31. Mandu festival, which was making news recently, is celebrated in which state?
[A] Gujarat
[B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] Andhra Pradesh
[D] Odisha
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Madhya Pradesh]
Notes:
The three-day Mandu Festival began at Mandu, the historic town of Madhya Pradesh. The state also inaugurated Dino Adventure Park & Fossils Museum.
During the Mandu Utsav, Handicrafts related to handmade art are displayed to encourage local artisans. Dinosaur Park is the country’s first modern fossil park to display 24 eggs and various fossils of dinosaurs.
32. What is the target year of the Jal Jeevan Mission, to provide tap water connection to every rural household?
[A] 2022
[B] 2023
[C] 2024
[D] 2025
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [2024]
Notes:
The Jal Jeevan Mission was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15th August, 2019. It aims to provide tap water connection to every rural household by 2024.
Recently, the scheme has reached a new milestone by providing 3.53 Crore rural household tap water connections. 35.24% of rural households receive potable water through taps, against only 17% in 2019.
33. Which Union Ministry conducts all-India surveys including on migrant and domestic workers?
[A] Ministry of Home Affairs
[B] Ministry of Skill Development
[C] Ministry of Labour and Employment
[D] Ministry of Rural Development
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Ministry of Labour and Employment]
Notes:
Union Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar is to launch software applications for five all India surveys, being conducted by the Labour Bureau.
The Ministry will also release instruction manuals with questionnaire for five All India Surveys including All India Survey on Migrant workers, All India Survey on Domestic Workers, All India Survey on Employment Generated by Professionals, All India Survey on Employment Generated in Transport Sector, and All-India Quarterly Establishment based Employment Survey.
34. ‘Pahela Phagun’, the spring festival, is celebrated in which country?
[A] India
[B] Bangladesh
[C] Nepal
[D] Myanmar
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bangladesh]
Notes:
The first day of the spring called ‘Pahela Phagun’ is celebrated in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The country’s top cultural organisations including the Bangladesh Shilpa Kala Academy held programmes to celebrate the beginning of the spring.
On account of the Covid pandemic, the traditional programme of ‘Basanta Utsab’ at the Fine Arts faculty in Dhaka university was cancelled.
35. Who succeeded Ghulam Nabi Azad as the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha?
[A] Mallikarjun Kharge
[B] Anand Sharma
[C] Jairam Ramesh
[D] A K Antony
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Mallikarjun Kharge]
Notes:
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has granted recognition to Mallikarjun Kharge as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
The Indian National Congress Leader succeeds Ghulam Nabi Azad whose term has ended recently. Mallikarjun Kharge was a former Union minister and had been Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, earlier.
36. Which country is to host a virtual SAARC meet to discuss on management and response of Covid-19?
[A] Nepal
[B] India
[C] Sri Lanka
[D] Afghanistan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [India]
Notes:
India is set to host a virtual South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meet to discuss on management and response of Covid-19 pandemic.
This health secretary-level meet virtually with other SAARC countries, will be conducted as a virtual workshop to exchange best practices amid the pandemic. In 2014, Nepal hosted a SAARC leaders’ summit, which was the most recent meeting of the countries.
37. The Mahabahu-Brahmaputra initiative, which was making news recently, has been launched in which state/UT?
[A] Assam
[B] Sikkim
[C] West Bengal
[D] Bihar
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Assam]
Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to launch the Mahabahu-Brahmaputra initiative in the state of Assam. It aims to improve connectivity in the eastern states.
Ro-Pax vessel operations would be inaugurated between Neamati-Majuli Island, North Guwahati-South Guwahati and Dhubri-Hatsingimari. The Prime Minister would also launch the foundation stone of two bridges, an Inland Water Transport Terminal at Jogighopa and various tourist jetties on Brahmaputra.
38. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and FICCI organised a CEO forum with which country?
[A] Japan
[B] United States
[C] Singapore
[D] United Kingdom
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Singapore]
Notes:
India-Singapore CEO Forum was recently organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and FICCI.
The India-Singapore CEO Forum was launched in November 2018. Union Minister Piyush Goyal addressed the forum and expressed that both the countries can work together in areas such as e-commerce, fintech, smart manufacturing and healthcare.
39. Tamilisai Soundararajan has been sworn in as the Lt Governor of which state / UT?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Pondicherry
[C] Kerala
[D] Karnataka
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Pondicherry]
Notes:
Tamilisai Soundararajan has been sworn in recently as the Lt Governor of the Union Territory of Pondicherry. Her oath was administered by the Chief Justice of Madras High Court Sanjib Banerjee.
She becomes the 5th women Governor of the UT of Pondicherry. She has replaced Kiran Bedi as the Governor.
40. Researchers of which country have decided to commence Covid-19 human trial on a healthy immune system?
[A] India
[B] China
[C] USA
[D] UK
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [UK]
Notes:
Researchers of United Kingdom have proposed to start the world’s first Covid-19 human trials on a healthy immune system.
The study is expected to give an understanding on how a health immune system would respond to the virus infection and bring about various metabolic changes in the body