31. Which state has slashed value added tax (VAT) on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) to 4 per cent from 20 per cent?
[A] Sikkim
[B] Jharkhand
[C] Telangana
[D] Himachal Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Jharkhand]
Notes:
To strengthen air connectivity to the state and boost tourism, Jharkhand government slashed VAT (value added tax) on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) to 4 per cent from 20 per cent.
Recently, the price of ATF was reduced by 1.3percent which was the first reduction after it was hiked for 10 rounds of hike in ATF prices. ATF constitutes about 40 per cent of the operating cost of an airline.
32. Which country proposed to organise a joint border operation named ‘Solidarity-2023’ for SCO member countries?
[A] India
[B] China
[C] Nepal
[D] Bangladesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [China]
Notes:
India and other member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) supported an initiative of China to organise a joint border operation ‘Solidarity-2023’ for the border agencies of the member countries next year.
India’s Border Security Force (BSF) Director announced this at the conclusion of the eighth meeting of the heads of border authorities of the competent bodies of SCO member states, which was held in Delhi, under the chairmanship of India.
33. ‘Operation Friendship Border 2022’, which was seen in the news recently, is associated with which bloc?
[A] G-20
[B] European Union
[C] SCO
[D] BIMSTEC
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [SCO]
Notes:
The 8th meeting of the heads of the border services of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of India.
The members approved the plan for the preparation and conduct of the Joint Border Operation Friendship Border 2022. They also approved the work plan of the group of experts of the Border Services of the SCO member states for 2023.
34. Shinde Sambhaji Shiwaji, Ujjal Bhuyan, Amjad Ahtesham Sayed, who were seen in the news recently, are associated with which profession?
[A] Scientists
[B] Judges
[C] Politicians
[D] Bureaucrats
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Judges]
Notes:
The Government has cleared the appointment of new chief justices in five high courts, as per the Law and Justice Ministry.
Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan will be appointed as the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court and Telangana High Court. Justice Amjad Ahtesham Sayed and Justice Shinde Sambhaji Shiwaji will take over as the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court and Rajasthan High Court. Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Rashmin M Chhaya were appointed as the Chief Justice of the Delhi and Guwahati High Courts respectively.
35. National Initiative for Promoting Upskilling of Nirman workers ‘NIPUN’ is an initiative of which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
[B] Ministry of MSME
[C] Ministry of Commerce and Industry
[D] Ministry of Women and Child Development
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs]
Notes:
Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri recently launched a project for skill training of construction workers called ‘NIPUN’ i.e. National Initiative for Promoting Upskilling of Nirman workers.
It is an initiative of Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM). It aims to train over 1 lakh construction workers, through skilling and upskilling programmes and provides them with work opportunities also in foreign countries.
36. As per the recent study published in “The Lancet Microbe” most of the antibiotic resistant strains of Typhoid causing bacteria originated in which region?
[A] Western Africa
[B] Eastern Europe
[C] South Asia
[D] South East Asia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [South Asia ]
Notes:
Typhoid fever is caused by bacterium Salmonella Typhi. Humans are its only host. A new study found that Typhoid-causing bacteria are becoming highly resistant to popular antibiotics. Strains resistant to antibiotic azithromycin are found in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. As per the recent study published in “The Lancet Microbe” most of the antibiotic resistant strains of Typhoid causing bacteria originated in South Asia.
37. Which DRDO laboratory developed NEtworking TRaffic Analysis (NETRA)?
[A] Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics
[B] Defence Electronics Research Laboratory
[C] Defence Electronics Application Laboratory
[D] Advanced Systems Laboratory
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics ]
Notes:
NEtworking TRaffic Analysis (NETRA) was developed by the DRDO laboratory Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR). It is a software network used for intercepting and analysing internet traffic passing through software such as Skype and Google Talk.
38. Swadesh Darshan scheme is the initiative of which union ministry?
[A] Ministry of Culture
[B] Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
[C] Ministry of Tourism
[D] Ministry of Railways
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Ministry of Tourism]
Notes:
Swadesh Darshan Scheme was launched by the Ministry of Tourism for the integrated development of theme-based tourist circuits in India. Under this central sector scheme, central financial assistance will be provided to states and union territories for the infrastructural development of the tourist circuits.
39. Demodex folliculorum, which was in news recently, is a__?
[A] Mite
[B] Dragonfly
[C] Gecko
[D] Wasp
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Mite]
Notes:
Demodex folliculorum is a microscopic parasitic mite that live and reproduce on human faces. According to a new research this 0.3 mm long organism is at the risk of extinction because of inbreeding and gene loss.
40. Charon is the natural satellite of __?
[A] Neptune
[B] Jupiter
[C] Pluto
[D] Uranus
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Pluto]
Notes:
Charon is one of the five natural satellites of the dwarf planet Pluto. According to a new study, Charon has a “red cap” because of chemicals called tholins. These chemical compounds absorbed a specific colour of the Sun’s UV rays to become red and get deposited around the natural satellite’s north pole.