ALL EXAM QUIZ 25.05.2024

Explanation:

• Israel accused these nations of “rewarding” Hamas for its brutal attack on October 7.
• Palestinian statehood has been recognized by more than 130 member states of the United Nations.
• The formal recognition of Palestine is a step towards a two-state solution and will ensure peace for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.
• More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 80,000 wounded during the Israeli assault on Gaza.
• The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the main representative of the Palestinians, was the first to declare the establishment of the State of Palestine in 1988.

Explanation:

• A team of scientists using the Indian space observatory AstroSat has made a discovery about a black hole system called Swift J1727.8-1613.
• A team of astrophysicists from U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) along with other stakeholders reported this finding in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS).
• AstroSat first observed Swift J1727.8-1613 on September 2, 2023, and it continuously monitored it until September 14, 2023.
• AstoSat observed unusual behaviour in high-energy X-rays from the black hole Swift J1727.8-1613 during a rare outburst.
• This behaviour is called aperiodic modulation. This is the first time such a pattern has been observed in this system.
• A black hole is a region in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that even light cannot escape from it.
• A black hole is created when a massive star collapses under its gravity at the end of its life cycle.
• A black hole and its companion star are gravitationally bound in the black hole X-ray binary system (BH-XRB).

Explanation:

• Spain becomes the 99th member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
• Meeting of Ambassador José María Ridao Domínguez of Spain was held with the Head of Depository, Joint Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry Abhishek Singh in New Delhi on 22 May 2024.
• During the meeting, Spain handed over the International Solar Alliance Instrument of Ratification.
• ISA was conceptualized on the sidelines of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Paris in 2015.
• India and France jointly launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA) on 30 November 2015 at COP21 in Paris, France.
• ISA is an intergovernmental organization whose headquarters is located in Gurugram, Haryana.
• International Solar Alliance is working to increase access to affordable solar energy for communities around the world.

Explanation:

• Calcutta High Court issued an order to cancel five lakh OBC certificates in West Bengal.
• Five Lakh Other Backward Classes (OBC) certificates issued in West Bengal since 2010 have been cancelled by the Calcutta High Court.
• This judgment has been given by a division bench comprising Justices Tapabrata Chakrabarty and Rajasekhar Mantha.
• The Court clarified that persons who had already secured employment using these certificates would not be affected by this order.
• The Bench struck down some portions of the West Bengal Backward Classes (other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) (Reservation of Vacancies in Services and Posts) Act, 2012.
• The court removed sub-classified categories OBC-A and OBC-B from Schedule I of the Act.
• The executive orders of the state government had classified 66 classes of OBC.
• The opinion and advice of the Backward Classes Commission are binding on the state legislature under the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.

Explanation:

• Indian-origin professor of astronomy, Shrinivas R Kulkarni, wins Shaw Prize.
• Shaw Prize in Astronomy has been given to him for his ground-breaking discoveries about millisecond pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, and supernova.
• Shrinivas R Kulkarni has done MS from the Indian Institute of Technology in 1978 and PHD from University of California in 1983.
• He was also the director of Caltech Optical Observatories from 2006 till 2018.
• The Shaw Prize is given in three fields: Astronomy, Life sciences and Medicine, and Mathematical Sciences.
• The award comprise a monetary award of USD 1.2 million.

Explanation:

• A Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), has been conferred the prestigious ATD BEST Awards 2024.
• It has received the ATD BEST Awards 2024 for its strategic approach to talent development, driving business results.
• It is the third time that POWERGRID has received the ATD BEST Award. Earlier, it was conferred the ATD BEST Awards in 2021 and 2023.
• The award was received by Director (Personnel), Dr Yatindra Dwivedi and CGM (HRD), Shri Bipin Kishor Mundu, on behalf of POWERGRID.
• NTPC has achieved a milestone by securing the 3rd rank globally at the ATD BEST Awards 2024.
• NTPC becomes the only PSU to receive the award seven times in the last eight years.

Explanation:

• Jyoti Ratre has become oldest Indian woman to climb Mount Everest.
• She is 55 years old. She was aided by climbing guides Lakpa Nuru Sherpa, Ming Nuru Sherpa, and Pasang Tenzing Sherpa.
• This was her 2nd attempt to climb the highest peak in the world.
• In 2023, she returned from 8,160 mt because of harsh weather.
• This year, she stayed at Lhotse Camp at 7,800 metres altitude for four nights because of high winds.
• She conquered Mount Everest as part of a 15-member expedition team of 8K Expeditions.
• The team was led by Bolivian climber David Hugo Ayaviri Quispe.
• Six years ago, Sangeeta Bahl became the India’s oldest woman to climb Mount Everest at the age of 53.
• Jyoti Ratre is an entrepreneur from Madhya Pradesh. She has climbed the highest peaks on five continents.
• These peaks include Island Peak, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, Mount Aconcagua, and Kosciuszko.
• Her aim is to summit Mount Vinson in Antarctica and Denali, also called Mount McKinley, in North America.
• She aims to do so to fulfil her dream of conquering the highest peaks on all seven continents.

Explanation:

• The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has recently announced the hosts of the 2026 and 2029 Women's Asian Cup.
• In the year 2026, this tournament will be hosted by Australia and in the year 2029 by Uzbekistan. The AFC Executive Committee announced this at a meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand.

Explanation:

• The President of the United Arab Emirates presented the First Class Medal of Freedom to Paraguay's Ambassador Jose Aguero Avila on the occasion of the end of his tenure as Ambassador to the country.
• Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America.

Explanation:

A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4