- Under which scheme, approved by the Union Cabinet in October 2024, is the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal being developed?
(A) Swadesh Darshan
(B) Sagarmala
(C) Make in India
(D) Gati Shakti
(E) Smart Cities Mission
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
The Union Cabinet approved the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal, Gujarat, on 9 October 2024.
The approval was given in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Heritage Complex will be developed at the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation site of Lothal.
The complex is being designed as an international tourist destination.
The Gujarat state government is collaborating on the project.
This project is being developed under the Sagarmala Programme, which focuses on the modernization of ports and the development of coastal regions in India.
The complex is being built on approximately 400 acres in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat.
The total cost of the project is around Rs 4500 crore.
- Recently, Sanjeev Kumar Singla has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to which country?
(A) France
(B) Italy
(C) Germany
(D) Russia
(E) Ukraine
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
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.
- Who is set to become the new MD of Nestle India from August 1, 2025?
(A) Manish Tiwary
(B) Suresh Narayanan
(C) Rajesh Kumar
(D) Aditya Sharma
(E) Nitin Prakash
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Manish Tiwary has been appointed as the Managing Director of Nestlé India Limited, effective from 1st August 2025.
Suresh Narayanan, the current Chairman and Managing Director of Nestlé India, will retire on 31st July 2025.
Tiwary was previously the Country Manager of Amazon India, joining Amazon in 2016.
He is currently a director at Amazon Digital Services Private Limited and More Consumer Brands Private Limited.
- World Post Day has been observed on which day of October 2024?
(A) 07 October
(B) 08 October
(C) 09 October
(D) 10 October
(E) 11 October
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
World Post Day is celebrated annually on October 9 to raise awareness about the role of the postal sector.
The postal system has been a lifeline for people, governments, and businesses worldwide for 150 years.
The day marks the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), established in 1874 in Bern, Switzerland.
This year (2024) marks the 150th anniversary of the UPU.
The theme for World Post Day 2024 is “150 years of enabling communication and empowering peoples across nations.”
World Post Day was declared by the UPU Congress in Tokyo in 1969 to promote the importance of postal services.
- Who has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 for computational protein design?
(A) Demis Hassabis
(B) John M. Jumper
(C) David Baker
(D) Frances Arnold
(E) Carolyn Bertozzi
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 has been awarded to David Baker for computational protein design.
The other half of the prize was jointly awarded to Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper for protein structure prediction.
Last year, the Chemistry Prize was awarded to a trio of scientists for their research on quantum dots.
Quantum dots are minuscule particles measuring only a few nanometers in diameter.
- What is the RBI’s estimated GDP growth rate for 2024-25?
(A) 8.1%
(B) 6.3%
(C) 9.4%
(D) 7.2%
(E) 5.1%
Solution: Option D.)
Ans (D)
The RBI estimates GDP growth at 7.2% for 2024-25.
Growth is driven by strong domestic demand, low raw material costs, and manufacturing sector growth.
In Q1, the GDP growth rate was 6.7%.
Revised GDP projections are 7% for Q2, 7.4% for Q3, and 7.4% for Q4.
The Monetary Policy Committee decided to keep interest rates unchanged with a 5:1 vote in favor.
The current Governor of the RBI is Shaktikanta Das.
- The recently launched book “War” has been authored by whom?
(A) Carl Bernstein
(B) Bob Woodward
(C) Elsa Walsh
(D) Mark Felt
(E) Richard Nixon
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Journalist Bob Woodward has released his latest book titled “War”.
This highly anticipated book delves deep into the dynamics of power between former U.S. President Donald Trump, current President Joe Biden, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
War is Woodward’s fourth book focused on Donald Trump since the former president’s rise to power in 2016.
Bob Woodward is an associate editor at The Washington Post and a veteran journalist known for his groundbreaking investigative reporting.
- Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata Passes Away At 86. In context to the same tell us, who has authored the book “Ratan N. Tata: The Authorized Biography”?
(A) Vikram Sampath
(B) Dr. Thomas Matthew
(C) Rajneesh Saxena
(D) Dr. Vikram Kamath
(E) Amish Tripathi
Solution: Option B.)
Ans (B)
Ratan Tata, former Chairman of Tata Sons, passed away on 9 October 2024 at the age of 86.
Ratan Tata’s leadership left a significant impact on India’s business and philanthropic landscape.
About: Ratan Tata was the son of Naval Tata, who was adopted by Ratanji Tata, son of Jamshedji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group.
Born: 28 December 1937, Mumbai (then Bombay), British India.
Tata Sons Leadership: Became Chairperson of Tata Sons in 1991, succeeded JRD Tata.
He streamlined the group, set retirement ages, and globalized the company.
Stepped Down: Retired as Chairperson in 2012; named interim chairman in 2016.
In 2021, he successfully repurchased Air India, returning it to the Tata Group over ninety years after it had been nationalized.
Major Awards –
Ratan Tata was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2000 by the Government of India.
He was also awarded by Maharashtra Bhushan in 2006.
In 2008, he was honored with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.
He was honored with the Assam Baibhav Award in 2021 by the Government of Assam.
- Who became the youngest mountaineer to summit all of Earth’s 14 highest peaks in 2024?
(A) Kami Rita Sherpa
(B) Nirmal Purja
(C) Nima Rinji Sherpa
(D) Tenzing Norgay
(E) Pasang Nurbu Sherpa
Solution: Option C.)
Ans (C)
Nima Rinji Sherpa, an 18-year-old Nepalese mountaineer, has broken the world record for the youngest to summit Earth’s 14 highest peaks.
Sherpa is among a few dozen people to have scaled all 14 “eight-thousanders” – mountains over 8,000 meters high.
He reached the summit of Nepal’s Manaslu, the world’s eighth-highest mountain, in September 2022.
He is the youngest climber to summit Himalayan peaks G1 and G2, Kashmir’s Nanga Parbat, and both Mount Everest and Lhotse.
- In which city will the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and 19th East Asia Summit be held?
(A) Vientiane
(B) Bangkok
(C) Hanoi
(D) Manila
(E) Jakarta
Solution: Option A.)
Ans (A)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and 19th East Asia Summit.
The summits will take place in Vientiane, Laos, on October 10, 2024.
This will be PM Modi’s 10th ASEAN-India Summit.
Leaders will review and plan the future of ASEAN-India relations during the summit.
The visit is at the invitation of Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone.
The visit aims to enhance India’s diplomatic engagement in Southeast Asia.
The headquarters of ASEAN is located in Jakarta, Indonesia.
ASEAN was founded on August 8, 1967.