Current News and Affairs

‘Bharat Parv’ was organized by the Government of India during which of the following programmes ?

• 1. Republic Day 2024
• 2. National Film Festival 2024
• 3. Cannes Film Festival 2024

Select the answer using the code given below :

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

The most plausible option is A) 1 and 2 only.

Bharat Parv is an annual event organized by the Government of India, primarily by the Ministry of Tourism, to celebrate India’s Republic Day. It is typically held from January 26th to 31st near India Gate, Delhi. Therefore, Statement 1 (Republic Day 2024) is a direct and well-established association. While a direct, prominent link between Bharat Parv and the National Film Festival (a separate event, usually the awards ceremony held later in the year) or Cannes Film Festival (an international event) is not widely publicized, option A implies a connection between Bharat Parv and Statement 2 as well. Given the options provided, and the certainty of Statement 1, Option A is the most likely intended answer, assuming there was some element of showcasing Indian cinema or related activities within Bharat Parv 2024 that the question setter considered a link to ‘National Film Festival’. Statement 3 (Cannes Film Festival) is unrelated to Bharat Parv.

Bharat Parv aims to showcase the diversity of India through cultural performances, handicrafts, food festivals, and highlighting the Republic Day tableaux. The event is open to the public and serves as a significant platform for promoting domestic tourism and national integration. The link to the National Film Festival (Statement 2) is not readily apparent from general reports and might refer to a specific, perhaps minor, inclusion of film-related content or promotion within the broader cultural showcase, or the question might have an ambiguity.

Which of the following statements with regard to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is/are correct ?

• 1. The official languages of the SCO are Russian and Chinese.
• 2. The SCO enjoys observer status in the UN General Assembly.
• 3. The SCO consists of 13 member states.

Select the answer using the code given below :

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

The correct option is C) 1 and 2.

Statement 1 is correct. The official working languages of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are Russian and Chinese.
Statement 2 is correct. The SCO was granted observer status in the UN General Assembly in 2004. It also collaborates with various other international organizations.
Statement 3 is incorrect. As of mid-2024, the SCO has 9 full member states: China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It does not consist of 13 member states. There are also Observer States (Afghanistan, Belarus, Mongolia) and Dialogue Partners.

The SCO is a major regional organization focused on political, economic, and security cooperation. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017. Iran became the ninth full member in 2023. The organization addresses issues like terrorism, separatism, extremism, and promotes regional development and connectivity.

Which one among the following correctly represents the theme on which the interiors of the new Parliament Building is based ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Lotus | Banyan” option2=”Peacock | Lotus” option3=”Peacock | Banyan” option4=”Lotus | Peacock” correct=”option2″]

The interiors of the new Parliament Building of India are based on national symbols. The Lok Sabha chamber is themed around the Peacock, and the Rajya Sabha chamber is themed around the Lotus.

National symbols like the peacock (national bird) and lotus (national flower) were chosen to represent different parts of the building, reflecting India’s heritage.

The Central Lounge of the new Parliament Building is themed around the Banyan tree, India’s national tree. Therefore, Peacock and Lotus represent the themes of the two main legislative chambers.

The Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star is the highest civilian honour of which among the following countries ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Fiji” option2=”Papua New Guinea” option3=”Egypt” option4=”Suriname” correct=”option4″]

The Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star is the highest civilian honour awarded by the Republic of Suriname.

National honours are prestigious awards given by countries to recognise significant contributions or achievements.

Suriname is a country in South America. This order is awarded to both citizens and foreign dignitaries.

Georgi Gospodinov won the International Booker Prize, 2023 for the darkly comic novel by the name :

[amp_mcq option1=”The Promise” option2=”Shuggie Bain” option3=”Time Shelter” option4=”Girl, Woman, Other” correct=”option3″]

Georgi Gospodinov won the International Booker Prize in 2023 for his novel ‘Time Shelter’, translated from Bulgarian by Angela Rodel.

The International Booker Prize is awarded annually for the best single work of fiction translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland.

‘The Promise’, ‘Shuggie Bain’, and ‘Girl, Woman, Other’ are previous winners of the Booker Prize (not the International Booker Prize).

Who among the following leaders recently won the election to the office of the President of Turkey ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Recep Tayyip Erdoğan” option2=”Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu” option3=”Ahmet Necdet Sezer” option4=”Abdullah Gül” correct=”option1″]

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won the presidential election in Turkey in May 2023, securing a third term in office.

The 2023 Turkish presidential election was a significant political event.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was the main opposition candidate challenging Erdoğan in the 2023 election. Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Abdullah Gül are former Presidents of Turkey.

Who among the following set of players from India have either won or secured the runner-up position in the All England Badminton Tournament ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Prakash Padukone, P.V. Sindhu, Parupalli Kashyap” option2=”Pullela Gopichand, Saina Nehwal, Lakshya Sen” option3=”Prakash Padukone, Pullela Gopichand, Srikanth Kidambi” option4=”Lakshya Sen, Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sindhu” correct=”option2″]

Option B is correct because Pullela Gopichand won the All England Badminton Championship in 2001, Saina Nehwal was the runner-up in 2015, and Lakshya Sen was the runner-up in 2022.

The All England Badminton Tournament is one of the oldest and most prestigious badminton tournaments in the world.

Prakash Padukone was the first Indian to win the All England title in 1980. P.V. Sindhu and Srikanth Kidambi have not reached the final of this tournament. Parupalli Kashyap has also not reached the final.

A new species of pit-viper was discovered in 2019 and named after the State in which it was found. Identify the State from among the following:

[amp_mcq option1=”Kerala” option2=”Arunachal Pradesh” option3=”Andaman and Nicobar Islands” option4=”Assam” correct=”option2″]

The correct answer is B.

A new species of pit-viper, *Trimeresurus arunachalensis*, was discovered in 2019 in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The species was named after the state where it was found, and it is commonly known as the Arunachal Pit Viper.

The discovery highlighted the rich biodiversity of Arunachal Pradesh and the need for further exploration and conservation efforts in the region. The finding was published in the scientific journal Zootaxa.

Cheetahs were recently re-introduced to India from Africa. From which language is the name ‘Cheetah’ derived ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Swahili” option2=”Afrikaans” option3=”Somali” option4=”Sanskrit” correct=”option4″]

The correct answer is D.

The word ‘Cheetah’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘chitraka’ (चित्रक), which means ‘spotted’ or ‘picture’. This word evolved into ‘chita’ in Hindi and then into ‘cheetah’ in English.

Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952. The recent re-introduction project, which began in 2022, involved bringing cheetahs from Africa (specifically South Africa and Namibia) to reserves like Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

Abhinav Bindra is the winner of the first ever individual Olympic gold medal for India. He won gold in which shooting event and in which Olympic Games ?

[amp_mcq option1=”10 meter air pistol, London” option2=”10 meter air rifle, London” option3=”10 meter air rifle, Beijing” option4=”10 meter air pistol, Beijing” correct=”option3″]

The correct answer is C.

Abhinav Bindra became the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal. He achieved this feat in the Men’s 10 meter air rifle shooting event at the 2008 Olympic Games held in Beijing, China.

Prior to Bindra’s gold medal, India had won Olympic gold medals only as a team (in Field Hockey). His victory was a historic moment for Indian sports, paving the way for greater recognition and support for Olympic athletes.