General Awareness PYQs

The correct answer is BOB.

Key Points

• Bank of Baroda (BoB) has launched the Atmanirbhar Women Scheme as part of its Baroda Gold Loan.
• Under the scheme, the bank is offering loans at a 0.50 percent concession for women.
• The bank under the gold loan scheme is also offering agri-gold loans at 0.25 percent concession and for a retail loan at 0.50 percent concession.
• The scheme was launched at BOB's Ramamurthy Nagar branch in Bengaluru and simultaneously in 18 branches coming under 18 zones in the country, virtually by Sanjiv Chadha, MD & CEO, Bank of Baroda.
• M Ravindra Rai, head, gold loan vertical, said: “This Atmanirbhar scheme is exclusively meant for helping women to be self-reliant.”

Important Points

• MD & CEO, Bank of Baroda: Sanjiv Chadha.
• Headquarter: Vadodara.
• The tagline of Bank of Baroda is "India's International Bank".
• Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank merged with Bank of Baroda (BoB) from April 1 2019 to create the third-largest lender of the country.

The correct answer is Susan Choi.

• Trust Exercise is a 2019 coming-of-age novel by the American author Susan Choi, published by Henry Holt and Company.
• Hamlet is the longest play of William Shakespeare.
• Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Julius Caesar also written by William Shakespeare.

The correct answer is Lockdown Liaisons.

• The book  “Lockdown Liaisons: Leaving and Other Stories” is written by celebrated author, columnist and publisher Shobhaa De.
• The book has been launched by bollywood actor Sonu Sood.
• Lockdown Liaisons is a collection of short stories.
• Lockdown Liaisons, Shobhaa De's series of short stories, looks at how confinement affects different people in different ways.

The correct answer is China.

• India ranked second in terms of the “total” inflow of new migrants to OECD countries during the year 2018.
• China retained the top position as the largest source country, while India overtook Romania to emerge as the second-largest.
• The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a forum where the governments of 36 member states with market economies work with each other.
• China: 
• Capital - Beijing.
• Currency - Chinese Yuan.
• President - Xi Jinping.
• National Sport - Table Tennis.

The correct answer is Japan.

Key Points

• SBI Rupay JCB card has been launched by SBI, National Payments Corporation India(NPCI), and Japanese company JCB International Co.
• It comes with a dual interface and can be used for both contacts as well as a contactless transaction at ATMs and PoS machines.
• It is a platinum debit card that can be used in India as well as abroad during travel.
• Customers can also use the card for:
• Online e-commerce sites affiliated with JCB International Co.
• Availing discounts.
• Having access to JCB Plaza Lounges present in different cities like Bangkok, Singapore, and Thailand.
• In India, the SBI Rupay platinum JCB Contactless Debit Card can be used to access:
• Transit Services.
• Retail Payment.
• Offline Wallet.

Additional Information

• NPCI:
• **National Payments Corporation of India (**NPCI) is an organization that supports payment and transactions infrastructure in India.
• It is a joint initiative of the Indian Banking Association and Reserve Bank of India established in 2008.
• It is a not for profit company registered under the Companies Act 2013 and has 10 banks as its core promoters.
• Rupay, Unified Payments Interface, Aadhar based Payment Bridge System, Immediate Payment Service all are the products of NPCI.
• It is headquartered in Mumbai.
• Chairman (non-executive): Biswamohan Mahapatra.
• CEO: Dilip Asbe.
• JCB International Co.
• JCB International Co. or Japan Credit Bureau is a Japanese Credit Card Company.
• NCPI has partnered with it to support payment and transaction infrastructure in India.
• Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan.
• Executive Director: Ichiro Hamakawa.

The correct answer is 15 years.

• National Rural Livelihood Mission was launched in 2011.
• National Rural Livelihood Mission was launched as Aajeevika – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM).
• It was renamed as Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) in 2015.
• National Rural Livelihood Mission is an improved version of the earlier Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY).
• The program is supported partially by the World Bank.
• It aims to enable the rural poor to increase their household income by means of sustainable livelihood.
• The scheme started out with an agenda to cover 7 Crore rural poor households via Self Help Groups (SHGs).

The correct answer is 3%.

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has capped the amount of trans fatty acids (TFA) in oils and fats to 3% for 2021 and 2% by 2022 from the current permissible limit of 5% through an amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations.
• Trans fats are associated with increased risk of heart attacks and death from coronary heart disease.
• As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 5.4 lakh deaths take place each year globally because of the intake of industrially-produced trans-fatty acids.
• The WHO has also called for the global elimination of trans fats by 2023.
• FSSAI:
• Headquarters - New Delhi.
• Founded - August 2011.
• Established under - Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.

The correct answer is Raja Chari:

• Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari, an Indian-American US Air Force colonel, has been selected by NASA for its ambitious manned mission to the Moon and beyond.
• Nasa is sending 18 astronauts to the moon's surface for the first time since the 1970s.
• The 18 astronauts, comprising of nine men and nine women, have been chosen for the mission under NASA's Artemis program.
• Chari is among 18 astronauts, who will form the Artemis Team and help pave the way for the next lunar missions, including sending the first woman and next man to walk on the lunar surface in 2024.
• The astronauts were selected among 18,000 applicants in 2017 after Nasa announced its Artemis programme.
• Chari was selected by Nasa to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class.
• He has a bachelor's degree in astronautical engineering and a master's in aeronautics and astronautics.

The correct answer is Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

Key Points 

• Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation(PCMC)  in Maharashtra's Pune district and UNDP have signed an MoU to co-create India's first social impact Bond.
• Under this initiative, for the first time in India, a government body will act as an ‘outcome funder’ (funding for good social outcomes).
• The bond has been launched with an aim to provide better health facilities to the residents of the city.
• Under this bond, the cost will be bore upon by the administration of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation for the welfare projects.
• Under this bond, the outcome-based targets for the projects can be set and the progress can be tracked.
• PCMC aims to make Pimpri Chinchwad, the most liveable city in India by 2030.

Additional Information

Social impact bonds:

• A social impact bond(SIB) is a kind of agreement that involves a public-private partnership to fund projects that provide social services.
• It involves the funding of projects by private players who are then provided with the returns by the government, after the achievement of the outlaid targets.
• Hence the government here plays the role of outcome payer or outcome funder.
• The investors of SIB focus not only on money-making but also on social development.

The correct answer is Daniil Medvedev.

• Daniil Medvedev defeated the Spanish player Rafael Nadal to win the ATP tournament on November 22, 2020.
• The tournament was held in London.

Key Points

• Daniil Medvedev is a Russian tennis player at rank number 4 under ATP ranking.
• Daniil Medvedev was born in Moscow.
• The ATP tournament is the second-highest tier of men’s Tennis Tournament after the Grand Slam.
• The tournament was first held in 1970.

The correct answer is 15000.

P.M. Rojgar Protsahan Yojana:

• The scheme “Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana”(PMRPY) was announced in the Budget for 2016-17.
• The objective of the scheme is to promote employment generation.
• The scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• The PMRPY scheme is targeted for workers earning wages upto Rs. 15,000/- per month.

The correct answer is Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

In News - 

• The government has brought video streaming over-the-top (OTT) platforms such as Netflix, Amazon’s Prime Video, Hotstar, and others under the ambit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Important Points

• OTT, or over-the-top platforms, are audio and video hosting and streaming services which started out as content hosting platforms, but soon branched out into the production and release of short movies, feature films, documentaries and web-series themselves.
• These platforms offer a range of content and use artificial intelligence to suggest users the content they are likely to view based on their past viewership on the platform.
• So far in India, there are no laws or rules regulating OTT platforms as it is a relatively new medium of entertainment.

The correct answer is A i.e. Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers.

• Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launched the Sahakar Cooptube NCDC Channel, a new initiative by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
• During the launch event the minister also rolled out guidance videos on formation and registration.
• As part of the initiative, 18 regional training centres and 45 training modules for primary cooperatives were launched.
• The NCDC will run these training centres across the country, along with the Laxman Rao Inamdar National Academy for Cooperative Research and Development (LINAC).

The correct answer is Shivalik Mercantile Co-operative Bank.

Key Points

• Shivalik Mercantile Co-operative Bank (SMCB) is the first Urban Co-operative bank that has received in-principal approval from RBI to become Small Finance Bank.
• The bank will begin its banking operations from April 2021 onwards.
• The name of "Shivalik Mercantile Co-operative Bank" will change to "Shivalik Small Finance Bank".
• About Small Finance Banks-
• These were created by the Reserve Bank of India under the guidance of the Indian government.
• These are governed by the provisions of the RBI Act, 1934, and  Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA).
• They are licensed under Section 22 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• Small Finance Banks was established on the recommendations of the NachiketMor Committee.
• The minimum paid-up capital for small finance banks is Rs. 200 crore
• The objective of these banks is-
• Provide basic banking services which include- accepting deposits and lending to underserved sections of customers, including small business units, small and marginal farmers, micro and small industries, and even entities in the unorganized sector.
• To provide financial Inclusion in rural and semi-urban areas.

 

Additional Information

• MD and CEO of Shivalik Mercantile Co-operative- Bank-Suveer Kumar Gupta.
• The Reserve Bank of India is India's central bank.
• Governor-Shaktikanta Das (as of Jan 2021)
• It commenced its operations on 1 April 1935 in accordance with the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• It was nationalized on 1 January 1949.

The correct answer is TransUnion CIBIL Limited.

• SIDBI has launched a comprehensive financial education and one-stop knowledge platform for “MSMESaksham” in partnership with TransUnion CIBIL Limited.
• This partnership would guide those MSMEs which are seeking quick access to finance and that would support them in managing their credit obligations.
• MSMESaksham portal is focused on two key pillars of financial knowledge and access to credit.
• It would also have a consolidated list of all the schemes that are launched by the Centre and state governments for MSMEs.
• This would be a knowledge hub with informative articles, business insights to help entrepreneurs and business owners start or grow businesses.
• MSMEs would be guided across their credit lifecycle, from availing credit to start and grow their businesses. It would also be helpful to manage credit lines to sustain and build the structural strength of the business. It is also expected to ensure timely closures and renewals of credit facilities.
• MSMESaksham would take into consideration the extensive network of MSMEs by SIDBI as well as information and insights from TransUnion CIBIL. This would help in creating an educational ecosystem to build structurally strong MSMEs.
• SIDBI - Small Industries Development Bank of India
• SIDBI presently acts as the Principal Financial Institution for the Promotion, Financing and Development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector and also co-ordinates the functions of the institutions engaged in similar activities.
• SIDBI Chairman and Managing Director - Mohammad Mustafa

The correct answer is Goa.

Key Points

• Recently, the Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica was flagged off from Mormugao Port, Goa.
• It is the 40^th edition of the Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica.
• The chartered ice-class vessel MV Vasiliy Golovnin has been chosen for the prestigious 40^th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (ISEA) mission journey and will reach Antarctica in 30 days.

Important Points

• About expedition-
• The expedition journey has 43 members onboard.
• India’s major fuel supplier, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) has supplied Jet A1 fuel, lubes, and Marine Gas Oil (MGO) for the mission.
• Apart from its scientific mission, this expedition shall carry out the humanitarian responsibility of bringing back the 48-strong winter crew from their 15-month tenure.
• It will also provide assistance in resupply the bases with food, fuel, provisions, and spares for operations and maintenance of life support systems.

Additional Information

The correct answer is World Bank.

• Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) signed an agreement with World Bank.
• Under the agreement, World Bank is to provide advisory services to DIPAM for asset monetization, said Ministry of Finance in an official release.
• DIPAM is mandated with facilitating monetization of non-core assets of government CPSEs under strategic disinvestment or closure and enemy property.
• World Bank:
• Headquarters: Washington D.C., U.S.
• Found: July 1944
• President: David Malpass

Option 3 is the correct answer.

Important Points

Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan (PM-SYM) Yojana:

• Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 5,  at Vastral in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• The national pension scheme for workers and laborers of the unorganized sector was announced in the interim Budget 2019.
• It will provide a monthly pension of Rs. 3000 to the employees of the unorganized sector after 60.
• It is especially for the unorganized sector workers with an income of less than Rs 15,000.
• Under the scheme, the workers will be able to earn Rs 3000 after attaining the age of 60 years.

The correct answer is Qatar.

• India and Qatar have decided to create a special Task-Force to further facilitate investments by Qatar Investment Authority into India.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi while speaking on the telephone with Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Amir of Qatar also resolved to explore Qatari investments in the entire energy value-chain in India.
• Qatar: 
• Capital - Doha.
• Currency - Qatari riyal.
• Qatar National Sport - Football.

The correct answer is HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company.

• HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company has tied up with NSDL Payments Bank Limited.
• It will offer a range of general insurance products to the bank's customers.
• The partnership aims to bring together the deep distribution network of NSDL Payments Bank and the strong innovation pipeline of HDFC ERGO to contribute towards financial inclusion in the country.