Half Yearly General Knowledge/Current Affairs PDF

HALF YEARLY GENERAL KNOWLEDGE/CURRENT AFFAIRS CLASSES – IX TO XII NATIONAL NEWS 1. Important Portfolios of India Prime Minister - Mr. Narendera Modi Home Minister- Mr. Am...

HALF YEARLY GENERAL KNOWLEDGE/CURRENT AFFAIRS CLASSES – IX TO XII NATIONAL NEWS 1. Important Portfolios of India Prime Minister - Mr. Narendera Modi Home Minister- Mr. Amit Shah Defence Minister- Mr. Raj Nath Singh External Affairs Minister- Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Finance Minister- Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman Railway Minister- Mr.Ashwini Vaishnaw Chief Justice of India- Mr. D.Y. Chandrachud Lok Sabha Speaker- Mr. Om Birla 2. The Ministry of Culture initiates Project PARI for the 46th World Heritage Committee Meeting Project PARI aims at stimulating dialogue, reflection, and inspiration, contributing to the dynamic cultural fabric of the nation. Over 150 visual artists from all over the country work on various sites in the national capital for beautification of public spaces for the upcoming meeting. 3. NITI Aayog is set to launch the 'Sampoornata Abhiyan' on July 4, 2024. Marking a new chapter in India's journey towards inclusive growth. 4. The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is launching a Master of Arts (MA) course in Bhagavad Gita Studies for the 2024-2025 academic session. The program covers the philosophical, ethical, and spiritual aspects of the Bhagavad Gita. 5. The World Bank has approved a $1.5-billion loan to help India accelerate its low-carbon energy development. The funds will be used to promote a market for green hydrogen, electrolysers, and increased renewable energy penetration. 6. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has partnered with Aadhar Housing Finance Limited (AHFL) to provide USD 60 million in affordable housing loans targeting women in India. This initiative  aims to help low-income families, particularly women, who struggle to access traditional loan options. 7. Union Minister Piyush Goyal has announced an 80% reduction in licensing fees for women entrepreneurs and a 50% reduction for MSMEs under the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). This initiative aims to encourage greater participation from women and MSMEs in the petroleum and explosives sectors, balancing industry compliance with public safety. 8. Jawaharlal Nehru University is in the process of establishing three new centres — Centre for Hindu Studies, Centre for Buddhist Studies and Centre for Jain Studies — under the School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies, said Vice-Chancellor Santishree. 9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday set a new milestone by becoming the most followed global leader on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) with over 100 million followers. INTERNATIONAL NEWS 1. Von der Leyen re-elected EU Commission President. 2. Justice Aalia Neelum took oath as first Woman Chief Justice of Lahore High Court. 3. World Zoonoses Day observed on July 6. It aims to raise awareness about Zoonotic diseases – infections that can spread from animals to humans. 4. Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party has been appointed as PM of the UK. 5. India has been ranked 5th in Generative AI. 6. India will host the second Asia Pacific Ministerial conference on Civil Aviation. 7. China has built World’s first Carbon fibre high speed train. IT NEWS 1. Google is launching the Agricultural Landscape Understanding (ALU) Research API to make farming more data-driven and efficient by using satellite imagery and AI to provide detailed field insights. 2. India ranks 72nd in the 2024 Artificial Intelligence Preparedness Index, highlighting the need for improved AI infrastructure and innovation capabilities. 3. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPi) has launched the e- Sankhyiki portal to enhance data access and transparency in India. 4. MSME SAHAJ: SBI launches a quick, 15- minute Online loan solution for small and medium enterprises, simplifying access to funds.  5. Google launches Gemini, a powerful new processor set to enhance performance and efficiency in upcoming devices. 6. Microsoft outages caused by a CrowdStrike software glitch paralyze airlines and other businesses, leading to widespread disruptions. 7. Mark Zuckerberg’s company Meta launched Meta 3D Gen to make hyper – realistic video games, movie effects, and other things. 8. The Indian government launches Digital Bharat Nidhi, a fund aimed at promoting digital infrastructure and innovation across the country. 9. The WHO launches a Medical Devices Information System (MeDevIS), an online platform, providing a comprehensive global database for tracking and managing medical devices. 10. Google partnered with Indian universities for research in artificial intelligence, focusing on healthcare, agriculture, and language processing. This collaboration is part of Google's efforts to drive AI advancements and address local challenges. SPORTS NEWS CRICKET India won the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. It was co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States. South Africa secured the second position. India won the tournament for the second time. Jaspreet Bumrah was the player of the tournament. Indian Women won the one-off Test against South Africa by 10 wickets held at Chepauk. Shefali Verma scored a double century while Smriti Mandhana scored 149. Sneh Rana was the woman of the match securing 10-wickets. TENNIS Wimbledon Championships : It was the 137th edition of the Wimbledon Championships. Carlos Alcaraz, won the Wimbledon Championships beating Novak Djokovic in the men’s finals. Barbora Krejčíková defeated Jasmine Paolini to win the ladies singles title. FOOTBALL European Championships: Spain won the European Championships beating England 2-1 in the finals. The tournament was held in the USA. Rodri of Spain was named the best player of Euro 2024. SHOOTING Bhavtegh Singh Gill secured a Silver medal in the Men’s Skeet Event while Sabeera Haris Wins Bronze medal at ISSF Junior World Cup held at Porpetto, Italy. OLYMPICS Gagan Narang was the Chef-de-Mission of the Indian contingent to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. PV Sindhu and table tennis star Sharath Kamal were the India’s flag bearer in the Olympics. ATHLETICS Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh broke a 37-year-old world record in High Jump with a jump of 2.10m at the Paris Diamond league held at Paris. WRESTLING Vinesh Phogat won the bronze medal in the 50 kg weight category in the Spanish Grand Prix. STATIC GK 1. A motion of no- confidence against the Government of India can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha. 2. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita is the new name for the legal code for India, replacing Indian Penal Code (IPC). 3. Sucheta Kriplani was India’s first female Chief Minister, serving as the head of the Uttar Pradesh government from 1963 to 1967. 4. The Vice-President of India is the chairman of the Rajya Sabha. 5. Jayanti Patnaik was the first chairman of the National Commission for Women. 6. Indian National Congress was founded on December 28, 1885, on the premises of the Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit School in Bombay. It was presided over by W.C. Banerjee and attended by 72 delegates. A.O. Hume played an instrumental role in the foundation of INC. 7. Bahadur Shah II, also known as Bahadur Shah Zafar, was the last Mughal emperor of India. He was a poet, a musician, and a calligrapher. 8. If there is a deadlock between Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha over an ordinary bill, it will be resolved by the Joint Session of the Parliament. 9. The President of India can exercise pocket veto and keep the bill pending for as long as she/he wants. Through this, s/he can virtually stop the bill from becoming a law. 10. The Chief Justice of India administers the oath of office to the President of India. 11. The Bharat Ratna (Jewel of India) is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. 12. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conferred in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order, without distinction of race, occupation, position or gender. 13. The First Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists the names of states and Union territories. 14. The President has the power to summon and prorogue the sessions of Parliament in India. 15. The Attorney General of India is the chief legal advisor to the Government of India. 16. The Finance Minister is responsible for the preparation of the Union Budget in India.