1. Which country has become the new member of the military alliance NATO?
(A) Brazil
(B) UAE
(C) Albania
(D) Sweden
(E) Switzerland
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
European country Sweden has formally become a new member of the transatlantic military alliance ‘NATO’.
Concerns about Russian aggression in Europe have increased following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Christerson has announced this.
The North Atlantic Alliance is an intergovernmental military alliance of 32 member states.
It was established in the year 1949.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April 1949, by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.
Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.
Headquarters of Allied Command Operations: Mons, Belgium.
2. With which country will the Indian Coast Guard organize ‘Sea Defenders-2024’?
(A) France
(B) USA
(C) Germany
(D) Russia
(E) Spain
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Indian Coast Guard will conduct a joint exercise “Sea Defenders-2024” with the US Coast Guard to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
This joint exercise will be conducted off the coast of Port Blair on 09-10 March 2024.
Emphasizing international cooperation, the exercise underscores the partnership between the Indian and US Coast Guards, showcasing readiness for emergencies like medical evacuations.
3. “Bharat-Shakti”, the joint exercise of the three armies of India, will be organized in which city?
(A) Srinagar
(B) Udhampur
(C) Jaisalmer
(D) Almora
(E) Jodhpur
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
The joint exercise ‘Bharat-Shakti’ of the three armies of India (Army, Navy, and Air Force) will be organized in Asia’s largest field firing range located in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
Top officers of the three armies, including Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan, will participate in the Bharat-Shakti exercise to be held on March 12.
4. Which country has recently become a new member of the International Solar Alliance?
(A) Panama
(B) Kenya
(C) Chile
(D) Argentina
(E) Nicaragua
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Central American country Panama has officially joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
Panama has become the 97th member country of ISA.
ISA was established as a joint effort of India and France.
Currently, 116 countries have signed the ISA Framework Agreement.
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an action-oriented, member-driven, collaborative platform for increased deployment of solar energy technologies.
The International Solar Alliance is headed by the Director General.
The Director General leads the operations and carries out the functions of the ISA Secretariat.
He is responsible for the ISA Assembly.
The Director General has a term of four years and is eligible for re-election.
5. President Draupadi Murmu has recently nominated which writer to the Rajya Sabha?
(A) Sudha Murthy
(B) Arundathi Roy
(C) Jhumpa Lahiri
(D) Chitra Banerjee
(E) Anuja Chauhan
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
President Draupadi Murmu has nominated writer Sudha Murthy to the Rajya Sabha.
73-year-old Murthy was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2006 and the Padma Bhushan in 2023.
In January, the President had nominated Satnam Singh Sandhu as a Rajya Sabha member.
The nomination of members in the Rajya Sabha by the President was borrowed by the constitution of India from Ireland.
12 members are nominated by the President from amongst persons having special knowledge or practical experience in Arts, Literature, Science, Social service.
6. Who has been sworn in as a provincial minister, becoming the first Sikh to occupy such a position in post-partition Punjab?
(A) Ramesh Singh Arora
(B) Ranjit Bawa
(C) Aarvinder Singh
(D) Tarsem Jassar
(E) Gurmeet Singh Ahloowalia
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Ramesh Singh Arora was sworn in as a provincial minister, becoming the first Sikh to occupy such a position in post-partition Punjab.
Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, a three-term legislator, has been sworn in as a provincial minister in Punjab, making him the first Sikh to hold such a position in post-partition Punjab.
Arora has been appointed to oversee the portfolio of minorities in Punjab province within Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet.
He belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and has secured his third term in the Lahore provincial assembly after winning the February 8 polls.
Arora hails from the district of Narowal and was the first Sikh member of the Punjab provincial assembly when he took oath in 2013.
7. Which armed force has recently observed its raising day on March 10?
(A) CRPF
(B) CISF
(C) CAPF
(D) ITBP
(E) SSB
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
CISF Raising Day is celebrated every year on March 10. This day marks the establishment of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in 1969.
CISF is under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
It protects places like airports, seaports, power plants, and other infrastructure projects.
CISF was established on March 10, 1969, by an Act of Parliament. Initially, it had a few battalions.
8. Which city has been declared the 27th district of Arunachal Pradesh?
(A) Kameng
(B) Namsai
(C) Bichom
(D) Roing
(E) Bordumsa
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Bichom, carved out of West and East Kameng, has been declared the 27th district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu led the inauguration ceremony, marking a significant milestone for the region.
In February, the state assembly passed the Arunachal Pradesh (Re-Organisation of Districts) (Amendment) Bill, 2024, facilitating the creation of the Bichom and Keyi Panyor districts.
Bichom district encompasses 27 villages from West Kameng and 28 from East Kameng, contributing to its formation.
9. The Union Cabinet has approved the IndiaAI mission by allocating how much?
(A) Rs 12,245.92 crore
(B) Rs 10,371.92 crore
(C) Rs 14,481.92 crore
(D) Rs 15,289.92 crore
(E) Rs 11,678.92 crore
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
The Indian Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has greenlit the ambitious IndiaAI mission, allocating a substantial budget of Rs 10,371.92 crore.
This initiative aligns with the vision of bolstering AI innovation within India and leveraging AI for the nation’s advancement.
The mission aims to establish a robust AI ecosystem through a strategic public-private partnership approach.
India AI Innovation Centre will serve as a premier academic institution, facilitating efficient implementation and retention of top research talent.
Focus on developing and deploying foundational AI models, particularly emphasizing indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific models.
Leveraging edge and distributed computing to optimize efficiency.
10. Which government entity is planning to regulate Financial Influencers (Finfluencers) in India?
(A) RBI
(B) SEBI
(C) NABARD
(D) SIDBI
(E) SBI
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is reportedly working on a framework to regulate financial influencers.
The framework is expected to include the following provisions:
Registration and licensing: Financial influencers would need to register with SEBI and obtain a license to operate in India.
Education and training: Financial influencers would need to undergo education and training on financial markets and products.
Disclosure requirements: Financial influencers would need to disclose their conflicts of interest and any remuneration they receive for promoting financial products or services.
Complaints mechanism: Investors would have a mechanism to lodge complaints against financial influencers who violate the regulations.