Jan to March 2024 Flashcards
Union Ministers Parshottam Rupala and Sarabnanda Sonowal laid the foundation laid the foundation stone for the modernisation and development of which port in Jan with an estimated cost of ₹108.9 crore under the Sagarmala project?
Paradip port, Odisha
What is the name of India’s first food street launched by the Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in Jan and it was launched in which place?
What is the financial assistance provided under the “Food Street” initiative?
The “Food Street” initiative is implemented through which entities?
Ans-
* “Prasadam” was the first among 100 Food Streets launched in Maha Lok in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh under the “Food Streets” initiative which aims to establish 100 Food Streets in 100 districts to encourage safe and healthy food practices among food businesses and reduce foodborne illness and improve overall health outcomes.
- A financial assistance of ₹1 crore per Food Street is provided under the National Health Mission (NHM) to states and UTs. The assistance will be provided will be shared between the Centre and State in the ratio of 60:40 or 90:10 with the condition that standard branding of these street foods will be done as per FSSAI guidelines.
- It is implemented through the National Health Mission (NHM) in convergence with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and with technical support from the FSSAI
The approval of opening 2000 Jan Aushadi Kendras was given to which type of entity in Jan 2024?
PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies). Jan Aushadi Kendras were mostly located in urban areas, benefiting the urban poor. But Now through PACS affordable generic medicines will be available to rural poor as well.
The Ministry of Coal aims to produce approximately ___Mt (million tonne) coal exclusively through Captive/Commercial coal mines during FY2024-25?
186 Million Tonne
Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry inaugurated the “Indus Food 2024” exhibition in which place to showcase India’s diverse and vibrant food ecosystem?
At the “Indus Food” event Piyush Goyal highlighted the ___% growth in processed food export over the last 9 years?
Piyush Goyal highlighted that India’s agricultural food exports stood at an aggregate of about ____USD?
Ans-
* Noida, Delhi
- 150% growth over the last 9 years
- 53 billion USD
The ___edition of the “Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit” was held in Jan 2024 with 34 partner countries and 16 partner organisations?
What was the theme of the summit?
Which ministry used the summit to showcase investment opportunities?
Ans-
* 10th edition
- “Gateway to the Future”
- The Ministry of Development of Northeast Region (MDoNER) used the summit to showcase investment opportunities in the northeastern region
What was the theme of the Startup India Innovation Week 2024 held at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit?
“Startups Unlocking Infinite Potential”
Where was the regional conference on e-governance organised by the DARPG (Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances) held in Jan?
Valedictory sessions on day 2 included discussions on the National E-governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA), what is NeSDA?
Ans-
* Guwahati, Assam
- The NeSDA (National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment) is an assessment framework developed by DARPG, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension to assess the e-governance services provided by states, UTs and selected central ministries based on several parameters. The survey is conducted every 2 years by DARPG
The phase 12 of the “Sagar Parikrama” was led in which place by Union Minister Parshottam Rupala, minister of fisheries, animal husbandry & Dairying?
Projects worth approximately ₹____were sanctioned under the PMMSY and approximately ______KCC (Kisan Credit Card) has been distributed to beneficiaries?
Ans-
* West Bengal
- Projects worth approximately ₹450 crore worth sanctioned and 16000 KCC were distributed during the whole journey of “Sagar Parikrama”.
“Sagar Parikrama” is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying in March 2022 to boost the fisheries sector of India. In Sagar Parikrama, There is an interaction with delegates and farmers from the fisheries sector in the coastal belt of India to understand their challenges, share information about welfare schemes and address concerns related to fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying. The first phase of Sagar Parikrama was held in Gujarat.
Union Minister Sarabnanda Sonowal laid the foundation stone for the Regional Research Institute of Homeopathy and an Integrated Health & Wellness Centre in which place in Jan with an approximate cost of ₹54 crore?
- Guwahati, Assam
“Indian of the Year Award” in the category of “Outstanding Achievement” for 2023 was given to which entity by Union Minister Jitendra Singh?
ISRO
India Post Payment Bank (IPPB) signed an MoU with which company under its CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative to provide financial inclusion services in rural Rajasthan such as account opening, long-term savings and investment schemes and pension products?
Hindustan Zinc, a subsidiary of Vedanta Group
Defence Mantri Rajnath Singh approved an Insurance scheme for Casual Paid Labourers (CPLs) engaged by the BRO (Border Road Organisation) in difficult terrains and harsh weather conditions. The life insurance amount will be ₹______?
₹10 lakhs
The first ever “Beach Games 2024” was held in which place?
Which state topped the medal tally?
Ans-
* Diu island
- Madhya Pradesh topped the medal tally with 18 medals, followed by Maharashtra with 14 medals
PM Modi inaugurated Atal Bridge, India’s longest sea bridge spanning ____km in 6 lanes from ____ to ____with a project cost of ₹17843 crore and capacity of 70000 vehicles per day?
21.8 Km from Sewri to Chirle. It will enhance connectivity from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, Pune, Goa and South India
Who was appointed as the chairman of the 16th Finance Commission?
Who was appointed as the secretary of the 16th Finance Commission?
Finance Commission is constituted under which article of the Constitution of India and it makes recommendations on which matters?
An-
* Dr Arvind Panagariya
- Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey
- It is constituted under Article 280 of the Constitution of India and it makes recommendations on the following matters
- Distribution of net tax proceeds between the Centre and the State
- Grant-in-aid to be paid to states for their revenues under Article 275 of the Constitution
- Suggests measures needed to augment the resources of Panchayats and Municipalities based on recommendations by the Finance Commissions of different states
- To make recommendations related to funds allocated for Disaster Management under the Disaster Management Act, 2005
The FIH Hockey5s World Cup will be held in which place in Jan?
Who will lead India’s men’s and women’s Hockey Teams respectively?
Ans-
* Muscat, Oman
- Men’s Team- Simranjeet Singh
Women’s Team- Rajni Etimarpu
India’s first Steel Slag road was inaugurated by NITI Ayog in which national highway and Steel Slag technology was developed by which entity?
It was inaugurated at NH-66 of the Mumbai-Goa National Highway. The Steel Slag technology for road construction was developed by CSIR-CRRI (CSIR-Central Road Research Institute)
PM-JAY (PM-Jan Arogya Yojana) crossed the milestone of issuing more than 30 crore Ayushman Cards on 12 Jan 2024. Which were the top 3 states where most Ayushman cards were issued?
Rank 1-UP (4.8 crore), Rank 2-Madhya Pradesh (3.8 crore), Rank 3-Maharashtra (2.4 crore)
Union Minister Jitendra Singh launched an AI-based Telemedicine Mobile Clinic “Arogya Doctors on Wheels” in which place in Jan which provides AI-based consultation and provides doctor’s prescriptions within 40 minutes?
Udhampur district, J&K
India International Science Festival (IISF) organized a science literature festival “Vigyanika” in which place to showcase India’s scientific achievements and formulate effective strategies for science and technology communication?
What was the theme of the festival?
Ans-
* Haryana
- “Science & Technology Public Outreach in India”
According to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MoCI) India’s overall exports (Merchandise+Services) were estimated to be ____billion USD and overall imports were estimated at _____billion USD in Dec 2023 which showed a negative growth of 4.25% and 7.18% respectively from the previous year, Same month?
Overall Exports- 66.33 billion USD
Overall Imports- 71.5 billion USD in Dec 2023
PM Modi in Jan released the first instalment to 1 lakh beneficiaries of PMAY-Gramin under the PM JANMAN, where PVTGs will receive ₹____for building pucca houses along with other benefits such as electricity, gas connection, water & sanitation etc?
- PVTGs will receive ₹2.5 lakhs for building pucca houses and other benefits
Which company from India signed an agreement with Argentina for the exploration and development of lithium reserves in Argentina?
The exploration and development of lithium will be done in _____provice of Argentina, where 5 Lithium brine blocks will be explored covering an area of about 15703 hectares?
What is the approximate project cost of the project?
Ans-
* Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL). It is a joint venture company of NALCO (National Aluminium Company), HCL (Hindustan Copper Limited) and MECL (Mineral Exploration & Consultancy Limited) formed in 2019 to identify, explore and process minerals from overseas for use in India.
- Catamarca province
- Approximately ₹200 crores
According to the Ministry of Power’s new rules for ease of doing business and facilitate energy transition for industries like Green Hydrogen manufacturers, companies with what load will be exempt from licensing in Inter-State and Intra-State transmission respectively?
Companies with a load of at least 25 MW for inter-state transmission and at least 10 MW for intra-state transmission will be exempt from taking a licence
According to the findings of the discussion paper on “Multidimensional Poverty in India since 2005-06” released by NITI Ayog in Jan, answer the following questions-
a) _____people escaped Multidimensional Poverty in India in the last 9 years, a decrease from 29.17% in 2013-14 to ____% in 2022-23??
B) Which states registered the highest decline in Multidimensional Poverty in the last 9 years?
C) The Multidimensional Poverty Index which is released by the UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), is based on ____dimensions and _____number of indicators?
D) According to the index, a person is considered multidimensionally poor if he or she is deprived of at least ____fraction of the weighted indicators mentioned in the index?
Ans-
a) 24.82 crore people, a decrease from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23
b) The highest decline in multidimensional poverty was in UP (5.94 crore) which was followed by Bihar (3.77 crore), Madhya Pradesh (2.3 crore) and Rajasthan
C) The Multidimensional Poverty Index is based on 3 dimensions which are Health, Education and Standard of Living which includes 12 indicators aligned with the SDGs and reflecting the overall well-being of people. The index is used in contrast to the common poverty index which is based on the income of the people. It evaluates non-monetary indicators related to Health, Education and Standard of Living to assess the overall well-being of people. Thus, enabling a holistic approach to measure poverty. The index is based on the globally recognized Alkire and Foster model developed by Sabina Alkire and James Foster of the OPHI (Oxford Policy and Human Development Initiative).
D) At least one-third fraction of the given weighted indicators
PM Modi inaugurated the new campus of the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes & Narcotics (NACIN) in which place?
Palasamudram, Andhra Pradesh
REC Limited, a Maharatna central PSU under the ministry of power became the first Indian PSU to issue green bonds denominated in Japanese Yen in the International Bond Market. What was the total value of bonds and bonds were issued under which programme of REC Ltd?
What are the three maturity periods and their yield rates respectively for which bonds are issued?
ns-
* The total value of the bonds was 61 billion Japanese Yen and they were issued under the REC Limited’s Global Medium Term Notes Programme which allows the company to issue bonds in various currencies in the International Market.
- They were issued at maturity rates of 5 years, 5.25 years and 10 years with a yield of 1.76%, 1.79% and 2.2% respectively
These are the first Green bonds issuance by any Indian PSU, the largest ever Euro-Yen issuance in South and South East Asia and the largest Yen-denominated issuance from India.
What is the name of the mobile app launched by the Minister of State of the MoSPI, Rao Inderjit Singh for the MPLAD scheme that provides the member of parliaments with real-time access to recommend, track and check the status of the projects under the MPLAD scheme. It also allows them to monitor their expenditures?
e-Sakshi mobile app
India’s largest dry dock build at a cost of ₹1799 crores for shipbuilding, repair, maintenance and reducing dependence on foreign countries was inaugurated at which place?
Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi
India’s first Graphene Centre of Excellence and Centre of Excellence in Intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) was launched in which place?
Kerala
The India International Science Festival 2023 (IISF 2023) was held in which place and with what theme?
It was held in Faridabad, Haryana with the theme “Science & Technology Public Outreach in Amrit Kaal”
Asia’s largest aviation expo- “Wings India 2024” was held in which place in Jan 2024?
What was the theme of the “Wings India 2024”?
Ans-
* It was held at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad
- “Connecting India to Amrit Kaal: Setting the Stage for India Civil Aviation @2047”
Union minister of state for Panchayati Raj, Kapil Moreshwar Patil inaugurated a 3-day national workshop on “Healthy Village towards a Healthier Tomorrow” In which place?
Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
The government approved an outlay of ₹____crore for the Revamped Scheme for Administrative Reforms for DARPG (Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances) to be implemented in the next two years in 2024-25 and 2025-26 of the 15th Finance Commission Cycle?
What are the two verticals of the scheme?
Ans-
* ₹235 crores
- 1- Comprehensive System for Redressal of Public Grievances: It aims to improve grievances redressal and save time for the public by developing an AI-based comprehensive system for redressal of public grievances. The reforms will be made in the CPGRAMS (Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System) platform which is designed to address and monitor public grievances and complaints related to government services. It has an allocation of ₹128 crores
2- Administrative Reforms: It aims to develop administrative reforms by utilizing ₹107 crores in various schemes that support the development of administration
PM inaugurated Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre (BIETC) in _____place at a cost of ₹1600 crores, which marked Boeing’s largest investment outside the USA?
The PM also launched the Boeing Sukanya Programme, what is the programme about?
Ans-
* Bengaluru, Karnataka
- The Boeing Sukanya Programme aims to encourage the entry of girls and women into the aviation sector by supporting them in the STEM field and providing career counselling and development facilities in government schools. Scholarships will be provided to women training to be pilots under the programme.
CSIR-NIO (CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography) launched a month-long certification course on oceanography, addressing the impacts of climate change in the Indian Ocean and around the world for the member nations of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC). Which countries are the members of the CSC?
The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) is a trilateral maritime security grouping of India, Sri Lanka and Maldives formed in 2011
Where was the foundation stone laid for the “Ayush Diksha” centre, a centre for the development of human resources for Ayurveda Professionals, which will be built at a cost of ₹30 crores?
Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), Bhubneshwar
The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) completed the third capacity-building programme for 38 civil servants for which country in Jan?
Cambodia
What is the name of the mobile hospital tents deployed in Ayodhya for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Jan and they were built under which project?
The mobile hospital called the “Arogya Maitri Aid Cube” was designed under project BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri). It consists of 72 tent-based Cubes with each detachable mini-cube for emergency health response having a capacity of treating 200 people
“Siddha Wellness Rally & Awareness Campaign (SWRAC)”, a bikers rally was launched on which route to foster awareness about the Siddha System of medicine?
Delhi to Kanyakumari
The ACME Group from India and IHI Corporation from Japan signed an agreement to supply green ammonia from India to Japan. The green ammonia will be produced at which place and in what capacity?
It will be produced at the ACME’s plant in Gopalpur, Odisha at a capacity of 1.2 MMTPA (Million Metric Tonne Per Annum) at an estimated cost of USD 5 billion
President Draupadi Murmu conferred “Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puruskars” to ____children at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi under 7 categories which are Bravery, Innovation, Science & technology, Art & Culture, Social Service and Sports?
19
The government allowed direct listing of Public Indian companies at the India INX at the GIFT IFSC by amending the FEMA Rules,2019 which also provides an avenue for Indian companies to directly gain capital from the global market. The India INX is a subsidiary of which entity?
Bombay Stock Exchange
The Cabinet in Jan approved the scheme for “Promotion of Coal Gasification Projects of Government PSUs and Private Sector” to provide incentives to government PSUs and Private sector entities for coal gasification. What is the total outlay of the scheme and what are three categories of outlay in the scheme?
The total outlay of the scheme is ₹8500 crores and it is divided into 3 categories
Category-1: ₹4050 crores of the total outlay will be provided to the government PSUs where up to 3 PSUs will be granted ₹1350 crore or 15% of the Capex, whichever is lower
Category-2: ₹3850 crores of the total outlay will be provided to both government PSUs and the Private sector where ₹1000 crore or 15% of the Capex, whichever is lower will be granted to each project
Category-3: ₹600 crore of the total outlay is earmarked for demonstration projects and small-scale product-based gasification plants where a lump-sum grant of ₹100 crore or 15% of the Capex will be given to entities who have a minimum Capex of ₹100 crore.
The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) partnered with which entity to empower young people for urban governance by enhancing their leadership and participation in urban governance?
YuWaah-UNICEF
The foundation stone for North India’s first All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) satellite centre was laid in which place by Dr Mansukh Mandavkya?
GSVM Medical College, Kanpur
Answer the following based on the Swacch Survekshan Survey 2023, the World’s largest survey on cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation hosted by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA)-
a) What was the theme of the Swacch Survekshan Survey 2023?
b)Which two cities were ranked 1 and which city was ranked 3 with a population of more than 1 lakh?
c) Which were the top 3 cities in the population with less than 1 lakh?
d) Which was the cleanest cantonment board?
e) Best Safai Mitra Surakshit Sheher?
f) Which were the cleanest Ganga towns in rank 1 and rank 2 respectively?
g) Which were the top three states in terms of rankings?
Ans-
* a) “Waste to Wealth”
- b) Rank 1- Indore and Surat, Rank 3- Navi Mumbai. No city was given rank 2
- c) Rank 1- Sasvad (Maharashtra), Rank 2- Patan (Gujarat), Rank 3- Lonavala (Maharashtra)
- d) Mhow
Cantonment board, MP - e) Chandigarh
- f) Rank 1- Varanasi, Rank 2-Prayagraj
- g) Rank1 – Maharashtra, Rank 2-MP, Rank 3- Chattisgarh
NITI Ayog partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and which other organization to launch the “Investment Forum for Advancing Climate Resilient Agri-food Systems in India”, what is the aim of the forum?
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) of the UN. The MoU aims to formulate an investment and partnership strategy with governments, private sectors, farmers’ organizations and financial institutes to enhance the climate-resilient agri-food system in India.
Answer the following based on the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-22 published by the Ministry of Education in Jan 2024-
a) Total enrolment of students in Higher Education has increased from ___in 2020-21 to ____in 2021-22, and it has increased from ___ in 2014-15?
b) Female enrolment in Higher education has increased from ___in 2020-21 to ___in 2021-22 and an increase of about 50 lakh from ___in 2014-15?
c) About ___% of the total students are enrolled in undergraduate level courses and ___% are enrolled in Post Graduate courses?
d) Among Undergraduate level courses, the enrolment is highest in which discipline?
e) Among postgraduate streams, the Highest students are enrolled in?
Ans-
* a) From 4.14 crore in 2020-21 to 4.33 crore in 2021-22 and it has increased from 3.42 crore in 2014-15
- b) From 2.1 crore in 2020-21 to 2.7 crore in 2021-22 and an increase of about 50 lakhs from 1.57 crore in 2014-15
- c) Undergraduate 78.9% and Post Graduate 12.1%
- d) enrolment is highest in Arts, followed by Science, Commerce and Engineering & Technology
- e) In Social Science, followed by Science
The National Conference on the Promotion of Seaweed Cultivation was organised in which place?
The PMMSY (Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana) aims to develop the Seaweed sector in India It has a production target of 11.2 lakh tonnes and has earmarked ₹_____for 2020-2025 for this?
Ans-
* Kutch, Gujarat
- ₹640 crore
What is the name of the app launched in Jan to facilitate the implementation of DAY-NRLM’s Graduation Programme for the most vulnerable households?
The app will be launched in how many states?
Ans-
* The “Sarathi App” will facilitate the implementation of the Graduation programme of the DAY-NRLM by easing the cognitive load for field staff, and administrative load for the SRLM staff and ensuring transparency in programme implementation
- It will be launched in 6 states, where a special project for the 24000 most vulnerable households is taking place
Which company inaugurated a biomass-based CBG plant in Budaun, UP with a capacity of 100 MTPD of rice straw and producing 14 metric tonnes of biogas per day?
HPCL
₹____ Crore was released for the Pre-matric Scholarship and ₹_____ Crore was released for the Post-Matric Scholarship to States/UTs under the PM YASASVI scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment?
What is the full form of the scheme and the scholarship is provided to which categories?
Ans-
* Pre-Matric- ₹32.44 crore, Post-Matric- ₹387.27 crore
- The PM YASASVI (Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India) was launched by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) to promote education among the OBC (Others Backward Classes), EBC (Economically Backward Classes) and Denotified Nomadic Tribe (DNT) students. It aims to provide educational empowerment to the socio-economic backward students.
The foundation stone for the Central Research Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy (CRIYN) along with the 100-bed Yoga & Naturopathy hospital was laid down in which place in Jan 2024?
The foundation stone was laid in Dibrugarh, Assam, first in the northeast. It will be built at an approximate cost of ₹100 crores and will train Yoga and Naturopathy experts for capacity-building programs
A framework for the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) was launched for which sector in Jan to promote carbon credit in that sector?
It was launched for the Agriculture sector to promote carbon credit in the agriculture sector. Accreditation protocol of Agroforestry nurseries was also launched to ensure quality planting materials
A river diversion of the Chenab River was executed in Jan to expedite the construction activities of which hydroelectric project?
850 MW Ratle Hydro Electric project in J&K. It is being executed by the Ratle Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd (RHPCL), a joint venture between NHPC and the government of J&K
The Indian Railways witnessed the highest ever capex utilization which was ___% of the 2.62 lakh crores till now during the first 9 months of the FY2024 from April to December 2023?
75%
Which tableau clinched the first spot at the Republic Day parade in 2024?
The Ministry of Culture’s tableau “India: Mother of Democracy”
The National Conference on Strategic Trade Controls (NCSTC), particularly focusing on SCOMET (Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies) was organised by which entities?
It was organised by the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). As a part of the Strategic Trade Control System, India regulates dual-use (Industrial and Military) goods, software and technologies under the SCOMET list
Union Minister Amit Shah launched the Computerization scheme for the computerization of offices of Regional Cooperative Societies (RCS) and Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) in New Delhi in Jan. The outlay for computerization of RCS is ₹____ and for ARDBs is ₹____?
RCS- ₹120 crores, ARDBs- ₹95 crores. The computerization project of ARDBs targets 1851 units in 13 states and UTs. Its overall aim is to enhance the efficiency, transparency and effectiveness of cooperatives in India. The project aligns with the initiative of “Sahakaar Se Sanriddhi (Prosperity through Cooperatives).
According to the Snow Leopards Population Assessment in India (SPAI) conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, a total of _____snow leopards including _____unique snow leopards were reported by covering 70% of the potential snow leopard range?
Which states had the highest snow leopards?
Ans-
* A total of 718 snow leopards including 241 unique snow leopards
- Ladakh (477) had the highest number of snow leopards, followed by Uttarakhand (124) and Himachal Pradesh (51)
What is the name of the girls’ hostel with 500 rooms, inaugurated by the Union Minister of Agriculture Arjun Munda on the premises of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi?
Phalguni
According to a notification in Jan, the government of India allocated a total of 101.5 LMT of Wheat and 25 LMT of rice through the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS-Domestic). The government allocate surplus foodgrains through which entity under the OMSS?
Surplus foodgrains are allocated using e-auction on which platform?
Ans-
* The government allocate surplus foodgrains through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to regulate the prices of foodgrains such as wheat and rice in the market
- Foodgrains are allocated through e-auction under the commodity exchange platform NCDEX (National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited). The FCI conducts auctions weekly and foodgrains are sold to bulk consumers and Private traders
India increased the tally of Ramsar Sites from 75 to 80. Which were the 5 new designated Ramsar Sites?
With the addition of these 5 wetlands to the Ramsar Sites, the total area covered under Ramsar Sites now is ___?
Which state has the highest number of Ramsar sites?
Ans-
* Ankasamudra Bird Conservationa Reserve- Karnataka
Aghanashini Estuary- Karnataka
Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve- Karnataka
Karaivette Bird Sanctuary- Tamil Nadu
Longwood Shola Reserve forest- Tamil Nadu
- 1.33 million hectare
- Tamil Nadu has the highest number of Ramsar sites with 16 sites, followed by UP with 10 sites
The NTPC Ltd signed an MoU with which entity for a proposed bamboo-based Bio-refinery at the NTPC Bongaigaon in Assam?
Numaligarh Refinery Ltd, a subsidiary of Oil India Ltd
The closing ceremony of the “Khelo India Youth Games 2023” was held in which place in Jan 2024?
Which were the top 3 ranked states in the medal tally?
Ans-
* Chennai
- Rank 1- Maharashtra (158 medals), Rank 2-Tamil Nadu (98 medals) and Rank 3- Haryana (103 medals)
The government approved the extension of the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) for another 3 years till 2025-26 with an outlay of ₹29610 crore. What is the objective of the scheme?
What is the interest subvention provided under the scheme and for up to what years?
Credit guarantee up to what ___% is provided from the credit guarantee fund of ₹______ to MSMEs and Dairy Cooperatives?
Ans-
* The objective of the scheme is to enhance the processing capacity of the milk and meat sector in India by incentivising investments of entrepreneurs, private companies, FPOs and MSMEs. It incentivizes investments in areas such as meat processing, milk processing, animal feed plants, breed farms, animal waste to wealth management and veterinary facilities.
- The interest subvention of up to 3% from financial institutes is provided for 8 years with a moratorium period of 2 years for loans up to 90% of the project cost
- Credit guarantee of up to 25% is provided from the credit guarantee fund of ₹750 crores to MSMEs and Dairy Cooperatives
The government approved the extension of the scheme of sugar subsidy given to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families through the Public Distribution System (PDS) for two years till March 2026. What is the subsidy provided to AAY families under this scheme?
₹18.5 per kg per month of sugar is provided to AYY families of the participating states
Under DRDO’s Technology Development Fund (TDF), a green propulsion system was designed for low-earth orbit space missions. The green propulsion system was developed by which startup?
Bengaluru-based Bellatrix Aerospace Ltd. The propulsion system was tested on the PSLV C-58 mission
What was the theme of the 20th Webinar of the National Good Governance held on 31 Jan 2024?
“Promoting Excellence in Sports and Wellness through Khelo India Scheme”
Which port achieved the highest ever monthly cargo throughput (Total volume of cargo handling) of 14.32 MMT in the history in Jan 2024?
Paradip Port, Odisha
What are the two new modules launched within the Sagar Setu platform in Jan 2024?
Maritime Single Window (MSW) module - It facilitates the online submission of documents related to the arrival, stay, and departure of ships, reducing waiting time in ports by up to 40%. It also facilitates communication among various stakeholders in the International Maritime Trade.
Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) module- It facilitates the monitoring, inspection and release process of vessels
The “Sagar Setu” platform is the app version of the NLP (National Logistics Portal) Marine platform which aims to improve the visibility of the operation of maritime vessels
“MY (Mera Yuva) Bharat” portal crossed ___crore registrations as of Jan 31 2024, within 3 months of its launch since Oct 2023?
1.45 crore registrations
Which was the partner nation and partner state at the 37th “Surajkund International Crafts Mela” organised at Surajkund, Haryana on 2 Feb 2024?
Partner Nation- Tanzania, Partner State- Gujarat
UPI was formally launched in which international place in Feb 2024?
Eiffel Tower, Paris, France. The UPI was also launched in Mauritius and Sri Lanka
“Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024”, India’s largest automotive exhibition was organised in New Delhi with over 800 exhibitors from more than 50 countries. What was the tagline of the expo?
PM Modi stated that the number of passenger vehicles increased by ___% and the number of two-wheelers increased by ___% in the last 10 years?
Ans-
* “Beyond Boundaries”
- Passenger Vehicles increased by 60% and Two-Wheelers increased by 70%
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) implements the National Food Security Mission (NFSM)-Pulses in 28 States and 2 UTs.
According to the union minister Arjun Munda, the pulses production in the last 5 years increased by ___% from 2018-19 to 2022-23?
Which are the top 3 pulses producing states?
Ans-
* 18%
- Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan
Due to the several steps taken by the Indian government to boost the toy manufacturing ecosystem, the overall toy import has decreased by ___% from 332.55 million USD in FY2014-2015 to ____in FY2022-23?
Similarly the overall toys export has increased by ___% from 96.17 million USD in FY2014-15 to ____in FY2022-23?
Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on toys was increased from 20% to ___% in Feb 2020 and further increased to ___% in March 2023?
Ans-
* It was decreased by 52% from 332.55 million USD in FY2015 to 158.7 million USD in FY2023
- Overall toy exports increased by 239% from 96.17 million USD in FY2015 to 325.72 million USD in FY2023
- BCD on toys was increased from 20% to 60% in Feb 2020 and further to 70% in March 2023
In an effort to check inflationary trends, the government has decided to sell rice under the “Bharat Rice” brand to general consumers. In the first phase ____LMT of rice will be sold through NAFED, NCCF and Kendriya Bhandar at a retail price of ₹___/kg in 5kg and 10kg bags?
The government also mandated all retailers, traders, wholesalers, processors and millers in all states and UTs to declare the stock position of Rice/Paddy. The stock position of rice should be declared within ___days of the order of the Department of Food and Public Distribution portal?
Ans-
* In the first phase, 5 LMT of rice will be sold through NAFED, NCCF and Kendriya Bhandar at a retail price of ₹29/kg in 5kg and 10kg bags
- Within 7 days
What was the theme of the “World Wetland Day 2024” organised at Sirpur Lake, Indore on 2 Feb?
World Wetland Day is celebrated to commemorate the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetland signed on 2 Feb 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. India has been a part of the convention since which year?
Ans-
* “Wetlands and Human Wellbeing”
- 1982
According to FADA (Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations), electric vehicle sales registered a growth of ___% in CY 2023?
49.25%
During FY2023, the CGTMSE (Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Mircro & Small Enterprises) crossed ₹____worth of guaranteed amount?
It crossed ₹1.50 lakh crore worth of guaranteed amount due to various strategic initiatives taken by CGTMSE, SIDBI and the Ministry of MSME to facilitate collateral-free lending to Micro and Small enterprises.
The CGTMSE was launched in 2000 by the SIDBI and the Ministry of MSME to provide credit guarantees to financial institutions, thus facilitating collateral-free lending to micro and small enterprises.
The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) in Feb released guidelines for the pilot projects to introduce Green Hydrogen in which two sectors and with what budget outlay under the National Green Hydrogen Mission?
The “National Green Hydrogen Mission” was launched for a period of FY2023-24 to FY2029-30. What is the outlay of the mission?
What are the two components of the National Green Hydrogen mission?
What are the Objectives of the National Green Hydrogen Mission?
What are the Expected outcomes of the mission by 2030?
Ans-
** The guidelines were issued for implementation projects to introduce Green Hydrogen in the Steel sector and Shipping sector. Following is the outlay for the same:
Outlay:
- Steel Sector- ₹455 crore until FY2029-30
- Shipping Sector- ₹115 crore until FY2025-26
- Total outlay of the National Green Hydrogen Mission is ₹19744 crores including ₹17490 crore for the SIGHT programme, ₹400 crore for R&D and ₹388 crore for other mission components
** The two components are:
the SIGHT programme (Strategic Intervention for Green Hydrogen Transition)- This programme will provide 2 types of financial incentive mechanisms for the domestic production of electrolyzers and Green Hydrogen. The outlay of the SIGHT programme is ₹17490 crore
SHIP programme (Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership)- This programme will be involved in creating a PPP-based partnership for Research & Development (R&D) of Green Hydrogen.
** Decarbonize the energy sector, Create export opportunities for Green Hydrogen and its derivatives and Develop manufacturing capabilities for Green Hydrogen in India.
** The expected outcomes by 2030 are:
a) Having a capacity of at least 5mmt (Million Metric Tonne) per annum of Green Hydrogen with an additional 125GW of Renewable Energy capacity.
b) Fossil fuels imports worth more than ₹1 Lakh crore are expected to reduce and Annual GHG emission is expected to reduce by nearly 50 MMT
c) The expected investment amount will be more than ₹8 Lakh crore and over 6 lakh jobs will be created by 2030.
Which entity signed an MoU with BRAC International, an international development organisation for the inclusion of “Poorest of the Poor” under the DAY-NRLM program?
Where is the headquarters of BRAC International?
Ans-
* The National Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (NRLPS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Rural Development
- Bangladesh
The Ministry of Women and Child Development developed the “Track Child Portal” for tracking missing and found children, additionally a _______portal was developed for tracking restoration and repatriation of children?
The portal for restoration and repatriation of children was developed under which act?
What is the name of the initiative under the “Track Child Portal” where citizens can report for missing children?
Ans-
* GHAR (Go Home And Reunite) was launched by the NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights)
- The GHAR (Go Home And Reunite) portal was developed under the “Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
- “Khoya Paya” initiative
For the first time, the “Khelo India Winter Games” were held in Ladakh. Which two sports were played in Ladakh?
What is the official mascot of the “Khelo India Winter Games” 2024?
Ans-
* Ice Skating and Ice Hockey. An MoU was also signed between the Sports Authority of India and Ladakh to set up the centre of excellence in boxing, archery and athletics
- A Snow leopard named “Shaan” is the official mascot
The Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA)-Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference (CASGC) 2024 was held in Vigyan Bhawan New Delhi, to discuss crucial issues related to law and justice. What was the theme of the conference?
What are the three “A”s focus in the justice delivery?
Ans-
* “Cross Borders Challenges in Justice Delivery”
- Affordable, Accessible and Accountable
The Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), an autonomous scientific society under the MeITY, inaugurated a first-of-a-kind Centre of Excellence on E-Waste management in which place?
Hyderabad
The 2nd edition of “The India Energy Week (IEW) 2024” event was held in which place in Feb and it was organised by which entity?
It was held in Goa and organised by the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
Under which programme the government of India has decided to map and document villages with information about life, history and ethos and provide the same information to visitors?
The Ministry of Culture has approved ₹____ under the scheme of financial assistance for the promotion of art and culture consisting of 8 schemes for the Financial Year 2021-22 to 2025-26?
Ans-
* Mera Gaon, Meri Dharohar programme. The information is collected under 7 broad categories which are
a) Arts and Crafts Village
b) Ecologically Oriented Village
c) Scholastic Village Linked with Textual and Scriptural Traditions of India
d) Epic Village linked with Ramayana, Mahabharata and/or Puranic legends and oral epics
e) Historical Village Linked with Local and National History
f) Architectural Heritage Village
g) Any other characteristic that may need highlighting such as fishing village, horticulture village, shepherding village etc.
- ₹353.46 crores
The forest cover in India increased by 5516 square kilometres between 2017 and 2021. The assessment of forest cover is published in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR), the survey is conducted by which entity?
Which state has the highest forest cover in India?
Ans-
* Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun
- Madhya Pradesh has the highest forest cover, followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra
As per the Udyam Registration Portal (URP) of the Ministry of MSME, women-owned MSMEs constitute __% of the total MSMEs registered on the portal since its launch on 1 July 2020?
20.5%
The centre introduced the “Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024” to address exam leaks, malpractices, and organised malpractices and prevent organized groups and mafia from exploiting the public examination system. What are the proposals and features of the bill?
The features and proposals of the bill are
- The bill is applicable to various recruitment examination conducting bodies and exams like SSC, UPSC, Railways, Banking, NEET and JEE examinations
- The bill proposes minimum imprisonment from 3 years to 5 years to curb cheating and imprisonment of 5 to 10 years for those involved in the organised crimes of cheating.
- A minimum fine of ₹1 crore for individuals engaged in the organized crime of cheating
- The bill is not applicable to students appearing in the examinations. Students appearing in the examinations will be governed under the existing unfair means policy of the exam conducting authority
The Best Green Bond Corporate award was given to which company at the “Asset Triple A Awards for Sustainable Finance 2024”?
REC Ltd, a maharatna Central PSU under the Ministry of Power
REC received the award for the issuance of $750 million USD Green Bonds in April 2023 which was also the first USD Green Bond issuance from India post-India’s assumption of G20 Presidency and the largest ever Senior Green Bond Tranche by a South or South-East Asian issuer
The 20th Webinar of the “National Good Governance Webinar Series 2023-24” was held on what theme in Feb 2024?
Which state was given the PM award for the year 2021?
Ans-
* Promoting Excellence in Sports & Wellness through the Khelo India Scheme
- Manipur
Which river system was declared the “National Waterways 48” with a total length of 615 km under the National Waterways Act, 2016?
Jawai-Luni-Rann of the Kutch River System spanning across Rajasthan and Gujarat was declared the National Waterways-48
What is the budget allocated under the “E-Court Mission Mode Project: National E-Governance Project for ICT enablement of District/Subordinate Courts of the Country”?
₹7210 crore is the outlay of the project under its phase 3. The project aims to reduce the processing time of cases and faster disposal of cases by leveraging the ICT (Information & Communication Technology) infrastructure and providing a transparent flow of information on cases
What is the name of the first 25T Bollard Pull Tug delivered to the Indian Navy on 2 Feb?
“Mahabali”
The “MY (Mera Yuva) Bharat” portal crossed 1.45 crore registrations in three months since its launch on 31 Oct 2023. It caters to what age group of youth and what are its features?
It caters to the age group of 15 to 29 years, in line with the definition of “Youth” in the National Youth Policy. Its features are
- It is a Phygital Platform (Physical + Digital) comprising physical activity with an opportunity to connect digitally.
- It offers volunteering activities with police, ULBs and various ministries along with other opportunities
On Feb 1 2024, The union cabinet approved the bilateral investment treaty signed between India and ____?
UAE
Who was the former Prime Minister, who served from 1991 to 1996 and brought several economic measures and introduced liberal reforms in the Indian economy? He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna 2024?
P.V Narasimha Rao
Who was the Indian agronomist who received the Bharat Ratna in 2024? He has been called the main architect of the green revolution in India and he was also the first recipient of the “World Food Prize” in 1987?
M.S Swaminathan
The GeM (Government e-Marketplace) signed an MoU with which entity in Feb to enhance the market reach for conducting business?
Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS). Under this MoU, all the micro-enterprises and rural entrepreneurs associated with ORMAS will be onboarded on the GeM portal, facilitating them to conduct business with government buyers across the country.
The GeM (Government e-Marketplace) portal is an online public procurement portal of the government launched in August 2016 as a part of the “Digital India” initiative. It facilitates sellers such as individual sellers, manufacturers, startups, MSEs, FPOs, SHGs to sell their products to government buyers such as government departments, agencies, PSUs, cooperative bodies and panchayats. The 3 core pillars of GeM are Efficiency, Transparency and Inclusivity.
Which bank in Feb 2024 partnered with the Warehousing Development Regulatory Authority (WDRA) to facilitate farmers in providing low-interest rate loans?
Public Sector Banks (PSBs) provide low-interest rate and collateral-free loans against the e-NWRs (Electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipt) in the agriculture sector for up to ₹____ and in other sectors up to ₹____?
Ans-
* Punjab & Sindh Bank
- Agriculture Sector- up to ₹75 lakhs
Other sectors- up to ₹5 crore
A culture event “Vividdhta ka Amrit Mahotsav” held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan was organised by ______entity in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture?
Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (MDONER)
The government of India and ADB signed a ____million USD loan agreement to strengthen flood and riverbank erosion risk management along the Brahmaputra river in Assam?
200 million USD
On 7 Feb 2024, the Kilkari project was launched in two additional states, Maharashtra and Gujarat, marking the presence of the Kilkari Project in 20 States/UTs. What is the project about?
The “Kilkari program” is a mobile-based service launched under the “Digital India” initiative in Jan 2016 for mothers. Under the program, new and expectant mothers registered under the RCH portal are provided weekly 72 audio messages about pregnancy, childbirth and childcare until the child is 1 year old, to enable mothers to make better-informed decisions for their newborns.
The outlay of the FAME India scheme was increased to ₹_______?
The government reduced the e-2Ws (Electric Two Wheelers) subsidy from ___% to ___% of the ex-factory price under the phase-2 of the FAME India scheme?
Ans-
* From ₹10000 crore to ₹11500 crore
- From 40% to 15% of the ex-factory price
The no pensioners engaging in the CPENGRAMS (Centralized Pension Grievances Redress and Monitoring System) for pension grievances was increased by __% from Jan 2023 to Jan 2024?
88%
As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey, the female labour force participation rate has significantly increased from 23.3% in 2017-18 to ___% in 2022-23?
To 37% in 2022-23
Where was the “centre of excellence for nutritional supplement testing” inaugurated by union minister Anurag Thakur?
National Forensic Science University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat
“Aadi Mahotsav 2024” organised at the Major Dhyanchand National Stadium in New Delhi showcasing culture, tradition, art, music and cuisine from different tribal communities across the country was organised by which entity?
TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Federation of India), Ministry of Tribal Affairs
What was the theme of the 52nd edition of the “New Delhi World Book Fair” organised by the Ministry of Education?
Which country was invited as a guest in the New Delhi World Book Fair?
“e-Jaduii Pitara” was unveiled at a book fair aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, featuring learning materials in 22 languages using AI. The Jaduii Pitara is an interactive learning material for children of what age group?
The National e-library was also launched and announced in the budget 2023-24. The national e-library will contain reading materials for what age group?
Ans-
* “Multilingual India: A living Tradition”
- Saudi Arabia
- 3 to 8 years
- 3 to 18 years. It will contain books from all the 22 languages under the 8th Scheduled of the Constitution of India, apart from English.
A Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign was launched in Feb for which disease and the disease is present in how many districts?
Lymphatic Filariasis, a disease caused by infected mosquitos, causing damage to the Lymph system and causing swelling in the legs, arms and genitals. It is present in 345 endemic districts across 20 States and UTs.
India aims to eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis by 2027, three years ahead of the global target.
The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) signed an MoU with which entity in Feb for fostering research and innovation in the renewable energy sector?
IIT Bhubneshwar
The TERI (The Energy and Resource Institute) partnered with the government of India to establish a CoE in which place for sustainable energy transition pathways in India?
What per cent of India’s power generation capacity is from non-fossil fuel sources?
Ans-
* Hyderabad
- 44%
What is the name of the portal launched by the principal scientific advisor to the government of India, Ajay Kumar Sood that aims to represent women and girls in the STEMM field and promote gender inclusivity in science?
The portal was developed by which entity?
Ans-
* SWATI (Science for Women-A Technology & Innovation) portal
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi
Under the Indo-Bangladesh protocol route, a trial movement of cargo vessel was launched from the ____port in India to ____port in Bangladesh by Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways?
What is the riverline distance between both ports?
Ans-
* From Maia port, West Bengal to Sultanganj port in Bangladesh. The new riverine route aims to enhance trade and connectivity between India and Bangladesh.
- It is 16 kilometres, with 4.5 kilometres of waterways in India and the remaining 11.5 kilometres in Bangladesh
Three bills were passed in the parliament by union minister Arjun Munda to include several communities and ethnic groups in the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST). The bills were passed for which states?
J&K- Pahari ethnic group, Paddari tribe, koli and Gadda Brahmin communities
Andhra Pradesh- Bondo Porja, Khond Porja and Konsa Savaras
Odisha- it proposes the inclusion of PVTGS, omission of several communities and including some communities
Within 11 months of the FY2023-24, The GeM (Government e-Marketplace) broke all previous records of the GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) by recording a value of ₹___ and significantly surpassing the previous fiscal year’s GMV of ₹____?
The services sector’s contribution to GeM’s Gross Merchandise Value crossing ___% from the last year?
Ans-
* The total GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) was recorded at ₹3 lakh crore, exceeding the previous year’s total GMV recorded at ₹2 lakh crore at the end of the fiscal year
- 98%
The GeM (Government e-Marketplace) portal is an online public procurement portal of the government launched in August 2016 as a part of the “Digital India” initiative. It facilitates sellers such as individual sellers, manufacturers, startups, MSEs, FPOs, and SHGs to sell their products to government buyers such as government departments, agencies, PSUs, cooperative bodies and panchayats. The 3 core pillars of GeM are Efficiency, Transparency and Inclusivity.
Gross Merchandise Value (GMV)- The GMV is the monetary value of the total sale of goods and services over a given period. It is calculated before the deduction of any fees, taxes and expenses and solely focuses on the value of goods and services sold. It is calculated by multiplying the Selling price of goods by the total number of goods.
Former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated south India’s first regional centre of the “Sangeet Natak Akademi” named “Dakshin Bharat Sanskritik Kendra” in which place?
Hyderabad
What is the name of the initiative and portal launched by NITI Ayog to restore degraded land with agroforestry?
The Greening and Restoration of Wasteland With Agroforestry (GROW) initiative was launched to promote agroforestry as a means to restore degraded land in India. Agroforestry Suitability Index (ASI) will be used to assess the suitability of land for agroforestry in every district, by utilizing remote sensing and GIS technologies. The initiative aligns with the national commitments to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 and creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon diaoxide equivalent.
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0), how many districts were declared manual scavenging-free as of 31 Jan 2024 and this was achieved under which component of the SBM-U 2.0?
729 districts out of 766 districts were declared manual scavenging-free as of Jan 2024 and this was achieved under the Used Water Management (UWM) component of the SBM-U 2.0.
The Used Water Management component aims to eradicate hazardous entry into sewers and septic tanks by cleaning them by leveraging mechanization. Funds are released to ULBs for the procurement of desludging equipment for septic tanks and sewers.
As of Jan 2024, 52.5 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) were created under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission which aims to create a national digital health ecosystem. The ABHA is a ___digit unique health identifier number?
14 digit
Under the 37th “Stop TB Partnership board meeting” organized by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), there was a global reduction of 8.7% of TB cases while in India TB cases were reduced by __%?
16%
Under the “Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme” of the Ministry of Education, 70 students were bestowed upon the scholarship amounting to ₹___ in Feb 2024?
₹5 crore
According to the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households conducted by the NSSO, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the average income of farmers increased from ₹6426 in 2012-13 to ₹_____in 2018-19
₹10218 in 2018-19
The MeITY transferred the Smart Food Grain Storage System (SAFEETY) technology to which company in Feb?
The technology was developed by which entity?
Ans-
* Paras Defence and Space Technology
- It was developed by SAMEER (Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research) under MeITY. The “SAFEETY” technology facilitates the loading and unloading of grain bags, RFID traceability, online weight and moisture measurement and radio frequency-based removal of moisture from grain. It can handle nearly one truckload of approximately 28 tons of grains in just 40 minutes.
The CCI (Competition Commission of India) approved the acquisition of a 70% stake in Kotak Mahindra Bank by which company?
Zurich Insurance Company
The first BIMSTEC aquatic championship was held in which place in the under 20 age category of swimming, water polo and diving?
The BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is an international organisation of how many nations?
Ans-
* Shyama Prakash Mukherjee Swimming Pool in New Delhi
- The BIMSTEC is an international organisation formed in 1997, comprising 7 South and Southeast Asian countries that are India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka. These 7 countries focus on the cooperation in the Bay-Of-Bengal region. The BIMSTEC states have selected 14 priority sectors that are used for technological & Economic Cooperation along the Bay-of-Bengal namely, Trade & Investment, Transport & Communication, Energy, Tourism, Technologies, Fisheries, Agriculture, Public health, Poverty Alleviation, Counter-Terrorism, Environment & Disaster Management, People to People Contact, Cultural Cooperation and Climate Change.
What is the name of the national research foundation established by the Department of Science and Technology to promote R&D throughout India’s universities, and colleges, and act as an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country as per the National Education Policy (NEP 2020)?
Anusandhan Research Foundation (ANRF). The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) is subsumed under the ANRF.
The “Great Indian Board Reboot: Roadshow 2024” aimed at setting new benchmarks in discussions around corporate governance in India was organised in which place and hosted by which entity?
It was organised at the NSE headquarters in Mumbai and was hosted by the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) in partnership with the NSE and the BSE
According to the UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG) 2020 report, India’s maternal mortality rate (MMR) declined by ___% during the 2000-2020 period on an annual average basis, whereas global MMR declined by ___%?
MMR of India declined from _____in 2000 to _____in 2020?
Ans-
* India- MMR declined by 6.36%
World- MMR declined by 2.07%
- It declined from 384 in 2000 to 103 in 2020
The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) is implementing the Rooftop Solar Programme (RTS) phase 2, wherein Central Financial Assistance (CFA) is provided for the installation of rooftop solar capacity in the residential sector only. The programme aims to install _____Mw of RTS capacity in the residential sector by ______?
4000 Mw of RTS capacity by March 2026
At the national conference on “APAAR: One Nation One Student ID Card” held in New Delhi, it was revealed that ____APAAR IDs were created?
What is the full form of the APAAR and what are its features?
Ans-
* 25 crore
- The Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) is a 12-digit digital ID given to students that provides them access to a digital repository of academic records, certificates and other educational information. It is linked with the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC), a digital storehouse containing information about the credit earned by students throughout their education.
When a student completes a course, it’s digitally certified and stored in his account enabling students to get admission to different schools, colleges or universities by showing their ABC and eliminating the need for physical documents or transfer certificates.
The “LNG as a Transportation fuel in medium and heavy commercial vehicle” report addressing challenges and barriers for LNG adoption in India and providing recommendations, was jointly launched by?
It was jointly launched by NITI Ayog and the embassy of the Netherlands
The “World Sustainable Development Summit 2024” was organised by which entity in New Delhi?
The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI)
India’s first Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel test facility was established in which place?
The development of the facility was supported by the Fund for Improvement in S&T Infrastructure (FIST) under the Department of Science & Technology with a sum of ₹____ in 2018?
Ans-
* IIT Kanpur. The Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel test facility cultivates hypersonic speed through a high-pressured gas supply as a means to study aerodynamic phenomena which is crucial for developing advanced aerodynamics technologies.
- ₹4.5 crore
For the first time, 11 Fair Price Shops were included on the ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) platform from which place?
Hamirpur and Una districts of Himachal Pradesh
The PM-MKSSY (PM-Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana) was launched under the PMMSY in Feb for the formalization of the fisheries sector and supporting micro and small enterprises in the fisheries sector. What is the outlay of the scheme and the period of implementation?
What are the 4 components of the scheme?
Ans-
* The outlay of the scheme is ₹6000 crore including ₹3000 crore from external financing such as World Bank and ₹3000 crore is expected as an investment from beneficiaries or private sector.
Implementation Period: is 4 years from FY2023-24 to FY2026-27
- Component 1-A: The Fisheries sector will be formalised by connecting fisheries microenterprises with the government of India programs and facilitating them with working capital financing. For this, a National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP) will be created, where all the stakeholders will registered and mobilized.
Component 1-B: Facilitating the adoption of aquaculture insurance-
Under this component, a “one-time incentive” will be provided for the purchase of one crop cycle. It aims to cover at least 1 lakh hectares of aquaculture farms.
Benefits:
- A “one-time incentive” at the rate of 40% of the insurance premium will be provided. It will be subject to a limit of ₹25000 per hectare of water spread area of the aquaculture farm up to ₹1 lakh. The maximum farm size available to incentive is 4 hectares of water spread area.
- For more intensive forms of aquaculture such as cage farms, Re-circulatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS), bio-floc, raceways etc the maximum unit size will be 1800 m^3, whereas the incentive will be the same as aforementioned.
- SC, ST and Women beneficiaries will be provided with an additional 10% of the incentive.
Component 2: Support to microenterprises to improve value chain efficiencies of the fishery sector.
- A performance grant will be provided to microenterprises for up to 25% of their total investment or ₹35 lahks for the general category and up to 35% of the total investment or ₹45 lakh, whichever is lower for the SC, ST and Women-owned enterprises for improving the overall efficiency of the fishery sector.
- A performance grant of up to 35% of the total investment or ₹200 lakh, whichever is lower will be provided to Village level organizations, SHGs, FFPOs and cooperatives
Component 3: Adoption and Expansion of safety and quality assurance system for fish and fish products
- Microenterprises:
performance grants for up to 25% of their total investment or ₹35 lakh, whichever is lower for the general category and up to 35% of total investment or ₹45 lakh, whichever is lower for the SC, ST and Women-owned enterprises.
- Small enterprises:
performance grants for up to 35% of their total investment or ₹75 lakh, whichever is lower for the general category and up to 35% of total investment or ₹100 lakh, whichever is lower for the SC, ST and Women-owned enterprises.
- A performance grant of up to 35% of the total investment or ₹200 lakh, whichever is lower will be provided to Village level organizations, SHGs, FFPOs and cooperatives
Performance grant disbursement criteria for Components 2 and 3:
- For each job created and maintained for a woman an amount of Rs.15,000 per year will be paid, similarly, for each job created and maintained for a man an amount of Rs.10,000 per year will be paid, subject to the limit of 50% of total eligible grant
Component 4: A Project Management Unit (PMU) will be set up to manage, implement, monitor and evaluate project activities.
What is the name of the portal unveiled by the union agriculture minister that will provide insurance products, including PMFBY products tailored for farmers and rural populations?
It was launched in collaboration with?
ns-
* Sandbox for Agricultural and Rural Security, Technology and Insurance (SARTHI)
- UNDP
The Ministry of Tourism has revamped the Swadesh Darshan Scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD 2.0) with the objective of developing sustainable and responsible tourism destinations. The government has notified ___destinations under the SD 2.0 and when was the scheme launched?
The Swadesh Darshan scheme was launched in 2014-15 and the government has notified 57 destinations under SD 2.0
A “DigiReady Certification (DRC)” portal for MSMEs was launched by which entities and why?
It was launched by the ONDC and the QCI (Quality Council of India) to assess the digital readiness of MSMEs which will be onboarded on the ONDC. The DIGIReady will provide an online self-assessment tool to the MSMEs to help them get onboarded on the ONDC.
The “Pure for Sure” initiative was launched by which company to revolutionize the LPG delivery experience by eliminating efficiencies in last-mile delivery and providing services like QR code scanning on LPG cylinders, OTP-based delivery and real-time tracking?
BPCL
Answer the following according to the NeSDA (National e-Governance Services Delivery Assessment) Way Forward report for 2023-
Which state/UT has topped the list for the maximum number of e-services?
States and UTs have achieved a saturation level of ___% in providing mandatory e-Services?
Which states have achieved 100% e-services delivery through their respective portals?
Ans-
* Jammu & Kashmir topped the list with 1117 e-services
- 76%
- Besides J&K, Kerala, Assam and Odisha are providing 100% e-services through their respective unified portals.
As of 31 Dec 2023, _____incubators were selected with a total approved funding of ₹____ under the Startup India Seed Fund scheme?
When was the scheme launched?
What are the eligibility criteria for startups?
Ans-
* 198 incubators were selected with a total funding of ₹802.98 crore as of 31 Dec 2023
- The scheme was launched in 2021 under the “Startup India Initiative” to provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization. The financial assistance is provided by incubators selected under the scheme.
- The eligibility criteria for startups are
- It should be recognized by DPIIT and incorporated not more than 2 years ago at the time of the application.
- Startup should not have received more than ₹10 lakh of monetary support under any other central or state government scheme.
- Indian promoters should have a minimum 51% shareholding in the startup
The National Technology Centre for Ports, waterways and Coasts was established in collaboration with which entity under the Sagarmala programme of the Ministry of Ports, shipping & waterways?
It was established in collaboration with IIT Madras. It will provide innovative and research-based engineering solutions to various issues related to ports, shipping and coasts in the country.
Over 96.88 crore electors registered in the 2024 general elections, around an 8% increase in registered voters from 2019. How many new female voters registered?
The gender ratio of the voters increased from ____in 2023 to ___in 2024?
Ans-
* 1.41 crore
- From 940 in 2023 to 948 in 2024
The government approved a proposal to provide health benefits to ESI workers who went out of the scheme due to wage ceiling. What are the criteria for getting the health benefits?
A new policy of the “Ayush 2023” was adopted to be implemented in ESIC institutions. What new things will be established in the ESIC institutions?
Ans-
* People who were in insurable employment for at least 5 years after April 1, 2012 and superannuated/voluntarily retired on or after April 1, 2017, with wages up to ₹30000 per month will be benefited.
- Panchakarma, Kshara Sutra and AYUSH units
Union Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurated the pilot project “Smart Gram Panchayat: Revolution towards Digitization of Gram Panchayat” in Feb 2024. What is the aim of the project and it will be implemented in how many gram panchayats in Bihar?
The project will be funded under which scheme?
The project will be executed by which entities?
Ans-
* The project aims to provide Wi-Fi internet services through the PM-WANI (PM-Wifi Access Network Interface) scheme in 455 Gram Panchayats across 37 blocks in the Begusarai and Rohtas districts of Bihar in the financial year 2023-24. The project will leverage digital technology to enhance access to online services in crucial sectors such as health, education and skilling, thereby elevating the quality of life in rural areas.
- It will be funded under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) which is a flagship program to strengthen Panchayati raj institutions in rural India by empowering local self-governance and promoting inclusive governance at a grassroots level. Under the program, capacity building of newly elected representatives of panchayati raj institutions.
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of Bihar and the BSNL
The “Udyan Utsav and Vivdhta Ka Amrit Mahotsav 2024”, an educational event for students and teachers was organised by which entity and the EMRS students from which three northeast states participated in the event?
It was organised by the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) in New Delhi and the EMRS students from Manipur, Sikkim and Tripura participated in the event
AIIMS New Delhi partnered with which bank for a Smart Card System?
SBI
India’s Index of Industrial Production grew by ____% in Dec 2023 of the base year 2011-12 and value of 100?
18%
The Department of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution modernized the CONFONET software into the e-Jagriti portal. What is the full form of CONFONET?
When was the e-Jagriti portal launched and why?
Ans-
* Computerization and Computer Networking of Consumer Fora in Country (CONFONET)
- The e-Jagriti portal was launched in Dec 2023 to integrate all the consumer grievances portals into a single platform, aiming to streamline and expedite the resolution process for consumer complaints. It offers features such as case filing and monitoring, virtual court facilities etc.
PM Modi announced the solar rooftop scheme “PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana” with what outlay and what are its objectives?
It was announced with an outlay of ₹75000 crore and it aims to light up 1 crore houses by providing 300 units of free electricity per month.
For the first time, which railway station was renamed after a martyred soldier?
Udhampur Railway Station in J&K was renamed after the martyred captain Tushar Mahajan
What is the name of the startup conclave for food processing entrepreneurs organised by the MoFPI and NIFTEM-K in Feb 2024?
SUFALAM (Startup Forum for Aspiring Leaders and Mentors)
Under a fintech collaboration between India and UAE, India’s UPI was interlinked with UAE’s _____to facilitate cross-border transactions between the two countries?
India’s card payment network “Rupay” was also interlinked with UAE’s _____card to facilitate Indian UAE residents make transactions in India, eliminating the need for currency exchange?
Ans-
* “AANI”
- Jaywan card
The TRIFED signed an MoU with which company to empower tribal farmers and suppliers particularly engaging in turmeric cultivation under the “PM Janjatiya Vikas Mission” scheme?
ITC
The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) released guidelines for the use of green hydrogen for pilot projects in the transport sector with an outlay of ₹____till FY2025-26 under the National Green Hydrogen Mission?
₹496 crore till FY2025-26
A special scheme for informal microenterprises by the CGTMSE was launched to support micro-enterprises and prompt lending institutions to lend to Informal microenterprises. Loans up to ₹____will be extended to informal microenterprises?
₹20 lakhs
Which fund was realigned and subsumed under the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) scheme in Feb?
The Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund was subsumed under the AHIDF scheme, thus now enabling dairy cooperatives under the interest subvention of 3% and Credit guarantee of up to 25% of the project cost under the AHIDF fund scheme.
The 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad will be held in which place?
Budapest, Hungary
According to the report of the first National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India, which is the most psychoactive substance used by Indians?
Alchohol is the most psychoactive substance used by Indians, followed by cannabis and Opioids.
What was the theme of the “International Conference of Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulators” held under the aegis of PNGRB?
The government aims to increase the share of natural gas in the energy mix to ___%?
Ans-
* Navigating Pathways for Natural Gas Development
- To 15% by 2030
The National Campaign to achieve 100% farm registrations including aquaculture registrations was launched by which entity and the first campaign was launched in which place?
Non-registration of coastal aquaculture units is a violation as per which section?
Ans-
* It was launched by the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA), Chennai under the Department of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying. The first campaign was launched in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu.
- Section 13 of the CAA Act, 2005
The first-ever Digital India Future Skills Summit was organised in which place by MeITY through the National Institute of Electronics and IT?
Guhwati, Assam
The Wholesale Price in India for the month of January 2024 was ___%?
0.27%. It is primarily due to an increase in prices of food articles, machinery & equipment, minerals and other transport equipment.
The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) is released by the DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Its components are
- Primary Articles (22.62%)
- Fuel & Power (13.15%)
- Manufactured Products (64.23%)
Its base year is 2011-12 with a base value of 100
Which was the Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSE) that reclaimed the top position in Feb in government procurement on the GeM portal?
Which ministry was the first to surpass ₹1 lakh crore of total order value or Gross merchandise value (GMV) since the inception of the GeM?
Ans-
* Ministry of Coal reclaimed the first spot through GeM procurement with procurement soaring up to ₹63890 crore
- Ministry of Defence
The GeM (Government e-Marketplace) portal is an online public procurement portal of the government launched in August 2016 as a part of the “Digital India” initiative. It facilitates sellers such as individual sellers, manufacturers, startups, MSEs, FPOs, and SHGs to sell their products to government buyers such as government departments, agencies, PSUs, cooperative bodies and panchayats. The 3 core pillars of GeM are Efficiency, Transparency and Inclusivity.
Where was the “World Government Summit 2024” held and with what theme?
It was held in Dubai with the theme of “Shaping the Future Governments”
The foundation stone was laid for the “Bharat Mart” in which place and it will be built by which entity?
The foundation stone was laid at the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone in Dubai and it will be built by “DP World”, a logistics company based in Dubai
The ONDC partnered with _______in Feb to provide a digital platform and empower all stakeholders?
Department of Fisheries
The Kiran Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline was merged with which program?
It was merged with the Tele-MANAS program of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to provide free tele-mental health services all over the country. Its nodal centre is NIMHANS, Bangalore and IIIT Banglore provides technical support.
According to new amendments, the shareholding limits under the Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for Scheduled Castes (SCs), were increased from ___% to ___%?
From 51% to 75%
The “Compendium of Behavioural Best Practices and Integrated Communications Strategy for the Jal Jeevan Mission” was launched by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in collaboration with which entity?
NITI Ayog
The financial assistance for the Rubber Sector was increased by __% for FY2024-25 and FY2025-26?
The planting of rubber will now be done in 12000 ha with an outlay of ₹43.5 crore for this, the rate of assistance has been increased from ₹25000 per h.a to ₹____p.a?
For the rubber research, the outlay of ₹____is provided for the next 2 years?
Further assistance will also be provided for the establishment of _____new Rubber Producer Societies (RBSs)?
Ans-
* It was increased by 23% from ₹576 crore to ₹708 crore
- ₹40000 per h.a
- ₹29 crore
- 250
