Q1. Which Indian spacecraftsuccessfully made a soft landing near the Moon’s south pole in August 2023? (a) Chandrayaan-2
(b) Chandrayaan-3
(c) Mangalyaan-2
(d) Gaganyaan
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Chandrayaan-3, launched by ISRO on 14 July 2023, achieved a historic soft landing near the lunar south pole on 23 August 2023, making India the fourth country to land on the Moon and the first to do so near the pole.
Q2. In which month did India officially surpass China to become the world’s most populous country, according to UN estimates?
(a) January 2023
(b) April 2023
(c) October 2023
(d) March 2024
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The United Nations projected that India’s population exceeded China’s in April 2023, reaching over 1.425 billion persons.
Q3. Which country hosted the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December 2023?
(a) United Kingdom
(b) United Arab Emirates
(c) Egypt
(d) Germany
Answer: (b)
Explanation: COP28 was held in Dubai, UAE, from 30 November to 12 December 2023, focusing on the first global stocktake of the Paris Agreement.
Q4. The 2024 Summer Olympics were held in which city? (a) Los Angeles
(b) Paris
(c) Tokyo
(d) Rio de Janeiro
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad took place in Paris, France, from 26 July to 11 August 2024.
Q5. Which political party won the majority in the United Kingdom’s general election held in July 2024?
(a) Conservative Party
(b) Labour Party
(c) Liberal Democrats
(d) Scottish National Party Answer: (b)
Explanation: The Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, secured a landslide victory in the 4 July 2024 UK general election, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.
Q6. Who was declared the winner of the 2024 United States presidential election held in November 2024?
(a) Joe Biden
(b) Donald Trump
(c) Nikki Haley (d) Bernie Sanders
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Former President Donald Trump defeated incumbent President Joe Biden in the November 2024 election, securing a second non‑consecutive term.
Q7. Which of the following countries became the 32nd member of NATO in March 2024?
(a) Finland
(b) Sweden
(c) Ukraine
(d) Georgia
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Sweden formally joined NATO on 7 March 2024 after ratification by all member states, following Finland’s accession in 2023.
Q8. The “Global Gateway” initiative, aimed at boosting infrastructure investment in developing countries, is a flagship program of which bloc?
(a) ASEAN
(b) European Union
(c) G20
(d) BRICS
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The Global Gateway is the European Union’s strategy to mobilize up to €300 billion in investments worldwide for sustainable infrastructure, digital, climate, and health projects.
Q9. Which Indian state launched the “One District One Product” (ODOP) scheme to promote indigenous handicrafts and agricultural goods?
(a) Uttar Pradesh
(b) Gujarat
(c) Tamil Nadu
(d) Rajasthan
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Uttar Pradesh rolled out the ODOP programme in 2018, later expanded nationally, to identify and promote a unique product from each district for economic growth.
Q10. In 2023, India’s digital rupee (e₹‑R) pilot was launched by the RBI for which segment?
(a) Retail consumers
(b) Wholesale inter‑bank transactions
(c) Government subsidies
(d) Cross‑border remittances
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The Reserve Bank of India’s first pilot of the central bank digital currency (CBDC) for the wholesale segment (e₹‑W) began in November 2022; a retail pilot (e₹‑R) followed in December 2022, expanding in 2023 to selected banks and users.
Q11. Which international organization brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative that allowed Ukrainian grain exports in 2022‑2023?
(a) NATO
(b) United Nations
(c) World Trade Organization
(d) International Monetary Fund Answer: (b)
Explanation: The United Nations, together with Turkey, facilitated the Black Sea Grain Initiative (July 2022) to enable safe export of Ukrainian grain amid the Russia‑Ukraine conflict.
Q12. The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup was won by which team?
(a) United States
(b) England
(c) Spain
(d) Germany
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Spain defeated England 1‑0 in the final held on 20 August 2023 in Sydney, Australia, claiming their first Women’s World Cup title.
Q13. Which Indian institute became the first to sign a memorandum of understanding with CERN for collaborative research in high‑energy physics in 2024?
(a) IIT Bombay
(b) IISc Bengaluru
(c) TIFR Mumbai (d) IISER Pune
Answer: (c)
Explanation: The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, signed an MoU with CERN in March 2024 to enhance Indian participation in experiments like ALICE and LHCb.
Q14. In 2024, which country hosted the G20 Summit under the theme “One Earth, One Family, One Future”?
(a) India (b) Indonesia
(c) Brazil (d) Saudi Arabia
Answer: (a)
Explanation: India held the G20 Presidency in 2023, and the summit was convened in New Delhi on 9‑10 September 2023; the theme continued into 2024 under India’s stewardship.
Q15. Which of the following statements about the “PM‑GatiShakti National Master Plan” is correct? (a) It focuses solely on railway infrastructure. (b) It aims to integrate infrastructure planning across ministries using a GIS‑based platform. (c) It was launched in 2020 by the Ministry of Rural Development.
(d) It targets only urban transport systems. Answer: (b)
Explanation: Launched in October 2021, PM‑GatiShakti is a holistic, GIS‑enabled framework to synchronize infrastructure projects (roads, railways, ports, airports, etc.) across central and state ministries for seamless multimodal connectivity.
Q16. The “AUKUS” security partnership involves which three countries?
(a) Australia, United Kingdom, United States
(b) India, Japan, Australia
(c) France, Germany, Canada (d) Brazil, South Africa, Saudi Arabia Answer: (a)
Explanation: AUKUS, announced in September 2021, is a trilateral defence pact among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, focusing on advanced capabilities such as nuclear‑powered submarines and cyber‑defense.
Q17. Which Indian city hosted the 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cup? (a) Bhubaneswar
(b) Chennai
(c) Lucknow
(d) Chandigarh
Answer: (a)
Explanation: The 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup was held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, Odisha, from 13‑29 January 2023; Germany won the tournament.
Q18. In 2024, which country became the first to approve a pill‑based COVID‑19 vaccine for emergency use?
(a) United States
(b) United Kingdom (c) China
(d) Russia
Answer: (c)
Explanation: China’s National Medical Products Administration granted emergency use authorization in March 2024 to an oral COVID‑19 vaccine developed by CanSino Biologics, marking the first pill‑format vaccine approval.
Q19. The “Global Biodiversity Framework Fund” was established at which UN conference in 2022?
(a) COP15 (Biodiversity)
(b) COP26 (Climate)
(c) UNGA Special Session on Oceans
(d) World Summit on Sustainable Development
Answer: (a)
Explanation: The fund was created during the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) held in Montreal, Canada, in December 2022, to support implementation of the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Q20. Which Indian minister launched the “Digital Agriculture Mission” in 2023 to promote use of AI, IoT, and blockchain in farming?
(a) Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
(b) Minister of Electronics & Information Technology
(c) Minister of Rural Development
(d) Minister of Commerce & Industry
Answer: (a)
Explanation: The Digital Agriculture Mission was launched by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare in 2023 to integrate emerging technologies for improving productivity, supply chain efficiency, and farmer income.
Q21. The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to which individual/organization for efforts to combat climate change?
(a) Greta Thunberg
(b) International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
(c) Al Gore
(d) World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Answer: (b)
Explanation: In October 2024, the Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and climate activist Greta Thunberg; however, the prize citation highlighted the IPCC’s scientific work, making (b) the best answer among the options.
Q22. Which country hosted the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)? (a) Rwanda
(b) Jamaica (c) Malta
(d) Samoa Answer: (a)
Explanation: The 2024 CHOGM was held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 20‑25 June 2024, focusing on youth empowerment, climate resilience, and trade.
Q23. In early 2024, which space agency successfully launched the “Artemis II” mission, sending astronauts around the Moon?
(a) ESA
(b) Roscosmos
(c) NASA
(d) CNSA
Answer: (c) Explanation: NASA’s Artemis II mission launched on 16 November 2024, carrying four astronauts on a lunar flyby, marking the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17.
Q24. The “National Education Policy (NEP) 2020” aims to increase the gross enrollment ratio in higher education to what percentage by 2035?
(a) 30%
(b) 40%
(c) 50%
(d) 60%
Answer: (c)
Explanation: NEP 2020 targets a 50% gross enrollment ratio in higher education by 2035, up from around 27% in 2020, through multidisciplinary education, multiple entry/exit points, and increased institutional capacity.
Q25. Which international treaty, entered into force in 2023, seeks to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction?
(a) Paris Agreement
(b) Convention on Biological Diversity
(c) BBNJ Agreement (Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction)
(d) Kyoto Protocol
Answer: (c)
Explanation: The BBNJ Agreement, adopted under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), was formally adopted in March 2023 and entered into force in June 2023, establishing a legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in international waters.
