Candidates who are preparing Current Affairs and general knowledge for the upcoming competitive exams like CDS, NDA, AFCAT and UPSC can read the latest current affairs news and question answers from July 2018. The Current Affairs July 2018 eBook covers detailed knowledge you need for the current affairs section preparation, the current affairs PDF ebook is handy which you can read and prepare from anywhere anytime.
Current Affairs Questions PDF
- MCQ’s With Explanation: Current Affairs Jul 2018 = 400 MCQs
- Current Affairs Quiz: Jul 2018 – Practice – I = 250 “
- Current Affairs Quiz: Jul 2018 – Practice – II =250 “
- Current Affairs One-Liner: Jul 2018 =300 One-liner
- Total Questions =1200
- Important Abbreviations for all Competitive Exams
- STATIC GK: DEFENCE SECTION
- STATIC GK:
- List of National Highways in India,
- Timeline of Indian History and Famous Indian Books With author Name
- Important national and international days and dates
- Major news and events: Jul 2018
News Highlights
- No-confidence motion in Lok Sabha against BJP Govt.
Current Affairs Questions July 2018
- What is the rank of India in the JLL’s Global Real Estate Transparency Index 2018?
(A) 35
(B) 42
(C) 39
(D) 28
Answer: (A) 35- India has moved up a place to 35th spot in JLL’s Global Real Estate Transparency Index 2018, registering maximum improvement in transparency over the last two years. Policy reforms, liberalisation of FDI into realty and retail, strengthening of public information and assigning industry status to affordable housing helped India surge ahead in the rankings. According to the survey, UK is at the top position followed by Australia and the US.Venezuela is the least transparent market with 100th rank.
- Who among the given has won the women’s 100 m event at the 58th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championship, Guwahati?
(A) Shiny Abraham
(B) Manjeet Kaur
(C) Tintu Lukka
(D) Dutee Chand
Answer: (D) Dutee Chand – Indian sprinter Dutee Chand has set a new national record in the women’s 100-metre race at the 58th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships held at Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati. She clocked 11.29 seconds to beat her own previous record of 11.30 seconds which she achieved at the Indian Grand Prix in 2017.Dutee has qualified for the Asian Games in 100m and 200m by breaching the qualifying timings at the Inter State Championships.
- The Indian Navy recently participated in Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with which of the following countries?
(A) Thailand
(B) Bangladesh
(C) Indonesia
(D) Singapore
Answer: (C) Indonesia- The Navies of India and Indonesia participated in Passage Exercise (PASSEX), to enhance their maritime cooperation. Indian Naval ships INS Shakti and INS Kamorta under the command of Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, undertook Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Indonesian Naval Ship KRI Madidihang (855) a Stingrays Class Fast Patrol Craft on leaving the Port of Makassar, Indonesia.
- The Government of India will observe July 1 as GST Day which marks___________its anniversary.
(A) Second
(B) First
(C) Third
- D) Fourth
Answer: (B) First – The Government of India will celebrate July 1, 2018, as ‘GST Day’ to mark the first anniversary of the new indirect tax regime. Goods and Services Tax (GST) was rolled out in the intervening night of June 30 and July 1 in 2017.
- With which country, BHEL has signed Technology Collaboration Agreement (TCA) for design and manufacture of emission controlling devices for coal-based power plants?
(A) Russia
(B) France
(C) South Korea
(D) Israel
Answer: (C) South Korea- Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has signed Technology Collaboration Agreement (TCA) with South Korean firm NANO Co Ltd. for design and manufacture of emission controlling devices for coal-based thermal power plants to comply with emission norms. Under the agreement, NANO will design and manufacture the solution known as SCR Catalysts for De-NOx application in coal-fired plants to enhance BHEL’s offerings for emission control systems (De-NOx applications).
- Which among the following sites of Mumbai has recently been inducted into the UNESCO World Heritage Site list?
(A) Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai
(B) The Imperial Tower
(C) 1905 Prince’s TriumphalArch Clock Tower, Mumbai
(D) Global Vipassana Pagoda
Answer: (A) Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai- Mumbai’s Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site during 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO at Manama in Bahrain. The Ensemble comprises of two architectural styles, the 19th century collection of Victorian structures and the 20th century Art Deco buildings along the sea, conjoined by means of the historical open space of the Oval Maidan.Collectively it will be known as the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai.This makes Mumbai city the second city in India after Ahmedabad to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.India now has overall 37 World Heritage Inscriptions with 29 Cultural, 07 Natural and 01 Mixed sites.
- How many new awards and medals have been announced by the Home Ministry for the police department of India?
(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 4
(D) 5
Answer: (C) 4- The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the institution of “Home Minister’s Special Operation Medal”for Police Officers of States & Union Territories, Central Police Organisations (CPOs), Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Security Organisation involved in Special Operations. The Union Home Minister has also instituted three more Medals namely the Antarik Suraksha Medal, Asadharan Aashuchan Padak, and Utkrisht & Ati-Utkrisht Seva Medal.
- Who among the given has been named as the Captain of India’s 18-member squad for the women’s hockey World Cup 2018?
(A) Rajani Etimarpu
(B) Rani Rampal
(C) Navjot Kaur
(D) Nikki Pradhan
Answer: (B) Rani Rampal- Rani Rampal has been named as the Captain of India’s 18-member squad for the women’s hockey World Cup while goalkeeper Savita will serve as her deputy in the World Cup to be played in London from July 21 to August 5, 2018. India have been placed in Pool B alongside hosts and world no. 2 England, world no. 7 USA and world no. 16 Ireland.
- CRPF has constituted a team of lady commandos known as________________ to deal with the women stone pelters across Jammu & Kashmir border.
(A) Super 50
(B) Super 100
(C) Super 200
(D) Super 500
Answer: (D) Super 500- The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has prepared a team of lady commandos to deal with the rising number of women participants involved in the incident of stone pelting across Jammu & Kashmir region to target security forces. Dubbed as ‘Super 500′, the team of lady commandos have been given rigorous training which includes being blindfolded to deal with night-time deployment and repairing weapons in under a minute in case of any malfunction.
- Which among the following entity has signed an SoI with Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GNFC) to implement Fertilizer Subsidy Disbursement through Blockchain Technology?
(A) NITI Aayog
(B) Ministry of Finance
(C) NABARD
(D) Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
Answer: (A) NITI Aayog- NITI Aayog and Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GNFC) have signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) today to work together towards implementing a Proof-of-Concept (“PoC”) application using Blockchain Technology for fertiliser subsidy management to make it more transparent and immune to leakages. They will jointly develop the use case, under take research, interact with multiple stakeholders, develop Blockchain solutions, exchange learnings, organise forums, and disseminate learnings across their networks.
- According to the recently released first Delta Ranking of Aspirational Districts by NITI Aayog, which among the following districts has achieved the top spot?
(A) Asifabad district, Telangana
(B) Dahod district, Gujarat
(C) West Sikkim district, Sikkim
(D) Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh
Answer: (B) Dahod district, Gujarat- The NITI Aayog recently launched the first Delta ranking (incremental progress) for the Aspirational Districts, based on self-reported data of districts between March 31, 2018 to May 31, 2018. These ranking is based on five developmental areas of Health and Nutrition, Education, Agriculture and Water Resources, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development, and Basic Infrastructure. Dahod district in Gujarat has been ranked first among 108 ‘aspirational districts’ by the NITI Aayog on the basis of incremental development over two months. West Sikkim district stood second.The NITI Aayog has ranked 108 districts out of 112 Aspirational Districts.
- Name the Airport which has topped the global ranking list of 2018 OAG Punctual League released by British aviation intelligence firm OAG.
(A) Sharjah Airport, UAE
(B) Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, China
(C) Nagoya Komaki Airport, Japan
(D) Chicago O’Hare, US
Answer: (C) Nagoya Komaki Airport, Japan- Based upon a report by British aviation intelligence firm OAG, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has been ranked as the fifth least punctual airport in the world with a rank of 509 out of the 513 airports globally. These are among the findings in a report of 513 airports and 65 airlines across the world. The Nagoya Komaki Airport in Japan topped the global ranking list with an ‘on-time performance’ (OTP) rate of 94.5 percent. None of the major Indian airports figured among the top 200 in ‘on-time performance’ (OTP), but the small Port Blair airport in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands got the worldwide rank of 65, thanks to its punctuality rate of 84.6 percent.
- The foundation stone for Gattu irrigation project has been laid down in which state recently?
(A) Gujarat
(B) Madhya Pradesh
(C) Rajasthan
(D) Telangana
Answer: (D) Telangana- Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had laid foundation stone for Gattu irrigation project in Jogulamba Gadwal district. The project will provide water to 33,000 acres in four mandals in the district. The estimated cost of the project is Rs Rs 553.98 crore.
- Which bank has been authorized by the government to issue and encash the fourth tranche of the sale of Electoral Bonds?
(A) IDBI Bank
(B) Reserve Bank of India
(C) State Bank of India
(D) HDFC Bank
Answer: (C) State Bank of India- The Government of India had notified the Electoral Bond Scheme 2018 on January 2, 2018. The Finance Ministry has announced that the fourth tranche of electoral bonds sale will take place from July 2-11. State Bank of India (SBI), in the 4th phase of sale, has been authorised to issue and encash Electoral Bonds through its 11 Authorised Branches. The sale of first batch of electoral bonds took place between March 1 and March 10, 2018. The second phase was launched on April 2 till April 10. The third phase took place during May 1-10.
- The 9th meeting of Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on India-Nepal relations was held in which city?
(A) Kathmandu
(B) New Delhi
(C) Mumbai
(D) Pokhara
Answer: (A) Kathmandu- The ninth and final meeting of Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on India-Nepal relations concluded in Kathmandu on June 20 to discuss various bilateral issues including 1950 Peace and Friendship treaty, trade, transit and border during the two day meeting.
- Name the Managing Director of State Bank of India who recently stepped down form the post.
(A) Rajnish Kumar
(B) B Sriram
(C) Ashok Kumar Pradhan
(D) Sanjeev Sharma
Answer: (B) B Sriram- State Bank of India (SBI) managing director B Sriram has resigned from the country’s largest lender after his appointment as chief executive of IDBI Bank. The government recently appointed Sriram as managing director and CEO of IDBI Bank for a temporary period of three months following M K Jain demitting office to take over as Deputy Governor of RBI.
- The Virutal ID system of UIDAI rolled out from July 1 is a _____ digit number mapped with Aadhaar number.
(A) 16
(B) 12
(C) 9
(D) 15
Answer: (A) 16- The Aadhaar issuing authority Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has operationalized its Virtual ID system from 1 July. The Virtual ID is a 16-digit random number mapped with Aadhaar number. It can only be generated, replaced or revoked by the Aadhaar number holder. It has been introduced so that the actual 12-digit Aadhaar number need not be shared for authenticating identity. Banks have been given time till 31 August to migrate to the new system which supports authentication using Virtual IDs and UID tokens.
- Girish Chandra Chaturvedi has been appointed as the non-executive chairman of which bank?
(A) Yes Bank
(B) HDFC
(C) ICICI
(D) Axis Bank
Answer: (C) ICICI- ICICI Bank has appointed former petroleum secretary Girish Chandra Chaturvedi as the company’s non-executive chairman. The term of office of incumbent M K Sharma expires on June 30, 2018.
- As per President Ram Nath Kovind, Indian Economy to touch how much by 2025?
(A) $5 trillion
(B) $10 trillion
(C) $15 trillion
(D) $20 trillion
Answer: (A) $5 trillion-
President Ram Nath Kovind said the Indian economy is set for a surge in the next decade with the GDP size doubling to 5 trillion US dollars by 2025.
- The Central Reserve Police Force launched which helpline also known as distress helpline for the people of Jammu and Kashmir?
(A) Rahagir
(B) Samabhavna
(C) Unnati
(D) Madadgaar
Answer: (D) Madadgaar- The Central Reserve Police Force launched “Madadgar Helpline”a distress helpline for the people of J&K, with the aim of providing immediate assistance to locals.
- Vice President Venkaiah Naidu released a commeromative coin of Rs.125 denomination to celebrate the birth anniversary of which Indian scientist?
(A) Prasad Chandra
(B) Vikram Sarabhai
(C) Prasanta Chandra Mahalonabis
(D) CV Raman
Answer: (C) Prasanta Chandra Mahalonabis- Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released a commemorative of Rs.125 denomination to celebrate the birth anniversary of Scientist Prasanta Chandra Mahalonabis on 12th Statistics Day.
- The Central Board of Direct Taxes extended the PAN-Aadhar linking deadline upto which date?
(A) April 31,2019
(B) March 31,2019
(C) December 31,2018
(D) December 31,2019
Answer: (B) March 31,2019-
- UIDAI has made Virtual ID operational from July , 2018.Virtual ID consists of how many digits?
(A) 14
(B) 15
(C) 10
(D) 16
Answer: (D) 16- UIDAI has made virtual ID operational from July 1,2018 with its Authentication User Agencies (AUAs) which have migrated to VID and UID Token.It is a 16-digit random number mapped with Aadhar number.
- Odisha Government signed a MoU with RIMES for effective management of disasters.What does “ I” stands for in RIMES?
(A) Immigration
(B) Integrated
(C) Inclusive
(D) Integration
Answer: (B) Integrated- Odisha Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Regional Integrated Multi Hazard Early Warning System(RIMES) for effective management of disasters.
- Which state will be setting up the “first Khadi Mall” of the country?
(A) Jharkhand
(B) Uttar Pradesh
(C) Telangana
(D) Odisha
Answer: (A) Jharkhand- Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das announced that the first “Khadi Mall” of the country will be opened in Ranchi.
- Which state government announced a scheme called “Kanya Van Samruddhi Yojana”?
(A) Andra Pradesh
(B) Odisha
(C) Maharashtra
(D) Uttar Pradesh
Answer: (C) Maharashtra- The Maharashtra government announced a new scheme called “Kanya Van Samruddhi Yojana”, wherein farmers families where girl children are born, will be given saplings for plantation. The scheme is aimed at empowering women and promoting tree plantation.
- Asia’s first Arbitration centre specialised in intellectual property is scheduled to be opened in which city?
(A) New York
(B) California
(C) Tokyo
(D) Vienna
Answer: (C) Tokyo- Asia’s first arbitration centre specialised in intellectual property is slated to open in Tokyo, Japan in September to resolve the growing number of disputes in the region.
- According to US based think tank Brookings Report,which country replaced India to become world’s largest poor population?
(A) Estonia
(B) Denmark
(C) Austria
(D) Nigeria
Answer: (D) Nigeria- With the persistent decline in poverty, India is no longer a nation having the largest number of poor people in the world, according to a study published by the US-based think tank, Brookings.Nigeria have overtaken it.
- According to Union Minister Arun Jaitley ,how much increase was observed in direct tax collections after GST?
(A) 25%
(B) 20%
(C) 18%
(D) 15%
Answer: (C) 18%- Union Minister Arun Jaitley said that after the implementation of the Goods and Service Tax (GST), there was an increase of 18% in Direct tax collections.
- Which country won the Robobank Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy held at Netherlands?
(A) Australia
(B) Denmark
(C) China
(D) Pakistan
Answer: (A) Australia- Australia defeated India 3-1 in the shootout after a 1-1 draw to clinch the Rabobank Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy Breda 2018 held in Breda, Netherlands. India’s PR Sreejesh was awarded the goalkeeper of the tournament.
- Which country’s football team has decided not to participate in 2018 Asian Games?
(A) Australia
(B) India
(C) USA
(D) Brazil
Answer: (B) India- Indian Football Teams faced a major setback as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has decided against sending its senior teams to the Asian Games.
- Who was appointed as MD and CEO of IDBI Bank?
(A) P S Jayakumar
(B) B Sriram
(C) Anish Basu
(D) Rajnish Kumar
Answer: (B) B Sriram- State Bank of India’s former Managing Director B.Sriram took charge as MD and CEO of IDBI Bnak. Sriram was recently appointed as the chief of financially troubled IDBI Bank for a period of three months.
- Who has been appointed as president of International Kabaddi Federation?
(A) Mahesh Kumar Singh
(B) Praful Mehta
(C) Janardan Singh Gehlot
(D) Himanta Biswa Sharma
Answer: (C) Janardan Singh Gehlot- India’s Janardan Singh Gehlot , an Indian sports administrator, has been elected as the president of the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) for the next four years.
- Who has been conferred with National Kalidas Samman for visual arts?
(A) Murali Baskar
(B) Anjolie Ela Menon
(C) Ravi Kumar
(D) None of these
Answer: (B) Anjolie Ela Menon- Artist Anjolie Ela Menon won the National Kalidas Samman from the Madhya Pradesh government. The award was conferred in recognition of her insightful and sensitive portrayal of the identity and spirit of women through her meaningful paintings in a variety of media.
- Government of India celebrated which day as “GST Day”?
(A) July 2
(B) June 30
(C) July 1
(D) June 29
Answer: (C) July 1- The government of India celebrated July 1, 2018, as ‘GST Day’ to mark the first anniversary of the new indirect tax regime.
- UN Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day is celebrated on which of the following dates?
[A] 27 June
[B] 26 June
[C] 25 June
[D] 28 June
Answer: A [27 June]- United Nations has designated June 27 as Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day through its resolution 71/279. The first such day was observed in 2017 while 2nd UN Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day has been celebrated on June 27, 2018.
- What is the initial subsidy approved by the government for MSMER clusters under its new Solar Charkha Mission?
[A] Rs. 200 Crore
[B] Rs. 700 Crore
[C] Rs. 550 Crore
[D] Rs. 950 Crore
Answer: C [Rs. 550 Crore]- On occasion of 2nd UN Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day, 2018, President of India Ram Nath Kovind launched the Solar Charkha Mission covering artisans in 50 identified clusters. The mission will provide a subsidy of Rs 550 crore in the initial two years for 50 clusters and every cluster will employ 400 to 2000 artisans. Objective is to link 5 crore women to this initiative. The mission will generate employment in rural areas and contribute to the green economy.
- Which of the following state governments have launched Kanya Van Samruddhi Yojana recently?
[A] Rajasthan
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Gujarat
[D] Karnataka
Answer: B [Maharashtra]- Kanya Van Samruddhi Yojana is a new scheme of Maharashtra government in which farmers families where girl children are born, will be given saplings for plantation. The saplings will be of different varieties, including teakwood, mango, jackfruit, black plum and tamarind. The scheme will be applicable for maximum two girls. Income from these trees will safeguard future of gril child.
- Which of the following states in India has maximum number of Unesco World Heritage Sites?
[A] Rajasthan
[B] Karnataka
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] Maharashtra
Answer: D [Maharashtra]- Currently, Maharashtra has total five Unesco World Heritage Sites and this number is highest among all states and UTs in India. The sites include Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Elephanta Caves, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco buildings of South Mumbai.
- At present (June, 2018), which of the following state governments Disaster Management Authorities are working with Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES)?
[A] Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
[B] Odisha and Tamil Nadu
[C] West Bengal and Tamil Nadu
[D] Goa and Karnataka
Answer: B [Odisha and Tamil Nadu]- In June 2018, Odisha government entered into a collaboration with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES), an intergovernmental body under United Nations. RIMES has 48 member nations among Asia Pacific and Africa Region and is aimed at automating risk management, advisory generation and dissemination. This body had evolved in the aftermath of 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami due to efforts of African and Asian Countries.
- Which of the following districts have topped the first Delta ranking released in June 2018 by NITI Aayog that captures incremental improvements of Aspirational districts on health, education and other development parameters?
[A] Ramanathapuram (Tamil Nadu)
[B] Dahod (Gujarat)
[C] Vizianagaram (Andhra Pradesh)
[D] West Sikkim (Sikkim)
Answer: B [Dahod (Gujarat)]- Gujarat’s Dahod district topped the first Delta ranking released today by NITI Aayog that captures incremental improvements of Aspirational districts on health, education and other development parameters. Transformation of Aspirational District’s programme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for quickly and effectively transforming some of the most underdeveloped districts of the country. In the recent list, Dahod district of Gujarat improved 19.8 points to rank first. West Sikkim district in Sikkim stood second with 18.9 points.
- The ‘IPledgefor9′ Achievers Awards are related to which of the following government schemes?
[A] Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao
[B] Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan
[C] Pradhanmantri Ujjawala Yojana
[D] PradhanMantri Mudra Yojana
Answer: B [Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan]- ‘IPledgefor9′ Achievers Awards were given recently to individuals and teams of doctors from the private sector and States for their exemplary services, outstanding support of institutions and commitment from support partners in achieving PMSMA’s objectives of safe motherhood to every woman in the country. These awards were established to celebrate individual and team achievements and acknowledge voluntary contributions for PMSMA in states and districts across India.
- Which of the following apps have been launched by government in June 2018 to track and trace missing and abandoned children in India?
[A] Pathway [B] Scout
[C] Rummage
[D] ReUnite
Answer: D [ReUnite]- Union Minister Suresh Prabhu has launched a mobile application called ReUnite; helps to track and trace missing and abandoned children in India. It also uses Amazon Rekognition, web facial recognition service to identify missing kids.
- What was the theme of Statistics Day – 2018?
[A] Statistics for Common Man
[B] Quality Assurance in Official Statistics
[C] Statistics for New India
[D] Statistics for Development
Answer: B [Quality Assurance in Official Statistics]- The theme selected for the Statistics Day this year is ‘‘Quality Assurance in Official Statistics’ for focused discussions and efforts throughout the year, aimed at bringing about improvements in the selected area.
- What is India’s rank is 2018 Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI)?
[A] 35
[B] 37
[C] 39
[D] 42
Answer: A [35]- India has moved up one place from 36 in 2016 to 35th spot in 2018 on JLL’s Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI) aided by improvement in market fundamentals, policy reforms, and liberalization of FDI. The report covers 100 markets and is based on 186 indicators divided into six areas –performance measurement, market fundamentals, governance of listed vehicles, regulatory & legal frameworks, transaction process and environmental sustainability.
- Who has been elected the new Director General (DG) of International Organization for Migration (IOM)?
[A] Christine A. Elder
[B] Abraham Hanson
[C] Antonio Vitorino
[D] George Crennan
Answer: C [Antonio Vitorino]- Antonio Vitorino, a lawyer and politician from Portugal, has been elected Director General of International Organization for Migration (IOM). He will succeed William Lacy Swing on 1st October 2018. IOM is the UN Migration Agency and is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration with over 10,000 staff serving in over 400 offices across more than 150 countries. It provides services and advice to Governments and migrants, such as humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people.
- India has pledged how much amount of aid to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)?
[A] $5 million
[B] $10 million
[C] $25 million
[D] $30 million
Answer: A [$5 million]- India has pledged $5 million in assistance to the UN agency working for the welfare of Palestinian refugees to help bolster its “severe funding crisis” following US’ cut in its annual aid to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). A total of 20 countries, including India, announced contributions to the 2018 budget of the UNRWA for Palestine Refugees in the Near East during a meeting. While India pledged $5 million, Sweden will contribute $250 million over four years, the UK $51 million and the UAE $50 million among other donors. UNRWA has been providing health, education, relief and social services, as well as emergency humanitarian assistance, to some 5.3 million Palestinian refugees across its five fields of operation — Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip — for 65 years.
- The Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of which Indian city has recently declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
[A] Pondicherry
[B] Panaji
[C] Mumbai
[D] Kochi
Answer: C [Mumbai]- In a remarkable achievement, the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai has been declared as a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 30th June 2018. The decision was taken at the 42nd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee at Manama in Bahrain. This makes Mumbai city the second city in India after Ahmedabad to be included on the World Heritage List. Now, India has overall 37 World Heritage Inscriptions with 29 Cultural, 07 Natural and 01 Mixed sites. While India stands second largest in number after China in terms of number of World Heritage properties in ASPAC (Asia and Pacific) region, it is overall sixth in the world.
- Which state government has signed pact with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) for effective disaster management?
[A] Assam
[B] Karnataka
[C] Maharashtra
[D] Odisha
Answer: D [Odisha ]- On June 29, the Odisha government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) for enhancing early warning system for effective management of all kinds of disaster in the state, including flood, drought, heat wave, lightning, and road accidents. The MoU will help state government to integrate new generation digital algorithm-based technologies and best practices from 48 RIMES member countries with the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA). The RIMES is a UN Registered international and inter- governmental institution, owned and managed by its 48 Members and Collaborating States for building capacities in the generation and application of user-relevant early warning information.
- The 2018 International Day of Tropics is observed on which date?
[A] June 22
[B] June 24
[C] June 27
[D] June 29
Answer: D [June 29 ]- The International Day of Tropics is observed every year on June 29 to raise awareness to the specific challenges faced by tropical areas, the far-reaching implications of the issues affecting the world’s tropical zone and the need, at all levels, to raise awareness and to underline the important role that countries in the tropics will play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The day celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the tropics while highlighting unique challenges and opportunities nations of the Tropics face. It provides an opportunity to take stock of progress across the tropics, to share tropical stories and expertise and to acknowledge the diversity and potential of the region.
