Smart City, Puducherry - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

1)   Which city tops list of 27 new smart cities announced by Ministry of Urban Development?

a. Amritsar
b. Ajmer
c. Madurai
d. Varanasi
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Amritsar

Explanation:
Golden Temple City of Amritsar topped the list of 27 new smart cities announced by Minister of Urban Development.

  • 8 other cities of pilgrim and tourist importance made it to the list as well
  • These are: Ujjain, Tirupati, Agra, Nashik, Madurai, Thanjavur, Ajmer and Varanasi.
  • With this the number of cities selected under Smart City Mission for financing implementation of smart city plans has gone up to 60.
  • The Minister informed that the new 27 smart cities have proposed an investment of INR66,883 cr under smart city plans including INR42,524 cr under Area Based Development and another INR11,379 cr for technology based Pan-city solutions that benefits all the citizens of respective cities.
  • With this, the total investment proposed by the 60 cities selected so far has gone up to INR1,44,742 cr, he said.
  • The 27 smart cities announced today are from 12 States including 5 from Maharashtra, 4 each from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, 3 from Uttar Pradesh and 2 each from Punjab and Rajasthan.
  • NE states Nagaland and Sikkim have made it to the smart city list for the first time.


2)   The centre announced the names of cities & towns to be developed as smart cities on 27th Aug’15. Which state gets the maximum number of aspirant smart cities?

a. Maharashtra
b. Tamil Nadu
c. Uttar Pradesh
d. Madhya Pradesh
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Uttar Pradesh

Explanation:
The aspirants’ cities were selected by the States and Union Territories on the parametres set by the Centre. Announcing the list in New Delhi, Union Urban Development Minister, M Venkaiah Naidu said, it include 13 cities from Uttar Pradesh, 12 from Tamil Nadu, 10 from Maharashtra, 7 from Madhya Pradesh, 3 each from Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. All other states have also got one or two cities for the purpose.

Out of these 98 cities, 24 are capital cities, 24 are business and industrial centres, 18 are of cultural and tourism importance, 5 are port cities and three are educational and healthcare hubs. 9 capital cities including Patna, Shimla, Bengaluru, Daman, Kolkata did not find place for smart city development. Two more cities will be announced in due course since the Government of Jammu and Kashmir sought more time to firm up their choice and there was tie between Meerut and Raibarelly in Uttar Pradesh.


3)   How many mega schemes for revamping urban India will be launched by the PM Narendra Modi on 25th June’15?

a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: 3

Explanation:
The three projects are Smart Cities Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, AMRUT and Housing For All.


4)   Whose offer has been approved by the Ministry of Urban Development for cooperation in conducting the ‘Cities Challenge’ competition to select the cities for financing under the Smart Cities Mission of the Government?

a. Bloomberg Philanthropies
b. BBC
c. Future Group
d. None of these
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Bloomberg Philanthropies

Explanation:
Bloomberg Philanthropies will act as Knowledge Partner for the Smart Cities Mission. The Mission for building 100 Smart Cities was approved by the Union Cabinet on April 29, 2015. Under this Mission, central government will spend Rs. 48,000 Cr. over the next five years for providing an assistance of Rs.100 cr per year for each selected city.


5)   Name the country that has proposed to assist in developing Delhi as the first global and smart city in India under the framework of the draft MoU presented on 27th Apr’15?

a. Spain
b. France
c. China
d. Sri Lanka
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Spain

Explanation:
Spain has proposed cooperation with India in developing smart and sustainable cities in the country and presented a draft of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard. The MoU relating to urban development was presented during the meeting of a Spanish delegation led by its Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Jose Garcia-Margallo Marfil with the Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu in Parliament House in New Delhi.