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GS TIMES Current Affairs Objective Quiz January 2020 (16-31 January 2020)

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Question: What is the objective of the 'iGOT' programme of the Government of ? (a) Ensuring contribution of satellite in remote education (b) Providing online training to government staffs (c) Introduction of Artificial Intelligence in teaching (d) To help provide bank loans to self-help groups Answer: b The Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh on January 30, 2020 launched the DoPT’s online certificate course on “Relevance of Gandhi in the Contemporary World” under the iGOT programme. The National Training Policy-2012 mandates that all civil servants will be provided with training to equip them with the competencies for their current or future job. The Integrated Government Online Training Programme (iGOT) aims to augment the existing training mechanism with online module-based training coupled with certification. The iGOT was launched on December 20, 2019. This programme makes training inputs available to government servant on site and on flexitime basis. The initiative aims at “Competent Civil Services for Good Governance”.

Question: Recently, Indian scientists have developed 'Sim Unnati'-a new species of: (a) Amla (b) Lemon (c) Mentha (d) Mustard Answer: c (Indian scientists have developed a new species of Mentha, from which up to 190 kg of aromatic oil can be obtained in one hectare. 75% menthol and more than one percent aromatic oil can be obtained from this species, which is 15-20% more than other species of mentha.)

Question: Which company has designed Khadi's wrist watch that was launched on January 30, 2020? (a) Casio

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(b) Rolex (c) Titan (d) Timex Answer: c On the occasion of Martyrs’ Day, paying tribute on the 72nd death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Union Minister for MSME, Shri Nitin Gadkari, launched the limited edition of Khadi wrist watches in New on January 30, 2020. Designed by Titan, a non-horological material like Khadi has been used on the dial and strap of the watches for the first time ever. Since Khadi is handwoven, every single watch in this collection is unique because of the distinctive weave and texture. The straps of the watches have also been treated with a special coating to make them more durable without compromising on its authentic texture. The collection is a unique and elegant blend of simplicity and modernity.

Question: In which state, practice of "Made Snana" has now been made voluntary under anti-superstition law? (a) Odisha (b) (c) Karnataka (d) Answer: c A controversial anti-superstition law in Karnataka, which was passed during the tenure of a Congress government in a diluted form as the Karnataka Prevention and Eradication of Inhuman Evil Practices and Black Magic Act, 2017, and received the assent of the Governor on December 6, 2017, was formally notified by the current government on January 4, 2020. Made Snana was banned under the law with respect to having Dalits roll over left over food. The practice has now been modified in the new law to be voluntary and not involving leftover food. Practices such as barring menstruating women from entering houses of worship and their homes, coercing people to take part in fire-walks, and beating up people by declaring them evil, are among the irrational practices that have been banned under the 2017 law. A total of 16 practices have been banned under the law. The practice of Vaastu, astrology, pradakshina or circumabulation of holy places, yatras, parikramas performed at religious places were kept out of the purview of the new law.

Question: According to the Tom Tom Traffic Index released in January 2020, which city has the most congested roads? (a) (b) Delhi (c) Bengaluru (d) Answer: c Bengaluru has the most congested roads among 416 major cities across 57 countries, according to an analysis of road traffic data, which also puts three other Indian cities — Mumbai, and — among the 10 cities where the problem is most severe. The TomTom Traffic Index, released by Netherlands-headquartered satellite navigation equipment-maker TomTom, said the traffic situation in 57% of the cities it covered worsened — while it improved only in about 15% of the cities.

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Question: Which footballer made history by becoming the first Indian woman footballer to bag a professional contract from a foreign club? (a) Aditi Chauhan (b) Oinam Bembem Devi (c) Dalmia Chhibber (d) N. Devi Answer: d From Irengbam, a village 22 km away from Imphal, to Scotland’s capital Glasgow. That is a life’s voyage for Bala Devi, who on January 29, 2020 proudly wore the No. 10 jersey of Scottish giants Rangers FC. The Manipuri striker made history by becoming the first Indian woman footballer to bag a professional contract from a foreign club. The 29-year-old, a former India captain who earlier played in Maldives for New Radiant sports club, is among a group of 14 new players signed by the Scottish club.

Question: Lady Rosetta (LR) variety belongs to: (a) Orange (b) Guava (c) Potato (d) Tomato Answer: c This family of 10 farmers has been minting money from a special type of potato, clocking a revenue of Rs 25 crore per annum, producing on average 20,000 metric tonnes! Jitesh Patel, a potato farmer from Dolpur Kampa village of Arvalli district, turned his and his family’s fortunes around after using his education in agriculture science to begin cultivating the Lady Rosetta (LR) variety of potato. That variety is widely used for manufacturing potato chips and wafers.

Question: Which crop in and Punjab suffered due to yellow rust disease? (a) Rice (b) Wheat (c) Maize (d) Sugarcane Answer: b The detection of yellow rust disease in the wheat crop in sub-mountainous parts of Punjab and Haryana has raised anxiety among farmers about drop in the crop's yield even as respective agriculture departments are leaving nothing to chance to ensure the spread of the disease doesn't go beyond control. Yellow rust is a fungal disease which turns the crop's leaves into a yellowish colour and stops photosynthesis activity, which eventually could result in a drop of wheat crop productivity.

Question: In which state was the Nagoba Jatra festival celebrated in January 2020? (a) Telangana (b) Odisha (c) Jharkhand (d) Answer: a Nagoba jatara, celebrated in Telangana, came to end on January 29, 2020. The thanksgiving and

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the ceremony of Betal puja constituted the last of the rituals before the formal end of the annual jatara, which was spread over a month. The Betal puja involved display of martial art, in this case sword wielding, by the Adivasi Raj Gond and Pardhans from the Mesram clan near the Govad. The practised exercise has the ‘warrior’ jumping into the air wielding a thin bamboo stick like a sword. According to elders, the Adivasis were familiar with martial arts, having been from the once ruling clans.

Question: According to the Supreme Court, the protection of anticipatory or pre-arrest bail cannot be limited to any time frame or “fixed period”. Which section of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has provision for anticipatory bail? (a) Section 347 (b) Section 278 (c) Section 438 (d) Section 291 Answer: c (The protection of anticipatory or pre-arrest bail cannot be limited to any time frame or “fixed period” as denial of bail amounts to deprivation of the fundamental right to personal liberty in a free and democratic country, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court ruled on January 29, 2020. A five-judge Bench, led by Justice Arun Mishra, acknowledged that anticipatory bail helps thwart influential powers from implicating their rivals in false cases. Section 438 (anticipatory bail) of the Code of Criminal Procedure protects people from the ignominy of detention in jail for days on end and disgrace to their reputation. The court recorded its amicus curiae and senior advocate Harin Raval’s argument that anticipatory bail is all the more needed now because there is an accentuation of political rivalry and “this tendency is showing signs of steady increase

Question: Who has been given the Pen Gauri Lankesh Award for the year 2019-20? (a) (b) Karan Thapar (c) Yusuf Jameel (d) Rajdeep Sardesai Answer: c Senior journalist from Jammu and Kashmir Yusuf Jameel has been selected for the 2019-2020 PEN Gauri Lankesh Award for democratic idealism. PEN and PEN Delhi have instituted the award “to cherish the idealism and commitment of Gauri Lankesh,” the editor- activist murdered in 2017. It carries a purse of₹1 lakh.

Question: In which country, Cochran frogs, a species of so-called "glass frogs", were spotted by conservationists after 18 years in a national park? (a) Chile (b) India (c) Bolivia (d) Brazil Answer: c A rare species of frog with translucent skin has been seen in Bolivia for the first time in 18 years. Three Bolivian Cochran frogs, a species of so-called "glass frogs", were spotted by conservationists in a national park. The tiny amphibians weigh just 0.7-0.8g and measure 19-

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24mm. Glass frogs are found in Central and South America and have skin so translucent that their internal organs can be seen through their bellies.

Question: The Indian Navy in January 2020 launched Operation Vanilla in support of the national disaster in which country? (a) Fiji (b) Seychelles (c) Madagascar (d) Somali Island Answer: c (The Indian Navy on January 28, 2020 launched Operation Vanilla in support of the national disaster in Madagascar and diverted a large amphibious ship to provide assistance. “INS Airavat, which was Mission Deployed, was diverted for the same. Madagascar has been hit by a cyclone and there has been heavy flooding and landslips since last week, causing loss of lives. According to reports, more than 92,000 have been affected.)

Question: From which country the Supreme Court has allowed the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to introduce the African cheetah to a suitable habitat in India? (a) South Africa (b) Kenya (c) Namibia (d) Nigeria Answer: c ( The Supreme Court bench comprising CJI S A Bobde, Justice B R Gavai and Justice Surya Kant on January 28, 2020 allowed the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to introduce the African cheetah to a suitable habitat in India. The bench said that African cheetahs could be introduced to the wild in a "carefully chosen location". NTCA had sought permission to introduce the African cheetah from Namibia. The word ‘cheetah’ is derived from the Sanskrit chitraka, which means ‘spotted’. The earliest visual evidence of the Asiatic cheetah, dating back to 2500 to 2300 BCE, is found in cave paintings in Kharvai and Khairabad, and in the upper Chambal valley, in . The cheetah is the only large carnivore that has been extirpated, mainly by over-hunting in India in historical times. In 1947, Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh of Deoghar of Koriya, Chhattisgarh reportedly killed the last known Asiatic cheetah in India. In 1952, the cheetah was officially declared extinct from India. )

Question: In which year was the Asiatic Cheetah declared extinct in India? (a) 1924 (b) 1952 (c) 1971 (d) 1988 Answer: b

Question: The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill 2020, approved by the Central Government, proposes to enhance the upper gestation limit for termination of

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pregnancy to: (a) 18 weeks (b) 24 weeks (c) 28 weeks (d) 30 weeks Answer: (b) The Union Cabinet on January 29, 2020 approved the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. The Bill will be introduced in the ensuing session of the Parliament. The bill proposes to enhance the upper gestation limit for termination of pregnancy, from 20 to 24 weeks for special categories of women.

Question: The Y,S Malik Committee recently submitted its report for transforming which one of the following institutes? (a) Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) (b) Indian Academy of Highway Engineers (IAHE) (c) Engineers India Limited (EIL) (d) National Stock Exchange Answer: b The Committee constituted for transforming the Indian Academy of Highway Engineers (IAHE) into a world class premier institute on highway sector submitted its report on January 28, 2020. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had constituted a Committee under the chairmanship of Shri YS Malik, Former Secretary, MoRT&H. The report says, there is need to improve existing training infrastructure, content and training methodology, establish linkages with world- renowned international institutes and carry out applied research & related works. IAHE was created by Ministry of Road Transport as a Society in the year 1983 for training of highway engineers from Central Government, State Government, Local Bodies, etc. at entry level and different mid-career levels.

Question: Beating the Retreat ceremony, marking the culmination of four-day long celebrations 2020, was held at the: (a) (b) Rajiv Chowk (c) Vijay Chowk (d) Answer: c ( Beating the Retreat ceremony, marking the culmination of four-day long Republic Day celebrations, was held at the historic Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on January 29, 2020. Indian tunes will be the flavour of ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony even this year too. The ceremony traces its origins to the early 1950s when Major Roberts of the Indian Army indigenously developed the unique ceremony of display by the massed bands. It has emerged as an event of national pride.)

Question: In which country Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdelaziz Al Thani has been named as the new Prime Minister? (a) Qatar (b) Oman (c) UAE

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(d) Saudi Arabia Answer: a (Qatar appointed a new Prime Minister replacing Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani. Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdelaziz Al Thani has been named as the new Prime Minister. The earlier Prime Minister has submitted his resignation.)

Question: Which Hindi word has been named as the Oxford Hindi Word of 2019 by Oxford University Press (OUP)? (a) Nagrikata (b) Samvidhaan (c) Tiranga (d) Chunaw Answer: b Oxford University Press (OUP) on January 28, 2020 named ‘Samvidhaan’ (Constitution) the Oxford Hindi Word of 2019, saying it received widespread attention in the year which was witness to the spirit of the Indian Constitution being embraced across segments of society. It said that the word was chosen as 2019 saw the values of democracy, secularism, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity being tested on the touchstone of the Constitution or ‘Samvidhaan’. The Oxford Hindi Word of the Year is a word or expression that has attracted a great deal of attention and reflects the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the past year.

Question: A new episode of Man vs. Wild featuring superstar with British adventurer and television presenter Bear Grylls was shot at: (a) Anamalai Tiger Reserve (b) Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (c) Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (d) Bandipur Tiger Reserve Answer: d A new episode of Man vs. Wild featuring superstar Rajinikanth with British adventurer and television presenter Bear Grylls was shot at Bandipur Tiger Reserve on January 28, amid opposition from wildlife experts. An earlier episode of the series featured Prime Minister , shot at the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarkhand last year. An agreement was signed between the Karnataka Forest Department and a Mumbai-based studio for shooting the documentary in December 2019. According to sources, there was no permission to use electricity, inflammable material, flash lights, reflectors and generators, which disturb wildlife. Wildlife activists questioned the timing of the shoot, saying forest staff cannot be diverted for other work during this season. They are usually deployed on fire watch duties or for clearing ground vegetation ahead of summer.

Question: Which state's Chief Minister has proposed to name the State’s districts after local fruits and spices? (a) Uttarakhand (b) Himachal Pradesh (c) Tripura (d) Answer: d Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s proposal to name the State’s districts after local fruits

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and spices have drawn flak. Mr. Singh had toyed with the idea at a food processing technology exhibition under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Imphal West district on January 24. Manipur has 16 districts, five in the central Imphal Valley and the rest in the hills around. Each district is known for growing a specific variety of fruit or herb. The Chief Minister had cited the examples of oranges in Tamenglong district, believed to be among the juiciest in the Northeast, the indigenous kachai lemon in Ukhrul and ginger in Pherzawl district to drive home his point.

Question: The HK Firodia Award is awarded to: (a) Indian writers (b) Indian architects (c) Indian scientists (d) Indian dramatists Answer: c Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr K Sivan and Director General of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Dr Shekhar Mande were conferred HK Firodia award for their contribution to the field of Science and Technology. The Awards are given to any Indian Scientist who has made original and outstanding contributions in his work in India and done world-class work in any field of Science & Technology. The excellence may relate to any field of Scientific endeavor from Agriculture, Engineering, Medical Sciences to Space and Environmental Sciences.

Question: In Odisha, around 40 buffaloes died within four days in January 2020 due to: (a) Sahana disease (b) Bovine mastitis (c) Rinder pest (d) Black Quarter Answer: a Around 40 buffaloes died within four days in January 2020 due to suspected Sahana disease (hemorrhagic septicemia) in a number of villages located in the Garadapur block of Odisha’s Kendrapara. Hemorrhagic septicemia is a severe bacterial disease caused by certain strains. The disease is also spread through contact with infected animals, contaminated clothing, equipment, and through ingestion or inhalation of the bacteria.

Question: The Borexino detector located in which country, recently detected a total of 53 geoneutrinos? (a) Italy (b) (c) Australia (d) Answer: a Neutrinos and their antimatter counterpart, antineutrinos, are subatomic particles that interact so rarely with other matter they can pass untouched through a wall of lead stretching from the Earth to the Moon. These particles are continually being produced in the nuclear reactions of stars, in the fission reactions that drive nuclear power plants, and deep in Earth’s crust and mantle by the radioactive decay of elements such as uranium-238 and thorium-232. Every second, about six

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million of geoneutrinos penetrate every square centimeter of our planet’s surface. The Borexino detector, located at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy, is one of the few detectors in the world capable of observing these elusive particles. The researchers detected a total of 53 geoneutrinos from uranium-238 and thorium-232. According to the scientites, Geoneutrinos are the only direct traces of the radioactive decays that occur inside the Earth, and which produce an as yet unknown portion of the energy driving all the dynamics of our planet.

Question: Which state has launched a virtual police station where people can lodge complaints from their respective districts regarding theft of their vehicles without visiting Police Station? (a) Maharashtra (b) Andhra Pradesh (c) Karnataka (d) Odisha Answer: d (In Odisha, the State Government has launched a virtual police station where people can lodge complaints from their respective districts regarding theft of their vehicles without visiting Police Station. The e-police station will function from State Crime Records Bureau in Bhubaneswar. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the facility along with road accident case documents module and medico legal opinion system projects of Odisha Police. These are the initiatives to effectively reduce the necessity of citizens to visit Police Stations.)

Question: The recently inducted Indian Coast Guard Ship Annie Besant belongs to: (a) Priyadarshini class (b) class (c) Shivalik class (d) Sukanya class Answer: a (The recently inducted Indian Coast Guard Ship Annie Besant has reached its base harbour at Chennai on January 27, 2020. The ship Annie Besant is the third Fast Patrol Vessel of the ‘Priyadarshini’ class. The ship has been indigenously designed and built and was commissioned at Khidderpore Dock, Kolkata recently. The ship ICGS Annie Besant is 48.9 m long and has a beam of 7.5 m with a displacement of 308 tonnes. It is fitted with modern navigational and communication equipment and sensors. The ship’s main armament is 40/60 Bofors gun with a 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote Control Gun. It is capable of undertaking multi- faceted maritime operations such as Surveillance, Search and Rescue and Interdiction.)

Question: In January 2020, how many wetlands of India were given the Ramsar site tag? (a) Five (b) Ten (c) Fifteen (d) Twenty Answer: b

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Question: How many Ramsar site tagged wetlands were in India till January 2020? (a) 28 (b) 37 (c) 44 (d) 49 Answer: b

Question: , Saman, Samaspur, Sandi and Sarsai Nawar are the Ramsar tagged wetlands of which state? (a) (b) Uttarakhand (c) Odisha (d) Answer: d

Question: Nandur Madhameshwar is the first Ramsar wetland site of which state? (a) Himachal Pradesh (b) Gujarat (c) Punjab (d) Maharashtra Ans (d) In a major recognition towards India’s effort towards conservation, restoration and rejuvenation of its wetlands, Ramsar has declared 10 more wetland sites from India as sites of international importance. The Ramsar Convention signed on February 2, 1971, is one of the oldest inter-governmental accord signed by members countries to preserve the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance. The aim of the Ramsar list is to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits. Wetlands declared as Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines of the convention. With this, the numbers of Ramsar sites in India are now 37 and the surface area covered by these sites is now 1,067,939 hectares. Maharashtra gets its first Ramsar site (Nandur Madhameshwar) , Punjab which already had 3 Ramsar sites adds 3 more (Keshopur-Miani, Beas Conservation Reserve, Nangal) and UP with 1 Ramsar site has added 6 more (Nawabganj, Parvati Agra, Saman, Samaspur, Sandi and SarsaiNawar).

Question: Which state's tableau was awarded the first prize in the states category in the 71st Republic Day Parade? (a) Uttar Pradesh (b) Assam (c) Tripura (d) Gujarat Answer: b

Question: Which two tableaux were adjudged the best tableau, jointly in the Ministries / Departments category in the 71st Republic Day Parade? (a) DRDO and Central Public Works Department (b) Jal Mission and DRDO

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(c) NDRF and Jal Shakti Mission (d) Central Public Works Department and NDRF Answer: c (The tableau of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, highlighting the Government’s new initiative ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ which aims at providing Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural household by 2024, has been adjudged the best tableau, jointly with the NDRF tableau in Ministries/Department category. Assam's tableau which portrayed the unique craftsmanship and culture of the state has been chosen as the best tableau, followed by Odisha and Uttar Pradesh who were tied for the second position.)

Question: According to the final assessment of the year 2018-19, the Total Horticulture Production of the country is estimated to be: (a) 298.34 million tons (b) 310.74 million tons (c) 334.43 million tons (d) 364.17 million tons Answer: b (According to the final estimates, the Total Horticulture Production of the country is estimated to be 310.74 Million Tonne in 2018-19, which is marginally higher than the Horticulture Production in 2017-18. Fruits Production is estimated to be around 97.97 Million Tonne, compared to 96.45 Million Tonne of 2017-18. Vegetables Production is estimated to be around 183.17 Million, which is lesser than the production of 2017-18. Onion Production is estimated to be around 22.82 Million Tonne, which is lesser than the production of 2017-18. Potato Production is estimated to be around 50.19 Million Tonne, which is lesser than the production of 2017-18. Tomato Production is estimated to be around 19.01 Million Tonne, which is lower than the production of 2017-18.)

Question: The objective of the ISRO"s SISDP project is to assist: (a) University researchers (b) Youth interested in space (c) Private sector in developing launch vehicles (d) Gram Panchayats Answer: d The Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh on January 28, 2020 launched the Bhuvan Panchayat V 3.0 web portal in Bengaluru. The Minister also released the technical documents pertaining to SISDP-Update Project. ISRO launched SISDP project (Space Based Information Support for Decentralised Planning Update) to assist Gram Panchayats at grassroot level with basic planning inputs derived from satellite data for preparing developmental plans, its implementation and monitoring the activities. SISDP phase I Project was successfully concluded in the year 2016-17.

Question: In which state, the world's largest solar park, " Pavagada Solar Park" has now become entirely operational? (a) Gujarat (b) Rajasthan (c) Tamil Nadu (d) Karnataka Answer: d

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The world's largest solar park, " Pavagada Solar Park" has now become entirely operational. It is located in Tumakuru district of Karnataka and has been developed by the Karnataka Solar Park Development Corporation Limited (KSPDCL), which a joint venture between the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and the Karnataka Renewable Energy (KREDL). Initially, the plan was to build a solar park of capacity 2,000 MW spanning over 13,000 acres of land. Later, an additional capacity of 50 MW was added.

Question: Where has the Indian Railways commissioned country’s first governmental Waste to Energy Plant'? (a) Mumbai Central Station (b) (c) Anand Vihar (d) Bhubaneswar Answer: d

Question: What is the function of patented technology 'POLYCRACK'? (a) To make generic medicines (b) Converting waste into energy (c) To purify drinking water in the rural areas (d) Measring fertilizer in fields Answer: b (Indian Railways has commissioned country’s first governmental Waste to Energy Plant, having capacity of 500 Kg waste per day, in Mancheswar Carriage Repair Workshop at Bhubaneswar in East Coast Railway. This Waste to Energy Plant, a patented technology called POLYCRACK, is first-of-its-kind in Indian Railways and fourthin India. It is world’s first patented heterogeneous catalytic process which converts multiple feed stocks into hydrocarbon liquid fuels, gas, carbon and water. Polycrack Plant can be fed with all types of Plastic, Petroleum sludge, Un-segregated MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) with moisture up to 50%, E– Waste, Automobile fluff, Organic waste including bamboo, garden waste etc., and Jatropha fruit and palm bunch. It has high tolerance to moisture hence drying of waste is not required.

Question: In which state's assembly a bill to abolish the Legislative Council was passed in January 2020? (a) Maharashtra (b) Karnataka (c) Andhra Pradesh (d) Telangana Answer: c (The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on January 27, 2020 adopted a statutory resolution for the abolition of the Legislative Council with 133 members, including the lone Jana Sena MLA, voting for it and none opposing it. The Opposition Telugu Desam Party had made it clear that it would boycott the proceedings. Speaker Thammineni Seetharam declared that the government had moved the resolution as per Article 169 (1) of the Constitution and 133 members out of those ‘present and voting’ gave their consent for the abolition of the Council. After initially putting the number at 121, it was enhanced to 133 after a proper counting. Apart from Andhra Pradesh (58 members), five other states have Legislative Councils: (58), Karnataka (75), Maharashtra (78), Telangana (40), Uttar Pradesh (100). Jammu and Kashmir too had a Council, until the state was bifurcated into the Union Territories of J&K and .

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Tamil Nadu’s then DMK government had passed a law to set up a Council but the subsequent AIADMK government withdrew it after coming to power in 2010. Andhra Pradesh’s Legislative Council, set up in 1958, was abolished in 1985, then reconstituted in 2007. The Odisha Assembly has also passed a resolution for a Legislative Council.)

Question: Which one of the followings was not the first time in the 71st Republic Day Parade? (a) DRDO showcased Anti-Satellite Weapons (ASAT) - Mission Shakti . (b) Chinook and Apache made their debut during the flypast (c) The ‘Dhanush’ gun system was part of the Republic Day celebrations at for the first time. (d) Jair Bolsanero became the first President of Brazil to participate in India's Republic Day Parade as the chief guest. Answer: d This was the third time that India had invited a Brazilian leader as the chief guest at the country’s Republic Day event. New Delhi had invited Fernando Henrique Cardoso for the celebrations in 1996, and hosted Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as guest of honour in 2004. The ‘Dhanush’ gun system, commanded by Capt. Mrigank Bharadwaj, was part of the Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath for the first time. Besides, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to the fallen soldiers at the newly built National War Memorial on the Republic Day for the first time instead of the beneath the arch. Captain Tanya Shergill, a fourth generation officer with the Army’s Corps of Signals led an all-men contingent at the march past in Rajpath.

Question: In which Article of the Constitution of India, there is a provision for the abolition of the Legislative Council in the states? (a) Article 163 (1) (b) Article 167 (1) (c) Article 169 (1) (d) Article 173 (1) Answer: c Article 169(1) provides for the abolition of the legislative council of a state, or for the creation of such a council, if the legislative assembly of the state passes a resolution to that effect by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.

Question: Kobe Bryant , who died in January 2020, was related to which sports? (a) Baseball (b) Golf (c) (d) Answer: d (NBA legend Kobe Bryant died on January 26, 2020 when a helicopter he was riding crashed and burst into flames in thick fog, killing all nine people on board, including his teenage daughter, and plunging a legion of fans around the world into mourning. Bryant, 41, was travelling with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and two- time Olympic gold medallist, is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketballers in history, an iconic figure who became one of the faces of his sport during a glittering two-decade career with Los Angeles Lakers.)

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Question: Who among the followings has been nominated as a lifetime member of the Asian Tennis Federation? (a) (b) (c) (d) Anil Khanna Answer: d Anil Khanna, the former President of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF), was nominated as life president of ATF and also as the chairman of its Finance Committee during the meeting of the Board of Directors in Melbourne.

Question: Which country has become the second largest market for smartphones in the world, leaving America behind? (a) (b) (c) Indonesia (d) India Answer: d The aggressive expansion of Chinese smartphone-makers in India has helped the country dethrone the US to become the second-largest smartphone market in the world. India is now next only to global leader China in terms of smartphone units shipped. Shipping around 158 million smartphones in 2019, India beat US shipments of 153 million, shows recent data from Research.

Question: Recent archaeological excavations at Nagardhan near , have provided concrete evidence on the life, religious affiliations and trade practices of which dynasty ? (a) Satavahana dynasty (b) Maurya dynasty (c) Vakataka Dynasty (d) Ikshvaku dynasty Answer: c Recent archaeological excavations at Nagardhan in Ramtek taluka, near Nagpur, have provided concrete evidence on the life, religious affiliations and trade practices of the Vakataka dynasty that ruled parts of Central and South India between the third and fifth centuries. After a 1,500 year-old sealing was excavated for the first time, a new study in Numismatic Digest has tried to understand the Vakataka rule under Queen Prabhavatigupta. Nagardhan is a large village in Nagpur district, about 6 km south of Ramtek taluka headquarters. Very little was known about the Vakatakas, the Shaivite rulers of between the third and fifth centuries. It is the first time clay sealings have been excavated from Nagardhan. The oval-shaped sealing belongs to the period when Prabhavatigupta was the queen of the Vakataka dynasty. It bears her name in the Brahmi script, along with the depiction of a conch.

Question: The Kondajji lake located in which state has emerged as the new home of bar- headed geese from Mongolia? (a) Karnataka (b) Maharashtra

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(c) Odisha (d) Meghalaya Answer: a While the Kundavada lake on the outskirts of Karnataka’s Davangere city, which was the winter abode for many bar-headed geese from Mongolia, has failed to attract these winged visitors this time, the Kondajji lake located nearby has emerged as their new home. The bar-headed geese, known for their ability to fly in extreme altitude and weather conditions, used to arrive at the Kundavada lake in the third week of November. As the temperature drops in Mongolia in the last week of October, these birds migrate to comparatively warmer places in India. They used to stay at the Kundavada lake till the first week of March. The lake is spread over 260 acres and is also a source of drinking water for Davangere city.

Question: Which one of the followings is not true in the context of Bodo agreement signed on 27 January 2020 ? (a) This is the third Bodo accord signed. (b) It proposes to set up a commission under Section 14 of the fifth Schedule to the Constitution of India, which will recommend the inclusion or exclusion of tribal population residing in villages adjoining BTAD areas. (c) The Assam government will notify Bodo language as an associate official language in the state . (d) Bodo language will be declared as subsidiary state language. Answer: b ( Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah on January 27, 2020 presided over the signing of a "historic" agreement between , Government of Assam and Bodo representatives, in New Delhi . This is the third Bodo accord to be signed in last 27 years. The first Bodo accord was signed with the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) in 1993 which created a Bodoland Autonomous Council with limited political powers. The second Bodo accord was signed in 2003 with the militant group Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), leading to formation of a Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) with four districts of Assam -- Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baska and Udalguri -- called the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD). The current agreement proposes to set up a commission under Section 14 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India, which will recommend the inclusion or exclusion of tribal population residing in villages adjoining BTAD areas. The Government of Assam will establish a Bodo- Kachari Welfare Council as per existing procedure. The Assam government will also notify Bodo language as an associate official language in the state and will set up a separate directorate for Bodo medium schools.After the agreement, the NDFB factions will leave the path of violence. A Special Development Package Rs. 1500 crores over three years will be given by the Union Government to undertake specific projects for the development of Bodo areas.)

Question: When was the International Customs Day (ICD) celebrated? (a) January 24, 2020 (b) January 25, 2020 (c) January 26, 2020 (d) January 27, 2020 Answer: c The International Customs Day (ICD) was celebrated on 26 January 2020 and it was dedicated to the contribution of Customs towards a sustainable future where social, economic, health and

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environmental needs are at the heart of our actions, with the slogan “Customs fostering Sustainability for People, Prosperity and the Planet”.

Question: India-Brazil set target of USD 15 billion trade by: (a) Year 2022 (b) Year 2024 (c) Year 2025 (d) Year 2021 Answer: a The 15 MoUs were signed between India and Brazil during the visit of the President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro. According to the central government, it shows the power of democracy, demography, leadership, the talent pool available in India, India’s market and the aspirations of one billion Indian citizens for a better life said the Commerce and Industry Minister. The MoUs of cooperation that have been signed during the presidential visit on investments, trade facilitation, social security, agriculture, defence and double taxation makes this the most productive visit by a Brazilian Head of State. India-Brazil also set target of USD 15 billion trade by 2022.

Question: Where was the third Global Potato Conclave held in January 2020? (a) Shimla (b) Puri (c) Gandhinagar (d) Nagpur Answer: c ( The third Global Potato Conclave was held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the conclave through remote video conferencing on January 28, 2020. The Conclave was organized by Indian Potato Association (IPA) in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, and ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla and International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru. The present conclave was the third in the series. In a gap of every ten years it is necessary to work out the achievements in potato sector and set a roadmap for forthcoming decade. In this direction, during last two decades two Global Potato Conferences were organized during 1999, and 2008. Gujarat is one of the leading producers of Potato in the country. In the last 11 years alone, while the area under potato in India, has increased by 19%, it has increased by about 170% in Gujarat (49.7 thousand ha in 2006-07 to 133 thousand ha in 2017-18). With a productivity of more than 30t/ha, Gujarat is holding the No. 1 position in India for last one decade. The State uses modern methods of agriculture like sprinkler and drip irrigation for cultivation.)

Question: Which state is holding the No. 1 position in India for last one decade in potato productivity? (a) Uttar Pradesh (b) Himachal Pradesh (c) Gujarat (d) Maharashtra Answer: c

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Question: Which state on January 26, 2020 launched its ‘Shiv Bhojan’ scheme, aimed at providing a meal to the poor for just ₹ 10? (a) Uttarakhand (b) Maharashtra (c) Uttar Pradesh (d) Haryana Answer: b The Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government on January 26, 2020 launched its ‘Shiv Bhojan’ scheme, aimed at providing a meal to the poor for just₹10, on the occasion of the 71st Republic Day. Under the scheme, which was launched on a pilot basis, lunch plates would be available at designated canteens during a stipulated time in all districts.

Question: In which country Agni Prasad Sapkota has been elected as the Speaker of the lower house of the Parliament? (a) (b) Singapore (c) (d) Answer: d (The ruling Nepal Communist Party's Agni Sapkota has been elected as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the lower house of Parliament in Nepal. A meeting of the House of Representatives was held in Kathmandu yesterday to elect the Speaker. The senior-most member of the house, Mahanta Thakur announced that being lone candidate, Mr Sapkota was elected unopposed. His name was proposed by Subhash Chandra Nembang of Nepal Communist Party.)

Question: Which country's Syed Muazzem Ali and Enamul Haq have been nominated for the Padma Awards by the government of India this year? (a) Pakistan (b) United Arab Emirates (c) Saudi Arabia (d) Bangladesh Answer: d Bangladeshi Career Diplomat late Syed Muazzem Ali and veteran museologist Enamul Haq have been nominated for the Padma Awards by the government of India this year. Syed Muazzem Ali has been honoured with the award posthumously. He was the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India and passed away on 30 December after completing his 5- year long tenure from 2014 in India. Syed Muazzem Ali rebelled against the Pakistani government and declared his allegiance to Bangladesh in 1971, while serving in the Pakistan Embassy there. He also served as the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh. Renowned academic and Museologist from Bangladesh Enamul Haq has been nominated for the Padma Shri award. Born in 1936, Eanmul Haq has taught at many universities including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, and BRAC University. Haque was the founder director general of the Bangladesh National Museum.

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Question: What is 'Buffer overflow', recently seen in the news? (a) It allows attackers to read or write data outside of the defined memory boundaries. (b) Infection of a virus beyond the geographical boundaries of a country (c) When water accumulates in excess of the rated capacity of a dam (d) Purchase of food grains in excess of the purchase of food grains prescribed by the government Answer: a Buffer overflows allow attackers to read or write data outside of the defined memory boundaries of a particular program. Though mitigative measures exist, buffer overflow vulnerabilities in general are complex, and are considered to be harder to detect and exploit than other, more frequently occurring security flaws. In some cases, buffer overflow vulnerabilities can be leveraged for executing malicious code on the target machine. A buffer overflow vulnerability in an application such as WhatsApp would allow an attacker to take advantage of the context under which the application is running on the system. Though a vulnerability in WhatsApp alone would not suffice for total compromise of the device, here, the protections offered by end-to-end encryption on the platform would be rendered ineffective — since end-to-end encryption only refers to message contents being encrypted while they are in transit — and since, with a buffer overflow, an attacker would be able to get access to the buffer where data (including received messages) is stored. By exploiting such a flaw, permissions that have been granted to the app, which may include permission to access the device’s microphone, camera, location, gallery and more — also stand to be exploited, though protections baked into mobile operating systems may make this harder to achieve.

Question: For restoring which one of followings in the Gulf of Kutch, the Zoological Survey of India is attempting to use the 'Biorock structure’? (a) Coral reef (b) Shola grassland (c) Dinosaur Park (d) Bt Cotton Answer: a

Question: What is 'Biorock Structure'? (a) Coral restoring method through steel structure underwater (b) Setting of stone structures for recreation of wildlife in national parks (c) The icy structure on the planet Jupiter which is likely to contain water. (d) New method of growing medicinal plant in Himalayas Answer: a

Question: Acropora formosa, Acropora humilis, Montipora digitata belong to which species? (a) Ginger (b) Garlic (c) Coral (d) Turmeric Answer: c The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), with help from Gujarat’s Forest Department, is attempting

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for the first time a process to restore coral reefs using biorock or mineral accretion technology. A biorock structure was installed one nautical mile off the Mithapur coast in the Gulf of Kutch on January 19. Biorock is the name given to the substance formed by electro accumulation of minerals dissolved in seawater on steel structures that are lowered onto the sea bed and are connected to a power source, in this case solar panels that float on the surface. The technology works by passing a small amount of electrical current through electrodes in the water. When a positively charged anode and negatively charged cathode are placed on the sea floor, with an electric current flowing between them, calcium ions combine with carbonate ions and adhere to the structure (cathode). This results in calcium carbonate formation. Coral larvae adhere to the CaCO3 and grow quickly. In 2015, the same group of ZSI scientists with the support of the Gujarat Forest Department had successfully restored branching coral species (staghorn corals) belonging to the family Acroporidae (Acropora formosa, Acropora humilis, Montipora digitata) that had gone extinct about 10,000 years ago to the Gulf of Kutch.

Question: The Swalekhan app is developed for: (a) Children below the fifth grade (b) Visually impaired students (c) Illiterate people (d) For Government employees Answer: b An Android-based application (App) built on the basis of a technology innovation promises to academically empower visually impaired students by freeing them of their dependence on scribes while writing exams. The Swalekhan (self-writing) app is a tech offering conceptualised by the city-based Niwant Andh Mukta Vikasalaya, an NGO that works for the betterment of the visually impaired individuals, and developed by Josh Software, a Pune-based IT services company specialising in global tech solutions, in conjunction with Tekvision, a leading accessibility service provider whose workforce comprises a significant number of visually impaired technocrats.

Question: In Wuhan province of China, which virus infection killed more than 20 people in January 2020? (a) 2020-cNoV (b) 2020-nCoV (c) 2019-cNoV (d) 2019-nCoV Answer: d On 31 December 2019, WHO was alerted to several cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. The virus did not match any other known virus. This raised concern because when a virus is new, we do not know how it affects people. One week later, on 7 January, Chinese authorities confirmed that they had identified a new virus. The new virus is a coronavirus, which is a family of viruses that include the common cold, and viruses such as SARS and MERS. This new virus was temporarily named “2019-nCoV.”

Question: Who was the chief guest of the Republic Day 2020 parade? (a) President of Argentina (b) Prime Minister of Portugal

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(c) President of Brazil (d) President of Sri Lanka Answer: c (Nation celebrated the 71st Republic Day on 26 January 2020 with a grand military parade and exhibition of its history, cultural diversity and strategic weaponry at the Rajpath in the National Capital. President unfurled the tricolour and took the salute of the parade. President of Brazil Jair Messias Bolsonaro was the Chief Guest at the Parade this year. The Republic Day ceremony commenced with Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying homage to martyrs at the National War Memorial instead of Amar Jawan Jyoti. The National Flag was unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute.)

Question: How many agreements were signed between India and Brazil during Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro's visit to India in January 2020? (a) 8 (b) 12 (c) 15 (d) 10 Answer: c (India and Brazil on January 25, 2020 concluded an action plan to deepen their strategic partnership as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Brazilian President Jair Messias Bolsonaro outlined efforts to further strengthen ties. The two sides also concluded 15 agreements and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a variety of issues, including an investment cooperation and facilitation treaty, social security, mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, bioenergy and cybersecurity. )

Question: A committee has been set up under the chairmanship of whom to oversee the disposal of over 9400 enemy properties in the country? (a) Foreign Minister (b) Union Finance Minister (c) Union Minister of Commerce (d) Union Home Minister Answer: d The government has notified a committee under Home Minister Amit Shah to oversee the disposal of more than 9,400 enemy properties. Enemy properties were those left behind by the people who took citizenship of Pakistan and China.

Question: At which place was the Bharat Parv 2020 organized? (a) Mughal Garden, Delhi (b) India Gate, Delhi (c) Red Fort, Delhi (d) Vigyan Bhawan, Delhi Answer: c (The annual event Bharat Parv 2020 was celebrated from 26th to 31st January, 2020 in front of Red Fort Delhi at Gyan Path and Red Fort grounds. The objective of Bharat Parv was to encourage Indians to visit different tourism places of India and to inculcate the spirit of ‘Dekho Apna ’. The Central theme of this year’s Bharat Parv was ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ and ‘Celebrating 150 Years of Mahatma Gandhi’.)

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Question: Who is not included among the people conferred with the in 2020? (a) Smt. M. C. (b) Shri (c) Shri (d) Shri Balakrishna Doshi Answer: d This year (2020) the President has approved conferment of 141 Padma Awards including 4 duo cases (in a duo case, the Award is counted as one). The list comprises of 7 Padma Vibhushan, 16 Padma Bhushan and 118 Padma Shri Awards. 33 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 18 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 12 Posthumous awardees. Padma Vibhushan awardees are: Shri George Fernandes (Posthumous): Public Affairs; Shri (Posthumous)-Public Affairs; Sir : GCSK Public Affairs (); Smt. M. C. Mary Kom- Sports; Shri Chhannulal Mishra-Art (Uttar Pradesh); Smt. (Posthumous)-Public Affairs; Sri V. S. Sri Pejavara Adhokhaja Matha Udupi (Posthumous)-Others.

Question: What are the acephate, malathion, profenofos, chlorpyrifos and quinalphos seen in the news recently? (a) Rare Earth Elements (b) Minerals found on the Moon (c) Pesticide (d) New type of virus Answer: c A study of fruits and vegetables grown in the Nilgiris has found that some of the produce might be harbouring high levels of pesticide, beyond what is considered advisable. This was mainly true of potato and carrot. The study was published in the journal Food Chemistry. It is known that organophosphate pesticides such as acephate, malathion, profenofos, chlorpyrifos and quinalphos are used in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables. The study measured the levels of these pesticides in 659 samples of fresh fruit and vegetables collected during the agricultural season of 2018-2019. Samples of 18 varieties of fruit and vegetable were collected from four cities of the Nilgiris – Ooty, Gudalur, Kothagiri and Coonoor. Of these, the researchers did not detect pesticides in approximately 57% of the samples. Close to 34% had pesticides used below the MRLs and the remainder — about 8% — showed usage of pesticides above the MRLs.

Question: Which statement in the context of 'Dhanush' is not true? (a) It was showcased for the first time at the 71st Republic Day parade on 26 January 2020. (b) It is the first long-range artillery gun to be produced in India. (c) It is a towed Archer designed indigenously by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) . (d) The gun has a maximum range of 36.5 km and it can work in all types of terrain. Answer: c The Dhanush gun system was showcased for the first time at the 71st Republic Day parade on 26 January 2020. The 155 mm/45-calibre gun system is a towed Howitzer designed indigenously by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). It is the first long-range artillery gun to be produced in India and has been billed as a success of the government’s initiative. The gun has a maximum range of 36.5 km and has the capability of automatic alignment and positioning.

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According to a government release from last year, it is equipped with inertial navigation-based sighting system, auto-laying facility, onboard ballistic computation and an advanced day and night direct firing system.

Question: For the first time, scientists have reconstructed the voice of an ancient human being, that of a 3000-year-old Egyptian mummy named: (a) King Tutankhamun (b) Ramesses II (c) Hatshepsut (d) Nesyamun Answer: d For the first time, scientists have reconstructed the voice of an ancient human being, that of a 3000-year-old Egyptian mummy named Nesyamun (as per his coffin inscriptions). Nesyamun is believed to have lived during the politically volatile reign of pharaoh Ramses XI. During that time, he worked as a scribe or a priest in Thebes (modern-day Luxor). The sound, which has been reproduced, is “vowel-like” and has been produced based on precise measurements of the mummy’s existing vocal tract. These measurements were determined by taking a computerised tomography (CT) scan of the mummy. The researchers then built a three dimensional model of the mummy’s vocal tract using a 3D printer and by connecting it to an electronic larynx were able to produce an output.

Question: Recently, Indian scientists have discovered Natrialba swarupiae- a new archaeon (a kind of microorganism) in: (a) Chilika Lake (b) Pulicat Lake (c) Sambhar Lake (d) Vembanad Lake Answer: (c) Scientists at the National Centre for Microbial Resource — National Centre for Cell Science (NCMR-NCCS) in Pune have reported a new archaeon (a kind of microorganism), which they discovered in Sambhar Salt Lake in Rajasthan. The new archaeon has been named Natrialba swarupiae, after Dr Renu Swarup, secretary, Department of Biotechnology, for her initiative in supporting microbial diversity studies in the country. The discovery was described in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. This is the only journal that publishes the description of new microbial taxa, said Dr Yogesh Shouche, senior scientist at NCCS. Archaea (singular archaeon) are a primitive group of microorganisms that thrive in extreme habitats such as hot springs, cold deserts and hypersaline lakes. These slow-growing organisms are also present in the human gut, and have a potential relationship with human health. They are known for producing antimicrobial molecules, and for anti-oxidant activity with applications in eco-friendly waste-water treatment. Archaeon is a kind of microorganism. Archaea are prokaryotes that typically live in extreme environments and sometimes have strange metabolisms. They are found in environments that have extreme temperature. It is one of three domains of life on earth. The life on Earth is organised into three major groups, or ‘domains’: eukarya, bacteria, and archaea.

Question: In which state community land called 'Shamlat' was in the news recently? (a) Odisha

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(b) Punjab (c) Telangana (d) Maharashtra Answer: b Various organisations in Punjab have been protesting against a revised land policy relating to village common land, which is known as ‘shamlat’ land. The state Cabinet recently approved an amendment to the Village Common Land (Regulation) Rules, 1964, allowing panchayats to sell shamlat land to industrial houses, entrepreneurs, businessmen, and companies for setting up micro, small and medium industrial units. Shamlat is one of three categories of common land in Punjab villages. ‘Shamlat’ land is owned by the village panchayat. Of the other two categories, ‘Jumla mushtraka malkan’ is land in a common pool made with villagers’ personal contributions, and is managed by the panchayat. The third category, ‘Gau charan’, too belongs to the panchayat, and is for cattle grazing. Over time, however, all such lands have come to be known as shamlat land. Shamlat land is mainly used for cultivation, and is allotted for this through an open auction that is conducted by the Rural Development and Panchayat Department every year. One-third of Punjab’s shamlat lands are reserved for Dalits. Around 25,000 to 26,000 families in the state, mostly Dalits, depend on this land for their livelihood, according to a survey by Zameen Prapti Sangharsh Committee (ZPSC), an umbrella of eight organisations, mostly representing Dalits.

Question: Which state received the most medals in the Youth Games 2020? (a) Haryana (b) Punjab (c) Maharashtra (d) Jharkhand Answer: c Maharashtra retained supremacy in the Khelo India Youth Games 2020 with a rich collection of 78 gold and 77 silver in a total of 256 medals, leaving Haryana to draw consolation from their 200-medal haul as the celebration of sports for the nation’s youth came to a poignant end in on January 22, 2020.

Question: Which state held a two-day 'Innovation Festival' in January 2020? (a) Odisha (b) Arunachal Pradesh (c) Haryana (d) Karnataka Answer: b (In Arunachal Pradesh, the two-day ‘Innovation Festival’ kicked off at the Science Centre in on January 25, 2020 The festival was organized by the Arunachal Pradesh State Council for Science & Technology in collaboration with the National Innovation Foundation. The Innovation Festival, a first of its kind in the state, aimed to foster the culture of innovation among all people of the state, especially in all the educational institutions.)

Question: The National Voters Day held on January 25, 2020, was (a) 9th (b) 10th (c) 12th

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(d) 15th Answer: b

Question: What was the theme of National Voters Day 2020? (a) Inclusive and qualitative participation (b) No voter to be left behind (c) Electoral literacy for stronger democracy (d) Our vote, our future Answer: c (The 10th National Voters' Day was organized by Election Commission of India on 25th January 2020 at Manekshaw Centre, Delhi Cantt. President Sh. Ram Nath Kovind was the Chief Guest at the function. The theme for National Voters' Day 2020 was ‘Electoral Literacy for Stronger Democracy’. The theme sets the tone for year-long activities which focus on voter education and renewal of citizens’ faith in the electoral process. The National Voters’ Day (NVD) has been celebrated on January 25 every year since 2011, all across the country at over ten lakh locations across the nation. The day is celebrated to mark the Foundation day of Election Commission of India, which was established on 25th January 1950.)

Question: What is India' rank in Corruption Perceptions Index 2019? (a) 68th (b) 78th (c) 80th (d) 84th Answer: (c) India’s ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI-2019) has slipped from 78 to 80 compared to the previous year, Transparency International said on January 23, 2020, questioning the “unfair and opaque political financing” in the country. Its score of 41 out of 100 remains the same. In democracies such as India and Australia, unfair and opaque political financing, undue influence in decision-making and lobbying by powerful corporate interest groups have resulted in stagnation or a decline in the control of corruption. The novel Balwa is only the first of a three-novel series that Mr. Naqvi is looking to release this year; the other two are Raj Leela and Cyber Supari. The top ranked countries are New Zealand and Denmark, with scores of 87 each, followed by Finland (86), Singapore (85), Sweden (85) and Switzerland (85).

Question: Election Commission of India on January 23, 2020 hosted the first Sukumar Sen Memorial Lecture. Which general election/elections was/were held during the tenure of Sukumar Sen? (a) First Lok Sabha elections only (b) Second Lok Sabha elections only (c) Not a single Lok Sabha election (d) First and second Lok Sabha elections Answer: d Election Commission of India on January 23, 2020 hosted the first Sukumar Sen Memorial Lecture. The Annual Lecture Series is envisaged as a tribute to Sukumar Sen, the first Chief Election Commissioner of India credited with commendably conducting the first two General Elections to the Lok Sabha. The speaker for the first Sukumar Sen Memorial Lecture this year was the former . Sh Sen had served as the first Chief Election Commissioner of India from 21st March 1950 till 19th December, 1958.

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Question: Who on January 24, 2020 assumed Chairmanship of the Forum of the Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of South Asia (FEMBoSA) for the year 2020 ? (a) Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh (b) Chief Election Commissioner of Sri Lanka (c) Chief Election Commissioner of India (d) Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal Answer: c (Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Sunil Arora on January 24, 2020 assumed Chairmanship of The Forum of the Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of South Asia (FEMBoSA) for the year 2020. FEMBoSA was established at the 3rd Conference of Heads of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of SAARC Countries held at New Delhi in May, 2012. With its eight members, FEMBoSA represents a very large part of the democratic world and is an active regional association of EMBs.)

Question: On the occasion of National Girl Child Day, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has announced to set up how many Chairs in different fields with an aim to carry out research activities to encourage women? (a) 10 (b) 15 (c) 20 (d) 25 Answer: a (On the occasion of National Girl Child Day (24 January), the Ministry of Women and Child Development is going to set up 10 Chairs in different fields with an aim to carry out research activities to encourage women The initiative called Establishment of Chairs in the Universities in the name of eminent women administrators, artists, scientists and social reformers is being launched with the assistance of University Grants Commission (UGC).)

Question: Where has India's first e-waste clinic opened? (a) Bhopal (b) Nagpur (c) (d) Answer: a ( India's first e-waste clinic was opened in Bhopal-capital of Madhya Pradesh. The e- waste clinic would enable segregation, processing and disposal of waste from both household and commercial units. The e-waste clinic is jointly setting up by the Central Pollution Control Board-CPCB and Bhopal Municipal Corporation-BMC. According to the UNEP, the world produces as much as 50 million tonnes of electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) a year, weighing more than all of the commercial airliners ever made. Only 20% of this is formally recycled.)

Question: Who is the author of the novel 'Balwa'? (a) Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (b) Murali Manohar Joshi (c) Arif Mohammad Khan (d) Syed Shahnawaz Hussain Answer: a Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who became the first Minister in the

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Modi government to visit the Kashmir Valley since the August 5, 2019 decision to revoke Article 370 and undertake an impromptu walkabout at Lal Chowk in , will soon release his Hindi novel Balwa (Diamond Books), a fictional capture of love across the religious divide in the communally contested politics of the 1990s. Mr. Naqvi has screenwriter credits for Madhur Bhandarkar’s films Corporate and Traffic Signal. The novel was drawn from his own experiences of how vested interests created communal strife and how common people were reeled in. The novel Balwa is only the first of a three-novel series that Mr. Naqvi is looking to release this year; the other two are Raj Leela and Cyber Supari.

Question: To which country, India handed over 30,000 doses of measles and rubella (MR) vaccines to tackle a recent outbreak of measles? (a) Sri Lanka (b) Maldives (c) Nepal (d) Bangladesh Answer: b India has stepped in to help the Maldives tackle a recent outbreak of measles, identified at a government hospital about three weeks ago. The Indian Embassy in Male on January 23, 2020 handed over 30,000 doses of measles and rubella (MR) vaccine to the Maldivian Health Ministry. The outbreak comes less than three years after the World Health Organisation declared the Maldives measles-free. As many as six persons have so far been affected by the contagious viral infection. Following the development, health authorities in the Maldives said they have intensified the vaccination drive, to prevent the infectious disease from spreading further.

Question: Which city police has announced the return of the force’s Mounted Unit after a gap of 88 years ? (a) Delhi Police (b) Chennai Police (c) Kolkata Police (d) Mumbai Police Answer: d On January 19, 2020, Mumbai Police announced the return of the force’s Mounted Unit after a gap of 88 years. The force trained 13 horses and their riders for the Republic Day Parade at Shivaji Park, Dadar. In 1932, Bombay Police Commissioner Sir Patrick Kelly noted that the rising number of motor vehicles left little space for police horses to move about. Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police and police historian Rohidas Dusar said Kelly decided to replace the animals with patrol cars. The same year, a Motor Transport Unit replaced the Mounted Unit, and stables in South Mumbai, were replaced with garages, fuel pumps and parking spaces. A constable astride a horse is seen as more able to command fear and respect from an unruly crowd, which he or she might not have commanded on the ground.

Question: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on January 22, 2020 unveiled its first ‘woman’ astronaut. What is the name of this humanoid astronaut? (a) Disha Anant

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(b) Vyom Mitra (c) Gagan Aditi (d) Divya Jyoti Answer: b The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on January 22, 2020 unveiled its first ‘woman’ astronaut Vyom Mitra to an international gathering in Begaluru. The humanoid will simulate the human functions required for space before real astronauts take off before August 2022. ISRO will send the human-resembling model in a space capsule Gaganyaan by 2020-end or early 2021 to study how she — and later real astronauts — respond to living outside earth in controlled zero-gravity conditions. It is the half-humanoid which means it has no legs. Two trial flights without crew will take place with a humanoid — the first around December 2020 and the second around July 2021.

Question: Which public sector company has launched the 'SERVICE' scheme to promote Voluntary Philanthropist Activities (VPA) by its employees? (a) Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) (b) State Bank of India (SBI) (c) Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) (d) Powergrid Corporation Limited Answer: a Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Shri Pradhan on January 22, 2020 launched a scheme of SAIL to promote Voluntary Philanthropist Activities (VPA) by its employees. The scheme called “SAIL Employee Rendering Voluntarism and Initiatives for Community Engagement (SERVICE)” will promote and facilitate philanthropist activities by the employees in a structured manner. Employees will be encouraged to undertake Voluntary Philanthropist Activities preferably under the identified thrust areas under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Question: India has successfully achieved the complete phase out of which ozone depleting chemical from January 1, 2020? (a) Hydrofluorocarbons (b) Methyl bromide (c) Carbon tetrachloride (d) HCFC-141b Answer: d (India has successfully achieved the complete phase out of Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-141 b, which is a chemical used by foam manufacturing enterprises and one of the most potent ozone depleting chemical after Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) . (HCFC)-141 b is used mainly as a blowing agent in the production of rigid polyurethane (PU) foams. India had proactively and successfully taken the challenge of complete phase out of Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-141 b, which is a chemical used by foam manufacturing enterprises by 1.1.2020. HCFC-141b is not produced in the country and all the domestic requirements are met through imports. With this notification, prohibiting the import of HCFC- 141 b, the country has completely phased out the important ozone depleting chemical. Simultaneously, the use of HCFC-141 b by foam manufacturing industry has also been closed as on 1st January, 2020 under the Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Amendment Rules, 2014.)

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Question: Where is the first animal war memorial in India being set up? (a) Bhopal (b) Udaipur (c) Chennai (d) Meerut Answer: d The first animal war memorial in the country is being set up in Meerut for many other animals including a dog showing its livelihood in capturing terrorists. The dog who participated in the Kargil war of 1999 will also be shown here. The memorial will be installed at the Remount and Veterinary Corps Center and College in Meerut. What makes the memorial unique is that it is devoted to service animals, mostly dogs, but also horses and mules. It will be the country’s first animal war memorial and recognise heroics on the battlefield, devotion to duty and outstanding contribution to military service alongside soldiers, three senior officers said, asking not to be named. The memorial will come up at the Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC) Centre and College in Meerut where the army breeds, rears, and trains dogs, mules and horses.

Question: The Central Government's Department of Justice on January 22, 2020 celebrated 1,50,000 registrations for advice on Tele-Law initiative. What is the purpose of the Tele Law initiative? (a) To provide legal service only to the victims of domestic violence (b) To provide judicial services to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes at their home (c) To provide legal advices in the villages through common service centers (d) To make people aware of their constitutional and legal rights Answer: c (The Central Government's Department of Justice on January 22, 2020 celebrated 1,50,000 registrations for advice on Tele-Law, which is an initiative to provide pre-litigation advice to the needy people The event was organized by CSC Corporation in association with the Department of Justice. The Tele-Law initiative was launched on April 20, 2017 with an aim to provide legal advices in the villages through CSCs. A Pilot project started in 1800 CSCs in 11 States in UP, Bihar, North Eastern States and UT of Jammu and Kashmir. This scheme has been expanded to 115 Aspirational Districts in 100 days programme of the Government of India.)

Question: Which one of the followings has been designated as the headquarters of the merged Union Territories of Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli ? (a) Kachigam (b) Dunetha (c) Daman (d) Silvassa Answer: c (The Central Government on January 22, 2020 designated Daman as the headquarters of the merged Union Territories of Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. The Central government also approved amendments/extension/repeal in legislations and regulations dealing with the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Value Added Tax (VAT) and state excise in a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.)

Question: Katerina Sakellaropoulou has been elected as which country's first female president ? (a) Spain

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(b) Argentina (c) Greece (d) Netherlands Answer: c High court judge and human rights advocate Katerina Sakellaropoulou has been elected Greece's first female president by parliament on January 22, 2020. Sakellaropoulou was nominated by the ruling conservative New Democracy party, but also managed to secure the backing of the main opposition party Syriza and the center-left Movement for Change.

Question: In January 2020, what type of notice was issued by Interpol to fugitive self-styled godman Nithyananda ? (a) Red Notice (b) Yellow notice (c) Blue notice (d) Black notice Answer: c (Interpol on January 22, 2020 issued a Blue Corner notice to help locate fugitive self- styled godman Nithyananda, weeks after the Gujarat Police sought the agency’s intervention for this. Nithyananda fled India last year amid allegations of rape and sexual abuse. Explained: What is a ‘Blue Corner’ notice? According to the Interpol website, “Notices are international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information.” There are seven types of notices — Red Notice, Yellow Notice, Blue Notice, Black Notice, Green Notice, Orange Notice, and Purple Notice. The Blue Notice is issued to “collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.”)

Question: In which country has the world's oldest crater Yarrabubba been found? (a) Chile (b) Mexico (c) Australia (d) South Africa Answer: c (The Earth is pocked with roughly 190 major meteor craters, yet scientists only know the age of just a few. Recently, A NASA scientist analyzed the age of the Yarrabubba meteor crater in Australia and found it to be 2.229 billion years old, making it now the oldest crater currently known. It’s 200 million years older than the previously oldest known crater, which was the over 200-kilometer Vredefort Dome crater in South Africa, said Timmons Erickson, a research scientist with the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science division, or ARES, at NASA’s Space Center. Erickson made the discovery leading a team that included Christopher Kirkland, Nicholas Timms and Aaron Cavosie from Curtin University in Australia and Thomas Davison from Imperial College London. The researchers recently announced their finding in the journal Nature Communications.)

Question: In which state, seven people were killed in January 2020 on the pretext of the Pathalgarhi tribal autonomy movement? (a) Odisha (b) West Bengal (c) Andhra Pradesh

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(d) Jharkhand Answer: d ( The decapitated bodies of seven Christian Murmu tribals were found strewn deep inside the Saranda forest of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on January 22, 2020, bolstering suspicion of a violent feud between two local groups over reviving the Pathalgarhi tribal autonomy movement that had been dealt with an iron hand by the erstwhile BJP-led government. )

Question: Which institution have been selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2020 ? (a) West Bengal Disaster Management and Civil Defence (b) All India Disaster Mitigation Institute, Gujarat (c) Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (d) Disaster Mitigation and Management Center Uttarakhand Answer: d ( For the year 2020, Disaster Mitigation & Management Centre, Uttarakhand (in the institution category) and Shri Kumar Munnan Singh (Individual category) have been selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar for their commendable work in Disaster Management. In case the winner being an institution, it shall receive a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 51 lakhs. This cash prize shall be utilized by the winning institution for Disaster Management related activities only. In case of the winner being an individual, winner shall receive a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakhs.)

Question: Which state has launched the 'Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Kalyan Yojana' in January 2020? (a) Uttar Pradesh (b) Madhya Pradesh (c) Rajasthan (d) Haryana Answer: a (Uttar Pradesh Government on January 21, 2020 launched Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Kalyan Yojana. The scheme will provide financial assistance of five lakh rupees to family of farmers who die or become handicapped while working in fields. For the first time, the scheme will also include the Bataidars, who work in the field of other persons and share the crop after it is harvested. The scheme will cover farmers and their family members in the age group of 18-70 years and will be implemented from 14th September last year. The state government has also decided to implement Mukhyamantri Paryatan Samvardhan Yojana to boost tourism in state.)

Question: Which statement is not true with reference to the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)? (a) It is located in Mauna Kea, Chile. (b) It is a joint project of five countries including India. (c) India has committed $200 million, which is about a tenth of the proposed cost. (d) The telescope needs 492 precisely polished mirrors and India is to contribute 83 of them. Answer: a India, a partner in the construction of one of the largest telescopes in the world, has said it wants

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the project to be moved out of the proposed site at Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano in Hawaii. The TMT or Thirty Metre Telescope, as it is called, is a joint venture (JV) involving five countries, but the $2 billion project has been marred by protests for over a decade. The proposed site is considered sacred to indigenous Hawaiians, and also has too many observatories for one more such massive establishment to come up, say groups that have contested the site. The project has been delayed by nearly five years and should have begun operations by 2025. India has committed $200 million, which is about a tenth of the proposed cost. The telescope needs 492 precisely polished mirrors and India is to contribute 83 of them. The project delay has meant that these manufacturing contracts have also been delayed.

Question: What are the Snapdragon 720G, Snapdragon 662, and Snapdragon 460, recently seen in the newspapers? (a) ISRO's NavIC supported Chipsets (b) Computer virus attacking government installations (c) Radar-containing drones of the Indian Army (d) New supercomputers of IMD Answer: a US-based chipmaker Qualcomm has launched three new chipsets at an event in New Delhi. The chipsets have been announced for entry-level and mid-range smartphones and include the latest Snapdragon 720G, Snapdragon 662, and Snapdragon 460 SoCs, which come as successors to last year’s mid-range offerings that ended up becoming quite popular with smartphone buyers. The company has informed that all three chipsets feature Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and Bluetooth 5.1 support, and are also the first to support ISRO’s Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) satellite positioning system. The chipsets also bring with them other interesting features, including improved AI and imaging features.

Question: On January 22, 2020, the 32nd meeting of 'PRAGATI' was held under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. When was the first meeting of 'PRAGATI' held? (a) October 2, 2014 (b) March 25, 2015 (c) December 25, 2015 (d) January 22, 2016 Answer: b (Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on January 22, 2020 chaired the first PRAGATI meeting of the year 2020. It marked Prime Minister’s thirty-second interaction through PRAGATI - the ICT based multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, involving Central and State governments. In PRAGATI meeting, PM discussed a total of 11 items, out of which nine are delayed projects. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had launched the ambitious multi-purpose and multi-modal platform PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation) on 25th March 2015.)

Question: On 22 January 2020, the Central Government approved the MoU on cooperation in field of geology and mining resources with which country? (a) France (b) Brazil (c) Australia (d) USA

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Answer: b ( The Union Cabinet on January 22, 2020 gave its approval for the Memorandum of Understanding to be signed between Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Geological Survey of Brazil on “Cooperation in field of Geology and Mineral Resources”. The MoU will provide an institutional mechanism between Geological Survey of India, Ministry of Mines of the Republic of India and Geological Survey of Brazil – CPRM, Ministry of Mines and Energy of the Federative Republic of Brazil for cooperation in field of Geology and Mineral Resources. )

Question: According to 'Airpocalypse-IV-an annual report released by Greenpeace India, which is the most polluted city in India? (a) Dhanbad (b) Noida (c) Delhi (d) Jharia Answer: d Jharia, known worldwide for its underground coal fires, continued to be the most polluted city in the country in 2018, while neighbouring, Dhanbad, came in second according to Airpocalypse- IV, an annual report released by Greenpeace India on January 21, 2020. The report, based on analysis of particulate matter data across 287 cities, said Delhi was 10th most polluted city in 2018, an improvement by two ranks as compared to 2017. Greenpeace has used Central Pollution Control Board data to rank the most polluted cities in India. The organisation’s reports come out with a lag of a year. Lunglei in Mizoram was the least polluted city in India, followed by Meghalaya’s Dowki, according to the report. Six of the top-10 polluted cities are in Uttar Pradesh: Noida, , Bareilly, Allahabad, Moradabad and Firozabad. Jharia and Dhanbad are twin cities in the coal-belt of Jharkhand. PM-10 level was recorded at 322 ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter) in Jharia, the highest in the country, while the same was recorded 264 un/m3 in Dhanbad, the second highest in the country.

Question: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on January 22, 2020 approved shutting down the operations of the plant/unit of Hindustan Fluorocarbons Limited (HFL) and closure of the company. The only plant//unit of this company is located in Rudrarm in which state? (a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Tamil Nadu (c) Kerala (d) Telangana Answer: d (The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on January 22, 2020 approved shutting down the operations of the plant/unit of Hindustan Fluorocarbons Limited(HFL) and closure of the company. HFL has only one plant/unit located at Rudraram, District Sangareddy in Telangana. Hindustan Fluorocarbons Limited (HFL) is a subsidiary company of Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd. (HOCL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the administrative control of the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals.)

Question: In which country of Africa has India opened its first Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre (MGICC)? (a) South Africa (b) Nigeria

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(c) Niger (d) Ethiopia Answer: c (External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar visited Niamey, Republic of Niger from 20-21 January 2020. During the visit, S Jaishankar and the President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou on 21 January, 2020 jointly inaugurated the Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre (MGICC). MGICC is the first centre to be established in Africa by India to honour the memory of Mahatma Gandhi whose 150th birth anniversary was observed in 2019. The Convention Centre, has been designed as a spacious, modern and eco-friendly facility, including a 2000 capacity Plenary Hall, to witness high-level and wide-ranging participation from AU Member States and other high level Conventions.)

Question: What is India's ranking in the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index 2019? (a) 41st (b) 51st (c) 61st (d) 71st Answer: b India slipped 10 places to 51st position in the 2019 Democracy Index's global ranking, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, which cited "erosion of civil liberties" in the country as the primary cause for the downtrend. India's overall score fell from 7.23 in 2018 to 6.90 in the Index that provides a snapshot of the current state of democracy worldwide for 165 independent states and two territories. The index is based on five categories -- electoral process and pluralism; the functioning of government; political participation; political culture; and civil liberties. The overall list was topped by Norway, followed by Iceland and Sweden.

Question: What is ' Sharang', which was successfully test-fired at Jabalpur? (a) Drone (b) Gun (c) Radar (d) early warning system Answer: b (Indigenously upgraded Sharang 155 mm gun system was successfully test-fired at the Long Proof Range (LPR) firing range of Khamaria in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh on January 21, 2020. The firepower of this high calibre gun, which is also the country’s largest indigenous gun, has been increased to 39 km. As part of the Narendra Modi government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, the indigenously-designed towed 155 mm/45 calibre artillery gun Sharang will soon be supplied to the Indian Army from Gun Carriage Factory and Ordnance Factory, . The induction of Sharang will bolster the Army’s combat abilities along the lines of the ‘Soltam-155’ guns manufactured by Russia. The weapon has been upgraded successfully from its previous specification of 130 mm to 155 mm.)

Question: Who will be the chairman of the newly formed National Startup Advisory Council? (a) Minister of Commerce and Industry (b) Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (c) Union Finance Minister

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(d) Union Minister of Science and Technology Answer: a (The Central Government on January 21, 2020 notified the structure of the National Startup Advisory Council. The objective of the council is to advise the Government on measures needed to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and startups in the country to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities. The National Startup Advisory Council will be chaired by Minster for Commerce & Industry. The Council will consist of the non-official members, to be nominated by Central Government, from various categories like founders of successful startups, veterans who have grown and scaled companies in India, persons capable of representing interests of investors into startups, persons capable of representing interests of incubators and accelerators and representatives of associations of stakeholders of startups and representatives of industry associations. The term of the non-official members of the Startup Advisory Council will be for a period of two years.)

Question: The Ministry of Law and Justice issued an Extraordinary Gazette Notification in January 2020, declaring which country to be a “reciprocating territory” under Section 44A of the Civil Procedure Code? (a) USA (b) France (c) Saudi Arabia (d) United Arab Emirates Answer: d ( The Ministry of Law and Justice issued an Extraordinary Gazette Notification, declaring the United Arab Emirates to be a “reciprocating territory” under Section 44A of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908. The notification also declared a list of courts in the UAE to be “superior Courts” under the same section. Apart from UAE, the other countries declared to be “reciprocating territories” are: United Kingdom, Singapore, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Trinidad & Tobago, New Zealand, the Cook Islands (including Niue) and the Trust Territories of Western Samoa, , Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Aden. Essentially, orders passed by certain designated courts from a ‘reciprocating territory’ can be implemented in India, by filing a copy of the decree concerned in a District Court here. The courts so designated are called ‘superior Courts’. )

Question: If a country is declared “reciprocating territory” under Section 44A of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908, what does it mean? (a) All decrees of all the courts of that country can be executed in India. (b) All the decrees of certain designated courts of that country can be executed in India. (c) The decrees for payment of money of certain designated courts of that country can be executed in India. (d) Judges of the courts of that country can also be appointed in India. Answer: c "Reciprocating territory” means any country or territory outside India which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare to be a reciprocating territory for the purposes of this section; and “superior Courts”, with reference to any such territory, means such Courts as may be specified in the said notification.” 44A (1) provides that a decree passed by “a superior Court” in any “reciprocating territory” can be executed in India by filing a certified copy of the decree in a District Court, which will treat the decree as if it has been passed by itself. According to Explanation-2, the scope of the Section is restricted to decrees for

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payment of money, not being sums payable “in respect of taxes or other charges of a like nature or in respect of a fine or other penalty”

Question: Where did India's first global mega science exhibition 'Vigyan Sangam' started in January 2020? (a) Bangalore (b) (c) (d) Delhi Answer: d (The Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh on January 21, 2020 inaugurated India’s first global Mega Science Exhibition “Vigyan Samagam” at National Science Centre, in New Delhi. Under the aegis of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), this prestigious science exhibition Vigyan Samagam is being jointly organised.)

Question: Where was the second Integrated Check Post (ICP) between India and Nepal inaugurated? (a) Raxaul-Birganj (b) Jogbani-Biratnagar (c) Bhittamod-Janakpur (d) Sonauli-Bhairahawa Answer: b (Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, along with Prime Minister of Nepal Shri K.P. Sharma Oli on January 21, 2020 jointly inaugurated the second Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Jogbani - Biratnagar . The first was built at the Raxaul-Birgunj border in 2018. Jogbani – Biratnagar is an important trade point between the two countries. The ICP is equipped with modern facilities. The Jogbani-Biratnagar is the second largest gate in terms of trade volume.)

Question: Which three states celebrated their statehood day on January 21, 2020? (a) Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram (b) Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland (c) Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya (d) Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur Answer: c Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on January 21, 2020 greeted the people of the states of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura on the occasion of their statehood day. On 21st January 1972, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura became full-fledged states under the North Eastern Region (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.

Question: The state of Andhra Pradesh passed a bill to create three capitals on January 20, 2020. The three capitals of Andhra Pradesh are: (a) Amaravati, and Machilipatnam (b) , Vijayawada and Machilipatnam (c) Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool (d) Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool Answer: c (A special session of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on January 20, 2020 passed the A.P. Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020 and the A.P. Capital

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Region Development Authority (CRDA) Repeal Bill, 2020, after a heated debate and high drama including the eviction of 17 Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs by marshals. The decision sparked widespread protests from farmers in the Amaravati region and opposition leaders. TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu and party members were taken into police custody late in the evening as they tried to march to the Assembly. Massive police deployment prevented several ‘Chalo Assembly’ rallies. The Bills will facilitate the development of Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool as legislative, executive and judicial capitals respectively.)

Question: Recently, which group's STEP certification course, has been selected by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to be a part of the government’s National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT) programme? (a) Times of India (b) Indian Express (c) Hindustan Times (d) Answer: d The Hindu Group’s STEP, an online certification course, has been selected by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to be a part of the government’s National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT) programme. STEP’s flagship product, STEP Train, will be featured as a certification course on the portal and will be accessible to over 2,500 AICTE-approved institutions across the country. The STEP Train was recognised for its use of Artificial Intelligence in improving language-learning outcomes for students. STEP Train is among a select few products chosen for this programme by the government.

Question: What is India's ranking on a new Social Mobility Index 2020 released in January 2020 ? (a) 56th (b) 66th (c) 76th (d) 86th Answer: c

Question: Which organisation released the Social Mobility Index in January 2020? (a) World Bank (b) International Labor Organization (c) UNESCO (d) World Economic Forum Answer: d India has been ranked very low at 76th place out of 82 countries on a new Social Mobility Index compiled by the World Economic Forum, while Denmark has topped the charts. The report, released ahead of the 50th Annual Meeting of the WEF, also lists India among the five countries that stand to gain the most from a better social mobility score that seeks to measure parameters necessary for creating societies where every person has the same opportunity to fulfil his potential in life irrespective of socioeconomic background. Measuring countries across five key dimensions distributed over 10 pillars — health; education (access, quality and equity);

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technology; work (opportunities, wages, conditions); and protections and institutions (social protection and inclusive institutions) — shows that fair wages, social protection and lifelong learning are the biggest drags on social mobility globally. The Nordic nations hold the top five spots, led by Denmark in the first place (scoring 85 points), followed by Norway, Finland and Sweden (all above 83 points) and Iceland (82 points). Rounding out the top 10 are the Netherlands (6th), Switzerland (7th), Austria (8th), Belgium (9th) and Luxembourg (10th).

Question: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on January 20, 2020 lowered India’s economic growth estimate for the current fiscal (2019-20) to: (a 5.1 percent (b) 5.8 percent (c) 4.8 percent (d) 6.4 percent Answer: c The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on January 20, 2020 lowered India’s economic growth estimate for the current fiscal to 4.8% and listed the country’s much lower-than-expected GDP numbers as the single biggest drag on its global growth forecast for two years. In October, the IMF had pegged India’s economic growth at 6.1% for 2019. Listing decline in rural demand growth and an overall credit sluggishness for the lowering of India forecasts, IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath, however, said the growth momentum should improve next year due to factors like the positive impact of corporate tax rate reduction.

Question: Names of railway stations written in Urdu on platform signboards in which state will now be written in Sanskrit, the second official language of the that state ? (a) Karnataka (b) Uttarakhand (c) Himachal Pradesh (d) Uttar Pradesh Answer: b Names of railway stations written in Urdu on platform signboards in Uttarakhand will now be written in Sanskrit, the second official language of the hill state. The move is in keeping with the Railway Manual which says the name of a railway station on platform signboards should be written in the second official language of the state concerned after Hindi and English, Chief Public Relations Officer, Northern Railway, Deepak Kumar said. Since Sanskrit is the second official language of Uttarakhand, the names of railway stations written in Urdu on platform signboards in the state will be replaced with those in Sanskrit. The names of railway stationsin Uttarakhand on platform signboards still appear in Urdu as most of them belong to the period when the state was part of Uttar Pradesh where Urdu is the second official language. However, as per rules of the Railway Manual appropriate change should have been made on these signboards in 2010 after Sanskrit was made the second official language of the state, he said. Sanskrit was made the second official language of Uttarakhand in 2010 during the chief ministership of Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who is now Union HRD Minister.

Question: In which state the umbrella organizations of two tribes-Nagas and Kukus have called a truce in January 2020 after almost four decades of violence and uneasy existence? (a) Nagaland

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(b) Manipur (c) Mizoram (d) Arunachal Pradesh Answer: b (Umbrella organisations of two tribes have called a truce in Manipur after almost four decades of violence and uneasy existence. The conflict between the Nagas and the Kukis in 1993 had claimed more than 230 lives and displaced 1,00,000, mostly Kukis. The working committee of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) have signed a declaration to settle contentious issues and inter-community differences peacefully. The NNPGs, which has been in talks with New Delhi since 2017, comprises the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Unification), the NSCN (Reformation), the NSCN (Khango), the Naga National Council and two of its factions, and the Federal Government of Nagaland. The KNO, which is seeking a territorial council in Manipur, is the umbrella body of 17 militant outfits now engaged in peace talks with the Centre.)

Question: Which organization has said in its 'Time to Care' report released in January 2020 that ' the combined total wealth of 63 Indian billionaires is higher than the total Union Budget of India for the fiscal year 2018-19 '? (a) World Economic Forum (b) Oxfam (c) World Bank (d) International Monetary Fund Answer: b (India’s billionaires hold a combined total wealth that is more than the Union Budget outlay. The gap between the top 1 per cent and the bottom 50 per cent of the population just keeps expanding, global non-profit organisation Oxfam said in its latest annual report on income inequality. “The combined total wealth of 63 Indian billionaires is higher than the total Union Budget of India for the fiscal year 2018-19 which was at Rs 24.42 trillion,” Oxfam said in its report released on January 20, 2020. “The wealth of billionaires rose from $325.5 billion (Rs 22.73 trillion) in 2017 to $408 billion (Rs 28.97 trillion) in 2019,” the report said. In fact, that amount is even higher than the 2019-20 Budget size of Rs 27.86 trillion, something the report did not mention. The world’s 2,153 billionaires have more wealth than the 4.6 billion people who make up 60 per cent of the planet’s population, the report also showed.

Question: According to a recent report, prolonged drought and other effects of climate change are pushing Australia’s unique platypus population towards extinction. What is the uniqueness about platypus? (a) It is the most intelligent organism. (b) It is an egg-laying mammal. (c) It consumes all or part of the young of its own species (d) It can remain dormant for one month. Answer: b Prolonged drought and other effects of climate change are pushing Australia’s unique platypus population towards extinction, scientists warned in a study published on January 20, 2020. The platypus, which along with four species of echidna are the only mammals that lay eggs, is one of the world’s strangest animals, with the bill of a duck, tail of a beaver, otter-like feet and a venomous spur on its hind leg. The river-dwelling animal has already disappeared from up to

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40% of its historical range on Australia’s east coast due to the drought, land clearing, pollution and building of dams, which fragment their habitat, the researchers said.

Question: Which organisation in January 2020 released the ' World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2020 (WESO) report? (a) World Bank (b) International Monetary Fund (c) World Economic Forum (d) International Labor Organization Answer: d (Global unemployment is projected to increase by around 2.5 million in 2020 and almost half a billion people are working fewer paid hours than they would like or lack adequate access to paid work, according to UN's International Labour Organization report. The World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2020 (WESO) report, released on January 20, 2020, states that global unemployment has been roughly stable for the last nine years but slowing global economic growth means that, as the global labour force increases, not enough new jobs are being generated to absorb new entrants to the labour market. The International Labour Organization (ILO) forecasts that unemployment will rise by about 2.5 million this year. The ILO is a UN agency whose mandate is to advance social justice and promote decent work by setting international labour standards.)

Question: What is 'Aquila nipalensis ', recently seen in India? (a) Steppe eagle (b) Greater Flamingo (c) Amur Falcon (d) Great white pelican Answer: a A lone endangered steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis) has been sighted by a group of birdwatchers in a paddy field at Velagaleru near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. The bird watchers recorded the steppe eagle during the ‘Asian Waterbird Census’, a citizen science programme, recently. This is the second time that steppe eagle has been sighted in the State in the past two decades. Steppe eagle is believed to be the second-largest migratory eagle species to India. In winter, steppe eagle breeds in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. Conversion of open habitats for aquaculture, pesticides and various effluents pose threat to the species.

Question: Which statement is not true with respect to K-4, which was recently test fired? (a) It is a nuclear capable submarine ballistic missile. (b) It was successfully test-fired on January 19, 2020 off coast of Andhra Pradesh. (c) It will be deployed on the fleet of the Arihant Class nuclear submarines. (d) It is India's only underwater missile being developed by India for its submarine force. Answer: d (India on January 19, 2020 successfully test-fired 3,500 km strike range nuclear capable submarine-launched k-4 ballistic missile off caost of Andhra Pradesh. The missile is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for being deployed on the fleet of the Arihant Class nuclear submarines being built by India.The test-firing was carried out from an underwater platform in the sea. It will be deployed on the fleet of the

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Arihant Class nuclear submarines being built by India. Two underwater missiles are being developed by India for its submarine force. These are K-4 and BO-5. )

Question: Which one of the followings released the "Nature Risk Rising Report 2020" in January 2020? (a) IUCN (b) World Economic Forum (c) IPCC (d) World Bank Answer: b Ahead of its 50th Annual Meeting in Davos, the World Economic Forum released "Nature Risk Rising Report 2020". As per the report, nature loss is a planetary emergency. Humanity has already wiped out 83% of wild mammals and half of all plants and severely altered three- quarters of ice-free land and two-thirds of marine environments. The report says that 1 million species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades – a rate tens to hundreds of times higher than the average over the past 10 million years. The World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Risks Report ranks biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse as one of the top five threats humanity will face in the next ten years.

Question: In which state, on January 19, 2020, a 18034-km human chain was organised to make people aware of climate change, prohibition and social ills such as dowry and child marriage? (a) Uttar Pradesh (b) Gujarat (c) Madhya Pradesh (d) Bihar Answer: d (Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, along with his deputy, Modi, and his Cabinet colleagues, participated in an 18,034-km human chain in the State organised on on January 19, 2020 to make people aware of climate change, prohibition and social ills such as dowry and child marriage. Mr. Nitish Kumar, Mr. Modi and Rajendra Singh, known as the “waterman of India”, linked hands in ’s historic Gandhi Maidan from 11.30 a.m. to noon. Senior government officials too were present on the ground from where the human chain branched out to other districts.)

Question: In January 2020, Ownership Acknowledgment Numbers (OANs) were issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to: (a) Owners of private helicopters (b) Drone owners (c) Chartered aircraft owners (d) Air ambulance hospitals Answer: b India’s first drone census has seen over 2,500 Ownership Acknowledgment Numbers (OANs) being issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in January 2020. The exercise will give the government a picture of who owns what kind of drone in which part of the country and will help in making policy decisions that should ideally become the base for understanding the scale of operations. The Ministry issued a notice providing a one-time opportunity for voluntary

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disclosure of all drones and operators starting from January 14. While the DGCA issued the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), Section 3 - Air Transport Series X, Part I, Issue I, dated August 27, 2018 which regulates use of drones and provides the process for obtaining Unique Identification Number, Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit (UAOP) and other operational requirements, there are drones that do not comply with the CAR.

Question: Who was named Man of the Series in the three-match ODI series played between India and Australia in January 2020? (a) Rohit Sharma (b) (c) Steve Smith (d) Mohammad Shami Answer: b (India beat Australia by 7 in the third and final ODI in Bengaluru on January 19, 2020 and clinched the series 2-1. Skipper Virat Kohli scored 89.He was adjudged the Man of the series. Rohit Sharma slammed his 29th One-Day International century. This ton was Rohit's 8th century against Australia in the ODI format. He also became the third-fastest batsman to score 9,000 runs in the 50-over format as he went past the likes of and to achieve the feat. Rohit Sharma was named Man of the Match.)

Question: How many medals did India win in Rome Ranking series 2020? (a) 7 (b) 10 (c) 12 (d) 15 Answer: a In , India has returned with seven medals from the Rome Ranking Series. and Kumar Dahiya claimed gold medals in the tournament last night. The 25-year-old Bajrang staged a comeback to secure a 4-3 win against USA's Jordan Michael Oliver in the summit showdown of the 65kg freestyle category. The 23-year-old Ravi bagged the gold after defeating Kazakhstan's Nurbolat Abdualiyev 12-2 in his final 61 kg category bout.

Question: Scientists at National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) have developed and released a new variety of which flower that blooms during late December to mid-February and have named it ‘Shekhar’? (a) Marigold (b) Chrysanthemum (c) Petunia (d) Cineraria Answer: b (Onset of winters bring blooming season for flowers but with dropping temperature the flowers crop also suffer. To keep the flowering season lasts longer scientists keep trying to develop flower varieties that can withstand extreme winters. In such an effort scientists at National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) have developed and released a new variety of Chrysanthemum that blooms during late December to mid-February and have named it ‘Shekhar’.

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Question: The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, on January 20, 2020, interacted with students as part of Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020 at: (a) , Kotla (b) Stadium, Delhi (c) Major Dhyanchand National Stadium, Delhi (d) , New Delhi Answer: d (The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, on January 20, 2020, interacted with students as part of Pariksha Pe Charcha 2020 at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi. 50 Divyang students also took part in the interaction programme. The interaction, which lasted for over ninety minutes, saw students seeking guidance on various issues of importance to them from the Prime Minister. This year too, students from across the country, and also Indian students residing abroad, participated in the event. Online competition in ‘short essays’ was launched for students of classes 9 to 12 for the third edition of Prime Minister's Interaction Programme "ParikshaPeCharcha 2020”.)

Question: The Indian Air Force has inducted its first squadron of Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft carrying the BrahMos missiles at: (a) Ambala (b) Thanjavur (c) Bangalore (d) Pune Answer: b ( The Indian Air Force has inducted its first squadron of Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft carrying the BrahMos missiles in the South at its Thanjavur base in Tamil Nadu. The No 222 Squadron, called the "Tigersharks" were inducted on January 20, 2020 at Air Force Station Thanjavur. The Squadron will be operating closely with the Indian Army and Navy to get the ball rolling in jointness of the Indian Armed Forces.)

Question: The No 222 Squadron of the Indian Air Force is called as the: (a) Desert Tigers (b) Tigershark (c) Warlords (d) Daring Dragon Answer: b

Question: In Madhya Pradesh, the threatened species Bija, Tinsa, Salai and Dahiman are: (a) Tree species (b) Frog species (c) Snakes species (d) Fish species Answer: a In a marked shift from the British-era focus on high-value timber to indigenous species having traditional value, the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department in 2019 planted 70 lakh saplings of such threatened tree species in a bid to revive biodiversity, support livelihoods and combat climate change. When reasons for the scant availability of a species, and its low density and germination rate are local, reads the plan document, there is a need to find solutions in local situations too. The threatened species include bija, having high timber and fodder value, used to

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cure diabetes and make concussion equipment; tinsa, used to improve fertility in women; salai, producing resin and gum; and dahiman, used to cure high blood pressure.

Question: Who led the Indian delegation to the 50th World Economic Forum Conference? (a) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (b) Petroleum Minister Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan (c) Minister of Commerce and Industry Mr. Piyush Goyal (d) External Affairs Minister S.K. Jaishankar Answer: c (Union Minister of Commerce and Industry & Railways, Piyush Goyal, led the Indian delegation to the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos from January 20th to 24th 2020. The theme of this year's WEF was'Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World'. It emphasized Forum Founder Klaus Schwab's idea that managers have a duty to customers, suppliers and the wider economy, not just dividend-hungry shareholders. Among other highlights of the forum was Indian actress Deepika Padukone, who was given a WEF crystal award for her work on mental health while the US rapper William Adams will be talking about ending gun violence.)

Question: National Informatics Centre (NIC) has set up the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Blockchain Technology in: (a) Hyderabad (b) Bengaluru (c) Pune (d) New Delhi Answer: b (National Informatics Centre (NIC) has set up the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Blockchain Technology in Bengaluru, Karnataka, aiming to provide Blockchain as a service and allowing all stakeholders to benefit from shared learning, experiences and resources. Inauguration of Centre of Excellence in Blockchain Technology was held on January 18, 2020 by the Union Minister for Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Prasad. e Government. The Centre of Excellence will facilitate the Government Departments in building proof of concepts for use of Blockchain technology in different dimensions of governance leading to large scale deployment of some such applications. With National Informatics Centre (NIC) providing a robust and an agile infrastructure, the CoE shall also provide Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) for efficient hosting of Blockchain network.)

Question: Recently the Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda launched the "APNA UREA - Sona Ugle" brand of: (a) Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (b) Coromandel International Limited (c) National Fertilizers Limited (d) Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited Answer: d The Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda launched the "APNA UREA - Sona Ugle" brand of Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited (HURL) at a function on January 17, 2020. On the occasion, he also unveiled the Company’s logo. HURL is Joint Venture Company promoted by the three Maharatna Companies i.e. Coal India Limited (CIL), NTPC Limited (NTPC) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) as the lead promoters

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with FCIL and HFCL as other two partners. With the objective of making the country self-reliant in Urea, the Governmentapproved in 2016 the revival of three sick Urea plants located at Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni.

Question: The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) recently launched sale of ‘Khadi Rumal’ being stitched by the women of : (a) Nagaland (b) Mizoram (c) Jammu and Kashmir (d) Gujarat Answer: c (In line with the suggestions of Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Shri Nitin Gadkari on December 17, 2019 while launching sale of ‘Khadi Rumal’ being stitched by militancy affected women of Jammu and Kashmir (at Nagrota near Jammu), Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has approved the enhancement of wages from Rs. 2 to Rs. 3 per piece w.e.f. 1st Jan 2020. Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Shri Nitin Gadkari had launched the sale of Khadi Rumal of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) on December 17, 2019.)

Question: What is the original name of the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blast convict known as 'Dr. Bomb'? (a) Dr. Mohammad Ansari (b) Dr. Jalees Ansari (c) Dr. Nisar Ansari (d) Dr. Ahmed Ansari Answer: b Dr Jalees Ansari, aka “Dr Bomb”, a 68-year-old convict in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case and cases of 50 other explosions, who had jumped parole in Mumbai— a day before his 21-day parole was to end — was picked up by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force from outside a mosque in Kanpur on January 17, 2020.

Question: Which country's per capita gross domestic product (GDP) crossed $10,000 for the first time in 2019? (a) South Africa (b) China (c) India (d) Russia Answer: b China’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) crossed $10,000 for the first time in 2019 and it could become a high-income economy by 2023 or 2024. The Chinese economy grew at 6.1% in 2019, its lowest GDP growth in 29 years. Yet, China’s importance in the global economy cannot be overemphasised. The Chinese economy accounts for almost 30% of the global GDP growth today. Both in terms of per capita GDP and global contribution to growth, China is now far ahead of India, although the gap has been plateauing in the recent years. (See chart 1: Ratio of China and India per capita GDP and GDP). China’s per capita GDP reached $10,276 in 2019, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics. This is the first time China’s per capita GDP has crossed the $10,000 level.

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Question: Who was Nadkarni, who died recently? (a) Writer (b) Cricketer (c) Hockey player (d) Famous Gandhian Answer: b (Former India cricket all-rounder , who built an extraordinary career with his parsimonious left-arm spin, has died at the age of 86 in Mumbai. Nadkarni enjoyed a 13-year international career, during which he played 41 Tests and snared 88 wickets. That included a best of 11/122 against Australia during the Chennai Test of their 1964/65 tour of the country. In all, Nadkarni took four five-fors, three of them against Australia at home and one against New Zealand in Wellington, the last one constituting a part of India’s first-ever overseas series win, on their 1967/68 tour. Nadkarni ended his Test career with a staggering economy rate of 1.67, which is second only to that of South Africa’s Trevor Goddard.)

Question: Who has been appointed as the chairman of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library? (a) Rajat Sharma (b) Nripendra Mishra (c) (d) Prasoon Joshi Answer: b (Former principal secretary to the Prime Minister, Nripendra Misra, has been appointed chairperson of the executive council of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML). According to the order dated January 14, the Executive Council (EC) of the NMML has been reconstituted and it will be now chaired by Misra. Misra, 74, is a retired IAS officer of the 1967 batch. Before serving as the principal secretary to the PM, Misra worked in several top positions including as the chairperson of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).)

Question: Who has been elected as President of the suspended Archery Association of India (AAI) ? (a) Arjun Munda (b) B.V.P. Rao (c) BijJayant Panda (d) Babu Lal Marandi Answer: a (Union Minister Arjun Munda was on January 18, 2020 elected as President of the suspended Archery Association of India (AAI) in its much-delayed elections. The elections were held as per the order. Mr Munda had a smooth sailing as he beat his rival B V P Rao by a margin of 34-18 votes. Munda's entire panel secured majority share of votes and were elected for a full tenure of four years. A total of 31 State Associations were part of the AAI but only 26 states, each having a share of two votes, cast their votes. There were a total of 52 votes to elect the 19-member Executive Committee. A three-time Jharkhand Chief Minister, the 51- year-old Munda is a hugely popular tribal leader who also runs an archery academy which was instrumental in the rise of former world number one .)

Question: ' Ekatmakam' is a mega event of: (a) Mohiniyattam (b) Kathakali

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(c) Kuchipudi (d) Bharatanatyam Answer: a Ekatmakam’, a mega Mohiniyattam event, was held at Thekkinkadu Maidan in Thrissur (Kerala) on January 18, 2020. The event, in which 6,000 dancers took part, was organised with an aim to enter the Guinness World Records.

Question: What is name of the world’s shortest man who could walk, as verified by Guinness World Records, died on January 17, 2020? (a) Adhipa Tham Negi (b) Palisha Thapa (c) Udgam Koirala (d) Khagendra Tham Magar Answer: d (The world’s shortest man who could walk, as verified by Guinness World Records, died on January 17, 2020 at a hospital in Nepal. Khagendra Thapa Magar, who measured 67.08 cm, died of pneumonia at a hospital in Pokhara, where he lived with his parents. He first won the title in 2010 after his 18th birthday. He lost it briefly only to regain it in 2015.)

Question: Where was the 'ELECRAMA 2020 ' held in January 2020? (a) Bangalore (b) Gurugram (c) (d) Ahmedabad Answer: c (Union Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar on January 18, 2020 inaugurated ELECRAMA 2020, at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. ELECRAMA is the flagship showcase of the Indian electrical industry and a platform to connect the world with Indian industry in respect of technology, new trends and innovation for future energy transition.)

Question: In which state, India’s first case of infection of H9N2-a rare variant of the virus that causes avian influenza has been reported? (a) Gujarat (b) Maharashtra (c) Kerala (d) Assam Answer: b Indian scientists have detected the country’s first case of infection with a rare variant of the virus that causes avian influenza, or bird flu. In the December 2019 issue of the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), scientists of the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, have reported avian influenza A(H9N2) virus infection in a 17-month-old boy in Maharashtra. H9N2 is a subtype of the influenza A virus, which causes human influenza as well as bird flu. The H9N2 subtype was isolated for the first time in Wisconsin, US in 1966 from turkey flocks. According to the US National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), H9N2 viruses are found worldwide in wild birds and are endemic in poultry in many areas. H9N2 virus infections in humans are rare, but likely under- reported due to typically mild symptoms of the infections. Cases of human infection have been

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observed in Hong Kong, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Egypt. One case was detected in Oman recently. The first case globally was reported from Hong Kong in 1998.

Question: India was placed what among 190 countries on the Women Business and the Law (WBL) 2020 index ? (a) 98th (b) 105th (c) 117th (d) 132nd Answer: c 'India placed 117th among 190 countries on the the Women Business and the Law (WBL) 2020 index to measure economic empowerment of women, released by World Bank on January 14, 2020. The world's most populous democracy scored 74.4 on a par with Benin and Gambia and way below least developed countries like Rwanda and Lesotho. The global average was 75.2 — a slight increase from 73.9 in the previous index released in 2017. The study tracked “how laws affect women at different stages in their working lives and focusing on those laws applicable in the main business city”. The Index is based on the countries’ formal laws and regulations that have a bearing on women’s economic participation, covering eight areas (eg, parenthood, equality of pay). A survey was conducted between June 2017 and September 2019.

Question: In January 2020, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated its: (a) 10th Raising Day (b) 15th Raising Day (c) 20th Raising Day (d) 5th Raising Day Answer: b (The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrated its 15th Raising Day on January 18, 2020 . The Disaster Management Act has statutory provisions for constitution of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for the purpose of specialized response to natural and man-made disasters. Accordingly, in 2006 NDRF was constituted with 8 Battalions.)

Question: Former MP Ashwini Kumar Chopra, who died recently, was the editor of which newspaper? (a) Dainik Bhaskar (b) Dainik Jagran (c) Hindustan (d) Punjab Kesari Answer: d Former Member of Parliament and senior journalist Ashwini Kumar Chopra passed away in Gurugram on January 18, 2020. He was 63. Mr. Chopra, who was the editor of the Punjab Kesari, Delhi, was ailing from a prolonged illness and had been admitted to a private hospital about three weeks ago. He is survived by his wife, three sons and two grandsons.

Question: Phillips Curve” is based on statistical studies of : (a) Poverty and GDP growth rate (b) Unemployment and poverty (c) Inflation and unemployment

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(d) Current account deficit and FDI Answer: c (Explanation see below)

Question: According to some economists, the Indian economy is going through a period of stagflation. What is stagflation? (a) High unemployment rate with low economic growth (b) Low inflation with high unemployment rate (c) Low economic growth rate with high inflation (d) High current account deficit with low inflation Answer: c (Stagflation is an economic scenario where an economy faces both high inflation and low growth (and high unemployment) at the same time. The Indian economy has now faced six consecutive quarters of slowing growth since 2018. Economic growth in the second quarter ending September, the most recent quarter for which data is available, was just 4.5%. The conventional view among economists is that there is an inverse relationship between economic growth and inflation. The idea was first proposed by New Zealand economist William Phillips, after whom the “Phillips Curve” is named, based on statistical studies of inflation and unemployment. It later gained widespread acceptance among mainstream economists. The inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment was seen as a confirmation of the hypothesis that inflation helps the economy function at its full potential.)

Question: won the WTA Hobart International doubles final 2020 partnering with: (a) Nadiia Kichenok (b) Shaui Peng (c) Shuai Zhang (d) Bethanie Mattek-Sands Answer: a Six-time Grand Slam winner Sania Mirza and her Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok defeated second seeds Shaui Peng and Shuai Zhang 6-4, 6-4 in the WTA Hobart International doubles final on January 18, 2020. The 33-year-old Sania, elated on her stunning comeback after a two- year break (due to injuries and family commitments). Sania claimed her 42nd WTA doubles title and the first after the Brisbane International in 2017 with Bethanie Mattek-Sands of USA.

Question: According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature in December 2019 was 17.5 degree C over northwest India, the lowest since : (a) 1951 (b) 1919 (c) 1971 (d) 1996 Answer: c The severe cold spell which northwest India experienced in the latter half of December (December 15 to 30) was unprecedented due to several reasons. One of them was its large area of impact. The maximum temperature in December was 17.5 degree C over northwest India, the lowest since 1971, according to an analysis by India Meteorological Department (IMD). The average maximum temperature’s departure from normal for December was also the lowest since 1971 at - 3.2 degree C. Normal maximum temperature for December in northwest India is 20.7

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degree C. This analysis has been made based on maximum temperature averages of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Question: Which airport has started regular air ambulance service in January 2020? (a) Ahmedabad (b) Patna (c) Chennai (d) Jammu Answer: b ( The first ever Air Ambulance of the nation opened at the Patna Airport o offering 24x7 service to those in urgent medical need requiring treatment at hospitals in Delhi or Kolkata. Family members of patients in Patna now won't have to rely on shady brokers to arrange for an emergency flight to Delhi or Kolkata as the new service began operating at the Patna Airport allowing people to book a helicopter completely equipped with essential medical tools allowing the patient to be swiftly flown to hospitals better than those available in the state. The service was inaugurated by Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey amid much fanfare. )

Question: Which state / UT chief minister launched party's Guarantee Card in January 2020? (a) Delhi (b) Gujarat (c) Maharashtra (d) Haryana Answer: a (Aam Aadmi Party national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on January 19, 2020 launched party's Guarantee Card ahead of upcoming assembly elections in the national capital. He said in the coming 5 years, AAP will ensure 24 hours drinking water supply to every household and pollution-free Delhi. He also said students will be given free bus services and affordable homes will be provided to the needy.)

Question: Where was the 9th International Children's Film Festival held in January 2020? (a) Mumbai (b) (c) Kolkata (d) Pune Answer: c (The 9th International Children's Film Festival began in Kolkata on January 18, 2020 with the screening of Aizaz Khan directed Hamid. About 250 films from 45 countries were screened in the week-long festival. The National Award winner Children actor, Talha Arsad Rishi inaugurated the festival.)

Question: Which statement is false with respect to GSAT-30 launched by ISRO? (a) It was launched on 17 January 2020 from Sriharikota. (b) It was launched from the Ariane-5 VA-251 rocket. (c) The 3,357-kg GSAT-30 is a communication satellite. (d) The satellite will also provide coverage to Gulf countries, a large number of Asian countries

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and Australia. . Answer: a (India's high power communication satellite GSAT-30 was successfully launched onboard Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana on January 17, 2020. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said the GSAT-30 is aimed at providing high-quality television, telecommunications and broadcasting services. The 3,357-kg GSAT-30 derives its heritage from ISRO's earlier INSAT/GSAT satellite series, and is equipped with 12 C and 12 Ku band transponders. GSAT-30 will serve as replacement to the aging INSAT-4A spacecraft services with enhanced coverage. The satellite will provide Indian mainland and islands coverage in Ku- band and extended coverage in C-band covering Gulf countries, a large number of Asian countries and Australia. With a mission life of 15 years, GSAT-30 is an operational communication satellite for DTH, television uplink and VSAT services. ISRO said the communication payload of GSAT-30 is specifically designed and optimized to maximize the number of transponders on the spacecraft bus. According to the space agency, the spacecraft will be extensively used for supporting VSAT network, television uplinking and teleport services, digital satellite news gathering (DSNG), DTH television services, cellular backhaul connectivity and many such applications.)

Question: Who has been selected for the 29th Saraswati Samman? (a) Nand Kishore Acharya (b) Ratilal Borisagar (c) Anuradha Patil (d) Vasdev Mohi Answer: d

Question: The book ' Chequebook ', that has been conferred with the 29th Saraswati Samman, is a short stories collection in: (a) Marathi (b) Bengali (c) Konkani (d) Sindhi Answer: d Eminent Sindhi writer Vasdev Mohi will be conferred with 29th Saraswati Samman. He has been selected for this prestigious literary award for his short stories collection- Chequebook. This short stories collection talks about the agonies and sufferings of marginalized sections of the society. Saraswati Samman carries a cash award of 15 lakh rupees, a citation and a plaque. Mr Mohi has authored 25 books of poetry, stories and translations. He has also received Sahitya Akademi Award.Sikhs in the US will be counted as a separate ethnic group in the 2020 census for the first time, as per an organisation of the minority community. United Sikhs, the organisation that has spearheaded the demand for inclusion as a separate ethnic group, called the decision “historic”. Apart from the US, Sikhs in Britain have also demanded inclusion as a separate ethnic group. In November 2019, British Sikhs took the government to court over the “unlawful” refusal to treat them as a separate ethnic group. The US Census Bureau considers race and ethnicity as two distinct and separate concepts.

Question: Which country's team has won the first ATP Cup? (a) Spain

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(b) Switzerland (c) Serbia (d) USA Answer: c The inaugural ATP Cup ended on January 16, 2020 in with Novak Djokovic-led Serbia defeating Rafael Nadal-led Spain. The new, ambitious 24-country team tournament was considered a resounding success, for it attracted nearly all of the world’s best — except Roger Federer — and culminated in a heavyweight final.

Question: Who is Mikhail Mishustin ? (a) New Prime Minister of Russia (b) New Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (c) New President of Kazakhstan (d) New President of Belarus Answer: a Russia’s lawmakers approved Mikhail Mishustin as Prime Minister on January 16, 2020 in a lower house vote, less than 24 hours after President Vladimir Putin nominated him for the role. His elevation is part of a sweeping shake-up of the political system announced by Putin, which led to the resignation of Dmitry Medvedev as Prime Minister along with his government. Mr. Mishustin received 383 votes of 424 cast, with no votes against and 41 abstentions in a victory that had been all but assured when he won the unanimous backing of his party, United Russia, which has a strong majority in the chamber.

Question: Which Indian company's antibiotic drug 'EMROK' has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India? (a) Aurobindo Pharma (b) Sun Pharma (c) Wockhardt (d) Glenmark Answer: c Mumbai-based Wockhardt has become the first Indian pharmaceutical company to get the drug regulator's nod for two novel antibiotics. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved Emrok (injectable) and Emrok O (oral), used for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, including diabetic foot infections. The approval is based on a phase 3 clinical study involving 500 patients in 40 centres across India. The drugs will target super bugs such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is a leading cause of rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among patients The size of Indian antibiotic market is estimated at ₹16,000 crore, growing at 7%.

Question: Who is the author of the book 'The Winning Sixer'? (a) (b) K. Srikanth (c) (d) W. V. Raman Answer: d WV Raman’s latest book 'The Winning Sixer" on leadership explains what it takes to be a great

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leader. Through his experiences of playing and interacting with several personalities and later coaching, Raman methodically uncovers the different attributes of leadership, which makes for a remarkable read. In The Winning Sixer, released formally by on January 16, 2020, Raman has drawn on his own experiences, and those of other athletes, to derive leadership lessons from sport.

Question: Who is the winner of Delhi International Open Grandmasters chess tournament 2020? (a) Abhijeet Gupta (b) Aleksej Aleksandrov (c) Venkataraman (d) P. Pranesh Answer: a Abhijeet Gupta pulled off a clinical win over Aleksej Aleksandrov to regain the title in the Delhi International Open Grandmasters chess tournament on January 16, 2020. Winner in 2008 and 2014, Abhijeet tallied 8.5 points from 10 rounds to end the drought of an Indian champion since his last triumph in the richest prize-money event in the country. He ensured₹6.50 lakh and a big - made trophy for his efforts. Abhijeet scripted a dream comeback by scoring 6.5 points from the last seven rounds, following his third-round loss to Karthik Venkataraman. Interestingly, Aleksandrov who won the title in 2013 led at the start of every round but eventually finished second. Abhijeet never led until his fourth successive victory decided the title.

Question: Who has been appointed as the Chairman of the newly constituted "Advisory Board for Banking and Financial Frauds"? (a) Madhusudan Prasad (b) D.K. Pathak (c) T.M. Bhasin (d) Arundhati Bhattacharya Answer: c The Central Government has constituted a five-member "Advisory Board for Banking and Financial Frauds". The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on January 15, 2020 released a framework in this regard. The board will be headed by former vigilance commissioner TM Bhasin. Former urban development secretary Madhusudan Prasad, former director general of the Border Security Force (BSF) DK Pathak, and the former managing director and chief executive officer of Andhra Bank, Suresh N Patel are its other members . The Advisory Board to vet all alleged frauds of a magnitude of at least Rs. 50 crore. The “Framework for Advisory Board”, the body will act as a “first-level of examination” in respect of officers in the rank of general managers (GMs) and above PSB's and equivalent there for public financial institutions. The board will investigate state-run banks and public financial institutions before these are referred to investigative agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Question: Gary Starkweather , who died recently, was the inventor of (a) Mobile sim card (b) First mobile app (c) Solar panel (d) Laser printer

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Answer: d Gary Starkweather, an engineer and inventor who designed the first laser printer, bringing the power of the printing press to almost anyone, died on December 26 at a hospital in Florida. He was 81. His wife, Joyce, said the cause was leukemia. Starkweather was working as a junior engineer in the offices of the Xerox Corp in Rochester, New York, in 1964 — several years after the company had introduced the photocopier to US office buildings — when he began working on a version that could transmit information between two distant copiers, so that a person could scan a document in one place and send a copy to someone else in another. At the Palo Alto Research Centre, originally a subsidiary of Xerox, Starkweather built the first working laser printer in 1971 in less than nine months. By the 1990s, it was a staple of offices around the world.

Question: Which one of the followings organised the first edition of Krishi Manthan- the largest Food, Agri-business and Rural Development Summit of Asia ? (a) IIM Ahmedabad (b) IIM Kozhikode (c) IIM (d) NITI Aayog Answer: a In Gujarat, the first edition of Krishi Manthan- the largest Food, Agri-business and Rural Development Summit of Asia organized by Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad was held in January 2020. More than 1,500 delegates including students and academicians participated in the two-day event organized by the Food and Agribusiness Committee of IIMA.

Question: In which country Sikhs will be counted as a separate ethnic group in the 2020 census for the first time? (a) Australia (b) New Zealand (c) France (d) USA Answer: d Sikhs in the US will be counted as a separate ethnic group in the 2020 census for the first time, as per an organisation of the minority community. United Sikhs, the organisation that has spearheaded the demand for inclusion as a separate ethnic group, called the decision “historic”. The US Census Bureau considers race and ethnicity as two distinct and separate concepts. According to the US Census Bureau website, it adheres to the 1997 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards on race and ethnicity. There are five broad categories under which race is categorised. These are White, Black or African American, Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. As per the bureau, the racial categories included in the census questionnaire reflect “a social definition of race recognised in this country and not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically.” Respondents can also report multiple races.

Question: In which country a novel virus detected in mosquitoes has been provisionally named the Yada Yada virus (YYV)? (a) Japan (b) China

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(c) Kenya (d) Australia Answer: d A novel virus detected in Australian mosquitoes has been provisionally named the Yada Yada virus (YYV), after the catchphrase made famous by the American sitcom Seinfeld. The Cambridge dictionary defines the phrase as an informal exclamation used to describe boring speech. The scientists’ findings have been published in a short paper in the American Society for Microbiology journal, ‘Microbiology Resource Announcements’. Journal ‘Science’ reported on January 11 that the virus is named so because the discovery “isn’t all that exciting.” When the team of researchers extracted RNA from a large number of mosquitoes in Australia’s Victoria state, they found a new alphavirus, which belonged to a group that includes other alphaviruses such as chikungunya virus and the astern equine encephalitis.

Question: In which country, researchers have discovered the oldest solid material on the Earth in a form of stardust in a meteorite? (a) Brazil (b) Chile (c) Nigeria (d) Australia Answer: d Scientists recently identified the oldest material on Earth: stardust that's 7 billion years old, tucked away in a massive, rocky meteorite that struck our planet half a century ago. This ancient interstellar dust, made of presolar grains (dust grains that predate our sun), was belched into the universe by dying stars during the final stages of their lives. Some of that dust eventually hitched a ride to Earth on an asteroid that produced the Murchison meteorite, a massive, 220-lb. (100 kilograms) rock that fell on Sept. 28, 1969, near Murchison, Victoria, in Australia.

Question: Which state has challenged the National Investigation Agency Act 2008 (NIA) in the Supreme Court under Article 131 of the Constitution of India in January 2020? (a) Kerala (b) West Bengal (c) Chhattisgarh (d) Punjab Answer: c The Congress-led Chhattisgarh has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the validity of the National Investigation Agency Act that was hurriedly drafted by the previous Congress-led UPA after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. P Chidambaram, who was brought in as home minister after the 2008 terror attacks, had pushed for creation of India’s first federal counter- terror probe agency with powers to supersede the state police in the investigation and trial of terror-related offences. The legal challenge has been filed by the Chhattisgarh government’s lawyer Sumeer Sodhi under Article 131 of the Constitution that empowers the Supreme Court to decide disputes between the central government and states. Chhattisgarh’s challenge to the NIA Act comes days after Kerala approached the top court against the amended citizenship law.

Question: According to the Henley Passport Index 2020, which country has the world’s strongest passport?

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(a) USA (b) Switzerland (c) Japan (d) Norway Answer: c Japan has the world’s strongest passport; Afghanistan, at rank 107, the weakest. The is closer to the bottom, ranked 84th in the world, according to the latest edition of the Henley Passport Index, widely acknowledged to be the most reliable of such rankings. According to Henley & Partners, the residence and citizenship planning firm that publishes the ranking, the Index lists the world’s passports “according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa”. The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade association of some 290 airlines, including all major carriers.

Question: Where was the 7th Conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association India Region held in January 2020? (a) New Delhi (b) Dehradun (c) Shimla (d) Lucknow Answer: d Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on January 16, 2020 said that the belief in the democracy has increased today and so is the responsibility of the representatives. He was speaking after inaugurating the 7th Conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association India Region in the legislative assembly building in Lucknow today. He said that the rights of the presiding officers need to be curtailed so that these institutions become more democratic. The main theme of the two days conference was 'ROLE OF LEGISLATORS.

Question: In which country, in January 2020 six people were killed after a bus and some pedestrians were swallowed by a sinkhole? (a) China (b) Japan (c) Australia (d) South Africa Answer: a Six people were killed and 10 are believed to be missing after a bus and some pedestrians were swallowed by a sinkhole in China’s Xining city, the capital of Qinghai province, in January 2020. Sinkholes — depressions that open up on the ground — are not uncommon in China. In December 2019, a road in southern China’s Guangdong province collapsed, swallowing a cleaning truck and an electric bike. Sinkholes are depressions formed in the ground when layers of the Earth’s surface start collapsing into caverns. They can occur suddenly and without warning, because the land under the surface of the Earth can stay intact for a period of time until the spaces get too big.

Question: Which two football clubs have recently merged together? (a) Mohun Bagan and East Bengal

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(b) Bangalore and Dempo (c) Mohun Bagan and ATK (d) Dempo and ATK Answer: c The merger between India's oldest football club, Mohun Bagan, and two-time Indian Super League champion ATK, which was announced on January 16, 2020, has evoked mixed reactions from the former stalwarts of Kolkata football. The merged entity, which will have brand names of ATK and Mohun Bagan, will come into existence from June 1, 2020 and will compete in the 2020-21 Indian Super League season.

Question: What are ‘Liurana himalayana’, ‘Liurana indica’ and ‘Liurana minuta', recently discovered in Arunachal Pradesh? (a) Fish species (b) Snake species (c) Frog species (d) Ginger species Answer: c Three new species of tiny frogs have been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Subansiri district by scientists of Zoological Survey of India, according to a recently published journal. The frogs are so small in size that one can sit on a coin. The new species discovered from Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) have been named as ‘Liurana himalayana’, ‘Liurana indica’ and ‘Liurana minuta. The specimens of the new frog species were collected by Bikramjit Sinha, another scientist of ZSI in Itanagar during 2015-16 as part of the documentation of faunal diversity in the protected area. A study, co-authored by Saikia and Sinha, has been published in a science journal, the Records of the Zoological Survey of India’, which confirmed that the species are new discoveries. Earlier, Saikia and Sinha had also found a rare frog species, Megophrys pachyproctus, from Tale Valley Wildlife Sanctuary.

Question: Which one of the followings has started the Indian Digital Heritage (IDH) Initiative? (a) Department of Science and Technology (b) Union Ministry of Culture (c) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (d) Ministry of Earth Sciences Answer: a

Question: Where was the first International Heritage Symposium held in January 2020? (a) Bangalore (b) New Delhi (c) Mumbai (d) Goa Answer: b (The Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Shri Prahlad Singh Patel launched a month long special exhibition titled Indian Heritage in Digital Space and a two day long first international heritage symposium on January 15, 2020 in New Delhi. This special

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exhibition showcased adaptation and infusion of technologies being developed under the Indian Digital Heritage (IDH) initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India in the cultural heritage domain of the country.)

Question: Which institute organized an international conference on 'Global Indian Thought' in January 2020? (a) IIM Ahmedabad (b) IIT Kanpur (c) IIM Kozhikode (d) NITI Aayog Answer: c Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on January 16, 2020 unveiled a life size statue of Swami Vivekananda at IIM Kozhikode through video conference. He was participating in the international conclave on “Global Indian Thought” that is being organised by IIM Kozhikode.

Question: What was the objective of the campaign called 'Saksham' organized by PCRA and oil marketing companies in January 2020? (a) Ensuring access to cheap petroleum products (b) Providing petroleum distribution agency to Divyang (c) Fuel conservation (d) Preventing adulteration of petroleum products Answer: c (Saksham', an annual one-month long fuel conservation mega campaign of Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, was launched on January 16, 2020 by Dr. M.M Kutty, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum& Natural Gas in a function held in Delhi. Saksham' a flagship program of PCRA and Oil PSUs under the guidance of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is an initiative for adding values to the various efforts being made in the country for saving fuel.)

Question: Who won the Crossword Book Award for his/her book 'The Far Field'? (a) Amitav Ghosh (b) Kiran Desai (c) Jhumpa Lahiri (d) Madhuri Vijay Answer: d Author Madhuri Vijay has added a resplendent feather to her literary cap by winning the coveted Crossword Book Award for her debut novel on Kashmir, joining the pantheon of eminent Indian writers like Salman Rushdie, Seth, and Kiran Desai. The prestigious award in the jury category is the third major literary prize that the Bengaluru-born, US-based writer has won for her book ‘The Far Field’ which came out last year. Currently in its 17th edition, the Crossword Book Awards were founded in 1998 as an Indian counter to international literary honours like the Booker Prize, Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Pulitzer Prize. The awards celebrate the best and popular Indian writing and come with a cash prize of Rs. 3 lakh for winners in the jury award category, and Rs. 1 lakh for winners in the popular choice section. Some of the famous Crossword Book Award recipients include Rushdie, Seth, Amitav Ghosh, William Dalrymple and Pankaj Mishra.

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Question: In order to digitize small and medium business in India, how much investment has Amazon announced in India? (a) One billion dollars (b) Two billion dollars (c) Three billion dollars (d) Four billion dollars Answer: a Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos annunced on January 15, 2020 that the US e-tailer would invest an incremental $1 billion to digitise small and medium businesses in India. He claimed the investment would help boost exports of Make-in-India products on the online marketplace to $10 billion in five years. Bezos’ announcement comes in the wake of Competition Commission of India (CCI) ordering an investigation into alleged violations of competition law by India’s largest online retailers, including Amazon and Flipkart. Indian sellers on Amazon India platform exported goods worth $1 billion in a three-and-a-half-year period ending May 2019, according to the company.

Question: Which state in January 2020 challenged the National Investigation Agency Act i.e. NIA Act 2008 in the Supreme Court under Article 131 of the Constitution of India alleging that the counter-terrorism law was illegally usurping police powers of the state ? (a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Maharashtra (c) Kerala (d) Chhattisgarh Answer: d The Chhattisgarh Government on January 15, 2020 made the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, enacted by Parliament in 2008 during the Congress-led UPA government to investigate terror and other crimes having national consequence, a Centre-state dispute alleging that the counter-terrorism law was illegally usurping police powers of the state. The trigger for filing a suit in the Supreme Court to take on the Centre under a federal structure appeared to be the NIA’s decision to take over certain Naxal-related criminal cases. The state police appears to have completed investigations into them and did not want the NIA to take over the probe. The Bhupesh Baghel government’s Article 131 petition, settled by advocate Tankha, said, “NIA Act, in its present form, not only takes away the power of conducting investigation by the state through its police but also confers unfettered discretionary and arbitrary powers on the Union government. There are no rules governing the exercise of power (by the Union home ministry) which gives ample discretion to the Centre to exercise its power at any juncture without providing any reason or justification.” The NIA Act was passed by Parliament on December 31, 2008, in the aftermath of the 26/11 terror attacks in order to break the silos in which intelligence and law-enforcement agencies worked and to facilitate a seamless response to crimes against the country.

Question: Which two countries signed the 'Phase-1' of the trade agreement on January 15, 2020? (a) India and the United States (b) China and India (c) USA and China

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(d) Britain and European Union Answer: c he world’s two dominant economic powers, the United States and China, signed Phase 1 of a trade deal on January 15, 2020, putting on pause a two-year-long trade war that has shaken up the global economy. The “phase one” agreement — which includes pledges from China to beef up purchases of American crops and other exports, according to news agency AFP — also comes just as Trump faces an impeachment trial in the US Senate, giving him a victory to trumpet at least in the short term. The pact is intended to open Chinese markets to more American companies, increase farm and energy exports, and provide greater protection for American technology and trade secrets. China has committed to purchasing an additional $200 billion worth of American goods and services by 2021 and is expected to ease some of the tariffs it has placed American products.

Question: 'Science Setu Programme' has been launched by: (a) National Institute of Immunology (b) National Institute of Nutrition (c) Indian Space Research Organization (d) National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research Answer: a National Institute of Immunology, an autonomous institution under the Department of Biotechnology, has trained 107 undergraduate students from different colleges of under its `Science Setu’ programme to encourage young minds to take up pursuit of science and technology as a career option. Science Setu programme was launched in 2014 as a measure to address the problem of paucity of teaching resources in higher education leading to a lack of connectivity between academic scholarship and teaching. It seeks to make use of large number of national research institutions that are scattered around the country in a wide variety of academic areas and with thousands of scientists with high scholarship competence. The programme provides scope for the scientists to take up systematic teaching commitments at the undergraduate level too, besides PhD courses. It started with five colleges. It has expanded progressively and currently 17 colleges are associated with it.

Question: The World Health Organization has included the Indian Molecular assay named TrueNet in its global program to test which disease? (a) AIDS (b) TB (c) Malaria (d) polio Answer: b In a significant development, WHO Global Tuberculosis Programme has included an Indian molecular assay as initial test for detecting the disease and for identifying resistant strains of the TB bacteria. The assay named TrueNet has been included in the rapid communication document on Molecular Assays released by WHO’s Global TB Programme. It is anew molecular test that diagnosed TB as well as tests for resistance to the drug rifampicin in about 90 minutes. The development is a fruition of efforts on the part of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to promoteindigenous technologies for diagnosis of TB and multi-drug and extensively drug resistant TB (MDR/ XDR TB).

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Question: Who has been appointed as the Queen's Counsel for the courts of England and Wales ? (a) Abhishek Manu Singhvi (b) Fali. S. Nariman (c) Gopal Subramanium (d) Answer: d Senior Indian Advocate Harish Salve has been appointed as the Queen's Counsel for the courts of England and Wales. He has been appointed by the Queen, on the advice of the Lord Chancellor. Last year, Dipen Sabharwal was made the Queen's Counsel. The title of Queen's Counsel is usually awarded to lawyers possessing demonstrated skill and expertise in the conduct of advocacy. He served as a Solicitor General for India from 1999-2002. He was called to Blackstone Chambers in 2013. Salve had represented India before the International Court of Justice in extradition case.

Question: Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh flagged off 51st K9 VAJRA-T Gun on January 16, 2020. It has been manufactured by : (a) Reliance Defense (b) Larsen and Toubro (c) Adani Enterprises (d) Bharat Forge Answer: b ( Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh flagged off 51st K9 VAJRA-T Gun from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Armoured System Complex at Hazira in Gujarat on January 16, 2020. L&T Defence is currently executing the ‘K9 VAJRA-T’ Tracked, Self-Propelled Howitzer Guns program - the contract awarded to the company by Ministry of Defence through global competitive bidding. The gun weighs 50 tonnes and can fire 47-kilogram bombs at targets up to a distance of 43 kilometres. It can also turn around at zero radius. )

Question: With which two states did the central government sign the agreement on 16 January 2020 to settle the Bru community dispute? (a) Mizoram and Manipur (b) Tripura and Manipur (c) Mizoram and Tripura (d) Nagaland and Meghalaya Answer: c (Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah presided over the signing of an agreement between Government of India, Governments of Tripura and Mizoram and Bru-Reang representatives in New Delhi on January 16, 2020. The agreement was sighned to end the 23- year old Bru-Reang refugee crisis. A permanent solution has been arrived to this long standing issue of rehabilitating thousands of Bru-Reang people in Tripura and they can now look towards a bright future. In 1997, following ethnic tension, around 5,000 families comprising around 30,000 Bru-Reang tribals were forced to flee Mizoram and seek shelter in Tripura. These people were housed in temporary camps at Kanchanpur, in North Tripura.)

Question: In which state is the Parshuram Kund Mela held on the occasion of Makar Sankranti every year? (a) Gujarat

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(b) Uttar Pradesh (c) Arunachal Pradesh (d) Odisha Answer: c The famous Parshuram Kund Mela began on January 2020 in Lohit District of Arunachal Pradesh. Devotees from across the country visit the sacred place to take a holy dip in the Kund on the occasion of Makar Sankranti every year. Parshuram Kund, nestled in the lower reaches of Lohit River is of great significance for the Hindus. The legendary beheading of his mother by Lord Parshuram and eventual penance followed by taking a bath in the so-called Brahma Kund, has added religious significance to this place.

Question: Under which article of the Indian Constitution, the State Government of Kerala has challenged the Citizenship Amendment Act CAA) in the Supreme Court? (a) Article 128 (b) Article 131 (c) Article 135 (d) Article 143 Answer: b Kerala became the first State to join citizens across the country to challenge in the Supreme Court the constitutionality of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, which fast-tracks grant of citizenship on the basis of religion. The State has approached the Supreme Court nearly 15 days after the Assembly unanimously requested the Centre to abrogate the law on December 31, 2019. And it comes just three days after the CAA came into effect on January 10. The original suit has been filed under Article 131 of the Constitution. The SC has “original” jurisdiction in disputes between States or the Centre and State(s). The Article allows it to directly take cognisance of such a dispute. Kerala said in its suit that it would be compelled under Article 256 to comply with the CAA, which was “manifestly arbitrary, unreasonable, irrational and violative of fundamental rights.

Question: For what reason has the Central Government relaxed Coastal Regulatory Zone Rule (CRZ) in January 2020 to help States construct infrastructure? (a) To provide shelter to people living below the poverty line (b) To provide livelihood to fishermen (c) To obtain Blue Flag Certificate (d) For development of mangroves Answer: c The Environment Ministry has relaxed Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules that restrict construction near beaches to help States construct infrastructure and enable them to receive ‘Blue Flag’ certification. Last year, the Ministry selected 13 beaches in India to vie for the certificate. This is an international recognition conferred on beaches that meet certain criteria of cleanliness and environmental propriety. The certification is accorded by the Denmark-based Foundation for Environment Education, with 33 stringent criteria under four major heads for the beaches, that is, (i) Environmental Education and Information (ii) Bathing Water Quality (iii) Environment Management and Conservation and (iv) Safety and Services.

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Question: The Blue Flag certification is accorded to the: (a) Ports (b) Airports (c) Sea vessels (d) Beaches Answer: d

Question: Who has been given the ? (a) Lal (b) (c) Mammootty (d) Answer: b Renowned music composer Ilaiyaraaja has been selected for this year’s Harivarasanam award, jointly instituted by the Kerala government and the Travancore Devaswom Board. Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran presented the award, which comprises a purse ₹1,00,000,of citation and memento, to Ilaiyaraaja at a function at the Sannidhanam.

Question: According to the draft National Policy-2020 on Rare Diseases, the Central Government has proposed to fund one-time treatment cost to the tune of what amount under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana ? (a) Rs 5 lakhs (b) Rs. 10 lakhs (c) Rs. 15 lakhs (d) Rs 20 lakhs Answer: c The government on January 13, 2020 released a draft policy, under which it proposed to fund one-time treatment cost to the tune of₹15 lakh for certain treatable rare diseases, provided the patient was eligible under its flagship health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat’s Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. Under the draft National Policy for Rare Diseases, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare would provide financial support under its umbrella scheme Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi. The draft policy proposed to limit financial support to patients suffering from only a few rare diseases categorised under Group 1, like osteopetrosis and certain immune deficiency disorders that can be cured with treatment, and certain diseases Tyrosinemia, Fabry’s disease and Maple Syrup Urine Disease, which require kidney or liver transplants.

Question: Which one of the followings has released the ' Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2019 '? (a) Ministry of Human Resource Development (b) NITI Aayog (c) CBSE (d) Pratham Answer: d Only 16% of children in Class 1 in 26 surveyed rural districts can read text at the prescribed level, while almost 40% cannot even recognise letters, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2019, released by NGO Pratham on January 14, 2020. Only 41% of

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these children could recognise two digit numbers. However, ASER found that the solution is not to spend longer hours teaching children the 3Rs. Counter-intuitively, the report argues that a focus on cognitive skills rather than subject learning in the early years can make a big difference to basic literacy and numeracy abilities.

Question: According to the Bureau of India Standard, Jewellers will be allowed to sell only which grades of gold jewellery? (a) 12 carat, 14 carat and 22 carat (b) 14 carat, 16 carat and 22 carat (c) 14 carat, 18 carat and 22 carat (d) 16 carat, 10 carat and 24 carat Answer: c The BIS is already running a hallmarking scheme for gold jewellery since April 2000 and 40% of gold jewellery is now hallmarked. “ We will give one year time for implementation. Jewellers will be allowed to sell only 14, 18 and 22 carat gold jewellery,” Mr. Paswan told a press meet. Instead of 10 grades earlier, hallmarked gold jewellery will now be available in three grades of 14 carat, 18 carat and 22 carat, he said. Jewellers have been given a year’s time to register themselves with the BIS.

Question: In which one of the following regions a law has been passed in January 2020 that makes ethnic unity in the region mandatory? (a) Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (b) Jaffna Region Sri Lanka (c) Tibet (d) Scotland Answer: c On January 11, 2020, the People’s Congress of Tibet passed a law, which makes ethnic unity in the region mandatory, reflecting the significant role that the autonomous Himalayan region plays in its economic and social development. These regulations will come into effect from May 1 onwards and are meant to “strengthen ethnic unity”. The law makes it clear that Tibet has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times and that it is the common responsibility of the people of all ethnic groups to safeguard national reunification and take a clear stand against separatism, PTI reported. There are more than 40 ethnic minorities, which account for 95 per cent of Tibet’s population of over three million.

Question: Recently a resolution was passed demanding the declaration of Marathi as a ‘Classical’ language. Which Indian language was first given the status of classical language? (a) Sanskrit (b) (c) Tamil (d) Kannada Answer: c At the recently concluded 93rd edition of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, a resolution was passed demanding the declaration of Marathi as a ‘Classical’ language, Loksatta reported. In many of its conventions in the past, the body has made this demand. Currently, six

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languages enjoy the ‘Classical’ status: Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014). According to information provided by the Ministry of Culture in the in February 2014, the guidelines for declaring a language as ‘Classical’ are: “(i) High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years; (ii) A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers; (iii) The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community; (iv) The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.”

Question: Researchers have developed the world's first 'living robot'. What is the name of this living robot? (a) Xenobot (b) Sonobot (c) Hubot (d) Moonobot Answer: a Researchers have built the first ever “living robot”, or xenobot, by engineering frog embryos in the lab to behave like “living, programmable organisms”, an advance that may lead to computer- designed life forms capable of delivering drugs in the human body. The xenobots were millimetre-wide robots, designed by stitching together different cell types from a frog embryo in specific ways so that they could move towards a target on their own, and also based on how the cells interacted with each other, the study, published in the journal PNAS, noted. The bots were also engineered to pick up a payload - like a medicine that needs to be carried to a specific place inside a patient -- and could heal themselves after being cut, according to the researchers.

Question: The controversial 'HTBt' seed is related to which crop? (a) Brinjal (b) Cotton (c) Mustard (d) Rice Answer: b Amid reports of cultivation of the unapproved HTBt cotton seeds, the Union environment ministry has written to the chief secretary of Maharashtra for “taking necessary action” and requested the state to “provide lateral flow strip test kits for preliminary field level testing” to frontline staff who visit the fields. Since cultivation of unapproved varieties of genetically modified (GM) seeds is illegal in India, it is the responsibility of chief secretary, being chairperson for the State Biotechnology Coordination Committee (SBCC), to take action against such practice. As per rules for the Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Micro-organisms or Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells, 1989, the SBCC serves as a nodal point at state level for coordinating activities related to GMOs in the state. There is also a provision of District Level Committees (DLC), which serves as a nodal point at district level.

Question: For whom/what has the Government of India made the 'HSN Code' mandatory? (a) Imports (b) Pharmaceuticals manufacturing (c) Sale of seeds

GS TIMES CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ 16-31 JANUARY, 2020 Page 64

(d) Digital payment Answer: a

According to Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Railways, Piyush Goyal, no imports will be allowed without HSN code into the country. HSN stands for ‘Harmonized System Nomenclature.’ It is a six-digit code that classifies more than 5000 products. The World Customs Organization developed it as a multipurpose international product nomenclature that first came into effect in 1988 with the vision of facilitating the classification of goods all over the World in a systematic manner. GS TIMES

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