21. Which Indian chess player replaced Viswanathan Anand as the country’s top-ranked player?
[A] R Praggnananda
[B] D Gukesh
[C] Nihal Sarin
[D] Arjun Erigaisi
Answer: B [D Gukesh]
Notes:
17-year-old D Gukesh took over as the country’s top-ranked player from Viswanathan Anand in FIDE’s monthly rankings list.
It has been 37 years since anyone other than Anand holding the top position. The five-time World champion is currently ranked ninth, a spot below Gukesh on the world list, is semi-retired from active chess.
22. Which was the wettest town in the country, during August 2023?
[A] Rishikesh
[B] Cherrapunji
[C] Haridwar
[D] Mawsynram
Answer: A [Rishikesh]
Notes:
For most of August 2023, Rishikesh in Uttarakhand held the record as the wettest town in the country.
Between August 1 and August 25 the town received 1,901 millimetres of rainfall, according to Typhoon Research Centre of Jeju National University in South Korea. During the same period, the two wettest places in India and the world, Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, received 1,876.3 mm and 1,464 mm rainfall respectively
23. Utkela Airport has been inaugurated in which state/UT?
[A] Odisha
[B] West Bengal
[C] Assam
[D] Arunachal Pradesh
Answer: A [Odisha]
Notes:
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M Scindia inaugurated Utkela Airport and a direct flight between Utkela and Bhubaneshwar.
Utkela airport is owned by the Government of Odisha. It has been developed as a regional airport under the UDAN scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India at a cost of Rs. 31.07 Crores.
24. Which state launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Medhabi Chatra Protshan Yojana (MMCPY)’?
[A] West Bengal
[B] Odisha
[C] Karnataka
[D] Bihar
Answer: B [Odisha]
Notes:
The government of Odisha has launched the Mukhyamantri Medhabi Chatra Protsahan Yojana (MMCPY) to provide financial assistance to scheduled tribe (ST) and scheduled caste (SC) students pursuing higher studies in medical and engineering.
Under the scheme, the government will reimburse the entire course fees.
25. Which city is the host of ‘International Aerospace Conference’?
[A] Pune
[B] Gwalior
[C] Bengaluru
[D] Hyderabad
Answer: B [Gwalior]
Notes:
‘International Aerospace Conference: Moving Towards Inclusive Global Value Chains’ was jointly organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
It is a G20 initiative in the aerospace sector under G20 and B20 priority, focusing on developing inclusive global value chains for Global trade and Investment and aims to promote and strengthen trade and investment among the G20 countries.
26. National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous organisation functioning under which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Education
[B] Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
[C] Ministry of Home Affairs
[D] Ministry of Women and Child Development
Answer: A [Ministry of Education]
Notes:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been granted the deemed-to-be-university status by the Ministry of Higher Education, Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan.
It was announced on the 63rd Foundation Day of the apex decision-making body for school education. He suggested setting up Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence labs in all seven regional centres of NCERT.
27. Which country has launched a new type of frigate named the Type 054B?
[A] China
[B] USA
[C] Russia
[D] Israel
Answer: A [China]
Notes:
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has launched a new type of frigate, the Type 054B, China’s Ministry of National Defense.
Type 054B is the larger and more advanced version of Type 054A, which currently forms the backbone of the PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy).
28. Which scheme has been granted National Award for e-Governance 2023 (Gold) for Application of Emerging Technologies?
[A] PM KISAN
[B] SVAMITVA
[C] Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
[D] Mission Karmayogi
Answer: B [SVAMITVA]
Notes:
SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme of Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been conferred with the prestigious National Award for e-Governance 2023 (Gold) for Application of Emerging Technologies for Providing Citizen Centric Services.
It was granted at the 26th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India in Indore.
29. Dr Shanta Thoutam, who received the World Innovation Award, is the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) of which state?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Telangana
[C] Odisha
[D] New Delhi
Answer: B [Telangana]
Notes:
Telangana Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) Dr Shanta Thoutam received the World Innovation Award at the first BRICS Innovation Forum hosted in Moscow.
The award is given for outstanding contribution to the Sustainable Development Goal-4 that ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong opportunities for all. The award was instituted by World Organisation for Development.
30. Which country has emerged champions in the Men’s Hockey5s Asia Cup?
[A] Pakistan
[B] India
[C] Sri Lanka
[D] Bangladesh
Answer: B [India]
Notes:
India emerged champions in the Men’s Hockey5s Asia Cup, beating arch-rivals Pakistan 2-0 in a shootout after both teams were locked at 4-4 in regulation time.
With the win, India have booked their place in the FIH Men’s Hockey5s World Cup 2024.