1. Who has been appointed the protem Chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi?
[A] C S Krishna Setty
[B] M L Srivastava
[C] T S Thakur
[D] N K Khan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [M L Srivastava]
Notes:
M.L. Srivastava, Joint Secretary (Akademies) of Ministry of Culture, has been appointed the protem Chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi. On the recommendation of the Minister of Culture, the President has appointed him with immediate effect. He will continue to hold the office till a regular Chairman is appointed. He succeeded CS Krishna Setty. The new chairman is likely to be appointed within 15 days.
2. Who has won the 2018 women’s singles Miami Open tennis tournament?
[A] Johanna Konta
[B] Sloane Stephens
[C] Jelena Ostapenko
[D] Serena Williams
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Sloane Stephens]
Notes:
Sloane Stephens, a US professional tennis player, has won the 2018 women’s singles Miami Open tennis tournament by defeating Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in the final by 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 on April 1, 2018. It is her first Miami Open tennis title.
3. Which high-powered committee has been formed by the Union government to examine CBSE’s exam conduct process?
[A] Nirmal Jain committee
[B] VS Oberoi committee
[C] Sundaram Das committee
[D] Mithali Kumar committee
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [VS Oberoi committee]
Notes:
The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has set up a high-powered committee to examine the process by which the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducts examinations. The panel, headed by former HRD Secretary VS Oberoi, will suggest measures to make the process secure and foolproof through use of technology. The committee will submit a report by May 31 to the Ministry. The move comes following the alleged leak of the Class 10 Mathematics and Class 12 Economics papers. The Ministry recently announced re-examination of the Class 12 Economics paper on April 25. It, however, decided against conducting the Class 10 Maths re-test.
4. Which state government has rolled out ‘Rupashree Scheme’ for marriage of poor girls?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Odisha
[C] West Bengal
[D] Assam
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [West Bengal]
Notes:
The West Bengal government has rolled out a new scheme ‘Rupashree’ from April 1, 2018 in order to provide marriage assistance to girls coming from economically weaker families with a budgetary allocation of Rs 1500 crore. The scheme proposes to extend one-time financial assistance worth Rs 25,000 to the family of the girl whose annual income is up to Rs 1.5 lakh. Under the scheme, the woman will have to submit the application before marriage to the Local Bodies or Block Development Officer (BDO) office. The State Government will deposit Rs 25,000 to the beneficiary of the said scheme before his marriage to his bank account.
5. Saikhom Mirabai Chanu has clinched India’s first gold at the 21st Commonwealth Games (CWG-2018). She is related to which weightlifting category?
[A] 48 kg
[B] 56 kg
[C] 42 kg
[D] 45 kg
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [48 kg]
Notes:
Star weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu from Manipur has clinched the first gold for India at the 21st Commonwealth Games (CWG-2018) with a power-packed performance in the women’s 48 kg weightlifting category in Gold Coast, Australia on April 5. In a remarkable performance, Chanu smashed the Commonwealth Games record in snatch, pulling off clean lifts in all her three attempts (80kg, 84kg and 86kg). Chanu lifted a total of 196 kg (86 kg in Snatch + 110 kg in Clean and Jerk) to win the gold for country.
6. Who is the newly elected president of Badminton Association of India (BAI)?
[A] Devender Singh
[B] Ajay Singhania
[C] Himanta Biswa Sarma
[D] Anbumani Ramadoss
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Himanta Biswa Sarma]
Notes:
Himanta Biswa Sarma, a cabinet ranked minister and convener of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), has been elected as the new president of Badminton Association of India (BAI) unopposed during the federation’s annual general body meeting and election in Goa on April 3, 2018. He will serve as the president for a term of four years. Sarma took over as the interim president of BAI last year after the demise of former president Akhilesh Das Gupta.
7. India’s longest elevated road “Hindon Elevated Road” has come up in which state?
[A] Karnataka
[B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] Rajasthan
[D] Uttar Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Uttar Pradesh]
Notes:
India’s longest elevated road, which is also known as “Hindon Elevated Road”, has been inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Ghaziabad. The expressway is a 10.3 km long elevated road that connects Raj Nagar Extension in Ghaziabad to the border of Delhi at UP Gate near Vaishali. It reduces an hour-long journey to just 18 minutes. The total cost of the six-lane elevated road project is estimated to be Rs. 1,147 crore. The entire stretch of the Hindon Elevated Road is built on 228 single-pier pillars. The vehicles using the elevated road will be allowed to drive at an average speed limit of 80 km/hour.
8. Steven Bochco, the noted writer has passed away. He belonged to which country?
[A] Brazil
[B] Chile
[C] South Africa
[D] United States
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [United States]
Notes:
Steven Bochco (74), the noted television producer and writer, has passed away in Los Angeles, California on April 1, 2018. He was known for creating the groundbreaking police drama ‘Hill Street Blues’.
9. 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).
10. Who is the newly elected President of Sierra Leone?
[A] Ernest Bai Koroma
[B] Samura Kamara
[C] Julus Bai Kamara
[D] Julius Maada Bio
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Julius Maada Bio]
Notes:
Julius Maada Bio has recently taken oath as the new President of Sierra Leone in the capital Freetown on April 4, 2017. Mr Bio is a former soldier who briefly ruled Sierra Leone in 1996. He defeated ruling party candidate Samura Kamara, an economist by training. President Ernest Bai Koroma has stepped down after serving two five-year terms. Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa, on the Atlantic Ocean. It’s known for the white-sand beaches lining the Freetown Peninsula.