Weekly Current Affairs Questions and Answers: 19 August to 26 August 2024

This week, we have compiled 10 weekly current affairs questions and answers relevant for government exams, including topics such as National Geoscience Awards, Paris Paralympics 2024, Upcoming Women's T20 World Cup and others. 

1. National Geoscience Awards have been instituted by which Ministry?

(a) Ministry of Science and Technology

(b) Ministry of Environment

(c) Ministry of Mines

(d) Ministry of Power

2. Who has been selected as India's flag-bearer for the opening ceremony of Paris Paralympics 2024?

(a) Neeraj Chopra

(b) Devendra Jhajharia

(c) Sumit Antil

(d) Manish Narwal

3. On whose birth anniversary is Goodwill Day celebrated every year?

(a) Mahatma Gandhi

(b) Sushma Swaraj

(c) Rajiv Gandhi

(d) Atal Bihari Vajpayee

4. In which state was Maharashtra's first 'Solar Village' inaugurated?

(a) Sangli

(b) Satara

(c) Solapur

(d) Kolhapur

5. Who has recently taken charge as the new Union Home Secretary?

(a) Govind Mohan

(b) Ajay Kumar Bhalla

(c) Rajeev Sinha

(d) None of these

6. Who has been appointed as the interim chairman of the Airports Authority of India?

(a) Kamlesh Kumar Singh

(b) M Suresh

(c) Sanjeev Kumar

(d) Rajeev Kumar Sinha

7. Who has been appointed as the chairman-designate of NASSCOM?

(a) Pranav Raj

(b) Rajesh Nambiar

(c) Debjani Ghosh

(d) Ajay Agnihotri

8. Who has been named as the Chef de Mission of the Indian contingent for Paris Paralympics 2024?

(a) Abhinav Bindra

(b) Satya Prakash Sangwan

(c) Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

(d) PT Usha

9. In which country will the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup be organized instead of Bangladesh?

(a) India

(b) Pakistan

(c) Australia

(d) UAE

10. With whom did the Indian Navy recently sign an agreement for engineering equipment?

(a) Reliance Power

(b) BEML Limited

(c) Tech Mahindra

(d) Tata Steel

Answer:-

1. (c) Ministry of Mines

President Draupadi Murmu presented the National Geoscience Awards-2023 at a function held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Center on August 20, 2024. The National Geoscience Awards have been instituted by the Ministry of Mines, Government of India with the objective of honouring individuals and teams for exceptional achievements and outstanding contributions in various fields of Geosciences.

2. (c) Sumit Antil

The Paralympic Committee of India has made an important announcement regarding the country's representation at the upcoming 2024 Paris Paralympics. 25-year-old para-athlete Sumit Antil has been named as one of India's flag bearers for the opening ceremony.

3. (c) Rajiv Gandhi

Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's birth anniversary is celebrated as Goodwill Day every year on 20 August across the country. Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989. This day commemorates his vision for a prosperous, united and peaceful India.

4. (b) Satara

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated the first 'Solar Village' in the state. Manyachiwadi village in Patan taluka of Satara district has become Maharashtra's first 'solar village'. Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) has announced an ambitious plan to provide 100% solar powered power to two villages in each district.

5. (a) Govind Mohan

Senior IAS officer Govind Mohan recently took charge as the new Union Home Secretary. He has replaced Ajay Kumar Bhalla. Mohan, who has a BTech from Banaras Hindu University and a PG Diploma from IIM, Ahmedabad, was serving as Union Culture Secretary before being appointed to the top bureaucratic post after Cabinet Secretary.  

6. (b) M Suresh

M Suresh has been appointed as the interim chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) from August 2024. The change comes after the government's decision to remove previous president Sanjiv Kumar from the post, marking a significant change in the leadership of the organisation.

7. (b) Rajesh Nambiar

Rajesh Nambiar has been appointed as the chairman-designate of the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) in place of Debjani Ghosh. His term ends in November 2024. Following this appointment, Nambiar has resigned from his role as Chairman and Managing Director of Cognizant India.  

8. (b) Satya Prakash Sangwan

The Paralympic Committee of India has named vice-president Satya Prakash Sangwan as the Chef de Mission of the Indian contingent going to the Paralympics. India is sending its largest contingent for the upcoming Paralympics, with 84 para-athletes representing India in Paris.

9. (d) UAE

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to shift the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup from Bangladesh to the UAE after a board meeting. This ten-team tournament will begin on October 3 where the opening match will be between England and South Africa. It will be organized in Dubai and Sharjah.

10. (b) BEML Limited

The Indian Navy has signed an agreement with defence and heavy engineering manufacturer BEML Limited for indigenisation of marine engineering equipment. This initiative is for bilateral cooperation for indigenous design, testing and productisation of critical marine engineering equipment and systems.