21. Which global organisation signed a USD 145 million agreement with the Government of India and West Bengal?
[A] World Bank
[B] Asian Development Bank
[C] Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
[D] International Monetary Fund
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank]
Notes:
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) signed a USD 145 million agreement with the Government of India and West Bengal Government for a project.
The project aims to improve the irrigation services and flood management in the Damodar Valley Command Area in West Bengal. The total value of the project is over 413 million dollars and will benefit about 27 lakh farmers from five districts of the state.
22. What is the term of the ‘Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS)’, that was recently approved by the Defence Ministry?
[A] Three years
[B] Five years
[C] Seven years
[D] Ten years
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Five years]
Notes:
The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the launch of ‘Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS)’.
The outlay of the scheme is Rs.400 crore and the scheme would be implemented for a term of five years. The scheme aims to set up six to eight new test facilities in partnership with private industry and boost the domestic defence and aerospace manufacturing. The projects will be granted 75 percent funding from the government and the remaining will be borne by the SPVs.
23. National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), that was in news recently, is a body under which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Home Affairs
[B] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
[C] Ministry of MSME
[D] Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs]
Notes:
The National Real Estate Development Council was established in 1998 under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It is a major association of real estate developers.
Recently, National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) has appointed Rajesh Goel as Director General (DG) of the association. Prior to this appointment, Rajesh Goel superannuated as the CMD of Hindustan Prefab Ltd.
24. The agriculture trading portal e-NAM, that has reached the milestone of 1000 mandis, was launched in which year?
[A] 2012
[B] 2014
[C] 2016
[D] 2018
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [2016]
Notes:
The nation-wide electronic agriculture trading portal, e-NAM has recently reached milestone of 1000 mandis (markets) across 18 states and three union territories.
e-NAM was launched in 2016, with the objective of connecting the existing mandis on a common online market platform for agricultural produce in the country. With the recent addition of 38 mandis, it has reached the milestone of 1000 mandis, for which May 15 was fixed as the deadline. Amid the lock-down, trade through e-NAM reduces human intervention in the process.
25. The 36th amendment of Indian constitution made which territory as a full state of India?
[A] Manipur
[B] Sikkim
[C] Assam
[D] Mizoram
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Sikkim]
Notes:
The Prime Minister of Sikkim appealed to the Indian Parliament for making Sikkim a state of India, in the year 1975. A referendum was held in Sikkim and 97.5 per cent of the people voted to abolish the monarchy. Sikkim became the 22nd state of the Indian Union, on 16 May 1975.
The 36th amendment of the Indian constitution made Sikkim as a full state of India and added its name in the to the First Schedule of the Constitution. Every year, the state celebrates May 16 as Sikkim statehood day.
26. What is the additional allocation in the MGNREGS scheme for 2020-21, as announced by the Union Finance Minister?
[A] Rs 10000 Crore
[B] Rs 25000 Crore
[C] Rs 40000 Crore
[D] Rs 50000 Crore
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Rs 40000 Crore]
Notes:
In its effort to boost the economy and provide work to migrants returning from other states to home villages, the Central government allocated an additional Rs 40,000 crore to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for 2020-21.
In the Union Budget 2020-21, the total allocation made for MGNREGS was Rs 61500 Crore. Hence with this additional fund, the total allocation of this scheme for the present year becomes Rs 1.015 trillion. Out of the total fund, Rs 11,500 crore has to be spent on clearing pending dues from the previous year.
27. What is the modified borrowing limit of states as a percentage of Gross state domestic product (GSDP) for the year 2020-21?
[A] 3.5%
[B] 4%
[C] 5%
[D] 7.5%
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [5%]
Notes:
As a part of the economic stimulus package, the Centre has increased the borrowing limit of states to 5% of Gross state domestic product (GSDP) in 2020-21.
The present limit of the state’s borrowing is 3% of their corresponding GSDP. This move is expected to make an additional Rs 4.28 lakh crore available to the states. But, the additional borrowing beyond the 3.5% of GDSP limit shall be linked to specific reforms carried out by the states, including ‘One Nation, One Ration card,’ ease of doing business and power distribution etc.
28. Which country announced a USD 2 billion fund to help developing countries for fighting COVID-19, at the recently held World Health Assembly (WHA)?
[A] United States
[B] China
[C] Germany
[D] United Kingdom
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [China]
Notes:
This year’s World Health Assembly, the key decision-making body of the World Health Organization, the 73rd edition was recently held virtually. The assembly is usually held in Geneva and attended by representatives of the United Nation’s 194 member states.
India along with other 122 countries, supported the key conference paper, which proposes for a review of the world’s response to Covid-19. The draft called for a global approach to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and its path of introduction to the human population. China committed to provide USD 2 billion over two years to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
29. Which Indian Nobel laureate was present in the group of laureates, which called for all governments to spend USD 1 trillion for marginalised children?
[A] Abhijeet Banerjee
[B] Kailash Satyarthi
[C] Amartya Sen
[D] Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Kailash Satyarthi]
Notes:
About 88 Nobel laureates across the world including the Indian Nobel prize winner Kailash Satyarthi united and called for governments to spend USD 1 trillion for marginalised children, during the lock-down imposed due to Covid-19.
Other notable personalities who signed this agreement were Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Human rights activist Desmond Tutu, among others. The assistance would cancel two years of debt repayments from low-income countries and fund 2 years of the global gap to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
30. Which Indian state/ UT has launched the ‘Charan Paduka’ campaign to assist migrant labourers?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Chhattisgarh
[C] Madhya Pradesh
[D] Uttarakhand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Madhya Pradesh]
Notes:
The state of Madhya Pradesh has recently launched a new initiative, the first in the country named Charan Paduka campaign.
The campaign seeks to assist the migrant labourers who are walking barefoot by providing foot-wears to them. It was started from a Police station at Indore and is being implemented with the help of civilians, across the state. This scheme has been launched amid several accidents of the state involving migrants.