11. Which date in September is observed as International Literacy Day?
[A] September 9
[B] September 7
[C] September 10
[D] September 8
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [September 8]
Notes:International Literacy Day is observed and celebrated widely every year on September 8. The first International Literacy Day was observed in the year 1967. This date was declared as International Literacy Day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the year 1966. This day is observed to remind the international community about the importance of literacy for individuals, communities and societies. International Literacy Day also highlights the need for intensified efforts towards more literate societies. In 2021, the theme is ‘Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide’.
12. Indian government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a 300-million-dollar loan to expand rural connectivity in which state?
[A] Assam
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Odisha
[D] Jharkhand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Maharashtra]
Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India has signed a $300 million loan as additional financing to scale up improvement of rural connectivity to help boost rural economy in the state of Maharashtra. The additional financing for the ongoing Maharashtra Rural Connectivity Improvement Project will help improve an additional 1,100 rural roads and 230 bridges for a total length of 2,900 kilometres (km) in 34 districts.
13. Who has been appointed as the new Chairman and MD of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)?
[A] Shashi Shanker
[B] Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
[C] Arun Kumar Singh
[D] Padmaja Chunduru
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Arun Kumar Singh]
Notes:
Arun Kumar Singh appointed new Chairman and MD of BPCL Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a ‘Maharatna’ and a Fortune Global 500 Company has announced the appointment of Arun Kumar Singh as the Chairman and Managing Director of the company and consequently he has taken charge on September 7, 2021.
14. Which institute has been adjudged the best higher educational institution in 2021 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)?
[A] IIT Delhi
[B] IISc Bangalore
[C] IIT Bombay
[D] IIT Madras
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [IIT Madras]
Notes:
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has been adjudged the best higher educational institution in 2021 followed by Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (IISc) and IIT Bombay. The rankings were announced by education minister Dharmendra Pradhan as part of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), an initiative of the government to rank top Indian institutions. Several key parameters, including research output, teaching learning environment, outreach and inclusivity, resource, graduate outcome, and perception, among others, were considered for preparing the exhaustive list.
15. Who has won Women’s Prize for Fiction for the fantasy novel Piranesi?
[A] J. K. Rowling
[B] Susanna Clarke
[C] Sudha Murty
[D] Michelle Obama
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Susanna Clarke]
Notes:
British writer Susanna Clarke won the prestigious Women’s Prize for Fiction for her mind-tweaking fantasy novel ‘Piranesi’. Clarke, 61, was awarded the 30,000 pounds ($41,000) prize for her novel.
16. Who has been appointed as the new governor of Uttarakhand?
[A] Acharya Devvrat
[B] Baby Rani Maurya
[C] Bandaru Dattatreya
[D] Gurmit Singh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Gurmit Singh]
Notes:
Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh, who retired as the Deputy Chief of Army, was appointed the Governor of Uttarakhand, a post which fell vacant after Baby Rani Maurya resigned from the post.
17. In which city, India’s first indigenously designed high ash coal gasification based Methanol Production Plant has been inaugurated?
[A] Hyderabad
[B] Chennai
[C] Guwahati
[D] Kolkata
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Hyderabad]
Notes:
India’s first indigenously designed high ash coal gasification based Methanol Production Plant has been inaugurated at BHEL R&D Centre, Hyderabad. The plant was funded by Department of Science and Technology at the initiative of NITI Aayog, PMO-India and Ministry of Coal.
18. Recently, with which country India has held a Maritime Affairs Dialogue?
[A] Australia
[B] Great Britain
[C] Japan
[D] France
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Japan]
Notes:
India and Japan held their sixth Maritime Affairs Dialogue in a virtual format on September 9, 2021. The consultations involved exchanges on developments in the maritime security environment, regional cooperation activities and opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
19. With which organization, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has partnered to encourage decentralised renewable energy?
[A] Smart Power India
[B] Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit
[C] Tata Power
[D] Both A and B
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Both A and B]
Notes:
In a bid to encourage decentralised renewable energy (DRE) Smart Power India (SPI), a subsidiary of the Rockefeller Foundation and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) joined hands with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to elucidate the role of DRE for the overall development of the nation. This partnership came as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
20. On which date, National Forest Martyrs Day is observed?
[A] September 12
[B] September 11
[C] September 10
[D] September 15
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [September 11]
Notes:National Forest Martyrs Day is marked on September 11. The day as the name suggests is observed to pay tributes to those who laid down their lives in order to protect the jungles, forests and wildlife across India. The day officially came into existence in 2013 after the Ministry of Environment and Forest made the declaration. The date of September 11 was chosen as on this date in 1730, the infamous Khejarli massacre took place. During this tragic incident, people started cutting Khejarli trees on the orders of the then king Maharaja Abhay Singh of Rajasthan. These trees were considered sacred by the people that belonged to the Bishnoi community in Rajasthan’s Khejarli village.