31. Which state has announced to conduct a ‘Migration Survey’ to expand the data bank of expatriates?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Kerala
[C] Punjab
[D] Gujarat
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Kerala]
Notes:
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the data bank of Expatriate Malayalees will be expanded by conducting the Kerala Migration Survey.
A ‘Pravasi data portal’ will be prepared for the survey while the state will conduct an extensive global registration campaign. The Chief Minister addressed online the valedictory meeting of the third edition of the Loka Kerala Sabha.
32. Padma Bridge, which was seen in the news, is located in which neighbouring country of India?
[A] Sri Lanka
[B] Nepal
[C] Bangladesh
[D] Myanmar
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Bangladesh]
Notes:
Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) recently clarified that the Padma Bridgeis not part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
It is a multipurpose road-rail bridge across the Padma River, the main distributary of the Ganges. When completed it will be the largest bridge in Bangladesh and the first fixed river crossing for road traffic. BRI or the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative is a flagship programme of President Xi Jinping for trade and connectivity and India has raised concerns over the BRI projects.
33. Who has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Press Council of India?
[A] Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai
[B] Justice Ajay Kumar Sikri
[C] Justice Sadasivan
[D] Justice Y Chandrachud
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai]
Notes:
Former Supreme Court Judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai has been nominated as Chairperson of the Press Council of India.
She replaced the retired Justice CK Prasad who vacated office in November 2021. Justice Desai has also served as the chairman of the Delimitation Commission on Jammu and Kashmir, Public prosecutor for the state of Maharashtra and as a Judge on the Bombay High Court.
34. When is the ‘World Sickle Cell Awareness Day’ observed every year?
[A] June 19
[B] June 23
[C] June 27
[D] June 30
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [June 19]
Notes:
Every year on the 19th of June, the World Sickle Cell Day (SCD) event is conducted by the United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness of sickle cell disease.
Sickle cell anaemia is a group of inherited disorders that cause red blood cells to become sickle in shape instead of normal biconcave shape. In a patient who is suffering from SCD, the red blood cells have abnormal haemoglobin.
35. The first case of monkeypox in humans was recorded in which country?
[A] Kenya
[B] Nigeria
[C] DRC
[D] India
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [DRC]
Notes:
The first case of monkeypox was recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the year 1970. It is a rare zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the Poxviridae family. Its symptoms are similar to smallpox but milder.
36. The high-resolution camera DRACO, is part of which NASA mission?
[A] DART
[B] Artemis
[C] DAVINCI+
[D] Voyager
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [DART]
Notes:
The Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical navigation (DRACO) is the only instrument carried by NASA’s DART mission. It was designed based on the New Horizon Mission’s imager. In recent months, this high resolution camera captured some 150,000 images of various stars.
37. “Roe v Wade” ruling, which was mentioned in news recently, provides__?
[A] Doctrine of judicial review
[B] Gun rights
[C] Abortion rights
[D] Protection of symbolic speech under First Amendment
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Abortion rights]
Notes:
The 1973 Roe v Wade ruling of the US Supreme Court held that laws that severely restrict or deny a woman’s access to abortion violates the Constitution’s right to privacy. The US Supreme Court had recently reversed this landmark ruling, allowing individual states to permit or restrict the procedure themselves.
38. Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 comes under the jurisdiction of which union ministry (as of June 2022)?
[A] Ministry of Finance
[B] Ministry of Commerce and Industry
[C] Ministry of Home Affairs
[D] Ministry of Law and Justice
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ministry of Finance]
Notes:
The Revenue Department under the Finance Ministry governs the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act of 1985.
The Central Government is planning the transfer of the administration of this Act from finance ministry of Home Ministry to bring all issues related to narcotics under one department.
39. Who has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog (after Amitabh Kant)?
[A] Urjit Patel
[B] Subash Chandra Garg
[C] Parameswaran Iyer
[D] Rajesh Bansal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Parameswaran Iyer]
Notes:
Parameswaran Iyer, a 1981-batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog.
He is also the former Secretary of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, who led the government’s Swachh Bharat Mission. The new CEO succeeds Amitabh Kant , who retires on June 30 this year.
40. Which country announced to provide ‘Iskander-M tactical missile systems’ to Belarus?
[A] USA
[B] Russia
[C] Germany
[D] France
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Russia]
Notes:
Russia has promised its ally Belarus to deliver nuclear- capable missiles in the coming months. Russian President Vladimir Putin made the announcement during Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko’s visit to Moscow.
Russia will transfer to Belarus Iskander-M tactical missile systems, which can use ballistic or cruise missiles in their conventional and nuclear editions.