This is the current affairs of 31 January & 1 February 2024. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. The District Court of Varanasi allowed the Hindu side to worship in the Vyas basement inside which mosque complex?
a. Gyanvapi Mosque
b. Babri Mosque
c. Irani Mosque
d. none of these
Answer: a. Gyanvapi Mosque
– The workshop built in front of the statue of Nandi on the campus of Gyanvapi is called the Vyasa Workshop.
– On January 31, 2024, the Varanasi District Court granted permission for Hindu worship in the workshop.
– After that, at 11 o’clock at night, idols were placed and worship was performed.
– During this time, the District Magistrate and Police Commissioner were also present.
– Aarti of Ganesha and Lakshmi was performed by lighting lamps.
The Vyasa family had requested permission for worship.
– Worship had been stopped in this workshop since 1993. That is, after 31 years, worship was conducted here.
– Before this, the court had said that the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust Board would decide the name of the priest.
– The DM of Varanasi will make necessary arrangements for worship within 7 days.
– The Varanasi court order stated that the Vyasa family has been worshiping in the workshop since the British era. Fresh petition was also filed by Shailendra Kumar Vyasa of the Vyasa family.
Muslim party’s lawyer said they will go to the High Court.
– During the hearing of the case, lawyers from Anjuman Intejamia, Mumtaz Ahmad, and Akhlak Ahmad had said that the Vyasa workshop is a part of the mosque. This is the property of the Waqf Board. Therefore, permission for worship cannot be granted. – However, after the decision, the lawyer for the Muslim party, Merajuddin, said that the decision is not just. They will go to the High Court against it.
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2. Who was chosen as the leader of JMM Legislature Party for the post of new Chief Minister of Jharkhand?
a. Shibu Soren
b. Alamgir
c. Kalpana Soren
d. Champai Soren
Answer: d. Champai Soren
– The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested former Chief Minister Hemant Soren of Jharkhand. He was the Chief Minister just before his arrest, and he had resigned as Chief Minister to Governor CP Radhakrishnan on January 31, 2024.
– He has been arrested by the ED in an old case of alleged land irregularities.
– After this, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) elected Champai Soren as the leader for the new Chief Minister’s position in a meeting of the legislative party.
Who is Champai Soren:
– He is 67 years old.
– Shibu Soren, the head of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, and his son Hemant Soren, both have had a trustworthy relationship with Champai Soren.
– Champai Soren has been associated with Shibu Soren since the time of the Jharkhand movement.
– Wearing slippers, loose shirt-pants, and greying hair. This is the identity of Champai Soren.
– He is famous as the ‘Jharkhand Tiger’.
– He lives a simple life.
– He resides in the Gelinggoda village of Gamharia block in the Saraikela Kharsawan district.
– He has won the Vidhan Sabha elections from Saraikela six times.
– When Hemant Soren became the Chief Minister for the first time, he was made the Minister of Food Supplies and Science and Technology.
In 23 years, 11 CMs
– The alliance of JMM, Congress, RJD, and CPI (ML) has a majority in Jharkhand.
– In the past 23 years, there have been 11 changes in Chief Ministers in Jharkhand.
Only one CM completed the term in Jharkhand
– Since the formation of the state, except for Raghubar Das, no Chief Minister has completed their term.
– Raghubar Das became the Chief Minister on December 28, 2014, in the BJP’s majority government, and he completed his five-year term.
– Apart from him, no other Chief Minister could rule for five years.
Jharkhand
– Capital: Ranchi
– Governor: CP Radhakrishnan
– Formation: November 15, 2000
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3. Who became the new king of Malaysia for a five-year term?
a. Abdullah Pertuan Agong
b. Anwar Ibrahim
c. Johari abdul
d. Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar
Answer: d. Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar
– After the completion of the five-year term of the former king on January 31, 2024, the new king took the oath of office.
– He has become the 17th king.
– The king in Malaysia is formally known as the ‘Yang di-Pertuan Agong’.
– Ibrahim comes from the powerful Johor royal family, whose chief commands his own private army.
– His father, Sultan Iskandar, ruled as king 39 years ago in 1984.
What does a five-year king mean?
– Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with a unique system.
– Here, among the nine Malaysian states led by Islamic monarchs, the throne changes every five years.
– These monarchs convene to elect a new king.
– This system has been in place since independence from Britain in 1957.
– The role of the king is highly respected in Malaysia, especially among the Malay Muslim majority. Criticism or disrespect towards the king can lead to imprisonment.
– The king’s position is largely ceremonial, but he oversees major appointments like the Prime Minister and serves as the Commander-in-Chief of Islam and its armed forces in the Muslim-majority country.
Malaysia
– King: Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar
– Prime Minister: Anwar Ibrahim
– Capital: Kuala Lumpur
– National Language: Malay
– Currency: Malaysian Ringgit
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4. Which fintech company has been banned by RBI from adding new customers and depositing funds in the account?
a. Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL)
b. PhonePe
c. Airtel Payments Bank
d. none of these
Answer: a. Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL)
– The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has ordered almost all services of Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL) to be shut down after February 29, 2024.
– PPBL is a subsidiary of Paytm.
– Paytm has been barred from accepting deposits or top-ups in any customer accounts, prepaid instruments, wallets, and FASTags, etc.
RBI’s action due to continuous non-compliance with regulations
– The Central Bank has stated that a system audit report and subsequent compliance validation report have revealed continuous non-compliance with standards by the company.
– There have been supervisory lapses noted in the audit as well.
– Banks need to settle bank nodal accounts by March 15.
– Additionally, several other supervisory lapses related to Paytm Bank have surfaced, which may lead to future actions against the company.
Existing customers of Paytm Payments Bank can utilize these services
– However, RBI has clarified that existing customers of Paytm Payments Bank can withdraw or utilize their available balance without any restriction, whether it’s in savings bank accounts, current accounts, prepaid instruments, FASTags, National Common Mobility Cards, etc., without any prohibition on withdrawal or usage of the remaining balance.
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5. The first scientific census of snow leopards in India was released, according to this what is their figure?
a. 718
b. 700
c. 652
d. 200
Answer: a. 718
– On January 30, 2024, Bhupender Yadav, the Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, presented a report on snow leopards in India during a meeting of the National Wildlife Board.
– This meeting was held in New Delhi.
– This report was released under the Snow Leopard Population Assessment (SPLA) program.
– The Indian Institute of Wildlife Sciences (WWF) conducted the study in collaboration with all the states with snow leopard ranges, the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, and WWF-India.
– Under the SPLA, a survey was conducted covering approximately 120,000 square kilometers of snow leopard habitat in the Trans-Himalayan region, including the union territories of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
– These surveys were conducted in two separate phases in the years 2019 and 2023, the report of which was presented by Minister Bhupender Yadav.
The presence and numbers of snow leopards were identified using camera traps set at various locations during day and night.
– A total of 241 new snow leopards were captured.
State-wise population:
– Ladakh: 477
– Uttarakhand: 124
– Himachal Pradesh: 51
– Arunachal Pradesh: 36
– Sikkim: 21
– Jammu and Kashmir: 9
Enhancing Understanding and Research Focus
– Before 2016, research on snow leopards in India was limited, focused only on about one-third of their range.
– Now, the survey has covered nearly 80% of the snow leopard range under the Snow Leopard Range.
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6. Which state or ministry’s tableau in the Republic Day 2024 parade got the first prize?
a. Uttar Pradesh
b. Ministry of Culture
c. Home Ministry
d. Maharashtra
Answer: b. Ministry of Culture
– The tableau of the Ministry of Culture, themed ‘India: the Mother of Democracy,’ received the first prize.
– The effective use of ‘Anamorphic’ (a technique of perspective) to showcase “India’s Cultural Heritage – known as the Mother of Democracy” mesmerized the audience.
– This technique has rendered it contemporary, highlighting the dynamism of our culture.
– Theme of the 75th Republic Day – ‘India – the Matron (Mother) of Democracy’
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7. Who was appointed as the Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) by the Central Government?
a. Sugandh Mahajan
b. Sandeep Trivedi
c. Anil Kumar Lahoti
d. Mona Awasthi
Answer: c. Anil Kumar Lahoti
– “The Cabinet Appointment Committee has now appointed former Railway Board Chief Anil Lahoti to this position.
– He will remain in this position for a term of three years or until the age of 65.
TRAI
– Establishment – 20 February 1997
– Headquarters – New Delhi
– The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is a regulatory body established by the Indian government under Section 3 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1997. It regulates the telecommunications sector in India.
– The mission of TRAI is to create and nurture an environment conducive to the growth of telecommunications in India so that the country can play a leading role in the emerging global information society.
– One of its main objectives is to provide a fair and transparent environment that promotes equal opportunities and facilitates impartial competition in the market. TRAI regularly issues orders and directives on various subjects such as tariffs, interconnection, service quality, direct-to-home services, and mobile number portability.”
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8. Who became the first woman Subedar in the Indian Army?
a. Richa Tyagi
b. Garima Pandey
c. Monica Mehta
d. Preeti Rajak
Answer: d. Preeti Rajak
– Subedar Preeti Rajak is now the first woman Subedar in the Indian Army.
– She was promoted to this rank on January 27, 2024.
– Preeti is a champion trap shooter.
– She joined the army in December 2022 as a soldier in the military police corps.
– The army stated, “It is a proud moment not only for the Indian Army but also for the women of the country. Today, trap shooter Havaldar Preeti Rajak has been promoted to the rank of Subedar.”
– She was the first meritorious player nominated in the army in the discipline of shooting as a Havaldar.
– Preeti won a silver medal in the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China.
– Preeti is ranked sixth in India (Trap Women’s Competition) and is training at the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) for the preparation of the Paris Olympic Games 2024.
Army Chief – General Manoj Pandey
CDS – General Anil Chauhan
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9. When is Indian Coast Guard Day celebrated?
a. 1 February
b. 2 February
c. 3 February
d. 4 February
Answer: a. 1 February
– On this day in 1977, the Indian Coast Guard was established by the Parliament of India through the Coast Guard Act.
– This year marked the celebration of the 47th Indian Coast Guard Day.
– The Indian Coast Guard protects India’s approximately 7500 kilometers of maritime borders.
– Additionally, it assists in relief and rescue operations.
Indian Coast Guard
– Established: February 1, 1977
– Headquarters: New Delhi
– Director General: Vice Admiral Vinay Pathania
– Motto: “Vayam Rakshamah” (We Protect)
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10. When is World Wetlands Day celebrated?
a. 1 February
b. 2 February
c. 3 February
d. 4 February
Answer: b. 2 February
Theme of 2024:
Wetlands and Human Well-being
– On this day in 1971, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was adopted in the city of Ramsar, Iran.
– Its aim is to raise awareness about the importance of wetlands among people.
– It was initiated in the year 1997.
