1. How many Great Indian Bustards were counted in the 2024 annual census at National Desert Park in Jaisalmer?
(A) 64
(B) 72
(C) 30
(D) 98
(E) 14
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
64 Great Indian Bustard was spotted during the annual waterhole survey conducted in the National Desert Park, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
In the last 2022 census, 42 birds were counted using the waterhole technique.
No census was conducted in 2023 due to rains caused by the western disturbances.
The Great Indian Bustard bird, also known as Godawan, is the state bird of Rajasthan.
The Great Indian Bustard is a critically endangered species which mainly lives in dry grasslands.
2. Which state government’s power utility company was ranked second in terms of adding power transmission lines in 2023-24?
(A) Uttar Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Ltd
(B) Manipur State Power Distribution Company Ltd
(C) Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd
(D) Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Ltd
(E) Goa Electricity Company Limited
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
According to the recently released statistics of the Central Electricity Authority, Uttar Pradesh emerged as the number one state in terms of the addition of transmission lines by state transmission companies in 2023-24.
In 2022-23 also, Uttar Pradesh topped the list amongst the state utilities.
In 2023-24, the state government-owned Uttar Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (UPPTCL) added 1,460 ckm(Circuit Kilometer) of transmission lines of 220kV or above.
Gujarat was in second place. The state-run Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Ltd (GETCO) added 898 ckm of transmission line in 2023-24.
The third place was Tamil Nadu. The state-run utility company Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Limited (TANTRANSCO) added 753 ckm of transmission line.
Andhra Pradesh came fourth with its Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (APTRANSCO), adding 682 ckm of the transmission line.
3. Which country has been given the name Remal Cyclone?
(A) Kuwait
(B) Qatar
(C) Oman
(D) Bahrain
(E) Saudi Arabia
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning that a low depression in Bay Bengal has developed into a severe cyclonic storm Remal.
Remal cyclone is expected to have a wind speed of 100-120 km per hour, bringing heavy rain and thundershowers in parts of West Bengal and Bangladesh.
Cyclone Remal is the first cyclone of the season to develop in the Bay of Bengal region.
The name Remal has been given by Oman which means sand in Arabic.
4. Who is the first Indian to win the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival?
(A) Chidanand Naik
(B) Thotta Tharani
(C) Anusya Sengupta
(D) Aparna Sud
(E) Shashank Tere
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Chidanand Naik and Anasuya Sengupta created history at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, which is being held in Cannes, France.
Chidanand Naik’s film “Sunflowers Were the First to Know” won the La Cinef Award for Best Short Film, while Anasuya Sengupta became the first Indian to win the Best Actress award for her film Shameless.
The Cannes Film Festival, first held in 1946, is now considered one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world.
Students of the prestigious FTII have won awards at the Cannes Film Festival, but this was the first time that a film made by a student from a 1-year Television course has won an award at the Cannes Film Festival.
5. Which former Pakistani cricket player has been appointed as the brand ambassador of the 9th ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024?
(A) Shahid Afridi
(B) Salman Ali Agha
(C) Zahid Mahmood
(D) Kamran Ghulam
(E) Ihsanullah
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
The International Cricket Council (ICC), the world cricket governing body, has appointed Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi as the brand ambassador of the forthcoming 9th ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
The tournament will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America from 1 to 29 June 2024.
Shahid Afridi joins Indian Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle of West Indies, and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt as brand ambassadors for the event.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup starts on 1 June, with the USA team taking on Canada at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, the United States of America. India will take on Pakistan on 9 June in New York.
6. Which team has won TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024?
(A) Kolkata Knight Riders
(B) Chennai Super Kings
(C) Rajasthan Royals
(D) Sunrisers Hyderabad
(E) Lucknow Super Giants
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 title with a dominating all-round performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
On the same ground in 2012, KKR clinched their maiden title.
The last five winners of the Indian Premier League (IPL) are:
2023: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – They won by 5 wickets against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.
2022: Gujarat Titans (GT) – In their debut season, they won by 7 wickets against Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad.
2021: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – They secured the title by 27 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders in Dubai.
2020: Mumbai Indians (MI) – They triumphed by 5 wickets over Delhi Capitals in Dubai.
2019: Mumbai Indians (MI) – They edged out Chennai Super Kings by 1 run in Hyderabad.
7. Who will head the ad-hoc administrative committee appointed by the Delhi High Court to oversee the operations of the Equestrian Federation of India?
(A) Justice Jyoti Singh
(B) Justice Prateek Jalan
(C) Justice Najmi Waziri
(D) Justice Anup Jairam
(E) Justice Sanjeev Narula
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
The Delhi High Court has appointed an ad-hoc administrative committee, headed by retired judge Najmi Waziri, to oversee the operations of the Equestrian Federation of India due to allegations of “impropriety” in its management.
The committee includes former CEC SY Quraishi & advocate Rohini Musa as members.
The Equestrian Federation of India is the governing body for equestrian sports in India.
8. Who has been appointed as the new chairman of NAFED?
(A) Amit Sharma
(B) Jetha Ahir
(C) Girish Kathpalia
(D) Manoj Jain
(E) Shalinder Kaur
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Shehra BJP MLA Jetha Ahir, who has served as the deputy speaker of the Gujarat Assembly, has been elected uncontested as the chairman of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED).
It is an apex organization of marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce in India,
Founded on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, 1958.
Chairman: Bijender Singh.
9. Which has received the Hollywood Walk of Fame recently?
(A) Henry Cavill
(B) Chris Hemsworth
(C) Mark Ruffalo
(D) Chris Pratt
(E) Tom Hiddleston
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Chris Hemsworth received the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Christopher Hemsworth is an Australian actor.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored him for his contributions to motion pictures.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an iconic sidewalk attraction in Los Angeles, U.S., that features stars’ names to honor their achievements in the entertainment industry.
10. Which is the highest-ranked Indian city at 350th in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index?
(A) Chennai
(B) Mumbai
(C) Bangalore
(D) Delhi
(E) Patna
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Delhi is the highest-ranked Indian city at 350th in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index.
New York ranks 1st, followed by London, San Jose, Tokyo, and Paris.
Other Indian Cities:
Bengaluru (411), Mumbai (427), and Chennai (472)
The index provides a holistic evaluation of the largest cities globally, covering 163 countries.
South Indian cities appear to be ranked higher on the list.