Today in History (Apr 02^nd, 1679)

2 April, 1679: Aurangzeb reimposed Jizya Tax to finance the spread of Islam on the Hindus

Let’s revise

A) Which of the following has been awarded with Bharat Ratna in 2024?

1. Karpoori Chandra Yadav
2. Chaudhary Charan Singh
3. G.S. Swaminathan
4. Lal Krishna Advani

Ans. (d)

B) Which one of the following has been awarded with Bharat Ratna at his residence?

1. P V Narasimha Rao,
2. Karpoori Thakur
3. Lal Krishna Advani
4. Chaudhary Charan Singh

Ans. (c)

C) Find incorrect statement regarding Bharat Ratna

1. Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of India
2. It is recommended by the Prime Minister of India to the President of India
3. The Award does not carry any monetary grant
4. The Awardees are given 5 Crores rupees

Ans. (d)

D) Kachtatheevu is_______

1. A province of Tamil Nadu
2. An island in Arabian Sea
3. An island in Andman Nicobar
4. An Island in Palk Strait

Ans. (d)

E) The ______ is a strait between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the Jaffna District of the Northern Province of the island nation of Sri Lanka.

1. Palk Strait
2. Hormuz Strait
3. Malacca strait
4. Lombok Strait

Ans. (a)

F) El Nino is associated with ______

1. Climatic condition affecting the monsoon
2. A computer virus
3. A zoonotic disease affecting pigs
4. A political theory

Ans. (a)

G) Find correct statement which affects water conservation negatively

1. Rain water harvesting
2. Reforestation
3. Encroachment of catchment areas
4. Promotion of forestation

Ans. (c)

H) Which city is the capital of Bulgaria

1. Sofia
2. Romania
3. Vienna
4. Slovenia

Ans. (a)

I) Schengen Area is _______

1. Border control free area in south Asia
2. Border control free area in East Asia
3. Border control free area in Europe
4. None of the above statement is correct

Ans. (c)

J) Who is the President of France?

1. Vladimir Putin
2. Emmanuel Macron
3. Gabriel Attal
4. Rishi Sunak

Ans. (b)

Summary of Today’s News

Germany gives green light to controversial cannabis

Germany legalized recreational cannabis use on Monday, making it the largest EU nation to do so, despite strong opposition from politicians and medical associations.
The initial phase of the debated new law permits adults over 18 to possess 25 grams of dried cannabis and grow up to three marijuana plants at home.
Germany now boasts some of Europe’s most liberal cannabis laws, joining Malta and Luxembourg, which legalized recreational use in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
At midnight, as the law came into effect, around 1,500 people gathered at central Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, cheered by police, some even lighting up joints in celebration. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach remarked on X, formerly Twitter, that cannabis consumption has emerged from the ‘taboo zone’.

The Artificial Intelligence in elections, its good side and bad side

In a bid to expand Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s audience across linguistic groups, the BJP utilized Artificial Intelligence to translate his speeches into eight languages for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, possibly marking India’s first ‘AI election’. This widespread use of AI is poised to revolutionize the 2024 general election.
Over the past three decades, India’s electoral landscape has continuously evolved, adapting to and leveraging emerging technologies. This evolution spans from widespread phone call usage in the 1990s to the emergence of “mass mobile phone” elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2007, the adoption of holograms in 2014, and now, the era of AI.
In contrast, the 2024 global elections are dubbed ‘AI elections’. In January, New Hampshire voters received robocalls impersonating U.S. President Joe Biden, aimed at dissuading Democratic turnout. Similarly, two days before Slovakia’s parliamentary elections in September 2023, a fake audio conversation circulated on Facebook, exposing AI-driven election manipulation. Despite being debunked, Progressive Slovakia lost in a close race, raising concerns about AI’s role as a ‘test case’ for the 2024 global elections.
Concerns persist that election-related AI-generated content could influence last-minute voter suppression or create misleading portrayals of candidates that are difficult to refute. Recently, an AI-generated image depicting Donald Trump’s arrest went viral, raising questions about potential impacts if such content emerged just before an election. While AI may become more sophisticated by 2029, so too will society’s resilience and preparedness for its deceptive effects, though uncertainties remain.

Growth in GST collection

Despite a slight slowdown in growth from February, GST revenue reached its second-highest level at ₹1,78,484 crore in March. This contributed to a total collection of over ₹20.18 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2023-24, marking an 11.6% increase.”
Adjusted for refunds, net GST revenue surged by 18.4% in March, reaching ₹1.65 lakh crore, compared to February’s 13.6% growth. For the entire fiscal year, net GST revenue amounted to ₹18.01 lakh crore, marking a growth of 13.4%.