1. The Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) has been extended till which year?
[A] 2023-24
[B] 2024-25
[C] 2025-26
[D] 2029-30
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [2025-26]
Notes:
The Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) has been approved for continuation till 2025-26 with the total outlay of Rs 13,554.42 crore.
The extension of the scheme is over the 15th Finance Commission Cycle for five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The scheme will create sustainable employment opportunities for about 40 lakh persons in five financial years. It is implemented by the Ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises.
2. The ‘West Nile fever’ was first detected in 1937 in which country?
[A] India
[B] Uganda
[C] Syria
[D] Israel
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Uganda]
Notes:
West Nile fever was first detected in 1937 in Uganda. The vector-borne infection is spread by the Culex species of mosquitoes. The fever was first detected in Kerala in 2011.
A 47-year-old man died due to West Nile fever in Kerala’s Thrissur district. It is the first fatality in the state caused by the disease in the last three years.
3. Etalin hydroelectric project, which was seen in the news, is proposed to be set up in which state/UT?
[A] Punjab
[B] Arunachal Pradesh
[C] Rajasthan
[D] Kerala
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Arunachal Pradesh]
Notes:
Etalin hydroelectric project is proposed to be set up in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The 3,097-MW project requires diversion of over 1100 hectares of forest land and felling of over 280,000 trees.
Wildlife scientists and conservationists in the state have written to Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), about the threats to local biodiversity from the project
4. Which state/UT hosted the ‘National Conference of School Education Ministers’ in 2022?
[A] Karnataka
[B] Gujarat
[C] New Delhi
[D] Tamil Nadu
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Gujarat]
Notes:
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attended the ‘National Conference of School Education Ministers’ in Gujarat.
The Conference was organised by the Department of School Education & Literacy of Union Education Ministry and Education Ministry of Gujarat. It aims to focus on strengthening the education ecosystem in the country with a focus on the implementation of National Education Policy 2020, skilling in schools, and digital initiatives.
5. The Union Cabinet expanded the scope of Government e-Marketplace (GeM) to allow which entity to register as buyers?
[A] Post Offices
[B] Cooperative Societies
[C] Small Finance Banks
[D] Common Service Centres
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Cooperative Societies]
Notes:
The Union Cabinet expanded the scope of the public procurement portal Government e-Marketplace (GeM) to allow cooperative societies to register as buyers.
This would help cooperatives in getting competitive prices through an open and transparent process. Over 8,54,000 registered cooperatives and their 270 million members will be benefitted. The registration of cooperatives as buyers was not covered within the existing mandate of GeM, so far.
6. Which is the only Indian institution in the top-50 list of 2022 Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings?
[A] IIT Madras
[B] IIT Bombay
[C] IISc Bengaluru
[D] IIT Roorkee
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [IISc Bengaluru]
Notes:
The Times Higher Education (THE) released the 2022 edition of the Asia University Rankings with universities from 31 countries and territories.
India is the third most-represented country, with 71 universities making it to the list. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore is the only institute to make the top-50 list at 42nd rank. JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (65th), IIT Ropar (68) and IIT Indore (87) were in top 100 list.
7. When is the ‘World Bicycle Day’ celebrated every year?
[A] June 1
[B] June 3
[C] June 5
[D] June 7
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [June 3]
Notes:
World Bicycle Day is celebrated every year on June 3, to develop a culture of cycling for basic transportation, commutation, and strengthening physical and mental health.
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur launched a nationwide ‘Fit India Freedom Rider Cycle Rally’ from Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Delhi on the occasion of World Bicycle Day 2022.
8. Which company recently announced to launch ‘AMBER alerts’ to find missing children?
[A] Microsoft
[B] Google
[C] Meta
[D] Apple
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Meta]
Notes:
Meta recently announced that AMBER alerts will be launched in Instagram in 25 countries. With the new feature, users in these regions will get notifications of missing children in the area.
The feature was already present on Facebook and it has helped find hundreds of children since its launch in 2015. AMBER alerts for Instagram was developed in partnership with various organisations like US- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children.
9. Which Indian personality was honoured by the Geneva-based Martin Ennals Foundation?
[A] Father Stan Swamy
[B] Varavara Rao
[C] Sudha Bharadwaj
[D] Anand Teltumbde
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Father Stan Swamy]
Notes:
The Martin Ennals Foundation has decided to posthumously pay homage to Father Stan Swamy. He was a Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist from Jharkhand who had been arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case. He worked closely with Adivasi communities to safeguard their land, forest and labour rights.
The Geneva-based foundation presents the award regarded as the Nobel Prize for human rights defenders every year. The recipients of this year’s awards include Daouda Diallo from Burkina Faso, Pham Doan Trang from Vietnam and Abdul-Hadi Al-Khawaja of Bahrain.
10. Supreme Court directed a mandatory eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of a minimum of how many kilometers for protected forest, wildlife sanctuary?
[A] 0.5 km
[B] 1 km
[C] 2 km
[D] 3 km
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [1 km]
Notes:
The Supreme Court directed that every protected forest, national park and wildlife sanctuary across the country should have a mandatory eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of a minimum one km starting from their demarcated boundaries.
As per the Environment Ministry guidelines, the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) would act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to those involving lesser protection.