1. According to the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin, what was India’s national birth rate in 2018?
a. 12
b. 23
c. 21
d. 20
S-d
EXPLANATION-
• Recently, the Central government has released the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin based on data collected for 2018.
• This data was released by the Registrar General of India.
• It states that the national birth rate in 2018 stood at 20.
• Birth rate is a crude measure of fertility of a population and a crucial determinant of population growth.
• India’s birth rate has declined drastically over the last four decades from 36.9 in 1971 to 20.0 in 2018.
• These rates are calculated per one thousand of the population.
2. Which of the following states has the highest birth rate as per the information provided by the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin?
A. Meghalaya
B. Madhya Pradesh
C. Bihar
D. Arunachal Pradesh
S-c
EXPLANATION-
• Recently, the Central government has released the Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin based on data collected for 2018.
• This data was released by the Registrar General of India.
• It states that the national birth rate in 2018 stood at 20.
• Birth rate is a crude measure of fertility of a population and a crucial determinant of population growth.
• Bihar continues to remain at the top of list in birth rate while Andaman and Nicobar is at the bottom.
• India’s birth rate has declined drastically over the last four decades from 36.9 in 1971 to 20.0 in 2018.
• The rural-urban differential has also narrowed. However, the birth rate has continued to be higher in rural areas compared to urban areas in the last four decades.
• There has been about an 11 per cent decline in birth rate in the last decade, from 22.5 in 2009 to 20.0 in 2018. The corresponding decline in rural areas is 24.1 to 21.6, and in urban areas, it is 18.3 to 16.7.
3. Which of the following country will not be a beneficiary of India’s outreach program SAGAR?
a. Madagascar
b. Seychelles
c. Bangladesh
d. Mauritius
S-c
EXPLANATION-
• The Government of India has launched Mission Sagar, an outreach program amidst COVID-19 situation.
• Under this, India sent Food Items, COVID related Medicines including HCQ Tablets and Special Ayurvedic Medicines with Medical Assistance Teams embarked to Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros.
• The operation is being progressed in close coordination with the Ministries of Defence and External Affairs, and other agencies of the Government of India.
• The Indian Naval Ship Kesari has been deployed under the mission.
• The ship would enter the Port of Male in Republic of Maldives, to provide them 600 tons of food provisions.
4. Which of the following has been developed to aim the sanitisation of bundles of currency notes?
a. NOTESCLEAR
b. CLEARNOTES
c. CLEANOTES
d. NOTESCLEAN
S-d
EXPLANATION-
• Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad has developed an automated UV-C currency sanitising device, called NOTESCLEAN.
• It can be used for the sanitisation of bundles of notes.
• One has to just place the loose currency notes at the input slot of the device.
• It picks the notes one by one and makes them pass through a series of UVC lamps for complete disinfection.
5. Which of the following drug is commonly used in Japan and China to treat influenza that has a very broad spectrum of RNA polymerase?
a. FinalPavir
b. Favirpavir
c. Feverpavir
d. FishPavir
S-b
EXPLANATION-
• Favirpavir is a drug which is commonly used in Japan, China and some other countries.
• It is sold under the brand name Avigan.
• It is used to treat influenza that has a very broad spectrum of RNA polymerase.
• It is derived from Pyrazinamide that is frequently used against West Nile virus, Arenavirus or Bunyavirus, and Yellow fever etc.
• The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has received approval from Drug Controller General of India (DGCI) for its two clinical trial drugs - 'favipiravir' and 'phytopharmaceutical' - to combat coronavirus.
• The clinical trial of Favipiravir is to be completed in about one and half months.
• If the tests are successful, the drugs are to be available at affordable rate.
6. Which country has claimed that newly inaugurated Kailash Mansarovar link passes through its territory?
a. Sri Lanka
b. Bhutan
c. Nepal
d. China
S-c
EXPLANATION-
• India rejected Nepal’s claim that the recently inaugurated link road in Uttarakhand passes through its territory.
• The link road is from Dharchula (Uttrakhand) to Lipulekh near the China border. It cuts travel time to Mansarovar.
• India has claimed that the region lies completely within Indian borders.
• The high-altitude road from was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
• It is a 80 kilometre road and the altitude rises from 6,000 to 17,060 feet. The road originates from Ghatiabagarh and terminates at Lipulekh Pass, the gateway to Kailash-Mansarovar.
• The Nepal government had put forward its claim keeping the Sugauli Treaty of 1816 as the basis.
7. How much stake has been picked up by Vista Equity Partners in Jio Platform?
a. 3.9%
b. 2.32%
c. 1.7%
d. 2.19%
S-b
EXPLANATION-
• Private equity firm Vista Equity Partners will invest Rs11,367 crore in Jio Platforms for a 2.32% stake.
• This investment values Jio Platforms at an equity value of ₹4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of ₹5.16 lakh crore
• With this deal, Jio Platforms will have a net combined ₹60,596 crore for the unit of Reliance Industries which comprises mainly its telecom business under Reliance Jio Infocom.
• This investment values Jio Platforms at an equity value of ₹ 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of ₹ 5.16 lakh crore.
• Vista will become the largest investor in Jio Platforms after RIL and Facebook.
• Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to Reliance Industries for the completion of the deal.
