31. Marathi Bhasha Bhavan is proposed to be constructed by the Government of Maharashtra, at which place?
[A] Pune
[B] Mumbai
[C] Nagpur
[D] Kolhapur
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Mumbai]
Notes:
The Government of Maharashtra has proposed to constructed the “Marathi Bhasha Bhavan” at a 2,500 sq metres free plot of the sea-facing Jawahar Bal Bhavan at Marine Drive, Mumbai.
The building would be constructed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and the construction is proposed to commence from December 2021
32. Actor William Shatner, who became the oldest person ever in space, travelled aboard the rocket-ship of which agency?
[A] Virgin Galactic
[B] Blue Origin
[C] SpaceX
[D] United Launch Alliance
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Blue Origin]
Notes:
Actor William Shatner flew aboard a Blue Origin rocket-ship on a suborbital trip and landed in the Texas desert to become at age 90 the oldest person ever in space.
Blue Origin, U.S. billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos’s company carried out its second tourist flight. Shatner was one of four passengers aboard the fully autonomous New Shepard spacecraft. The four astronauts travelled above the internationally recognized boundary of space known as the Karman Line, about 100 km above Earth.
33. La Lloreria or the Crying Room for promoting mental wellness are located in which country?
[A] Germany
[B] Italy
[C] Spain
[D] Denmark
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Spain]
Notes:
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a 100-million-euro ($116 million) mental healthcare drive, including 24-hour suicide helpline.
La Lloreria, or the Crying Room was inaugurated in Madrid, which aims to remove the attached to mental health, crying and seeking help. As per Government Data, In 2019, as many as 3,671 people died from suicide in Spain. One in 10 adolescents has been diagnosed with a mental health condition.
34. Dubbed as ‘New QUAD’, India participated in the first meeting of the foreign ministers of which three countries?
[A] USA, UAE and Israel
[B] UK, Italy, Germany
[C] UK, USA, Israel
[D] UAE, Israel, Japan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [USA, UAE and Israel]
Notes:
The first meeting of the Foreign ministers of India, Israel, the UAE and the USA held recently. It is dubbed as the New QUAD.
The virtual meeting discussed on increasing trade, enhancing cooperation in maritime security and global public health, as well as joint infrastructure projects in transportation and technology. Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar held discussions with his counterparts.
35. Which Indian state/UT has launched ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Andhra Pradesh
[D] Rajasthan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [New Delhi]
Notes:
The Delhi government is set to begin its ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign, which aims to reduce pollution in the national capital.
The campaign urges commuters to switch off the engines of their vehicles as soon as they stop at a red light. This was first introduced by the government last year. This year, the first phase of the campaign will run for a month till November 18. It will take place in two shifts – from 8am-2pm and then 2pm-8pm.
36. Russia is set to host the ‘Moscow Format 2021’ of consultations on which country?
[A] Iraq
[B] Iran
[C] Afghanistan
[D] China
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Afghanistan]
Notes:
Russia is set to host the third meeting of the Moscow format of consultations on Afghanistan. India will be represented at joint-secretary level at the meeting.
The Moscow Format was established in 2017 as a six-party system comprising Russia, Afghanistan, India, Iran, China and Pakistan. It was then expanded with the inclusion of more countries. Its meetings were held in Moscow in 2017 and 2018. India and Taliban may have their first face-to-face meeting at the occasion.
37. Talpiot Cemetery, which was seen in the news recently, is located in which country?
[A] Russia
[B] Israel
[C] Italy
[D] USA
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Israel]
Notes:
Talpiot Cemetery is seen in the news recently, as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the place as he began his five-day visit to Israel.
It is the cemetery for Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in the region during the World War I, located in Talpiot, Jerusalem. About 900 Indian soldiers are buried in cemeteries across Israel in Jerusalem, Ramle and Haifa. The Indian Army commemorates September 23 every year as Haifa Day to pay its respects to the three brave Indian Cavalry Regiments.
38. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1 crore on which payments bank recently?
[A] Airtel Payment Bank
[B] India Post Payment Bank
[C] Paytm Payment Bank
[D] NSDL Payment Bank
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Paytm Payment Bank]
Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1 crore on Paytm Payments Bank recently.
The penalty was for submitting information that did not reflect the factual position. It is an offence under Section 26 (2) of the Payments and Settlement Act. RBI also imposed a penalty of Rs Rs 27.78 lakh on Western Union Financial Services for non-compliance with Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS) directions.
39. As per the 2021 Global Agricultural Productivity Report, what is the annual rate of Total factor productivity (TFP)?
[A] 0.50 %
[B] 1.36 %
[C] 2.50 %
[D] 4.00 %
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [1.36 %]
Notes:
According to the 2021 Global Agricultural Productivity Report (GAP Report), total factor productivity (TFP) is growing at an annual rate of 1.36 per cent.
This is below the Global Agricultural Productivity Index, whose annual target is at 1.73 per cent growth to sustainably meet the needs of consumers for food and bio-energy in 2050. TFP tracks changes in how efficiently agricultural inputs such as land, labour, fertiliser and machinery are transformed into outputs like crops and aquaculture products.
40. Which Indian Bank along with Mastercard and USAID has committed a sum of $100-mn credit facility for small businesses in India?
[A] ICICI Bank
[B] SBI
[C] HDFC Bank
[D] Axis Bank
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [HDFC Bank]
Notes:
HDFC Bank, Mastercard and USAID has committed a sum of $100-mn credit facility for small businesses in India.
The new credit facility aims to expand lending to small businesses that need financing to maintain and grow their operations. It also lays emphasis on supporting women-led businesses and focus more on digitization of banking services.