Q1. Which state received the largest outlay in the total expenditure of Rs 13,000 crore on cleaning the Ganga since 2014?
[A] Bihar[B] Uttar Pradesh
[C] Uttarakhand
[D] West Bengal
B – Explanation:
- The Union government spent more than Rs 13,000 crore on cleaning the Ganga since 2014. The Ganga Council recently met in Kolkata and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the meeting through video conference.
Uttar Pradesh received the largest outlay among states at 4,205 crore. Bihar is in second place at 3,516 crores. Bengal (1,302 crore), Delhi (1,253) and Uttarakhand (1,117) are the other regions in the top five states.
Q2. Which institution launched its Medium-term Strategy Framework named ‘Utkarsh 2.0’?
[A] ISRO[B] RBI
[C] DRDO
[D] NITI Aayog
B – Explanation:
- The Reserve Bank of India’s Medium-term Strategy Framework for the period 2023-2025 named ‘Utkarsh 2.0’ was launched by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.
The first strategy framework (Utkarsh 2022) covering the period 2019-2022 was launched in July 2019. Utkarsh 2.0 retains the six Vision statements as well as Core Purpose, Values, and Mission statement of the 2022 version.
Q3. Where is the headquarters of the Theosophical Society (TS) located?
[A] Kerala[B] Tamil Nadu
[C] West Bengal
[D] Odisha
B – Explanation:
- The Theosophical Society was founded in 1875 by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others. It is a worldwide body with the aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy.
The 147th International Convention of the Theosophical Society (TS) was organised at its international headquarters in Adyar. “The theme of this conference is ‘Our Responsibility in the Interconnected World’.
Q4. Which sports authority recently introduced ‘Yo-Yo and Dexa Tests’ in team selection criteria?
[A] Hockey[B] Cricket
[C] Weight Lifting
[D] Archery
B – Explanation:
- Ahead of the ICC Men’s World Cup that takes place in India in October, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has instructed that Yo-Yo and Dexa Tests will be a part of the team selection criteria.
Dexa test or DXA test is Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry, which measures bone density using low dose X-rays. The Yo-Yo test is an aerobic endurance fitness test, involving running between markers at increasing speeds.
Q5. XBB.1.5 Covid variant has caused a huge rise in new cases in which country?
[A] South Africa[B] Italy
[C] USA
[D] Indonesia
C – Explanation:
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that XBB.1.5 has more than doubled its share of the Covid-19 figures each week.
In the Northeast region of the country, XBB.1.5 is causing 75% of new cases. The XBB.1.5 strain is a relative of the Omicron XBB variant, which is a recombinant of the Omicron BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 subvariants.
