Best PSC / PCS / STATE PCS online Current Affairs

Current Affairs FEB-2021

Showing 201 - 220 of 266 entries

201. Which country has the highest share in global basmati rice trade? [A] China

A
China

B
India

C
Pakistan

D
Nepal

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [India]

Explaination : [India exported 4.45 million tonnes basmati rice (worth USD 4.33 billion) in financial year 2019-20. It has a 65 per cent share in global basmati trade. Pakistan makes the rest of the global trade. Recently, Pakistan’s basmati rice has received a Geographical Indication (GI) registration within the country. India has applied to the EU for the GI tag for its basmati rice in September 2020. Both countries are exporting basmati to the EU without a GI tag from it.]

202. As per a recent study, tap water access in which state/UT is a predictor of Dengue infection risk?

A
Bihar

B
Uttar Pradesh

C
New Delhi

D
Madhya Pradesh

Show Answer

Correct Answer : C [New Delhi]

Explaination : [As per a study published in the PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases journal, tap water access in densely populated parts of Delhi is a strong predictor of Dengue contraction risk. As per the study, 7.6 per cent of the surveyed individuals were positive for dengue virus antibodies. Areas with less than 61 per cent of houses having access to tap water, were associated with a higher risk of virus exposure.]

203. Which country has detected huge optical flare in BL Lacertae, an oldest astronomical object?

A
India

B
China

C
Russia

D
United States

Show Answer

Correct Answer : A [India]

Explaination : [The Department of Science and Technology of India has reported that Indian astronomers have detected huge optical flare in BL Lacertae. BL Lacertae is a feeding super massive black hole or blazar. The analysis of this old astronomical object may help to trace the mass of the black hole and the source of this emission.]

204. ‘Pey Jal Survekshan’ is the initiative of which Union Ministry?

A
Ministry of Rural Development

B
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

C
Ministry of Jal Shakti

D
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs]

Explaination : [Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has recently launched the ‘Pey Jal Survekshan’ survey under the Jal Jeevan Mission- Urban. This survey is conducted on a pilot basis in 10 cities- Agra, Badlapur, Bhubaneswar, Churu, Kochi, Madurai, Patiala, Rohtak, Surat and Tumkur. The survey would assess distribution of water, reuse of wastewater and mapping of water bodies.]

205. The third edition of the Indian Sign Language (ISL) Dictionary includes how many terms?

A
2000

B
3000

C
5000

D
10000

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [10000]

Explaination : [Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot released the third edition of the Indian Sign Language (ISL) Dictionary. This edition has 10,000 terms of daily use and technical terms including academic, legal, medical terms. The second edition of the dictionary released in 2019 had 6,000 terms and the first edition released in 2018 had 3,000 terms.]

206. Demeke Mekonnen, who arrived in New Delhi recently, was the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of which country?

A
Nigeria

B
Ethiopia

C
Chad

D
Bolivia

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [Ethiopia]

Explaination : [Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen Hassen arrived in New Delhi. He inaugurated the new Chancery and Residence at Ethiopian Embassy in New Delhi along with External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar. They also discussed on various bilateral and global issues of mutual interest.]

207. Who succeeded Ghulam Nabi Azad as the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha?

A
Mallikarjun Kharge

B
Anand Sharma

C
Jairam Ramesh

D
A K Antony

Show Answer

Correct Answer : A [Mallikarjun Kharge]

Explaination : [Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has granted recognition to Mallikarjun Kharge as the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. The Indian National Congress Leader succeeds Ghulam Nabi Azad whose term has ended recently. Mallikarjun Kharge was a former Union minister and had been Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, earlier.]

208. What is the name of the Mars rover of the U.S. space agency NASA, which has recently landed on the red planet?

A
Discovery

B
Perseverance

C
Grit

D
Ingenuity

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [Perseverance]

Explaination : [ Perseverance is the name of the rover sent by NASA to the Mars. The rover, which has been a nearly 300-million-mile journey since it left the Earth over 6 months ago, safely landed at the Martian surface. The rover is set to experiment a series of activities for the first time: the search for signs of ancient life on Mars, the first helicopter fly on another planet and yhe first recordings of sound on the Mars, etc]

209. Space Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development (SEED) is the initiative of which organisation?

A
DRDO

B
ISRO

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [ISRO]

Explaination : [The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is to formulate the Space Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development (SEED)”. As per the Chairman of the ISRO K Sivan, the programme aims to provide early-stage encouragement programme to start-ups and MSMEs, which are keen on developing services related to space. ISRO will also let the companies use its facilities.]

210. “Passport Seva Programme 2.0” is the initiative of which Union Ministry?

A
Ministry of Home Affairs

B
Ministry of External Affairs

C
Ministry of Tourism

D
Ministry of Labour and Employment

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [Ministry of External Affairs]

Explaination : [Ministry of External Affairs has recently inaugurated the “DigiLocker” platform for the “Passport Seva Programme” of the Ministry. Under the Passport Seva Programme V2.0, the citizens can submit the documents required for passport services in a paperless mode. DigiLocker is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY). The issued documents in the system are deemed to be at par with original physical documents.]

211. When is the ‘World Day of Social Justice’ observed?

A
February 1

B
February 10

C
February 20

D
February 25

Show Answer

Correct Answer : C [February 20]

Explaination : [Every year, the World Day of Social Justice is observed on February 20. The prime objective of this observance is to raise voice against social injustice. It also aims to bring various international organisations and communities on a single platform to end poverty, gender discrimination, physical discrimination, illiteracy, religious discrimination etc. This year, the theme is “A call for social justice in the Digital Economy.”]

212. Luca Attanasio, who was recently killed, was the ambassador of which country to Democratic Republic of Congo?

A
Iraq

B
Iran

C
Italy

D
Israel

Show Answer

Correct Answer : C [Italy]

Explaination : [Italy’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Luca Attanasio was killed along with an Italian policeman and their Congolese driver, in an attack on a United Nations convoy which happened in eastern DRC. They were on a visit to a World Food Programme (WFP) school feeding project in Rutshuru, a town in DRC. Attanasio is the second European ambassador to have been killed while serving in the DRC.]

213. What does ‘T’ stand for in the SFURTI scheme, which was making news recently?

A
Transmission

B
Traditional

C
Transformation

D
Tournament

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [Traditional]

Explaination : [Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) was launched to organize traditional industries and artisans into clusters, which will make them competitive and increase their income. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Nitin Gadkari has recently inaugurated 50 artisan-based SFURTI clusters across 18 States. The Union MSME Ministry has funded Rs 85 crore for development of these SFURTI clusters.]

214. Which Asian country has recently appointed a Minister for Loneliness?

A
India

B
China

C
Japan

D
Thailand

Show Answer

Correct Answer : C [Japan]

Explaination : [The Government of Japan headed by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has recently appointed Tetsushi Sakamoto as the country’s 1st ever Minister for Loneliness. This decision has been made to tackle the rise in suicide rates due to COVID crisis. Also, the minister is responsible for managing the fall in birth rate in the country.]

215. The Horticulture Department of which state has proposed to set up a flower processing centre?

A
Tamil Nadu

B
Uttar Pradesh

C
Haryana

D
Karnataka

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [Karnataka]

Explaination : [The Horticulture Department of Karnataka has collaborated with International Flower Auction Bangalore, to set up a flower processing centre. This centre is aimed to convert unsold flowers into value added and useful products like floral papers, incense sticks, flower petal powder, floral embedded works etc.]

216. The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to impose President’s Rule in which state/UT?

A
Meghalaya

B
Manipur

C
Puducherry

D
Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Show Answer

Correct Answer : C [Puducherry]

Explaination : [The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to impose President’s Rule in Puducherry. Earlier, the Congress-led Government in the Union territory lost power during a vote of confidence. The Cabinet took the decision as no party came forward to stake claim to form the government in the UT, following the resignation of the Chief minister V Narayanasamy. After the Lieutenant Governor had recommended President’s Rule, the Cabinet has approved the same.]

217. Which city is the venue of the Maritime India Summit (MIS) 2021?

A
Cochin

B
Hyderabad

C
Vishakhapatnam

D
Virtual Mode

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [Virtual Mode]

Explaination : [Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to virtually inaugurate the second edition of the Maritime India Summit (MIS) on March 2, 2021. As per the official statement by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the opening session will have ministerial-level participation from several countries. it is also expected that Rs 20,000 crore worth MoUs will be signed during this Summit.]

218. The inflation target is set by the central government, in consultation with the RBI, once in how many years?

B
Three

C
Four

D
Five

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [Five]

Explaination : [The RBI Act was amended, under which inflation target is set by the Central government, in consultation with the RBI, once every five years. As the five-year term for the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC’s) inflation-targeting framework is to end this March, the inflation target band of 2-6 per cent is also to be reviewed.]

219. Which country is set to register Himalayan pink salt as Geographical Indications (GI)?

A
India

B
Pakistan

C
Nepal

D
Bangladesh

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [Pakistan]

Explaination : [Pakistan has decided to register Himalayan pink salt as Geographical Indications (GI), to curb the unauthorised use of the products by other countries. The rare salt is extracted from the Salt Range in Punjab which extends along the mountains of Pakistan and the north of the Jhelum River. Pakistan is fighting a case in the European Union against India’s move to register Basmati rice as GI.]

220. In which state, the Advanced Institute of Integrated Research in Livestock and Animal Science (AIIRLAS) has been inaugurated recently?

A
Haryana

B
Uttar Pradesh

C
Madhya Pradesh

D
Tamil Nadu

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [Tamil Nadu]

Explaination : [The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami has recently inaugurated the Advanced Institute of Integrated Research in Livestock and Animal Science (AIIRLAS) in the state. It is located in Thalaivasal of Salem district. It is considered to be the largest such institution in Asia and has been constructed at a cost of Rs.1,023 crore.]