41. Gotland, which made news recently, is an island belonging to which country?
[A] Denmark
[B] Sweden
[C] Norway
[D] Iceland
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Sweden]
Notes:
Gotland is an island belonging to Sweden in the Baltic Sea. A new ‘smart road’ capable of charging big electric vehicles has been constructed in this island. The threat of electrical shocks from these wires is eliminated as they are buried under the road.
42. Which government body released the draft Regulatory Guidelines for Child Participation in the Entertainment Industry?
[A] NCPCR
[B] NITI Aayog
[C] UNICEF
[D] Films Division of India
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [NCPCR]
Notes:
The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has recently issued the draft Regulatory Guidelines for Child Participation in the Entertainment Industry to protect child artistes involved in films, TV, reality shows, social media and OTT platforms from physical and psychological stress.
The draft guidelines also protect child actors’ education by mandating the film producers to appoint a private tutor if the need is required. It also provides protection for minors in the industry under Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
43. ‘LGBTQ Pride Month’ is observed in the United States in which month?
[A] May
[B] June
[C] July
[D] August
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [June]
Notes:
LGBTQ Pride Month is celebrated every year in the month of June. It commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan – which is recognized as the starting point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.
Initially, the last Sunday in June was celebrated as ‘Gay Pride Day’. This soon grew to encompass month-long celebrations across the country. These events also include memorials for those who have lost their lives because of persecutions, hate crimes or HIV/AIDS.
44. Where was the new species of jumping spider named Pseudomogrus sudhii discovered?
[A] Uttarakhand
[B] Rajasthan
[C] Gujarat
[D] Assam
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Rajasthan]
Notes:
A new species of jumping spider christened Pseudomogrus sudhii was discovered by a group of researchers in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park. The new species was named after the renowned arachnologist Sudhikumar.
This 4-millimetre-long spider is found only in India and United Arab Emirates. The male members of this species have dark brown head covered with small white hairs, black eye region and a dark band along the pale-yellow coloured abdomen. The females’ head is yellow with black eyes and white spotted light-yellow abdomen.
45. BepiColombo Mission, which recently made news, is the first European mission to which planet?
[A] Mercury
[B] Mars
[C] Venus
[D] Jupiter
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Mercury]
Notes:
Launched in 2018, BepiColombo is the joint mission of the European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The mission has two individual orbiters – ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Jaxa’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter.
It is the first European mission to Mercury and the first to send two spacecraft to take complementary measurements of the planet and study its environment at the same time. This joint mission recently made its second gravity assist flyby of the Mercury.
46. Patna Marine Drive, Bihar’s version of Thames Path, is an expressway that runs along__?
[A] Ganga River
[B] Yamuna River
[C] Bagmati River
[D] Koshi River
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ganga River]
Notes:
The Patna Marine Drive is a 20.5 km long expressway which is currently being constructed in Bihar. The first phase of this project was inaugurated recently by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The expressway is also known as the Ganga driveway. It is expected to be completed by the start of 2024. The project commenced in 2013 on the birth anniversary of Indian independence activist Jayaprakash Narayan. The cost of this project is estimated to be Rs.3,160 crore.
47. 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.
48. Samuel B Roberts (Sammy B), which was recently discovered, was a World War II era Navy Destroyer of which country?
[A] Germany
[B] USA
[C] Russia
[D] France
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [USA]
Notes:
The remains of the US Navy destroyer escort USS Samuel B Roberts, which had sunk during the Second World War, was found in the Philippine Sea.
The vessel, also known as the Sammy B, was split in half and lodged on a slop below the Pacific Ocean. It was found at a depth of 6,895 meters in the Philippines Sea. It remained undiscovered for nearly eight decades.
49. Which Indian state clinched their maiden Ranji Trophy title in 2022?
[A] Punjab
[B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] Karnataka
[D] Gujarat
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Madhya Pradesh]
Notes:
Madhya Pradesh defeated Mumbai by six wickets in the final to clinch their maiden Ranji Trophy title at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
The match included centuries from Yash Dubey, Shubham Sharma and Rajat Patidar in the first innings. The renowned cricket coach Chandrakant Pandit, who was the captain of the Madhya Pradesh team 23 years ago, has guided the young team to victory.
50. Which institution operationalised standards for fortified rice kernels (FRKs) in India?
[A] FAO
[B] FSSAI
[C] ICAR
[D] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [FSSAI]
Notes:
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to operationalise standards for fortified rice kernels (FRKs) to strengthen the national-level fortification programme in the country.
FRKs are rice-shaped kernels containing vitamins and minerals produced through the extrusion technique. The regulations specify standards for rice flour, vitamin and mineral premix (VMP) to be used in preparation for FRKs