1) Which state government has demanded the National Status for “Gangasagar Mela”?
A. West Bengal
B. Bihar
C. Uttar Pradesh
D. Assam
Ans-A
• Mamta Banerjee, CM of West Bengal, asked the Central government to give national status to annual “Gangasagar Mela”.
• The mela is being held from 8-17 January 2023 in Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
• Mamta Banerjee also inaugurated three newly-laid helipads in Sagar Island.
• Sagar Island is an island in the Ganges delta lying on the continental shelf of the Bay of Bengal south of Kolkata. It is part of Sundarbans.
2) Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has presented the 1st Gouriamma award to –
A. Gloria Estefan
B. Andy Garcia
C. Miguel Díaz
D. Aleida Guevara
Ans-D
• On 5th January 2022, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has presented the 1st Gouriamma award to Aleida Guevara, Cuban child rights advocate and daughter of revolutionary leader Che Guevara.
• The award recognises her efforts to rehabilitate differently abled children and provide debt relief to developing countries.
• The award was instituted by the K.R. Gouriamma Foundation in memory of the Communist leader K.R. Gouriamma.
• The award comprises $3,000, a statuette and a citation.
3) As per a survey by Avtar, Which city is India’s top city for women’s employment?
A. Chennai
B. Pune
C. Bengaluru
D. Hyderabad
Ans-A
• According to a survey by Avtar, a company that specializes in workplace inclusion, Chennai is India’s top city for women’s employment.
• Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai are the next best cities for women’s employment.
• Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka got top five state averages in the country.
4) Who has inaugurated “Astro Tourism – A Sky Gazing event” at India Gate?
A. G. Kishan Reddy
B. Arjun Ram Meghwal
C. Meenakshi Lekhi
D. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Ans-B
• National Council of Science Museums in association with Nehru Memorial Museum and Library organised Astro Tourism – A Sky Gazing event at Delhi’s India Gate on 6th January 2023.
• The event was inaugurated by Minister of State for Culture, Arjun Ram Meghwal.
• The program will help in developing scientific temper among the people which is a fundamental duty as per our constitution.
5) India will developed the Aadhaar-like platform for how many countries?
A. 7 countries
B. 9 countries
C. 11 countries
D. 13 countries
Ans-B
• International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB) has developed a platform to provide Aadhaar-like digital identities for nine countries called ‘Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP)’.
• The ‘MOSIP’ is a digital identity platform.
• Citizens of Philippines, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Ethiopia, Republic of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and Togolese Republic will enrol on the platform.
6) Who has become the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Paytm Payments Bank?
A. Rajiv Badyal
B. Laxmi Singh
C. Suresh Khatanhar
D. Surinder Chawla
Ans-D
• Paytm Payments Bank has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India for the appointment of Surinder Chawla as its new chief executive.
• He is currently serving as head of branch banking at RBL Bank.
• He had also worked with HDFC Bank as head of retail liabilities product group and senior executive VP.
• Paytm Payments Bank CEO, Satish Kumar Gupta was retired in October 2022.
• Since then, Deependra Singh Rathore has been serving as interim CEO of the payments bank.
7) Who is the First Indian to win a WTA singles title?
A. Sania Mirza
B. Mahesh Bhupathi
C. Ankita Raina
D. Rohan Bopanna
Ans-A
• Indian tennis player, Sania Mirza has announced her retirement from professional Tennis.
• She will retire at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai in February 2023.
• She became the first Indian to win a WTA singles title, when she won her hometown Hyderabad event in 2005.
• She broke into the top 30 by 2007 and reached her careerhigh ranking of world number 27.
• In 2015, she partnered up with Swiss legend Martina Hingis and won three Grand Slam doubles titles.
8) Who became the first online bond platform provider to receive a debt brokerage license from SEBI?
A. Zerodha
B. GoldenPi
C. 24CARAT
D. Religare
Ans-B
• The SEBI has issued a debt broker license to the GoldenPi Technologies.
• With the development, GoldenPi became the first online bond platform provider to receive a debt brokerage license from SEBI.
• In 2022, SEBI has introduced regulations for online debt trading platforms.
• As per this platform, no company or individual shall act as an online bond platform provider without the certificate of registration as a stock broker under the SEBI Regulations, 2021.
9) Which bank has partnered with OPEN to provide a fully digital current account?
A. Bandhan Bank
B. HDFC Bank
C. Axis Bank
D. Federal Bank
Ans-C
• Axis Bank has partnered with OPEN to provide a fully native digital current account journey for its customers including SMEs, freelancers, homepreneurs, influencers and more.
• This is Axis Bank’s first-ever partnership with a fintech player to launch a fully digital current account.
• About OPEN: Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd is a digital banking fintech enterprise which was established in the year 2017.
10) In January 2023, Which state has begun Caste Surveys in different parts?
A. Bihar
B. Jharkhand
C. West Bengal
D. Uttar Pradesh
Ans-A
• The Bihar government has begun Caste Surveys in different parts of the State on 7th January 2023.
• Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made it clear that only castes, not sub-castes along with economic status of each family will be cataloged.
• The number of all households in the State will be counted and recorded in the first phase.
• In the second phase of the survey which is to start from the 1st to the 30th of April, people living in the households, their castes, and socio-economic conditions will be collected. The survey will end on the 31st of May 2023.
11) As per Cirium’s report, Haneda Airport was the best-performing airport, situated in –
A. India
B. China
C. Russia
D. Japan
Ans-D
• According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport and Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport were among the top 10 ontime airports globally.
• While, Japan’s Haneda Airport was the bestperforming airport.
• Bengaluru’s airport was the second best airport globally in 2022 in terms of on-time arrivals and departures.
• Indira Gandhi Airport stood seventh in the on-time rankings globally.
12) Bharat Petroleum has launched the low-smoke superior kerosene oil for
A. BSF
B. Indian Army
C. Indian Navy
D. CRPF
Ans-B
• Indian state refiner Bharat Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited has announced the launch of low-smoke superior kerosene oil (SKO) for the Indian Army in Jammu.
• BPCL has emerged as 1st Oil Marketing company to commence the supply of new LSLA-grade SKO supplier to Army.
• Normal Kerosene emits substantial smoke.
• The low-smoke Kerosene will provide cleaner fuel to soldiers.
13) How many CSIR labs will be turned into Global Centers of Research and Innovation?
A. 29 CSIR labs
B. 33 CSIR labs
C. 37 CSIR labs
D. 42 CSIR labs
Ans-C
• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh said all 37 CSIR Labs in India will be turned into Global Centers of Research and
• Innovation in their fields of specialisation.
• He was speaking at the launch of “One Week One Lab” campaign in New Delhi.
• On this occasion, Dr. Jitendra Singh also released the logo of CSIR’s One Week One Lab campaign.
• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has 37 laboratories spread across the country dedicated to various specialised areas of work.
• CSIR was established on 26 September 1942 and was registered as the CSIR Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
14) Which state has joined the Central Government’s free rice scheme?
A. Rajasthan
B. Himachal Pradesh
C. Telangana
D. Haryana
Ans-C
• The Telangana government has recently made the decision to join the free rice scheme of the Central government under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
• This initiative aims to provide assistance to families in need by distributing free rice to those who are eligible under the NFSA.
• The Central scheme envisages the supply of five kilograms of rice per person per month to 54.44 lakh NFSA cardholders in the state.
15) The ‘Intelligent Tray Retrieval System (ITRS)’ has been inaugurated in which state’s airport?
A. Karnataka
B. Kerala
C. Goa
D. Delhi
Ans-C
• Union Minister for MSME, Narayan Rane, has inaugurated the Intelligent Tray Retrieval System (ITRS) at the MOPA (GOA) International airport.
• ITRS is an Artificial Intelligence-based fully automatic machine that helps in providing enhanced passenger security with advanced screening technology.
• It is equipped with image analysis software with advanced tools to take correct decisions against baggages.
16) “Hiraba Smriti Sarovar”, named after PM Modi’s mother Hiraben, situated in –
A. Uttar Pradesh
B. Gujarat
C. Madhya Pradesh
D. Assam
Ans-B
• A check dam is being built on the outskirts of Gujarat’s Rajkot city at a cost of Rs. 15 lakhs.
• The dam has been named after PM Modi’s mother Hiraben as Hiraba Smriti Sarovar.
• The dam will be 400 feet long and 150 feet wide. It will help farmers and livestock owners in nearby villages.
• Hiraben passed away at the age of 99 on 30 December 2022 in Ahmedabad.
17) A new book “Revolutionaries: The Other Story of How India Won Its Freedom”, written by –
A. Kaki Madhava
B. Shashi Tharoor
C. Sanjeev Sanyal
D. Ashvini Kumar
Ans-C
• Noted economist and popular historian Sanjeev Sanyal is set to release his latest book, “Revolutionaries: The Other Story of How India Won Its Freedom”.
• The book dives deep into revered freedom fighters such as Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and Subhas Chandra Bose who chose to win India’s independence through armed resistance.
18) “Pravasi Bhartiya Divas” is observed every year on –
A. 7th January
B. 8th January
C. 9th January
D. 10th January
Ans-C
• The Non-Resident Indian Day or also known as the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is celebrated every year on 9th January every year.
• Aim: to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian community with the Government of India and reconnect them with their roots.
• The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention was organized in partnership with the Madhya Pradesh Government from 08-10 January 2023 in Indore.
• Theme 2023: The theme of this PBD Convention is “Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal”.
• Chief Guest: Mohamed Irfaan Ali (President of Guyana)
19) Indian Army has signed MoU with which state government for Treatment of Ex-servicemen?
A. Assam
B. Delhi
C. Maharashtra
D. Gujarat
Ans-A
• On 5th January 2023, Indian Army has signed an MoU with 8 government medical colleges and hospitals under the Government of Assam to offer the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) in Assam.
• The ECHS benefits will be offered at the medical college and hospitals in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Silchar, Jorhat, Barpeta, Tezpur, Diphu and North Lakhimpur.
• This understanding will facilitate the cashless and capless treatment of almost 1.12 lakh beneficiaries.
20) Which state government has launched 26 schemes worth ₹30.61 crore?
A. Himachal Pradesh
B. Uttarakhand
C. Haryana
D. Punjab
Ans-B
• Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on 5th January 2022, inaugurated 26 schemes worth Rs 30,606.75 lakh.
• Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari virtually addressed the event held at Pahenia Bypass in Khatima.
• The length of the 4-lane Gadarpur bypass inaugurated on 5th January, is 8.8 km and the cost is Rs 170 crore, while the Khatima bypass is 2-lane. Its length is 8.2 km and the cost is Rs 95 crores.
21) India have how many Indigenous Livestock Breeds as of January 2023?
A. 184
B. 194
C. 202
D. 212
Ans-D
• In 2022, Indian Council of Agricultural Research- National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBAGR) has registered 10 new breeds of livestock species including 3 new cattle, one buffalo, three goats and three pigs.
• Now, the total number of indigenous breeds in India is 212.
• Since 2010, it is the third highest increase in registration of indigenous breeds. In 2018-19, 15 new breeds were registered and in 2019-20, 13 breeds were registered.
• The registration was done by ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR).
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