Current Affairs Quiz:15 & 16 December 2024

AffairsCloud brings you the complete and important daily Current Affairs Quiz 15 & 16 December 2024 to achieve more marks in Banking, Insurance, UPSC, SSC, CLAT, Railways and all other competitive Exams. We have prepared the current affairs quiz question from our daily current affairs 2024 updates.

Our Current Affairs December 2024 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Current Affairs Quiz.

Click here for Current Affairs 15 & 16 December 2024

1. Which company has recently (in December ‘24) secured Rs 136 crore contract to supply indigenously designed High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) 8×8 to enhance India’s defence capabilities?
   1) BEML Limited
   2) Rail Vikas Nigam Limited
   3) Ashok Leyland Limited
   4) Bharat Heavy Electricals
   5) Bharat Electronics Limited
   
   Answer & Explanation

   Answer-1) BEML Limited
   Explanation:
   On December 11 2024, BEML Limited (formerly Bharat Earth Movers Limited), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) company under Ministry of Defence (MoD) secured a Rs 136 crore contract to supply indigenously designed High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) 8×8 to enhance India’s defence capabilities.
    The vehicles will be deployed under the Battlefield Surveillance System (BFSS) project aimed at reinforcing India’s strategic defence infrastructure.
    HMVs will be primarily manufactured at BEML’s Palakkad plant in Kerala with additional production at other facilities based on operational requirements.
    It was designed to operate in extreme climates, ranging from -20°C (Celsius) to +55°C and at altitudes up to 5,000 meters(m) above sea level, these vehicles will enhance the operational efficiency of the BFSS project.
    The modular architecture allows seamless integration of various superstructures, reducing costs and improving commonality across BEMLs military vehicle range, which spans from 4×4 to 12×12 configurations.
   
   
   
2. Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD), visited Russia from 8 to 10 December 2024.
   Which Indian Naval Ship was commissioned into the Indian Navy at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia?
   1) INS Talwar
   2) INS Tarkash
   3) INS Trikand
   4) INS Tushil
   5) INS Teg
   
   Answer & Explanation

   Answer-4) INS Tushil
   Explanation:
   Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India (GoI) was on an official 3-day visit to the Russian Federation from 8 to 10 December 2024.
    His visit came ahead of Russian President Vladmir Putin’s visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi in early 2025.
    During his visit, he paid tribute to the Soviet soldiers killed during the Second World War at ‘The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’ in Moscow, Russia.
    On December 9 2024, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Tushil (F70), the latest multi-role stealth guided missile frigate was formally commissioned into the Indian Navy (IN) in the presence of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia.
    It is an upgraded Krivak III class frigate of Project 1135.6. At present, 6 vessels of this class are in service with IN.
    The indigenous content of the INS Tushil has been increased to 26% and number of made-in-India systems have been doubled to 33 due to the collaboration of Indian naval specialists and Severnoye Design Bureau, a Russian ship designing company.
    On December 10 2024, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, MoD, India and Andrey Belousov, Minister of Defence, Russia co-chaired the 21st session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military & Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) held in Moscow, the capital city of Russia. Click here to read more.
   
   
   
3. Which bank has recently (in December ‘24) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) to enhance trade and business collaboration between Australia and India?
   1) Indian Bank
   2) ICICI Bank
   3) Bank of Baroda
   4) Central Bank of India
   5) Indian Overseas Bank
   
   Answer & Explanation

   Answer-2) ICICI Bank
   Explanation:
   On December 11 2024, Mumbai(Maharashtra) based Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) Bank Limited, India’s leading private sector bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) to enhance trade and business collaboration between Australia and India.
    This partnership aims to support customers across the Australia-India corridor by offering banking services and migration assistance.
    This MoU will allow both banks to explore collaborative efforts to assist corporate and business customers looking to invest or establish operations in the other bank’s home country.
    The Banks will assist customers migrating to Australia and India with banking services and will also support cross-border payments by collaborating on customer-centric solutions.
    This collaboration comes in the wake of the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), which has been in effect since December 2022.
   
   
   
4. In December 2024, according to S&P Global Ratings report ‘India Outlook for 2025’, India’s GDP rate will remain unchanged at ______ for Financial Year 2024-25 (FY25).
   1) 6.4%
   2) 6.5%
   3) 6.6%
   4) 6.7%
   5) 6.8%
   
   Answer & Explanation

   Answer-5) 6.8%
   Explanation:
   In December 2024, according to S&P Global Ratings (previously known as Standard & Poor’s) report titled ‘India Outlook for 2025’, India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rate will remain unchanged at 6.8% for Financial Year 2024-25 (FY25), amid slow fiscal growth affecting urban demand.
    While, it has raised India’s GDP forecast to 6.9% for FY26. India’s GDP grew 8.2% in FY24.
    As per the report, India’s GDP growth print for the second Quarter (Q2) of FY25 is 5.4%, which was weaker than expected.
    As per the report, the Indian economy is poised for resilient growth in 2025 due to the strong urban consumption, stable growth in the service sector, and ongoing investment in infrastructure.
    The report has estimated that retail inflation will decrease from 5.4% (in FY24) to 4.5% (in FY25) and will again increase to 4.6% in FY26.
   
   
   
5. Who was recently (in December ‘24) awarded with the ‘2024 Champions of the Earth Award’ by the United Nations (UN)?
   1) J. S. Singh
   2) Madhav Gadgil
   3) Raman Sukumar
   4) Uma Ramakrishnan
   5) Harini Nagendra
   
   Answer & Explanation

   Answer-2) Madhav Gadgil
   Explanation:
   In December 2024, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced the winners of the ‘2024 Champions of the Earth Award’, the UN’s highest environmental honor to recognize individuals and organizations making extraordinary contributions to environmental protection, focusing on combating land degradation, drought, and desertification.
    This year, nominations focused on finding champions who are restoring degraded land, increasing drought resilience and preventing desertification.
    Veteran Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil was awarded with the Champions of Earth award by the United Nations (UN). He is among the six awardees who have been bestowed the honour for their respective contributions in the field of conservation and environmental protection.
    The winners were announced at the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
    Madhav Gadgil, a distinguished ecologist, academic, and writer from India, was honored in the Lifetime Achievement category for his tireless commitment to safeguarding both people and the planet.
    He is particularly celebrated for his groundbreaking research in India’s Western Ghats, a unique biodiversity hotspot. Click here to read more.
   
   
   
6. Which of the following points is/are ‘correct’ with respect to the approval of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 10th December 2024?
   A) The CCI has approved the combined acquisition of certain shareholding in Bagmane Developers Private Limited and Bagmane Rio Private Limited by Blackstone Inc. with over USD 3 trillion in Asset Under Management (AUM).
   B) The CCI has approved the acquisition of stake in India Business Excellence Fund-IV, a Category-II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) registered with the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) by VVDN Technologies Private Limited.
   C) The CCI has approved the proposal of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to acquire petrochemical-producing company Covestro AG (Covestro) for USD 16.4 billion.
   1) Only A & B
   2) Only A & C
   3) Only B & C
   4) Only C
   5) All A, B & C
   
   Answer & Explanation

   Answer-3) Only B & C
   Explanation:
   On December 10 2024, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the following proposals:
    The CCI has approved the combined acquisition of certain shareholding in Bagmane Developers Private Limited and Bagmane Rio Private Limited, are part of Bengaluru (Karnataka)-based Bagmane Group by the BREP Asia III India Holding Co VIII Pte. Ltd., arm of the United States of America (USA)-based Blackstone Inc. which is the world’s largest alternative asset manager with over USD 1 trillion in Asset Under Management (AUM).
    The CCI has approved the acquisition of stake in India Business Excellence Fund-IV, a Category-II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) registered with the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) by Gurugram (Haryana)-based product engineering and manufacturing company VVDN Technologies Private Limited.
    The CCI has approved the proposal of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), a state-owned oil company of the UAE to acquire Leverkusen (Germany)-based petrochemical-producing company Covestro AG (Covestro) for USD 16.4 billion.
    The CCI has approved the acquisition of 100% share capital of Nashik (Maharashtra)-based Thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel India Private Limited (Thyssenkrupp India) by Nashik (Maharashtra)-based Jsquare Electrical Steel Nashik Private Limited (Jsquare) which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW JFE Electrical Steel (J2ES). Click here to read more.
   
   
   
7. In December 2024, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched its 3rd Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite (Sentinel-1C) into Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) for Advancing Earth Observation and _____________________ at an altitude of 700 kilometre(km) from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, France.
   1) Climate Change Tracking
   2) Maritime Monitoring
   3) Disaster Management
   4) Environmental Sustainability
   5) Oil Spill Detection
   
   Answer & Explanation

   Answer-2) Maritime Monitoring
   Explanation:
   In December 2024, the European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched its 3rd Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite (Sentinel-1C) into Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) at an altitude of 700 kilometre(km), aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, France. This launch is the 6th Sentinel satellite in the Copernicus program launched by Arianespace SA, world’s leading aerospace company.
    The launcher’s mission called ‘VV25’ is a return-to-flight for Vega-C, which is Europe’s lightweight, high-performance rocket.
    The Sentinel-1C satellite strengthens the Sentinel-1 constellation (1st Copernicus family), which includes 2 identical satellites in orbit of 180°apart to optimize global coverage and data delivery for the Copernicus programme.
    Sentinel-1 carries a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument, which allows it to capture high resolution imagery of Earth’s surface.
    Sentinel-1C will enhance capabilities in detecting and monitoring maritime traffic through its Automated Identification System (AIS), which captures ship signals to track vessel movements.
    Europe’s Vega-C rocket, weighing 210 tonnes launches 2300 kilogram(kg) satellites using 3 solid propellant stages and one liquid stage.
   
   
   
8. In which year Saudi Arabia will host the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Men’s World Cup?
   1) 2026
   2) 2030
   3) 2034
   4) 2038
   5) 2042
   
   Answer & Explanation

   Answer- 3) 2034
   Explanation:
   On December 12 2024, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) announced Saudi Arabia as the host for the Men’s World Cup 2034 during the Extraordinary FIFA Congress held in Zurich, Switzerland. This significant milestone marks the kingdom’s global sports ambitions under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 initiative.
    This is the first time Saudi Arabia will host the FIFA Men’s World Cup. Saudi Arabia, including 48 countries, will compete at the 25th edition of the World Cup.
    FIFA also announced that Spain, Portugal and Morocco will co-host the 24th men’s World Cup with one-off matches in three South American countries.
    For its centenary celebrations, the first three matches of the 2030 World Cup will be held in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
    The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
   
   
   
9. Who has recently (in December ‘24) became the second Indian and 16th player worldwide to reach the gold-standard ELO rating of 2800 after legendary Viswanathan Anand?
   1) Arjun Erigaisi
   2) Praggnanandhaa
   3) Vidit Santosh Gujrathi
   4) Aravindh Chithambaram
   5) Gukesh Dommaraju
   
   Answer & Explanation

   Answer-1) Arjun Erigaisi
   Explanation:
   Grandmaster (GM) Arjun Erigaisi became the second Indian and 16th player worldwide to reach the gold-standard ELO rating of 2800, after legendary Viswanathan Anand.
    Arjun now has 2801 rating points and is currently ranked No. 4 in the world, just below Hikaru Nakamura (2802) of the United State of America (USA).
    Norwegian Magnus Carlsen continued to be at the top spot with 2831 ratings, followed by Fabiano Caruana (2805) of the USA.
    Earlier this year, he won both team gold and individual gold medals in the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.
   
   
   
10. Who is the author of the recently (in November ‘24) released book  ‘Tipu Sultan-The Saga of the Mysore Interregnum’?
    1) Chandrachur Ghose
    2) Rakesh Kumar Sharma
    3) Manu S. Pillai
    4) Vikram Sampath
    5) Mohibbul Hasan Khan
    
    Answer & Explanation

    Answer- 4) Vikram Sampath
    Explanation:
    In November 2024, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar released Vikram Sampath’s book ‘Tipu Sultan-The Saga of the Mysore Interregnum’ at the Indian Habitat Centre in New Delhi, Delhi.
     He described Tipu Sultan as a “complex figure” in Indian history who resisted the imposition of British colonial control over India.
     The book provides a detailed account of Tipu Sultan’s life and reign in Indian history. The book offers a balanced perspective on Tipu Sultan’s legacy by exploring his achievements and controversial policies.
     This book was published by Penguin Random House India.