21. What is the Retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index recorded in November?
[A] 3.91
[B] 4.91
[C] 5.91
[D] 6.01
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [4.91]
Notes:
The Retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index increased to a three-month high of 4.91 per cent in November.
As per the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), Food inflation increased to 1.87 per cent in November from 0.85 per cent a month ago. The inflation figure is within the 4+/-2 per cent target range of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
22. ‘Maa Umiya Dham Development Project’, seen in the news, is to come up in which state?
[A] Bihar
[B] Gujarat
[C] Uttar Pradesh
[D] Uttarakhand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Gujarat]
Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of Maa Umiya Dham Development Project involving Umiya Mata Dham temple and temple premises in Gujarat.
The Community-led project involves the Temple of Goddess Umiya, clan-deity of Kadava Patidars. The complex will also comprise of medical facilities, senior citizen care facilities, students hostel, recreation & sports facilities, career development facilities among others.
23. Parker Solar Probe, which was seen in the news recently, was launched by which space agency?
[A] ISRO
[B] NASA
[C] Blue Origin
[D] JAXA
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [NASA]
Notes:
Parker Solar Probe of NASA has successfully flown through the Sun’s upper atmosphere, the corona. It is an extreme environment that’s roughly 2 million degrees Fahrenheit.
The probe has sampled particles and magnetic fields from the corona. A key instrument on board the probe, the Solar Probe Cup, collects particles from the Sun’s atmosphere. the outer boundary, which scientists call the Alfven point.
24. Which festival has been added to UNESCO Cultural Heritage List, for the first time in Asia?
[A] Taiwan Lantern Festival
[B] Kandy Perahera
[C] Durga Puja
[D] Phi Ta Khon
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Durga Puja]
Notes:
The UNESCO has added Durga Puja to its ‘Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’.
The 16th Committee of UNESCO for safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) at its meeting held in Paris added Durga Puja in Kolkata on the Representative List. This is the first festival of Asia, to be included in the prestigious list.
25. Recently, the Supreme Court of India has permitted which state to hold bullock cart races in the state till the pendency of the issue before the constitutional Bench?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Karnataka
[C] Maharashtra
[D] Kerala
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Maharashtra]
Notes:
The Supreme Court of India has permitted the state of Maharashtra to hold bullock cart races in the state till the pendency of the issue before the constitutional Bench. Generally, such races would be held in several parts of the state like Pune and western Maharashtra region and is considered to be a 400-year-old tradition.
Bullock cart races were banned in Maharashtra state after the apex Court ruled that the race is violative of the provisions Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
26. Who has been appointed as the Chiefs of Staff Committee, following the demise of General Bipin Rawat?
[A] M M Naravane
[B] Karambir Singh
[C] R K S Bhadauria
[D] Vijay Kumar Singh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [M M Naravane]
Notes:
The Government of India has appointed Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, following the demise of General Bipin Rawat.
Here, the Government of India has adopted the old system of appointing a Chiefs of Staff Committee instead of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Under the old system, the senior most among the chiefs among the armed forces would assume charge as Chiefs of Staff Committee.
27. Which state topped the ‘Index on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy’?
[A] Odisha
[B] West Bengal
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] Telangana
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [West Bengal]
Notes:
The ‘Index on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy’, an indicator of literacy among children below 10 years was released by Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).
The Index was prepared by ‘Institute for Competitiveness’. West Bengal (58.95) topped the chart and Bihar was placed at the bottom in the ‘large states’ category. In the ‘small states’ category, Kerala (67.95) grabbed the top spot. Lakshadweep (52.69) and Mizoram (51.64) are top-scoring regions in the UT and Northeast state category, respectively.
28. Which city hosted the “All India Mayors’ Conference” in 2021?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Varanasi
[C] Kolkata
[D] Ahmadabad
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Varanasi]
Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the All India Mayors’ Conference at Varanasi via video conferencing.
As many as 120 mayors from various states of the country participated in the conference, which was conducted with the theme of ‘New Urban India’.
29. Covovax is produced by the Serum Institute of India under the licence from which vaccine?
[A] Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine
[B] Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
[C] Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
[D] Novovax Vaccine
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Novovax Vaccine]
Notes:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has granted emergency approval to the India-manufactured coronavirus vaccine Covovax.
The vaccine is produced by Serum Institute of India under licence from the U.S.-based Novavax. WHO listed the Covovax as the ninth COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. The vaccine will be distributed as part of global vaccine-sharing system Covax.
30. Competition Commission of India (CCI) has recently fined Rs 202 crores on which company?
[A] Flipkart
[B] Amazon
[C] Reliance Industries
[D] D-Mart
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Amazon]
Notes:
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) suspended its over two-year-old approval for Amazon’s deal to acquire stake in retailer Future Coupons Private Limited.
The CCI also imposed a ₹ 202 crore penalty on the US-based e-commerce major for hiding facts and making false statements while seeking regulatory approvals in 2019. Amazon objected to Future’s deal with Reliance, citing the 2019 deal.