Q1: Satish Kaushik passed away was a/an____?
a) Singer
b) Poet
c) Politician
d) Actor
Show solution
Solution: option d.)
Veteran actor Satish Kaushik passed away this morning at the age of 66. He celebrated Holi on March 7th with a few Bollywood faces and suddenly, actor and his close friend Anupam Kher shared the news of his passing away. The veteran actor was known for his film performances and remarkable direction.
Satish Kaushik was famous for his roles as ‘Calendar’ in Anil Kapoor’s Mr. India, and ‘Pappu Pager’ in Deewana Mastana. His comic timing was highly appreciated by fans. He even won the Filmfare Best Comedian Award twice: in 1990 for Ram Lakhan and in 1997 for Saajan Chale Sasural. Salman Khan’s blockbuster “Tere Naam”, and Arjun Rampal starrer “Vaada”, were among the films Satish directed.
Q2: Who authored the book “As Good as My Word: A Memoir”?
a) Abhay Kumar
b) K.M. Chandrasekhar
c) Achal Malhotra
d) Arun Kumar Sahoo
Show solution
Solution: option b.)
As Good As My Word: A Memoir
Paperback by K.M. Chandrasekhar in English language
In an illustrious career spanning over forty years in public service and culminating in the highest office in Indian bureaucracy – Union Cabinet Secretary – K.M. Chandrasekhar has seen, and done, it all. He is one of those rare IAS officers who has held a wide range of senior positions in State government, the Centre, and public sector undertakings.
In this autobiography, he paints an intimate picture of the UPA government during one of its toughest phases and his own, crucial, role in steering India through some of her most severe crises – the Great Recession of 2008.
Q3: Which team wins the IRANI Cup 2023?
a) Rest of India
b) Madhya Pradesh
c) Saurashtra
d) Uttar Pradesh
Show solution
Solution: option a.)
Extending their dominance in the Irani Cup, the Rest of India handed last season’s Ranji Trophy champions Madhya Pradesh a 238-run drubbing on the final day of the season-ending match in Gwalior on Sunday.
Hosts Madhya Pradesh was bowled out for 198 in their second innings on the fifth and final day at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium chasing an imposing target of 437.
With the so-called result-oriented and under-prepared pitches for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy receiving a lot of flak, the Gwalior track was a throwback to the days when there used to be helpful for every department of the game.
Top Run-Scorers in the 2023 Irani Cup:
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal (ROI) – 357 runs
2. Abhimanyu Easwaran (ROI) – 182 runs
3. Yash Dubey (MP) – 117 runs
Top wicket-takers in the 2023 Irani Cup:
1. Pukit Narang (ROI) – 6 wickets
2. Avesh Khan (MP) took 6 wickets
3. Mukesh Kumar (ROI) – 4 wickets
Highest Individual Runs of Irani Cup 2023:
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal (ROI): 213 runs in 259 balls
2. Abhimanyu Easwaran (ROI): 154 runs in 240 balls
3. Yashasvi Jaiswal (ROI): 144 runs off of 157 balls.
Q4: Which Department of India has launched the Mission “Har Payment Digital”?
a) SEBI
b) RBI
c) IRDA
d) ED
Show solution
Solution: option b.)
The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Shaktikanta Das, on Monday, March 6, unveiled the ‘Har Payment Digital’ mission, on the occasion of the Digital Payments Awareness Week (DPAW) 2023. This initiative reflects the RBI’s goal of enabling every individual in India to embrace digital payments, it said in a statement. DPAW will run from March 6-12, 2023, and is centred around the theme, ‘Digital Payment Apnao, Auron ko bhi Sikhao,’ or adopt digital payments and teach others to do the same.
Digital payments offer a range of benefits, including speed, convenience, safety, and security. While digital payment infrastructure has made digital payments available and accessible, the RBI aims to create more awareness to enhance adoption.
Q5: Who was sworn in as Meghalaya’s New CM?
a) B.K Sangma
b) P.A. Sangma
c) Conrad Sangma
d) Williamson Sangma
Show solution
Solution: option c.)
Conrad Sangma took the oath of office as CM of Meghalaya for the second consecutive term on March 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah attended the oath-taking ceremony. Abu Taher Mondal, Kyrmen Shylla, Marcuise N Marak, and Rakkam A Sangma, others taking their oaths as ministers in the new NPP-led Meghalaya administration. Dr Ampareen Lyngdoh, Comingone Ymbon, Paul Lyngdoh, and Alexander Laloo Hek took their oaths of office as ministers in the newly formed NPP-led Meghalaya government.
Governor: Phagu Chauhan
Q6: Which state Government hikes monetary award for Mahila Vikas Protsahan Puraskar?
a) Uttar Pradesh
b) Goa
c) Andhra Pradesh
d) Himachal Pradesh
Show solution
Solution: option d.)
Presiding over a state-level event for International Women’s Day, Sukhu on Monday said the monetary award for the Mahila Vikas Protsahan Puraskar has been hiked to Rs 1 lakh from the current Rs 21,000.
• The allowance for district-level awards has been raised from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000.
• The Mahila Vikas Protsahan Puraskar is awarded to women who excel in various fields.
• Sukhu said women are the pillars of society and added that the whole world is empowered when women are empowered.
Q7: Which company becomes 2nd company to offer surety bonds?
a) LIC
b) NIACL
c) Max Life Insurance
d) New India Assurance
Show solution
Solution: option d.)
Surety bonds are legally enforceable tripartite contracts that guarantee compliance, payment, and/or performance.
The issuing insurer provides a guarantee, for a premium, in case of a default in the execution of a project. It assures one party (the obligee) that the entity (principal) responsible for the project or service delivery delivers on the project in a time-bound manner by adhering to the prescribed stipulations.
Neerja Kapur, chairman and managing director of New India Assurance Co, said, “Surety bonds will go a long way to revolutionise the dynamics of the infrastructure industry. Surety bond insurance will act as a security shield for infrastructure projects and protect the interests of both the contractor as well as the principal… Our surety bonds will provide much-needed financial reassurance to all parties involved in infrastructure projects.”
Last December, Union highways minister Nitin Gadkari launched the country’s first surety bond insurance for infrastructure projects with the private sector player Bajaj Allianz.
Q8: UPS, a global shipping and logistics company, has recently (on March 23) announced plans to open its first technology centre in India at ___________.
a) Chennai
b) Surat
c) Kolkata
d) Mumbai
Show solution
Solution: option d.)
UPS, a global shipping and logistics firm is expanding its network of technology centres in India, and its first centre will come up in Chennai this year. The firm has taken a space spanning 65,000 sq ft at RMZ One Paramount in Porur, Chennai.
Bala Subramanian, UPS EVP & Chief Digital and Technology Officer told The Hindu over the phone that UPS is making a strategic investment of USD 15- 20 million to expand its network of technology centres to India. When asked about the investments in the Chennai centre, he did not want to divulge details and said, “Chennai is an important market for UPS. This facility will commence operations in August this year and will have the capacity to house around 450-500 employees. The hiring process will start soon. The depth and diversity of the talent pool in Tamil Nadu are good and that is why we chose to invest here.”
Q9: In March 2023, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) conducted the Rail Track Rocket Sled deployment tests of the Gaganyaan Pilot and Apex Cover Separation (ACS) parachutes at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL).In which state/UT, the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory is located?
a) Goa
b) Chandigarh
c) Kerala
d) Tamil Nadu
Show solution
Solution: option b.)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) conducted the Rail Track Rocket Sled deployment tests of the Gaganyaan Pilot and Apex Cover Separation (ACS) parachutes in cluster configurations at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh, on March 1 and 3, 2023, an official statement said.
“The first test simulated the clustered deployment of two pilot parachutes. One parachute was subjected to a minimum angle concerning flow conditions and the second parachute was subjected to a maximum angle concerning flow. These pilot parachutes are used in the Gaganyaan mission to extract and deploy the main parachutes independently,” the statement read.
Q10: Which institute has recently (on March 23) signed an MoU with the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Mauritius to assist in conducting examinations?
a) NIT Hamirpur
b) IIT Kanpur
c) IIT Ropar
d) AIIMS New Delhi
Show solution
Solution: option d.)
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Mauritius to assist in conducting various examinations.
The Mauritius PSC conducts examinations for medical and health officers and dental surgeons to join public service in that country.
The PSC had approached the examination section of AIIMS for assistance in conducting its examinations. The examination section of AIIMS has experience in conducting various entrance, exit and recruitment-level examinations on a large scale.
As per the MoU, the examination section of AIIMS will assist the Mauritius PSC in preparing a pool of questions as per the requirement of the scheme of service for the posts in Mauritius.
Q11: Which company has recently (in March 2023) signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh Government to promote cooperation and financial inclusion?
a) Paytm
b) Bharatpe
c) Phonepe
d) Razorpay
Show solution
Solution: option a.)
One97 Communications Limited (OCL) which owns the brand Paytm, India’s leading payments and financial services company and the pioneer of QR and mobile payments, today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) on the sidelines of the Andhra Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023.
The agreement aims to promote cooperation in the areas of Industrial Development, Financial Inclusion, Public Health, Cyber Security and Prevention of Financial fraud in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Q12: Name the communication satellite that has recently (on March 23) launched by China into
geostationary orbit by a Long March 3B (CZ-3B) from the Xichang Space Center (XLSC).
a) Shijian-13
b) Apstar-6D
c) ChinaSat-9A
d) Zhongxing-26
Show solution
Solution: option d.)
China sent the Zhongxing-26 communications satellite into orbit marking the resumption of orbital launches following a pause for Chinese the e New Year.
A Long March 3B rocket lifted off at 6:49 a.m. Eastern (1149 UTC) from Xichang, southwest China, successfully sending Zhongxing-26 (ChinaSat-26) into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) confirmed launch success within the hour.
Zhongxing-26 is based on the DFH-4E satellite bus and uses chemical and electric propulsion. It is China’s first satellite to provide more than 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) and was developed by CASC’s China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).
Q13: Which company has recently (in March ‘23) received an order for two advanced ACH160 helicopters in India?
a) Lockheed Martin Corporation
b) Boeing Company
c) Airbus Corporate Helicopters
d) Dassault Aviation
Show solution
Solution: option c.)
Airbus Corporate Helicopters has won an order for two ACH160 helicopters in India – the first sale of the type in the region. The helicopters will be delivered with the ACH160 Exclusive configuration for business use by the customer who is an experienced helicopter operator. Under the terms of the contract, Airbus Corporate Helicopters will provide a turnkey solution to ensure a smooth entry into the service of both helicopters.
Q14: Name the personality who has been recently (in March 2023) appointed as the Chief Minister (CM) of Nagaland for the 5th term.
a) Pangyu Phom
b) Shurhozelie Liezietsu
c) T. R. Zeliang
d) Neiphiu Rio
Show solution
Solution: option d.)
The counting of votes polled in the Nagaland assembly elections is being held today. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies partner Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) have crossed the majority mark by winning 34 seats so far in Nagaland as the counting of votes continues. According to the latest trends shared by the Election Commission at 4.45 pm, BJP has won 12 seats while NDPP bagged 22 seats and is leading on 3 seats. Congress bagged 5 seats and is leading on two seats. Nagaland political stalwart and its longest-serving chief minister Neiphiu Rio are set to assume office for a fifth consecutive term.
Q15: Name the organisation that has recently (on March 23) collaborated with the Indian School of Business (ISB) as a knowledge partner for the G-20 Education Working Group (EWG).
a) AICTE
b) NCERT
c) NCTE
d) NSDC
Show solution
Solution: option d.)
The Indian School of Business (ISB) is collaborating with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), as a knowledge partner for the G-20 Education Working Group (EWG).
As part of this engagement, ISB would provide research and thought leadership support to NSDC in the broad area of Future Work. ISB will aid in creating knowledge collateral for the G20 EWG that in addition to original research, will draw on two webinars and a seminar. The webinar series scheduled for March will discuss ‘Megatrends Shaping the Future of Work’ and ‘Foundational Skills and Lifelong Learning’. This series will culminate in a skills exhibition that will host all G-20 nations at Bhubaneshwar.