Ca Pt 1

Question 1

Who were the five recipients of the Bharat Ratna in 2024?

Answer 1

• Karpoori Thakur (Posthumous)
• Lal Krishna Advani
• PV Narasimha Rao (Posthumous)
• Chaudhary Charan Singh (Posthumous)
• Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan (Posthumous)

This year’s awards marked the highest number of Bharat Ratnas awarded in a single year.

Question 2

What is the Bharat Ratna?

Answer 2

The highest civilian award of India, instituted in 1954, recognizing exceptional service in any field of human endeavour

The first recipients were C. V. Raman, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and Rajagopalachari.

Question 3

Who was Karpoori Thakur?

Answer 3

Known as ‘Jannayak’ or people’s leader; served as Chief Minister twice and pioneered social justice policies

He hailed from a marginalized caste.

Question 4

What role did Lal Krishna Advani serve in the Indian government?

Answer 4

Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 1999 to 2004

Question 5

What significant reforms is PV Narasimha Rao known for?

Answer 5

Introduced economic reforms known as LPG Reforms during his tenure as Prime Minister from 1991 to 1996

Question 6

What is the significance of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling regarding Israel?

Answer 6

Confirmed jurisdiction over South Africa’s genocide application and ordered measures to prevent genocide against Palestinians

The ruling was welcomed by South Africa and Hamas, but criticized by Israeli leaders.

Question 7

What is the ICJ?

Answer 7

Principal judicial organ of the United Nations, established in June 1945, located in The Hague

It consists of 15 judges elected for nine-year terms.

Question 8

Who was the Chief Guest for India’s Republic Day in 2023?

Answer 8

French President Emmanuel Macron

Question 9

What are Ramsar Sites?

Answer 9

Wetlands designated under the Ramsar Convention, which recognizes their ecological importance

India’s Ramsar Sites rose to 80 with the addition of five new wetlands.

Question 10

What is the Ramsar Convention?

Answer 10

An intergovernmental treaty signed in 1971 to preserve wetlands’ ecological character

It encourages the designation of sites that are important for conserving biological diversity.

Question 11

Which countries recently joined BRICS?

Answer 11

• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• Iran
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates

Argentina has withdrawn from BRICS.

Question 12

What does BRICS stand for?

Answer 12

An association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa

Question 13

What is AUKUS?

Answer 13

A trilateral security partnership between Australia, the UK, and the US to build nuclear-powered submarines

It is seen as an effort to counter China.

Question 14

What is the significance of Katchatheevu Island?

Answer 14

An uninhabited island in the Palk Strait, subject to a long-standing dispute between India and Sri Lanka

Currently under Sri Lankan control.

Question 15

What is the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?

Answer 15

Provides for the formation of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) with legislative, judicial, and administrative autonomy

There are currently 10 ADCs in four states.

Question 16

What recent trends have been observed in India’s arms imports?

Answer 16

India remains the world’s largest arms importer, accounting for 9.8% of global arms imports

Russia’s share in Indian arms imports has fallen below 50% for the first time since 1960-64.

Question 17

Who established the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)?

Answer 17

Established in 1966 by a decision of the Swedish Parliament to research conflict and arms control

Question 18

Fill in the blank: The first two non-Indians to receive the Bharat Ratna were _______ and _______.

Answer 18

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Nelson Mandela