41. Which organization has developed a modified cotton fabric capable of adsorbing harmful air pollutants?
[A] IIT Kanpur
[B] DRDO
[C] IIT Delhi
[D] South India Textile Research Association
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [IIT Delhi]
Notes:
- Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi have developed a modified cotton fabric capable of adsorbing harmful air pollutants.
- ZIF-8@CM Cotton and ZIF-67@CM Cotton, as they are called, are Zeolite Imidazolate Framework (ZIF)-modified functionalised fabrics which adsorb high levels of organic air pollutants like benzene, aniline, and styrene from the ambient air.
- The ZIF functionalised textiles possess a huge potential for applications as protective garments and in controlling indoor air pollution.
42. Which organization has launched India’s first sectoral index ‘GUAREX’ in the Agri commodities basket?
[A] NABARD
[B] Multi Commodity Exchange
[C] National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited
[D] National Multi-Commodity Exchange of India Limited
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited]
Notes:
- India’s first sectoral index in the Agri commodities basket i.e. GUAREX was launched this Monday by the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX).
- GUAREX is a price based sectoral index which tracks the movement in the futures contracts of guar gum refined splits and guar seed on a real-time basis.
- This index product will offer a lot of opportunities to value chain participants in terms of risk management as well as various trading strategies.
43. Under EASE3.0, which bank has won the award for the best improvement from the baseline performance?
[A] Canara Bank
[B] Punjab National Bank
[C] Indian Bank
[D] Union Bank of India
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Indian Bank]
Notes:
- Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman today unveiled the fourth edition of the Public Sector Bank (PSB) Reforms Agenda ‘EASE 4.0’ for 2021-22 – tech-enabled, simplified, and collaborative banking.
- She unveiled the annual report for the PSB Reforms Agenda EASE 3.0 for 2020-21 and participated in the awards ceremony to felicitate best performing banks on EASE 3.0 Banking Reforms Index.
- State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Union Bank of India have won the awards for best performing banks for PSB Reforms EASE 3.0 based on the EASE index.
- Indian Bank won the award for the best improvement from the baseline performance.
- SBI, BoB, Union Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and Canara Bank won the top awards in different themes of the PSB Reforms Agenda EASE 3.0.
44. Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is the initiative of which institution?
[A] NITI Aayog
[B] UN Women
[C] Women and Child Development Ministry
[D] NASSCOM
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [NITI Aayog]
Notes:
- The NITI Aayog and the US-based tech giant Cisco launched the next phase of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP).
- The next phase has been titled ‘WEP Nxt’, and it will leverage Cisco’s technology and experience, to enable more women-owned businesses across the country.
- The platform was formally launched on 8 March 2018 by NITI Aayog.
- WEP has more than 30 partners from various industries and sectors
45. BH-series, which was making news recently, is associated with which sector?
[A] Textile
[B] Automobile
[C] Artificial Intelligence
[D] Financial Inclusion
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Automobile]
Notes:
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has introduced a new registration mark for new vehicles named “Bharat series (BH-series)”.
- A vehicle bearing this registration mark shall not require the assignment of a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one State to another.
- This new registration has been announced to facilitate seamless transfer of vehicles and to cater to vehicle owners who frequently shift their bases in India.
46. What is the name of the digital learning facility for civil servants, launched by Personnel Ministry?
[A] Shramyogi
[B] Atmanirbhar Yogi
[C] Karmayogi
[D] Bharat Bureaucrat
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Karmayogi]
Notes:
- The Union Personnel Ministry has inaugurated a digital learning facility for civil servants named “Karmayogi”.
- It was launched by the Union Minister Jitendra Singh at the Institute of Secretariat Training and Management (ISTM).
- This digital platform is aimed to deepen the citizen-centric reforms initiated by the Government of India.
- Presently, the platform has 75 courses with a running time of 75 hours of digital content.
47. Which country has hosted the Middle East Regional Conference, recently?
[A] UAE
[B] Saudi Arabia
[C] Bahrain
[D] Iraq
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Iraq]
Notes:
- Iraq has recently hosted a middle east regional conference, which is aimed to ease the tension in the region.
- Iraq, Saudi Arabia have been invited in the meeting, which is co-organized by France.
- During the meeting, regional water crisis, war in Yemen and economic conditions of Lebanon are discussed.
- This meeting has assumed significance since Iraq has been playing a neutral mediating role in the region.
48. ‘Mera Watan Mera Chaman’, is a programme hosted by which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Rural Development
[B] Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
[C] Ministry of Minority Affairs
[D] Ministry of Women and Child Development
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Ministry of Minority Affairs]
Notes:
- Ministry of Minority Affairs has organised ‘Mera Watan Mera Chaman’ Mushaira in New Delhi as part of Amrit Mahotsav of 75th Year of India’s Independence.
- During the programme renowned poets from the country recited their poetry and couplets.
- The Minority Affairs Ministry has planned organise the “Mera Watan, Mera Chaman” Mushairas and Kavi Sammelans across the country till 2023.
- In all those programmes, renowned as well as emerging poets will give patriotic message of “Ek Bharat- Shrestha Bharat”.
49. Who is the head of the committee constituted by the Centre, to develop technological platform for streamlining revenue litigation?
[A] Ashish Shiradhonkar
[B] Adhir Ranjan Choudhary
[C] DY Chandrachud
[D] Tushar Mehta
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ashish Shiradhonkar]
Notes:
- The Centre has constituted a committee to develop a technological platform streamlining the appeal filing process, which will be headed by Ashish Shiradhonkar.
- The platform aims to cover all processes related to direct and indirect taxation matters.
- Ashish Shiradhonkar, is also heading the e-courts project in National Informatics Centre.
- The committee is set to complete its work in three months and will have members from revenue department, CBDT and CBIT.
50. What type of species is ‘Latham’s Snipe’, which was seen in the news recently?
[A] Migratory Bird
[B] Venomous Snake
[C] Spider
[D] Turtle
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Migratory Bird]
Notes:
- Latham’s Snipe is a migratory shorebird, which flies non-stop for five days over thousands of kilometres of ocean, twice a year.
- The bird does this travel, for every year of its life.
- It completes this migration to warmer region, where it prepares itself for its return flight and the next breeding seasons.
- Latham’s Snipe breeds in northern Japan and parts of eastern Russia during May-July and spends its non-breeding season (September to March) along Australia’s eastern coast.
- The signing of the Japan Australia Migratory Bird Agreement in 1981 has stopped snipe hunting in both countries. Their wetland habitat is being lost to development and other pressures.
