ANSWER: B

ANSWER: D

 ANSWER: C

 ANSWER: C

• A hidden corridor, 9 m long and roughly 2 m wide, has been unearthed by scientists close to the main entrance of the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza.
• The discovery was originally made by the ScanPyramids project in 2016 using a non-invasive technique called cosmic-ray muon radiography.

The greatest pyramid

• The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of the three pyramids in Giza, originally standing roughly 147 m above the Giza plateau.
  • Giza Pyramids are the only surviving structure of the seven wonders of ancient world.
• Construction was started in circa 2550 BC, during the reign of Khufu, often considered the greatest pharaoh of Egypt’s old kingdom.
• It is estimated that the pyramid was built using 2.5 million stone blocks, each weighing between 2.5 and 15 tonnes.
• Tomb art includes depictions of ancient farmers working, fishing and fowling, carpentry, costumes, religious rituals and burial practices.

 ANSWER: A

• The 4th edition of National Youth Parliament Festival (NYPF) commenced in the Central Hall of Parliament recently.
• It is based on the theme: “Ideas for a Better tomorrow: India for the World”.
• More than 2.01 Lakh youth from 748 Districts of all States and UTs participated at 150 venues across the country.
• Objective:
  • To hear the voice of youth in this age bracket of 18-25 who are allowed to vote but cannot contest in elections.
  • To encourage the youth to engage with public issues, understand the common man’s point of view, form their opinion and express these in an articulate manner.

About National Youth Parliament Festival (NYPF)

• NYPF is based on the idea given by the Prime Minister in his Mann Ki Baat address.
• Under this District Youth Parliaments are also conducted.
• These are conducted at three levels:
  1. District Youth Parliament (DYP): Preliminary rounds of screening are conducted to select youth for participation in the DYP by a Jury.
  2. State Youth Parliament (SYP): The youth selected by a Jury from the District Youth Parliament participate at the State level in SYP.

• National Youth Parliament (NYP): The youth selected by a Jury from the State Youth Parliament participate at the National level in NYP in New Delhi.

• 1st edition of NYPF 2019 was organised with the theme “Be the Voice of New India and Find solutions and Contribute to Policy” with the participation of 88,000 youth in physical mode.
• Organized by: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

 ANSWER: D

• A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court directed in a landmark judgment that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs) will be appointed by the President on the advice tendered by a committee of the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
  • The judgment has now brought the appointment process of Chief Election Commissioners and Election Commissioners on par with that of the CBI Director.
  • The move is aimed at insulating the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners from the Executive’s interference.
• Chief Election Commissioners and Election Commissioners have so far been appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
• The high-powered committee would continue to advise the President on the appointment until the Parliament enacts a law on the appointment process of Election Commissioners.
• Other highlights of SC verdict
  • Appointment of an EC for a tenure less than six years is in “clear breach” of law. Section 4(1) of Election Commission (Conditions of Service of ECs and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991 requires that CECs and ECs should separately have a period of six years in office.
  • SC ruled that process of removal of CEC and other ECs cannot be the same.
  • On issue of funding EC, Court held that there is a need to provide for a permanent Secretariat and expenditure be charged on Consolidated Fund of India.

The Election Commission of India

• It is an autonomous constitutional body under Article 324.
• It administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country.
• Composition
  • Originally the commission had only a Chief Election Commissioner.
  • It currently consists of Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.
• Appointment & Tenure of Commissioners
  • The President appoints Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners under article 324(2).
  • They have a tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
  • They enjoy the same status and receive salary and perks as available to Judges of the Supreme Court of India.
  • The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from office only through impeachment by Parliament.
  • Service condition- same as judges of Supreme Court. EC can’t be removed from office except on recommendation of CEC.

 ANSWER: A

• National Safety Day is observed on March 4 annually with an in aim to promote safe working environment and ensure safety of people in all aspects.
• The campaign is comprehensive, general and flexible with an appeal to the participating organisations to develop specific activities as per their safety requirements.
• This year will mark the onset of the 52nd National Safety Day.
• The theme for 2023 National Safety Day is ‘Our Aim – Zero Harm’.
  • The National Safety Council of India (NSC) publishes the theme of National Safety Day.
• The National Safety Day was first marked in 1971 to commemorate the founding of the National Safety Council (on March 4, 1966) and raise safety awareness.

 ANSWER: C

• The Supreme Court recently formed a five-member expert committee to investigate the possibility of regulatory failure in the Hindenburg Adani saga.
• The Supreme-Court formed a committee headed by former apex court judge, Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre to assess the regulatory framework.
• The scope of the committee is to
  • provide an overall assessment of the situation, including the relevant factors which led to the volatility in the securities market.
  • suggest measures to strengthen Indian investor awareness.
  • investigate any regulatory failure in dealing with the alleged breaking of rules by the Adani Group of companies.
  • Suggest measures to strengthen the statutory and regulatory framework and secure compliance with the existing framework for the protection of investors.

ANSWER: A

• Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has received the Porter Prize 2023.
• It recognized the government’s strategy in managing COVID-19, also the approach, and involvement of various stakeholders especially the involvement of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers.
• The country’s contribution to developing and manufacturing vaccines was also lauded.
  • India delivered more than 2.5 billion doses.
• Porter Prize is named after award-winning economist Michael E. Porter.
  • He has brought economic theory and strategy concepts to bear on many of the most challenging problems faced by corporations, economies and societies

 ANSWER: B

• Bakhmut is a small mining town in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province.
• Bakhmut is currently in ruins, having been the focal point of Russian assaults and a site of dogged defence by the Ukrainian military.
• Importance of Bakhmut:
  • Bakhmut is proximate to multiple important roads which may have some strategic value to the Russian advance.
  • It’s an important transport hub, a lot of supply lines go through there and Russia could use it as a base.
  • Beyond its limited strategic value, the town has become a symbol for the war itself, guiding both sides’ unrelenting resolve to control it.

 ANSWER: D

• India’s top triple-jumper Aishwarya Babu has been banned by the National Anti-Doping Agency’s (NADA) disciplinary panel for four years for using a prohibited anabolic steroid.
• Aishwarya Babu, 25 years old, was dropped from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022, along with sprinter S Dhanalakshmi after testing positive for the steroid, which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) prohibited list.

 ANSWER: B

• (CERC).
• Barua has been appointed chairperson of the CERC on February 27, 2023.
• Earlier, Barua was chief secretary of Assam from October 2020 to August 2022.
• CERC headquarters- New Delhi.

 ANSWER: C

• The state government has asked an NGO to conduct a social impact survey of the project for the expansion of the Gaggal airport in Kangra.
• NGO members, while conducting the survey, faced resistance from people of Gaggal, whose land will be acquired for airport expansion.
  • A social impact survey is a pre-condition before the process of land acquisition is started. In the survey, an independent agency hired by the government would solicit the views of the affected people.
• The Gaggal airport is proposed to be expanded in two phases. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to expand the airport from the current length of 1,372 metres to 1,900 metres in the first phase. In the second phase, its length was proposed to be increased from 1,900 metres to 3,110 metres.
• The airport expansion is a major demand of the tourism industry.