General Awareness Mock Test - 1 - Bank Exams MCQ

• Patanjali Ayurved and DS Group will acquire Magma General Insurance for ₹4,500 crore.
• Acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals.
• Magma General Insurance (formerly Magma HDI General Insurance) is majority-owned by Sanoti Properties LLP.
• Sanoti Properties LLP is jointly held by Adar Poonawalla and Rising Sun Holdings Pvt Ltd.
• Magma General Insurance offers over 70 products across multiple insurance categories.
• Reported Gross Written Premium (GWP) of ₹3,295 crore in FY24.
• Expected GWP for FY25: ₹3,650-3,700 crore.
• Profit Before Tax for FY25 estimated at ₹20-25 crore.

• Hockey Jharkhand defeated Hockey Haryana in the final at Tau Devi Lal Complex, Panchkula, Haryana.
• Historic Victory: First-ever national title for Hockey Jharkhand.
• Score: 1-1 draw in regulation time, followed by a 4-3 win in the penalty shootout.
• 42nd Minute: Hockey Haryana’s captain, Rani, scored the opening goal.
• 44th Minute: Pramodni Lakra (Jharkhand) equalized, making it 1-1.

• Ordnance Factories Day 2025 is observed on the 18th March 2025.
• It is a national event celebrated annually on the 18th of March every year all over India.
• Purpose : To commemorate the foundation of the first Ordnance Factory in colonial India at Cossipore near Kolkata in 1801.

• India Masters emerged triumphant in the inaugural International Masters League (IML) 2025, defeating West Indies Masters by six wickets in a thrilling grand finale at the SVNS International Stadium.
• Led by the iconic Sachin Tendulkar, the team showcased a clinical performance before a roaring crowd of nearly 50,000 fans and secured a prize money of ₹1 crore.
• The inaugural IML 2025 was a celebration of cricket’s golden era, reviving the nostalgia of past glories with a star-studded lineup featuring legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara (who led West Indies Masters).

• Currently, banknotes are printed at four presses, and coins are minted at four mints.
• The new banknotes and coins are received at 19 Issue Offices (IOs) across the country and further distributed through 2,800 Currency Chests (CCs) operated by scheduled banks.
• Many central banks face rising costs and security risks due to increasing banknote volumes.
• Countries like Austria, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and the USA have modernized their currency management infrastructure.
• RBI aims to establish state-of-the-art storage and handling capacity, increase efficiency in currency operations, enhance security standards, and adopt eco-friendly management practices.

• Finance Ministry has notified Zero Coupon Bond (ZCB) for Power Finance Corporation.
• The company can raise up to ₹10,000 crore.
• Zero-Coupon Bond (ZCB) is a bond that does not pay periodic interest but is issued at a discount to its face value.
• At maturity, the investor receives the full face value.
• The bond will be issued at a discount of ₹49,546 for a face value of ₹1 lakh, meaning the investor pays ₹50,454 at issuance and receives ₹1 lakh at maturity.
• Maturity period: 121 months (10 years and 1 month).
• The issuance deadline is March 31, 2027, with a cap of 10 lakh bonds.

• Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, launched a dedicated mobile application for the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS) in New Delhi.
• This initiative aims to simplify the registration process, provide  real-time updates, and enhance accessibility for candidates seeking internship opportunities.
• User-Friendly Interface: Designed for seamless navigation.
• Easy Registration: Aadhaar face authentication for hassle-free sign-up.
• Real-Time Updates: Instant notifications about internship openings.
• Enhanced Accessibility: Transparent and efficient application process.

• India’s foreign exchange reserves saw a sharp rise of $15.267 billion, reaching $653.966 billion for the week ending March 7, 2025.
• This is the largest weekly jump in over two years and is mainly attributed to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) $10 billion forex swap conducted on February 28, 2025, aimed at injecting liquidity and stabilizing the rupee.
• Total Reserves: $653.966 billion.
• Weekly Increase: $15.267 billion (highest in two years).
• Previous Week’s Reserves: $638.698 billion.
• All-time High: $704.885 billion (September 2024).

• Lakshmi Venu has been appointed Vice Chairman of TAFE (Tractors and Farm Equipment), one of the world's largest tractor manufacturers.
• She is recognized for her contributions to farm mechanization and the auto component business, with a strategic, customer-centric, and innovation-driven leadership approach.
• Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman and MD of TAFE, praised her impactful contributions and leadership in Massey Ferguson and Eicher Tractors.
• Other roles: She is also the Managing Director of Sundaram-Clayton Ltd, a key automotive component manufacturer.

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved Tata Sons' acquisition of an additional 10% stake in Tata Play from Temasek-owned Baytree Investments.
• This action has raised Tata Sons' ownership in the entertainment content distribution platform to 70%.
• Tata Sons purchased the shares for approximately $100 million, valuing Tata Play at $1 billion.
• Walt Disney retains the remaining 30% stake.
• Tata Sons, an investment holding company, is registered with the Reserve Bank of India.

• The 9th edition of India-Australia Defence Policy Talks was held in New Delhi on March 17, 2025.
• The Indian delegation was headed by Joint Secretary Shri Amitabh Prasad, while the Australian side was led by First Assistant Secretary International Policy Division, Department of Defence Australia, Mr. Bernard Philip.
• Both sides welcomed sustained progress in bilateral defence cooperation, including the growing frequency and complexity of defence exercises and exchanges.
• The meeting reviewed defence outcomes from previous ministerial and secretary-level consultations and discussed cooperation priorities, including maritime domain awareness, reciprocal information sharing, industry and science and technology collaboration, and defence exercises.

The Delhi government will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to implement the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).

This initiative aims to enhance primary healthcare services and improve preparedness for future pandemics.

About PM-ABHIM Scheme

• A Central Government scheme to strengthen public health infrastructure.
• Focuses on upgrading primary healthcare facilities in urban and rural areas.
• Aims to improve pandemic preparedness and response to health emergencies.

Implementation Plan for Delhi

• 1,139 Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (U-AAMs) to be established.
• 553 existing Mohalla Clinics to be upgraded into U-AAMs.
• 413 new U-AAMs to be set up.

Previously, the scheme was implemented only for diagnostic labs at Indira Gandhi Hospital as a pilot project.

• Former Union minister Debendra Pradhan, father of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, passed away in New Delhi on Monday at the age of 84.
• Born on July 16, 1941, in Nalam, Dhenkanal district, Odisha, Pradhan completed his MBBS from SCB Medical College, Cuttack, in 1966.
• He began his career as an Assistant Medical Officer in Talcher in 1967 but took voluntary retirement in 1973 to start private practice.
• He entered politics by joining the BJP in 1980 and later became the party president for the undivided Dhenkanal district in 1983.
• He served as Odisha BJP president in 1988, 1990, and again from 1995 to 1997, during which time Odisha witnessed the entry of Naveen Patnaik into state politics.

• Every year World Oral Health Day is observed globally and it is an annual event celebrated on March 20th every year.
• Purpose : It focuses on highlighting the benefits of good oral health, spreads awareness about oral diseases, and promotes the maintenance of oral hygiene
• This year, World Dental Federation (FDI) unveiled the three-year theme (2025 – 2026), "A Happy Mouth is... A Happy Mind."
• WOHD was first declared and originally celebrated on September 12, 2007, however, the campaign came into action in 2013.

About Trinidad and Tobago:

• Capital: Port of Spain
• Currency: Trinidad and Tobago Dollar (TTD)
• President: Christine Kangaloo​
• Prime Minister: Stuart Young

• Paytm Money, a wholly-owned subsidiary of One97 Communications Ltd (OCL), has received a Certificate of Registration as a research analyst from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• Paytm Money can now offer research services, including research reports and analysis, in compliance with SEBI norms.
• The registration number for Paytm Money Ltd as a research analyst is INH000020086.
• Integration with Perplexity AI:
• Last month, Paytm partnered with Perplexity AI to integrate AI-based search features into its app.
• This allows users to ask questions, explore topics in Indian languages, and make financial decisions using AI.

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the Drone Federation of India (DFI), has launched the National Innovation Challenge for Drone Application and Research (NIDAR) under the ‘SwaYaan - Capacity Building for Human Resource Development in Unmanned Aircraft Systems’ initiative.
• The event was held at Electronics Niketan, with government representatives, industry experts, and students participating via video conferencing.
• Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, inaugurated the challenge, launched the official website & registration portal (nidar.org.in), and released the NIDAR Poster & RuleBook.
• Prof. T. G. Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE, stressed the importance of academic-industrial collaboration to advance drone technology.
• Disaster Management (Scout & Deliver Drones): Drones for search, rescue, communication, and parcel delivery in disaster-affected areas.

Indore is taking a pioneering step in sustainable waste management by setting up India’s first green waste processing plant under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

This initiative, launched under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, aims to convert green waste into valuable resources, promoting environmental sustainability and reducing pollution.

The plant will process green waste, generate revenue for the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), and produce wooden pellets as an alternative to coal.

• Location: Bicholi Hapsi, Indore
• Developed Under: Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban
• Execution Model: Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
• Land Area: 55,000 square feet
• Private Partner: Astronomical Industries Private Limited
• Waste Processed: Wood, branches, leaves, and flowers

• Renowned Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana has been officially designated as the ‘Fit India Icon’ by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
• The announcement was made during the inaugural ceremony of the Fit India Movement in New Delhi.
• With this recognition, the 40-year-old actor has joined hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Fit India Movement, an initiative that aims to inspire citizens to prioritize their health and well-being.
• The Fit India Movement is a nationwide fitness campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 29, 2019.

The Union Government has released the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) Grants for Rural Local Bodies in Maharashtra for FY 2024–25.

The release includes the 2nd installment of Untied Grants amounting to ₹611.6913 crore and the withheld portion of the 1st installment amounting to ₹8.4282 crore.

The funds are allocated to 4 District Panchayats, 40 Block Panchayats, and 21,551 Gram Panchayats in the state.

Untied Grants can be used by Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)/Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) for location-specific needs, excluding salaries and establishment costs.

Tied Grants can be used for:

• Sanitation and ODF maintenance, including household waste, human excreta, and fecal sludge management.
• Drinking water supply, rainwater harvesting, and water recycling.
• The grants are recommended by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Jal Shakti and released by the Ministry of Finance in two installments per year.