Q1. Which company has recently (November 2023) partnered with India Post to introduce an automated digital parcel locker service at selected post offices across India?
(a) Amazon
(b) Flipkart
(c) FedEx
(d) DHL
(e) Blue Dart
Q2. Who has recently (November 2023) won the 2023 Booker Prize for his novel, ‘Prophet Song’?
(a) Salman Rushdie
(b) Hilary Mantel
(c) Paul Lynch
(d) Ian McEwan
(e) Kazuo Ishiguro
Q3. In November 2023, ISRO launched a robotic challenge program called the “ISRO Robotics Challenge- U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) 2024 (IRoC-U 2024)” to build robots that will compete in an extra-terrestrial-inspired arena. Where is the U R Rao Satellite Centre located?
(a) Hyderabad
(b) Bengaluru
(c) Ahmedabad
(d) Thiruvananthapuram
(e) Sriharikota
Q4. In November 2023, The Prime Minister of India launched an initiative namely ‘PM JANMAN,’ under which the government will reach out to tribal groups and primitive tribes, most of whom still dwell in the forests. What does ‘N’ stand for in the initiative ‘PM JANMAN’ launched by the Prime Minister of India?
(a) National
(b) Native
(c) Nyaya
(d) Nomadic
(e) Nature
Q5. Which company recently (November 2023) signed an MoU with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade to enable Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises and boost e-commerce exports from India?
(a) Amazon
(b) Flipkart
(c) Alibaba
(d) eBay
(e) Shopify
Q6. India and the United States of America conducted the 14th edition of the Vajra Prahar 2023 Joint Special Forces exercise in November 2023. This exercise was conducted at which place?
(a) Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh
(b) Jodhpur, Rajasthan
(c) Agra, Uttar Pradesh
(d) Pune, Maharashtra
(e) Umroi, Meghalaya
Q7. As per recent (November 2023) information, India’s first Telecom Centre of Excellence will be developed to promote new technology in the field of telecom. This center will be established at which institute?
(a) Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
(b) Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
(c) Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
(d) Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
(e) National Institute of Technology, Trichy
Q8. Which country has hosted the world’s 1st global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Summit in November 2023?
(a) India
(b) United States
(c) China
(d) United Kingdom
(e) Japan
Q9. ULLAS mobile application was recently (August 2023) launched at the Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. It is an initiative by which of the following ministries?
(a) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
(b) Ministry of Education
(c) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
(d) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
(e) Ministry of Home Affairs
Q10. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL), which in July 2023 became the largest PSU refinery at a single location in India for 2022-23, is a subsidiary of which of the following?
(a) Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
(b) Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)
(c) Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)
(d) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)
(e) GAIL (India) Limited
Solutions
S1. Ans. (e)
Sol. Blue Dart, in partnership with India Post, has introduced automated digital parcel lockers at selected post offices across India, providing a secure and convenient option for package collection.
S2. Ans. (c)
Sol. Paul Lynch was awarded the 2023 Booker Prize for his novel ‘Prophet Song’, a distinguished recognition in the literary world.
S3. Ans. (b)
Sol. The U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), formerly the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), is located in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched a robotic challenge program “ISRO Robotics Challenge-U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) 2024 (IRoC-U 2024).
S4. Ans. (c)
Sol. The initiative ‘PM JANMAN’, launched by the Prime Minister of India, is an acronym for ‘Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan.’ In this, ‘N’ stands for ‘Nyaya,’ which means ‘justice’ in Hindi.
The initiative aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) by providing them with essential amenities and entitlements.
S5. Ans. (a)
Sol. Amazon signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to promote the growth of exports from India’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector.
This collaboration aims to provide MSMEs with the necessary tools and knowledge to begin exporting their products through e-commerce platforms, thereby tapping into global markets and boosting their growth.
S6. Ans. (e)
Sol. The 14th edition of the Vajra Prahar 2023 Joint Special Forces exercise between India and the United States of America was conducted at Umroi Cantonment in Meghalaya.
This exercise is part of a series of military training events that are conducted annually between India and the USA, aimed at enhancing the interoperability of the two forces and sharing best practices in tactics, techniques, and procedures.
S7. Ans. (d)
Sol. India’s first Telecom Centre of Excellence will be established at the Saharanpur campus of IIT Roorkee.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, approved this initiative, marking a significant step in promoting innovation and development in the field of telecommunications. This center will focus on advanced research in areas like 5G technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and the future development of 6G, enhancing India’s capabilities in the telecom sector.
S8. Ans. (d)
Sol. The world’s first global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Summit in 2023 was hosted by the United Kingdom at Bletchley Park to tackle the challenges posed by frontier AI technologies.
To tackle these challenges, 28 major countries, including the United States, China, India, and the European Union, signed the Bletchley Park Declaration at this first-ever AI Safety Summit.
S9. Ans. (b)
Sol. The ULLAS (Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society) mobile application, launched in August 2023, is an initiative by the Ministry of Education.
The application was introduced as part of the ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram, focusing on promoting basic literacy, vocational skills, and essential life skills such as financial, legal, and digital literacy.
This initiative aims to empower citizens and foster a culture of continuous learning and knowledge-sharing across India.
S10. Ans. (c)
Sol. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) is a subsidiary of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
In July 2023, MRPL achieved the distinction of becoming the largest PSU refinery at a single location in India for the fiscal year 2022-23.