1. Name the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, who has recently elected as the vice-chair of UN external auditors’ panel?
(A) G C Murmu
(B) Rajiv Mehrishi
(C) V Narahari Rao
(D) Rajiv Kumar
(E) Sushil Chandra
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu has been elected as the Vice-Chairman of the United Nations Auditor Panel for 2024.
CAG Girish Chandra Murmu of India participated in the 63rd session of the Panel of External Auditors held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 20-21 November 2023.
The panel of external auditors comprises the heads of 12 Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) globally.
This UN panel audits specialized agencies.
UN Board of Auditors –
Chairman: Hou Kai (Auditor General of the People’s Republic of China)
The term expires on June 30, 2026.
Pierre Moscovici (France) His term will end on 30 June 2028.
Jorge Bermúdez (Comptroller General of the Republic of Chile) His term expires on June 30, 2024.
The chairmanship of the board is rotated every two years, and has been held by Hou Kai since 1 January 2023.
2. Recently, Ghol fish has declared state fish of which state?
(A) Maharashtra
(B) Goa
(C) Uttar Pradesh
(D) Bihar
(E) Gujarat
Solution: Option E.)
Ans (E)
Gujarat government has selected the ghol as its official state fish, emphasizing both its economic importance and distinctiveness.
The fish is valuable and is in demand because of its meat and air bladder.
Ghol fish is used to make beer and wine and its air bladder is used in pharmaceuticals.
Ghol fish was declared the state fish of Gujarat by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel during Global Fisheries Conference India in Ahmedabad.
The fish is found in the marine areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra in a golden-brown colour.
In the fiscal year 2021-22, Gujarat recorded a total fish production of 8.74 lakh tonnes, valued at Rs 11,221 crore.
Of this, 2.3 lakh tonnes of fish and fish products, worth Rs 5,233 crore, were exported.
3. The recently launched “AGNI” initiative by the Govt of India is associated with which field?
(A) Ayurveda
(B) English medicines
(C) Homeopathy
(D) Unani medicines
(E) Siddha
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
The Central Council for Research in Ayurveda Sciences under the Ministry of Ayush launched the Ayurveda Gyan Naipunya Initiative (AGNI) for physicians practicing in the field of Ayurveda in New Delhi.
The initiative aims to promote research for mainstreaming pragmatic Ayurveda practices through scientific validation and evidence-based appraisal.
4. What is the name of the high-yielding black pepper variety developed by IISR?
(A) Uduraj
(B) Soma
(C) Shashin
(D) Chandra
(E) Atrisuta
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Spice research institute ICAR-IISR Kozhikode has completed genome sequencing of high-yielding new black pepper variety ‘Chandra.’
The ‘IISR Chandra’ variety has a long spike, compact setting, and bold berries.
It also showed optimal spike intensity greater than that of other existing varieties and can yield 7.5 kg pepper per vine.
5. As a part of the ongoing Extended Operational Deployment to Africa, which Indian Naval Ship has deployed at Maputo, Mozambique?
(A) INS Sumitra
(B) INS Sumedha
(C) INS Saryu
(D) INS Sunayna
(E) INS Sujata
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
As a part of the ongoing Extended Operational Deployment to Africa, Indian Naval Ship Sumedha arrived at Maputo, Mozambique.
The port call is aimed at strengthening long standing diplomatic relations, reinforce maritime co-operation and boost interoperability between both the navies.
INS Sumedha is part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam.
6. Who has become the first woman to command Armed Forces Transfusion center?
(A) Col Sonia Anand
(B) Col Navneet Duggal
(C) Col Sunita BS
(D) Col Reenu Khanna
(E) Col Ritcha Sagar
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Col Sunita has become the first woman to command Armed Forces Transfusion center.
Armed Forces Transfusion Centre, Delhi Cantt, is the largest blood transfusion centre of the Armed Forces.
Prior to this, she served as Commanding officer at a strategically important Field Hospital in Arunachal Pradesh.
AFTC has state-of-the-art facilities in the field of Transfusion Medicine including Stem Cell cryopreservation, immune-hematology analyzers etc.
7. Inland Waterways Authority of India has signed an MoU with which company to start movement of e-Commerce cargo in Ganga river?
(A) Amazon
(B) eBay
(C) Flipkart
(D) Wallmart
(E) Shopee
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
As Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Amazon has signed MoU, E-Commerce cargo movement started in Ganga river.
Ganga river is the National Waterway No 1 of India.
Maiden ship with e-commerce cargo to be flagged off from Patna to Kolkata soon.
The ceremony was done in presence of the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal.
8. Who was the first woman judge of the Supreme Court who passed away recently?
(A) Ruma Pal
(B) Sujata Manohar
(C) Fatima Biwi
(D) R Bhanumathi
(E) Leila Seth
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Justice Fathima Beevi, the first woman judge of the Supreme Court, died in Kollam at the age of 96.
She was also the first Muslim woman to be appointed to the higher judiciary of the country.
She started her career as a lawyer in Kerala and became a District and Sessions Judge in 1974.
She created history by becoming the first woman judge appointed to the Supreme Court in 1989.
9. In which city did the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh inaugurate the ‘Vidya Samiksha Kendra’?
(A) Mussoorie
(B) Manali
(C) Dharamshala
(D) Shimla
(E) Solan
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the “Vidhya Samiksha Kendra” in Shimla, a data repository that will contain data of all the schemes run by the Ministry of Education (MoE).
The Education Department of Himachal Pradesh has joined hands with ed-tech company Convegenius to set up Vidya Samiksha Kendra in the state.
10. The ASEAN-India Millet Festival 2023 has recently started in which country?
(A) Cambodia
(B) Indonesia
(C) Malaysia
(D) Philippines
(E) Singapore
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
The ASEAN-India Millet Festival 2023 has started in Indonesia from November 22 to 26.
It is a collaborative effort between the Indian Mission to ASEAN and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
This festival serves as a platform to raise awareness about millets, promote culinary diversity, and foster sustainable agriculture.
Millets are a group a small, round whole grains grown in India, Nigeria, and other Asian and African countries.
Food and Agriculture Organization and United Nations has recognised 2023 as International Year of Millets or IYM2023 for awareness about health and nutritional benefits of millets.