11. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has granted permission for holding elections to the Legislative Council (MLCs) in which state/UT, amid the Covd-19 pandemic?
[A] Jharkhand
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Madhya Pradesh
[D] Jammu & Kashmir
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Maharashtra]
Notes:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) recently granted permission for holding elections to the Legislative Council (MLCs) in Maharashtra.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is not a member of either house of the State Legislature and he should be elected to the Council before May 27. The ECI granted permission to hold the elections before the deadline of May 27. The election process for these nine seats was withheld in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
12. Thangjam Dhabali Singh of Manipur has been conferred the ‘Order of Rising Sun’. Which country constituted the award?
[A] United Kingdom
[B] Japan
[C] Saudi Arabia
[D] Germany
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Japan]
Notes:
Thangjam Dhabali Singh, a doctor from Manipur and founder of the Manipur Tourism Forum (MTF), was conferred the ‘Order of Rising Sun – Gold and Silver Rays’ by Japan. He was selected for promoting a better understanding of Japan in India and deepening ties between the two countries.
The award was constituted by Japanese Emperor Meiji in 1875. It is awarded to persons who contribute in promotion of Japanese culture, environmental preservation and international relations.
13. A national e-commerce marketplace ‘Bharatmarket’, is to be launched by which confederation of India?
[A] Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
[B] Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT)
[C] Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)
[D] National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT)]
Notes:
Apex Traders body, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has recently announced that it would launch a national e-commerce marketplace ‘bharatmarket’.
The platform aims to connect all retail traders to the market, in collaboration with technology partners, who will provide services in logistics and supply chains from manufacturers to end consumers.
14. Who has been reappointed as the chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee?
[A] Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
[B] Mallikarjun Kharge
[C] Anurag Thakur
[D] Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury]
Notes:
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has been reappointed for another year as the chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee along with the existing 30 members.
The committee was first formulated as a result of Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms in the year 1921. After 1950, the committee became a parliamentary committee which functioned under the control of the Lok Sabha Speaker along with a non-official chairperson. Since 1967, the chairperson of the committee is selected from the opposition party.
15. As per the recent report of the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), which areas of the country comprised of the highest number of Internet users?
[A] Metropolitan Areas
[B] Urban Areas
[C] Semi-urban Areas
[D] Rural Areas
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Rural Areas]
Notes:
According to the ‘Digital in India’ report recently released by the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), there were more Internet users in rural areas when compared to those in urban areas for the first time.
As of last November, out of the total 504 million active internet users, there were 227 million active internet users in rural areas while there were 205 million in urban areas. But the time spent on internet is higher among the urban people. The report also highlighted that there was an increase of 21% in female internet users, higher than that of male users (9%).
16. Project CARD, that was seen in news recently, is associated with the launching of which product?
[A] Temporary PDS card
[B] Covid-19 Testing kit
[C]
Temporary AADHAR card
[D] Face Masks for Doctors
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Covid-19 Testing kit]
Notes:
NITI Aayog and the Department of Biotechnology have launched the Consortium for Affordable & Rapid Diagnostics (CARD) project.
The project aims to scale up India’s capacity to make coronavirus testing kits. The primary goal is to manufacture at least 10 million rapid antibody tests for Covid-19 by July. It also aims to expand RT-PCR test kits in India. The announcement has come after quality issues faced with Chinese-made antibody testing kits.
17. Which chess player won the recently held $250,000 online chess tournament, considered to be the richest so far?
[A] Hikaru Nakamura
[B] Viswanathan Anand
[C] Magnus Carlsen
[D] Alireza Firouzja
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Magnus Carlsen ]
Notes:
The richest online chess tournament in history held so far was recently organised by the World Chess champion Magnus Carlsen after live tournaments could not be held amidst the Covid-19 crisis.
Named the Magnus Carlsen Invitational, the 16-day contest comprised of a total prize fund of 250,000. Magnus Carlsen won the final match and bagged the winner prize of 70,000 after defeating his American counterpart Hikaru Nakamura 2.5:1.5. Live feeds were offered during the matches with live commentary from chess grandmasters.
18. ‘Read along’, that was in news recently, is an application of which multi-national company?
[A] Microsoft
[B] Amazon
[C] Google
[D] Facebook
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Google]
Notes:
Global Information Technology giant Google has recently announced the launch of its mobile application ‘Read Along’ in over 180 countries and in 9 languages.
The application was initially launched in India in the name of ‘Bolo’ along with an in-app reading buddy named Diya. The Read Along app uses Google’s speech recognition technology to develop reading skills of young children along the globe.
19. Jharkhand banned the manufacture, sale and storage of 11 brands of pan masala for a year, to curb which harmful chemical present in them?
[A] Magnesium carbonate
[B] Magnesium chloride
[C] Magnesium oxide
[D] Sodium carbonate
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Magnesium carbonate]
Notes:
The state government of Jharkhand has recently banned manufacture, sale and storage of 11 brands of pan masala for a year.
This step has been taken to curb the harmful chemical Magnesium carbonate, present in pan masala. The chemical is carcinogenic and harmful to the heart and banned for usage, as per the Food Safety Act, 2006 regulations. Earlier, Maharashtra and Bihar also had imposed a ban on pan masala.
20. When is the “Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War” observed by the United Nations, every year?
[A] 1-2 May
[B] 4-5 May
[C] 8-9 May
[D] 11-12 May
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [8-9 May]
Notes:
On 8 and 9 May every year, the United Nations commemorates the millions who lost their lives during the Second World War. The World War-II led to the formation of the United Nations.
The commemoration to pay tribute to all victims is officially called the “Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War”. It was created by a General Assembly resolution in 2004.