1. Which Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) to set up India’s first school on Quality and Reliability (Q&R)?
[A] IIT Bombay
[B] IIT Indore
[C] IIT Kharagpur
[D] IIT Madras
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [IIT Kharagpur]
Notes:
India’s first inter-disciplinary school on Quality and Reliability (Q&R) will be set up by the IIT Kharagpur. The school will be truly interdisciplinary in which faculty members as well as students will be from various disciplines. The purpose for establishing the school is to improve the quality of life for the people of India as well as develop quality conscious global citizens. The school, in collaboration with other academic units in the Institute, will offer academic courses, research and mission-mode programmes in the area of Quality and Reliability (Q&R), which will bring social transformation. It shall also serve as a hub of Intellectual Property in Quality.
2. Which country has launched nationwide military operation ‘Radd-ul-Fasaad’ to eliminate terrorists?
[A] Afghanistan
[B] India
[C] Bangladesh
[D] Pakistan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Pakistan]
Notes:
Pakistan army has recently launched nationwide military operation ‘Radd-ul-Fasaad’ to eliminate terrorists and consolidate gains of its counter-terrorism operations. The purpose of the operation is to eliminate residual and latent threat of terrorism and to ensure the security of Pakistan’s borders. The Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Civil Armed Forces as well as other security and law enforcement agencies will continue to actively participate and support the efforts of the Pakistan Army to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.
3. Pooja Ghatkar is associated with which sports?
[A] Cricket
[B] Chess
[C] Boxing
[D] Shooting
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Shooting]
Notes:
Pooja Ghatkar from India, the former Asian champion, has won the bronze in the women’s 10 metre air rifle event in the 2017 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup at the Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi. Ghatkar shot 228.8 score in the final to finish third.
4. Who has been appointed as the new spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)?
[A] Gopal Baglay
[B] Sudhir Kumar
[C] Vikas Swarup
[D] P Bashiah
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Gopal Baglay]
Notes:
Gopal Baglay, the 1992-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), has been appointed as the new spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Earlier, he headed the division of the MEA dealing with Pakistan. He has also served as the Deputy High Commissioner to Islamabad. Baglay replaced Vikas Swarup, who is headed to Canada as envoy.
5. Punjala Shiva Shankar, who passed away recently, was related to which field?
[A] Film Industry
[B] Sports
[C] Politics
[D] Journalism
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Politics]
Notes:
Punjala Shiv Shankar (87), an Indian politician, has recently passed away in Hyderabad. He served as the Minister of External Affairs (MEA), Law and Petroleum. He was a very influential minister in Indira Gandhi’s and Rajiv Gandhi’s cabinets and is one of the most senior politicians in India. He also served as the Governor of Sikkim and Kerala.
6. Who is the author of the book “The Wrong Turn: Love and Betrayal in the Time of Netaji”?
[A] Aalap Roy
[B] Aadishri Roy
[C] Sujata Bose
[D] Namita Roy Ghose
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Namita Roy Ghose]
Notes:
The book “The Wrong Turn: Love and Betrayal in the Time of Netaji” has been authored by Sanjay Chopra and Namita Roy Ghose. It is a sweeping tale of passion set against the freedom struggle.
7. Who has been conferred with the 2017 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year award?
[A] Aung San Suu Kyi
[B] Robyn Rihanna Fenty
[C] Thorbjorn Jagland
[D] Bishop Desmond Tutu
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Robyn Rihanna Fenty]
Notes:
Robyn Rihanna Fenty, a Barbadian singer and songwriter, has been conferred with the 2017 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year award in recognition for her work to improve cancer treatment in her home country of Barbados and for setting up a college scholarship to bring Caribbean students to study in the United States. The annual award by the prestigious university is given to an individual whose works and deeds have served to improve the quality of lives and have inspired people to greater heights.
8. Which state government has signed MoU with Invest India to encourage start ups?
[A] Kerala
[B] Assam
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] Odisha
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Odisha]
Notes:
The Odisha government has recently signed MoU with Invest India to support startups in the state The MoU will also facilitate networking between Odisha start-ups and global start-up ecosystem. Invest India will also extend knowledge support for development in MSME sector with focus on food processing, agro-processing and spices. Apart from this, the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has officially launched the Start-up Odisha Helpline “18003457100” to offer hands-on assistance to youths aspiring to be entrepreneurs. The purpose of the helpline is to provide a platform to youths, incubators and other stakeholders in the start-up eco-system to get easy redressal of their queries related to policy, fund raising, company incorporation and idea validation.
9. Who is the author of the book “Lincoln in the Bardo”?
[A] Junot Díaz
[B] George Saunders
[C] Marie Claire
[D] Zadie Smith
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [George Saunders]
Notes:
The book “Lincoln in the Bardo” has been authored by George Saunders, the Folio prize-winning author. The novel is a tale of death and beyond that captures the grief of Abraham Lincoln over the death of his 11-year-old son Willie while the Civil War raged on in the United States of America (USA). The book draws a parallel line between the lives of Willie’s ghost and a similar uncertain state of Lincoln, after the boy’s death. In simple words, the novel is a confrontation with the mysterious beyond the inevitable death, a question that has haunted humankind, and the way death can bring even the head of a nation to his knees.
10. Which company has become the first Indian power utility to successfully deploy tele-protection service using Line-Differential Relay (LDR) over an IP/MPLS network?
[A] Tata Power-DDL
[B] Adani Power
[C] Jindal Steel and Power
[D] Reliance Power
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Tata Power-DDL]
Notes:
The Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TATA Power-DDL) has become the first Indian power utility to successfully implement teleprotection service using Line-Differential Relay (LDR) over an IP/MPLS network because of the deal with Nokia. The Nokia IP/MPLS technology has improved the reliability, scalability, security and efficiency of power distribution. The Nokia’s enhanced system will allow Tata Power-DDL to receive nearly instant updates of any fault in its infrastructure and reroute power through alternative lines to minimize the disruption to the end consumer. The system connects all grid stations and ensures there is tele-protection and in case there is a fault, then it can be addressed immediately. Apart from the network upgradation, Nokia’s system also provides more traditional business applications such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and video surveillance systems.