1. Trilateral exercise “Dosti-16” has recently kicked off in which country?
(A) Australia
(B) Maldives
(C) India
(D) Sri Lanka
(E) Saudi Arabia
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Trilateral exercise ‘Dosti-16’ kicks off in Maldives.
The two ships of the Indian Coast Guard – ICGS Samarth and ICGS Abhinav ready for the 16th edition of the India-Sri-Lanka-Maldives trilateral exercise ‘Dosti’.
Sri Lanka also sent SLNS Samudra to participate.
The ‘Dosti’ drill started in 1991 as a bilateral exercise by the coast guards of India and the Maldives. Sri Lanka joined it in 2012.
2. Salil Parekh has been appointed to the Board of Directors at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), is the CEO and MD of which company?
(A) Infosys
(B) Wipro
(C) TCS
(D) Cognizant
(E) Accenture
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Salil Parekh, CEO and MD of Infosys has been appointed to the Board of Directors at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).
Mukesh Aghi – President and CEO of USISPF.
Infosys claims to assist clients in over 56 countries with their digital transformation.
USISPF, an independent not-for-profit institution, is dedicated to strengthening the partnership between the US and India
3. Which veteran playback singer has been honoured with the Gansamragini Lata Mangeshkar Award?
(A) Anuradha Paudwal
(B) Ananya Srivas
(C) Kavita Krishnamurthy
(D) Suresh Wadkar
(E) Mohammed Aziz
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Veteran playback singer Suresh Wadkar has been honoured with the Gansamragini Lata Mangeshkar Award.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presented him with special mementoes.
In 2021, he also became a recipient of Padma Shri, The fourth-highest civilian award in the Republic of India.
The Maharashtra government was honoured with the Gan Samragni Lata Mangeshkar award for the year 2020-21 to veteran female playback singer Usha Mangeshkar.
The award is given by the cultural department of the state government.
4. Who has received the Best Debut Film Director award at the 57th Maharashtra State Marathi Film Awards Ceremony?
(A) Ravindra Jadhav
(B) Sanjay Jadhav
(C) Achyut Chopade
(D) Gajendra Vitthal
(E) Mahesh Vaman
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
The 57th Maharashtra State Film Awards concluded.
Achyut Chopade, director of the Marathi film Vegli Vaat, has received the Best Debut Film Director award.
Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award 2022 has been presented to Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Raj Kapoor
Special Contribution Award 2021 to Sonu Nigam.
The Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award 2022 was presented to veteran actress Helen.
5. Who has been awarded with Maharashtra Bhushan Award?
(A) Nivedita Joshi
(B) Laxmikant Berde
(C) Ashok Saraf
(D) Sachin Pilgaonkar
(E) Aniket Saraf
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Veteran actor Ashok Saraf, who has acted in more than 250 Marathi films and is known for his impeccable comic timing, was presented the Maharashtra Bhushan Award for 2023, the highest civilian honour of the state.
The prestigious award comprises a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh, a medal, and a citation.
Award presented by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
6. Which country has recently dropped from a global watchdog’s list of countries at risk of illicit money flows?
(A) UAE
(B) Pakistan
(C) Iran
(D) Uzbekistan
(E) Syria
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
UAE dropped from FATF’s financial crime watch list.
The UAE has been dropped from a global watchdog’s list of countries at risk of illicit money flows.
The EU still lists the UAE as a high-risk country for money laundering and terrorist financing, along with countries like South Africa, North Korea and Afghanistan
FATF was founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering and to maintain certain interest
7. Which event is Prime Minister Modi set to inaugurate that focuses on the textile industry?
(A) India Fabric Show 2024
(B) Global Textile Expo Bharat Tex 2024
(C) International Cotton Conference 2024
(D) Asia Apparel Expo 2024
(E) Bharat Textile Conference 2024
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Prime Minister Modi set to inaugurate Global Textile Expo Bharat Tex 2024.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate Global Textile Expo-Bharat Tex 2024 on 26th February in New Delhi.
The event will be spread over four days and cover 22 lakh square feet of exhibition area across Bharat Mandapam and Yashobhoomi.
Participation of buyers from 100 countries and over 100 international speakers is expected.
The expo aims to showcase the strength of India’s textile value chain on a global stage.
Organized by a consortium of 11 Textile Export Promotion Councils and supported by the Ministry of Textiles.
8. For the financial year 2024-25, how much budget did Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar propose?
(A) Rs 1.67 lakh crore
(B) Rs 1.77 lakh crore
(C) Rs 1.89 lakh crore
(D) Rs 2.09 lakh crore
(E) Rs 2.19 lakh crore
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar presents a budget of Rs 1.89 lakh crore for FY 2024-25, marking an 11% increase from the previous fiscal year.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar presents a budget of Rs 1.89 lakh crore for FY 2024-25, marking an 11% increase from the previous fiscal year.
CM Khattar proposes a waiver of interest and penalties on farm loans for those farmers who deposit them by May 2024, amid ongoing farmer protests.
A new scheme was announced to provide subsidies and interest-free loans on e-scooter purchases for gig workers, aiming to support the service sector.
Haryana government to cover expenses for girls enrolling in private colleges, ensuring accessibility to education.
1000 km of free travel in Haryana Roadways buses announced for nearly 22.89 lakh families with an annual income of Rs 1 lakh.
9. Which city is set to host the first-ever Maharashtra MSME Defence Expo, aiming to boost the Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign?
(A) Mumbai
(B) Nagpur
(C) Aurangabad
(D) Pune
(E) Nashik
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Pune is set to host the first-ever Maharashtra MSME Defence Expo, aiming to boost the Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign.
First-ever ‘Maharashtra MSME Defence Expo’ set to take place at the International Exhibition and Convention Center in Pune.
The event aims to boost the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ campaign, with participation from the Armed Forces, defence PSUs, and ordnance factories.
Indian Air Force showcasing Made in India Samar-II and Akash surface-to-air weapon systems.
DRDO exhibiting rockets for the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system and a Mounted Gun System.
Ganesh Nibe highlights the importance of direct interaction between tri-services and MSMEs.
465 MSMEs participating, with 10,000 more making online bookings.
DRDO presented a wheeled 8×8 CBRN reconnaissance Vehicle for the first time, capable of detecting chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.
10. Which organization recently signed an MoU with a Bengaluru institute to provide high-class education for the wards of its troops?
(A) Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
(B) Border Security Force (BSF
(C) Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
(D) Indian Army
(E) Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) recently signed an MoU with a Bengaluru institute to provide high-class education for the wards of its troops.
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United World Academy in Bengaluru.
The MoU aims to provide high-quality, affordable education for children of serving and retired SSB personnel.
Pradeep Kumar Gupta, Inspector General of SSB, and KC Vijaya Kumar, President of United World Academy, Bangalore, signed the agreement.
United World Academy’s schools in Bengaluru offer education from nursery to grade 12.
SSB Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary expresses satisfaction over the collaboration, emphasizing securing the future of SSB children.
The institute offers 100 free seats to children of martyrs and serving/retired SSB personnel, with waived admission and academic fees.