM-JAY.
- Ayushman Mitra is an initiative launched so that the citizens can contribute towards Ayushman Bharat by assisting the eligible people in getting the Ayushman cards.
35. Which date of August is celebrated as Akshay Urja Diwas?
[A] 21 August
[B] 19 August
[C] 22 August
[D] 20 August
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [20 August]
Notes:
- India celebrates Akshay Urja Diwas every year on 20 August, to create awareness about the importance of renewable resources of energy and to commemorate the birth anniversary of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
- The main objective or aim behind celebrating this day is to make people aware of the use of natural sources of energy like hydroelectric power, solar energy, wind energy, and biogas because the earth’s resources are depleting at a dangerous rate every day.
- The Akshay Urja Diwas has been observed and celebrated every year on this day since 2004.
- Apart from being an important day, it is also an awareness campaign which is aimed at educating and informing the masses about the benefits of renewable energy resources for our planet.
36. In which State/UT, a new frog species named Adi Cascade Frog has been discovered?
[A] Arunachal Pradesh
[B] Assam
[C] Sikkim
[D] Nagaland
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Arunachal Pradesh]
Notes:
- A team of researchers from Delhi University (DU), along with biologists from the Wildlife Institute of India and North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, USA, have discovered a new species of cascade frog in Arunachal Pradesh.
- It has been named after the indigenous Adi tribe and the hills they inhabit. Discovered on the Adi hills in Arunachal Pradesh, the new frog species has been named Adi Cascade Frog (Amolops Adicola).
- The hills are home to the Adi tribe.
- The findings were published in the Journal of Natural History, London, in a scientific article titled ‘Phylogenetic position of the poorly known montane cascade frog Amolops Monticola (Ranidae) and description of a new closely related species from Northeast 2 India’.
37. Recently, the world’s first plasmid DNA-based shot has Friday received emergency use authorisation from the drug controller of India. Which organization has manufactured this vaccine?
[A] Zydus Cadila
[B] Moderna
[C] Pfizer
[D] Serum Institute of India
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Zydus Cadila]
Notes:
- Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila has received emergency use authorisation from the drug controller for its three-dose ZyCoV-D Covid-19 vaccine, the world’s first plasmid DNA-based shot.
- The three-dose ZyCoV-D is India’s sixth approved Covid shot after Covishield, Covaxin, Sputnik V, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson.
- Zydus Cadila termed the vaccine “a no injection”, saying it has a needle-free application system in place to administer the shots.
- The vaccine is also the first in India to be tested among 12 to 18 year olds, with the company saying it is safe for children.
- ZyCoV-D is the world’s first and India’s indigenously developed DNA-based vaccine for Covid-19 to be administered to humans, including children and adults 12 years and above.
- It has been developed in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology.
38. 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.
39. Who has been appointed as the new governor of Manipur?
[A] Jagdish Mukhi
[B] Phagu Chauhan
[C] Najma Heptulla
[D] La Ganesan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [La Ganesan]
Notes:
- President Ram Nath Kovind on 22nd August appointed senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu La Ganesan as the new governor of Manipur.
- The post of the governor had fallen vacant after the retirement of Najma Heptulla earlier this month.
- Heptulla had demitted office on August 10 and on the same day the temporary charge was given to Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad.
40. In which city, India’s first smog tower has been inaugurated?
[A] Kolkata
[B] Mumbai
[C] Delhi
[D] Bengaluru
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Delhi]
Notes:
- Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has inaugurated India’s first smog tower in Delhi’s Connaught Place that will purify 1,000 cubic metres of air per second within a radius of around 1 km.
- If the pilot project is successful, more smog towers will be installed in the national capital.
- The tower constitutes a pilot study to assess the reduction of particulate air pollution in urban areas through ‘air cleaning.’
- The two-year-long pilot study will be carried out by IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay. The two institutions are technical advisors for the project.
