1. Who has been elected as the President of the European Commission?
(A) Ursula von der Leyen
(B) Giorgia Meloni
(C) Ernst Albrecht
(D) Charles Michel
(E) Christine Lagarde
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
The European Parliament re-elected German politician Ursula von der Leyen as the European Commission President for another 5-year term.
She was first elected in July 2019 and joined the office on 1 November 2019.
Her current term expires on 31 October 2024.
She will resume her second term on 1st November 2024 and will remain in office until October 2029.
The origin of the European Union lies in the creation of a free trade area in 1952 between six Western European countries.
The Treaties of Rome 1957 converted it into the European Economic Community.
The Maastricht Treaty of 1992 created the European Union, which came into force on 1 November 1993.
2. NITI Aayog has set a target to achieve $500 billion in electronic manufacturing within the country by which year?
(A) 2030
(B) 2040
(C) 2035
(D) 2050
(E) 2045
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, in a report titled “Electronics: Powering India’s Participation in Global Value Chains”, has set an ambitious target of $500 billion in electronic manufacturing in value terms for India to be achieved by 2030.
This will help India achieve its ambition of becoming the world’s third-largest economy.
According to the International Monetary Fund(IMF), India is the world’s fifth-largest economy after the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and France.
3. According to FICCI’s Economic Outlook Survey, what is the forecasted GDP growth rate for India in the fiscal year 2024-25?
(A) 6%
(B) 6.5%
(C) 7%
(D) 7.5%
(E) 8%
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
FICCI’s Economic Outlook Survey projects a robust 7% GDP growth for India in the fiscal year 2024-25.
The survey forecasts an annual median GDP growth of 7% for 2024-25.
Notably, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also raised its GDP growth projection to 7.2% for this fiscal year.
For Q1 and Q2 of 2024-25, median GDP growth is estimated at 6.8% and 7.2%, respectively.
Agriculture and Allied Activities: Projected to grow at 3.7% in 2024-25, a significant increase from the 1.4% recorded in 2023-24.
Industry and Services Sectors: Expected to grow by 6.7% and 7.4%, respectively, in the current fiscal year.
4. Which Indian cricketer reclaimed the top spot as India’s most valued celebrity with a brand value of $227.9 million in 2023?
(A) Virat Kohli
(B) Rohit Sharma
(C) MS Dhoni
(D) Rishabh Pant
(E) Sachin Tendulkar
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Cricketer Virat Kohli has reclaimed the top spot to become India’s most-valued celebrity, boasting a brand value of $227.9 million in 2023.
However, this value still falls short of his peak brand value of $237.7 million in 2020, as reported by Kroll’s Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2023.
Cricketer Virat Kohli has reclaimed the number one spot with a brand value of $227.9 million, pushing Bollywood star Ranveer Singh to second place at $203.1 million.
Top 5 celebrities on the list
1-Virat Kohli
2-Ranveer Singh
3-Shahrukh Khan
4-Akshay Kumar
5-Alia Bhatt
5. What is the name of the event recently organized by the Ministry of Minority Affairs to showcase its schemes, programs, and achievements as part of its 100 days program?
(A) Bharat Utsav
(B) Lok Samvardhan Parv
(C) Jan Kalyan Mela
(D) Samaj Vikas Mahotsav
(E) Vikas Parv
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
As part of its 100-day program, the Ministry of Minority Affairs is organizing “Lok Samvardhan Parv” to showcase the schemes, programs, and achievements of the Ministry.
The Lok Samvardhan Parv is a celebration of the Ministry’s work towards the welfare and development of minority communities in India.
The ‘Lok Samvardhan Parv’ is showcasing schemes programs and achievements of the Ministry of Minority Affairs through a poster exhibition.
During the inaugural event, MOUs between NMDFC and Indian Bank, Union Bank of India, and Punjab Gramin Bank were signed for the implementation of various schemes of NMDFC through these banks.
6. International Moon Day has been observed on which day of July 2024?
(A) 18 July
(B) 19 July
(C) 20 July
(D) 21 July
(E) 22 July
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
International Moon Day, observed annually on July 20th, is a United Nations-designated international day that commemorates humanity’s achievements in lunar exploration.
This day marks the anniversary of the first human landing on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission and serves to raise awareness about sustainable Moon exploration and utilization.
7. Which state was awarded as the ‘Best Performing State’ under the PM SVANidhi scheme?
(A) Gujarat
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Rajasthan
(D) Madhya Pradesh
(E) Karnataka
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Madhya Pradesh has been recognized as the “Best Performing State” under the Prime Minister SVANidhi scheme, which supports urban street vendors with collateral-free loans up to ₹50,000.
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry announced this accolade, with Assam securing the second position in the ‘Best Performing States – Innovation and Best Practices Award’ category.
Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD): Recognized as the best-performing ULB.
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation: Followed closely in performance.
8. Who has been appointed as India’s new Ambassador to the U.S.?
(A) Ruchira Kamboj
(B) Vinay Kwatra
(C) Vikram Misri
(D) Arindam Bagchi
(E) Taranjit Singh Sandhu
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Former Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has been appointed as India’s next Ambassador to the United States, as confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1988 and has held various significant positions throughout his career.
Kwatra served as the Foreign Secretary of India from May 1, 2022, to July 14, 2024.
Kwatra’s previous roles include serving as Ambassador to France (August 2017 – February 2020) and Nepal (March 2020 – April 2022).
9. Who has been honored with the Gandhi Mandela Award 2020 recently?
(A) Malala Yousafzai
(B) Miguel Angel Asturias
(C) Efraín Ríos Montt
(D) Rigoberta Menchú Tum
(E) Barbara Steinitz
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Rigoberta Menchu Tum, the renowned Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Guatemalan human rights activist, has been honored with the Gandhi Mandela Award 2020.
This prestigious accolade recognizes her lifelong commitment to advocating for Indigenous rights and promoting peace and social justice.
This prestigious award was presented to her on the 106th birth anniversary of Nelson Mandela.
Rigoberta Menchº Tum, a K’iche’ Guatemalan human rights activist, was Born on January 9, 1959.
10. Which organization’s CSR wing, Sri Kurumba Educational and Charitable Trust, was honored with the “Best Child and Women Development Initiatives of the Year 2024”?
(A) Prestige Group
(B) Sobha Group
(C) Brigade Group
(D) Godrej Group
(E) Puravankara Limited
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Sobha Group’s CSR wing, Sri Kurumba Educational, and Charitable Trust, has been honoured with the “Best Child and Women Development Initiatives of the Year 2024”.
This esteemed accolade was presented at the Global CSR, Sustainability, and ESG Awards 2024, at the Hyatt Regency, Gurgaon.
The Global CSR & ESG Awards 2024 are designed to recognize and honor social and visionary leaders, and organizations.