Important Current Affairs Questions & Answers (2023-2024)
Test your knowledge of key global and Indian events from recent years with this curated set of questions and detailed explanations.
Q1. Which Indian spacecraft successfully made a soft landing near the Moon’s south pole in August 2023?
Answer: (b) Chandrayaan-3
Explanation: Launched by ISRO on 14 July 2023, Chandrayaan-3 achieved a historic soft landing on 23 August 2023. This made India the fourth country to land on the Moon and the first to do so near the lunar south pole.
Q2. When did India become the world’s most populous country according to UN estimates?
Answer: (b) April 2023
Explanation: The United Nations projected that India’s population exceeded China’s in April 2023, reaching over 1.425 billion.
Q3. Which country hosted the COP28 climate conference in December 2023?
Answer: (b) United Arab Emirates
Explanation: COP28 was held in Dubai, UAE, from 30 November to 12 December 2023. A key focus was the first global stocktake of the Paris Agreement.
Q4. Where were the 2024 Summer Olympics held?
Answer: (b) Paris
Explanation: The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad took place in Paris, France, from 26 July to 11 August 2024.
Q5. Which party won the UK general election in July 2024?
Answer: (b) Labour Party
Explanation: Led by Keir Starmer, the Labour Party secured a landslide victory on 4 July 2024, ending 14 years of Conservative government.
Q6. Who won the 2024 United States presidential election?
Answer: (b) Donald Trump
Explanation: Former President Donald Trump defeated incumbent Joe Biden in November 2024, securing a second non-consecutive term.
Q7. Which country became NATO’s 32nd member in March 2024?
Answer: (b) Sweden
Explanation: Sweden formally joined NATO on 7 March 2024 after ratification by all member states, following Finland’s accession in 2023.
Q8. Which bloc leads the “Global Gateway” infrastructure initiative?
Answer: (b) European Union
Explanation: The EU’s Global Gateway strategy aims to mobilize up to €300 billion for sustainable infrastructure, digital, climate, and health projects worldwide.
Q9. Which Indian state pioneered the “One District One Product” (ODOP) scheme?
Answer: (a) Uttar Pradesh
Explanation: Uttar Pradesh launched the ODOP programme in 2018 to promote a unique product from each district. It was later expanded nationally.
Q10. For which segment did the RBI launch India’s digital rupee (e₹‑R) pilot in 2023?
Answer: (b) Wholesale inter‑bank transactions
Explanation: The RBI’s first pilot for the wholesale segment (e₹‑W) began in November 2022. A retail pilot (e₹‑R) followed in December 2022 and expanded in 2023.
Q11. Which organization brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative?
Answer: (b) United Nations
Explanation: The UN, together with Turkey, facilitated the initiative in July 2022 to enable safe Ukrainian grain exports during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Q12. Who won the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup?
Answer: (c) Spain
Explanation: Spain defeated England 1-0 in the final on 20 August 2023 in Sydney, Australia, winning their first Women’s World Cup title.
Q13. Which Indian institute first signed an MoU with CERN for high‑energy physics research in 2024?
Answer: (c) TIFR Mumbai
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. Which country hosted the 2023 G20 Summit under the theme “One Earth, One Family, One Future”?
Answer: (a) India
Explanation: India held the G20 Presidency in 2023, convening the summit in New Delhi on 9-10 September 2023. The theme continued into 2024 under India’s stewardship.
Q15. What is the primary aim of the PM‑GatiShakti National Master Plan?
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Launched in October 2021, PM‑GatiShakti is a holistic, GIS‑enabled framework to synchronize infrastructure projects across ministries for seamless multimodal connectivity.
Q16. Which three countries are part of the AUKUS security partnership?
Answer: (a) Australia, United Kingdom, United States
Explanation: Announced in September 2021, AUKUS is a trilateral defence pact focusing on advanced capabilities like nuclear‑powered submarines and cyber‑defense.
Q17. Which Indian city co‑hosted the 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cup?
Answer: (a) Bhubaneswar
Explanation: The tournament was held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, Odisha, from 13‑29 January 2023. Germany won the championship.
Q18. Which country first approved a pill‑based COVID‑19 vaccine for emergency use in 2024?
Answer: (c) China
Explanation: China granted emergency use authorization in March 2024 to an oral COVID‑19 vaccine developed by CanSino Biologics, the first such pill‑format approval.
Q19. Where was the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund established in 2022?
Answer: (a) COP15 (Biodiversity)
Explanation: The fund was created at the COP15 biodiversity conference in Montreal, Canada, in December 2022 to support the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Q20. Which Indian ministry launched the 2023 Digital Agriculture Mission?
Answer: (a) Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Explanation: The mission was launched to integrate AI, IoT, and blockchain into farming to improve productivity, supply chains, and farmer income.
Q21. The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize recognized efforts to combat climate change. Who was a key recipient?
Answer: (b) International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Explanation: In October 2024, the Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded, with the IPCC recognized for its scientific work on climate change.
Q22. Which country hosted the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)?
Answer: (a) Rwanda
Explanation: The 2024 CHOGM was held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 20‑25 June 2024, focusing on youth, climate resilience, and trade.
Q23. Which space agency launched the crewed “Artemis II” mission around the Moon in 2024?
Answer: (c) NASA
Explanation: NASA’s Artemis II mission launched on 16 November 2024, carrying four astronauts on a lunar flyby, the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since 1972.
Q24. What higher education enrollment target does India’s NEP 2020 set for 2035?
Answer: (c) 50%
Explanation: The National Education Policy 2020 aims for a 50% gross enrollment ratio in higher education by 2035, a significant increase from around 27% in 2020.
Q25. Which 2023 treaty protects marine biodiversity in international waters?
Answer: (c) BBNJ Agreement
Explanation: The BBNJ Agreement
