The correct answer is 94^th.

• Government questions methodology and data accuracy of Global Hunger Index:
• The government has questioned the methodology and data accuracy of the Global Hunger Index (GHI) report, alleging that children considered healthy were also counted to determine the ranking.
• In the latest report, India was ranked below countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar when it was among the top 10 food-producing countries in the world.
• India was ranked at the 94^th position out of 107 countries that were studied.
• Global Hunger Index:
• The report is a peer-reviewed publication released annually by Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide.
• It tracks hunger at global, regional and national levels.

The correct answer is Export sector.

Key Points

• The Finance Minister- Nirmala Sitharaman, announced the NIRVIK scheme in the Union Budget 2020-21 in Parliament.
• NIRVIK-Niryat Rin Vikas Yojana.
• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry prepared the scheme.
• NIRVIK provides for high insurance cover, reduction in premium for small exporters and simplified procedures for a claim, settlement.
• Under the scheme, also called the Export Credit Insurance Scheme (ECIS), up to 90 per cent of the principal and interest is covered.
• The Ministry also proposed to subsidise the premium under the scheme that has to be paid by exporters of certain key sectors.
• The Export Credit Guarantee Corporation currently provides credit guarantee of up to 60 per cent loss.
• The Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) cover will also provide additional comfort to banks as the credit rating of the borrower is enhanced to AA rated account.
• The enhanced cover will ensure that Foreign and Rupee export credit interest rates will be below 4%and 8% respectively for exporters.
• During April-December 2019-20, exports slipped 1.96 per cent to USD 239.29 billion, imports declined 8.9 per cent to USD 357.39 billion, leaving a trade deficit of USD 118.10 billion.

The correct answer is 2014.

Key Points

• In 2014 year did Kailash Satyarthi win the Nobel Peace Prize. 
• In 2014, Kailash Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Malala Yousafzai for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.
• At age 17, she became the youngest person to receive this prize.
• Children’s rights activist Kailash Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for “focusing attention on the grave exploitation of children for financial gain”.
• Another important reason was that he followed the non-violent tradition of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.

​

Additional Information

• Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight for the right of every child to receive an education.
• She was born in the Swat Valley in Pakistan.
• When the Islamic Taliban movement took control of the valley in 2008, girls’ schools were burned down.
• Malala kept a diary of the events, which was published in 2009 by BBC Urdu.
• In her diary she spoke out against the Taliban’s terrorist regime. An American documentary film made Malala internationally famous.
• Nobel Prize in Physics 2020 was awarded to three astrophysicists 
• Roger Penrose from the UK, Reinhard Genzel from Germany, and Andrea Ghez
• Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 for developing CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors, one of gene technology’s sharpest tools
• Emmanuelle Charpentier of France and Jennifer A Doudna.
• The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the World Food Programme (WFP), a United Nations (UN) agency, for its efforts to combat hunger, bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas, and preventing the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
• Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences, 2020 for their work on commercial auctions
• American economists, Paul Milgrom, and Robert Wilson
• The Nobel Prize in Literature 2020 has been awarded to
• Louise Glück "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal."

The correct answer is Target Olympic Podium Scheme.

• Five players have been included in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, TOPS.
• Tennis player Ankita Raina, Rowers Arjun Lal Jat, Arvind Singh, and wrestlers Seema Bisla and Sumit Malik have been included in the core group of TOPS.
• In order to improve India’s performance at the Olympics and Paralympics, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had started the Target Olympic Podium Scheme in 2014.

The correct answer is 8 May:

• World Red Cross Day is observed on 8^th May every year.
• The World Red Cross Day is celebrated to commemorate the principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
• The 2021 World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day theme is 'Unstoppable'.
• The first Red Cross Day was celebrated on May 8, 1948.
• The official title of the day changed over time, and became World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day in 1984.
• Red Cross Day is the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
• Henry Dunant was also the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize.
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) was founded in 1919 in Paris in the aftermath of World War I.

There were five founding members - Britain, France, Italy, Japan and the United States.

The correct answer is Andhra Pradesh.

• Andhra Pradesh will be the first in the country to come up with the Gender Budget concept.
• Expenditure for women's welfare through various schemes would be listed out in this budget.
• CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated Women Help Desks in all the police stations across the state and launched the SWECHHA program to create awareness on menstrual hygiene, on 8 March 2021.
• Andhra Pradesh:
• Chief Minister - Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy.
• Governor - Biswabhusan Harichandan.
• Number of Districts - 13.
• Lok Sabha seats - 25.
• Rajya Sabha seats - 11.

• Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) are products that are sold quickly and at a relatively low cost.
• List of Top 10 FMCG Companies in India

1. Hindustan Unilever Ltd
2. ITC Ltd
3. Nestle India Ltd
4. Britannia Industries Ltd
5. Godrej Consumer Products Ltd
6. Patanjali Ayurved Limited
7. Dabur India Ltd
8. Marico Ltd
9. Varun Beverages Ltd
10. GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd
11. Hatsun Agro Product Ltd

• The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) has announced Harsh Vardhan Patodia, MD, Unimark Group, Kolkata, as its new national president for the term 2021-23.
• Mr. Patodia also announced that the CREDAI Start-up Angel Network and Incubation and Acceleration Centre will help and support tech start-ups in the real estate space by handholding them and providing them access to its members network for business development.

Additional Information

• The Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) is the apex body of private Real Estate developers in India, established in 1999, with a vision of transforming the landscape of Indian Real Estate industry and a mandate to pursue the cause of Housing and Habitat.

The correct answer is VIPER​.

Key Points

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is sending its first mobile robot to the moon and is expected to launch it by late 2023.
• The robot named Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) is part of the Artemis program.
• Data from VIPER would help the agency map resources at the lunar South Pole that could one day be harvested for long-term human exploration at the Moon.
• VIPER’s design calls for using the first headlights on a lunar rover to aid in exploring the permanently shadowed regions of the Moon.
• These areas haven’t seen sunlight in billions of years and are some of the coldest spots in the solar system.
• Running on solar power, VIPER will need to quickly manoeuvre around the extreme swings in light and dark at the lunar South Pole.
• NASA awarded a task order to Astrobotic for VIPER’s launch, transit and delivery to the lunar surface as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.
• VIPER will carry four instruments, including the Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrains (TRIDENT) hammer drill, the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSolo) instrument, the Near-Infrared Volatiles Spectrometer System (NIRVSS) and the Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS).

​

Additional Information

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the USA which is responsible for the civilian space program, aeronautics, and aerospace research.
• It was established in 1958 with headquarters at Two Independence Square, Washington, D.C., United States.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower was its founder.
• James Frederick “Jim” Bridenstine is the present administrator of NASA.

The correct answer is HCL Technologies.

• HCL Technologies has approved the appointment of Shri Shiv Nadar as the 'Chairman Emeritus and Strategic Advisor to the Board' for a term of five years with effect from July 20, 2021.
• Shiv Nadar has tendered his resignation as the MD as well as the Director of HCL.
• The company has appointed C Vijayakumar - President and CEO of the company - as the Managing Director.​

The correct answer is 10,000.

Key Points

• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana  (PMJDY) is a nationwide scheme.
• It was launched by the Government of India.
• It was established to ensure financial inclusion of every individual who does not have a bank account in India.
• The scheme was launched on August 28, 2014.
• The main slogan of this scheme was ‘Mera Khata – Bhagya Vidhata’ which implies " my bank account is my god."
• Any of the documents can be helpful in opening the account under this scheme-
• The passport
• The driving license
• The Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card
• The Voter’s ID issued by the Election Commission of India
• The Aadhar Card
• Under PMJDY-
• Accounts can be opened with Zero balance.
• The account holders under this scheme can avail of a RuPay debit card which can be used across all ATMs for cash withdrawal.
• A customer can open an account under this scheme with any bank branch or Business Correspondent (Bank Mitr) outlet.
• The account holders can avail of an overdraft facility up to Rs 10,000.

The correct answer is Umlingla Pass

• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed the highest motorable road in the world at the height of 19,300 feet at Umlingla Pass in eastern Ladakh.
• It has constructed a 52-km long black-topped road through Umlingla Pass, bettering the previous record of a road in Bolivia connecting to its volcano Uturuncu.
• It now connects the important towns in the Chumar sector of Eastern Ladakh.

The correct answer is Odisha.

• Odisha would continue to sponsor the men’s and women’s national hockey teams for another 10 years after the current sponsorship ends in 2023.
• In 2018, Odisha had signed a ₹100 crore deal with Hockey India for sponsoring the men’s and women’s teams for 5 years.
• ₹10 lakh to each of the players and ₹5 lakh each to the support staff has been given by the CM Naveen Patnaik.
• Patnaik also gave away the ‘player with the maximum number of goals scored’ award to Harmanpreet Singh while PR Sreejesh won the award for the player with the maximum number of goals saved.
• In the women’s team, Gurjit Kaur and Vandana Katariya won the award for the maximum number of goals scored.
• Savita Punia won the award for the maximum number of goals saved.

The correct answer is ​Puri

Key Points

• Puri has become India’s 1^st City to provide 24*7 Drinking Tap Water through Sujal Project.
• Puri has also joined the international league of cities providing safe & pure water directly drinkable from taps.

Additional Information

• The State Government has planned to cover all urban areas of Odisha by March 2022, making it the state first to do so in India.
• Supplying drink-from-tap quality water to every home.
• It includes a 24/7 helpline centre with IVRS for grievance redressal.
• The inauguration of a mobile water testing laboratory and quick response team for rapid redressal of water supply complaints.
• Puri joins the international league of cities providing safe & pure water directly drinkable from taps.
• Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik dedicated the ‘Sujal-Drink From Tap Mission’ to the residents of Puri town to provide clean drinking water to the local residents.
• The ₹3.6 trillion JJM scheme aims to ensure assured tap water supply or ‘Har Ghar Jal’ to all rural households by 2024.
• This mission was launched by the hon’ble chief minister in October 2020 to provide drink-from-tap quality, 24x7 piped water supply to every household.

Important Points

 About Odisha:

• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik

The correct answer is Ladakh.

• ‘Hemis National Park’ is the largest National Park in India located in the Union territory of Ladakh.
• The Hemis National Park is known for the snow leopards where the highest density of them could be possible in a protected area in the world.

The Correct Answer is Byju's. 

Key Points

• Time Magazine's first-ever list of 100 most successful companies included two Indian companies: Reliance Industries' technology arm Jio Platforms and e-learning startup Byju's.
• Companies shaping the future are at the core of the first-ever TIME100 Most Influential Companies, according to Time's website.
• TIME gathered nominations from a variety of industries, including healthcare, entertainment, transportation, and technology, and assessed each one on key criteria such as importance, influence, creativity, leadership, ambition, and achievement.
• Jio Platforms was listed alongside Zoom, Adidas, TikTok, Ikea, Moderna, and Netflix in the Innovators category. Facebook, for example, is working on an e-commerce platform focused on WhatsApp, and Google is planning to release low-cost 5G smartphones.
• Jio raised more than USD 20 billion in the capital last year, demonstrating the importance and potential of its rapidly expanding user base.
• In the Disruptors group, Byju's was classified alongside Tesla, Huawei, Shopify, Airbnb, and DiDi Chuxing.

Important Points

• Byju's:
• Founded: 2011, Bengaluru
• Headquarters: Bengaluru
• Founders: Byju Raveendran, Divya Gokulnath

The correct answer is Assistance.

• The Supreme Court has unveiled its Artificial Intelligence (AI) portal SUPACE, designed to make research easier for judges, thereby easing their workload.
• It is a pet project of Chief Justice of India S A Bobde.
• The Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency (SUPACE) is a tool that collects relevant facts and laws and makes them available to a judge.

The correct answer is 4%

• The interest subvention scheme for farmers aims at providing short term credit to farmers at subsidised rate.
• This scheme came into force with effect from Kharif 2006-07.
• This scheme is implemented by NABARD and RBI.
• The Central Government provides to all farmers for short term crop loan upto 1 year for loan upto Rs. 3 lakh borrowed by them.
• The farmers can avail concessional crop loans of upto Rs.3 lakh at 7% rate of interest.
• It also provides for an additional subvention of 3% for prompt repayment within a period of 1 year from the date of advance.
• The scheme will help farmers to avail short term crop loans up to Rs. 3 lakh payable within one year at only 4% per annum.
• In case farmers do not repay the short term crop loan in time they would be eligible for interest subvention of 2% as against 5% available above.

The correct answer is Rs. 10,000.

• The Reserve Bank of India has proposed penalties for banks and White Label ATM operators if their ATMs are found to be lying without replenishment for more than ten hours to ensure customers and not inconvenienced.
• The regulator also directed banks and White Label ATM Operators to ensure a minimum duration of cashouts in ATMs.
• Cash-out will attract a flat penalty of Rs. 10,000 per ATM.
• RBI:
• Governor - Shaktikanta Das.
• Headquarters - Mumbai.
• Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

GER stands for Gross Enrolment Ratio is used in the education sector. It is expressed as the number of students enrolled at various grade levels and the actual population of children of that age.

• Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) or Gross Enrolment Index (GEI) is a statistical measure used in the education sector, and formerly by the UN in its Education Index, to determine the number of students enrolled in school at several different grade levels (like elementary, middle school and high school), and use it to show the ratio of the number of students who live in that country to those who qualify for the particular grade level.

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), describes "Gross Enrolment Ratio" as the total enrolment within a country "in a specific level of education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the population in the official age group corresponding to this level of education".

• The Higher Education GER (18-23 age group) in India for the year 2018-19 is 26.3.

• While higher education GER in India is on an increasing trend, it stills lags when compared with other countries.

• The age group for higher (tertiary) education is 18-22 years internationally.

• On September 19, 2020, President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the Visitor's Conference on 'Implementation of National Education Policy 2020' said: 

• Effective implementation of National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP) is likely to restore India’s glory as a great centre of learning.

• One of the targets of NEP 2020 is to increase Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 50% by 2035.

• Technology can help in achieving this target.

Thus, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in institutions of higher education in India is planned to increase by  50% in 2035.

• The recurve bow is the modern evolution of traditional bows that have existed for 1000s of years. The limbs positioned at the top and bottom of the bow curve back away from the archer at each tip. This is what gives the ‘re-curve’ its name.
• Recurve has been the bowstyle used at the Olympic Games since archery’s reintroduction to the programme in 1972. The rules for the recurve bow have evolved with technology and competitive standards but have remained largely unchanged since World Archery was founded in 1931.
• Some important terminologies related to Badminton :

Shuttlecock, Service court, Double fault, Fore-hand, Back Hand, Smash, Hit, Drop, Net, Love, etc.

Some important terminologies related to Athletics :

Relay, Track, Lane, Photo Finish, Hurdles, Shot Put, Discuss Throw, Hammer Throw, High Jump, Triple Jump Cross Country, etc.

The correct answer is Jupiter.

• Astronomers have found the first evidence of water vapour in the atmosphere of Jupiter's moon Ganymede by using new and archival datasets from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
• According to the study published in the journal Nature Astronomy, water vapour forms when ice from the moon's surface turns from solid to gas.
• Temperatures there are so cold that water on the surface is frozen solid.
• Ganymede's ocean would reside roughly 160 kilometres below the crust, therefore, the water vapour would not represent the evaporation of this ocean.
• In 1998, Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph took the first ultraviolet (UV) images of Ganymede, which revealed colourful ribbons of electrified gas called auroral bands.
• It provided further evidence that Ganymede has a weak magnetic field.

The correct answer is 43.3%.

• Tata Sons' subsidiary, Panatone Finvest Limited has signed a definitive agreement to pick 43.3% stake in Tejas Networks, for ₹1,850 crores.
• Tejas Networks designs, develops, and sells networking products to telecommunications service providers, internet service providers, etc.
• The agreement also included the acquisition of up to 13 lakh equity shares of the Tejas Networks.

The correct answer is He Bing Jiao.

• Indian star shuttler PV Sindhu has secured a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, defeating China’s He Bing Jiao in Women’s Singles.
• PV Sindhu also created history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two consecutive individual Olympic medals.
• She had won silver at Rio Olympics in 2016.
• Sushil Kumar is the only other Indian athlete to win two individual medals at the Olympic Games.

The correct answer is ​Intel.

• Intel has collaborated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to launch the 'AI For All' initiative.
• It is aimed at creating a basic understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) for people in India.
• The four-hour open content resource, which is available in 11 vernacular languages, is divided into two sections – AI Awareness (1.5 hours) and AI Appreciation (2.5 hours).

The Correct Answer is ICICI Bank.

Key Points

• The ICICI Bank has launched a digital and contactless banking platform designed specifically for retail merchants.
• The ‘Merchant Stack' service is aimed at the country's over 2 crore retail merchants, including grocers, supermarkets, major retail store chains, online businesses, and large e-commerce companies.
• On InstaBIZ, ICICI Bank's mobile banking app for companies, retail merchants can use the "Merchant Stack" services.
• Merchants will be able to fulfill their banking needs seamlessly thanks to the broad variety of banking and value-added services available, allowing them to continue to serve their customers during the pandemic's difficult times.
• Merchant Stack would offer zero-balance current accounts, instant credit, a "digital store management" facility, a loyalty programme, and value-added services such as partnerships with e-commerce and digital marketing channels, among other banking services.

Important Points

• ICICI Bank: 
• CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi(as of April 2021)
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founder: Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India
• Founded: June 1994, Vadodara

The correct answer is Rs. 5 lakh​.

Key Points

• The government has notified the amendment to the DICGC Act on 30 August 2021.
• Parliament passed the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 ensuring that account holders get up to Rs. 5 lakh within 90 days of the RBI imposing a moratorium on the banks.
• The amount of Rs. 5 lakh would be provided by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).​

Important Points

• The government has notified September 1, 2021 as the date on which the provisions of the Act shall come into force, according to a gazette notification dated August 27, 2021.
• Consequently, 90 days from the effective date is November 30, 2021 for depositors to get their funds back.​

Additional Information

• ​The first 45 days are meant for the bank, which has come under stress, to collect all the details of the accounts where the claims will have to be made.
• This will then be forwarded to the insurance company, which in real-time will check it all up, and nearer the 90^th day, depositors will get the money,
• The benefit will also accrue to the depositors of 23 cooperative banks which are in financial stress and on which the Reserve Bank of India.
• DICGC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the RBI, provides insurance cover on bank deposits.

The correct answer is NABARD.

Key Points

• In 1995-96, the Government of India set up the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for financing ongoing rural infrastructure projects.
• The funds released under RIDF are maintained by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
• The main objective of the fund is to provide loans to State Governments and State-owned corporations to enable them to complete ongoing rural infrastructure projects.
• These funds are provided on a year-to-year basis by the Government of India.
• Under the RIDF scheme Rs. 51,283 crore have been sanctioned for 2,44,651 projects covering irrigation, rural roads, and bridges, health and education, soil conservation, water schemes, etc.

Additional Information

• NABARD:-
• It is a statutory body established in 1982.
• Its headquarters is located in Mumbai.
• It is an apex regulatory body for the overall regulation and licensing of regional rural banks and apex cooperative banks in India.
• It is formed with the mission to promote sustainable and equitable agriculture and rural development through participative financial and non-financial interventions, innovations, technology, and institutional development for securing prosperity.
• It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

The correct answer is Aadhimalai Pazhangudiyinar Producer Company Limited and Snehakunja Trust:

• Aadhimalai Pazhangudiyinar Producer Company Limited and Snehakunja Trust won UNDP Equator Prize 2021.
• They are among the 10 awardees of the prestigious Equator Prize for their work in the field of conservation and biodiversity.
• The UNDP gives a biennial award to recognize community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
• The winners received a prize of US$10,000 and the opportunity to join a series of special virtual events associated with the UN General Assembly, the Nature for Life Hub, and the UN Food Systems Summit later this year.
• Aadhimalai Pazhangudiyinar Producer Company Limited is a 1,700-member cooperative, managed and run entirely by indigenous people from the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in Tamil Nadu.
• Snehakunja Trust has protected sensitive wetland and coastal ecosystems in the Western Ghats and the Karnataka coast for 45 years with a focus on community-based restoration and conservation$.

The correct answer is N Rengasamy.

• The NR Congress Chief N Rengasamy was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Puducherry in a simple function arranged at Raj Nivas on 7 May 2021.
• Lieutenant Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Rengasamy.
• The three-time Chief Minister Rangasamy returns to power for the 4^th time to lead the NDA government.

The statutory base for the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund (DEAF) constituted by the Reserve Bank of India is provided by Section 26 A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. In March 2014, section 26A was inserted in the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, empowering the central bank to establish the Fund under the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund Scheme, 2014. Under this fund, all the banks are required to transfer money lying in accounts that have been inoperative for at least 10 years to the Fund according to specific guidelines. Banks will also have to list out inoperative accounts every month and transfer funds lying in these, along with interest accrued, by the end of the subsequent month.

The correct answer is RBI.

Key Points

• The Reserve Bank of India has announced the opening of the third cohort of regulatory sandbox with its theme as MSME lending.
• The application for the third cohort may be submitted from 1 Oct - 14 Nov 2021.

Important Points

• The first cohort for regulatory sandbox was under the theme of retail payments where RBI had received 32 applicants and only six had been selected for the test phase.
• The entities whose products have been found meeting the norms set by the RBI in the First Cohort are:
• Nucleus Software Exports (PaySe).
• Tap Smart Data Information Services (Citycash).
• Natural Support Consultancy Services (IND-e-Cash).
• Naffa Innovations (ToneTag).
• Ubona Technologies (BHIM Voice).
• Eroute Technologies (offline payment using SIM).
• In its second cohort under regulatory sandbox, the RBI had announced 'Cross-border Payments' as its theme.

Additional Information

• Regulatory sandbox refers to live testing of new products or services in a controlled/regulatory environment for which regulators may or may not pertain to certain regulatory relaxations.
• The sandbox allows regulators, innovators, financial services providers, and customers to conduct field tests to collect evidence on the benefits and risks of new financial innovations while carefully monitoring and containing risks.
• RBI:
• Governor - Shaktikanta Das.
• Headquarters - Mumbai.
• Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata.

The correct answer is 13.3%.

• Unemployment rate (UR) rose to 13.3 per cent in July-September 2020 as compared to 8.4 per cent in the year-ago period.
• The UR was 20.9 percent in April-June 2020, according to the eighth Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
• The National Statistical Office launched PLFS in April 2017.
• On the basis of PLFS, a quarterly bulletin is brought out giving estimates of labour force indicators.​

The Correct Answer is 86^th.

Key Points

• India was ranked 86^th out of 98 countries in the new Coronavirus Performance Index published by the Lowy Institute, based in Australia.
• Countries have been ranked on the basis of publicly accessible and comparable Covid-19 response results.
• The Lowy Institute, based in Sydney, is an independent foreign policy think tank.
• The top three countries in the index are New Zealand, Vietnam, and Taiwan, respectively.
• Brazil was placed at the bottom of the pandemic's worst handling list compared to any other country. Due to a lack of publicly accessible data, China was omitted from the list.

Important Points

• The Lowy Institute is an independent think tank founded by Frank Lowy in April 2003 to conduct, from an Australian perspective, original, policy-relevant research on international political, strategic, and economic issues.

The correct answer is Bank of Baroda.

• Ola Electric and Bank of Baroda have signed the largest long-term debt financing agreement in the Indian EV industry.
• This 10-year debt of US$100 million is towards the funding and financial closure of Phase 1 of the Ola Future factory, Ola’s global manufacturing hub for its electric two-wheelers.
• The Ola Futurefactory is coming up on a 500-acre site in Tamil Nadu, India.$

The correct answer is Ramesh Pokhriyal.

Key Points

• The then Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has approved the release of the Performance Grading Index 2019-20 for states and UTs.
• The PGI for states and UTs was first published in 2019 with the reference year 2017-18.
• Punjab, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Kerala occupy the highest grade (Grade A++) for 2019-20.

Important Points

• The current Union Education Minister as of May 2022 is Dharmendra Pradhan.

The correct answer is ​Miraitowa.

Key Points

• The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games mascot is styled with the Ai (indigo blue) Ichimatsu pattern from the Tokyo 2020 Games emblem, a tribute to both the respected tradition and modern innovation of Japanese culture.
• MIRAITOWA has a personality inspired by the Japanese proverb, “learn from the past and develop new ideas”.
• MIRAITOWA is cheerful and remarkably athletic, with a very strong sense of integrity.
• It has a special power to instantly teleport anywhere it wants.
• It was created by Ryo Taniguchi.

Important Points

Tokyo 2020 Olympics:

• Host: Tokyo Japan
• Motto: United by Emotion
• Events: 339 in 33 sports

Additional Information

Tokyo 2020 Olympics:

• The 2020 summer Olympics is an international sports event that will be held from 23 July to 8 August 2021, in the city of Tokyo, Japan.
• As the name suggests, this summer Olympics were originally intended to be held from 24 July to 9 August 2020, but due to the ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic, Tokyo 2020 Olympics was postponed.

The correct answer is Oman.

Key Points 

• Oman has been named as the host of the inaugural International Hockey Federation (FIH) Hockey5s World Cup.
• The FIH said the men’s and women’s events will take place in Oman’s capital city Muscat in January 2024. The governing body said its Executive Board named Oman as host, after a recommendation from the organisation’s Events Bidding Task Force.
• The FIH Executive Board announced the launch of the Hockey5s World Cup in 2019. The launch comes as Hockey 5s becomes an increasingly popular format of the sport, played on a smaller pitch and which has featured at the last two Summer Youth Olympic Games.
• Oman Capital: Muscat;
• Oman Currency: Omani rial.

The correct answer is ​Akasa Air.

Key Points

• Investor and billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala is considering investing $35 million to launch 70 aircraft within the next four years, as a part of his ultra-low-cost airline Akasa Air.
• Akasa Air is expected to get a no-objection certificate from the aviation ministry within the next 15 days and will include a fleet of planes that can carry around 180 passengers.
• Jhunjhunwala is foraying into an industry that has suffered significant losses due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Even before the pandemic, domestic airlines like Kingfisher and Jet Airways were struggling and had to close shop. InterGlobe Aviation, the parent of the country's largest airline IndiGo, reported a net loss of ₹3,174 crore on Tuesday, for the three months to June, primarily due to a sharp decline in revenues amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The airline, which had a fleet of 277 planes at the end of June 2021, incurred a net loss of ₹2,844 crore in the year-ago period$.

The correct answer is World Food Programme:

• The World Food Programme (WFP) has been awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
• The World Food Programme, a United Nations body, is the world’s largest humanitarian organisation addressing hunger and promoting food security.
• In 2019, WFP provided assistance to close to 100 million people in 88 countries.
• In 2019, WFP provided school meals to more than 17.3 million children in 50 countries, often in the hardest-to-reach areas.
• The World Food Programme has taken the lead in combining humanitarian work with peace efforts through pioneering projects in South America, Africa and Asia.
• The Nobel Peace Prize 2019 was awarded to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali “for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea”.

• FMCG-major, ITC is in focus on trading session as reports have stated that the government is planning to divest its 7.93% stake in the company to meet the disinvestment target. ITC stock witnessed subdued sentiments on exchanges.
• It is being known that the Centre is in discussion to offload its entire stake in ITC. Also, the Centre is open for all options even including bulk sales on the stock market and strategic divestment to domestic investors for the stake sale.
• The government has set an ambitious disinvestment target of Rs1.75 lakh cr for the fiscal year 2021 - 22.
• The govt's 7.93% stake in ITC which is worth about Rs20,250cr currently - is being held through the Special Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI).
• Earlier, in a reply to a question in the Lok Sobha, the government has mentioned that they moved Rs7,646cr closer to meeting the disinvestment target.
• The Kolkata-based ITC has a diversified presence across industries such as cigarettes, FMCG, hotels, packaging, paperboards and specialty papers and agribusiness.
• ITC was trading at R207.65 per piece up by 0.41% on Sensex. At the current market price, ITC had a market valuation of a little over Rs1.79 lakh cr.
• The stock has touched an intraday high and low of Rs208.25 per piece and Rs206.55 per piece earlier today.

The correct answer is 1, 2, and 3.

Key Points

• Section 63 of the Companies Act, 2013 provides for the issue of bonus shares. Section 63(1) provides that a company may issue fully paid-up bonus shares to its members out of its-
• free reserves;
• the securities premium account; or
• The capital redemption reserve account.

Additional Information

• Bonus shares are additional shares given to the current shareholders without any additional cost, based upon the number of shares that a shareholder owns. These are the company's accumulated earnings which are not given out in the form of dividends but are converted into free shares.
• Free reserves are those reserves upon which the company can freely draw. There is no specific purpose for these reserves. Free reserves can be used by the company to declare dividends, issue bonus shares, write off accumulated losses, and write off share issue expenses.
• When the company decides to issue shares at a price higher than the nominal value or face value, shares are issued at a premium. The premium amount is credited to the Securities Premium Account. According to the Companies Act 2013, Securities premium amount can be used to issue fully paid-up bonus shares, writing off any preliminary expenses of the company, to write off expenses of issue of shares and debentures, the redemption of debentures or of preference shares and to buy back its own shares.
• When the company proposes to redeem the preference shares out of the profits, it transfers an amount equal to the nominal value of the redeemable preference shares to the Capital Redemption Reserve A/c out of the profits of the company. The company can use the Capital Redemption Reserve to issue the fully paid-up bonus shares.

The correct answer is Armenia.

• Nikol Pashinyan has been re-appointed as **Armenia'**s Prime Minister by President Armen Sarkissian.
• Pashinyan's appointment came after he was re-nominated by the Civil Contract party, which won a majority of the seats in the June 21 parliamentary elections.
• He was first appointed as the PM in 2018.
• Armenia is a nation, and former Soviet republic, in the Caucasus region between Asia and Europe.
• Armenia:
• Capital - Yerevan.
• Currency - Armenian dram.

If a cheque is presented for payment after 3 months from the date of the cheque it is called stale cheque. A stale cheque is not honoured by the bank.

• SBI Life is a private company that commenced operations as a joint venture between BNP Paribas Cardiff – a French financial services provider and multinational bank headquartered in Paris, and State Bank of India – the biggest financial service provider and the state-owned bank in India.
• SBI Life Insurance Company Limited (SBI Life) established in 2001.

Important Points

• The Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. is an Indian nationalised general insurance company. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India. The headquarter of the company is located in New Delhi.
• The New India Assurance Co. Ltd., based in Mumbai, Maharashtra is a nationalized general insurance company. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
• Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited a nationalised insurance company under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India that offers yield-based and weather-based crop insurance programs in almost 500 districts of India.

The correct answer is Magma Fincorp Limited.

• The Mumbai-based non-banking financial company, Magma Fincorp Limited on 31 May 2021 appointed Serum Institute of India's CEO Adar Poonawalla as the Chairman of the company.
• Magma Fincorp also appointed Abhay Bhutada as the Managing Director.
• Vijay Deshwal, a seasoned banker with a track record of over two decades, will take charge as CEO at Magma Fincorp from the first week of July 2021.
• A Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956.
• It is engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares/stocks/bonds/debentures/securities issued by the Government or local authority, or other marketable securities.
• It does not include any institution whose principal business is that of agriculture activity, industrial activity, purchase or sale of any goods (other than securities), or providing any services and sale/purchase/construction of an immovable property.

The correct answer is option 1 i.e. Central Bank of India

• The government plans to merge 10 public sector banks into 4.
• The number of nationalized banks in the country becomes 27 in 2017 to 12 at present.
• In a first three-way amalgamation, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will merge with Bank of Baroda (BoB) from April 1, 2019, to create the third-largest lender of the country.
• New mergers include:
• Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, and the United Bank of India will combine to form the nation’s second-largest lender.
• Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank.
• Indian Bank will merge with Allahabad Bank.
• Union Bank of India will amalgamate with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank.

The correct answer is discount.

Key Points 

• As per Companies Act 2013, shares cannot be issued at discount. This means that the issue price cannot be less than the face value of the share.
• Shares can be either issued at par (equal to face value) or at premium(more than the face value).
• Issue of shares at par: When shares are issued at their face value, the shares are said to have been issued at par. i.e. issue price and face value are same.
• Issue of shares at premium: When shares are issued at a value that is higher than the face value of the shares, the shares are said to have been issued at premium, i.e. issue price is more than face value.

• The government appointed Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council Chairman C. Rangarajan to review the poverty estimation methodology by the Tendulkar panel. It was considered that the amount recommended by the Tendulkar panel is too low.
• Rangarajan committee raised these limits to Rs. 32(rural) and Rs. 47(urban), and worked out poverty line at close to 30%
• The estimation is based on an independent large survey of households by Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).

The correct answer is 135:

• The Ministry of Education on 10 June 2021, released the All Indian Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) report 2019-20.
• The report revealed that the number of Institutes of National Importance (INIs) have increased from 75 in 2015 to 135 in 2020.
• The number of PhDs has also increased by 60 per cent in the last five years.
• Students pursuing a Master’s degree in technology had decreased by more than half in the last five years alone, from 2,89,311 in 2014-15 to 1,35,500 in 2018-19, according to AISHE 2018-19.
• B.Tech enrolment fell by 11 per cent in the same period, from 42,54,919 to 37,70,949.
• However, some professional programmes such as MBA, MBBS, BEd and LLB continued to attract more students.

The correct answer is None of these.

Key Points 

• According to the passage: There will be areas where people to people interaction, human relationships, and networking will still matter, hence soft skills such as communication, social and behavioural, cognitive and emotional intelligence would be expected from the employees.
• All these soft skills are expected from the employees.

Thus, the correct answer is Option 5.

The correct answer is ‘Automation will force employees to hone their understanding of big data, machine learning, cloud computing, augmented reality, and mathematical and analytical skills’.

Key Points 

According to the passage,

• ‘Machines are after all machines. They may do work more quickly and efficiently, but they can't bring in 100 percent human touch and feel.’ As option 1 negates the above statements given in the passage, it is incorrect.
• ‘The leader will be also responsible for identifying the right talent in the machine age and engaging the workforce through human touch points.’ Option 2 mentions ‘disengaging the workforce’ that contradicts the above fact given in the passage. So, it is incorrect.
• ‘The future workplaces will be a collaboration of machines/robots and humans.’ Option 4 mentions that future workplaces will have no humans. Thus, it is incorrect too.
• ‘Automation will force employees to hone their understanding of big data, machine learning, cloud computing, augmented reality, and mathematical and analytical skills.’ As Option 3 mentions the same as the above sentence from the passage, it is correct.

Thus, the correct answer is Option 3.

The correct answer is All the above.

Key Points 

• According to the passage, ‘This can be done by upgrading employee-skillset with the following skills for the requirement of future roles: Leadership, Information technology, Management and Soft skills’.
• The following has also been mentioned under the title of Soft skills: ‘There will be areas where people to people interaction, human relationships, and networking will still matter, hence soft skills such as communication, social and behavioural, cognitive and emotional intelligence would be expected from the employees.’
• Therefore, we can infer that all the three options 1,2 and 3 are correct.

Thus, the correct asnwer is Option 4.

The correct answer is ‘15,000’.

Key Points 

• According to the passage: ‘Intel has launched 60 courses as a part of its 'AI Developer Education Programme' to train 15,000 Indian engineers, developers, scientists, and students.

Thus, the correct answer is Option 4.

The correct answer is ‘Only A’.

Key Points 

According to the passage, ‘It can't be denied that automation will impact the jobs considerably in India. However, developing people-centric skills and upgrading/reskilling for new roles could help employees tide over the automation wave.’ This process of automation leads to a significant change in the composition of the labour force and machines. Jobs that do not require people-centric skills can be done by machines as they are more efficient and quick in completing tasks. 

• ‘Machines are capable of doing more work quickly and efficiently’. Thus, it is the reason for the replacement of labour by machines. Option 1 is correct.
• ‘There will be areas where people to people interaction, human relationships, and networking will still matter, hence soft skills such as communication, social and behavioural, cognitive and emotional intelligence would be expected from the employees.’ Option 2 negates the above sentence from the passage. Thus it is incorrect.​
• ‘The leader will be also responsible for identifying the right talent in the machine age and engaging the workforce through human touch points.’ As option 3 contradicts the above statement, it is incorrect too.

Since option 1 is factually correct and is one of the reasons that is conducive/supportive for automation, it is the correct answer.

The correct answer is incursions, role.

Key Points 

• The first blank in the sentence is followed by ‘on protected lands’. As we read the sentence carefully, we can infer that the satellite data plausibly indicates a violation of the rights of indigenous people. Besides, these people are fighting for their recognition regarding forest conservation.
• For the first blank, we need to look for a word that is similar to ‘violate/invade’. ‘​Revolution’ is inappropriate as it does not indicate anything related to it; ‘floating’ and ‘degrade’ are out of context; ‘inclusions’ is inappropriate considering ‘on protected lands’. Therefore, the correct word is ‘incursions’ (meaning: invasion).
• For the second blank, we need a word that means ‘part or function’. From the given options, we can infer that ‘role’ is the most appropriate word.

The correct sentence is: Satellite data confirm incursions on protected lands as Indigenous people fight for their rights and recognition of their role in conserving forests.

Thus, the correct answer is Option 3

Additional Information 

The correct answer is ‘pose, inflict’.

Key Points 

• The given sentence talks about the attributes of Tropical cyclones laden with moisture and accumulated energy. The effect of these cyclones on lives and property is mentioned.
• For the first blank, we need to find a word that means ‘to place/present’. From the given options, ‘pose’ that means ‘to set forth’ is the correct word. The other words ‘Demand’, ‘calculate’, ‘indicate’ and ‘helpful’ are irrelevant in the context.
• For the second blank, we need to find a word that means ‘impact or induce’. From the given options, ‘inflict’ that means ‘to cause’ is the correct answer.

The correct sentence is: Tropical cyclones laden with moisture and accumulated energy pose a growing challenge, as they have a propensity to inflict heavy damage to lives and property.

Thus, the correct answer is Option 4.

Additional Information

• Demand: a strong request or order that must be obeyed
• Act: to do something; to take action
• Calculate: to find something out by using mathematics; to work something out
• Condemn: to say strongly that you think somebody/something is very bad or wrong
• Indicate: to show that something is probably true or exists
• Withdraw: to move or order somebody to move back or away from a place
• Pose: to create or give somebody something that he/she has to deal with
• Inflict: to force somebody to have something unpleasant or something that he/she does not want
• Helpful: giving help
• Experience: the things that you have done in your life; the knowledge or skill that you get from seeing or doing something

The correct answer is ‘Resurgence, adapt’.

Key Points 

• The sentence talks about pastoralism and its role in helping Spain to deal with climate change.
• For the first blank, we need to find a word that means ‘rise/ revival’. From the given options, both ‘resurgence’ and ‘rise’ are correct and fit in the context.
• For the second blank, we need to find a word that means ‘adjust or suit’. From the given options, ‘adapt’ is the correct answer. Hence, considering the option with the word ‘adapt’, ‘resurgence’ is the most appropriate word for the first blank. Though ‘rise’ is correct as mentioned above, ‘adopt’ is incorrect. So, option 4 is not the correct set of words.

The correct sentence is:  Resurgence in pastoralism, one of the world's most sustainable food systems, could help Spain adapt to climate change and revitalize depopulated rural areas.

Thus, the correct answer is Option 1.

Additional Information 

The correct answer is ‘prospect, regulations’.

Key Points 

• The given sentence talks about the aspect of genetically modified foods and it’s field trials.
• For the first blank, we need to find a word that conveys the meaning outlook’. It is evident that genetically modified foods are being considered by the UK. From the given options, ‘prospect’ that means ‘possibility, vision or outlook’ is the appropriate word.
• For the second blank, we need to find a word that means ‘rules’. It can be inferred that there have been changes to farming rules or farming supervision. Owing to these changes in the rules, the prospect of genetically modified crops has come a step closer. From the given options, ‘regulations’ is the correct word.

The correct sentence is: The prospect of genetically modified foods being grown and sold in the UK has come a step closer after changes to farming regulations that allow field trials of gene-edited crops in England.

Thus, the correct answer is Option 3.

The correct answer is ‘endured, annihilated’.

Key Points 

• Reading the given sentence, we can infer that the house has miraculously sustained the lava of an erupting volcano.
• ​The word ‘miraculously’ emphasizes the surprise. As it is normal that buildings are damaged by volcanic lava, this is an instance of surprise.
• For the first blank, we need to find a word that means ‘sustained or tolerated’, Thus, the correct word is ‘endured’.
• The latter part of the sentence indicates the contrasting picture to the former part. We can infer that the house that miraculously sustained the volcanic lava has now been destroyed by lava. Thus, we need to find a word that means ‘destroyed or consumed’. From the given options, ‘annihilated’ is the correct word.

The correct sentence is: A house that miraculously endured an erupting volcano on La Palma in the Spanish Canary Islands for days has now been annihilated by lava.

Thus, the correct answer is Option 3.

Additional Information 

The correct answer is ‘F’.

Key Points 

• Reading all the sentences, it is evident that they all are related to the educational issues/problems concerning the children diagnosed with cancer.
• The opening sentence should introduce the topic and should be an assertive statement. It should not contain any linking words as it is the first sentence.
• From the given sentences, we can infer that either A or F may be the first sentence. However, it is evident that sentence F gives a clear introduction to the topic stating that Cancer diagnosis has a significant impact. Sentence A mentions interventions to enable these children to access education. Thus, we can infer that it is a part of the description that comes later, rather than an introduction.

  Thus, the first sentence is F.

The correct answer is ‘B’.

Key Points 

• Reading all the sentences, it is evident that they all are related to the educational issues/problems concerning the children diagnosed with cancer.
• Following the first sentence, we can guess that either B or E might be the second sentence. While sentence B talks about the diagnosis and treatment stage, sentence E talks about the post-treatment stage. Therefore, B takes precedence. The issues at the stage of diagnosis/ treatment is first explained, which is followed by the issues in the post-treatment phase.

​Thus, the second sentence is B.

The correct answer is ‘E’.

Key Points 

• Reading all the sentences, it is evident that they all are related to the educational issues/problems concerning the children diagnosed with cancer.
• Following the first two sentences F and B, we can infer that the next sentence talks about the issues in the post-treatment stage. So, the correct sentence is E. The previous sentence talks about the issues in the diagnosis/ treatment stage.

Thus, the third sentence is E.

The correct answer is ‘A’.

Key Points 

• Reading all the sentences, it is evident that they all are related to the educational issues/problems concerning the children diagnosed with cancer.
• Following the sequence of sentences F-B-E-4, we can infer that the next sentence in the sequence should be in connection with sentence 4(fixed sentence). Sentence 4 mentions that the educators and healthcare professionals identify the need to have an approach to address the learning issues of children with cancer. Thus, the next sentence will be related to this training approach to address the issue. As sentence A talks about the range of interventions developed in order to secure access to these affected children, it is the correct sentence in the sequence.

Thus, the fifth sentence is A.

The correct answer is ‘C’.

Key Points 

• Reading all the sentences, it is evident that they all are related to the educational issues/problems concerning the children diagnosed with cancer.
• Following the sequence of sentences F-B-E-4-A, we can infer that the next sentence in the sequence should talk about the interventions in detail. While sentence A mentions that there has been a range of interventions developed, the next sentence should elaborate on those interventions. Therefore, sentence G that mentions various interventions, will be the sixth sentence in the sequence.
• The sequence will now be F-B-E-4-A-G.
• The only statement remaining is ‘C’. Hence, it will be the last sentence. Also, it is coherent with the information mentioned in the previous sentence G. Sentence C says that there is no evidence to indicate which intervention( among those mentioned in G) has a positive effect on the affected children. The sequence of sentences in the paragraph will now be F-B-E-4-A-G-C.

Thus, the seventh sentence is C.

The correct answer is had contentious, pungency.

Key Points

• First, let us look at what the words provided in the sentence mean:
• Evil: profoundly immoral and wicked.
• Insipidity: lacking vigour or interest.
• The sentence would mean that the evil articles written by the referents were fearlessly not interesting. This is a confusing and unclear statement.
• Therefore, the words need to be corrected.

Important Points 

• The words that replace the ones in bold are in option 4. Let us look at what the words mean:

• Contentious: causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial.

• Pungency: (of comment, criticism, or humour) having a sharp and sarcastically stinging quality.

• Based on these meanings, we can understand that the sentence refers to the fact that the two people had written controversial articles that also had an element of sharp criticism which is a cause of their rivalry.

Mistake Points

• Some words that don't necessarily fit the meaning of the sentence are as follows:

• Tranquillized: had a calming or sedative effect on.

• Engendered: cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition). Since the articles are being described in the first phase, it is not possible to use a verb like this, as it adds no value to the meaning of the sentence, grammatically.

• ​​Also, the sentence refers to the 'past perfect' tense, therefore using the verb 'have' makes the option invalid, as 'have' is used in present perfect.

• The verb to be used in the past perfect tense is 'had.'

​Therefore, the sentence is: The fact that they had contentious articles written, with a fearless pungency, seems to have been the reason for their rivalry.

The correct answer is No correction required.

Key Points

• First, let us look at what the words provided in the sentence mean:
• Arbitrarily: based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.
• Cogent: clear, logical, and convincing.
• These two words make sense in the context of the sentence. Therefore, they do not need to be corrected.
• The meaning of the sentence is that the shots of the film are randomly put together, creating a haphazard action that is not logical or clear.

​

Mistake Points

• Firstly, what needs to be considered is the subject-verb agreement of the sentence.

• Since the sentence refers to the shots in the film (plural noun), the corresponding verb must also be plural i.e. are.

• Any option that replaces the main verb as a singular one must be deemed invalid, as it would be grammatically incorrect. These include options 1, and 2.

• Therefore, even though the options contain words that could substitute the existing phrases, they would be grammatically wrong.

• Also, some words are not entirely suited for the sentence. 

• Arrayed: displayed or arranged (things) in a particular way. This would discredit the first half of the sentence where the shots are being called haphazard.

• Murky: obscure or morally questionable. The sentence does not describe the content of the shots, just the arrangement. Therefore using this word would be slightly unnecessary.

• Equanimous: calm and composed. This is unlikely to be used for inanimate shots of a film.

​Therefore, the sentence is: The shots of this film are arbitrarily put together, creating haphazard action that is barely cogent.

The correct answer no correction required.

Key Points

• First, let us look at what the words provided in the sentence mean:

• Corollary: a direct or natural consequence or result.

• Intransigence: refusal to change one's views or to agree about something.

• As can be seen, these two words make sense in the context of the sentence. Therefore, they do not need to be corrected.

• The meaning of the sentence is that the rise in unemployment is a direct result of the government's refusal to change.

​

Mistake Points

• The words in the sentence are both nouns. They are basically used in terms of a consequence of the government's state of inaction.

• However, some options use adjectives and verbs that do not suit the grammatical phrasing of the sentence.

• For instance, 'compulsive,' and 'diverting,' are adjectives and don't match the meaning of the sentence.

• Also, the formation of these words is not suitable. If they were to be used in the noun form (diversion; compulsion) they may have made sense.

• In the case of option 3 and 4, the words are nouns. However, when replaced in the sentence, they are not comprehensible.

• Also, option 4 lacks a preposition to provide a reference.

​Therefore, the sentence is: Huge increases in unemployment were the corollary of the government's intransigence.

The correct answer is S**ome people blatantly enter china so that they can live a prosperous life.

Key Points

• Surreptitiously: not done openly; kept secret and marked by quiet and caution
• Blatantly: in an open and unashamed manner.

Additional Information

Synonyms of Surreptitiously**:** Secretly, Clandestinely, Stealthily, Furtively, Slyly, etc. 

Antonyms of Surreptitiously**:** Openly, Blatantly, Frankly, Honestly, Openhandedly.

The correct answer is ACBD.

Key Points

• After going through the sentence we find that:
• Part E talks about the long term growth prospective of the Indian economy which is not relevant to the context.
• So, the odd part is E.
• The sentence should begin with A which mentions the relentless pursuit of something and C is the next part. From part C we can understand that the sentence is about the 'relentless pursuit of economic growth'.
• The next part should be B which describes what is the 'pursuit of economic growth'.
• The last part is D. It concludes the sentence by mentioning that it is the defining characteristic of contemporary societies.
• Thus, only ACBD can make a coherent sentence.
• The correct answer is ACBD.

Thus, the correct sentence will be: "The relentless pursuit of economic growth is the defining characteristic of contemporary societies." 

Additional Information

Let's see the meaning of some words: 

• Relentless: constant

• Pursuit: chasing

• Characteristic: trait or feature

• Contemporary: living at the same time

• Perspective and prospective are easy to confuse because they look and sound similar.

• Here are their meanings:

• Perspective is a noun. It means "a mental outlook or visible scene, a vista, a way of looking at something."

• Prospective is an adjective. It means "in the future, likely or expected."

The correct answer is EBCA.

Key Points

• After going through the sentence we find that:
• Part D talks about well-planned streets which is not relevant to the context.
• So, the odd part is D.
• The sentence should begin with E followed by B which explains what is offshore wind power or offshore wind energy.
• The next part should be C which mentions the places where the wind farms are constructed.
• The last part is A which mentions the purpose of the wind power or energy.
• Thus, only EBCA can make a coherent sentence.
• The correct sentence will be: Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy is the use of wind farms constructed in bodies of water, usually in the ocean, to harvest wind energy to generate electricity.

Additional Information

Offshore: away from the coast

Constructed: built or set up

Generate: to give rise to

The correct answer is AECB.

Key Points

• After going through the sentence we find that:
• Part D talks about a report which is not relevant to the context.
• So, the odd part is D.
• The sentence should start with A followed by E which mentions that commercial availability of carbon capture and storage technology depends on something.
• The next part is C. It mentions that commercial availability of carbon capture and storage technology depends on successful implementation of the technology.
• The last part is B. It concludes the sentence by stating the current situation of technologies in industrialized countries.
• Only, AECB is able to make a coherent sentence.
• Thus, the correct sentence will be: Commercial availability of carbon capture and storage technology in India depends largely on successful implementation of the technology in industrialized countries, which is currently shoddy.

Additional Information

Shoddy: carelessly made

Implementation: carrying out or application

Triggered: activated

Vindicates: clear of blame

The correct answer is -years ago, have shed new light on the predators- the error lies in this part only.

Key Points 

In the given sentence, the error lies in Part D where the usage ‘have shed’ is inappropriate. 

• The sentence talks about the discovery of two new species of dinosaurs and the scientific names of the same have been mentioned. Further, the non-essential clause(indicated by ‘which’) describes the habitat of these two species.
• The plural verb ‘have’ does not agree with the subject i.e. ‘the discovery’ (singular noun). The two species mentioned do not form the subject, though it might seem so superficially. As we read the sentence carefully, we infer that the subject is singular (‘discovery’). Therefore, the correct verb to be used is ‘has’.

Thus, the correct sentence is: The discovery of two new species of dinosaurs, namely Ceratosuchops inferodios and Riparovenator milnerae, which likely roamed the south of England 125 million years ago, has shed new light on the predators.

The correct answer is in kindness and understanding and self-sacrifice- the error lies in this part only.

Key Points

For the sentence to be grammatically correct the preposition 'in' should be replaced with 'on'.

The corrected form of the sentence is:

Therefore, option 2) is the correct answer.

Thus, the correct sentence is: Relationships are built on kindness and understanding and self-sacrifice, not on jealousy, selfishness, puffed-up egos, and rude behaviour.

Additional Information

The correct answer is 'Only A'.

Key Points

• We use 'both' to refer to two things or people together.
• We use 'both … and' to emphasise the link between two things.
• Examples, 
• Both Britain and France agree on the treaty.
• She played both hockey and basketball when she was a student.
• From the given explanation, we can understand that sentence A is wrong.
• Therefore, option 1 is the correct answer.

Correct Sentence: (A) The council is encouraging the development of the property for both employment and recreation.

Important Points

• The preposition 'between' which is used to indicate a connection or relationship involving two or more parties, is used with the conjunction 'and'.
• For example, The Ministry plans to construct between 50 and 60 cyclone shelters.
• The preposition 'from', which is used to indicate the point in time at which a particular process, event, or activity starts, is followed by 'to'.
• For example, The show will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The correct answer is A-4 and C-3.

Key Points

Out of the given sentences, the errors are in part 4 of sentence A and part 3 of sentence C.

​The corrected form of the sentences are:

Statement B is grammatically correct. In statement B use of No sooner…than is correct.

• Whenever we use the adverb 'no sooner' at the starting of the sentence, it is always followed by a helping verb.
• Whenever adverbs like “No sooner”, “Hardly”, “Scarcely”, etc. are used at the beginning of a sentence, they are always followed by a helping verb.
• Hardly had I begun to speak when I was interrupted.
• ​Scarcely had we started our meal when the phone rang.​

Note that adverbs “hardly, scarcely, and barely” are always followed by “when”, while “No sooner” is followed by “than”.

The correct answer is A and D- the error lies in these parts only.

Key Points

The parts ‘He resolved being tender with the young' and 'and tolerable of the weak' are grammatically incorrect.

The corrected form of the erroneous parts are:

A: In part A ''He resolved being tender with the young'' is grammatically incorrect. Here the verb 'being' should be replaced with 'to be' to rectify the mistake. Thus, the correct part will be "He resolved to be tender with the young".

D: In part D ''and tolerable of the weak'' is grammatically incorrect. In part D, the adjective tolerable is contextually incorrect and will be replaced by tolerant to make the sentence grammatically correct. Thus, the correct part will be "and tolerant of the weak".

Therefore, option 3) is the correct answer.

Thus, the correct sentence is: He resolved to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic to the striving, and tolerant of the weak.

Additional Information

​Certain verbs are generally followed by the to-infinitive rather than a prepositional phrase or gerund. This is formed with the word to and the base form of the modifying verb.

The company wants advertising on the radio. [Incorrect]

The company wants to advertise on the radio. [Correct]

The correct answer is ‘Indigenisation’.

Key Points 

According to the passage: ‘A process of colonisation, speciation and extinction has been at play over many millions of years, including recent times.‘ But, ‘indigenisation’ is not mentioned in the passage.

Thus, the correct answer is Option 3.

The correct answer is 33.3.

Key Points 

• According to the passage: ‘The terrestrial birds, wetland birds and seabirds in New Zealand each make up about a third of the total number of species’.
• As one-third is equivalent to 33.33 percentage, the correct answer is Option 2.

The correct answer is ‘22’.

Key Points 

• According to the passage: ‘Of the 131 species that lived on or near land, 93 (or 71%) were endemic, and of the 65 seabirds, 22 (or 34%) were endemic, making 115 (or 59%) endemic species in total.’
• The above sentence is mentioned in the context: ‘when the humans first arrived in New Zealand’.

Thus, the correct asnwer is Option 4.

The correct answer is B-C-D-A.

Key Points 

• As we read the jumbled sentence, we can infer that ‘the conservation success’ should be ‘documented’. Thus, the first word in rearrangement is B. Further, the documented conservation success is plausibly a ‘story’. Thus, the second word in rearranged sequence will be C.
• The success is due to the ‘efforts’. So the third word in rearrangement is D. The remaining word ‘saving’ fits in the context: the ‘saving’ of the black robin. The last word is A.

Thus, the correct answer is Option 3.

The correct answer is 1,2 and 3.

Key Points 

According to the passage: ‘Due to habitat loss, their historical use as a food source by Māori*, and* predation by introduced species*, many birds have become extinct and numerous more are threatened with extinction.*

Thus, the correct asnwer is Option 5.

The correct answer is option 3 i.e Only C.

Explanation

• The phrase 'fight shy of (something)' means be unwilling to undertake or become involved with something.
• The speaker is advising someone not to avoid the responsibility of taking care of their children.
• Only option C which is To try to avoid something(here, children) is in accordance with the meaning of the phrase 'fight shy of (something)'.

The correct option is 4) i.e. I rebuked him

Explanation

• The phrase 'I took him to task' means that 'he' was rebuffed/Rebuked/scolded for an action.
• Option 1: 'I asked him to perform a difficult task' does not agree with the sense of the given sentence. If a person has committed an error it is unlikely that he will be given a new task. ​
• Option 2: 'I took his task' is irrelevant to the rest of the sentence and cannot be integrated with the given sentence in meaning.
• Option 3: 'I assigned him a task' does not agree with the sense of the sentence as stated in option1 explanation.

The correct answer is: 'I Rebuked him'

The correct answer is only A.

• It can be easily inferred from the above statement that it talks of a situation when the person is stuck between his two brothers and can’t go against either of them.
• Here, both the options are unacceptable and equally unpleasant for the person, that’s why it is being said that he is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
• The person has to take a hard decision as he is facing two equally undesirable alternatives, that’s why option 2 and 3 don’t go with the meaning of the idiom.

Therefore, only A is correct.

The correct answer is 'memmento '.

Key Points

• The word 'memmento' has been incorrectly spelled in the given sentence.
• The correct spelling and its meaning has been listed below - 
• memento -  an object kept as a reminder of a person or event.
• Example - An exclusive range of gifts will provide your guests with a lasting memento of the evening.

Additional Information

The following are the meanings of the other highlighted words in the given sentence - 

• touring - make a tour of (an area).
• aquarium - a building containing tanks of live fish of different species.
• native -   (of a plant or animal) of indigenous origin or growth.