1.Which state’s tourism department launched the STREET (Sustainable, Tangible, Responsible, Experiential, Ethnic, Tourism) project?
Tamil Nadu
Goa
Kerala
Sikkim
Answer: C
Notes:
Kerala Tourism recently launched the ‘STREET’ (Sustainable, Tangible, Responsible, Experiential, Ethnic, and Tourism) project in select places in seven districts.
The project would help visitors experience the diversity of offerings in these places. In the first phase, the project would be implemented in Kadalundi in Kozhikode, Thrithala and Pattithara in Palakkad, Pinarayi and Ancharakkandi in Kannur, Maravanthuruthu and Manchira in Kottayam, Valiyaparamba in Kasaragod, Kanthalloor in Idukki and Chekadi in Wayanad.
2.Which institution developed the ‘Bio-jet fuel’, which has been approved for use on military aircraft of IAF?
Indian Institute of Petroleum
Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation
Indian Institute of Remote Sensing
Bharat Electronics Limited
Answer: A [ Indian Institute of Petroleum]
Notes:
The Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research developed the ‘Bio-jet fuel’.
It has been formally approved for use on military aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC). It is a regulatory body under DRDO. This approval will enable Indian armed forces to use bio-jet fuel produced using indigenous technology across all its operational aircraft
3.Beyond APICA Project, which was sometimes seen in the news recently, is associated with which field?
Ice Exploration
Space Exploration
Artificial Intelligence
Crypto currency Mining
Answer: A
Notes:
The Beyond European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) is the Oldest Ice project funded by the European Commission.
It is being carried out by the Institute of Polar Sciences of the Cnr (National Research Council of Italy) and The British Antarctic Survey (BAS). The project aims to collect the oldest continuous ice core in Antarctica, providing a record of the climate spanning 1.5 million years.
4.India is set to assume the G20 Presidency in which year?
2022
2023
2034
2035
Answer: B <2023>
Notes:
India recently joined the G20 Troika, which now includes Indonesia, Italy and India. Indonesia has assumed the G20 Presidency and will convene G20 meetings throughout the year ending with the G20 Leaders` Summit on October 30-31, 2022.
The theme of this year’s Summit is “Recover Together Recover Stronger”. India will assume the G20 Presidency from Indonesia and will convene the G20 Leaders` Summit for the first time in India in 2023.
5.Which Indian athlete has won the ‘Woman of the Year’ Award by World Athletics?
P T Usha
Anju Bobby George
Koneru Humpy
Sania Mirza
Answer: B
Notes:
Indian athlete Anju Bobby George has been named as the Woman of the Year Award by World Athletics for encouraging young Indian girls to take up sports and fight for gender equality.
The athlete was 2003 Paris World Championships bronze medalist in long jump. She became the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal in a World Championships in Athletics. She serves as the Chairperson of TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) and is also the Executive member of Khelo India project.
6.Which Union Ministry has developed a prototype regional Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) for India?
Ministry of Mines
Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change
Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Rural Development and Agriculture
Answer: A
Notes:
Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines in collaboration with the British Geological Survey has developed a prototype regional Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) for India.
The system is being evaluated and tested by GSI in two pilot areas in India – in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, and the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. GSI is developing the prototype through the LANDSLIP project.
7.The Prime Minister recently laid foundation stone for …………, the 8300-Crore project to bring down the travel time between Delhi – Dehradun to 2.5 hours.
Dehradun international Airport
Yamuna Inland water way project
Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor
Delhi – Himachal Metro Project
Answer: C
Notes:
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently laid foundation stone for Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor which would be constructed at a cost of Rs.8300 crore. This is expected to bring down the travel time between the two places to 2.5 hours from the existing 6 hours.
The corridor would have 7 major interchanges for connectivity and would have Asia’s largest wildlife elevated corridor for a stretch of 12 kilometres.
8.As per the recent data from the Finance Ministry, what is the number of ATMs across the country?
50000
1.1 lakh
2 .1 lakh
5.1 lakh
Answer: C <2 .1 lakh>
Notes:
The number of ATMs across the country stood at more than 2.13 lakh by the end of September 2021, as per the data given by the Finance Ministry said in Parliament.
Over 47 per cent of the ATMS are in rural and semi-urban areas. According to the RBI data, scheduled commercial banks have installed 2.13 lakh ATMs up to September 2021. In addition to this, 27,837 White Label ATMs (WLA) were also installed.
9.‘The 2021 Yidan Prize’ which was awarded recently, is associated with which field?
Business
Sports
Science and Technology
Education
Answer: D
Notes:
Yidan Prize is regarded as the world’s highest education accolade. Rukmini Banerji, CEO of Pratham Education Foundation, has been awarded the 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Development.
The award has been announced for her work in improving learning outcomes. One of the team’s pioneering works is the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) assessment that revealed literacy and numeracy gaps among children who have spent many years at school.
10.India recently signed agreement with ADB to provide affordable housing for urban poor. In which state?
Gujarat
Tamil Nadu
Maharashtra
Madhya Pradesh
Answer: B
Notes:
The Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a 125 million loan pact to improve access to safe and affordable drinking water and city-wide inclusive sanitation services in Dehradun and Nainital cities of Uttarakhand.
11.Indian Navy’s which Sail Training Ship visited Port Sultan Qaboos, Oman for an Operational Turn Round (OTR)?
INS Sudarshini
INS Varuna
INS Sujata
INS Nelson
Answer: A
Notes:
Indian Navy’s Sail Training Ship INS Sudarshini visited Port Sultan Qaboos, Oman for a three-day Operational Turn Round (OTR).
The ship is part of the 1st Training Squadron based at Kochi which trains sea trainees of the Indian Navy. INS Sudarshini is an indigenously built Sail Training Ship (STS) built by Goa Shipyard Limited and based at Kochi, Kerala.
12.In the recent monetary policy, Repo and reverse repo rates were fixed at ……..and ………. respectively
4 per cent and 3.35 per cent
4.75 per cent and 4 per cent
5 per cent and 4.5 per cent
5 per cent and 4.75 per cent
Answer: A <4 per cent and 3.35 per cent>
Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das announced that the Monetary Policy Committee had opted to keep the rates unchanged.
With this Repo and reverse repo rates currently stand at 4 per cent and 3.35 per cent, respectively. RBI also maintained its stance as “accommodative”. This is the ninth policy meeting where committee has maintained the key lending rate, in a row. Projection for real GDP growth is retained at 9.5% and CPI inflation at 5.3% in FY22.
13.What is the theme of the ‘International Mountain Day 2021’?
Sustainable Mountain Tourism
Tourism amidst Pandemic
Mountains are Mothers
Mountain Wisdom
Answer: A
Notes:
December 11 is celebrated as International Mountain Day every year, as designated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
International Mountain Day creates awareness about the importance of mountains to life. This year’s theme for International Mountain Day is Sustainable Mountain Tourism. According to the UN, mountain tourism attracts about 15-20 per cent of global tourism.
14. As of 2021, India has bilateral air bubble agreements with how many countries?
13
33
53
73
Answer: B <33>
Notes:
The Indian government has recently finalized an air bubble agreement with Australia, which will allow all eligible passengers to travel between the two countries.
India currently has bilateral air bubble agreements with 33 countries, which include Afghanistan, Australia, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Russia, Rwanda, Singapore, the UAE, the UK, and the USA among others. Australian airline Qantas has recently started flights between Sydney and New Delhi.
15.What is the name of the therapy involving the use of light-sensitive medicine?
Photodynamic therapy
Photovoltaic therapy
Photogeneric therapy
Photology
Answer: A
Notes:
Photodynamic therapy involves the use of light-sensitive medicine, which is activated by a light source. The treatment is used to treat certain cancers, and patients report a side effect due to the treatment.
Many people claim to have better night vision and also vision of unusual patterns and silhouettes in the dark. Researchers discovered Rhodopsin, a light-sensitive protein found in retinas, interacts with chlorin e6, a photosensitive used in cancer treatment.
16.India recently voted against a resolution on climate change, in which forum?
UNFCCC
UNSC
UNDP
WTO
Answer: B
Notes:
India voted against a UN Security Council (UNSC) draft resolution that linked climate change with global security challenges.
Moved jointly by Niger and Ireland, the draft resolution called on “integrate climate-related security risk as a central component into comprehensive conflict-prevention strategies.”India argued that this resolution would only create friction among the UN membership.
17.UNHCR is hosting the Global Refugee Forum, along with which country?
USA
China
Switzerland
India
Answer: C
Notes:
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is co-hosting the Global Refugee Forum together with Switzerland. The first follow-up to the Global Refugee Forum has started.
The two-day virtual event will be opened by the President-elect of the Swiss Confederation, Ignazio Cassis and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. The meeting commences on UNHCR’s 71st anniversary, on December 14. The next Global Refugee Forum will be held in 2023.
19.Jaitapur, where six nuclear power reactors is to be set up, is located in which state?
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra
Andhra Pradesh
Gujarat
Answer: B
Notes:
The Centre has given ‘in-principle’ approval to set up six nuclear power reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.
The six nuclear power reactors, which will have a capacity of 1,650 MW each, will be established with technical cooperation from France. It will be India’s largest nuclear power generating site with a total capacity of 9,900 MW.
20.India signed a letter of intent for cooperation in the postal sector, with which country?
Nepal
Sri Lanka
Vietnam
Singapore
Answer: C
Notes:
India and Vietnam have signed a letter of intent for enhanced cooperation in the field of postal sector.
It includes cooperation in the field of posts and telecom, cooperation in HR development and postal designated operators and service providers. The two countries also signed MoU for cooperation in marine science and ecology
21.Which country hosted the eighth Indian Ocean Dialogue recently?
Sri Lanka
India
Myanmar
Philippines
Answer: B
Notes:
India’s External Affairs Ministry, along with the Indian Council of World Affairs hosted the eighth Indian Ocean Dialogue.
The theme for this year’s edition was “Leveraging Digital Technologies for Health, Education, Development, and Trade in Indian Ocean Rim Association Member States”. The representatives discussed on the potential for IORA cooperation in health, education, trade, and development.
22.Parker Solar Probe, which was seen in the news recently, was launched by which space agency?
ISRO
NASA
Blue Origin
JAXA
Answer: B
Notes:
Parker Solar Probe of NASA has successfully flown through the Sun’s upper atmosphere, the corona. It is an extreme environment that’s roughly 2 million degrees Fahrenheit.
The probe has sampled particles and magnetic fields from the corona. A key instrument on board the probe, the Solar Probe Cup, collects particles from the Sun’s atmosphere. the outer boundary, which scientists call the Alfven point.
23.Which is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world, with the scientific name “Tyto alba”?
Barn Owl
Tanny Owl
Little Owl
Great Owl
Answer: A
Notes:
The Barn owl is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds. Its scientific name is “Tyto alba”.
Recently, the bird is spotted in the state of Bihar. Though it is seen across many parts of the world including the US, the UK and other parts of Europe, it is very rarely seen in the Indian subcontinent. It is generally found in countries with low temperature.
24.Ganga Expressway, which was seen in the news recently, is to come up in which state?
Bihar
Uttar Pradesh
Delhi
Haryana
Answer: B
Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the 594-km Ganga Expressway in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
After completion of work, it will be the longest expressway of Uttar Pradesh, connecting the western and eastern regions of the state. The six-lane expressway, which is expandable to eight lanes, will be built at a cost of over Rs 36000 crore.
25.When is the “International Human Solidarity Day” observed every year?
December 18
December 20
December 21
December 22
Answer: B
Notes:
International Human Solidarity Day is observed annually on December 20, every year. It was first introduced by the UN General Assembly.
Solidarity is a social-cum-political concept which states that it is fair and just that benefits and obligations are shared between members of society. The theme of the day does not change every year in the United States. World Solidarity Fund was established to eradicate poverty.
26.Which Indian state has launched “Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative (SRMI)”?
Jharkhand
Odisha
Uttar Pradesh
Bihar
Answer: A
Notes:
Jharkhand has launched an initiative called the Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative (SRMI). It aims for a systemic registration of migrant workers in the source as well as destination districts.
This programme will help the state to analyse the movement of people through a formal structure. The state government has also decided to set up two “labour consulates” in Ladakh and Kerala. Chief Minister Hemant Soren urged all migrant workers to get registered under SRMI.
27.Which state government is set to launch the ‘happiness curriculum’ in primary schools (after Chhattisgarh and Delhi)?
Madhya Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Odisha
West Bengal
Answer: B
Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to launch the ‘happiness curriculum’ in 150 primary schools of Uttar Pradesh under a pilot project.
It aims to make the students more sensitive towards nature, society and the country. Uttar Pradesh will be the third state in the country after Chhattisgarh and Delhi to implement the curriculum. The happiness curriculum will be introduced to the students of Classes 1 to 8.
28.Which institution holds its annual summit every year at ‘Davos’?
IMF
WEF
World Bank
ADB
Answer: B
Notes:
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is usually known for its annual meeting at the end of January in Davos, every year.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has postponed its annual meeting in Davos over the rise in Covid-19 cases from the Omicron variant. The annual meeting was originally scheduled to be held in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland between January 17-21, 2022.
29.Nuvaxovid, which was recently approved by WHO, is a vaccine to prevent which ailment?
Covid
Pneumococcal disease
Cardio-vascular disease
Hyper-tension
Answer: A
Notes:
The World Health Organization approved a Covid vaccine made by US pharma giant Novavax for emergency use.
Nuvaxovid uses a traditional technology involving proteins found on coronavirus spike proteins. It is a tested approach used in vaccines against diseases including hepatitis B and whooping cough. The European Medicines Agency had earlier assessed and approved Nuvaxovid vaccine.
30.Which is the headquarters of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)?
Rome
Montreal
Paris
New York
Answer: B
Notes:
India’s National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) has regained the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accreditation.
It’s more than two years and four months since NDTL lost its accreditation in August, 2019. This year has two multi-discipline events ahead namely — Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. This will enable India to test more athletes next year.
31.The Agra Metro Project, is to be built with the aid of which institution?
European Investment Bank
Asian Development Bank
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
BRICS Bank
Answer: A
Notes:
India and the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a contract for the first tranche loan of Euro 250 million for the Agra Metro project.
It aims to boost urban public transport connectivity in Agra connect major tourist attractions like Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Sikandra with railway stations. The construction work of the Agra Metro project was inaugurated in last December. EIB approved a total loan of Euro 450 million to fund the project.
32.Desmond Tutu, who passed away recently, was a Social Activist of which country?
USA
South Africa
Brazil
Australia
Answer: B
Notes:
The social activist and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu who helped end apartheid in South Africa, passed away at the age of 90.
The Arch Bishop is regarded as a contemporary figure of the anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela. Deshmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel prize in 1984 for his non-violent approaches in the struggle to abolish the apartheid system.
33.When is the ‘International Day of Epidemic Preparedness’ observed?
December 25
December 27
December 29
December 31
Answer: B
Notes:
December 27 is observed as the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness. The first International Day of Epidemic Preparedness was marked in 2020 based on the proclamation of United Nations General Assembly.
According to WHO, the day marks the significance of preventing, preparing for and partnering against epidemics.