Q1. MeerKAT radio telescope, which appeared in news recently, is located in which country ?
- Australia
- Russia
- South Africa
- China
Correct Answer: C [South Africa]
Notes: Researchers using South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope detected a loud gravitational wave background through the MeerKAT Pulsar Timing Array. The gravitational wave background’s “hot spot” in the Southern Hemisphere was mapped in unprecedented detail. MeerKAT is a radio telescope array in Northern Cape, South Africa, originally called the Karoo Array Telescope (KAT). Initially planned with 20 receptors, it was expanded to 64 receptors and renamed “MeerKAT,” meaning “more of KAT.” It is part of South Africa’s contribution to the global Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, the world’s largest radio telescope initiative.
Q2. Which state won the Santosh Trophy national football championship title recently ?
- West Bengal
- Kerala
- Odisha
- Punjab
Correct Answer: A [West Bengal]
Notes: West Bengal won the Santosh Trophy national football championship by defeating Kerala in the final of the 78th edition. The final match was held on 31st December 2024 at GMC Balayogi Stadium, Hyderabad, Telangana. The Santosh Trophy is a premier state-level football tournament for men in India, organized by the All India Football Federation. The 78th edition’s final round was hosted by the Telangana Football Association from 14th to 31st December 2024 in Hyderabad.
Q3. Business Ready (B-READY) is the flagship report of which organization?
- International Monetary Fund
- World Bank
- United Nations Development Programme
- World Trade Organization
Correct Answer: B [World Bank]
Notes: The World Bank launched the Business Ready (B-READY) report, replacing the paused Ease of Doing Business report. The Ease of Doing Business report was suspended in 2020 due to data manipulation and ranking integrity concerns. B-READY serves as a benchmarking tool to evaluate the global business climate and promote inclusive private sector growth. It focuses on ten core topics: Business Entry, Location, Utility Services, Labor, Financial Services, International Trade, Taxation, Dispute Resolution, Market Competition, and Insolvency.
Q4. Which organization launched the quantum processor ‘Willow’?
- Amazon
- Meta
- Microsoft
Correct Answer: C [Google]
Notes: Google launched the quantum processor ‘Willow,’ advancing quantum computing to solve practical problems. Willow has 105 physical qubits and operates at near absolute zero temperatures (-273.15°C). It features better error correction and faster performance than other quantum computers. The coherence time of Willow’s qubits is around 100 microseconds, improved by error correction. Willow’s architecture enables lower error rates with more qubits. It outperformed classical computers in testing, completing a Random Circuit Sampling task in minutes.
Q5. Recently deceased K. S. Manilal belonged to which field?
- Journalism
- Taxonomy
- Sports
- Politics
Correct Answer: B [Taxonomy]
Notes: K S Manilal, a renowned taxonomist and Padma Shri awardee, passed away on 1st January 2025 in Thrissur, Kerala. He is celebrated for translating and annotating Hortus Malabaricus, a 17th-century Latin botanical treatise on the flora of Kerala, Karnataka, and Goa. Manilal spent 35 years making the 12-volume work accessible to academics during his tenure as a botany professor at the University of Calicut (1976–1999). His contributions include 198 research papers, 15 books, and extensive work on medicinal plants and taxonomy. He played a key role in conserving Kerala’s Silent Valley rainforest in the 1980s.
Q6. A lawyer by profession, Sardar Patel jumped into the freedom struggle of India under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. He was given the title of “Sardar” for the key role played by him In which of the following?
- Kheda Satyagraha
- Non-Cooperation Movement
- Bardoli Satyagraha
- Civil Disobedience Movement
Correct Answer: C [Bardoli Satyagraha]
Notes: Sardar Patel was given the title of “Sardar” for his key role in the Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928. This was one of the important struggles in Gujarat where Patel led the farmers against an unjust increase in land revenue. His leadership and success in this movement earned him the title “Sardar,” meaning leader.
Q7. Balfour Declaration is related to which of the following events?
- Dissolution of the Soviet Union
- World War I
- World War II
- French Revolution
Correct Answer: b [World War I]
Notes: It was a statement issued by the British government on November 2, 1917, during World War I, expressing support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine. This declaration was made in a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community.
Q8. Ningol Chakkouba, recently seen in the news, is one of the biggest festivals of which among the following states?
- Assam
- Meghalaya
- Manipur
- Nagaland
Correct Answer: C [Manipur]
Notes: Ningol Chakkouba is one of the biggest festivals of Manipur. It is a traditional festival celebrated by the Manipuri people, where married women are invited to their parental homes for a feast, and the festival is marked by a celebration of family ties and bonding.
Q9. He was motivated by the Deccan famine that hit during the late 1870s, where he took on the British. He was teaching people how to engage in guerrilla warfare and is thus termed the ‘Father of the Indian Armed Rebellion’. Which of the following personalities has been described above?
- Alluri Sitarama Raju
- Veerapandiya Kattabomman
- Komaram Bheem
- Vasudev Balwant Phadke
Correct Answer: d [Vasudev Balwant Phadke]
Notes: This personality described in the question is Vasudev Balwant Phadke. Phadke was inspired by the great suffering of the Deccan famine of the late 1870s and was determined to challenge the British colonial rule. He is known for efforts to teach people guerrilla warfare and is often referred to as the ‘Father of the Indian Armed Rebellion’.
Q10. He founded the newspaper ‘Bombay Chronicle’ (1913) and organisation Bombay Presidency Association (1885) where he served as its Secretary. He is also known as ‘The Lion of Bombay’. Which of the following personalities has been described above?
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- Gopal Krishna Gokhale
- Pherozeshah Mehta
- Dadabhai Naoroji
Correct Answer: C [Pherozeshah Mehta.]
Notes: Pherozeshah Mehta is the personality described in the question. He was the founder of the newspaper Bombay Chronicle in 1913 and was also the Secretary of the Bombay Presidency Association, which he established in 1885. He is known as ‘The Lion of Bombay’ for his contributions to Indian politics and his leadership in the fight for Indian rights under British rule.