501 Must Do Computer Awareness Questions For IBPS SSC Other Exams

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GK TODAY AUGUST 2018
01 AUGUST 2018
1.Which of the following countries is/are hosting the 2018 International Army Games (IAG)?
[A] Iran
[B] Armenia
[C] Russia
[D] All of the above
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [All of the above]
Notes:
The International Army Games 2018 are being held at 24 training grounds in seven
countries namely Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, China and Russia from July
28 to August 11. It is for the first time that Armenia and Iran are co-hosting events of the
Army Games. Indian teams are taking part in two major competitions– Tank Biathlon event
at Alabino ranges, Moscow region and Elbrus Ring competition in Caucasus mountains. The
opening ceremony was attended by Indian Ambassador to Russia, Pankaj Saran along with
Indian attaches attended the ceremony.
2.Karman Kaur Thandi is associated with which sports?
[A] Tennis
[B] Hockey
[C] Badminton
[D] Basketball
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Tennis]
Notes:
Karman Kaur Thandi from Delhi has become only the 6th Indian woman tennis player to
crack the top-200 rankings in singles and is now ranked exactly 200 in the WTA list. Karman,
backed by Mahesh Bhupathi, has been in good form in the past few weeks, winning her
maiden ITF singles title in Hong Kong and making the semi-finals in two others in China. In
April 2018, India’s top singles player Ankita Raina had broken into the top-200 and is now
ranked 195 (-4). Before these two girls, Sania Mirza, Nirupama Vaidyanathan, Shikha Uberoi
and Sunitha Rao had made it to the top-200. While Sania, winner of six Grand Slam titles in
doubles, touched a career-high of 27 in singles in 2007, Nirupama’s best rank was 134 in
1997.
3.Which of the following has been awarded the ‘Marketer of the Year’ award by the
International Advertising Association of India (IAAI)
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[A] Hindustan Unilever
[B] Amul
[C] LIC
[D] Nestle
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Amul]
Notes:
Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF), the marketers of the
popular Amul brand of milk and dairy products, was awarded the ‘Marketer of the Year’
award by the International Advertising Association of India (IAAI). The award was received
by RS Sodhi, the Managing Director (MD) of GCMMF, on behalf of the 36 lakh milk famers
and producers of Gujarat. Amul is the brand worth Rs 41,000 crore and is the biggest
cooperative owned by 36 lakh farmers of Gujarat. Amul is not only known for its
cooperative structure and farmer’s faith, but is also known for its marketing and advertizing
strategies.
4.What is the theme of the 2018 World Day against Trafficking in Persons?
[A] Protect rights of human trafficking victims
[B] Act to protect and assist trafficked persons
[C] Unite to eradicate human trafficking
[D] Responding to the trafficking of children and young people
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Responding to the trafficking of children and young people]
Notes:
The World Day against Trafficking in Persons is observed every year on July 30 to raise
awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking and for the promotion and
protection of their rights. The 2018 theme “Responding to the trafficking of children and
young people” highlights the fact that almost a 3rd of trafficking victims are children. The
theme draws attention to the issues faced by trafficked children and to possible action
initiatives linked to safeguarding and ensuring justice for child victims.
5.India’s first in-phone tourism guide and mobile application “Go whats That” has launched
in which city?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Pune
[C] Chandigarh
[D] Lucknow
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Chandigarh]
Notes:
India’s first in-phone tourism guide and mobile application “Go whats That” has launched
by Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill
Development & Entrepreneurship, at Rock Garden in Chandigarh on July 28, 2018. This is

first of its kind app where tourist can scan QR code at a heritage site to download the
history & details of that place in multiple languages. Initially, 1,100 tags have been placed at
different tourist spots, which will give accurate information on each artifact. The app will
also help the UT Administration in data analytics by getting real-time updates on each
place, including the number of tourists visiting the places, scan details, etc.
6.John Sankaramangalam, who passed away recently, was the veteran personality from
which field?
[A] Politics
[B] Film Industry
[C] Journalism
[D] Sports
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Film Industry]
Notes:
John Sankaramangalam (84), the Veteran filmmaker and former director of Film and
Television Institute of India (FTTI), has passed away in Thiruvalla, Kerala on July 30, 2018. A
multi-time recipient of national and state awards, Sankaramangalam was known for his
experimental movies. Some of his directorial ventures are “Aval Alpam Vaikippoyi”,
“Janmabhoomi” and “Samantharam”.
7.Who has been conferred with the 2018 Mohun Bagan Ratna?
[A] Pradip Choudhury
[B] Rahim Ali
[C] Sudip Chatterjee
[D] Shilton Paul
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Pradip Choudhury]
Notes:
Pradip Choudhury, who formed the central defensive pair with Subroto Bhattacharya when
Mohun Bagan took on Pele’s Cosmos team in 1977, has been conferred the Mohun Bagan
Ratna 2018 at the annual day of the 129-year-old club on July 29. On the occasion of
Mohun Bagan Day 2018, Shilton Paul was given the Best Footballer for the Year award and
Sudip Chatterjee was handed the Best Cricketer of the Year honour. Sourav Das was the
Best Youth Footballer . Rahim Ali received a special award for his performance for Indian
team in the FIFA under-17 World Cup 2017. The day is celebrated to commemorate the
Mariners’ victory over East Yorkshire Regiment 2-1 in the IFA Shield final on July 29, 1911.
8.Who has become the first Asian to swim UK-France channel?
[A] Swapan Kumar
[B] Prabhat Koli
[C] Sharad Tiwari
[D] Sourabh Verma
Hide Answer

Correct Answer: B [Prabhat Koli]
Notes:
Prabhat Koli (19) from Maharashtra, who crossed the English Channel when he was 16, has
become the first Asian to swim the choppy water from Jersey (an Island in the UK) to France
in cold weather. The long-distance sea swimmer covered 25km in 6 hours and 54 minutes.
He started off from La Coupe Point of Jersey, behind St Catherine’s backwater and touched
the shore of St Germain Plage on the Normandy coast of France. As part of his seven seas
challenge, Prabhat is now training to cross the North Channel in Ireland in first week of
August.
9.Which high level empowered committee has been constituted to address the issues of
stressed thermal power projects?
[A] Pradeep Kumar Sinha committee
[B] Ajit Balaji Joshi committee
[C] Dan Singh Rawat committee
[D] J H Thomas committee
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Pradeep Kumar Sinha committee]
Notes:
The Union Government has constituted a high level empowered committee to address the
issues of stressed thermal power projects. The committee will be headed by Cabinet
Secretary, Pradeep Kumar Sinha with representatives from the Ministry of Railways,
Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal and the lenders having major
exposure to the power sector. The Committee would look into the various issues with a
view to resolve them and maximize the efficiency of investment including changes required
to be made in the fuel allocation policy, regulatory framework, mechanisms to facilitate
sale of power, ensure timely payments, payment security mechanism, changes required in
the provisioning norms/Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), Asset Restructuring
Company (ARC) Regulations and any other measures proposed for revival of stressed assets
so as to avoid such investments becoming NPA.
10.Which state government will set up ‘iHub’ (the intelligent hub) for research and scientific
learning?
[A] Himachal Pradesh
[B] Telangana
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Andhra Pradesh]
Notes:
The Andhra Pradesh government will set up ‘iHub’ (the intelligent hub), a first-of-its kind
global research centre for scientific learning with an initial investment of Rs 245 crore
spread over five years. For this purpose, the state government has already collaborated

with UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable
Development (MGIEP). Some of the social and economic objectives of iHub will be to create
50,000 future-ready skilled manpower, reduced school dropouts and capture the EdTech
market. The initial staff will be about 40 International researchers in disciplines such as
neuro-science, education, psychology, digital instructional design, educational technology,
Artificial Intelligence, data sciences, and gamingamong others. The centre will also issue
“Global Certification” for digital educational content.
02 AUGUST 2018
1.Which city hosted the first ‘Nepal-India Think Tank’ Summit?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Kathmandu
[C] Udaipur
[D] Varanasi
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Kathmandu]
Notes:
The first ‘Nepal-India Think Tank’ Summit was held in Kathmandu on July 31 to foster
greater collaboration and knowledge-sharing among the think tanks of the two countries. It
was inaugurated by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, the former Prime Minister of Nepal
and Co-Chairman of ruling Nepal Communist Party. The summit was jointly organized by
the Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs (AIDA) and Nehru Memorial
Museum Library (NMML). The purpose of the summit was to support the networks and
promote mutual understanding through institutional collaboration on resource sharing for
joint events / publications among think tanks of the two countries. The participants
including think tanks, policy makers, diplomats, academicians, businesspersons and
journalists deliberated on the Indo-Nepal ties and its dimensions in different sessions.
2.Who is the chairman of the Myanmar Government appointed independent commission to
probe human rights against the ethnic Rohingya minority?
[A] Aung Tun Thet
[B] Mya Thein
[C] Rosario Manalo
[D] Kenzo Oshima
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Rosario Manalo]
Notes:
The Myanmar Government has appointed an independent 4- member commission to
investigate alleged human rights abuses against the ethnic Rohingya minority. The
Independent Commission will investigate the allegations of human rights violations and

related issues, following the terrorist attacks by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).
The commission will be comprised of two local members & two international members. It
will be headed by Filipino diplomat Rosario Manalo. The other members includes Japan’s
former ambassador to the UN Kenzo Oshima, lawyer Mya Thein and economist and former
UN official Aung Tun Thet. In August 2017, more than 700,000 Rohingya have fled
Myanmar’s western Rakhine state to Bangladesh after a military crackdown started in
response to attacks by ARSA on security posts.
3.Which state government has launched a smartphone distribution scheme ‘Mobile Tihar’
under the Sanchar Kranti Yojna (SKY)?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Kerala
[C] Chhattisgarh
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Chhattisgarh]
Notes:
The Chhattisgarh government has launched a smartphone distribution scheme ‘Mobile
Tihar’ under the Sanchar Kranti Yojna (SKY). The scheme is for distribution of smartphones
to women and students, covering over 50 Lakh beneficiaries. As part of the scheme, 556
new mobile towers will be installed across the state. ‘Mobile Tihar’ was launched by
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, along with National Award-winning actress
Kangana Ranaut on July 31.
4.The first cow sanctuary of Rajasthan will come up in which district?
[A] Bikaner
[B] Jodhpur
[C] Jaipur
[D] Hanuman garh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Bikaner]
Notes:
The first cow sanctuary in Rajasthan will be situated in Napasar, Bikaner to dedicate the
entire area for cows, much on the lines of a wildlife sanctuary. It will provide shelter for
10,000 bovines spread over an area of more than 220 hectares in Bikaner district. The
facilities in the sanctuary will include hospitals and Sewan grass as fodder for the animals.
The state government has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a
private trust in this regard. The cow sanctuary will be the latest in a string of initiatives
announced by the BJP government in the state for the protection of bovines since it came
to power in 2013. The state already has a ministry dedicated to the welfare of cows and last
year it had announced a 10% surcharge on stamp duty towards cow protection.
5.Which Indian film bagged the best film award at the 3rd edition of the BRICS Film Festival
2018?

[A] Village Rockstars
[B] Sinjar
[C] Bhanayakam
[D] Newton
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Newton]
Notes:
The 2018 BRICS Film Festival took place in Durban, South Africa, along with the
International Durban Film Festival (DIFF) from 22-27th July. The last day of the festival was
celebrated as India Country Day, followed by Awards and Closing Ceremony. The basic aim
of film festival is to celebrate world-class film productions from the BRICS nations with the
objective of inspiring more collaboration from these nations. The festival screened four
Indian Films, ‘Newton’ and ‘Village Rockstars’ in the competition section, and Sandeep
Pampally’s ‘Sinjar’ and Jayara’s ‘Bhanayakam’ in the non-competition section. “Newton”,
directed by Amit Masurkar, bagged the best film award, while “Village Rockstars” (directed
by Rima Das) won the Best Actress (Bhanita Das) and Special Jury Award in the BRICS Film
Festival 2018.
6.Which state government will observe 2018 Independence Day eve as Shahid Samman
Divas to honour martyrs?
[A] Madhya Pradesh
[B] Andhra Pradesh
[C] Himachal Pradesh
[D] Arunachal Pradesh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Madhya Pradesh]
Notes:
The Madhya Pradesh government will observe the 2018 Independence Day eve as Shahid
Samman Divas to honour martyrs. The decision to this effect was taken at a cabinet
meeting in Bhopal on July 30, 2018. According to official information, it will be a
comprehensive program and spread across all the villages, blocks and districts of Madhya
Pradesh, where rallies will be organized to mark the day. The martyrs will be paid homage
and the relatives of the martyrs will also be honoured on the day. Ministers, members of
Parliament and state legislative assembly and chief Minister himself will meet family
members of martyrs on the occasion to express gratitude for supreme sacrifice done by
their near and dear for the nation.
7.Which acclaimed personality has been selected for 2018 Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award
for promoting communal harmony and peace.?
[A] Raghuram Rajan
[B] Muzaffar Ali
[C] Amitabh Bachchan
[D] Gopalkrishna Gandhi

Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Gopalkrishna Gandhi]
Notes:
Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the former West Bengal governor, has been selected for 2018 Rajiv
Gandhi Sadbhavana Award for his outstanding contribution towards the promotion of
communal harmony, peace and goodwill. The award will be presented to him at a special
ceremony on August 20 at Jawahar Bhawan. The award, which carries a citation and cash
amount of Rs 10 lakh, is given on the occasion of the birthday of former prime minister
Rajiv Gandhi. It was instituted to commemorate the lasting contribution made by him to
promote peace, communal harmony and fight against violence.
8.The 2018 World Rangers Day (WRD) is observed on which date?
[A] July 29
[B] July 30
[C] July 31
[D] July 28
Show Answer
9.The famous Goddess Meenakshi Amman temple, which has got its first non-Brahmin as
‘archaka’ (priest), is located in which state?
[A] Kerala
[B] Tamil Nadu
[C] Karnataka
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Tamil Nadu]
Notes:
The Meenakshi Amman temple is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of
the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Recently, it is in news because
the famous Goddess Meenakshi temple has got its first non-Brahmin as ‘archaka’ (priest),
12 years after the Tamil Nadu government passed an order for appointment of people from
any caste as priests. The new priest, belonging to a backward caste, was among the 206
people who had undergone training conducted by the ancient temple administration. The
temple has appointed the priest with conditions which included that he could be suspended
if he violated the ‘Agama’ rules, a manual for worship of the deity, rituals and construction
of temples.
10.The United States has granted Strategic Trade Authorization-1 (STA-1) to which South
Asian country to ease export of high-tech items?
[A] Maldives
[B] India
[C] Sri Lanka
[D] Pakistan
Hide Answer

Correct Answer: B [India]
Notes:
The United States has recently granted Strategic Trade Authorization-1 (STA-1) status to
India that will ease export of high-tech items. The designation authorises the export, re-
export and transfer (in-country) of specified items on the Commerce Control List (CCL) to
destinations posing a low risk of unauthorised or impermissible uses. Currently, there are
36 countries on STA-1 list, almost all from the Nato and ANZUS alliance. India is the only
South Asian country to be on the list. Other Asian countries designated as STA-1 are Japan
and South Korea. Till recently India was designated as STA-2 countries along with seven
others. According to the Department of Commerce, items that are eligible for export to
STA1 destinations or nationals include items that are subject to control for: national
security (NS), chemical or biological weapons (CB), nuclear nonproliferation (NP), regional
stability (RS), crime control (CC) and significant items (SI).
03 AUGUST 2018
1.Which state has become the first Indian state to implement the National policy on bio
fuels?
[A] Kerala
[B] Jharkhand
[C] Rajasthan
[D] Punjab
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Rajasthan ]
Notes:
Rajasthan has become the first Indian state to implement the National policy on bio fuels,
which was launched by the Union Government in May 2018. The desert State will lay
emphasis on increasing production of oilseeds and establish a Centre for Excellence in
Udaipur to promote research in the fields of alternative fuels and energy resources. The
policy on bio fuels seeks to help farmers dispose of their surplus stock in an economic
manner and reduce the country’s oil import dependence. It has expanded the scope of raw
material for ethanol production by allowing use of sugarcane juice, sugar containing
materials, starch containing materials and damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice and
rotten potatoes for ethanol production.
2.What is the current repo rate, as per 3rd bi-monthly monetary policy review for of 2018-
19 of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)?
[A] 6.50%
[B] 6.00%
[C] 6.25%
[D] 6.75%
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [6.50%]
Notes:
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hiked policy repo
rate by 25 basis points to 6.50% in its third bi-monthly monetary policy review of 2018-19.
Repo rate is the rate at which the RBI lends money to commercial banks in the event of any
shortfall of funds. Reverse repo rate, the rate at which the Reserve Bank borrows money
from commercial banks within the country, was adjusted to 6.25%. Accordingly, the
Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate too stand adjusted at 6.75%. This
time too, RBI has maintained neutral stance with an objective of achieving the medium-
term target for headline inflation of 4 per cent while supporting growth.
3.Which Indian-Australian mathematician has bestowed with the prestigious 2018 Fields
medal?
[A] C.S. Seshadri
[B] Akshay Venkatesh
[C] Calyampudi Radha krishna
[D] Narendra Karmarkar
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Akshay Venkatesh]
Notes:
Akshay Venkatesh, a renowned Indian-Australian mathematician, has won the 2018 Fields
Medal for his profound contributions to an exceptionally broad range of subjects in
mathematics. Venkatesh is one of four winners of mathematics’ top honour known as the
Nobel prize for math. The Fields medals are awarded every four years to the most
promising mathematicians under the age of 40. Each winner receives a 15,000 Canadian-
dollar cash prize. The other three winners are: Caucher Birkar, a Cambridge University
professor of Iranian Kurdish origin; Germany’s Peter Scholze, who teaches at the University
of Bonn and Alessio Figalli, an Italian mathematician at ETH Zurich.
4.Umbayee, the noted ghazal singer and composer has passed away. He belonged to which
state?
[A] Uttar Pradesh
[B] Assam
[C] Madhya Pradesh
[D] Kerala
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Kerala]

Notes:
Umbayee (68), the noted ghazal singer and composer from Kerala, has passed away at
Aluva on August 1, 2018. Born in Mattancherry, he was a disciple of Ustad Munawar Ali
Khan and was known his reinvention of several old Malayalam film songs in his own natural
style. His birth name was PA Ibrahim.
5.Dr Bhishma Narain Singh, who passed away recently, was associated with which political
party?
[A] INC
[B] BJP
[C] NCP
[D] CPI
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [INC]
Notes:
Dr Bhishma Narain Singh (85), the former Union Minister and Congress leader, has passed
away in Noida on August 1, 2018. Dr Singh held various portfolios during the Congress rule
led by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was also the Governor of Assam and Tamil
Nadu.
6.Which state government has launched a 360 degree nation-wide publicity campaign
publicity campaign for 2018 men’s hockey World Cup?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Goa
[C] Odisha
[D] West Bengal
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Odisha ]
Notes:
The Government of Odisha has launched a 360 degree nation-wide publicity campaign
“Heartbeats for Hockey” to attract fans for 2018 men’s hockey World Cup. The movement
attempts to get India behind the game by way of music, entertainment, fashion, pure sport
and panel discussions. Each time anyone holds the custom-made hockey stick, named
‘Heart Beat’, their heart beat will be recorded as a pledge to support hockey. The ‘Heart
Beat’ will take a round of the country through ‘Hockey Adda’, a curated on-ground
discussion platform for hockey players and experts. The event will take place at the Kalinga
Stadium in Bhubaneswar from November 28 to December 16. The state is the title partner
for the hockey event and Odisha Tourism is the host partner. The maximum players in the
national team are also from Odisha.
7.What is the India’s rank in the United Nation’s E-Government Development Index (EGDI)
2018?
[A] 100th
[B] 88th

[C] 75th
[D] 96th
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [96th]
Notes:
India has been ranked 96th in the United Nation’s E-Government Development Index (EGDI)
2018. The survey, released by UN every two years, noted that India has scored 100% in the
first stage of the E-Participation sub-index, followed by 95.65% in the second stage and
90.91% in the third stage. The overall score of 0.9551 on the E-Participation sub-index has
put India among top 15 countries in the list of 193 counties surveyed. In this category, India
has emerged as sub-region leader. Denmark is the world leader, both on E-Government
index and E-Participation sub-index.
8.Which union ministry has launched a desktop software ‘e-Aksharayan’ to enable editing
of text printed on scanned documents?
[A] Ministry of Human Resource Development
[B] Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
[C] Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
[D] Ministry of Science and Technology
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology]
Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched a desktop
software ‘e-Aksharayan’ for converting any scanned or printed Indian language documents
into a fully editable text format in Unicode encoding. The text can be also saved separately.
The application is free of cost and supports editing in 7 Indian languages viz. Hindi, Bangla,
Malayalam, Gurmukhi, Tamil, Kannada & Assamese.
9.Which Indian personality has won the 2018 International Contributions Award given by
the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), USA?
[A] K Anvar Sadath
[B] Kapil Bansal
[C] Harish Bhatt
[D] P S Mohan
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [K Anvar Sadath]
Notes:
K. Anvar Sadath, the vice chairman and executive director of the Kerala Infrastructure and
Technology for Education (KITE), has won the 2018 International Contributions Award given
by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), USA. He has
been chosen for the award to recognize his outstanding contribution to the field of
educational communication and technology in an international setting. With this, he has
become the first Indian to be honoured with the International Contributions award. The

award will be presented at 2018 AECT International Convention function to be held in
Kansas City, Missouri, on October 26, 2018. The AECT is a premier professional association
for instructional design and educational technology.
10.Which country has recently launched amnesty programme for foreign workers
overstaying permits?
[A] Iran
[B] UAE
[C] Israel
[D] Jordon
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [UAE]
Notes:
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has recently launched a landmark 3-month visa amnesty
programme which will benefit hundreds of illegal foreign workers, including Indians,
overstaying their permits by allowing them to leave the country without penalties and
giving them six months to find a job. The UAE is home to 2.8 million Indian expatriates, the
largest expatriate community in the country. Professionally qualified personnel constitute
about 15 to 20% of the community, followed by 20% white-collar non-professionals and the
remainder 65% comprises blue-collar workers. The government did not release specific
numbers, but says thousands of people, primarily labourers from countries like India,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and the Philippines, will benefit from the amnesty
scheme which will facilitate their smooth return to their home countries. As per Federal
Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA), the entity responsible for entry and residence of
foreigners in the UAE, visa violators before August 1, 2018 will be able to rectify their status
legally during the amnesty period, which will end on October 31.
04 AUGUST 2018
1.Which state government has approved an unemployment allowance scheme
“Mukhyamantri Yuva Nestam”?
[A] Telangana
[B] Karnataka
[C] Andhra Pradesh
[D] Kerala
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Andhra Pradesh]
Notes:
The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has recently approved an unemployment allowance scheme
“Mukhyamantri Yuva Nestam” through which an allowance of Rs 1000 per month will be
provided to unemployed youth in the state. Unemployed youths with a degree or diploma
between the ages of 22 and 35 years are eligible to avail the benefit. The state government
will set up a website for the scheme by the end of August, where a 15-day registration
window will be open for potential beneficiaries of the scheme. The amount will be directly
transferred into their bank account. The state government decided to implement this
scheme to benefit as many as 12 lakh youths of the state. It has also been decided that
20,000 job vacancies, 9,000 teacher posts and other department vacancies will be filled.
2.Who was the recipient of Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for 2015?
[A] Najma Heptullah
[B] Bhartruhari Mahtab
[C] Hukum Dev Narayan
[D] Ghulam Nabi Azad
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Ghulam Nabi Azad]
Notes:
The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind presented the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award
(OPA) for the years 2013-2017 in New Delhi on August 1, 2018. Dr Najma Heptullah, the
Manipur’s governor and 5-times Rajya Sabha member, won the award for 2013.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Lok Sabha member Hukum Dev Narayan was the recipient of OPA for
2014, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad for 2015, Trinamool Congress’ Dinesh Trivedi for
2016 and Bhartruhari Mahtab of the Lok Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for 2017. The OPA is an award
given by the Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) to an outstanding sitting Member of
Parliament (MP) for overall contribution in the Parliament. It was instituted in 1992 by
Shivraj Patil, who was the Speaker of Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996.
3.Which state government will setup a state of the art “B-Hub” for biotech and biopharma
sector?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Telangana
[C] Goa
[D] Sikkim
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Telangana ]
Notes:
The Telangana government will setup a state of the art “B-Hub” for biotech and biopharma
sector in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. It’s a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, aimed at
providing much-needed support to the biopharma research and development activities,
featuring a scale-up manufacturing facility along with a turnkey incubator, lab space
module at GLP grade spreading over a built-up area of 40,000 sq.ft. This end-to-end
biopharma scale-up manufacturing facility will give domestic companies the required
impetus here on par with Korea, China and France who have taken lead in biopharma
innovation. The estimated project cost of B-Hub is Rs 60 crore and the facility is to be set up

through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in Genome Valley, which is the India’s first
organised cluster for life sciences R&D and clean manufacturing activities.
4.Which Indian origin personality has clinched the title of MasterChef Australia 2018?
[A] Sashi Cheliah
[B] Aarti Sequeira
[C] Floyd Cardoz
[D] Vikas Khanna
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Sashi Cheliah]
Notes:
Sashi Cheliah, an Indian origin prison guard from Adelaide, has clinched the title of
MasterChef Australia 2018 after scoring 93 out of 100 points. He defeated fellow
contestant Ben Borsht, who scored 77 out of 100. For the first round, Cheliah made a
sambal prawns starter, which got him a perfect 30 while his second recipe for the grand
finale was a fish curry and cumin rice dish that he made to honour his aunt. The winner
took home the MasterChef Australia trophy and a winning amount of $2,50,000 (almost Rs
1.7 crore) while the first runner-up was awarded $40,000 (around Rs 27 lakh).
5.Who has won the 2018 Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix tournament?
[A] Lewis Hamilton
[B] Sebastian Vettel
[C] Valtteri Bottas
[D] Daniel Ricciardo
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Lewis Hamilton]
Notes:
Lewis Hamilton, a British racing driver who races in Formula One for Mercedes AMG
Petronas, has won the 2018 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring circuit. It is his sixth
Hungarian Grand Prix title and also 67th career victory.
6.The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has launched which dedicated portal to
connect cargo owners and shippers with real time data on availability of vessels?
[A] VOCAL
[B] FUCAL
[C] DUCAL
[D] FOCAL
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [FOCAL]
Notes:
The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has launched a dedicated portal – Forum of
Cargo Owners and Logistics Operators (FOCAL) – to connect cargo owners and shippers
with real time data on availability of vessels. The landmark e-connect measure will enable
direct interaction among the vessel operators, shippers and cargo owners as currently,

there is no platform to know the availability of vessels in the market. It has been designed
and developed by the in-house IT Department and the traffic wing of IWAI as part of its
preparedness for optimal use of its ongoing capacity development on various National
Waterways. FOCAL will facilitate responses from the logistic operators against the
requirement raised by cargo owners and vice-versa. The users can register on the portal to
key in the availability and details of vessels or the available cargo, as the case may be. Cargo
owners will be able to put details like the origin, destination, type of cargo etc.
7.Which government organisation will host Investors’ Conference for the Holistic
Development of Islands?
[A] Ministry of Home Affairs
[B] Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
[C] Niti Aayog
[D] Ministry of Earth Sciences
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Niti Aayog]
Notes:
On August 10, the NITI Aayog will host an Investors’ Conference for the Holistic
Development of Islands at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra and will be inaugurated by Amitabh
Kant (CEO of NITI Aayog). The purpose of the conference is to attract investments for the
sustainable development of eco-tourism projects on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis
in the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. Approx 11 anchor tourism projects
are proposed to be implemented with private sector participation under suitable risk-
sharing model and through open-competitive bidding.
8.Which state government has recently constituted two committees to deal with a possible
influx of illegal immigrants?
[A] Manipur
[B] Nagaland
[C] Tripura
[D] Meghalaya
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Manipur]
Notes:
Following the publication of the final draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam,
the Manipur government has constituted two committees – state and district level – to deal
with a possible influx of illegal immigrants. The State Level Monitoring Committee will
monitor the entry or presence of illegal immigrants in the state and take steps for creating
adequate public awareness to counter the situation. It will be headed by Special Secretary
(Home) while the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police as its members.
The district level committee will be headed by the concerned deputy commissioners while
Superintendent of Police, SDOs, SDPO, SDCs, OCs will be the members. The committee with
local bodies would likely to conduct headcounts if needed.

9.Jalees Sherwani, who passed away recently, was the veteran personality from which
field?
[A] Photo Journalism
[B] Mimicry
[C] Film Industry
[D] Sports
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Film Industry]
Notes:
Jalees Sherwani (70), the veteran screenplay writer, has passed away in Mumbai.
Maharashtra on August 1, 2018. He had penned lyrics for several Salman Khan films like
“Dabangg”, “Wanted” and “Tere Naam”. Apart from writing dialogues for “Sangam” and
“Loafer”, Sherwani also penned lyrics for films like “Partner”, “Hello”, “Garv” and “Hello
Brother”.
10.NITI Aayog has launched which global mobility hackathon to crowdsource solutions for
future of mobility in India?
[A] Lock Hack
[B] Beware Hack
[C] Move Hack
[D] Crowd Hack
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Move Hack]
Notes:
NITI Aayog has launched a global mobility hackathon ” Move Hack” to crowdsource
solutions for future of mobility in India. Focused on 10 themes and open to individuals from
all nationalities, the hackathon will have an online leg, followed by a Singapore leg, and the
finals in New Delhi. The purpose of MoveHack is to bring about innovative, dynamic and
scalable solutions to problems pertaining to mobility. It has two-pronged campaign
approach: (a) “Just Code It”: aimed at solutions through innovations in technology / product
/ software and data analysis, and (b) “Just Solve It”: innovative business ideas or sustainable
solutions to transform mobility infrastructure through technology. The hackathon is
organized in partnership with Government of Singapore and is powered by Hacker Earth.
PwC is the Knowledge Partner and NASSCOM is the Strategic Partner.
05 &06 AUGUST 2018

1.Which Indian golfer has won the 2018 Fiji International Golf title?
[A] Gaganjeet Bhullar
[B] Arjun Atwal

[C] Ajeetesh Sandhu
[D] Shiv Kapur
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Gaganjeet Bhullar ]
Notes:
Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar has won the 2018 Fiji International title. It is his first win on
the European Tour, ninth Asian Tour and 10th international title overall. Thus, he became
the most successful Indian player on Asian Tour and the first Indian to win on Australasia
Tour. Bhullar joined Arjun Atwal, Jeev Milkha Singh, SSP Chawrasia and Anirban Lahiri as the
only Indians to win on the European Tour as this was sanctioned by Asian, Australasia and
European Tours. The victory also granted him an exemption on all three Tours till end of
2019. Other Indian in fray, Ajeetesh Sandhu scored 71 in the final round to end his
campaign at the tied 43rd spot.
2.Who has been appointed the new CEO of the Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative
Society Ltd (ULCCS)?
[A] K Kumar
[B] Raveena Kumari
[C] Meera Kumar
[D] Raveendran Kasthuri
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Raveendran Kasthuri]
Notes:
Raveendran Kasthuri, a Kannur native, has assumed charge as new CEO of the Uralungal
Labour Contract Co-operative Society Ltd (ULCCS) on August 6. ULCCS is one of the largest
Co-operative Societies in India. Earlier, he was with IBM as its vice president and head of
integrated operation. The ULCCS was formed in 1925 by the eminent social reformer Guru
Vagbhatananda in a remote hamlet called Uralungal in Kozhikode district, as a novel mass
movement against the anarchies of the caste system prevalent in those days. The society
has now grown to be one of the biggest Labour Contract Societies in the country, providing
direct employment to more than 6000 workers from rural areas. It is now having an asset
worth Rs 99402 lakhs.
3.The 10th annual conference on oral implantology has recently held in which city?
[A] New Jersey
[B] New Zealand
[C] New Delhi
[D] New Guinea
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [New Delhi ]
Notes:
On August 3, the 10th International conference on oral implantology was held in New Delhi
to enhance the awareness and knowledge on the latest innovations and technologies in

oral implantology world over. The 3-day conference hosted by Academy of Oral
Implantology (AOI) has representations by doctors from the UK, the US, Israel, Austria,
Germany, Italy, South Korea and Spain. Oral implantology is a highly dynamic specialty and
has over the years, introduced innumerable modifications and improvements for dental
treatment of patients. The vision is to promote latest technologies and encourage younger
doctors, in the field of innovation. Experienced professionals will share their work, expertise
with the younger crop and this translates into sharing of knowledge from different parts of
the globe. Various companies from the medical field have also showcased their advanced
products and technologies. Teeth decay, loss of teeth due to old age, diseases or accidents,
bad and crooked teeth, teeth decay happen due to bad oral hygiene. The event also seeks
to raise awareness about oral hygiene for better dental care.
4.Which state government has launched a rural cleanliness and sanitation campaign
“Swachhameva Jayate”?
[A] Madhya Pradesh
[B] Rajasthan
[C] Goa
[D] Karnataka
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Karnataka]
Notes:
The Karnataka government has launched a rural cleanliness and sanitation campaign
“Swachhameva Jayate” to make every citizen in rural Karnataka take a pledge of
cleanliness. The aim of the campaign is to boost the Swachh Survkekshan Grameen 2018
(SSG 2018) survey in all the districts with the help of school children. Since the inception of
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the government of Karnataka has constructed a total of 22 lakh
toilets in 29,736 villages. The state needs another 5 lakh toilets in its rural areas before
October 2 to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) status. The 2018 SSG survey will rank all
Indian districts and states on the basis of qualitative and quantitative evaluation of
sanitation status of the villages and will run from August 1 to 31. While the survey will
target 698 districts, 6,980 villages, 34,900 public places randomly across the country,
Swachha Meva Jayate will aim to take messages about the parameters of the survey to
every rural household in Karnataka. The survey will measure and rank villages across India
on the basis of availability and access to toilets, cleanliness of public spaces, and feedback
and opinions of citizens.
5.Which country’s researchers have claimed to create the world’s first single-chromosome
yeast ?
[A] Germany
[B] United States
[C] China
[D] UK
Hide Answer

Correct Answer: C [China]
Notes:
Molecular biologists at the Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences in China have
claimed to create the world’s first single-chromosome yeast while not affecting the
majority of its functions. If their claim is true then this breakthrough could help in
furthering research related to aging and diseases in humans. They used CRISPR-Cas9
genome-editing to create a single-chromosome yeast strain. Using the CRISPR-Cas9, the
research team removed the DNA at the telomeres, the ends of chromosomes that protect
them from degrading. They also snipped out the centromeres, sequences in the middle that
are important to DNA replication. The research may also pave the way for new man-made
species in the future.
6.Which state government has launched “Horn Not Ok’’ awareness campaign?
[A] Uttarakhand
[B] Himachal Pradesh
[C] Gujarat
[D] Kerala
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Himachal Pradesh]
Notes:
The Himachal Pradesh government has launched “Horn Not Ok’’ awareness campaign in
Shimla and Mandi along with a statewide mobile application ‘shaur nahin’ (no noise). The
main aim of the campaign is to spread awareness of unnecessary blowing horn as it creates
unnecessary noise pollution. The other towns of the state will also be brought under the
purview of no honking zones after the successful execution of this campaign in the two
tourist places for 2 months. Though, no-honking rule will not be applicable on emergency
vehicles, including ambulances and fire tenders. The “Shor Nahin” application has been
developed to report any noise pollution complaint to the authorities. It’s an initiative of the
Department of Environment, Science and Technology in association with the NIC of
Himachal Pradesh. It allows a user to lodge a complaint with the officials concerned,
including deputy commissioner, superintendent of police and sub divisional magistrate,
who can upload the action taken report on the app.
7.The Mughalsarai junction has recently renamed as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya railway station.
It is located in which state?
[A] Bihar
[B] Uttar Pradesh
[C] Uttarakhand
[D] Delhi
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Uttar Pradesh ]
Notes:
In Uttar Pradesh, the iconic Mughalsarai junction has been formally renamed after RSS

ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU), who was found dead in mysterious circumstances
near the station in February 1968. The DDU station is more than 150 years old and one of
the busiest railway stations in India. The station contains the largest railway marshaling
yard in Asia. It was inaugurated by BJP national president Amit shah. Beside this, he also
flagged off a passenger train with an all-women crew and a goods train at the DDU station.
As per Railway officials, it will be the first time in India that an all-woman crew will run a
train. Mughalsarai is also the birthplace of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. It is a
part of the Chandauli Parliamentary seat which is presently held by UP BJP president
Mahendra Nath Pandey.
8.The Election Commission of India (ECI) has conducted the first-ever Orientation Workshop
on Election Management for IAS Asstt Secretaries in which city?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Jaipur
[C] Mumbai
[D] Banglore
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [New Delhi]
Notes:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has conducted the first-ever Orientation Workshop
on Election Management for IAS Asstt Secretaries in New Delhi on August 3, 2018. The aim
of the workshop is to familiarize the Assistant Secretaries with all facets of Electoral
Management before they are required to handle crucial assignments in conducting
Elections in their field postings soon. In it, Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat
advised the officers to be prepared for facing the newer challenges like Data harvesting;
targeted messaging & profiling; money and media influencers.
9.Which Indian developer has claimed to develop the world’s first Hindi speaking realistic
humanoid robot “Rashmi”?
[A] Anand Kumar
[B] Surabhi Patel
[C] Kanwaljeet Sethi
[D] Ranjit Srivastava
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Ranjit Srivastava]
Notes:
Ranjit Srivastava, the Ranchi-based software developer, has claimed to develop the world’s
first Hindi speaking realistic humanoid robot and India’s first lip-synching robot. The robot
“Rashmi” has developed in 2 years at a minimum cost of Rs 50,000. In simple words,
Srivastava developed an Indian version of a social humanoid robot ‘Sophia’ that was
developed by a Hong Kong based company. The robot can speak Hindi, Bhojpuri and
Marathi along with English. It uses Linguistic Interpretation (LI), Artificial Intelligence (AI),
visual data and facial recognition systems. It functions under a specially designed software

and linguistic interpretation system. The LI programme analyses the feeling of the
conversation while AI program analyses the conversation to extract the response from the
device.
10.Which country has been elected as the President of the Asia-Pacific Institute for
Broadcasting Development (AIBD)?
[A] India
[B] Japan
[C] Srilanka
[D] Iran
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [India ]
Notes:
India has been elected as the President of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting
Development (AIBD) for a period of 2 years. India got elected against Iran during voting
which took place at the 44th annual gathering of AIBD in Colombo, Sri Lanka on August 4,
2018. Director General of All India Radio (AIR) F. Sheheryar was re-elected as chair of the
executive board while Sri Lanka was elected as vice-chair. The broadcasters from 26
countries in the region including India are full members of the organization. AIBD,
established in 1977 under the auspices of UNESCO, is a unique regional inter-governmental
organisation and is mandated to achieve a vibrant and cohesive electronic media
environment in the Asia-Pacific region through policy and resource development.
07 AUGUST 2018
1.The joint military exercise ‘Maitree 2018’ has started between India and which country?
[A] Thailand
[B] Nepal
[C] Sri Lanka
[D] Vietnam
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Thailand ]
Notes:
The two week-long joint military exercise “Maitree 2018′ has started between Indian Army
and Royal Thai Army in Thailand on August 6 with a focus on enhancing anti-terror
cooperation between the two sides. The exercise will emphasize to hone the tactical and
technical skills in joint counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations in rural and
urban scenario under UN mandate. Both sides will jointly train, plan and execute a series of
well developed tactical drills for neutralization of likely threats that may be encountered in
urban warfare scenario. Experts from both sides will also hold detailed discussions to share
their experience on varied topics for mutual benefit. Exercise Maitree will contribute

immensely in developing mutual understanding and bonhomie between the two armies in
order to counter terrorism.
2.Which state government has signed pact with Tech Mahindra to establish India’s first
Blockchain district?
[A] Odisha
[B] Karnataka
[C] Telangana
[D] Kerala
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Telangana ]
Notes:
The Telangana government has signed pact with Tech Mahindra to establish the Blockchain
district in Hyderabad, a first-of-its-kind Centre of Excellence for Blockchain. The MoU was
signed during the 3-day International congress at HICC in Hyderabad. Initially it would be a
virtual cluster, connecting with the stakeholders working in the emerging technology. It
would have a physical building at a later phase. Tech Mahindra, as a founding member of
the Blockchain district, will provide platform and technology assistance to all the incubators
in the district. Eleven01 Foundation will develop an India-specific protocol that will define
the standards for usage of Blockchain. Besides, the International Institute of Information
Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) will make part of its protocol development research to the
virtual cluster of Blockchain district.
3.Which IIT institute has developed the first indigenous microprocessors ‘RISECREEK’ under
Project Shakti?
[A] IIT Madras
[B] IIT Kanpur
[C] IIT Bombay
[D] IIT Delhi
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [IIT Madras ]
Notes:
The group of computer scientists and a team of students from the IIT- Madras have
developed the first of a family of six industry-standard microprocessors under Project
Shakti. The initial batch of 300 chips, named ‘RISECREEK’, has been fabricated for free at the
Intel facility in Oregon (US), which was used to run the Linux operating system. The design
of microprocessors is open source. They optimize power use and compete with
international units such as the Cortex A5 from Advanced RISC Machines (ARM). The entire
team was lead by Dr. Neel Gala, who is an alumnus of IIT-Madras. The team had used a
BlueSpec System Verilog language, which helped them capture the processor functionality.
At a frequency of 350 MHz, RISECREEK can meet the demands of defence and strategic
equipment such as NAVIC (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite) and Internet of Things (IoT)
electronics.

4.Rajinder Kumar Dhawan, who passed away recently, was associated with which political
party?
[A]
All India Trinamool Congress
[B] Bharatiya Janata Party
[C] Communist Party of India
[D] Indian National Congress
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Indian National Congress]
Notes:
Rajinder Kumar Dhawan (81), the veteran Congress leader and a former Union minister, has
passed away in New Delhi on August 6, 2018. As personal secretary and confidante to Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi, Dhawan was a witness to Indira Gandhi assassination in 1984.
During his years as Indira Gandhi’s personal secretary, from 1962 to 1984, Dhawan
reportedly wielded immense clout, with some claiming that he controlled information and
access to the then prime minister. During the Emergency years (1975-77), Dhawan was
among Indira Gandhi’s inner circle of leaders. However, Indira’s son, Rajiv, after initially
removing Dhawan from his post, cleared him of all charges. He continued to retain
enormous clout in the Congress even after Rajiv Gandhi’s death and was subsequently
elected twice to Rajya Sabha and was a member of the Congress Working Committee. He
was Minister for Urban Development when P V Narasimha Rao was Prime Minister.
5.The Central Government has approved 122 new research projects worth over Rs 100
crore under which scheme?
[A] IMPRINT-3
[B]
IMPRINT-4
[C] IMPRINT-2
[D] IMPRINT-1
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [IMPRINT-2]
Notes:
The Central Government has approved 122 new research projects of Rs 112 crore under its
Impacting Research Innovation and Technology ‘IMPRINT-2’ scheme. The aim of the
initiative is to advance research in energy, security, and healthcare domains in the high
education institutions. IMPRINT is the first of its kind government supported initiative to
address the major science and engineering challenges that India must address and
champion to enable, empower and embolden the nation for inclusive growth and self-
reliance. The proposals were approved at the IMPRINT 2 Apex Committee meeting held in
New Delhi on August 4, 2018..
6.Which noted Kannada film producer has passed away, who was the only Kannadiga to
chair the Indian Film Chamber of Commerce?

[A] Srinivasa Murthy
[B] Sahaya Sheelan Shadrach
[C] V. Harikrishna
[D] M Bhakthavatsala
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [M Bhakthavatsala]
Notes:
M Bhakthavatsala (84), the well-known Kannada film producer, distributor and exhibitor,
has passed away in Bengaluru, Karnataka on August 6, 2018. He was an officer in Hindustan
Machine Tools (HMT) and later turned to films through distribution and managing theatres.
He was known for producing critically acclaimed movies like ‘Sandhyaraga’ and
‘Kanneshwara Rama’. Bhakthavatsala served as president of Karnataka Film Chamber of
Commerce for 7 years and was the only Kannadiga to chair the Indian Film Chamber of
Commerce. He had diverse interests such as literature, mountaineering, etc.
7.The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed pact with which bank for a
long-term unsecured loan to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore?
[A] Bank of Maharashtra
[B] Punjab National Bank
[C] State Bank of India
[D] HDFC Bank
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [State Bank of India ]
Notes:
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed pact with the State Bank of
India (SBI) for a long-term unsecured loan to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore. This is SBI’s
highest long-term unsecured loan to any entity and also the largest ever loan sanctioned to
NHAI. There is no principal repayment liability for initial 3 years. After 3 years, the
repayment would be done in 14 equal half yearly instalments. The total loan tenure is 10
years. NHAI can repay/ prepay it at any time without any prepayment penalty. The total
sanctioned amount of Rs 25000 Crore is to be disbursed within 31st March 2019. Rate of
interest would be based on one month MCLR. Interest accrued on the amount actually
outstanding will be paid on monthly basis. NHAI can draw the amount in any number of
tranches, latest by 31st March 2019.
8.Who has become the first woman shuttler to win the women’s singles World Badminton
Championships for a third time?
[A] Carolina Marin
[B] PV Sindhu
[C] Akane Yamaguchi
[D] Tai Tzu-ying
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Carolina Marin]

Notes:
Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain has become the first woman shuttler to win the
women’s singles World Badminton Championships thrice with an emphatic victory over P.V.
Sindhu of India in Nanjing, China on August 5, 2018. Earlier, Marin won the title in 2014 and
the 2015 Jakarta edition. Sindhu didn’t have answers to Marin’s blistering pace in the 45
minutes that the match lasted. The second silver meant Sindhu is the only Indian to have
four world championships podium finishes. She had won two bronze medals at the 2013
Guangzhou and 2014 Copenhagen editions. In men’s singles, Kento Momota of Japan won
the title with an easy 21-13, 21-11 victory over local boy Shi Yuqi. With this victory, Kento
Momota became the first Japanese man to win the Championships.
9.Which country’s team has won the 14th edition of Women’s Hockey World Cup 2018?
[A] Spain
[B] Netherlands
[C] Ireland
[D] Australia
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Netherlands ]
Notes:
In the 14th edition of Women’s Hockey World Cup 2018, defending champions the
Netherlands recorded a stunning 6-0 victory over Ireland in the summit clash at London on
August 5 to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 32 matches. It must be noted
that the Netherlands have been crowned the world champions for a record 8th time. Kitty
van Male, who was among the 6 different goal scorers, finished the tournament as the top
scorer with 8 goals. Spain won the third place match by beating Australia 3-1 to claim their
first ever World Cup medal. India finished the tournament at the 8th spot.
10.Who has become the first Indian to be appointed a council member of ICANN panel
Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO)?
[A] Ajay Data
[B] Kusum Sharma
[C] Susheela Jain
[D] Shubhankar Saxena
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ajay Data ]
Notes:
Dr. Ajay Data from Jaipur, the Founder and CEO of Data XGen Plus, has become the first
Indian to be appointed a council member of ICANN panel Country Code Names Supporting
Organization (ccNSO). He has got a 2-year term and will take up the position during ICANN
‘s 63rd Annual General Meeting in Spain in October 2018. He will represent India at a global
level and will also be the custodian of Asia, Australia and Pacific Islands as a member of
ccNSO. The ccNSO is ICANN’s policy-development body for global issues regarding country
code top-level domains (ccTLD) within the ICANN structure. The Internet Corporation for

Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a non-profit organization responsible for
coordinating the maintenance and procedures of several databases related to the
namespaces and numerical spaces of the Internet, ensuring the network’s stable and secure
operation.
08 AUGUST 2018
1.The elephants at which national park in Madhya Pradesh has enjoyed week-long picnic?
[A] Bandhavgarh National Park
[B] Madhav National Park
[C] Panna National Park
[D] Kanha Tiger Reserve
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Kanha Tiger Reserve]
Notes:
In Madhya Pradesh, the elephants at the Kanha National Park (KNP) are on a week-long
picnic. This picnic, which is arranged every year, includes massaging for the elephants and a
delicious menu. The purpose of a picnic is to provide family time to Jumbo. The Kanha
National Park management has been organizing such picnic for the service of more than a
dozen elephants for the past 7-8 years. Picnic includes bathing of elephants, massaging as
well as special health tests and treatments. Elephants are given their favourite food like
mango, sugarcane, pineapple, banana, coconut and Jaggery. During this period, all the
elephants of National Park are residing in one place as a bigger family. Picnic is also helpful
in increasing the population of elephants.
2.Which country’s U-20 football team has won the 2018 Cotif Cup football tournament ?
[A] Venezuela
[B] Mauritania
[C] India
[D] Argentina
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [India]
Notes:
The Indian Under-20 football team has created history by winning the 2018 Cotif Cup
football tournament by defeating the 6-time U20 World Cup champions Argentina by 2-1 in
their final match in Spain on 6 August. Deepak Tangri scored for India in the 4th minute and
Anwar Ali’s 68th minute put India 2-0 up against the most successful team in U-20 World
Cup history. Argentina pulled one back in the 72nd minute, and hit the cross bar in added
time, but failed to break the Indian resolve as India concluded the tournament with a
memorable performance.

3.Which city to host the 22nd edition of ‘Parampara series – National Festival of Music and
Dance’ festival 2018?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Pune
[C] Lucknow
[D] Hyderabad
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [New Delhi ]
Notes:
The 22nd edition of ‘Parampara series – National Festival of Music and Dance’ festival will
be held at Kamani Auditorim in New Delhi from August 10, 2018. The purpose of the festival
is to offer a platform to young talents trying to make their foothold in the world of art and
culture. It is organised by Natya Tarangini led by Padma Bhushan awardee Kuchipudi couple
Raja and Radha Reddy. The 3-day event will also see performances by veteran classical
dance couple ‘The Dhananjayans’ (Shanta and Vannadil Pudiyaveettil Dhananjayan) and
Kathak exponent Uma Dogra. The festival has featured artistes like Grammy winning
instrumentalist Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Carnatic vocalist Abhishek Raghuram, Khyal
singers Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra are among the many eminent artistes.
4.The world’s first-ever thermal battery plant has been inaugurated in which Indian state?
[A] Andhra Pradesh
[B] Himachal Pradesh
[C] Karnataka
[D] Odisha
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Andhra Pradesh]
Notes:
On August 6, the world’s first-ever facility to create thermal batteries has been inaugurated
in Andhra Pradesh by the state’s Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Amaravati. The
thermal battery plant, which is manufactured by the Bharat Energy Storage Technology
Private Limited (BEST), is expected to start commercial operations by May 2019. The
technology will help in mitigating carbon emissions and is best suited for grid balancing and
stabilisations. It will also be used to store energy for telecommunication, commercial
establishments, electric vehicles and highway charging stations. It can also be effectively
used in remote locations, such as hilly terrains and islands. The BEST also aims to set up a
Greenfield Project in India, at an estimated cost of Rs 660 crores, through which nearly
3000 jobs are expected to be created within three years’ time. It must be noted that the
thermal battery technology was patented in India by Dr Patrick Glynn in 2016.
5.The Parliament of India has passed which Constitutional Amendment Bill to grant
constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC)?
[A] 123rd Constitutional Amendment Bill
[B] 143rd Constitutional Amendment Bill

[C] 133rd Constitutional Amendment Bill
[D] 153rd Constitutional Amendment Bill
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [123rd Constitutional Amendment Bill ]
Notes:
The Parliament of India has passed the 123rd Constitutional Amendment Bill, which grants
constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). The bill was
passed after the House repealed the NCBC Act, 1993. It will contribute to the
empowerment of the OBC communities across India. The bill states that the President may
specify the socially and educationally backward classes in the various states and union
territories. He may do this in consultation with the Governor of the concerned state. It will
give the institution all powers to safeguard the rights of the socially and educationally
backward classes and fulfils a long pending commitment of the central govt to the OBCs.
The Clause-3 (5) of the Bill gives the proposed Commission the power to inquire into
complaints of deprivation of rights and safeguards. Clause 3 (8) gives it the powers of a civil
court trying a suit and allows it to summon anyone, require documents to be produced and
receive evidence on affidavit.
6.NITI Aayog’s International Conference on “Sustainable Growth through Material
Recycling: Policy Prescriptions” was held in which city?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Mumbai
[C] Hyderabad
[D] Kanpur
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [New Delhi ]
Notes:
NITI Aayog’s International Conference on “Sustainable Growth through Material Recycling:
Policy Prescriptions”was held at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi on August 6, 2018. It
was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways & Ganga Rejuvenation,
Nitin Gadkari. The day long conference brought together a host of experts for identifying
policy prescriptions for the development and growth of material recycling in India towards
creating more jobs, reduce dependence on exports, protect the environment and take
steps towards adopting circular economy concepts.
7.Which country is hosting the communication exercise “Pacific Endeavor-2018 (PE-18)”
under the Multinational Communications Interoperability Program (MCIP)?
[A] India
[B] Nepal
[C]
Sri Lanka
[D] Myanmar
Hide Answer

Correct Answer: B [Nepal]
Notes:
The communication exercise “Pacific Endeavor-2018 (PE-18)” under the Multinational
Communications Interoperability Program (MCIP) has started in Kathmandu, Nepal on
August 6, 2018. The basic objective of 12 day exercise is to develop common
communications operating procedures to enable military forces in the Asia Pacific region to
collectively work in the wake of disaster. Around 270 personnel from 20 Asia-Pacific
Countries are participating in the exercise, which is jointly organised by the Nepali Army
and United States Pacific Command (USPC). The Pacific Endeavor began in 2005 and it
focuses on establishing rapid and effective inter-operable communication systems to jointly
act in disaster relief operations.
8.Which country ‘s women team has clinched gold in the Blitz event at the Asian Nations
Chess Cup 2018?
[A] China
[B] Vietnam
[C] India
[D] Bhutan
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [India]
Notes:
The Indian women chess team has clinched the gold in the Blitz event at the Asian Nations
Chess Cup 2018 at Hamadan, Iran on August 3. It’s India’s first gold-medal finish at the
event since 2014. The Indian team comprising Harika Dronavalli, Eesha Karavade, Padmini
Rout, Vaishali R and Aakanksha Haga left the teams from Vietnam and China behind to
clinch gold. Apart from this, they also bagged a silver and a bronze in the Rapid and Classical
categories, respectively. India (1st) finished with 21.5 points, Vietnam (2nd) settled for
silver with 18.5 and China (3rd) bagged bronze with 17.5.
9.The Union Government has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to look into issues
related to the proposed mega free trade agreement Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP). The GoM will be headed by whom?
[A] Piyush Goyal
[B] Suresh Prabhu
[C] Nirmala Sitharaman
[D] Hardeep Singh Puri
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Suresh Prabhu ]
Notes:
The Union government has constituted a 4-member Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by
the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu, to look into issues related to
the proposed mega free trade agreement Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP). The GoM will deliberate upon the issues being raised by the industry as well as

government departments. There is concern across ministries that joining the accord could
severely dent local manufacturing and jobs and that China’s $60-billion trade surplus with
India will swell even further as it floods the market with cheap goods at zero tariff. Apart
from Prabhu, the panel comprises interim finance minister Piyush Goyal, defence minister
(former commerce minister) Nirmala Sitharaman and housing and urban affairs minister
Hardeep Singh Puri. The RCEP bloc consists of 10 ASEAN group members (Brunei,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and
Vietnam) and their six FTA partners — India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New
Zealand. The first meeting of this group is expected to be held on 10 August.
10.Which renowned personality was the author of the Tamil historical novel “Thenpandi
Singam”?
[A] Muthuvel Karunanidhi
[B] Ilaiyaraaja
[C] M. Nassar
[D] Brahmanandam Kanneganti
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Muthuvel Karunanidhi ]
Notes:
Muthuvel Karunanidhi (94), the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK patriarch, was
the author of the Tamil historical novel “Thenpandi Singam”. The novel was based on a
legendary story of Valukku Veli, a Petty chief ruling Paganeri Nadu. Karunanidhi, who
passed away in Chennai on 7th August 2018, became the chief minister in 1971, 1989, 1996
and 2006. He was a legislator for six decades since 1957, when he won for the first time
from Kulithalai constituency, till 2016, when he emerged victorious from Tiruvarur as a 92-
year-old, barring the period between 1986 and 1989. Apart from politics, Karunanidhi
penned screenplays and dialogues for over 50 movies. He also wrote the stories of some of
them like Marudanattu Ilavarasi (1950) Mandiri Kumari (1950), Tirumbipar (1953) and
Arasilangkumari (1961).
09 AUGUST 2018
1.Under which section of the RBI Act 1934, Swaminathan Gurumurthy has been
appointment as non-official director on the central board of the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI)?
[A] Section 8 (1) (a)
[B] Section 8 (1) (f)
[C] Section 8 (1) (e)
[D] Section 8 (1) (c)
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Section 8 (1) (c)]

Notes:
As per Section 8 (1) (c) of the RBI Act 1934, Chartered Accountant Swaminathan
Gurumurthy has been appointment as non-official director on the central board of the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a period of 4 years. He is associated with the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch and is also the editor of Tamil
magazine Thuglak. Besides him, the government has also appointed businessman Satish
Kashinath Marathe as another non-official director on the RBI board for 4 years.
2.UNESCO has included which Indian biosphere reserve in the list of World Network of
Biosphere Reserve (WNBR) at the 30th Session of the Man and Biosphere International
Coordinating Council?
[A] Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve
[B] Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve
[C] Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve
[D] Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve ]
Notes:
UNESCO has included the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR) in the list of World
Network of Biosphere Reserve (WNBR) at the 30th Session of the Man and Biosphere
International Coordinating Council (ICC) in Palembang, Indonesia. With this, KBR has now
become the India’s 11th internationally designated WNBR and joined the list of other
biospheres such as Nandadevi, Simlipal, Sunderbans, Nokrek , Pachmarhi and Nilgiri. The
reserve, which is located in Sikkim, includes a range of ecoclines varying from subtropical to
arctic, as well as vast natural forests in different biomes that support an immensely rich
diversity of forest types and habitats resulting in high species diversity and endemism. The
core zone of the biosphere alone has over 150 glaciers and 73 glacial lakes, the prominent
one being the famous 26-km-long Zemu glacier. It is home to a number of globally
threatened fauna including musk deer, snow leopard, red panda and Himalayan Tahr and
many ethnic communities including Lepcha, Nepalese, and Bhutia.
3.The repatriation process of Bru tribals will start from which state to Mizoram from 14th
August 2018?
[A] Bihar
[B] Bengal
[C] Assam
[D] Tripura
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Tripura]
Notes:
The Mizoram government will start the repatriation process of Bru (Reang) tribals from
Tripura to Mizoram from August 14 to September 10. The Brus are in Tripura since late
1997 in the wake of a communal tension triggered by the murder of a forest guard inside

the Dampa Tiger Reserve on October 21, 1997 by Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF)
militants. Regarding to this issue, the Centre, state governments of Mizoram and Tripura
and the Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF), the apex body of the Bru
community in the relief camps, have on July 3 signed an agreement in New Delhi for
repatriation of all the Bru refugees from Tripura before September 30. According to the
agreement, Rs 4 lakh would be deposited in the account of the head of each repatriated
Bru family, which would mature after three years, and a payment of Rs 1.5 lakh as housing
assistance. Each repatriated Bru family would also be given Rs 5,000 through Direct Benefit
Transfer (DBT) every month and free ration for two years. Altogether 32,876 Brus belonging
to 5,407 families are lodged in six relief camps in North Tripura district..
4.Who will be the director of the 11th edition of the India Art Fair 2019?
[A] Imran Qureshi
[B] G Ravinder Reddy
[C] Zoya Siddiqui
[D] Jagdip Jagpal
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Jagdip Jagpal]
Notes:
The 11th edition of the India Art Fair 2019 will be held from January 31 to February 3 in
New Delhi. It is best known for its strong representation of leading Indian galleries
alongside selected exhibitors from across the world. The art fair will attracts visitors with an
interest in the art world, such as curators, artists, collectors, journalists, gallerists and critics
and art lovers.The director of the 4-day annual art fair will be Jagdip Jagpal.
5.Which renowned earth scientist has become the new vice chancellor of the University of
Kashmir?
[A] Prof. Talat Ahmad
[B] Prof. Sangeeta Shukla
[C] Prof. Khurshid Ibal Andrabi
[D] Mehbooba Mufti
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Prof. Talat Ahmad]
Notes:
Prof. Talat Ahmad, the renowned earth scientist, has become the new vice chancellor of the
University of Kashmir. He succeeded Khurshid Iqbal Andrabi. Prior to this post, Ahmad was
the vice chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia. He has been a recipient of several prestigious
awards and citations, including the National Mineral Award, 1994 from the Government of
India. He has also been a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy in New Delhi,
Indian Academy of Sciences in Bangalore, fellow of the National Academy of Sciences in
Allahabad, J C Bose National Fellowship, DST, New Delhi.
6.The 4th edition of National Handloom Day (NHD-2018) is celebrated on which date?

[A] 7th Aug
[B] 8th Aug
[C] 15th Aug
[D] 22nd Aug
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [7th Aug]
Notes:
The 4th edition of National Handloom Day (NHD-2018) is celebrated every year in India on
August 7 to honour Indian handloom weavers and celebrate the rich cultural legacy of
handlooms in the country. The handloom industry is one of the largest cottage industries in
India. It provides direct and indirect employment to thousands of people across regions.
The 7th of August has been chosen to celebrate the day due to its special significance in
India’s history. It was on this day that the Swadeshi Movement was launched in 1905. The
movement involved revival of domestic products and production processes.
7.Italian motorcycle-maker Benelli has signed pact with which state government to set up
which manufacturing facility in the state?
[A] Bengal
[B] Andhra Pradesh
[C] Telangana
[D] Goa
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Telangana]
Notes:
Italian motorcycle-maker Benelli has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the Telangana government to set up a manufacturing facility at Medichal, Pochampally,
Hyderabad. Under the agreement with Adishwar Auto Ride India (AARI), a subsidiary of
Mahavir Group, the assembly plant on 3 acres in Kompally is expected to become
operational by October 2018. It will have a capacity to assemble 10,000 bikes and begin
with around 100 employees. The partnership entitles AARI to assemble, manufacture bikes
and import exclusive range of Benelli bikes from Italy and South East Asia regions.
Established in 1911, Benelli is one of the oldest Italian motorcycle-manufacturer and has a
presence in over 60 countries such as America, Africa, Europe and Asia Pacific regions.
8.Who has been elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha?
[A] Harivansh Narayan Singh
[B] B K Hariprasad
[C] Ananth Kumar
[D] Ram Gopal Yadav
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Harivansh Narayan Singh ]
Notes:
NDA candidate Harivansh Narayan Singh has been elected as the Deputy Chairman of the

Rajya Sabha after defeating opposition nominee B K Hariprasad on 9th August 2018. Mr
Harivansh, a veteran journalist, represents the state of Bihar in the House as a JD(U)
member. He polled 125 votes as against 105 by Hariprasad in a division of voting in the
House.The post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman was lying vacant since the retirement of P
J Kurien on July 1, 2018.
9.Which Indian-American personality has won the International Geography Bee World
Championship 2018 in junior varsity division?
[A] Anand Sharma
[B] Avi Goel
[C] Sam Mehta
[D] Janaki Ammal
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Avi Goel]
Notes:
Avi Goel (14), the Indian-American high school student, has won the International
Geography Bee World Championship 2018 in junior varsity division in Berlin, Germany. Avi
is a tenth grader at Silver Creek High School in Evergreen, San Jose, California. He won a
gold medal in 7 out of the 10 medal events, and a silver medal in two of the events, topping
the overall medals table. He also bagged the top spot in all the three events counting
towards the world championship title: the International Geography Exam, the International
Geography Showdown, and the International Geography Bee. The competition took place
from 11th to 18th of last month, bringing together over 100 of the world’s top geography
students to vie for the world championship title in the subject. The competition was held by
International Academic Competitions, a worldwide organization that runs academic
competitions across the world, including the newly formed International Geography Bee.
10.Mathrubhumi, which has launched its new venture ‘Mathrubhumi Media School’, is the
leading Media group of which state?
[A] Kerala
[B] Gujarat
[C] Rajasthan
[D] Karnataka
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Kerala]
Notes:
Mathrubhumi, the leading media group of Kerala, has launched its new venture
‘Mathrubhumi Media School’ in Kochi on August 8, 2018. The purpose of the school is to
promote excellence in the field of media, and to infuse broad knowledge, integrity and
social commitment. It offers several comprehensive courses for an aspiring journalist, with
a distinguished faculty dedicated to training the next generation of focused journalists in
the state -of- the – art facilities the Group has within its media network and at other media
establishments. The year-long programme includes hands-on media exposure, projects and

assignments specially focused on experiential learning through field experience,
collaboration with leading media houses for training and 2 months internship for students.
Mathrubhumi, which is a Malayalam newspaper, was founded in 1922 by K P Kesava
Menon, an active volunteer in the Indian freedom struggle against the British.
10 AUGUST 2018
1.Who has been appointed the new Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI)?
[A] Ram Sewak Sharma

[B] Vikram Limaye
[C] Rajan Mathews
[D] D. Shivalingaiah
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ram Sewak Sharma]
Notes:
Dr. Ram Sewak Sharma has been reappointed the Chairman of Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI) till 30th September 2020. He was in July 2015 named as the TRAI
chief for a three-year period. Recently, he triggered a debate around safety of Aadhaar by
tweeting his Aadhaar number and challenging Twitter users to cause any harm from the
knowledge of the number. TRAI is a statutory body set up by the Government of India (GoI)
under section 3 of the TRAI Act, 1997. Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.
2.Which state is hosting the ‘One District One Product’ Summit 2018?
[A] Andhra Pradesh
[B] Kerala
[C] Uttar Pradesh
[D] Assam
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Uttar Pradesh]
Notes:
The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the ‘One District One Product (ODOP)’
Summit in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on August 10, 2018. The summit has been organised by
the Uttar Pradesh government to promote traditional industries and spur local trade.
During the summit, with a tagline of ‘Nayi Udaan, Nayi Pehchan’, the President distributed
loan sanction papers to some artisans. The summit is stated to be the first of its kind in the
country and is expected to give a big boost to the MSME and handicraft in the state. Uttar
Pradesh is uniquely famous for product-specific traditional industrial hubs across 75
districts, including Varanasi (Banarasi silk sari), Bhadohi (carpet), Lucknow (chikan), Kanpur
(leather goods), Agra (leather footwear), Aligarh (locks), Moradabad (brassware), Meerut
(sports goods) and Saharanpur (wooden products).
3.What is the theme of the 2018 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples?
[A] Indigenous Peoples’ migration and movement
[B] Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Education
[C] Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Health
[D] Ensuring indigenous peoples’ health and well-being
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Indigenous Peoples’ migration and movement]
Notes:
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed every year on August 9
in recognition of the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous
Populations in Geneva in 1982. On this day, people from around the world are encouraged
to spread the UN’s message on the protection and promotion of the rights of indigenous
peoples. The 2018 theme “Indigenous peoples’ migration and movement” focus on the
current situation of indigenous territories, the root causes of migration, trans-border
movement and displacement, with a specific focus on indigenous peoples living in urban
areas and across international borders.
4.Which of the following has become the first Defence PSU to be activated on the TReDS
platform?
[A] Bharat Dynamics
[B] Dredging Corporation of India
[C] Central Electronics Limited
[D] Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers]
Notes:
The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) has become the first defence
Public Sector Units (PSU) to be activated on the TReDS (Trade Receivable Discounting
System) platform. The platform enables discounting of invoices of MSME sellers against
large buyers through an auction mechanism, helping prompt realisation of trade
receivables at competitive market rates and helps avoid the constraints in obtaining
financing. The platform hosts 15 financers including Allahabad Bank, Bank of Baroda (BoB),
Union Bank of India (UBI) and Vijaya Bank.
5.Who will be India’s flag-bearer in the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games?
[A] Hima Das
[B] Neeraj Chopra
[C] Manika Batra
[D] M. R. Poovamma

Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Neeraj Chopra]
Notes:
Javelin thrower star Neeraj Chopra from Haryana will be India’s flag bearer in the opening
ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. He will lead India’s contingent in
the multi-sport event. So far, Chopra won gold in 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games
(CWG), 2017 Asian Athletic championships, 2016 South Asian Games and the 2016 World
Junior Championships. He also holds the for U-20 world record with a throw of 86.48m. He
is currently coached by Uwe Hohn, a retired German track and field athlete.
6.Who has been appointed the new chairperson of the National Commission for Women
(NCW)?
[A] Lalitha Kumaramangalam
[B] Jayanti Patnaik
[C] Alphons Kannanthanam
[D] Rekha Sharma
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Rekha Sharma]
Notes:
NCW member Rekha Sharma from Haryana has been appointed the new chairperson of the
National Commission for Women (NCW). She was recently embroiled in a controversy after
she recommended abolishing the practice of “confessions” in churches as it can lead to
blackmailing of women, after such a case came to light in Kerala. The NCW is a statutory
body of the Government of India (GoI), which represent the rights of women in India and to
provide a voice for their issues and concerns.
7.The 2018 World Biodiesel Day (WBD) is observed on which date?
[A] August 11
[B] August 8
[C] August 10
[D] August 9
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [August 10]
Notes:
The World Biodiesel Day (WBD) is observed every year on August 10 to create awareness
about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels and to
highlight the various efforts made by the Government in the biofuel sector. The day also
honours the research experiments by Sir Rudolf Diesel who ran an engine with peanut oil in
the year of 1893. In India, the 2018 WBD is observed by the Ministry of Petroleum &
Natural Gas. On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched “Pro Active and
Responsive facilitation by interactive and Virtuous Environment Single window Hub”
(PARIVESH) at WBD Programme at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. He also released book on

National Biofuel Policy 2018. The Biofuels policy has the objective of reaching 20% ethanol-
blending and 5% biodiesel-blending by the year 2030.
8.Recently, Justice Gita Mittal has been sworn in as the Chief Justice of which of the
following High Courts?
[A] Punjab & Haryana
[B] Jammu & Kashmir
[C] Rajasthan
[D] Uttar Pradesh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Jammu & Kashmir ]
Notes:
Justice Gita Mittal has been sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High
Court. She was administered the oath of office by Governor N.N. Vohra. She is the first
woman Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir High Court.
9.What is the current number of India’s Biosphere reserves included in the World Network
of Biosphere Reserves?
[A] 8
[B] 9
[C] 10
[D] 11
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [11]
Notes:
On August 10, 2018, the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR) of Sikkim has been
included in the UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserve (WHBR). With this, number
of biosphere reserves from the country included in World Network of Biosphere Reserves
has increased to 11. KBR is the highest biosphere reserve in the country that includes the
third highest mountain peak in the world, Kanchenjunga (8,586 m).
10.Who has been voted the most influential woman in history as per the recent Readers of
BBC History magazine poll?
[A] Florence Nightingale
[B] Marie Curie
[C] Mother Teresa
[D] Marilyn Monroe
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Marie Curie]
Notes:
Nobel prize winning scientist Marie Curie was the most influential woman in this poll. The
magazine ranked Polish born Curie at the top of a list of 100 women who changed the
world, for her role in treating cancer.

11&12 AUGUST 2018

1.The ‘Tatkal sewa’ for property registration is a proposed initiative of which state
government?
[A] Punjab
[B] Uttar Pradesh
[C] Maharashtra
[D] Assam
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Punjab]
Notes:
The Punjab Government will start ‘Tatkal Sewa’ for property registration across the state
from 13th August 2018. The state government has fixed the sum of Rs 5,000 as facilitation
charges to seek appointment for ‘tatkal’ (instant) registration for properties. Beside this, an
hour-long slot from 9 am to 10 am has been reserved for availing the service under instant
mode. People could seek an appointment by visiting the website
“www.revenue.punjab.gov.in”. So far, over 1.62 lakh online documents have been
registered under the new system. This service comes on the heels of the State starting on
line property registration in June 2018.
2.Which Indian author has won the 2018 Hindu Playwright Award 2018?
[A] Keval Arora
[B] Sneh Sapru
[C] Swetanshu Bora
[D] Annie Zaidi
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Annie Zaidi]
Notes:
Annie Zaidi, an Indian author, has won the 2018 Hindu Playwright Award 2018 for her play
‘Untitled’ at the 14th edition of The Hindu Theatre Fest at the Taj Coromandel. The award
was presented by Ratna Pathak Shah, actor and director. The award, instituted in 2008,
carries a prize of Rs 2 lakh for the best original, unpublished and unperformed play script in
English.
3.Recently, the first electronics manufacturing cluster in the northeastern region under the
Indian Government’s ‘Digital North East Vision 2022’ was inauguarted in which city?
[A] Agartala
[B] Dispur
[C] Guwahati
[D] Kohima
Hide Answer

Correct Answer: C [Guwahati]
Notes:
The document ‘Digital North East Vision 2022’ has been released by Union Minister for
Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad in Guwahati, Assam. Under this
vision, the Union government will invest nearly Rs. 10,000 crore in the region over the next
4 years to implement more than 400 projects. The vision document has identified a total of
8 thrust areas to enhance connectivity, including telecom infrastructure, electronics
manufacturing units, BPOs and cyber security, besides promotion of digital innovations. The
state-wise roadmaps for implementing digital initiatives in the North East States have also
been developed. Through these, the Vision Document aims to empower the people of the
North Eastern region. As part of the initiative, Mr. Prasad also inaugurated the first
electronics manufacturing cluster in the northeastern region in Guwahati on 10th August
2018.
4.India’s first all-woman Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team for anti-terrorist
operations has been inducted in which state / UT police ?
[A] Karnataka Police
[B] Delhi Police
[C] Kerala Police
[D] Assam Police
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Delhi Police]
Notes:
India’s first all-woman Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team for anti-terrorist
operations has been inducted in Delhi Police. The 36 elite women commandos, hailing from
north-eastern states, have undergone rigorous training of around 15 months from
specialists all across India and abroad to handle urban situations as well as jungle
operations. Their expertise includes unarmed combat, ambush and counter-ambush and
urban operations like building interventions, vehicle intervention and VVIP security. They
will be deployed at Red Fort and India Gate during the 2018 Independence Day
celebrations. The SWAT team is the brainchild of Amulya Patnaik, the Delhi Police
Commissioner.
5.Which of the following has become the India’s first bank to introduce iris authentication
for Aadhaar-based transactions through micro ATMs?
[A] ICICI Bank
[B] Punjab National Bank
[C] Axis Bank
[D] State Bank of India
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Axis Bank]
Notes:
Axis Bank has become the India’s first bank to introduce Iris Scan Authentication feature for

Aadhaar-based transactions through its micro ATM tablets. As per study conducted by the
International Centre for Biometric Research (ICBR), Iris scan technology is completely
contactless and provides up to 98.2% authentication success rate and offers an edge over
other prevalent biometric modes. The highly secure iris powered micro ATM tablets are
Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) certified and UIDAI compliant
registered devices with completely integrated iris sensors. The process of transaction
through iris scan is very simple. Customer need to select the desired service (funds transfer,
cash withdrawal) and feed-in their Aadhaar numbers in the micro ATM. Next, they will have
to choose ‘IRIS’ as the desired mode of authentication. Verification will be done by scanning
the eyes of the customers through the tablet’s iris sensor camera in 3-5 seconds. The
transaction will be completed after the biometric details are verified from the UIDAI
database.
6.What is the theme of the 2018 International Youth Day (IYD)?
[A] Youth Building Peace
[B] Safe Spaces for Youth
[C] Change Your World
[D] Eradicate Negativity
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Safe Spaces for Youth]
Notes:
The International Youth Day (IYD) is celebrated every year on August 12 to recognize the
efforts of the world’s youth in enhancing global society. The day is the brainchild of the
United Nations to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding the
youth of today. The 2018 theme is “Safe Spaces for Youth”. The UN has taken this initiative
to drive attention towards youth development and protection and the areas that include
education, employment, environment, HIV/AIDS, girls and young women, and
intergenerational relations.
7.Which of the following is not a work of late VS Naipaul, the Trinidad-born Indian origin
Nobel prize wining author who passed away recently?
[A] A Bend in the River
[B] Magic Seeds
[C] A House for Mr Biswas
[D] The Remains of the Day
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [The Remains of the Day]
Notes:
Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul (85), the Trinidad-born Indian origin author, has passed
away in London, England on August 12, 2018. He was known for his critical commentary on
colonialism, idealism, religion and politics. Born in 1932 in Trinidad into an Indian Hindu
family, he wrote more than 30 books of fiction and non-fiction including ‘A Bend in the
River’, ‘A House for Mr Biswas’, The Writer and the World, Magic Seeds, etc. He won the

Nobel Prize for Literature in 2001 for having united perceptive narrative and incorruptible
scrutiny in works that compel us to see the presence of suppressed histories.
8.What is the theme of the 9th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit-2019?
[A] Towards a New India of the future
[B] Laying the foundations for New India
[C] Boost India in the World
[D] Shaping of a New India
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Shaping of a New India]
Notes:
The 9th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit-2019 is scheduled to be held between
January 18 and 20 in Gandhinagar with theme `Shaping of a New India’. The `Youth Connect
Forums’ at the summit will facilitate interactions between young achievers, successful
businessmen and traders and the youth. There would be discussions on success of sectors
like pharma, diamond, manufacturing and SEZ in the state.
9.In which three southern states, Wipro has launched Santoor women’s scholarship for
higher education to girls from economically weaker families?
[A] Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh
[B] Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
[C] Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka
[D] Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana]
Notes:
The Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting will offer 3-year Santoor women’s scholarship for
higher education to girls from economically weaker families in the three southern states of
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Approx 900 girls from the 3 states will be given
Santoor scholarship, with Rs 24,000 for each of them per annum to do under-graduation..
The students can apply for the scholarship on “www.santoorscholarships.com” till
September 15 or in state-run colleges across the three states. The scholarship is an attempt
to empower women to change their life and the world. Enrollment ratio of women pursuing
higher education in the country is low and many give up higher study due to lack of
financial support. Santoor is the leading brand name of Wipro’s toilet soap.
10.Which Indian authority has launched the RUCO initiative recently?
[A] Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
[B] National Disaster Management Authority
[C] Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
[D] Narcotics Control Bureau
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Food Safety and Standards Authority of India]

Notes:
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched an initiative “RUCO
(Repurpose Used Cooking Oil)” that will enable collection and conversion of used cooking
oil to biodiesel. Under this initiative, 64 companies at 101 locations have been identified to
enable collection of used cooking oil. According to FSSAI regulations, the maximum
permissible limits for Total Polar Compounds (TPC) have been set at 25%, beyond which the
cooking oil is unsafe for consumption. Beside this, FSSAI is also working in partnership with
Biodiesel Association of India and the food industry to ensure effective compliance of used
cooking oil regulations.
13 AUGUST 2018
1.Justice Manjula Chellur, who has been appointed as new chairperson of Appellate
Tribunal for Electricity was previously chief justice of which high court?
[A] Jammu & Kashmir High Court
[B] Punjab & Haryana High Court
[C] Bombay High Court
[D] Gujarat High Court
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Bombay High Court ]
Notes:
Justice Manjula Chellur has been appointed the new chairperson of Appellate Tribunal for
Electricity (ATE), which is under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Power. Prior to this, she was
Chief Justice of Bombay High Court. The tribunal has been established by Central
Government for those who are not satisfied with the Central Electricity Regulatory
Commission (CERC) order or with a state. It has the authority to overrule or amend that
order, just like the Income-Tax tribunal or the Central Administrative Tribunal. Justice
Chellur was the first woman Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court. She also served as the
Chief Justice of Kerala High Court and the first female judge of the Karnataka High Court.
2.India’s first genetic bank for wildlife conservation has been inaugurated in which city?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Kolkata
[C] Hyderabad
[D] Chennai
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Hyderabad]
Notes:
In Hyderabad, India’s first genetic bank for wildlife conservation has been inaugurated by
Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr. Harsh Vardhan at the Laboratory for
Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) in CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular

Biology (CCMB) to protect India’s biodiversity and environment. It is dubbed as National
Wildlife Genetic Resource Bank (NWGRB), which can store 17,000 vials worth of samples.
Currently genetic material, including DNA, cells and tissues besides semen and eggs of 23
wildlife species are stored. This facility would also facilitate exchange of genetic material
between Indian zoos for maintaining genetic diversity and conservation management made
accessible to scientists and wildlife managers for implementing conservation programmes.
The Genetic Resource Bank (GRB) is the systematic collection and preservation of tissues,
sperm, eggs and embryos, genetic material (DNA/RNA).
3.On which date, the 2018 World Elephant Day (WED) was observed recently?
[A] August 13
[B] August 14
[C] August 12
[D] August 15
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [August 12]
Notes:
The World Elephant Day (WED) is observed every year on August 12 to bring the world
together to help protect & honour these gentle giants and to spread awareness about the
critical threats they are facing. The day is also observed to bring attention to the urgent
plight of Asian and African elephants and to share knowledge & positive solutions for the
better care and management of captive and wild elephants. It’s also India’s National
Heritage Animal. On the occasion of 2018 WED, the festival Gaj Mahotsav has started in
Delhi to showcase 101 elephant installations, photographs by artists and performances by
Delhi-based rock bank Euphoria. The event is organised by Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and
the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
4.Which city hosted the Nepal-India Literature Festival 2018?
[A] Bharatpur
[B] New Delhi
[C] Kathmandu
[D] Birgunj
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Birgunj]
Notes:
The Nepal-India Literature Festival 2018 was held in Birgunj, Nepal on August 12 to
strengthen Indo-Nepal ties. On this occasion, the renowned writers from both the countries
were also felicitated. Approx 250 participants from India and Nepal attended the two day
festival. The event was organized by Nepal India Co-operation Forum.
5.Who has been officially appointed new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights?
[A] Dina Kawar
[B] Mary Robinson

[C] Ricardo Lagos
[D] Michelle Bachelet
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Michelle Bachelet]
Notes:
Michelle Bachelet, the former two-time President of Chile, has been officially appointed
new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for a period of 4 years. She will succeed
Jordanian diplomat Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein in September 2018. The High Commissioner is the
principle official who speaks out for human rights across the whole UN system. It
strengthens human rights mechanisms, enhance equality & fight discrimination in all its
forms. It also strengthens accountability & the rule of law and widens the democratic space
& protecting the most vulnerable from all forms of human rights abuse.
6.Which rescue operation has been launched by Indian Army in the flood-hit areas of
Kerala?
[A] Operation Madad
[B] Operation Sahyog
[C] Operation Surya Hope
[D] Operation Surya Hope
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Operation Sahyog]
Notes:
The Indian Army has launched the major rescue and relief operation “Operation Sahyog” at
Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Idukki after incessant rain and landslides hit various
northern districts of Kerala. The army constructed temporary bridges for the evacuations of
the stranded people from the isolated villages. Apart from the Army, the Southern Naval
Command of Indian Navy has also launched ‘Operation Madad’ to assist the state
administration and undertake disaster relief operations due to unprecedented flooding in
many parts of Kerala following incessant rainfall and release of excess water from Idukki
and other dams. Naval helicopters are also deployed for ferrying divers, power tools, axes
and relief material to the flooded areas to augment ongoing relief operations.
7.Which space agency has successfully launched the Parker Solar Probe mission to touch
the Sun?
[A] Roscosmos
[B] NASA
[C] ISRO
[D] JAXA
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [NASA]
Notes:
On August 12, the US space agency NASA has successfully launched the Parker Solar Probe
mission to send a satellite closer to the Sun than any before. The rocket carrying the Parker

Solar Probe lifted off from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
Florida in the US. It is the world’s first mission to touch the Sun that will unlock the
mysteries of star’s fiery outer atmosphere and its effects on space weather during the 7-
year long journey. The car-sized spacecraft will travel directly into the Sun’s atmosphere,
about four million miles from its surface and more than 7 times closer than any spacecraft
has come before. The US $1.5 billion mission will perform the closest-ever observations of a
star when it travels through the Sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona. It is the first
space craft to be named after a living person – astrophysicist Eugene Parker (91), who first
described solar wind in 1958.
8.What was the tenure of Somnath Chatterjee, who passed away recently, as Lok Sabha
Speaker?
[A] 2004-2009
[B] 2005-2010
[C] 2000-2005
[D] 2002-2006
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [2004-2009]
Notes:
Somnath Chatterjee (89), the former Lok Sabha Speaker & veteran leader, has passed away
in Kolkata, West Bengal on August 13, 2018. Mr. Chatterjee was the Speaker in the first
five-year term (2004-2009) of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and was
elected to the Parliament’s Lower House ten times since 1971. He joined Communist Party
of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in 1968 and was a member till his expulsion in 2008. He was
expelled from CPI-M in July 2008 for refusing to resign as Speaker after CPI-M withdrew
support from the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. After that, he was
independent in the last decade of his life.
9.Who has become the youngest Indian golfer to claim Asian Tour title at the 2018 Take
Solutions Masters?
[A] Om Prakash Chouhan
[B] Viraj Madappa
[C] Shubhankar Sharma
[D] SSP Chawrasia
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Viraj Madappa]
Notes:
Viraj Madappa (20) from Kolkata has become the youngest Indian golfer to claim the Asian
Tour title after lifting the 2018 TAKE Solutions Masters trophy in Bengaluru on August 12.
Beside this, Madappa has also become the first rookie and youngest player to win on Tour
this season. He takes home a winner’s prize purse of US$63,000 and earned a one-year
winner exemption on the region’s premier Tour. The earlier record was held by Gaganjeet

Bhullar, who won the Indonesia Invitational, when he was 21 years and three months, while
Shubhankar Sharma won Joburg Open when he was 21 years and five months old.
10.Who has been sworn-in as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court (MHC)?
[A] Aniruddha Bose
[B] Mukesh R Shah
[C] R Rajagopal
[D] Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani]
Notes:
Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani has been sworn-in as the new Chief Justice of the
Madras High Court (MHC) by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit at a ceremony in Raj
Bhavan in Chennai on August 12. Justice Tahilramani is the third woman chief justice of the
MHC. She succeeded Justice Indira Banerjee, who has been elevated to the Supreme Court.
Apart from this, Justice Mukesh R Shah and Justice Aniruddha Bose have been sworn in as
the Chief Justice of Patna High Court and Jharkhand High Court, respectively.
14 AUGUST 2018
1.On which date, the 2018 World Organ Donation Day (WODD) has been observed
recently?
[A] August 11
[B] August 13
[C] August 14
[D] August 12
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [August 13]
Notes:
The World Organ Donation Day (WODD) is observed every year on August 13 to encourage
people to donate their precious organs. Every year, about 5 lakh people die awaiting organ
transplants due to non-availability of organs. There is a wide gap between the number of
transplants awaited and the organs available. Organ donation is a process where an organ
is transferred from the body of the one who is giving the organ (donor) to the one who
needs the organ (recipient). The donor can be living or deceased. Organs that can be
donated are kidney, lungs, heart, eye, liver, pancreas, cornea, small intestine, skin tissues,
bone tissues, heart valves and veins.
2.Who has been appointed CEO of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)?
[A] Rajlakshmi Nirmal
[B] Sunil Jain

[C] Ashish Kumar Bhutani
[D] Nitin Sharma
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Ashish Kumar Bhutani]
Notes:
Ashish Kumar Bhutani, a 1992 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, has been
appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) till
May 9, 2020. The PMFBY is the government sponsored crop insurance scheme that
integrates multiple stakeholders on a single platform. It was launched by Prime Narendra
Modi on 18th February 2016 in line with ‘One Nation – One Scheme’ theme. It envisages a
uniform premium of only 2% to be paid by farmers for Kharif crops, and 1.5% for Rabi
crops. The premium for annual commercial and horticultural crops will be 5%. The purpose
of PMFBY is to provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event
of failure of any of the notified crop as a result of natural calamities, pests & diseases. It
also aims to encourage farmers to adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices and
to stabilize the income of farmers to ensure their continuance in farming.
3.Prasar Bharati has tied up with which techonlogical giant to telecast 2018 Independence
Day programme live online?
[A] Facebook
[B] Google
[C] Twitter
[D] Instagram
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Google]
Notes:
Prasar Bharati has tied up with Google and its video sharing platform YouTube to telecast
the 72nd Independence Day programme live online on 15th August 2018 to increase digital
presence. Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati has stated that the live stream
window will be seen on the homepage of Google itself so that people do not have to look
for a separate link to go to the Youtube channel. In a first-of-its-kind digital drive, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s speech from Red Fort will be live streamed on both Google and
YouTube. This year, Doordarshan anchors will introduce the programme from Red Fort
instead of the studios. Doordarshan will also translate the PM’s speech in over 20 regional
languages. The Independence Day coverage will open with a song composed by Shankar
Mahadevan. This service was first used by Google to telecast the inauguration ceremony of
US President Donald Trump in January 2017.
4.Hakam Singh Bhattal, who passed away recently, had won gold for India during which
Asian Games?
[A] 1974
[B] 1982

[C] 1986
[D] 1978
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [1978]
Notes:
Hakam Singh Bhattal (64), the Asian Games gold medallist athlete & Dhyan Chand awardee,
has passed away in Sangrur, Punjab on August 14, 2018. He won gold at the 1978 Bangkok
Asiad in 20km race walk. In it, India ranked 6th with 11 gold medals. He also won gold in the
Asian Track and Field Meeting held at Tokyo in 1979. He had also served as Havaldar in the
6 Sikh regiment.
5.Which city has been ranked first in the Ease of Living Index 2018, which is released by
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs?
[A] Pune
[B] Triputi
[C] Chandigarh
[D] Vijaywada
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Pune ]
Notes:
The Ease of Living Index 2018 has been launched by Hardeep Singh Puri, the Union Minister
of State (Independent Charge) for Housing & Urban Affairs, in New Delhi on August 13. In it,
Pune has been ranked first, followed by Navi Mumbai, Greater Mumbai, Triputi,
Chandigarh, Thane, Raipur, Indore, Vijaywada and Bhopal. The survey was conducted on
111 cities in the country. The Index is based on four parameters — governance, social
institutions, economic and physical infrastructure. Chennai has been ranked 14 and New
Delhi 65. The Ease of Living Index is a government initiative to assess cities’ ‘liveability’ with
regards to global and national benchmarks and encourage them towards urban planning
and management.
6.Which of the following has become the India’s first tribal language to get a Wikipedia
edition in its native script?
[A] Maithili
[B] Santhali
[C] Bodo
[D] Dogri
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Santhali]
Notes:
Santhali has become the first Indian tribal language to get a Wikipedia edition in its native
script. It is a language in the Munda subfamily of Austroasiatic languages & presently has
content of about 70,000 words. The Santhali Wikipedia edition received approval from the
Wikimedia Foundation’s Language Committee on June 28, 2018 and finally, the Santali

Wikipedia site was launched on 2nd August 2018. According to the 2001 census, Santhali is
written in Ol Chiki script & is spoken by 6.4 million people in India only. Its speakers live
mostly in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha and Assam. The language is also spoken in
Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. As per the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India,
Santali is a recognized regional language of India. Wikipedia is available in nearly 300
languages globally as of August 2018.
7.Who has clinched the 2018 men’s singles Rogers Cup tennis tournament?
[A] Novak Djokovic
[B] Stefanos Tsitsipas
[C] Roger Federer
[D] Rafael Nadal
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Rafael Nadal]
Notes:
Rafael Nadal, a Spanish professional tennis player, has clinched the 2018 men’s singles
Rogers Cup tennis tournament at the Aviva Centre in Toronto, Canada. In the final, he
defeated Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas by 6–2, 7–6 to win his 4th Rogers Cup title.
With this win, the 17-time Grand Slam champion Nadal clinched his 80th ATP World Tour
title and fifth victory of the year.
8.Which of the following has been declared the cleanest railway station in the A1 category,
as per 2018 cleanliness survey for Indian Railways?
[A] Jaipur
[B] Tirupati
[C] Jodhpur
[D] Warangal
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Jodhpur ]
Notes:
The 2018 cleanliness survey for Indian Railways has been conducted by the Quality Council
of India (QCI) i.e. announced by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on August 13.
Among the A-1 category stations, Jodhpur has been declared the cleanest railway station in
the A1 category, followed by Jaipur and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh). In A category stations,
Marwar (Rajasthan) has been placed at first position, followed by Phulera (Rajasthan) and
Warangal (Telangana). The North Western Railway (NWR), which is headquartered at Jaipur
, topped the list in the cleanest zone category, followed by South Central Railway (SCR) and
East Coast Railway (ECR). This is the 3rd report of Third Party Audit-cum-Survey of ranking
of cleanliness, which covers 407 stations which includes 75 stations in A1 and 332 stations
in A category stations. It is an attempt of Indian Railways to increase cleanliness levels and
improve hygiene standards by identifying the laggards.
9.Balramji Das Tandon, who passed away recently, was the current Governor of which
state?

[A] Assam
[B] Karnataka
[C] Chhattisgarh
[D] Himachal Pradesh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Chhattisgarh]
Notes:
Balramji Das Tandon (91), the present Governor of Chhattisgarh, has passed away in Raipur
on August 14, 2018. Born on 1st November 1927, he started his political career as
corporator of Amritsar Municipal corporation in 1953. Tandon was one of the founder
members of the Jansangh which later became the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). During his
long political career, he has served on various posts, including as deputy chief minister of
Punjab. A six-time MLA, Mr. Tandon was also the Punjab State BJP president for two years.
He was also jailed in 1975 during the Emergency for 19 months.
10.Which country has successfully tested its first cutting-edge waverider hypersonic aircraft
“Starry Sky-2”?
[A] China
[B] Japan
[C] Russia
[D] United States
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [China ]
Notes:
On August 5, China has successfully tested its first cutting-edge waverider hypersonic
aircraft “Xingkong-2 (or Starry Sky-2)” which could carry nuclear warheads and penetrate
any current generation anti-missile defense systems. This type of waverider aircraft uses
shock waves generated by its own flight as a lifting surface to enhance the lift-to-drag ratio
to reach the hypersonic regime of Mach 5 or even above. It flew independently, made
large-angle turning maneuvers, and landed in the targeted area as planned. It travels at
least 4 times faster than the speed of sound. The aircraft was designed by the China
Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA) in collaboration with the China Aerospace
Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC). Presently, the United States and Russia have
been carrying out similar experiments.
15 AUGUST 2018
1.Which Bollywood personality has become the brand ambassador for Government of India
(GoI)’s road safety awareness campaign?
[A] Amitabh Bachchan
[B] Anushka Sharma

[C] Deepika Padukone
[D] Akshay Kumar
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Akshay Kumar]
Notes:
On August 14, Film Actor Akshay Kumar has been appointed the brand ambassador for
Government of India (GoI)’s special road safety awareness campaign. As part of the
campaign “Sadak Suraksha – Jeevan Raksha”, three short films starring Akshay as traffic
police inspector has been released to generate public awareness towards road safety. In it,
he highlighted the importance of not breaking traffic rules. It is a matter of serious concern
that India accounts for 5 lakh accidents annually, the highest in the world, in which 1.5 lakh
people lose their lives every year.
2.NITI Aayog has launched which mobility pitch competition for budding startups in the
mobility field?
[A] Pitch to Mob
[B] Pitch to Move
[C] Pitch to Start
[D] Pitch to Gear
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Pitch to Move]
Notes:
NITI Aayog has launched a mobility pitch competition “Pitch to MOVE” for budding startups
in the mobility field. The competition aims to identify and reward the start-ups offering
innovative solutions for shared, connected and environment friendly mobility. It will
provide budding entrepreneurs of India a unique opportunity to pitch their business ideas
to a distinguished jury. The winners of the event will be felicitated by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi during the Global Mobility Summit 2018, which is scheduled to be held on
September in New Delhi. ‘Pitch to MOVE’ is organised by NITI Aayog in collaboration with
Invest India and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) as a part of a series of
engaging featured events in the run up to the main event.
3.Who has been appointed India’s new ambassador to Russia?
[A] Partha Satpathy
[B] Swetanshu Bora
[C] Pankaj Saran
[D] D Bala Venkatesh Varma
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [D Bala Venkatesh Varma]
Notes:
D Bala Venkatesh Varma, a 1988 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, has been appointed
India’s new ambassador to Russia, which is considered a high-profile posting due to
expanse of strategic cooperation between the two countries. Currently, he is serving as

Indian envoy in Spain. He will succeed Pankaj Saran, who has been appointed deputy
National Security Advisor (NSA). The Union Government also appointed Partha Satpathy as
next Ambassador of India to Ukraine.
4.Which Indian personality has been ranked first in the Kotak Wealth Hurun-Leading
Wealthy Women 2018 list?
[A] Smitha V. Crishna
[B] Roshni Nadar
[C] Indu Jain
[D] Leena Gandhi Tewari
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Smitha V. Crishna]
Notes:
Smitha V. Crishna, a third-generation heir of the Godrej family, has been ranked first in the
Kotak Wealth Hurun-Leading Wealthy Women 2018 list with an estimated wealth of Rs
37,570 crore. In 2014, she made news with the purchase of a bungalow that belonged to
Dr. Homi J. Bhabha for Rs 371 crore. Roshni Nadar, CEO and executive director at HCL,
ranked second in the list with an estimated wealth of Rs 30,200 crore. Indu Jain, the
chairperson of the Times Group, ranked third in the list, followed by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw,
Kiran Nadar, Leena Gandhi Tewari, Sangita Jindal and Jayshree Ulla. Industry wise,
pharmaceuticals leads with 22 women from that sector on the list. It is followed by
Software & Services with 12 individuals, and Food & Beverages with 8 individuals featured
in the list.
5.Which Indian sportsperson has won the Community Award in the Junior NBA World
Basketball Championship 2018?
[A] Ajmer Singh
[B] Sunishka Kartik
[C] Satnam Singh Bhamara
[D] Geethu Anna Jose
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Sunishka Kartik]
Notes:
Sunishka Kartik from Bengaluru won the Community Award in the 2018 Junior NBA World
Basketball Championship, which concluded at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at
Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, USA, on August 12. She had top-scored with 17
points in the team’s impressive win over South America Combined in a pool game. The
award recognizes players who are committed to give back to those in need. The
tournament featured the best 13 and 14-year-old boys and girls from around the world in
32 teams.
6.The Postal Highway Project, for which Government of India (GoI) is providing financial
support, is located in which country?

[A] Afghanistan
[B] Myanmar
[C] Nepal
[D] Sri Lanka
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Nepal]
Notes:
The Government of India (GoI) has released 470 million Nepali rupees grant for Terai roads
project in Nepal. The amount has been released to maintain fund liquidity for the ongoing
construction of 14 road packages under Postal Highway Project. With this payment, 2.35
billion Nepali rupees have been released so far out of total grant assistance of 8 billion
Nepali rupees committed by the Government of India for implementing 14 packages under
Postal Highway Project. Since 1950, the Indian Government has been supporting
infrastructure development of Nepal and has provided financial assistance for construction
of various Highways, Roads, Bridges, Airports, etc. as part of its multi-sectoral and multi-
dimensional India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Programme.
7.Who has been appointed the head coach of the Indian Women’s National Cricket team?
[A] Madan Lal
[B] Gundappa Viswanath
[C] Ramesh Powar
[D] Sanjay Bangar
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Ramesh Powar]
Notes:
Ramesh Powar, the former Indian off-spinner, has been appointed the head coach of the
Indian Women’s National Cricket team on an interim basis till 30th November 2018. His
term will include the tours to Sri Lanka in September, a bilateral series in West Indies in
October followed by the 2018 ICC Women’s World T20 in West Indies in November. This
was informed by BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary. As per the Supreme Court directive,
only a Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) – now functional – can appoint a fulltime coach on
a long-term basis. Powar has played 31 ODIs and two Tests from 2004 to 2007, picking 34
wickets with a best of 54 in the 50-over format.
8.Which state government has decided to observe September as the “month of nutrition”
to create awareness among people living in the state?
[A] Assam
[B] Rajasthan
[C] Uttar Pradesh
[D] Odisha
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Rajasthan ]

Notes:
The Rajasthan government has decided to observe September as the “month of nutrition”
to create awareness among people living in the state. From September, the students of
Class 1 to 8 of government schools will be given milk daily instead of thrice a week for
which additional funds of Rs 203 crore will be allocated. Besides, students in the age group
of 3-6 years, adolescent girls and pregnant women registered with Anganwadi centres will
also be provided milk thrice a week and the government will allocate Rs 100 crore for this.
In the month of nutrition, the awareness in rural as well as urban areas will be created for
nutrition. It must be noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National
Nutrition Mission (NNM) and Pan India Expansion of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) at a
mega event held at Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan on the occasion 2018 International Women’s
Day (IWD).
9.Chemmanam Chacko, who passed away recently, was noted poet of which language?
[A] Malayalam
[B] Tamil
[C] Telugu
[D] Odia
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Malayalam ]
Notes:
Chemmanam Chacko (92), the renowned Malayalam poet and Sahitya Akademi awardee,
has passed away in Kochi, Kerala on August 14, 2018. Known for his satirical works, Chacko
reacted to the contemporary socio-political issues of Kerala through his poems. Chacko had
won several awards, including those by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Sanjayan Award,
Kunjan Nambiar Kavitha puraskaram, P Smaraka Puraskaram and Mahakavi Ulloor Award.
His first published poem titled ‘Pravachanam’ was naturally inspired by the freedom
struggle. His other works include Vilamparam, Kanakaaksharangal, Nellu, Innu, etc.
10.Which state government has launched the eye care scheme ‘Kanti Velugu’ on the
occasion of 72nd Independence Day 2018?
[A] Andhra Pradesh
[B] Karnataka
[C] Telangana
[D] Tamil Nadu
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Telangana ]
Notes:
On the occasion of 72nd Independence Day 2018, Telangana Chief Minister K
Chandrasekhar Rao launched three new schemes viz. free life insurance for farmers (Rythu
Bima), ‘Kanti Velugu’ eye care scheme and an economic support programme for backward
classes. In the ‘Kanti Velugu’ eye care scheme, every citizen of Telangana will be entitle to
have free eye care viz. free eye screenings, medicines and spectacles and surgeries. It

envisages covering 3.7 crore population. Under the economic support scheme for backward
classes, the government would provide a grant of Rs 50,000 to the beneficiaries to start
small businesses. Under the ‘Rythu Bima’ scheme, every farmer would get life insurance
cover of Rs 5 lakh.
16 AUGUST 2018
1.Which committee has been constituted by the Central government to coordinate the
discharge of floodwaters from Kerala-Tamil Nadu inter-State projects?
[A] Narendra Kumar committee
[B] Kirti Sharma committee
[C] Ajit Doval committee
[D] M S Das committee
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Narendra Kumar committee]
Notes:
The Central government has constituted a coordination committee headed by the Central
Water Commission Chairman “Narendra Kumar” to coordinate the discharge of floodwaters
from inter-State projects involving Kerala and Tamil Nadu, including Mullaperiyar and
Aliyar. The Chairman of the CWC will monitor the situation at Mullaperiyar dam in view of
rising water level and continued heavy inflow.
2.Which telecom company has launched a VOIP based phone service “WINGS”?
[A] Airtel
[B] BSNL
[C] Reliance Jio
[D] Vodafone
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [BSNL]
Notes:
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has launched a VOIP based service “WINGS”. In
WINGS, there is no SIM or cable wiring as is a VOIP service through an app. The WINGS
service offers unlimited free audio/video calling for one year. The service can be activated
with a one-time fee of Rs. 1,099 (Rs 1,297 with GST). Calls can be made using any data
connection such as wired broadband, Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G network of any any operator. WINGS
can also be used over Internet Leased Lines. The facility can be used anywhere within the
country and the app automatically uses the existing address book in the phone. Unlike
other app-based VOIP services such as WhatsApp and Telegram calls, the WINGS app can
make calls to any phone number – free of cost. As there is no physical SIM, the number can

be used as the second number in phones without provision for second SIM. It can even be a
third number in dual-SIM phones.
3.The special film festival on theme “Freedom Struggle & Freedom Fighters” has been
organized by Films Division of India (FDI) in which city?
[A] Chennai
[B] Kolkata
[C] New Delhi
[D] Mumbai
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Mumbai ]
Notes:
On the occasion of 72nd Independence Day 2018, the special film festival on the theme
“Freedom Struggle and Freedom Fighters” has started in Mumbai on August 14. The festival
was organized by Films Division of India (FDI), a film production house belonging to the
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B). It was inaugurated by Rama Khandwala,
nonagenarian freedom fighter and Indian National Army (INA) veteran. During the festival,
noteworthy documentary films on freedom struggle and freedom fighters were screened.
Some of them are as follows: Jawan Tujhe Salam, Gandhi – A Universal Man, Netaji, Sardar
Patel – The Iron Man, etc.
4.Which of the following has been ranked as India’s most patriotic brand , as per survey
conducted by UK-based online market research and data analytics firm YouGov?
[A] Patanjali
[B] State Bank of India
[C] Tata Motors
[D] Reliance Jio
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [State Bank of India]
Notes:
As per survey conducted by UK-based online market research and data analytics firm
YouGov, the State Bank of India (SBI) has been ranked as the most patriotic brand, followed
by Tata Motors, Patanjali, Reliance Jio and BSNL. The survey, which covered 152 brands
across 11 categories, is based on data collected online by YouGov Omnibus among 1,193
respondents in the country between 2 August and 8 August using its panel of an online
representation of India. In the financial sector, SBI lead the chart with 47% of the sector-
share, followed by LIC with 16%. In the auto sector, Tata Motors emerged as the most
patriotic brand, followed by Bharat Petroleum (BP) and Maruti Suzuki. In terms of food
brands, Amul grabbed the top slot with one-third Indians considering it, followed by
Patanjali. Nirma emerged as the most patriotic brand in the homecare products category. In
the beverages category, Tata Tea grabbed the top rank with 35% respondents voting for it,
followed by Taj Mahal with 18%.
5.Who has been sworn-in as the new President of Paraguay?

[A] Horacio Cartes
[B] Federico Franco
[C] Mario Abdo Benítez
[D] Fernando Lugo
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Mario Abdo Benítez]
Notes:
Mario Abdo Benítez has been sworn in as the new President of Paraguay after defeating his
liberal rival in 2018 April elections. He succeeded Horacio Cartes. Mr Abdo Benítez is the
son of a close aide to ex-military dictator Alfredo Stroessner & has faced criticism for
defending the former leader’s record.
6.In which year, Atal Bihari Vajpayee became India’s prime minister for first time?
[A] 1997
[B] 1996
[C] 1998
[D] 1995
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [1996 ]
Notes:
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (93), the veteran leader, prolific writer and former Prime Minister of
India, has passed away in New Delhi on 16th August 2018. Born on 25th December 1924 in
Gwalior, he was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1957 and had a long parliamentary
experience spanning over four decades. He was elected to the Lok Sabha nine times and
two times for the Rajya Sabha. Vajpayee was the Minister of External Affairs (MEA) in the
cabinet of Prime Minister Morarji Desai. He served as the PM of India between 1996 and
2004 in three non-consecutive terms viz. May 1996 (for 13 days), 1998–1999 (for 11
months) and 1999–2004. He was awarded the India’s highest civilian honour ‘Bharat Ratna’
in 2015. His birthday is celebrated as the Good Governance Day (GGD) by the Central
Government since 2014 to foster awareness among the people of accountability in
government.
7.Which city is hosting the 24th World Congress of Philosophy (WCP) 2018?
[A] Istanbul
[B] Beijing
[C] Seoul
[D] Athens
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Beijing]
Notes:
China is hosting the 24th World Congress of Philosophy (WCP) 2018 in Beijing from August
13 with theme “Learning To Be Human”. The purpose of the event is to contribute to the
development of professional relations between philosophers of all countries, promote

philosophical education & contribute to the impact of philosophical knowledge on global
problems. More than 6,000 philosophers and academics from 121 countries and regions are
attending the event, which will be concluded on August 20. Attendees will share diverse
philosophical thoughts and take part in dialogues focusing on major issues confronting the
development of the global civilization, and challenges that mankind will face in the future.
The event is organized by the International Federation of Philosophical Societies, and
Peking University.
8.Which of the following Indian cities has been included in the 2018 Global Liveability Index,
which was released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)?
[A] Chennai and Pune
[B] Kolkata and Mysuru
[C] Kochi and Chandigarh
[D] Delhi and Mumbai
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Delhi and Mumbai ]
Notes:
Austrian capital Vienna has been ranked as the world’s most liveable city in a list of 140
global cities at the 2018 Global Liveability Index, which was released by the Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU). Melbourne has secured 2nd position followed by Osaka, Calgary and
Sydney. Delhi (112) and Mumbai (117) are only two Indian cities that are included in the
EIU’s annual index. The Syrian capital ‘Damascus’ was ranked the least liveable city in the
list of 140 cities, followed by Dhaka, Lagos and Karachi. The index assigns cities scores on
five broad parameters — stability, healthcare, culture/environment, education, and
infrastructure using 30 indicators. The EIU is part of UK magazine The Economist and
provides forecasting and advisory services through research and analysis.
9.Nihal Sarin, who has become the 53rd chess Grandmaster from India, belongs to which
state?
[A] Kerala
[B] Assam
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] Odisha
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Kerala]
Notes:
Nihal Sarin (14) from Kerala has become the 53rd Grandmaster of India and the 12th
youngest grandmaster in chess history after attaining his third and final GM-norm in the
Abu Dhabi Masters 2018. He tallied 5.5/9 with a rating performance of 2626 to secure his
third GM norm.
10.In which year, Ajit Wadekar, who passed away recently, led the Indian team to historic
test series victories in West Indies and England?

[A] 1972
[B] 1970
[C] 1971
[D] 1974
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [1971]
Notes:
Ajit Laxman Wadekar (77), the former Indian cricket captain, has passed away in Mumbai,
Maharashtra on August 15, 2018. He is best remembered for being the captain of the
Indian team which won Test series in England and the West Indies for the first time, in
1971. Wadekar scored 2,113 runs in his Test career, including one hundred, and was also
the country’s first ODI captain. Wadekar is the only cricketer apart from Lala Amarnath and
Chandu Borde to have served as captain, coach/manager and selector in Indian cricket. He
was bestowed the Arjuna Award in 1967 and India’s fourth highest civilian honour, the
Padmashri, in 1972.
17 & 18 AUGUST 2018

1.The festival of the historic Esala Maha Perehera has started in which neighboring country
of India?
[A] Bhutan
[B] Myanmar
[C] Sri Lanka
[D] China
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Sri Lanka]
Notes:
The 10-day festival of the historic Esala Maha Perehera has started in Kandy, Sri Lanka on
August 17 with a grand procession. The procession set off from the biggest Buddhist temple
in Sri Lanka, Sri Dalada Maligawa at an auspicious time. The Esala Perahera is one of the
oldest and grandest of all Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka, featuring dancers, jugglers,
musicians, fire-breathers and lavishly decorated elephants. This is held in Esala (July or
August) which is the month that is believed to commemorate the first teaching given by the
Buddha after he attained enlightenment. The purpose of the procession is to beseech the
blessings of the Gods to obtain rain for the cultivation of crops and to enrich the lands of
the kingdom. This ritual is performed by carrying the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha
through the streets and is considered as one of the most beautiful pageants in Asia. The
festival ends with the traditional diya-kepeema ritual, a water cutting ceremony which is
held at the Mahaweli River at Getambe, Kandy.

2.Which state is host to the 2018 International Conference on Recent Advances in Food
Processing Technology (iCRAFPT)?
[A] Karnataka
[B] Tamil Nadu
[C] Odisha
[D] Assam
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Tamil Nadu]
Notes:
On August 17, the 2018 International Conference on Recent Advances in Food Processing
Technology (iCRAFPT) has started at Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT),
Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu with theme “Doubling farmers’ income through food processing”.
The 3-day conference is the valuable and important platform for inspiring international and
interdisciplinary exchange at the forefront of food research. In it, internationally renowned
speakers will share their research experiences in the areas of advances in food engineering
and its industrial applications, food product development, food biotechnology, nano foods.
The IIFPT is the premier national Institute working under the administrative control of
Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) and its headquarters is located in Thanjavur.
3.Esow Alben, who scripted history by winning the India’s first junior cycling World Cup
medal, hails from which state/UT?
[A] Daman & Diu
[B] Gujarat
[C] Andaman & Nicobar Islands
[D] West Bengal
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Andaman & Nicobar Islands]
Notes:
Teen cyclist Esow Alben (17) has scripted history by winning the India’s first junior cycling
World Cup medal — a silver at the men’s keirin event in the UCI Junior Track Cycling World
2018. He put enormous pressure on Czech Republic’s Jakub Stastny in the final sprint
before settling for the silver medal. Esow finished just 0.017 seconds behind gold medallist
Stastny in the thrilling photo-finish of a race. Alben, who hails from Andaman & Nicobar
Islands, trains in Delhi at the Sports Authority of India (SAI)’s National Cycling Academy
(NCA). Esow is now the top-ranked junior cyclist for the sprint event and is No. 3 for keirin,
where the cyclists sprint for victory on a track following a controlled start.
4.Which IIT has decided to set up a Re-Water Research Center to replenish and rejuvenate
water resources?
[A] IIT Delhi
[B] IIT Kharagpur
[C] IIT Madras
[D] IIT Bombay

Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [IIT Kharagpur]
Notes:
The IIT Kharagpur has decided to set up a Re-Water Research Center to replenish and
rejuvenate water resources. It will be seed-funded by two alumni members – Aneesh Reddy
& Aditya Choubey. The purpose of the ‘Aditya Choubey Center for Re-Water Research’ is to
tackle the challenge of resolving two burning issues faced by urban India – sewage disposal
and access to clean potable water. The institute will set up an on-campus plant which will
convert 1.35 million litre of sewage water from the hostels to 1.2 million litre of potable
water, on a daily basis. The project is being developed to attract potential entrepreneurs
and government agencies to take up sewage treatment at a large scale and with a business
model for banks to gain confidence in funding such businesses. The pilot plant is expected
to be ready by March 2019.
5.Who is the newly appointed Chairman of Marine Products Export Development Authority
(MPEDA)?
[A] KS Srinivas
[B] BVR Subrahmanyam
[C] M S Mohan
[D] J K Nayak
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [KS Srinivas]
Notes:
KS Srinivas, a 1997 batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, has been appointed the new
Chairman of Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA). Prior to this post, he
served as Joint Secretary in Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare.
The MPEDA was constituted in 1972 under the MPEDA Act 1972 and is headquartered at
Kochi. It is given the mandate to promote the marine products industry with special
reference to exports from the country. It is also empowered to carry out inspection of
marine products, its raw material, fixing standards, specifications and training as well as
take all necessary steps for marketing the seafood overseas.
6.Who has been sworn-in as the new President of Mali?
[A] Alpha Oumar Konare
[B] Dioncounda Traore
[C] Soumaila Cisse
[D] Ibrahim Boubacar Keita
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Ibrahim Boubacar Keita]
Notes:
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been re-elected as the new President of Mali for a five-year
term after winning a landslide in a runoff ballot. He picked up 67.17% of the vote against
32.83% for opposition challenger and former finance minister Soumaila Cisse. Keita will

take office on September and his immediate challenges include strengthening a 2015 peace
accord between the government, its allies, and former Tuareg rebels. Mali is a landlocked
nation home to at least 20 ethnic groups where the majority of people live on less than $2 a
day.
7.Legendary singer Aretha Franklin, who passed away recently, had performed at the
inaugurations of which of the following Presidents of the United States?
[A] George W. Bush
[B] Donald Trump
[C] Jimmy Carter
[D] Ronald Reagan
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Jimmy Carter]
Notes:
Aretha Franklin (76), the legendary US singer and pianist, has passed away in Michigan, U.S
on August 16, 2018. The “Queen of Soul” was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and made her
debut in 1961. Her style on such hits as “Respect” and “Natural Woman” attracted fans all
over the world. She received the Grammy Award 18 times and was the first female vocalist
to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Franklin performed at the inaugurations of
three Presidents of the United States — Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.
8.Rajabhau Godse, who passed away recently, was associated with which political party?
[A] INC
[B] BJP
[C] Shiv Sena
[D] NCP
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Shiv Sena]
Notes:
Rajabhau Godse (57), the former Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) from Nashik , has
passed away in Nasik, Maharashtra on August 17, 2018. He was elected to the Lok Sabha
from Nashik constituency in 1996. He had also been the city and district unit chief of the
Sena after starting his political career as Sarpanch of village Sansari in the district.
9.Which of the following cities is the venue of the 11th World Hindi Conference (WHC)
2018?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Port Louis
[C] Johannesburg
[D] Paramaribo
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Port Louis]
Notes:
The 11th World Hindi Conference 2018 (WHC) has started in Port Louis, the capital of

Mauritius, with theme “Hindi World and Indian Culture” on August 18. It was organized by
the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India (GoI) in association with the
Government of Mauritius. More than 2000 delegates from India and various countries of
the world will deliberate on 8 subtopics on 2018 theme during the 3-day conference. The
aim of the Conference is to expand the reach of the Hindi language at a global level. The
WHC was started in 1975 to make the Hindi language a medium of service and knowledge
and enable it to move forward with the time. Since then, Hindi has made remarkable
progress and it has become one of the prominent languages of the world.
10.India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has revised India’s GDP growth to 7.2% for FY19.
Ind-Ra belongs to which group?
[A] CRISIL
[B] Standard & Poor’s
[C] Moody’s Corporation
[D] Fitch
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Fitch]
Notes:
India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has revised down India’s GDP growth to 7.2% for FY19
from 7.4% earlier in its latest report titled ‘Mid-year FY19 Outlook’. The key reason for this
is the upward revision in the estimation of inflation for 2018-19 due to increasing crude oil
prices and the government’s decision to fix the minimum support prices of all kharif crops
at 1.5 times the production cost. On rupee, the rating agency stated that in 2018, rupee has
already depreciated 7.7% till July in response to elevated global turbulence, worsening of
current account, rising inflation and concerns related to fiscal deficit. It expects the
aggregate fiscal deficit of the states to moderate to 2.8% of GDP. Ind-Ra is one of the India’s
most respected credit rating agency that provides ratings, research and rigorous analytics
of market in India. The headquarters of Ind-Ra is located in Mumbai and is belong to Fitch
group.
19 & 20 AUGUST 2018

1.The International team of scientists has recently cracked the genetic code of
which cultivated crop for the first time?
[A] Wheat
[B] Rice
[C] Maize
[D] Pulses
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Wheat]
Notes:
For the first time, the International team of scientists including 18 from India
cracked the genetic code of wheat, the world’s most widely cultivated crop. The
information generated will help to identify genes controlling complex agronomic
traits such as yield, grain quality, resistance to diseases and pests, as well as
tolerance to drought, heat, water logging and salinity. The research, which is
published in Journal ‘Science’, stated that the DNA sequence of bread wheat has
been ordered and it represents the highest quality genome sequence generated
to date. The reference genome covers 94% (14.5 Gb) of the entire wheat
genome. The bread wheat has a complex hexaploid genome which is 40 times
larger than that of the rice genome and 5 times larger than the human genome.
The availability of high quality reference genome would accelerate the breeding
of climate-resilient wheat varieties to feed the ever-increasing world population
and help address global food security in the decades to come.
2.At the 2018 World Hindi Conference (WHC), the Panini Language Laboratory
has been gifted by Government of India (GoI) to which country?
[A] Maldives
[B] South Africa
[C] Australia
[D] Mauritius
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Mauritius]
Notes:
The “Panini Language Laboratory” has been inaugurated by Sushma Swaraj, the
Union Minister of External Affairs (MEA), during the 11th World Hindi
Conference (WHC) 2018 at Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI) at Port Louis in
Mauritius on August 19. The Lab has been gifted by the Government of India
(GoI) and it will help MGI in teaching of all Indian languages in Mauritius. The
eminent scholars have stressed upon on refinement of the Hindi language by
making it simple and interesting. The delegates from across the globe
underlined the need of developing software for Hindi which can be available to
common people on a reasonable price. The basic objective of 3-day conference
is to connect Hindi language with culture to spread and popularise it in the
entire world.

3.Which Indian sportsperson has clinched India’s first Gold in the 18th Jakarta
Asian Games 2018?
[A] Mary Kom
[B] Bajrang Punia
[C] Apurvi Chandela
[D] Neeraj Chopra
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Bajrang Punia]
Notes:
On August 19, Wrestler Bajrang Punia clinched India’s first gold medal in the
18th Asian Games after defeating Takatani Daichi of Japan in the men’s 65 kg
freestyle title bout in Jakarta, Indonesia. Punia, who hails from Haryana, had
won three consecutive gold medals — 2018 CWG (Gold Coast), Tbilisi Grand Prix
(Georgia) and Yasar Dogu International (Istanbul) — ahead of the 2018 Asian
Games. Earlier, Indian shooters Apurvi Chandela and Ravi Kumar won the
bronze medal in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event at the 2018 Asian Games.
It was India’s first medal in the ongoing event.
4.Kofi Annan was from which African country?
[A] Ghana
[B] Morocco
[C] Nigeria
[D] South Africa
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ghana]
Notes:
Kofi Annan (80), the former UN secretary-general and a Ghanaian diplomat, has
passed away in Switzerland on August 18, 2018. He served two terms as UN
chief from 1997 to 2006. Mr Annan was the first black African to become UN
secretary-general. He later served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading
efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. He was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize in 2001 for helping to revitalize the international body, during a
period that coincided with the Iraq War and the HIV/Aids pandemic. In
September 2016, Annan was appointed to lead a UN commission to investigate
the Rohingya crisis.
5.What is the scientific name of the deadly agricultural pest “Fall Armyworm”,
which has been spotted in Telangana?
[A] Chortoicetes terminifera
[B] Heteronychus arator
[C] Spodoptera frugiperda
[D] Mythimna convecta
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Spodoptera frugiperda]
Notes:
The deadly agricultural insect-pest “Fall Armyworm (FAW)” has been recently
spotted at a few places in the districts of Karimnagar, Kamareddy, Sangareddy,
Medak and Gadwal in Telangana. It is known to attack and destroy several
varieties of crops, but it prefers maize and sorghum because of the sweetness in
their leaves. The Fall Armyworm (or Spodoptera frugiperda) is a species in the
order of Lepidoptera and is the larval life stage of a fall armyworm moth. In its
larva stage, it can cause significant damage to crops, if not well managed. The
lifespan of the pest is 30 to 60 days and each generation can migrate to a
distance of more than 400 km. It is considered deadly as it has caused massive
agricultural losses in several countries in Africa. The worm was first found in
Karnataka in the country and later spread to Tamil Nadu.
6.FSSAI has constituted which expert committee to look into draft of Food
Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations 2018?
[A] P K Agarwal committee
[B] B Sesikeran committee
[C] Hemalatha committee
[D] Nikhil Tandon committee
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [B Sesikeran committee]
Notes:
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to form a
3-member committee to look into the draft of Food Safety and Standards
(Labelling and Display) Regulations 2018. The expert committee will be led by B
Sesikeran, former director of National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), and comprise
current NIN director Hemalatha and AIIMS’ Nikhil Tandon. In April, food safety
regulator FSSAI had come out with the above draft that propose mandatory red
colour-coded labels on packaged food products which are high in fat, sugar and
salt contents. However, the Union Health Ministry has put on hold the draft
after industry stakeholders expressed concerns referring to an adverse impact
on the evolving packaged food industry. Hence, FSSAI has decided to set up
committee to study in detail the concerns of the industry and make
recommendations.
7.On which date, the 2018 World Photography Day (WPD) was observed
recently?
[A] August 17
[B] August 19
[C] August 18
[D] August 20
Hide Answer
Notes:
The World Photography Day (WPD) is observed every year on August 19 to
encourage photographers across the planet to share a single photo with the
world with an aim – to share their world with the world. The idea behind the
day is inspiring positive change in the world, by sharing the stories of the
photographers from all around the world through their photographs. The date
of August 19 was chosen to commemorate the invention of the Daguerreotype,
a photographic process developed by Frenchmen Louis Daguerre and Joseph
Nicephore Niepce in 1837. On 9th January 1839, the French Academy of
Sciences announced the Daguerreotype process. On August 19 that same year,
the French government purchased the patent and announced the invention as a
free gift to the world. This event was an important step in the development of
modern-day photography.
8.Which of the following is the 2018 World Humanitarian Day (WHD) theme?
[A] #ShareHumanity
[B] #ImpossibleChoices
[C] #OneHumanity
[D] #NotATarget
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [#NotATarget]
Notes:
The World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is held every year on August 19 to pay
tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally
support for people affected by crises around the world. The day recognizes
humanitarian personnel and those who have lost their lives working for
humanitarian causes. The campaign theme of 2018 WHD is #NotATarget. The
day was designated by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to commemorate the
19th August 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad,
Iraq.
9.The Union Government has proposed to set up which committee to suggest
changes to the JEE (Advanced) examination?
[A] Kannan Moudgalya committee
[B] Abhay Karandikar committee
[C] Vineet Joshi committee
[D] Bhaskar Ramamurthy committee
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Bhaskar Ramamurthy committee]
Notes:
The Union Ministry of Human Resource and Development (HRD) has proposed
to set up a 5-member committee to suggest changes to the JEE (Advanced)
examination in the wake of an inadequate number of candidates qualifying the
entrance test this year. The aim of the committee, which will be headed by IIT-
Madras director “Bhaskar Ramamurthy”, is to develop a robust and scientifically
designed entrance exam system to test the potential of the candidates as well
as to reduce their dependence on coaching institutes. The proposal is on the
agenda of the IIT Council, which is considered to be the top decision-making
body of all the IITs. Additionally, the IIT-Council is expected to discuss a
suggestion made by one of the 23 premier engineering schools that the
students who qualify JEE (Advanced) should be allocated an institute and not
the engineering branch. According to the suggestion, the student should be
allocated an engineering branch only in the second year, based on the aptitude
exhibited in the first year. The IIT Council is scheduled to meet on August 21,
2018.
10.The Amnesty International India has launched which campaign to create
awareness among children to identify sexual abuse?
[A] Save Child, Save Future
[B] Our Safety, Our Rights
[C] Goals Set
[D] Safety is in Your Hands
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Our Safety, Our Rights]
Notes:
On 16 August, the Amnesty International India (AII) has launched a new
campaign “Our Safety, Our Rights” to create awareness among children to help
them understand and identify sexual abuse. The campaign seeks to empower
children to speak up and report sexual abuse without fear. The AII has
collaborated with Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS), People’s Action for Rural
Awakening (PARA), Institute of Social Education (ISE) to engage with children in
400 schools, across four Indian states – Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu
and Karnataka. Through this campaign, an estimated 50,000 students, parents,
teachers and other key stakeholders will be sensitized on the issue of child
sexual abuse.The campaign will culminate on 2018 International Day of the Girl
Child.
21 AUGUST 2018
1.Which country’s national team has clinched the South Asian Football
Federation (SAFF) Under-15 Women’s Championship 2018?
[A] Bangladesh
[B] India
[C] Bhutan
[D] Nepal
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [India]
Notes:
Indian Women National Football team has clinched the 2nd edition of South
Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-15 Women’s Championship 2018 after
defeating Bangladesh in the final in Thimpu, Bhutan on August 18. A solitary
second-half strike by Sunita Munda helped the Indian U-15 team clinch the title.
The SAFF is an association of the football playing nations in South Asia and is
part of the larger Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
2.Who has become first Indian woman wrestler to bag gold at the 18th Asian
Games 2018?
[A] Pooja Dhanda
[B] Sakshi Malik

[C] Vinesh Phogat
[D] Priyanka Phogat
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Vinesh Phogat]
Notes:
Vinesh Phogat has created history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler
to win a gold medal at the Asian Games. in the final match in freestyle 50 kg
category, she defeated Japan’s Yuki Irie in Jakarta, Indonesia on August 20,
2018. The gold also enabled Vinesh to achieve another feat as she became the
only woman wrestler to win two medals in back-to-back Asian Games. Earlier,
Vinesh had won a bronze medal in the 48kg category at the 2014 Incheon Asian
Games. Vinesh also won back-to-back gold medals in Glasgow and Gold Coast
Commonwealth Games this year. Beside her, Wrestler Bajrang Punia clinched
India’s first gold medal at the Jakarta Asian Games 2018 after defeating Takatani
Daichi of Japan in the men’s 65 kg freestyle title bout.
3.Which former Indian Army chief has been awarded the United States (US)
‘Legion of Merit’?
[A] Bipin Rawat
[B] Vijay Kumar Singh
[C] Dalbir Singh Suhag
[D] Bikram Singh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Dalbir Singh Suhag]
Notes:
Former Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag has been awarded the
United States (US) ‘Legion of Merit (Degree of commander)’ on August 17, 2018,
at Pentagon, Washington DC. The award was given to Singh for exceptionally
meritorious service as Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) from August 2014 to
December 2016. With this, he became the 2nd Indian military officer to get this
award after General Rajendrasinghji Jadeja in 1946. The Legion of Merit is
awarded in four degrees – Degree of Chief Commander, Degree of commander,
Degree of the officer, Degree of Legionnarie.
4.Which Indian Shooter bagged a Silver in the men’s 10-metre Air Rifle event at
the Jakarta Asian Games 2018 ?
[A] Deepak Kumar
[B] Lakshay
[C] Neeraj Chopra
[D] Saurabh Chaudhary
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Deepak Kumar]
Notes:
On August 20, Indian Shooter Deepak Kumar claimed Silver in the Men’s 10-
metre Air Rifle event with a score of 247.7 points at the Jakarta Asian Games
2018 in Indonesia. In the Men’s Trap, Lakshay clinched the silver medal with an
impressive 43 from 50 shots. Earlier, Wrestler Bajrang Punia had given India its
first Gold of the Games in the 65 kg division.
5.Uri Avnery, who passed away recently, was the renowned journalist from
which country?
[A] Spain
[B] Israel
[C] South Africa
[D] Palestine
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Israel]
Notes:
Uri Avnery (94), a trailblazing Israeli journalist & peace activist and one of the
first to openly advocate for a Palestinian state, has passed away in Tel Aviv,
Israel on August 20, 2018. He was famous for crossing the lines during the Siege
of Beirut to meet Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat on 3 July 1982. It was first time
that the Palestinian leader ever met with an Israeli. Avnery was the author of
several books about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, including 1948: A Soldier’s
Tale, the Bloody Road to Jerusalem (2008); Israel’s Vicious Circle (2008); and My
Friend, the Enemy (1986).
6.Which Indian personality has been conferred the WHO World No Tobacco Day
2017 Award?
[A] Nilesh Mishra
[B] Anish Rajan
[C] SK Arora
[D] Kailash Kumar
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [SK Arora]

Notes:
SK Arora, the Delhi government’s additional director of health, has been
honoured with the prestigious World Health Organization (WHO) World No
Tobacco Day 2017 Award for his extraordinary contribution towards tobacco
control. He was presented the award by Henk Bekedam, WHO India country
head in New Delhi, on August 16, 2018. It is awarded every year by WHO to
individuals or organizations alike in each of six WHO regions for their
accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. The National Health Policy
2017 of the Government of India (GoI) has set targets of relative reduction in
tobacco prevalence by 15% by 2020 and 30% by 2025. Delhi has already
achieved these targets before 2017. The Delhi government’s health department
has been fighting against direct advertisement of brand promotion of tobacco
and surrogate advertisement of tobaccos in the name of pan masala and other
eatables such as tea, ilaichi (cardamom) for the past 4 years. According to
Global Adult Tobacco Survey-2 (GATS 2, 2016-17), the prevalence of tobacco use
has reduced by 27% in Delhi as compared to 17% for the rest of India average.
7.Recently tested Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘Helina’ is helicopter-launched
version of which missile?
[A] Akash
[B] Nag
[C] Prithvi
[D] Agni
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Nag]
Notes:
On August 19, India has successfully test-fired the indigenously developed
helicopter launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) ‘HELINA’ from an Army
helicopter ‘Rudra’ in Pokhran test range in Rajasthan. The HELINA weapon
system tested for its full range was released smoothly from the launch platform.
The missile hit the target with high precision. The missile is guided by an
Infrared Imaging Seeker (IIR) operating in the Lock-on-Before-Launch mode. It is
one of the most advanced anti-tank weapons in the world. It is the helicopter-
launched version of NAG and has a hit range of 7-8 km. The production and
induction of the missile are likely to happen in 2019. Beside this, the
indigenously designed and developed guided bombs Smart Anti Airfield Weapon
(SAAW) also successfully flight tested from IAF aircraft at Chandan range in

Jaisalmer. The SAAW is the combined effort of the DRDO, IAF and HAL. This
weapon is capable of destroying a variety of ground targets using precision
navigation.
8.Which of the following has become the first Public Sector Unit (PSU) to make a
transaction on the “TReDS platform”?
[A] Steel Authority of India
[B] Coal India Limited
[C] Gas Authority of India Limited
[D] Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Hindustan Aeronautics Limited]
Notes:
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has become the first Public Sector Unit
(PSU) to make a transaction on the “TReDS platform”. The transaction was
financed by Bank of Baroda (BoB) and since stands settled. The TReDS platform
is an online electronic institutional mechanism for facilitating the financing of
trade receivables of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) through
multiple financiers. The acronym ‘TReDS’ stands for Trade Receivables
Discounting System. In October 2017, the central government mandated all
major PSUs to join TReDS platform to facilitate payments to MSME vendors.
RXIL (Receivables Exchange of India), which is India’s first TReDS platform, is
promoted by the National Stock Exchange, Small Industries Development Bank
of India, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and Yes Bank.
9.On which date, the 2018 World Mosquito Day (WMD) was observed recently?
[A] August 20
[B] August 21
[C] August 18
[D] August 19
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [August 20]
Notes:
The World Mosquito Day (WMD) is observed every year on August 20 to raise
awareness regarding what all causes malaria and ways to prevent it. The day
also observed to mark British doctor Sir Ronald Ross’ 1897 landmark discovery
that female mosquitoes “Anopheles” transmit malaria to humans. This
discovery laid foundations for scientists across the world to better understand
the deadly role of mosquitoes in disease transmission and come up with
effective innovative interventions. Some of the best ways to prevent malaria
include insecticide treated mosquito nets, indoor spraying with insecticides and
anti-malarial drugs. Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria.
10.Which Indian shooter has clinched India’s 1st shooting gold at the 2018
Jakarta Asian Games?
[A] Abhishek Verma
[B] Saurabh Chaudhary
[C] Lakshay Sheron
[D] Deepak Kumar
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Saurabh Chaudhary]
Notes:
Shooter Saurabh Chaudhary (16) has clinched gold in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol
event at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games in Indonesia on August 21. It is India’s
first shooting gold in the ongoing event. While another Indian shooter, Abhishek
Verma won bronze in the same event. India have won five medals in shooting at
the Games so far.
22 AUGUST 2018
1.Which Indian Shooter bagged a Silver in the men’s 50-metres Rifle 3 Positions
event at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games?
[A] Sanjeev Rajput
[B] Deepak Kumar
[C] Ravi Kumar
[D] Lakshay Sheron
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Sanjeev Rajput ]
Notes:
On August 21, Indian Shooter Sanjeev Rajput clinched a Silver in the men’s 50-
metres Rifle 3 Positions event at the 18th Asian Games in Palembang on August
21, 2018. Rajput, who is already an Arjuna Awardee, has been making India

proud since the 2006 Asian Games. His consistency and commitment are
admirable.
2.Who has been appointed the new Governor of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)?
[A] Satya Pal Malik
[B] Tathagata Roy
[C] Satyadev Narayan Arya
[D] Baby Rani Maurya
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Satya Pal Malik]
Notes:
Satya Pal Malik has been appointed the new Governor of Jammu & Kashmir. He
will replace N N Vohra. Prior to this post, Malik was the Governor of Bihar. On
21 August, other governors of states appointed were Lal Ji Tandon for Bihar,
Ganga Prasad for Sikkim, Tathagata Roy for Meghalaya and Kaptan Singh Solanki
for Tripura. Satyadev Narayan Arya was appointed as the Governor of Haryana
while Baby Rani Maurya was appointed as the Governor of Uttarakhand.
3.Which Indian woman Wrestler clinched bronze in the 68 Kg Freestyle
wrestling event at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games?
[A] Sakshi Malik
[B] Pooja Dhanda
[C] Divya Kakran
[D] Vinesh Phogat
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Divya Kakran]
Notes:
On August 21, Indian Wrestler Divya Kakran clinched bronze in the 68 Kg
Freestyle wrestling event at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. In the final, Kakran
defeated her Chinese Taipei opponent Chen Wenling by technical superiority
with the final score line reading 10-0. Her medal is a testament to her relentless
hard work & determination. This is India’s third medal in wrestling after Bajrang
Punia and Vinesh Phogat claimed gold in their respective categories.
4.Which space agency has confirmed presence of ice on Moon using data from
the Chandrayaan-I spacecraft?
[A] JAXA
[B] NASA

[C] Roscosmos
[D] CNSA
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [NASA]
Notes:
Using data from the Chandrayaan-I spacecraft, that was launched by the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2008, NASA Scientists have confirmed the
presence of frozen water deposits in the darkest and coldest parts of the
Moon’s polar regions. Scientists used data from NASA’s Moon Mineralogy
Mapper (M3) instrument aboard the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft to identify three
specific signatures that definitively prove there is water ice at the surface of the
Moon. According to the study published in the journal PNAS, the ice deposits
are patchily distributed and could possibly be ancient. The study said with
enough ice sitting at the surface within the top few millimetres water would
possibly be accessible as a resource for future expeditions to explore and even
stay on the Moon. Most of the newfound water ice lies in the shadows of
craters near the poles, where the warmest temperatures never reach above
minus 156 degrees Celsius. Due to the very small tilt of the Moon’s rotation axis,
sunlight never reaches these regions.
5.Who has become the first-ever Indian woman to win an individual gold in
shooting at the 2018 Asian Games?
[A] Manu Bhaker
[B] Ankita Raina
[C] Mehuli Ghosh
[D] Rahi Sarnobat
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Rahi Sarnobat]
Notes:
On August 22, Indian shooter Rahi Sarnobat has become the first-ever Indian
woman to win an individual shooting medal at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.
She bagged gold in the 25m pistol final event at the Jakabaring Shooting Range
in Palembang, after prevailing in a double shoot-off at the 2018 Jakarta Asian
Games. Earlier, in shooting, Saurabh Chaudhary won gold in the Men’s 10m Air
Pistol event. In wrestling, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat clinched gold in
Men’s freestyle 65 kg and Women’s freestyle 50 kg, respectively. India is

currently placed 7th in the tally with 12 medals, comprising 4 Gold, 3 Silver and
5 Bronze.
6.Which of the following is/are partner country for the 2018 International
Buddhist Conclave (IBC)?
[A] Japan
[B] Germany
[C] Russia
[D] All of the above
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Japan]
Notes:
The 2018 International Buddhist Conclave (IBC) will be inaugurated by President
Ram Nath Kovind with theme “Buddha Path – The Living Heritage” in New Delhi
on August 23. The aim of the conclave is to showcase Buddhist Heritage in India
and boost tourism. It is being organized by the Ministry of Tourism in
collaboration with the State Governments of Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar
Pradesh at New Delhi and Ajanta (Maharashtra), followed by site visits to Rajgir,
Nalanda and Bodhgaya (Bihar) and Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh). The Ministerial level
delegation from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka will participate
in the conclave along with delegates from the 29 countries participating in the
International Buddhist Conclave including US, UK, Russia, Japan, Germany and
France. Japan would be the partner Country for the 2018 Buddhist conclave.
7.Gurudas Kamat, who passed away recently, was associated with which
political party?
[A] CPI
[B] INC
[C] BJP
[D] NCP
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [INC]
Notes:
Gurudas Kamat (63), the senior Congress leader and former Union minister, has
passed away in New Delhi on August 22, 2018. He was 5-time Member of
Parliament (MP) from Mumbai and was also the president of the NSUI from
1976 to 1980. He served as Union minister of state for home affairs with the
additional charge of communications and information technology from 2009 to
2011. In July 2011, he resigned as the minister. He was also a former president
of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee.
8.Which state government has decided to re-name its new capital city as “Atal
Nagar” in memory of late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee?
[A] Madhya Pradesh
[B] Jharkhand
[C] Chhattisgarh
[D] Uttar Pradesh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Chhattisgarh ]
Notes:
On August 21, the Chhattisgarh government has decided to re-name state’s new
capital city of Naya Raipur as “Atal Nagar” in memory of late Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee. It has also been decided to develop an “Atal Memorial” in an
area of five acres at state’s new capital. Besides, many institutions, including
Bilaspur University and Rajnandgaon Medical College, will be named after
former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The state government has also
decided to name a battalion of state police force as “Pokharan battalion”. The
chief minister said it has also been decided to install a statue of former Prime
Minister in the state capital and district headquarters of all the 27 districts. The
state capital Naya Raipur, a most modern smart city, has been developed at a
cost of more than Rs 10,000 crore.
9.The first-ever International Day of Remembrance and tribute to the Victims of
Terrorism is observed on which date?
[A] August 22
[B] August 21
[C] August 20
[D] August 19
Hide Answer
Notes:
The first-ever International Day of Remembrance and tribute to the Victims of
Terrorism is observed by United Nations on 21st August 2018 to honour the
innocent victims of terror attacks around the world, who will forever remain in
our hearts. As per resolution 72/165 (2017), the international day will serve as a

reminder to stop and listen to the victims and survivors of terrorism, to raise up
their voices and recognize the impact terrorism has on their lives.
10.The book “281 and Beyond” is the autobiography of which Indian cricketer?
[A] Rahul Dravid
[B] Sourav Ganguly
[C] Sunil Gavaskar
[D] VVS Laxman
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [VVS Laxman]
Notes:
The book “281 and Beyond” is the autobiography of veteran cricketer VVS
Laxman, which will be launched by Westland Sport in November 2018. The title
has been borrowed from the Hyderabad stylist’s fabulous series-turning innings
of 281 against Australia at the Eden Gardens in 2001. His partnership along with
Rahul Dravid in that match is one of the best batting partnerships in cricket
history. He was known for his patience and wrist work and scored many
memorable centuries during his playing days. Laxman played 134 Tests,
amassing 8,781 runs at an average of 45.97. He scored 17 centuries and 56 half
centuries. He also played in 86 ODIs for an aggregate of 2338 and average of
30.76 in the shorter format.
23 AUGUST 2018
1.Which Indian woman cricketer has recently announced her retirement from
International T20 cricket?
[A] Mansi Joshi
[B] Puja Vastrakar
[C] Shikha Pandey
[D] Jhulan Goswami
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Jhulan Goswami]
Notes:
Jhulan Nishit Goswami, the veteran Indian women’s team pacer, has announced
her retirement from International T20 cricket. She represented India in 68 T20Is
picking up 56 wickets which included a 5-wicket haul against Australia in 2012.
Goswami will only play One Day International (ODIs) (as India don’t play Test
cricket), in which format she is the world’s highest wicket-taker with 200 scalps
from 169 games. She hails from a non-descript town of Chakdah in West
Bengal’s Nadia district.
2.Which Indian-American scientist has found simple way to predict
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)?
[A] Ashok Das
[B] Chander Mohan
[C] Krishan Sabnani
[D] Jogesh Pati
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Chander Mohan]
Notes:
Prof. Chander Mohan, an Indian-American scientist, has identified as many as 50
protein biomarkers that can non-invasively detect Inflammatory Bowel Disease
(IBD) – a gut disorder that leads to diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, and weight
loss. Mohan, who is professor at University of Houston in the US, received a $
347,490 grant from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. Along with IBD
expert Subra Kugathasan, a gastroenterologist at Emory University in the US,
Mohan is examining stool protein biomarkers that indicate the disease. IBD
occurs when the body’s immune system fights its intestinal cells. Two of the
most common types are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, both of which
cause inflammation in the digestive tract.
3.Which of the following is the autobiography of renowned journalist Kuldip
Nayar, who passed away recently?
[A] In Jail
[B] India House
[C] Beyond The Lines
[D] India After Nehru
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Beyond The Lines]
Notes:
Kuldip Nayar (95), the Veteran journalist, author and human rights activist, has
passed away in New Delhi on August 23, 2018. Nayar, a former editor of the
Indian Express, was also the author of 15 books including “Without Fear: The
Life and Trial of Bhagat Singh”, “India after Nehru” and “Emergency Retold”. In
his autobiography ‘Beyond The Lines’, he wrote about his interview with
Pakistan’s nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, during which the latter revealed
that Pakistan had a nuclear device well before it was thought to have had it.
During Emergency, he was jailed under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act
for leading a protest against the excesses of the administration. In 2015, he was
honoured with ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for his contribution to journalism
at the 8th edition of the Ramnath Goenka Excellence awards. Nayar also served
as High Commissioner of India to the UK in 1990 and as a member of the Rajya
Sabha.
4.Which country is host to the 9th edition of Mountain Echoes Literature
Festival 2018?
[A] Japan
[B] South Korea
[C] Bhutan
[D] Myanmar
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Bhutan ]
Notes:
On August 22, the 9th edition of Mountain Echoes Literature Festival 2018 has
started in Thimphu, Bhutan to serve as a collaborative platform for knowledge
sharing, leading to global cultural potpourri of ideas. The 4-day Literature
Festival began with a tribute to former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee, who was remembered at the annual event for his animated style of
poetry recitations. It will celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between
India and Bhutan. The 2018 edition will focus on subjects such as Spirituality and
Philosophy, Performing Arts, Environmental Conservation, Food, as well as Film
and Theatre, among others. The literary festival of Bhutan was established
under the patronage of Her Majesty the Royal Queen Mother Ashi Dorji
Wangmo Wangchuck and is known for bringing together literary stalwarts from
across the world in the lap of the Himalayas.
5.Which Indian shooter clinched silver in the men’s double trap shooting event
at the 2018 Asian Games?
[A] Shardul Vihan
[B] Ankur Mittal
[C] Anwer Sultan
[D] Ravi Kumar
Hide Answer

Correct Answer: A [Shardul Vihan]
Notes:
Indian shooter Shardul Vihan (15) from Uttar Pradesh clinched silver in the
men’s double trap shooting event at the Jakabaring shooting range in the 18th
Asian Games 2018 on August 23. He shot 73 to claim the silver medal, while
Korea’s Shin Hyunwoo clinched gold with a score of 74. Qatar’s Al Marri Hamad
Ali bagged the bronze after shooting 53 at the Jakabaring shooting range. Vihan,
who is coached by former Asian Championship double gold medallist Anwer
Sultan, had grabbed four gold medals at Shotgun Nationals Championship in
2017.
6.Which of the following cities is the venue of 4th summit of Heads of
State/Government of BIMSTEC 2018 ?
[A] Kathmandu
[B] New Delhi
[C] Colombo
[D] Thimpu
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Kathmandu ]
Notes:
The 4th summit of Heads of State/Government of Bay of Bengal Initiative for
Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) will be held at
Kathmandu in Nepal on August 30 and 31. All member states of BIMSTEC will
participate in the Summit. During the two-day Summit, leaders of member
states will review progressachieved so far in the areas of cooperation and
provide guidance to the futurework of the BIMSTEC. Prior to the Summit, the
19th Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) and the 16th Ministerial Meeting of
BIMSTEC will be held on August 28 and 29 in Kathmandu. BIMSTEC is a regional
economic bloc comprising 7 member states lyingin the littoral and adjacent
areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity. The group
was formed in 1997 and it brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri
Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. Nepal is the current chair of BIMSTEC.
7.Which country has launched its first state-of-the-art domestic fighter jet
“Kowsar”?
[A] Pakistan
[B] Iran

[C] North Korea
[D] Israel
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Iran]
Notes:
Iran has launched its first state-of-the-art domestic fighter jet “Kowsar” at a
defense show in Tehran on August 23, 2018. The jet is a fourth-generation
fighter, with advanced avionics and multi-purpose radar. It is designed and
manufactured by domestic military experts. It is dual-cockpit, single engine jet
with single tail fin. It resembles US-made F-5F Tiger (first flew in 1974), which is
variant of 1950s-era US Northrop F-5 fighter that is a long-time mainstay of
Iranian Air Force. It can be used for short aerial support missions and is
equipped with systems that promote precision targeting. The acronym “Kowsar”
refers river in paradise in Islam and also the title of a chapter in the Koran.
8.Which well-known personality has become the new brand ambassador of the
Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP)?
[A] Medha Patkar
[B] Raveena Tandon
[C] Vandana Shiva
[D] Sugathakumari
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Raveena Tandon]
Notes:
The Maharashtra government has appointed actor Raveena Tandon as the
brand ambassador of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) to spread
environmental awareness among citizens. The SGNP is spread over 103 Sq. Km.
and is wedged between the suburbs of Mumbai and Thane. It is home to more
than 274 species of birds, 35 species of mammals, 78 species of reptiles and
amphibians, 170 species of butterflies and over a staggering 1,300 species of
plants. The park is notable as one of the major national parks existing within a
metropolis limit and is one of the most visited parks in the world. It was
formerly known as Borivali National Park and was renamed SGNP in 1996, after
Sanjay Gandhi, the son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
9.India’s largest Startup incubation and acceleration “Bhamashah Techno Hub”
has launched in which state?

[A] Madhya Pradesh
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Rajasthan
[D] Gujarat
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Rajasthan]
Notes:
In Rajasthan, India’s largest Startup incubation and acceleration- Bhamashah
Techno Hub – was inaugurated by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in Jaipur On
August 23, 2018. The purpose of the techno hub is to create an ecosystem for
promoting state’s youth for entrepreneurship. The hub would be able to
accommodate over 700 startup ventures with one lakh square feet incubation
space and also help them to get connected with potential investors. In it, free
space, easier funding avenues and mentorship will also be provided to startup.
10.Who has been selected for the prestigious J C Bose Fellowship-2018?
[A] Appa Rao Podile
[B] Anadish Pal
[C] Arun Krishnamurthy
[D] Abid Surti
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Appa Rao Podile]
Notes:
Prof Appa Rao Podile, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad (UoH),
has been selected for the prestigious J C Bose Fellowship-2018 of Department of
Science and Technology (DoST) by Government of India (GoI). The fellowship is
given in recognition of his performance in the area of plant-microbe interactions
in general and induced resistance in plants in particular. He has made significant
contributions in three closely related areas of research that revolve around the
recognition of pathogen-derived molecules by plants that activate defence
response and contribute to improved health/yield. The J C Bose Fellow will
receive a fellowship amount of Rs 25,000 per month and a research grant of Rs
15 lakh per annum and is provided initially for a period of 5 years. The
fellowship can be extended beyond five years based on performance during the
first five year tenure.
24 AUGUST 2018
1.Which IIT has launched an exclusive incubator “Fabless Chip Design Incubator (FabCI)” to
boost chip design?
[A] IIT Hyderabad

[B] IIT Bombay
[C] IIT Delhi
[D] IIT Madras
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [IIT Hyderabad]
Notes:
The Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad (IIT-H) has launched an exclusive incubator
“Fabless Chip Design Incubator (FabCI)” to boost chip design. It is a first of its kind in India
that will focus on creating an ecosystem for start-ups in chip design. The purpose of FabCI is
to incubate at least 50 ‘Make-in-India’ chip design companies that can compete globally
and generate Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). It will provide a bouquet of offerings
including free software tools with leading technology partners in Electronic Design
Automation (EDA), a characterization facility for testing chips, and equipment for
performing DC and RF characterization. FabCI is funded by MeitY, with technology partners
Cadence Design Systems and Mentor Graphics both are leading providers of Electronic
Design Automation (EDA) software, hardware and IP. The Incubator also offers virtual
support to non-Hyderabad start-ups which can join FabCI and leverage the offerings and
participate remotely.
2.Which Indian female tennis player has won bronze in women’s singles at the 18th Asian
Games 2018?
[A] N. Sikki Reddy
[B] Ashwini Ponnappa
[C] Ankita Raina
[D] Karman Kaur Thandi
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Ankita Raina]
Notes:
Indian Tennis player, Ankita Raina has won a bronze after losing a hard fought women’s
singles semifinal 4-6, 6-7 in straight sets against Shuai Zhang of China at the 2018 Jakarta
Asian Games on August 23. With this, she became the 2nd Indian female tennis player after
Sania Mirza to win a medal in singles’ competition at the Asian Games. For India, Mirza won
silver in Doha in 2006 and a bronze in Guangzhou 2010. Ankita from Maharashtra is
currently India’s number one women’s singles.
3.Which of the following cities is the venue of the 2018 India Banking Conclave (IBC)?
[A] Chennai
[B] New Delhi

[C] Indore
[D] Pune
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [New Delhi]
Notes:
On August 23, the 2018 India Banking Conclave (IBC) was held in New Delhi to address
issues of India’s Banking Sector. It was organized by Centre for Economic Policy Research
(CEPR) and the government Think Tank NITI Aayog. IBC 2018 is an important platform for
varied stakeholders connected to India’s banking and financial sectors. The 2-day thought
awareness programme witnessed panel discussions on NPAs, development of banks with
changing times, privatization versus merger and the future of banking, among other issues.
4.Who heads the steering committee which recently submitted ‘Making India 5G Ready’
report to government?
[A] Aruna Sundararajan
[B] Vinod Tawde
[C] Waqar Ali
[D] AJ Paulraj
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [AJ Paulraj]
Notes:
The 9-member Steering Committee, headed by Stanford University Prof. AJ Paulraj, has
recently submitted its 5G high level forum report titled ‘Making India 5G Ready’ to Telecom
Secretary Aruna Sundararajan. The report suggested the Central government should
announce its 5G policy by 31st December 2018, besides setting up a standing committee to
advise on building the infrastructure for spectrum technology. The key recommendations
and action plan for the report include spectrum policy; regulatory policy; education and
awareness promotion; application and use case labs; participation in international
standards; development of application layer standards; and major 5G trials. The committee
expected the 5G commercial roll out in India by 2020.
5.The Government of India (GoI) has decided to lift ban on retail sale of which life saving
drug from September 2018?
[A] Nialamide
[B] Metformin
[C] Oxytocin
[D] Cyclosporine
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Oxytocin]
Notes:
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has lifted ban on retail sale of life saving drug
‘Oxytocin’ with effect from 1st September 2018, which was restricted to retail sale from
July 2018. Though, the Centre has imposed strict regulations on its sales and retained the

monopoly of Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (KAPL) for manufacturing
oxytocin. As per new rules, Oxytocin will be moved from schedule A to Schedule H1 that
means retailer has to maintain a separate register giving the name and address of the
prescriber, the patient, the drug and the quantity supplied. These records have to be
maintained for 3 years and be available for inspection. Oxytocin is an essential drug used to
prevent and treat bleeding after child birth. But, its misuse is widespread in the dairy
industry, where livestock are injected with oxytocin to make them release milk at a time
convenient to farmers. The hormone is also used to increase the size of vegetables and
fruits such as pumpkins, watermelons, brinjals, gourds and cucumbers.
6.The Copernicus project, under which wind-sensing satellite “Aeolus” has been launched
recently, is a joint project of __:
[A] European Union and European Space Agency
[B] ISRO and JAXA
[C] NASA and ISRO
[D] Roscosmos and ISRO
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [European Union and European Space Agency ]
Notes:
The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched a wind- sensing satellite “Aeolus” into orbit
from French Guyana to track global winds. The satellite will be placed at an altitude of 320
Km above the Earth. The launch is part of the Copernicus project, a joint effort by the
European Union and the European Space Agency (ESA) to track environmental damage and
assist disaster relief operations. The “Aeolus” satellite – named after the keeper of the
winds in Greek mythology – is designed to enable improved weather forecasting and aid
disaster relief operations. It is equipped with a Doppler wind LIDAR – an advanced laser
system designed to measure global wind patterns from space. Aeolus, which is built by
Airbus, will be the first satellite equipped to perform global wind-component-profile
observation on a daily basis in near real-time.
7.Vijay Chavan, who passed away recently, was associated to which of the following
regional cinemas?
[A] Tamil
[B] Marathi
[C] Odia
[D] Telugu
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Marathi ]
Notes:
Vijay Chavan (63), the veteran Marathi actor who was known for his comic roles, has passed
away in Mumbai, Maharashtra on August 24, 2018. The actor, who featured in more than
350 films, is best remembered for his comic roles in Marathi films such as ‘Jatra’,
‘Zapatlela’, ‘Pachadlele’, ‘Mumbaicha Dabewala’ and ‘Shrimanta Damodar Panta’, among

others. Beside films, he also featured in numerous plays. He is best known for the his role of
Mavshi in the famous Marathi Stage drama “Moruchi Mavshi”. This comedy play was
penned by Pralhad Keshav Atre.
8.The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has appointed which committee to decide Vedanta’s
plea challenging closure of its Sterlite plant?
[A] A K Goel committee
[B] Aruna Sundararajan committee
[C] M S Sivan committee
[D] S J Vazifdar committee
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [S J Vazifdar committee]
Notes:
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has appointed former Punjab and Haryana High Court
Chief Justice S J Vazifdar as head of a 3-member committee to decide mining company
Vedanta Limited’s plea challenging the Tamil Nadu government’s order to close the Sterlite
copper plant at Thoothukudi. The committee may, if necessary, visit the site and consider
the technical data and take a decision as early as found viable preferably within 6 weeks
after it assumes it’s working. Recently, on 9th August 2018, the Tribunal had allowed
Vedanta to access the administrative unit inside its Sterlite copper plant at Thoothukudi in
Tamil Nadu. Though, the plant would remain closed and the company would not have
access to its production unit and directed the district magistrate to ensure this. In March
2013, Sterlite’s factory came into limelight when a gas leak led to the death of one person
and injuries to several others, after which then chief minister J Jayalalithaa had ordered its
closure.
9.The book “No Spin” is the autobiography of which veteran cricketer?
[A] Anil Kumble
[B] Muttiah Muralitharan
[C] Shane Warne
[D] Bishan Singh Bedi
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Shane Warne]
Notes:
The book “No Spin” is the autobiography of renowned Australian bowler Shane Warne,
which will release on October 30. It is the true story behind the headlines, in Warne’s own
voice, and challenges some of the enduring myths and untruths that surround him. The
memoir is written with cricketer and TV presenter Mark Nicholas. Warne is widely regarded
as one of the finest bowlers in the history of the game. He played his first Test match in
1992, and took over 1,000 international wickets.
10.The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) has launched an initiative
to save cultural heritage in flood-devastated Kerala. Where is the headquarters of ICOMOS?

[A] Geneva
[B] Paris
[C] London
[D] New York
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Paris]
Notes:
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) has launched a Kerala
Heritage Rescue Initiative to assess damage to rich cultural and built heritage in flood-
devastated Kerala. The initiative aims to set up a platform for emergency response to the
cultural heritage damaged by the floods in Kerala. It has also set up a Facebook page to
collect information on the damage to buildings, museum collections, cultural artefacts,
libraries, archives, and even intangible heritage. ICOMOS, which is headquartered in Paris,
is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage
worldwide through training, information, research, cooperation and advocacy programmes.
ICOMOS is also an advisory body to the UNESCO for cultural heritage, in particular for
implementation of the World Heritage Convention (WHC).
24 &25 AUGUST 2018

1.Which of the following cities is the venue of the International Water Colour Festival 2018?
[A] Bhopal
[B] Ranchi
[C] Patna
[D] Hyderabad
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ranchi]
Notes:
On August 23, the International Water Colour Festival 2018 has started at Audrey House in
Ranchi, which is organized by the Jharkhand Art Culture and Tourism Department in Audrey
House. The aim of the 5-day fest is to bring local artists in touch with the international art
and promote the rich art and culture of Jharkhand. During the water colour festival, the
visiting artists will interact with school students and local artists on various themes
including “nature” and “modern/abstract”. Approx 56 internationally renowned artists —
from 24 countries and 25 Indian states are participating in the festival. The list of artists
from different countries include names like Anna Massinissa (Fabriano), Zhou Tianya and
Mong Sho (China), the Indian art diaspora in the festival will be represented by Milind
Mulick, Sailesh Meshram, Nirupam Konwar, Ramesh Jhawar and Praween Karmaker, among
others.

2.Who has been appointed new chairman of the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO)?
[A] G Satheesh Reddy
[B] Sanjay Mitra
[C] S Christopher
[D] Mrinal S Das
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [G Satheesh Reddy]
Notes:
Renowned aerospace scientist Dr G Satheesh Reddy, who is scientific adviser to the
Defence minister, has been appointed new chairman of the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) for a period of two years. He will also be secretary in the
Department of Defence Research and Development (DDR&D) for the same period. The post
of DRDO chief was lying vacant since May 2018 after the then Chief Dr. S. Christopher
stepped down. Dr. Reddy is the first defence scientist working in India to receive the Silver
Medal of Royal Aeronautical Society, UK, and has also been selected for the first IEI (India)
and IEEE (USA) joint award for Engineering Excellence.
3.The 2018 Nallur Kantha Swamy festival has started in which neighbouring country of
India?
[A] Bangladesh
[B] Bhutan
[C] Sri Lanka
[D] Nepal
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Sri Lanka]
Notes:
On August 23, the annual festival at Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil has started in Jaffna, Sri
Lanka with the sacred flag hoisting ceremony and is attracting thousands of Hindu pilgrims
from within the country and abroad. During the 25-day festival, thousands of Tamil Hindu
devotees will attend the rituals in worship of Lord Murugan, Valli and Devanai Amman. The
colourful festival includes vibrant chariot processions, rhythmic drumming, dancing and
acts of self-mortification. The Ther Thiruvila (chariot festival) is the most popular of all
events is very colourful.
4.Which state government is host to the 2018 Krishi Kumbh International Conference and
Exhibition?
[A] Madhya Pradesh
[B] Rajasthan
[C] Gujarat
[D] Uttar Pradesh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Uttar Pradesh]

Notes:
The 2018 Krishi Kumbh International Conference and Exhibition will be held at Indian
Institute of Sugarcane Research (Telibagh) in Lucknow from October 26, which will be
organized by the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The aim of the 3-day conference is to
provide a platform to farmers, technical experts and entrepreneurs for exchange of
knowledge and expertise in the field of agriculture sector. It also aims at increasing the
agriculture production by adopting advance technologies. In it, farmers from all 75 districts
National & International agriculture scientist, representatives from industries & policy
maker from Central and State govt. will participate.
5.Which state government has decided to organize youths’ conclave ‘ATAL’ in September
2018?
[A] Chhattisgarh
[B] Assam
[C] Jharkhand
[D] Arunachal Pradesh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Arunachal Pradesh]
Notes:
The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to organize a youths’ conclave “ATAL –
Arunachal Transformation & Aspirational Leadership” in Itanagar on 22nd September 2018.
The aim of the 3-day ATAL conclave is to engage youths in the age group of 18 to 30 years
of the state pro-actively in the areas of public policy and governance. For this, they have to
register themselves at www.atalconclave.in. Participants shall brainstorm and present their
ideas, proposals and solutions for government policies and existing challenges faced by the
state before expert panels. Further, interactive sessions with key policy makers,
bureaucrats, sectoral experts, thought leaders, grass-root change-makers are also planned
to be hosted in the Conclave. The conclave will see participation of 1000 youths of the
state.
6.Tejinder Pal Singh Toor, who clinched Gold in men’s Shot-Put event at the 2018 Jakarta
Asian Games, has set new Asiad record of how much meters?
[A] 20.55m
[B] 20.75m
[C] 20.85m
[D] 20.65m
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [20.75m ]
Notes:
Indian shot putter Tejinder Pal Singh Toor from Punjab has clinched Gold in men’s Shot-Put
event with a record-shattering throw at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games on August 25. He
threw the iron ball to 20.75m to win the gold and set a national as well as Asian Games
record. The previous mark of 20.57m was set by Sultan Abdulmajeed Al-Hebshi of Saudi

Arabia at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games in China. With this, Tajinder became the first
Indian to win the men’s shot put gold at the Asian Games since Bahadur Singh Sagoo, who
had thrown a best of 19.03m to win the gold in Busan in 2002. This is the 8th gold medal for
India in men’s shot put in the history of the Asian Games.
7.The world’s first public blockchain bond “bond-i” has recently launched by which
International organisation?
[A] AIIB
[B] ADB
[C] World Bank
[D] IMF
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [World Bank]
Notes:
The world’s first blockchain bond “bond-i” has recently launched by World Bank (WB),
which is to be created, allocated, transferred and managed through its life cycle using
distributed ledger technology. The “bond-I” stands for Blockchain Operated New Debt
Instrument and is also has reference to Sydney’s most famous beach ‘Bondi Beach’. The
Commonwealth Bank of Australia is the sole arranger of the issuance for the bond. It was
the first time that the World Bank bond raised capital from public investors through a
legally valid bond issuance that uses blockchain from start to finish. This 2-year maturity
bond has successfully raised 110 million Australian dollars (USD 80.48 million). The World
Bank, whose bonds hold an AAA rating, regularly uses its borrowing power to help develop
new bond markets as well as pioneering new means for selling and trading the securities.
The bond-i blockchain platform was built and developed by the CBA Blockchain Centre of
Excellence, housed in the Sydney Innovation Lab.
8.The NETA app that seeks to let Indian voters rate their elected representatives, is inspired
by which country’s approval system?
[A] United States
[B] Russia
[C] France
[D] Germany
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [United States]
Notes:
On August 24, the National Electoral Transformation (NETA) mobile application has been
launched by former President Pranab Mukherjee wherein voters can review and rate their
elected representatives (MPs& MLAs) as well as hold them accountable. Apart from this,
the application is being seen as an instrument to track voter sentiment across various
constituencies in India. The purpose of app is to foster political accountability by being an
indicator of the ways in which a leader’s performance is being perceived. To ensure
participation, the app requires a combination of mediums like the app itself, IVR calls, SMS

and even offline activation leveraging ASHA and anganwadi workers to collate data on
evolving political inclinations. The app is the brainchild of an entrepreneur Pratham Mittal
and is inspired by the US approval system.
9.Which country is host to the multi-nation counter-terror exercise “SCO Peace Mission
2018”?
[A] Uzbekistan
[B] Russia
[C] China
[D] Kazakhstan
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Russia]
Notes:
The multi-nation counter-terror exercise Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Peace
Mission 2018 has started at Chebarkul, Russia on August 24 to provide an opportunity to
the armed forces of SCO nations to train in counter terrorism operations in urban scenario
in a multinational and joint environment. The scope of the exercise includes professional
interaction, mutual understanding of drills & procedures, establishment of joint command
and control structures and elimination of terrorist threat in urban counter terrorist
scenario. It will be for the first time since Independence that India and Pakistan will both be
part of a military exercise, though the armies of the two nations have worked together in
UN peace keeping missions. All 8 SCO member nations – Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan – are participating in this exercise.
10.What is the India’s GDP forecast for 2018, as per Moody’s Investors Service report
“Global Macro Outlook for 2018-19”?
[A] 7.8%
[B] 7.5%
[C] 7.6%
[D] 7.7%
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [7.5%]
Notes:
Moody’s Investors Service has recently released its Global Macro Outlook for 2018-19. In it,
the Indian economy is expected to grow by about 7.5% in 2018 and 2019 as it is largely
resilient to external pressures like those from higher oil prices. However, the rating agency
expects the India’s economy to grow at a higher rate of 7.7% in the first quarter of 2018.
Apart from this, Moody’s put G-20 growth at 3.3% in 2018 and 3.1% in 2019. The advanced
economies will grow 2.3% in 2018 and 2% in 2019.
27 AUGUST 2018
1.Fouaad Mirza is related to which sports?
[A] Tennis
[B] Badminton
[C] Sprint
[D] Equestrian
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Equestrian ]
Notes:
Fouaad Mirza from Bangaluru clinched silver in the equestrian event with a score of 26.40
at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games on August 26. With this, he became the first Indian to win
an Asian Games individual medal in the equestrian event after 36 years. The last individual
eventing medal came in 1982 when Raghubir Singh topped the table in New Delhi. Beside
this, the Indian equestrian team, comprising Fouaad Mirza, Jitender Singh, Akash Malik and
Rakesh Kumar, also won silver in the same competition with a combined score of 121.30 in
the ongoing event. Equestrian is a sport related to Horse riding.
2.Mizzima Media Group, which was recently in news, is a company of which country?
[A] Italy
[B] Japan
[C] Myanmar
[D] Sri Lanka
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Myanmar]
Notes:
Prasar Bharati has recently signed MoU with Mizzima Media Group of Myanmar to realize
cooperation and collaboration in broadcasting and content sharing. The agreement was
signed in the presence of Prasar Bharati CEO, Shashi Shekhar Vempati and Editor-in-chief
and MD, Mizzima in New Delhi. The agreement will realize cooperation and collaboration in
broadcasting and envisions content-sharing covering a wide range of genres, including
culture, entertainment, education, science, news and sports along with other areas of
mutual interest.
3.The recently signed MoU between Integrated Defence Staff and which organization aims
to set up telemedicine nodes for soldiers in high-altitude areas?
[A] VSSC
[B] ISRO
[C] BARC
[D] DRDO
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [ISRO]
Notes:
The Integrated Defence Staff of the Defence Ministry and the Indian Space Research

Organisation (ISRO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up satellite-
enabled telemedicine nodes to improve emergency medical support to Indian soldiers
posted in high-altitude areas, especially Siachen. ISRO will establish 53 more nodes in the
first phase over and above the existing 20, in various establishments of the Army, Navy and
Air Force across the country. These nodes will enable medical consultation between
soldiers deployed at the Siachen glacier and medical echelons in the rear. This joint
initiative by ISRO and the Armed Forces Medical Services will transform the reach of
telemedicine to soldiers, airmen and sailors in remote and isolated posts. One can say that
the communication through these nodes will be a paradigm shift in the delivery of lifesaving
health care in adverse terrain and extreme weather conditions till the weather clears up
and movement is possible.
4.India’s first-ever test flight powered by biojet fuel was successfully conducted by which
airline?
[A] Air India
[B] SpiceJet
[C] Vistara
[D] JetLite
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [SpiceJet]
Notes:
Budget passenger carrier SpiceJet has successfully conducted India’s first-ever test flight
powered by biojet fuel between Dehradun and Delhi on August 27, 2018. The 43 minute
flight was operated by the airline’s Bombardier Q-400 aircraft with total 25 on onboard,
including crew. The flight was powered with a blend of 75% Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) and 25%
biojet fuel. The biojet fuel, which is made from Jatropha crop, has been developed by the
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) based in Dehradun along with Indian
Institute of Petroleum (IIP). The advantage of using biojet fuel as compared to ATF is that it
reduces carbon emissions and enhances fuel efficiency. The biojet fuel has been recognised
by American Standard Testing Method (ASTM) and meets the specification standards of
Pratt & Whitney and Bombardier for commercial application in aircraft. Globally, bio-fuel
powered flights are operated in Canada.
5.Gopal Bose, who passed away recently, was associated with which sports?
[A] Cricket
[B] Boxing
[C] Tennis
[D] Chess
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Cricket]
Notes:
Gopal Bose (71), the former Bengal cricket captain, has passed away in Birmingham,
England on August 26, 2018. He was the first cricketer from Bengal to play an ODI against

England in 1974, which was incidentally only the 2nd ODI that India played. He had scored
3,757 runs in 78 first-class games with 8 hundreds and 17 fifties. He also took 72 wickets,
including one five-for, with his handy off-breaks. Bose was the head coach of Kolkata’s
Cricket Club of Dhakuria(CCD). Interestingly, Bose was the manager of the Virat Kohli-led
India U-19 team that won the World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 2008.
6.Which of the following is the India’s only aircraft carrier to have marine hydraulic system?
[A] INS Sahyadri
[B] INS Vikrant
[C] INS Vikramaditya
[D] INS Satpura
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [INS Vikramaditya]
Notes:
For the first time, India’s only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya will be fitted with marine
hydraulic systems “GS-1MF and GS-3” to boost the air operations of the ship. The systems
would be fitted by Russia’s Rostec State Corporation through its subsidiary
“Technodinamika” by May 2019. The upgradation and sea trials of the ship will be done in
India only. The hydraulics technology uses fluid pressure to power machines. These
hydraulic systems are used for refuelling, cleaning and pressurization of hydraulic systems
of aircraft and helicopters which form part of the air-capable wing of INS Vikramaditya. GS-
1MF hydraulic system is used for helicopters while GS-3 is used for aircraft. INS
Vikramaditya is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier, which entered into service with the
Indian Navy in 2013. It weighs 44,500 tonnes and is the biggest & heaviest ship in the Indian
Navy. It is 284m long and 60m high — that’s about as high as a 20-storeyed building. The
ship weighs 40,000 tonnes and is the biggest & heaviest ship in the Indian Navy.
7.Which of the following cities is the venue of the 3rd Indian Ocean Conference (IOC-2018)?
[A] Colombo
[B] New Delhi
[C] Tokyo
[D] Hanoi
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Hanoi]
Notes:
The 3rd edition of Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) 2018 has started in Hanoi, Vietnam on
August 27 with theme ‘Building Regional Architectures’. The 2-day conference was
inaugurated by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj along with her Vietnamese
counterpart, Pham Binh Minh. Ms Swaraj also unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the
Chancery building at the Embassy of India in Hanoi. The purpose of the conference is to
serve a platform to the countries to come closer and exchange better views on the
economic and strategic importance of the region and neighbourhood. The conference will
see 43 countries as participants while 28 ministers and officials are set to address the

event. The conference will emphasise on better cooperation, strategic collaboration and
governance architectures.
8.Who heads the committee on review of penal provisions of Company Act 2013 which
recently submitted final report to government?
[A] Uday Kotak
[B] Injeti Srinivas
[C] Ajay Bahl
[D] K V R Murty
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Injeti Srinivas]
Notes:
The committee, chaired by Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas, has recently
submitted final report on review of penal provisions of Company Act 2013 to the Union
Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley. The Committee recommended that
the existing rigour of the law should continue for serious offences, covering six categories,
whereas for lapses that are essentially technical or procedural in nature, mainly falling
under two categories may be shifted to in-house adjudication process. The report makes
recommendations for de-clogging the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) through
significant reduction in compounding cases before the Tribunal. The Committee was
constituted by the Union government in July 2018 to review the existing framework dealing
with offences under the Companies Act, 2013 and related matters and make
recommendations to promote better corporate compliance.
9.Who has become the first-ever Indian shuttler to enter a badminton final at the Asian
Games?
[A] PC Thulasi
[B] Saina Nehwal
[C] Kidambi Srikanth
[D] PV Sindhu
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [PV Sindhu]
Notes:
Olympic Silver Medalist PV Sindhu has created history by becoming the first-ever Indian
shuttler to enter a badminton final at the Asian Games. She stormed into the women’s
singles final after defeating Akane Yamaguchi of in the semi-final at the 18th Asian Games
2018 on August 27. Sindhu will now face World No 1 Chines Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying in a Gold
rush on August 28. Earlier, top shuttler Saina Nehwal settled for a Bronze after losing her
women’s singles semifinal in straight sets 17-21, 14-21 to Tai Tzu Ying. With this, Nehwal
became the first Indian to win an individual medal in badminton 36 years after Syed Modi
had clinched the bronze at the 1982 Delhi Asian Games.
10.The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 aims to remove discrimination and stigma
attached to patients of which disease?

[A] Leprosy
[B] HIV
[C] Typhoid
[D] Cancer
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Leprosy ]
Notes:
The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 eliminates leprosy as a ground for dissolution of
marriage or divorce. It is an attempt to end the discrimination against leprosy persons in
various central laws: The Divorce Act, 1869; the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939;
the Special Marriage Act, 1954; the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955; and the Hindu Adoptions and
Maintenance Act of 1956. The Bill is meant to provide for the integration of leprosy patients
into the mainstream. Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium
leprae. It usually affects the skin and peripheral nerves, but has a wide range of clinical
manifestations. According to WHO, leprosy affected 2,12,000 people globally in 2015. India
alone reported 1,27,326 new cases, accounting for 60% of new cases globally.
28 AUGUST 2018
1.Which of the following cities is the venue of the 4th Asian electoral stakeholders forum
(AESF-IV)?
[A] Bangkok
[B] Colombo
[C] New Delhi
[D] Bali
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Colombo]
Notes:
On August 27, the 4th edition of Asian electoral stakeholders forum (AESF-IV) has started in
Colombo, Sri Lanka to discuss the state of elections and democracy in the region. The two-
day forum is held for the first time in South Asia with support from the Election Commission
of Sri Lanka and the Asian network for free elections (ANFREL). The forum gives an
opportunity for Asian election commissions, election observers, non-government
organizations, and interstate bodies to gather and discuss the state of elections and
democracy in the region. The AESF was attended by more than 250 delegates from 45
countries. India is represented by Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra Ashwini Kumar and
an NGO.
2.Which Indian economist has been appointed Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the
New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)?

[A] Nikhil Seth
[B] Atul Khare
[C] Rahguram Rajan
[D] Satya S Tripathi
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Satya S Tripathi]
Notes:
Satya S Tripathi, the veteran Indian development economist and UN official, has been
appointed Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The appointment was made by UN Secretary-
General Antonio Guterres. Mr. Tripathi, who will succeed Elliott Harris of Trinidad and
Tobago, has worked with the UN since 1998 in Europe, Asia and Africa on sustainable
development, human rights, democratic governance and legal affairs. UN Environment is
the leading agency at the world body focussed on environment. It works with governments,
the private sector, the civil society and with other UN entities and international
organisations across the world.
3.Ravinder Kumar Singhal, who has successfully completed the Ironman triathlon, is from
which state?
[A] Uttar Pradesh
[B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] Odisha
[D] Maharashtra
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Maharashtra ]
Notes:
Dr. Ravinder Kumar Singhal (53), the Maharashtra cadre IPS officer & presently Nashik
Police Commissioner, has successfully completed the immensely difficult “Ironman
triathlon” in 15 hours and 13 minutes as against the stipulated time of 17 hours in France
on August 26, 2018. The Ironman is an international triathlon consisting of three
consecutive events- 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km cycling and 42.2 km of running (a full
marathon). It is considered one of the toughest one-day sporting events in the world. The
competitors have to complete the events in sequence within 17 hours to earn the title of
‘Ironman’. Earlier, model-turned-actor Milind Soman had successfully completed the race in
2015. Beside this, Anju Khosla (52) became the oldest Indian woman to complete an
Ironman Triathlon in Austria on July 2018, while Major General Vikram Dogra became the
first serving Indian Army officer and the only General across the world to have successfully
completed a gruelling ‘Ironman’ competition held in Klagenfurt, Austria in July 2018.
4.Who became the first-ever Indian javelin-thrower to win an Asian Games gold medal?
[A] Shivpal Singh
[B] Neeraj Chopra

[C] Parsa Singh
[D] Arjun Meghwal
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Neeraj Chopra]
Notes:
Neeraj Chopra has created history by becoming the first-ever Indian javelin-thrower to win
an Asian Games gold medal. He shattered his own national record by clearing a distance of
88.06m at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games on August 27. He also became the 2nd Indian after
Milkha Singh to win a Commonwealth and Asian Games gold in the event in the same year.
Beside this, Neeraj became the 3rd Indian javelin-thrower to win a medal at the Asian
Games after Gurtej Singh (who won a bronze in the 1982 edition in New Delhi) and Parsa
Singh (who became the first Indian to won a silver at the 1951 New Delhi Asian Games).
5.Who is the author of the book “Atal Ji Ne Kaha”?
[A] V S Naik
[B] Annu Kapoor
[C] Brijendra Rehi
[D] Chitra Banerjee
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Brijendra Rehi]
Notes:
The book “Atal Ji Ne Kaha” is authored and compiled by Brijendra Rehi, who is Doordarshan
producer & senior journalist. It is a book on the BJP patriarch and former Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The book has
26 chapters based on former Prime Minister’s speeches which is on economy, policies,
small industries, social development, nuclear programme, science and technology or
terrorism. It is replete with pictures of the late Prime Minister. Beside this, Rehi has
published 11 books so far including Muktiswar, Kaka and Mewad Ke Itihaas Ki Jhanki.
6.The Odisha government has launched which programme to identify young talents?
[A] Mu Hero, Mu Odisha
[B] Mu Power, Mu Odisha
[C] Mu Startup, Mu Odisha
[D] Mu Youth, Mu Odisha
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Mu Hero, Mu Odisha]
Notes:
The Odisha government has launched a programme “Mu Hero, Mu Odisha” (I am Hero-I am
Odisha)” to identify and to give recognition to the young achievers of the state. The
initiative is to be conducted by the Biju Yuva Vahini (BYV) members.
7.Which Indian-origin personality has been selected as Asia Society’s Game Changer of the
Year for 2018?

[A] Guruswamy Jayraman
[B] Shand Panesar
[C] Indra Nooyi
[D] Sanjeev Gupta
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Indra Nooyi]
Notes:
Indra Nooyi, the PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, has been selected as Asia Society’s Game
Changer of the Year for 2018 in recognition of her pioneering business achievements,
humanitarian record, and advocacy for women and girls around the world. The award will
be presented at the 5th Annual Asia Game Changer Awards Dinner and Celebration in New
York City on October 9, 2018. The event will also feature the first-ever U.S. performance of
Koolulam.
8.Which country’s team has won the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018?
[A] Japan
[B] France
[C] Spain
[D] Germany
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Japan]
Notes:
On 24 August, the Japan Women’s National Team has won the 9th edition of 2018 FIFA U-
20 Women’s World Cup tournament by beating the Spanish team 3-1 at the final in France.
In Japanese football history, it’s their first-ever FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup title. The
FIFA Fair Play Award was goes to Japanese team. It must be noted that France will also host
the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which is schedule to take place between June-July.
9.The Lakhwar multi-purpose project is associated with which river?
[A] Kaveri
[B] Yamuna
[C] Chambal
[D] Godavari
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Yamuna]
Notes:
On August 28, the Government of India (GoI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Chief Ministers of 6 Upper Yamuna basin states for the construction of Lakhwar
multi-purpose project in Uttarakhand. The states are Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi. The Lakhwar project envisages construction of a
204m high concrete dam across river Yamuna near Lohari village in Dehradun district of
Uttarakhand with a live storage capacity of 330.66 Million Cubic Metre (MCM). This storage
will provide 78.83 MCM water for domestic, drinking and industrial use in the six basin

states. It will also irrigate 33,780 hectares of land and generate 300MW of power. Out of
the total project cost of Rs 3966.51 crore, the power component of Rs. 1388.28 crore will
be borne totally by the Uttarakhand government. Uttarakhand will also get the benefit of
total power generation once the project is complete. The project is to be executed by M/s
Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVL).
10.Dutee Chand, who clinched silver in 100m women’s race at the 2018 Jakarta Asian
Games, is belong to which state?
[A] Punjab
[B] Haryana
[C] Odisha
[D] Kerala
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Odisha ]
Notes:
Indian sprinter Dutee Chand from Odisha clinched silver in women’s 100m dash in the 18th
Asian Games 2018 to win the country’s first medal in 20 years in this event. Earlier, she was
suspended by the IAAF in 2014 under its hyperandrogenism policy but she filed an appealed
before the Court of Arbitration for Sports and won it. Recently, under a revised rule of the
IAAF, Dutee was left outside the purview of the hyperandrogenism policy which gave her
liberty to pursue her career. India’s last medal in this event was the bronze won by Rachita
Mistry in 1998 Asian Games.
29 AUGUST 2018
1.Which IIT has recently conducted study on River Ganga that indicates that river is drying
up in summers due to groundwater depletion?
[A] IIT-Kharagpur
[B] IIT-Madras
[C] IIT-Bombay
[D] IIT-Delhi
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [IIT-Kharagpur]
Notes:
IIT-Kharagpur has recently conducted study on River Ganga that indicates that river is
drying up in summers due to groundwater depletion. The study, published recently in
Scientific Reports magazine by Nature Publishing Group, used a combination of satellite
images of groundwater levels of Ganga, numerical simulations and chemical analyses to
draw the conclusion. The study asserted that the decline of groundwater inflow (base flow)
is also impacting the health of the river. The study also observed that in the forthcoming
summers, for the next 30 years, groundwater contribution to river Ganga will continue

decreasing. The trend can lead to disastrous effect on the riverine ecology and lead to food
scarcity for 115 million people in the Ganga basin. Abhijit Mukherjee, associate professor of
Geology in IIT-Kharapur, along with researchers Soumendra Nath Bhanja from Canada and
Yoshihide Wada from IIASA Austria has conducted the study. The research was carried out
under IIT-KGP Science and Heritage Initiative (SANDHI) Initiative, which focuses on river
systems and its relationship with settlement system.
2.The Union Cabinet has recently approved umbrella scheme “O-SMART” of Ministry of
Earth Sciences. What does “O” stands here?
[A] Opacity
[B] Orach
[C] Oilcloth
[D] Ocean
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Ocean]
Notes:
On August 29, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its approval for
the umbrella scheme “Ocean Services, Technology, Observations, Resources Modelling and
Science (O-SMART)” of Ministry of Earth Sciences. The scheme with an overall cost of Rs.
1623 crore encompasses a total of 16 sub-projects addressing ocean development activities
such as Services, Technology, Resources, Observations and Science. The services rendered
under the O-SMART will provide economic benefits to a number of user communities in the
coastal and ocean sectors, namely, fisheries, offshore industry, coastal states, Defence,
Shipping, Ports etc. This scheme also provides necessary scientific and technological
background required for implementation of various aspects of Blue Economy.
3.Which of the following Indian sprinters has achieved a rare one-two in men’s 800m at the
2018 Jakarta Asian Games?
[A] Jinson Johnson and Muhammed Anas
[B] Govindan Lakshmanan and Dharun Ayyasamy
[C] Rajiv Arokia and Manjit Singh
[D] Manjit Singh and Jinson Johnson
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Manjit Singh and Jinson Johnson]
Notes:
On August 28, Manjit Singh clinched gold in the men’s 800 metres event at the 2018 Jakarta
Asian Games, which was India’s first gold in the event since Charles Borromeo won in 1982
Asiad. Beside this, Indian sprinter Jinson Johnson from Kerala also won the silver at the
same event. With this, India achieved a rare one-two in men’s 800m at the Asian Games.
Manjit clocked 1:46.15 while Johnson clocked 1:46.35 to make it a memorable double for
India. It was India’s only second one-two finish in 800m at the Games since Ranjit Singh and
Kulwant Singh achieved the feat at the inaugural edition held in New Delhi in 1951.

4.Which technological giant has launched Project Navlekha to help Indian vernacular news
publishers to take their content online?
[A] Infosys
[B] Google
[C] Facebook
[D] Wipro
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Google]
Notes:
At the 4th edition of Google for India event, Google has launched Project Navlekha to help
Indian vernacular news publishers to take their content online. It does not require any
technical know-how of web publishing and can be used by anyone. Currently, the project
has publishers from Delhi and its reach would soon be expanded across India. Navlekha,
which means ‘a new way to write’ in Sanksrit, will allow 1.35 lakh Indian publishers to
digitize their offline content by creating instant web pages using scanned documents or
PDFs. The registered publishers on Navlekha will also be provided with free web hosting,
along with a branded domain for 3 years. They’ll also have AdSense support to begin
monetising their content. To be available initially in Hindi language, Google will not charge
the publication for the publication tools and the domain name for the first 3 years.
5.Which country to host the 2019 Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships?
[A] India
[B] Bhutan
[C] North Korea
[D] Sri Lanka
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [North Korea]
Notes:
North Korea will host the 2019 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in its
capital Pyongyang from October 27.
6.Who has been conferred Praful Bidwai memorial award for 2018 ?
[A] Medha Patkar
[B] Vandana Shiva
[C] Ulka Mahajan
[D] Vandana Shiva
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Ulka Mahajan]
Notes:
Ulka Mahajan, who is one of the three founders of Sarvahara Jan Andolan (SJA), has been
conferred Praful Bidwai Memorial Award for 2018. The award was presented to Mahajan by
social activist Medha Patkar. It was instituted in the memory of journalist and social activist
“Praful Bidwai” who died in Amsterdam in 2015 and was committed to radical social

transformation, justice for all and gender equality. The award seeks to recognize the efforts
of individuals and institutions that strive for similar ends.
7.ISRO is planning to use which launch vehicle to send Gaganyan in space by 2022?
[A] GSLV Mk-V
[B] GSLV Mk-II
[C] GSLV Mk-III
[D] GSLV Mk-IV
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [GSLV Mk-III]
Notes:
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has decided to launch `Gaganyaan — India’s
first human spaceflight programme’ by 2022. The mission will aim to send a 3-member
crew to space for a period of 5 to 7 days. The spacecraft will be placed in a low earth orbit
of 300-400km and the total programme cost is expected to be less than Rs. 10,000 crores.
The crew will be selected by the Indian Air Force and ISRO jointly after which they will
undergo training for 2 to 3 years. It is expected that the mission may be executed six
months before India completes its 75th Independence Day with the help of GSLV Mk-III
launch vehicle.The objectives of the Mission are to inspire youth, increase science and
technology levels in the country, improve industrial growth, develop technology for social
benefits, etc. The programme will make India the 4th nation in the world to launch a
Human Spaceflight Mission. So far, only the USA, Russia and China have launched human
spaceflight missions.
8.On which date, the 2018 National Sports Day (NSD) was observed recently?
[A] August 27
[B] August 29
[C] August 28
[D] August 26
Hide Answer
Notes:
The National Sports Day (NSD) is celebrated every year in India on August 29 to mark the
birth anniversary of legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand, who was known as ‘The
Wizard’ or ‘The Magician’ of hockey for his superb ball control. He won gold medals in
Olympics for India in the years 1928, 1934 and 1936. He scored over 400 goals in his career,
from 1926 to 1948. His autobiography “Goal!” was published by Sport & Pastime, Madras in
1952. The Government of India (GoI) awarded him the 3rd highest civilian honour of Padma
Bhushan in 1956. Beside this, the most noted memorial for him is the Major Dhyan Chand
Award, which is the highest award for lifetime achievement in sports and games in India. It
has been awarded annually from 2002 to sporting figures that not only contribute through
their performance but also contribute to the sport after their retirement.

9.Who is the head of the newly formed Prime Minister’s Science Technology and Innovation
Council (PM-STIAC)?
[A] Subhash Kak
[B] Baba Kalyani
[C] K Vijay Raghavan
[D] Sangamitra Bandopadhyay
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [K Vijay Raghavan]
Notes:
The Government of India (GoI) has constituted a 21-member committee to advise Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on policy matters related to science, technology and innovation.
The committee, dubbed as Prime Minister’s Science Technology and Innovation Council
(PM-STIAC), will be headed by K Vijay Raghavan, the principal scientific adviser to the GoI. It
will facilitate the formulation and implementation of policies and decisions, provide action-
oriented and future preparedness advise and assist in directing S&T to solve the socio
economic problems in the country. It will also have a large focus on driving innovation in
education, research, industry etc.
10.Who was officially sworn-in as the new President of Zimbabwe?
[A] Robert Mugabe
[B] Emmerson Mnangagwa
[C] Canaan Banana
[D] Constantino Chiwenga
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Emmerson Mnangagwa]
Notes:
Emmerson Mnangagwa was officially sworn-in as the new President of Zimbabwe on
August 26, after narrowly winning the 2018 Zimbabwean general election. It was the
country’s first election since the ousting of strongman Robert Mugabe. The President of
Zimbabwe is the head of state of Zimbabwe, elected by direct universal suffrage using a
two-round system. The President is also the head of government, as the office of Prime
Minister was abolished in 1987. Zimbabwe is a landlocked country and its capital is Harare.
30 AUGUST 2018
1.India has signed $300 million agreement with which International organisation for its
Energy Efficiency Scale-Up Program?
[A] IMF
[B] World Bank
[C] ADB
[D] AIIB

Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [World Bank]
Notes:
The Government of India (GoI) and the World Bank signed a $220 million Loan Agreement
and a $80 million Guarantee Agreement for the India Energy Efficiency Scale-Up Program.
The program will be implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL). It will
help scale-up the deployment of energy saving measures in residential and public sectors.
The investments under the Program are expected to avoid lifetime greenhouse gas
emissions of 170 million tons of CO2, and contribute to avoiding an estimated 10 GW of
additional generation capacity. The Program will help tackle the financing, awareness,
technical and capacity barriers faced by new energy efficiency programmes and support the
Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) and Street Lighting National Program (SLNP)
schemes. The $220 million IBRD loan has a 5-year grace period & a maturity of 19 years
while the $80 million IBRD guarantee will partially cover re-payment risks to commercial
lenders or investors, to enable EESL to raise funds for its programme.
2.Which country is host to the first-ever SAARC Agriculture Cooperative Business Forum?
[A] Nepal
[B] India
[C] Nepal
[D] Bhutan
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Nepal ]
Notes:
The first-ever SAARC Agriculture Cooperative Business Forum has started in Kathmandu,
Nepal on August 29, 2018. It is co-organized by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) and Asian Farmers’ Association (AFA) with the support from the International Fund
for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The aim of the forum is to bring together
representatives both from the government and non-governmental entities from the
Member States of SAARC as well as from regional and international organizations. The
theme of 3-day Forum is the ‘Organizing and Strengthening Family Farmers’ Cooperatives
to attain the Sustainable-Development-Goals-1 and 2 in South Asia.
3.Who has created history by becoming the first Indian heptathlete to win an Asian Games
gold?
[A] Pramila Aiyappa
[B] Soma Biswas
[C] Swapna Barman
[D] Purnima Hembram
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Swapna Barman]
Notes:
Despite competing with a severe toothache, Swapna Barman from West Bengal clinched

gold in the women’s heptathlon with 6026 points at the 18th Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta
on August 29. With this, she created history by becoming the first Indian heptathlete to win
an Asian Games gold. Before Barman, only Bengal’s Soma Biswas and Karnataka’s JJ Shobha
and Pramila Aiyappa had returned with a medal from the Asian Games. Soma and Shobha
had finished two-three at both Busan Asian Games (2002) and the Doha Games (2006),
while Pramila had won a bronze at the 2010 Guangzhou edition.
4.Who represented India at the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting 2018?
[A] Ravi Shankar Prasad
[B] Piyush Goyal
[C] Sushma Swaraj
[D] Sushma Swaraj
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Ravi Shankar Prasad]
Notes:
In Argentina, the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting 2018 was held in Salta with
theme ‘Building consensus for fair and sustainable development’ on August 23-24. It took
place as part of Sherpa Track for 2018 G20 Leaders’ Summit, which is to be hosted by
Argentina by end of 2018. India was represented by Union Minister for Electronics and IT &
Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad. The G20 Ministerial meeting allowed India to
showcase the inclusive use of digital technology by the Government to empower the
people. It also allowed India to articulate it’s views on global issues relating to cyber
security, data protection and innovation for growth. The key issues of the meeting were
future of work, infrastructure for development, and sustainable food future. It concluded
with the adaptation of declaration that reflects G20’s commitment towards promoting
policies and actions that catalyze digital transformations.
5.Which sportsperson has clinched India’s first men’s triple jump gold in 48 years at the
18th Asian Games 2018?
[A] Shivpal Singh
[B] Rakesh Babu A V
[C] Sreeshankar
[D] Arpinder Singh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Arpinder Singh]
Notes:
Arpinder Singh from Punjab clinched India’s first men’s triple jump gold in 48 years, with a
jump of 16.77m in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games on August 29. With this, he became the
2nd Indian sportsperson to achieve this landmark. Before him, Mohinder Singh Gill won
gold medal in triple jump event in 1970 Bangkok Asian games event.
6.India has signed $375 million loan agreement with which International organisation to
improve irrigation in Madhya Pradesh?

[A] ADB
[B] AIIB
[C] World Bank
[D] IMF
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [ADB]
Notes:
The Government of India has signed a $375 million loan agreement with the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) for Madhya Pradesh Irrigation Efficiency Improvement Project
(MPIEIP). The aim of the pact is to double farming incomes in Madhya Pradesh by
expanding irrigation networks and system efficiency. The project will focus on two large
irrigation systems: Kundalia irrigation project & Sanjay Sarovar Irrigation Project. It will
develop 125,000 hectares of new, highly efficient and climate resilient irrigation networks,
and improve water use efficiency in more than 400 villages, which will benefit over 800,000
people across the state. The project will also help farmers to adopt micro-irrigated
agriculture including high-value crops.
7.Which union minister is leading the Indian delegation for the 6th RCEP Trade Ministers’
Meeting 2018?
[A] Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
[B] Suresh Prabhu
[C] Nitin Gadkari
[D] Sushma Swaraj
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Suresh Prabhu]
Notes:
The 6th edition of RCEP Trade Ministers’ Meeting 2018 has started in Singapore on August
30, which consists of 10 ASEAN countries and six ASEAN FTA partners namely, India, China,
Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. In it, the Indian delegation is led by Suresh
Prabhu, the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation. The aim of 2-day
meeting is to work towards a high quality, balanced and inclusive outcomes that take into
consideration sensitivities and interests of member countries. The Ministers will deliberate
on the current global economic situation and exchange views on promotion of rule-based
multilateral trading system and its importance to the stability and effective functioning of
the global economic order. This will be followed by the 15th India-ASEAN Economic
Ministers’ Meeting (AEM) which will take stock of the current level of trade and economic
engagement between India and ASEAN.
8.Who has been appointed India’s new High Commissioner to United Kingdom (UK)?
[A] T.P. Seetharam
[B] Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha
[C] Ruchi Ghanashyam
[D] Navtej Sarna

Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Ruchi Ghanashyam]
Notes:
Ruchi Ghanashyam, the 1982 batch IFS officer, has been appointed India’s new High
Commissioner to United Kingdom (UK). She succeeded Y K Sinha. Prior to this post, she was
the Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Ghanashyam was the first
Indian woman diplomat to be posted in Islamabad when the harassment of Indian
diplomats was routine.
9.Which Indian Naval Ship is participating in the multilateral regional maritime engagement
exercise “KAKADU 2018”?
[A] INS Vikramaditya
[B] INS Satpura
[C] INS Sahyadri
[D] INS Viraat
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [INS Sahyadri]
Notes:
The 14th edition of multilateral regional maritime engagement exercise “KAKADU 2018”
has started in Darwin, Australia from August 29 and will continue till September 15. It is
hosted by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and supported by the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF). Indian Naval Ship ‘INS Sahyadri’, commanded by Captain Shantanu Jha, is
participating in this edition of exercise. Indian Navy’s participation is a significant milestone
in towards strengthening mutual confidence among regional navies and is expected to
further bolster India’s contribution in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
The exercise KAKADU is held biennially in Darwin and the Northern Australian Exercise
Areas (NAXA). Exercise KAKADU derives its name from Kakadu National Park, which is a
protected area in the northern territory of Australia, 171 km south-east of Darwin.
10.The World Bank will provide how much amount of loan facility to Rajasthan for
improving the performance of its electricity distribution sector?
[A] $450 million
[B] $350 million
[C] $250 million
[D] $550 million
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [$250 million]
Notes:
The World Bank (WB) will provide a $250 million loan facility to Rajasthan for improving the
performance of its electricity distribution sector under the 24×7 Power for All program. For
this, an agreement was signed among the Government of India, the Government of
Rajasthan and the World Bank. The key areas that the programme will support include
strengthening governance in the distribution sector by establishing annual performance

MoUs between the DISCOMs and the State Government. To address the concerns of
affordability and access to electricity for the poor, the program also supports the Union
Government’s Domestic Efficient Lighting Program (DELP), under which more than 15
million LED lamps have been distributed in the State.
31 AUGUST 2018
1.Krishna Kutir, which is in news recently, is associated with which union ministry?
[A] Ministry of Home Affairs
[B] Ministry of Tribal Affairs
[C] Ministry of Rural Development
[D] Ministry of Women & Child Development
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Ministry of Women & Child Development]
Notes:
The Krishna Kutir is a special home for 1000 widows set up by the Ministry of Women &
Child Development (MoWCD) under the Swadhar Greh scheme. It is said to be the largest-
ever facility of its kind created by a government organization, which will be inaugurated by
Maneka Sanjay Gandhi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath at Vrindavan in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
on 31st August 2018. The new widows’ home has been constructed to mitigate the plight of
widows living in pathetic condition in Vrindavan. The design of the four-storey building has
been prepared in consultation with the non-governmental organisation, HelpAge India. It
consists amenities like ramps and lifts for senior citizens and differently-abled people. The
facility is also equipped with a large modern kitchen and a skill cum training centre. The
construction of the home has been funded by Central Government and will be managed by
the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
2.Which European country has sanctioned Euro 120 million soft loan to India for National
Clean Ganga Mission?
[A] France
[B] Belgium
[C] Germany
[D] Spain
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C [Germany ]
Notes:
Germany has sanctioned a soft loan of euro 120 million ( approx Rs. 990 crore) to India for
National Clean Ganga Mission & to strengthen sewage water treatment infrastructure in
Uttarakhand. The purpose of the project is to reduce the inflow of untreated waste water in
River Ganga & to improve the water quality of the river. The project would focus on
extension and replacement of sewerage system (around 360Km) including complete house

connection, construction of sewage treatment plants of around 15 million litres per day
(mld).The initiative also includes construction of 13 sewage pumping stations. Beside this,
the German development agency GIZ has prepared a ‘Ganga Box’ that aimed to target
schools-going children and inform them about the river. The concept ‘Ganga book’ was
planned on the lines of ‘Danube Book’ when the cleaning of Rhine River was undertaken.
The Ganga book would have information mythological, socio-cultural, economic importance
about the river and suggestions to avoid pollution, like not dumping plastic in the water
body.
3.Which state government has organised an interactive programme “Mil -Banche” in
government schools of state?
[A] Madhya Pradesh
[B] Gujarat
[C] Uttar Pradesh
[D] Himachal Pradesh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Madhya Pradesh]
Notes:
The Madhya Pradesh government has organized an interactive programme “Mil -Banche” in
government schools of state on August 31, 2018. It is a first of its kind initiative i.e. being
organized for multi-dimensional development of children through language skill up-
gradation, reading other books in addition to textbooks, developing interest in
understanding and other co-curricular activities. Over 2 lakh volunteers who have
registered for the programme include 820 engineers, 843 doctors, 36 thousand employees
of private sector, 19 thousand public representatives and around 45 thousand government
employees and officers. Volunteers will read out one chapter of any book from either the
school library or the Hindi textbook during the programme. After the reading session, the
students present in the class will be asked interesting questions and will be introduced to
the art of conversation and reading after group discussion.
4.Which Indian sprinter clinched gold in men’s 1500m race at the 2018 Jakarta Asian
Games?
[A] Rajiv Arokia
[B] Govindan Lakshmanan
[C] Manjit Singh
[D] Jinson Johnson
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Jinson Johnson]
Notes:
Indian sprinter Jinson Johnson from Kerala clinched gold with a timing of 3 minutes 44.72
seconds in men’s 1500m race at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games on August 30. He also holds
the credit of winning silver in the 800m track event at the ongoing event, finishing behind
compatriot Manjit Singh, who won the Gold. With this, India achieved a rare one-two in

men’s 800m at the 18th Asian Games 2018. It was India’s only second one-two finish in
800m at the Games since Ranjit Singh and Kulwant Singh achieved the feat at the inaugural
edition held in New Delhi in 1951.
5.India has signed $346 million loan agreement with which International organisation for
road improvement in Karnataka?
[A] AIIB
[B] ADB
[C] World Bank
[D] IMF
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [ADB]
Notes:
The Government of India (GoI) has signed a $346 million million loan agreement with the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) for Karnataka State Highways lmprovement lll Project
(KSHIP-lll). Under KSHIP-III, about 419Kms of state highways will be upgraded to two- and
four-lane roads and will involve reconstruction as well as widening and strengthening of
bridges and culverts. It will enhance connectivity and access to economic centers across 12
districts in the state. The key element of the project is the use of hybrid annuity contracts
to increase participation of private sector and improve quality & sustainibility of road assets
with performance based maintenance period of 7 years post construction. The project will
also carry out a road safety audit to identify and mitigate critical accident blackspots across
the state highway network and strengthen the institutional capacity of the Karnataka Public
Works, Ports, and lnland Water Transport Department (IWTD).
6.India signed MoU with International Energy Agency (IEA) on increasing innovation for the
Clean Energy Transition. Where is the headquarters of IEA?
[A] Paris
[B] London
[C] New York
[D] Geneva
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Paris]
Notes:
India has signed MoU with International Energy Agency (IEA) on enhancing innovation for
the Clean Energy Transition on August 30, 2018. The MoU was signed between secretary of
Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Dr. Renu Swarup and Executive Director of IEA, Dr.
Fatih Birol. The MoU seeks to deepen co-operation in support of clean energy innovations
to accelerate the Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) of clean energy
technologies in India and will help support the generation of data for policymaking and
improve knowledge of good policy practices for innovation in India and around the world.
The MoU will ensure cooperation for sharing of energy policies on RD&D and sharing of
best practices on data collection and analysis. IEA is an autonomous intergovernmental

organization, which works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its 30 member
countries and beyond. It’s headquarters is located in Paris, France.
7.Which new ranking system has been announced by the Union Government for higher
educational institutions to promote innovation?
[A] ATLA
[B] ATAL
[C] ARGW
[D] ARIIA
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [ARIIA]
Notes:
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has announced new ranking system –
named Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) – for higher
educational institutions to promote culture of innovation and research in higher education
at AICTE in New Delhi. The new ranking system will be formally launched on October 15,
the birth anniversary of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. The first results will be declared
on February 28, 2019, which is also Science Day. ARIIA – named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee-
will focus on: budget expenses and revenues generated; facilitating access to advance
centres; ideas of entrepreneurship; innovation ecosystems supported through teaching and
learning; and innovative solutions to improve governance of the institution. It will rank
educational institutions for innovation output based on all major indicators and parameters
used globally.
8.Which country has took over the chairmanship of the 5th Summit of BIMSTEC?
[A] Myanmar
[B] Bangladesh
[C] India
[D] Sri Lanka
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D [Sri Lanka]
Notes:
The 4th edition of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit 2018 was successfully concluded in Kathmandu, Nepal with
Kathmandu declaration on August 30 to 31. From India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
attended the summit that focused on increasing regional connectivity between the
BIMSTEC nations including roads, airways and transmission lines. A Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) was also signed on establishing a BIMSTEC Grid Interconnection to
enhance energy cooperation among the member-States. The BIMSTEC, comprising India,
Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal, accounts for 22% of the
global population. It has a combined GDP of USD 2.8 trillion. Here, Sri Lankan President
Maithripala Sirisena took over the Chairmanship of the 5th Summit of BIMSTEC. Now, the
next BIMSTEC summit will be held in Sri Lanka.

9.Indian Railways has recently signed pact with which company for use of Natural Gas in
railway workshops?
[A] ONGC
[B] GAIL India
[C] NTPC
[D] IOCL
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [GAIL India ]
Notes:
In New Delhi, Indian Railways has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with GAIL India Ltd for use of environment-friendly fuel ‘Natural Gas’ in Railway workshops
and production units. The purpose of the pact is to replace Industrial gases like Dissolved
Acetylene, LPG, Bharat Metal Cutting Gas (BMCG) and Furnace Oil / High Speed Diesel
(HSD) oil with Natural Gas. The use of natural gas has a potential to replace fuel worth Rs 70
crore per annum. This historic partnership will pave the way for supply of Natural Gas to
Railway workshops, integral coach factories, loco workshops, DEMU sheds, etc. located
along the existing and upcoming pipeline networks of GAIL. This endeavour shall reduce
carbon foot-prints of IR and contribute positively towards achieving COP21 commitments.
10.Which of the following cities is the venue of the MOVE: India’s First Global Mobility
Summit 2018?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Pune
[C] Chennai
[D] Kolkata
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [New Delhi]
Notes:
NITI Aayog will organise MOVE: India’s First Global Mobility Summit 2018 at Vigyan Bhawan
in New Delhi on September 7. The aim of the summit is to showcase innovation and build a
platform to shape the future of mobility, The summit will constitute three designated
components – the Conclave, Digital Exhibition, and Featured Events. The six themes of the
2-day summit are asset utilisation and service, comprehensive electrification, alternative
energy, reinventing public transit, logistics and goods transport and data analytics and
mobility. The summit, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will help
drive the government’s goals for vehicle electrification, renewable energy integration and
job growth and also speed up India’s transition to a clean energy economy.
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