General Awareness Dec 2017 – Part -2 Answer the following question by choosing the best option from the choices given. 1. Recently, the government has set up a high level committee under the guidance of NITI Aayog chief executive to address stressed assets in: 1. Power sector 4. Information technology 2. Manufacturing sector 5. None of the above 3. Infrastructure sector Ans: 1 Solution: In December 2017, the government has set up a high-level committee headed by NITI Aayog chief executive Amitabh Kant to address the problem of stressed assets in India's power sector. Non-performing assets (NPAs) in power generation accounted for around 5.9% of the banking sector’s total outstanding advances of Rs4.73 trillion, according to the second volume of the Economic Survey 2016-17 released in August 2017. 2. Recently, who has been appointed as the President of Para-Sports Foundation in India? 1. Mohan Singh Talwar 4. Rajesh Savvan Shyat 2. Sarvesh Kumar Tiwari 5. None of the above 3. Abbas Miryari Ans: 2 Solution: A renowned communication expert, Sarvesh Kumar Tiwari, was appointed as the President of Para- Sports Foundation (PSF), India. The announcement was made at the National Award for Divyangjan 2017 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Para Sports Foundation is a non-profit organization working towards the social welfare of persons with disabilities. It has been actively involved in organizing various tournaments and championships for the para-athletes. The PSF is founded by Pradeep Raj, an international athlete with a disability and a national youth awardee from the President of India. 3. Recently, which city in India has figured in the UN compiled list of best cities in solid waste management? 1. Trichy 4. Mysuru 2. Roorke 5. None of the above 3. Alappuzha Ans: 3 © CETS www.conduiraonline.com Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited. Page 1 of 15 Solution: The coastal town of Alappuzha, famous for its backwaters and intricate network of canals and lagoons, has found a spot in a United Nations (UN) report of five global cities that have successfully tackled solid waste management as in December of 2017. The UN Environment report lists Alappuzha, also called Aleppey, alongside cities like Osaka in Japan, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Penang in Malaysia and Calico in Colombia. 4. To which sport will one associate Gurdeep Singh with? 1. Boxing 4. Weightlifting 2. Tennis 5. None of the above 3. Cricket Ans: 4 Solution: Gurdeep Singh created three new senior national records in +105kg weight category in the IWF World Weightlifting Championships 2017 at Anaheim in USA. In snatch, he bettered his own earlier national record of 171kg by one kilogram while in clean and jerk, he broke the earlier national record of 215kg which was in the name of Sarabjit Singh by clearing 216kg. In the total lift also, Gurdeep bettered the earlier national record of 384kg which was in the name of Sarabjit (2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games) with an effort of 388kg. 5. Recently, Kanchanmala Pande has become the first Indian to win a gold. The sport in this case is: 1. Shooting 4. Para-shooting 2. Badminton 5. Para-swimming 3. Tennis Ans: 5 Solution: Nagpur's visually impaired swimmer Kanchanmala Pande scripted history for India. Kanchanmala became the first Indian to win the gold medal in the World Para Swimming Championship in December 2017. She created ripples in the ongoing championship in Mexico and secured the top spot in 200 meters medley event in S-11 category. Kanchanmala, who works with Reserve Bank of India (RBI), was expecting a medal at Mexico but a gold medal was totally unexpected. 6. Recently, which city hosted the 19th General Assembly and Scientific Symposium of ICOMOS? 1. New Delhi 4. Jaipur 2. Mumbai 5. None of the above 3. Chennai Ans: 1 © CETS www.conduiraonline.com Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited. Page 2 of 15 Solution Cultural heritage plays a vital role in our life and keeps us attached with our tradition and beliefs. This was said during the inauguration of the Exhibition, Cultural Heritage Practice in India and release of the Monograph HRIDAY Reflections, at the 19th General Assembly and Scientific Symposium ICOMOS (Heritage and Democracy), at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. ICOMOS India organized the 19th General Assembly from 11th to 15th December 2017. 7. Recently, Bodhi Parva: BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage has taken place in: 1. Mumbai 4. Bhubaneshwar 2. New Delhi 5. Visakhapatnam 3. Jaipur Ans: 2 Solution: Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) Dr. Mahesh Sharma has underlined the relevance of the message of peace and compassion of Lord Buddha in present time and said that it remains a unifying force among nations. Dr. Sharma has opened the three days ‘Bodhi Parva: BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage’ in New Delhi on December 08, 2017. The minister said that the message of Lord Buddha is as relevant in the twenty first century as it was two and a half millennia ago and has been a unifying force among nations. The values of peace, accommodation, inclusiveness, and compassion that are part of our societies can be attributed to the influence of the teachings of Lord Buddha and Buddhism. 8. It has been known that ADB will fund highway upgradation project in the state that has lower unemployment and poverty rates when compared to the national average. Which is this state? 1. Andhra Pradesh 4. Tamil Nadu 2. Maharashtra 5. Gujarat 3. Karnataka Ans: 3 Solution: Asian Development Bank (ADB) will fund highway upgradation project in Karnataka for which it has approved a loan of USD 346 million, ADB said. It said the Board of Directors has approved the loan to improve 419 km of state highways by upgrading them to two and four-lane with paved shoulders and improving culverts and bridges. This is ADB's second funding to Karnataka, whose per capita income is higher than the national average and has lower unemployment and poverty rates. The project will see construction of planned pedestrian, installation of women-friendly elements including bus shelters, marked crossings, footpaths and th proper signage, among others. This has been updated on 14 December, 2017. © CETS www.conduiraonline.com Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited. Page 3 of 15 9. Who will be honoured with the Vyas Samman 2017? 1. Minerva Sri 4. Mamta Kalia 2. Rani Ravvya 5. None of the above 3. Chandra Sherania Ans: 4 Solution: Eminent Hindi writer Mamta Kalia will be honoured with literary award Vyas Samman for year 2017 for her novel "Dukkham Sukkham", the K K Birla Foundation announced. This is for her novel "Dukkham Sukkham" published in 2009. With eminent literary critic and poet Ram Vilas Sharma as the first recipient in 1991, the Vyas Samman is given to a Hindi literary work published in the past 10 years. 10. Who won the Atibadi Jagannath Das Samman 2017? 1. Bhupen Mohapatra 4. Kumudu Chandra Das 2. Sanatan Mohanty 5. Rabi Singh 3. Rajat Kumar Kar Ans: 5 Solution: Odia poet Rabi Singh has been named the winner of the prestigious Atibadi Jagannath Das Samman instituted by the Odisha Sahitya Akademi, for the year 2017. Apart from Rabi Singh, 15 eminent litterateurs - Sanatan Mohanty, Rajat Kumar Kar, Bhupen Mohapatra, Nabakishore Prusty, Ramchandra Mohanty, Surendra Kumar Moharana, Trinath Sahu, Laxmidhar Jena, Banshidhar Rout, Panchanan Mishra, Anjali Panda, Nakula Chandra Sahu, Anil Chandra Das, Kumuda Chandra Das and Gobardhan Nayak will also be felicitated at the award ceremony. 11. Rafael Nadal and Garbine Muguruza have been named as the 2017 ITF World Champions. The speciality here is: 1. Both players belong to the same nation, 3. Both players belong to the same nation, Spain. A similar record last happened in Spain. A similar record last happened in 1998. 1975. 2. Both players belong to the same nation, 4. This award will not be present from the Italy. A similar record last happened in next year. 2001. 5. None of the above Ans: 1 © CETS www.conduiraonline.com Replication or other unauthorized use of this material is prohibited. Page 4 of 15 Solution: The ITF announced that Spanish duo Rafael Nadal and Garbine Muguruza have been named the 2017 ITF World Champions. Nadal receives the honour for the third time, while it is the first year Muguruza has been recognised. This is the first time since Americans Pete Sampras and Lindsay Davenport in 1998 that the men’s and women’s ITF world champions are from the same country. In their first seasons together, Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Marcelo Melo of Brazil, and Chan Yun-Jan of Chinese Taipei and the recently- retired Martina Hingis of Switzerland are named Doubles World Champions. David Wagner of USA becomes the inaugural ITF Quad Wheelchair World Champion; while Gustavo Fernandez of Argentina is named Men’s Wheelchair World Champion for the first time, and Japan’s Yui Kamiji earned her second Women's Wheelchair World Champion honour. Axel Geller of Argentina and Whitney Osuigwe of USA are named ITF Junior World Champions. 12. Who won the Best Actress Award (Popular) in the 23rd edition of Star Screen Awards? 1. Deepika Padukone 4. Disha Patani 2. Vidya Balan 5. None of the above 3. Priyanka Chopra Ans: 2 Solution: The 23rd edition of the annual film awards show, Star Screen Awards, was held at Mumbai in December 2017. Vidya Balan bagged the Best Actress Award (Popular) for Tumhari Sulu, Rajkummar Rao was named the Best Actor (Critics) for Newton. Along with this, he also won the Best Supporting Actor award for Bareilly Ki Barfi.