Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC & State PSC Exams (29 April 2022)

Current Affairs MCQs Quiz for UPSC, IAS, UPPSC/UPPCS, MPPSC. BPSC, RPSC & All State PSC Exams

Date: 29 April 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the Consolidation of University Research for Innovation & Excellence in Women Universities (CURIE) initiative:

1. It aims to bring together women scientists and researchers across the world to solve problems of rural women
2. It has been launched by the Ministry of Education.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (D)

Explanation:

  • DST(Department of Science and Technology) took a special initiative, ‘CURIE,’ to support women universities for improving R&D infrastructure and enhancing research facilities.
  • CURIE programme aims at improving R&D infrastructure and establishing state-of-the-art research facilities in order to create excellence in S&T in women universities.
  • In the year 2019, DST established an Artificial Intelligence lab in 6 CURIE beneficiary universities with the goal of fostering AI innovations and set up AI-friendly infrastructure to prepare skilled manpower for AI-based jobs in the future.

Q2. Consider the following statements:

1. HCNG is a mixture of compressed natural gas and 70–75 percent hydrogen by energy.
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP-26 announced that India will achieve zero carbon emissions by 2070.

Which of the statement/s given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither of these

Answer: (D)

Explanation:

  • HCNG or H2CNG (hydrogen compressed natural gas) is a mixture of compressed natural gas and 4–9 percent hydrogen by energy.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP-26 announced that India will achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070.

Q3. Which of the following organisations releases The State of the Global Education Crisis: A Path to Recovery’?

a) Pratham International
b) World Economic Forum
c) UNESCO
d) Global Partnership for Education

Answer: (C)

Explanation: A joint report by UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank, ‘The State of the Global Education Crisis: A Path to Recovery’, released in early December 2021 had estimated that in the first 21 months of the pandemic, schools in countries around the world were either partially or fully closed for an average of 224 days.

Q4. Consider the following statements with respect to ASHA INDIA Initiative :

1. Under ASHA-India initiative, incubation and acceleration support will be provided to potential future technologies.
2. The scheme is launched by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Choose the Correct statements:

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both
d) Neither

Answer: (A)

Explanation: ASHA-INDIA

  • The initiative has been launched by Ministry of Housing and urban affairs
  • Under Accelerator Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators- India (ASHA-India)initiative, incubation and acceleration support will be provided to potential future technologies that are not yet market ready (pre-prototype applicants) or to the technologies that are market ready (post prototype applicants) respectively.
  • The ASHA-India Centers will also help in developing design guidelines, construction manuals and other necessary guidelines, relevant for effective use of such technologies in the region.
  • Under ASHA-India initiative, five ASHA-India Centres have been set up for providing incubation and acceleration support.

Q5. If the RBI decides to adopt an expansionist monetary policy, which of the following would it not do ?

1. Cut and optimize the Statutory Liquidity Ratio
2. Increase the Marginal Standing Facility Rate
3. Cut the Bank Rate and Repo Rate

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

a) 1 and 2
b) 2 only
c) 1 and 3
d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (B)

Explanation:

  • Expansionary money policy is also known as Cheap / Dovish Money policy.
  • In this, RBI will try to reduce the interest rates so as to increase the supply of money.
  • Thus, it will reduce the repo rate, bank rate, SLR
  • Increasing the MSF will increase the loan rates ,so this will not be done by RBI in an expansionary money policy.

Q6. What are Shakti and Vega?

a) Supercomputers
b) Microprocessors
c) Semiconductors
d) High Performance Computers (HPCs)

Answer: (B)

Explanation:

  • Shakti (32 bit) by The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and
  • Vega (64 bit) by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC)