1. Which state implements the ‘Ladli Behna Scheme’?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] Goa
[D] Odisha
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Madhya Pradesh]
Notes:
Madhya Pradesh raised the financial aid given to women in the Ladli Behna Scheme from ₹1,000 to ₹1,250 per month.
About 1.25 crore women will be benefited from this decision. Women in the 23-60 age group get the assistance if they are not income tax payees and the annual income of their families is less than ₹2.5 lakh annually. The Chief Minister also announced 35 percent reservation for women in government jobs.
2. Which state/UT launched a clean district ranking drive called MODI (Most Outstanding District Initiative)?
[A] West Bengal
[B] Assam
[C] Odisha
[D] Telangana
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Assam]
Notes:
Assam launched a clean district ranking drive called MODI (Most Outstanding District Initiative), to boost solid waste management and sanitation.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the most outstanding district will be awarded Rs 100 crore towards infrastructure development and the results will be tentatively declared by the first week of April 2024. The cabinet also approved installation of 2,000 CCTV cameras across the state.
3. Which Union Ministry extended the deadline for enabling Aadhaar-based payment for MGNREGA workers?
[A] Ministry of Rural Development
[B] Ministry of Finance
[C] Ministry of MSME
[D] Ministry of Electronics and IT
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ministry of Rural Development]
Notes:
As 42 per cent workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme still not eligible for Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS), the deadline for enabling Aadhaar-based payment for MGNREGA workers was extended till December 31
Earlier, the deadline was September 1 and this is the fifth extension by the Centre. This was announced by the Ministry of Rural Development.
4. Who is the oldest man to win singles clash at US Open, as of 2023?
[A] Jimmy Connors
[B] Stan Wawrinka
[C] Tommy Haas
[D] Takao Suzuki
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Stan Wawrinka]
Notes:
Former US Open champion Stan Wawrinka became the oldest man to win a singles contest at the tournament since 40-year-old Jimmy Connors in 1992.
The 38-year-old Swiss veteran, who claimed the last of his three Grand Slam titles in New York in 2016, outclassed Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
5. Which European country has announced a ban on wearing the abaya robes in schools?
[A] Germany
[B] France
[C] Spain
[D] Portugal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [France]
Notes:
The French government announced its decision to ban children from wearing the abaya, the loose-fitting, full- length robes worn by some Muslim women, in state-run schools.
France has enforced a ban on religious symbols in state schools since 2004, to uphold its strict brand of secularism, known as laicite.
6. As per Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry, how many Khelo India Centres will be established within a year?
[A] 100
[B] 500
[C] 1000
[D] 2000
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [1000]
Notes:
Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur announced that 1000 Khelo India Centres will be established within a year in the country.
It will not only provide employment opportunities to former athletes but also give budding sportspersons a chance to take guidance from the veterans. To commemorate the National Sports Day, over 3500 events were observed across the nation.
7. NITI Aayog signed a MoU with which institution on fast tracking SDGs?
[A] UNDP
[B] UNEP
[C] World Bank
[D] WEF
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [UNDP]
Notes:
NITI Aayog and UNDP India have signed, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise a framework of cooperation on a range of areas, including SDG localisation, data-driven monitoring, Aspirational Districts and Blocks, among others.
The MoU was signed for a period of five years. NITI Aayog is the nodal Institution for coordinating the adoption and monitoring of SDGs at the national and sub-national levels. UNDP plays the integrator role in coordinating efforts to fast-track progress on the SDGs within the UN system.
8. What is India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) percent in the April-June quarter of the current fiscal (2023-2024)?
[A] 5.8 per cent
[B] 6.8 per cent
[C] 7.8 per cent
[D] 8.8 per cent
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [7.8 per cent]
Notes:
India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) registered a growth of 7.8 percent in the April-June quarter of the current fiscal (2023-2024), compared to a growth of 6.1 percent in the previous January-March quarter of fiscal 2022-23.
According to official data shared by the National Statistical Office, India’s nominal GDP or GDP at Current Prices in the first quarter showed a growth rate of 8 percent as compared to 27.7 percent in the previous year’s first quarter.
9. What was India’s goods and services tax collection in August 2023?
[A] Rs 1.34 lakh crore
[B] Rs 1.59 lakh crore
[C] Rs 1.65 lakh crore
[D] Rs 1.72 lakh crore
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Rs 1.59 lakh crore]
Notes:
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues for August 2023 have shown a growth of 11 per cent year-on-year as it stands at Rs 1.59 lakh crore.
The increase is due to increased compliance and reduced evasion. In August 2022, the collection from GST was Rs 1,43,612 crore. Out of the Rs 1.59 lakh crore GST collected, CGST accounted for Rs 28,328 crore, SGST for Rs 35,794 crore, IGST for Rs 83,251 crore, and cess for Rs 11,695 crore.
10. Which Indian chess player replaced Viswanathan Anand as the country’s top-ranked player?
[A] R Praggnananda
[B] D Gukesh
[C] Nihal Sarin
[D] Arjun Erigaisi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [D Gukesh]
Notes:
17-year-old D Gukesh took over as the country’s top-ranked player from Viswanathan Anand in FIDE’s monthly rankings list.
It has been 37 years since anyone other than Anand holding the top position. The five-time World champion is currently ranked ninth, a spot below Gukesh on the world list, is semi-retired from active chess.