1) The government on 22nd Nov 2017 approved signing of an agreement between India and the Philippines on cooperation and mutual assistance in ________ matters.
a. Tax
b. Finance
c. Tourism
d. Custom
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Answer
Explanation
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ANSWER: Custom
Explanation:
The government on 22nd Nov 2017 approved signing of an agreement between India and the Philippines on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters.
The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The agreement will help in the availability of relevant information for prevention and investigation of customs offences.
Philippines
- The Philippines is a Southeast Asian country in the Western Pacific, comprising more than 7,000 islands.
- Its capital, Manila, is famous for its waterfront promenade and centuries-old Chinatown, Binondo. Intramuros, a walled city in colonial times, is the heart of Old Manila.
- Currency: Philippine peso
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2) India signed how many agreements with Philippines in Nov 2017?
a. 3
b. 4
c. 5
d. 6
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Answer
Explanation
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ANSWER: 4
Explanation:
India on 14th Nov, 2017 signed four agreements, including one to step up cooperation in the defence sector, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to boost bilateral ties.
Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit the Philippines in 36 years, had a very warm and cordial meeting with president Duterte, Secretary East, Ministry of External Affairs.
The two countries signed an agreement to boost bilateral cooperation in defence and logistics.
The two sides also signed an agreement on enhancing cooperation in agriculture, small and medium enterprises and Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and the Philippines Foreign Service Institute.
Duterte expressed interest in acquiring fast offshore patrol vessels and welcomed Indian pharmaceutical companies to invest in his country to make good quality and cheaper drugs.
Indian infrastructure companies could explore opportunities in his country.
Prime Minister Modi expressed interest in expanding cooperation with the Philippines in the renewable energy sector and welcomed the country to join the Solar Alliance.
He also invited its premier to visit India to take part in the 25th anniversary of India-ASEAN relations which will be celebrated next year.
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3) Which country celebrates the birthday of its emperor/ supreme leader as national holiday on 23 December?
a. UK
b. Japan
c. South Korea
d. North Korea
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Answer
Explanation
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ANSWER: Japan
Explanation:
President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee extended greetings to the Emperor and People of Japan on the eve of their national day on 23rd December 2015. The current emperor of Japan is Emperor Akihito and his birthday is celebrated on the national day of Japan. The two countries have recently strengthened bilateral ties into Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
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4) Which country has made the decision to resume whaling in the Antarctic ocean by March 2016?
a. China
b. Japan
c. Singapore
d. Malaysia
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Answer
Explanation
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ANSWER: Japan
Explanation:
Japan has taken the decision to resume whaling in the Antarctic Ocean by March end. By March 2014, ICJ had ruled that Japan’s decades old whale hunt in the Antarctic should stop. Japan fisheries agency has notified the International Whaling Commission on 27th November 2015 that Japan will resume whaling under the revised plan in the 2015/2016 season. Plan has also made the decision to cut annual minke whale catches by two thirds to 333. Scientific whaling in Japan commenced in 1987.
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5) Japanese parliament has voted into law what is a defence policy shift for the first time since 1945. The law is regarding:
a. Loosening the limits of pacifist constitution on military
b. Permission for Japanese troops to fight abroad for the first time since 1945
c. Both of the above
d. Neither of the above
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Answer
Explanation
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ANSWER: Both of the above
Explanation:
Japanese Parliament has voted into law a defence policy shift which could permit its troops to fight overseas for the first time since 1945. This shift which is the biggest change in the defence policy of Japan since creation of post war military in 1954 is critical to meet new challenges, especially from China. Legislation has triggered protests from citizens who fear it could ensnare the Japanese troops in global violence. Bills promoting the law were approved by the lower and upper house of the Japanese parliament, despite opposition efforts to block vote submitting censure motions and no confidence motion against the cabinet of Shinzo Abe in the lower house. Long standing ban on collective self defence is to be removed via this law.
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6) On 11th Aug’15 which of the following country switched on a nuclear reactor for the first time in nearly two years?
a. India
b. China
c. Japan
d. Iraq
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Answer
Explanation
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ANSWER: Japan
Explanation:
Japan switched on a nuclear reactor for the first time in nearly two years, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to reassure a nervous public that tougher standards mean the sector is now safe after the Fukushima disaster in 2011. Of Japan's 25 reactors at 15 plants for which operators have applied for permission to restart, only five at three plants have been cleared for restart.
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7) Which country’s parliament on 17th June’15 passed a bill to lower the voting age from 20 to 18?
a. China
b. United Kingdom
c. United States of America
d. Japan
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Answer
Explanation
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ANSWER: Japan
Explanation:
The bill that seeks revision of the public office election law was passed by the House of Councilors (upper house) after being approved in the House of Representatives (lower house).
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8) Name the Indian conferred with Japan's highest civilian award “Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star” for his outstanding contributions to science and Indo-Japanese science cooperation on 2nd May’15?
a. Narayan Krishnamurthy
b. S Radhakrishnan
c. C N R Rao
d. Amartya Sen
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Answer
Explanation
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ANSWER: C N R Rao
Explanation:
Prof. C N R Rao is also the only Indian to be elected as a foreign member of the Japan Academy in Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.
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9) In which country, a train for the first time travelled at more than 600 kilometres an hour in Apr-15?
a. India
b. China
c. North Korea
d. Japan
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Answer
Explanation
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ANSWER: Japan
Explanation:
Japan's state-of-the-art Maglev train clocked a new world speed record in 21st Apr’15 in a test run near Mount Fuji, smashing through the 600 kilometre per hour mark. The new record came less than a week after the company recorded a top speed of 590 kph, breaking its own 2003 record of 581 kilometre per hour.
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