1. Zoox, that was recently acquired by Amazon, is a start-up firm related to which field?
[A] Self-driving Car
[B] Aerial Transport
[C] Social Media
[D] Ride Hailing service
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Self-driving Car]
Notes:
Amazon has recently acquired the Self-driving Car start-up firm Zoox, in a deal estimated to be worth over USD 1 billion.
Zoox is an American company, which employs more than 1000 persons and was also developing an electric self-driving vehicle. As per sources, this is Amazon’s biggest investment so far in self-driving car technology. This is also one of its biggest purchases ever. The technology is expected to be deployed in automated delivery projects of Amazon.
2. What is the theme of the ‘National Statistics Day’ 2020, celebrated on June 29?
[A] Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 5
[B] Honouring P. C. Mahalanobis
[C] Statistics is Life
[D] Indian statistics
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 5]
Notes:
National Statistics Day is observed on June 29 every year in India. This year it was celebrated through virtual conference with the theme of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) and SDG 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls).
The Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation instituted a new award ‘Prof. P. C. Mahalanobis National Award in Official Statistics’, which was conferred upon Former RBI Governor C Rangarajan. ‘Prof. P.V. Sukhatme National Award in Statistics 2020’ was given to Dr Arvind Pandey and Dr. Akhilesh Chandra Kulshreshtha.
3. The United States has eliminated the special status and halted Defence Exports to which country?
[A] China
[B] Hong Kong
[C] India
[D] Vietnam
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Hong Kong]
Notes:
The United States has recently eliminated the special status under U.S. law and halted Defence Exports to Hong Kong.
U.S has also restricted the access of the country to high technology products. This decision has been taken while China is preparing new Hong Kong security legislation. U.S also proposed to end the export of dual-use technologies to the territory, which have both commercial and military uses.
4. In which state/UT, a new Urban Forest with indigenous species has been inaugurated by the Union Environment Minister?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] New Delhi
[D] Uttar Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [New Delhi]
Notes:
The Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has recently inaugurated an urban forest, in the Union Territory of New Delhi.
The urban forest is created with as many as 12,000 seedlings of 59 indigenous species. It is developed at the Office premises of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. This is expected to form into a full-fledged forest by 2021 and will improve the Air Quality Index of the UT.
5. Which financial institution has recently joined the Central Banks and Supervisors Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS)?
[A] BRICS Bank
[B] Asian Development Bank
[C] European Central Bank
[D] BRICS Bank
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Asian Development Bank]
Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has joined the Central Banks and Supervisors Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS).
NGFS is a group of central banks and supervisors who will share best practices about climate risk management in financial sector. It was launched at the Paris One Planet Summit in the year 2017. It also mobilises finance for maintaining a sustainable economy.
6. ‘Dharma Chakra Parvattana’ is a famous celebration of which religion?
[A] Jainism
[B] Buddhism
[C] Hinduism
[D] Sikhism
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Buddhism]
Notes:
‘Dharma Chakra Parvattana’ is a famous celebration of Buddhism, which commemorates Gautam Buddha’s first discourse to his first five disciples at Sarnath.
The International Buddhist Confederation, under the Ministry of Culture, celebrates Ashadha Poornima as Dharma Chakra Day. The Prime Minister has recently conveyed his greetings on Ashadha Poornima, also known as Guru Purnima.
7. What is the name of the free video-conferencing application, launched by Reliance Jio?
[A] JioMeet
[B] Vande Bharat
[C] Hello India
[D] Jio Zoom
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [JioMeet]
Notes:
Reliance Industries has recently launched a new video conferencing application named ‘JioMeet’, as a competition to the popular video conferencing app Zoom.
The JioMeet video conferencing app is available across all play stores and web. As per the statement of Reliance Jio, the application supports High Definition audio and video call quality. It allows a maximum of 100 participants and unlike Zoom, it does not have a restricted meeting time of 40 minutes.
8. Which country has become the first major economy to shut down coal and nuclear power?
[A] France
[B] Germany
[C] Austria
[D] Canada
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Germany]
Notes:
Germany has recently become the first major economy to shut down coal and nuclear power. Both the houses of German Parliament have approved the phase-out decision.
It has decided to shut down coal-fired power plants by 2038 and nuclear power by the end of 2022. The country has also proposed to spend about 40 billion euros to help the affected regions in their transition.
9. Which Indian state/UT has launched a mobile van ‘Dhanvantri Rath’ providing essential healthcare services to the people?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Gujarat
[C] Odisha
[D] West Bengal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Gujarat]
Notes:
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has deployed 120 Mobile Medical Vans named ‘Dhanvantri Rath’ across the city.
It is a mobile van that provides non-COVID essential healthcare services to every household of the corporation. Every van has an AYUSH Doctor, a paramedic and nursing staff and a local Medical Officer from the Corporation’s Urban Health Centre. It conducts regular out-patient consultations.
10. The world’s largest COVID care centre has been inaugurated in which Indian state/UT?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] New Delhi
[C] Gujarat
[D] Tamil Nadu
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [New Delhi]
Notes:
The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal has recently inaugurated the Sardar Patel COVID care centre, which is claimed to be the largest in the world.
The 10,000-bed care centre has been built in a record time of 10 days. It has a COVID Care Centre (CCC), to treat asymptomatic positive patients and a Dedicated COVID Health Care (DCHC), to treat symptomatic cases.