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1. Name the first Chairman of Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT)?
a. Rakesh Aggarwal
b. Mukesh Paswan
c. Ajay Verma
d. Sanjay Kumar Mishra
Answer: d. Sanjay Kumar Mishra
– The Ministry of Finance has appointed Sanjay Kumar Mishra as the first chairman of GSTAT.
– His selection was made by the committee chaired by the Chief Justice of India.
About GSTAT:
– Full name: Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal.
– GSTAT is an appellate authority established under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act.
– It hears various appeals under the GST Act in states and union territories governed by both state and central governments.
– It consists of a head bench and various state benches.
– As per the approval of the GST Council, the government has designated the head bench in Delhi and 31 state benches at various locations across the country.
– GSTAT will commence functioning from the head bench in Delhi from July 1, 2024.
Note: GST was implemented in India from July 1, 2017. GST was enacted as the 101st Constitutional Amendment Act. The President of India approved the Central GST Law on April 12, 2017.
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2. Who became the First Minister of Scotland?
a. John Swinney
b. Humza Yousaf
c. Alex Salmond
d. Nicola Sturgeon
Answer: a. John Swinney
United Kingdom
– The United Kingdom is a multi-nation country (a multinational state).
– It comprises three nations: England, Scotland, and Wales, together known as Great Britain.
– When combined with Northern Ireland, it is referred to as the United Kingdom.
– It is formed by the union of four nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
– Its Prime Minister is Rishi Sunak.
– While Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have First Ministers, who operate under the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Scotland
– Part of which country: United Kingdom
– Capital of Scotland: Edinburgh
– First Minister of Scotland: John Swinney
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3. Which state government has issued an alert regarding West Nile fever infection?
a. Tamil Nadu
b. Kerala
c. Karnataka
d. Andhra Pradesh
Answer: b. Kerala
– Following confirmation of cases of West Nile fever, the Health Department of Kerala issued an alert on May 8, 2024.
– This disease has spread in three districts: Thrissur, Malappuram, and Kozhikode.
– A 79-year-old elderly person died from this fever in Thrissur.
– The state government has instructed the implementation of mosquito control measures for this.
– This includes increasing monsoon pre-cleaning and mosquito surveillance activities.
About West Nile:
– According to Dr. Rakesh Gupta, Senior Consultant in Internal Medicine at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, West Nile fever is a mosquito-borne disease.
– It is caused by the West Nile virus.
– It spreads from infected mosquitoes, which become carriers after feeding on dead infected birds.
– Birds are the primary hosts of this virus.
Symptoms
– According to the Kerala Health Department, about 80 percent of infected individuals will not show any symptoms.
– Most infected individuals do not exhibit any symptoms.
– Approximately 20% of infected individuals experience symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and red rashes on the skin.
– In severe cases, occurring in less than 1% of infections, the virus can cause neurological complications such as encephalitis.
Kerala
– Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
– Population: 34.6 million
– Language: Malayalam
– Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
– Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
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4. Who has been declared the winner of the Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Award 2024?
a. Bhavi Mehta
b. Saloni Gaikwad
c. Geetanjali Shri
d. Saloni Madhavan
Answer: a. Bhavi Mehta
– Oxford Bookstores has selected Bhavi Mehta as the winner of the Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize 2024 for the 9th edition.
– The event was held on April 29, 2024, at the India Habitat Center.
– The book for which Bhavi received this prize is titled “The Book Beautiful,” written by Pradeep Sebastian.
– As a prize, Saloni Mehta received a trophy, certificate, and a cash award of Rs. 1 lakh.
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5. Salam bin Razzaq died on 7 May 2024, he was a famous litterateur of which language?
a. Hindi
b. Urdu
c. Persian
d. English
Answer: b. Urdu
– He was 83 years old. His demise occurred in Navi Mumbai.
– More than 50 stories by Salam Bin Razzak have been broadcasted on All India Radio.
– He was honored with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2004.
– This honor was bestowed upon him for his famous story collection “Shikast Baton Ke Darmiyan.”
– Salam received several accolades including the Ghalib Award and the Maharashtra Urdu Sahitya Academy Award.
– Salam’s stories like “Mudabbir,” “Zindagi Afsana Rahi,” and “Nangi Dopahar Ka Sipahi” are famous.
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6. In which city of India will the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting be held?
a. Kanpur
b. Lucknow
c. New Delhi
d. Kochi
Answer: d. Kochi (Kerala)
– The Ministry of Earth Sciences has stated on May 2 that India will host the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM 46).
– During the same period, the 26th meeting of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP 26) will also be organized.
– The organization of ATCM 46 and CEP 26 will be done with the collaboration of the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR).
– This year, it is hoped that more than 350 representatives from over 60 countries will participate.
– These meetings are crucial for safeguarding the delicate ecosystem of Antarctica and promoting scientific research in the region.
Antarctic Treaty
– The Antarctic Treaty was signed by 12 countries in Washington, D.C. in 1959 and came into force in 1961.
– Currently, 56 countries have signed the Antarctic Treaty.
– India signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1983 and enacted the Antarctic Act passed by Parliament in 2022.
– In 1983, the Indian government established its first Antarctic research station, Dakshin Gangotri, to initiate research in the Antarctic region. It got buried in ice. Two more research stations were later established.
Indian Research Stations in Antarctica
– Presently, India has two research stations in Antarctica.
– Their names are ‘Maitri’ and ‘Bharati’.
Maitri Research Station was established in 1989-90, and Bharati Research Station was established in March 2013.
– Research and investigations are conducted at both stations to understand polar processes and phenomena. Studies include observations and research in atmospheric, biological, geological, environmental sciences, etc.
What was the name of the first research station?
– Before ‘Maitri’ and ‘Bharati’ in Antarctica, there was another research station.
– Its name was ‘Dakshin Gangotri’, established in 1984.
– It was India’s first station in the icy continent. However, in 1988-89, this station got buried in ice.
NCPOR
– The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) is the primary scientific research body of the Indian government for research in polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic), Himalayas, and the Southern Ocean.
– It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.
– NCPOR’s headquarters is located in Goa.
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7. Which company has decided to withdraw the Covid-19 vaccine from the market after admitting that it poses a risk of heart attack and stroke?
a. Bharat Biotech
b. Zydus Cadila
c. AstraZeneca
d. None of these
Answer: c. AstraZeneca
– British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has decided to halt the sale of its COVID-19 vaccine worldwide.
– The company stated that manufacturing and supply of the vaccine will no longer continue.
– AstraZeneca claims that the decision to halt the vaccine is not due to side effects. The company explained that the vaccine is being withdrawn from markets for commercial reasons.
The vaccine made with the same formula was known as Covishield in India.
– AstraZeneca, in collaboration with Oxford University, developed the coronavirus vaccine in 2020.
– Using the same formula, the Serum Institute of India produced the vaccine under the name Covishield.
– However, in Britain and Australia, it is known as ‘Vaxzevria’.
Side Effects of the Vaccine:
– In documents submitted to the British High Court, the company acknowledged that their coronavirus vaccine could lead to a very rare condition called Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, abbreviated as TTS.
– This condition causes blood clots to form in the body and a decrease in the number of platelets.
– As a result, there is also a risk of heart attack and stroke.
– Blood clots can occur in various parts of the body, including:
– Brain (Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis or CVST)
– Abdomen (Splanchnic Vein Thrombosis)
Lungs (Pulmonary Embolism)
– Limbs (Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT)
– Blood vessels (Arterial Thrombosis)
Lawsuit Against AstraZeneca:
– There are currently 51 cases pending against the company in the High Court.
The plaintiffs have demanded nearly 1,000 crores in damages from AstraZeneca.
– In April 2021, a person named Jamie Scott received this vaccine.
– Subsequently, his health deteriorated. The direct effect of blood clotting occurred in his brain.
– He also experienced internal bleeding in his brain.
– In 2023, Scott filed a complaint against AstraZeneca.
Indian Government Dismissed the Case of Side Effects:
– India’s CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organization) had acknowledged some side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine, including common symptoms like headache, fatigue, and feeling cold, which can occur due to other vaccines as well.
– However, CDSCO had dismissed any other side effects.
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8. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) signed MoU with the central bank of which country to create a payment system like UPI for the first time outside India?
a. France
b. Romania
c. Namibia
d. Australia
Answer: c. Namibia
– The international division of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), “NPCI International Payments Limited” (NIPL), has announced assistance in developing an instant payment system similar to UPI for Namibia.
– NIPL signed an agreement with the Bank of Namibia (BON) for this on May 2, 2024.
– This collaboration with a central bank in the international market to deploy the UPI stack marks NPCI’s first collaboration.
– The purpose of this agreement is to enhance digital financial services in African countries, supporting person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) real-time payment transactions.
– NPCL, the international payments arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), is responsible for developing UPI usage in other countries.
– UPI is one of the most popular digital payment options in India.
– NPCI was established in 2008 in India to operate retail payments and settlement systems.
Namibia:
– Capital: Windhoek
– President: Hage Geingob
– Population: 3 million
– Currency: Namibian Dollar
– Neighboring countries: Angola, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa
– Ocean: South Atlantic Ocean
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9. When is World Laughter Day celebrated?
a. First Sunday of May
b. Second Sunday of May
c. Third Sunday of May
d. Fourth Sunday of May
Answer: a. First Sunday of May (5 May in 2024)
– World Laughter Day was established in 1998, and the first celebration took place on May 10, 1998, organized by Dr. Madan Kataria, the founder of the worldwide laughter yoga movement, in Mumbai.
– This day is now celebrated globally on the first Sunday of May each year.
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10. When is International Argania Day celebrated?
a. 10 May
b. 11 May
c. 12 May
d. 13 May
Answer: a. 10 May
– The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared this day in the year 2021.
– It is observed to raise awareness about the environmental significance of the argan tree.
About the Argan Tree:
– The Argan tree (Argania spinosa) is a species native to the semi-desert regions of Morocco.
– Morocco is a North African country bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
– The tree grows in arid and semi-arid regions.
– It produces a rare oil called Argan oil, extracted from its seeds.
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11. When is National Technology Day celebrated?
a. 9 May
b. 10 May
c. 11 May
d. 12 May
Answer: c. 11 May
– On this day, India successfully conducted nuclear bomb tests (Operation Shakti) in Pokhran on May 11, 1998.
– The objective was to commemorate the scientific and technological achievements of Indian scientists and engineers. This day was named by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
– This was the second test conducted after Operation Smiling Buddha in Pokhran-I in May 1974.
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