Q30. Which statement about the Bureau of Indian Standards is incorrect?
[RRB NTPC CBT I, 23 Jul 2021 Shift 1]
(A) It was established in 2010
(B) Its headquarters is in New Delhi
(C) It has regional offices
(D) BIS expands to Bureau of Indian Standards
Answer: (A) It was established in 2010
Explanation: BIS was created under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 and began functioning in 1987, not 2010. It succeeded the Indian Standards Institution and coordinates national standardization, conformity assessment and quality marking from its New Delhi headquarters.
Q29. Where is the headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements?
[RRB NTPC CBT I, 1 Apr 2021 Shift 2]
(A) Bangkok
(B) Berlin
(C) Barcelona
(D) Basel
Answer: (D) Basel
Explanation: The Bank for International Settlements has its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. Established in 1930, it encourages monetary and financial cooperation among central banks. It differs from India’s Bureau of Indian Standards, which shares the acronym BIS.
Q28. Which was India’s first synthetic drug developed through CSIR research?
[RRB NTPC CBT I, 31 Jul 2021 Shift 2]
(A) Ergoapiol
(B) Methaqualone
(C) Norodin
(D) Laudanum
Answer: (B) Methaqualone
Explanation: Methaqualone was developed in India through work associated with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. CSIR, established in 1942, coordinates laboratories supporting scientific and industrial development. Its historical pharmaceutical research illustrates the applied nature of its mandate.
Q27. In which year was UNICEF established?
[SSC CHSL, 17 Mar 2020 Shift 1]
(A) 1949
(B) 1948
(C) 1945
(D) 1946
Answer: (D) 1946
Explanation: The UN General Assembly created UNICEF on 11 December 1946 to support children after the Second World War. Its mandate later expanded to long-term child development, health, nutrition and education. The familiar acronym was retained after its name changed.
Q26. Which year marks the establishment of SAARC?
[SSC JE Electrical, 10 Dec 2020]
(A) 1985
(B) 1975
(C) 1969
(D) 1990
Answer: (A) 1985
Explanation: SAARC was established through the Dhaka Charter in December 1985. The association initially comprised seven South Asian states; Afghanistan entered in 2007. Its aim is regional cooperation in welfare, development and mutually beneficial areas.
Q25. The NAMA-11 grouping in WTO negotiations consists mainly of which countries?
[CGPSC State Services General Studies, 2020]
(A) Developed countries
(B) Developing countries
(C) Least-developed countries exclusively
(D) Developed and least-developed countries only
Answer: (B) Developing countries
Explanation: NAMA-11 refers to a coalition of developing economies cooperating in the WTO’s Non-Agricultural Market Access negotiations. These negotiations address trade in manufactured and other non-agricultural goods, particularly tariff reduction and treatment of developing members.
Q24. Which institution publishes the Global Competitiveness Report?
[UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2019]
(A) IMF
(B) UNCTAD
(C) World Economic Forum
(D) World Bank
Answer: (C) World Economic Forum
Explanation: The World Economic Forum published the Global Competitiveness Report, comparing productivity-related institutions and policy factors across economies. The IMF instead publishes the World Economic Outlook and Global Financial Stability Report. WEF is a convening forum, not a UN agency.
Q23. Which Indian property received UNESCO World Heritage recognition in 2018?
[SSC MTS, 2 Aug 2019 Shift 1]
(A) Rani-ki-Vav
(B) Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai
(C) Historic Ahmedabad
(D) Le Corbusier architectural works
Answer: (B) Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai
Explanation: UNESCO inscribed Mumbai’s Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles in 2018. The serial property combines nineteenth-century Gothic Revival buildings and twentieth-century Art Deco architecture. Other choices were inscribed in different years.
Q22. Which Indian city joined UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in the music category?
[SSC JE Electrical, 24 Jan 2018 Morning]
(A) Chennai
(B) Pune
(C) Kolkata
(D) Bengaluru
Answer: (A) Chennai
Explanation: Chennai entered UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network as a City of Music in 2017. The network connects cities using creativity and cultural industries for sustainable urban development. This status differs from UNESCO World Heritage inscription.
Q21. On what date did the WTO become operational?
[UPPSC LT Grade Commerce, 29 Jul 2018]
(A) 1 January 1991
(B) 1 January 1995
(C) 1 January 1999
(D) None of these
Answer: (B) 1 January 1995
Explanation: The WTO officially began on 1 January 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement. It succeeded GATT’s earlier trade arrangement after the Uruguay Round. Its headquarters is in Geneva, and its work includes trade negotiations and dispute settlement.
