1. TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution sensor) satellite has been launched by?
A. ISRO
B. JAXA
C. NASA
D. ROSCOSMOS
- NASA’s TEMPO satellite, the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution sensor, is a ground breaking Earth-observation satellite in geostationary orbit designed to provide hourly measurements of pollutants over North America. TEMPO covers a vast area from Canada’s oil sands to the Yucatán Peninsula. It enhancing its ability to monitor air pollution comprehensively.
2. Under the new Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill tabled in parliament, what is the proposed maximum timeframe for filing charge sheet in criminal cases?
A. 90 days
B. 180 days
C. 270 days
D. 365 days
- The new Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill tabled in parliament proposes that filing of charge sheet in criminal cases cannot be delayed beyond 180 days as part of provisions to speed up justice delivery. It also stipulates mandatory forensic team visits for serious offences, production of all case documents within 30 days and concludes trial in case of absent accused in 90 days.
3. Who is the recipient of the Sahitya Akademi English award for 2023?
A. Arundhathi Subramaniam
B. Jhumpa Lahiri
C. Neelam Saran Gour
D. Amitav Ghosh
- Neelam Saran Gour was honored with the Sahitya Akademi English award for 2023 for her novel ‘Requiem in Raga Janki’. This historical fiction, set in British-era Allahabad, delves into the life of the renowned singer Janki Bai Ilahabadi. Arundhathi Subramaniam was also a notable contender in the shortlist for her poetic memoir ‘Adi Shankaracharya: Hinduism’s Greatest Thinker’.
4. What is Pantoea tagorei, that was recently making news?
A. Fish
B. Bacteria
C. Turtle
D. Monkey
- Researchers from Visva-Bharati University discovered a new plant growth-promoting bacteria species which they named Pantoea Tagorei, in homage to Rabindranath Tagore’s agricultural promotion efforts. The bacteria has unique properties that enhance soil nutrients.
5. Which ministry has launched the ‘Bhoomi Rashi Portal’?
A. Ministry of Agriculture
B. Ministry of Rural Development
C. Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways
D. Ministry of Finance
- Recently, 1467 projects of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have been brought under the Bhoomi Rashi Portal. The objective of Bhoomi Rashi portal is to provide a single point platform for online processing of land acquisition notifications to accelerate highway infrastructure development projects in India and payment of compensation for land acquisition.
6. Which state is the main state partner of the International Gita Seminar and Gita Mahotsav?
A. Haryana
B. Uttar Pradesh
C. Assam
D. Madhya Pradesh
- On December 17, 2023, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the International Gita Seminar and Geeta Mahotsav at Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra, Haryana. The theme of this year is – “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Universal Unity.”
- The International Geeta Mahotsav programs are scheduled from December 7 to December 24, with the main event taking place from December 17 to December 24. Assam plays a pivotal role as the main state partner for this program.
7. Which University has won the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy 2023?
A. Gautam Buddha University
B. Guru Nanak Dev University
C. Delhi University
D. Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) in Amritsar won the 2023 Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy for the 25th time. The trophy is awarded annually by the President of India to the university with the best overall performance in sports at national, international, and inter-university competitions.
8. The first-ever World Basketball Day was celebrated on December 21 to commemorate which of the following?
A. Dr. James Naismith
B. Michael Jordan
C. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
D. Magic Johnson
- The NBA has commemorated the inaugural World Basketball Day, a global initiative established by the United Nations on August 23 during the FIBA World Cup. This day, marking the anniversary of Dr. James Naismith’s introduction of basketball at the Springfield YMCA in 1891, will be observed annually on December 21.
9. Who has been awarded with the Vir Chakra 2023?
A. Dinesh Prabhakar
B. Benoy Roy Chowdhury
C. Yogendra Singh Yadav
D. None of the above
- Recently late Vice-Admiral Benoy Roy Chowdhury has been awarded the Vir Chakra. He was the hero of the India-Pakistan war of 1971. In this war, Benoy Roy was posted as an engineer on INS Vikrant. ‘Veer Chakra’ is an award given for military bravery during wartime. Vice Admiral Dinesh Prabhakar, AVSM, NM, VSM (Retd), currently holding the position of Distinguished Chair Marine Engineering at INS Shivaji, received the ‘Vir Chakra’ on behalf of the Indian Navy.
- Honorary Captain Yogendra Singh Yadav was the recipient of the prestigious Param Vir Chakra award in 2022. Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav of the 18 Grenadiers Battalion (Retd) is the youngest person to win the Param Vir Chakra award.
10. Who has been recently awarded with the 2023 Leif Erikson Lunar Prize?
A. ISRO
B. NASA
C. JAXA
D. ROSCOSMOS
- ISRO has been awarded the 2023 Leif Erikson Lunar Prize by the Exploration Museum in Iceland’s Husavik for its successful Chandrayaan-3 mission. The award was given by the Exploration Museum in Husavik, Iceland, in honor of Norse explorer Leif Erikson. The prize has been given annually since 2015. On August 23, 2023, India became the fourth nation to achieve a successful lunar landing. Indian Ambassador Balasubramanian Shyam received the award on behalf of ISRO.
11. Which organization has been recently honoured with the 11th edition of the FICCI Water Award 2023?
A. Ministry of Jal Shakti
B. NTPC Kanti
C. Ministry of Mines
D. None of the above
- In a noteworthy accomplishment, NTPC Kanti has been honored with the 11th Edition of the FICCI Water Award 2023 in the “Industrial Water Use Efficiency” category. A key factor contributing to NTPC Kanti’s success is its robust wastewater treatment system, which employs cutting-edge technologies to treat wastewater in accordance with stringent quality standards.
12. Basukinath Jha, winner of Sahitya Akademi Award-2023, is a writer in which language?
A. Hindi
B. Maithili
C. Bhojpuri
D. Gujarati
- On 21 December 2023, the Sahitya Akademi has announced to give the Sahitya Akademi Award for the year 2023 to Maithili language writer Basukinath Jha for his Maithili essay collection “Bodh-Sanketan”. Maithili litterateur Basukinath Jha, in Maithili language, also wrote Vidyapati Kavya Lochan (Classical Criticism), Anushilan-Avabodh (Critical Research and Essay Collection), Parivaha (Modern Critical Essay Collection), Bodh Sanketan (Collection of Introductions to Books written by Various Authors).
13. Which state is the top performer among coastal states in the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) 2023 rankings?
A. Tamil Nadu
B. Gujarat
C. Maharashtra
D. Andhra Pradesh
- Tamil Nadu maintained its “achiever” status within the coastal group in the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) 2023 rankings by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. LEADS, which was launched in 2018, evaluates states and union territories on three critical dimensions: Infrastructure, services, and operating and regulatory environment, encompassing both perception-based and objective indicators.
