1. When is International Everest Day celebrated across the world?
[A] May 29
[B] May 31
[C] June 1
[D] June 2
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [May 29]
Notes:
International Everest Day is celebrated on May 29, across the world every year. On the same day in the year 1953, Tenzing Norgay of Nepal and Edmund Hillary of New Zealand had successfully scaled the Mt. Everest.
The mountaineer duo were the first human beings to achieve the prestigious feat. Nepal decided to observe the day as International Everest Day since the climber Edmund Hillary passed away in the year 2008.
2. Which company has partnered with the Trivandrum-based SCTIMST institute for commercial production of COVID kits?
[A] Larsen & Toubro
[B] Tata Group
[C] Reliance Industries
[D] Mahindra & Mahindra
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Tata Group]
Notes:
The Tata Group has recently signed a partnership agreement with the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) of Thiruvananthapuram for commercial production of Covid-19 testing kits.
The kits to be produced are based on Reverse Transcriptase Loop-Mediated Amplification (RT-LAMP) technology for Covid-19 detection. The kits provide results in a lesser time against the conventional method. Earlier, Tata Sons had partnered with CSIR- Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology to produce CRISPR-based COVID test kits.
3. Who has been nominated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award?
[A] Shikhar Dhawan
[B] Rohit Sharma
[C] Jasprit Bumrah
[D] Ravindra Jadeja
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Rohit Sharma]
Notes:
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has nominated Indian cricket star Rohit Sharma for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
Other stars including Ishant Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Deepti Yadav have been shortlisted by the BCCI for the Arjuna Award. The period of consideration for the awards is between January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019. Rohit Sharma has been named the ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2019.
4. Which Indian state/UT has launched a mobile application to give real-time information on number of hospital beds?
[A] Goa
[B] New Delhi
[C] Odisha
[D] Kerala
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [New Delhi]
Notes:
Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal has recently launched ‘Delhi Corona’ app for real-time information on availability of hospital beds.
The dedicated application would display the availability of beds at both private and government hospitals in the city, available at any particular time. Moreover, the app will also provide redressal of complaints related to refusal of hospitals in admitting COVID-19 positive patients.
5. Which state has made Aadhaar card mandatory for services like Salons and beauty parlours, to facilitate contact tracing?
[A] Kerala
[B] Tamil Nadu
[C] Andhra Pradesh
[D] Odisha
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Tamil Nadu]
Notes:
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu released the standard operating procedure for the salons, beauty parlours and spas, when they resume their service after the lockdown.
As per the rules, the mentioned service providers will have to maintain a record of the name, phone number, address and Aadhaar number of the customers as a preventive measure against Covid-19. It would also facilitate contact tracing. Other sanitation procedures were also provided for resuming.
6. Which country has prohibited the export of alcohol-based hand sanitizers in containers with dispenser pump?
[A] China
[B] United States
[C] India
[D] South Korea
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [India]
Notes:
The Government of India has recently prohibited the export of alcohol-based hand sanitizers in containers with dispenser pump.
As per the notification of the Directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT), the alcohol-based hand sanitizers exported in any other form or packaging, will be allowed for exports. Earlier, On May 6, the government had prohibited the export of all alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
7. Which music label entered into a global deal with Facebook to license its music?
[A] T-Series
[B] Saregama
[C] Zee Music
[D] Sony Music
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Saregama]
Notes:
India’s oldest music label Saregama has entered into a global deal with social media giant Facebook to license its music.
Under the deal, Saregama’s music is licensed for features such as videos, stories via music stickers and other creative content offered by Facebook. Hereafter, Facebook and Instagram users will be able to add music to their posts and stories from Saregama music label.
8. Who will be the Chairperson of the “Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS)”, that has been approved by the Cabinet?
[A] Prime Minister
[B] CEO of NITI Aayog
[C] Cabinet Secretary
[D] Minister of Corporate affairs
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Cabinet Secretary]
Notes:
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for setting up of an “Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS) and Project Development Cells (PDCs) in Ministries/Departments of Government of India.
The establishment of the two cells is expected to attract more investments in India. The Cabinet Secretary would serve as the Chairperson of EGoS, with NITI Aayog CEO and Secretaries of other departments as members. The ‘Project Development Cell’ (PDC) will develop projects in coordination with the Central Government and State Governments and increase FDI inflows.
9. Which private sector bank has partnered with Mastercard India to launch a digital point-of-sale solution named ‘Soft POS’?
[A] ICICI Bank
[B] Axis Bank
[C] Kotak Mahindra Bank
[D] Yes Bank
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Axis Bank]
Notes:
Leading Private sector bank of India, Axis Bank has recently partnered with Mastercard India and payment service provider, Worldline India to launch a digital point-of-sale solution named as ‘Soft POS’.
The solution aims to assist offline merchants and local kirana stores in accepting payments using their smartphones, through several digital form factors including Bharat QR, sending payment links to customers etc. It can accept NFC-based payments to boost contactless payments in the country and features like e-Khata for reconciliations.
10. Which Indian Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) signed a MoU with Energy Efficiency Services for development of Trigeneration projects?
[A] Steel Authority of India
[B] GAIL (India)
[C] Coal India
[D] Power Finance Corporation
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [GAIL (India)]
Notes:
The largest state-owned natural gas processing and distribution company, GAIL (India) and Energy Efficiency Services have signed a MoU for cooperation in development of Trigeneration projects in India.
In Trigeneration or Combined Cooling, Heat and Power (CCHP) projects, natural gas-fired generators are used to produce electricity. Under the MoU, the two companies will jointly explore business opportunities in Trigeneration segment, where 50:50 joint venture between GAIL & EESL will be incorporated.