1. Asim Basu, who passed away recently, was the renowned theatre actor from which state?
[A] Odisha
[B] Assam
[C] West Bengal
[D] Manipur
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Odisha]
Notes:
Asim Basu (81), the renowned theatre artiste and director, art director, painter and playwright, has recently passed away in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He was known for his set design work in Ollywood movies and designing Oriya book covers and movie posters. He directed around 200 plays and did stage designing for over 500 plays and was the art director for several Odia films. Some of his major works are Indradhanura Chhai, Dadagiri and apana Banika.
2. India has recently signed MoU with which country for technical cooperation in rail sector especially on safety related subjects?
[A] France
[B] Italy
[C] Japan
[D] Germany
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Italy]
Notes:
The Union Ministry of Railways has recently signed MoU with Italy’s public sector rail company Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane Group (FS Group) for technical cooperation in rail sector especially in the areas safety in train operations. The cooperation areas identified in this MoU includes safety audit of Indian Railways and measures required for enhancing safety in train operation, assessment and certification of advanced technology based safety products and systems to Safety Integrity Level (SIL4), training and competency development with focus of safety, modern trends in maintenance and diagnostic etc.
3. From which state / Union territory, the “Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign” has been launched?
[A] Puducherry
[B] Goa
[C] Karnataka
[D] Tamil Nadu
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Karnataka]
Notes:
The Union Health Ministry has recently launched Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign at a function in Bengaluru, Karnataka that targets around 41 crore children across India. The campaign against these two diseases will start from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Goa and Lakshadweep and will cover nearly 3.6 crore children. All children aged between 9 months and less than 15 years will be given a single shot of MR- vaccination. The MR vaccine will be provided free- of- cost across the states. Currently, Measles vaccine is provided under Universal Immunization Programme (UIP). Though, rubella vaccine will be a new addition. Measles is a deadly disease and one of the important causes of death in children. Rubella is generally a mild infection, but has serious consequences if infection occurs in pregnant women, causing congenital rubella syndrome.
4. Which city to host India’s first sport theme literary festival ‘SporTale’?
[A] Shillong
[B] Pune
[C] Chennai
[D] New Delhi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Pune]
Notes:
India’s first sports literature festival ‘SporTale’ will be held in Pune on February 2, 2017. The 2-day event will feature approx 38 luminaries from the field of sports, media, cinema, books and photography.
5. Which state government has approved cloud seeding program to produce adequate rain?
[A] Punjab
[B] Haryana
[C] Maharashtra
[D] Madhya Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Maharashtra]
Notes:
The Maharashtra government has approved Rs. 250-crore cloud seeding programme to produce adequate rain because of droughts over the Vidarbha region. The programme would be coordinated by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. It will be the first controlled experiment to quantify the extent to which clouds form water drops large enough to make rain. For their experiment, weather scientists will fly will fly two aircraft and spray dry ice and silver iodide on 100 clouds and compare them with 100 unseeded clouds. Ground radar will track the clouds and verify which ones contributed rain and by how much. The programme will account for the natural variability of the monsoon.
6. Which union minister has launched the “Cyber Swachhta Kendra” for Botnet cleaning and Malware analysis?
[A] Jagat Prakash Nadda
[B] Ravi Shankar Prasad
[C] M Venkaiah Naidu
[D] Arun Jaitley
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ravi Shankar Prasad]
Notes:
The Union Minister of Electronics and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad has recently launched Cyber Swachhta Kendra (CSK) in New Delhi for Botnet cleaning and Malware analysis. The CSK is a part of Government’s digital India initiative to create a secure cyber space by detecting botnet infections. The centre will operate in close coordination and collaboration with Internet Service Providers and Antivirus companies. The centre is being operated by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team. Beside this, the Union Minister has also launched ‘Mkavach’ app to protect smart phones and tablets from hackers and another App ‘Samvid’ to protect Desktops from suspicious applications from running.
7. The Central Excise Day (CED) is celebrated on which date in India?
[A] February 23
[B] February 24
[C] February 22
[D] February 21
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [February 23]
Notes:
The Central Excise Day (CED) is celebrated every year on February 23 in India to commemorate the enactment of the Central Excise and Salt Act, 1944. The Central Excise officers all over the country celebrate this day by organizing seminars, workshops, trade interactions and cultural events etc. In the “Annual Central Excise Day 2017”, Santosh Kumar Gangwar (the Minister of State for Finance) will be the Chief Guest in the “Auditorium, National Museum , Janpath, New Delhi”. The 32 Officers of Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) and its formations from all over India to receive “Commendation Certificate” on the occasion.
8. India’s first hill station bicycle path has opened in which state?
[A] Manipur
[B] West Bengal
[C] Tripura
[D] Mizoram
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [West Bengal]
Notes:
India’s first hill station bicycle path was inaugurated in Darjeeling, West Bengal that runs through Senchal wildlife sanctuary. It is a 20km cycle only trail at an altitude of over 2,000 metres, with thick pine forest under clear blue skies. The path was opened in response to growing interest from both national and foreign tourists.The route starts from near Jorebunglow, south of Darjeeling and ends to a small local eco-village resort in Chatakpur.
9. What is the theme of 2017 World Hearing Day (WHD)?
[A] Ear care can avoid hearing loss
[B] Make listening safe
[C] Childhood hearing loss: act now, here is how!
[D] Action for hearing loss: make a sound investment
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Action for hearing loss: make a sound investment]
Notes:
The World Hearing Day (WHD) is observed every year on March 3 to raise awareness and promote ear and hearing care across the world. The 2017 theme “Action for hearing loss: make a sound investment” draws attention to the economic impact of hearing loss and the cost effectiveness of interventions to address it.
10. Which union ministry is hosting the 13th executive committee meeting of International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN)?
[A] Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
[B] Ministry of Power
[C] Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
[D] Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ministry of Power]
Notes:
The Ministry of Power is hosting the 13th Executive Committee (ExCo) Meeting of the International Smart Grid Action Network (ISGAN) at powergrid corporate center in Gurugram, Haryana from March 6, 2017. This is the first-ever ISGAN ExCo Meeting in India. In the 3-day event, a total of 36 representatives from 18 countries viz. Germany, Korea, Norway, Russia, South Africa, US and UAE, etc., has participated. The purpose of the meeting is to improve the understanding of smart grid technologies, practices and promote adoption of related enabling government policies.