1. Who has been chosen for the prestigious J.C. Daniel Award for 2017?
[A] Satyan Anthikkad
[B] K.G. George
[C] Sreekumaran Thampi
[D] Adoor Gopalakrishnan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Sreekumaran Thampi]
Notes:
Sreekumaran Thampi, the renowned Lyricist and director, has been chosen for the prestigious J.C. Daniel Award for 2017 in recognition of his sterling contributions to the Malayalam film industry. The J.C. Daniel Award, which is Kerala’s highest award in Malayalam cinema, will be presented to Thampi at the upcoming Kerala State Film Awards distribution function in Kollam. The J.C. Daniel Award, conferred by the state government annually in recognition to an individual’s contributions to Malayalam cinema, carries a purse of Rs 5 lakh, a plaque, and a citation.
2. Who will lead the Indian delegation in the 7th Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS – 2018)?
[A] Narendra Modi
[B] Sushma Swaraj
[C] Nirmala Sitharaman
[D] Ajit Doval
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Nirmala Sitharaman]
Notes:
The 7th Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS – 2018) will be held in Moscow, Russia from April 4. The 2-day conference will be focused on the defeat of terrorists in Syria. The Indian delegation will be led by Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. This will be her first visit to Russia in her capacity as the Defence Minister. During her 3-day tour, she will meet her Russian counterpart Army General Sergei Shoigu and other senior leaders. The visit will provide an opportunity to reinforce the traditional warm and friendly relations that exist between the two countries with particular reference to military technical cooperation.
3. What is the theme of the 2018 World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD)?
[A] Empowering Women and Girls with Autism
[B] Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination
[C] Opening Doors to Inclusive Education
[D] Employment: The Autism Advantage
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Empowering Women and Girls with Autism]
Notes:
The World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) is observed every year on April 2 to recognize and support all children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The day is to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society. The 2018 theme is “Empowering women and girls with autism”.
4. Who is the newly appointed President of National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM)?
[A] Ravi Kumar
[B] CS Krishna Setty
[C] R Chandrashekhar
[D] Debjani Ghosh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Debjani Ghosh]
Notes:
Debjani Ghosh, former managing director of Intel South Asia, has been appointed the new President of National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM). She succeeded R Chandrashekhar. A big propagator of gender diversity and equal representation in corporate India, Ms. Ghosh was the first woman to lead Intel India and Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology (MAIT). She now gets the rein of Nasscom.
5. Which country to host the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Mid-Term Ministerial Conference 2018?
[A] Azerbaijan
[B] India
[C] Qatar
[D] Israel
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Azerbaijan]
Notes:
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Mid-Term Ministerial Conference 2018 will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan on April 5-6 under the theme “Promoting International Peace and Security for Sustainable Development”. NAM participating states, representatives of observer states and international organizations, countries and institutions, invited as special guests, will take part in the Mid-Term Ministerial Conference. The Indian delegation will be led by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The Non-Aligned Movement includes 120 states. Seventeen states and 10 international organizations hold observer status of NAM. In 2019, the Republic of Azerbaijan will host the 18th Summit of the NAM and will chair NAM in 2019-2022.
6. Which city hosted the 9th trilateral meeting of India, Japan and the United States?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Ahmedabad
[C] Kanpur
[D] Bhopal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [New Delhi]
Notes:
The 9th India-Japan-US trilateral meeting was held in New Delhi on 4 April 2018 at the Joint Secretary/Director General/Assistant Secretary level. The dialogue was aimed at exploring practical steps to enhance cooperation in the areas of connectivity and infrastructure development, counter-proliferation, counter-terrorism, maritime security, maritime domain awareness and Humanitarian Assistance And Disaster Relief (HADR). The trilateral talks were held in accordance with the directions received from the foreign ministers of the three countries, who had met in New York on 18 September 2017 on the margins of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
7. Who bagged India’s first medal at the 21st Commonwealth Games 2018?
[A] Mirabai Chanu
[B] Virdhawal Khade
[C] Srihari Nataraj
[D] P Gururaja
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [P Gururaja]
Notes:
P Gururaja, who hails from Udupi in Karnataka, has clinched India’s first medal at the 21st Commonwealth Games 2018 at Gold Coast in Brisbane, Australia on April 5. He won the silver medal in the men’s 56 kg final with a total lift of 249 kg (111 kg in snatch + 138 kg in clean and jerk). Gururaja, who is the son of a truck driver, is employed with the Indian Air Force (IAF). He recently received the Eklavya award from the Karnataka state government.
8. The Union Government has constituted a committee to frame regulations for online news portals. Who is the head of the committee?
[A] Cabinet Secretary
[B] Secretary of Information and Broadcasting
[C] Secretary of Electronics and Information Technology
[D] Secretary of Corporate Affairs
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Secretary of Information and Broadcasting ]
Notes:
The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has constituted the 10-member committee to frame rules to regulate the functioning of news portals and media websites, including platforms like YouTube. The committee will be headed by Narendra Kumar Sinha, the I&B Secretary. The committee has been mandated to frame and suggest a regulatory framework for online media, news portals, digital broadcasting and entertainment and infotainment (information and entertainment) sites and for media aggregators. Apart from I&B Secretary, the panel will have secretaries of Ministry of Electronics and IT and Home Ministry, and CEO of government’s citizen engagement platform MyGov. It will also have representatives of the Press Council of India, News Broadcasters Association and Indian Broadcasters Federation, and the head of government outreach portal MyGov.
9. E N Rammohan, who passed away recently, was the former director of which Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF)?
[A] Indo-Tibetan Border
[B] Central Reserve Police Force
[C] Border Security Force
[D] Sashastra Seema Bal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Border Security Force]
Notes:
E N Rammohan (77), a celebrated IPS officer and former director general of the Border Security Force (BSF), has passed away in New Delhi on April 8, 2018. He was known for his handlebar moustache, discipline, leadership skills, and a no-nonsense attitude that took him far in the police establishment. He was a 1965-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre and headed the BSF between December 1997 and November 2000. Rammohan was appointed head of a fact-finding probe panel by the home ministry to look into the lapses that took place during the 2010 Naxal ambush in Chhattisgarh, in which 76 security were killed. He was a strong proponent of the 5th Schedule for tribal rights, and believed that the denial of land rights was what was fueling insurgency.
10. The joint military exercise “Desert Tiger 5” was held between UAE & which country?
[A] Malaysia
[B] Vietnam
[C] Indonesia
[D] Denmark
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Malaysia]
Notes:
The joint military exercise “Desert Tiger 5” was recently held between United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia in Dubai, UAE. The purpose of the exercise was to raise the level of performance and combat efficiency and working together between both countries based on the strategy to improve the overall ability and combat readiness of ground forces. The military exercise was implemented within the framework of the UAE leadership’s continued desire to support and create unique partnerships between both countries in all areas.