1. Reserve Bank of India has inked pact with which bank on bond clearing settlement?
(A) Bank of England
(B) European Central Bank
(C) Central Bank of Russia
(D) Qatar Central Bank
(E) Reserve Bank of Australia
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Reserve Bank of India signed an agreement with Bank of England on exchange of information for settlement of bond trades through Clearing Corporation of India Ltd.
BoE will assess CCIL to clear and settle bonds and overnight indexed swap trades done by England-based banks and investors.
CCIL is RBI-supervised central counterparty which hosts the trading platform for Indian government bonds.
2. What is the name of the first X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite, launched recently by ISRO?
(A) Astrosat
(B) Cartosat
(C) SCATSAT
(D) XPoSat
(E) RISAT-2BR
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch its first X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat).
The mission aims to explore the polarisation of powerful X-ray sources, adding a valuable dimension to the country’s space-based X-ray astronomy.
The primary payload Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays (POLIX) developed by Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru (RRI).
XPoSat aims to study the polarization of intense X-Ray sources, introducing a new dimension to X-Ray astronomy with simultaneous examination of temporal, spectral and polarization features.
3. Which edition of International Konark Dance Festival has recently commenced at Konark Sun Temple in Odisha?
(A) 34th
(B) 38th
(C) 44th
(D) 29th
(E) 26th
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
The 34th International Konark Dance Festival commenced at Konark Sun Temple in Odisha’s Puri district, being one of the largest dance festivals in Odisha.
This festival has been organised in the state jointly by Odisha Tourism and Odissi Research Centre.
It aims to promote the diverse Indian dance heritage as well as the popularity of Konark Temple.
4. Which state government has launched “Mission Daksh” to minimise school dropout?
(A) Jharkhand
(B) Bihar
(C) Haryana
(D) Gujarat
(E) Assam
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
The Bihar government launched ‘Mission Daksh’ (Dynamic Approach for Knowledge and Skill), aiding around 25 lakh students facing academic challenges in Classes 3-8 in government-operated schools.
A teacher will teach only 5 students, who cannot read and write Hindi and English fluently and are not good at basic Mathematics.
5. United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting is being organized in which country?
(A) Ghana
(B) Bangladesh
(C) Nigeria
(D) India
(E) Rwanda
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt is on official visit to Accra, Ghana from December 05 to 06, 2023 to attend the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting.
The Department of Peace Operations, UN and the Republic of Ghana are the hosts of the meeting.
It aims to address the security and operational challenges being faced by the UN peacekeepers.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Raksha Rajya Mantri will hold bilateral meetings with participating Ministers of member countries and discuss defence cooperation matters to further strengthen the engagements.
6. FITEXPO INDIA 2023 has begun in which city?
(A) Chennai
(B) New Delhi
(C) Kolkata
(D) Lucknow
(E) Mumbai
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
FITEXPO INDIA 2023, one of Asia’s largest sports, fitness, and wellness expos, begun in Kolkata.
The 3-day event will engage over 5000 enthusiasts and experts, showcasing diverse sports & fitness products from top brands.
It is featuring numerous events related to bodybuilding, martial arts, popular and indoor games, aspiring to foster collaborations for sports development.
7. Report “2023 Global Snapshot on HIV and AIDS” has been published by which organisation?
(A) UNESCO
(B) UNHCR
(C) UNGA
(D) UNDP
(E) UNICEF
Solution: Option E.)
Ans (E)
“2023 Global Snapshot on HIV and AIDS” report has been published by UNICEF.
The report analysis –
Despite progress, adolescent girls continue to bear the brunt of the HIV epidemic with 98,000 new infections in 2022.
Nearly 98000 adolescent girls aged 10-19 were infected with HIV in 2022; or 1900 new infections every week
In sub-Saharan Africa, HIV prevalence among adolescent girls aged 10-24 years, is persistently over 3 times higher than among their male counterparts.
8. Who has topped in The Hurun’s list of 200 self-made entrepreneurs?
(A) Rakesh Jhunjhunwala
(B) Dilip Shanghvi
(C) Radhakishan Damani
(D) Vijay Kedia
(E) Cyrus S Poonawalla
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Radhakishan Damani, veteran investor and founder of retail chain D-Mart, leads the list of the Top 200 Self-made Entrepreneurs of the Millennia 2023.
He has a market capitalisation of Rs 2.38 lakh crore.
He is followed closely by Binny Bansal and Sachin Bansal, founders of e-commerce behemoth Flipkart.
IDFC FIRST Private Hurun India’s report highlighted the above points.
9. Who has become the chairman of India Debt Resolution Co Ltd?
(A) Abhay Soi
(B) Narayan Seshadri
(C) Amrita Gangotra
(D) Michael Neeb
(E) Mayank Singhal
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Narayan Seshadri has assumed the role of Chairman at IDRCL, the government-backed bad bank, following the resignation of Diwakar Gupta.
Diwakar Gupta, former IDRCL Chairman, is anticipated to assume the role of Chairman at NARCL.
This leadership shift aims to expedite the resolution of bad loans, a process that has faced challenges and delays.
The creation of the National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL) and the India Debt Resolution Company Limited (IDRCL) is a significant development in the Indian financial landscape.
These entities aim to address the mounting problem of bad loans and non-performing assets (NPAs) in the banking sector.
10. What is the mascot of Khelo India Para Games 2023?
(A) ‘Shera’
(B) ‘Arjun’
(C) ‘Bhima’
(D) ‘Ujjwala’
(E) ‘Gomdori’
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
The ‘logo’ and mascot ‘Ujjwala’ of the Khelo India Para Games 2023, which is being organized for the first time, was launched by Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur in New Delhi.
‘Ujjwala’ – a sparrow, has been announced as the official mascot of the Para Games 2023.
More than 1400 participants from 32 states and union territories including the Services Sports Control Board are expected to participate in this game.
A total of 11 Khelo India Games have been successfully organized since 2018.