1. Which draft bill has been recently released by the Union Shipping Ministry?
[A] Coastal Shipping Bill
[B] Aids to Navigation Bill
[C] Major Port Authorities Bill
[D] National Waterways Bill
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Coastal Shipping Bill]
Notes:
The draft Coastal Shipping Bill, 2020 has been issued by the Union Ministry of Shipping. The draft has been left open for suggestions from the stakeholders and general public.
The draft bill is made available in the Shipping Ministry’s official website and would be available for suggestions till 6th November 2020.
2. “SERB POWER” scheme has been launched by the Government targeting which segment?
[A] Self Help Groups
[B] Street Vendors
[C] Farmers
[D] Women Scientists
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Women Scientists]
Notes:
A scheme named SERB POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research) has been launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology, designed exclusively to encourage Women Scientists to work in the field of science and technology.
The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India is implementing the scheme.
3. Antrix Corporation, that was seen in news recently, is the commercial arm of which organisation?
[A] DRDO
[B] ISRO
[C] BHEL
[D] HAL
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [ISRO]
Notes:
Antrix Corporation is the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It functions under the administrative control of the Department of Space.
Recently, a United States court has asked Antrix Corporation to pay compensation of USD 1.2 billion to a Bengaluru-based startup, Devas Multimedia, for cancelling a satellite deal in 2005.
4. Which country was the largest source for permanent residents (PR) in Canada, last year?
[A] Australia
[B] India
[C] Mexico
[D] United States
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [India]
Notes:
As per the 2020 Annual Report on Immigration to Parliament tabled in the Parliament of Canada, Indian immigrants accounted for one-fourth of the total permanent residencies granted by Canada in 2019.
India has set a new record by becoming the largest source country for permanent residents (PR), with 85,593 of them entering into the country last year. India has been retaining the top spot since 2017.
5. Which country has launched a mega scheme to dredge 10,000 kilometres of riverways?
[A] Sri Lanka
[B] Bangladesh
[C] India
[D] China
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bangladesh]
Notes:
The Government of Bangladesh has launched massive scheme to dredge 10,000 kilometres of riverways in the country. This is done to improve the inland water navigation system in the country.
The dredging work would be done on 178 rivers of Bangladesh and would be carried out by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) at a cost of Taka 4371 crore.
6. Which category of transaction has crossed 2 billion mark in the month of October?
[A] IMPS
[B] UPI
[C] BHIM
[D] NEFT
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [UPI]
Notes:
As per the CEO of NITI Aayog, the number of Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-based transactions crossed the 2 billion mark in October 2020.
The UPI transactions grew 80 per cent from 1.14 billion transactions that were recorded in October 2019. This has signified that the digital mode of payments has been widely accepted by the people.
7. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is determined by which body in India?
[A] Finance Commission
[B] NITI Aayog
[C] GST Council
[D] GST Network
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [GST Council]
Notes:
The percentage of Goods and Service Tax (GST) is decided by GST Council, headed by the Union Finance Minister.
Ministry of Finance has recently published that the GST revenue that has been collected for the month of October 2020 has crossed Rs 1 lakh crore, which is a highest collection after 8 months. The GST revenue collection for the month of Oct 2020 stood at Rs.1,05,155 crore.
8. Shane Watson, who announced retirement from all forms of Cricket, belongs to which country?
[A] England
[B] Australia
[C] New Zealand
[D] South Africa
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Australia]
Notes:
Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has recently announced retirement from all forms of Cricket.
The 39-year-old had already retired from international cricket in 2015. He announced this after the Chennai Super Kings’ final IPL match. He has played 59 Tests, 190 ODIs, and 58 T20s at the international level.
9. Which body has issued a notice to Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) regarding ban on use of fire crackers November 7 to 30?
[A] Supreme Court of India
[B] National Administrative Tribunal
[C] National Green Tribunal
[D] Central Pollution Control Board
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [National Green Tribunal]
Notes:
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has recently issued notice to seek response from Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and four State Governments regarding the ban on use of fire crackers from November 7 to 30 in the interest of public health and environment.
The NGT has also appointed a senior advocate Raj Panjwani and advocate Shibhani Ghosh to assist the tribunal as amicus curiae in the matter.
10. Which Indian city is set to host a virtual Tech Summit in the month of November 2020?
[A] Chennai
[B] Bengaluru
[C] Hyderabad
[D] Goa
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bengaluru]
Notes:
The 23rd edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) is to be held virtually between November 19 and 21, this year.
The summit will be organised by the Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Bio Technology and Science and Technology of the State Government of Karnataka. Several Technology Leaders are expected to participate in the summit.