1. Which Indian ministry is responsible for administering the FAME India Scheme?
A. Ministry of Finance
B. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
C. Ministry of AYUSH
D. Ministry of Heavy Industries
- The Ministry of Heavy Industries administers the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme. Instituted in 2015, this scheme aims to encourage the adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles in the country. The ongoing implementation of FAME India Scheme Phase-II by the Ministry of Heavy Industries spans a five-year period starting from April 1, 2019, with a total budgetary allocation of Rs. 10,000 crores. The initial phase, FAME I, provided purchase incentives across all electric vehicle categories. The subsidy under FAME-2 for electric vehicles is scheduled to conclude on March 31, 2024.
2. Which player recently clinched the Chennai Grand Masters 2023 title?
A. Dommaraju Gukesh
B. Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa
C. Vidit Santosh Gujrathi
D. Sandipan Chanda
- In Chennai Grand Masters 2023 tournament, Indian chess prodigy, Dommaraju Gukesh clinched the title by holding compatriot Pentala Harikrishna for a draw. Meanwhile, Arjun Erigaisi secured the second spot.
3. India’s first Himalayan Air Safari was recently launched from which Indian state?
A. Himachal Pradesh
B. Uttarakhand
C. Ladakh
D. Jammu & Kashmir
- On December 16, 2023, the country’s first Himalayan Air Safari was launched from Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand has become the first state in the country to start Gyrocopter Adventure.
4. Pong Dam, a Ramsar Site, that was in news recently, is situated on which river?
A. Ravi
B. Beas
C. Sutlej
D. Narmada
- The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest recently issued a draft notification declaring a one-kilometre area from the boundaries of the Pong Dam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kangra district as an eco-sensitive zone. Pong Dam Lake (also known as Maharana Pratap Sagar) is a manmade reservoir formed due to the construction of Pong Dam on the Beas River in the wetland zone of Shivalik Hills. In 1983, the entire reservoir was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary by the Himachal Pradesh government. Pong Dam Lake was declared a Ramsar Site in November 2002.
5. The recently launched “SUPACE” is related to ___?
A. Parliament of India
B. Supreme Court of India
C. Indian Air Force
D. Environment of India
- ‘SUPACE’, the Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency, is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool created to gather pertinent facts and laws, presenting them to judges for easier research. It functions as a support system to alleviate the workload of judges by streamlining the research process. It is important to note that SUPACE is not intended to make decisions; rather, its purpose is to process facts and provide judges with valuable information to aid in decision-making.
6. Nikusth 2.0, the portal that was recently making news, is related to which disease?
A. Tuberculosis
B. Diabetes
C. Cancer
D. Leprosy
- Leprosy, also referred to as Hansen’s disease, is caused by Mycobacterium leprae. This condition impacts the skin, peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes. Occurring across all age groups, leprosy is treatable. The transmission of leprosy occurs through droplets from the nose and mouth during close and frequent contact with untreated cases. India achieved the status of “Leprosy Eliminated” in 2005. Nikusth 2.0 serves as an integrated portal for leprosy case management under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP).
7. What is the maximum penalty stipulated in the new Indian telecom law for unsolicited messaging to users?
A. Rs 25,000
B. Rs 50,000
C. Rs 2,00,000
D. Rs 3,00,000
- The new telecom law passed by the Indian parliament specifies a penalty of Rs 50,000 for sending unsolicited messages to users. For repeat offenders of such spam messaging, the law provides for suspension of their telecom network. This provision to curb pesky messages and calls was included in the law to address rising complaints of telemarketers disturbing subscribers despite do-not-disturb preferences.
8. From which country, India recently imported crude oil by paying in Indian Rupee under rupee-dirham trade agreement?
A. Saudi Arabia
B. United Arab Emirates
C. Qatar
D. Oman
- India made its first ever payment for crude oil import from the UAE in Indian rupees instead of US dollars. This was part of a rupee-dirham trade agreement signed between the two countries in July 2022. The payment was made by Indian Oil Corporation to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for purchase of 1 million barrels of UAE crude.
9. North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research (NEIAFMR) is located in which state?
A. Assam
B. Arunachal Pradesh
C. Sikkim
D. Tripura
- It is located in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh. On his Arunachal Pradesh visit, Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the government is committed to develop NEIAFMR as the national hub of folk medicine. Additional Rs 53 crore infrastructure will help build its capacity towards research on Ayurveda and folk medicine and enable introducing quality Ayurveda education.
10. Which city is the host of 2024 BRICS summit?
A. Kazan, Russia
B. Sao Paulo, Brazil
C. Shanghai, China
D. Johannesburg, South Africa
- The 2024 BRICS Summit will be held in Kazan, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on April 3, 2023 to hold the summit in the city. As per recent statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, BRICS summit is set to take place in Kazan in October 2024. He said about 30 countries wish to have partner ties with BRICS.
11. Coral reefs occupy what percentage of the ocean floor?
A. Less than 0.1%
B. Around 1%
C. Around 1.5%
D. Around 2.5%
- As per reports, coral reefs occupy less than 0.1% of the total ocean floor area but support around 25% of all known marine species at some stage, hence critical for marine biodiversity. This highlights their huge ecological significance disproportionate to size. Climate change poses significant risk to their survival. Coral Vita is a Dubai startup attempting to restore coral reefs by growing heat-resistant corals in a land-based lab to be eventually transplanted back to sea.
12. With reference to astronomical bodies in news, what is Apophis?
A. Galaxy
B. Asteroid
C. Exoplanet
D. Moon
- NASA is sending a returned spacecraft to study the asteroid Apophis, which will have an extremely close flyby of Earth in 2029. Apophis has been dubbed the “God of Chaos” asteroid after the ancient Egyptian deity representing disorder and chaos. The spacecraft will observe how the asteroid’s orbit and physical surface changes due to Earth’s gravity during the close encounter.
13. By what name, Vijayakanth, founder of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), who passed away recently was affectionately known?
A. Thalaivaa
B. Thalapathy
C. Captain
D. Puratchi Thilagam
- Vijayakant, founder of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) party in Tamil Nadu, passed away on December 28th 2023 at age 71. Known affectionately as “Captain” after playing the title role in hit film “Captain Prabakaran”, he entered politics in 2006.
- Rattling stalwarts Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi, Vijayakant emerged as a surprise third force by securing 8.38% votes in 2006 state elections as an independent. His vote shares later crossed 10% in 2009 parliamentary polls. Allying with AIADMK in 2011, DMDK became second largest party in Assembly, making Vijayakant Leader of Opposition with 29 MLAs. However, in later years his political fortunes declined after falling out with AIADMK.
