UPSC Daily Current Affairs Quiz: Arjuna Award, 'Bahubali' rocket, Unnao rape case & more

Test your grasp of the week’s major stories with a quick round of questions. Find the right answers at the end.

Test your knowledge of India and the world with this quick quiz.

Daily Quiz

1. … …., a Jesuit priest and a renowned tribal rights activist in Jharkhand, was among the 16 people charged with Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for their alleged role in the violence that followed the 2017 Elgar Parishad event in Pune. Fill in the blanks.

A. Cedric Prakash

B. Stan Swamy

C. John Dayal

D. Gladson Dungdung

2. A Jnanpith laureate and towering figure of modern Hindi literature, celebrated for his quiet, minimalist prose that infused the ordinary with profound emotional depth, passed away recently at the age of 89 in Raipur. His landmark novels include Naukar Ki Kameez, Khilega To Dekhenge, Deewar Mein Ek Khidki Rehti Thi, and Ek Chuppi Jagah. Who was this doyen of Hindi literature?

A. Nirmal Verma

B. Bhisham Sahni

C. Vinod Kumar Shukla

D. Dharamvir Bharati

3. The Government of India recently conferred its highest honour for outstanding achievements in science, technology, and innovation posthumously on renowned astrophysicist Jayant Naralikar. What is the name of this award?

A. Rashtriya Vigyan Shri

B. Bharat Vigyan Bhushan

C. Vigyan Ratna

D. Padma Vigyan Puraskar

4. Aarti Pal became the first athlete representing this sporting format to be recommended for the Arjuna Award, marking a significant moment for the formal recognition of traditional and non-mainstream disciplines in Indian sports. Which sport does she represent?

A. Roller skating

B. Kalaripayattu

C. Mallakhamb

D. Yogasana

5. For the second year in succession, which cross-border flight route has remained unchallenged as the world’s busiest international air route?

A. Hong Kong-Taipei

B. Cairo-Jeddah

C. Jakarta-Singapore

D. New York-London

6. The Delhi High Court’s decision to suspend the life sentence of expelled Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case has triggered legal and public debate, not just because of the seeming injustice of it all, but because it relies on a technical yet far-reaching question of statutory interpretation: is a legislator a “… ….” under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

A. State functionary

B. Elected representative

C. Constitutional authority

D. Public servant

7. In a bid to reduce dropout rate to zero by bringing out-of-school children into a formal schooling system, the Union ministry of education has advised the NIOS to ensure block-level presence across the country with PM-SHRI schools serving as local facilitation centres, school education secretary Sanjay Kumar said on Wednesday. Expand NIOS.

A. National Institute of Occupational Skills

B. National Institute of Open Schooling

C. National Initiative for Online Studies

D. National Integrated Organisation for Schooling

8. ISRO’s “Bahubali” rocket on Wednesday successfully launched from Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota a 6,100 kg US communication satellite — the heaviest by an Indian launcher, into the desired orbit. The BlueBird Block-2 satellite is part of a constellation of global LEO mission to provide direct-to-mobile connectivity through satellite. What does LEO stand for?

A. Low Earth Orbit

B. Low Emission Orbit

C. Long Elliptical Orbit

D. Limited Energy Orbit

9. The release of 007 First Light, the first James Bond … … in two decades, has been delayed by two months. Fill in the blanks.

A. Animation

B. Video game

C. Feature film

D. Audio drama

10. Why have Al Hind Air, Shankh Air, and FlyExpress been in the news recently?

A. They have received no-objection certificates and are all set to launch

B. They were named as prospective buyers of aircraft released by Go First’s liquidation

C. They announced a merger to form India’s largest low-cost airline

D. They were flagged by the DGCA for lapses in pilot training and rostering norms

Answers:

1. Stan Swamy
2. Vinod Kumar Shukla
3. Vigyan Ratna
4. Yogasana
5. Hong Kong-Taipei
6. Public servant
7. National Institute of Open Schooling
8. Low Earth Orbit
9. Video game
10. They have received no-objection certificates and are all set to launch