1. Indian Space Research Organisation has recently launched maiden X-ray Polarimeter Satellite to probe –
(A) Galaxies
(B) Quasars
(C) Nebulas
(D) Black Holes
(E) Stars
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
ISRO successfully launched X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) aboard PSLV-C58 from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Marks India’s first dedicated scientific mission to study cosmic X-ray polarization, focusing on black holes and neutron stars.
XPoSat’s mission life is estimated at five years.
India becomes the second nation globally with a dedicated astronomy observatory for this purpose.
2. Recently, who has been awarded the Guard of Honor on concluding his tenure as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff?
(A) Sanjay Jasjit Singh
(B) G Ashok Kumar
(C) Swaraj Parkash
(D) Madhvendra Singh
(E) Vijai Singh Shekhawat
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Vice Admiral SJ Singh received Guard of Honour in Delhi as he concludes his tenure as Vice Chief of Naval Staff.
He Set to Lead as Western Navy Commander.
He lays a wreath at the National War Memorial.
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi appointed as the next Vice Chief of the Indian Navy.
3. India has conducted “Desert Cyclone 2024” military exercise with UAE in which state?
(A) Uttar Pradesh
(B) Rajasthan
(C) Maharashtra
(D) Tamil Nadu
(E) Haryana
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Military Exercise scheduled from Jan 2 to Jan 15 in Rajasthan.
Bilateral defense collaboration includes production and development of defense equipment, joint armed forces exercises, information sharing on strategy and doctrines, and technical cooperation.
The first-ever India-UAE Joint Air Forces exercise occurred in September 2008 at Al-Dhafra base in Abu Dhabi.
4. Felix Tshisekedi has been elected as President of which country?
(A) Brazzaville
(B) Cameroon
(C) Congo
(D) Gabon
(E) Lesotho
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Felix Tshisekedi won re-election as Congo’s President with more than 70% of the vote.
The results faced opposition demands for a re-vote due to logistical issues, questioning the validity of the results.
Violence erupted as opposition supporters protested, leading to clashes.
Tshisekedi is a member of the Luba ethnic group.
He represents the Union for Democracy and Social Progress party.
5. Who has been appointed as Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission by the Centre?
(A) Dr Arvind Panagariya
(B) Dr Ushma Nath
(C) Dr M Govinda Rao
(D) Dr Abhijit Sen
(E) Dr Sudipto Mundle
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Dr. Arvind Panagariya was appointed as Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission by the Centre.
IAS officer Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey will be the secretary of the Commission
The Commission will recommend tax distribution between Union and States, and suggest measures to boost State’s Consolidated Fund for Panchayats and Municipalities
6. RK Tyagi has recently assumed the role of Chief Managing Director of Power Grid by succeeding whom?
(A) Abhay Choudhary
(B) Yatindra Dwivedi
(C) K Sreekant
(D) Dilip Kankariya
(E) Chetan Bansilal
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
RK Tyagi takes charge as Chairman & Managing Director of Power Grid Corporation of India.
With over 33 years in the power sector, Tyagi succeeds K Sreekant, who led the organization since 2019.
Tyagi, an Electrical Engineer and Fulbright Scholar, brings vast experience in various power sector domains.
7. Who has been taken charge as 34th General Officer Commanding of Chetak Corps?
(A) Dinesh Singh Rana
(B) Anindya Sengupta
(C) Nagendra Singh
(D) Mukesh Chadha
(E) Pradeep Chandran Nair
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Lt General Nagendra Singh takes charge as 34th General Officer Commanding of Chetak Corps.
He brings vast operational experience and replaces Lt. General Sanjiv Rai after his successful tenure.
General Officer emphasizes maintaining high professional standards and Indian Army values in Chetak Corps.
8. Vice Chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Prof. B R Kamboj has received the prestigious MS Swaminathan Award for his contributions in which field?
(A) Agronomy
(B) Geology
(C) Zootechnics
(D) Entomology
(E) Anthropology
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Vice Chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Prof BR Kamboj, received the prestigious MS Swaminathan Award for his exceptional contributions to agronomy.
The award ceremony took place at the International Conference on ‘One Health One World,’ held at Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agricultural University at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
9. Which state government has recently ban agri land purchase by ‘outsiders’?
(A) Meghalaya
(B) Kerala
(C) Uttarakhand
(D) Haryana
(E) Punjab
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Uttarakhand government has banned the purchase of agricultural land by non-residents until a committee delivers its report on new land laws.
As part of the ban, ‘outsiders’ aren’t permitted to buy land intended for agricultural or horticulture uses.
The move aims to respect and uphold the sentiments of the people of Uttarakhand.
10. Which country has recently taken over the chairmanship of BRICS 2024?
(A) Egypt
(B) Ethiopia
(C) Russia
(D) China
(E) India
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Russia assumed 2024 BRICS chairmanship with a focus on global development, security, & expansion, welcoming Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE into the group.
Key domains for the BRICS partnership include political and security cooperation, economic, and cultural exchanges.
Putin emphasized Russia’s intention to explore inclusion of a new category of partner countries within BRICS.