Weekly Current Affairs Questions and Answers: 11 March to 17 March 2024

This week, we have compiled 10 weekly current affairs questions and answers relevant for government exams, including topics such as Global Human Development Index, Ranji Trophy 2024, New Chief Minister of Haryana, Oscars 2024 and others. 

1. What is the rank of India in the recently released Global Human Development Index?

(a) 75

(b) 78

(c) 125

(d) 134

2. Who has become the new Chairman and Managing Director of Northern Coalfields Limited?

(a) Ajay Kala

(b) Ramesh Chandra Sharma

(c) B Sairam

(d) VK Sinha

3. Which team won the Ranji Trophy 2024 title?

(a) Uttar Pradesh

(b) Mumbai

(c) Vidarbha

(d) Bihar

4. According to SIPRI report, which country is the world's top arms importer between 2019-2023?

(a) China

(b) Pakistan

(c) India

(d) Iran

5. Where did PM Modi lay the foundation stone of India's first commercial semiconductor fabrication service?

(a) Punjab

(b) Rajasthan

(c) Uttar Pradesh

(d) Gujarat

6. In which state did Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurate the Kochrab Ashram?

(a) Madhya Pradesh

(b) Himachal Pradesh

(c) Gujarat

(d) Arunachal Pradesh

7. Who has been elected as the new Chief Minister of Haryana?

(a) Naib Saini

(b) Bandaru Dattatreya

(c) Bhupendra Yadav

(d) Atul Pradhan

8. Who won the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for the month of February?

(a) Rohit Sharma

(b) Joe Root

(c) David Warner

(d) Yashasvi Jaiswal

9. Who has been appointed as the new Vigilance Commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission?

(a) A.S. Rajeev

(b) Rajeev Kumar

(c) Anup Awasthi

(d) Ajay Sinha

10. Who won the Best Actor Award at the Academy Awards 2024 (Oscars)?

(a) Robert Downey Jr.

(b) Killian Murphy

(c) Johnny Byrne

(d) Christopher Nolan

Answer:-

1. (d) 134

According to the latest report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on human development, India is ranked 134th in the global Human Development Index (HDI). Whereas India, its neighbor China and Sri Lanka are ranked 75th and 78th respectively in the high human development category. India is classified under 'medium human development'. Bhutan is at 125th and Bangladesh at 129th.  

2. (c) B Sairam

B Sairam has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), the Singrauli-based major subsidiary of Coal India Limited. Sairam has 33 years of service experience in the coal sector.   

3. (b) Mumbai

Mumbai won the Ranji Trophy 2024 by defeating Vidarbha by 169 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Mumbai has won the Ranji title after 8 years. With this, Mumbai also won its 42nd title in the first class tournament. Rahane has also become the 26th captain of Mumbai to win the Ranji Trophy.

4. (c) India

According to the latest data from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India is the world's top arms importer between 2019-2023. Between 2019 and 2023, India imported 9.8% of total global arms imports. After India, there are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Ukraine, Pakistan, Japan, Egypt, Australia, South Korea and China. There is an international institute located in 'Sipri'. It was established in the year 1966.

5. (d) Gujarat

PM Modi laid the foundation stone of Tata-Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp's chip fabrication unit in Dholera Rajasthan. This will be India's first commercial semiconductor fabrication service. This includes three projects worth more than Rs 1.25 lakh crore. The capacity of the Dholera unit will be 50,000 wafer starts per month.

6. (c) Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Kochrab Ashram in Sabarmati, Gujarat. He also launched the master plan of Gandhi Ashram Memorial. PM Modi said that March 12 is also important because on this day Bapu started the Dandi March. Kochrab Ashram was the first ashram established by Mahatma Gandhi after coming to India from South Africa in 1915.

7. (a) Naib Saini

Haryana BJP President and Kurukshetra MP Nayab Saini has been elected as the new Chief Minister of the state. Earlier, Manohar Lal Khattar had resigned from the post of Chief Minister. Saini was elected MLA from Narayangarh in 2014. He joined the Khattar cabinet in the year 2016. In the year 2019, he became the MP from Kurukshetra Lok Sabha constituency.  

8. (d) Yashasvi Jaiswal

Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has won the ICC Men's Player of the Month award after scoring brilliant runs against England. The ICC Women's Player of the Month award for the month of February was given to Australia's Annabel Sutherland.   

9. (a) A.S. Rajeev

President Draupadi Murmu A.S. Rajiv has been appointed as Vigilance Commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission.  A.S. Rajeev is a senior banker with over 38 years of experience in four leading banks - Syndicate Bank, Indian Bank, Vijaya Bank and Bank of Maharashtra. Central Vigilance Commission is an apex Indian government body. It was established in the year 1964.

10. (b) Cillian Murphy

Academy Awards 2024 (96th Academy Awards) has been announced. This award ceremony was organized at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, stole the show and won 7 awards. Cillian Murphy was given the Best Actor Award for the film Oppenheimer. 'Barbie' has received the award for Original Song. 'What was I made for?' Billie Eilish and Phineas have received the award for the song.