1. Andry Rajoelina has been re-elected as the president of which country?
(A) Madagascar
(B) Mauritius
(C) Seychelles
(D) Mozambique
(E) Tanzania
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Madagascar’s incumbent President Andry Rajoelina has won the presidential election again by garnering more than 50 per cent of the votes.
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country lying off the southeastern coast of Africa.
It is the world’s fourth-largest island, the second-largest island country.
Its capital and largest city is Antananarivo.
2. International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people has been observed on which day?
(A) 26 November
(B) 27 November
(C) 28 November
(D) 29 November
(E) 30 November
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
The United Nations observes the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on or around November 29 each year.
An exhibit entitled “Palestine – a Land with a People” will be inaugurated on November 29, 2023, and remain on display at UNHQ in the Visitors’ Lobby in New York until January 8th 2023.
The annual observance was established in UN General Assembly Resolution 32/40 B of 2 December 1977, to start in 1978.
Israel-Palestine Conflict –
The seeds of the conflict were laid in 1917 when the then British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour expressed official support of Britain for a Jewish “national home” in Palestine under the Balfour Declaration.
Six-Day War: In 1967 war, Israeli forces seized the Golan Heights from Syria, the West Bank & East Jerusalem from Jordan and Sinai Peninsula & Gaza strip from Egypt.
3. The Indian Navy conducted ‘Operational Demonstration 2023’ at which city?
(A) Sindhudurg
(B) Satara
(C) Ahmednagar
(D) Kankavli
(E) Raigad
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Indian Navy will display its operational prowess and capabilities through an “Operational Demonstration” covering a spectrum of naval operations by the ships and aircraft at the iconic Sindhudurg Fort on the western seaboard of India on 04 December 2023.
The event aims to celebrate and glorify our rich maritime history and shed the colonial practices.
The event will witness the participation of 20 warships along with 40 aircraft comprising MiG 29K and LCA Navy as major attractions along with combat beach reconnaissance and assault demo by the Marine Commandos of the Indian Navy.
This is the first time that the Indian Navy will be organizing a mega event which is not taking place at any major naval station.
4. Who has been appointed as the new chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir?
(A) Pradip Kumar Tripathi
(B) Umang Narula
(C) Atal Dulloo
(D) Arun Kumar Mehta
(E) Raj Kumar Goyal
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Atal Dulloo has been appointed as the new chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dulloo will take over the post from Arun Kumar Mehta, who has retired on November 30.
Dulloo is a 1989 batch IAS officer from Jammu and Kashmir and has served in various capacities in UT, including as the additional chief secretary and financial commissioner before he was shifted out from the UT.
5. Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu has inaugurated “Hump World War-II museum” along with whom?
(A) Philip Green
(B) Eric Garcetti
(C) Mustafizur Rahman
(D) Denis Alipov
(E) Cameron MacKay
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
The US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti along with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated the ‘Hump World War- II’ museum at Pasighat in East Siang district.
The ‘Hump World War- II’ museum is a unique museum set-up to house remains of an American aircraft that was came down in Arunchal during the second world war.
6. Which English language word has been chosen as “word of the year” by Merriam-Webster?
(A) Authentic
(B) Gaslighting
(C) Vaccine
(D) Pandemic
(E) Justice
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Merriam-Webster has crowned “authentic” as its 2023 Word of the Year.
The dictionary defines authentic as “not false or imitation,” but in an age of deepfakes and AI-generated content, even simple concepts like authenticity have become complex.
One of the top runners-up for Word of the Year was “deepfake”.
Collins Dictionary declared ‘AI’ as its word of the year.
7. Fino Payments Bank has named whom as its part-time chairman?
(A) Rishi Gupta
(B) Ketan Merchant
(C) Ashish Ahuja
(D) Rajat Kumar Jain
(E) Shailesh Pandey
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the nomination of Rajat Kumar Jain as Part-time Chairman of Fino Payments Bank.
Rajat Kumar Jain currently serves as a non-executive director on several boards, including Aditya Birla and Mahindra conglomerates.
Rishi Gupta is Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Fino Payments Bank.
Fino Payments Bank was incorporated on 4th April 2017.
Invested in by ICICI Bank, BPCL, Blackstone, IFC Fino Payments Bank has an enviable financial and distribution track record.
8. Cabinet has approved the extension of “Garib Kalyan” food grain programme for how many years?
(A) 8 years
(B) 4 years
(C) 5 years
(D) 2 years
(E) 1 years
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Union cabinet meeting, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved that the central government will provide free grains to eligible citizens under the public distribution scheme for another five years.
The PM Garib Kalyan Yojana was initially started during the start of the Covid pandemic, where ration card holders were entitled to receive an additional five kg grains.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 2016 (PMGKY) is a scheme launched by the Narendra Modi led Government of India in December 2016.
9. Who has recently honored with Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Cinema at the 54th IFFI?
(A) Michael Douglas
(B) Diandra Luker
(C) Kathleen Turner
(D) Anne Buydens
(E) Karl Malden
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Recently, Hollywood actor and producer Michael Douglas was honored with the prestigious Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Cinema at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.
A legacy spanning more than 50 years in film and television, Michael Douglas has amassed an impressive array of accolades, including 2 Oscars, 5 Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and numerous other honors.
The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Cinema, previously bestowed upon luminaries such as Martin Scorsese, Bernardo Bertolucci, Dilip Kumar, Carlos Saura, Krzysztof Zanussi, and Wong Kar-wai.
Renowned Indian filmmaker, actor, and writer Rishab Shetty received the special jury award for his groundbreaking work on ‘Kantara’ at the prestigious 54th IFFI.
10. Which country has named the cyclone ‘Michaung’ formed in the Bay of Bengal?
(A) India
(B) Bangladesh
(C) Myanmar
(D) Sri Lanka
(E) Thailand
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
“Cyclone Michaung” brewing over Bay of Bengal may cross Andhra-Odisha coasts on December 5, as per IMD.
A low pressure area has formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjacent South Andaman Sea.
This name of the cyclone has been given by the country of Myanmar.
This is the sixth cyclone in the Indian Ocean and the fourth in the Bay of Bengal this year.