1. Which is the first Asian country to receive financing under Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) of the IMF?
[A] India
[B] Bangladesh
[C] Pakistan
[D] Nepal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bangladesh]
Notes:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board approved a total of USD 4.7 billion loan for Bangladesh.
It includes USD 3.3 billion under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and USD 1.4 billion under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). Bangladesh is the first country in Asia to receive financing under the RSF.
2. Which state has mandated one-year work experience for recruitment in state government departments?
[A] Odisha
[B] Goa
[C] Gujarat
[D] Uttarakhand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Goa]
Notes:
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that one-year work experience would be made compulsory for recruitment in state government departments.
The practice would help the government in getting skilled manpower. The Chief Minister also launched ‘Har Ghar Dhyan’ organized by the Directorate of Art and Culture in collaboration with Art of Living.
3. As per the Economic Survey, what is the budgeted expenditure on healthcare, as a percentage of GDP in FY23?
[A] 2.5 %
[B] 2.1 %
[C] 1.9 %
[D] 1.5 %
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [2.1 %]
Notes:
As per the Economic Survey 2022-23, the central and state governments’ budgeted expenditure on healthcare touched 2.1 % of GDP in FY23 and 2.2% in FY22.
In FY21, the figure was only 1.6% in FY21. The Survey said that the share of expenditure on health in total expenditure on social services has risen from 21% in FY19 to 26 % in FY23 (BE). Out of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) as a percentage of total health expenditure has declined from 64.2% in FY14 to 48.2% in FY19.
4. Which European country has invited Indian techies offering work opportunities?
[A] Sweden
[B] Finland
[C] Norway
[D] Italy
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Finland]
Notes:
Finland has invited Indian tech employees to migrate there for work, offering opportunities as global tech companies lay off thousands of employees. Over 10,000 Indians live in Finland for work and education.
Finland aims to double work-based migration and triple study-based migration by 2030. Business Finland, a government organisation for innovation funding and trade, travel and investments signed MoU with the Confederation of Indian Industry for talent mobility, in December 2022.
5. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan said the State capital would be shifted to which city?
[A] Kurnool
[B] Visakhapatnam
[C] Vijayawada
[D] Guntur
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Visakhapatnam]
Notes:
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan said the State capital would be shifted to Visakhapatnam.
He was addressing the preparatory meeting for Global Investors Summit to be held in Visakhapatnam. The State government had proposed three capitals, Visakhapatnam (Executive capital), Amaravati (Legislative capital) and Kurnool (Judicial capital). Amaravati is the present capital of Andhra Pradesh.
6. Dust particles in which state are recently found to have heavy concentration of toxic metals?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] New Delhi
[C] Jharkhand
[D] Haryana
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Jharkhand]
Notes:
Dust particles in Jamshedpur and adjoining areas in Jharkhand have a heavy concentration of toxic metals.
Though they are not carcinogenic, the particles pose a high health risk, especially for children. Thgis was revealed at a conference held by the state pollution control board and Ranchi Municipal Corporation in association with ASAR, an organisation working on clean air and environment. As of now, Ranchi does not have any government-operated continuous air quality monitoring system.
7. What is the disinvestment target of the Finance ministry for the year 2023-24?
[A] Rs 98000 crore
[B] Rs 82000 crore
[C] Rs 65000 crore
[D] Rs 51000 crore
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Rs 51000 crore]
Notes:
For the next fiscal year 2023-24, the Union Budget has pegged disinvestment revenue at Rs 51,000 crore.
The government has also scaled down the disinvestment target for the current fiscal to Rs 50,000 crore, from Rs 65,000 crore budgeted last year. The Government expects divestment processes initiated in the current fiscal to be closed by the next fiscal year, including IDBI, Shipping Corporation of India and NMDC Steel.
8. Which institution regulates the limits of shares or voting rights in a banking company?
[A] SEBI
[B] RBI
[C] Ministry of Finance
[D] NITI Aayog
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [RBI]
Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India issued Master Direction – Reserve Bank of India (Acquisition and Holding of Shares or Voting Rights in Banking Companies) Directions.
As per the directions, permission to acquire shares or voting rights in a banking company for non-promoter will be limited to 10 % in case of individuals, non-financial institutions, and financial institutions connected with large industrial houses. The limit is 15 % in case of financial institutions, PSUs and government. RBI recently allowed DSP Investment Managers to hike its stake in DCB Bank to 9.99 per cent.
9. The US Defence officials have shot down a surveillance balloon of which country?
[A] India
[B] China
[C] Russia
[D] Afghanistan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [China]
Notes:
After floating over the US for days, a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon has been shot down by the US Defence officials.
The balloon is said to have a payload the size of several buses. China’s foreign ministry denied that the balloon was used for surveillance, and it said that it was a civilian airship used for meteorological and other scientific research
10. Which state/UT Child Rights body launched its WhatsApp chatbot for more effective interaction?
[A] Odisha
[B] Telangana
[C] New Delhi
[D] Goa
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [New Delhi]
Notes:
The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) launched its WhatsApp chatbot for more effective interaction.
The chatbot will be used for complaint registration, searching information, and tracking complaint status. It will be used by the commission for nudge-based awareness communications to children, women, Anganwadi workers, etc.