General Awareness PYQs

The correct answer is Barack Obama.

Key Points

• Twenty-second Amendment, amendment (1951) to the Constitution of the United States effectively limiting to two the number of terms a president of the United States may serve.
• The US has had an elected president since its constitution went into effect in 1789.
• Ten former U.S. presidents were unable to win second terms, including Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Donald Trump.
• The first president of US was George Washington, the renowned great leader Abraham Lincoln was 16^th one.
• U.S. Constitutional Requirements for Presidential Candidates:
• Be a natural-born citizen of the United States.
• Be at least 35 years old.
• Have been a resident of the United States for 14 years.
• But in India, President can also be a naturalized citizen. Also, a candidate to be nominated for the office of president needs 50 electors as proposers and 50 electors as seconders for his name to appear on the ballot.
• In the US, a person can be the president for only two terms. But there is no such bar in India.

The correct answer is It does not provide financial support to the beneficiaries.

Key Points

Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Livelihoods Mission (NRLM):

• The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India launched the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) by restructuring Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) with effect from 1^st April 2013. Hence statements 1 and 2 are correct.
• NRLM was renamed as DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission) w.e.f. March 29, 2016.
• The DAY-NRLM is the flagship program of Govt. of India for promoting poverty reduction through building strong institutions for the poor, particularly women, and enabling these institutions to access a range of financial services and livelihoods. Hence statement 3 is correct.
• The Reserve Bank of India has raised the limit for collateral-free loans to Self-Help Groups (SHG) under the DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission) from Rs. 10 lakhs to Rs. 20 Lakhs. Hence statement 5 is correct.

Important Points

Key Features of DAY-NRLM: 

• It provides Revolving Fund (RF) to SHGs of Rs.10,000-15,000 as a corpus to meet the members' credit needs directly and as catalytic capital for leveraging repeat bank finance. Hence statement 4 is incorrect.
• At least one woman member from each identified rural poor household is to be brought under the Self Help Group (SHG) network in a time-bound manner.
• Special emphasis is particularly on vulnerable communities such as manual scavengers, victims of human trafficking, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and bonded labour.
• Community Investment Support Fund (CIF): CIF would be provided by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to the SHGs promoted under DAY-NRLM.

The correct answer is Sukanya Samridhi Yojana.

Key Points

• Sukanya Samridhi Yojana
• Sukanya Samridhi Yojana scheme is the new savings scheme introduced for the betterment of girl children.
• It has been launched to offer a saving to the girl child in every family.
• The tenure of the scheme is 21 years from the date of opening the account.
• The scheme can be closed if the girl marries after 18 years of age.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the scheme under the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign.
• It aims to secure the future of a girl child.

Important Points

• Benefits of the Sukanya Samridhi Yojana scheme
• Reduction of interest rate from 8.4% to 7.6%
• Tax benefits of up to Rs 1.5 lakh
• Transfer of account

Additional Information

• Suraksha Samridhi Yojana
• The Mukhya Mantri Parivar Samridhi Yojna is a unique initiative of the Haryana Government.
• It is one of the largest social security programmes in the country.
• It is to secure the future of the underprivileged sectors of society.
• It also ensures life and accidental insurance for farmers and unorganised workers of Haryana.
• Sukanya Bima Yojana
• It is also known as the 'Girl Child Prosperity Account'.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the scheme in 2015.
• It is an Indian Government saving scheme for the girl child.
• It encourages the parents to build a fund for the future education and marriage expenses for the child.
• It is part of the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign.
• Suraksha Bima Yojana
• Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana is the Prime Minister's Safety Insurance Scheme.
• It is an accident insurance scheme.
• It was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2015.

The correct answer is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Key Points

• Every year India celebrates Vigilance Awareness Week in the months of October – November. The week is celebrated in the birthday of Sardar Vallabhai Patel (Bismarck of India or The Iron Man of India).
• He was born on October 31. It is mainly celebrated by Central Vigilance Commission and also by other organisations.
• The idea of Vigilance Awareness Week was first introduced in 2000.
• The theme for 2022 is “Corruption free India for a developed Nation”.

Additional Information

• Central Vigilance Commission (CVC):
• It is an independent body which is only responsible to the Parliament.
• It is the apex vigilance institution monitoring all vigilance activity under the Central Government and advising various authorities in Central Government organisations in planning, executing, reviewing and reforming their vigilance work.
• It was set up by the Government in February 1964 on the recommendations of the Committee on Prevention of Corruption, headed by K Santhanam.
• The Parliament enacted the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003 conferring statutory status on the CVC.​
• On the recommendations of the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was established by a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs on April 1, 1963.
• Later, it was transferred to the Ministry of Personnel and now it enjoys the status of an attached office.

The correct answer is ‘Harsh Kumar Jain’

 

Key Points

 

• Diplomat Harsh Kumar Jain is set to take charge as India's new envoy to Ukraine.
• Harsh Kumar Jain succeeds Partha Satpathy as the Indian envoy to Ukraine.
• At present, the embassy is operating from Warsaw in Poland amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
• He is an IFS Officer of 1993 Batch and is currently designated as an Additional Secretary in the Foreign Ministry.
• In 2017, he was appointed as the Ambassador of India to the Slovak Republic after being released from the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The correct answer is Japan 1-0.

Key Points

• The Indian men’s hockey team won bronze in Hockey Asia Cup 2022 held at Jakarta, Indonesia after defeating Japan 1-0.
• India captain Birendra Lakra won the player of the match award for his sturdy defensive work.
• The 2022 Men's Hockey Asia Cup was the eleventh edition of the Men's Hockey Asia Cup.
• South Korea won their fifth title after a final win over Malaysia.

Additional Information 

• The Indian men's hockey team slipped to 4^th spot, but the women's team rose to number six in the latest International Hockey Federation (FIH) World Rankings, issued on 31 May 2022.
• Australia and the Netherlands continued to be the world's number one ranked teams in the men's and women's ranking.
• The Federation Internationale de Hockey, commonly known by International Hockey Federation (FIH), is the international governing body of field hockey and indoor field hockey.
• International Hockey Federation (FIH):
• Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
• President: Seif Ahmed (as of August 2022)
• CEO: Thierry Weil (Apr 2018–)
• Founded: 7 January 1924, Paris, France
• Membership: 137 national associations

The correct answer is ​Ukraine.

Important Points 

• About North Atlantic Treaty Organization:
• It is an intergovernmental military alliance.
• Established by the Washington treaty.
• Treaty that was signed on 4 April 1949.
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.
• Headquarters of Allied Command Operations — Mons, Belgium.
• Composition:
• Since its founding, the admission of new member states has increased the alliance from the original 12 countries to 30.
• The most recent member state to be added to NATO was North Macedonia on 27 March 2020.
• NATO membership is open to “any other European state in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area.”

The correct answer is Toronto. 

Key Points

• The term Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) refers to a Canadian stock exchange located in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1861.
• In 2007, the TSX merged with the Montreal Exchange (MX) to form the TMX Group.
• The exchange is fully electronic with more than 1,500 companies listed.
• All transactions are conducted in Canadian dollars.
• The TSX and the London Stock Exchange (LSE) explored the opportunity for a merger. The deal fell through in 2011 after it failed to receive the required two-thirds majority of votes from shareholders.

Additional Information

• The Toronto Stock Exchange is one of the largest stock exchanges in the world and is the third-largest in North America after the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq.
• Stock Exchanges are physically existing institutionalised set-up where instruments of security stock market (shares, bonds, debentures, securities, etc.) are traded.
• Security trading in India goes back to the 18^th century when the East India Company began trading in loan securities.
• The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) is the oldest stock exchange in Asia and was the first to be granted permanent recognition under the Securities Contract Regulation Act, 1956.
• The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is considered the oldest in the world. It was established in 1602 by the Dutch East India Company, contemporary to Akbar in Mughal Period in India(1556-1605 CE).

The correct answer is ​Los Angeles.

Key Points

• The organisers of the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic Games have announced that the opening ceremony for the mega event will take place on July 14, 2028.
• The Games will be running through July 30, 2028.
• The LA28, which is the Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2028 revealed that Paralympic Games will begin on August 15, 2028, and close on August 27.

Additional Information

• The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Games of the Olympiad, are a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years.
• The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and most recently the 2020 Summer Olympics were celebrated in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
• The International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894.
• The first edition of The Olympic Games was held in Athens in 1896 and attracted just 245 competitors, of whom more than 200 were Greek, and only 14 countries were represented.

The correct answer is Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana.

Key Points

• Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana is a pension scheme that ensures monthly pension payouts to senior citizens for the period of its term of 10 years.
• Eligibility Criteria:
• Be an Indian Citizen.
• Be 60 years or above.
• Have an Adhar Card.
• An investor is at the liberty of opting for the pension amount he/she wants or for the purchase price one wants to invest in.
• Launched in 2017 by the Ministry of Finance, the scheme was opened for enrolment till 31^st March 2020.
• The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is the exclusive and sole provider of this scheme.
• The minimum pension amount to be Rs. 1000.
• The maximum pension amount to be Rs. 9,250 per month

Additional Information

• The scheme has recently been given the nod again by the Finance Ministry and would remain in effect till March 2023.
• The amount of the maximum investment has been fixed at Rs. 15 Lakh per senior citizen.
• The returns have been exempted from GST (Goods and Services Tax).
• Initial rate of return for the year 2020-21 has been fixed at 7.40%. The return will keep getting reset every year with respect to the Senior Citizen Saving Scheme (SCSS).

The correct answer is South Pacific Ocean.

Key Points

• Tonga volcano eruption took place in South Pacific Ocean.
• The initial tsunami wave created by Tonga’s underwater Hunga Tonga volcano eruption in 2022 was 90 metres high.
• It was nine times higher than the tsunami recorded near Japan in 2011.
• The volcano is located approximately 70 km from the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa; this distance significantly minimizes its destructive power.
• The Tonga volcano eruption unleashed more energy than the Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated.

Additional Information

• It is surrounded by Fiji and Wallis and Futuna (France) to the northwest; Samoa to the northeast; New Caledonia (France) and Vanuatu to the west; Niue (the nearest foreign territory) to the east; and Kermadec (New Zealand) to the southwest.
• Tonga has a tropical rainforest climate.
• The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano lies along the ‘Pacific Ring of fire’.
• A region along the Pacific Ocean marked by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes is known as the Pacific "Ring of Fire," Pacific Rim, or Circum-Pacific Belt.
• More than 450 volcanoes, or nearly 75% of the world's volcanoes, are found there. Additionally, 90% of earthquakes on Earth happen here.

The correct answer is 2.0.

Key Points

• India’s total fertility rate (TFR) has declined from 2.2 children in 2015-16 to 2 children per woman now, the latest edition of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) showed.
• The TFR is currently below the replacement level of fertility of 2.1 children per woman.
• According to the report, the median age at first birth among women aged 25-49 is 21.2 years.

Additional Information

• ​The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is a standard demographic indicator.
• It is used internationally to estimate the average number of children that a woman would have over her childbearing years (i.e. age 15-49).
• The replacement rate:
• The single most important factor in population growth is the total fertility rate (TFR).
• If, on average, women give birth to 2.1 children and these children survive to the age of 15, any given woman will have replaced herself and her partner upon death.
• A TFR of 2.1 is known as the replacement rate.

The correct answer is 14 years.

Key Points

• Article 45 of Indian Constitution mentions the right to education as a part of the Directive Principles.
• It mentions that the state should provide free and compulsory education to children till the age of 14.
• Article 21A of Indian Constitution was included as part of the 86^th amendment, making the right to education a fundamental right for children aged 6 to 14.
• Following the ratification of the amendment, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan was established, with the goal of providing "useful and relevant primary education" to all children aged six to fourteen.
• The 93^rd Constitutional Amendment Act added Clause (5) to Article 15 in 2006.
• This allowed the state to make specific arrangements in all aided and unaided educational establishments, with the exception of minority educational institutes, such as reservations for the advancement of any backward sections of citizens such as SCs and STs.
• The government responded by enacting the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009, which focuses on universal education and mandates the inclusion of impoverished children in schools.
• Section 12(1)(c) of the Act, in particular, provides for a 25% reserve of places in unaided schools for students from economically disadvantaged sections and groupings.

Additional Information

• Right To Education:
• In 2009, the Right to Education Act (RTE) established free and compulsory education for children as a basic right under Article 21-A.
• Committee Related To Right To Education:
• The Ramamurti Committee Report, published in 1990, was the first formal document addressing the right to education.
• The Tapas Majumdar Committee was established in 1999 which had Aim of Incorporating Article 21A into the Constitution.
• Every child has a right to a full-time elementary education of adequate and equitable quality in a formal school that meets certain key norms and requirements. They are entitled to an education that is both free and compulsory.
• Right to Education Act defines 'compulsory education' as the government's commitment to offer free elementary education and to assure compulsory entrance, attendance, and completion of primary school for all children aged six to fourteen.

The correct answer is Timothy Donald Cook.

Key Points

• Timothy Donald Cook is an American business executive and industrial engineer.
• Cook is the Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc and previously served as the company's Chief Operating Officer under its founder Steve Jobs.

Additional Information

• Kinam Kim is the President of the Device Solutions Division. of Samsung Electronics Co.
• Steve Jobs was the chairman, (CEO), and co-founder of Apple Inc., the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar, and the founder, chairman, and CEO of NeXT.
• Satya Narayana Nadella is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Microsoft.

The correct answer is Capital Local Area Bank.

Key Points

• Scheduled banks are those banks that are listed under Schedule II of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• The bank's paid-up capital and raised funds must be at least Rs. 5 lakh to qualify as a scheduled bank.
• These banks are liable for low interest loans from the RBI.
• They also have membership in clearing houses.
• They also have to maintain an average daily Cash Reserve Ratio with the central bank.
• The banks in the Indian banking system are sub categorized as Scheduled Banks, Non-Schedule Banks, Private Banks and Public Banks.
• Types of Scheduled Banks in India:
• The banks listed in Schedule II are further classified as –
• Scheduled Commercial Public Sector Banks
• SBI and its associates
• Scheduled Commercial Private Sector Banks
• Old Private Banks
• New Private Sector Banks
• Scheduled Foreign Banks in India
• E.g. State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank, Union Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank etc.
• Non-Scheduled Bank:
• They are not listed in the second schedule of the RBI Act.
• There is no such condition that needs to be fulfilled for it to be considered a non-scheduled bank.
• They maintain the CRR amount with themselves.
• ​These banks are riskier.
• E.g. Coastal Local Area Bank Ltd - Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Capital Local Area Bank Ltd - Phagwara (Punjab), Krishna Bhima Samruddhi Local Area Bank Ltd, Mahbubnagar (Andhra Pradesh), Subhadra Local Area Bank Ltd., Kolhapur (Maharashtra) etc.

Additional Information

• At the time of India's independence, all of the country's major banks were privately led, which was a source of concern because people in rural areas were still reliant on money lenders for financial assistance.
• To address this issue, the then-Government decided to nationalise the banks.
• The Banking Regulation Act of 1949 was used to nationalise these banks.
• To ensure the stability and profitability of the Nationalised Public Sector Banks, the Government decided to form a committee led by Shri. M Narasimham to oversee the various banking reforms in India.
• Universal Banks are the financial entities like the commercial banks, Financial Institutions, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), which undertake multiple financial activities under one roof, thereby creating a financial supermarket.
• According to the guidelines on on-tap licensing of universal banks issued in August 2016, resident individuals and professionals having 10 years of experience in banking and finance at a senior level are eligible to promote universal banks.​

The correct answer is 'Rajasthan'.

Key Points 

• Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched a scheme on the lines of the MGNREGA to provide 100 days of employment to families in urban areas.
• The scheme is known as Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Scheme.
• Any family that wants to increase their income at a time of high inflation could seek jobs under it.
• The scheme has been prepared after studying similar such programmes in other states, he added after launching the programme during a state-level event at Ambedkar Bhawan here.
• Ten women beneficiaries were presented job cards during the function.
• Under the scheme, projects on environment protection, water conservation, heritage conservation, maintenance of gardens, removal of encroachment, illegal sign boards, hoardings and banners, and sanitation will be undertaken.
• People in the 18 to 60 age group are eligible for the scheme, under which at least 50 people in each ward of urban local bodies will be given employment.

Additional Information 

• National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 or NREGA, later renamed as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or MGNREGA in 2009, is an Indian labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the 'right to work'.
• It aims to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to at least one member of every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
• Women are guaranteed one third of the jobs made available under the MGNREGA.

The Correct Answer is (S)he should be a Graduate.

Key Points

• Eligibility for the election of President of India:
• (S)he should be a citizen of India
• (S)he must have completed the age of 35 years
• (S)he should be qualified for the election as a member of the Lok Sabha
• (S)he must not hold any office of profit under the government of India or the Government of any State or under any local or other authority subject to the control of any of the Government (Article 58)

Important Points

• The President of India is the ceremonial head of state of India, and the Indian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief.
• An electoral college comprising the Parliament of India (both houses) and the legislative assemblies of each of the states and territories of India, all of whom are themselves directly elected, indirectly elects the President.
• Though Article 53 of the Constitution of India provides that the President can, with a few exceptions, exercise his powers directly or through a subordinate authority, all the executive powers conferred on the President shall, in practice, be exercised by the Prime Minister (a subordinate authority) with the assistance of the Council of Ministers.

The correct answer is All are true.

Key Points

• The Reserve Bank of India introduced Know your customer (KYC) guidelines for all banks in 2002.
• In 2004, RBI directed that all banks ensure that they are fully acquiescent with the KYC provisions before December 31, 2005.
• The main aim of KYC was to prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and theft.
• Banks should frame their KYC policies incorporating the following four key elements:
• Customer Acceptance Policy,
• Customer Identification Procedures,
• Monitoring of Transactions and
• Risk Management.
• Money laundering is the process of making large amounts of money generated by criminal activity, such as drug trafficking or terrorist funding, appear to have come from a legitimate source.
• The Prevention of Money Laundering Act was introduced in 2002 and came into force with effect from 2005.

The correct answer is Varuna.

Key Points

• PM Narendra Modi on 20 July 2022 unveiled 'Varuna', India’s first passenger drone in New Delhi.
• Varuna has been developed by a startup 'Sagar Defence Engineering' specifically for the Indian Navy.
• It can carry a 130 kg human payload & has a range of 25 km.
• It has 25-33 minutes of flight time

Additional Information

• Sagar Defence Engineering founded: 2015
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• CEO: Nikunj Parashar
• Important Current Affairs Related to PM Narendra Modi:​ 
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Akshaya Patra Foundation’s new mid-day kitchen in Varanasi on 7 July 2022.
• PM Narendra Modi on 7 July 2022 inaugurated 'Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam' on implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in Varanasi.
• The Ministry of Education is organising Shiksha Samagam from 7^th to 9^th July '22.
• PM Modi laid the foundation stone and inaugurated several projects worth 33000 crore rupees in Bengaluru on 20 June 2022.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Kranti Gatha’ on 14 June 2022.
• PM Modi on 10 June 2022 inaugurated the headquarters of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) at Bopal in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• IN-SPACe was established in June 2020.
• PM Modi on 28 May 2022 inaugurated the world's first Nano Urea Liquid plant by IFFCO at Kalol, Gujarat.
• IFFCO nano urea liquid was developed through proprietary technology at Nano Biotechnology Research Centre in Kalol.
• PM Modi is going to release benefits under the PM CARES for Children Scheme on 30 May 2022.

The correct answer is Biju Menon.

Key Points

• Biju Menon won the best supporting actor award in the 68^th National Film Awards 2022.
• Biju Menon is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Malayalam films.
• He won this for the film Ayyappanum Koshiyum.

Additional Information 

• Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru
• Best Director: Sachy, Ayyappanum Koshiyum
• Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Tanhaji
• Best Actor: Suriya for Soorarai Pottru and Ajay Devgn for Tanhaji
• Best Supporting Actress: Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli, Sivaranjaniyum Innam Sila Pengallum