60. Which institution provided financing for a highway-improvement project in India?
[SSC CHSL 2020 cycle (19 April 2021) — 2021]
(A) International Monetary Fund
(B) Asian Development Bank
(C) World Bank
(D) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Answer: (C) World Bank
Explanation: The cited highway infrastructure support came from the World Bank, whose lending supports physical and social development projects. The IMF normally provides balance-of-payments assistance rather than project-specific road financing. Multilateral lenders nevertheless have overlapping infrastructure mandates.
59. Which bank approved a 40-million-dollar loan to Northern Arc Capital?
[SSC CHSL 2020 cycle (4 August 2021) — 2021]
(A) Asian Development Bank
(B) International Monetary Fund
(C) World Bank
(D) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Answer: (A) Asian Development Bank
Explanation: The Asian Development Bank approved financing to Northern Arc Capital, supporting access to credit for underserved borrowers. ADB loans may work through financial intermediaries as well as public institutions, illustrating how multilateral finance can reach smaller enterprises.
58. Who was appointed Executive Director at the World Bank in 2020 from India?
[SSC CHSL 2020 cycle (15 April 2021) — 2021]
(A) David Malpass
(B) Shaolin Yang
(C) Rajesh Khullar
(D) Anshula Kant
Answer: (C) Rajesh Khullar
Explanation: Rajesh Khullar took up an Executive Director role at the World Bank in 2020, representing a constituency that includes India. Executive Directors sit on the institution’s governance boards. Anshula Kant held a different senior management role as Managing Director and CFO.
57. How many Indian states were covered by the World Bank-supported STARS education project?
[SSC CHSL 2020 cycle (6 August 2021) — 2021]
(A) Six
(B) Four
(C) Eight
(D) Ten
Answer: (A) Six
Explanation: The Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States project initially covered six states. The World Bank-supported programme focused on school-education governance and learning outcomes, showing how international development finance can target public-service quality rather than industrial infrastructure.
56. In which year did the World Trade Organization come into existence?
[SSC MTS 2020 cycle (6 October 2021, Shift 3) — 2021]
(A) 2000
(B) 2005
(C) 1995
(D) 1990
Answer: (C) 1995
Explanation: The WTO began operating on 1 January 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement, succeeding the GATT trade system. Its framework covers goods, services and trade-related intellectual property, and it provides mechanisms for trade negotiations and dispute settlement.
55. What was West Bengal’s rank among Indian states by total population in Census 2011?
[WBCS Executive Preliminary Examination — 2020]
(A) Tenth
(B) Fourth
(C) Second
(D) Fifth
Answer: (B) Fourth
Explanation: West Bengal had the fourth-largest population among the states in Census 2011, after Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar. Population rank differs from density rank, in which West Bengal also occupied a high position due to its relatively limited area.
54. Which was the latest population census of India completed by 2020?
[WBCS Executive Preliminary Examination — 2020]
(A) 1991
(B) 2001
(C) 2011
(D) 2019
Answer: (C) 2011
Explanation: The 2011 exercise was India’s latest completed decennial census at the time. The next count, scheduled for 2021, was postponed. A year appearing in census planning materials does not mean that a new enumeration was actually completed.
53. Which census year is known as the Great Divide in India’s demographic history?
[UPPSC RO/ARO (20 September) — 2020]
(A) 1901
(B) 1921
(C) 1931
(D) 1941
Answer: (B) 1921
Explanation: The 1921 Census is known as the Great Divide because population growth had been irregular or stagnant in the preceding decades, while a more sustained upward trend followed. Changes in mortality and public health contributed to this transition.
52. What was Chhattisgarh’s decadal population growth rate during 2001–2011?
[CGPSC Civil Service Preliminary Examination — 2020]
(A) 45.3%
(B) 18.06%
(C) 22.59%
(D) 4.53%
Answer: (C) 22.59%
Explanation: Census-based figures place Chhattisgarh’s decadal growth at roughly 22.6 percent during 2001–2011. That exceeded the corresponding national growth rate. The measure compares two census totals and should not be interpreted as an annual percentage growth rate.
51. Which option contains only G20 member economies?
[UPSC CSE Prelims, GS Paper I — 2020]
(A) Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey
(B) Australia, Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand
(C) Brazil, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam
(D) Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea
Answer: (A) Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey
Explanation: Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Türkiye are all members of the G20. The other combinations include countries outside the G20. The group convenes major economies to coordinate macroeconomic, financial and broader international policy discussions.
