DAILY

CURRENT AFFAIRS

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Current Affairs MCQs for Practice – 14 March 2022

Question-1

In December 2020, the RBI had barred which bank from issuing new cards and introducing new digital initiatives after repeated instances of technological outages?

a)   ICICI Bank

b)   Bank of Baroda

c)   Punjab National Bank

d)   HDFC Bank

Ans-d

Explanation-

The RBI has lifted all restrictions on HDFC Bank, permitting it to unveil new digital initiatives, the private sector lender said on Saturday. In December 2020, the RBI had barred HDFC Bank from issuing new cards and introducing new digital initiatives after repeated instances of technological outages at the lender, which is the market leader in the credit cards segment.

Question-2

The Union government has amended the Census Rules to allow self-enumeration in the census exercise. Ideally how many years once the census is supposed to be conducted across the country?

a)   5 years

b)   12 years

c)   10 years

d)   11 years

Ans- c

Explanation-

The Union government has amended the Census Rules framed in 1990 to allow the details to be captured and stored in electronic format and also to enable self-enumeration by respondents. The decennial Census exercise will be held for the first time both in the digital mode and through paper schedules (questionnaire /forms).

Question-3

Kerala has emerged on top when it comes to maternal and child health recording the lowest Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 30 (per one lakh live births) in the country. What is the national MMR?

a)   103

b)   80

c)   150

d)   95

Ans-a

Explanation-

Kerala has yet again emerged on top when it comes to maternal and child health recording the lowest Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 30 (per one lakh live births) in the country. This puts Kerala way ahead of the national MMR of 103.

Question-4

The $17-billion high-speed “Shinkansen” bullet train project inaugurated in 2017 by former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and Indian PM Narendra Modi connects which two cities?

a)   Chennai-Mysuru

b)   Mumbai-Ahmedabad

c)   Nagpur-Varanasi

d)   Patna-Guwahati

Ans- b

Explanation-

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to visit Delhi for a short trip to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the India-Japan annual summit. The leaders will also take a close look at the progress on the $17-billion Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed “Shinkansen” bullet train project, which was inaugurated in 2017 by former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and Mr. Modi.

Question-5

The Union government plans to open the villages along the Chinese border for tourists. This was announced as part of a scheme in the Union Budget 2022-23. What is the scheme called?

a)   Vibrant Village

b)   Gati Shakti

c)   North-East Development Plan

d)   Van Dhan Scheme

Ans- a

Explanation-

The Union government plans to open the villages along the Chinese border for tourists under the Vibrant Village programme announced in the Union Budget 2022-23. “In the Vibrant Villages programme, schemes related to livelihood generation, road connectivity, housing, rural infrastructure, renewable energy, television and broadband connections should be undertaken,” an official said.

Question-6

Which country imposed a 10-year travel ban for freed blogger and human rights activist Raif Badawi, who has become a symbol of freedom of expression around the world?

a)   Afghanistan

b)   Iraq

c)   Saudi Arabia

d)   Pakistan

Ans- c

Explanation-

Saudi Arabia confirmed on March 13 a 10-year travel ban for freed blogger and human rights activist Raif Badawi, who has become a symbol of freedom of expression around the world. Mr. Badawi was arrested and detained in Saudi Arabia in 2012 on charges of insulting Islam.

Question-7

Bhagwant Mann will be sworn in as the chief minister of Punjab on March 16 at a ceremony in Khatkar Kalan. Khatkar Kalan is the ancestral village of which freedom fighter?

a)   Bhagat Singh

b)   Kunwar Singh

c)   Tantia Tope

d)   Chandra Shekhar Azad

Ans- a

Explanation-

Bhagwant Mann won from the Dhuri constituency by a margin of over 58,000 votes. He will be sworn in on March 16 at a ceremony in Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

Question-8

Given Russia’s armed invasion of Ukraine has set off a steady escalation in hostilities on Ukrainian soil, the world will look to the Geneva Conventions, a set of principles outlining norms for combatant behaviour during a war. Which of the following is NOT one of the conventions?

a)   Protection of wounded, sick and shipwrecked military personnel at sea during the war

b)   Protection of wounded and sick soldiers on land during the war

c)   Protection of monuments and structures

d)   Protection of civilians, including those in occupied

Ans- c

Explanation-

The Geneva Conventions do not recognise monuments and structures. However, another convention applies to prisoners of war, including a wide range of general protections such as humane treatment, maintenance and equality across prisoners, conditions of captivity, questioning and evacuation of prisoners, transit camps, food, clothing, medicines, hygiene and right to religious, intellectual, and physical activities of prisoners.

Question 9

 Which of the following statements about Russian President Vladimir Putin is NOT true?

a)   He served as a foreign intelligence officer for the Committee for State Security

b)   He was the prime minister of Russia

c)   He was a journalist before entering politics

d)   He was the director of the Federal Security Service

Ans- c

Explanation-

He was not a journalist, but the rest of the statements are true. In 2000, Mr. Putin began his first term after the presidential elections.

Question 10

The Centre on March 11 appointed former financial services secretary Debasish Panda as chairman of the IRDAI. What is the full form of IRDAI?

a)   Investment Regulation and Development Authority of India

b)   Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India

c)   Industries Regulatory Development Authority of India

d)   Institute of Regulation and Development

Ans- b

Explanation-

The Centre on March 12 appointed former financial services secretary Debasish Panda as chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).

Source- The Hindu Newspaper /PIB/ The Indian Express