1. The grand event of the Paris Olympics 2024 has been organized on which river in Paris?
(A) Seine River
(B) Loire River
(C) Marne River
(D) Garonne River
(E) SaƓne River
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
The 33rd Summer Olympics opening ceremony was organized in the French capital city of Paris.
For the first time in the Summer Olympics’ history, the traditional opening ceremony was not held in a stadium but in the open on the Seine River.
Out of the 117-strong Indian side, 78 participated in the opening ceremony.
The Indian contingent was led by four-time Olympian table tennis player Sharath Kamal and two-time Olympian badminton player P.V. Sindhu.
Paris will host the 33rd Summer Olympics from July 26 to August 11 and the Paralympics for physically challenged athletes from August 28 to September 8, 2024.
It is the third time Paris is hosting the Summer Olympics, having hosted in 1900,1924, and now in 2024.
2. The historical ‘Moidams,’ which have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List recently, are located in which state?
(A) Meghalaya
(B) Assam
(C) Nagaland
(D) Kerala
(E) Odisha
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
The Moidams of Assam, the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty, have been included in the cultural category of the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
It is the 43rd site in India to be included in UNESCOās World Heritage Site list.
The decision to include the Moidam of Assam was taken at the 46th session of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) ‘s World Heritage Committee.
Italy has the most sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, with 59, followed by China, with 57 sites.
India is sixth with 43 sites.
3. Which country hosted the 2024 foreign ministers’ meeting between India and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)?
(A) Myanmar
(B) Cambodia
(C) Vietnam
(D) Laos
(E) Thailand
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with India in Vientiane, the capital city of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the current chairman of ASEAN, is hosting the ASEAN foreign ministerās meeting, EAS meeting, ARF meeting, and India-ASEAN meeting.
Saleumxay Kommasith is the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
4. Recently, India has launched a Technology Security Initiative with which country?
(A) Russia
(B) United States
(C) France
(D) United Kingdom
(E) Japan
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
India and the United Kingdom have launched a new technology security initiative to coagulate defense collaboration and boost economic ties between the two countries.
India and the United Kingdom launched a free trade conciliation in 2022 during Boris Johnsonās British government.
The British government prioritized a trade deal with India after the United Kingdom left the European Union in 2020.
An agreement was reached to double the bilateral trade between the two countries from $50 billion in 2022 to $100 billion by 2030.
5. Which Union Minister recently inaugurated the “Model Skill Loan Scheme”?
(A) Jayant Chaudhary
(B) Ajit Singh
(C) Chirag Paswan
(D) Jitin Prasada
(E) Sanjeev Balyan
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
A revamped “model skill loan scheme” for skill development courses has been launched by the Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary, with a fresh maximum loan limit of Rs 7.5 lakh ā up from the previous amount of Rs 1.5 lakh.
“Model Skill Loan Scheme” was launched in 2015.
The revised scheme will now allow access to more skill courses, against only national skill qualification framework (NSQF)-aligned courses under the old scheme.
Also, non-NSQF courses that are onboarded on the Skill India Digital Hub platform will come under the scheme.
6. Which location will house India’s first integrated agri-export facility?
(A) Chennai Port
(B) Jawaharlal Nehru Port
(C) Kolkata Port
(D) Visakhapatnam Port
(E) Mumbai Harbour
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
India’s first integrated agri-export facility will come up at Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai.
The shipping ministry has approved a Rs 284 crore public-private partnership (PPP) project to revolutionize agri-logistics and reduce wastage.
The facility will cater to exports of items such as non-basmati rice, maize, spices, onion, and wheat.
The project, approved by Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, will be an all-in-one and state-of-the-art agricultural facility at the port, spanning 67,422 sqm.
7. By March 31, 2027, how many Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras does the government aim to open across the country?
(A) 30000
(B) 20000
(C) 25000
(D) 35000
(E) 15000
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
The government has set a target to open 25,000 Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) by 31st March 2027 across the country.
547 PMBJ Kendras have been opened in Primary Agricultural Credit Societies across the country till June last month.
2047 medicines and 3000 surgical and medical consumables have been brought under the product basket for wider availability.
8. Who has been concurrently accredited as the Indian Ambassador to Yemen while serving as the Ambassador to Saudi Arabia?
(A) Vikram Doraiswami
(B) P. Kumaran
(C) Suhel Ajaz Khan
(D) Riva Ganguly Das
(E) Sanjay Kumar Verma
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Suhel Ajaz Khan, Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, has been concurrently accredited as the Ambassador to Yemen, based in Riyadh.
Yemen is a sovereign state in West Asia.
Located in the southern Arabian Peninsula, it borders Saudi Arabia to the north, Oman to the northeast, and the Indian Ocean to the south.
Capital: Sana’a.
Currency: Yemeni Rial.
Official language: Arabic.
A “sovereign state” is a political entity that possesses full control over its territory and government, and is recognized as independent by other nations.
9. Which project received a $200 million loan approval from the Asian Development Bank for expanding metro rail connectivity?
(A) Mumbai Metro
(B) Bengaluru Metro
(C) Hyderabad Metro
(D) Nagpur Metro
(E) Delhi Metro
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
ADB approved $200M for Nagpur Metro Expansion
Asian Development Bank approved a $200 million loan for the Nagpur Metro Urban Mobility Project to expand and improve metro rail connectivity, constructing 43.8 km of elevated rail corridors with 32 stations.
It includes integration with city transport services, promotion of nonmotorized transport & development of a 5-year action plan.
ADB Hq: Philippines.
President: Masatsugu Asakawa.
10. How many PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks has the Government approved for development, and what is the total outlay?
(A) 7 Parks, Rs. 4,445 crore
(B) 5 Parks, Rs. 3,000 crore
(C) 10 Parks, Rs. 5,500 crore
(D) 3 Parks, Rs. 2,500 crore
(E) 8 Parks, Rs. 6,000 crore
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
The Government has approved the establishment of 7 PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks, including a Greenfield project in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu.
The project has an investment of Rs. 4,445 crore over seven years, expected to generate 100,000 direct and 200,000 indirect jobs.
The Virudhunagar park will be managed by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with a 51% stake held by the Tamil Nadu Government and 49% by the Central Government.
Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs. 1,200 crore have been signed for investment in the park.
To boost investment, employment, and exports in the textile sector, the Ministry is implementing the Scheme for Integrated Textile Park (SITP).