1. Which Indian chess player won silver in the World Blitz Chess Championship in Kazakhstan?
[A] Gukesh
[B] Praggnananda
[C] Koneru Humpy
[D] Viswanathan Anand
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Koneru Humpy]
Notes:
35-year-old Indian Chess player and former World rapid champion Koneru Humpy won Silver medal at World Blitz Chess Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Savitha Shri, a 15-year-old girl from Tamil Nadu won bronze at the World rapid and blitz chess championship.
2. XBB.1.5 Covid variant has caused a huge rise in new cases in which country?
[A] South Africa
[B] Italy
[C] USA
[D] Indonesia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [USA]
Notes:
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that XBB.1.5 has more than doubled its share of the Covid-19 figures each week.
In the Northeast region of the country, XBB.1.5 is causing 75% of new cases. The XBB.1.5 strain is a relative of the Omicron XBB variant, which is a recombinant of the Omicron BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 subvariants.
3. Which country is set to launch ‘Electronic Supreme Court Reports (e-SCR) project’?
[A] Sri Lanka
[B] Pakistan
[C] India
[D] Bangladesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [India]
Notes:
The Supreme Court of India is set to launch a project, to provide free access to official law reports of its verdicts to law students, lawyers and the general public.
The Electronic Supreme Court Reports (e-SCR) project will be unveiled on the direction of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud. The project will be rolled out on the Supreme Court’s website and will be made available on the mobile application of Supreme Court of India and Judgment portal of National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG).
4. Who is the head of the Committee set up to discuss measures to protect Ladakh’s culture, language and employment?
[A] Jamyang Tsering Namgyal
[B] Amit Shah
[C] Nityanand Rai
[D] RK Mathur
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Nityanand Rai]
Notes:
The Centre has constituted a High Powered Committee to discuss measures to protect Ladakh’s unique culture, language and employment.
A 17 member committee has been set up under the Chairmanship of Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. Other members include Ladakh Lieutenant Governor RK Mathur, MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, and nominee officials of Home ministry among others.
5. Vaidehi Chaudhari, who won her maiden singles title recently, plays which sports?
[A] Table Tennis
[B] Tennis
[C] Badminton
[D] Squash
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Tennis]
Notes:
22-year-old Vaidehi Chaudhari has clinched the USD 15,000 ITF women’s tournament singles in Gwalior after beating top seed Ksenia Laskutova.
It was Vaidehi’s maiden singles title in the professional circuit. She had won her maiden doubles title earlier with Laskutova as her partner. Vaidehi is also the reigning National Tennis champion.
6. Which state hosted the ‘National Scout and Guide Jamboree’?
[A] Karnataka
[B] Rajasthan
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] Gujarat
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Rajasthan]
Notes:
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the 18th National Scout and Guide Jamboree, at Rohat in the Pali district of Rajasthan.
The First National Jamboree of the Bharat Scouts and Guides was organized at Hyderabad in the year 1953. Rajasthan hosted the Jamboree after 66 years. Over 35,000 scouts and guides from all over the country participated in the 7-day-event.
7. As of January 2023, what is the interest rate for the General Provident Fund?
[A] 6.1 per cent
[B] 7.1 per cent
[C] 8.1 per cent
[D] 8.5 per cent
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [7.1 per cent]
Notes:
The government kept the interest rate unchanged at 7.1 per cent for the subscribers of the General Provident Fund and other similar funds.
In the previous quarter ended December 31, the GPF interest was at the same 7.1 per cent. The rate is valid from January 1, 2023, to March 31, 2023, as per the finance ministry said in a notification.
8. Which institution implements the ‘Bikaner Solar Power Project’?
[A] SJVN Limited
[B] NHPC Limited
[C] REC Limited
[D] JSW Energy
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [SJVN Limited]
Notes:
President Droupadi Murmu laid the foundation stone of state-owned energy firm SJVN’s 1,000 MW Bikaner Solar Power Project in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
This project is being implemented by SJVN Limited through its wholly owned subsidiary SJVN Green Energy Limited (SGEL). Bikaner is one of the highest solar yield areas of the country. The project is scheduled to be commissioned by March 2024. SJVN is a leading power CPSE under Ministry of Power.
9. ‘Siyom bridge’ has been inaugurated in which state/UT?
[A] Assam
[B] Jammu and Kashmir
[C] Arunachal Pradesh
[D] Punjab
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Arunachal Pradesh]
Notes:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Siyom Bridge in Arunachal Pradesh, constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
It is one among the 28 projects, mostly along the border with China. They include 12 in Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, five in Arunachal Pradesh, three each in Sikkim, Punjab and Uttarakhand, and two in Rajasthan.
10. Which country developed the Aadhaar-like platform for 9 countries called ‘Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP)’?
[A] China
[B] India
[C] Israel
[D] USA
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [India]
Notes:
International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB) has developed a platform to provide Aadhaar-like digital identities for nine countries.
The Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP) is a digital identity platform. Citizens of Philippines, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Ethiopia, Republic of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and Togolese Republic will enrol on the platform.