Option “4” is correct. The 10th Edition of the North East Festival (NEF) was held (from 23rd -26th December 2022) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, Delhi, to promote the culture and tourism of the region. i. Narayan Rane, Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), inaugurated the 4-day Festival at the stadium in Delhi. ii. The festival aims to promote the diverse life, culture, traditions and tourism of the North East region. iii. North East Festival Delhi launched its inaugural event in 2013.
2. Which organisation has recently (in Dec ‘22) signed an MoU with the Ministry of Power for implementation of Early Warning System for Vulnerable Hydro Projects and Power Stations?
1) Indian Space Research Organisation
2) Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
3) Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
4) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
5) Defence Research and Development Organisation
Option “5” is correct. The Ministry of Power signed an MoU with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for implementation of Early Warning System (EWS) for vulnerable hydro power projects, especially those that are located in upper reaches of Hilly regions. i. The Ministry of Power and DRDO will jointly work towards developing suitable mitigation measures against avalanches, landslides, glaciers, glacial lakes and other geo-hazards. ii. EWS is an integrated system of hazard monitoring, forecasting and prediction, disaster risk assessment, communication and preparedness for timely action to reduce disaster risks in advance of hazardous events.
3. In December 2022, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) Executive Committee, approved ________ projects worth around __________ for developing sewerage infrastructure in the Ganga basin.
Option “4” is correct. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) Executive Committee approved 12 projects worth around Rs 2,700 crore for developing sewerage infrastructure in the Ganga basin – Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, with special focus on tributaries of Ganga. i. The projects were approved during the 46th meeting of the Executive Committee(EC) of NMCG organized under the chairmanship of G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG on 23rd December 2022. ii. In West Bengal, a project for Rejuvenation of River Adi Ganga, tributary of Ganga, in Kolkata was approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 653.67 crore. • This includes construction of 3 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) of 10 Million Litres per Day (MLD), 11.60 MLD and 3.5 MLD capacities. iii. Afforestation Programmes for the year 2022-23 for Uttarakhand and Bihar were also approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 42.80 crore. iv. In Uttar Pradesh, 3 projects were approved, out of which one project pertains to the development of sewerage infrastructure in Prayagraj, costing Rs. 475.19 crore.
4. In December 2022, the 2023-2024 Union Budget is set to extend the ______________ per cooking gas cylinder subsidy for 12 cylinders per year under Ujjwala Scheme for one more fiscal year.
1) Rs 300
2) Rs 100
3) Rs 400
4) Rs 200
5) Rs 500
Option “4” is correct. The 2023-2024 Union Budget is set to extend the Rs 200 per cooking gas cylinder subsidy for 12 cylinders per year under Ujjwala Scheme for one more fiscal year. i. The budget may also extend the Ujjwala scheme beyond March 2023 to take domestic cooking gas to uncovered areas in states and attain the goal of 100% Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) coverage. ii. The government of India also plans to continue the scheme that provides a free LPG cylinder, Rs. 1,600 (USD 19.33), a free first refill and a free gas stove to women in families living below the poverty line. Note- Meghalaya is the worst performer in India with an LPG coverage of 54.9%, followed by Tripura, Jharkhand and Gujarat.
5. As per the “Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India for the year ended March 2021,” released in December 2022, the Assistance to Botanic Garden (ABG) scheme, with a budget of over _____, was ineffective in conserving threatened and endemic plants in India.
Option “2” is correct. According to the “Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India for the year ended March 2021” (Financial Year 2020-2021) released on 23rd December 2022, Assistance to Botanic Garden (ABG) scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) with a budget of over Rs 48.07 crore was ineffective in conserving threatened and endemic plants in India. • The ABG scheme was implemented through the Botanical Survey of India (BSI). About ABG Scheme: The Assistance to Botanic Garden (ABG) scheme was introduced in 1992 to promote ex-situ conservation and propagation of threatened and endemic plants through a network of Botanic Gardens (BGs) and Centres of ex-situ conservation.
BANKING AND FINANCE
6. In December 2022, SEBI expanded its High-Powered Steering Committee on Cyber Security (HPSC-CS) to _________ from 6 members and expanded its panel on Information Systems Security Committee (ISSC) to 7 members.
1) 7 members
2) 9 members
3) 10 members
4) 8 members
5) 11 members
Option “4” is correct. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) expanded its High-Powered Steering Committee on Cyber Security (HPSC-CS) and Information Systems Security Committee (ISSC) to strengthen cyber security frameworks and cyber resilience requirements: i. This committee has been expanded to 8 members from 6 members. It will continue to be chaired by Navin Kumar Singh, Director General (DG) at National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC). ii. SEBI also expanded its panel on Information Systems Security Committee (ISSC) to 7 members which will continue to be chaired by Prof H. Krishnamurthy, IISc, Bengaluru.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
7. As per the World Economic League Table (WELT) 2023 released by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) in December 2022, India is set to rise from 5th place on the WELT in 2022 to 3rd in the global rankings by which year?
1) 2040
2) 2036
3) 2025
4) 2030
5) 2037
Option “5” is correct. According to the World Economic League Table (WELT) 2023 released by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), India is set to rise from 5th place on the WELT in 2022 to 3rd in the global rankings by 2037. WELT 2023 is the 14th edition. i. India is ranked 5th in WELT 2022 and it is projected to remain 5th in WELT 2023. ii. The United States of America (USA) has topped the WELT in 2022 followed by China, Japan and Germany in 2nd, 3rd and 4th rank. • By 2035, India is forecast to become the world’s third $10 trillion dollar economy. iii. The league table by 2037 is projected to be topped by China followed by the USA, India, Japan and Germany
ECONOMY AND BUSINESS
8. Name the company that has recently (in Dec ‘22) secured multiple Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) orders worth about Rs 2500 crore in India and overseas?
1) Reliance Infrastructure Ltd
2) Macrotech Developers
3) Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Construction
4) Punj Lloyd Ltd
5) Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd
Option “3” is correct. Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Construction’s Power Transmission & Distribution (PT&D) business vertical have secured multiple Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) orders worth about Rs 2500 crore in India and overseas. • L&T Construction is a division of L&T Limited, a major Indian technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services conglomerate. i. According to L&T, orders worth Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 2,500 crore are classified as “Significant”. ii. The orders include establishing a 90-Megawatt (MW) Floating Solar PV (photovoltaic) plant at the Omkareshwar dam reservoir in Madhya Pradesh. iii. L&T received an order to establish 400 kilovolt (kV) and 225 kV transmission lines in North Africa.
9. Which organisation has recently (in Dec ‘22) signed a non-binding MOU with the Tecnimont Private Limited (TCMPL) to develop the Green Methanol Production Facility?
1) Rural Electrification Corporation Limited
2) National Mineral Development Corporation
3) National Thermal Power Corporation Limited
4) Power Grid Corporation of India
5) Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
Option “3” is correct. NTPC Limited (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) has signed a nonbinding MOU with Mumbai (Maharashtra) headquartered Tecnimont Private Limited (TCMPL), an Indian Subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont Group, Italy. i. Objective: To jointly evaluate and explore the possibility to develop commercial scale Green Methanol Production facility at NTPC project in India. ii. The scope of the Green Methanol Project includes capturing the carbon emission from the NTPC Power plants and converting them into green fuel.
10. Name the company that has recently (in Dec ‘22) signed an agreement with the TuTr Hyperloop to develop hyperloop technology.
Option “1” is correct. Tata Steel Limited and TuTr Hyperloop signed an agreement to jointly work on the development and deployment of hyperloop technology. i. The partnership seeks to design, develop, and scale up the technology for commercialization that focuses on key challenges of design and materials selection.
APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS
11. Who has been recently (in Dec ‘22) appointed as Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)?
1) Ganji Kamala V Rao
2) Santosh Kumar Yadav
3) Hitesh Kumar S Makwana
4) Subhasish Panda
5) Rajneesh
Option “2” is correct. According to the Ministry Of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions order (MoPP&P), Santosh Kumar Yadav, a IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, was appointed as Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. i. Santosh Kumar Yadav is currently an Additional Secretary in the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education (MoE). ii. Subhasish Panda, a IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as Vice Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
12. Name the personality who has been recently (in Dec ‘22) appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Railway board.
1) D C Sharma
2) Vinay Kumar Tripathi
3) Sudhanshu Sharma
4) Anil Kumar Lahoti
5) Sanjay Kumar Mohanty
Option “4” is correct. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved the appointment of Anil Kumar Lahoti as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Railway board succeeding the incumbent Vinay Kumar Tripathi, who is set to retire on 31st December 2022. i. Anil Kumar Lahoti will assume the charge of the new role from 1st January 2023. ii. This is the 1st appointment of the Railway Board chief after the government notified the integrated railway service, Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS).
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
13. Who has recently (in Dec ‘22) received the Atal Samman Award (Atal Anveshi Shikhara Samman) in New Delhi, Delhi?
Option “5” is correct. Prabhu Chandra Mishra received the Atal Samman Award (Atal Anveshi Shikhara Samman) during the 9th Atal Samman Samaroh, on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister (PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi. i. He was honoured with the award for his excellence in the field of science and research. ii. He has worked in areas of stem cell and regenerative medicines in infertility, especially when In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) also fails. iii. Under his work, diseases such as premature ovarian failure, thin endometrium and Asherman syndrome have shown good results through one’s own body cells.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
14. Which of the following Institutes has recently (in Dec’ 22) partnered with the European universities to build Sensors for Water Quality?
1) IIT Bombay
2) IIT Guwahati
3) IIT Madras
4) Both 1 & 2
5) Both 2 & 3
Option “4” is correct. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati and IIT Bombay in collaboration with European universities work towards building a low-cost technology to check the quality of potable and other water in India. i. ‘LOTUS Indo-European project’ is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and The European Commission aims at providing solutions for issues related to the quality of water supplied across Indian households and worldwide. ii. LOTUS stands for LOw-cost innovative Technology for water quality monitoring and water resources management for Urban and rural water Systems in India
STATE NEWS
15. Name the state government that has recently (in Dec ‘22) launched SBI Foundation and Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation (HESCO)’s Project to help Chamoli villages fight climate change.
Option “5” is correct. Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister (CM) of Uttarakhand, launched the ‘Climate Resilient Livelihoods for Disaster Prone Region of Uttarakhand ‘project helping Chamoli’s (Uttarakhand) villages fight climate change. i. The project is designed by the collaboration of the SBI Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of the State Bank of India (SBI), and Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation (HESCO). ii. SBI General Insurance Company Limited is providing financial support for the project, which will be carried out over 3 years until May 2025.
16. In December 2022, the Union Home Ministry gave ‘No-Objection’ certificates (NOC) to change the names of ‘Mundera Baazar’ to ‘Chauri-Chaura’ & ‘Telia Afghan’ village to ‘Telia Shukla’ in which state?
Option “3” is correct. The Union Home Ministry gave its consent to change the names of two places in Uttar Pradesh (UP) following recommendations from the UP government. i. The ‘No-Objection’ certificates (NOC) were issued by the Home ministry, after taking consent from the Ministry of Railways, Department of Posts and the Survey of India. ii. The names were changed for the municipal council ‘Mundera Baazar’ in Gorakhpur district to ‘Chauri-Chaura’ and ‘Telia Afghan’ village in Deoria district to ‘Telia Shukla’.
IMPORTANT DAYS
17. When was the United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Epidemic Preparedness 2022 observed across the globe?
1) 27th December 2022
2) 24th December 2022
3) 26th December 2022
4) 23rd December 2022
5) 25th December 2022
Option “1” is correct. The 3rd United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Epidemic Preparedness 2022 was observed across the globe on 27th December 2022 to raise awareness of the importance of prevention of, preparedness for, and collaboration against epidemics. i. The 1st International Day of Epidemic Preparedness was observed on 27th December 2020.
CA STATIC GK
18. In which state ‘Rajaji National Park’ is located?
1) Uttarakhand
2) Uttar Pradesh
3) Maharashtra
4) West Bengal
5) Kerala
Option “1” is correct. About Uttarakhand: Chief Minister- Pushkar Singh Dhami Governor- Gurmit Singh National Park- Rajaji National Park; Gangotri National Park
19. The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana comes under which ministry?
1) Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
2) Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
3) Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
4) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
5) Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Option “3” is correct. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana – PMUY (Ujjwala scheme) was first launched on 1st May 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. i. The scheme was introduced by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) as its flagship scheme. ii. The objective of PMUY is to ensure that cooking fuel like LPG is available to the rural and deprived households which use traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes etc.
20. Where is the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO)?
1) Geneva, Switzerland
2) Rome, Italy
3) Washington, DC, United States
4) Paris, France
5) Vienna, Austria
Option “1” is correct. About the World Health Organization (WHO): Director General- Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland Establishment- 1948
21. In December 2022, B. Savitha Shri emerged as the performer of the day by stringing together four straight victories to jump into the joint lead of the women’s section of the World rapid chess championship in Almaty, ____________.
1) Turkmenistan
2) Kyrgyzstan
3) Uzbekistan
4) Kazakhstan
5) Mongolia
Option “4” is correct. Teenage Indian player from Tamil Nadu’s B. Savitha Shri emerged as the performer of the day by stringing together four straight victories to jump into the joint lead of the women’s section of the World rapid chess championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan. i. 15-year-old Savitha who was on 2.5 points, is the star of the day, posting four consecutive wins to join Zhongyi Tan of China and Georgia’s Aleksandra Goryachkina at the top with 6.5 points. ii. Savitha began the day with a win over lower-rated Zarina Nurgaliyeva of Kazakhstan before pulling off victories over higher-rated Iranian Sarasadat Khademalsharieh, Antonaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria, and Bela Khotenashvili of Georgia.
22. In December 2022, Serbia’s national postal service released a special stamp to honour the 75th Anniversary of Indian Independence under the Indian government’s ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
What is the capital of Serbia?
1) Brussels
2) Belgrade
3) Helsinki
4) Lisbon
5) Budapest
Option “2” is correct. The Capital of Serbia is Belgrade and the currency of Serbia is Serbian Dinar. i. Serbia’s national postal service released a special stamp to honour the 75th Anniversary of Indian Independence under the Indian government’s ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. ii. Serbia’s First Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic attended the release of the stamp. Dacic said next year Serbia and India celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, which are marked by “traditional friendship”.
23. Which team has recently (in Dec ‘22) won the Pro Kabaddi League title after beating Puneri Paltan and claimed their title for the 2nd time?
Option “5” is correct. The Jaipur Pink Panthers claimed their second Pro Kabaddi League title after beating Puneri Paltan 33-29 in a thrilling final at the NSCI Stadium in Mumbai. • With the win, the Pink Panthers become only the second team, after three-time champions Patna Pirates, to win multiple titles. i. This was the first time the Pink Panthers won the title since claiming the honour in the inaugural season in 2014. ii. Captain Sunil Kumar starred and led the Pink Panthers with six tackle points, which was the same number of points won by raiders V Ajith and Arjun Deshwal, who was later adjudged the ‘most valuable player’ of the season.
24. What is the currency of Lithuania?
1) Dinar
2) Pound
3) Euro
4) Peso
5) Won
Option “3” is correct. The capital of Lithuania is Vilnius and the currency of Lithuania is Euro. i. The Cabinet has approved the opening of new Consulates in Maldives, Lithuania, responding to a query by a Parliamentary panel on India having only resident Missions in 48 countries out of 193 UN member nations. ii. The committee also acknowledged the Ministry’s efforts in establishing Indian missions in various countries worldwide.
25. Amway India has recently (in Dec ‘22) launched ‘Passion ko Do Poshan’ campaign with Olympian Saikhom Mirabai Chanu.
In which year did she receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (now the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award) from the Government of India?
1) 2021
2) 2018
3) 2020
4) 2017
5) 2019
Option “2” is correct. Amway India, one of the country’s leading FMCG Direct-Selling companies, recently launched yet another one-of-its-kind campaign, ‘Passion ko Do Poshan’ with Olympian Saikhom Mirabai Chan. i. Saikhom Mirabai Chanu received Padma Shri (2018) from the Government of India for her contribution to sports. ii. In 2018, she received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (now the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award) from the Government of India.
