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General Knowledge(GK) (or) General Awareness

Welcome to the General Knowledge Section of Free Time Learning. As we are aware General Knowledge (GK) is a very important area in all the competitive exams held in the country. Nowadays, a good knowledge of general awareness is very important in clearing any competitive and government recruitment examinations.

These General Knowledge Question are very important and usefull to UPSC, IAS/PCS, UPPSC, IBPS, SBI, RBI, SSC, CGL, Railway, APPSC, TSPSC, KPSC, TNPSC, TPSC, UPPSC, MPSC, RPSC, BPSC, MPPSC, UKPSC, MPSC, and other competitive exams.

A)
BARC
B)
ISRO
C)
JAXA
D)
CNSA

Correct Answer : Option (B) - ISRO


Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its partners successfully demonstrated a precise landing experiment for a Reusable Launch Vehicle at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, Karnataka.

The Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) test was the second of five tests that are a part of ISRO’s efforts to develop RLVs, or space planes/shuttles, which can travel to low earth orbits to deliver payloads and return to earth for use again.

“RLV performed approach and landing maneuvers using the Integrated Navigation, Guidance, and control system and completed an autonomous landing on the ATR airstrip at 7:40 AM IST. With that, ISRO successfully achieved the autonomous landing of a space vehicle,” ISRO announced on Sunday (2nd April 2023) morning.

The experiment was carried out nearly seven years after the technology demonstration of an RLV and the first experiment was conducted successfully by ISRO on May 23, 2016, on the RLV-TD (HEX) mission.

What is ISRO’s RLV TD project?

According to ISRO, the series of experiments with the winged RLV-TD are part of efforts at “developing essential technologies for a fully reusable launch vehicle to enable low-cost access to space”. The RLV-TD will be used to develop technologies like hypersonic flight (HEX), autonomous landing (LEX), return flight experiment (REX), powered cruise flight, and Scramjet Propulsion Experiment (SPEX).

“In the future, this vehicle will be scaled up to become the first stage of India’s reusable two-stage orbital (TSTO) launch vehicle,” according to ISRO.

ISRO’s RLV-TD looks like an aircraft. It consists of a fuselage, a nose cap, double delta wings, and twin vertical tails.

The 2016 experiment involved sending a winged spacecraft on a rocket powered by a conventional solid booster (HS9) engine used by ISRO into space. The spacecraft traveled at a speed of Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound) when re-entering the earth’s orbit and traveled a distance of 450 km before splashdown in the Bay of Bengal...

Source : Indian Express

Published On : April 3, 2023
A)
Yes Bank
B)
Union Bank of India
C)
HDFC Bank
D)
Kotak Mahindra Bank

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Union Bank of India


To facilitate transactions between India and Malaysia in the Indian rupee, Union Bank of India (UBI) announced on Saturday (1st April 2023) the opening of its ‘Special Rupee Vostro’ account in Malaysia.

UBI’s announcement came on a day the ministry of external affairs said the two countries can now settle trade in the rupee as well, in addition to the current modes of settlement in other currencies, including the Malaysian Ringgit.

UBI has become the first Indian bank to operationalise a Vostro account in the fellow Asian nation. The account has been operationalised through the India International Bank of Malaysia (IIBM), UBI’s corresponding bank in that country.

Here is all you need to know about a ‘Special Rupee Vostro’ bank account :

(1) In July 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to allow the settlement of India’s international trade in rupee. Accordingly, authorised Indian banks must open and maintain Special Rupee Vostro accounts of the partner trading country’s banks.

(2) These accounts keep the foreign bank’s holdings in the Indian counterpart, in rupees. When an Indian trader wants to make a payment to a foreign trader in rupees, the amount will be credited to this Vostro account.

(3). Similarly, in the reverse scenario, the amount to be paid to an Indian trader is deducted from the Vostro account, and credited to the person’s regular account.

(4. According to PTI, as on March 15, Indian banks, including HDFC Bank and UCO Bank, had opened as many as 30 such accounts in 18 countries. The partner international banks include Sberbank and VTB, the largest and second-largest, respectively, in Russia.

(5) The total trade between India and Malaysia reached $19.4 billion in FY 2021-22, as per Union Bank. Also, at present, 1 Malaysian Ringgit is equivalent to approx. ₹19 in India..

Source : Hindustan Times

Published On : April 3, 2023
A)
Russia
B)
Japan
C)
India
D)
Israel

Correct Answer : Option (D) - Israel


Israel successfully launched the “Ofek-13” spy satellite into space early Wednesday (29th March 2023) morning, the Defense Ministry said.

The satellite, the latest in a line of Israeli observation assets in space, will provide the military with better-quality images than its predecessors.

The ‘Ofek-13’ satellite is a [synthetic-aperture radar] observation satellite with advanced capabilities, the Defense Ministry said in a statement after the launch.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hailed the launch of the Ofek-13 as "yet another important example of the Israeli defense establishment’s groundbreaking innovation."..

Source : Times of Israel

Published On : April 3, 2023
A)
Carlos Alcaraz
B)
Andrey Rublev
C)
Daniil Medvedev
D)
Novak Djokovic

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Daniil Medvedev


Russian superstar "Daniil Medvedev" won his 4th title of 2023 after defeating Jannik Sinner in a hard-fought final in Miami on Sunday 2nd April 2023.

* It was Medvedev's maiden title triumph at the prestigious Miami Open as the former World No.1 extended his record to 24-1 in his last five events on what has been a terrific run on hard courts.

* Daniil Medvedev overcame Jannik Sinner, who is also in red-hot form in the new season, 7-5, 6-3 to win his fifth Masters 1000 title and 19th overall.

* Incidentally, each of Medvedev's 19 different title wins on the tour have come in different events. It was also Medvedev's first Masters 1000 level victory since Toronto in 2021.

* Medvedev, who showcased his rock solid baseline game, defeated Jannik Sinner in the final on the tour for the second time after his triumph over the Italian in Rotterdam in February. The Russian now leads Sinner 7-0 in head-to-head meetings.

* It was a disappointing finish for Sinner as he battled past World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final in a stunning encounter only to falter in the final hurdle.

* Medvedev, who reached the final of Indian Wells Masters last month and lost to Carlos Alcaraz, will move to No. 4 from No. 5 in the ATP men's singles rankings, which will be updated on Monday.

* The former US Open champion was going through patch form in 2022. After his shocking 3-round exit at Australian Open, Medvedev has looked in top form, extending his season's record to 24-3...

Source : I T

Published On : April 3, 2023
A)
Lance Stroll
B)
Lewis Hamilton
C)
Max Verstappen
D)
Fernando Alonso

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Max Verstappen


Max Verstappen won a chaotic Australian Grand Prix, the third round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship, in a race that was red-flagged three times.

* Verstappen lost his lead from pole at the start, as the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton passed him in the opening corners. But Verstappen took control after a restart following Alex Albon’s big crash, passing Hamilton using DRS in the ultra-fast section ahead of Turn 9 – while Russell went out with an engine fire.

* Despite a brief off, Verstappen looked to be cruising to victory when the race was red-flagged again when Kevin Magnussen crashed his Haas. A two-lap restart was attempted but that ended in a multi-car crash, that led to another red flag.

* Those cars that were still running then completed a final lap behind the safety car in the order of the previous restart..

Source : Motor Sport

Published On : April 2, 2023
A)
NSDL Payments Bank
B)
NSDL Payments Bank
C)
Kotak Mahindra Bank
D)
India Post Payments Bank

Correct Answer : Option (D) - India Post Payments Bank


India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), in collaboration with Airtel, announced the launch of WhatsApp Banking Services for IPPB customers in New Delhi 31st March 2023, enabling them to access banking services on their mobile phone.

* The newly launched IPPB WhatsApp Banking channel will enable IPPB customers to seamlessly connect with the bank on WhatsApp and effortlessly avail a host of banking services, including doorstep service request, locating nearest Post Office and much more.

* In line with the ambition of the Government to bring digital and financial inclusion to citizens in their language, the Airtel – IPPB WhatsApp Banking solution is also working on to build multi-language support, enabling added convenience to customers, especially to those in the rural parts of the country to access banking services in their preferred language.

* Airtel has been working with IPPB to deliver as many as 250 million messages per month to the bank’s customers many of whom are located in mofussil towns and tier 2,3 cities.

* The addition of the WhatsApp messaging will add to customer’s accessibility to connect with the bank on their fingertips, furthering Digital India mission of the Government, as part of which IPPB has been working tirelessly to deliver banking services in the rural pockets of the country.

Shri Gursharan Rai Bansal, CGM & CSMO – India Post Payments Bank said, “We are delighted to work with Bharti Airtel as our partner in driving digital and financial inclusion in India. We believe that financial services driven by technology have great potential and can go a long way in ensuring that the best financial products reach the farthest corners of the country.”

Shri Abhishek Biswal, Business Head - Airtel IQ said, “Airtel IQ is a robust, intuitive and secure cloud communication suite. With the addition of WhatsApp messaging to the existing SMS and voice communication that we offer to India Post Payments Bank customers, we will further enable a two-way communication between the bank and their customers.  We are delighted to continue our association with IPPB to contribute significantly in making banking services more accessible to tier2,3 cities in the country. We promise to continue delivering customer centric solutions that offer greater convenience to customers.”

The IPPB and Airtel IQ are working towards further integrating a LIVE interactive customer support agent into the WhatsApp solution which will enable customers to access 24X7 support and get quick resolutions for their queries..

Source : PIB

Published On : April 1, 2023
A)
₹2.53 lakh crore
B)
₹2.25 lakh crore
C)
₹1.80 lakh crore
D)
₹1.60 lakh crore

Correct Answer : Option (D) - ₹1.60 lakh crore


India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue collection for the month of March 2023 stood at 1.6 lakh crore rupees, which is 13% higher than the GST revenues in the same month of last year.

* As per the statement of Finance Ministry 1st April 2023, it is for the fourth time, in the current financial year that the gross GST collection has crossed 1.5 lakh crore rupees, since the implementation of GST.

* Out of the total collection, CGST is 29,546 crore rupees, SGST is 37,314 crore rupees and IGST is 82,907 crore rupees, including ₹42,503 crores collected on import of goods. While cess contributed 10,355 crore rupees, including 960 crore rupees collected on import of goods.

* Meanwhile, the total gross collection for the year 2022-23 stands at 18.10 lakh crore rupees, while the average gross monthly collection for the full year is 1.51 lakh crore rupees.

* The Ministry said the gross revenues in 2022-23 were 22% higher than that 2022..

Source : AIR

Published On : April 1, 2023
A)
Jio Payments Bank
B)
Paytm Payments Bank
C)
Fino Payments Bank
D)
Aditya Birla Payments Bank

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Fino Payments Bank


Fino Payments Bank on Thursday (13th March 2023) said it has renewed its association with Rajasthan Royals (RR) for Season 16 of India’s biggest premier cricket competition. Fino Bank will be RR’s official digital banking partner.

* The bank made its maiden foray with the mega sporting event last season by partnering with RR as the digital payments partner.

* The 16th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will begin on Friday, March 31, at 7:30 pm. There are 10 teams that will lock horns with each other and vie for the trophy.

* “The new season’s engagement is expected to be a notch higher as the bank aims to connect with RR’s large fan base across social media platforms to increase its digital footprint. Importantly, the newly launched FinoPay digital savings account is expected to get more traction through this engagement," Fino Payments Bank said in a statement.

* As the digital banking partner, along with the core messages of convenience, accessibility, proximity and trust, the bank would look to drive brand visibility and increase FinoPay app downloads. The app helps open digital savings account, an everyday banking account for routing small, daily spends, according to the statement...

Source : News18

Published On : April 1, 2023
A)
Natalie Batalha
B)
Amit Kshatriya
C)
Sirisha Bandla
D)
Raja Jon Vurputoor Chari

Correct Answer : Option (B) - Amit Kshatriya


Amit Kshatriya, a decorated Indian-American software and robotics engineer was appointed as the first head of NASA's newly-established Moon to Mars Programme that will help the agency ensure a long-term lunar presence needed to prepare for humanity’s next giant leap to the Red Planet.

* Kshatriya will serve as NASA's first head of the office, with immediate effect, the agency announced on Thursday (30th March 2023).

* The new office aims to carry out the agency’s human exploration activities on the Moon and Mars for the benefit of humanity.

* “The golden age of exploration is happening right now, and this new office will help ensure that NASA successfully establishes a long-term lunar presence needed to prepare for humanity’s next giant leap to the Red Planet," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

* “The Moon to Mars Programme Office will help prepare NASA to carry out our bold missions to the Moon and land the first humans on Mars,” Nelson explained.

* As directed by the 2022 NASA Authorisation Act, the Moon to Mars Programme Office focuses on hardware development, mission integration and risk management functions for programmes critical to the agency’s exploration approach that uses Artemis missions at the Moon to open a new era of scientific discovery and prepare for human missions to Mars, according to the press release.

* This includes the Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, supporting ground systems, human landing systems, spacesuits, Gateway, and more related to deep space exploration...

Source : India Today

Published On : March 31, 2023
A)
Wipro
B)
Dabur
C)
Godrej Capital
D)
Robert Bosch

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Godrej Capital


Godrej Group, through its financial services arm, Godrej Capital and State Bank of India (SBI) 31st March 2023 signed a strategic MOU to deepen their partnership wherein State Bank of India would provide various financial products and offerings.

* For decades, both SBI, its group companies, and the Godrej Group have played an important role in the growth of our country’s economy. With this partnership, they hope to continue their contributions to building the nation.

* Pirojsha Godrej, Chairperson of Godrej Capital, said, “This partnership is a big step forward in making financial solutions more accessible and affordable. Together, we aim to unlock opportunities for financial inclusion and build a long-term, sustainable franchise, helping drive India’s growth story forward.”

* Dinesh Khara, Chairman of SBI, speaking on the announcement, said, “We are happy to embark on this exciting partnership with Godrej Capital.

* Aim :  To capitalize on synergies that will empower our customers and accelerate the growth of our economy. In addition, we will focus on delivering financial solutions to the Godrej group.”

* This association leverages the strengths of both groups by facilitating a gamut of financial services provided by the Bank, including, and not limited to, banking products, credit cards, wealth management, Life Insurance, and General Insurance as preferred partners.

* Manish Shah, MD and CEO of Godrej Capital added, “We are excited about this partnership between two of the most reputed brands in the country. Financial services have always been the leading indicators of growth of the economy, and the two groups coming together is a milestone we want to leverage in building a sustainable organization.”

* Godrej Capital has, so far, disbursed over INR 5000 crores since inception in November 2020 across housing, SME, and MSME loans. It has expanded its presence across 11 cities in India and aims to expand its footprint to 30 cities across India in the next 12 months.

Published On : March 31, 2023