1. Which Ministry is associated with the ‘Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar’?
[A] Union Culture Ministry
[B] Union Defence Ministry
[C] Union Science and Technology Ministry
[D] Union Rural Development Ministry
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Union Culture Ministry]
Notes:
Union Home Minister is set to inaugurate a distinctive program called ‘Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar’ as a significant component of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
This initiative falls under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping and is spearheaded by the Ministry of Culture. The main objective of the project is to culturally map India’s 6.5 lakh villages, spanning 29 states and 7 union territories, on a comprehensive virtual platform.
2. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 aims to expand the scope of the Forest (Conservation) Act enacted in which year?
[A] 1972
[B] 1980
[C] 1992
[D] 2002
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [1980]
Notes:
The Lok Sabha has recently passed the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023. It aims to expand the scope of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
The Bill acknowledges India’s international commitments and the national target set by the country for achieving Net Zero Emission by 2070.
3. How many deaths were recorded due to manual scavenging in the last five years in India?
[A] 25
[B] 15
[C] 10
[D] 0
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [0]
Notes:
Union government said that India had seen no deaths due to manual scavenging in the last five years, as per the data submitted by the Social Justice Ministry.
It also added that 330 people had died while being engaged in cleaning sewers and septic tanks. Social Justice Ministry says manual scavenging no longer practised in India; Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Bihar among States with all districts reporting free status.
4. Which country has passed a bill which criminalises the citizens travelling abroad to pursue surrogacy arrangements?
[A] USA
[B] Italy
[C] Finland
[D] Russia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Italy]
Notes:
The Italian parliament has given its approval to a contentious bill that makes it a criminal offense for citizens to travel abroad to pursue surrogacy arrangements.
This law, which has faced significant opposition, is specifically aimed at discouraging Italians from participating in surrogacy arrangements, and it carries the possibility of substantial fines exceeding USD 1 million and potential prison sentences of up to two years for those found guilty.
5. The United States has announced USD 345 million in military aid for which country?
[A] Ukraine
[B] Taiwan
[C] Afghanistan
[D] Iran
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Taiwan]
Notes:
The United States has announced USD 345 million in military aid for Taiwan. This is Biden administration’s first major package drawing on America’s own stockpiles to help Taiwan counter China.
The package would include defense, education and training for the Taiwanese. Washington will send man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms and missiles, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
6. Which Union Ministry has launched the ‘Company Law Committee (CLC)’?
[A] Ministry of Corporate Affairs
[B] Ministry of Finance
[C] Ministry of MSME
[D] Ministry of Justice
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ministry of Corporate Affairs]
Notes:
The Company Law Committee (CLC) has been established in 2019 by the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
It is expected to explore the implementation of regulatory measures specific to startups. This initiative comes in response to growing concerns about corporate governance matters within startup entities.
7. As per recent Home Ministry data, which state recorded the most number of missing girls between 2019 and 2021?
[A] Gujarat
[B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] Manipur
[D] Uttarakhand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Madhya Pradesh]
Notes:
Over 13.13 lakh girls and women went missing in the country between 2019 and 2021, with Madhya Pradesh reporting the highest cases at nearly two lakhs, followed by West Bengal.
The data, which was presented by the Union Ministry of Home Ministry (MHA), revealed that 10,61,648 women above 18 years and 2,51,430 girls below that age went missing between 2019 and 2021 across the country. The data was compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau.
8. Who is the highest goal scorer with headers in football history, as of 2023?
[A] Lionel Messi
[B] Cristiano Ronaldo
[C] Gerd Muller
[D] Kylian Mbappé
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Cristiano Ronaldo]
Notes:
Cristiano Ronaldo recently scored his 145th headed goal, breaking the long-standing record of late German striker Gerd Muller.
Ronaldo achieved the feat when he scored his first goal of the season for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr with a header against Tunisian club Monastir in a 2-1 win.
9. ‘MPOWER Measures’, which are seen in the news, are associated with which organisation?
[A] UN Women
[B] World Health Organization
[C] World Bank
[D] International Monetary Fund
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [World Health Organization]
Notes:
A new World Health Organization (WHO) report revealed that over the past 15 years, 71% of the global population, approximately 5.6 billion people, are now protected by at least one of the measures, five times more than in 2007.
The WHO’s MPOWER measures aim to monitor tobacco use and prevention policies, protect people from tobacco smoke, provide assistance to quit tobacco, warn about the dangers of tobacco, enforce bans on tobacco advertising, and raise taxes on tobacco products.
10. What is DCS, that has been launched by the Union Agricultural Ministry?
[A] Digital Crop Survey
[B] Durable Crop Survey
[C] Doubling Crop Survey
[D] Distributive Crop Survey
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Digital Crop Survey]
Notes:
To improve the collection of sowing data, the government has initiated a pilot project called Digital Crop Survey (DCS) in 12 states starting from the Kharif season of 2023.
The DCS reference application uses technologies like GIS and GPS, and aims to ensure accurate crop area estimation and support farmers with solutions. It has been created as a publicly available open-source and interoperable tool, adhering to open standards.