31. Which Indian personality has been named as the state icon of Punjab by the Election Commission of India?
[A] Virat Kohli
[B] Sonu Sood
[C] Sushant Singh Rajput
[D] Ranveer Singh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Sonu Sood]
Notes:
Famous Actor Sonu Sood has been recently named as state icon of Punjab by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The Election Commission has honoured the actor with the title, after he earned appreciation from across the country for his work to help the migrant labourers during the nation-wide lockdown. His auto-biography is also to be released with the title of “I Am No Messiah.”
32. November 16 is observed as National Press Day, to honour which institution?
[A] Press Council of India
[B] Press Trust of India
[C] Prasar Bharati
[D] All India Radio
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Press Council of India]
Notes:
National Press Day is observed on November 16, to honour the formation of Press Council of India, which was instituted on the same day in the year 1966.
Press Council of India seeks to monitor the quality of reportage provided by the Indian press. The First Press Commission 1956 proposed a committee to protect the freedom of the press in India. It led to the formation of the Press Council in 1966.
33. The only known white giraffe, which was seen in news, is found in which country?
[A] Brazil
[B] Peru
[C] Kenya
[D] Australia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Kenya]
Notes:
The only known white giraffe, which was seen in the news, is found in Kenya. The giraffe has been fitted with a GPS tracking device to help protect it from poachers.
Leucism, a genetic trait causes the white color in animals. The single male giraffe is in a dangerous state at the risk of poaching. The GPS tracking device, which is attached to one of the giraffe’s horns, will alert wildlife rangers about its location.
34. What is the name of India’s Super computer, which is placed among the top 500 world’s most powerful non-distributed computer systems?
[A] Param Siddhi
[B] Param Shivay
[C] Param Shakti
[D] Adi Shakti
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Param Siddhi]
Notes:
India’s Artificial Intelligence supercomputer Param Siddhi has been placed at the 63rd rank among top 500 most powerful non-distributed computer systems in the world.
The high-performance computing-artificial intelligence (HPC-AI) supercomputer has been established under National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) at the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
35. Which regional organisation has adopted a new counter-terrorism strategy?
[A] SAARC
[B] ASEAN
[C] BRICS
[D] G-77
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [BRICS]
Notes:
The regional organisation comprising of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, BRICS has recently adopted a new counter-terrorism strategy.
During the virtual annual summit of BRICS held recently, the BRICS countries reaffirmed their commitment to counter international terrorism and its financing. Russia hosted the virtual summit.
36. Which Indian private sector bank has launched the country’s first ‘Card-less EMI’ facility?
[A] HDFC Bank
[B] ICICI Bank
[C] Axis Bank
[D] Yes Bank
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [ICICI Bank]
Notes:
Leading Private lender ICICI Bank has launched a ‘Card-less EMI’ facility for its customers which can be used at retail stores.
Instead of using cards, the pre-approved customers of the bank can use their registered mobile number, PAN number and OTP (One Time Password) on the PoS machine at the retail outlets. The bank has launched the facility in partnership with Pine Labs.
37. India has held its first stand-alone Summit meeting in the past two decades, with which country?
[A] Liechtenstein
[B] Luxembourg
[C] Monaco
[D] Lithuania
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Luxembourg]
Notes:
The first stand-alone Summit between India and Luxembourg in the past two decades was held virtually.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the summit along with his Luxembourg counterpart Xavier Bettel. Three agreements were signed during the summit, including those between the Luxembourg Stock Exchange with State Bank of India and with the India International Stock Exchange.
38. Mridula Sinha, who recently passed away, was the first female Governor of which state?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Goa
[C] Andhra Pradesh
[D] Kerala
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Goa]
Notes:
Senior BJP politician and former Goa Governor Mridula Sinha recently passed away at the age of 77. She was the first female Governor of the state.
She was a teacher, poet and a veteran Hindi writer. She held various senior posts after she joined the Bharathiya Janata Party in the year 1981. She was known for her several new initiatives in the Raj Bhawan, Goa.
39. The ‘Indo-Thai CORPAT’, which was seen in the news, is the exercise involving which armed force of India and Thailand?
[A] Army
[B] Navy
[C] Air Force
[D] Coast Guard
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Navy]
Notes:
The 30th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Navies of India and Thailand concluded recently in the Bay of Bengal.
INS Karmuk participated in the exercise along with a Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft. The two navies of the country have been conducting CORPAT twice a year since 2005. The 24th edition of Exercise Malabar also concluded in the Arabian Sea.
40. Indo-EU bilateral project ‘India-h2o’ was recently inaugurated by the Prime Minister in which institution?
[A] Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University
[B] University of Petroleum and Energy Studies
[C] IIT, Kharagpur
[D] NIT, Warangal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University]
Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually participated in the convocation ceremony of the Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gujarat.
He inaugurated five state-of-the-art facilities including ‘India-h2o’, an Indo-EU bilateral project for industrial waste and desalination, under Horizon 2020 initiative. He also said that the country has set a target of reducing its carbon footprint by 30 to 35 per cent.
