1. According to the recent third round of sero survey by ICMR, how many out of every five Indians were infected with coronavirus?

According to the third round of serological survey by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), it was found that almost one in five Indians were infected with SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. A serological test indicates whether a person has antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, indicating the occurrence of a previous infection.

2. According to the recently released Union Budget, what is the tax-free interest limit on provident fund contribution?

The Union Budget proposes to tax provident fund-PF accounts from 2021-22 on interest earned on contributions over Rs 2.5 lakh a year. The Central Board of Direct Taxes announced that contributions of more than Rs 2.5 lakh per year to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) would be kept in a separate basket and taxed as fixed deposits.

3. Recently which country has settled a currency swap facility of 400 million USD with India?

The High Commission of India has announced that Sri Lanka has settled a USD 400 million currency exchange facility with India. In July 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) concluded a $ 400 million currency exchange agreement under the SAARC currency swap framework. This currency swap facility is available to all SAARC member countries.

4. Recently with which country has India participated in the first meeting of the Joint Working Group in the field of renewable energy?

The first meeting of the Joint Working Group in the field of renewable energy between India and Bahrain has been held in virtual format. An MoU was signed between India and Bahrain for bilateral cooperation in the field of renewable energy in July 2018. This meeting focuses on cooperation in the field of solar, wind and clean hydrogen.

5. The Central Security Council was established by which central ministry?

The National Safety Council was established by the Ministry of Labor in 1966 as a non-profit body for Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) at the national level. According to a press statement by the Ministry of Labor and Employment, L&T Limited CEO and Managing Director S.N. Subrahmanyan has recently been appointed as the Chairman of the National Security Council for a period of three years.

6. 'Kapila' program is associated with which region?

In October 2020, the Union Minister of Education, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched the ‘Kapila’ (KAPILA-Kalam Program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness) program for intellectual property literacy and awareness campaign. Under this program, students of higher educational institutions will get information about the system of application process to patent their invention. It aims to create awareness about intellectual property rights.

7. Which Indian company has partnered with UNICEF to distribute vaccines worldwide?

The Serum Institute of India (SII) and UNICEF have recently entered into a long-term supply agreement. Under the agreement, UNICEF will have access to 1.1 billion doses of AstraZeneca / Oxford and Novavax vaccines to be distributed to approximately 100 countries.

8. Dominic Ongwen, who was convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, is from which country?

The Netherlands-based International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted former Ugandan kingpin Dominic Ongwen of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Dominic Ongwen led a brigade of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) from 2002 to 2004. He was charged with a crime in 70 cases and was found guilty in 61 of them. The LRA is a rebel group operating in Uganda for over 20 years.

9. Recently which country hosted the Conclave of Defense Ministers of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in February 2021?

India has hosted a Conclave of Defense Ministers of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) on 4 February 2021. The broad theme of this conclave is 'Enhancing peace, security and cooperation in the Indian Ocean'. During this conclave, India announced that it was ready to supply missile systems, LCA and other weapon systems to countries in the Indian Ocean region.

10. Where is the capital of Barbados located?

Barbados is an island country located in the Caribbean region of North America. It is an independent Commonwealth country with its capital in Bridgetown. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Motale thanked the Government of India for the COVID-19 vaccine dose.