31. Which state organises the ‘Unboxing BLR Habba (UBH)’ festival?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Karnataka
[C] Kerala
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Karnataka]
Notes:
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced the Unboxing BLR Habba (UBH) 2023. The festival is set to be hosted by Bengaluru from December 1.
The inaugural edition of the annual city-wide festival will include a diverse range of events, spanning arts, culture, literature, heritage, technology, environment, design, dance, music, theatre, exhibitions, and more.
32. South India’s first biobank has been launched in which city?
[A] Chennai
[B] Hyderabad
[C] Kochi
[D] Mysuru
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Hyderabad]
Notes:
A biobank houses tissue samples of a lakh healthy people to enable researchers study the onset and progression of diseases.
The 20-crore state-of-the-art biobank, the first in south India and only the third such facility in the country was launched in Hyderabad. It would serve as a repository for future collaborative research to map onset and progress, prevention and reversal of diseases.
33. Which writer won the JCB Prize for Literature for his novel ‘Fire Bird’?
[A] Arundhati Roy
[B] Perumal Murugan
[C] Salman Rushdie
[D] Jeya Mohan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Perumal Murugan]
Notes:
Tamil writer Perumal Murugan has won the coveted JCB Prize for Literature for his novel, Fire Bird, an English translation of his Tamil novel Aalandapatchi.
The JCB Literary Prize award carries Rs 25 lakh to the author and an additional Rs 10 lakh to the translator. The novel was translated into English by Janani Kannan.
34. Which country is the host of ‘Ukrainian Defense Industrial Base Conference’?
[A] India
[B] USA
[C] UK
[D] Germany
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [USA]
Notes:
The U.S. government is hosting a two-day Ukrainian Defense Industrial Base Conference next month. The conference aims to connect industry representatives.
The conference will be held in December with US and Ukrainian industry and government representatives to explore opportunities for co-production and other industrial cooperation in Ukraine.
35. The Dhillo festival, which was seen in the news, is celebrated in which state/UT?
[A] Odisha
[B] Goa
[C] Telangana
[D] Chennai
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Goa]
Notes:
Dhillo is an ecofeminist festival celebrated in the Western Ghats of Goa. The festival’s fervour is also felt in the forested villages of Joida in Karnataka.
These villages are home to the Goan Kunbi community members, whose ancestors had migrated to Joida during the Portuguese era to escape persecution.
36. Which state implemented the bill to increase reservation from the existing 50% to 65%?
[A] Kerala
[B] Tamil Nadu
[C] Bihar
[D] Telangana
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Bihar]
Notes:
The Bihar government issued the gazette notification for the two quota bills after governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar signed the Bihar Reservation of vacancies in posts and services (For SC, ST, EBC and OBC) Amendment Bill and the Bihar (In Admission in Educational, Institutions) Reservation Amendment Bill, 2023 paving the way for increase in quota from the existing 50% to 65%.
With this, total reservation in the state will reach 75% after adding 10% to the economic and weaker sections (EWS).
37. Which countries supported ‘Mandatory self-regulation through codes of conduct’ for AI models?
[A] France, Germany, and Italy
[B] Australia, US and UK
[C] India, Singapore and Malaysia
[D] Russia, Bulgaria and Belarus
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [France, Germany, and Italy]
Notes:
France, Germany, and Italy have reached an agreement on how to regulate artificial intelligence (AI). The agreement is expected to speed up negotiations at the European Union level.
The agreement includes Binding commitments for both large and small AI providers in the European Union, Rules of conduct, sanctions for violations. The European Parliament presented an AI act earlier this year. The act is designed to contain the risks of AI applications and avoid discriminatory effects.
38. Luc Frieden is the new Prime Minister of which country?
[A] Israel
[B] Ukraine
[C] Luxembourg
[D] Maldives
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Luxembourg]
Notes:
Luxembourg’s former finance minister Luc Frieden has become the country’s new prime minister, leading a government coalition of his Christian democratic party and the liberal party of former Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.
Frieden’s Christian Social People’s Party (CSV), Luxembourg’s long-dominant centre-right party, won the election last month, leaving the former coalition of liberals, socialists and greens without a majority.
39. As per World Health Organization (WHO), how many beds are advised per 1000 people, as healthcare infrastructure?
[A] 1
[B] 3
[C] 5
[D] 10
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [3]
Notes:
As per the Global Healthcare Report, India is currently grappling with a shortage of 2 billion square feet of healthcare infrastructure to adequately serve its population of 1.42 billion.
The World Health Organization (WHO) advises a ratio of 3 beds per 1000 people, indicating that India requires an additional 2.4 million beds to meet the recommended standards.
40. Where is the world’s first 3D-printed temple located in India?
[A] Gujarat
[B] Telangana
[C] Odisha
[D] Bihar
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Telangana]
Notes:
The world’s first 3D-printed temple was recently inaugurated in Burugupally, Siddipet district, Telangana.
The temple took about three months to 3D print. The temple is 35.5 feet tall and covers 4,000 square feet.