1. What is the name of Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri’s debut book released recently?
(A) Rising Moon
(B) Chasing the Wind
(C) Swallowing the Sun
(D) Dancing with Stars
(E) Maha Swaapnikudu
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, Former Assistant Secretary General of the UN, launched her debut book “Swallowing the Sun” in Mumbai.
The novel is set during the time of independence and draws inspiration from her parents and her roots in Maharashtra.
It emphasizes women’s empowerment through the protagonist and is influenced by various Abhangas from Maharashtrian saints and poets.
Industrialist Anand Mahindra praised Lakshmi Puri’s talent and congratulated her on the successful book launch.
The launch event highlighted the thematic richness of “Swallowing the Sun” and celebrated the author’s literary achievement.
2. Which ministry has organized the Poshan Utsav event in February 2024?
(A) Ministry of Women and Child Development
(B) Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
(C) Ministry of Food Processing Industries
(D) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
(E) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Ministry of Women and Child Development organized ‘Poshan Utsav.’
The event aimed to promote good nutrition behavior and highlighted India’s ongoing efforts to combat malnutrition by promoting good nutrition practices.
It was graced by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, and Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
The ‘Poshan Utsav Book’ seeks to revive ancient nutrition traditions and facilitate knowledge exchange, while the Cartoon Coalition aims to convey essential messages on nutrition in an entertaining and relatable manner for positive behavior change among children.
3. Who is the author of the book “Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay: The Art of Freedom”?
(A) Ramachandra Guha
(B) Udayan Mitra
(C) Patrick Olivelle
(D) Nico Slate
(E) Joan Martinez Alier
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
The author of the book “Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay: The Art of Freedom” is Nico Slate.
Nico Slate is a Professor of History and Head of the Department of History at Carnegie Mellon University.
He specializes in the transnational history of social movements in the United States and South Asia, focusing on struggles against racism and imperialism.
Slate has authored four books, including “Colored Cosmopolitanism” and “Gandhi’s Search for the Perfect Diet”.
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was an Indian social reformer and freedom activist, known for her significant contributions to the Indian independence movement.
4. Which festival showcased cultural diversity and talent in Jammu recently in 2024?
(A) Shikara Festival
(B) Tawi Festival
(C) Saffron Festival
(D) Gurez Festival
(E) Hemis Festival
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
The festival set to showcase cultural diversity and talent in Jammu is called the ‘Tawi Festival’.
It aims to celebrate the local culture and heritage of Jammu and Kashmir.
Scheduled to start on March 1, the four-day festival will highlight the vibrant traditions unique to the Jammu region.
The festival will include various activities such as seminars, workshops, folk music performances, street theatre, and classical and folk dances.
Main Festivals in Jammu and Kashmir – Tulip Festival, Shikara Festival, Saffron Festival, Baisakhi, Hemis Festival, Gurez Festival.
5. Recently inaugurated ICG JT has been constructed by which Port Authority?
(A) Deendayal Port Authority
(B) Paradip Port Authority
(C) Mumbai Port Trust
(D) Cochin Port Authority
(E) Mormugao Port Authority
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Shri Ajay Bhatt inaugurates ICG Jetty at Vadinaar, Dwaraka
Raksha Rajya Mantri, Shri Ajay Bhatt inaugurated the Indian Coast Guard Jetty Vadinar on 01 Mar 2024, marking a significant step towards augmenting infrastructure development in the strategically important Indian Coast Guard Region(North-West).
The jetty construction was undertaken by Deendayal Port Authority(DPA) as a deposit work for Rs 74 Crores.
6. Who has been appointed as the new director general of the National Security Guard?
(A) Jyoti Krishan Dutt
(B) Daljit Singh Chaudhary
(C) Rajan K Medhekar
(D) Sudhir Pratap Singh
(E) Anup Kumar Singh
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
IPS Daljit Singh Chaudhary was appointed as the new director general of NSG.
Daljit Singh Chaudhary, IPS officer of the 1990 batch, was appointed as the DG of the National Security Guard (NSG) alongside his current role as DG of SSB.
NSG, India’s counter-terrorism force known as “black cats”, handles anti-terrorism and hijacking incidents.
He took additional charge of NSG after M A Ganapathy’s retirement, for three months or until a regular successor was appointed.
7. Who has taken charge as Director (Operations) of NTPC Limited?
(A) Dilip Kumar Patel
(B) Jitendra Tanna
(C) Ravindra Kumar
(D) Piyush Singh
(E) Shivam Srivastava
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Shri Ravindra Kumar took charge as Director (Operations) of NTPC.
Shri Ravindra Kumar, with over 34 years at NTPC, has vast experience in Commissioning, O&M, Engineering, and Project Management.
Played a pivotal role in the Maitree supercritical power project, in Bangladesh, as CTO.
Served as CEO of Patratu Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited, accelerating construction and erection activities.
8. Which country has become the first Spanish-speaking nation to officially recognize the Indian Pharmacopoeia?
(A) El Salvador
(B) Guatemala
(C) Costa Rica
(D) Nicaragua
(E) Panama
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Nicaragua becomes the first Spanish nation to recognize Indian pharma.
Nicaragua has become the first Spanish-speaking nation to officially recognize the Indian Pharmacopoeia.
This development follows the signing of a MoU on Pharmacopoeia Cooperation between the governments of India and Nicaragua.
The ceremony saw the signing of the MoU by Dr Sumit Seth, the Indian Ambassador to Nicaragua, and Dr Martha Reyes, Nicaragua’s Minister of Health.
9. Brian Mulroney, who has passed away recently, was former Prime Minister of which country?
(A) Canada
(B) Australia
(C) Japan
(D) Austria
(E) New Zealand
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Brian Mulroney, former Canadian Prime Minister, passes away at 84.
Canada’s 18th Prime Minister Brian Mulroney passed away on Thursday at the age of 84.
Mulroney led his party to a sweeping win in the 1984 Federal elections, capturing 211 out of 282 seats in the House of Commons.
Mulroney was PM for nearly nine years, after assuming the office on September 17, 1984, and demitting it on June 25, 1993.
10. In which state L&T has commissioned the first indigenously manufactured hydrogen electrolyzer?
(A) Maharashtra
(B) Rajasthan
(C) Gujarat
(D) Telangana
(E) Tamil Nadu
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has commissioned its first domestically manufactured electrolyzer at the Green Hydrogen Plant in Hazira, Gujarat.
This marks the entry of L&T Electrolysers Limited into domestic electrolyzer manufacturing.
Boasts a robust power capacity of 1 MW, with the potential for expansion up to 2 MW.
Capable of producing 200 Nm3/Hr of hydrogen, showcasing its efficiency and productivity.
L&T Electrolysers secures a substantial allocation of 300 MW/annum capacity under the prestigious Production Linked Incentive (PLI) initiative of the National Green Hydrogen Mission.