The correct answer is July 1, 2015

Key Points

• Digital India is a flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.
• The programme was launched on July 1, 2015 by Hon' Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) of the Government of India launched the Digital India’ programme with the vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge-based economy by ensuring digital access, digital inclusion, digital empowerment, and bridging the digital divide.

Important Points

• Objectives of Digital India
  • The motto of the Digital India Mission is ‘Power to Empower’.
  • There are three core components to the Digital India initiative.
  • They are digital infrastructure creation, digital delivery of services, and digital literacy.
  • The major objectives of this initiative are listed below:
  • To provide high-speed internet in all gram panchayats.
  • To provide easy access to Common Service Centre (CSC) in all the locality.
  • Digital India is an initiative that combines a large number of ideas and thoughts into a single, comprehensive vision so that each of them is seen as part of a larger goal.
  • The Digital India Programme also focuses on restructuring many existing schemes that can be implemented in a synchronized manner.

The correct answer is 1951.

Key Points

• Finance Commission is a Constitutional body that defines the financial relationship between the Central Government and the State Government.
• The first Finance Commission came into existence on 22nd November 1951 and its Chairman was Kshitish Chandra Neogy.
• The headquarters of the Finance Commission is in New Delhi.
• Arvind Panagariya is the Chairman of the current 16th Finance Commision.

Additional Information

• The President of India constitutes the Finance Commission every five years which consists of a chairman and four other members.
• Article 280 of the Constitution of India deals with the Finance Commission and Article 243I deals with the State Finance Commission.
• The bodies which are mentioned in the Indian Constitution and are considered more powerful and Independent are known as Constitutional bodies, and those which are not mentioned in the Constitution are known as Non-Constitutional bodies. Finance Commission is a Constitutional body.
• Governor constitutes Finance Commission every five years to review the financial position of Panchayats and Municipalities.

The Correct Answer is The Banker, Financial Times.

In News

• Federal Bank Named "Bank of the Year (India)" by The Banker, Financial Times.

Key Points

• Federal Bank, a leading financial institution, has been recognised as "Bank of the Year (India)" by Financial Times owned The Banker, one of the only three global awards that considers the work of banks spanning 120 countries.
• One of the standout initiatives that garnered attention was the introduction of the Digital Personal Loan by Federal Bank. This innovative product allows customers to seamlessly apply for and receive loans entirely online. 
• Recognizing the challenges faced by customers in rural areas in accessing banking services, Federal Bank launched the 'Bank on the Go' initiative. This groundbreaking initiative involves a mobile vehicle equipped with banking kiosks that travel to different locations. 
• Federal Bank has also embraced cutting-edge technology to enhance customer support, introducing "Feddy", an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot. 
• Shyam Srinivasan: MD & CEO, Federal Bank

The correct answer is Court.

Key Points

• A basketball court is a rectangular surface with a basket at each end. It is the playing field for the game of basketball.
• The court is divided into two halves by the midcourt line. Each half is further divided into two areas: the frontcourt and the backcourt.
• The frontcourt is the area of the court closest to the team's own basket. The backcourt is the area of the court closest to the opponent's basket.
• The court also has a number of other markings, including the three-point line, the free throw line, and the lane.
• The three-point line is a semicircle that is located 23 feet, 9 inches from the basket. Shots made from behind the three-point line are worth three points.
• The free throw line is a line that is located 15 feet from the basket. Shots made from the free throw line are worth one point.
• The lane is a rectangular area that is located beneath the basket. The lane is also known as the key.

The Correct Answer is IV.

Key Points

• The Directive Principles of State Policy figure in Part IV of the Constitution of India.
• The Guidelines or 15 Principles given to the federal institutions regulating the State of India are the Directive Principles of State Policy of India, to be held in quotation when framing laws and policies.
• These provide that Part IV of the Indian Constitution is not enforceable by any court, but the principles laid down therein are taken into account in the country's governance, making it the responsibility of the State to enforce certain principles in the development of laws to create a just society in the country.
• The principles were inspired by the Directive Principles of Social Justice, Economic Welfare, Foreign Policy and Legal and Administrative Matters in the Constitution of Ireland.
• The values of the Directive are categorized under the following categories: economic and socialist, political and administrative, legal and judicial, environmental, monument preservation, peace and security.

Important Points

• Fundamental rights are those rights that are important for the people of India to grow mentally, morally and spiritually. Since these rights are necessary or essential for individual life and all-round growth, they are called 'Fundamental Rights'. These are enshrined in the Constitution of India, Part III (Articles 12 to 35).
• Part VIII – The Union Territories
• Part III – Fundamental Rights

The correct answer is 1867.

Key Points

• Prarthana Samaj was founded by Atmaram Pandurang in 1867.
  • It was founded in Bombay.
  • It was formed to carry out social and religious reforms.
  • Dr Atmaram Pandurang was an Indian Physician and Social Reformer.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Karnataka.

In News

• Legendary Kannada film personality Leelavathi belonged to Karnataka died in December 2023.

Key Points

• Leelavathi's association with Kannada cinema indicates her connection to the state of Karnataka.
• She is praised for her versatile acting in numerous Kannada films, underlining her significant contribution to the state's film industry.
• The expression of grief and condolences in Kannada by Prime Minister Narendra Modi further emphasizes her Karnataka roots.
• Leelavathi's multifaceted roles and remarkable talent left a lasting impact on the Kannada film industry.

The first statues to be worshipped in India were probably of Buddha.

Key Points

• The earliest surviving human statues in India are of the Buddha, and they date from the 3rd century BCE.
• This suggests that the practice of image worship in India began with Buddhism, and only later spread to Hinduism and other religions.
• There are a few reasons why this might have happened.
• First, Buddhism was the first major religion in India to emphasize the importance of the human form.
• The Buddha himself was a human being, and he taught that all beings are capable of achieving enlightenment.
• This made it natural for Buddhists to create images of the Buddha, as a way of representing his teachings and his presence.
• Second, Buddhism was a relatively new religion in India when it began to produce images of the Buddha.
• This meant that it was not bound by the same traditions and taboos as the older religions, such as Hinduism.
• As a result, Buddhists were more willing to experiment with new forms of art, including the creation of human statues.
• Finally, Buddhism was a very popular religion in India, and it spread rapidly throughout the subcontinent.
• This meant that there was a large demand for images of the Buddha, which helped to fuel the development of Buddhist sculpture.
• In contrast, the Hindu gods Shiva, Vishnu, and Indra were originally worshipped in more abstract forms, such as symbols or natural objects.
• It was not until the Gupta period (4th-6th centuries CE) that Hinduism began to produce human images of its gods.
• This suggests that the practice of image worship in Hinduism was influenced by Buddhism.
• So, while the first statues to be worshipped in India were probably of the Buddha, this does not mean that other religions did not eventually adopt the practice of image worship.

• In fact, image worship is now an important part of many different religions in India, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

​So the correct answer is Buddha.

The Correct Answer is Montreal Protocol.

Key Points

• An international agreement adopted in 1987 is the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (the Montreal Protocol).
• To help protect the earth's ozone layer, it was planned to avoid the production and import of ozone-depleting substances and reduce their concentration in the atmosphere.
• The Vienna Convention for the Defense of the Ozone Layer is protected by the Montreal Protocol (the Vienna Convention).
• Following the international discussion of scientific observations in the 1970s and 1980s highlighting the detrimental impact of human activity on ozone levels in the stratosphere and the discovery of the 'ozone hole', the Vienna Convention was adopted in 1985.
• The Montreal Protocol is commonly considered to be the most effective agreement for environmental protection. It sets out a mandatory timetable for the phase-out of pollutants that deplete ozone.
• This timeline has been periodically revised, with phase-out dates accelerated in line with scientific understanding and technical advancement.
• For all major ozone-depleting compounds, including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons and less harmful transitional chemicals such as hydrochlorofluorocarbons(HCFCs), the Montreal Protocol sets binding progressive phase-out obligations for developed and developing countries.

The correct answer is Denmark.

In News

• Denmark has performed the best in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2023.

Key Points

• Denmark achieved the top spot with a remarkable score of 75.59.
• No country has taken the top three positions in the 'very high' performance category.
• Estonia and Philippines secured the second and third rank after denmark, with scores of 72.07 and 70.70, respectively.

Important Points

• India's Ranking in CCPI 2024: India secured the 7th position in the CCPI 2024, exhibiting a stride forward from 8th spot in CCPI 2023.
• The 28th COP host UAE (65th), is one of the lowest performing countries.
• Out of the total 63 countries, 37 countries showed a decline in performance compared to the previous year.