31. ‘Operation Sankalp’, which was seen in the news, is associated with which armed force?
[A] Indian Army
[B] Indian Navy
[C] Indian Air Force
[D] Indian Coast Guard
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Indian Navy]
Notes:
Indian Navy’s stealth Frigate, INS Talwar is deployed for Operation Sankalp commemorating the 3rd continuous year of Indian Navy’s presence in the Gulf for protection of India’s Maritime Interests.
After attacks on merchant ships in the Gulf of Oman in June 2019, and the deteriorating security situation in the Gulf region, Indian Navy had commenced Maritime Security Operations, code named ‘Op SANKALP’, in the Gulf Region to ensure safe passage of Indian Flag Vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.
32. Which is the main venue of the eighth International Day of Yoga (IDY) celebrations in India?
[A] Gandhi Nagar
[B] Mysuru
[C] Hyderabad
[D] Patna
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Mysuru]
Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the eighth International Day of Yoga (IDY) celebrations in Karnataka’s Mysuru. The theme of this year’s Yoga Day celebrations is ‘Yoga for Humanity’.
Over 25 crore people across the world took part in various events and doing yoga in unison. A programme in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs has also been organised for a mass Yoga Protocol around the world on the day following the movement of the sun.
33. In which country, world’s largest ever freshwater fish has been found recently?
[A] Australia
[B] China
[C] Cambodia
[D] Chile
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Cambodia]
Notes:
A 300kg stingray caught in the Mekong River in Cambodia is the biggest freshwater fish ever documented in the world.
Though there is no official database of the world’s biggest freshwater fish, the previous largest recorded fish was a 293kg Mekong giant catfish caught in Thailand in 2005. The Mekong River flows from the Tibetan Plateau through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
34. Which Union Ministry has declared certain resources of ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and NPCI as ‘critical information infrastructure’?
[A] Ministry of Electronics and IT
[B] Ministry of Finance
[C] Ministry of Commerce and Industry
[D] Ministry of Home Affairs
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ministry of Electronics and IT]
Notes:
The Union Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has declared IT resources of ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) as ‘critical information infrastructure’.
The Information Technology Act of 2000 defines ‘Critical Information Infrastructure’ as a “computer resource, the incapacitation or destruction of which shall have debilitating impact on national security, economy, public health or safety”. The government has the power to declare any data, database, IT network or communications infrastructure as CII.
35. What is the rank of India in the World Gold Council (WGC) report of largest gold recyclers?
[A] First
[B] Third
[C] Fourth
[D] Sixth
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Fourth]
Notes:
According to a World Gold Council (WGC) report titled ‘Gold refining and recycling’, India has emerged as the fourth largest recycler in the world.
India has recycled 75 tonnes in 2021 while China topped the chart as it recycled 168 tonnes followed by Italy in the second position with 80 tonnes and the US at the third rank with 78 tonnes in 2021. India’s gold refining capacity increased by 1,500 tonnes (500 per cent) in 2021 from 300 tonnes in 2013.
36. The Army Training Command (ARTRAC) has partnered with which institution to establish a 5G Test-bed?
[A] IIT Madras
[B] IIT Bombay
[C] IISc Bengaluru
[D] NASSCOM
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [IIT Madras]
Notes:The Army Training Command (ARTRAC) has announced partnership with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras to establish a 5G Test-bed at the Military College of Telecommunication at Indore.
It will be used for the army’s operational use of 5G technology, especially along the borders. Under the MoU, IIT-Madras would provide consultancy, supported by research for feasibility studies and prototype development on 5G-enabled future communications.
37. Inter-State Council was established under which article of Indian Constitution?
[A] Article 246
[B] Article 257
[C] Article 263
[D] Article 267
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Article 263]
Notes:
Article 263 of the Indian Constitution allows the President to establish the Inter-State Council, which brings together government entities on a common platform for discussing various governance issues. The Inter-State Council was established in 1990. Its chairman is the Prime Minister and its members include chief ministers and administrators of states and union territories.
38. Bashi Channel, which was making news recently, is part of which strait in the Pacific Ocean?
[A] Taiwan Strait
[B] Luzon Strait
[C] Karimata Strait
[D] Malacca Strait
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Luzon Strait]
Notes:
The Bashi Channel, which connects the South China Sea with the western Pacific Ocean, is a waterway between the Philippines’ northern island of Luzon and the Taiwanese island of Orchid. It is part of the Luzon Strait, which connects the Philippine Sea to the South China Sea.
39. Russian enclave Kaliningrad, that was in news recently, is located in which sea?
[A] North Sea
[B] Labrador Sea
[C] Baltic Sea
[D] Beaufort Sea
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Baltic Sea]
Notes:
The Russian enclave Kaliningrad is located on the Baltic Sea. It is sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland. It was captured by the USSR from Nazi Germany in April 1945. It became part of the USSR territory as the result of the Potsdam Agreement. It was recently in news because of a row after Lithuania decided to ban goods part of EU sanctions from moving through its territory to reach Kaliningrad.
40. Who recently became India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations?
[A] T S Tirumurti
[B] Ruchira Kamboj
[C] Taranjit Singh Sandhu
[D] Pooja Kapur
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ruchira Kamboj]
Notes:
Ruchira Kamboj recently became India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. As the UN ambassador, she will be the head of the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in New York City. She will succeed T S Tirumurti.