- What was the central theme of the 5th International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies held on 7 September 2024?
(A) Sustainable Energy Paradigms
(B) Atmospheric Pollution Mitigation
(C) Invest in clean air now
(D) Urban Environmental Enhancement
(E) Ecological Balance Preservation
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
The Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board hosted the 5th International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (Swach Vayu Diwas) on 7 September 2024 in Jaipur.
The 4th meeting of the Apex Committee of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was also held in Jaipur on 7 September 2024, chaired by Bhupendra Yadav, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies is known as Swach Vayu Diwas in India.
The first International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies was observed globally on 7 September 2020.
The theme for the 2024 International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (Swach Vayu Diwas) is “Invest in clean air now.”
Category 1 Award (cities with a population of over 10 lakhs):
Winners: Surat (Gujarat), Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Agra (Uttar Pradesh)
Category 2 Award (cities with a population between 3 and 10 lakhs):
Winners: Firozabad (Uttar Pradesh), Amravati (Maharashtra), Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh)
Category 3 Award (cities with a population under 3 lakhs):
Winners: Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh), Nalgonda (Telangana), Nalagarh (Himachal Pradesh)
- Who won the men’s and women’s singles titles at the 2024 US Open Grand Slam Tennis tournament?
(A) Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka
(B) Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka
(C) Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek
(D) Rafael Nadal and Emma Raducanu
(E) Daniil Medvedev and Bianca Andreescu
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Jannik Sinner of Italy won the men’s singles title at the 2024 US Open.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus won the women’s singles title at the 2024 US Open.
It was the first US Open title for both Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka.
Jannik Sinner has now won two Grand Slam titles.
Aryna Sabalenka has now won three Grand Slam titles.
The four Grand Slam events in tennis are the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.
The 2024 US Open was held at Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York City, from 19 August to 8 September 2024.
- Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been elected as the President of which country in September 2024?
(A) Algeria
(B) Tunisia
(C) Morocco
(D) Albania
(E) Libya
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria was re-elected with 94.65% of the valid votes.
The 2024 presidential election in Algeria was held in September 2024.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was elected for a second five-year term.
Tebboune was first elected in 2019, an election that was boycotted by the opposition.
Tebboune, seen as a military-backed candidate, defeated Abdelaali Hassani Cherif (3% of the votes) and Youcef Aouchiche (2.1% of the votes).
Algerian politics has been dominated by the military or politicians supported by the military since independence.
- What was India’s final rank in the medal tally at the 17th Paris Paralympics?
(A) 10th
(B) 15th
(C) 12th
(D) 18th
(E) 20th
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
The 17th Paris Paralympics ended on 8 September 2024 at the Stade de France stadium in Paris.
The 17th Paralympics were held from 28 August to 8 September 2024.
The 18th Summer Paralympics will be held in Los Angeles, USA, in 2028.
The 33rd Summer Olympics were held in Paris from 26 July to 11 August 2024.
India won a record 29 medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, surpassing the 19 medals won at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
China topped the medal tally with 220 medals, and India was in 18th position.
Harvinder Singh and Preethi Pal were the Indian flag bearers at the closing ceremony.
Sumit Antil and Bhagyashri Jadhav were the Indian flag bearers at the opening ceremony.
Harvinder Singh was the first Indian archer to win a gold medal at the Paralympics.
Preethi Pal is the first Indian woman para-athlete to win two medals in track and field at the Paralympics, earning bronze in the 100-meter and 200-meter T35 events.
- The GST Council has recently reduced the Goods and Service Tax (GST) on which of the following items from 12% to 5%?
(A) Medical health insurance
(B) Cancer drugs
(C) Roof Mounted Solar
(D) Electric Vehicles
(E) Mobile Phones
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
The GST Council reduced the GST on cancer drugs from 12% to 5% to lower the cost of cancer treatment.
GST on selected snacks has been reduced from 18% to 12%.
Funds given for research to universities established by law or exempt from income tax are exempted from GST.
A Group of Ministers (GoM) will be formed to consider reducing the tax rate on life and health insurance.
The GST Council has agreed to form a GoM on compensation cess and reviewed reports on rate rationalisation and online gaming.
GST on car seats has been increased from 18% to 28%.
Roof Mounted Package Unit (RMPU) Air Conditioning Machines for Railways will attract a 28% GST rate.
DGCA-approved flying training courses will be exempt from GST.
- Who has been unanimously elected as the president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) during its 44th General Assembly for the term 2024 to 2028?
(A) Randhir Singh
(B) Sheikh Ahmad
(C) Narinder Batra
(D) Thomas Bach
(E) Abhinav Bindra
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Veteran sports administrator Randhir Singh has become the first Indian to be elected as the president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) during its 44th General Assembly.
He will serve from 2024 to 2028.
The 77-year-old former Olympic shooter was the only eligible candidate and won the position unanimously.
Randhir Singh has been acting president of the OCA since 2021, following the suspension of Kuwait’s Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah for ethics breaches.
Randhir Singh was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 2001 to 2014 and continues as an honorary member.
- Who has been appointed as the new Finance Secretary of India?
(A) Rajiv Gauba
(B) Tuhin Kanta Pandey
(C) Ajay Bhushan
(D) Subhash Garg
(E) Sanjay Malhotra
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Tuhin Kanta Pandey has been appointed as the new Finance Secretary of India.
Mr. Pandey replaces TV Somanathan, who has been appointed as the Cabinet Secretary of India, succeeding Rajiv Gauba.
Tuhin Kanta Pandey was previously the Secretary of the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).
He is a 1987-batch IAS officer from the Odisha cadre.
Mr. Pandey took charge of DIPAM in October 2019.
- The International Literacy Day has been observed recently on which day of September 2024?
(A) 6th September
(B) 7th September
(C) 8th September
(D) 9th September
(E) 10th September
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
International Literacy Day 2024 is celebrated annually on September 8 to raise awareness about the significance of literacy as a fundamental human right.
It is marked by UNESCO globally, regionally, and locally.
The UNESCO International Literacy Prizes will be awarded on September 9 and 10 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
The theme for 2024 is “Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace.”
The day will focus on literacy in multilingual contexts for achieving lasting peace and improving policies, lifelong learning systems, governance, programmes, and practices.
International Literacy Day was established by UNESCO on October 26, 1966, and first celebrated in 1967.
- Who has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of France?
(A) Gabriel Attal
(B) Emmanuel Macron
(C) Marine Le Pen
(D) Michel Barnier
(E) Jean-Luc Mélenchon
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Michel Barnier has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of France by President Emmanuel Macron, succeeding Gabriel Attal.
At 73 years old, Barnier is the oldest person to assume the role since the Fifth Republic began in 1958.
In 2016, Barnier was appointed as the EU’s Brexit negotiator but did not secure his party’s nomination for the 2022 presidential election.
The Principles of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity of the Indian Constitution are borrowed from the French constitution.
India has borrowed Directive Principles of State Policy, Nomination of members to Rajya Sabha and Method of the election of a president from Ireland.
- Which country has recently become 101th to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as a full member?
(A) Brunei
(B) Nepal
(C) Singapore
(D) Ukraine
(E) Russia
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (B)
Nepal has become the 101st country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as a full member.
Nepal handed over its Instrument of Ratification to the ISA in New Delhi.
The exchange of the Instrument of Ratification took place during a meeting between Nepal’s Charge d’ affaires Dr. Surendra Thapa and Joint Secretary (ED&MER) in the External Affairs Ministry, Abhishek Singh.