This is the current affairs of 11 & 12 December 2024. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
PDF Download: Click here
1. For the first time in Indian parliamentary history, under which article of the Constitution did the opposition parties submit a notice to remove the Vice President from his post?
a. Article 67
b. Article 62
c. Article 61
d. Article 52
Answer: a. Article 67 (B)
– For the first time in Indian parliamentary history, in December 2024, Members of Parliament from opposition parties presented a notice to remove the Vice President (who is also the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha) from office. This proposal will be presented after 14 days.
Process of Removing the Vice President
– According to Article 67(B) of the Constitution, “The Vice President can be removed from office by a resolution passed by the majority of all the members of the Rajya Sabha, with the consent of the Lok Sabha.”
– However, no resolution shall be presented for this purpose unless at least a fourteen-day notice of the intention to move the resolution has been given.”
Process of Removing the President
– The only condition for impeachment of the President of India is ‘violation of the Constitution.’ There is no definition of ‘violation of the Constitution’ in the Indian Constitution. The President can be removed from office by a two-thirds majority of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
– However, this rule does not apply to the Vice President. The Vice President can only be removed by the majority of the Rajya Sabha and the approval of the Lok Sabha.
Why the Opposition Presented the Proposal
– The opposition has accused the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Vice President) Jagdeep Dhankhar of being “clearly biased” in conducting the proceedings of the House and acting as an “emotional spokesperson” for the government’s policies on public platforms.
– In fact, whenever the opposition raises a major issue in the Rajya Sabha, such as Adani and others, the allegation is that the Chairman suspends the House. However, the ruling party is given permission to speak on similar issues.
Why the Opposition Presented the Notice Despite Lacking Majority
– The opposition does not have the majority to remove the Vice President, but they want to send a message through this move.
– In fact, whenever opposition MPs accuse the Chairman of arbitrary actions during Rajya Sabha proceedings, these allegations are not recorded.
– However, now there will be a discussion on the proposal to remove the Vice President, and this will be recorded in parliamentary history.
Technical Hurdles
– According to VK Agnihotri, the former Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha and senior civil servant, it is unlikely that the notice will be taken up as a proposal in the House because the winter session will end in less than 14 days from the notice submission. He said, “This will not be carried forward to the next session. All notices given during a session become invalid once the session is adjourned.” The winter session of Parliament will conclude on December 20.
————–
2. Former External Affairs Minister SM Krishna passed away on 10 December 2024, he had been the Chief Minister of which state?
a. Tamil Nadu
b. Karnataka
c. Kerala
d. Andhra Pradesh
Answer: b. Karnataka
– He was 92 years old.
– Full name: Somnahalli Mallayya Krishna
– Served as the Minister of External Affairs: May 23, 2009 – October 28, 2012
– Prime Minister during his tenure as Foreign Minister: Manmohan Singh
– Governor of Maharashtra: December 2004 – March 2008
– 10th Chief Minister of Karnataka: October 1999 – May 2004
Creator of ‘Brand Bengaluru’
– S.M. Krishna laid a strong foundation for the development of IT and BT industries in Karnataka and played a key role in the creation of ‘Brand Bengaluru.’
Final Years with BJP
– After being removed from the post of Foreign Minister, Krishna ended his nearly five-decade-long relationship with the Congress party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the final phase of his political life.
Awards
– On March 22, 2023, S.M. Krishna was awarded the Padma Vibhushan.
————–
3. The fourth Mekong-Ganga Dhamma Yatra, which started from which country, reached Delhi in December 2024?
a. Myanmar
b. Laos
c. Thailand
d. Cambodia
Answer: c. Thailand
– The Fourth Mekong-Ganga Dhammayatra reached Delhi on December 6.
– This journey began on December 2 from Thailand.
– It includes Buddhist scholars, former bureaucrats, and enlightened citizens.
– The journey is led by Dr. Supachai Virafuichong, Secretary-General of the Bodh Gaya Institute.
– This journey, which started from Thailand, has passed through the member countries of the International Buddhist Confederation and reached India.
– The theme of the 2024 journey is ‘From the Great Ganga to the Mekong River Basin,’ highlighting the cultural and spiritual relations between Southeast Asia and India.
– The Mekong River is one of the major rivers in the world. It starts from Tibet and flows through China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC)
– A Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting was held in Vientiane (the capital of Laos) in July 2024, in which S. Jaishankar participated.
– Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) is an initiative involving six countries: India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
– These include India and five ASEAN countries.
– This initiative was established in 2000 to promote cooperation in tourism, culture, education, as well as transportation and communication.
– It is named after the Ganga and Mekong rivers, which are both civilizational rivers.
– The goal is to facilitate close relations among the six member countries that share the Ganga and Mekong river basins.
– The four areas of cooperation are culture, education, tourism, and transportation.
– The purpose of this initiative is to strengthen the relations between the people living in these two major river valleys and highlight the cultural and economic relations among the member countries throughout history.
—————
4. In which educational institution was India’s first Hyperloop test track built?
a. IISc, Bangalore
b. IIT, Kanpur
c. IIT, Mumbai
d. IIT, Madras
Answer: d. IIT, Madras
– Indian Railways, in collaboration with IIT Madras, has developed the country’s first Hyperloop test track.
– The track is 410 meters long.
– Hyperloop is a high-speed train that runs within a tube in a vacuum.
– This track is a joint project of Indian Railways, the IIT Madras Hyperloop team, and the startup Tutor Hyperloop.
– The first phase will involve the construction of an 11.5-kilometer track. After necessary tests are completed, the second phase will begin to cover the remaining approximately 100 km of track.
– The pod on this test track can travel at speeds of up to 100 km/h.
– Earlier, the Maharashtra government had approved the Mumbai-Pune Hyperloop project.
– The concept of Hyperloop was first introduced by Elon Musk in 2012.
Funding by Railways and Others
– Indian Railways has provided ₹8.34 crore for this project.
– The project has also been supported by L&T Construction, ArcelorMittal, ArcelorMittal Design and Engineering Center, and Hindalco Industries.
What is Hyperloop?
– Hyperloop is a high-speed transportation system in which pods are propelled through a vacuum tube using magnetic technology.
– This technology eliminates friction and aerodynamic drag, allowing the pods to reach speeds of up to 1100 km/h.
– The system consumes very little energy and produces almost zero pollution.
—————
5. Who became the 11th President of Asian Development Bank (ADB)?
a. Masatsugu Asakawa
b. Ajay Seth
c. Mandaluyong
d. Masato Kanda
Answer: d. Masato Kanda
– He is also known as ‘Mr. Yen.’
– He will assume the position of ADB (Asian Development Bank) President on February 24, 2025.
– He will take over from Masatsugu Asakawa, who is stepping down on February 23, 2025.
– The term of the ADB President is five years, and they can be re-elected.
– Masato Kanda will remain the ADB President until November 23, 2026.
How the President is Elected:
– The ADB Board of Governors elects the ADB President. The finance ministers of the member countries represent their countries on the ADB Board.
– India’s representation on the ADB Board of Governors is through the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while Ajay Seth is the alternate governor.
– For the presidential election, the member countries vote, and the value of each member country’s vote is proportional to its equity share in the ADB.
– The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is one of the globally established multilateral development banks.
– ADB has 69 member countries.
– Its headquarters is located in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
– Due to mutual understanding among Western countries, a Japanese individual has been chosen as the ADB President since its establishment in 1966.
– This bank provides loans to member countries for development and helps in poverty eradication.
ADB Shares and Voting Power:
– United States: 15.6%, 12.75%
– Japan: 15.6%, 12.75%
– China: 6.4%, 5.43%
– India: 6.3%, 5.34%
– Australia: 5.77%, 4.91%
– Indonesia: 5.43%, 4.64%
– Canada: 5.21%, 4.46%
– South Korea: 5.02%, 4.46%
– Germany: 4.31%, 3.74%
– Malaysia: 2.71%, 2.46%
– Philippines: 2.37%, 2.19%
—————-
6. From which war-torn country did the Government of India evacuate 75 Indian citizens in December 2024?
a. Syria
b. Israel
c. Turkey
d. Saudi Arabia
Answer: a. Syria
– The rebels captured the entire Syria on December 8, 2024. As a result, the then-President Bashar al-Assad had to flee to Russia.
– Following this, due to the tense situation in Syria, the Indian government evacuated 75 Indian citizens from there.
– Among the evacuees were 44 ‘Zaireen’ from Jammu and Kashmir, who were stranded in Sayyida Zaynab.
– All the Indian citizens safely reached Lebanon first, and then returned to India via available commercial flights.
– The Ministry of External Affairs stated that the government gives the highest priority to the safety of Indian citizens abroad.
– It was also mentioned, “Indian citizens residing in Syria are advised to stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Damascus.”
—————
7. Name the acting Prime Minister of Syria?
a. Abu Mohammed al-Jolani
b. Mohammed al-Bashir
c. Mohammed al-Khabar
d. None of these
Answer: b. Mohammed al-Bashir
– Prior to this, he was working as the leader of the “Liberation Government” in Idlib, Syria. This Liberation Government was formed by the Syrian rebels.
– After the then-President Bashar al-Assad left the country on December 8, the rebels declared Mohammad al-Bashir as the interim Prime Minister.
– He studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Aleppo University and Islamic and Civil Law at Idlib University, and at one point worked for Syria’s state-owned gas company.
– The leader of the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, assigned this responsibility to the outgoing Prime Minister Mohammad al-Jalali.
Syria
– Capital: Damascus
– Currency: Syrian Pound
– Neighboring countries: Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon
– Sea: Mediterranean Sea
—————
8. PM Modi launched ‘Bima Sakhi Yojana’, this scheme is linked to which insurance company?
a. LIC
b. PNB
c. NICL
d. All of the above
Answer: a. LIC
– Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the LIC (Life Insurance Corporation) “Bima Sakhi Scheme” in Panipat, Haryana in December 2024.
– The aim of this initiative is to empower women by involving them in the insurance sector.
– Under this initiative, 100,000 women will be trained and enrolled as career agents in the first year, and 200,000 women will be trained over the next three years.
– LIC plans to enroll at least 100,000 women under this scheme by December 2025.
– The scheme targets women aged 18 to 70, with a minimum education qualification of 10th grade.
– Selected candidates will receive a stipend: ₹7,000 in the first year, ₹6,000 in the second year, and ₹5,000 in the third year, along with commission.
– Women agents are expected to earn an average monthly income of ₹15,000 and sell approximately 24 policies annually.
– LIC’s Chairman, Siddhartha Mohanty, mentioned that ₹840 crore has been invested in this scheme in the first year.
– LIC’s market share increased from 58.50% to 61.07% during the period of April to September 2024.
—————
9. Name the temporary 76th district of Uttar Pradesh?
a. Prayag
b. Maha Kumbh Mela
c. Yogi Mela
d. None of these
Answer: b. Maha Kumbh Mela
– The Uttar Pradesh government declared the Maha Kumbh area in Prayagraj as a temporary new district on December 1.
– It will be known as the ‘Maha Kumbh Mela Janpad’ (district).
– Uttar Pradesh previously had a total of 75 districts, but now it has 76 districts.
– The 76th district was formed by carving out a portion from the boundaries of Prayagraj district on Sunday.
– According to the notification issued by the District Magistrate (DM) of Prayagraj, this district will consist of 67 villages and four tehsils.
– This district will also have its own police force. The head of the police will be the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), with two or three Additional SPs and Circle Officers (COs) under their command.
– The formation of this new district has been done in anticipation of the Maha Kumbh that will be held in January 2025.
– After the conclusion of the Maha Kumbh Mela, this district will be merged back into Prayagraj.
—————
10. Between India and which country the military exercise ‘CINBAX-I’ (in Pune) was held for the first time in December 2024?
a. Syria
b. Australia
c. Cambodian
d. Mali
Answer: c. Cambodian
– The exercise CINBAX is a planning exercise aimed at jointly conducting counter-terrorism (CT) operations and war drills.
– It was held in December 2024 at the Foreign Training Node in Pune.
– A contingent of 20 soldiers from the Cambodian army and 20 soldiers from an infantry brigade of the Indian army participated in the exercise.
Cambodia
– Capital: Phnom Penh
– King: Norodom Sihamoni
– Prime Minister: Hun Manet
– Currency: Riel
—————
PDF Download: Click here
