1. Which player is set to be awarded the Cricketer of the Year at the BCCI awards?
A. Shubman Gill
B. Rohit Sharma
C. Virat Kohli
D. K L Rahul
- The BCCI will honor former Indian all-rounder and coach Ravi Shastri with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and cricketer Shubman Gill will receive the Cricketer of the Year award for his outstanding performance.
2. D K Basu’s judgement is related to which one of the following?
A. Protect the rights and dignity of individuals in police custody
B. Protection of interests of minorities
C. Child Labour
D. Safeguards against sexual exploitation
- The Supreme Court of India recently emphasized the D K Basu Judgment (1996) against police abuse and custodial violence. The case D K Basu vs State of West Bengal, addressed deaths in police custody. The petitioner D K Basu highlighted the issue leading to the judgment that custodial violence violates the rule of law and human dignity. The ruling expanded the scope of fundamental rights, allowing compensation for their infringement.
3. Which two other countries participated in Exercise Desert Knight conducted by the Indian Air Force?
A. Egypt and Sudan
B. France and UAE
C. France and Russia
D. UAE and Egypt
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted Exercise Desert Knight with the French Air and Space Force (FASF) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force on January 23–24, 2024. The exercise took place over the Arabian Sea, with the IAF operating from its west coast bases and the UAE and France operating from Al Dhafra airbase. The exercise’s main focus was to improve synergy and interoperability between the three air forces. The IAF said that such exercises demonstrate the growing diplomatic and military interactions in the region, as well as the IAF’s capabilities.
4. Where was the 42-day Mahamandal festival inaugurated?
A. Haryana
B. Chhattisgarh
C. Uttar Pradesh
D. Rajasthan
- A 42-day Mahamandal festival commenced at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya following the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla. Starting on January 24, the festival, overseen by Ram Mandir trustee Jagadguru Vishvesh Prapann Tirtha, includes daily Kalash puja and worship with forty-eight urns in the sanctum sanctorum. Bhagwan Ram will be honored in the Vaishnav tradition, receiving a Rajbhog of assorted sweets. The festival involves a 42-day Havan with recitation of various mantras at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi complex.
5. ‘National Girl Child Day’ was first initiated in which year?
A. 2006
B. 2007
C. 2008
D. 2009
- National Girl Child Day is celebrated in India on January 24th every year. The day was started in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the government of India. The day aims to raise awareness about the inequalities that girls face in Indian society. It also advocates for equal opportunities in education, healthcare, and nutrition.
- The day also commemorates the anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Scheme (Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl Child). The scheme’s main goal is to prevent female foeticide and sex determination, ensure safety and save all female children, and to provide them with quality education.
6. Which organization developed the Insat-3DS satellite in collaboration with the India Meteorological Department (IMD)?
A. ISRO
B. DRDO
C. Indian Coast Guard
D. HAL
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has completed crucial tests on the Insat-3DS satellite, a collaborative effort with the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Part of a climate observatory satellite series, it aims to enhance climate services. The satellite, along with INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR already in orbit, will be launched using the more advanced Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F14), featuring cryogenic liquid propellants. INSAT-3DR boasts improvements like imaging in the Middle Infrared band for night-time cloud and fog pictures and enhanced accuracy in Sea Surface Temperature estimation.
7. ‘Fit India Champions’ podcast series is launched by which ministry?
A. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
B. Ministry of Home Affairs
C. Ministry of Defence
D. Ministry of Finance
- The Fit India Mission, a flagship program by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, is launching the ‘Fit India Champions’ podcast series in collaboration with GOQii. Starting January 27, the series highlights the extraordinary achievements and inspiring stories of Indian sports heroes. The inaugural episode features Sheetal Devi, an armless archer who won gold at the 2023 Asian Para Games on her debut.
8. Parvatmala Programme comes under which ministry?
A. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
B. Ministry of Power
C. Ministry of Defence
D. Ministry of Agriculture
- The government plans to expand the Parvatmala Pariyojana, a national ropeways development program, to at least 400 projects in the next five years. Launched in the 2022-23 Union Budget, the program aims to ease congestion in mountainous areas with limited road and train connectivity. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways oversees the project, with implementation entrusted to the National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), a 100% owned subsidiary of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
9. Recently, Karpoori Thakur was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna. He was the former Chief Minister of which state?
A. Jharkhand
B. Bihar
C. Uttar Pradesh
D. Odisha
- Prominent Gandhian socialist leader and former Bihar chief minister, Karpoori Thakur, will posthumously receive the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award instituted in 1954. While traditionally for Indian-born citizens, exceptions include Mother Teresa, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, and Nelson Mandela.
10. Recently, who became the second Indian man to win a gold medal at the Asian Marathon Championships in 2024?
A. Gopi T
B. Man Singh
C. Srinu Bugatha
D. Kartik Kumar
- Indian marathon runner Man Singh secured a historic gold at the 2024 Asian Marathon Championships in Hong Kong, becoming the second Indian man to achieve this feat. Finishing with an impressive time of 2:14:19, Singh outpaced the runner-up by 65 seconds. The first Indian to claim this title was Gopi Thonakal in 2017.
11. Where was the 14th All India Police Commando Competition organized?
A. Visakhapatnam
B. Kurnool
C. Guntur
D. Nellore
- The 14th All India Police Commando Competition (AIPCC) 2024 began on January 22, 2024 and will run until January 30, 2024. The competition is being held at the Greyhounds Centre in Visakhapatnam, India and is being organized by the Andhra Pradesh State Police (Greyhounds). The AIPCC is considered the top professional competition for police forces in India. The competition will feature 16 state police teams and seven teams from central police agencies.
12. What is ‘Mimosa’?
A. Virus
B. Fungi
C. Invasive plant
D. Ancient Agricultural Technique
- Assam grapples with a rising menace of invasive Mimosa plants, endangering its forests and biodiversity. Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, faces the invasion, impacting the diet of wildlife. Originally introduced by the tea industry for soil enrichment, Mimosa, also known as Touch-Me-Not, now threatens the region due to climate and geographical factors.
13. Mukhyamantri Gramin Solar Street Light scheme is associated with which state?
A. Bihar
B. Jharkhand
C. Odisha
D. Madhya Pradesh
- The Mukhyamantri Gramin Solar Street Light scheme is associated with the state of Bihar. Despite the launch of the Mukhyamantri Gramin Solar Street Light Scheme in Bihar 18 months ago, over 80% of rural villages are still without solar street lights.
- Chief Minister Nitish Kumar initiated the scheme in 2022 to install over a million solar street lights in 8,000 Gram Panchayats, promoting green energy. However, only 106,161 lights have been installed to date, significantly falling short of the target, as revealed by official data from the Bihar Panchayati Raj Department’s digital platform.
