Today in History (May 3^rd,1939)

The All India Forward Bloc was founded by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on May 3, 1939, in Makur Unnao, Uttar Pradesh. Bose established the party after being outmaneuvered in the presidency of the Indian National Congress by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and resigning on April 29.

Weekly Current Affairs (27 Apr – 02 May)

1. Dr. Kasturirangan, recently died, he was associated with which field?

1. Jurisprudence
2. Bollywood
3. ISRO
4. Politician

Answer: c)
Rationale: Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman Dr. K. Kasturirangan passed away in Bengaluru on April 25, 2025. He was 84 years old.

2. Who is the current chairman of ISRO?

1. Somnath
2. Krishnamurti
3. Narayanan
4. None of the above

Answer: c)
Rationale: V. Narayanan (born 14 May 1964) is an Indian cryogenic engineer and rocket scientist who is serving as Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Secretary of the Department of Space since 14 January 2025.

3. How many Rafale-M fighter jets is India purchasing from France?

1. 36
2. 26
3. 64
4. 10

Answer: b)
Rationale: India signed a deal to buy 26 Rafale-M jets.

4. What is the estimated value of the Rafale deal in Indian currency?

1. ₹50,000 crore
2. ₹75,000 crore
3. ₹64,000 crore
4. ₹20,000 crore

Answer: c)
Rationale: The deal is worth nearly ₹64,000 crore.

5. When will Rafale-M deliveries begin?

1. 2024
2. 2028
3. 2031
4. 2026

Answer: b)
Rationale: Deliveries will start from mid-2028 and finish by 2030.

6. Which group claimed initial responsibility for the Pahalgam attack?

1. Jaish-e-Mohammed
2. The Resistance Front (TRF)
3. Al-Qaeda
4. ISIS-K

Answer: b)
Rationale: TRF claimed initial responsibility for the attack.

7. What was India’s military spending in 2024?

1. $10.2 billion
2. $86.1 billion
3. $149 billion
4. $314 billion

Answer: b)
Rationale: India spent $86.1 billion on defense in 2024.

8. India’s military spending is how many times more than Pakistan’s?

1. 5 times
2. 3 times
3. 9 times
4. 2 times

Answer: c)
Rationale: India spent nearly 9 times more than Pakistan.

9. Which country had the highest defense spending in 2024?

1. China
2. Russia
3. USA
4. India

Answer: c)
Rationale: The USA topped global defense spending.

10. Where was the Padma Award ceremony held?

1. Parliament House
2. Vigyan Bhavan
3. Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Durbar Hall
4. India Gate

Answer: c)
Rationale: The event took place at the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

11. Who presented the Padma Awards in 2024?

1. Prime Minister
2. Vice-President
3. Union Home Minister
4. President Droupadi Murmu

Answer: d)
Rationale: The President of India presents the Padma Awards.

12. Which of the following is not a category of the Padma Awards?

1. Padma Shri
2. Padma Bhushan
3. Padma Vibhushan
4. Bharat Ratna Bhushan

Answer: d)
Rationale: Bharat Ratna is separate from Padma awards and “Bharat Ratna Bhushan” doesn’t exist.

13. Who among the following was awarded Padma Vibhushan posthumously?

1. Shekhar Kapur
2. T. Vasudevan Nair
3. Pankaj Udhas
4. Pankaj Patel

Answer: b)
Rationale: He was posthumously honored with the Padma Vibhushan.

14. Osamu Suzuki was associated with which company?

1. Toyota
2. Honda
3. Suzuki Motor Corporation
4. Yamaha

Answer: c)
Rationale: He was the former chief of Suzuki Motor Corporation.

15. What was D. Nageshwar Reddy (Padma Vibhushan-2025) recognized for?

1. Space science
2. Music
3. Gastroenterology
4. Cinema

Answer: c) Gastroenterology
Rationale: He is the chairman of the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology.

16. Padma Vibhushan Awardee, Lakshminarayana Subramaniam is known for his excellence in:

1. Dance
2. Violin
3. Literature
4. Politics

Answer: b)
Rationale: He is a noted Indian violinist.

17. How many Padma Vibhushan awards were given posthumously?

1. One
2. Two
3. Three
4. None

Answer: b)
Rationale: Osamu Suzuki and M.T. Vasudevan Nair were honored posthumously.

18. Who among the following is a well-known Indian filmmaker awarded Padma Bhushan?

1. Rajkumar Hirani
2. Shekhar Kapur
3. Mani Ratnam
4. Ramesh Sippy

Answer: b)
Rationale: Shekhar Kapur is a noted filmmaker awarded Padma Bhushan.

19. Pankaj Udhas was awarded for his contribution in which field?

1. Medicine
2. Music
3. Engineering
4. Film Direction

Answer: b)
Rationale: He was a renowned ghazal and playback singer.

20. Sushil Kumar Modi was formerly the Deputy CM of which state?

1. Gujarat
2. Bihar
3. Uttar Pradesh
4. Jharkhand

Answer: b)
Rationale: He served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar.

21. Which former Indian hockey player received the Padma Bhushan?

1. Dhyan Chand
2. R. Sreejesh
3. Sandeep Singh
4. Dhanraj Pillay

Answer: b)
Rationale: P.R. Sreejesh was honored for his contributions to Indian hockey.

22. What is the rank of Padma Vibhushan in the hierarchy of Indian civilian awards?

1. Highest
2. Second-highest
3. Third-highest
4. Fourth-highest

Answer: b)
Rationale: Bharat Ratna is the highest, followed by Padma Vibhushan.

23. Who is the constitutional authority that formally confers the Padma Awards?

1. Prime Minister
2. Vice-President
3. Chief Justice
4. President of India

Answer: d)
Rationale: Only the President of India officially confers the awards.

24. The Padma Awards were instituted in which year?

1. 1947
2. 1954
3. 1972
4. 2000

Answer: b)
Rationale: Padma Awards were instituted in 1954.

25. The 2024 Padma Award ceremony honored which nationality apart from Indians?

1. Japanese
2. British
3. American
4. Sri Lankan

Answer: a)
Rationale: Osamu Suzuki from Japan was awarded posthumously.