This is the current affairs of 11 to 13 July 2024. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. The Prime Minister of which neighbouring country resigned from his post in July 2024 after not getting the vote of confidence in the Parliament?
a. Nepal
b. Japan
c. Bangladesh
d. China
Answer: a. Nepal
– Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, resigned from his post on July 12, 2024.
– Since becoming Prime Minister in December 2022, this was the fifth floor test. This time, he was unable to prove a majority.
– He could only remain Prime Minister for 1 year and 6 months.
– In the floor test, he received support from only 63 out of 275 members of parliament.
– 194 members of Nepal’s National Assembly voted against him.
– He needed the support of 138 members of parliament to save his government.
– In fact, Nepal’s second-largest and China-backed party CPN-UML, led by KP Sharma Oli, decided to break the coalition with Prime Minister Prachanda’s Communist Party of Nepal.
– After this, his government fell into a minority.
– Under Article 100 (2) of Nepal’s constitution, he had to prove a majority within a month.
– He failed in the floor test held on July 12.
CPN-UML to Form Alliance with Nepali Congress
– KP Sharma Oli’s party CPN-UML has decided to form an alliance with the Nepali Congress.
– Just four months ago, KP Sharma Oli had supported Prachanda’s government.
– At that time, Prachanda had broken the coalition with Sher Bahadur Deuba’s Nepali Congress.
– Sher Bahadur Deuba is considered pro-India.
– Whereas, Oli is considered close to China.
Third Change in Power in Two Years
– General elections were held in Nepal on November 20, 2022. No party received a majority in these elections.
– Out of 275 seats, the Nepali Congress won 89, CPN-UML won 78, and Prachanda’s Communist Party won 32 seats.
– Despite winning the fewest seats, Prachanda became Prime Minister on December 25, 2022, with the support of a coalition.
– He received support from Deuba’s Nepali Congress.
– However, the coalition broke down in March 2024.
– Prachanda then formed a government with the support of KP Oli, which is now in danger.
– This means that Nepal is set to experience a third change in power in two years.
– Capital: Kathmandu
– President: Ram Chandra Paudel
– Currency: Nepalese Rupee
– Language: Nepali
– Population: 30.5 million (2022)
– Neighboring Countries: China, India
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2. The Central Government issued a notification declaring which day to be celebrated as ‘Constitution Murder Day’?
a. 23 June
b. 24 June
c. 28 June
d. 25 June
Answer: d. 25 June
– Home Minister Amit Shah issued the notification on his official X handle on July 12, 2024.
– The notification stated that on June 25, 1975, the Congress government led by Indira Gandhi declared an emergency.
– During the emergency, censorship was imposed on the press, and the freedoms of citizens were curtailed.
– The Government of India has declared June 25 as ‘Constitution Murder Day’ to pay tribute to all those who faced abuse of power during the emergency.
Emergency Declared on June 25, 1975
– On June 25, 1975, then Congress PM Indira Gandhi declared an emergency in the country for 21 months.
– At that time, President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed signed the emergency order.
– Following this, the emergency was announced on the radio.
– The roots of the emergency were linked to the 1971 Lok Sabha elections when Indira defeated Raj Narain of the United Socialist Party by over one lakh votes in the Rae Bareli seat.
– However, Raj Narain accused her of electoral fraud and approached the Allahabad High Court.
– On June 12, 1975, the High Court annulled Indira’s election and barred her from contesting elections for six years.
– She approached the Supreme Court on June 23, 1975.
– The Supreme Court did not fully stay the High Court’s decision and allowed Indira to remain Prime Minister.
– Following this, Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency in the country on June 25.
Don’t Proclaim Love for the Constitution After Imposing Emergency
– June 25, 2024, marked the 49th anniversary of the emergency.
– A day before, on June 24, during the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, opposition MPs took their oaths with copies of the Constitution.
– The Prime Minister criticized the Congress over this.
– In a post on X, he wrote that those who imposed the emergency do not have the right to proclaim their love for the Constitution.
Experts Say Declaring a Day Will Not Be Beneficial
– According to political expert Rasheed Kidwai, the mobilization around the Constitution before the elections has benefited the opposition.
– Several BJP MPs and candidates said during the elections that 400 seats were necessary to amend the Constitution.
– Following this, the opposition propagated that the government, by securing 400 seats, intended to tamper with the Constitution and reservations.
– This made the BJP a bit uncomfortable. To counter this, the government announced Constitution Murder Day.
– This move was to make those parties and leaders, who had suffered during the excesses of the emergency, uncomfortable in supporting Congress.
– Kidwai says that if the emergency was bad, the provision for it should be removed from the Constitution itself.
– Simply declaring a day will not be beneficial. Many actions against the spirit of the Constitution are still happening today.
#Three Types of Emergencies in India#
National Emergency
– Article 352 of the Indian Constitution grants the power to impose a national emergency in the country. A national emergency is imposed when there is a threat to the security of any part of the country, such as war with enemies, any kind of attack, internal conflict, or major disaster. The President declares it.
State Emergency or President’s Rule
– When the constitutional system of a state government fails, the President takes control of the state government; this is called President’s Rule. Under this rule, the Governor administers the state under the supervision of the President. President’s Rule can be imposed under Article 356.
Financial Emergency
– When the economic recession in the country becomes severe, and the government does not have enough money to run the country, a financial emergency can be imposed under Article 360 of the Constitution.
Disadvantages of Emergency
– When an emergency is declared, the rights of the common man in the country are limited. If needed, the government can temporarily suspend certain rights.
– The government gains the right to seize citizens’ properties in the national interest.
– During an emergency, the central government gains full control over state governments. The central government can also make decisions on behalf of the states.
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3. Who became the 5th full member country of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) 2024?
a. Sri Lanka
b. Bangladesh
c. Bhutan
d. Pakistan
Answer: b. Bangladesh
– The 8th Deputy National Security Advisor (DNSA) level meeting of CSC was held on July 10, 2024.
– The meeting was hosted virtually by Mauritius.
– India, Mauritius, Maldives, and Sri Lanka welcomed Bangladesh as the 5th member.
– Seychelles participated in the meeting as an observer state.
– The member countries agreed that the 7th NSA-level meeting of CSC would be held in India at the end of 2024.
CSC
– The Colombo Security Conclave is a regional security group.
– It was formed in 2011 as a trilateral Indian Ocean maritime security group with India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives as members.
– Mauritius joined as the fourth member in 2021.
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4. Who hosted the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ meeting held on 11 July 2024?
a. Bhutan
b. Thailand
c. India
d. Myanmar
Answer: c. India
BIMSTEC: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
– The BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ meeting was held in New Delhi on 11-12 July 2024.
– It was hosted by India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar.
– Foreign Ministers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan participated in the meeting.
– Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, Bhutanese Foreign Minister D.N. Dhungyel, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, and Myanmar Foreign Minister Thant Swe attended the meeting.
– Nepalese Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry did not participate in the meeting.
– Discussions during this meeting focused on security, telecommunications, trade, and mutual cooperation.
BIMSTEC:
– This is a regional organization of countries situated around the Bay of Bengal.
– It was established under the Bangkok Declaration on 6 June 1997.
– It includes seven member countries, excluding Pakistan.
– Initially, it comprised four countries and was called BIST-EC, standing for Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand Economic Cooperation.
– After Myanmar joined on 22 December 1997, it was renamed BIMST-EC.
– Bhutan and Nepal were included in 2004, leading to its current name, BIMSTEC.
– Its headquarters is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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5. Who was awarded the Best Agricultural State Award 2024?
a. Maharashtra
b. Rajasthan
c. Kerala
d. Uttar Pradesh
Answer: a. Maharashtra
– Maharashtra has been awarded the Best Agriculture State Award by Agriculture Today Group.
– The announcement was made by the 15th Agriculture Leadership Awards Committee chaired by former Chief Justice of India and Kerala Governor Justice P. Sadasivam.
– On 10th July 2024, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde received this award in New Delhi.
– The award was presented to him by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
– Eknath Shinde said, “As the son of a farmer, I am very happy to receive this award on behalf of the millions of farmers in Maharashtra. Today, the state is once again leading the Green Revolution.”
– Capital: Mumbai
– Governor: Ramesh Bais
– Language: Marathi
– Population: 127.7 million
– Neighboring States: Goa, Karnataka, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat
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6. How much did the retail inflation increase in the country in June 2024?
a. 3.81%
b. 3.91%
c. 4.92%
d. 5.08%
Answer: d. 5.08%
Retail inflation rate in last three months
– June 2024: 5.08%
– May 2024: 4.8%
– April 2024: 4.83%
According to government data released on July 12, 2024, due to higher prices of kitchen items, retail inflation in June rose to 5.08%. Consumer Price Index (CPI) based retail inflation was 4.8% in May 2024 and 4.87% in June 2023 (previous low).
Note: As per data from the National Statistical Office (NSO), food inflation in June was 9.36%, up from 8.69% in May.
RBI’s CPI Inflation Estimate
– RBI has projected CPI inflation to remain at 4.5% for 2024-25, with the first quarter at 4.9%, second quarter at 3.8%, third quarter at 4.6%, and fourth quarter at 4.5%.
Who releases the Retail Inflation Rate report?
– The National Statistical Office (NSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, releases this report.
How is Retail Inflation Rate determined?
– It is determined through the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
– It calculates the inflation of items such as food, fruits, clothing, footwear, housing, fuel, electricity, and other goods.
– As consumers, you and I purchase goods from retail markets. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures changes in these prices. It reflects the average prices paid by consumers for goods and services.
How does RBI control inflation?
– To reduce inflation, the flow of money (liquidity) in the market is reduced.
– For this purpose, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) increases the repo rate.
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7. Who has been appointed as the Principal Advisor in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) for the National Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination Programme?
a. Sonia Singh
b. Nirmala Sharma
c. Soumya Swaminathan
d. Preeti Varun
Answer: c. Soumya Swaminathan
– She was appointed in July 2024.
– She will provide services free of cost at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
– She is the former Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization.
– Note: Soumya Swaminathan is the daughter of M.S. Swaminathan, known as the “Father of India’s Green Revolution,” and Indian educator Meena Swaminathan.
Contribution of India to TB patients worldwide
– According to the India TB Report released by the government, India contributes 25% to the world’s TB patients.
– In 2024, India will see more than 2.5 million new cases of TB.
– Minister of Health and Family Welfare: Jagat Prakash Nadda
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8. Who has been appointed the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team?
a. M.S Dhoni
b. Sourav Ganguly
c. Gautam Gambhir
d. Rahul Dravid
Answer: c. Gautam Gambhir
– Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir was appointed as the head coach of Team India (men’s cricket) by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah on July 9, 2024.
– Rahul Dravid’s tenure as head coach concluded with the T20 World Cup 2024.
– Gautam Gambhir has been entrusted with the responsibility of the team until the end of the year 2027.
About Gautam Gambhir:
– He is currently the head coach of Team India.
He played for India across all formats from 2003 to 2016.
– He served as a Member of Parliament in the 17th Lok Sabha from 2019 to 2024.
– He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2019.
– He captained Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
– He played a significant role in India’s victories in the T20 World Cup 2007 and the ODI World Cup 2011.
– Under his captaincy, Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL title in 2012 and 2014.
BCCI
– The full name of BCCI is “Board of Control for Cricket in India.”
– It is the national governing body for cricket in India.
– Established: 1928
– Headquarters: Mumbai
– President: Roger Binny
– Secretary: Jay Shah
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9. When is World Population Day observed?
a. 10 July
b. 11 July
c. 12 July
d. 13 July
Answer: b. 11 July
Theme 2024
– Leave no one behind, count everyone.
– This day is observed to control the population.
In fact, on July 11, 1987, the world’s population reached 5 billion.
– Concerned about this milestone, the United Nations organized a program on July 11, 1989, to address the increasing population.
– This marked the first World Population Day celebration.
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10. When is World Paper Bag Day celebrated?
a. 11 July
b. 12 July
c. 13 July
d. 14 July
Answer: b. 12 July
Note: American inventor Francis Wolle created the first paper bag machine in 1852.
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11. When is World Malala Day celebrated?
a. 11 July
b. 12 July
c. 13 July
d. 14 July
Answer: b. 12 July
– This day is celebrated annually on the occasion of Malala Yousafzai’s birthday.
The United Nations designated this day as Malala Day to honor the young advocate for girls’ education.
About Malala:
– Malala spoke out for girls’ education and was shot by the Taliban on October 9, 2012.
– Following the attack, Malala became an advocate for gender rights and established a non-profit organization called the Malala Fund.
– She co-authored the international bestseller “I Am Malala,” detailing her experiences.
– In 2012, she was honored with Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize.
– In 2014, at the age of 17, Malala became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy for children’s rights.
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