Best PSC / PCS / STATE PCS online Current Affairs

Current Affairs MAY-2021

Showing 261 - 280 of 400 entries

261. Which institution has set up a dedicated portal – CovAid, to track aid coming from individual organisations?

A
Supreme Court of India

B
ICMR

C
Give India Foundation

D
NITI Aayog

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [NITI Aayog]

Explaination : [The NITI Aayog has set up a dedicated portal named ‘CovAid’, to track all aid coming via missions or by individual organisations, with a detailed SOP (standard operating procedure). At present, there are three channels for receiving aid – government to government, routed via the Ministry of External Affairs to the Health Ministry; Private to government, through COVAID portal and donations through states, NGOs and CSO.]

262. Where is the headquarters of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) located?

A
Geneva

B
New York

C
Basel

D
Paris

Show Answer

Correct Answer : A [Geneva]

Explaination : [The International Telecommunication Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations, headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland. World Telecommunication Day is celebrated annually on 17th May since 1969. On this day the International Telecommunication Union or ITU was founded and the first International Telegraph Convention was signed in 1865. The theme of World Tele-communication Day 2021 is: Accelerating digital transformation in challenging times.]

263. India’s first Agriculture export facilitation centre has been set up in which city?

A
Mumbai

B
Pune

C
Guwahati

D
Cochin

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [Pune]

Explaination : [The Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture (MCCIA) has partnered with NABARD to launch India’s first Agriculture export facilitation centre (AEFC) in Pune. It aims to boost agricultural exports from the region and adhere to global standards. It will also serve as the capacity-building platform for agri-food exports.]

264. Which state has proposed to control microfinance, by way of a state legislation?

A
Assam

B
Uttar Pradesh

C
Tamil Nadu

D
Kerala

Show Answer

Correct Answer : A [Assam]

Explaination : [The state Government of Assam has enacted “The Assam Microfinance Institutions (Regulation of Moneylending) Act, 2020”, through which it proposes to control microfinance and related institutions. Under this act, micro finance institutions require separate registrations for working in a selected village or city. In this regard, the Reserve Bank of India has expressed firm reservations and has stated that implementation of the Act would lead to dual regulation of the microfinance market.]

265. With the commissioning of Wi-Fi at Hazaribagh Railway station,Jharkhand, Indian Railways successfully established Wi-Fi at _____ stations.

B
1000

C
6000

D
10000

Show Answer

Correct Answer : C [6000]

Explaination : [With the commissioning of Wi-Fi at Hazaribagh Town, Jharkhand in Dhanbad Division of East Central Railway, Indian Railways commissioned Wi-Fi at 6,000 Railway stations, as on May 15. Indian Railways extended Wi-Fi facility for the first time in Mumbai Railway station in January 2016. Thereafter, it reached 5,000th Railway station, at Midanpore, West Bengal and reached 6,000th Railway station in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.]

266. Which of the following cyclones have formed in the Arabian Sea, in the past?

A
Vardah

B
Fani

C
Gaja

D
Nilofar

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [Nilofar]

Explaination : [Nilofar is a very severe and intensified cyclone, which was formed in the year 2014 in Arabian Sea. Winds reached a maximum speed of close to 250 kmph, during the formation of the cyclone. Recently, Cyclone Tauktae has formed in the Arabian sea, which is expected to become a very severe storm and is expected to cross the coast of Gujarat.]

267. STARFORGE, which was making news recently, is a ……….

A
Satellite

B
Simulation of stars

C
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

D
Satellite Launch Vehicle

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [Simulation of stars]

Explaination : [A team from Northwestern University has developed the most realistic, highest-resolution 3D simulation of star formation to date. Named as STARFORGE (Star Formation in Gaseous Environments), it is the first framework to simulate an entire gas cloud, where the stars are born. It is also the first simulation to simultaneously model star formation, evolution and dynamics.]

268. Amphotericin B, which was making news recently, is a drug used to treat which disease?

A
Dengue

B
Pneumonia

C
Covid-19

D
Mucormycosis

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [Mucormycosis]

Explaination : [The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has cleared applications from five pharmaceutical companies to manufacture Amphotericin B. It is an anti-fungal drug, used to treat Mucormycosis or black fungus. The central government has declared mucormycosis as a notifiable disease under the provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act. Several states are also witnessing increasing cases affected by Black fungus.]

269. Which country has proposed global minimum corporate tax rate of 15%?

A
Germany

B
China

C
Russia

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [USA]

Explaination : [The United States Treasury Department recently announced that the international corporations should pay at least 15 percent tax on their earnings. The Department announced that 15 percent is a minimum rate and it will continue discussions to push the rate higher. American companies currently pay a 21 percent tax rate that was brought down by ex-President Donald Trump from 35 percent. President Joe Biden had proposed to raise the tax rate to 28 percent.]

270. What is the new infection diagnosed in India, which is caused due to low immunity and is more adverse than black fungus?

A
Dark Fungus

B
Grey Fungus

C
Pro Fungus

D
White Fungus

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [White Fungus]

Explaination : [India has reported cases of White Fungus infections, which is caused due to low immunity or if people come in contact with bodies containing these fungi. Affected patients are diagnosed Covid negative, but the fungal infection can be detected only by a CT scan. The fungus affects lungs, nails, skin, stomach, kidney etc.]

271. Which Indian neighbour has dissolved its parliament and fixed general elections in November 2021?

A
Italy

B
Germany

D
France

Show Answer

Correct Answer : A [Italy]

Explaination : [The Global Health Summit was co-hosted by the European Commission and Italy as part of its G20 presidency. The Rome Declaration was released at the end of the Summit, which reaffirmed leaders’ support for the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. The World Leaders highlighted the necessity to share the financial burden and close the funding gap in vaccination.]

272. AIS 142:2019, which was seen in the news recently, is associated with which field?

A
Artificial Intelligence

B
Automotive Industry

C
Greenhouse Gas emission

D
Gold Purification

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [Automotive Industry]

Explaination : [The Union Transport Ministry has issued a draft norm for tyres of four-wheelers, which is aimed to increase the vehicle’s fuel efficiency. The norms have been laid down with regard to sound emission, rolling resistance, adhesion performance in wet roads etc, as per the Stage 2 of the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 142:2019.]

273. Yuan Longping, regarded as the “father of hybrid rice”, was a famous agricultural scientist from which country?

A
Japan

B
China

C
South Korea

D
Vietnam

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [China]

Explaination : [Yuan Longping, the Chinese agricultural scientist, regarded as the “father of hybrid rice”, has recently passed away at the age of 91. He was known for developing the first hybrid rice varieties in the 1970s. In 2004, he was honoured with the World Food Prize for his achievement in developing the genetic materials and technologies essential for breeding high-yielding hybrid rice varieties.]

274. Which among the following is not a G7 member?

A
Britain

B
Canada

C
Italy

D
India

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [India]

Explaination : [The G7 is an intergovernmental group of 7 countries namely the U.S., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Recently at the G7 Environment ministers virtual meeting, the member countries have agreed and pledged to accelerate efforts for slowing global warming. This includes an end to government support for new coal-fired power plants by the members.]

275. A white-toothed shrew species has been discovered for the first time in a volcanic island- Narcondam Island, located in which state/UT?

A
Assam

B
Himachal Pradesh

C
Andaman &Nicobar Islands

Show Answer

Correct Answer : C [Andaman &Nicobar Islands]

Explaination : [Scientists have discovered a new species of insectivorous mammal, a white-toothed shrew, from Narcondam Island of the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands. Shrews are small and mouse-like mammals with insects as the primary diet. This is the first discovery of a shrew from this volcanic island (Narcondam Island) and it increases the number of White-toothed shrew species in India from 11to 12.]

276. Which body is implementing the ‘Believe in Sports’ campaign?

A
NADA

B
WADA

Show Answer

Correct Answer : C [IOC]

Explaination : [World champion and Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu and Canada’s Michelle Li have been nominated as athlete ambassadors for International Olympic Committee’s ‘Believe in Sports’ campaign. This duo has also been the global ambassadors for Badminton World Federation’s ‘i am badminton’ campaign.]

277. RBI is set to purchase Rs 35,000 crore in its second round of GSAP. What does ‘A’ in GSAP stand for?

A
Acquisition

B
Adoption

C
Appropriation

D
Announcement

Show Answer

Correct Answer : C [Appropriation]

Explaination : [The Reserve Bank of India has proposed for second purchase of government securities worth Rs 35,000 crore, under the G-sec Acquisition Programme. This has been stated by the Governor Shaktikanta Das. This has been announced as a part of a series of measures to tackle Covid 19 2.0. The first lot of purchases was made by RBI in the month of April 2021 amounting to a value of Rs.25,000 crore.]

278. The report titled “Conflict and Conservation” is released by which organisation?

A
IUCN

B
UNFCCC

Show Answer

Correct Answer : A [IUCN]

Explaination : [“Conflict and Conservation” is a report which is released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In the report, IUCN explores the intricate relationships between nature and conflict and suggests policies aimed towards peacebuilding and conservation. IUCN is an international organisation, working for the conservation and sustainability of nature and resources. It is headquartered at Gland, Switzerland.]

279. Which rating agency has revised India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast FY 2021-22 to 9.3% from 13.7%?

A
India Ratings

D
Moody’s

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [Moody’s]

Explaination : [The rating agency Moody’s, has revised India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast from 13.7% to 9.3% for the financial year 2021-22. The downgrade is on account of second wave of Covid infections across India and associated lock downs imposed by many states to curb the infection rates.]

280. The anniversary of the first successful operation of Laser in 1960 by Theodore Maiman is observed as which international day?

A
International Laser Day

B
International Light Day

C
International Physics Day

D
International Engineering Day

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [International Light Day]

Explaination : [The International Day of Light is celebrated on 16 May each year, the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer, Theodore Maiman. The message of the International Day of Light 2021 is “Trust Science”. The Day is a global initiative to provide a platform for the appreciation of light and the role it plays in diverse fields.]