1. The Ministry of Defence signed a contract with which company for supply of ASTRA MK-I Air to Air Missile (AAM)?
[A] HAL
[B] BEL
[C] DRDO
[D] BDL
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [BDL]
Notes:
The Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the supply of ASTRA MK-I Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air to Air Missile (AAM).
The contract includes associated equipment for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, along with the missile, at a cost of ₹ 2,971 crore under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category. ASTRA MK-I BVR AAM has been indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
2. India signed MoUs on visa-free regime for Diplomatic and Official passport holders and Youth Matters, with which country?
[A] Portugal
[B] Japan
[C] Turkey
[D] Senegal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Senegal]
Notes:
India’s Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu is on a three-nation tour, reached Senegal, a West African country.
India signed three MoUs with the country on 1) visa-free regime for Diplomatic and Official passport holders; 2)renewal of Cultural Exchange Progarmme (CEP) for the period 2022-26 and 3) bilateral cooperation in youth matters.
3. India’s first liquid-mirror telescope has been commissioned in which state/UT?
[A] Sikkim
[B] Jammu and Kashmir
[C] Uttarakhand
[D] Himachal Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Uttarakhand]
Notes:
India’s first liquid-mirror telescope, the International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) has been set up on the campus of the Devasthal Observatory of the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Nainital, Uttarakhand.
The telescope will observe asteroids, supernovae, space debris and all other celestial objects from an altitude of 2,450 metres in the Himalayas. It is the first liquid-telescope globally to be designed exclusively for astronomical purposes.
4. ‘Eublepharis pictus’, which was seen in the news, belongs to which species?
[A] Turtle
[B] Spider
[C] Gecko
[D] Snake
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Gecko]
Notes:
The species, Eublepharis pictus, also known as the Painted Leopard Gecko, was originally found in Visakhapatnam in 2017.
The species, which was considered as East Indian Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis hardwickii), has now been identified as a member of a new species. It appears to be common in the forests of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The two species appear to be separated by the Brahmani River.
5. Which country signed deals worth USD 1 billion to settle the land claim of ‘Siksika tribe’?
[A] USA
[B] Australia
[C] Canada
[D] New Zealand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Canada]
Notes:
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently signed deals worth 1.3 billion Canadian dollars to settle a Blackfoot tribe’s land claim.
The 1.3 billion Canadian dollar (USD 1 billion) settlement is one of the largest agreements of its kind reached in Canada. It aims to correct the mistakes dating back over a century when Canadian government broke promise and wrongfully took half of Siksika Nation’s reserve land to sell to settlers.
6. Which Union Ministry launched the “Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas” (SHRESTHA) scheme?
[A] Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
[B] Ministry of Education
[C] Ministry of Women and Child Development
[D] Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment]
Notes:
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched “Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas” (SHRESTHA).
It aims to provide quality education and opportunities for the poorest Scheduled Caste students. Under this scheme, a certain number of meritorious SC students per year will be selected through a National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA (NETS), conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). They will be admitted in the good private residential schools, affiliated to CBSE.
7. Which country launched its manned mission to its Tiangong Space station?
[A] Japan
[B] Israel
[C] China
[D] South Korea
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [China]
Notes:
China successfully launched its third manned mission to its new space station, sending three astronauts to continue construction work for six months.
China’s Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced that the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft was launched by a Long March 2F rocket. The team will live and work at the Tiangong Space Station’s Tianhe core module for six months.
8. Which association holds the annual BALTOPS naval exercise?
[A] European Union
[B] NATO
[C] Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
[D] ASEAN
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [NATO]
Notes:
NATO launched the two-week United States-led naval exercise on the Baltic Sea with more than 7,000 sailors, airmen and marines from 16 nations.
Finland and Sweden, who have applied to join the military alliance, also participated in the event. The annual BALTOPS naval exercise was initiated in the year 1972.
9. Which Indian personality has been signed on as brand ambassador of ‘Garuda Aerospace’?
[A] Virat Kohli
[B] Mahendra Singh Dhoni
[C] Ranveer Singh
[D] Deepika Padukone
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Mahendra Singh Dhoni]
Notes:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been signed on as brand ambassador and a minority shareholder of Garuda Aerospace.
It is a Chennai-based aviation and aerospace component manufacturing firm that deals with designing and building of unmanned aerial vehicles. The company is known for developing low-cost drone solutions.
10. Which Indian state/UT declared ‘Blue Duke’ as the state butterfly?
[A] Arunachal Pradesh
[B] Sikkim
[C] Punjab
[D] Rajasthan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Sikkim]
Notes:
Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang declared Blue Duke the state butterfly, on the occasion of World Environment Day.
Blue Duke whose scientific name is ‘Bassarona durga durga’, is endemic to Sikkim and the eastern Himalayas. Blue Duke falls in Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and is a protected species in the Himalayas. As many as 720 species of butterflies are found in Sikkim.