21. 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.
22. Vani Jairam, who passed away recently, was associated with which profession?
[A] Politician
[B] Sportsperson
[C] Singer
[D] Scientist
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Singer]
Notes:
National Award-winning legendary playback singer Vani Jairam passed away recently at the age of 78.
In a career spanning more than 50 years, Vani Jairam sang over 10,000 songs in several languages. The legendary singer was named for the Padma Bhushan the third-highest civilian award of the country by the Government of India, this year. Vani Jairam has won three National Film Awards for Best Female Playback Singer.
23. Which state budget announced a road map for setting up green hydrogen hubs with outlay of Rs 200 crores?
[A] Telangana
[B] Kerala
[C] Assam
[D] Odisha
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Kerala]
Notes:
The Budget presented by Kerala announced a road map for setting up green hydrogen hubs in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram in the next two years.
A scheme of ₹200 crore has been announced for viability gap funding/grant/equity support to set up the green hydrogen hubs. An amount of ₹20 crore is earmarked additionally for the purpose in the Budget.
24. ‘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.
25. Which country launched ‘Operation Dost’ to extend assistance to Turkey and Syria after the massive earthquake?
[A] Pakistan
[B] China
[C] India
[D] Russia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [India]
Notes:
India launched ‘Operation Dost’ to extend assistance to Turkey and Syria after the devastating earthquake.
The seventh ‘Operation Dost’ flight reached earthquake-hit Syria with over 23 tons of relief material. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the flight is carrying more than 35 tons of relief material, of which over 23 tons is headed for relief efforts in Syria, and around 12 tons to Turkey.
26. What is the rank of India in the Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) 2021?
[A] First
[B] Third
[C] Fifth
[D] Seventh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Fifth]
Notes:
India’s national accreditation system ranked fifth in the world in the Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) 2021.
The GQII ranks the 184 economies in the world on the basis of the quality infrastructure (QI). India’s overall QI system ranking continues to be in the 10th position, with the standardization system (under BIS) at 9th and the metrology system (under NPL-CSIR) at 21st position in the world.
27. Which country introduced new bank stress-test scenarios to examine the ability of the 23 biggest lenders?
[A] India
[B] USA
[C] UK
[D] China
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [USA]
Notes:
US Federal Reserve, the country’s central bank recently introduced Wall Street bank stress-test scenarios.
The central bank will examine the ability of the 23 biggest US lenders to withstand crisis conditions without degrading their capital. For the first time, the so-called stress test will feature an ‘exploratory market shock’ to the trading books of the largest and most complex banks.
28. What is the name used to describe a group of synthetic chemicals called per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)?
[A] Forever Chemicals
[B] Ultra-Synthetic Chemicals
[C] Eco Chemicals
[D] Ice Chemicals
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Forever Chemicals]
Notes:
‘Forever chemicals’ is a term used to describe a group of synthetic chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are highly persistent in the environment and resist degradation.
They are called ‘forever’ chemicals because they do not break down naturally and can persist for decades or even centuries. A new study led by Oxford University found high levels of forever chemicals in the ice around Norway’s Svalbard.
29. What is the CPI-based inflation recorded in January 2023?
[A] 4.52 %
[B] 5.52 %
[C] 6.52 %
[D] 7.00 %
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [6.52 %]
Notes:
The Indian government announced that retail inflation increased to 6.52% in January from 5.72% in December 2022, mainly due to the rise in food prices.
Retail inflation is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Reserve Bank of India’s household survey on inflation expectations forecasts that retail inflation will remain elevated in the next year due to a general increase in prices across different sectors.
30. Which Telescope has been selected for the ‘2023 John L. Jack Swigert, Jr.’ Award for Space Exploration?
[A] James Webb Telescope
[B] Hubble Space Telescope
[C] Chandra X-ray Observatory
[D] Spitzer Space Telescope
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [James Webb Telescope]
Notes:
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope team has been selected to receive the ‘2023 John L. Jack Swigert, Jr.’ Award for Space Exploration.
It is a prestigious award from the Space Foundation. This annual award honors a space agency, company, or consortium of organizations in the realm of space exploration and discovery.