Current Affairs January 2011

1. Bharat Ratna Classical Singer who died recently at the age of 88 ?

- Pandit Bhinsen Joshi 
2. Italian Film director ,screenwriter and one of the masters of the Commedia all’Italiana (Comedy Italian style) who died on November 29, 2010 at the age of 95, after comitting suicide by jumping from a window of the San Giovanni hospital in Rome, where he was admitted a few days earlier for prostate cancer?
- Mario Monicelli.
3. who has been selected for the National Communal Harmony Award ?

- Acharya Lokesh Muni

4. The 26th sub-junior and junior National athletics championships held in?
Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bangalore.

5. which Indian honoured with the Crystal Award of the World Economic Forum (WEF)

A.R. Rahman

Internationally renowned music composer A.R. Rahman was on 26-01-2011 honoured with the Crystal Award of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at the opening ceremony of its annual meet here being attended by 2,500 global leaders from the fields of business, government, art, culture and religion.

Mr. Rahman, 44, received the award, given to outstanding artists who use their talent for social and charitable work.

The WEF took note of his work for the welfare of children. He said he got motivation from social work.

6. Who has taken charge as the fourth deputy governor at the Reserve Bank

Anand Sinha

7. Who won the Player of the series award in the ODI cricket series between India and New Zealand held in India in 2010?
- Gautam Gambhir. (India).
8. List of Padma Awardees 2011


9. who has appointed as the SEBI’s next Chairman ?
- Mr U.K. Sinha

10. Who is appointed as the new director of the Central Bureau of Investigation for two years succeeding Ashwani Kumar?
Amar Pratap Singh.
He is a 1974 batch IPS officer from Jharkhand cadre.

11. Former President of which Asian country who wanted to visit India for attending a seminar on December 4, 2010, was denied a visa on December 2, 2010?
Pakistan
India has decided not to grant a visa to former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf who had expressed his wish to visit India to attend a seminar. The decision was taken after the home ministry expressed reservations over the visit of the former Pakistani military ruler due to his recent anti-India statements.
12. The 290-km range supersonic cruise missile successfully test-fired by India on December 2, 2010 from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off the Orissa coast?
BrahMos
13. Which country will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup Football?
Russia
Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup Football.
14. Who has been appointed as an Advisor to Prime Minister on Skill Development ?
S Ramadorai, former chief of IT giant firm TCS     
15. Who has been voted women’s tennis Player of the Year -2010?
Kim Clijsters.

She earned her the Player of the Year award of WTA for the second time in her career (the first time she won it in 2005) Clijsters was also given the Player Service award, which recognizes the player who has done the most to support her fellow players through the WTA Players’ Council or other initiatives.
Other award winners:
Newcomer of the Year – Petra Kvitova
Comeback Player of the Year – Justine Henin
Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award – Elena Dementieva
Humanitarian of the Year – Maria Sharapova
Most Improved Player – Francesca Schiavone
The doubles award went to Gisela Dulko of Argentina and Flavia Pennetta of Italy.

16. Information Technology Minister of Karnataka who resigned on December 3, 2010, following a police complaint against him in a multicrore land deal?
Katta Subramanya Naidu.
17. Regulators in which country have okayed the agreement between Yahoo Japan and Google Inc.), which enables the former to use Google technology to power its search services in the country?
Japan.
18. Which Indian Sportsperson has signed a 26-crore deal with world’s 3rd largest and India’s largest spirit maker UB group?
Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Sachin Tendulkar has refused an endorsement deal offer to promote an alcohol brand of UB group which was worth 20 crore. Earlier, Tendulkar also refused Vijay Mallya when he came to Tendulkar for Kingfisher advertisement during IPL time in which many cricket players took part.
19. Who is appointed as Director General of Civil Aviation?
E. K. Bharat Bhushan.
He is an IAS officer of the 1979 batch from Kerala cadre.
20. On Every year January 25 will be celebrated as the which day?
- National Voters Day
21. Who has been crowned Miss Earth 2010 in Vietnam?
Nicole Faria. (India).
The 10th edition of the Miss Earth beauty pageant was held in Vinpearl Land, Nha Trang, Vietnam on December 11, 2010.
22. Which countries signed seven agreements including five in the area of nuclear energy, to pave the way for more intensive cooperation in this sector on 6th December, 2010?
India and France.
23. Which country won the Davis Cup tennis for the first time in its history beating France in the final on December 5, 2010?
Serbia.
Serbia won its first Davis Cup title, rallying for a 3-2 victory over France when Viktor Troicki beat Michael Llodra 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in the final singles match.
24. Which American airline was convicted for the crash of Air France Concorde in 2000 occurred when the plane took off from Charles de Gaulle airport?
Continental Airlines.
On 25 July 2000, Air France Flight 4590 crashed in Gonesse, France, killing all 100 passengers and nine crew members on board the flight, and four people on the ground. It was the only fatal incident involving Concorde. The tragedy of Air France Flight AF4590 which covered Paris-New York, was the beginning of the end of the legendary Concorde, which in 2003 stopped working definitely.
25. According to the nuclear pact signed between France and India on December 5, 2010, France will construct two 1650 MW nuclear power reactors in India. The nuclear reactors are to be constructed in which Indian state?
Jaitapur in Maharashtra
France became the first country to sign agreements to set up nuclear reactors in India. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and French company Areva signed an agreement for building two European pressure reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and French President Ncolas Sarkozy.
26. The world’s most expensive illustrated book, which has been sold for a record price of 7.3 million pounds ($11.5 million) at an auction in London?
“Birds of America”.
A rare copy of John James Audubon’s Birds of America, billed as the world’s most expensive book, has sold for more than £7 million (Rs 50 crore) at auction. Only 119 complete copies of the 19th-century book are known to exist, and 108 are owned by museums and libraries.
27. The Confucius Peace Prize which was created in 2010 by an organization in the People’s Republic of China as a move to counter the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to?
Lien Chan. Former Taiwanese Vice President.
China deemed Nobel Committee’s decision to honour the imprisoned “criminal” Liu Xiaobo as an attack on its political and legal system.
28. An upgraded version of nuclear-capable intermediate- range ballistic missile of India failed in its maiden test from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheeler Island off Orissa coast on December 10, 2010. Name of that missile?
Agni II Plus.
29. Which country is leading the list of corrupt countries according to survey report of Transparency International, a global body that works as a civil society organization?
Somalia.
The Transparency International has released its survey 2010 called CPI (Corruption Perception Index) in which Somalia is leading the list of corrupt countries followed by Afghanistan, Myanmar and Iraq.
The main objective of Transparency International is to identify the corrupt sectors in the world through the world wide survey and to do the efforts in making a change towards a corruption free world.
30. Facebook founder who has joined the league of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates in pledging to give away a majority of their fortune for charitable causes?
Mark Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg, one of the world’s youngest billionaires with an estimated wealth of over $6 billion.
Warren Buffett is an American investor, industrialist and philanthropist. He is currently the third wealthiest person in the world as of 2010.
Bill Gates is an American business magnate, philanthropist, author and chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen.
31. Who won gold in the over 81kg weight category of the Monnet 11th senior women’s boxing championship at the Lulu International Convention Centre?
K.C. Lekha.
Haryana won the overall title with 32 points. Kerala and Delhi shared the second spot with 17 points each.
32. Indian who has been chosen for the Laureus Media International Selection Panel for 11th consecutive term?
V Rajagopal. Deputy Editor of Mathrubhumi, a leading newspaper in Malayalam.
He would be among panelists elected from across 150 countries to decide who should be the winners of the coveted Laureus sports awards in 2011.
33. Which country has been awarded the rights to host the 2012 Asia Cup Cricket?
Bangladesh.
Asia Cup-2012 will be held at the Shere Bangla National stadium in Mirpur from March 1 to March 12. The last time Bangladesh hosted the Asia Cup was in 2000.
34. U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan who died on December 13, 2010 at the age of 69 after undergoing heart surgery?
Richard Holbrooke.
He was the only person to have held the position of Assistant Secretary of State for two different regions of the world (Asia from 1977 to 1981 and Europe from 1994 to 1996). Later, Holbrooke was the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan under the Obama administration.
35. Who has become the second youngest person ever to win Time Magazine’s Person of the Year 2010?
Mark Zuckerberg.
He is an American computer scientist, software developer and philanthropist best known for creating the social networking site Facebook, of which he is CEO and president.
36. Who is appointed as the head of planning for military operations of Al-Qaeda against the West?
Ilyas Kashmiri.
Al-Qaeda has made jihadi commander Ilyas Kashmiri as its chief military strategist for the region to plan and spearhead terrorist attacks against the West.
37. Corporate lobbyist who was questioned by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team on 21-12-2010 for her firm’s alleged role in the 2G spectrum allocation case?
Nira Radia.
38. Which PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) has been conferred with the MOU Excellence Award to facilitate the PSU’s performance during 2008-09?
Cochin Shipyard Ltd.
39. Who was crowned the winner of The Biggest Loser Asia 2, a popular weight-loss reality TV series which was conducted in an IOI Resort City mansion in Malaysia’s Putrajaya?
Viveganandam Deveraj.
The 24-year-old walked away with the prize money of US$100,000 after losing 67kg from his starting weight of 144kg – making him the contestant with the highest percentage of weight loss (46.53%) over a six-month period.
40. Who has won the London Chess Classic for the second time after a smooth victory over Nigel Short in the seventh and last round?
Magnus Carlsen.
41. Which countries signed six agreements on December 16, 2010 in the fields of green technology, hydrological data of common rivers, media exchanges, cultural exchanges, banking sectors?
India and China.
42. Which Bank is India’s most popular bank for 2010 ?
HDFC Bank click here for detail
43. Noted Malayalam writer who has won Kendra Sahithya Academy Award-2010 for his travelogue book ‘Haimavathabhoovil’?
M.P. Veerendrakumar.
He is the Chairman and Managing Director of Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi. . He got the award for his book ` Haimavathabhoovil ‘, which narrates his travels to the Himalayas. The award comprises of Rs 1 lakh and a certificate.
44. Man of the Match Winners of test Cricket series between South Africa and India held in South Africa in December 2010:
First test played from December 16, 2010 at SuperSport Park, Centurion:
Man of the Match: Jacques Kallis (South Africa).
He scored unbeaten 201 runs in first innings and took 2 wickets.
Result: South Africa beat India by an innings and 25 runs
Second test played from December 26, 2010 at Kingsmead, Durban:
Man of the Match: VVS Laxman (India).
He scored 38 runs in first innings and 96 runs in second innings.
Result: India beat South Africa by 87 runs.
45. Which countries signed 30 agreements on December 21, 2010, including on oil and gas sector and pacts on nuclear energy, defence and space cooperation?
India and Russia.
46. Which country recently banned newspapers, publishers and website-owners from using foreign words – particularly English ones?
China.
47. Noted Iranian filmmaker who has been sentenced for six years in jail and barred from directing and producing movies for the next 20-years?
Jafar Panahi.
The filmmaker was convicted of colluding in gathering and making propaganda against the regime. He is the director of films such as “Crimson Gold” ,”The White Balloon” and ‘The Mirror”,
Another Iranian film-maker, Mohammad Rasulov, also received a six-year sentence on similar charges.
48. Which country conducted successful experiment of fastest Train of World on 4 December, 2010?
China.
The train traveled from Beijing to Shingai in 5 hrs at the speed of 486 Km per hour. China already has the world fastest railway track which it intends to double by 2020.
49. Which day is observed as International Widows Day?
June 23.
In order to address the plight of widows worldwide, the United Nations General Assembly has declared June 23 as International Widows Day.
50. Which country trained an elite police force in Bangladesh accused of extra-judicial killings and human rights violations, according to the latest diplomatic cables revealed by WikiLeaks?
Britain
51. Who are the three Indians to figure in the all-time ODI dream team chosen by fans in a poll conducted by the International Cricket Council (ICC)?
Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Kapil Dev.
Other Members:
Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Glen McGrath (Australia)
Brian Lara, Viv Richards (West Indies)
Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
Allan Donald (South Africa)
Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)
Michael Bevan – 12th Man
52. Thirteen year old boy who made a history in school cricket on December 22, 2010 when he scored mammoth 498 runs in Harris Shield tournament in Mumbai?
Arman Jaffer.
He is the nephew of Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer. Arman took 490 balls, hit 77 boundaries before getting out in the slips. He bettered his teammate Sarfaraz Khan’s record of 439 runs in Harris Shield tournament in 2009.
53. Who is named African player of the year-2010?
Samuel Eto.
The 29-year-old Cameroon and Inter Milan striker won this award for a record fourth time
54. Which film has won the Golden Crow Pheasant Award at the 15th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)?
“Portraits in a Sea of Lies”. It is a Colombian film directed by Carlos Gaviria and the award carries a cash prize of Rs.15 lakh.
Other Awards:
The Silver Crow Pheasant Award for the best director was awarded to Argentinean director Julia Solomonoff for her film “The Last Summer of La Boyita”. The Silver Crow Pheasant Award and a cash prize of Rs.3 lakhs for the best debut film went to Belma Bas, director of the film “Zephire” from Turkey.
Veettilekkulla Vazhi (The Way to Home), directed by Dr. Biju, was adjudged the best Malayalam film at the festival. Tunisian film “Buried Secrets”, directed by Raja Amari, won the award instituted by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for the best film in the competition. The FIPRESCI award for the best Malayalam film went to “Makaramanju”, directed by Lenin Rajendran. The Hassankutty Award for the best Indian Debut Film, instituted by filmmaker Meera Nair, was bagged by “Chithra Suthram” directed by Vipin Vijay.
55. Former Chief Minister of Kerala and Veteran Congress leader died at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram recently?
K.Karunakaran.
Karunakaran has been the Chief Minister of Kerala four times .He took charge as Chief Minister of Kerala for the first time on March 25, 1977. He was the home minister of Kerala during the emergency period. He was also served as Minister for Industries of Government of India.
56. Human Rights activist who was sentenced to life imprisonment on December 24, 2010 after being held guilty of sedition and conspiracy by a Chhattisgarh court for his alleged links with Maoists?
Binayak Sen.
57. Mobs of which Caribbean country killed more than 45 Voodoo priests, accusing them for using “black magic” to spread cholera?
Haiti.
58. Who was the lone Indian to win a title in the Tata Open India International badminton challenge held at the Cricket Club of India on December 25, 2010?
PC Thulasi.
This is her first ever senior international title.
59. who has been elected as new party leader of Vietnam?

Nguyen Phu Trong

60. Who is named as the new coach of European and Italian champions Inter Milan?
Leonardo.
The 41-year-old Leonardo, who played in Brazil’s 1994 World Cup winning squad, was the coach of AC Milan from 2009-2010.
61. Former Venezuelan president, who nationalised the oil industry and then survived a coup attempt by future leader Hugo Chavez, died recently in Miami?
Carlos Andres Perez.
62. The launch of which advanced communication satellite failed as the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) exploded mid-air moments after it took off from the Sriharikota rocket launch centre on December 25,2010?
GSAT-5P.
63. Who became the first cricketer, other than wicket-keepers, to take 200 catches in Test cricket?
Rahul Dravid.
He became the first cricketer to take 200 Catches in Test cricket during the 2nd India-South Africa Test at Durban when he took a stunning catch at slip of Dale Steyn.
64. Name of the new species of gummy shark which was found 500mts deep off the Mangalore coast recently?
Mustelus manglorensis.
Only 19 such gummy sharks are known worldwide, and this is the second gummy shark spotted in the Indian Ocean.
65. Which committee has submitted its report on Telangana separate state issue to the Home Minister P. Chidambaram on December 30, 2010?
The SriKrishna Committee.
The SriKrishna Committee consisting of five members and headed by retired Judge B. N. Krishna was formed on 5 February, 2010 and the committee’s term was to end on December 31, 2010.
66. Who is appointed as the first woman secretary general of SAARC?
Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed.
She will be appointed South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) secretary general on March 1, 2011.
67. Former Israel President who was convicted on December 30, 2010 for raping an employee when he was a Cabinet minister, the most serious criminal charges ever brought against a high-ranking official and a case that shocked the nation?
Moshe Katsav.
68. Who has been awarded the prestigious Bharat Jyoti Award ?

K.V. Raman

Agricultural scientist K.V. Raman has been awarded the prestigious Bharat Jyoti Award of the India International Friendship Society for his contributions to science, technology and development.

A former Chairman of the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Dr. Raman was also Director of the B.V. Rao Centre for Sustainable Food Security at the Chennai-based M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.

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International Current Affairs 2011

Current Affairs [January 2011]

• Salman Taseer Killed in Islamabad
  Punjab Governor Salman Tasser was shot dead by one of his own body guards at the Khosar market in Islamabad. Taseer was a member of Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party(PPP) and was vocal on a various issues including Pakistans Blasphemy Law. The assassin was Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, a member of Punjab Elite Force who shot the Governor with his weapon and surrendered to the security forces moments after shooting the governor dead. Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters that the killer admitted to killing the Governor over his statement when he called the Blasphemy Law as a “black law”.
• Iranian plane crash kills 77
  The IranAir Boeing 727 was flying from Tehran with 106 passengers when it came down and crashed near the city of Orumiyeh. With 77 casualties at least 35 people have said to have been injured. According to official reports plane had taken off an hour later than scheduled, and came down because of bad weather conditions. This is the second major crash since 2009 when a plane caught fire mid are resulting 168 deaths. The country has been under international sanctions for years, preventing it from buying new aircrafts or spare parts from the West. Hence as a result the countries civil fleet of aircrafts are in poor condition due to their old age and lack of maintenance.
• 35 dead at Moscow Airport Blast.
  A suicide bomber carrying a suitcase walked into Moscow’s busy Domodedovo airport and set off a huge explosion Monday, killing at least 35 people and wounding 180. The air was engulfed in a cloud of smoke with body parts and shrapnel strewn all over the place. Hundreds of people were in the loosely guarded area at the time. The blast was the worst terrorist attack since two female suicide bombers from the troubled Dagestan region blew themselves up on Moscow’s subway last March, killing 40 people.
• Whistleblower Elmer hands over bank data to Wikileaks
  Swiss whistle-blower and former banker Rudolf Elmer has given WikiLeaks information about bank accounts of more than 2,000 prominent individuals who have parked money offshore. Rudolf Elmer once worked in the office of Julius Baer in the Cayman Islands until he was fired by the bank in 2002. The Swiss whistleblower Rudolf Elmer handed over two CDs containing the data to the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, in London on 16/1/2011. However Julian Assange has said the information was unlikely to be published soon and may take a few weeks to process and confirm them.
• Brisbane Faces Worst Flood Since 1893
  Brisbane faces its worst floods since 1893 as overflowing rivers have begun to engulf the city. Overnight, emergency workers went from door to door in Brisbane helping residents flee to higher ground, with hundreds relocating to evacuation centres. About 2500 businesses are said to be fully affected and another 2500 partially affected. Close to 3000 people are in evacuation centres across the state and 60 schools and almost 90 kindergartens and childcare centres have been severely damaged or are inaccessible. The death toll from the floods disaster has risen to 15 and the many parts of the city have been affected by massive power cuts.
• Massive Protests Rock Egypt
  Egypt has been rocked by violent protests by demonstrators who have been demanding the ouster of the country’s longtime autocratic president, Hosni Mubarak. Tens and thousandths of people have taken out to streets raising slogans with protests turning violent in many parts of the country. The tension increased today when Mohammed ElBaradei, a former top official at the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency and a high-profile Mubarak opponent was placed under house arrest when he returned to Cairo in his bid to provide a leader for the mass movement.

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Current affairs January 2010

Current affairs January 2010

1. Now which is the tallest Building in the world?

Answer:- Burj tower (828 m) Dubai.
Burj Khalifa formerly known as Burj Dubai is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Construction began on 21 September 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009. Total cost for the Burj Khalifa project was about US$1.5 billion.
Height:
Antenna or spire: 828m (2,717 ft).
Floor Count: 160 habitable floors plus 46 maintenance levels in the spire and 2 parking levels in the basement.
Floor area: 464,511 m2 (5,000,000 sq ft)
2. Name the Indian who was awarded “honoris causa” by the University of Talca, in Chile ?
Answer:- MS Swaminathan
3. Hollywood blockbuster “Avatar” becomes the fastest movie ever to rake in $1 billion, faster than any other movie in the history. Who is the director of this blockbuster movie?

Answer:- James Cameron
4. Who has been declared as the worst-behaved player to play for the Australia in the last 20 years by The Sunday Telegraph?
Answer:-Ricky Ponting
5. Isaac Schwartz, famous Russian personality who has expired at the age of 86 was associated with?
Answer:-Music
6. Who has been awarded “IBN Indian of the Year Award” in New Delhi recently?
Answer:- Saina Nehwal
7. Which country has resumed wolf hunting after a gap of 45 years?
Answer:- Sweden
8. Who has been appointed as the new CEO of the I-League?
Answer:- Mr.Sunando Dhar
All India Football Federation officially declared that Mr.Sunando Dhar has been appointed as the new CEO of the I-League and he will join from the month of January.
9. Who has been appointed as “Director-Media to the Prime Minister of India” recently ?
Answer:- Binoy Job

10. Who was named as the Player of the Decade by Goal.com?

Answer:- Bhaichung Bhutia

11. Which country won the seventh World Team Chess Championship held at the Merinos Congress Centre in Bursa, Turkey from January 3rd till 14th, 2010?

Answer:- Russia.
Russia won gold, USA won Silver and India got the Bronze medal.
12. One of the most successful R&B(Rhythm and Blue) singers of the 1970s and ’80s, passed away recently at the age of 59 after a battle with colon cancer?

Teddy Pendergrass

The five-time Grammy-nominated singer had chart-topping hits in three different decades with 1978’s “Close the Door,” 1988’s “Joy” and 1991’s “It Should’ve Been You,” plus well-known songs like “Love TKO,” “Two Hearts” with Stephanie Mills and “Hold Me,” a duet with Whitney Houston that featured on Houston’s 1985 debut album.
13. Which car has selected as the Car of the Year at ICICI Bank-CNBC-TV18 Overdrive Awards 2010?

Tata Nano.
14. Who has been appointed as one of 13 faith advisers by U.K. Communities Secretary John Denham?
Arjan Vekaria, president of the Hindu Forum of Britain.
He has been involved in voluntary work with the Hindu Community in the UK for over 35 years. Born in Uganda, Arjan spent part of his childhood in India before migrating to the UK in the 1970s.

15. British hostage who has been released alive after more than two-and-a-half years in captivity in Iraq by Islamic Shia Resistance, a terrorist organization?

Peter Moore
He was an IT consultant from Lincoln, who was captured in Baghdad in May 2007. Four bodyguards were seized with Mr. Moore. Three were shot dead; the fourth is also thought to have been killed.
16. South Korean steel major which has got final clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests recently for acquiring forest land in Orissa for its $12 billion steel plant project?
POSCO
POSCO signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Orissa in June 2005 for the 12 million-tone-capacity steel plant to be built in three phases by 2016, with production scheduled to begin by the end of 2011 at the completion of the first phase.

17. The well known Indian expatriate businessman from Abu Dhabi who has purchased the entire 100th floor of Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest tower?

B R Shetty. He is the founder and managing director of the New Medical Centre (NMC) group of hospitals.
18. The country which officially removed a 22 year old entry ban on foreigners living with HIV/Aids recently?
United States of America (USA).
The change came following a US decision in November, removing HIV infection from the definition of communicable disease of public health significance.
19. Which country recently issued an orange alert for heavy fog and snowstorm?
China.

20. The 97th Indian Science Congress is held at?

University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, from January 3 to 7, 2010. This is the first time that the Indian Science Congress is being held at Thiruvananthapuram.
21. Legendary Wildlife conservationist and author who passed away on 1 January 2010, at his home ‘Tiger Haven’ in the vicinity of the famous Dudhwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh at the age of 92.?
Billy Arjan Singh
Singh, regarded as the godfather of the “Save the Tiger” campaign in India was instrumental in establishing the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in 1988.He was decorated with several national and international awards including Padma Shri in 1995 and Padma Bhusan in 2006 and J Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation Award. The Uttar Pradesh government had also conferred the Yash Bharti award on him.
22. Who has been named as chairman of International Pepper Community (IPC) for 2009 – 2010?
V.J. Kurian, Chairman of Spices Board, Ministry of Commerce of the Government of India took over from Mr. Odilson Luiz Ribeiro e Silva as Chairman of IPC at the 37th Session of IPC on 3rd December 2009.
23. The alleged drug lord who was arrested by Mexican police, two weeks after his even more powerful brother was killed in a shootout with troops?
Carlos Beltran Leyva
Two weeks ago, his brother Arturo, reputed chief of the Beltran Leyva cartel, was killed in a shootout with Mexican marines in the central city of Cuernavaca.
24. Who has won Sri Lanka’s first post-war national presidential election defeating former army chief Sarath Fonseka with 57.9% of the popular vote, according to the country’s elections commissioner?
Mahinda Rajapakse
He has won Sri Lanka’s first election since Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated after 25 years of civil war and this is his second term in office.
25. On January 28 2010, an International Conference on Afghanistan was held where members of the international community discussed the further progress on the Petersburg agreement from 2001 on the democratization of Afghanistan after the ousting of the Taliban regime. Where was that conference held?
Lancaster House in London.
The one-day conference, hosted by the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and the Afghan government, meant to chart a new course for the future of Afghanistan and brought together foreign ministers and senior representatives from more than 70 countries and international organizations.
26. Which company has been named the ‘Technology Pioneer-2010′ by the World Economic Forum for developing solar-powered mobile phone base stations, becoming the first Indian telecom infrastructure firm to win the laurel?
Vihaan Networks Ltd (VNL), a Shyam Group company.

27. Which team won their sixth Federation Cup title with a 3-0 triumph over Lajong via penalties in an evenly contested final?

East Bengal.
28. Who is appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kerala?

Ramachandran Thekkedath.

He is presently working in the Technology Commercialisation office of the University of Utah at Salt Lake city in the US.

29. Winners of “Man of the match award” in the Tri nation ODI series (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh).

Ist ODI held at Dhaka between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on Jan 4, 2010: Tilakaratne Dilshan (104 runs). Lanka beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets.
2nd ODI held at Dhaka between India and Sri Lanka on Jan 5, 2010: Thilan Samaraweera, (105 not out off 106 balls). Lanka won the match by 5 wickets.
3rd ODI held at Dhaka between India and Bangladesh on Jan 7, 2010: M.S.Dhoni, (101 not out off 107 balls). India won the match by 6 wickets.
4th ODI held at Dhaka between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on Jan 8, 2010: Upul Tharanga, ((118 not out)). Lanka won the match by 9 wickets.
5th ODI held at Dhaka between India and Sri Lanka on Jan 10, 2010: Zaheer Khan, (3wickets for 38 runs). India won the match by 8 wickets.
6th ODI held at Dhaka between India and Bangladesh on Jan 11, 2010: Virat Kohli, (102 not out off 95 balls). India won the match by 6 wickets.
7th ODI(Final of the Tri Nation series) held at Dhaka between India and Sri Lanka on Jan 13, 2010: Nuvan Kulasekhara, (4 wickets for 48 runs). Sri Lanka won the match by 4 wickets.
30. Who won the man of the series award in the Tri nation Tournament (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh) held in Dhaka, Bangladesh?
Kumar Sangakkara
31. Name of the new party formed by the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh on his birthday(05-01-2010)?
Jan Kranti Party

32. Who became the first Indian woman to ski to the South Pole?

Reena Kaushal.
She made the historic ski-run as part of an eight-woman Commonwealth team that crossed a 900 km Antarctic ice trek to reach the South Pole to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Commonwealth.

33. Who won the man of the match award in the second test between Australia and Pakistan played at the Sidney Cricket Ground?

Michael Hussey (Australia). Australia won by 36 runs.
34. India’s first ‘Eclipse Cruise’ which left from Kochi port, with about 750 ‘astro tourists’ to view the longest annular solar eclipse of the third millennium from Male in Maldives on January 15. Which cruise ship is used for this eclipse cruise?
MV Aquamarine.
MV Aquamarine is a cruise ship owned and operated by Louis Cruise Lines is the fifth largest cruise operator in the world and the first international cruise line to operate from India.A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship’s amenities are part of the experience.

35. Delhi Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna recently gave the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the go-ahead to prosecute a former Congress M.P in murder and communal rioting cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh carnage. Name of that Former parliamentarian?

Sajjan Kumar
He is accused of instigating mobs that went on the rampage killing Sikhs across Delhi in 1984 in the wake of the assassination of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
36. A 103 feet high Christmas star designed by Kerala based firm has been adjudged the “world’s largest Christmas ornamental star” by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Name of that firm?
‘Apple A Day’ properties.
37. The scientist of Indian origin who has been given Canada’s highest civilian award – the Order of Canada recently?
Shrawan Kumar
He was honoured for his three decades of pioneering research on workplace injury and the spine at the University of Alberta.
38. Who won the men’s and women’s title in the 74th Senior National Badminton Championship at Karmavir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Complex in Guwahati?
Chetan Anand(Men’s title)
Trupti Murgunde(women’s title)
Men’s doubles title was won by Rupesh Kumar and Sanave Thomas while the pair of Ashwini Ponnapa and Jwala Gutta bagged the women’s doubles.
39. Which High court of India will uphold its bench order that includes the office of the Chief Justice of India within the scope of the Right to Information (RTI) Act and requires judges to declare their assets?
The Delhi High Court
40. Name of the only official survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings at the end of World War II, died on 6th January in Nagasaki, Japan at the age of 93?
Tsutomu Yamaguchi
41. Who has been appointed as Finance Minister of Japan, replacing Hirohisa Fujii who will step down for health related reasons?

Naoto Kan. He is the deputy prime minister of Japan.
42. A 7.2-magnitude earthquake triggered landslides and a tsunami that struck a country on January 4, 2010, leaving more than 1,000 people homeless. Name of that country?
Solomon Islands.
Solomon Islands is a country in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands.
43. Scientists of which country are developing an electronic device (e-dog) that will sniff out explosives like RDX which remain undetected by existing security equipments?
India.
44. PRAVASI BHARATIYA SAMMAN AWARDEES (PBSA)-2010
1 Mr. Mohinder Singh Bhullar Brunei( Darussalam)
2 Mr. Yanktesh Permal Reddy (Fiji)
3 Mr. Ryuko Hira (Japan)
4 (Mrs) Dr. Ruby Umesh Pawankar (Japan)
5 Mr. Suresh Kumar Virmani (Oman)
6 Mr. Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan (South Africa)
7 Dr. Tholisiah Perumal Naidoo (South Africa)
8 Dr. Rajni Kanabar (Tanzania)
9 Mr. Deepak Mittal (Thailand)
10 Dr. Lenny Krishendath Saith (Trinidad & Tobago)
11 Dr. Azad Moopen (U.A.E)
12 Mr. Mani Lal Bhaumik (U.S.A)
13.Mr. Ashok Kumar Mago (U.S.A)
14 Mr. Upendra J. Chivukula (U.S.A)
The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman is an award constituted by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in conjunction with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, to honor exceptional and meritorious contribution in their chosen field/profession. The award is given by the President of India.
45. Who has been nominated as the Chairman from India of Asian Print Congress?
R.Suresh. He is the Chief Executive of S.T.Reddiar&Sons.
46. Which country limited United States military presence in their country recently?
Yemen.
Yemen warns US military intervention, however welcomes U.S. and foreign troops for training, intelligence and logistical support.
47. Which Russian Website suggested a Conspiracy theory for YSR’s Death which involving Ambani brothers?
http://exiledonline.com.
The Russian website is a magazine which is run by Mark Ames, a journalist and a writer, Ames published an article titled ‘Enemy of Larry Summers Ex-boss Dies in Mysterious Helicopter Crash’. The article, which was published on December 31, 2009, unveils a conspiracy against YSR engineered by the loyal partners of Ambani brothers.
48. Which country recently formulated a strict new law under which women who wear full-length veils (burqa) in public places will have to pay a fine of over 750 Euro?
France.
Muslim women who wear the full Islamic veil in France will face a possible 750 euros fine, according to a draft bill unveiled by the leader of the parliamentary majority.
49. Who have been selected for Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak for their “conspicuous courage in saving life under circumstances of very great danger to the life of the rescuer”?
Rukhsana Kosser
Narender Kaushik (posthumously)
Rukhsana, a Jammu girl who braved the bullets of Lashkar-e-Taiba militants and killed one of them to save her family.
Narender Kaushik, a resident of Delhi who died while saving people trapped in a fire on March 13 last year.
Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given to a person for meritorious act of human nature in saving the life of a person. The award is given in three categories – Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan Raksha Padak.
Names of the seven persons who won the Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak Award:
Syed Areef Sujauddin (Andhra Pradesh) (posthumously)
Umman Antony (Kerala) (posthumously)
Rajan Kamble (Maharashtra)( posthumously)
Mushtaq Ahmed and Ajaz Ahmed (Jammu and Kashmir)
Karambir Singh Kang (Maharashtra)
Prachi Santosh Sen (Madhya Pradesh)
Jeevan Raksha Padak award is given to 44 persons.
50. Who won the Brisbane International Tennis title beating Justine Henin in the final?
Kim Clijsters
51. Which country has become the world’s third-largest economy, surpassing Germany and closing rapidly on Japan, according to government and World Bank figures?
China
52. Who has been appointed as the new bowling coach of India?
Eric Simons, former South African fast bowler.
53. Recipients of the 16th Annual Star Screen Awards : The film “3 Idiots won 8 awards and film “Paa” won five awards.
Best Actor: Amitabh Bachchan (Paa)
Best Actress: Vidya Balan (Paa)
Best Director: Rajkumar Hirani (3 Idiots)
Best Music Director – A R Rahman ( Delhi 6 )
Best Film: 3 Idiots
Lifetime Achievement Award: Javed Akhtar
Best Screenplay – Abhijat Joshi, Raju Hirani (3 Idiots)
Best Story – Imtiaz Ali ( Love Aaj Kal)
Best Dialogues – AbhijatJoshi, Raju hirani (3 Idiots)
Best Lyricist – Irshad Kamil For Choor Bazari ( Love Aaj Kal)
Best Playback Singer ( Female ) – Kavita Seth For Ore Manva ( Wake up Sid )
Best Playback Singer (Male ) Rahat Fateh Ali Khan For Aaj Din Chaya ( Love Aaj Kal)
Best Cinematographer – Rajiv Ravi ( Dev D)
Best Choreographer – Bosco Ceaser (3 Idiots)
Best Entertainer of the year: Katrina Kaif
Best Editing Results – Raju Hirani (3 Idiots)
Best Special Effects – Aladin
Best Action – Vijayan (Wanted )
Best Child Artist – Pratik Katari ( Paa)
Best Cast- Luck By Chance
Best Jodi of the decade: Shahrukh Khan and Kajol
Ramnath Goenka memorial award: Nandita Das for ‘Firaaq’
Most Promising Newcomer (Female) Mahi Gill (Dev D)
Most Promising Newcomer (Male): Omi Vaidya (Aka Silencer) ( 3 Idiots )
Most Promising Debutante Director: Nandita Das (Firaaq)
Best Supporting Actress: Arundhati Nag (Paa)
Best Supporting Actor: Rishi Kapoor (Love Aaj Kal)
Star plus jodi award: Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan
Best Actor in a negative role:Boman Irani (3 Idiots)
Best Actress Most Popular Category- Kareena Kapoor ( 3 Idiots )
Best Actor for Most Popular Category: Shahid Kapoor (Kaminey)
Best Actor in a comic role: Omi Vaidya (3 Idiots)
54. Which player won the ATP Chennai Open titles with his first-ever win over Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland in the final?
Marin Cilic of Croatia.
The second-seeded Cilic became the first player after Spanish veteran Carlos Moya’s victories in 2004 and 2005 to win back-to-back crowns in South Asia’s only ATP event.
55. Who won Qatar Open Tennis title beating Rafael Nadal of Spain in the final held in Doha?
Nikolay Davydenko(Russia)
He defeated Rafael Nadal of Spain 0-6, 7-6 (8) and 6-4 to win the Qatar Open tennis tournament.
56. Who has been selected for this year’s Prof. S. Guptan Nair Puraskaram. an award which is instituted for exceptional teachers who make significant contributions to the cultural scene?
B. Hridayakumari
57. Name of the leading Iranian nuclear scientist, who has been killed in a bomb blast in Tehran?
Massoud Ali-Mohammadi
58. The French film maker who was one of the main figures of the post-war New Wave cinema movement passed away recently in Paris at the age of 89?
Eric Rohmer
He was the director of the critically acclaimed “Tales of Four Seasons” His main works include the cycle of films Six Moral Tales. The third, My Night at Maud’s, released in 1969, brought him international recognition.
59. Name of Indian-origin man and his two accomplices who have been given long jail sentences for their involvement in a 33 million pounds drug deal which is considered to be UK’s largest ever heroin seizure.?
Harminder Chana, 32, was sentenced to 17 years,
Abdul Rob, 30, was sentenced to 23 years
Atif Khan, 34, was sentenced to 15 and half years.
60. Which country has successfully intercepted a missile defense system, in a test of its advanced air defense capabilities?
China
61. Who won the Man of the series award in the Commonwealth Bank ODI cricket series between Australia and Pakistan?
Ryan Harris (Australia)
62. Which country’s military forces decided to protect the banks in earth quake-hit Haiti?
India
Para-military Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel have been guarding banks and other vital centres in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, to prevent looting, besides providing security to Indians in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.
63. Scientist, whose groundbreaking work untangling fundamental genetic processes earned him a Nobel Prize, died at the age of 82?

Marshall Nirenberg.
64. Name of the Indian-origin Australian researcher who has been named western Australia’s Australian of the Year?
Professor Ralph Martins. He has been conducting research on Alzheimer’s disease.
65. Indo-Canadian who was appointed vice president of the University of Toronto, Canada’s biggest university?
Hargurdeep Saini
66. The Afghan government recently banned the key ingredient of roadside bombs that have emerged as the deadliest weapon used by Taliban fighters against NATO troops in Afghanistan. Name of that fertilizer chemical?
Ammonium Nitrate
67. Which Caribbean country has been hit by a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake on January 12, 2010, killing about 200,000 people?
Haiti.
68. Only batsman in world cricket who scored 7000 ODI runs with a strike rate of over 100?
Virender Sehwag.
Sehwag, the seventh Indian to reach 7000 ODI runs, is the only batsman in world cricket to achieve the milestone with a strike rate of over 100.
69. Who has been chosen as the “ESPN Cricinfo Player of the Decade for the 2000s” by a 38-strong panel of experts, including current and former players?
Ricky Ponting, captain of Australia
70. Which state has won the Ranji Trophy for a record 39th time by beating Karnataka in a nail-biter of a final at Mysore?
Mumbai.
The hosts Karnataka were chasing a target of 338 for a win, but were bowled out for 331 to give Mumbai a six-run victory on the fourth day of the game.
71. Australia has recently condemned as “deeply offensive” an Indian newspaper cartoon depicting the police as members of the racist Ku Klux Klan over their investigations into the murder of a young Indian man in Australia. Which newspaper published that cartoon?
Mail Today, Delhi based news paper.
cartoon appeared in the 5 January edition of Delhi’s Mail Today
72. Which country took over the mantle of the world’s top merchandise exporter from Germany in 2009, according to the latest figures, aided by a global economic crisis that has taken a greater toll on other trading powers?
China
73. Which Central Minister’s recent remarks on Pandit Nehru’s foreign policy became controversial?
Shashi Tharoor.
He said that while Nehru’s foreign policy had taken India to a new level in the international arena, he agreed with criticism that it amounted to a “moralistic running commentary on other countries’ behaviour. Later he blamed the media for his “misreported” remarks on the former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s foreign policy.
74. The century’s longest solar eclipse, having totality duration of 11 minutes, 8 seconds (visible in India for 10 minutes, 24 seconds) occurred on which day of January?
15th January, 2010.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon comes directly between the Sun and the Earth, producing a shadow on the Earth’s surface where the Sun is completely or partially obscured.
75. Who was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award 2009 for his outstanding contributions and achievements in Banking Sector during the Bharat Samman – Pravasi Awards?
Mr. R. Seetharaman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Doha Bank.
76. Who unveiled the Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup Football Trophy 2010 at a glittering function in Kolkata, making Kolkata the only Indian city to showcase the prized trophy?
Lothar Matthaus, German football legend.
The trophy made of 18-carat gold- 36.8 cm high tall and weighing 6,175 grams.
77. Who is appointed as the new Captain of Kings XI Punjab for IPL 2010?
Kumar Sangakkara. The Sri Lankan player replaces Yuvraj Singh who had led the team for the last two seasons
78. Who won the Sydney Medibank International Tennis Women’s Title defeating Serena Williams 6-3, 6-2 in the final?
Elena Dementieva
79. Who won the Sydney Medibank International Tennis men’s Title defeating Richard Gasquet in the final?
Marcos Baghdatis
80. Ex-Soldier of China who was elected as governor of Tibet by the regional parliament recently?
Padma Choling
Choling, a Tibetan who served in the People’s Liberation Army from 1969 to 1986 has replaced Qiangba Puncog, whose resignation was endorsed by the regional People’s Congress.
81. Who has resigned as president of Hockey India due to the allegations made against him during the recent hockey crisis?
A.K. Mattoo
82. FBI had recently used the photo of a Spanish leader for a digitally-altered image showing how Osama Bin Laden might look. Name of that Spanish leader?
Gaspar Llamazares

A photo of Bin Laden from 1998 (left) was digitally altered using elements from an image of Gaspar Llamazares (right)
He rejected the United States’ apology for the FBI’s using a photo of him to create a poster showing what Osama bin Laden might look like today.
83. The Turk, who tried to kill Pope John Paul II in 1981, was released from prison recently after more than 29 years behind bars and proclaimed that he was a messenger of God and that the world would end in this century. Name of that Turkish man?
Mehmet Ali Agca
84. The top military chief of al-Qaida in Yemen who was killed by Yemeni warplanes near a desert village bordering Saudi Arabia?
Qassim al-Raimi.
He is considered the No. 3 leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
85. The Argentina player who reached the 100-goal mark for Barcelona?
Lionel Messi. The Argentina ace, who is still only 22, achieved the landmark in just 188 games for the Catalan club.
86. Who is appointed as the Governor of Maharashtra?
K. Sankaranarayanan
87. India Government has decided to withdraw the “deemed” status of how many universities in the country?
44
Centre told the Supreme Court that it has decided to withdraw the deemed status to 44 universities in the country alleging these were being run as family fiefdoms rather than on academic considerations.
88. The winners of the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards,
BEST DRAMA: Avatar
DIRECTOR: James Cameron – Avatar
ACTOR (DRAMA): Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart
ACTRESS (DRAMA): Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side
BEST MUSICAL OR COMEDY: The Hangover
ACTOR (MUSICAL OR COMEDY): Robert Downey, Jr. – Sherlock Holmes
ACTRESS (MUSICAL OR COMEDY): Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia
FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM: The White Ribbon
ANIMATED FILM: Up
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Mo’Nique – Precious
SCREENPLAY: Up in the Air
ORIGINAL SCORE: Michael Giacchino – Up
ORIGINAL SONG: “The Weary Kind” – Crazy Heart
CECIL B. DEMILLE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Martin Scorsese
89. Who is the new president of Hockey India?
Vidya Stokes
90. Who won the man of the match award in the third test between Australia and Pakistan played at Bellerive Oval, Hobart?
Ricky Ponting (Australia). Australia won by 231 runs.
91. Who won the man of the series award in the three test series between Australia and Pakistan held in Australia?
Shane Watson
Australia won the 3-match series 3-0
92. National Security Adviser who has been appointed Governor of West Bengal?
M.K. Narayanan
93. Which playback singer won the Swaralaya-Kairali Yesudas award ?
Sujatha. The award includes a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a citation and a statuette designed by Kanayi Kunhiraman.
Malayalam Music director M.K Arjunan has been selected for the lifetime achievement award for his contribution in the field of music
94. Name of the eco-friendly vehicle launched by Maruti Suzuki India Ltd during the auto Expo 2010 held in Delhi?
Eeco
95. Veteran Communist leader whose unbroken 23-year stewardship of West Bengal’s Left Front government made him the longest reigning chief minister of an Indian state died recently after a prolonged illness?
Jyoti Basu
96. Who won the Man of the Match award in the fourth test match between South Africa and England held in Johannesburg?
Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn
South Africa won the fourth test by an innings and 74 runs and leveled the series 1-1.
97. Who won the Man of the series award in the four test match series between South Africa and England held in South Africa?
South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher and England off-spinner Graeme Swann shared the man of the series award.
98. Who was elected president of Chile, after a runoff election against former president Eduardo Frei?

Sebastian Pinera
99. Name of the software developed by the students of Indian Institute of Technology-Madras which won a business plan competition in New York?
‘XEstor’
The software uses algorithms to store various battery parameters and interfaces with the grid to control the amount of energy supplied and stored in the network. Midhun Saleem, Kaushik Anand, Ashish Dattani, Sriram Kalyanaraman and Vinay Shankar B.K. shared the $20,000 prize.
100. Name of the former Chinese Supreme Court judge who was sentenced to life in prison recently following his conviction for embezzlement and receiving more than half a million dollars in bribes?
Huang Songyou
101. Name of Asia’s biggest air carrier, which has filed for bankruptcy protection recently, in one of Japan’s biggest corporate failures?
Japan Airlines Corp.

 

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Current Affairs

June 2009

226. Who has been appointed as the Chief of the Indian Air Force with effect from the afternoon of May 31, 2009?
Air Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik
227. Who is appointed as the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha in 2009?
Meira Kumar
228. Who was elected as BJP’s Parliamentary party leader after the recent elections in 2009?
L K Advani
229. Noted Malayalam writer and poetess, who earned fame for her works in English, passed away recently, leaving behind a rich treasure of poems and stories of love?
Kamala Das (also known as Kamala Surayya)
230. In which state FIFA will set up Soccer Academy for the first time in India?
Kerala
231. Which team won the French League title for the first time since 1999.
Bordeaux

232. Which country’s air jet vanished over the Atlantic Ocean carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members after flying into a strong thunderstorm over the Atlantic Ocean and signaling it had an electric problem?
France
Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330, carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris vanished over the Atlantic Ocean and no one survived.

233. American President Barack Obama recently ushered the second car giant of the world into bankruptcy protection and put the government behind the wheel of the company ?
General Motors Corp
234. Scottish singing sensation, who rose to fame on reality show “Britain’s Got Talent” but lost to dance group Diversity in the final, was admitted to a private clinic for treatment for exhaustion (emotional breakdown)?
Susan Boyle
235. The last survivor of the legendary ocean liner Titanic, which sank on its maiden voyage in April 1912 after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic?

Millvina Dean.
She aged 97 who died in England recently earlier known as Elizabeth Gladys Dean
11. Former senior diplomat who has been appointed as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control?
Robert J. Einhorn

236. Organization of American States (OAS) recently agreed to lift the ban on a country after 47 years? Which is that country?
Cuba
237. Defence Minister of Australia who resigned recently, after saying he did not fully comply with the ministerial code of conduct.
Joel Fitzgibbon
238. American Actor who has been found dead in a Bangkok hotel room, whose extensive record of on-screen appearances included the movie Kill Bill and the TV show Kung Fu, was apparently found in a closet with a cord around his neck and around parts of his body?
David Carradine
239. Grammy Award winner, who dubbed the “Queen of the Blues,” died recently in her native Chicago following complications from her May 19th surgery for gastrointestinal bleeding?

Koko Taylor
240. Who is appointed as the new Home Secretary of India ?
G.K. Pillai (Gopal Krishna Pillai)
241. The J.C. Daniel Award for 2008 instituted by Kerala Government is won by?
K. Ravindranathan Nair, popularly known as General Pictures Ravi.
242. Who is appointed as the General Manager of State Bank of India, Kerala Circle?
V. Ramamoorthy.
243. Presidential candidate and minister in Guinea-Bissau who was shot dead when armed men stormed into his house?
Baciro Dabo
244. Who is the leader of the Indian Arctic expedition team?
Dr.Muhammad Hatha
245. Who wins French Open women’s singles title 2009?
Svetlana Kuznetsova She won her second Grand Slam title beating top-ranked Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-2 in the French Open final.
246. Which country becomes the first nation other than the hosts to qualify for the 2010 World Cup Football in South Africa after they beat Uzbekistan 1-0?
Japan
247. Indian scientists recently have cloned the world’s second buffalo just three months after the first one died of pneumonia within a week of birth. What is the name of that buffalo?
Garima
The calf, named Garima, was born at 11 a.m. at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal, and weighed 43 kg. The first cloned buffalo was born on February 6.
248. Who has won Formula One’s Turkish Grand Prix ?
Jenson Button
He won the Turkish Grand Prix for his sixth victory in seven Formula One Car races.
249. Who wins French Open Men’s Singletitle 2009?
Roger Federer
Roger Fedrer defeated Robin Soderling in straight sets [6-1, 7-6, 6-4] to clinch the 2009 French Open Men’s Single title at Roland Garro
Roger Federer has become the second man, after Pete Sampras to win the maximum number of Grand Slams.
Roger Federer is the first man since Andre Agassi to win all 4 Grand Slams and 6th player to do so. Ironically, this is Federer’s first win at the French Open.
250. CPI-M leader and Party State Secretary of Kerala who is included in the charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as one of the eight accused in the Rs.300 crore (Rs.3 billion) SNC Lavalin corruption scam?
Pinarayi Vijayan
The Kerala state governor R S Gavai has allowed the prosecution proceedings against Pinarayi vijayan who was the power minister in the E K Nayanar cabinet during 1996.
251. Eminent playwright and theatre artist, one of the greatest stalwarts of the Indian stage, was known for blending theatre, folk art and poetry in his works, died of a heart attack in a city hospital in Bhopal recently?

Habib Tanvir
252. Who was unanimously elected as the new Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha by a voice vote?
Karia Munda(B.J.P)
253. Which country has become the world’s second biggest military spender behind the United States of America(U.S.A)?
China
254. Who is appointed as Australia’s next High Commissioner to India?
Peter Varghese
255. Who has been appointed as the managing director of Volkswagen Group Sales India Private Limited?
Maik Stephan
256. Mohun Bagan, one of the oldest football club of India recently suspended its captain for six months from playing for the club, citing “violation of rules and regulations”. Name that captain ?
Baichung Bhutia
257. Which oil company decided to pay compensation to late Nigerian writer Ken Saro Wiwa’s family and those of the other eight Ogoni leaders executed along with him in 1995 by the late General Sani Abacha military junta?
Royal Dutch Shell
258. Which word is selected as the millionth word of the English Language?
Web 2.0
“Web 2.0″ refers to what is perceived as a second generation of web development and web design. It is characterized as facilitating communication, information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration on the World Wide Web. The term “Web 2.0″ was coined by Darcy DiNucci in her article “Fragmented Future,”
in 1999.
259. Name the Jamaican sprinter who won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award for his record-breaking performance in the Beijing Olympics.
Usain Bolt
260. Name the Portuguese footballer and Manchester United winger who set a world record transfer fee of 80 million pound (130 million U.S. dollars) as he signed a six-year deal with Real Madrid Club ?
Cristiano Ronaldo
261. Which is the 112th element on the Periodic table?
Ununbium
Ununbium, element 112, has recently been added to the periodic table,
Ununbium was first created on February 9, 1996 by Sigurd Hofmann at the Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany.Ununbium is not the element’s official name; the temporary moniker was given by IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) and comes from “ununbi”, or “one one two” in Latin.
262. Which Foreign university conferred Former Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam with honorary Doctorate of Laws for distinction in public service?
Queen’s University Belfast, a prominent varsity based in Northern Ireland
263. Japanese Internal Affairs and Communications Minister who decided to resign over a conflict about the reappointment of the president of government-owned Japan Post, Yoshifumi Nishikawa?
Kunio Hatoyama
264. Senior Nepali Congress leader and the country’s first deputy woman Prime Minister who had been suffering from pneumonia and Alzheimer’s died recently at the age of 65 ?
Shailaja Acharya
265. Newly elected President of Iran ?
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
266. A 136-year-old stamped envelope known to collectors as “The Ice House Cover” carries a rare stamp of former American President. Name that President?
Abraham Lincoln
It was stolen from an Indiana collector in 1967, surfaced 39 years later in Chicago and was sold at auction by the Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc., in New York.

267. Who are the champions of 63rd Santosh Trophy Football title?
Goa
Goa defeated 29 time champions West Bengal by 2-4 in the final
268. Who won the WinWInD Golden Boot Award for the Top scorer
P. C. Riju (Striker, Tamil Nadu)
269. Player of the Tournament of Santosh Trophy?
P. Muthu (Striker, Tamil Nadu)
270. Which team won the Fair-play Award of Santosh Trophy ?
Goa
271. Which is the most commonly misspelt word in the English language, according to a new study by market research company www.OnePoll.com?
Definitely
Flummoxed people regularly writing it as “definately”.
The Top 10 most commonly misspelt words in the study by www.OnePoll.com were:
1 Definitely (Definately);
2 Sacrilegious (Sacreligious);
3 Indict (Indite);
4 Manoeuvre (Maneouvre);
5 Bureaucracy ( Beaurocracy);
6 Broccoli (Brocolli);
7 Phlegm (Phleghm);
8 Prejudice ( Predjudice);
9 Consensus (Conscensus);
10 Unnecessary (Unecessary).
50. America’s new army chief in Afghanistan over to run the war in Afghanistan under fire over abusive treatment and interrogation of detainees in Iraq, according to human rights investigators.
Gen Stanley MacChrystal
272. Bollywood actor who has been detained after having been accused of rape by his maid servant aged 19?
Shiney Ahuja
273. The Chinese waitress who stabbed to death a communist party official Deng Guida, who was trying to rape her, has been released recently by a court in Hubei province in China?
Deng Yujiao
274. Mogadishu’s(Somalia) police chief, , who was killed when government forces attempted to dislodge the insurgents from positions in south Mogadishu?
Colonel Ali Saed
275. Somalia’s Security Minister who has been killed in a suicide car bomb attack north of the capital Mogadishu?
Omar Hashi Aden
276. Name the Kathakali maestro who excelled in depicting women characters in classical theatre, has been selected for the Kerala government’s highest award for Kathakali artistes which carrying a cash award of Rs one lakh and a citation ?
Kottakkal Sivaraman
277. The IPL coach of Kolkata Knight Riders who was expelled by the team management after their team’s poor performance in the second IPL?
John Buchanan
278. Chelsea striker who has been bannedby European football body UEFA for 6 years for his Champions League semi-final outburst?
Didier Drogba
279. Who is elected as the new President of Abu Dhabi’s prestigious India Social & Culture Centre (ISCC)?
Y. Sudhir Kumar Shetty
280. The sarod maestro who died recently in San Francisco, following a prolonged kidney ailment?
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
281. Who has been chosen by the legendary sports stars of the Laureus World Sports Aacdemy as the 2009 Laureus World Comeback of the Year?
‘King of the Ring’ Vitali Klitschko
282. The world’s oldest man, who has died at his home in southern Japan on June 19, 2009 at the age of 113?
Tomoji Tanabe,
283. Champions of ICC 20-20 Cricket World cup?
Paksitan, they beat Sri Lanka in the final
Man of the match in the final: Shahid Afridi
Man of the series: Tilakaratne Dilshan
284. Who won ICC 20-20 Women’s World cup?
England, they beat New Zealand in the final
Player of the Match: Katherine Brunt.
Player of the Series: Claire Taylor
285. “Satyam Computers” now renamed by Tech Mahindra as:
Mahindra Satyam
286. Ace woman shuttler who scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament after clinched the Indonesian Open title with a stunning victory over higher ranked Chinese Lin Wang in Jakarta?
Saina Nehwal
287. The island which expanded its powers of self-rule on its national day in a move many residents see as a step toward independence from Denmark?
Greenland
288. Who is appointed as captain of Bangladesh Cricket Team for the forthcoming tours of West Indies and Zimbabwe?
Mashrafe Mortaza
Shakib Al Hasan, the world’s No.1 allrounder in ODIs, has been named the vice-captain.
289. Who is appointed as the new governor of Karnataka ?
Hans Raj Bhardwaj
290. Which country won bronze medal in the light-weight women’s Quadruple Sculls in the World Cup 2, held at Munich (Germany)?
India
291. Who is the New Chief Minister of Uttarakhand
Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank
292. Who is appointed as the Chairman of National Authority for Unique Identity?
Nandan Nilekani, the Infosys Chief
293. Who is appointed as the United States Special Representative to Muslim Communiites by the Obama administration ?
Farah Pandith
294. Greek musician Yanni, who dedicated his new song ‘Changes’ to a Bollywood actress.Who is she ?
Mallika Sherawat
295. The second statue of India’s independence hero Mahatma Gandhi is unveiled in a country recently. Where is it?
Britain. (Leicester in southeast England)
296. Pop Sensation who died of lethal levels of potent medicines and drugs at the age of 50?
Michael Jackson
297. One of the pioneers of women’s studies in India, died recently , who set up India’s first Research Centre for Women’s Studies at SNDT Women’s University and served as its first director ?
Dr Neera Desai
298. An emerging Indian-American leader in California who has been selected for the prestigious White House Fellow for the year 2009-2010?
Anish Mahajan
299. Who is the new prime minister of Lebanon?
Saad Hariri
300. Popular Malayalam Film Director and one of the best scriptwriters that Malayalam cinema ever produced, died recently?
A.K.Lohitha Das
301. which country won the inaugural Women’s Champions Challenge II hockey title with a thumping 6-3 win over Belgium in the final?
India (Rani Rampal of India hit 4 goals in the final)
302. Class 11 student of Kerala who won a silver medal at the World School Athletics championship held in Estonia in northern Europe.
Binish K. Shaji
303. Which country won the Confederations Cup football title of 2009?
Brazil. They beat the United States 3-2 and win the Confederations Cup for the third time.
304. Who wins Golden Ball as Confederations Cup best player?
Kaka, Brazilian midfielder
305. Only three Indian greats who figure in the International Cricket Council’s 55-strong Hall of Fame list, which has 22 Englishmen?
Left-arm spin wizard Bishen Singh Bedi ,
Prolific opener Sunil Gavaskar
Champion all-rounder Kapil Dev

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Current Affairs

JANUARY 2009

1. The new federal agency approved by the Indian Government to combat terror in India which will be empowered to deal with terror related crimes across states without special permission from the state ?
National Investigation Agency.
2. Who is appointed as Director General of the newly established National Investigation Agency (NIA).?
Radha Vinod Raju, Special Director General of Police in Jammu and Kashmir
3. “Man of the series” of recently held One Day series between Australia & South Africa?
Albie Morkel
4. Who became the country’s youngest international referee, after passing the world body FIBA’s exam ?
Zanim Mohammed Hashim from Thalassery, Kerala
5. The first Indian to win the prestigious Golden Globe Award for Best Original Music Score ?
A.R.Rahman for Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire.
Rahman’s song ‘Jai Ho,’ penned by lyricist Gulzar, was nominated for Best Original Music Score.
6. Which Malayalam Writer won the “Odakkuzhal Award ” ?
K.G.Sankara Pillai
7. Who became the fastest bowler to take 50 wickets in one-day internationals ?
Ajantha Mendis , completed his 50-wicket haul in his 19th one-day international. He surpassed the record of India’s Ajit Agarkar who took 23 matches to reach the milestone.
8. Who has been appointed as the General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Management and Budget in the upcoming administration of U.S.President Barack Obama?


Preeta Bansal, Leading Indian-American lawyer
9. Name the Indo-Russian supersonic cruise missile with speeds of Mach 2.5 to 2.8, which is world’s fastest cruise missile and is about three and a half times faster than the U.S.A’s subsonic Harpoon cruise missile?
Brahmos, The acronym ‘BrahMos’ is perceived as the confluence of the two nations represented by two great rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.
10. Who is the Man of the Series in the recently held Zimbabwe –Bangladesh One Day Series held in Bangladesh?
Shakib Al Hasan
11. The first Bangladesh player to top one of the International Cricket Council’s player rankings?
Shakib Al Hasan He tops the ICC ODI Rankings for all-rounders
12. Jharkhand Chief Minister who resigned from his post following his defeat in the Tamar assembly by-poll?
Shibu Soren
13. Music Sensation A.R.Rahman won how many Oscar nominations for the film “Slumdog Millionaire” ?
Three nominations (Music, Songs (Jai Ho, O Saya))
14. Indian sound engineer from Mumbai, born in Kerala, nominated for the Oscars for Best sound mixing in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’?


Rasool Pookutty
15. Which film won most number of Oscar Nominations in 2008?
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” with 13 Oscar nominations.
16. Name the founder and Chairman of Satyam Computers until January 7, 2009 when he resigned from the Satyam board after admitting to corporate fraud of 7000 crore rupees ?


Ramalinga Raju
17. The son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor Sr., who was sentenced to 97 years in prison for charges including torture and conspiracy, according to a federal court in Florida. ?
Charles McArthur Emmanuel
He also known as Charles “Chuckie” Taylor Jr.
18. Who is BBC African Footballer of the Year 2008


Egyptian footballer Mohamed Aboutrika
19. The new model car launched by Fiat India Automobiles Ltd in India during fist quarter of 2009.

Fiat Linea
20. Who is the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab?
Sukhbir Singh Badal
21. The 50th anniversary of the Triumph of a country’s Revolution is observed on this year January? Which revolution?
Cuban Revolution
22. The Three Indian cricketing legends, who figured among the 55 former players named in the ICC`s inaugural Hall of Fame list as part of its centenary celebrations ?
Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Bishan Singh Bedi
23. The Chief Financial Officer of Satyam Computers, who was remanded to judicial custody charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery of accounts?
Srinivas Vadlamani
24. Who is the new President of Ghana?
John Atta Mills
25. Name of the Bacteria developed by Australian Scientists to prevent Dengue Fever by infecting the dengue mosquito with that bacterium which halves its lifespan?
Wolbachia bacterium
26. Who became the youngest chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir?
Omar Abdulla
27. Who is the deputy chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir?
Tara Chand
28. Which team won the Ranji Trophy for the season 2008-2009?
Mumbai, they beat Utharpradesh to clinch the title.
29. Who is the fifth New Zealand Cricket player to score a century in his debut?
Martin Guptill, he scored 122 runs (not out) against West Indies in his debut match
30. Prem Nazir Award is won by?
Malayalam Actor, Jayaram
31. The fourth Thikkurissi Foundation Award is won by?
Malayalam Actor, Balachandra Menon
32. Dadasaheb Phalke award winner and noted film-maker who died recently at a hospital in Kolkata after a prolonged illness?
Tapan Sinha
33. The Australian Cricketer who retired recently from international cricket?
Mathew Hayden
34. Which player’s performance is counted as the best ever Test Innings of 2008 selected by Cricinfo?
Virender Sehwag, his double century against Sri Lanka
Best Bowling performance : Dale Steyn against Australia in Melbourne , he took 5 wicket s for 67 runs.
35. The first player in the history of cricket to score 10,000 runs and 250wickets in both tests and One Day internationals?
Jacques Kallis

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