1. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has inaugurated the Startup Expo in which city?
(A) Kathua
(B) Gurugram
(C) Noida
(D) Bangalore
(E) Mumbai
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has inaugurated a Startup Expo in Kathua, featuring 25 startups and six women entrepreneurs.
The event’s theme is “Emerging Startup Trends in North India”, aiming to highlight northern startup innovation.
Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh praised the exponential startup growth in India, from roughly 350 in 2014 to over 1 lakh.
2. Recently PM Modi inaugurated a submarine optical fiber connection, it connects Kochi to which city?
(A) Port Blair
(B) Silvassa
(C) Kavaratti
(D) Minicoy Island
(E) Puducherry
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
The PM launched and initiated development projects over Rs 1150 crores in Kavaratti, Lakshadweep
A submarine optical fiber connection and a solar power plant have been inaugurated.
Kavaratti, Lakshadweep’s capital, will be connected along with the islands of Agatti, Amini, Kadmat, Chetlet, Kalpeni, Minicoy, Androth, Kiltan, Bangaram and Bitra.
He introduced Functional Household Tap Connections in all Agatti and Minicoy Islands homes and a Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination plant at Kadmat.
The Prime Minister participated in the women’s meet titled “Women Power with Modi” organized by the BJP at Thekkinkadu Maidan.
3. Which company has become the first EV Company in India to get Production Linked Incentive approval?
(A) Ather Energy
(B) Tata Motors
(C) Electrotherm
(D) Ola Electric
(E) Morris Garages
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Ola Electric became the first Indian electric scooter company eligible for the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, with potential benefits of INR 15,000-18,000 per unit.
Ola Electric made significant moves towards its initial public offering, filing its draft red herring prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Board of India.
4. Who has been nominated as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee?
(A) Justice Surya Kant
(B) Justice BR Gavai
(C) Justice Sanjiv Khanna
(D) Justice Kishan Kaul
(E) Justice Ravindra Bhat
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) nominated Justice BR Gavai as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.
Succeeds Justice Sanjiv Khanna as the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee Chairperson.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna was previously the senior-most puisne judge and currently serves as the Executive Chairperson of NALSA.
5. Who has taken charge of Western Naval Command?
(A) G Ashok Kumar
(B) Swaraj Parkash
(C) Sanjay Jasjit Singh
(D) Madhvendra Singh
(E) Vijai Singh Shekhawat
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh assumed the role of Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, of Western Naval Command (WNC).
Before this, Singh served as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff, boasting a versatile naval career of about 38 years.
Singh has held notable positions such as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff, Flag Officer Sea Training, Western Fleet Commander, and more.
6. IFS Randhir Jaiswal has assumed the position of Spokesperson for which ministry?
(A) Ministry of Home Affairs
(B) Ministry of External Affairs
(C) Ministry of Defence
(D) Ministry of Corporate Affairs
(E) Ministry of Law and Justice
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Randhir Jaiswal, a Senior Indian Foreign Service officer, assumed the position of Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs.
A seasoned 1998 batch IFS officer, Jaiswal replaced Arindam Bagchi in this capacity.
The new MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal previously served as consul general in New York in July 2020.
7. What was the year-on-year growth in UPI transaction value in December 2023?
(A) 42%
(B) 54%
(C) 24%
(D) 19%
(E) 60%
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
UPI transaction value increased by 42% year-on-year to Rs 18 lakh crore in December 2023 with volume up 54% to 1202 crore.
Average daily UPI transactions hit 40 crore, stepping towards the NPCI’s target of 100 crore in three years.
Fastag transactions also grew in December, with volume rising 13% YoY to 34.8 crore, and the value up 19% to Rs 5,861 crore.
8. Rani Velu Nachiyar, whose 294th birth anniversary has been observed on 3rd January 2024, belongs to which present Indian state?
(A) Tamil Nadu
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Kerala
(D) Telangana
(E) Andhra Pradesh
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
3rd January: 294th birth anniversary of Rani Velu Nachiyar
Queen Rani Velu Nachiyar of Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, known as “Veeramangai”, was the first Indian queen to confront the East India Company.
She trained in combat, mastered several languages, and led after her husband was killed in battle against the East India Company.
With Hyder Ali’s support and a broader coalition, she fought the British after eight years of strategic planning.
9. What role does Canara Bank’s Cybersecurity Wing aim to play in combating online threats?
(A) Enhancing UPI payments
(B) Increasing operational costs
(C) Enhancing customer trust
(D) Reducing digital user growth
(E) Ignoring digital transactions
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Canara Bank will be creating a dedicated cybersecurity wing aiming to prevent online fraud and enhance customer security.
The bank’s new initiative leverages AI technologies in predicting loan defaults, improving customer experience, and identifying transactional anomalies.
Digital transactions have significantly increased which symbolizes the need for security against cyber-attacks.
Canara Bank’s Cybersecurity Wing aims to enhance customer trust in combating online threats.
10. Who will co-chair the 7th meeting of the India-Nepal Joint Commission?
(A) Narendra Modi
(B) Amit Shah
(C) Nitin Gadkari
(D) S Jaishankar
(E) Amitabh Kant
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is set to visit Nepal for two days, co-chairing the 7th India-Nepal Joint Commission meeting.
The meeting will focus on narrowing the trade deficit, enhancing cross-border infrastructure, and concluding prior development projects.
The meeting affirms Nepal’s stature as a priority partner under India’s Neighbourhood First policy.