1. What is the theme for observing Earth Rotation Day in 2024?
A. Celebrating Earth’s Natural Beauty
B. Recognizing Human Achievements in Space Exploration
C. Honoring the Discovery of Our Planet’s Movement
D. Promoting Environmental Conservation
- Earth Rotation Day is celebrated on January 8th every year. This special day is dedicated to acknowledging the pivotal discovery of Earth’s rotation on its axis. The theme chosen to observe Earth Rotation Day in 2024 is ‘Honoring the Discovery of Our Planet’s Movement.’ This theme invites us to reflect on the historical journey of understanding Earth’s rotation and the impact this knowledge has had on our understanding of the universe.
2. Which state has recently introduced a comprehensive social welfare scheme named “Yogyasree”?
A. West Bengal
B. Andhra Pradesh
C. Jharkhand
D. Bihar
- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has recently launched the “Yogyasree” social welfare scheme, aimed at providing free training modules for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in the state.
- The initiative focuses on preparing these students for entrance and competitive examinations, demonstrating the government’s commitment to educational empowerment. The Yogyasree scheme includes the establishment of fifty training centers across West Bengal, providing cost-free training for SC and ST students, with a specific emphasis on competitive examinations.
3. What is the name of the newly discovered species of carnivorous worm found in northern Greenland, recently named “terror beast” by scientists?
A. Arcticus wormensis
B. Polarterroris predatoriens
C. Greenlandicus carnivorous
D. Timorebestia koprii
- Scientists have recently made a discovery by uncovering the fossils of a newfound species of carnivorous worm in northern Greenland, aptly named Timorebestia koprii, or “terror beast.” This species is a pioneer among early carnivorous animals that colonized the water column during the early Cambrian period, which occurred approximately 541 million to 485.4 million years ago. The fossils of Timorebestia koprii were found in the Early Cambrian Sirius Passet fossil locality in North Greenland.
4. Kelucharan Mohapatra, whose 98th birth anniversary was recently observed, helped to revive and popularize which dance form?
A. Bharatanatyam
B. Kathak
C. Odissi
D. Manipuri
- Legendary Indian classical dancer Kelucharan Mohapatra was born on 8 January, 1926. He is credited with the revival and popularising the Odissi dance form in the 20 th century. He did extensive research on the traditional ‘Gotipua’ and ‘Mahari’ dance forms, which led him to restructure Odissi.
5. Which region is associated with the tropical cyclone Alvaro that has recently been in the news?
A. Southeast Asia
B. Madagascar
C. South America
D. Australia
- Tropical Cyclone Alvaro made a significant impact on southwest Madagascar, hitting the region on January 1st, 2024. This marked the first major cyclone influence during the 2023-2024 in the southwest Indian Ocean.
6. Recently, which protected area was making news as the endangered “hog deer” was spotted here for the first time?
A. Rajaji Tiger Reserve
B. Sundarbans Wildlife Sanctuary
C. Bandipur National Park
D. Kaziranga National Park
- The hog deer, previously not recorded in the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, has recently been discovered there, marking a significant finding. Known for its solitary nature, it occasionally feeds in small groups when food is abundant in open fields. Native to India, including the Himalayan foothill zone and Southeast Asia, hog deer have also been introduced to Sri Lanka, Australia, and the United States. In terms of conservation, the hog deer is categorized as endangered by the IUCN, and it is listed under Scheduled I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
7. The first meeting of the Inland Waterways Development Council was held at?
A. Chennai
B. Madurai
C. Kolkata
D. Kanyakumari
- The Inland Waterways Authority of India, operating under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW), made history by organizing the inaugural meeting of the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) in Kolkata. Led by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the event convened representatives from waterway states, central government officials, and experts. The gathering discussed crucial initiatives, including the “Harit Nauka – Guidelines for Green Transition of Inland Vessels” and the “River Cruise Tourism Roadmap 2047,” with a focus on advancing the development of inland waterways in India.
8. iDEX-DIO is the flagship scheme of which Ministry?
A. Ministry of Tourism
B. Ministry of Defence
C. Ministry of MSME
D. Ministry of Tribal Affairs
- The Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX-DIO) is gearing up to participate in the tenth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2024. Launched in 2018, iDEX-DIO is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Its primary objective is to foster an innovation ecosystem in the Defence and Aerospace sector by collaborating with startups, innovators, MSMEs, incubators, and academia. This scheme earned the PM Award for Innovation in the defence sector. The initiative is funded and managed by the Defence Innovation Organization (DIO), a ‘not for profit’ company formed under the Companies Act 2013, with Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) HAL & BEL as the founder members.
9. Who is the fourth Secretary General of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)?
A. Indra Mani Pandey
B. Tenzin Lekhpal
C. Abdul Motaleb Sarker
D. Shabana Fyyaz
- Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey, a senior diplomat of India, assumed today the position of Secretary General (SG) of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). He is the 4th SG of BIMSTEC and will remain its SG for a period of three years. He has succeeded H.E. Tenzin Lekphell of Bhutan.
10. Which Indian Institutes collaborated on the metabolic engineering of Nothapodytes nimmoniana plant cells to enhance the production of the anti-cancer drug camptothecin (CPT)?
A. Indian Institutes of Technology, Bombay and Delhi
B. Indian Institutes of Technology, Madras and Mandi
C. Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, Kolkata and Pune
D. Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
- Researchers at the Indian Institutes of Technology Madras and Mandi have successfully employed metabolic engineering techniques to boost the production of the anti-cancer drug camptothecin (CPT) in Nothapodytes nimmoniana plant cells. Camptothecin serves as a crucial anti-cancer drug lead molecule, contributing to the development of high-value medications like Topotecan and Irinotecan. Originally extracted from Camptotheca acuminata in Eastern Asia and Nothapodytes nimmoniana in India, camptothecin faces a threat due to climate change and extensive deforestation for its extraction, leading to the endangered status of these plants.
11. What was the global surface air temperature increases, relative to the 1850-1900 average in 2023?
A. 1.48°C
B. 1.53°C
C. 1.69°C
D. 1.82°C
- In 2023, the global surface air temperature notably rose to 1.48 degrees Celsius above the average temperature recorded during the pre-industrial period of 1850-1900. This significant increase, reported by Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), marked 2023 as the warmest year since records began in 1850. This rise in temperature exceeded the previous record set in 2016 and is a clear indicator of ongoing global warming. The increase in temperature has been attributed to the rising concentrations of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere, primarily due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels.
12. What is the primary purpose of the ICD-11 TM Module 2?
A. Classifying modern biomedicine
B. Including Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani in WHO classification
C. Monitoring Infectious Diseases
D. Developing Ayush Insurance Coverage
- The ICD-11 TM Module 2, launched by the World Health Organization in collaboration with India’s Ministry of Ayush, primarily aims to include data and terminology relating to diseases based on traditional medicine systems – Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani – in the WHO’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD11) classification.
- This significant inclusion marks a step towards achieving global uniformity in traditional medicine recognizing and integrating these ancient systems of medicine into the international healthcare framework. The inclusion of these traditional medical systems in the ICD11 classification reflects a growing recognition of the importance and relevance of traditional medicine in global healthcare.
13. The term “magic islands,” recently in the news, refers to features found on which astronomical body?
A. Saturn
B. Mars
C. Titan
D. Mercury
- The “magic islands” observed on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, are primarily made of porous, frozen organic solids. These floating formations, likened to shapes of honeycomb or Swiss cheese, were first spotted in 2014 by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft. Scientists, led by Xinting Yu from the University of Texas, conducted research to unravel this mystery. They concluded that these structures are clusters of complex organic snow.
