21. India agreed for trilateral cooperation initiative, in fields including energy, defence, economy, with which courtiers?
[A] France and UAE
[B] UAE and USA
[C] UAE and Israel
[D] Japan and Singapore
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [France and UAE]
Notes:
India, France, UAE agreed to establish a formal trilateral cooperation, in fields including energy, defence, economy
The three countries said that they will explore the possibility of working with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to pursue actionable projects on clean energy, environment and biodiversity.
22. Indian Railways introduces ‘Garvi tour’ under Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat Scheme to showcase heritage of which state?
[A] Punjab
[B] Gujarat
[C] Rajasthan
[D] Uttarakhand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Gujarat]
Notes:
Indian Railways introduced Garvi Gujarat tour under Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat Scheme to showcase heritage of Gujarat.
This Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train with 1st AC and 2nd AC Class will be operated for eight days inclusive tour. It can accommodate one hundred and 56 tourists onboard. It includes visit to prominent pilgrimage and heritage sites of Gujarat including the Statue of Unity, Champaner, Somnath, Dwarka, Nageshwar, Beyt Dwarka, Ahmedabad, Modhera and Patan.
23. National Research Foundation is an autonomous agency that comes under the aegis of which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Science and Technology
[B] Ministry of Electronics and IT
[C] Ministry of Home Affairs
[D] Ministry of Education
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ministry of Science and Technology]
Notes:
National Research Foundation is an autonomous agency that comes under the aegis of Ministry of Science and Technology (DST).
The Union Budget 2023-24 has earmarked Rs.2,000 crore as an outlay for the National Research Foundation to boost research and innovation within India.
24. ‘Ukaguru spiny-throated reed frog’, which was seen in the news, has been discovered in which country?
[A] Colombia
[B] Tanzania
[C] Greece
[D] China
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Tanzania]
Notes:
A new species of frog known as the Ukaguru spiny-throated reed frog has been discovered in African country Tanzania.
The frog has an uncommon characteristic of being completely silent, unlike other frogs that croak, sing, or ribbit. This frog belongs to the ‘spiny-throated’ group. They are only found in small populations, making them vulnerable to extinction.
25. When is the ‘International Day of Human Fraternity’ observed?
[A] February 2
[B] February 4
[C] February 6
[D] February 8
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [February 4]
Notes:
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 4 February as the International Day of Human Fraternity in 2020.
It celebrates the values of compassion, religious understanding, and mutual respect. On the occasion, the UN chief called for renewed commitment to form an ‘alliance of peace’ amid a surge in hate speech, sectarianism and strife.
26. The Union Budget 2023-24 has allocated Rs. 2,516 crore for the computerization of which unit, over the next 5 years?
[A] State Cooperative Banks
[B] District central cooperative banks
[C] Primary Agricultural Credit Societies
[D] Multi-state Cooperative Banks
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Primary Agricultural Credit Societies]
Notes:
The Union Budget 2023-24 has allocated Rs. 2,516 crore for the computerization of 63,000 PACS over the next 5 years.
Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) are village-level cooperative credit societies that act as the last link to the 3-tier cooperative credit structure, which is headed by the State Cooperative Bank or SCB. Credit from the SCB is transferred to the district central cooperative banks (DCCBs), which will then transfer the credit to the PACS.
27. Bard is an AI chatbot that is being developed by which tech major?
[A] Microsoft
[B] Google
[C] Meta
[D] Twitter
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Google]
Notes:
Bard is an AI chatbot that is being developed by Google as a competitor for the popular Microsoft-backed ChatGPT.
Bard will use AI to generate answers in text when queries are typed by the users. This chatbot will function based on the AI model called LaMDA, which was introduced by Google in 2021 as a generative language model for dialogue applications.
28. Which international association launched ‘Cyber Challenge’ to enhance the cyber security within their individual territories?
[A] ASEAN
[B] G-20
[C] QUAD
[D] G-7
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [QUAD]
Notes:
The Quad Cyber Challenge was launched by the QUAD member states (Australia, India, Japan, and the United States) to enhance the cyber security within their individual territories.
This campaigns calls on Internet users across the Indo-Pacific region and other places to join the pledge to practice safe and responsible cyber habits.
29. As per a UNSC report, which country stole more cryptocurrency assets to support its ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programmes?
[A] North Korea
[B] USA
[C] Australia
[D] China
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [North Korea]
Notes:
North Korea stole more cryptocurrency assets in 2022 than in any other year, as per a recent report by United Nations.
As per the report, most of the money stolen was used to support its ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programmes. North Korea-linked hackers stole virtual assets worth USD 630 million while its cyber currency heist stood at USD 1 billion.
30. ‘Districts as Export Hubs Initiative’ is implemented by which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Commerce and Industry
[B] Ministry of MSME
[C] Ministry of Rural Development and Entrepreneurship
[D] Ministry of Finance
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ministry of Commerce and Industry]
Notes:
The One District One Product (ODOP) initiative is aimed at promoting balanced regional development across all districts of the country.
ODOP has been merged with ‘Districts as Export Hubs Initiative’ being run by the Department of Commerce (DoC) with Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as a major stakeholder. Under the ODOP- Districts as Export Hubs initiative, products with export potential have been recently identified from all 765 districts of the country.