1. In which state the 2017 UNESCO Natural Heritage festival was held?
[A] Sikkim
[B] Himachal Pradesh
[C] Punjab
[D] Madhya Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Himachal Pradesh]
Notes:
The 2017 UNESCO Natural Heritage Festival was held at Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in Sairopa, Himachal Pradesh from February 11th to 12th. The fest was held in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and would be attended by prominent conservationists, including Dr George Schaller and Dr A J T Johnsingh, The festival feature a media workshop on environmental journalism, discussions on natural and cultural heritage of the Himalayan region and a heritage walk. Notably, GHNP was given UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2014 in recognition of its outstanding significance for bio-diversity conservation.
2. Which warship has become the India’s first warship to install solar panels on board?
[A] INS Vindhyagiri
[B] INS Godavari
[C] INS Sarvekshak
[D] INS Sindhudurg
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [INS Sarvekshak]
Notes:
Indian Navy’s survey vessel INS Sarvekshak has become the India’s first warship to install solar power system on board. The solar power system works on sunlight and hence is 100% per cent reliable for power source that can be used for communication equipment, battery charging and general lightings onboard round the clock with battery outputs during night. The system is maintenance free.
3. What is the India’s rank in the 2017 Economic Freedom Index (EFI)?
[A] 143rd
[B] 117th
[C] 92nd
[D] 88th
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [143rd]
Notes:
India has been ranked 143rd in the 2017 Economic Freedom Index (EFI). The annual index was released by a conservative US political think tank “the Heritage Foundation”. It measures the degree of economic freedom in the countries of the world. The 2017 index is topped by Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand, respectively. Among South Asian countries, only Afghanistan (163) and Maldives (157) were ranked below India. Nepal (125), Sri Lanka (112), Pakistan (141), Bhutan (107), and Bangladesh (128) surpassed India in economic freedom.
4. Jambuvantrao Dhote, who passed away recently, was the former Member of Parliament (MP) from which Lok Sabha constituency?
[A] Nagpur
[B] Pune
[C] Bhopal
[D] Shillong
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Nagpur]
Notes:
Bhau Jambhuwantrao Dhote (83), the former Member of Parliament (MP) from Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency, has recently passed away in Yavatmal, Maharashtra. He was known for his demands of a separate state for Vidarbha. Dhote won his first election to Lok Sabha in 1971 from Nagpur as a Forward Bloc nominee. Later in 1980, he joined Congress and won the Nagpur seat on the Congress ticket. After leaving Congress he founded Vidarbha Janta Congress party in 2002. He was elected to Maharashtra Assembly five times. Due to his active participation in various movements for separate Vidarbha and farmers and his aggressive speeches, he was also known as the Lion of Vidarbha.
5. Who is the author of the book “Feroze: the Forgotten Gandhi”?
[A] John Nicolsen
[B] Bertil Falk
[C] Shashi Tharoor
[D] William Dalrymple
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bertil Falk]
Notes:
The book “Feroze: the Forgotten Gandhi” has been authored by Swedish journalist Bertil Falk. The author brings together his 40-year old research in this biography of Feroze Gandhi. The book not only fleshes out what is generally known about Feroze Gandhi, but places him at the heart of the freedom struggle. It also busts some myths about Feroze’s controversial origin, his personal life, his importance as a politician and his relationship with his wife Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.This book takes you towards the origin of the concept of freedom in independent India.
6. Which city is hosting the 2017 Mobile World Congress (MWC)?
[A] London
[B] Tokyo
[C] Berlin
[D] Barcelona
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Barcelona]
Notes:
The 2017 Mobile World Congress (MWC) has started in Barcelona, Spain from February 27 and will continue till March 2. The MWC is the world’s biggest and best mobile industry event comprising of a massive exhibition, an award-winning conference, outstanding networking opportunities, partner programmes, the Glomo Awards and much more. It is organised by the Global System Mobile Association (GSMA). In it, the Indian researchers from IIT Hyderabad will showcase its C-RAN prototype for 5G technology, which is one of the first prototypes in the world.
7. Which Indian city has been named as the Richest Indian city, according to latest New World Wealth report?
[A] Bengaluru
[B] Chennai
[C] Mumbai
[D] Delhi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Mumbai ]
Notes:
Mumbai has been named as the richest Indian city with a total wealth of 820 billion, according to recently released New World Wealth report. It is home to 46,000 millionaires and 28 billionaires, and is followed in terms of wealth by Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. Delhi is home to 23,000 millionaires and 18 billionaires with a total wealth of 450 billion, while Bengaluru with a total wealth of $ 320 billion houses 7,700 millionaires and 8 billionaires. Hyderabad is home to 9,000 millionaires and 6 billionaires.
8. How much loan amount has been sanctioned by the World Bank (WB) for the Tejaswini project?
[A] 55 million
[B] 78 million
[C] 63 million
[D] 89 million
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [$63 million]
Notes:
The World Bank (WB) will provide 63 million loan to India to empower approx 6.8 lakh adolescent girls in Jharkhand under the ‘Tejaswini: Socio-Economic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women’ project. For this, a financing agreement for International Development Association (IDA) credit of 63 million (equivalent) has recently signed between the WB and the Government of India (GoI). The Tejaswini project will be delivered in 17 districts of Jharkhand. It has three main components — expanding social, educational and economic opportunities; intensive service delivery; and state capacity-building and implementation support. The closing date for the project is June 30, 2021.
9. Ronald Drever, the co-founder of Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (LIGO), has recently passed away. He hailed from which country?
[A] United Kingdom
[B] United States
[C] Germany
[D] France
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [United Kingdom]
Notes:
Prof. Ronald Drever (85), a pioneer in the field of gravitational waves, has recently passed away in Scotland, United Kingdom (UK). He was one of the co-founders of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors that detected the gravitational waves emited by the merger of a binary black hole pair.
10. Who has won the 2017 the Hero Indian Open golf tournament?
[A] Jyoti Randhawa
[B] Shiv Chawrasia
[C] Chinnaswamy Muniyappa
[D] Anirban Lahiri
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Shiv Chawrasia]
Notes:
Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia from India has won the 2017 the Hero Indian Open golf tournament by seven-strokes at the redesigned DLF golf and country club in Gurugram, Haryana. This was his 6th win on the Asian Tour and overall 6th international victory. With this win, Chawrasia became only the third Asian player after Jeev Milkha Singh and Thongchai Jaidee to win four or more European Tour titles. Beside this, Chawrasia became only the second Indian golfer after Jyoti Randhawa to successfully defend the Hero Indian Open title.