31. Which country is the largest holder of US govt securities at the end of April 2020?
[A] China
[B] Japan
[C] India
[D] Australia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Japan]
Notes:
According to the data from the US Treasury Department, India has become the 12th largest holder of US government securities at the end of April.
Japan stood at the first position by holding securities worth 157.4 billion dollars. It is followed by China at 1.1 trillion dollars and the UK at 368.5 billion dollars. At the end of April, India had an exposure of 157.4 billion dollars.
32. Which institution is to launch “Decarbonising Transport in India”, in collaboration with International Transport Forum (ITF)?
[A] NITI Aayog
[B] World Wide Fund for Nature – India
[C] Indian Council of Forestry Research Education
[D] Indian Institute of Forest Management
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [NITI Aayog]
Notes:
Indian Government’s think tank NITI Aayog in collaboration with International Transport Forum (ITF) will launch the “Decarbonising Transport in India” project on 24 June.
The project seeks to promote low-carbon transport system for India. Since 2008, India has been a member of ITF, which is an intergovernmental organisation for transport policy. The project is part of the “Decarbonising Transport in Emerging Economies” (DTEE) family of projects. India, Argentina, Azerbaijan, and Morocco are the present participants of DTEE.
33. In which Indian state/UT, the famous Ambubachi festival is celebrated?
[A] Odisha
[B] Assam
[C] West Bengal
[D] Mizoram
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Assam]
Notes:
The annual Ambubachi Mela at the Kamakhya temple in the state of Assam has begun, but without devotees.
The traditional rituals would only be performed in the Kamakhya temple, located atop of Nilachal Hills and is regarded as one of 51 Shakti Peeths. This is the most awaited festival among the devotees usually attracts more than 25 lakh visitors has been cancelled this year. The temple was shut for visitors since March 20, due to the Covid-19 induced restriction.
34. Rajinder Goel, who passed away recently, is associated with which field?
[A] Business
[B] Politics
[C] Sports
[D] Literature
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Sports]
Notes:
Rajinder Goel, who was considered as one of the finest left-arm spinners of the country, passed away recently, at the age of 77
Rajinder Goel took part in about 157 first-class matches, most of them for Haryana. He also holds the record for clinching maximum wickets in Ranji trophy with 637 wickets. The legendary spinner made his debut in the year 1957 and played domestic cricket until the age of 44. He was awarded the CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by BCCI.
35. Which country is the chair of the ASEAN association for the year 2020?
[A] Singapore
[B] Vietnam
[C] Thailand
[D] Malaysia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Vietnam]
Notes:
As per the recent data from Vietnam, the 36th ASEAN Summit will be held via video conference on June 26.
Vietnam is the chair of ASEAN in 2020 and its Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will chair the opening session, plenary session and special sessions on woman empowerment in digital era among other meetings. The 36th ASEAN Summit, which had been scheduled to be held in April, has been postponed to June end due to COVID-19.
36. Which fund has been made open to contributions from individuals or institutions, by the Finance Ministry?
[A] National Disaster Response Fund
[B] PM CARES Fund
[C] Consolidated Fund of India
[D] Public Account Fund
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [National Disaster Response Fund]
Notes:
The Department of Economic Affairs, Finance Ministry has recently announced that there is no objection to the proposal of contributions from individuals or institutions towards the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
The proposal has been accepted based on the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The NDRF was constituted under the same act and it supplements SDRF of a state, when adequate funds are not available in SDRF in case of a severe disaster. The central government may constitute a fund to be called the NDRF for meeting any severe disaster.
37. What is ‘Dhruva’, that has been developed by researchers and students of IIT-Bombay?
[A] Personal Protective Equipment
[B] COVID-19 Test Kit
[C] Receiver chip for NAVIC
[D] Microprocessor
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Receiver chip for NAVIC]
Notes:
The students and researchers of IIT-Bombay has recently developed a homegrown receiver chip – Dhruva.
The chip can be used in smartphones and navigation devices to find locations and routes within the country. It will receive signals from NAVIC group of navigation satellites of India, as well as the US Global Positioning System-based satellites to determine a person’s location precisely.
38. Which Union Minister inaugurated the country’s first Virtual Healthcare & Hygiene Expo 2020?
[A] Mansukh Mandaviya
[B] Amit Shah
[C] Harsh Vardhan
[D] Prakash Javadekar
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Mansukh Mandaviya]
Notes:
Union Minister of State for Shipping (IC) and Chemicals & Fertilisers, Mansukh Mandaviya has recently inaugurated India’s one the largest first Virtual Healthcare & Hygiene EXPO 2020.
The Expo has been organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the leading association of business organisations in India. This is the first ever largest virtual exhibition in India. The Chairman of FICCI, the President of FICCI, Tennis star P V Sindhu were also present during the virtual Expo.
39. What is the theme of ‘International Widows Day’ 2020?
[A] Invisible Women, Invisible Problems
[B] Inheritance rights to widows
[C] Social support to all
[D] Widows in Developing Countries
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Invisible Women, Invisible Problems]
Notes:
The United Nations observes 23 June as International Widows Day since 2011. The theme of ‘International Widows Day’ 2020 is ‘Invisible Women, Invisible Problems’.
The day highlights the necessity to provide them access to Inheritance rights, pension and social protection, decent work and equal pay. UN also urges governments to ensure the rights of widows as per international laws including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
40. Which technology company has added ‘Fact-Checked’ labels for search images, to curb misinformation?
[A] Microsoft
[B] Google
[C] Apple
[D] Mozilla
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Google]
Notes:
Technology major Google has announced that it has introduced a new feature called Fact-Checked’ labels for search images, to curb misinformation.
It will identify misleading photos in its specific search tool for images with the label. These fact-checking labels have been already used in its main search results and on video-streaming site YouTube. IT has now extended to images as well.