DECEMBER 21-31 PART-4

1. Which bank has recently (in Dec ‘23) launched India’s first Corporate
Credit Card ‘The eSvarna Card’ on RuPay network?
1) HDFC Bank 2) ICICI Bank 3) Axis Bank 4) IndusInd Bank 5) YES Bank
 A corporate credit cards are credit cards are issued to employees by the
company (in which they work) that let them charge business expenses
(hotel stays, plane tickets etc) without having to use their own cards or
cash.
2. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released a draft ‘Licensing Framework for
Authorized Persons (APs) ‘under Foreign Exchange Management Act
(FEMA), 1999.
 RBI proposed to introduce a scheme, i.e., FCS, based on a principal-
agency model, where AD Category-I or AD Category-II acts as the
principal for Forex Correspondents (FxCs), entering into agency
agreements under the FCS.
 It also proposed to renew an existing authorisation as an AD Category-II
on a perpetual basis, subject to conditions.
 It is proposed to allow AD Category-II entities to additionally facilitate
trade-related transactions up to a value of Rs 15 lakh (per transaction).
 The goal is to improve operational efficiency in delivering foreign
exchange services to individuals, tourists, and businesses while
maintaining necessary safeguards.
3. Which bank has recently (in Dec ‘23) signed a USD 165 million Line of
Credit (LoC) with the World Bank (WB) to finance, grid-connected
rooftop Solar Photovoltaic projects in residential and institutional
sectors?
1) Bank of Baroda 2) Indian Bank 3) Punjab National Bank 4) Bank of
India 5) State Bank of India
4. Which company has recently (in Dec ‘23) signed an MoU with the
Flipkart India Private Limited to reduce carbon footprint?
1) Mahanagar Gas Limited 2) GAIL Gas Limited 3) Indraprastha Gas
Limited 4) Adani Total Gas Limited 5) Bhagyanagar Gas Limited
5. The Sahitya Akademi announced the winners of the Sahitya Akademi
Awards 2023, the annual award that recognizes literary works in 24
Indian languages (including English).
 DECEMBER 21-31 PART-4

6. Who has recently (in Dec ‘23) appointed as the Chairman of the BSE
Limited (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) with effect from 17th
January 2024?
1) Umakant Jayaram 2) Sundararaman Ramamurthy 3) Pramod Agrawal
4) Sushri Jayshree Vyas 5) Subhasis Chaudhuri
 He will be replacing Subhash Sheoratan Mundra (SS Mundra), the
current Chairman of BSE, whose tenure is set to expire on 16th January
2024. He has been serving as the Public Interest Director of BSE since
November 2023.
7. Name the Stealth Guided Missile Destroyer that was recently (in Dec ‘23)
commissioned by the Indian Navy (IN) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
1) INS Imphal 2) INS Arihant 3) INS Kolkata 4) INS Rajput 5) INS Talwar

 It is the third of four Project 15B ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers

designed by the IN’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
8. Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare (MoHFW), virtually launched MedTech Mitra, a strategic
initiative to empower MedTech innovators and advance healthcare
solutions.
 It is a collaborative initiative of the NITI Aayog(National Institution for
Transforming India); Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); and
Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO)
 The collaborative efforts aim to boost indigenous development,
fostering affordable and quality MedTech devices and diagnostics,
thereby reducing import dependece in the MedTech sector.
 India’s MedTech sector is currently heavily import-dependent (80%).
9. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister (PM) of India and Haitham Bin Tarik, the
Sultan of Oman adopted the joint Vision document titled ‘A Partnership
 DECEMBER 21-31 PART-4

for the Future’ for strengthening bilateral cooperation in diverse areas

and to scale up the partnership between India and Oman
 Oman-India Joint Investment Fund (OIJIF-III), has been announced as a
significant development in trade and capital cooperation in the India-
Oman economic partnership.
 The OIJIF worth USD 300 million (around Rs. 2,500 crores) aims to
channel investments into the fastest-growing sectors of the Indian
economy.
 The announcement of the 3rd tranche of the OIJIF not only represents a
substantial financial commitment but also solidifies the long-term vision
of both nations
 The OIJIF was established as a 50:50 joint venture (JV) between the State
Bank of India (SBI) and Oman Investment Authority (OIA) with the 1st
tranche of USD 100 million and the 2nd one of USD 200 million.
 Prime Minister and Sultan- His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Capital–
Muscat Currency– Omani Rial (OMR)
10. According to the report titled “PwC Global Risk Survey 2023 – India
highlights” released in December 2023, ___________tops as the biggest
threat faced by the Indian organisations.
1) Macroeconomic volatility risks 2) Climate change risks 3) Cyber risks 4)
Inflation risks 5) Digital and Technology risks
 Climate change (37%) and inflation (36%) were the 2nd and 3rd biggest
threats for Indian organisations. Cyber risk was ranked 3rd in the 2022
survey.
 Globally, business leaders considered inflation (39%) as the biggest
threat followed by cyber (37%), macroeconomic volatility (33%), and
digital and technology risks (32%).
 PwC refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers Private Limited. PwC India
Headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal (WB) while PwC Global
headquartered in London, United Kingdom (UK).
11. In December 2023, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Raj
Kumar Singh (RK Singh) informed that the cumulative Rooftop Solar
(RTS) installed capacity increased to ______ Gigawatts (GW) (as of 30th
November 2023). from 1.8 GW (as of 31st March 2019).
1) 6.230 2) 10.406 3) 9.342 4) 8.790 5) 7.239
 DECEMBER 21-31 PART-4

 The Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of RTS installations is around

46%.
 With 3.2 GW of RTS installed capacity (30% of the total installed
capacity), Gujarat has emerged as the leader in the RTS segment.
 Gujarat is followed by Maharashtra with 1.85 GW and Rajasthan with
1.06 GW capacity.
 In 2015, the government of India approved the Grid Connected Rooftop
and Small Solar Power Plants Programme to install 4,200-megawatt
(MW) PTS plants in India by the year 2019-20. The RTS programme was
extended till March 2026.
12. the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is
all set to launch the first of its kind affordable insurance product
covering risks against life, health, and property namely _________ in the
first quarter of 2024-2025 (Q1FY25).
1) Bima Anand 2) Bima Stambh 3) Bima Sanchay 4) Bima Vistaar 5) Bima
Vriddhi
13. Name the bank that has recently (in Dec ‘23) received a penalty of Rs. 5
crore by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) over shortage in the soiled note
remittances as per RBI’s Clean Note Policy.
1) State Bank of India 2) Canara Bank 3) Bank of India 4) Bank of Baroda
5) Union Bank of India
 The clean note policy was adopted by the RBI in 2002 to ensure the
availability of good quality banknotes to the public.
14. Which of the following personalities have authored the book, “Breaking
the Mould: Reimagining India’s Economic Future”?
1) Urjit Patel & Amartya Sen 2) Raghuram Rajan & Rohit Lamba 3) Urjit
Patel & Abhijit Banerjee 4) Raghuram Rajan & Amartya Sen 5) Bimal
Jalan & Rohit Lamba
 Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan in
collaboration with Economist Rohit Lamba authored a new book, titled
“Breaking the Mould: Reimagining India’s Economic Future,” that
explores strategies for accelerating India’s economic development.
15. 11th edition of the India skills Report (ISR) titled ‘India Skills Report
2024: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Skills, Work, Monbility’ was
released on 20th December 2023.
 DECEMBER 21-31 PART-4

 The report was prepared by Wheebox (a talent assessment agency) with

the theme ‘Impact of AI on the Future of Work, Skilling, and Mobility’.
 Kerala (followed by Maharashtra and Andra Pradesh) have emerged as
the most preferred State to work for both male and female employable
talent.
 Kochin(Kerala) emerged as most preferred area to work for women
employable talent followed by Bengaluru(Karnataka) and
Trivandrum(Kerala).
 The Indian Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry is projected to reach USD
28.8 billion by 2025, with a notable Compound Annual Growth Rate
(CAGR) of 45%.
 In terms of large talent availability, States with the highest concentration
of highly employable youth are Haryana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh
(AP), Uttar Pradesh (UP), Kerala, and Telangana.
 Pune (80.82% ) ranked 1st among the cities with employable talent in
the age group of 18-21, followed by Bengaluru (72.18%) and
Thiruvananthapuram (67.22%).
16. India’s coking coal imports are at a five-year high during the April-
November period(11 months) of fiscal year 2023-24(FY24) at 38.14
million tonnes (mt).
 Australia is the dominant supplier for India, accounting for over
60% of shipments. Over the past 5 years, Australia’s market share
has decreased from 75%.
 the United States of America (USA) is the 2nd largest supplier of
coking coal to India. Russia is the 3rd largest supplier replacing
countries such as Canada and Mozambique.
 India is 2nd-largest global producer of crude steel after China.
17. which country along with India has extended their protocol route and
declared Safardighi in West Bengal as the new port of call (a place where
a ship stops on a voyage.)?
1) Japan 2) Russia 3) Myanmar 4) Bangladesh 5) China
 As per the Protocol on Inland Water Transit & Trade (PIWT&T), the
Government of India (GOI) and the Government of Bangladesh (GoB)
have agreed to extend Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route and declare
Safardighi in West Bengal as the new port of call.
 DECEMBER 21-31 PART-4

 Both countries agreed to extend the trade and connectivity through the
land route of Land Customs Station (LCS) Radhikapur (Birol) and Hodibari
(Chilahati) of West Bengal.
 As per the shipping Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV)
regulation, a “port of call” can be defined as the port of a country where
cargo or a passenger (cruise) ship halts to discharge or load the cargo or
to embark or disembark passengers.
18. Which bank/organisation has recently (in Dec ‘23) signed a loan of USD
100 million with the Government of India (GoI) for ‘India: Tripura Urban
and Tourism Development Project’?
1) International Monetary Fund 2) United Nations Development
Programme 3) Asian Development Bank 4) World Bank 5) New
Development Bank
 This is the first urban project in India that has been prepared with
Project Readiness Financing (PRF).
 The project readiness financing (PRF) document describes the smooth
transition from preparation to implementation of the project to
minimize contracting delays and speed up the initial disbursements.
19. Name the Ministry/Organisation that has recently (in Dec ‘23)
collaborated with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to launch an
initiative that facilitates climate action in India’s Agriculture, Natural
Resources, and Rural Development (ANR) sector.
1) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change 2) Reserve Bank
of India 3) Indian Agricultural Research Institute 4) Ministry of
Agriculture & Farmers Welfare 5) National Bank for Agriculture And
Rural Development
 The ADB-NABARD collaboration will help the farming sector to tackle the
adverse impact of climate change.
 This will also identify and support food security and climate financing in
India’s ANR sector.
20. Which organisation has recently (in Dec '23) launched the Public-Private
Partnership (PPP) Beginner’s e-course along with the Department of
Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance?
 DECEMBER 21-31 PART-4

1) World Bank 2) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and

Development 3) International Monetary Fund 4) World Trade
Organization 5) UN Women
 The PPP e-course is a infra-focused capacity-building programme
 The course is a five-module program that includes quizzes,
including introduction to PPPs, identification of PPP projects,
structuring of projects, tendering and implementation and
monitoring aspects of PPP projects.
 The duration of the course is 7 hours and 15 mins. Key features of
the PPP beginner’s e-Course include: Accessible Learning, Expert-
Driven Content, Interactive Learning, Certification
21. Iran’s navy has added the “Talaeieh” and the “Nasir”, the domestically
produced cruise missiles to its arsenal.
 The Talaeieh has a range of over 1,000 kilometers and can change
targets while traveling.The Nasir has a range of 100 kilometers and can
be installed on warships.
22. Which of the following points is/are ‘correct’ with respect to Forbes’
annual list ‘World’s Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2023’, released in
December 2023?
A) Polish Tennis Player Iga Świątek topped the list with a total earning of
USD 23.9 million (onfield USD 9.9 million; off-field USD 14 million) in
2023.
B) Indian Badminton player PV Sindhu is in 16th position with a total
earning of USD 7.1 million (on-field USD 0.1 million; off-field USD 7
million).
C) At the age of 43, American tennis player Venus Williams is the oldest
player on the list; and 19-year-old Coco Gauff is the youngest player on
the list. 1) All A, B & C 2) Only A & B 3) Only B & C 4) Only A & C 5) Only C
 Following Iga Świątek, Chinese freestyle skier Eileen Gu (20 years) is
ranked 2nd with USD 22.1 million (on-field USD 0.1 million; off-field USD
22 million)
23. Good Governance Day, also known as Sushasan Diwas in Hindi, is
annually observed across India on 25th December to mark the birth
anniversary of the former(10th) Prime Minister (PM) Late Atal Bihari
 DECEMBER 21-31 PART-4

Vajpayee. The day also aims to create awareness of accountability and

administration of government among the people.
 25th December 2023 marks the 10th Good Governance Day and 99th
birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
 This day also ensures that residents are treated fairly by the government
and they receive advantages of various government services.
 In 2014, The Government of India (GoI) declared 25th December of
every year, the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as Good
Governance Day.
 The first-ever Good Governance Day was observed on 25th December
2014.
24. India has recently made its first-ever payment in rupees for crude oil
purchase from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
25. As per a joint report of the European Union(EU) to the European
Parliament and the Council, India and _________ (country)were the top
two beneficiaries of the EU’s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)
schemes for exports in 2022.
1) Bangladesh 2) Philippines 3) Cambodia 4) Indonesia 5) Sri Lanka
 Under the GSP scheme, the EU allows identified products originating in
certain developing countries preferential access to its markets in the
form of reduced or zero rates of customs duties.
 The EU has already withdrawn the GSP benefit from about 1,800 items
from India in 2023, and the present policy will now continue for another
four years until 2027, according to the latest decision endorsed by the
EU.
26. Name the India based space observatory that has recently (in December
‘23) detected bright sub-second X-ray bursts from the ‘SGR J1830-0645’
magnetar.
1) Compton Gamma Ray Observatory 2) AstroSat 3) Hubble Space
Telescope 4) Spitzer Space Telescope 5) Chandra X-ray Observatory
 Magnetars are neutron stars having an ultrahigh magnetic field that are
much stronger than the terrestrial magnetic field.
27. Which country's president is set to attend India’s 75th Republic Day
parade as Chief Guest on 26th January 2024?
 DECEMBER 21-31 PART-4

1) Germany 2) Italy 3) France 4) United Kingdom 5) United States of

America
 Emmanuel Macron, President of France will attend India’s 75th Republic
Day parade as Chief guest on 26th January 2024.
 Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the guest of honour at the
Bastille Day Parade held on 14th July 2023 in Paris(France).
 It will be the sixth time a French leader is attending the Republic Day
celebration as Chief Guest. France François Hollande was the last French
President who attend the celebration in 2016.
 Gabriel Attal: Macron's pick for PM is France's youngest at 34