Current Affairs: Passage of the Day - 21 April 2024 | Current Affairs & General Knowledge - CLAT PDF Download

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
A statue of Dr B R Ambedkar, the principal architect of India's Constitution was formally inaugurated in a Maryland suburb in Washington on Sunday.
It is touted to be the tallest statue of Ambedkar outside India.
During the inauguration of the statue, chants of 'Jai Bhim' were heard. According to the PTI news agency, more than 500 Indian-Americans from various parts of the US and some from India and other countries attended the unveiling ceremony of the 19-foot tall "Statue of Equality".
The statue was made by renowned artist and sculptor Ram Sutar, who also built the statue of Sardar Patel, called as Statue of Unity, and installed on an island in Narmada, metres downstream of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat.
"We are calling it the Statue of Equality… this (inequality) is not only the problem in India, everywhere (in) different forms (it exists)," Ram Kumar, president of the Ambedkar International Center (AIC) told PTI after the statue unveiling ceremony.
The "Statue of Equality" represents 1.4 billion Indians and 4.5 million Indian Americans, said Deelip Mhaske from New York who leads the Ambedkarite movement in the US.
"Although this is completely done through community contributions, we received congratulatory messages from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stating 'Ambedkarite has put the foundation of Unified India in the USA and globally'," he said.
"This statue will not just inspire millions of Indians residing in the US but all communities including Black, Hispanic, and others!" Mhaske said. "This is a historic step towards unifying the Indian-American diaspora and working towards making India a superpower not just in technology but also in social justice," he said.
Mahindra Rajwade, who drove for more than 10 hours from Kentucky to attend the statue unveiling ceremony, said this is a proud moment for all followers of Dr Ambedkar. "This is the first time in the world that we have such a tall statue of Babasaheb outside India".
The unveiling ceremony was followed by cultural performances by Indian-Americans from various parts of the country.
Born on April 14, 1891, Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar - popular among his followers as Babasaheb - was the chairman of the Constituent Assembly’s most crucial Drafting Committee that earned him the moniker Architect of the Indian Constitution.
He died on December 6, 1956, months after he embraced Buddhism on October 14 that year, the date coinciding with the unveiling of the statue in Maryland. October 14 is celebrated as Dhamma Chakra Parivartan Din by Ambedkarites.
[Excerpt from Mint“Tallest statue of Ambedkar outside India unveiled in US” Dated 1/10/23]
Q1: What is the "Statue of Equality" in Maryland dedicated to?
(a) Religious Harmony
(b) Human Rights and Equality
(c) Scientific Advancement
(d) Political Leadership

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Q2: Who is the sculptor behind the "Statue of Equality" in Maryland?
(a) Sardar Patel
(b) Ram Sutar
(c) Babasaheb Ambedkar
(d) Ahmedabad

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Q3: Where is the Ambedkar International Center (AI(c) located?
(a) Ahmedabad
(b) Maryland
(c) Accokeek
(d) India

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Q4: What is the primary purpose of the Ambedkar International Center (AIC)?
(a) Scientific Research
(b) Art Preservation
(c) Promoting Dr. Ambedkar's Teachings
(d) Political Activism

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Q5: What does the "Statue of Equality" symbolize?
(a) Wealth and Prosperity
(b) Justice and Equality
(c) Political Power
(d) Religious Beliefs

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Q6: What is the expected purpose of the global gathering at the statue unveiling?
(a) Political Campaign
(b) Celebrating Ambedkar's Contributions
(c) Economic Summit
(d) Religious Rituals

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Q7: Besides the United States, where is the gathering expected to draw representatives from?
(a) India
(b) Europe
(c) Asia
(d) Various Parts of the World

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Q8: What are the AIC and the "Statue of Equality" envisioned to represent?
(a) Political Power
(b) Artistic Expression
(c) Principles of Equality and Human Rights
(d) Religious Beliefs

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