This is the current affairs of 24 & 25 May 2023. Here are 11 questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. ‘Sengol’ will be installed near the chair of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha in the new Parliament House, in which kingdom was there a tradition of giving this scepter to the new king?
a. Sakya
b. Nand
c. Maurya
d. Chola
Answer: d. Chola
– The new building of Parliament will be inaugurated on 28 May 2023.
– On this day, the Scepter (Sengol) will be placed next to the chair of the Lok Sabha Speaker.
– Earlier, scholars from Tamil Nadu will give Sengol to PM Narendra Modi.
– This is a replica of the scepter used in the Chola Empire.
– Used to be worn by the king/queen of the Chola Empire on ceremonial occasions. For example, during the change of power.
– Although the elected representatives of the public will sit in the new Parliament House, but the scepter will be kept in front.
– It was handed over to Pandit Nehru for the last time at the midnight of 15 August 1947. Since then it was kept in the museum of Allahabad.
– Subsequently, the Ashoka Pillar was adopted as the emblem of India on January 26, 1950, the same day India became a republic.
Jawaharlal Nehru had received Sengol
– The Central Government has released a website for this (www.sengol1947ignca.in).
– Union Home Minister Amit Shah says that ‘Sengol’ was the ceremony of handing over the scepter made by the Thiruvaduthurai Aadheenam (monastery) in Tamil Nadu to India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on the eve of independence, Which was actually a symbol and sacred of the “transfer of power” from the British.
– According to the official website, Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, asked Nehru a few days before becoming the PM that if you want to celebrate the country’s independence through a special kind of symbol, then tell.
– Nehru discussed with India’s famous freedom fighter C. Rajagopalachari.
– Rajagopalachari had been the CM of Madras. He told about the Tamil tradition of presenting the scepter to Nehru. In this, the high priest of the state (Rajguru) presents a scepter to the new king on his assumption of power.
– According to tradition, this Rajaguru belongs to the Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam Math.
– On August 14, 1947, at 11.45 pm i.e. 15 minutes before getting independence, the priest of the monastery gave the scepter to Mountbatten.
– After this Pandit Nehru accepted it.
– After this, Pandit Nehru had kept Sengol in the museum.
– Now Home Minister Amit Shah has told that PM Modi will accept Sengol (scepter) i.e. scepter at the time of inauguration of the new Parliament building. It is a decorated metal rod which was worn by the king/queen on ceremonial occasions.
Evidence of Sengol as a symbol of the transfer of power unclear
– However, The Hindu newspaper stated in its report (https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sengol-evidence-thin-on-governments-claims-about-the-sceptre/article66894055.ece) that news reports and books do not clearly establish that this presentation of the mace (Sengol) was acknowledged by the leaders and the then government as a symbolic transfer of power.
Chola Empire:
– The Cholas were a Tamil dynasty of ancient India. They defeated the Pallavas in the 9th century to come to power.
– The Tamil Chola rulers built a powerful empire in South India and in other nearby countries from the 9th century to the 13th century.
– Vijayalaya was the founder of the Chola Empire. He established it in the 9th century. However, their initial influence is also believed to be from the third century.
– Later in 985 AD, Rajaraja Chola became the king, who was considered the most powerful Chola king.
– The reign of Rajendra Chola is called the Golden Age of Cholas.
– On the strength of this strong navy, the Chola Empire included the places around the maritime provinces under its rule.
– These included countries like Maldives, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore.
– Also there was trade with China.
– ‘Sengol’ is the scepter used in the Chola Empire.
– Used to be worn by the king/queen of the Chola Empire on ceremonial occasions. For example, during the change of power.
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2. How many rupees coin will be released during the inauguration of the new Parliament House?
a. 25 rupees
b. 50 rupees
c. 75 rupees
d. 100 rupees
Answer: c. 75 rupees
– On one side of the coin will be the Ashoka Pillar, and on the other side will be the image of the Parliament.
– It has been minted in the Kolkata Mint.
– According to the Ministry of Finance, the coin will have a face value of 75 rupees.
– Its diameter is 44 millimeters.
– This coin is made from a mix of 50% silver, 40% copper, 5% nickel, and 5% zinc.
– One side of the coin will have the Ashoka Pillar with the inscription “Satyameva Jayate” below it.
– A stamp will also be launched on this occasion.
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3. About 20 political parties have decided to boycott the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament House, what reason did all of them give for this?
a. Not calling the president
b. Sengol protest
c. both a and b
d. None of these
Answer: a. Not calling the president
– Several opposition parties are raising questions about not inviting the President to the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building.
– They are saying that the inauguration of the new building should be done by the President.
– In fact, the Parliament consists of three parts – the President, the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). In such a scenario, it is not appropriate to exclude the President.
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4. Which fighter jet made a night landing on indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant?
a. MiG-29K
b. MiG-21
c. Rafale-M
d. Mig-31
Answer: a. MiG-29K
– The Indian Navy has shared its video.
– Landing fighter jets on an aircraft carrier at night is challenging.
– In fact, the speed of an aircraft carrier is around 40-50 kilometers per hour, while the speed of a fighter jet is usually around 250 kilometers per hour.
– In such a situation, the pilot has to manage the speed of the jet according to the carrier’s speed.
– During landing on the flight deck, the pilot lowers the tail hook of the jet, which brings the jet’s speed down to zero from 250 kilometers per hour.
– Doing this at night is extremely difficult.
About MiG-29K:
– The MiG-29K jet is part of the combat fleet of the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier.
– Its speed is twice the speed of sound, hence it is called a supersonic fighter jet.
– It is capable of flying at an altitude of 65,000 feet.
INS Vikrant:
– It has been constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).
– It has been designed by the Warship Design Bureau.
– The Indian Navy had purchased approximately 45 MiG-29K fighter planes from Russia for around 2 billion dollars (approximately 16,000 crore rupees) between 2009 and 2017.
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5. Who is the first woman from Saudi Arabia to go into space?
a. Arfa Khan
b. Rayyana Barnawi
c. Ayesha
d. Shahnaz Banu
Answer: b. Rayyana Barnawi
– Rayyana Barnawi of Saudi Arabia has become the first female astronaut to go to space.
– On May 21, 2023, she flew aboard the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket along with three other individuals from Saudi Arabia.
– These include Ali Al-Karni from Saudi Arabia, businessman John Schoffner, and former astronaut Peggy Whitson.
– They all reached the International Space Station where the four space travelers will conduct various experiments in the Zero Gravity Lab.
– They will also investigate the effects of microgravity on stem cells and the formation of large molecules.
– In fact, Rayaan Barnawi is a stem cell researcher who conducts research on breast cancer.
Saudi Arabia attempts to improve its conservative image:
– In fact, Saudi Arabia has been known for its conservative image, but efforts are being made to change that.
– As part of this, Saudi Arabia has sent a female astronaut through SpaceX.
– Women in Saudi Arabia were granted the right to drive only in 2018.
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6. Which neighboring country did the Indian Railways hand over more than 20 locomotives to?
a. Pakistan
b. Sri Lanka
c. Bangladesh
d. Nepal
Answer: c. Bangladesh
– In May 2023, India handed over more than 20 broad gauge rail engines to Bangladesh.
– India had made this promise to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit to India in October 2019.
– Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Bangladesh’s Minister of Railways, Mohammad Nurul Islam Sujan, participated virtually in the organized ceremony.
– Prior to this, in June 2020, India had also provided Bangladesh with 10 engines.
What are the benefits of this supply?
– The supply of broad gauge engines will help improve the freight and passenger trains.
– India and Bangladesh already have good relations, but this supply is further strengthening the railway sector between the two countries.
Increase in cargo train operations between the two countries:
– There has been a consistent increase in the exchange of approximately 100 cargo trains every month between India and Bangladesh.
– The Ministry of Railways stated that around 2.66 million tons of cargo were sent to Bangladesh in the previous fiscal year.
What is cargo?
– Cargo (or freight) refers to the transportation of goods or products by ships, airplanes, trains, vans, or trucks, usually for commercial purposes.
Operation of 100 cargo trains between India and Bangladesh:
1- Gede-Darshana
2- Benapole-Petrapole
3- Singhabad-Rohanpur
4- Radhikapur-Birol
5- Haldibari-Chilhati
– In addition to these, work is underway on the Akhaura-Agartala and Mahishasan-Shahbajpur routes. Once the work is completed, they will also be operationalized.
Passenger trains between India and Bangladesh:
– Kolkata to Dhaka Maitree Express
– Kolkata to Khulna Bandhan Express
– New Jalpaiguri to Dhaka Mitali Express
Bangladesh:
– Capital – Dhaka
– Prime Minister – Sheikh Hasina
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7. Who has been made the brand ambassador of Tripura Tourism?
a. Sachin Tendulkar
b. Sourav Ganguly
c. Rahul Dravid
d. Yuvraj Singh
Answer: b. Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly:
– Sourav Ganguly is known as “Dada” (elder brother) in cricket.
– He is a former captain of the Indian cricket team and the former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Tripura:
– Chief Minister – Manik Sarkar
– Governor – Satyadev Narayan Arya
– Capital – Agartala
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8. Who is the number one player in the World Athletics Men’s Javelin Ranking (May 2023)?
a. Arshad Nadeem
b. Shivpal Singh
c. Neeraj Chopra
d. Sundar Singh Gurjar
Answer: c. Neeraj Chopra
– World Athletics released the men’s javelin ranking in May 2023.
– Neeraj Chopra secured the top position with 1455 points.
– World champion Anderson Peters was in second place with 1433 points.
– Jakub Vadlejch from the Czech Republic held the third position with 1416 points.
Neeraj Chopra:
– Neeraj Chopra is a track and field athlete specializing in javelin throw.
– He made history by winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2021 with a throw of 87.58 meters. Since then, he has set several impressive records.
– He is the second Indian athlete, after Abhinav Bindra, to win a gold medal at the World Championships level in athletics.
Doha Diamond League 2023:
– In May 2023, Neeraj Chopra secured the first position in the qualifying round of the Doha Diamond League 2023 (javelin throw).
– He threw the javelin at a distance of 88.67 meters.
– This competition took place on May 6, 2023, in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
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9. When is World Thyroid Day observed?
a. 25 May
b. 26 May
c. 27 May
d. 28 May
Answer: a. 25 May
– Thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland, which is present in the lower part of the thyroid gland throat.
– Decreased thyroid hormone causes weight gain and loss.
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10. When is the International Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories observed?
a. 19 to 26 May
b. 22 to 28 May
c. 25 to 31 May
d. 25 to 31 June
Answer: c. 25 to 31 May
– This day has been declared by the United Nations.
– Its objective is to take effective measures to protect and guarantee the inalienable rights of the people of the Non-Self-Governing Territories to their natural resources, including land.
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11. When is International Missing Children’s Day Observed?
a. 22 May
b. 23 May
c. 24 May
d. 25 May
Answer: d. 25 May
