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• The centrist Blue and White party posing the biggest election challenge to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged a policy of "separation" from Palestinians in occupied land, but stopped short of backing their goal of statehood.


• However, the party`s number two, former finance minister Yair Lapid, predicted that parting ways with the Palestinians would eventually lead to them having a state of their own alongside Israel.


• Netanyahu and fellow rightists have cast themselves as blockers of any initiative to cede territory to the Palestinians.

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• The Finance secretary has warned Pakistan must take strict measures, including action against banned outfits by May, to avoid economic sanctions over the non-implementation of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations.


• Last year, the Paris-based FATF, an international terror financing watchdog, finalised a report with 40 recommendations for de-listing Islamabad from its 'grey list'. Pakistan was placed on the list for failing to curb anti-terror financing.

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• According US embassy spokesperson The US has reduced the visa duration for Pakistani citizens from five years to three months.


• The US government has also increased the visa application fees for Pakistanis from $160 to up to $192. The US' move came in response to Pakistan's modification of visa policy for American citizens.

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• The government has introduced a scheme for providing financial assistance for transport and marketing of agriculture products with a view to boosting export of farm commodities to certain countries in Europe and North America.


• Under the Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) scheme, the government would reimburse a certain portion of freight charges and provide assistance for marketing of agricultural produce. The scheme covers freight and marketing assistance for export by air as well as by sea (both normal and refrigerated cargo).

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• A new study now finds that India accounts for seven of the world’s 10 cities with the worst air pollution.


• On the other hand, Chinese cities have seen a marked improvement. According to the study, Gurugram is the world’s most polluted city.


• The study was conducted by Greenpeace and Air Visual, and found Gurugram had an average air quality index of 135.8 in 2018 almost three times the level which the US Environmental Protection Agency regards as healthy.


• According to the study, the problem is particularly pronounced in South Asia. Eighteen of the world’s top 20 most populated cities are in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. These include major population centres of Lahore, Delhi and Dhaka, which placed 10th, 11th and 17th respectively.

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• An ultra-modern and high-tech gems and jewellery park will be developed at a cost of Rs 14,467 crore on a 21-acre complex in Navi Mumbai. It is likely to be ready by 2022.


• Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis laid the foundation stone of the proposed India Jewellery Park (IJP) in the presence of Industry Minister Subhash Desai and Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) Chairman P.K. Agarwal.

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• Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu announced that an aircraft components manufacturing hub would be set up in Maharashtra’s coastal Konkan region and would boost employment opportunities for the local youth.


• Besides, he said that youth of both sexes will be specially trained for getting suitable jobs in the aviation sector, including the planned aircraft components hub, while inaugurating the Sindhudurg Airport at Chipi with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

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• Union Minister Mahesh Sharma has inaugurated ‘Azaadi Ke Diwane’ museum, dedicated to the unsung heroes of the country’s freedom struggle, on the Red Fort premises in New Delhi.


• Built by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the museum is the fifth in a series of recently inaugurated ones — the others being the Subhash Chandra Bose and INA museum, the Yaad-e-Jallian museum, the Museum on 1857 (on the country’s first war of Independence) the Drishyakala (a museum on Indian Art) on the sacrifices of India’s freedom fighters.

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• The World Bank will provide Rs 2,200-crore loan to Andhra Pradesh for a project aimed at strengthening the state’s overall healthcare systems. The Central and state governments and the World Bank signed the loan agreement for a $328-million project to improve the quality and responsiveness of public health services and increasing access of population to an expanded package of primary health services.


• The AP Health Systems Strengthening Project (APHSSP) will be implemented in the state with a focus on improved quality of care, improved responsiveness of public health services and increased access to an expanded package of primary health services, said the state government.

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• State Bank of India (SBI) and Hitachi Payment Services Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd has launched their merchant-acquiring joint venture, SBI Payment Services Pvt Ltd (SBIPSPL) in Mumbai for establishing a digital payments platform for India and other countries in the region.


• The joint venture (SBI) has a 74 percent stake, and the balance is with Hitachi Payment Services) will facilitate expansion of the digital payments landscape in India via its digital payments platform.

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• The World Bank will provide a $250-million loan for the National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) to help women in rural households develop viable enterprises for farm and non-farm products. An agreement in this regard was signed between the World Bank and the Government of India.


• The $250 million loans have a 5-year grace period and a final maturity of 20 years. The NRLP, which is currently being implemented across 13 states, 162 districts and 575 blocks, has so far mobilised more than 8.8 million women from poor rural households into 7.5 lakh self-help groups (SHGs).

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• India’s Kidambi Srikanth has been placed at the eighth spot in the men’s singles list in the latest BWF world rankings release recently. Kento Momota of Japan is at the top spot.


• The BWF World Ranking is the official ranking of the Badminton World Federation for badminton players who participate in tournaments sanctioned by Badminton World Federation.

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• Olympic Council of Asia decided to invite Oceania Nations to compete in 2022 Asian Games for the first time after a meeting held in Bangkok.


• Oceania Nations which includes Australia, New Zealand and a swathe of Pacific islands are expected to Volleyball, beach volleyball, basketball, football, swimming and track cycling events.


• Asian Games includes 35 sports with more than 10,000 athletes and it is second only to Olympics as a global multi-sport event.

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• Nonagenarian artist Phani Bhushan Biswas was awarded the Rs 10 lakh “Sulabh Sculpture Award” on the 49th Foundation Day of Sulabh International in New Delhi.


• Biswas, who hails from the Sitamari district in Bihar, received the award from Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak.


• Launched in 1970 as a small campaign in Bihar, the ‘Sulabh movement’ gained momentum owing to its contribution and engagement in the field of sanitation and social upliftment.

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• Japanese architect Arata Isozaki has received this year’s Pritzker Prize, widely considered to be the profession’s highest honour. He is the 46th Pritzker laureate and the eighth Japanese architect to receive the honour.


• Isozaki will be awarded the prize of $100,000 in May at a ceremony at the Chateau de Versailles in France.

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• Indore in Madhya Pradesh bagged the title of India’s cleanest city in the central government’s cleanliness survey for the third consecutive year. New Delhi Municipal Council area got the cleanest small city award while Uttarakhand’s Gauchar was adjudged Best Ganga Town in the survey.


• The Swachh Survekshan Awards 2019 were conferred by President Ram Nath Kovind at a brief ceremony in New Delhi. These cleanliness awards are given by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

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• Central Government has appointed IAS officer P Venkata Ramesh Babu as the Director General of the National Archives of India. Ramesh Babu, Chairman and Managing Director of Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, is a 1985 batch IAS officer.


• Earlier, he has also served as the Principal Secretary, Department of Finance in Andhra Pradesh government. The National Archives of India functions under the Ministry of Culture.

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• Kaja Kallas, the leader of the Reform Party has been appointed as the first female Prime Minister of Estonia, after the liberal Reform Party declared victory in the elections against centre-left Prime Minister Juri Ratas’s party.


• The Reform Party secured 28.8% votes against Centre party votes of 23%. The coalition government will be formed between Reform Party and far-right EKRE.

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• Maripalli Abhishek, a class 8 student from Hanumajipet vilage in Telangana's Rajanna Siricilla distric has made a paddy-filling machine after seeing his mother struggling to fill gunny bags with paddy at Indira Kranthi Patham paddy purchasing center, His invention was acknwledged by Telangana Chief Minister.


• Abhishek was awarded the third prize besides Rs 10,000 as cash and a laptop. Out of 622 exhibits across the county, 60 were from Telangana.

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• The book “Designing Destiny: The Heartfulness Way” which has been written by spiritual teacher Kamlesh Patel who is famously known as Daaji, was launched recently.


• The book deals with issues pertaining to destiny and the way it shapes someone’s life.

A. Rs 2 B. Rs 5 C. Rs 10 D. Rs 20 Answer: D

A. United States B. China C. France D. Russia Answer: C

A. Bhopal B. Indore C. Ambikapur D. Mysuru Answer: B

A. Bhopal B. Chennai C. Greater Mumbai D. Chandigarh Answer: A

A. 2019-20 B. 2020-21 C. 2021-22 D. 2022-23 Answer: A

A. India B. Russia C. North Korea D. Pakistan Answer: D

A. Saudi Arabia B. India C. Russia D. Qatar Answer: A

A. Microsoft B. Facebook C. Twitter D. Google Answer: D

A. Pakistan B. India C. China D. Turkey Answer: C

A. India B. China C. Russia D. Pakistan Answer: C

A. Sikkim B. Assam C. Andhra Pradesh D. Odisha Answer: B

A. Nashik B. New Delhi C. Lucknow D. Chandigarh Answer: B

A. USD 25.2 Million B. USD 25.5 million C. USD 30.5 million D. USD 31.5 million Answer: A

A. Rs 2200 cr B. Rs 2000 cr C. Rs 2500 cr D. Rs 3000 cr Answer: A

A. Faridabad B. Gurugram C. New Delhi D. Lucknow Answer: B

A. Navi Mumbai B. New Delhi C. Pune D. Chennai Answer: A

A. Kerala B. Odisha C. Maharashtra D. Tamil Nadu Answer: C

A. ISRO B. BEL C. DRDO D. BHEL Answer: B

A. Kylie Jenner B. Emma Watson C. Guy Ryder D. Kate William Answer: A

A. HDFC B. IDBI C. SBI D. PNB Answer: C

A. Rs 14000 cr B. Rs 12000 cr C. Rs 13500 cr D. Rs 12500 cr Answer: D

A. $400 million B. $200 million C. $250 million D. $ 350 million Answer: C

A. Delhi B. Pune C. Mumbai D. Bangalore Answer: C

A. 4th B. 8th C. 6th D. 5th Answer: B

A. Laxmichand Rameshwar B. VR Dayal Sharma C. Venkat Mani Rao D. P Venkata Ramesh Babu Answer: D

A. New Delhi B. Chennai C. Lucknow D. Pune Answer: A

A. Tanaka Ito B. Arata Isozaki C. Yamamoto Saki D. Saito Kobayashi Answer: B

A. Indore B. Mumbai C. Bhopal D. Lucknow Answer: A