General Awareness PYQs

The correct answer is Csaba Korosi​.

In News

• United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) president Csaba Korosi  on 29 January 2023, arrived in India for a three-day visit.

Key Points

• Korosi is a career diplomat from Hungary who served as his country’s permanent representative to the UN.
• During his visit, he will interact with officials of NITI Aayog and India’s G20 presidency team to explore the scaling up of the country’s best practices.
• He is also a guest at the “Beating the Retreat” ceremony at the iconic Vijay Chowk in Delhi, and is scheduled to pay floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on Monday, on the occasion of Shaheed Diwas.
• On January 30, he will deliver a public address at the Indian Council of World Affairs on his presidency theme of “Solutions through solidarity, sustainability and science in the UN”.
• Korosi will also interact with scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
• He is also expected to visit development projects in and around Bengaluru and interact with the UN’s India country team.

Additional Information 

• UNGA:
• The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN.
• Its powers, composition, functions, and procedures are set out in Chapter IV of the United Nations Charter.
• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Founded: 1945

The correct answer is 'HDFC Bank'.

Key Points

• The RBI on January 02 said state-owned SBI, along with private sector lenders ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank continue to be Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) or institutions which are 'too big to fail'.
• SIBs are perceived as banks that are 'too big to fail (TBTF)'. This perception of TBTF creates an expectation of government support for these lenders in times of distress. Due to this, these banks enjoy certain advantages in the funding markets.
• The additional Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) requirement for D-SIBs was phased-in from April 1, 2016 and became fully effective from April 1, 2019.
• The additional CET1 requirement will be in addition to the capital conservation buffer.

Additional Information

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had announced SBI and ICICI Bank as D-SIBs in 2015 and 2016. Based on data collected from banks as on March 31, 2017, HDFC Bank was also classified as a D-SIB.
• The current update is based on data collected from banks as on March 31, 2022.
• The framework for dealing with D-SIBs was issued in July 2014. The framework requires the RBI to disclose the names of banks designated as D-SIBs starting from 2015 and place these lenders in appropriate buckets depending upon their Systemic Importance Scores (SISs).

The correct answer is 11.

In News

• President Droupadi Murmu conferred Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on 23 January 2023.

Key Points

• The awards have been conferred upon 11 children for their exceptional achievement in six categories, which include Art, Culture, Bravery, Innovation, Social Service, and Sports.
• This year, four students are being awarded in the art and culture category, one for bravery, two for innovation, one for social service and three children have been selected for sports category.
• The awards are conferred upon children in the age group of 5–18 years.
• Each awardee has received a medal, a cash prize of one lakh rupees, and a certificate from the President.
• These awards are a recognition of their contribution and dedication to the country.
• Meanwhile, a nationwide painting competition was held in 500 Kendriya Vidyalayas across the country to mark the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, which is observed as Parakram Diwas.

The correct answer is Amit Shah.

Key Points

• Amit Shah is the current Home Minister of India.
• Rajnath Singh is the current Defence Minister of India.
• S Jaishankar is the current External Affairs Minister of India.
• Sushma Swaraj was the former External Affairs Minister of India.
• Ashwini Vaishnaw is the current Railway Minister of India.

The correct answer is Time Shelter.

In News

• Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov and translator Angela Rodel were named winners of the International Booker Prize with the novel "Time Shelter" -- a first for a book in Bulgarian.

Key Points

• The winning novel focuses on a "clinic for the past" that offers experimental Alzheimer's treatment.
• Born in 1968, novelist and poet Gospodinov is the most internationally acclaimed modern Bulgarian author. His works are translated into 25 languages.
• Rodel is originally from the US state of Minnesota but lives and works in Bulgaria.
• Her poetry and prose translations have been published in literary magazines and anthologies.
• In 2014, she was granted Bulgarian citizenship for her work and contribution to Bulgarian culture.
• Last year the International Booker Prize was awarded to the Hindi novel "Tomb of Sand" by Indian author Geetanjali Shree, and translated by Daisy Rockwell.

Additional Information

• International Booker Prize:
• The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction and the Man Booker Prize, is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland.
• The winner of the Booker Prize receives international publicity which usually leads to a sales boost.
• It was first awarded in 1969.
• Indian Winners:

1. V.S. Naipaul in 1971.
2. Salman Rushdie in 1981.
3. Arundhati Roy in 1997.
4. Kiran Desai in 2006.
5. Aravind Adiga in 2008.

The correct answer is To help people track and find their lost mobile phones.

In News

• The government is going to launch a new portal,  www.sancharsaathi.gov.in on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

Key Points

• The portal will be available throughout the country and cater to lost or stolen mobile phones connected to all telecom circles.
• As of now, the portal caters only to Delhi and Mumbai circles.
• Till date, with the help of this portal, 4,70,000 lost or stolen mobile phones have been blocked.
• Also, more than 2,40,000 mobile phones have been tracked through this portal and around 8,000 phones have also been recovered through the portal.
• The Sanchar Saathi portal is a welcome initiative by the government to help people track their lost or stolen mobile phones. The portal is easy to use and can be accessed by anyone, regardless of their technical expertise. The portal also provides a number of other features, such as the ability to block SIM cards and track the location of lost or stolen phones.

The correct answer is Prime Minister.

Key Points

• The Prime Minister of India is the Head of the Government of India.
• The Prime Minister is appointed by the President.
• Other ministers shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
• He is also the head of the council of ministers.
• Article 74 to Article 78 of Part V deals with the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
• He is the chairman of the cabinet and presides over the meetings of the Cabinet.
• The prime minister is the leader of the lower house of Parliament.
• He is the chief spokesman of the Central Government and also in foreign relations.
• He acts as the chief advisor to the President of India.
• The Prime Minister submits his resignation to the president of India.
• He is the head of Nuclear Command Authority, NITI Aayog, Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
• He communicates all decisions of the Cabinet related to the administration of the affairs of the Union and proposals for legislation to the President and therefore acts as the link between President and cabinet.
• The death or resignation of the Prime Minister automatically leads to the dissolution of the Council of Ministers.
• To become a prime minister of India, he/she should have completed 30 years of age if he is a member of the Rajya Sabha or can be 25 years of age if he is a member of the Lok Sabha.

Confusion Points

• The President of India is the Head of the State and Supreme Commander of the armed forces whereas PM is the head of the government and does not represent the state.

The correct answer is ​A-2 B-1 C-3.

Key Points

• R Praggnanandhaa is associated with Chess
• Kidambi Srikanth is associated with Badminton.
• Sumit Nagal is associated with Lawn Tennis.

The correct answer is USA.

In News

• India’s seafood exports touch an all-time high $8.09 bn in FY 2022-23.

Key Points

• India achieved an all-time high exports of seafood both in terms of volume and value by shipping 17,35,286 MT of seafood worth Rs. 63,969.14 crore (US$ 8.09 billion) during FY 2022-23 despite the several challenges in its major export markets like USA.
• Frozen shrimp remained the major export item in terms of both quantity and value while USA and China turned out to be the major importers of India’s seafood.
• Frozen Fish, the second largest exported item, fetched Rs. 5,503.18 Cr. (US$ 687.05 million) accounting for 21.24% in quantity and 8.49% in US$ earnings.
• USA became the largest market of imported seafood from India.
• China emerged as the second largest seafood export destination from India destination from India.
• The European Union continued to be the third largest destination

The correct answer is 63.

• The Bank's capital is held by central banks only.
• 63 central banks and monetary authorities are currently members of the BIS and have rights of voting and representation at General Meetings:

The Correct Answer is CML Biotech Ltd.

In News

• CML Biotech installs world’s first integrated blood collection tube manufacturing machine.

Key Points

• Angamaly-based CML Biotech Ltd., one of the largest manufacturers of blood collection tubes in India, has installed the world’s first integrated machine ‘Husky –Ichor’, for manufacturing blood collection tubes.
• CML Biotech Managing Director Paul Jacob switched on the machine at a function held at the factory.
• The integrated machine comprises machine mould, hot runner, dowser, dehumidifier, chiller, temperature controller and dryer. Normally, these functions are carried out in different machines.
• The machine is manufactured by Canada-based Husky Technologies, a global leader in injection moulds and moulding machines.

The correct answer is Changthang Cold desert wildlife sanctuary. 

Key Points

• In a unique and first-of-its-kind initiative, the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt of India, has undertaken to set up India’s first-ever "Night Sky Sanctuary" in Ladakh which will be completed within next three months.
• The proposed Dark Sky Reserve will be located at Hanle in Ladakh as a part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It will boost Astro tourism in India and will be one of the world’s highest-located sites for optical, infra-red, and gamma-ray telescopes.
• Dr Jitendra Singh said that all the stakeholders will jointly work towards the preservation of the night sky from unwanted light pollution and illumination, which is a serious threat to the scientific observations and natural sky conditions. It may be noted that Hanle is best suited for the project as it is located in Ladakh’s cold desert region, away from any form of human disturbance and clear sky conditions and dry weather conditions exist throughout the year.
• The Union Minister also informed that a tripartite MoU was signed recently among the the UT administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) for launching the Dark Space Reserve. 

Additional Information

International Dark Sky Sanctuaries

• Dark Sky Sanctuary is public or private land that has an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is protected for its scientific, natural, or educational value, its cultural heritage and/or public enjoyment.
• A sanctuary differs from a Dark Sky Park or Reserve in that it is typically situated in a very remote location with few (if any) nearby threats to the quality of its dark night skies and it does not otherwise meet the requirements for designation as a park or reserve.
• The typical geographic isolation of Dark Sky Sanctuaries significantly limits opportunities for public outreach, so a sanctuary designation is specifically designed to increase awareness of these fragile sites and promote their long-term conservation.

The correct answer is Vikram Doraiswami.

Key Points

• Vikram Doraiswami:-
• He is a career diplomat who has served in various Indian embassies and consulates around the world, including Bangladesh, Canada, China, and the United States.
• The next High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom is Vikram Doraiswami, as announced in August 2022.

Additional Information

• Ruchi Ghanashyam:-
• She is a high-ranking Indian bureaucrat who has served in a variety of positions, including as a Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs and as the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom.
• Gaitri Issar Kumar:-
• She is a retired Indian Foreign Service officer from the 1986 batch.
• Her last posting was as the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom.
• Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha:-
• Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha is a retired Indian diplomat who served as the Chief Information Commissioner of India from 2020 to 2023.
• He is a 1981 batch Indian Foreign Service officer.

The correct answer is To boost Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business.

In News

• Rajya Sabha passes Jan Vishwas Amendment Bill 2023

Key Points 

• The Bill was first introduced in Lok Sabha on 22^nd December 2022.
• Subsequently, it was referred to the Joint Committee of the Parliament.
• The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill received overwhelming support and insightful suggestions from the Members of the Committee across parties.
• The Joint Committee on the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022 held detailed discussions with all the 19 Ministries/Departments along with Legislative Department and Department of Legal Affairs.
• The Report of the Committee was laid before Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on 17^th March 2023 and 20^th March 2023 respectively.
• The Committee recommended a few more amendments in the Bill.
• Committee also made 7 general recommendations which provide advice and guidance for future decriminalization efforts.
• One of the recommendations include constitution of a group consisting of legal professionals, industry bodies, members of bureaucracy and regulatory authorities, etc. to examine other acts and carry out exercise similar to the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023. Working group has been constituted as per the recommendation of the Committee.

The correct answer is 45.

Key Points

• 45 foreign banks have their branches in India.
• AB Bank Limited
• American Express Banking Corporation Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.
• Barclays Bank Plc.
• Bank of America
• Bank of Bahrain & Kuwait B.S.C.
• Bank of Ceylon
• Bank of China
• Bank of Nova Scotia
• BNP Paribas
• Citibank N.A.
• Cooperatieve Rabobank U.A./ Coöperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-
• Boerenleenbank B.A.
• Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank
• Credit Suisse A.G
• CTBC Bank Co., Ltd.
• DBS Bank India Limited (Subsidiary of DBS Bank Ltd.)
• Deutsche Bank A.G.
• Doha Bank Q.P.S.C
• Emirates NBD Bank PJSC
• First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC
• FirstRand Bank Limited
• Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited
• Industrial & Commercial Bank of China
• Ltd.
• Industrial Bank of Korea
• J.P. Morgan Chase Bank N.A.
• JSC VTB Bank
• KEB Hana Bank
• Kookmin Bank
• Krung Thai Bank Public Co. Ltd.
• Mashreqbank PSC
• Mizuho Bank Ltd.
• MUFG Bank, Ltd.
• NatWest Markets Plc
• NongHyup Bank
• PT Bank Maybank Indonesia TBK Qatar National Bank (Q.P.S.C.)
• Sberbank
• SBM Bank (India) Limited (Subsidiary of SBM Group)
• Shinhan Bank
• Societe Generale India
• Sonali Bank Limited
• Standard Chartered Bank
• Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
• United Overseas Bank Limited
• Woori Bank

The correct answer is P Vasudevan.

In News

• Reserve Bank of India appoints P Vasudevan as new executive director

Key Points

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed P Vasudevan as Executive Director (ED) and he will look after three departments, including that of currency management.
• Prior to being promoted as ED, Vasudevan was the Chief General Manager-in-charge of the Department of Payment and Settlement Systems.
• He has, over a span of nearly three decades in the Reserve Bank, served in supervision of banks and non-banking financial companies, payment and settlement systems and other areas, including a stint as Member of Faculty in Bankers' Training College.

Additional Information

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
• RBI was set up on the basis of the Hilton Young Commission recommendation in April 1935, with the enactment of the RBI Act, 1934.
• Its first Governor was C.D. Deshmukh.
• The headquarters of RBI is in Mumbai.
• Current Governor is Shaktikanta Das

The correct answer is Lt Gen KT Parnaik.

In News

• Lt Gen KT Parnaik takes oath as 20^th Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.

Key Points

• Lieutenant General (Retd) Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik took oath as the 20^th Governor of Arunachal Pradesh on 16 Feb 2023.
• He was administered the oath of office by the Judge of Gauhati High Court, Justice Nani Tagia in a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan in Itanagar. Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein were among the dignitaries who attended the swearing-in ceremony.

Additional Information

• Arunachal Pradesh:
• It is a state in Northeastern India.
• It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region and became a state on 20 February 1987.
• The main tribes of the state are Adi, Nyshi, Singpho, Galo, Tagin, AND Apatani.
• Capital: Itanagar
• Chief minister: Pema Khandu
• Official bird: Great hornbill
• Official tree: Dipterocarpus retusus
• Union territory: 21 January 1972

The correct answer is Sashidhar Jagdishan.

In News

• Deepak Parekh steps down as HDFC chairman after 46 years

Key Points

• Deepak Parekh on 30 June 2023, announced his decision to step down as HDFC chairperson after serving as the chairman for 46 years.
• He left his Manhattan Bank job in 1978 to join HDFC when he was 33 and built it into India’s largest private sector housing finance company.
• The reverse merger of parent HDFC Ltd with HDFC Bank is expected to be effective from July 1.

Additional Information

• Housing Development Finance Corporation(HDFC):
• It is also known as Housing Development Finance Corporation and is India’s largest housing finance company and the largest private sector bank by assets.
• It was founded in 1977 by Deepak Parekh and has since grown to become one of the most respected financial institutions in India.
• In 2023, HDFC announced that it would merge with HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank by market capitalization.
• The merger is expected to be completed in 2024. The merged entity will be the largest bank in India by assets and market capitalization.
• Headquartered in Mumbai, India
• Largest housing finance company in India
• Largest private sector bank by assets in India
• Listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India
• Constituent of the Sensex and Nifty indices

The correct answer is National Film Development Corporation of India Ltd (NFDC).

Key Points

• The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Awards is organized by the National Film Development Corporation of India Ltd (NFDC).
• The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was founded in 1952.
• The festival aims to provide a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of film art.

Additional Information

• The National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) is the central agency established in 1975, to encourage high-quality Indian cinema.
• It is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• It functions under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The Correct Answer is Vienna.

In News

• Global Liveability Index 2023 was published by the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) of the Economist.

Key Points

• Vienna in Austria tops the ranking of the most liveable cities in the world followed by Copenhagen in Denmark, Melbourne and Sydney on 3^rd and 4^th rank while Vancouver has been placed as the 5^th best city on the liveability index.
• Damascus in Syria and Tripoli in Libya remained at the bottom of the liveability index.
• From India, New Delhi and Mumbai are at 141^st position and Chennai at 144^th.
• Ahmedabad and Bengaluru are ranked 147 and 148.
• The top rank of the liveable cities is dominated by European and North American cities.
• Among Asian countries, only Osaka in Japan features among the top 10 most liveable countries at number 9.
• The concept of livability assesses the best or worst living conditions of cities based on 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.