1. Which is the first private space company to send astronauts into space?
[A] Blue Origin
[B] Tesla
[C] SpaceX
[D] Orbital
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [SpaceX]
Notes:
California-based American aerospace manufacturing and space transportation services firm SpaceX has become the first private company to send astronauts into space.
The firm is owned by the tech-billionaire Elon Musk. The Crew Dragon spacecraft of SpaceX carried two astronauts of NASA Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station (ISS). Earlier, this feat has been achieved by the governments of the United States, Russia and China. The US halted to use its own shuttles nine years ago.
2. Which venue was originally scheduled for the 47th G-7 summit 2020, that has been postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic?
[A] France
[B] United States
[C] Germany
[D] Italy
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [United States]
Notes:
G7 is an association of seven of the world’s largest economies namely the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan. Previously it included Russia and was called the G-8.
The 47th G7 summit was originally scheduled to be held in the month of June 2020, at Camp David, United States. The US President Donald Trump recently announced that he is postponing the 47th summit to September or November. He also suggested to expand the G7 bloc to include India, Australia, South Korea and Russia.
3. What are the large group of asteroids that share the Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun, commonly called as?
[A] Trojan asteroids
[B] Dragon Asteroids
[C] Migrant Asteroids
[D] Queen Asteroids
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Trojan asteroids]
Notes:
The large group of asteroids that share the Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun are commonly called as Trojan asteroids or Jupiter Trojans. The trojans follow the same orbit of planet but stay either around 60 degrees ahead or 60 degrees behind along the orbit.
Recently, a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii and Queen’s University Belfast have found that 2019 LD2 is the first known Jupiter trojan asteroid to have a comet-like tail. It was first discovered in June 2019 by the ATLAS system funded by NASA. But it could not be observed then, as it passed behind the sun.
4. Who are the beneficiaries of the newly launched scheme PM SVANIDHI?
[A] MSMEs
[B] Migrant Labourers
[C] Street vendors
[D] Textile Industries
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Street vendors]
Notes:
The Union Government has recently launched a new micro-credit facility scheme named PM SVANIDHI – Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi.
Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry launched the scheme, which aims to provide affordable loans to street vendors. The duration of the scheme is till March 2022 and is expected to benefit over 50 lakh street vendors. The vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs 10000, which is repayable in monthly instalments in one-year tenure.
5. What is the name of the former Union Minister and 3-time Member of Parliament from Ladakh, who recently passed away?
[A] Bejan Daruwalla
[B] Ajit Jogi
[C] P Namgyal
[D] K N Lakshmanan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [P Namgyal]
Notes:
Veteran politician and former Union Minister P Namgyal recently passed away at the age of 83, after contracting Covid-19.
He was also 3-time Member of Parliament from Ladakh representing the Congress Party. He had served as Minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs, Surface Transport and Chemicals & Petro chemicals. The Senior leader played a crucial role in obtaining ‘Tribal area’ status for Ladakh.
6. Which Union Ministry launched the schemes named PLI, SPECS and EMC 2.0?
[A] Ministry of Defence
[B] Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
[C] Minister for Electronics and IT
[D] Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Minister for Electronics and IT]
Notes:
Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad has launched three major schemes to boost manufacture of electronics in the country.
Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) aims for large-scale electronics manufacturing. Other two schemes namely Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS) and Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) Scheme were also launched. This will generate manufacturing of electronics components worth Rs 10 lakh crore by 2025.
7. Which country has announced its eleventh outbreak of Ebola virus disease?
[A] Democratic Republic of the Congo
[B] Nigeria
[C] Rwanda
[D] Uganda
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Democratic Republic of the Congo]
Notes:
The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo recently announced that it has witnessed a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease.
The country located in Central Africa has seen its 11th outbreak since the virus was first discovered in the country in 1976. At present, the disease is occurring in the Equateur province. The World Health Organisation (WHO) also announced about the disease.
8. The Union Government has launched a drive to issue Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to which category of farmers?
[A] Dairy farmers
[B] Poultry farmers
[C] Horticulture farmers
[D] Pisciculture farmers
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Dairy farmers]
Notes:
The Union Government has recently launched Kisan Credit Card campaign to help dairy farmers.
The Government will provide Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to about 1.5 crore dairy farmers who belong to Milk Unions and Milk producing Companies. The drive seeks to provide KCC to the farmers within the next two months before July 31, under a special drive. The special drive to provide KCC is part of the Prime Minister’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat package.
9. Which global organisation recently warned that 60 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty in 2020?
[A] United Nations
[B] World Bank
[C] Food and Agricultural Organisation
[D] World Economic Forum
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [World Bank]
Notes:
The World Bank recently warned that 60 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty in 2020, after Covid-19 crisis.
The World Bank President David Malpass released analytical chapters from its flagship Global Economic Prospects report. He urged the countries to implement comprehensive policies to boost long-term growth and to address immediate health emergencies. The estimates are likely to increase further.
10. Union Cabinet has approved to rename which major port of India as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port?
[A] Kandla Port
[B] Chennai Port
[C] Cochin Port
[D] Kolkata Port
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Kolkata Port]
Notes:
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has recently approved to rename Kolkata Port as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port.
During the 150th anniversary celebration of the Kolkata Port trust, the Prime Minister announced that the Port trust would be named after the leader Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The Port trust’s board of trustees passed a resolution to re-name Kolkata Port on February 2020. The Kolkata Port is the first Major Port as well as the only riverine port of the country.