Question 1

Momo-3 is the privately developed rocket of __________.

Accepted Answer

A Japanese aerospace start-up Interstellar Technology Inc. has successfully launched a first privately developed rocket 'Momo-3' into space. The unmanned Momo-3 was launched from its test site in Hokkaido and reached about 110 kilometers (68 miles) in altitude before falling into the Pacific Ocean after 10 minutes of flight time. It was the company's third launch attempt after previous tries failed in 2017 and 2018. In 2017, the operator lost contact with Momo-1 shortly after launch. In 2018, Momo-2 only made it some 20 meters off the ground before crashing and bursting into flames due to a problem with a control system.

Question 2

Subhash Chand to be the next Ambassador of India to this country.

Accepted Answer

The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India announced the appointment of Shri Subhash Chand as the next Ambassador of India to the State of Eritrea. He is presently serving as the Deputy High Commissioner in the High Commission of India, Abuja. He is going to take up this responsibility very soon.

Question 3

Name the country which has honoured with the Jack Farj Rafael (JFR) Jacob honoured with Wall of Honour at the Ammunition Hill.

Accepted Answer

Israel honoured a Jewish Lieutenant General (retired) Jack Farj Rafael (JFR) Jacob honoured with a plaque on the Wall of Honour at the Ammunition Hill. He fought World War II and India Pakistan war of 1965 and also negotiated the historic surrender of Pakistani troops in Dhaka after the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation war. After retirement, he became the Governor of two states- Goa and Punjab. He died in 2016 at the age of 92.

Question 4

Cyclone Fani hits Odisha and West Bengal recently, which country has suggested the name 'Fani'?

Accepted Answer

The name Fani was suggested by Bangladesh. The name of cyclone 'Fani' was picked up from a pool containing 64 names suggested by eight countries in the North Indian Ocean basin.(Eight Countries are India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan and Thailand).

Question 5

Which nation has decided to end sanctions waivers for all importers of Iranian oil?

Accepted Answer

The United States is expected to announce on April 22, 2019 that all importers of Iranian oil will have to end their imports shortly or be subject to US sanctions. As per reports, the administration will terminate the sanction waivers that it had granted to some importers of Iranian oil late last year.

Question 6

The Indian Embassy located in this nation has issued important instructions for Indian job aspirants.

Accepted Answer

The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Consulate in Dubai have issued cautionary warning to the Indians seeking jobs in the UAE, saying that they must authenticate their employment offers and permit visas before arriving in the country.

Question 7

Which country has launched the 45-day 'Mt Everest Cleaning Campaign'?

Accepted Answer

The Government of Nepal has launched an ambitious 45-day 'Everest Cleaning Campaign' to bring back tonnes of trash from Mt. Everest from 14th April 2019. The campaign is led by Solukhumbu district's Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality and aims to collect nearly 10,000 kgs of garbage from Mt. Everest. Every year, hundreds of climbers, Sherpas and high altitude porters make their way to Everest, leaving behind tonnes of both biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste - including empty oxygen canisters, kitchen waste, beer bottles and faecal matter - on the highest peak, which has lately acquired notoriety as the "world's highest garbage dump". The collected waste will then be showcased in Namche town, before being ferried down to Kathmandu, where it will once again be showcased on World Environment Day (WED-2019) on June 5. After that, it will finally be sent out for recycling.

Question 8

Name the country which is mostly targeted by hackers in 2018 as per the report of Akamai Technologies.

Accepted Answer

The report by Akamai Technologies notifies that with more than 120 crore account takeover attacks in 2018, India ranked second for hacking attempts in the world after the US. By the report, the US registered 1,252 crore hacking attempts in 2018 while Canada registered 102 crore. i. According to a new edition of the "State of the internet/security" report, Akamai Technologies, each of the attacks represented an attempt by a person or a computer to log in to an account with a stolen or generated username and password. Canada ranks third for attacks. The hackers attacks targeted large media brands, retail, gaming and various other sectors.

Question 9

Which country was penalized worth "1,70,000 Euros" by the International Hockey Federation for disrespecting Pro League commitments?

Accepted Answer

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has imposed a fine of 170,000 Euros on Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for not honouring the Pro League commitments and has given PHF a time-limit till 20th June, on failure of which PHF would have to pay double of penalty.The PHF was fined because it did not send the national team for the Pro League matches in Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.Shahbaz notified that since PHF lacks funds, the FIH has been requested to reduce the fine and allow it to be paid in instalments. PHF Secretary General Shahbaz Ahmed is a former Olympian and captain of Pakistan National Hockey Team and is a member of the FIH Executive Board, chaired by India's Narinder Batra.

Question 10

Name the country which has recently pledged £4 million to support Modern Slavery Innovation Fund (MSIF).

Accepted Answer

The Modern Slavery Innovation Fund (MSIF) supports international projects to trial innovative ways of stopping modern slavery, It is in news recently because Britain has pledged £4 million to support global anti-slavery projects. Six organizations - Anti-Slavery International and the United Nations University, Stronger Together, The Freedom Fund , Retrak and Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) - will share the aid money from MSIF. The funding will also be used to run workshops on modern slavery in South Africa, improve support for survivors in India, and develop an online data hub to boost anti-slavery policies. The MSIF was announced in 2016 and previously gave £6 million to schemes such as awareness-raising campaigns in Nigeria, the Philippines and Vietnam. The Freedom Fund will work in India and Nepal to enhance victim care of frontline workers.

Question 11

Which Country labeled U.S. troops in West Asia as 'terrorist'?

Accepted Answer

Iran's lawmakers approved a bill labeling U.S. forces in West Asia (Middle East) as terrorist. This move comes a day after the U.S. terrorism designation for Iran's Revolutionary Guard formally took effect. Iran's Defense Minister Gen. Amir Hatami introduced the bill authorizing the government to act firmly in response to terrorist actions by U.S. forces. It demands authorities use legal, political and diplomatic measures to neutralize the American move, without elaborating. The U.S. move aims at thwarting Iran's influence and shows that America's longstanding sanctions against Iran have become ineffective.

Question 12

Name the country which passes new bill to check fake news.

Accepted Answer

The Parliament of Singapore on May 8, 2019 passed new laws to fight the menace of fake news. The laws will empower the authorities to order the removal of any content reported to be fake despite fierce criticism from tech giants and the media and rights groups. The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill will enable the government to order social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to put up warnings next to posts that the authorities deem to be false or get them taken down in extreme cases.

Question 13

Which countries participated in the naval exercise 'Group Sail' in the disputed South China Sea?

Accepted Answer

Two Indian Navy ships - Guided Missile Destroyer INS Kolkata and Fleet Support Ship INS Shakti carried out a 6-day long exercise 'Group Sail' with naval ships of Japan, Philippines and the United States of America (USA) in the disputed South China Sea from 03 May to 09 May 19. The aim of the Group Sail is to deepen the existing partnership and foster mutual understanding among participating navies. The ships undertook various exercises enroute which included formation manoeuvering, underway replenishment runs, cross-deck flying and exchange of Sea Riders. The Group Sail exercise with naval ships of Japan, Philippines and United States showcased India's commitment towards operating with like-minded nations to ensure safe maritime environment through enhanced interoperability.

Question 14

Commerce Ministry, Indian High Commissions and embassies of how many African nations jointly organised an interaction to improve India-Africa trade?

Accepted Answer

Commerce Ministry, Indian High Commissions and embassies of 11 African nations organized a 2-day, (that is on May 3rd and May 6th) long interaction to deepen the India-Africa trade relations. This was arranged over Digital Video Conference (DVC) and was attended by more than 400 members of the Indian business community in Africa. The interactions with the Indian Diaspora were held in 11 African nations, namely, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, and Mauritius, Nigeria, Mozambique, Ghana, South Africa, Botswana, and Madagascar, to construct an efficient engagement with the Indian Diaspora in Africa. This initiative gives more focus on the requirement for a multi-faceted strategy to enhance trade and investment between India and Africa.

Question 15

Which country become the third largest foreign direct investor in India during 2017-18?

Accepted Answer

The Netherlands has emerged as the third largest foreign direct investor in India during 2017-18, with investments pegged at about $2.67 billion across sectors. The Netherlands was also the second largest destination for foreign investment by Indian companies, after Singapore, with investments worth $12.8 billion in 2017.

Question 16

India to purchase 10 Kamov-31 choppers from this country for 3,600 crores.

Accepted Answer

Defence Ministry Nirmala Sitharaman approved Indian Navy's proposal to acquire 10 Kamov-31 choppers from Russia at a cost of around Rs. 3,600 crore to strengthen its capability against aerial threats to its aircraft carriers and large warships. They cleared the Rs. 3,600 crore proposal for buying around 10 Kamov-31 Airborne Early Warning and Control choppers for the aircraft carrier operations and deployment on future warships. Indian Navy already has a fleet of 12 of these Kamov-31 choppers which sanitise the air space around the aircraft carriers and destroyers operating in open seas.

Question 17

Which country has re-elected as Observer to the Arctic Council?

Accepted Answer

India was re-elected as Observer to the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum. The decision was taken during the 11th Arctic Council ministerial meeting at Rovaniemi, Finland. The Council also appointed the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as a new Observer. India successfully got the Observer status in 2013 during the Kiruna Ministerial meeting held in Sweden. India has its Arctic research station 'Himadri' in Svalbard, Norway since 2008. Located at the International Arctic Research base, the research station was set up by India's National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, an institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Question 18

Which of the following country has launched the pilot tests for the world's first malaria vaccine "RTS-S"?

Accepted Answer

The Government of Malawi has launched the pilot tests for the world's first malaria vaccine - RTS,S (or Mosquirix) -to give partial protection to children up to 2 years of age. The other two African countries - Ghana and Kenya - will introduce the vaccine in the coming weeks. This move is part of World Health Organization (WHO)-coordinated three country pilot programme where the risk of malaria is high and there has been previous success with other childhood vaccines. It aims to reach 360,000 children per year across the three countries. The vaccine has been developed by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in partnership with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative. According to WHO, Malaria kills some 435,000 people around the world each year, the majority of them children. Most of these deaths are in Africa, where more than 250,000 children die from the disease every year.

Question 19

Which country releases a special stamp on Ramayana theme?

Accepted Answer

Indonesia has released a special commemorative stamp on the theme of Ramayana on April 23, 2019 to mark the 70th anniversary of establishment of its diplomatic ties with India. A specially signed version of the stamp will be on display at the Philately Museum in Jakarta. The stamp, designed by renowned Indonesian sculptor Padmashri Bapak Nyoman Nuarta, featured a scene from Ramayana in which Jatayu valiantly fought to save Sita, said a statement issued by the Embassy of India.

Question 20

Which country has celebrated the historic Mujibnagar day recently?

Accepted Answer

In Bangladesh, the historic Mujibnagar has recently celebrated on April 17, 2019. The day marks the oath taking ceremony of Bangladesh's first government in 1971 at Baidyanathtala in Meherpur. On this day in 1971, senior leaders of the liberation movement of Bangladesh had assembled at Baidyanathtala to form the provisional government of independent Bangladesh. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was declared the President in absentia as he was arrested and flown to Pakistan after the Pakistan military crackdown on the then 'East Pakistan' on the night of March 25, 1971. The day is being observed by political parties and social and cultural organisations through various programs across Bangladesh.

International Questions