1. Which state/UT launched the ‘Abua Awas Yojna’?
[A] Gujarat
[B] Jharkhand
[C] Assam
[D] West Bengal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Jharkhand]
Notes:
The Jharkhand Cabinet, last week, approved the ‘Abua Awas Yojna’ (AAY), a housing scheme for the poor, which will provide eight lakhs pucca houses to the homeless in the state, and has a total budget of Rs 16,320 crore.
The scheme will be implemented in three phases, with a target of 2 lakh houses in the current financial year; 3.5 lakh houses in FY 2024-25 and 2.5 lakh houses in FY 2025-26.
2. Which North-East institution received a 5G Laboratory from the Government of India?
[A] NIT Mizoram
[B] North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology
[C] North East Institute of Management & Technology
[D] NIT Sikkim
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [NIT Mizoram]
Notes:
The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Mizoram has received a 5G Laboratory from the Government of India. The primary objectives of this 5G Lab at NIT Mizoram will be to develop competencies and advance 5G and beyond technologies.
The focus will be on benefiting students and startup communities across the country, with a particular emphasis on the State of Mizoram.
3. ‘Agartala-Akhaura cross-border rail link project’ connects India with which country?
[A] Nepal
[B] Bangladesh
[C] Myanmar
[D] Thailand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bangladesh]
Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina together inaugurated the Agartala-Akhaura cross-border rail link project.
This railway connection is expected to enhance cross-border trade and substantially decrease the travel time between Agartala and Kolkata via Dhaka.
4. According to official data, what percent of rural households in India were provided tap water connections under Jal Jeevan Mission?
[A] 60 %
[B] 70%
[C] 85 %
[D] 95 %
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [70%]
Notes:
According to official data, 70% of rural households in India have been provided tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
This means that 13,47,50,894 households out of the 19,24,26,914 rural households in the country have been provided tap water connections. The Jal Jeevan Mission is an initiative of the Government of India under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The main objective of the project is to provide functional tap connections to each household.
5. Which Indian city has been added to the ‘UNESCO Creative Cities Network’, in Literature’ category?
[A] Madurai
[B] Kozhikode
[C] Mysuru
[D] Kurnool
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Kozhikode]
Notes:
Two Indian cities, Gwalior and Kozhikode, have recently become part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior made the cut in the ‘Music’ category, while Kerala’s Kozhikode has earned its place in the list in the ‘Literature’ category. Globally, 55 cities joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network on World Cities Day, which was observed on October 31.
6. Which footballer player has won the Ballon d’Or prize for the best player?
[A] Lionel Messi
[B] Erling Haaland
[C] Kylian Mbappé
[D] Cristiano Ronaldo
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Lionel Messi]
Notes:
Lionel Messi won the eighth Ballon d’Or of his career, while Spain’s World Cup-winning star Aitana Bonmati took the women’s prize.
36-year-old Messi won his first Ballon d’Or in 2009. He is now three count ahead of his old rival Cristiano Ronaldo. Norway’s Erling Haaland and French footballer Kylian Mbappé were placed second and third in the list.
7. Which organisation released a report, which states that Indian Farmers faced $169 Billion Implicit Tax due to Export Measures in 2022?
[A] NABARD
[B] OECD
[C] IMF
[D] World Bank
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [OECD]
Notes:
The most recent assessment on agricultural policy and support worldwide by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has highlighted that in 2022, Indian farmers incurred an implicit tax of $169 billion.
This tax was a result of export bans, duties, or permits imposed on various commodities, including wheat and rice, in an effort to stabilize prices for consumers. As a consequence of these measures, the overall market price support (MPS) for farmers in 2022 turned negative.
8. Which institution launched the net-zero transition charter for private sector?
[A] UNEP
[B] FAO
[C] COP-28
[D] NITI Aayog
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [COP-28]
Notes:
The COP-28 Presidency launched ‘Net-Zero Transition Charter: Accountability Mobilisation for the Private Sector’, it recognises the important role the private sector must play in combating climate change.
COP28 Presidency has called for a collaborative approach to reduce emissions by 43 percent in the next seven years. COP28 will be held in Dubai between November 30 and December 12.
9. Saima Wazed, the next Regional Director for the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia region, is from which country?
[A] India
[B] Bangladesh
[C] UAE
[D] Malaysia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bangladesh]
Notes:
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s daughter, Saima Wazed, was nominated as the next Regional Director for the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia region.
Saima Wazed defeats Shambu Acharya, a public health veteran from Nepal, in a vote held during the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia Region.
10. Cnemaspis rashidi is the name of which new species discovered in the Western Ghats recently?
[A] Spider
[B] Turtle
[C] Gecko
[D] Butterfly
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Gecko]
Notes:
A new species of gecko has been discovered in the Western Ghats near Rajapalayam in Viridhunagar district of Tamil Nadu.
Senior scientist Amit Sayyed of Wildlife Protection and Research Society, Maharashtra, who led a team of researchers from different parts of the country, has named the previously undocumented species as Cnemaspis rashidi after his father, Prof. Rashid Sayyed.