Q1.Which city is the host of the United Nations World Geospatial Congress (UNWGIC) 2022?
[A] Bengaluru[B] Hyderabad
[C] Dhaka
[D] Male
B – Explanation:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the United Nations World Geospatial Congress (UNWGIC) 2022 in Hyderabad
The theme of UNWGIC 2022 is ‘Geo-Enabling the Global Village: No one should be left behind’, which focuses on building a community for human data and geography.
Q2.Which country detected the Interstellar meteors IM1 and IM2?
[A] China[B] Russia
[C] USA
[D] Israel
C – Explanation:
- According to new research by Harvard University astrophysicists, both the first and second interstellar meteors, IM1 and IM2, are outliers in material strength and may have originated in supernova explosions.
IM1 was detected by U.S. government sensors in 2014, identified as interstellar object candidate in 2019, and was confirmed in 2022. The second interstellar meteor, IM2 was identified in data from the NASA’s Center for NEO Studies (CNEOS) fireball catalog.
Q3.What is the rank of India is the Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII) 2022?
[A] 113[B] 123
[C] 134
[D] 145
B – Explanation:
- According to the latest Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII), India has moved up six places to rank 123 out of 161 countries for reducing inequality.
Norway leads the CRII followed by Germany and Australia. India continues to be among the lowest performers in health spending. The Index is prepared by Oxfam International and Development Finance International (DFI), which measures governments’ policies and actions in three areas: public services (health, education, and social protection), taxation and workers’ rights.
Q4.‘PM-DevINE’ Scheme, which was seen in the news, aimed at development of which region?
[A] Coastal regions[B] Hilly regions
[C] North-Eastern regions
[D] Border areas
C – Explanation:
- The Union Cabinet approved projects worth over ₹13,000 crore, including a Rs 6,600 crore-scheme for developing physical and social infrastructure in the North-East.
The ‘Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE)’ will be implemented during the remaining four years of the 15th Finance Commission from 2022-23 to 2025-26. It is a Central sector scheme and will be administered by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
Q5.Which team won the 36th National Games of India, held in 2022?
[A] Railways Team[B] Services Team
[C] Maharashtra State
[D] Haryana State
B – Explanation:
- The 36th National Games came to an end with a concluding ceremony at Surat, Gujarat chaired by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Services topped the medal tally with a total of 128 medals including 61 Gold medals. Maharashtra was at the number 2 position with 140 medals and Haryana at umber 3 with 116 medals. Harshika Ramchandran from Karnataka won the best female player award and Sajan Prakash from Kerala won the Best Male player award.
Q6.India’s first sanctuary for endangered ‘Slender Loris’ is to be set up in which state/UT?
[A] Assam[B] Tamil Nadu
[C] Goa
[D] Karnataka
B – Explanation:
- India’s first ever sanctuary for the endangered Slender Loris will be set up in Tamil Nadu. The Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary will be formed by merging 11,806 hectares in the forest areas of Karur and Dindigul districts.
Slender Loris is listed as an endangered species according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is a small nocturnal mammal that spends most of its life on trees. They help farmers by acting as biological predators of pests that harm agricultural crops.
Q7.What does N stands for in the proposed NGLV launch vehicle system of ISRO which may replace present operational launch system of PSLV?
[A] New[B] Next
[C] Novel
[D] Node
B – Explanation:
- NGLV (Next-Gen Launch Vehicle) is going to replace the current PSLV (Polar Satellite launch Vehicle) in near future. NGLV is a three – staged heavy lift reusable vehicle with the payload capability of 10,000 kg to Geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and 20,000kg to low earth orbit (LEO). It will have a semi-cryogenic propulsion for booster stages to make it cost efficient.
Q8.Abdul Latif Rashid was recently elected new President of which country / territory?
[A] Palestine[B] Iraq
[C] Egypt
[D] Yemen
B – Explanation:
- Iraqi lawmakers have elected Abdul Latif Rashid as the new President of Iraq, marking a crucial step toward forming a new government for the country. Rashid received 162 votes in the second round of voting, defeating Barham Salih who gained 99 votes, while eight votes were considered invalid. The newly-elected Rashid was later sworn in as the President of Iraq, the fifth President of the country since 2003.
Q9.Which city will host the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2023?
[A] Chandigarh[B] Cochin
[C] Indore
[D] Bengaluru
C – Explanation:
- 9 January commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India in 1915. To mark this day, the tradition of celebrating Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) started in 2003. 1st PBD Convention was organised on 9 January 2003 to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. Since 2015, under a revised format, PBD Convention has been organised once every 2 years.
16 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conventions have been organised till date. 16th PBD was conducted in a virtual setting with the theme “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat” in 2021 during the pandemic. The 17th PBD Convention will be held from 8 – 10 January 2023 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The theme of the 17th PBD is “Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal”.
Q10.What is the theme of the ‘World Food Day 2022’?
[A] Food and Nutrition[B] Leave NO ONE behind
[C] Sustainable Food options
[D] Food and Co-existence
B – Explanation:
- World Food Day is observed annually on 16 October to highlight need for regular access to nutritious food.
The Day is led by The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the theme for 2022 is Leave NO ONE behind.
