Answer: A) Taj Mahal Explanation: Iconic attraction of India Taj Mahal has emerged as the 5th most popular landmark in the world and 2nd in Asia, according to the online travel portal TripAdvisor’s ‘Travellers’ Choice Awards for Landmarks. Globally, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center in Abu Dhabi, Mezquita Cathedral de Cordoba in Spain, and St Peter’s Basilica in Italy, bagged the first four ranks respectively. Whereas, the top 10 landmarks in Asia has been topped by Angkor Wat, followed by Taj Mahal on the second place. Apart from this, Taj Mahal has also ranked first in the list of popular landmarks in India, followed by AmberFort, Jaipur; Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi, etc.

Answer: D) Dhaka Explanation: The capital of Bangladesh “Dhaka” is the world’s most crowded city with a population density of 44,500 people per square kilometre, released by World Economic Forum (WEF), citing UN Habitat data. According to UN Habitat data, of the top 10 most densely populated cities in the world, six are in Asia, three are in Africa and one is in South America. India’s financial capital Mumbai, home to 31,700 people per square kilometre has acquired second place, where as Kota in Rajasthan with 12,100 people per square kilometre was ranked seventh. Others in the list include Medellin in Columbia (3rd), Manila in Philippines (4th, 14,800), Casablanca in Morocco (5th, 14,200), Lagos in Nigeria (6th, 13,300), Singapore (8th, 10,200) and Jakarta in Indonesia (9th, 9,600).

Answer: B) e-sanad Explanation: The Human Resource Development Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry launched an online verification portal to make the document verification process easier for students who planning to study abroad. The Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) academic repository of degrees and certificates “Parinam Manjusha” was also involved in the project of creating “eSanad”.

Answer: D) Maharashtra Explanation: The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis has recently launched a web portal ‘Mahaswayam’ for job seekers, employers, entrepreneurs and training institutes. At ‘Mahaswayam’, job seekers will be able to register themselves, search as well as apply for jobs, inquire for training, get information on self-employment and get details of job fairs. Besides, training institutes can also register, get details on participation in the state skill development programme, get training fee receipts, and can also receive training fee through ECS. Apart from this, entrepreneurs can also post job vacancy advertisements at the portal.

Answer: B) IIT, Kharagpur Explanation: The researchers at IIT Kharagpur have developed a new technology to manufacture cheaper, quicker and pollution-free bio-fuel. The ‘soil-to-soil’ manufacturing technology developed at the P K Sinha Centre for bio-energy at IIT-KGP is in the process of being patented. The technique will ensure relatively quicker production of bio-fuel and the process is completely green. The green leafy part of corn and sugarcane plants, the waste part of paddy straw, bamboo, banana plant, pineapple and cotton plants, kans grass (kassh phool), castor plant and even non-edible weeds that grow in dry and waste land and a mix of all has been used by IIT-KGP to produce bio fuel. The project is funded by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Department of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Answer: B) 37th Explanation: India has been ranked 37th out of 103 nations in the 2017 global Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI), according to a new report by the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative. The OPHI is an economic research centre at the Oxford University, led by Professor Sabina Alkire. The 2017 global MPI has covered 76% of the world’s population, living in 103 countries. The index measures the nature and intensity of poverty, based on the profile of overlapping deprivations each poor person experiences. It aggregates these into meaningful indexes that can be used to inform targeting and resource allocation and to design policies that tackle the interlinked dimensions of poverty together.

Answer: C) China Explanation: The world's fastest elevator that can operate at a record speed of 1,260 meters per minute is set to be installed in a skyscraper complex in China. The elevator has various safety features including brake equipment that uses materials with high heat resistance. Apart from this, the elevator can absorb vibration during the high-speed operation to make the ride comfortable.

Answer: B) Mysuru Explanation: India’s first smartcard-based Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) initiative has launched in Mysuru, Karnataka on June 4, 2017. The cost of the project, partly funded by World Bank’s Global Environmental Facility, for the next six years is Rs 20.5 crore, covering the maintenance of the docking stations and bicycles. About 450 bicycles will be available for public use in the city. To rent a bicycle, the citizens of Mysuru or tourists need to register themselves either online or by visiting one of the six registration centres situated close to tourism centres and obtain a smart card after paying Rs. 350, including a refundable deposit of Rs. 250. Though the use of the bicycle is free for the first one hour, the users will have to pay a nominal fee of Rs. 5 for two hours, Rs. 10 for three hours and so on.