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Q1. Pala wetlands was recently designated as ‘Ramsar sites’, it is located in which state?
Mizoram
Odisha
Rajasthan
Tamil Nadu
Mizoram
India now has 54 Ramsar sites.
The new sites include three wetlands (Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest and Pichavaram Mangrove) in Tamil Nadu, one (Pala wetland) in Mizoram and one wetland (Sakhya Sagar) in Madhya Pradesh.
Q2. The ‘World Day for International Justice’ was observed on
July 05
July 09
July 15
July 17
July 17
The Day is observed to sensitise on international justice and to promote the rights of the victims.
It celebrates the approval of the Rome Statute and the formation of the new international criminal justice system in 1998.
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Adopted in 1998 and entered into force on 1 July 2002.
Four core international crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression
Q3. Recently India signed a MoU with which country for the reintroduction of Cheetah and wildlife conservation?
South Africa
Australia
Brazil
Namibia
Namibia
MoU paves way for reintroduction of eight cheetahs in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
It covers cooperation on wildlife conservation and sustainable biodiversity utilisation. India will train Namibian candidates in wildlife management courses at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Dehradun.
Q4. The ‘National Flag Day’ is celebrated on which day in India?
August 15
January 26
July 18
July 22
July 22
Every year, India celebrates the National Flag Day on July 22. On the same day in 1947, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the National Flag.
When the members of the Indian Constituent Assembly met in the Constitution Hall in Delhi on July 22, 1947, the first thing the Assembly discussed was a motion by Jawaharlal Nehru to adopt the national flag for free India.
Q5. Who are the eligible beneficiaries of ‘Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana’?
Senior Citizens
Below-Poverty-Line populations
MSME sectors
Micro lenders & cooperative society
Senior Citizens
Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana was launched on July 21, 2017.
Under the scheme, senior citizens above the age of 60 can make a lump sum investment and can monthly or a yearly pension.
PMVVY has been extended up to 31st March, 2023. The amendment in 2020 allowed an assured rate of return of 7.40 % per annum for the year 2020-21 per annum and thereafter to be reset every year.
Q6. WHO has recently declared which outbreak as a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC)?
Malaria
Bird-Flu
Monkeypox
Tomato Flu
Monkeypox
This classification is one step below that of a ‘pandemic.’ WHO says the expanding monkeypox outbreak in over 70 countries is now qualified as a global emergency.
Established on 7 April 1948.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Q7. Which movie was declared as the ‘Best Feature Film’ in the 68th National Film Awards?
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
Soorarai Pottru
Ayyappanum Koshiyum
Mandela
Soorarai Pottru
Suriya and Ajay Devgn shared the Best Actor award
Aparna Balamurali won Best Actoress awards.
Sachidanandan KR was awarded Best Director.
Q8. Best Actor in the 68th National Film Awards
Suriya and Ajay Devgn
Ayushmann Khurrana
Akash Andhadhun
Vicky Kaushal
Suriya and Ajay Devgn
Q9. Which state has signed MoU with Telangana to set up an all women-run cooperative bank?
Maharashtra
Karnataka
Andhra Pradesh
Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rajasthan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Telangana government’s Stree Nidhi Credit Cooperative Federation.
The aim is to set up the first all women-run cooperative bank in Rajasthan, on the lines of the Stree Nidhi model of Telangana.
‘Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi’ fund would be operated by the women Self Help Groups for the women of SHG only.
Q10. The 2022 National Games of India is about to be held in which state?
Assam
Kerala
Mahashtra
Gujarat
Gujarat
The 2022 National Games of India will be the 36th edition of the National Games of India and will be held in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar in the state of Gujarat between 27 September and 10 October 2022.
Q11. Which Indian economist has been appointed the chief economist of the World Bank?
Indermit Gill
Kaushik Basu
Raghuram Rajan
Urjit Patel
Indermit Gill
World Bank has appointed Indermit Gill as the Chief Economist and senior vice president for development economics.
Indermit Gill is the second Indian, after, to become the chief economist of the World Bank. It is an international financial institution that grants loans to middle and lower-income countries.
Q12. Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest and Pichavaram Mangrove, which were recently designated as ‘Ramsar sites’ are located in
Odisha
Arunachal Pradesh
Tamil Nadu
Rajasthan
Tamil Nadu
India now has 54 Ramsar sites.
The new sites include three wetlands (Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest and Pichavaram Mangrove) in Tamil Nadu, one (Pala wetland) in Mizoram and one wetland (Sakhya Sagar) in Madhya Pradesh.
Q13. Which organisation/institution has recently released India Innovation Index (2021)?
Ministry of Science and Technology
Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru
NITI Aayog
IIT Madras
NITI Aayog
Karnataka ranked first in the NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index (2021) for third time in a row.
Since 2019 India Innovation Index ranks states and union territories on the basis of innovation capabilities.
Q14. The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 will be held in
Bangladesh
India
England
Sri Lanka
India
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be hosted by Bangladesh for the second time
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 edition goes to England
The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2025 will be hosted by India
Sri Lanka will host the Women’s T20 Champions Trophy 2027
Q15. ‘International Tiger Day’ observed on
July 21
July 27
July 29
July 31
July 29
‘International Tiger Day’ is observed every year across the world on July 29. The objective is to raise awareness among individuals, organisations, and governments about the importance of the conservation of tigers.
International Tiger Day was introduced in 2010 after it was discovered that 97% of tigers disappeared in the past century.
According to the WWF, the current population of tigers is 3,900.
India is home to around 70% of the world’s tiger population. Tiger population of India has increased to almost 3,000.
Government of Assam has approved a proposal for the creation of Barak Bhuvan Wildlife Sanctuary
The establishment of ‘Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary’ has been approved by the Governor – Prof Jagdish Mukhi. Assam’s Barak Valley will soon get a second wildlife sanctuary.
The Governor of Assam is pleased to declare its intention to constitute the area described in the Schedule annexed hereto as the Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary will be spread over an area of 320 sq km between the Barak river and the Sonai river.
India designates five new Ramsar wetland sites
India has designated five new Ramsar sites, wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, also known as The Convention on Wetlands.
Three wetlands are from Tamil Nadu, one from Mizoram and one from Madhya Pradesh. This takes the total number of Ramsar Sites in India to 54. Earlier, the number of Ramsar sites in India stood at 49.
5 New Ramsar Sites in India include;
Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu: It is a 61.21-hectare protected area located in Kancheepuram District of Tamil Nadu. It is located at a distance of 75 km from Chennai.
Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest, Tamil Nadu: It is a freshwater marsh in Chennai. It is the only surviving wetland ecosystem in Chennai. It is counted among the last remaining natural wetlands of South India.
Pichavaram Mangrove, Tamil Nadu: It is located near Chidambaram in Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu. It covers an area of 1100 hectares and is counted among the largest mangrove forests in the country.
Pala wetland, Mizoram: It is the largest natural wetland in Mizoram. The wetland is surrounded by green woodlands. It is known for its rich diversity of animal species including several species of animals and birds.
Sakhya Sagar, Madhya Pradesh: This lake is an integral part of the beautiful ecology of the Madhav National Park in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh.
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar convention is an intergovernmental environmental treaty, named after Ramsar city in Iran on the Caspian Sea, where the treaty was signed.
It was established by UNESCO on February 2, 1971.
The Ramsar convention came into force in 1975.
It provides for international cooperation and national action regarding conservation of wetlands and sustainable use of their resources.
The Ramsar convention identifies wetlands of international importance across the globe, especially those that are home to diverse biodiversity.
Indermit Gill has been appointed as the Chief Economist of World Bank
The World Bank has appointed Indermit Gill as chief economist and senior vice-president for development economics at the multilateral development bank.
He will be succeeding Cuban-American economist Carmen M. Reinhart. His appointment will be effective September 1, 2022.
Indermit Gill is an Indian National, who is currently Vice President for Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions, where he led work on macroeconomics, trade, debt, poverty and governance.
Indermit Gill will be only the second Indian to serve as chief economist at the World Bank. Kaushik Basu was the first, having served in the job from 2012-2016.
India and Bangladesh signed agreement to curb trans-border crimes
India and Bangladesh signed an agreement to curb cross-border crime and launch necessary measures for ensuring peace and tranquillity across the border.
Key Points
Both sides highlighted the importance of a coordinated border management plan in curbing the menace of smuggling contrabands such as narcotics, firearms, FICN, gold etc.
They agreed on facilitating river bank protection works across the common bordering rivers, in line with approval given by the Joint River Commission.
They agreed to remain cautious and steadfast in stopping smuggling through sharing real-time information and active anti-smuggling efforts.
A wide range of issues like smuggling, trans-border crime, insurgent movement, narcotics, human trafficking and cattle lifting were discussed between officials of the two countries and both the parties agreed to take measures against such practices on their respective sides.
Both the parties further agreed to launch public awareness programmes and developmental programmes across vulnerable areas for lowering down the number of incidents of assault and border crime.
Gujarat will host the 36th National Games
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat State Government and the Gujarat Olympic Association (GOA) for the joint conduct of the 36th National Games, Gujarat 2022.
The last edition of the National Games was the 35th edition which was held in Kerala.
The National Games were first held in Lahore, British India, in 1924.
Key Points
The 36th edition of the National Games will be held in Gujarat between 27 September to 10 October 2022.
The National Games 2022 will be held across 6 cities in Gujarat, viz., Gandhinagar, Surat, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, and Bhavnagar.
Statue of Unity of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Gir Asiatic Lion are logo for the 36th National Game 2022.
Indigenous sports such as kabaddi, kho-kho, mallakhamb and yogasana have also been included in the National Games programme.
IMF reduces GDP forecast of India to 7.4% for FY23
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reduced India’s growth forecast for 2022-23 (FY23) by 80 basis points to 7.4 per cent from 8.2% citing less favourable external conditions and rapid policy tightening by the central bank.
The IMF also cut the global growth outlook and warned that the world may soon be on the brink of a recession. Global economic expansion will likely slow to 3.2% this year, slower than the 3.6% forecast by the fund in April.
Moreover, the multilateral lender cut the country’s growth forecast to 6.1 per cent for the financial year 2023-2024.
The IMF also cut global growth forecasts, warning that downside risks from high inflation and the Ukraine war were materialising and could push the world economy to the brink of recession if left unchecked.
China’s growth is estimated to slow to 3.3% in 2022 from 4.4% estimated earlier by the IMF.
Other emerging markets and developing economies, including Russia, South Africa, and Brazil, saw an upward revision in their economic forecasts on improved outlook. The IMF also cut the global growth outlook and warned that the world may soon be on the brink of a recession.
Global economic expansion will likely slow to 3.2% this year, slower than the 3.6% forecast by the fund in April.
Burhanpur becomes country’s first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ certified district
Burhanpur district of Madhya Pradesh became the first Certified ‘Har Ghar Jal’ district in the Country.
Burhanpur district has achieved the unprecedented and proud achievement of providing tap-pure drinking water to every household through jal jeevan mission.
All the 254 villages of Burhanpur district are being supplied with water from the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme. These villages have been certified ‘Every House Water’.
Accordingly, it certifies that all people in the villages have access to safe drinking water through taps, ensuring that ‘No One is Left Out’.
Indian Antarctic Bill 2022 passed by Parliament
Recently, Parliament passed the Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022. The bill was passed with a voice vote after a brief discussion amid protests by the opposition members.
The bill aims to demilitarise Antarctica; use of Antarctica for peaceful purposes; promote international scientific cooperation in Antarctica.
The Bill seeks to give effect to the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.
Key Features of the bill
Prohibit Indian expedition to Antarctica without permit or written authorisation of another party to Antarctic Treaty.
Extend jurisdiction of Indian courts to Antarctica and lays out penal provision for crimes on the continent by Indian citizens, foreign citizens who are part of Indian expeditions.
The act directs creating a fund called the Antarctic fund that will be used for protecting the Antarctic environment.
The Bill also establishes a ‘Committee on Antarctic Governance and Environmental Protection.’ Prohibits mining, dredging and activities that threaten the pristine conditions of the continent.
India’s Antarctic Programme
Dakshin Gangotri– 1983-84: It was the first Indian scientific research base station. It is located at a distance of 2,500 kilometres from the South Pole.
Maitri– 1988: It is located in an ice-free, rocky area on the Schirmacher Oasis.
Bharati- 2015: It is located beside Larsmann Hill, between Thala Fjord & Quilty bay, about 3000 km east of Maitri.
Henley Passport Index 2022
Henley Passport Index 2022 was recently published by immigration consultancy Henley & partners.
India has been ranked at 87th position with visa-free access to 60 countries.
Ranking was based on the number of destinations the passport holders could access without prior visa.
Japan has the world’s most powerful passport, followed by Singapore and South Korea, as per Henley Passport Index 2022.
Japan’s passport provides entry to 193 countries without a prior visa. On the other hand, Singapore and South Korea allows hassle-free entry to 192 countries.
About Henley Passport Index
It is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom enjoyed by holders of that country’s ordinary passport for its citizens.
It started in 2006 as Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index (HVRI) and was modified and renamed in January 2018.
The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information.
The index covers 227 destinations and 199 passports.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveils India’s first Passenger Drone “Varuna”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unveiled Varuna, India’s first passenger drone. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently watched the demonstration of India’s first passenger drone, Varuna and asserted that the current government has ensured last-mile delivery of services with the help of technology, including drones.
About ‘Varuna’ drone
This ‘Varuna’ drone has been designed and developed by a startup and has the capacity to carry one person inside.
This drone has been designed and developed by a startup ‘Sagar Defence Engineering’.
Varuna, India’s first drone that can carry human pay-load has a range of 25 km.
The passenger drone can carry 130 kg payload and has 25-33 minutes of flight time.
Dinesh Gunawardena was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Dinesh Gunawardena was appointed as the 15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
He succeeds former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as Sri Lanka’s President by Parliament.
Gunawardena, parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party, took his oath in the capital Colombo in the presence of other senior legislators.
Along with Prime Ministership, Gunawardena has additional charge of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Council, and Local Government.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched ‘Swanirbhar Naari’ scheme
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched ‘Swanirbhar Naari’, a scheme to empower indigenous weavers in Assam’s Guwahati.
Key Points
The state government will procure handloom items directly from indigenous weavers without involving any middlemen through a specially developed Swanirbhar Naari web portal.
The scheme will be implemented with the help of ARTFED and AGMC under the administrative control of the Director, Handloom Textiles, Assam.
31 Hand woven items are covered in the scheme belonging to various communities residing in the state.
The scheme will help in preserving the heritage of handlooms and textiles in the state.
It is expected that the portal will bridge the gap in between the weavers and the buyers.
Draupadi Murmu has been elected as the 15th President of India
Draupadi Murmu has been elected as the 15th President of India. She contested against Yashwant Sinha, the joint opposition’s nominee.
She becomes India’s first woman tribal president from Rairangpur in the Mayurbhanj district in Odisha and also the second woman to hold the post after Pratibha Patil.
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by BJP picked Draupadi Murmu for the Presidential Election.
India Innovation Index 2021
The India Innovation Index 2021 has been recently released by the Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog, Shri Suman Bery, in the presence of Dr. V K Saraswat, Member; Shri Parameswaran Iyer, Chief Executive Officer and other esteemed dignitaries.
Key Points
Karnataka has topped Niti Aayog’s India Innovation Index 2021 with a score of 18.05 followed by Telangana and Haryana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Manipur secured the lead in the Northeast and Hill States category followed by Uttarakhand and Meghalaya.
Chandigarh was the top performer in the Union Territories and City States category follwed by Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar.
Bihar, Odisha and Chhattisgarh scored the lowest on the index.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa assures govt jobs for National Games Medalists
The Assam State Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has assured jobs for all National Games medalists of Assam from now on.
The Chief Minister mentioned that all those who won medals in National Games so far for Assam would be given Sports Pension by the State Government. He hoped that this decision would help the sportspersons of the state.
He also mentioned that all those who won medals in National Games so far for Assam would be given Sports Pension by the State Government.
The Chief Minister also announced that the house would send a goodwill message to boxer Lovlina Borgohain who will be vying for a medal in the Tokyo Olympics.
Rajasthan introduces India’s first digital Lok Adalat
National Legal Services Authority Chairman Uday Umesh Lalit launches India’s First AI-powered, end-to-end digital Lok Adalat in Rajasthan.
The Digital Lok Adalat will help in disposing off the pending disputes or disputes which are at the pre-litigation stage. This platform will provide end-to-end dispute resolution with easy drafting & filing of applications.
Key Points
The AI-based Lok Adalat was launched during the 18th All India Legal Services Authorities’ Meet.
The digital Lok Adalat has been designed and developed by the technology partner Jupitice Justice Technologies of Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RSLSA 22).
The oldest pending case in the nation was recently resolved by a district court in Bihar after 108 years of deliberation. As per NITI Aayog report, it would take around 324 years to dispose of all current pending cases in the country.
NITI Aayog report further states that, 75% to 97% of justiciable problems do not reach to the Courts.
PV Sindhu won the Singapore Open title 2022
India’s Olympic medalist PV Sindhu won the Singapore Open 2022 title. She beat China’s Wang Zhiyi by 21-9, 11-21, 21-15 in the final of the Singapore Open.
This is Sindhu’s first 500 title, since she won the world championship in 2019. This is also the first 500 title or better final for the year 2022.
She had won the women’s singles title at the Syed Modi International tournament in January and Swiss Open 2022 in March 2022.
Singapore Open
The Singapore Open is a badminton event that has been held in Singapore annually since 1929.
The Badminton World Federation categorized Singapore Open as one of the seven BWF World Tour Super 500 events in the BWF events structure from 2018.
In 2023, the tournament will be upgraded to a Super 750 event.
In 1929 the tournament was organised by Singapore Badminton Association, which was created to promote sport and organise the competition.
The tournament became an open invitation championship in 1960. In 2007, the tournament became a part of the BWF Super Series event.
Tripura government launched ‘Earn with Learn’ Scheme
The Tripura government has launched a new scheme named ‘Earn with Learn’ as a part of the ‘Vidyalaya Chalo Abhiyan’ (Let’s go to school) to bring back those who had dropped out of schools following the outbreak of Covid-19.
About 9,000 students between the age group of 6 to14 had dropped out of school during the pandemic.
The scheme would involve third-year students from all colleges in conducting surveys to detect dropouts across classes.
Under the Earn with Learn scheme, each volunteer will be given ₹500 if they enroll a dropout student in the same school. Anganwadi teachers will assist the volunteers to make sure the programme is a success.
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) established its first mountain warfare training school established in North East
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has created its first mountain-warfare training centre in northeast India in Dombang, Sikkim.
It is ITBP’s second training centre in the country, to skill its troops in high-altitude combat and survival tactics as part of their mandate to guard the Line of Actual Control with China.
The first such school-Mountaineering and skiing institute (M&SI) is at Joshimath, in the Himalayan ranges of Uttarakhand.
As per a senior ITBP officer, the Sikkim training centre was conceptualised to improve the ability to train newly recruited and serving troops in mountain warfare, rock climbing, high-altitude survival, and patrol even though the need for a second facility beyond Auli had long been felt given the rising level of engagement of its troops with the Chinese PLA in recent years.
About the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was established in 1962 in the aftermath of the Sino-Indian War of 1962.
It is India’s primary border patrol organization for its border with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
It is trained in the Civil Medical Camp, disaster management, and nuclear, biological and chemical disasters.
It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of India.
PM Modi addresses first ever I2U2 virtual summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the first virtual I2U2 Summit. The I2U2 is a four-nation grouping, India-Israel-UAE-USA.
PM Modi was joined by United States President Joe Biden, Israeli PM Yair Lapid and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Key Points
I2U2 grouping was conceptualized during the meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries held on October 18 2021.
I2U2 is working to increase investments in the fields of water, energy, environment, health and space.
It will bring together countries, governments and the private sector to tackle challenges.
The Prime Minister said that I2U2 has set a positive agenda from the very first summit and by combining the skills of the nations, they can come together for the good of humanity.
He expressed confidence that with I2U2, a significant contribution will be made toward Energy Security, Food Security and Economic Growth globally. They will work towards ensuring food security and propelling development initiatives globally.
Union Education Minister Releases India Rankings 2022 of higher educational institutes
The Union Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan released the India Rankings 2022.
According to the Ministry of Education’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2022. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, topped the higher educational institute in the country followed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and IIT Bombay.
This is the seventh consecutive edition of NIRF.
Key Highlights of the Report
Indian Institute of Technology Madras retains its first position in Overall Category for the fourth consecutive year and in Engineering for seventh consecutive year.
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru tops the Universities Category for seventh consecutive year. It stood first in the Research Institutions Category for the second consecutive year.
IIM Ahmedabad tops in Management subject retaining its first position for third consecutive year.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi occupies the top slot in Medical for the fifth consecutive year. AIIMS is ranked at 9th position in the Overall category for the first time.
Jamia Hamdard tops the ranking in Pharmacy for the fourth consecutive year.
Miranda House retains the 1st position amongst Colleges for the sixth consecutive year.
IIT Roorkee stands at 1st position in Architecture subject for second consecutive year.
National Law School of India University, Bengaluru retains its first position in Law for the fifth consecutive year.
Colleges in Delhi dominate ranking of colleges with five colleges out of first 10 colleges from Delhi
The Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences takes the top slot for the first time in Dental Subject displacing Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal.
Department of Consumer Affairs launches ‘Jagriti’, a mascot to empower consumers and generate awareness towards consumer rights
The Department of Consumer Affairs has launched “Jagriti”, a mascot for empowering consumers and generating awareness of their rights.
It aims to strengthen its consumer awareness campaign presence in digital and multimedia and reinforce a young empowered and informed consumer as a top-of-mind consumer rights awareness recall brand.
Jagriti mascot shall be shown along with the tagline “Jago Grahak Jago” in all its media campaigns.
About Jagriti mascot
Jagriti mascot will be projected as an empowered consumer who is spreading awareness about consumer rights and addressing solutions to the problems faced by the consumers.
It will be used to generate consumer awareness about various themes of the Department.
The Themes include:
Provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 2019
Hallmarking
National Consumer Helpline toll-free number 1915
Provisions of the weights and measures Act
Decisions of the Central Consumer Protection Authority
Testimonials by consumers on grievance redressal
Ashish Kumar Chauhan appointed as new the MD and CEO of National Stock Exchange of India
Ashish Kumar Chauhan appointed as the new CEO and Managing Director of National Stock Exchange (NSE).
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approved his appointment to the post.
Chauhan replaced Vikram Limaye, whose five-year tenure ended on July 15.
Ashish Kumar Chauhan is one of the founders of the National Stock Exchange. He had worked at NSE from 1992 to 2000. He had set up India’s first fully automated screen-based trading system and first commercial satellite communications network while working at NSE.
INS Sindhudhvaj decommissioned after 35 years of service
INS Sindhudhvaj has decommissioned after 35 years of glorious service to the nation. Vice Adm Biswajit Dasgupta Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command was the Chief Guest for the ceremony.
The submarine crest depicts a grey colour nurse shark and the name means flag bearer at sea. Sindhudhvaj was the flag bearer of indigenization and the Indian Navy’s efforts towards achieving Atmanirbharta in the Russian-built Sindhughosh class submarines throughout her journey in the navy.
Sindhudhvaj, was one of the 10 Kilo class submarines India acquired from Russia between 1986 and 2000. INS Sindhurakshak was lost in an accident in Mumbai harbour in August 2013, while Sindhuvir was transferred to Myanmar in 2020, making it the Southeast Asian nation’s first underwater platform.
Q1. The literacy rate of which of the following districts is highest in Assam?
Jorhat
Kamrup
Kamrup Metropolitan
Dibrugarh
Kamrup Metropolitan
Q2. Who is crowned as the Femina Miss India World 2022?
Sini Shetty
Shinata Chauhan
Manasa Varanasi
Shikha Gayatri
Sini Shetty
Q3. Which new body has been approved to replace the Banks Board Bureau (BBB)?
Banks and Insurance Companies Bureau
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
Financial Services Institution Bureau (FSIB)
Financial Institutions Bureau (FIB)
Financial Services Institution Bureau (FSIB)
The government has set up the Financial Services Institution Bureau (FSIB) to replace the Banks Board Bureau (BBB).
The BBB was entrusted with the task of selecting candidates for appointments to the senior management-level posts.
Q4. Maryna Viazovska was named as one of four recipients of the 2022 Fields Medal. Fields Medal is associated with which field?
Sports
Science & Technology
Computer Science
Mathematics
Mathematics
Fields Medal is also described as the Nobel Prize in mathematics. Ukrainian mathematician Maryna Viazovska, who works in Switzerland, was named as one of four recipients of the 2022 Fields Medal.
The Fields Medal is awarded by the International Mathematical Union (IMU), an international non-governmental and non-profit scientific organisation to promote international cooperation in mathematics.
Q5. Droupadi Murmu has been selected as the
12th President of India
15th President of India
17th President of India
18th President of India
15th President of India
The 2022 Presidential Election is conducted to choose the 15th President of India are being held in India.
NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu and the opposition’s Yashwant Sinha are participating in the election.
The President is elected by the members of the Electoral College, comprising elected members of both houses of Parliament and legislative assemblies of all states as well as the NCT of Delhi and the UT of Puducherry.
Q6. India reported its first monkey-pox case in Kerala. Monkeypox in humans and other animals is caused by?
Virus
Bacteria
Fungus
Chemical pollutant
Virus
India reported its first monkey-pox case in the state of Kerala. Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, with a lesser clinical severity.
Q7. Which is ranked first in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2022?
IIT Madras
IISc Bangalore
IIT Kharagpur
Jawaharlal Nehru University
IIT Madras
The Ministry of Education has released the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for the year 2022.
Indian Institute of Technology Madras has retained its first position for the fourth consecutive year in the overall category and for the seventh consecutive year in Engineering. Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi was ranked second while Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, was ranked third.
Q8. Which state is ranked first in the NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index (2021)?
Uttar Pradesh
Tamil Nadu
Telangana
Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka has been ranked first in the NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index (2021) for the third time in a row. The first edition was released in October 2019. India Innovation Index ranks states and union territories on the basis of innovation capabilities.
Manipur topped the ‘North East and Hill States’ section.
Chandigarh won the ‘Union Territory and City States’ category.
TOP State Ranks
Karnataka
Telangana
Haryana
Maharashtra
Q9. Which institution releases the ‘Global Gender Gap Report’?
World Economic Forum (WEF)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International Labour Organization (ILO)
International Court of Justice
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Iceland (90.8%) led the Global Gender Gap Index 2022 ranking in the first place.
India is ranked at 135 out of 146 countries. Last year, India was ranked 140 out of 156 countries.
Q10. Which Indian state is included in the ‘World’s 50 Greatest Places of 2022’ by Time Magazine?
Uttarakhand
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu
Kerala
Kerala
Kerala has been included in the list of the “World’s 50 Greatest Places of 2022” by Time Magazine. TIME has described Kerala as ‘one of India’s most beautiful states.
India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City, Ahmedabad has also been included in the list of the World’s 50 Greatest Places of 2022.
Q11. Kharchi festival is celebrated in which state?
Tripura
Nagaland
Manipur
Assam
Tripura
Q12. Which Indian shuttler won the ‘Singapore Open 2022’ championship title?
Lakshya Sen
Ashwini Ponnappa
Aparna Popat
P V Sindhu
P V Sindhu
India Ace shuttler PV Sindhu defeated China’s Wang Zhi Yi in the final match of women’s singles at the Singapore Open 2022.
The two-time Olympic medallist clinched her maiden Super 500 title of the year 2022. The Singapore Open 2022 is Sindhu’s third title of the 2022 season after winning the Syed Modi International and Swiss Open BWF Super 300 titles.
Q13. Which city has been selected as the first Cultural and Tourism Capital of SCO for 2022-23?
Varanasi
Ahmedabad
Kolkata
Jaipur
Varanasi
Varanasi is declared the first Cultural and Tourism Capital of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Varanasi will become the Capital of SCO for 2022-23 under a new rotating initiative by the eight-member organisation, which aims to promote people-to-people contacts and tourism among the member states.
Q14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently unveiled a 30-ft bronze statue of legendary freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju, he was a freedom fighter from which present-day state?
Maharashtra
Andhra Pradesh
Tamil Nadu
Kerala
Andhra Pradesh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 30-ft bronze statue of legendary freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju on his 125th birth anniversary.
The 15-tonne statue was carved out at a cost of Rs 3 crore and installed by the Kshatriya Seva Samiti in Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh. The leader was known for the ‘Rampa Rebellion’ or ‘Manyam Uprising’, in the Rampachodavaram forest area, which was undertaken against the mighty British forces.
Q15. Which Union Ministry implements the ‘Mission Shakti’ scheme’?
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of MSME
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Ministry of Home Affairs
Ministry of Women and Child Development
‘Mission Shakti’ was launched as an integrated women empowerment programme as umbrella scheme for the safety, security and empowerment of women for implementation during the 15th Finance Commission period 202l-22 to 2025-26. ‘Mission Shakti’ has two sub-schemes – ‘Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’.
Government of Assam and Arunachal sign ‘Namsai Declaration’ to resolve vexed boundary dispute
The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma inked the ‘Namsai Declaration’ for resolving the vexed inter-state boundary dispute between the two states.
The declaration was signed by the two chief ministers in the presence of several cabinet ministers of both states.
Key Points
The Chief Minister of both the states agreed in principle on restricting the number of contested villages to 86 instead of 123. Of the 123 disputed villages, a consensus has been reached on 37 and 86 others are left.
According to the Namsai Declaration’, both the Chief ministers agreed that out of the 37 disputed villages, 28 which are within the constitutional boundary of Arunachal Pradesh shall remain with the state while, three villages on which claims were withdrawn by Arunachal Pradesh, will be with Assam.
Six other villages which could not be located on the Assam side would also remain with the frontier state if they exist in Arunachal Pradesh, the agreement stated.
Both the states have agreed to form 12 regional committees to resolve the border issues. These committees will submit their report on 15th September. The draft MoU will be referred to the union government for its approval.
Mizoram has the highest ratio of women working as legislators and managers
As per the latest additional data of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for July 2020-June 2021, Mizoram has the highest proportion of women workers working as legislators, senior officials and managers, followed by Sikkim and Manipur.
In Mizoram, there was a 70.9% ratio of female-to-male workers who were working as legislators, senior officials and managers. Sikkim with 48.2% and Manipur at 45.1%, Meghalaya at 44.8% Andhra Pradesh recorded 43%.
The other northeastern state among Assam had 16.1% while Nagaland had a ratio of 9.1%.
Among the larger states and Union Territories with a low ratio were Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Punjab and Andaman and Nicobar. Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu had the lowest ratio of 1.8%.
In terms of senior managerial jobs, Mizoram again topped the charts with 40.8%, followed by Sikkim with 32.5 and Meghalaya at 31%. Andhra Pradesh with a ratio of 30.4%.
Bonn Global Biodiversity Conclave 2022
Bonn Global Biodiversity Conclave is being organised in Bonn, Germany. This conclave is mainly focusing on sustainable use of wild species.
Assessment on the Sustainable Use of Wild Species report will be published at the 9th conference of Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
New Assessment on the Sustainable Use of Wild Species report
It will incorporate the details on diverse uses of wild species and practices that are connected with them, these practices include, Gathering, Logging, Fishing, observing and Terrestrial animal harvesting (shearing and hunting).
It will investigate what ‘sustainable use’ implies and how it is associated with United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals.
Authors of the report will also look after tools and methods to assess, measure and manage the sustainable use of wild species.
They will also read about the effectiveness of policy options, in order to govern the sustainable use of wild species in a better manner. Such policies include trade & incentives, and governance.
They would also highlight why and for whom the sustainable use of wild species is unavoidable.
Report will also explore the links between sustainable use of wild species and challenges associated with it, including climate change & land use.
India’s first floating terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Maharashtra
India’s first Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) has arrived at H-Energy’s Jaigarh Terminal in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, on the west coast of India.
The port is the first deep water, 24×7 operational private port in Maharashtra. This will be the first year-round Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal in Maharashtra.
Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) based LNG Terminals aims at providing the ability to enhance the pace of natural gas import capability in an environment friendly and efficient manner.
Key Points
The LNG terminal built in 2017, has a storage capacity of 170,000 cubic metres and installed regasification capacity of 750 million cubic feet per day.
Höegh Giant will deliver regasified LNG to the 56-km long Jaigarh-Dabhol natural gas pipeline, thereby connecting the LNG terminal to the national gas grid.
The facility is capable of reloading LNG onto small-scale LNG vessels for bunkering services and delivering LNG through truck loading facilities for onshore distribution.
H-Energy plans to further develop small-scale LNG markets in the region and use the floating storage and regasification unit for storage and reloading LNG onto smaller vessels.
NASA released James Webb Space Telescope’s first images
National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) released James Webb Space Telescope’s first images in a preview event at the White House in Washington.
This first image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date.
Key points
It is a joint venture of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency.
Thousands of galaxies including the faintest objects ever observed in the infrared have appeared in Webb’s view for the first time.
The James Webb Space telescope first photo covers a patch of sky that is approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length by someone on the ground.
It is a composite made from images at different wavelengths, totaling 12.5 hours.
The first images from the James Webb Space Telescope achieves depths at infrared wavelengths beyond the Hubble Space Telescope’s deepest fields, which took weeks.
It will be able to study Old and distant galaxies, which is not currently possible with Hubble.
It will show images from 250 million years after the Big Bang- taking us closer to the starting point of the Universe.
India ranks 135 in the Global Gender Gap Index 2022
Recently, the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked India at 135 out of 146 countries in its Global Gender Gap (GGG) Index for 2022.
In 2021, India was ranked 140 out of 156 countries. India’s overall score has improved from 0.625 (in 2021) to 0.629.
About Global Gender Gap Report
The Global Gender Gap Index is an index designed to measure gender equality.
It was first published in 2006 by the World Economic Forum.
It assesses countries on how well they are dividing their resources and opportunities among their male and female populations, regardless of the overall levels of these resources and opportunities.
It is an index designed to measure gender equality by tracking progress towards closing gender gaps over time.
The Global Gender Gap index “benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions–
Economic Participation and Opportunity,
Educational Attainment,
Health and Survival, and
Political Empowerment.
India’s Performance on Global Gender Gap Index 2022
Economic Participation and Opportunity: India ranks 143 out of the 146 countries. (In 2021, India was pegged at 151 out of the 156 countries.)
Educational Attainment: India ranks 107th out of 146. (In 2021, India was ranked 114 out of 156.)
Health and Survival: India ranks 146 in health and survival
Political Empowerment: India ranks the highest (48th out of 146).
Q1. Which institution released the ‘Global Findex database 2021’?
World Bank
World Economic Forum
Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
World Bank
World Bank released the Global Findex Database 2021: Financial Inclusion, Digital Payments, and Resilience in the Age of COVID-19
As per the report, large share of the global population without formal banking lives in India and China because of their size. The report also found that women are more likely to be unbanked than men.
Q2. Which city was ranked first in India in the EIU ‘Global Liveability Index 2022’?
Hyderabad
Chennai
Bengaluru
New Delhi
New Delhi
European Intelligence Unit (EIU) recently released the Global Liveability Index 2022, which ranked 173 cities on the basis of their living conditions.
Five Indian cities- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmadabad and Bangalore were included in the list.
Delhi was ranked the best at 140, followed by Mumbai at 141, Chennai and Ahmadabad at 142 and 143 respectively. Bengaluru was the last of Indian cities at 146th rank.
Q3. Which organisation launched ‘Startup School India (SSI)’ initiative?
Google
Meta
Reliance
Amazon
Google
Google announced the launch of Start-up School India (SSI) as part of the Google for Start-ups initiative.
This is a platform under which Google will bring together investors, entrepreneurs and programmers and provide opportunities to start-ups from small cities to interact and learn from them.
Google aims to reach out to at least 10,000 start-ups with this programme.
Q4. Ilaiyaraaja, who was recently nominated to Rajya Sabha, is an eminent personality in which field?
Classical Literature
Music
Sports
Social Services
Music
Veteran athlete PT Usha is from Kerala, Legendary music director Ilaiyaraaja is from Tamil Nadu, film screenwriter Veerendra Heggade is from Karnataka and spiritual leader Vijayendra Prasad is from Andhra Pradesh.
Fourth Schedule (Articles 4(1) and 80(2)) of the Constitution of India – Twelve members are nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India for six-years term for their contributions towards arts, literature, sciences, and social services.
Q5. The name of the single repository of all Indian government’s digital projects, to be shared with the world is
DigiLocker
Vishwa. Bharat Stack
Indiastack.global
Global Desi Stack
indiastack.global
As part of the ongoing Digital India Week 2022 celebrations, a virtual event on India Stack Knowledge Exchange was also organised.
Indiastack.global was launched by the Prime Minister, which is a single repository of all major projects on India Stack.
To share with the world the many e-governance tools including Aadhaar, the DigiLocker, CoWin Platform, the Government e-Marketplace, and Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission.
Q6. Which city is the host of ‘2022 Global Biodiversity conclave’?
Bern
Paris
New York
Bonn
Bonn
2022 Global Biodiversity Conclave is organised in Bonn, Germany.
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) announced that ‘Assessment on the Sustainable Use of Wild Species’ will be released.
Sustainable use of wild species keeping in mind the well-being of communities that depend on them for livelihood will be the focus of the report to be released.
Q7. ‘Mission Vatsalya’ is a scheme recently implemented by which Union Ministry
Ministry of Education
Ministry of MSME
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Ministry of Science & Technology
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Mission Vatsalya is an umbrella scheme for child protection services in the country implemented by the Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry.
Q8. Who has been named as India’s new Sherpa for the G-20?
Amitabh Kant
Shaktikanta Das
Parameswaran Iyer
Nirmala Sitharaman
Amitabh Kant
Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has been named as India’s new Sherpa for the G-20.
India is set to assume G-20 presidency from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.
Q9. Who are the winners of Wimbledon women’s and men’s title in 2022?
Elena Rybakina, Rafael Nadal
Ons Jabeur, Novak Djokovic
Elena Rybakina, Nick Kyrgios
Elena Rybakina, Novak Djokovic
Elena Rybakina, Novak Djokovic
23-year-old player Elena Rybakina became the first player from Kazakhstan to win a grand slam title.
She also became the youngest Wimbledon champion since 2011.
Novak Djokovic won his fourth straight Wimbledon men’s singles title, and his 21st grand slam title overall.
He is now one grand slam title behind the all-time record set by Rafael Nadal of 22.
Q10. Which company to produce India’s first Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer?
Bharat Biotech
Divis Lab
BioCon
Serum Institute of India
Serum Institute of India
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved India’s first Quadri-valent Human Papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer.
The qHPV vaccine will be manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII).
Cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer among women in India between the ages of 15 and 44.
Q11. Which organisation released the‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022’?
International Rice Research Institute
NITI Aayog
World Economic Forum
United Nations
United Nations
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022 report was issued by U.N. agencies: FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO.
The number of undernourished people in India has declined in the last 15 years to 224.3 million in 2019-2021. The report also noted that there are more obese adults and anaemic women in India, the world’s second most populous country.
Q12. Which Union Ministry released ‘SDG National Indicator Framework (NIF) Progress Report, 2022’?
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Ministry of Home Affairs
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
The Ministry released ‘Sustainable Development Goals-National Indicator Framework (NIF) Progress Report, 2022’. Along with the report, the updated NIF 2022 and Data Snapshot on SDGs NIF Report 2022 and “Youth in India 2022” publication were also released. Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis National Award in Official Statistics, 2022 was also awarded.
Q13. Which state topped the Ranking Index for implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA)?
Tamil Nadu
Andhra Pradesh
Kerala
Odisha
Odisha
Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal released the first State Ranking Index for implementation of the National Food Security Act, 2013.
Among the 20 big states and Union Territories (UTs), Odisha topped the index followed by Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, while Goa was at the last.
Tripura ranked first among the 14 smaller states and UTs.
Q14.Which institution releases Index of Industrial Production (IIP) output data?
National Statistical Office (NSO)
Indian Economic Trade Organization
NITI Aayog
Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata
National Statistical Office (NSO)
National Statistical Office (NSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme implementation (MoSPI), releases the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) growth data.
The IIP growth rose to 19.6% in May as against 7.1% in April. The manufacturing sector’s output grew 20.6% in May this year, while the mining output climbed 10.9%, and power generation increased 23.5%.
Q15. As per UN report ‘World Population Prospects 2022’, India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country in which year?
2023
2026
2030
2033
2023
According to the report, India’s population stands at 1.412 billion in 2022, compared to China’s 1.426 billion.
India, which will surpass China as the world’s most populous nation by 2023.
India is projected to have a population of 1.668 billion in 2050, way ahead of China’s 1.317 billion people by the middle of the century.
The global population is projected to reach eight billion by November 15, 2022, and could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050.
Maryna Viazovska Wins Prestigious Fields Medal 2022
Ukrainian mathematician Maryna Viazovska along with other three mathematicians received the prestigious Fields Medals at a ceremony in Helsinki, Finland.
The four awardees of the prestigious prize include France’s Hugo Duminil-Copin, US-based June Huh, Britain’s James Maynard and Ukraine’s Maryna Viazovska.
About Fields Medal
Fields Medal is awarded at the International Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU).
Every four years, a mathematician under the age of 40 receives the Fields Medal for outstanding mathematical achievement for existing work and for the promise of future achievement.
The Fields medal award comprises a gold medal (14 karat gold) bearing the profile of Archimedes and a cash amount.
The Fields medal and cash prizes are funded by a trust established by J.C.Fields at the University of Toronto.
The Fields Medal Committee, which is chosen by the Executive Committee of the International Mathematical Union, is normally chaired by the IMU President.
The Fields Medals were first awarded in 1936 in Oslo, Norway. The Fields medals were conceived by John Charles Fields, a Canadian mathematician.
PT Usha, Ilaiyaraaja, V Vijayendra Prasad, and Veerendra Heggade nominated to Rajya Sabha
Sports legend P.T. Usha, music composer Ilaiyaraaja, philanthropist Veerendra Heggade and screenwriter V. Vijayendra Prasadhave were nominated to the Rajya Sabha in the category of eminent persons by the President.
The president can appoint 12 members for their contributions to art, literature, science, and social services.
The nominees are from the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
Ms. Usha, born in Kozhikode in Kerala, is one of India’s best known track-and-field stars. She has been given the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri in the past.
Mr. Ilaiyaraaja from Tamil Nadu, a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan and many awards for his music, has composed more than 7,000 songs for more then 1,000 films (mainly in southern India), and has more than 20,000 concert performances to his credit.
Veerendra Heggade has served as the ‘Dharmadhikari’ of the Dharmasthala Temple in Karnataka since the tender age of 20. He has been a devoted philanthropist for more than five decades. He has led various transformative initiatives for rural development and promotion of self-employment.
K.V. Vijayendra Prasad, who is from Andhra Pradesh, is an acclaimed screenwriter and film director, who has penned the scripts of many prominent Telugu and Hindi movies.
India’s first autonomous navigation facility “TiHAN” launched at IIT Hyderabad
India’s first Autonomous Navigation facility, TiHAN inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, Jitendra Singh at the IIT Hyderabad campus with an outlay of Rs. 130 crores.
About TiHAN
TiHAN stands for “Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation”.
It is a multidisciplinary initiative that has been launched to make India a global player in ‘smart mobility’ technology for futuristic and next generation.
TiHAN Testbed will act as a unique platform for high-quality research between academia, industry and R&D labs both at the national and international levels.
The TiHAN – IITH will be the source of futuristic technology generation for autonomous vehicles.
Kharchi festival begins in Tripura
Kharchi Puja is one of the most important Hindu festivals of Tripura. This festival falls in the month of July on the eighth day of the new moon.
It is a week-long traditional festival, offering prayer to 14 gods and goddess, began with thousands of devotees converging at Khayerpur on the eastern outskirts of Tripura.
There are many legends associated with this Puja. The celebrations extend until a week and are held in the temple premises which are attended by thousands of people.
The word “Kharchi” is derived from the word “Khya” which means “Earth”. Kharchi Puja is basically done to worship the earth.
The Puja is performed to wash out the sins and to clean the post-menstrual phase of Mother Earth’s menstruation.
India elected to UNESCO panel on Intangible Cultural Heritage
India became part of “Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)” for the third time.
Key Points
India will be a member for a period of 2022-2026.
India has served as a member of the ICH Committee twice — from 2006 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2018.
The Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention consists of 24 members and is elected in the General Assembly of the Convention according to the principles of equitable geographical representation and rotation.
States Members to the Committee are elected for a term of four years.
Functions of the Intergovernmental Committee
The main functions of the Intergovernmental Committee includes promoting the objectives of the Convention.
Providing guidance on best practices, and making recommendations on measures for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.
Examines requests submitted by States Parties for the inscription of intangible heritage on the Lists as well as proposals for programmes and projects.
India’s Vision
India has formulated a clear vision for the protection and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. India will focus upon
Fostering community participation
Strengthening international cooperation through intangible heritage, promoting academic research on intangible cultural heritage.
Aligning the work of the Convention with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This vision was also shared with the other State Parties of the Convention prior to the elections.
Gita Gopinath becomes first woman to feature on IMF’s ‘wall of former chief economists’
Gita Gopinath became the first woman and second Indian to feature on the ‘wall of former chief economists’ of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The first Indian to achieve the honour was Raghuram Rajan who was Chief Economist and Director of Research of IMF between 2003 and 2006.
Gopinath was appointed as IMF Chief Economist in October 2018 and was later promoted as the IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director in December 2021.
Before joining the faculty of Harvard University in 2005, she was an assistant professor of economics at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C. consisting of 190 countries.
It was established in 1944 but formally started working on December 27, 1945 at the Bretton Woods Conference. Initially, there were 29 member countries.
It works to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.
Amitabh Kant appointed as G20 Sherpa
Former CEO of NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, has been selected as India’s new Sherpa for the G-20. He will replace Piyush Goyal.
Key Points
Amitabh Kant assumed charge as NITI Aayog CEO in 2016.
For about six years, he led as the NITI Aayog CEO and his extended term concluded in June 2022.
He has also been the chairman of Empowered Group-3, which is one among the 11 groups set up by the central government for controlling the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
The G20 is a major international grouping that brings together 19 major economies of the world and the European Union.
The G20 members account for over 80 percent of global GDP, 75 percent of global trade and 60 percent of global population.
Q1. As per the ‘EIU Global Liveability Index’ 2022, which is the most liveable city in the world?
Vienna
Geneva
Pittsburgh
Auckland
Vienna
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) launched its annual ranking of the world’s most liveable cities- Global Liveability Index for 2022.
A total of 173 cities were ranked based on a range of criteria, including infrastructure, availability to green space, political stability, crime rates, and health care.
Top three cities
Vienna (Austria)
Copenhagen (Denmark)
Zurich (Switzerland)
Q2. Which state runs the ‘Mo Bus service’ which was recently recognized by the UN’s Public Service Awards?
Odisha
Kerala
Telangana
Tamil Nadu
Odisha
Odisha’s Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) authority introduced the Mo Bus Service in 2018 to promote smart technologies and safe transportation for women riders.
It was recently recognised by the UN’s Public Service Awards for 2022.
Q3. T-Hub is a start-up incubator based in which state/UT?
New Delhi
Maharashtra
Tamil Nadu
Telangana
Telangana
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao recently inaugurated the new facility of business incubator T-Hub in Hyderabad.
T-Hub 2.0 is claimed to be world’s largest innovation campus. The facility will support over 2,000 startups under one roof. Established in 2015, T-Hub (Technology Hub) is an innovation hub and ecosystem enabler based in the city of Hyderabad.
Q4. Which state will host the G-20 summit in 2023?
Uttar Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir has been selected by the Ministry for External Affairs (MEA) for meetings during the G-20 summit, to be hosted by India in 2023.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has constituted a five-member high-powered panel for overall coordination of G20 meetings to be held in the union territory. This will be the first major international summit to be held in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of its special status.
Q5. Recently ISRO has launched its PSLV-C53 mission with three Singaporean satellites, being launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. Sriharikota is a barrier island off the Bay of Bengal coast in
Andhra Pradesh
Kerala
Odisha
West Bengal
Andhra Pradesh
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched three satellites from Singapore in its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C53) mission.
It is being launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. PSLV-C53 is also the second dedicated mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a corporate arm of the Department of Space. ISRO has successfully launched the PSLV-C52 mission in February 2022 by injecting Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-04)
Q6. Who has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog?
Parameswaran Iyer
Ajit Doval
Amitabh Kant
Subash Chandra Garg
Parameswaran Iyer
Parameswaran Iyer, a 1981 IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog.
He is also the former Secretary of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, who led the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Q7.Raghurajpur is famous for which of the following types of paintings?
Madhubani
Pattachitra
Kalamkari Paintings
Warli Art
Pattachitra
Pattachitra painting is the traditional painting of Odisha and West Bengal. These scroll paintings trace their origin to 12th century. They mainly depict Hindu mythology and are closely related to Jagannath and Vaishnava sect.
Q8. ‘CAPSTONE’ satellite was recently launched by which space agency?
NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)
Rocosmos
NASA
SpaceX
NASA
NASA has recently launched a 25-kg satellite ‘CAPSTONE’, which is short for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment.
The satellite is designed to test a unique and elliptical lunar orbit. CAPSTONE will enter an elongated orbit called a near rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO). It will provide data about operating in an NRHO and showcase key technologies.
Q9. Who has sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra?
Devendra Fadnavis
Vinayak Raut
Eknath Shinde
Pravin Darekar
Eknath Shinde
Shiv Sena rebel leader Eknath Shinde sworn in as Maharashtra CM while BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered the oath of office and secrecy to the leaders.
Q10. Who is appointed as the President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)?
Urjit Patel
T Raja Kumar
Dr. Raghuram Rajan
Dr. D. Subbarao
T Raja Kumar
T Raja Kumar of Singapore has been appointed as the president of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the anti-money laundering watchdog.
He has replaced Marcus Pleyer and will discharge his service for next two years. As per FATF, the President will focus on enhancing the effectiveness of global anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures, improving asset recovery and other initiatives.
Q11. Which Union Ministry released the ‘States’ Start-ups Ranking 2021’?
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Ministry of Corporate Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Trade
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry has released ‘Start-ups Ranking 2021’.
Gujarat, Karnataka and Meghalaya were categorised as best performers
Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram and Ladakh have an emerging start-up ecosystem. Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir were ranked as the top performers.
Q12. The institution in India to issue ‘Electoral bonds’ is
Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation
Election Commission of India
RBI
State Bank of India
State Bank of India
The government has approved the issuance of the 21st phase of sale of electoral bonds through authorised SBI branches from July 1.
State Bank of India (SBI) is the only authorised institution to issue and encash Electoral Bonds through its 29 Authorized Branches. The Electoral bonds are interest-free bearer instruments, which can be encashed by the party through a Bank account within 15 days.
Q13. The recently instituted Dr. Rajendra Prasad Memorial Award is associated with which field?
Science & Technology Innovation
Entrepreneurship
Social Service
Public Administration
Public Administration
Union Ministery of Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh announced setting up of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Memorial Award in public administration in the field of academic excellence.
He announced the award in memory of the first President of India, while he chaired the meeting of Executive Council of Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) in New Delhi.
Q14. The recently adopted Lisbon Declaration is associated with the conservation of which entity?
Oceans
Poles Glaciers
Air
Mountains
Oceans
The UN Ocean Conference 2022 concluded with the unanimous adoption of the Lisbon Declaration “Our Ocean, our future, our responsibility.”
The Lisbon Declaration takes into account the capacity challenges being faced by the developing countries, mainly the Small Island Developing States and Least Developing Countries.
Q15. Which group of nations recently issued a statement title ‘2022 Resilient Democracies Statement’?
UNGA
G-7
QUAD
BRICS
G-7
Leaders of the powerful G7 grouping and its five partner countries, including India issued a joint statement titled ‘2022 Resilient Democracies Statement’.
The leaders affirmed that they are committed to open public debate and the free flow of information online and offline while guarding the freedom, independence and diversity of civil society actors.
