1JAN 2015
1) What
is the name of the ambitious and huge trade bloc launched by the 10 nation
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 31 December 2015? – ASEAN
Economic Community (AEC)
Explanation: The
US-backed ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) was formally launched on 31 December
primarily to forge a prominent regional bloc to rival China and Japan
. AEC aims
to boost economic ties by further lowering tariffs and allowing a freer flow of
labor, services and capital across the 10 member countries of ASEAN.
ASEAN which includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, is a
fast-expanding region to a rising middle class, but also to widespread poverty
and income inequality.
Economic integration within the region is also at the
center of US President Obama’s rebalance of foreign policy toward Asia, in part
to address China’s increased military and economic assertiveness in the region.
2) Which
phase of TRAI’s digitisation drive to get Set Top Boxes (STBs) to avail
uninterrupted TV services ended on 31 December 2015? – 3rd Phase
Explanation: The
3rd Phase of the deadline to get Set Top Boxes (STBs) for
availing uninterrupted TV services ended on 31 December. This phase included
municipal corporations and municipalities. Broadcasting sector regulator
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) asked all cable TV subscribers
under the 3rd Phase of digitisation drive to get Set Top Boxes
(STBs) to avail uninterrupted TV services before the deadline of 31 December.
In the 1st phase of the digitization drive STBs were
made mandatory in metro cities while the 2nd Phase included 38 cities.
3) The
Union Cabinet on 30 December 2015 gave its approval to India’s Civil Nuclear
Cooperation Agreement with Australia. The agreement makes it possible for
Australian uranium exports in India to go ahead. This agreement had come into
force on which date? – 13 November 2015
Explanation: The
agreements coming in force were announced on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit
in Turkey by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart
Malcolm Turnbull, in November 2015.
Currently, India sources uranium from Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan and Russia. It has a total requirement of around 1,000 tonne of a
year. Australia has around 31% of the world’s uranium reserves.
It also has some of the cheapest reserves. Earlier in
the year, India also signed a contract with Canada for the long-term supply of
uranium.
4) Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on 31 December 2015 laid the foundation of which 14-lane
Expressway that seeks to decongest traffic in Delhi? – Delhi-Meerut
Expressway
Explanation: The
ambitious Delhi-Meerut Expressway project, the foundation for which was laid by
the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a programme held on 31 December, aims at
easing traffic congestion in the national capital. The project is proposed
under four packages and is expected to cost Rs. 7,500 crore.
The Delhi-Meerut Expressway will be a
controlled-access expressway, connecting Delhi with Meerut via Dasna in
Ghaziabad (UP). While the present stretch of National Highway 24 (NH-24) up to
Uttar Pradesh Gate will be widened to 14 lanes from the present eight, the road
between UP Gate and Dasna will be eight-laned.
This project is expected to ease massive congestion on
the 24-km stretch between Nizamuddin Bridge and Dasna.
5) India
stormed into the final of the 2015 SAFF Championship as it defeated Maldives by
3-2 in the semifinal played on 31 December 2015. Which country will face India
in the finals? –Afghanistan
Explanation: The
first semi-final of 2015 SAFF Championship was played between hosts India and
Maldives on 31 December 2015. Star striker Jeje Lalpekhlua scored a brilliant
brace for India to give it 3-2 win over Maldives. Skipper Sunil Chhetri opened
the scoring for the hosts in the 25th minute followed by Jeje’s
34th and 66th minute brace.
Ahmed Nashid (45th) and Amdaan Ali (75th)
were the goal-scorers for Maldives.
In the second semi-final Afghanistan outplayed Sri
Lanka by 3-0 to reach finals. The final will be played on 3 January 2016.
2015 SAFF Championship is the 11th edition
of the biennial SAFF Championship and is being played at Trivandrum
International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala).
6) Which
Pakistani artist was granted Indian citizenship with effect from 1 January
2016? –Adnan Sami
Explanation: Renowned
Pakistani singer Adnan Sami was granted Indian citizenship with effect from 1
January 2016 following his request to the Centre to legalise his status in the
country on humanitarian grounds. He thus became an Indian citizen from this
date.
Sami had first arrived in India on 13 March 2001 on a
visitor’s visa with the validity of one year which was issued by the Indian
High Commission in Islamabad.
But the Pak singer made India his second home for the
past few years. His visa was extended from time to time. His Pakistani passport
issued on 27 May 2010 expired on 26 May 2015 and his passport was not renewed
by the Pakistan government which led him to approach the Indian government with
the request to legalise his stay in India on humanitarian grounds.
He had made a representation to the Home Ministry on
26 May 2015 requesting his stay in India on humanitarian grounds.
2JAN 2015
1) Delhi
Government introduced the ambitious alternate-day travel policy for cars using
the odd- and even-numbered license plates system from 1 January 2016 in an
attempt to curb air pollution. This odd-even formula has been initially
implemented for how many days? – 15 days
Explanation: The
odd-even vehicular restriction policy of the Delhi government came into effect
on 1 January 2016 with thousands of volunteers taking to the streets to assist
traffic police in enforcing the pilot plan. The restriction policy will stay in
force in the national capital till 15 January 2016.
As per the scheme, cars bearing odd-numbered
registration plates shall ply on city roads on 1 January while those with even
number plates, if taken out, will attract a penalty of Rs. 2,000 under relevant
sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.
The restriction will be in force between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., and traffic will not be restricted on Sundays. Public transportation
service will be increased druing the restriction period.
It is worth mentioning that on 16 December 2015, the
Supreme Court of India mandated several restrictions on Delhi’s transportation
system to curb pollution.
2) On
1 January 2016 the United Nations Organization (UNO) ushered in the ambitious
2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to end poverty, hunger and
assure gender equally while building a life of dignity for all over the next 15
years. How many goals have been described in SDGs? – Seventeen (17)
Explanation: Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) are ambitious set of 17 goals to banish a host of
social ills from the world by 2030. These goals were adopted unanimously by 193
Heads of State and other top leaders at a summit in September 2015.
The goals address the needs of people in both developed
and developing countries, emphasising that no one should be left behind. The 17
SDGs build on the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which specifically
sought by 2015 – to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal
primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child
mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other
diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership
for development.
3) The
Information and Broadcasting Ministry on 1 January 2016 constituted a committee
to give recommendations for restructuring of censor board, which has been mired
in controversies in the recent past. Who was appointed head of this 6-member
committee? – Shyam Benegal
Explanation: The
Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has been mired in controversy since
the beginning of 2015 when Pahlaj Nihalani took charge as chairperson. Several
of his decisions have been criticized by filmmakers who have complained of
arbitrary objections and cuts sought by the board.
The Committee headed by Shyam Benegal is expected to
provide a holistic framework for functioning of the CBFC. The panel will also
suggest changes in the Cinematograph act.
Other 5 members in the committee are – filmmaker Rakeysh
Omprakash Mehra, ad guru Piyush Pandey, film critic Bhawana Somaaya, National
Film Development Council MD Nina L. Gupta and Joint Secretary (Films) Sanjay
Murthy. The committee is expected to submit its report in two months.
4) A
dress code for devotees entering temples was imposed from 1 January 2016 in
which state? – Tamil Nadu
Explanation: Several
important shrines in Tamil Nadu put up notice boards informing the applicable
dress code for devotees for entering the temples from 1 January 2016. The dress
code for entering the temples was implemented following on the earlier order of
the Madras High Court.
The Madras High Court in Chennai directed the state
government and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department to
implement dress code for devotees coming to offer worship in temples to enhance
spiritual ambiance. This order was passed on 1 December 2015.
Under the dress code, devotees wearing lungi,
bermudas, jeans and tight-leggings would not be allowed to enter several
important premises. The proposed dress code has been – for men dhoti or pyjamas
with upper cloth or formal pants and shirts and for women saree or half saree
with blouse, churidhars with upper cloth, for children any fully covered dress.
5) Which
community has the lowest sex ratio in India as disclosed in the additional data
pertaining to Census 2011 released recently? – Sikh
Explanation: According
to the 2011 census, there were 828 girls in the age of 0 to 6 years in the Sikh
community in comparison to 1,000 boys. Jain community has the second worst sex
ratio as there were 889 girls against 1,000 boys in the age group of 0 to 6
years in the community.
Among other communities, there were 958 Christian
girls against 1,000 boys, 913 Hindu girls against 1,000 boys, 943 Muslim girls
against 1,000 boys and 933 Buddhist girls against 1,000 boys.
The child sex ratio of total population in the country
was 918 girls against 1,000 boys.
3-4 JAN 2016
1) Which
base of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Punjab was attacked by heavily-armed
Pakistani terrorists on 2 January 2016 resulting in death of 7 Indian security
personnel? – Pathankot
Explanation: Five
Pakistani infiltrators attempted to storm the Air Force base at Pathankot in
Punjab in the early hours of 2 January 2016. One Garud commando of the IAF and
two personnel of the Defence Security Corps (DSC) were killed in gun-firing
with the infiltrators while all 5 infiltrators were killed. The terrorists
could not enter the technical area of the IAF station, which is the base for
MiG-21 fighter planes.
Later three personnel of the DSC succumbed to their
injuries in the hospital while a senior officer of the National Security Guard
(NSG), Lt. Col Niranjan, was killed in an accidental explosion during combing
operations at the spot on 3 January. This took the total death toll in the
attack to seven. There were reports that one terrorist was still hiding in the
airbase by the evening of 3 January.
This was the first-ever attack on an Indian Air Force
base. Pathankot is an important forward operating base of the Indian Air Force
which houses Mig-21 Bis fighter jets and Mi-25 & Mi-35 attack helicopters.
The attackers were believed to have infiltrated from
Pakistan and there was speculation that they may belong to Jaish-e-Mohammad
headed by Maulana Masood Azhar of the Kandahar hijack episode.
This attack came within days of Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s surprise stopover in Lahore on 25 December 2015, which was seen
as a big political risk.
2) India
won the 2015 South Asian Football Federation Cup (SAFF Cup) by defeating
defending champions Afghanistan by 2-1 in the finals on 3 January 2016. With
this title win, India has now won the SAFF Cup how many times? – Seven
Explanation: The
2015 SAFF Cup title was India’s seventh title of this biennial football title.
India has won the title in 1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011 and now 2015.
India defeated defending champions Afghanistan by 2-1
in the finals played on 3 January. Afghanistan went into the lead after Zubayr
Amiri scored in the 71st minute. But inform Indian striker Jeje Lalpekhlua
equalized in the very next minute. The game went into extra time and Indian
captain Sunil Chhetri gave India the winning goal by scoring through a
free-kick in the 10th minute of extra time. With this win India also took a
sweet revenge of their 2013 final loss to Afghanistan.
2015 SAFF Cup was the 11th edition of
the biennial SAFF Championship and was held at Trivandrum International
Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala). The 2017 SAFF Cup will be hosted by
Bangladesh.
3) The
103rd edition of the Indian Science Congress (ISC) was
inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3 January 2016. Which university
is hosting this prestigious annual event? – University of Mysore
(Mysuru)
Explanation: University
of Mysore is hosting the 103rd edition of the Indian Science
Congress. The theme of this edition of ISC is ‘Science and Technology for
Indigenous Development in India’. The annual five-day Congress is returning to
Karnataka after a gap of 13 years.
ISC 2016 has been hosted at the postgraduate campus of
the University of Mysore. Over 12,000 odd registered attendees are attending
this event which will be addressed by over 500 eminent scientists and experts.
Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2016, the University of
Mysore has a colourful history of producing some of the greatest Indian minds
over the years. Bharat Ratnas M Visvesvaraya, C N R Rao and Dr. S Radhakrishnan
are its products.
Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is a
premier scientific organisation of India and it has been hosting the ISC since
1914.
4) Saudi
Arabian Government on 2 January 2016 executed a top Shia cleric along with 46
other persons after being convicted of terrorism offences. What was the name of
this cleric who was popular among youth and was vocal critic of the Saudi
government? – Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr
Explanation: Sheikh
Nimr was a vocal supporter of the mass anti-government protests that erupted in
country’s Eastern Province in 2011, where a Shia majority has long complained
of marginalisation. He was arrested two years ago and was sentenced to death on
15 October 2014.
Nimr was one of the most popular Shia clerics in Saudi
Arab and had mass following amongst the youth. Shia-led Iran, the main regional
rival of Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, previously warned that executing Sheikh Nimr
would “cost Saudi Arabia dearly”.
5) A
B Bardhan, one of the pillars of the communist movement in India, passed away
on 2 January 2016 in Delhi at the age of 91. He was associated with the
Communist Party of India (CPI) and was a widely respected politician. He headed
the CPI for how many years as it General Secretary? – 16 years
Explanation: Ardhendu
Bhushan Bardhan (A.B. Bardhan) was a towering figure of the left movement in
the country. In his earlier days he had been a leading figure of the trade
union movement and Left politics in Maharashtra.
He became General Secretary of CPI’s trade union arm
AITUC in 1994 and became Deputy General Gecretary of CPI a year later. He took
over as CPI General Secretary in 1996 when Indrajit Gupta stepped down after
joining the United Front Government as Home Minister. He held this post till
2012.
6) The
foundation stone for the new helicopter unit of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL) was laid at which place on 3 January 2016, where the government will
invest over Rs 5,000 crore for this new helicopter factory spread across 600
acres of land? – Tumakuru (Karanataka)
Explanation: The
foundation stone for HAL’s new helicopter unit in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district
was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3 January 2016. The government is
investing over Rs 5,000 crore on this new unit. This will be the first factory
in India to indigenously assemble helicopters through its own innovations and
technology.
On this occasion the PM set a deadline for the HAL,
that the first helicopter assembled in this unit should take the maiden flight
in 2018. HAL is the public sector-owned aerospace and defence company with its
headquarters in Bangalore (Karnataka). It is governed under the management of
the Indian Ministry of Defence.
7) The
second edition of Premier Badminton League (PBL) kicked-off from 2 January
2015. How many teams are participating in this edition of PBL, which is the
biggest Badminton event in India? – Six
Explanation: The
6 teams participating in PBL 2016 are Awadhe Warriors (Lucknow), Bengaluru
Topgun (Bengaluru), Delhi Acers (Delhi), Hyderabad Hunters (Hyderabad), Mumbai
Rockets (Mumbai) and Chennai Smashers (Chennai). The event will be held
from 2 January to 17 January 2016. The opening ceremony of PBL 2016 was held at
Mumbai on 2 January.
The main objective of PBL is to bring top Indian
players along with International players on the same platform. The league aims
to ride on the popularity that the sport has gained in the country over the
years.
5 JAN 2015
1) The
three-member Supreme Court-appointed committee on reforms in the BCCI and the
Indian cricket administration submitted its much anticipated report in the
Supreme Court Registry on 4 January 2016. The committee recommended
legalization of betting while it did not found enough evidence against former
IPL COO Sunder Raman. Who headed this committee? – Justice RM Lodha (former
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court)
Explanation: Former
Chief Justice of India, R.M. Lodha, submitted his report on the various aspects
of reforms in the BCCI to the Supreme Court registry on 4 January 2016. This
culminated the committee’s exhaustive investigations into how the game is run
in the country and what could be done to ensure that transparency and
accountability is the rule and not the exception in the administration of
cricket in India.
Important Recommendations of Lodha Committee
legalization of betting in the country
Grant of Limited autonomy for IPL Governing Council
Separate governing bodies for the IPL and BCCI
Only one person per post. No proxy voting of
individuals allowed
No BCCI office-bearer can be Minister or government
servant
A steering committee headed by former Home Secretary G
K Pillai with Mohinder Amarnath, Diana Eduljee
The constitution and establishment of a players
association
The report will now be considered by the bench headed
by Chief Justice T S Thakur at a later stage.
2) A
6.7 magnitude earthquake hit India’s remote northeast region in the early hours
of 4 January 2016 resulting in death of at least 8 people and injuring over 100
others. Which northeastern state had the epicenter of this earthquake? – Manipur
Explanation: The
epicenter of the earthquake was in Tamenglong region, some 35 kilometers
northwest of Manipur capital Imphal. The death and injuries were caused by
falling debris in and around Imphal. The traditional ‘mother’s market’ building
in the centre of Imphal was partially damaged in this earthquake.
Apart from Manipur, the tremors were also felt in
neighbouring states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
3) Which
PoK based militant body on 4 January 2016 claimed the responsibility for the
Pathankot airbase attack which has left seven security personnel and five
militants dead? – United Jihad Council (UJC)
Explanation: According
to Srinagar-based wire service CNS, UJC spokesman Syed Sadaqat Hussain
claimed responsibility for this attack and said that Kashmiri militants
associated with the ‘Highway Squad’ attacked the airbase.
UJC is a conglomerate of around 13 militant outfits,
including the Lashkar-e-Toiba. However, the Jash-e-Muhammad, which is under the
scanner for the Pathankot attack, had in the past distanced itself from the
conglomerate after it expanded militant activities beyond Jammu and Kashmir and
pursued a pan-Islamic agenda.
4) The
Indian consulate in which Afghan city came under attack by unidentified
gunmen on the night of 3 January 2016? –Mazar-i-Sharif
Explanation: The
Indian consulate in northern Afghanistan city of Mazar-i-Sharif was site
of heavy firing by unidentified gunmen on 3 January. However, no casualty
was reported and all members of the consulate were safe. Some firing on the
consulate were also reported on 4 January.
The attack on the Indian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif
was yet another strike at Indian diplomatic missions in strife-torn Afghanistan
over the past few years. The worst strike was a suicide bomb terror attack on
the Indian embassy in capital Kabul on 7 July 2008 killing 58 people and
injuring 141. The consulates in Jalalabad and Herat were also attacked in 2013
and 2014 respectively.
5) Which
PSU bank has agreed to buy four premium Mumbai flats belonging to Air India in
an all-cash deal of Rs. 90 crore under airline’s asset monetization plan?
– State Bank of India
Explanation: State
Bank of India (SBI) has agreed to buy four premium flats in Mumbai’s posh
Peddar Road area from the loss-making Air India for Rs. 90 crore. SBI is
planning to allocate these four flats to its top executives. Each of these
3-BHK flats has a carpet area of 2,033has been exploring various options to
raise money to meet its funding requirements. SBI has already taken two floors
in the nearly-empty 22-storey Air India Towers at Nariman Point, which till a
few years ago was the headquarters of the national carrier. The cash-starved
airline was looking to sell these flats for the past two years.
6) Which
English cricketer broke the record for the fastest 250 in Test cricket on 3
January 2016? – Ben Stokes
Explanation: English
all-rounder Ben Stokes broke a host of records while batting in the second Test
against hosts South Africa in Newlands on 3 January 2016. He scored the fastest
250 in test cricket in a 399-run world-record partnership for the sixth wicket
with Bairstow. He broke Virender Sehwag’s former record for India (207 balls).
Stokes also scored the second fastest double century
in test history, with his 200 coming off 163 balls, 10 more than record holder
Nathan Astle of New Zealand. Stokes also set the highest score by a test batsman
at number six, passing a 39-year-old mark held by Australian Doug Walters.
7) Which
power project became the first in the country to become eligible for the Power
Ministry’s incentive programme under which power transmission projects
achieving early completion will be incentivized? – Rajasthan Atomic
Power Project
Explanation: Rajasthan
Atomic Power Project (RAPP), which has been built by Sterlite Grid, became
country’s first power project eligible for the power ministry’s incentive
programme. The project has been completed within 12 months from the start of
construction. It was awarded to the company in 2013.
The project includes laying a 200-km, 400-kilovolt
double-circuit transmission line passing through Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh
The government had issued an order in July 2015 that
transmission projects won under tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) and
those awarded to PowerGrid Corporation for system strengthening would get
transmission charge from the date of commercial operations, even if it is ahead
of schedule. This order was given in the wake of delays in the commissioning of
key transmission corridors.
EmoticonEmoticon