31. Which Union Ministry launched the ‘COVID Teeka Sang Surakshit Van, Dhan aur Uddyam’ programme?
[A] Ministry of Environment and Climate Change
[B] Ministry of Tribal Affairs
[C] Ministry of Home Affairs
[D] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ministry of Tribal Affairs]
Notes:
Arjun Munda, Minister of Tribal Affairs, virtually launched the nationwide campaign “COVID Teeka Sang Surakshit Van, Dhan aur Uddyam”. It aims to fast-track the pace of COVID vaccination among tribals, in India.
The campaign will focus on the 45,000 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVK) of the Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED). It will be implemented with the help of traditional village headsmen, SHGs and ground level workers in villages.
32. Which countries have agreed principally to form a quadrilateral (QUAD) tie with the USA?
[A] Australia – Japan – Italy
[B] Afghanistan – Pakistan – Uzbekistan
[C] India – Sri Lanka – China
[D] Myanmar – Bhutan – Nepal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Afghanistan – Pakistan – Uzbekistan]
Notes:
The United States of America, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan have in principle agreed to form a quadrilateral tie (QUAD), to boost their diplomatic relationship among the countries.
The tie is aimed to establish a long-term peace in Afghanistan leading to financial and political stability. The parties have proposed to expand the trade relationship among them.
33. NEA Scout, is the new Spacecraft of which space agency?
[A] ISRO
[B] NASA
[C] ESA
[D] Rocosmos
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [NASA]
Notes:
NASA recently announced that its new spacecraft, named NEA Scout (Near-Earth Asteroid Scout) has completed all required tests and has been safely tucked inside the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
NEA Scout is one of several payloads that will ride on Artemis I, which is expected to be launched in November. Artemis I will be an uncrewed test-flight of the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket. Under the Artemis programme, NASA has aimed to land the first woman on the Moon in 2024.
34. To which field, Project 75 “I” is related to?
[A] Submarine construction
[B] 75th Independence Day celebration
[C] ISRO’s manned mission to space
[D] Finance Ministry’s recapitalization scheme
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Submarine construction]
Notes:
The Project 75I is the Defence Ministry’s ambitious project to design and construct submarines for Indian Navy, indigenously.
Recently, the Defence Ministry has issued a tender amounting Rs.50,000 crore for building six conventional submarines under the project 75I and the tenders have been issued to Mazagon Dockyards Limited and Larsen and Toubro.
35. Which organization has released the Asian Development Outlook (ADO)?
[A] State Bank of India
[B] Asian Development Bank
[C] International Monetary Fund
[D] Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Asian Development Bank]
Notes:
The Asian Development Bank, headquartered in the Philippines, has released the Asian Development Outlook (ADO).
The report has downgraded India’s economic growth for the financial year 2021-22 to 10 per cent from its earlier projection of 11 per cent. This downgrade is on account of the severe impact of Indian economy due to wave 2 of COVID 19 pandemic. The projection for 2022-23 is upgraded from 7 per cent to 7.5 per cent.
36. Marine Aids to Navigation Bill seeks to repeal which of the following legislations?
[A] Marine Act 1900
[B] Lighthouse Act 1927
[C] Ships Act 1936
[D] Navigation Act 1940
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Lighthouse Act 1927]
Notes:
The Marine Aids to Navigation Bill has been recently introduced in the upper house of the parliament by the Union Minister of Ports Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal.
The bill seeks to repeal the colonial era legislation of the Lighthouse Act of 1927 and is aimed to strengthen the marine aids for navigation across the country.
37. Ganymede, which was making news recently, is the moon of which planet?
[A] Venus
[B] Mercury
[C] Jupiter
[D] Saturn
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Jupiter]
Notes:
Ganymede is a satellite of Jupiter and is the largest and most massive of the moons present in the Solar System. It is also the ninth-largest object of the Solar System, including the Sun.
The US space agency NASA has recently released a new video in which its Juno spacecraft was seen flying close to Jupiter’s moon Ganymede. The video shows several of the moon’s dark and light regions as well as the crater Tros, one of the largest and brightest crater scars on Ganymede.
38. Ariel Henry was appointed as the new Prime Minister of which country?
[A] Peru
[B] Haiti
[C] Maldives
[D] Mauritius
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Haiti]
Notes:
Ariel Henry was recently appointed as the new Prime Minister of Haiti, amid political turmoil caused by the assassination of President Jovenel Moise.
Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon and former cabinet minister was chosen as Prime Minister by the President, days before he was assassinated at his home. Ariel Henry will lead the nation until a new President is chosen in an election scheduled in September.
39. S-500 is the air defence missile system developed by which country?
[A] Israel
[B] Pakistan
[C] India
[D] Russia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Russia]
Notes:
Russia has conducted a successful test of its S-500 air defence missile systems. During the test, the missile system hit a high-speed ballistic target.
The S-500 is said to have a maximum firing range of 600 kilometres and is the most advanced anti-missile system in the world. It is also capable of countering attacks from space.
40. Chrysilla volupe, a rare organism spotted in Kerala, belongs to which category of species?
[A] Spider
[B] Turtle
[C] Snake
[D] Frog
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Spider]
Notes:
A pair of rare Chrysilla volupe spiders was recently spotted at Puttenahalli lake in Kerala. The Chrysilla volupe was believed to be extinct for 150 years, until it was discovered at the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) in 2018.
The spider belongs to the family of jumping spiders (Salticidae). Male spiders are 5.44 mm long including stretched legs and 1.76 mm wide. They have a upper skin in reddish orange colour with two shining blue stripes. Females measure 2.61 mm long and 0.88 mm wide, and have a greyish upper skin with grey eyebrows with yellow legs.