1. ‘Defender of the Fatherland Day’ is predominantly celebrated in which region?
[A] North America
[B] Africa
[C] Central Asia
[D] Oceania
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Central Asia]
Notes:
Defender of the Fatherland Day is celebrated in Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Belarus.
Except for Kazakhstan, other countries observe this day on February 23. Kazakhstan observes this day on May 7. Ukraine abolished this holiday in 1992. Defender of the Fatherland Day is observed since 1919 to commemorate the first mass draft into the Red Army during the Russian Civil War. It is now a state holiday in Russia.
2. Financial Action Task Force (FATF) suspended the membership of which country recently?
[A] Ukraine
[B] Russia
[C] Afghanistan
[D] Turkey
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Russia]
Notes:
Global anti-money laundering watchdog -Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has suspended Russia’s membership over the Ukraine war.
Paris-based FATF deals with money laundering and terrorism financing prevention. It sets standards for more than 200 countries and jurisdictions and seeks to help authorities tackle serious crimes including drug smuggling, human trafficking and terrorism.
3. When is the ‘National Science Day’ celebrated every year?
[A] February 21
[B] February 24
[C] February 28
[D] March 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [February 28]
Notes:
National Science Day is celebrated in India on February 28th every year to mark the discovery of the Raman Effect by Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman.
It was observed for the first time in 1987. The day celebrates the contributions of scientists and creates awareness about the importance of science in everyday life. This discovery of Raman Scattering won Raman the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930, making him the first Indian to receive a Nobel Prize in a scientific field.
4. Which tennis player broke the Steffi Graf’s record of leading the WTA rank for 377 weeks?
[A] Rafael Nadal
[B] Serena Williams
[C] Novak Djokovic
[D] Iga Swiatek
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Novak Djokovic]
Notes:
Djokovic has defeated Tomas Machac at the Dubai Championships extends winning streak to 18 matches.
The 35-year-old Serb broke the record for the most time spent at No. 1 in the professional tennis rankings by a man or woman. His 378th week in the ATP’s top spot, surpassed Steffi Graf’s 377 leading the WTA.
5. Which country has announced the ‘Debt Forgiveness Plan’ to students and households?
[A] USA
[B] UK
[C] Turkey
[D] Ukraine
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [USA]
Notes:
The Debt Forgiveness Plan was announced the US Government in August last year. This plan vowed to cancel 10,000 USD of student loan debt for individuals earning less than 125,000 USD or for households earning less than $250,000 per annum.
Under this plan, those who are receiving Federal Pell Grants will be given an additional 10,000 USD in debt forgiven.
6. Ozempic, which was seen in the news, is used to treat which disease?
[A] Diabetes
[B] Covid
[C] Chronic Heart Disease
[D] Hyper tension
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Diabetes]
Notes:
Ozempic, a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, is facing global shortages due to its popularity and its potential for weight loss.
Ozempic is found to slow down the rate at which food leaves the stomach, thereby reducing appetite. A research found that nearly three-quarters of users lost over 10% of their body weight after taking in this drug.
7. Which institution released the ‘Mind the Gender Gap’ Report?
[A] SEBI
[B] CFA Institute
[C] Oxfam International
[D] Amnesty International
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [CFA Institute]
Notes:
The report titled ‘Mind the Gender Gap’ was released recently the CFA Institute. It is created based on the data from BRSR (Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report) disclosures.
The BRSR framework was released in 2021 by SEBI as a set of sustainability disclosure mechanism for private companies. According to the Mind the Gender Gap report, women’s participation rate in finance and related sectors is low in India. Only 21.7 percent of women are employed in financial services companies and only 15.9 percent are employed in key managerial positions.
8. Hydrogen produced from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy is called as?
[A] White Hydrogen
[B] Pink Hydrogen
[C] Green Hydrogen
[D] Clean Hydrogen
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Green Hydrogen]
Notes:
Green hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy through a process called electrolysis.
CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) and NTPC are planning to collaborate to produce green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is considered a clean and sustainable energy source with high economic potential and cost-effectiveness.
9. Great Pyramid of Giza, which was seen in the news, is located in which country?
[A] South Africa
[B] USA
[C] Egypt
[D] Australia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Egypt]
Notes:
The Great Pyramid of Giza, the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu, is the largest pyramid in Egypt and the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Built over a period of approximately 27 years in the early 26th century BC, it is located in the Pyramid Fields of Giza, Egypt. Scientists have discovered a hidden passage inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, as part of the ScanPyramids project. This passage is 9 meters in length and more than 2 meters in width.
10. As per the ‘Mental State of the World’ Report, which disease had a detrimental effect on mental health?
[A] COVID-19
[B] Cancer
[C] Diabetes
[D] HIV
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [COVID-19]
Notes:
The third annual mental state of the world report was released recently by a non-profit called Sapien Labs.
The report is based on the survey of over 4 lakh participants across 64 countries. According to this report, COVID-19 pandemic has detrimental effects on mental health and interpersonal relationships. The score of mental health fell by 33 points on average over the two years of COVID-19 pandemic.
