1. Which among the following countries is planning to host International blockchain conference in October? (1) Japan (2) Indonesia (3) North Korea (4) Singapore (5) South Africa Answer Key: 3 Solution: North Korea is planning to host its first-ever international conference focusing on cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology in October. The two-day event will be held in the hermit kingdom’s capital of Pyongyang. The conference is expected to attract blockchain and cryptocurrency experts from all over the world. 2. In how many languages, the National Electoral Transformation portal or NETA mobile app is available? (1) 18 (2) 10 (3) 12 (4) 14 (5) 16 Answer Key: 5 Solution: Former President Pranab Mukherjee launched the National Electoral Transformation or NETA mobile application, a platform where voters can review and rate their elected representatives and hold them accountable as well. It piloted during by polls in Rajasthan’s Ajmer and Alwar constituencies. Later it was used in Karnataka assembly elections. It is available on Android and iOS and web in 16 languages to cater to a diverse user profile. 3. Recently, Amaravati bonds are listed on which of the following stock exchanges? (1) National Stock Exchange (2) Bombay Stock Exchange (3) OTC Exchange of India (4) India International Exchange (5) Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India Answer Key: 2 Solution: Amaravati bonds are listed on Bombay Stock Exchange just about two weeks after their placement with qualified institutional buyers. The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (AP-CRDA) issued the bonds worth ₹2,000 crore including a basic offer of ₹1,300 crore and a green-shoe option of ₹700 crore. 4. ______has teamed up with Manchester United to offer credit cards to the club’s Indian followers. (1) City Union Bank (2) Axis Bank (3) HDFC Bank (4) ICICI Bank (5) Federal Bank Answer Key: 4 Solution: ICICI Bank has agreed to a multi-year partnership with Manchester United, bringing a range of competitive co-branded credit and debit card to the club’s 35 million Indian followers. The Bank will be offering fans of the club two types of credit card – Manchester United Platinum Credit Card and Signature Credit Card. 5. Who has been appointed as the chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation? (1) Kuldeep Singh (2) G Satheesh Reddy (3) Amol A Gokhale (4) V K Sharma (5) Ajay Kumar Answer Key: 2 Solution:

The Centre appointed renowned scientist, Dr G Satheesh Reddy, as Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Secretary in Department of Defence Research & Development (DDR&D) for a period of two years. He is currently employed as the Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. 6. India’s first inter-state transmission system is commissioned in ______(1) Rajkot (2) Jamnagar (3) Bhuj (4) Vadodara (5) Surat Answer Key: 3 Solution: The 126 MW wind power capacity, part of country's first inter-state transmission system (ISTS) auction, is commissioned in Bhuj, Gujarat. The power generated from one state (renewable resource rich state) could be transmitted to other renewable deficient states. The energy generated from this project is being purchased by Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. 7. Which among the following airlines flew the India’s first biofuel-powered aircraft from Dehradun? (1) SpiceJet (2) Air India (3) Jet Airways (4) IndiGo (5) Vistara Answer Key: 1 Solution: India has joined with the US and Australia to have flown a biofuel-powered aircraft. SpiceJet flew the Bombardier Q400 (VT-SUI) on biofuel at Dehradun. The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research and Dehradun-based Indian Institute of Petroleum have prepared 400 kg of bio jet fuel under a pilot project. This fuel is made from vegetable oils, sugar, animal fats, waste biomass and can be used in existing engines without modification. 8. Which among the following has become the first bank subsidiary to enter the commodity broking services? (1) Kotak Securities (2) Axis Securities (3) HDFC Holdings Limited (4) ICICI Securities (5) SBI Capital Markets Answer Key: 2 Solution: Axis Securities has launched commodity broking services through its membership with MCX. It became the first bank subsidiary to enter the commodity broking business. The customers can get rights to trade in commodity derivatives and use the same login credentials of Axis Direct to access the commodities platform with real-time market information within 48 hours of online request 9. Who will be honoured with the Game Changer of the year award by Asia Society? (1) Vinita Bali (2) Shiksha Sharma (3) Chanda Kochhar (4) Arundhati Bhattacharya (5) Indra Nooyi Answer Key: 5 Solution: PepsiCo’s India-born CEO Indra Nooyi will be honoured with the Asia Society’s Game Changer of the Year award by a global cultural organisation in recognition of her business achievements, humanitarian record and advocacy for women and girls around the world. Recently, Nooyi announced that she would be stepping down as CEO of PepsiCo after 12 years. 10. Who among the following has appointed an assistant secretary-General and will head the UN Environment Programme’s New York office? (1) Ashish Kumar Bhutani (2) Satya S. Tripathi (3) Sunil Kanoria (4) G Satheesh Reddy (5) KS Srinivas Answer Key: 2 Solution: Development and environment expert Satya S. Tripathi has been appointed an assistant Secretary-General and will head the UN Environment Programme’s New York office. Tripathi is the third Indian at the senior levels of the UN hierarchy. 11. National Sports day is celebrated every year on ______(1) August 17 (2) August 24 (3) August 27 (4) August 29 (5) September 9 Answer Key: 4 Solution: National Sports Day is celebrated on 29th August every year to mark the birthday of legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand. 12. Tejinderpal Singh Toor clinched a gold medal in the Asian games. He is a ______(1) Shooter (2) Squash player (3) Shot putter (4) Badminton Player (5) High jumper Answer Key: 3 Solution: Tejinderpal Singh Toor clinched the men's shot-put gold to open India's medal account in athletics in the Asian Games. The 23-year-old threw the iron ball to 20.75m to win the gold and set a national record. India is currently placed 8th in the tally with 29 medals comprising 7 gold, 5 silver and 17 bronze. 13. What is the name of video- streaming services being rolled out by Facebook Inc.? (1) Cool (2) Trivia (3) Watch (4) Vidbook (5) Maxima Answer Key: 3 Solution: Facebook Inc. is launching Watch video platform, its video rival to YouTube, internationally and expanding the financial incentives that encourage people to share their content there. Video makers in five countries will be eligible to take a percentage of the ad revenue that comes from their content around the world as long as their videos on Watch are popular enough and meet Facebook’s standard. 14. As per the recent report by NASSCOM and consulting firm PwC India, India’s e-commerce market can potentially grow to $ ______billion by 2022. (1) 50 (2) 150 (3) 250 (4) 350 (5) 450 Answer Key: 2 Solution: As per the report the report by software industry lobby group NASSCOM and consulting firm PwC India, India’s e-commerce market, dominated by Flipkart Pvt. Ltd and Amazon.com Inc., can potentially grow more than fourfold to $150 billion by 2022. It will be fuelled by rising incomes and a surge in internet users. The e-commerce market was pegged at $36 billion last year. 15. 4th BIMSTEC is being held in Kathmandu, Nepal. What ‘S’ in ‘BIMSTEC’ stands for? (1) Security (2) Scientific (3) Secular (4) Systematic (5) Sectoral Answer Key: 5 Solution:

4th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit is being held in Kathmandu, Nepal from 30th-31st August. The summit will focus on enhancing regional connectivity and boosting trade. The BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The grouping accounts for 22 per cent of the global population. 16. Recently Central Government has announced to launch new annual ranking of higher educational institutions called ‘ARIIA’ on 15th October. ‘A’ in ‘ARIIA’ stands for ______. (1) Annual (2) Accessible (3) Aspirational (4) Atal (5) Accurate Answer Key: 4 Solution: Union Government has announced another annual ranking of higher educational institutions, based on how they fare in terms of innovation. The new ranking – named Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) – will be formally launched on October 15, the birth anniversary of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. The first results will be declared on February 28, 2019, which is also Science Day. 17. In its annual report, Reserve Bank has expected that India's economic growth rate to accelerate to ______in the current financial year. (1) 7.2 % (2) 7.3 % (3) 7.4 % (4) 7.5 % (5) 7.6 % Answer Key: 3 Solution:

Reserve Bank of India released its annual report on 29th August. It expects India's economic growth rate to accelerate to 7.4 per cent in the current financial year on pick up in industrial activity and good monsoon. RBI also said that its monetary policy will continue to be guided by the objective of achieving the medium-term target for retail inflation of 4 per cent, within a tolerance band of +/- 2 per cent, while supporting growth. 18. Who has won India’s first-ever Asian Games gold medal in heptathlon? (1) Seema Singh (2) Madhuri Patkar (3) Swapna Barman (4) Dutee Chand (5) Manika Batra Answer Key: 3 Solution: Swapna Barman fought tooth-and-twelve-nails to win India’s first-ever Asian Games gold medal in heptathlon. The 21-year-old Barman logged 6026 points from the seven events competed for two days. En route to the title, she won the high jump (1003 points) and javelin throw (872 points) events and finished second-best in shot put (707 points) and long jump (865 points). 19. What is the name of the military exercise to be held between China and Russia from September 11? (1) GLADIATOR 2018 (2) VIDENIYE 2018 (3) VOSTOK 2018 (4) SAMARITAN 2018 (5) NADEZHDA 2018 Answer Key: 3 Solution: The five-day Vostok -2018 exercises to be held from September 11 will be bigger that Zapad- 81—the mammoth manoeuvres carried out in Eastern Europe by the former Soviet Union in 1981. The Vostok-2018 will involve a jaw dropping 300,000 troops. China will join Russia in a giant military exercise, sending a message of deterrence to the United States which has designated Beijing and Moscow as revisionist powers. Mongolia will be third country participating in this mega-exercise. 20. Which film has recently become the first Bollywood film to release in Saudi Arabia? (1) Dangal (2) Race 3 (3) Sanju (4) Gold (5) Stree Answer Key: 4 Solution: Akshay Kumar-fronted ‘Gold’ has become the first Bollywood film ever to release in Saudi Arabia. The Reema Kagti directed sports film is only the second movie after Rajinikanth's hit social drama, ‘Kaala’ to hit the theatres in the Gulf country.