1. Who of the following have been selected for 2017 All-Star Basketball without Borders (BWB) Global Camp?
[A] Aashay Verma and Priyanka Prabhakara
[B] Sakshi Pawar and Akshay Sharma
[C] Vivek Kumar and Mahima Rathore
[D] Nishant Patel and Varsha Sharma
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Aashay Verma and Priyanka Prabhakara]
Notes:
For the first time, two Indian cagers – Aashay Verma and Priyanka Prabhakara – have been selected in a 67-strong international group of boys and girls for the NBA and FIBA’s third annual Basketball without Borders (BWB) Global Camp in New Orleans, USA. The camp will be held February 17 to 19 as part of NBA All-Star 2017. The BWB Global Camp is a great opportunity for the top male and female prospects from around the world to compete against one another, learn directly from NBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches, and experience the excitement of NBA All-Star. The Basketball without Borders program was founded on the belief that basketball brings young players from different backgrounds together and transcends cultural boundaries.
2. Which sports outreach programme has been launched by the Union Government to promote football among school children?
[A] Mission-XI-Million
[B] Mission-XIV-Million
[C] Mission-XII-Million
[D] Mission-XV-Million
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Mission-XI-Million]
Notes:
The Union Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports, Vijay Goel has recently launched the “Mission-Eleven-Million” sports outreach programme to promote football among school children. The main purpose of the Mission XI is to instill the passion for football in 11 million children from every part of the country. The first-of-its- kind programme will encourage children to play the football, gain healthy habits and learn important life lessons in teamwork and sportsman spirit. As part of the programme, Government will motivate and incentivize school principals and sports teachers to promote football games in school on a regular basis. The programme will also provide schools with necessary knowledge and equipment to encourage football as a sport played on a regular basis.
3. Which country to host conference on counter radicalisation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)?
[A] Malaysia
[B] Iran
[C] Pakistan
[D] India
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [India]
Notes:
India will host a conference on counter radicalisation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to share experiences and ideas on prevention of radicalization in October 2017. The conference will provide common platform to countries for sharing experiences and ideas on prevention of radicalisation.
4. Which union ministry has organized the International Conference on NexGen Technologies for Mining and Fuel Industries-2017?
[A] Ministry of Corporate Affairs
[B] Ministry of Civil Aviation
[C] Ministry of Mines
[D] Ministry of Environment and Forestry
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Ministry of Environment and Forestry]
Notes:
The International Conference on NexGen Technologies for Mining and Fuel Industries has started at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on February 15, 2017. The 3 day conference is organized by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, which will cover areas like Innovative mining technology for sustainable development and advances in mine design mine planning recent advancement in drilling and blasting. The conference is inaugurated by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Union Science and Technology Minister.
5. Which public sector bank has won the National MSME Excellence Award 2017?
[A] Punjab National Bank
[B] Corporation Bank
[C] ICICI Bank
[D] State Bank of India
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Corporation Bank]
Notes:
The Mangalore-based public sector lender, Corporation Bank has won the ‘National MSME Excellence Award 2017’ at a function in New Delhi for playing constructive role in the MSME sector viz. online loan facility for MSME borrowers, online facility for revival and rehabilitation of MSME, campaign for growth with various concessions and collateral
free loans up to Rs 2 crore under Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS), etc. The award is instituted by the Federation of Industry Trade and Services (FITS), which is a national industry body working in the form of a bridge between the industry and the state and central governments.
6. Who is the author of the book “Every Time It Rains”?
[A] Vikram Seth
[B] Nikitha Singh
[C] Mahi Jadon
[D] Amitav Ghosh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Nikitha Singh]
Notes:
The book “Every Time It Rains” has been authored by Nikitha Singh. It is the sequel of author’s “Like a Love song” , in which Mahi and Laila were the protagonists with the story from Mahi’s perspective. The book “Every Time It Rains” revolves around Laila’s life, how she picks up the broken pieces of her shattered heart and whether she gives love another chance in her life remains a mystery till the end.
7. Who has been bestowed with the 2016 Saraswati Samman?
[A] Naiyer Masud
[B] Sugatha Kumari
[C] Surjit Paatar
[D] Mahabaleshwar Sail
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Mahabaleshwar Sail]
Notes:
Mahabaleshwar Sail, the noted Konkani writer, has been honoured with the 2017 Saraswati Samman for his novel ‘Hawthan’. The Goa-based Sail is a renowned bi-lingual writer who has four Marathi dramas and seven Konkani novels to his credit. The award carries a cash prize of Rs.15 lakh and a citation.
8. Which country to host the 22nd edition of Asian Athletics Championship 2017?
[A] Japan
[B] India
[C] China
[D] South Korea
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [India]
Notes:
The 22nd edition of Asian Athletics Championship will be held in India at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from July 2017. With this, Bhubaneswar will become the 3rd city in India to host the athletics championship after New Delhi in 1989 and Pune in 2013. Nearly 800 athletes from 45 countries are expected to take part in the tournament.
9. What is the India’s rank in the world for the number of MPs in Parliament, as per latest UN report “Women in Politics 2017 Map”?
[A] 155th
[B] 169th
[C] 111th
[D] 148th
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [148th]
Notes:
India has been ranked 148th out of 193 countries in the world for the number of women MPs in Parliament, according to the 2017 edition of “Women in Politics 2017 Map” published by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women. Rwanda topped the list, followed by Bolivia, Cuba, Iceland, Nicaragua and Sweden. The map of Women in Politics not only provides a country ranking for both ministerial and parliamentary representation, but also statistics on women in political leadership positions – Heads of State or government, women Speakers of Parliament, as well as ministerial portfolios held by women throughout the world.
10. Ashokamitran, who passed away recently, was the noted litterateur of which language?
[A] Odia
[B] Telugu
[C] Malayalam
[D] Tamil
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Tamil]
Notes:
The well-known Tamil novelist and essayist Thiagarajan (85), popularly known as Asokamitran, has recently passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was noted for his subtlety and refreshing creativity in expression. His work “Appavin Snegithargal”, a collection of short stories won him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1996. His work includes over 200 short stories, eight novels, some 15 novellas besides prose. “18-vadhu Atchakkodu”, translated into English as “The Eighteenth Parallel”, is one of his highly acclaimed novels. Many of his works have been translated into English, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and other languages.