Q1. The union Minister for Railways, Communication and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw  on  Jan 5 has  announced that BSNL would launch its 5G service by

1. April 2024
2. April 2025
3. April 2026
4. April 2027
5. None of These

Q2. Name the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights who has said that the from Afghanistan to Iran, women's rights under 'systematic' attack ?

1. António Guterres
2. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
3. Volker Turk
4. Catherine M. Russell
5. None of These

Q3. Name the state  government  which has said that  it is contemplating invoking the National Security Act (NSA) against those caught selling the banned and highly dangerous Chinese Manjha ?

1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Punjab
4. Haryana
5. None of These

Q4. Name the city in which Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella was born ?

1. Chennai
2. Kochi
3. Bengaluru
4. Hyderabad
5. None of These

Q5. Name the world's largest hockey stadium  which has been naugurated  by the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on  Jan 5 at Rourkela ahead of the men's FIH Hockey World Cup which begins on January 13 ?

1. Biju Patnaik Hockey Stadium
2. Sidhu Kanhu Hockey Stadium
3. Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium
4. Tilka Majhi Hockey Stadium
5. None of These

Answers

1-----------------1   April 2024

2----------------3     Volker Turk

3------------------2    Madhya Pradesh

4--------------------4   Hyderabad

5-------------------- 3   Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium

The Supreme Court on  Jan 5 stayed the directions of the Uttarakhand High Court regarding removal of encroachments from 29 acres of railway land in Haldwani.

The apex court issued notices to the Railways and the state government seeking their responses on a batch of pleas challenging the high court order for removal of encroachments.

According to the railways, there are 4,365 encroachers on the land.

The apex court said that 50,000 people can't be uprooted overnight while barring any construction or development on the land.

The case has now been listed for its next hearing on February 7.

The high court on December 20 last year had ordered demolition of constructions on encroached railway land at Banbhoolpura in Haldwani.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Microsoft on Jan 5 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to fuel the growth of space technology start-ups in India.

The MoU seeks to empower space tech start-ups across the country with technology tools and platforms, go-to-market support and mentoring to help them scale and become enterprise-ready.

This collaboration has come at a time when Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella is in the city to take part in Microsoft Future Ready Technology Summit.

Foreign universities will need the University Grants Commission's nod to set up campuses in India and the initial approval will be for 10 years, the panel's chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said on Jan 5.

He also stressed that foreign varsities with campuses in the country can only offer full-time programmes in physical mode and not online or distance learning.

The first passenger flight arrived at the Manohar International Airport in Goa from Hyderabad on Jan 5, marking the commencement of operations at the new facility in the coastal state.

The IndiGo flight from Hyderabad landed at 9 am at the new airport located at Mopa in North Goa district.

Union Minister Shripad Naik and Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte were present to welcome the passengers at the terminal building of the airport.

The Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval for the naming of Greenfield International Airport at Goa’s Mopa as Manohar International Airport, after former defence minister and Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

The airport was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in December, 2022. 

The Union Cabinet on Jan 4 approved the National Hydrogen mission with a total allocation of Rs 19,744 crore for producing 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030. Out of the total allocation, Rs 17,490 crore has been earmarked as incentive for the production of electrolysers and green hydrogen.

By 2030, the project expects to bring in over Rs 8 lakh crore investment and create over 6 lakh jobs. Besides, nearly 50 MMT per annum of CO2 emissions are expected to be averted by that year. The mission will support pilot projects in emerging end-use sectors and production pathways. Regions capable of supporting large-scale production and utilisation of hydrogen will be identified and developed as green hydrogen hubs.

Aiming to ensure that no one has to live in grass-thatched or kutcha houses in the state, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the CM Residential Plot Scheme in Tikamgarh district on Jan 4 . The government will provide residential land pattas to all the poor and homeless. Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Chief Minister Jan-Awas Yojana, pucca houses will be constructed on these leases. This is not just a lease, but the respect of the poor, their honour. Now no one will be able to tell them to leave their place,” the CM said.