1. Eravikulam National Park, recently seen in the news, is located in which state?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Kerala
[C] Odisha
[D] Karnataka
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Kerala]
Notes:
Eravikulam National Park (ENP), in Kerala’s Idukki district, closing for the Nilgiri tahr’s calving season, hosts diverse flora and fauna. Declared a National Park in 1978, it spans 97 sq.km, featuring Anamudi, the highest peak south of the Himalayas. Famous for the “Neelakurinji” flower blooming every twelve years, the park experiences heavy monsoons. Rich in biodiversity, it houses species like Nilgiri Tahr, Gaur, Sloth Bear, and hosts rare butterflies and the world’s largest moth, the Atlas moth.
2. Agasthyagama edge, which was seen in the news, belongs to which one of the following species?
[A] Snake
[B] Kangaroo lizard
[C] Wolf spider
[D] Frog
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Kangaroo lizard]
Notes:
Scientists recently discovered a new kangaroo lizard species, Agasthyagama edge, in the Western Ghats. Named after the EDGE program, it’s the second in the Agasthyagama genus. Found in Kulamavu, Idukki, it belongs to the Agamidae family. These terrestrial reptiles, lacking a fifth toe for climbing, prefer leaf-covered areas. Averaging 4.3 cm in length, they are fast runners feeding on small insects, and they hide within dry leaves to avoid predators. The species is significant for its distinctiveness and global endangerment.
3. Recently, which department launched the ‘StartupShala’, a flagship accelerator program of startup India?
[A] Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
[B] Department of Economic Affairs
[C] Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
[D] Department of Agricultural Research and Education
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade]
Notes:
StartupShala, launched by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), features the Flagship Accelerator Program. Designed to propel early-stage startups, the program aims to expedite their growth by furnishing resources and opportunities. Through a vast network of partners spanning incubation centers, educational institutions, and corporate entities, startups benefit from diverse facilities and resources, elevating their journey to the next level of success.
4. What is ‘Volt Typhoon’, recently mentioned in the news?
[A] A new artificial intelligence tool
[B] A new environment initiative
[C] A cyber hacking group
[D] A cryptocurrency
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [A cyber hacking group]
Notes:
The US government recently shut down China-backed hacking group “Volt Typhoon,” active since at least 2021. Specializing in espionage and targeting critical infrastructure, Volt Typhoon utilized stealth, living-off-the-land techniques, and preinstalled utilities. The group compromised small office/home office devices, maintaining persistence with stolen credentials. Known for routing traffic through hacked network equipment, such as home routers, Volt Typhoon made detection challenging.
5. What is ‘eROSITA’, recently mentioned in the news?
[A] Drone
[B] X-ray telescope
[C] Artificial Intelligence tool
[D] Submarine
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [X-ray telescope]
Notes:
The German eROSITA consortium has released data from the first all-sky survey conducted by the eROSITA X-ray telescope on the Russian-German SRG observatory. eROSITA stands for extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array and is the main instrument on the Russian spacecraft Spektrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG). Launched in July 2019, it maps the entire celestial sphere every six months, with eight surveys planned until December 2023. The survey aims to provide insights into various astrophysical phenomena, including supermassive black hole evolution and X-ray-emitting solar system bodies.
6. Where was the ‘Digital India FutureLABS Summit 2024’ held?
[A] IIIT Guwahati
[B] IIIT Delhi
[C] IIIT Kottayam
[D] IIIT Lucknow
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [IIIT Delhi]
Notes:
At the “Digital India FutureLABS Summit 2024” at IIIT-Delhi, CDAC Thiruvananthapuram transferred three Indigenous Technologies—Thermal Camera, CMOS Camera, and Fleet Management System—to 12 industries under the InTranSE Program of MeitY. This aligns with the Innovation, Science, and Technology theme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vikshit Bharat @2047 initiative. The Thermal Camera, with AI-based analytics, is intended for applications in Smart cities, Industries, Defence, Health, and more, after successful field testing for Road traffic applications.
7. Hage Geingob, who passed away recently, was a President of which country?
[A] Angola
[B] Botswana
[C] Zambia
[D] Namibia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Namibia]
Notes:
Namibia’s President, Hage Geingob, has died at 82 following cancer treatment. The first prime minister post-independence, he became Namibia’s third president in 2014, securing re-election in 2019. Geingob, a key figure since independence from South Africa, held the record for Namibia’s longest-serving prime minister before assuming the presidency. His passing marks the end of a significant era in Namibian political history.
8. Which one of the following is the best description of ‘ABHYAS’, recently seen in the news?
[A] A Transit method to detect planets
[B] A high-speed expendable aerial target
[C] A satellite
[D] A next generation Stealth aircraft
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [A high-speed expendable aerial target]
Notes:
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently achieved success with four flight trials of ‘ABHYAS,’ a high-speed expendable aerial target. Developed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment, ABHYAS serves as a realistic threat scenario for weapon systems practice and validates Armed Forces equipment for aerial engagement. It features an autonomous flying design, an indigenously made autopilot, and a laptop-based Ground Control System for integration and analysis.
9. Aldabra giant tortoise, recently seen in the news, is endemic to which country?
[A] Djibouti
[B] Seychelles
[C] Kenya
[D] Tanzania
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Seychelles]
Notes:
A six-year project aims to reintroduce the second-largest land tortoise species, native to Madagascar, to the wild after 600 years. Evolving from ancestors on the island, it migrated to the Seychelles four million years ago. The Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) is endemic to the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, an archipelago nation in the western Indian Ocean. Their habitats range from scrub forests to coastal areas, and conservation efforts classify them as vulnerable (IUCN) and listed under CITES Appendix II.
10. Recently, which album won the ‘Best Global Music Album’ award at the Grammy Awards 2024?
[A] This Moment
[B] Endless Summer Vacation
[C] The Record
[D] World Music Radio
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [This Moment ]
Notes:
This Moment by the Indian jazz band Shakti won the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album. The album was released in 2024, and features eight songs by John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, V. Selvaganesh, and Ganesh Rajagopalan. The Grammy Awards, or Grammys, are a series of awards that recognize outstanding achievements in the music industry.