21. Which phenomenon impacted over 40 Starlink satellites, made them to fall from orbit?
[A] Geomagnetic storm
[B] Magnetic Heat waves
[C] Dust Storm
[D] Debris Storm
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Geomagnetic storm]
Notes:
Elon Musk’s Starlink has lost 40 of the 49 satellites causing them to fall from orbit before they could be commissioned.
They were caught in a Geomagnetic storm a day after they were launched. A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the Earth’s magnetosphere caused by a solar wind shock wave. It also occurs when cloud of magnetic field interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field.
22. Belarus is bordered by which Sea?
[A] Baltic Sea
[B] North Sea
[C] Black Sea
[D] No Sea Border
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [No Sea Border]
Notes:
Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest.
Russia and Belarus have started joint military exercises close to the Belarusian border with Ukraine. Russia has already amassed forces along its own border with Ukraine, and in the annexed Crimean peninsula.
23. Which body regulates the Stock Exchanges in India?
[A] Reserve Bank of India
[B] Securities and Exchange Board of India
[C] Finance Ministry
[D] Securities and Exchange Commission
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Securities and Exchange Board of India]
Notes:
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is a regulatory authority established under the SEBI Act 1992. It is the principal regulator for Stock Exchanges in India.
SEBI has recently penalised the National Stock Exchange (NSE), its former CEOs Chitra Ramkrishna and Ravi Narain for governance lapses in hiring of its chief operating officer (COO) Anand Subramanian.
24. Which Union Ministry is associated with ‘Digital Sky’ platform?
[A] Ministry of Defence
[B] Ministry of Civil Aviation
[C] Ministry of Electronics and IT
[D] Ministry of MSME
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ministry of Civil Aviation]
Notes:
DigitalSky is a single window Platform through which a DGCA-approved drone school provides Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC).
Recently, the Civil Aviation ministry scrapped the requirement of drone pilot licence for operating drones in the country. The RPC is sufficient to operate drones in India
25. Which country has recently deferred ratification of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)?
[A] Philippines
[B] Malaysia
[C] Maldives
[D] Nepal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Philippines]
Notes:
Philippines has recently deferred ratification of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
This decision has been taken after farmers and other civil society groups in the country expressed strong apprehensions against the mega trade deal signed. India has decided to stay out of RCEP, as per current situations.
26. When is ‘World Radio Day’ observed every year?
[A] February 8
[B] February 10
[C] February 13
[D] February 14
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [February 13]
Notes:
Every year, World Radio Day is celebrated on February 13 with an aim to highlight the importance of radio.
The member states of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) first declared this day in the year 2011. It was later adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day.
27. Luc Montagnier, who passed away recently, won Nobel Prize for Medicine for which discovery?
[A] Human Immunodeficiency Virus
[B] Ebola
[C] Chikungunya
[D] Rotavirus
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Human Immunodeficiency Virus]
Notes:
Veteran Nobel-winning virologist Luc Montagnier died in Paris recently. He won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2008 for the discovery of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus that causes AIDS, along with his colleague Francoise Barr-Sinoussi.
He had also shared half of the Nobel with German scientist Harald zur Hausen for his discovery of Human papilloma viruses that cause cervical cancer.
28. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an agency functioning under the aegis of which Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
[B] Ministry of Culture
[C] Ministry of Tourism
[D] Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ministry of Culture]
Notes:
The Archaeological Survey of India is an Indian government agency functioning under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture
ASI is the process of reviving its ‘Underwater archaeology wing’ that has not been functioning over recent years. ASI appointed Alok Tripathi, an expert in underwater archaeology, as its Additional Director General in 2021.
29. Which Indian company has formed a joint venture (JV) with Foxconn, to manufacture semiconductors in India?
[A] Vedanta
[B] Tata
[C] Hindalco
[D] NALCO
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Vedanta]
Notes:
Vedanta and Hon Hai Technology Group (also known as Foxconn) have formed a joint venture (JV) to manufacture semiconductors in India.
This is the first joint venture in the electronics manufacturing space after the Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI). In December 2021, the Centre cleared a PLI scheme for semiconductor and display board production targeting an investment of Rs 76,000 crore over the next five to six years.
30. Which country is the co-host of the UN pledging summit to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan?
[A] India
[B] UK
[C] Germany
[D] France
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [UK]
Notes:
UK has announced to be the co-host of an upcoming United Nations virtual pledging summit to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
As per the UK government, the virtual pledging conference is aimed to help the UN raise USD 4.4 billion for Afghanistan. It is the largest amount the UN has ever requested for a single country.