1. Who has become the second company in the world to cross the market capitalization of Rs 3 trillion?
(A) Microsoft
(B) Apple
(C) TCS
(D) Tesla
(E) Amazon
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
The market capitalization of the giant technology company Microsoft has crossed $3 trillion.
Microsoft is the second company to touch this figure after iPhone maker Apple.
Currently, Apple is the most valuable company in the world.
2. How many people have been honored with the “Jeevan Raksha Padaks” by Central Government on Republic Day this year?
(A) 11
(B) 21
(C) 31
(D) 41
(E) 51
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
On this year’s Republic Day, the Central Government honored 31 people with “Jeevan Raksha Padak”.
Three awardees are posthumously honored with Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, namely Master Anthony Vanmawia and Melody Lalremruati of Mizoram and Sooraj R of Central Reserve Police Force.
According to the Home Ministry, in these awards, three people have been honored with “Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak”, seven with “Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak” and 21 people have been honored with “Jeevan Raksha Padak”.
3. The Union Cabinet has recently approved the MoU with which country for cooperation in the information technology sector.
(A) Oman
(B) Bahrain
(C) Bangladesh
(D) Nepal
(E) Israel
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
The Union Cabinet has recently approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gulf country Oman for cooperation in the field of information technology.
This MoU has been made for a period of 3 years.
Under this, both ‘G2G’ and ‘B2B’ bilateral cooperation will be increased.
4. Who has recently become the first Indian to win the Senior Euro Q-School and qualify for the Legends Tour?
(A) Jeev Milkha Singh
(B) Anirban Lahiri
(C) Arjun Atwal
(D) Jyoti Randhawa
(E) Chitrangada Singh
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Jyoti Randhawa becomes the first Indian to win Senior Euro Q-School, and qualifies for Legends Tour.
Veteran golfer Jyoti Randhawa became the first Indian to finish on top in the Senior European Tour’s Qualifying School and claim full playing rights in the Legends Tour this season.
Randhawa finished with a 12-under 276 total and four shots ahead of his nearest rivals.
Randhawa, who turned 50 in 2022 and played his first few events on the Senior Tour in Europe in 2023, shot rounds of 71-67-68-70 for 276 at the Gloria Golf Club in Antalya.
Randhawa, a former DP World Tour player, eight-time Asian Tour winner, and one-time winner in Japan, was two shots ahead after three rounds and made it four by the end of the fourth round.
5. Who has been bestowed with the esteemed ‘Freedom of the City of London’ honor?
(A) Aditi Mishra
(B) Ananya Mishra
(C) Ajit Kumar Mishra
(D) Arjun Mishra
(E) Digvijay Singh
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Ajit Mishra, a prominent India-born lawyer in the UK, receives the “Freedom of the City of London Award.”
The award is in recognition of his exceptional contributions to legal and public life.
Ajit Mishra is the Founder and Chair of the UK India Legal Partnership (UKILP).
With over two decades of professional experience, he has led M&A and commercial transactions between India and the UK.
Mishra has served as a Partner and head of the India desk at some of the top domestic and international law firms.
6. Sreeja Akula has won the maiden international table tennis title at WTT Feeder Corpus Christi 2024 by defeating whom?
(A) Chen Meng
(B) Manika Batra
(C) Ding Ning
(D) Ariel Hsing
(E) Lily Zhang
Solution: Option E.)
Ans (E)
Sreeja Akula wins the maiden international table tennis title at WTT Feeder Corpus Christi 2024.
Indian table tennis player Sreeja Akula won her maiden international title after securing top podium in the women’s singles event at the WTT Feeder Corpus Christi 2024 in Texas, USA.
The 25-year-old Indian defeated world No 46 Lily Zhang of the USA, a three-time Olympian, 3-0 (11-6, 18-16, 11-5) in the final, which lasted just over 30 minutes.
The WTT Feeder Series is a lower-tier table tennis tournament that allows lower-ranked and grassroots players to compete on the international stage regularly.
7. Which space mission has been highlighted in the Republic Day 2024 parade?
(A) Chandrayaan-3
(B) Gaganyaan
(C) Mangalyaan-2
(D) Aditya-L1
(E) Chandrayaan-2
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Tableau, which participated in this year’s Republic Day parade, showcased the Chandrayaan-3 as its primary highlight.
Last year, ISRO made history by successfully landing Chandrayan 3 on the moon.
The space agency displayed the ‘Chandrayaan 3 – A Saga in the Indian Space History’ theme in its tableau.
The tableau also highlighted the landing point, which was named Shiv Shakti Point.
The space agency’s tableau also showcased other key missions, including Aditya L1 and the upcoming Gaganyaan mission.
The Chandrayaan-3 lander module successfully landed on the moon’s South Pole on August 23.
India became the first country to have achieved the historic feat and only the fourth country after the US, Russia, and China to land on the moon.
8. What is the theme of Republic Day 2024?
(A) Jan Bhagidari and Indigenisation
(B) Viksit Bharat and Bharat – Loktantra ki Matruka
(C) Unity in Diversity and Empowering India
(D) Cultural Heritage and Agricultural Development
(E) Skill India and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Republic Day theme, 2024: “Viksit Bharat” and “Bharat – Loktantra ki Matruka”
French President Emmanuel Macron is the chief guest at the 75th Republic Day parade, while the first parade at Rajpath (now Kartavyapath) occurred in 1955, with Pakistan’s Governor General Malik Ghulam Muhammad as the chief guest.
The parade is held in New Delhi and is organized by the Ministry of Defence.
Details of Awardees –
President’s Medal for Gallantry (PMG) – 02
Medals for Gallantry (GM) – 275
President’s Medals for Distinguished Service (PSM) – 102
Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) – 753
The first Republic Day of India was celebrated on January 26, 1950.
This replaced the Government of India Act 1935, and it turned the nation from a dominion into a republic.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad is the first President and Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru is the first Prime Minister of India.
The inaugural Republic Day parade in 1950 took place at the Irwin Amphitheater (Major Dhyan Chand Stadium).
9. In January 2024, who has been sworn in as Supreme Court Judge?
(A) Justice Sanjiv Khanna
(B) Justice Surya Kant
(C) Justice Aniruddha Bose
(D) Justice Prasanna B Varale
(E) Justice Sanjib Banerjee
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Justice Prasanna Bhalachandra Varale sworn in as Supreme Court Judge
Justice Prasanna Bhalachandra Varale’s appointment to the Supreme Court enhanced Dalit representation on the Bench to 3.
Justice Varale was the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court before his elevation to the Supreme Court.
He had served as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka from October 15, 2022.
10. Which Finance Minister previously presented six consecutive Union Budgets before FM Nirmala Sitharaman?
(A) Manmohan Singh
(B) Arun Jaitley
(C) Morarji Desai
(D) P Chidambaram
(E) Pranab Mukherjee
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her sixth consecutive Budget (Five consecutive annual Budgets and one interim Budget), an unparalleled feat in Indian parliamentary annals.
Building upon her legacy of fiscal stewardship, Sitharaman’s tenure resonates with the tenure of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who previously held the finance portfolio during 1959-1964.
Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who holds the distinction of presenting 10 Budgets—the highest by any Finance Minister—had consecutively presented six of them, including one interim Budget, in a row.