31. US President Donald Trump signed an act, that authorises sanctions against which country, over the mass incarceration of Uighurs?
[A] India
[B] China
[C] Thailand
[D] Vietnam
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [China]
Notes:
US President Donald Trump signed an act to authorise sanctions against Chinese officials over the mass incarceration of Uighur Muslims and other minorities.
The legislation requires the US administration to determine which Chinese officials are responsible for the arbitrary detention, torture and harassment of the minorities. Then, the U.S would freeze any assets held by the officials in the country and would also ban their entry into the U.S. As per some activists, over one million Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims are being homogenised in China.
32. Who has been reappointed as the Ethics Officer and Ombudsman of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)?
[A] D K Jain
[B] Sourav Ganguly
[C] Jay Shah
[D] W V Raman
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [D K Jain]
Notes:
Former Supreme Court Judge D K Jain has been reappointed as the Ethics Officer and Ombudsman of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
D K Jain was appointed as the first ever Ombudsman and was later appointed as the Ethics Officer in addition. His term had ended on February 29 this year, but his appointment has been renewed for one more year. Due to the Covid pandemic, the Ombudsman will be conducting hearings virtually.
33.
Who is the author of the book titled ‘Klara and the Sun’ that was seen in news recently?
[A] Kazuo Ishiguro
[B] Margaret Atwood
[C] Bernardine Evaristo
[D] Salman Rushdie
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Kazuo Ishiguro]
Notes:
Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro announced that his book titled ‘Klara and the Sun’ will be released in March 2021. He is a British novelist born in Japan.
The theme of the book is ‘what does it mean to love’. This is the first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. His previous literary works have earned several prestigious awards including the Booker Prize. He has also won the highest honorary awards from France and Japan.
34. Quantum communications satellite –Micius, that was seen in news recently, was launched by which country?
[A] United States
[B] China
[C] Russia
[D] Israel
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [China]
Notes:
The World’s first Quantum communications satellite, Micius was launched by China in the year 2016. It has pioneered in the field of quantum encryption.
The satellite was seen in news recently, as it sends particles of light to Earth to establish the world’s most secure communication link. This is considered to be a milestone in the research, as long-range secure communication can be obtained without the help of traditional communication satellites. Secure long-distance links such will be the foundation of the future global network called the quantum internet.
35. Which Union Ministry has organised a webinar titled ‘National Sickle Cell Conclave’?
[A] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
[B] Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
[C] Ministry of Tribal Affairs
[D] Ministry of Science and Technology
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Ministry of Tribal Affairs]
Notes:
The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs along with FICCI and two private healthcare institutes organised a webinar titled ‘National Sickle Cell Conclave’, to mark World Sickle Cell Day.
Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda addressed the webinar and announced that the government has launched a new portal with registration facility, information about the disease and various government initiatives undertaken. The Ministry has initiated ‘Action Research’ project for helping SCD patients. A report titled ‘Stepping out of the shadows – Combating Sickle Cell Disease in India’ was released.
36. What is the expansion of LLP Act, that was seen in news recently?
[A] Limited Logistics Partnership Act
[B] Limited Liability Partnership Act
[C] Legal Liability Partnership Act
[D] Logistics Liability Partnership Act
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Limited Liability Partnership Act]
Notes:
The Union Ministry of Corporate affairs (MCA) has proposed to decriminalise some compoundable offences under the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act.
In the draft proposal, the Ministry has listed as many as 20 sections of the LLP Act and sought public comments and stakeholder consultations. It includes change of designated partners, maintaining books of accounts etc. Certain minor, procedural or technical violations which does not involve any harm to public interest are to be decriminalized.
37. 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.
38. The corporation of which state/UT has launched ‘Mission Zero’ plan to combat ‘COVID-19’?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] Gujarat
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Maharashtra]
Notes:
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) of Maharashtra launched ‘Mission Zero’ rapid action plan to combat Covid-19.
Under the action plan, as many as fifty dispensary vans will cover various parts of Mumbai for 2-3 weeks to carry out a preliminary examination of patients. As per the data of the Ministry of Health and Family welfare, Maharashtra stands at the top spot with maximum number of people affected by Covid-19 in the country.
39. Which Indian state/UT became the first to operationalise rail coaches converted into isolation units for Covid-19?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] Uttar Pradesh
[D] Gujarat
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Uttar Pradesh]
Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh Government has started using rail coaches as isolation units for COVID-19 suspected patients.
COVID coaches are deployed at Mau junction in Varanasi in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in a first in the country. Indian Railways is ready to offer as many as 5,231 isolation coaches to the states and the respective zonal railways have converted the coaches as quarantine facilities. After Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh have also been using rail coaches.
40. Which major technology company has shut its video game streaming service ‘Mixer’?
[A] Facebook
[B] Microsoft
[C] Amazon
[D] Apple
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Microsoft]
Notes:
Major technology company Microsoft has recently announced to shut its video game streaming service Mixer.
Microsoft partnered with Facebook to enable the users of Mixer to transit to Facebook Gaming. If the user is voluntary to switch over to Gaming service of Facebook, it has been made easy. Earlier, Apple rejected Facebook Gaming app on the iOS App Store. However, Microsoft is working on their new project ‘xCloud’.