Current Affairs

APRIL 2009

117. The 21st Arab League (AL) summit to discuss a package of major issues, including the Palestinian cause, the peace process in the Middle East, improvement of inter-Arab relations and the situation in Sudan was held at ?
Doha, capital of Qatar
118. G-20 Summit which is the world’s 20 largest developed and developing nations meeting was held at?
London
119. Lawyer from the Maharashtra Service Legal Authority, who had been appointed to represent Mumbai terror attack accused Ajmal Amir Kasab and withdrew from the case later in response of several protests.
Anjali Wghmare
120. Maruti Suzuki has decided to stop two selling models, from 11 cities, including the four metros, from 2010 due to tighter emission norms. Which are they?
Maruti-800 and Omni
121. Former cricket player of Pakistan who was appointed as an adviser to the Chinese Cricket Association?
Javed Miandad
122. Bollywood actor and politician who has been appointed the General Secretary of Samajwadi Party.
Sanjay Dutt
123. Name the Thai citizen who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for insulting the king of Thailand and his family by posting edited photos of the monarchy on the Internet?
Suwicha Thakho
124. At the time of its final broadcast on September 18, 2009, the teleserial which will have spanned 72 years and more than 15,700 episodes on television and radio?
Guiding Light
125. Mahatma Gandhi is remembered in a very special way in a small village in India by worshipping his idol in a temple? Where is it?
The temple at Bhatra Village in Sambalpur town in Orissa
126. England All rounder who made the first hat-trick of his international career in the recent One Day series against West Indies?
Andrew Flintoff
127. Name the Slovakia’s president who wins second term in office after defeating the first woman to reach a runoff vote?

Ivan Gasparovic
128. Who won the Sony Ericsson Open final by beating Serena Williams which is held in Miami?

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus
129. Who was the ‘man of the series’ in the Test series against New Zealand which India won 1-0 to script a series win in that country after 41 years?
Gautham Gambhir
130. India signed three pacts with a gulf country for strengthening cooperation in science and technology, education and culture as they pledged to contribute to each other’s well being and prosperity. Which is that country?
Kuwait
131. Kiran Sikri, a consumer who was penalised by a bank in India despite cancelling her loan. After her complaint, she was awarded a compensation of Rs.25,000/-by the Consumer Commission which found the bank guilty of deficiency of service in that case. Name that Bank?
ICICI
132. The country in which state of emergency declared recently by its Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, with troops firing shots into the air in an attempt to control anti-government protesters, some of whom stormed the country’s interior ministry?
Thailand
133. Who is appointed as the new President and CEO of Mahindra Life space Developers?
Anita Arjundas
134. Country which regained the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey title after a 13-year gap, defeating hosts Malaysia 3-1 in the final of the five-nation tournament?
India
135. Which IT Company won the bid for India’s fourth largest software exporter Satyam Computer?
Tech Mahindra, the IT arm of auto major Mahindra and Mahindra.
Tech Mahindra’s winning bid was of Rs.1,757 Crore ($351.4 million) for 31 percent stake in the scam-tainted IT giant “Satyam”
136. Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza lifted her first WTA title of the year, teaming up with a Chinese Player to clinch the women’s doubles trophy at the USD 220,000 MPS Group Championships in Florida. Who is she?
Chia-Jung Chuang
137. Who became the first Indian sports personality to be featured at the Madame Tussaud’s wax museum in London?
Sachin Tendulkar
138. Recently a German Luxury carmaker has launched a Limited Edition of its E-Class cars in India? Name the Company?
Mercedes Benz
The Mercedes Benz E-Class Limited Edition is priced at Rs 43.4 Lakh (Ex-Showroom, Delhi).
139. The First Dog who joined US President Barack Obama and his family at the White House on April 14, 2009?

Bo
140. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) recently launched its much awaited white-labelled credit card in tie up with an Indian Bank? Which Bank?
Corporation Bank
141. Who is selected as the captain of The Wisden Test XI of 2008, which recognises the best Test cricketers and endorses Test cricket as the highest, most skilled form of the game.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the team includes Indians Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan.
142. The journalist who threw a shoe at Home Minister P Chidambaram at a press conference protesting against the minister’s reply on his question on CBI’s clean chit to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 Sikh riots case?
Jarnail Singh, a senior reporter of Dainik Jagran
143. The Indian Company which managed to buy its French partner Group Danone’s 50% stake in ABI Holdings, which controls 51% equity interest in biscuit major Britannia Industries.
The Nusli Wadia group
Nusli N Wadia, is the chairman of Britannia Industries,
144. Who is re-appointed as Fiji’s interim prime minister despite a Court of Appeal’s decision last week declaring his 2006 military coup illegal?
Commodore Frank Bainimarama
145. Leading Afghan rights activist who was killed by Taliban cowards after leaving meeting in Kandahar, Afghanistan?
Sitara Achakzai
146. Rifle-shooter who won the gold in the three position event in the Chongwon World Cup in South Korea, becoming the first Indian to win two medals in a single ISSF World Cup?
Gagan Narang
147. Which Zimbabwe captain named as the new coach of England Cricket Team for the recent series against West Indies and the Ashes?

Andy Flower
148. Who is appointed as the new US Ambassador to India?

Tim Roemer
149. Which country’s teams are qualified for the next World Cup Cricket in 2011?
Canada, Kenya, Holland, Ireland
150. Name the American Journalist who was accused with charges amounting to Espionage for the U S, and was sentenced to eight years in Prison by the Judicial Council of IRAN last week?
Rooksana Saberi
151. Which Tennis player who won his 5th straight Monte Carlo Masters Trophy, also known as “Open Barcelona”, more commonly known as the “Godó Trophy”?

Rafel Nadal
152. Name the British Tv Actress who committed suicide after the last episode of her teleserial “Belonging” which was present on BBC Wales?

Stephanie Parker
153. Who has been appointed as the new Supreme Court Registrar of India?
Ashok Menon
154. Who is the 16th Chief election commissioner of India?
Naveen Chawla
155. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev removed the head of the powerful military intelligence agency recently after he opposed sweeping reforms of the country’s lumbering armed forces. Who is he?
General Valentin Korabelnikov
156. Who is appointed as the new chief and managing director (CMD) of Air India
Mr. E.K. Bharat Bhushan
157. Who defeated I-League champions Churchill Brothers by 2-1 in the one-off Super Cup tie at the Devilal Sports Complex in Gurgaon on 26th April and won their third trophy of the season?
Mohun Bagan
158. Who was named as the English Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year for the first time despite starting just 12 league games this season?

Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)
159. Bollywood actor once called “the Clint Eastwood of the East” because of his maverick roles and manly swagger, died recently at Bangalore?

Feroz Khan
160. World Cup Cricket -2011 final will be held in?
Wankade Stadium, Mumbai
The cricket world cup will be held in 3 countries.
29 matches in India, 12 matches in Sri Lanka, 8 matches in Bangladesh.
161. Indian Premiere League(IPL)-2009 Facts:
First Six of IPL 09-Abhishek Nayar
First Four (Boundary) of IPL 09-Sanath Jayasurya
First wicket of IPL 09-Thilan Thushara
First Man of the Match of IPL 09-Sachin Tendulkar
First Century of IPL 09-AB de villiers
Read More

Current Affairs

MARCH-2009

73. Women’s Cricket World Cup -2009 won by?
England. They beat New Zealand in the Final by 4 wickets Nicki Shaw was named player of the match and Claire Taylor is the player of the tournament.
The first tournament was held in England in 1973 which also won by England. India never won the World Cup
74. Women’s Cricket World Cup -2009 is held in ?
Australia.
Next world cup is in 2013 which will be held in India.
75. Who won the Man of the Match award in the first Test between India and New Zealand at Hamilton, New Zealand?
Sachin Tendulkar
76. Name the Hungarian Prime Minister resigned after facing mounting criticism over his government’s handling of the country’s economic crash.

Ferenc Gyurcsany
77. Who is reinstated as chief justice of Pakistani Supreme Court after a series of protests and political turmoil
Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry
78. First elected female state premier in its history of Australia after a vote in Queensland. ?
Anna Bligh
79. Name the Sudanese opposition leader who has been released from prison, having been detained for two months for calling on Omar al-Bashir, Sudan’s president, to hand himself over to the International Criminal Court (ICC).?

Hassan al-Turabi
80. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Chief who recently visited India to discuss the security situation in South Asia.?
Leon Penetta
81. Former Indian captain who equalled Mark Waugh’s world record of 181 Test catches in opening day of the first Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton?
Rahul Dravid
82. Which country will host the second version of IPL, i.e. IPL-2009?
South Africa
83. Who has been selected for the 18th Aravindan Award instituted by the Chalachithra Film Society?
Marathi film-maker Paresh Mokashi
84. British reality TV star died at the age of 27 with cervical cancer, who became famous after appearing on the UK’s Big Brother reality Show?
Jade Gudi
85. Who won World Boxing Association (WBA) International and World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Inter-Continental lightweight titles in this year?

British boxer Amir Khan
86. Who became Madagascar’s acting president after the army ended a months-long power struggle and swept him to power?

Andry Rajoelina, he is only 34-year-old.
87. Who is appointed as the new chief of the Indian Air Force?
Air Marshal PV Naik
88. Name the computer institute of Kerala which has made an entry into the Limca Book of Records for the largest number of students in a single centre?
Sree Sankaracharya Computer Centre (SSCT), in Kannur district
89. Who has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the United States of America?
Meera Shankar
90. Name the Indian-American who last week was appointed Federal Chief Technology Officer by President Barack Obama

Vivek Kundra,
He was reinstated to his job by Barack Obama at the White House, five days after he went on leave following Federal Bureau of Investigation’s raids at his previous office, in a corruption case related to employees working there. He returned to the job after it became clear that he was not the ‘target of investigations.
91. Name the Indian-American who is appointed as Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Washington by U.S.President Barack Obama?

Richard Verma
92. Name the Monster like father who held his Daughter as Sex-Slave Prisoner in Cellar for 24 years and gave birth to 7 children?

Joseph Fritzl
93. Country which has been suspended by The African Union from the continental body, saying the replacement of the island nation’s president by an army-backed politician constitutes a coup.
Madagascar
94. Who was unanimously re-elected to North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament recently?
Kim Jong Il
95. The Russian Mobile Company which launched its CDMA-based mobile services in Kerala circle after Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan?
MTS, (Mobile Tele Systems)
MTS brand is under Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited which is a joint venture company between Sistema (LSE: SSA) of Russia and Shyam Group of India
96. Which Tennis Player has won WTA Player of the Year award-2009?
Serena Williams. This is her Second WTA Player of the Year award. She won the same in 2002.
97. The first person to be certified as a survivor of both US atomic bombings at the end of the Second World War?

Photograph Jemal Countess/ WireImage
Tsutomu Yamaguchi, a 93-year-old Japanese man who was in Hiroshima on a business trip on 6 August 1945 when a US B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on the city.
98. Which Indian will replace football star David Beckham, who has been endorsing Motorola as its global brand ambassador?

A.R.Rahman.
It is learnt that Rahman has been paid a whopping Rs.28 Crore for this particular endorsement deal. This makes him the highest paid Indian celebrity for any such product.
99. Who won the 20-20 Cricket series between South Africa and Australia in
South Africa ?

South Africa
(They beat Australia by 2-0).
100. Who is appointed as the Second Deputy Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia?
Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz
101. Who are the winners of Indian Open Badminton Title in 2009 ?
Men’s Single Title- Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia)
Women’s Single Title- Pi Hongyan ( France)
102. First national female judge of Dubai?
Judge Ibtisam Rashid Badwawi
103. New Prime Minister of Israel ?
Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel’s Likud party
104. Who is appointed as Administrator of the United Nationals Development Programme(UNDP)?

Helen Clark
105. Who is named to the “Order of Companions of O R Tambo in Gold”, one of the highest state honours of South Africa?

Cuban President Fidel Castro

106. Who is the new Prime Minister of Malaysia ?
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
107. The US billionaire who roared into space aboard a Russian rocket, making history as the first tourist to make the epic journey twice?

Charles Simonyi
108. The country which re-enters NATO’s (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) military command after more than 40 years?
France

109. Who has been appointed as the new Captain of Sri Lankan Cricket Team?
Kumar Sangakkara
110. Who wins Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best Book Award for Europe and South Asia region ?
Jhumpa Lahiri for her book ‘Unaccustomed Earth’
111. Who purchased Mahatma Gandhi’s personal belongings which include Gandhiji’s iconic round-rimmed spectacles, a pocket watch, a pair of sandals, a plate and bowl and letters of authenticity for USD 1.8 million at an auction in New York from the owner, James Otis?
Vijay Mallya.
112. Palestinian Prime Minister who submitted his resignation in a move that could help usher in a power-sharing deal between Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas and his rivals in the militant group Hamas?
Salam Fayyad
113. Home Secretary of India?
Gopala Krishna Pillai. He would assume charge after Madhukar Gupta, the present Home Secretary, retires on March 31. At present G.K. Pillai is the Commerce Secretary.
114. The president of Guinea-Bissau, who was assassinated by the military in a retaliatory attack for the killing of the army chief of the volatile and drug-corrupted west African state?.
Jo Bernardo Vieira
115. Fast bowler who has announced his retirement from international cricket after eight years of service for South Africa?
Andre Nel
116. The son of the poets Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath , 46 years after his mother gassed herself while he slept?
Nicholas Hughes
Sylvia Plath with her son Nicholas Hughe. He was only a baby when she committed suicide.
Read More

FEBRUARY-2009

1. Name of the world’s cheapest car launched by Tata Motors in Mumbai?
Nano
2. Music wizard A.R.Rahman won Oscars for which categories?

Best Original Score and Best Original Song (Jai Ho) for the film “Slum dog Millionaire”.
3. Which documentary won the Oscar award for best Documentary (Short)?
Smile Pinki, directed by Megan Mylan depicts the tale of an Utharpradesh girl and her fight against the social stigma of a cleft lip.
4. The West Indian Umpire who has officiated in a record 126 tests and 179 ODIs who decided to retire recently from International matches?
Steve Bucknor
5. The Indian sound engineer who won Oscar for his brilliant sound mixing works of the film “Slum dog Millionaire”

Resul Pookutty
6. The new Chief Justice of Madras High Court ?
Hemant Laxman Gokhale
7. The telecom sector which started third Generation (3G) mobile services recently in 11 cities of India?
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL)
8. Sri Lankan batsmen who smashed double hundreds during world record stand of 437 for the fourth wicket partnership against Pakistan?
Mahela Jayawardhane (240) and Thilan Samaraweera(231)
9. Who won the Miss India Worldwide 2009 title ?
Nikkitasha Marhawa, Indian-American from Chicago clinch the 18th Miss India World wide 2009 title.
10. The new money back plan launched by Life Insurance Corporation (LIC)in February 16 ?
Jeevan Varsha
11. Who was named Jamaica’s Sportsman of the year for 2008 ?
Triple Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt.
12. The teenager who acted as the main character of “slum dog millionaire ” ?

Dev Patel
13. Which novel has been chosen as the Romantic Novel of the year 2009?
“East of the Sun” set in 1920s by Welsh author Julia Gregson
14. Britan’s Royal Mail issued a set of stamps on February-12 to mark the 200th Anniversary of the birth of a famous Scientist? Who is he ?
Charles Darwin
15. Who is appointed as coach/manager of Chelsea, the premier league club ?
Guus Hiddink, Russian coach
16. Recently the IPL Drug Tribunal has imposed a 12-month ban on a Pakistani Cricket player for consuming a banned substance, Nandralone during the inaugural season of Indian Premiere League. Who is he?
Muhammed Asif
17. The new Prime Minister of Zimbzbwe ?
Morgan Tsvangirai
18. Newly elected President of Bangladesh ?

Zillur Rahman
19. Noted Hindustani Classical Vocalist who was presented with Bharath Ratna, country’s highest civilian award ?

Bhim Sen Joshi
20. “”Slumdog Millionire “ got how many BAFTA awards (British Academy of film and Television Arts)
21 awards including Best Director, Best Film…etc
A.R.Rahman won the BAFTA award for the music of this film.
21. Name of India’s Second humanoid robot which was formally unveiled during Quark-2009, the technical festival at Goa?
Acyut-2
22. Name the Indian who awarded a honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Cambridge, where he served as the Master of Trinity College for six years.
Amartya Sen
23. Who was named African Footballer of the Year 2008?
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor
24. Name the Union Minister for Small Scale Industries in the UPA government who was on charged in a murder case recently ?
Mahavir Prasad
25. The two ships, commissioned by the Indian Navy on 16 February 2009, at Chennai, which are the first two in a series of ten water jet Fast Attack Craft (FAC) being built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, GRSE, Kolkata ?.
INS Carnicobar and INS Chetlat
26. Name the 13-YEAR-OLD boy who has become a father in Britain, his wife is just 15.
Alfie Patten. His girlfriend Chantelle Steadman gave birth to Maisie Roxanne in Eastbourne Hospital, East Sussex
27. 17th Dulip Trophy Cricket title is won by?
West Zone
28. Which Indian player won BCCI Payer of the year Award?
Virender Sehwag (The award is also known as Polly Umrigar Award)
29. The Indian Musician among the four international musicians to be awarded Grammy for their ‘Global Drum’ project. ?
Zakir Hussain, along with musicians Mickey Hart, Sikiru Adepoju and Giovanni Hidalgo, has been awarded the coveted gramophone for ‘The Global Drum’ in the Best Contemporary World Music Album category.
30. Which players were named joint winners of the Allan Border medal of 2008?
Ricky Ponting and Michael Clark
31. Who won the Australian Open junior title ?
Yuki Bhambri. He becomes the first Indian to win the Australian Open junior title. He outplayed his German opponent Alexandros-Ferdinandos Georgoudas to win the Junior Boys title in the Australian Open.
32. Who won the Australian Open women singles title of this year ?
Serena Williams
33. Who won the Man of the Match award in the two 20-20 Cricket matches between India and New Zealand?
Brendon McCullum
34. Who won Rotterdam Open title after beating world number one Rafael Nadal?
Andy Murray of Britain
35. World Cup Cricket 2011 final will be held in which venue ?
Wankade Stadium, Mumbai.
36. Japan’s Finance Minister who has resigned, amid claims that he was drunk at a recent G7 meeting?

Shoichi Nakagawa
37. ST OSCAR AWARDS- ALL RESULTS
38. ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Penelope Cruz (VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA)
39. WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREEN PLAY)
Dustin Lance Black (MILK)
40. WRITING (ADAPTED SCREEN PLAY)
Simon Beaufoy (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE)
41. ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)
42. SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
Kunio Kato( LA MAISON EN PETITS CUBES)
43. ART DIRECTION
Donald Graham Burt (Art Direction); Victor J. Zolfo (Set Decoration) (THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON)
44. COSTUME DESIGN
Michael O’Connor (THE DUCHESS)
45. MAKE UP
Greg Cannom (THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON)
46. CINEMATOGRAPHY
Anthony Dod Mantle (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE)
47. SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
Jochen Alexander Freydank (SPIELZEUGLAND (TOYLAND)
48. ACTOR IN SUPPORTING ROLE
Heath Ledger (THE DARK KNIGHT)
49. DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
James Marsh and Simon Chinn (MAN ON WIRE)
50. DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Megan Mylan (SMILE PINKI)
51. VISUAL EFFECTS:
Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron (THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON)
52. SOUND EDITING
Richard King (THE DARK KNIGHT)
53. SOUND MIXING
Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE)
54. FILM EDITING
Chris Dickens ((SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE)
Read More