1. What is the minimum support price announced by the government of India for the paddy common grade for the 2024-25 agricultural marketing season?
(A) Rs 2300 per quintal
(B) Rs 2400 per quintal
(C) Rs 2200 per quintal
(D) Rs 2100 per quintal
(E) Rs 2600 per quintal
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Kharif crops for the marketing season 2024-25.
The agriculture marketing season in India is from July to June.
In the Union Budget 2018-19 the government of India had announced that the MSP of a crop shall be at least 1.5 times the All-India weighted average Cost of Production.
In the recently announced MSP for the 2024-25 Kharif season, Bajra has the highest margin over the cost of production (77 percent), followed by Tur (59 percent), maize (54 percent), and Urad (52 percent). For the rest of the crops, the margin over the cost of production is estimated to be 50 percent.
The Union Cabinet gave its nod to raise the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy by 5.35% to ₹2,300 per quintal for the upcoming 2024-25 kharif marketing season.
2. Which country has topped the 2024 Global Energy Transition Index?
(A) Sweden
(B) Norway
(C) Finland
(D) Denmark
(E) Serbia
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
According to the Global Energy Transition Index released by the World Economic Forum(WEF), India has been ranked 63rd out of 120 countries surveyed in the index.
Last year, India was ranked 67th, an improvement of three ranks.
Sweden has again topped the Index, just like last year.
According to the WEF, India has shown considerable improvement across energy equity, security, and sustainability.
The Global Energy Transition Index is published by the WEF in its annual report ‘Fostering Effective Energy Transition’. The annual report is published by the WEF in association with Accenture.
3. Which edition of the Copa America football tournament has recently been hosted by the USA?
(A) 49th
(B) 44th
(C) 48th
(D) 55th
(E) 50th
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
The 48th edition of the Copa America football tournament has been kicked off in the United States on 21 June 2024.
This is the second time in the 108-year history of the Copa America Cup that the event is being held outside South America.
In 2016, the United States hosted the Copa America Cup.
The defending champion country is Argentina.
Argentina and Uruguay jointly share the honor of being the most successful countries in the Copa America Cup. Both countries have won the trophy fifteen times each.
Brazil has won the tournament 14 times.
Argentina are the defending champions. They defeated the host, Brazil, in the final of the 2021 Copa America.
4. What does F stand for in the recently launched central government scheme NFIES?
(A) Forego
(B) Foreground
(C) Forecast
(D) Forensic
(E) Forearm
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
The government of India has approved a new central sector scheme to strengthen the criminal forensic infrastructure in the country to aid an efficient criminal justice system.
The National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme (NFIES) was approved by the Union Cabinet in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2024.
The “National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme (NFIES) scheme will be implemented by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
The central government has allocated Rs 2254.43 crore for the National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme.
5. Where is India’s largest deep draft port to be constructed?
(A) Paradip, Odisha
(B) Vadhavan, Maharashtra
(C) Kochi, Kerala
(D) Mormugao, Goa
(E) Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
The government of India has approved the construction of a new major port at Vadhavan, situated in the Dahanu taluka of the Palghar district of Maharashtra.
The approval for the project was given by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The development of a new port, Vadhavan, is in alignment with the PM Gatishakti program.
The proposed all-weather Greenfield Vadhavan Port is to be India’s largest deep draft port. It will be constructed by Vadhavan Port Project Limited (VPPL).
The total cost of the Vadhavan project is Rs.76,220 crore.
6. What is the objective of the recent collaboration between CERT-In and Mastercard in India’s financial sector?
(A) To develop new financial products
(B) To promote digital payments in rural areas
(C) To enhance cybersecurity resilience
(D) To improve customer service in banks
(E) To establish a national financial database
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
CERT-In and Mastercard have signed a MoU to enhance cybersecurity in India’s financial sector by leveraging their combined expertise for incident response, capacity building, and advanced malware analysis.
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, GoI, is the nodal agency to deal with cyber security incidents.
7. Asian Development Bank approved a how much loan to improve India’s health system to respond to future pandemics?
(A) USD 100 million
(B) USD 170 million
(C) USD 130 million
(D) USD 200 million
(E) USD 240 million
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Asian Development Bank approved a USD 170 million (Rs 1,418 crore) policy-based loan to improve India’s health system preparedness and capacity to respond to future pandemics.
The loan will support the National Health Policy 2017 by strengthening disease surveillance, laboratory networks, and data systems.
ADB: Headquarters: Manila
President: Masatsugu Asakawa
8. Researchers discovered a new diatom genus in the clean water rivers of the Eastern Ghats. What is the name of this genus?
(A) Indiobacteria
(B) Aquaindica
(C) Easternema
(D) Indiconema
(E) Ghatonema
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Researchers discovered a new diatom genus, Indiconema, in the Eastern Ghats’ clean water rivers, featuring unique valve symmetry and dual pore fields.
Diatoms are crucial for producing 25% of global oxygen and serve as key indicators of aquatic health.
The genus has been named Indiconema.
Indiconema was discovered by scientists at Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune.
Diatoms are formally classified as belonging to the Division Chrysophyta, Class Bacillariophyceae.
The Chrysophyta are algae that form endoplasmic cysts, store oils rather than starch, possess a bipartite cell wall, and secrete silica at some stage of their life cycle.
9. Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) canceled the license of which bank due to inadequate capital and earning prospects?
(A) Bharat Co-operative Bank
(B) Janata Sahakari Bank
(C) Abhyudaya Co-Operative Bank
(D) City Co-operative Bank
(E) Saraswat Co-operative Bank
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
RBI cancels license of the City Co-operative Bank, Maharashtra.
RBI canceled the license of City Co-operative Bank, Maharashtra, due to inadequate capital and earning prospects.
The Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Maharashtra, has been instructed to wind up the bank and appoint a liquidator.
About 87% of depositors will receive up to Rs 5 lakh from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
10. President Droupadi Murmu has appointed whom as the pro tem Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha?
(A) K. Suresh
(B) Bhartruhari Mahtab
(C) Virendra Kumar
(D) Damayanti Beshra
(E) Baijayant Panda
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Bhartruhari Mahtab, a seven-term MP from Cuttack, as the pro-tem Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha.
The newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha will take oath or affirmation before the pro tem Speaker.
About Pro Tem Speaker –
Temporary presiding officer of the Lok Sabha
Appointed by the President of India
Administer the oath to newly elected members of the Lok Sabha and conduct the election of the new Speaker
Typically, the senior-most member of the Lok Sabha
Short tenure, until the new Speaker is elected
Ensure smooth initiation of the new Lok Sabha session, and maintain order during the election of the Speaker.