General Knowledge(GK) (or) General Awareness

Correct Answer :   Narendra Modi

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the first Indian Prime Minister to have been conferred with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, France's highest civilian and military honour, by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Mr. Modi received the honour at the Elysee Palace here on Thursday, July 13, 2023, and joined the ranks of other prominent world leaders such as the former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela, King Charles - the then Prince of Wales, former Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary General of the United Nations, among others.

He also joined the French National Day (July 14) celebrations as the Guest of Honour.

Other awardees : Nelson Mandela, King Charles, Angela Merkel, Boutros Boutros-Ghali

The Prime Minister, who is in France for a two-day official visit, was accorded a red-carpet welcome as he arrived here on Thursday. He will join President Macron for the French National Day celebrations on Friday as the Guest of Honour.

A warm gesture embodying the spirit of 🇮🇳-🇫🇷 partnership.

PM @narendramodi conferred with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, the highest award in France by President @EmmanuelMacron. pic.twitter.com/OyiHCHMDX2

— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) July 13, 2023

“A warm gesture embodying the spirit of partnership. PM @narendramodi conferred with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, the highest award in France by President @EmmanuelMacron," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

"Prime Minister thanked President Macron for this singular honour on behalf of the people of India,” the MEA said in a statement..

Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer :   26 Rafale fighter Jets

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The defence ministry on Thursday (13th July 2023) approved plans to buy 26 Rafale fighter aircraft and three Scorpene class conventional submarines for the Indian Navy from France.

* “A meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), held under the chairmanship of defence minister Rajnath Singh, approved three proposals on July 13, 2023," the ministry said in a statement.

* The DAC has granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft along with associated ancillary equipment, weapons, simulator, spares, documentation, crew training and logistic support for the Indian Navy from the French government based on Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA).

* The price and other terms of purchase will be negotiated with the French government after taking into account all relevant aspects, including comparative procurement price of similar aircraft by other countries.

* Integration of Indian designed equipment and establishment of Maintenance, Repair & Operations (MRO) hub for various systems will be incorporated into the contract documents after due negotiations.

* The DAC also granted AoN for procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines under Buy (Indian) category which will be constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL)..

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   Wanindu Hasaranga

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) 11th July 2023 announced the winners of the ICC Player of the Month awards for June 2023.

The ICC Men’s Player of the Month award goes to Sri Lanka’s record-breaking spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who was instrumental in his side’s successful ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier campaign.

The ICC Women’s Player of the Month prize goes to Australia’s star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner following a memorable performance in the first Women’s Ashes showdown, making her the first to win three ICC Player of the Month awards, having also won in December 2022 and February 2023..

Source : ICC Cricket

Correct Answer :   Pune

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India’s top table tennis league Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) tournament is being organized at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune this year (2023) under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India after a gap of four years.

The league round-robin will be held between the 13th and the 27th of July.

The semifinals will be held on the 28 and the 29th of July and the final will be held on the 30th of July.
 
The Ultimate Table Tennis league consists of six teams. There are 36 players in total with six from each team - four Indian players and two International players.

Each team will play five matches.

India’s ace table tennis player Sharath Kamal is participating in the UTT league.

He will be leading the Indian team to the 26th Asian Championships to be held from the 3rd to the 10th of September this year in South Korea.

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Nishad Kumar

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India's Nishad Kumar has clinched a silver medal in ongoing Para Athletics World Championships 2023 in Paris.

Nishad bagged this medal in the High Jump T47 Event.

With this win, Nishad has become the second athlete at this event to grab a medal.

The top-four ranked athletes at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in each of the individual medal events qualify for the 2024 Paralympic Games, also to be held in Paris..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   North Korea

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North Korea fired an unspecified ballistic missile off its east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement on Wednesday (12th July 2023), a launch also reported by Japan's military.

The missile was still flying, according to a Japanese Defence Ministry official quoted by broadcaster NHK.

No further details were immediately available about the launch, which came barely a month after North Korea's last launch and is its twelfth such launch this year.

The launch also comes after North Korea made heated complaints in recent days over U.S. military activities, accusing American spy planes of violating airspace in its economic zones and condemning a recent visit to South Korea by an American nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine.

This year North Korea has test fired its first ever solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and conducted a failed attempt to launch its first-ever spy satellite on a new launch vehicle.

United Nations Security Council resolutions ban North Korea's use of ballistic missile technology, including for satellite launches.

The Security Council, as well as a number of nations, have imposed sanction on North Korea for its missile and nuclear weapons programmes..

Source : India Today

Correct Answer :   Selva Prabhu Thirumaran

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Indian triple-jumper Selva Prabhu Thirumaran became the first Indian to be named the "Asian Under-20 Male Athlete of the Year" by the Asian Athletics Association.

* Selva had won a silver medal at the World U20 Athletics Championships in Colombia last year (2022). Selva was given the award during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Asian Athletics Association in Bangkok.

* Indian triple-jumper Selva Prabhu Thirumaran on Monday (10th July 2023) became the first Indian ever to be named "Best Asian Under-20 Male Athlete of the Year" by Asian Athletics Association (AAA).

* Selva, 18, won silver at the World U20 Athletics Championships in Colombia last year, the latest in a series of international podium performances by India's jumpers.

* Selva received the award during the AAA's 50th anniversary celebration in Bangkok, where the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships are due to begin on Wednesday (12th July 2023).

Who is Selva Prabhu?

Selva, from a farming family in Madurai, is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in English Literature in Trichy. He was described as a "soft-spoken, hardworking boy who's fully dedicated to the sport" by C. Latha, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Athletic Association.

What is his career's biggest achievement?

His historic silver last year at the World U20 Athletics Championships in Colombia, where he produced a best jump of 16.15m..

Source : ESPN

Correct Answer :   Jyotsna Sabar

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India has won three gold medals so far in the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships 2023, which began 12th July 2023 at the Gautam Budh University, Greater Noida.

Athlete Jyotsna Sabar has clinched gold in 40kg Youth Category, Asmita in 45kg Youth & Junior Category, and Komal Kohar in 45kg Senior category.

As many as 253 weightlifters, including 52 Indians, are competing across the senior, junior and youth categories in the five-day tournament.

The tournament will also serve as a test run for the prestigious AWF Asian Junior and Youth Weightlifting championship, slated to begin later this month. India is hosting the tournament for the second time, having successfully organised it in Pune in 2015..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   4th

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According to the latest ranking of 2023 by Global Firepower, a data website containing information related to the defense of the countries of the world, India is the fourth most powerful army country in the world.

USA is on top in this list. In this ranking, after the US, Russia and China are in second and third place respectively.

Countries with weak military forces have also been included in this list, which includes countries like Bhutan and Iceland.

India ranks above European countries like UK and Italy.

Correct Answer :   Rudransh Khandelwal

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Indian para-shooters Rudransh Khandelwal and Nihal Singh achieved outstanding success at the World Shooting Para Sport (WSPS) World Cup in Osijek, Croatia.

Rudransh, a 16-year-old, set a new world record in the P4 Mixed 50m pistol SH1 category, scoring 231.1 in the final, securing the gold medal.

Nihal finished second with a score of 222.2. Rudransh surpassed the previous world record held by Khel Ratna awardee Manish Narwal, who won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Osijek WSPS🔫 World Cup 2023 Update☑️

Team 🇮🇳 wins 2⃣🥇& 1⃣🥈today.

Take a look at the names of our medalists👇

* Rudransh Khandelwal: 🥇in P4 Individual Event. With this, he also sets a new World Record in Free Pistol event.

* 🥇in P4 Team Event. pic.twitter.com/AU6xdLOOot

— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) July 10, 2023

In addition, other Indian participants Francis Rubina and Rahul Jakhar reached the final, with Rubina finishing fifth and Jakhar placing sixth.

Avani Lekhara, India's Paralympic gold medalist in the R2 10M Air Rifle SH1 category, finished sixth in the R3 Mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1 event.

#Osijek2023 WSPS World Cup update 🇭🇷👏

🥳 Gold Medal🏅 with World Record effort in P4 - Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 Individual by Rudransh Khandelwal with a score of 231.1.

Team Gold in P4 🏅 - Nihal Singh, Rahul Jakhar & Khandelwal

Silver 🥈- Nihal - P4 Individual #ShootingParaSport pic.twitter.com/u48eiowMyv

— Paralympic India 🇮🇳 (@ParalympicIndia) July 10, 2023

Swaroop Unhalkar secured a gold medal in the men's 10m air rifle standing SH1 event with a score of 245.9, defeating Csaba Rescsik of Hungary by a slim margin of 0.9 points..

Source : Times of India