Current News and Affairs

The 27th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration was conferred on

[amp_mcq option1=”Ela Bhatt” option2=”Gulzar” option3=”Mohan Dharia” option4=”A. R. Rahman” correct=”option3″]

The correct option is C.

– The 27th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for the year 2011-12 was conferred upon Shri Mohan Dharia.

– Mohan Dharia was a freedom fighter, former Union Minister, and social worker known for his efforts in environmental protection and rural development through his organization VANARAI.
– The award is given annually by the Indian National Congress to individuals or organizations for their contribution to national integration in India. Ela Bhatt received the 28th award (for 2012-13). Gulzar and A.R. Rahman have received other prominent awards, but not the 27th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration.

Consider the following statements:

• 1. The Fifth Summit of BRICS (2013) was held in Durban.
• 2. Dr. Manmohan Singh became the only head of States or head of Government to attend all BRICS Summits held so far.
• 3. The theme of Fifth Summit of BRICS was “BRICS and Africa : Partnership for Development, Integration and Industrialization”.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”1, 2 and 3″ option2=”1 and 2 only” option3=”2 and 3 only” option4=”3 only” correct=”option1″]

The correct option is A.

– Statement 1: The 5th BRICS summit was indeed held in Durban, South Africa, from 26-27 March 2013. This statement is correct.
– Statement 2: The first BRIC summit was in 2009. South Africa joined in 2010, attending from the 2011 summit. Dr. Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014 and attended all BRICS summits from the first one in 2009 to the 6th one in 2014. Looking at the leaders of other member countries, leaders like Lula da Silva (Brazil), Dmitry Medvedev/Vladimir Putin (Russia), and Hu Jintao/Xi Jinping (China) were in power during different periods covering these summits. For instance, Xi Jinping became President of China in 2013 and attended the 2013 summit. Given the changes in leadership in Brazil, Russia, and China during the period from 2009 up to the 5th summit in 2013, Dr. Manmohan Singh appears to be the only head of state/government among the original members (or expanded members up to 2011) who attended all the first five summits. This statement is correct in the context up to the 5th summit.
– Statement 3: The theme of the 5th BRICS summit in Durban (2013) was “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Development, Integration and Industrialization”. This statement is correct.
– Since all three statements are correct, the correct option is A.

BRICS is an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Originally BRIC (formed in 2009), South Africa was invited to join in 2010, and the group became BRICS in 2011. The summits are held annually.

Consider the following statements:

• 1. Vladimir Putin took his oath of office in May 2012 as the President of Russia for the third time defeating Dmitri Medvedev.
• 2. Mr. Putin has been facing unprecedented challenges after mass protest against his election.
• 3. Dmitri Medvedev was the Prime Minister of Russia during the presidency of Mr. Putin.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”1, 2 and 3″ option2=”2 and 3 only” option3=”1 and 2 only” option4=”1 only” correct=”option2″]

Statement 1 is incorrect. Vladimir Putin took his oath of office in May 2012 for his third term as President, but he defeated Gennady Zyuganov in the election, not Dmitri Medvedev. Medvedev was the outgoing president who did not contest against Putin.
Statement 2 is correct. Following the parliamentary elections in 2011 and the presidential election in 2012, Russia saw significant protests against alleged election fraud and against Putin’s return to the presidency.
Statement 3 is correct. Dmitri Medvedev, after serving as President from 2008 to 2012, was appointed as the Prime Minister of Russia by President Putin in May 2012 and served in that capacity until January 2020.
Therefore, statements 2 and 3 are correct, while statement 1 is incorrect.

Knowledge of recent political developments and key political figures in major countries is relevant for current affairs questions.

Vladimir Putin had previously served two consecutive terms as President (2000-2008). Due to term limits, Medvedev served one term (2008-2012), during which Putin served as Prime Minister. Putin’s return to the presidency in 2012 was possible as the term limit applied to consecutive terms.

On June 2012, about 40 nations participated in an Investment Summit held in New Delhi organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry in association with the Government of India to attract foreign direct investment to a country. Which one among the following is the beneficiary country?

[amp_mcq option1=”Afghanistan” option2=”Nepal” option3=”Bangladesh” option4=”India” correct=”option1″]

In June 2012, India hosted the “Delhi Investment Summit on Afghanistan” in New Delhi, co-hosted with the Government of Afghanistan and organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The purpose of the summit was to attract foreign direct investment from Indian and international investors to Afghanistan to support its economic development.

Identifying significant international events and conferences hosted by India and their objectives requires awareness of contemporary global and regional affairs.

India has been a significant development partner for Afghanistan. The summit was part of efforts to boost investment in Afghanistan during a critical period of transition.

Which one among the following statements about Aung San Suu Kyi is not correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”She is the chairperson of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar” option2=”On April 2012, she was elected to the Upper House of the Parliament” option3=”On June 2012, she delivered her Nobel acceptance speech decades after being awarded the Peace Prize” option4=”She did her graduation from India” correct=”option2″]

The statement that Aung San Suu Kyi was elected to the Upper House of the Parliament on April 2012 is not correct.

– Statement A is correct: Aung San Suu Kyi is the chairperson of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Myanmar.
– Statement B is incorrect: In the April 2012 by-elections, Aung San Suu Kyi won a seat in the *Lower House* (Pyithu Hluttaw) of the Myanmar Parliament from the Kawhmu constituency, not the Upper House (Amyotha Hluttaw).
– Statement C is correct: She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 but was under house arrest at the time. She delivered her Nobel lecture in Oslo in June 2012, decades after being awarded the prize.
– Statement D is correct: She did her undergraduate studies at Miranda House, Delhi University, in India.

The April 2012 by-elections marked Aung San Suu Kyi’s entry into the formal political structure after years of detention and house arrest.

Which of the following memorandum of understandings were signed between India and Myanmar on May 2012 when the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited the country?

• 1. On India-Myanmar border area development.
• 2. On establishment of joint trade and investment forum.
• 3. On establishment of the advance centre for agricultural research and education.
• 4. On establishment of Rice Bio Park at New Delhi.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

[amp_mcq option1=”1, 2 and 3″ option2=”2 and 3 only” option3=”1 and 4″ option4=”3 and 4″ correct=”option1″]

Statements 1, 2, and 3 accurately describe Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) signed between India and Myanmar during Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s visit in May 2012.

– During the May 2012 visit, several key agreements were signed to strengthen bilateral ties. These included MoUs on:
– Border area development cooperation.
– Establishment of a joint trade and investment forum.
– Cooperation in agriculture, including setting up an Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research and Education in Myanmar.
– Air services agreement, cultural exchange program, etc.
– Statement 4 is incorrect: There was no MoU signed regarding the establishment of a Rice Bio Park specifically located at New Delhi as part of the India-Myanmar bilateral agreements during that visit. The agreements focused on cooperation within Myanmar or on the border.

This visit was significant as it was the first by an Indian Prime Minister to Myanmar in 25 years and aimed at enhancing cooperation across various sectors following political reforms in Myanmar.

Consider the following statements about Jeet Thayil :

• 1. He has been nominated for the 2012 Man Booker Prize for his debut novel, Narcopolis.
• 2. Narcopolis is a novel on the background of communal riots in Gujarat.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”Both 1 and 2″ option4=”Neither 1 nor 2″ correct=”option1″]

Only statement 1 about Jeet Thayil’s nomination for the 2012 Man Booker Prize for *Narcopolis* is correct.

– Statement 1 is correct: Jeet Thayil’s debut novel, *Narcopolis*, was indeed shortlisted for the 2012 Man Booker Prize.
– Statement 2 is incorrect: *Narcopolis* is primarily set in 1970s Mumbai’s opium dens and explores themes of drug addiction, marginalized lives, and the city’s transformation. It is not based on the background of communal riots in Gujarat.

Jeet Thayil is an Indian poet, novelist, and musician. *Narcopolis* received critical acclaim for its distinctive style and portrayal of Mumbai’s underbelly.

The Government of India has recently established a committee under the chairmanship of S. K. Thorat. What was the mandate of the committee?

[amp_mcq option1=”To review the working of the NCERT” option2=”To frame some guidelines for preparing the syllabus of the central schools” option3=”To review political cartoons and other contents of the social science and political science textbooks for class IX to XII” option4=”To determine the guidelines to prepare the test items” correct=”option3″]

The committee established under the chairmanship of S. K. Thorat (in 2012) was mandated to review political cartoons and other potentially controversial content in NCERT social science and political science textbooks for classes IX to XII.

– The committee was formed in response to a controversy surrounding a political cartoon of B. R. Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru published in an NCERT political science textbook for class XI.
– The mandate was specifically to examine the content of social science and political science textbooks for higher secondary classes to identify and recommend removal of objectionable material.
– The committee’s work focused on reviewing specific content like cartoons, pictures, and text that were deemed inappropriate or potentially offensive.

S. K. Thorat is a well-known economist and former Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC). The controversy highlighted issues related to pedagogical methods, interpretation of historical events, and sensitivities in textbook content.

Why was theoretical physicist Ashoke Sen, a string theorist at Allahabad’s Harish Chandra Research Institute, in news recently?

[amp_mcq option1=”He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha” option2=”He was one of the nine winners of the first Yuri Milner Fundamental Physics Prize” option3=”He was selected as jury member to decide on the awardees of Nobel Prize for the year 2013″ option4=”He was selected for the S. S. Bhatnagar Award” correct=”option2″]

He was one of the nine winners of the first Yuri Milner Fundamental Physics Prize.

Theoretical physicist Ashoke Sen was among the inaugural recipients of the Fundamental Physics Prize in 2012, established by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner. He was recognized for his foundational work on string theory. The prize, at $3 million per winner, was the largest academic prize in the world at the time.

Ashoke Sen is a distinguished professor at the Harish-Chandra Research Institute in Allahabad (now Prayagraj). He is known for his pioneering contributions to string theory, particularly on duality, black holes, and S-duality. The Fundamental Physics Prize is awarded annually to researchers who have made significant contributions to the field of fundamental physics.

Recently in which one among the following countries, the Prime Minister has to be changed due to an instruction of the country’s Supreme Court?

[amp_mcq option1=”Pakistan” option2=”Bangladesh” option3=”Russia” option4=”Nepal” correct=”option1″]

Pakistan’s Prime Minister was changed due to a Supreme Court instruction.

In June 2012, the Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani from holding office after he was convicted of contempt of court for refusing to reopen a corruption case against the President. Following this ruling, Gilani ceased to be the Prime Minister. This led to the appointment of a new Prime Minister, Raja Pervez Ashraf.

This event was a significant instance of judicial intervention in the executive branch in Pakistan’s history and highlighted the ongoing power dynamics between different state institutions.