In which year did the United Nations (UN) designate July 12 as Malala Day to honor the young woman who advocated for women's education?
(A)
2012
(B)
2013
(C)
2014
(D)
2015
Correct Answer: (B)
Explanation: In 2013, The United Nations (UN) designated July 12 as Malala Day to honour the young woman who advocated for women's education.
2.
India and which country started a bilateral trade in rupees on 11 July?
(A)
Bangladesh
(B)
Nepal
(C)
Sri Lanka
(D)
Bhutan
Correct Answer: ()
Explanation: Bilateral trade in rupees started by India and Bangladesh.
3.
SC holds the extension granted to Sanjay Mishra as invalid. Sanjay Mishra is the director of ___________.
(A)
Enforcement Directorate
(B)
Central Bureau of Investigation
(C)
Narcotics Control Bureau
(D)
Directorate General of Civil Aviation
Correct Answer: (A)
Explanation: SC holds the extension granted to E Director Sanjay Mishra as invalid.
4.
Abhijit Chakravorty has been appointed as MD and CEO of which of the following?
(A)
SBI Card
(B)
Axis Bank
(C)
HDFC Bank
(D)
IDFC Bank
Correct Answer: (A)
Explanation: Abhijit Chakravorty has been appointed as MD and CEO of SBI card.
5.
Which of the following has been recently exempted by GST Council from GST?
1. Cancer-fighting drugs
2. Medicines for rare diseases
3. Food products for special medical purposes
Select the correct answer using the following codes.
(A)
1 and 2 only
(B)
2 and 3 only
(C)
1 and 3 only
(D)
1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: (D)
Explanation: GST Council has exempted cancer-fighting drugs, medicines for rare diseases, and food products for special medical purposes from GST.
6.
Which of the following will be made compulsory for the MSME pharma sector in a phased manner?
(A)
Schedule P
(B)
Schedule M
(C)
Schedule K
(D)
Schedule L
Correct Answer: (C)
Explanation: Special squads have been formed to take stringent action against pharmaceutical companies manufacturing spurious drugs.
7.
National Fish Farmers Day Meet - 2023 concluded at which place?
(A)
Kanpur
(B)
Madurai
(C)
Chennai
(D)
Mahabalipuram
Correct Answer: (D)
Explanation: National Fish Farmers Day Meet - 2023 concluded at Mahabalipuram.
8.
Which country secured the first position in the medal tally at the 34th International Biology Olympiad, UAE?
(A)
Japan
(B)
India
(C)
China
(D)
UAE
Correct Answer: (B)
Explanation: India secured the first position in the medal tally at the 34th International Biology
Olympiad, UAE.
9.
Which of the following statements is correct about multidimensional poverty?
1. 315 million Indians came out of multidimensional poverty in 15 years.
2. The MPI measures poverty across 15 indicators in five dimensions.
Select the correct code:
(A)
1 only
(B)
2 only
(C)
1 and 2
(D)
None of the above
Correct Answer: (D)
Explanation: 415 million Indians came out of multidimensional poverty in 15 years: UNDP
10.
Uttar Pradesh has become the ________ state in India in the disposal of cases of crimes against women.
(A)
First
(B)
Second
(C)
Third
(D)
Fourth
Correct Answer: (B)
Explanation: Uttar Pradesh is in second position in India in the disposal of cases of crimes against women.
11.
Consider the following statements about Cheetah:
1. Chettah are declared extinct in India in the 1950s.
2. African Cheetahs are listed as ‘Endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species
3. Recently, Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh is selecting as the first site for the reintroduction of Cheetahs in India.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(A)
1 and 2 only
(B)
1 only
(C)
2 & 3 only
(D)
1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: (B)
Explanation: Statement 1 is correct: Cheetah, the world's fastest land animal was declared extinct in India in 1952. Cheetah is the only large carnivore to have become extinct in Independent India.
12.
Which of the following activities is/ are subject to taxation under the Goods and service tax
1. Online Gaming
2. Casinos
3. Horse-racing
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(A)
1 & 2 only
(B)
3 only
(C)
1 & 3 only
(D)
1, 2 & 3
Correct Answer: (D)
Explanation: Recently, THE GOODS and Services Tax (GST) Council, in its 50th meeting on decided to levy a uniform 28 per cent tax on full face value for online gaming, casinos and horse-racing, while reducing the rate for uncooked/ unfried snack pellets, cancer medicine and imitation zari thread.
13.
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is chaired by whom?
(A)
Prime Minister
(B)
Defense minister
(C)
Defence Secretary
(D)
Chief of Defence Staff
Correct Answer: (A)
Explanation: The DAC is the highest decision-making body in the Defence Ministry for deciding on new policies and capital acquisitions for the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force) and the Indian Coast Guard.
14.
Consider the following statements, with respect to the Chandrayaan-3 mission
1.It is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface
2. The mission aims for a safe landing on south pole of the moon.
3. It will be launched by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL)
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(A)
1 & 2 only
(B)
2 & 3 only
(C)
1 & 3 only
(D)
1, 2 & 3
Correct Answer: (A)
Explanation: Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. It consists of Lander and Rover configurations.
15.
Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Solar flares’
1. Solar flares affect all layers of the solar atmosphere
2. Flares produce radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum at all wavelengths
3. Flares occur in active regions and are always accompanied by coronal mass ejections
How many of the statement(s) given above are correct?
(A)
1 only
(B)
2 only
(C)
All three
(D)
None
Correct Answer: (B)
Explanation: Solar flares affect all layers of the solar atmosphere (photosphere, chromosphere, and corona). The plasma medium is heated to tens of millions of kelvins, while electrons, protons, and heavier ions are accelerated to near the speed of light. Flares produce electromagnetic radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum at all wavelengths, from radio waves to gamma rays. Most of the energy is spread over frequencies outside the visual range; the majority of the flares are not visible to the naked eye and can only be observed with special instruments.
16.
With reference to ‘The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023’, consider the following statements
1. The Bill extends its remit to land which is not officially classified as ‘forest’ in State or Central government records.
2. It exempts land within 100 km of India’s border needed for national security from the purview of the Act.
3. The state government requires prior approval of the central government to assign any forest land to any entity
How many of the statement(s) given above are correct?
(A)
1 only
(B)
2 only
(C)
All three
(D)
None
Correct Answer: (C)
Explanation: The Act empowers the Centre to require that any forest land diverted for non-forestry purposes be duly compensated. It also extends its remit to land which is not officially classified as ‘forest’ in State or Central government records. It also exempts certain types of land from the purview of the Act. These include land within 100 km of India’s border needed for national security projects, small roadside amenities, and public roads leading to a habitation.
17.
Consider the following statements about ‘Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Buses’
Statement 1 – These buses do not produce any carbon emissions
Statement 2 – Hydrogen fuel cells use hydrogen as a fuel that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electrical energy and water
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(A)
Both Statement-I and Statement II are correct and Statement II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(B)
Both Statement-I and Statement II are correct and Statement II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
(C)
Statement-I is correct but statement II is incorrect
(D)
Statement -I is incorrect but Statement -II is correct
Correct Answer: (B)
Explanation: The hydrogen buses are like an electric bus, in that hydrogen interacts with a ‘fuel cell’ battery producing electricity and no carbon emissions. Hydrogen fuel cells use hydrogen as a fuel in an electrochemical process that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electrical energy and water. At the anode, a catalyst separates the hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons and both subatomic particles take different paths to the cathode.
18.
Potato variety FC5’ was recently seen in the news due to
(A)
First GM vegetable to be approved
(B)
Patent revocation
(C)
Ability to grow in any type of soil
(D)
Fungus attack
Correct Answer: (B)
Explanation: PepsiCo company supplies the FC5 seed variety to a group of farmers who grow the potatoes exclusively for PepsiCo at a fixed price. PepsiCo claims that it developed the FC5 variety and registered its traits in 2016. The FC5 potato variety is known for its lower moisture content, making it ideal for snack production, particularly potato chips. The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPVFR) Authority in 2021 revoked the intellectual protection granted to PepsiCo’s FC5 potato variety, stating that Indian regulations do not permit patents on seed varieties.
19.
Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Chemical Weapons Convention’
1. It is an arms control treaty administered by the International Atomic Energy Agency
2. It is the only arms convention to be universally ratified
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(A)
1 only
(B)
2 only
(C)
Both 1 and 2
(D)
Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: (D)
Explanation: The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), officially the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, is an arms control treaty administered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), an intergovernmental organization based in The Hague, The Netherlands
20.
What was India’s score in the United Nations’ Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific’s (UNESCAP) global survey on digital and sustainable trade facilitation in 2023?
(A)
90.32%
(B)
93.55%
(C)
78.49%
(D)
68.49%
Correct Answer: (B)
Explanation: India’s score in the UNESCAP survey rose to 93.55% in 2023 from 90.32% in 2021, showcasing significant improvement.
21.
According to the Goldman Sachs report, by which year is India expected to surpass the United States to become the world’s second-largest economy?
(A)
2075
(B)
2070
(C)
2035
(D)
2050
Correct Answer: (A)
Explanation: The report predicts that India will overtake the US and become the world’s second-largest economy by 2075.
22.
What is the projected GDP of India by 2075, according to the Goldman Sachs report?
(A)
$62.5 trillion
(B)
$52.5 trillion
(C)
$82.5 trillion
(D)
$65.5 trillion
Correct Answer: (B)
Explanation: The report suggests India will surpass the US in terms of GDP, reaching $52.5 trillion by 2075.
23.
What is the growth percentage of net direct tax collection in the current fiscal year?
(A)
14.65%
(B)
15.87%
(C)
16%
(D)
None of the above
Correct Answer: (C)
Explanation: The net direct tax collection in the current fiscal year has grown by 16% compared to the corresponding period last year.
24.
Operation Broader Sword aimed to prevent the shipment of which of the following items?
(A)
Illicit pharmaceuticals and precursor chemicals
(B)
Counterfeit luxury goods
(C)
Stolen artwork
(D)
Unauthorized electronic devices
Correct Answer: (A)
Explanation: Operation Broader Sword focused on stopping the illegal shipment of pharmaceuticals and precursor chemicals through the International Mail System.
25.
What is UPI 123PAY?
(A)
A digital payment platform for merchants
(B)
A cardless payment solution
(C)
A smartphone application for UPI payments
(D)
An IVR-based UPI solution
Correct Answer: (D)
Explanation: UPI 123PAY is an IVR-based UPI solution launched by Punjab National Bank (PNB) to enable UPI transactions through phone calls.