21. ‘Pranavayu’ is a respiratory health awareness programme launched in which Indian city?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Bengaluru
[C] Chennai
[D] Hyderabad
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bengaluru]
Notes:
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city corporation of Bengaluru has launched ‘Pranavayu programme’ to create awareness about self-examination of respiratory health for the city-dwellers.
The programme aims at educating people with low oxygen level in their blood to check themselves at an early stage. Under the programme, several advertisements are published in media about self-examination.
22. Sero-survey, that is proposed to be conducted by ICMR, involves the predominant testing of which sample?
[A] Nasal swab
[B] Throat swab
[C] Blood
[D] Urine
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Blood]
Notes:
The Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR and National Centre for Disease Control proposed to launch a population-based sero-survey at district level.
This operation is to be done in collaboration with key stakeholders and State Health Departments. It involves testing the blood serum predominantly. All population groups including outpatient attendees, pregnant women and health care workers will be tested.
23. Which is the venue of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, that has been rescheduled for February-March 2021?
[A] Brazil
[B] India
[C] Japan
[D] China
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [India]
Notes:
The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup was originally scheduled to be held in India from November 2-21 in 2020 and was subsequently postponed due to the pandemic.
Recently, FIFA announced that the World Cup tournament has been rescheduled to February 17-March 7, 2021. It was originally planned to be held across five host cities of India namely – Navi Mumbai, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar. The original eligibility criteria of the players will be followed.
24. Which bureaucrat has been appointed as the new chief of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)?
[A] V. Vidyavathi
[B] P K Sharma
[C] I V Subba Rao
[D] Nripendra Misra
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [V. Vidyavathi]
Notes:
A 1991 batch Karnataka cadre officer Ms. Vidyavathi has been recently appointed as the new Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
According to the order of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, the bureaucrat will be serving in the rank of Additional Secretary to the Government of India. Usha Sharma was the previous DG of ASI, that is headquartered at New Delhi.
25. What is the percentage reduction in the rates of Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) and Tax Collection at Source (TCS), as per the recent economic package?
[A] 10
[B] 15
[C] 25
[D] 50
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [25]
Notes:
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently proposed Rs 50,000 crore of liquidity by reducing the TDS and TCS rates for certain payments including interest, dividend, rent payments and other payments by non-individuals.
The rates of Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) for non-salaried payments made to residents and rates of Tax Collection at Source (TCS) for receipts will be reduced by 25 per cent of the existing rates. This reduction in rates will be effective from 14.05.2020 to 31.03.2021.
26. ‘HOPE’ – Helping Out People Everywhere, portal is an initiative of which Indian state?
[A] Odisha
[B] Uttarakhand
[C] Punjab
[D] Kerala
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Uttarakhand]
Notes:
Uttarakhand government has recently launched a portal named ‘HOPE’ – Helping Out People Everywhere, to assist the workers of the state to find suitable employment.
The portal has started to collect data on the youngsters of the state and migrant workers returned from other states. The workers can upload their skill-sets on the website and based on that, they will be able to find suitable jobs at home-state. The data collected will be used for implementing the Mukhyamantri Swarojgar Yojana, implemented by the state earlier.
27. Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC), that are proposed in the economic stimulus package, are to be constructed under which scheme?
[A] Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation -AMRUT
[B] Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-PMAY
[C] Smart Cities Scheme
[D] Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission-NULM
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-PMAY]
Notes:
In the second tranche of the economic stimulus package, the Finance Minister proposed that the Government will launch a scheme under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-PMAY.
The scheme aims at providing ease of living at affordable rent for migrant labour/urban poor. It proposes to convert government funded housing in the cities into Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) under PPP mode. The scheme will also incentivize industries and State Government Agencies and Central Government Organizations to develop ARHCs and operate them.
28. Which global organisation has approved USD 1 billion ‘Accelerating India’s COVID-19 Social Protection Response Program’?
[A] World Bank
[B] International Monetary Fund
[C] Asian Development Bank
[D] New Development Bank
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [World Bank]
Notes:
World Bank has recently approved USD 1 billion ‘Accelerating India’s COVID-19 Social Protection Response Program’.
The program aims to support India in fighting Covid-19 and providing assistance to the poor and vulnerable people of the country who are affected by the pandemic. Last month, the World Bank had announced a USD 1 billion support for India and hence this step raises its total commitment for India to USD 2 billion, as of now.
29. SAMARTH (Enterprises Resource Planning) is a e-governance platform, launched by which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of MSME
[B] Ministry of Human and Resource Development
[C] Ministry of Defence
[D] Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ministry of Human and Resource Development]
Notes:
Ministry of Human and Resource Development has developed an e-Governance platform, SAMARTH- Enterprises Resource Planning (ERP).
The platform has been developed under National Mission of Education in Information and Communication Technology Scheme (NMEICT). SAMARTH is an open source automation engine for Universities and Higher Educational Institutions. It has been launched at National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, to automate the processes of the Institute.
30. What is the minimum threshold to initiate insolvency proceedings under the IBC (Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code), as proposed in the economic package?
[A] Rs. 15 lakh
[B] Rs. 25 lakh
[C] Rs. 50 lakh
[D] Rs. 1 Crore
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Rs. 1 Crore]
Notes:
The Union Finance Minister recently announced to raise the minimum threshold to initiate insolvency proceeding to Rs 1 crore from the present limit Rs 1 lakh to benefit MSMEs.
This move will give relief to the companies that default on loans due to the Covid-19 stress. It was also announced that no fresh insolvency will be initiated for one year under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and the Covid-19 related debt will be excluded from the definition of default. She also proposed decriminalisation of the Companies Act for violations involving minor technical and procedural defaults.