- Dipa Karmakar, nicknamed ‘Small Wonder,’ who recently announced her retirement, is associated with which sport?
(A) Swimming
(B) Athletics
(C) Gymnastics
(D) Badminton
(E) Weightlifting
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Olympian and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Dipa Karmakar has announced her retirement from gymnastics.
She is nicknamed ‘Small Wonder.’
Dipa was the first female Indian gymnast to establish India’s name at the international level.
She was the first Indian female gymnast to compete in the Summer Olympics in 2016.
She was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2017.
In 2016, she received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the country’s highest sports award.
Dipa was honored with the Arjuna Award in 2015.
The book “Dipa Karmakar: The Small Wonder” was co-authored by Digvijay Singh Deo, Vimal Mohan, and her coach, Bishweshwar Nandi.
Dipa Karmakar was born with flat feet, a significant disadvantage in gymnastics.
- India has agreed to extend a currency swap facility to the Maldives amounting to how much?
(A) $200 million
(B) $300 million
(C) $400 million
(D) $500 million
(E) $600 million
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Dr. Mohamed Muizzu visited India from 6-10 October 2024 for his first official bilateral visit.
He had previously visited India in June 2024 for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.
India has agreed to extend a $400 million currency swap facility to help the Maldives manage its external debt.
An MoU was signed between Rashtriya Raksha University India and the National College of Policing and Law Enforcement of Maldives.
- Who has been appointed as the 102nd Prime Minister of Japan?
(A) Fumio Kishida
(B) Shigeru Ishiba
(C) Yoshihide Suga
(D) Shinjirō Koizumi
(E) Toshimitsu Motegi
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
The Japanese emperor Naruhito appointed Shigeru Ishiba as the new Prime Minister of Japan.
Shigeru Ishiba was appointed after the House of Representatives approved him as the 102nd Prime Minister.
Shigeru Ishiba is 67 years old.
He replaces Fumio Kishida as Prime Minister.
Both Shigeru Ishiba and Fumio Kishida are from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
The LDP has ruled Japan almost continuously since its formation in 1955.
- Who won the 2024 WTA China Open Tennis tournament?
(A) Karolina Muchová
(B) Naomi Osaka
(C) Aryna Sabalenka
(D) Coco Gauff
(E) Maria Sharapova
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Coco Gauff, a 20-year-old American tennis star, won the 2024 WTA China Open by defeating Karolina Muchová.
The final was played on 6 October 2024 in Beijing, China.
Coco Gauff became the youngest China Open champion in 14 years, winning in straight sets 6-1, 6-3.
Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini won the China Open doubles title by defeating Chan Hao-Ching and Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-4.
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain won the ATP China Open 2024, defeating world No.1 Jannik Sinner in a final lasting three hours and 21 minutes.
- What is the maximum range of the Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) successfully tested by DRDO in October 2024?
(A) 03 kilometres
(B) 04 kilometres
(C) 05 kilometres
(D) 06 kilometres
(E) 10 kilometres
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
DRDO successfully tested the 4th generation Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) on 03 and 04 October 2024 at the Pokhran Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan.
The VSHORADS has been designed and developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and private companies.
VSHORADS is a Man-Portable Air Defence System (MANPADS) being developed for the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy.
The VSHORADS has a maximum range of up to six kilometres.
The system is capable of neutralising aerial threats such as low-flying aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Indian Army currently uses the Russian-made Igla-S MANPADS.
- What is the monthly stipend provided to girl students pursuing post-graduate studies under the ‘Nijut Moina’ scheme launched by the Assam government?
(A) Rs 2,500
(B) Rs 4,000
(C) Rs 3,250
(D) Rs 5,000
(E) Rs 6,500
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
The Assam government has implemented the ‘Nijut Moina’ scheme to combat child marriage and encourage higher studies for girls.
Girl students from Classes 11 to post-graduate level will receive monthly stipends under this scheme.
The stipend amounts are Rs 1,000 for Classes 11 and 12, Rs 1,250 for degree students, and Rs 2,500 for post-graduate students.
Daughters of ministers, MPs, and MLAs are not eligible for the stipends.
A report from July indicated an 81% reduction in child marriage cases across 20 districts in Assam between 2021-22 and 2023-24.
- Who has been appointed as the new chief of the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU)?
(A) Ramesh Powar
(B) Anil Kumble
(C) Sharad Kumar
(D) Ravi Shastri
(E) MS Dhoni
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Retired IPS officer Sharad Kumar has been appointed as the new chief of the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU).
He previously headed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from 2013 to 2017.
Kumar is a 1979 batch IPS officer from the Haryana cadre.
He replaces KK Mishra, who did not complete his term as ACU head.
Kumar served as Vigilance Commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission from June 2018 to April 2020.
- Who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024 for their discovery of microRNA?
(A) Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun
(B) Gary Ruvkun and Andrew Fire
(C) Andrew Fire and Phillip Allen
(D) H. Robert and Karl Deisseroth
(E) Craig Mello and Jack W. Szostak
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
They discovered microRNA, which acts as on and off switches in cells.
MicroRNA helps control cellular activities and gene expression.
Understanding microRNA could lead to treatments for diseases like cancer.
Their discovery revealed a new dimension of gene regulation for complex life forms.
RNA carries instructions for protein synthesis, while microRNA regulates gene activity.
Last year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for manipulating messenger RNA (mRNA).
Their discovery was made in worms, investigating cell development in mutant strains.
- Which country was Ajit Vinayak Gupte serving as the Ambassador of India before being appointed to Germany?
(A) France
(B) Egypt
(C) Denmark
(D) Israel
(E) United States
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Ajit Vinayak Gupte has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Germany.
Gupte is a 1991 batch Indian Foreign Service officer.
He is currently serving as the Ambassador of India to Egypt.
Gupte previously served as the Ambassador of India to Denmark from November 2017 to March 2021.
Sanjeev Kumar Singla has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to France.
Singla is a 1997 batch Indian Foreign Service officer.
He is currently serving as the Ambassador of India to Israel.
Singla was appointed as India’s Ambassador to Israel on July 19, 2019.
Singla will succeed Pavan Kapoor, a 1990 cadre IFS officer, as Ambassador to France.
Singla previously served as Private Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Which country has hosted the joint naval exercise of the Quad nations at Visakhapatnam on 08 October 2024?
(A) Australia
(B) Japan
(C) United States
(D) India
(E) France
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
India has hosted a joint naval exercise of Quad nations at Vishakhapatnam.
The 11-day mega war-game included sea and harbour phases, focusing on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Malabar exercise, started in 1992, began as a bilateral naval drill between the US and Indian Navy.
Quad leaders recently unveiled major steps to expand maritime security cooperation during their meeting last month.
They have decided to conduct joint coast guard operations, with the “Quad-at-Sea” ship observer mission launching in 2025.
The new Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI) was announced to boost Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA).
US President Joe Biden recently hosted the Quad Leaders’ Summit with leaders from Japan, India, and Australia on September 21, 2024.