January, 2020 MAGAZINE PARAMOUNT

PARAMOUNT CURRENT AFFAIRS

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

World Malaria Report 2019: India reported largest reduction in malaria cases in 2018

India witnessed a sharp reduction in malaria cases between 2017 and 2018, according to the World Malaria
Report 2019, which was released by UN’s World Health Organisation (WHO) on December 4, 2019.

The World Malaria Report 2019 provided a comprehensive update on the burden of malaria cases and deaths
across the globe. India was reported to be one of the only two nations that achieved a reduction in malaria
cases among the 11 nations that carry the maximum burden of malaria across the world.

Paramilitary Forces to use Khadi in Uniforms

The paramilitary personnel will now wear Khadi uniforms as the instructions released by Home Minister Amit
Shah recently. Amit Shah instructed the heads of paramilitary forces to use the Make-in-India products.

Now, more than 10 lakh soldiers of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-
Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), National Security Guard (NSG) and Assam
Rifles will wear Khadi uniforms.

President Kovind signs order to extend ILP regime to Manipur

The President of India Ram Nath Kovind has signed Citizen Amendment Bill 2019 (CAB). Now, it has become
law but north-eastern states are protesting against this bill. Union Home Minister Amit Shah made it clear that
this bill will not be applicable in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura (about 70%) and almost
entire Meghalaya because of Inner Line Permit in these states.

President Ram Nath Kovind signed an order to extend Inner Line Permit (ILP) to Manipur on December 12. In
Assam, the Bodo, Karbi, and Dimasa areas fall under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, so this law will not
apply there too.

All review petitions against Ayodhya verdict dismissed by Supreme Court

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The Supreme Court on December 12, 2019 dismissed all the review petitions submitted against its historic
November 9 verdict on the Ayodhya dispute. The top court rejected all the petitions after failing to find any
merit in the claims.

The review petitions were taken up for consideration by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising
CJI S A Bobde and Justices D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan, S A Nazeer and Sanjeev Khanna. The top court
had considered only those review petitions, which belonged to the parties of the four lawsuits filed initially in
the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case.

Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019

The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 was passed in Rajya Sabha on December 11, 2019. It was passed by 125
votes in favor while 105 members voted against it. Some people are opposing this bill while some people are
supporting it. President Ram Nath Kovid also approved the bill. It will clear the path for Hindus from
Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as for Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians to gain Indian
citizenship.

Highlights:
 The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 (CAB) will be granted citizenship of India to Hindu, Christian,
Sikh, Parsi, Jain, and Buddhist people who have fled from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh due to
the religious persecution.
 Such illegal migrants who have entered India by December 31, 2014 will be able to apply for Indian
citizenship.
 Right now, it is compulsory to reside in India for 11 years to get Indian citizenship. The new bill reduces
the residency limit to six years.
 The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 covers 6 communities – Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist, and
Christian migrants.

National Broadband Mission: Govt aims broadband access to all villages by 2022

The government of India has launched National Broadband Mission (NBM) with an aim to provide an internet
connection to all villages by 2022. The affiliated parties will invest Rs 7 lakh crore in the coming years. In rural
areas, broadband access will be made available on a universal and equal basis.

Union Minister of Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated this mission. He said that govt aims to
improve the quality of mobile and internet services through National Broadband Mission. He also said that
technology infrastructure will be strengthened in the fields of education, health, entrepreneurship, and
development through this mission.

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PM Modi renames Rohtang Tunnel as Atal Tunnel

The central government has renamed Rohtang Pass as 'Atal Tunnel' recently. This tunnel connects Leh and
Manali regions. It was announced on the occasion of 95th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Rohtang Tunnel connecting Manali to Leh will now be
known as Atal Tunnel. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in his tweet that the government led by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled the long pending demand of re-naming the tunnel. He also said that it will
be a tribute to the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

BharatNet Project: Govt to provide free WiFi to all villages till March 2020

Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad recently said that free WiFi will be provided to all
the villages across the country through BharatNet by March 2020. Currently, 48,000 villages have been
connected via BharatNet project.

Union Minister said that we have connected 1.3 lakh Gram Panchayats with BharatNet optical fiber. He also
said that our goal is to connect 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats with BharatNet optical fiber.

Highlights:
 BharatNet Project was earlier known as OFC (Optical Fiber Communication Network) Project.
 BharatNet project aims to connect more than 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats with high-speed broadband
through the optical fiber at affordable prices.
 It will provide broadband speed from 2 to 20 Mbps.
 It is proposed to provide broadband connectivity for government institutions at the district level.

Indian Navy bans Facebook use by naval personnel

The Indian Navy has banned the use of facebook by the naval personnel. The use of messaging apps,
networking and blogging apps, content sharing, hosting and e-commerce sites has also been banned. The
Indian Navy has also banned the use of smartphones at naval bases, dockyards and aboard warships.

The harsh step was taken by the Indian Navy following an incident in which seven naval personnel were
caught leaking confidential information to enemy intelligence agencies using social media platforms.

Pan-Aadhaar linking deadline extended to March 2020

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the deadline to link the Permanent Account Number
(PAN) with Aadhaar for the eighth time. The Tax department had earlier on December 16, 2019 announced
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that the linking process must be completed before December 31, 2019 to reap seamless benefits of income
tax services.

The earlier deadline to link the PAN card with the Aadhaar card was September 30, 2019. The deadline,
however, was extended till December 31, 2019 by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) through order in
September 2019.

EC launches online registration tracking system

The Election Commission has launched a new online tracking system for political parties, which allows them to
track their registration applications submitted to the poll panel on a real-time basis.The new system, Political
Parties Registration Tracking Management System (PPRTMS), applicable for parties registering from January 1,
2020.

The online system enables those applying for the party registration from January 1 to track the progress of
their application using the system. The users will get status updates through SMS and e-mail.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0

The second round of Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 was launched at block level in 35 districts of Uttar
Pradesh on January 6, 2020. The mission aims to achieve 90 percent vaccination coverage among children
below the age of 2 years.
The vaccination programme under Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 will be carried out in four rounds over
seven working days excluding the regular immunisation days, official holidays and Sundays between
December 2019 and March 2020.

Cabinet approves Atal Bhujal Yojana with total outlay of Rs. 6000 crore

The Cabinet approved Atal Bhujal Yojana, a Central Sector Scheme with total outlay of six thousand crore
rupees. The scheme will be implemented over a period of 5 years in identified areas in Gujarat, Haryana,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The Cabinet also approved conduct
of Census of India 2021 and updation of National Population Register. Cabinet approved expenditure of over 8
thousand 754 crore rupees for the exercise of Census of India 2021 and over 3 thousand 941 crore rupees for
updation of National Population Register.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Boris Johnson wins clear majority in UK elections 2019

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British PM Boris Johnson’s Conservative party has won a large majority in the UK elections 2019, paving the
way forward for a smooth Brexit.
The Conservatives have won 364 seats out of the total 650 seats in the British House of Commons, while
Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party won 203 seats. Among other parties, the Scottish National Party won 48 seats,
the Liberal Democrats won 11 and Democratic Unionist Party won 7.

Johnson’s decisive victory is set to clear path for Britain to leave the European Union in January 2020. Brexit
was one of the key campaign promises of Boris Johnson.

Finland’s Sanna Marin to become world’s youngest prime minister

Sanna Marin is set to take over as the new Prime Minister of Finland, becoming the youngest-ever prime
minister in the world. The 34-year-old was selected to head Finland’s coalition government after she was
elected as the leader of the Social Democratic Party, the largest party in the coalition.
The former transport minister will not only become the world’s youngest head of government but she will also
be the third female head of the government in Finland’s political history.

Coincidently, the leaders of all parties in the five-member coalition government are now women, making it the
first-ever women-led coalition government in Finland.

Abu Dhabi selected as world’s leading sports tourism destination

Abu Dhabi has been selected as the world’s leading Sports tourism Destination at the 26th edition of the
World Travel Awards (WTA) being held in Muscat. This is the seventh time in a row that Abu Dhabi has been
selected for this coveted award. Abu Dhabi shined as a premium destination once again for sports tourism in
2019 after hosting some of the world’s top sporting events, such as the FIFA Club World Cup 2017 and 2018,
the first edition of the UAE Tour, the AFC Asian Cup 2019, the Special Olympics World Games 2019, the UFC
242 showdown and the Brazil vs South Korea international friendly match. Sports tourism has been labelled by
the United Nations World Travel Organisation, UNWTO, as one of the fastest growing sectors of tourism
worldwide.

US, Mexico, Canada sign USMCA trade deal

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The representatives from the United States, Mexico and Canada inked a revamped version of their regional
trade pact after months of negotiations. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will now go to
the countries' legislatures for final approval. The accord is meant to the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA), a deal in place since 1994. The US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said
that the modified agreement was definitely better than what was initially proposed by the administration.

WADA bans Russia from international sporting events for four years

The World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, banned Russia for four years, from participation in global sporting
events, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The ban came after accusing
Moscow of falsifying data from an anti-doping laboratory. Russia's anti-doping agency can appeal the decision
to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days. The Russian flag and national anthem have also been
banned in global events.

World's 1st fully electric commercial aircraft takes inaugural test flight in Canada

Signifying the start of the electric aviation age, the world's first fully-electric commercial aircraft took its
inaugural test flight, in Vancouver, Canada. The technology would mean significant cost savings for airlines,
not to mention zero emissions. The range is enough to start the revolution, adding that batteries and electric
motors will eventually be developed to power longer flights. The company designed the plane's motor and
worked in partnership with Harbour Air.

Saudi Aramco becomes most valuable listed company in history

Saudi Aramco has secured its position as the most valuable listed company in history after investor appetite
for the world’s biggest fossil fuel producer pushed its market value to $1.9tn (£1.4tn) on its first day of trade.
Shares in the Saudi state-backed oil company defied Aramco’s critics by climbing nearly $200bn above the
$1.7tn valuation set before its market debut on Riyadh’s stock exchange. The world’s biggest contributor to
the climate crisis had been valued at more than Apple and Facebook – previously the world’s most valuable
and fifth-most valuable companies respectively – combined. It is also twice the size of Amazon and Google's
parent company, and bigger than the next five listed oil companies put together.

Ethiopia launches its first satellite

Ethiopia launched its first satellite, a landmark achievement for the country's space program that caps a
banner year for the African Space Industry. The launch of the Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite (ETRSS) took
place at a space station in China. The live broadcast was watched by a group of Ethiopian and Chinese officials
and scientists who had gathered at the Entoto Observatory and Research Centre outside the capital, Addis
Ababa.

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ECONOMY & FINANCE

RBI launches 'MANI' app to assist visually challenged

The Reserve Bank of India has launched ‘MANI’ mobile app to help the visually challenged identify the
denomination of currency notes.
The application was launched by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das and other officials on January 1, 2020.

The RBI mobile app will enable the visually disabled to identify the denomination of a currency note using the
application. The MANI app will work offline as well after it is installed.

SBI announces reduction in one-year MCLR by 10 basis points

Country's largest lender State Bank of India has announced the reduction in its marginal cost of fund based
lending rate (MCLR) by 10 basis points across all one-year products. It is effective from 10 December 2019.
This is the eighth consecutive cut in MCLR by the lender this fiscal. The new one-year MCLR has been cut to
7.90 per cent from 8 per cent.

HDFC Lifes partners with Paytm, to offer insurance through m-com platform

Life insurance company, HDFC Life, has announced its tie-up with Paytm. This partnership will enable Paytm
customers to purchase life insurance products offered by HDFC Life, via the mobile commerce platform. The
platform enables individuals to purchase life insurance in a quick and easy manner. In a few simple steps,
Paytm customers can secure themselves and their families using HDFC Lifes innovative product offerings.

Finance Minister Sitharaman launches 'eBkray' auction platform for assets attached by banks

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched eBkray, an e-auction platform to enable online auction of
attached assets by banks. The eBkray platform provides navigational links to all PSB e-auction sites, property
search feature and presents single-window access to information on properties up for e-auction, comparison
of similar properties, and also contains videos and photographs of the uploaded properties. Indian Banks
Auctions Mortgaged Properties Information (IBAPI) portal is an initiative of Indian Banks Association (IBA)
under the policy of the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance.

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Govt to sell 100% stake in Air India

The government has decided to sell its entire 100 per cent stake in Air India under the proposed disinvestment
process. The national carrier, which has a debt burden of more than Rs 50,000 crore, has been making a loss
for long and as part of revival efforts, the government has decided on disinvestment. Air India Specific
Alternative Mechanism (AISAM) has been reconstituted and the re-initiation of the strategic disinvestment of
Air India has been approved.

NEFT transactions available 24x7 on all days from December 16

The National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) system has made available 24x7 on all days from December 16,
2019. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) made the announcement on December 6, 2019. The NEFT transaction
system will be available round-the-clock on all days of the year including holidays. The move is aimed at
promoting digital transactions.

Previously, the NEFT transactions are settled in hourly slots during banking hours. During the weekdays, the
NEFT slots include from 8 am to 7 pm. During weekends, NEFT settlement happens from 8 am to 1 pm but
only on the first and third Saturdays.

SBI to Introduce OTP-based ATM Transactions For Withdrawal of Amounts Above Rs 10,000

SBI customers will able to make ATM withdrawal above Rs 10,000 only after an OTP verification. The OTP-
validated ATM transaction introduced to minimize the number of unauthorized transactions. The introduction
of its OTP-based cash withdrawal facility, State Bank ATM added another layer of security for cash
withdrawals. The facility will not be applicable for transactions, where a State Bank cardholder withdraws cash
from another bank's ATM, because this functionality not developed in National Financial Switch (NFS). The
holder enters the amount they wish to withdraw; the ATM screen displays the OTP window. The customer to
enter the OTP received on the registered mobile number to complete the transaction.

HDFC Bank becomes third Indian company to cross $100 billion-mark

HDFC Bank crossed the $100 billion market capitalization became the third firm in the country to achieve this
milestone. HDFC Bank has a market cap of $140.74 billion, and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) a market cap of
$114.60 billion. HDFC Bank ranks 110th in the list of world’s most valued companies. There are 109
companies on the list with a market cap of over $100 billion. The world's most valued banks and financial
companies which have a market cap of over $100 billion, HDFC Bank ranked at 26.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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ISRO launches earth observation satellite, RISAT-2BR1 from Sriharikota

The ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) launched its earth observation satellite, RISAT-2BR1 on PSLV-
C48 from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. RISAT-2BR1, a Radar imaging
earth observation satellite weighing about 628 kg, will be placed into an orbit of 576 km at an inclination of 37
degrees. PSLV-C48, which is the 50th mission of PSLV, will also carry 9 customer satellites of Israel, Italy, Japan
and the USA as co-passengers. These international customer satellites are being launched under a commercial
arrangement with NewSpace India Limited.

India successfully test-fires indigenously developed nuke-capable Prithvi-II missile

India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed surface-to-surface nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile off
Odisha coast. The Strategic Forces Command of the Indian Army conducted the user trial of the 350 km range
missile from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.

The missile weighs about 4,600 kg, is capable of carrying 500kg to one thousand kilograms of warheads and is
thrust by liquid propulsion twin engines. This trial was a part of regular training exercise by the armed forces
which reconfirms the Army’s readiness to fire it at short notice. Developed under the joint collaboration of
Defence Research and Development Organization and Bharat Dynamics Limited, the missile was first test-fired
on 27 January 1996.

Upgraded version of Pinaka guided rocket system, QR-SAM successfully test fired

India had successfully test-fired two missiles from Chandipur in Odisha. The upgraded version of Pinaka guided
rocket system was test-fired from the DRDO’s Proof and Experimental Establishment firing test range while
the all-weather tracked-chassis Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QR-SAM) tested from a mobile launcher
at a launch complex of the Integrated Test Range. The indigenously developed Pinaka and QR-SAM weapon
system test achieved the desired accuracy by hitting the intended target with a high degree of precision and
met all mission objectives. Pinaka system has a maximum range of 75 km for Mark-II variant and can fire a
salvo of 12 rockets in less than 45 seconds.

ECOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT

India State of Forest Report, 2019

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The total tree and forest cover in the country increased by 5,188 square kilometer in the last two years, said
the India State of Forest Report 2019. The top three states in terms of forest cover are Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh and Kerala. While Karnataka grew the maximum forest-and-tree cover at 1,025 sq km, Andhra
Pradesh grew a 990-sq km cover and a 823-sq km of forest cover was created by Kerala in the last two years.
The total forest cover of the country is 7,12,249 sq km which is 21.67% of the geographical area of the
country. The tree cover of the country is estimated as 95,027 sq km which is 2.89% of the geographical area.

Delhi cabinet approves new policy on Pollution

Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal introduced a new policy to make Delhi the capital of Electric vehicles.
Under the policy, the government has planned to provide subsidies to electric vehicles.

The goal of the policy is to ensure that 25% of new vehicles registered are electric by 2024. Along with electric
vehicles, the government also has planned to construct 250 charging stations. The policy has been drafted
after feedback from UNEP ( United Nations Envornment Programme) experts, International Transport Council.
The policy is important as the vehicles have been major cause of pollution emitting 80% of carbon monoxide,
40% of PM 2.5 and 80% of nitrogen oxides.

GoI maps Tiger Corridors in the country

The Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provided the details of tiger corridor mapping in
Rajya Sabha. The corridors were mapped by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of
India. The institutes have mapped 32 corridors in all.

The Corridors grouped under 4 major categories were listed state-wise. The corridors are located in the
Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains, Central India Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats and North Eastern hills. the
corridors are operated under Tiger Conservation Plan. The plan is protected and Implemented under secttion
38V of the Wildlife (Protection) act, 1972.

Pacific Island nation Palau bans ‘reef-toxic’ sunscreen

Palau's pioneering ban on "reef-toxic" sunscreens takes effect from 01 January 2019. From New Year's day,
any reef-toxic sunscreen imported or sold in Palau will be confiscated and the owner will be fined. The tiny
Pacific island nation introduced strict environmental measures. Palau is renowned for its marine life and is
regarded as one of the world's best diving destinations. Along with the ban, Palau's much-touted marine
sanctuary came into effect on January 1, 2020.This closes 80 per cent of its exclusive economic zone to fishing
and other marine activities including mining and shark finning.

SPORTS SCAN

CRICKET
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New Zealand’s Leo Carter smashes 6 Sixes in an over, becomes 7th batsman in the world

Leo Carter, New Zealand’s batsman, has recorded his name in the history books on January 05, 2020. He has
become the 7th cricketer in the world to score six sixes in an over. Carter achieved this feat during his team's
Canterbury Kings' victory against Northern Knight at New Zealand's Twenty20 tournament Super Smash.

Apart from Carter, Gary Sobers of the West Indies, Ravi Shastri and Yuvraj Singh of India, Herschelle Gibbs of
South Africa, Ross Vitali of England and Hazratullah Zazai of Afghanistan have scored six sixes in an over. Yuvraj
Singh hit 6 sixes against England’s fast bowler Stuart Broad in the 2007 T20 World Cup.

Virat Kohli named in Wisden’s five cricketers of the decade list

Indian skipper Virat Kohli has found a place in the list of five cricketers of the decade by the Wisden Cricketers'
Almanac.
Virat Kohli was named in the Wisden cricketers of the decade list along with four other cricketers –
Australia’s Steve Smith and women’s all-rounder Ellyse Perry, South Africa’s Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers. Virat
Kohli was also named as the captain of the Wisden Test team of the decade. The only other Indian to feature
in the list includes Ravichandran Ashwin.

Kuldeep Yadav becomes first Indian bowler to take two ODI hat-tricks

Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav has become the first Indian bowler to take two ODI hat-tricks. He achieved the
feat during India’s second ODI against West Indies at VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on December
18, 2019.
Kuldeep Yadav took three successive wickets of Shai Hope, Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph in the 33rd over to
mark his second international hat-trick. The 25-year-old took his first international hat-trick in 2017 against
Australia.

With this, the bowler joins the elite list of bowlers- Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, Chaminda Vaas, Lasith
Malinga and Trent Boult- who have picked up more than one hat-trick in One Day Internationals. Malinga is
the only bowler among them to have picked up three 3 ODI hat-tricks, the rest have picked up 2 ODI hat-tricks
each.

CHESS

Koneru Humpy Wins Women's World Rapid Chess Championship

Koneru Humpy, India's young woman Grandmaster, has won the World Rapid Championship 2019 title. She
defeated Lei Tingjie of China in the Women's World Rapid Chess Championship in the tiebreaker series
(Armageddon game) and won the title.

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Magnus Carlsen of Norway won this title for the third time among men’s championship. India's youngest
woman Grandmaster Hampy decided to retire from chess in 2016. But, later she rejoined the game and won
many titles.

WEIGHTLIFTING

Mirabai Chanu won Gold in 6th Qatar International Cup in Doha

Former world champion weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won women’s 49kg category gold medal at
the 6th Qatar International Cup. The 25-year-old Chanu won gold with an effort of 194kg in the Olympic
qualifying silver level event final rankings for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.The three periods of six months spread
over November 2018 to April 2020 at least six events overall and in at least one gold and another silver level
event. In the men’s 67kg category India's Jeremy Lalrinnunga won the silver medal with a total lift of 306kg
(140kg in snatch and 166kg in clean and jerk).

Rakhi Halder creates two new national records in weightlifting

Indian woman weightlifter Rakhi Haldar (64kg) won a bronze medal at the Qatar International Cup along with
creating two new national records. She is a commonwealth gold medalist who has created a national record
while doing her best in snatch and total weight.

This Indian player won a gold medal with a weight of 214 kg (94 kg +120 kg) in Commonwealth games in June
2019. She lifted a total of 218 kg with 95 kg in snatch and 123 kg in the clean and jerk category. India ended its
journey with three medals at Olympic qualifying silver level event.

A weightlifter must compete in at least six tournaments within three six-month periods (November 2018 to
April 2020) to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. Apart from this, the player has to participate in at least one gold
and one other silver-level event.

South Asian Games 2019

India finishes with highest-ever medal tally of 312 medals

India concluded its campaign at the 13th edition of South Asian Games (SAG) with the highest-ever medal tally
comprising 312 medals including 174 gold, 93 silver and 45 bronze medals. The host nation Nepal stands
second with 206 medals including 51 gold, 60 silver, 95 bronze and Sri Lanka at third position with 251 medals
including 40 gold, 83 silver and 128 bronze medals.
Indian wrestlers were indomitable throughout the games, winning 15 gold medals. Indian swimmers also put
up a great performance by winning the highest number of medals. The Indian swimming contingent won 52
medals overall, including 27 gold, 19 silver and 6 bronze medals.

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LATEST GENERAL AWARENESS
DAY/ WEEK/ YEAR

 January 4 : World Braille Day

 January 9 : NRI Day (Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas)
 January 10 : World Hindi Day
 January 12 : National Youth Day
 January 15 : Army Day
 January 23 : Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Jayanti
 January 25 : National Voters' Day, National Tourism Day
 January 26 : India's Republic Day, International Customs Day
 January 30 : Martyrs' Day ( Shaheed Diwas)

APPOINTMENTS
General Bipin Rawat

General Bipin Rawat took charge as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on January 1, 2020. The General
will now serve as the principal military advisor to the Union Defence Minister.
General Bipin Rawat assumed the office of CDS after he retired as Army Chief on December 31, 2019. The
Chief of Defence Staff post has been created newly in India. The CDS is a four-star General.

The Chief of Defence Staff will also serve as the head of the new Department of Military Affairs to ensure unity
in training, logistics and procurement of the three armed services.

General Manoj Mukund Naravane

General Manoj Mukund Naravane took charge as Chief of the Indian Army on December 31, 2019. General
Naravane was earlier serving as the Vice Chief of the Indian Army. Former Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has
been appointed as India's first Chief of Defence Staff on December 30, 2019.

Gen Naravane took the responsibility of Vice Chief of Army Staff in September this year. Earlier, Lieutenant
General Naravane was handling the responsibility of the Eastern Command of the Army. The Army's Eastern
Command takes care of India's nearly 4,000-km border with China.

Hemant Soren

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JMM leader Hemant Soren took oath as the 11th Chief Minister of Jharkhand. Governor Draupadi Murmu
administered him the oath of office and secrecy at Morhabadi ground in Ranchi. Two Congress leaders
Rameshwar Oraon and Alamgir Alam are also likely to take oath as Ministers. Grand Alliance comprising JMM,
Congress and RJD bagged 47 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly polls.

Sundar Pichai

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, has now become CEO of Google's parent company Alphabet. Pichai has been
appointed on this post following the resignations of Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. All the
services and products of Google come under its parent company Alphabet.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin will remain with the company as co-founders and board of directors. However,
Sundar Pichai will hold a new responsibility. Larry Page resigned as CEO of Alphabet, while Sergey Brin stepped
down as President of Alphabet.

Soma Roy Burman

Soma Roy Burman took charge as the 24th Controller General of Accounts (CGA) in the Finance Ministry’s
Department of Expenditure on December 1, 2019. She is the 7th woman to hold the post. The 1986-batch
Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) Officer will be succeeding JPS Chawla.

She is a 1986-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service officer. During her three-decade-long career, she has held
cadre positions in different government ministries including Finance, Information & Broadcasting, Home
Affairs, Human Resource Development, Shipping, Industry and Road Transport & Highways. Burman previously
served as the Additional Controller General of Accounts in the CGA office.

Girish Chandra Chaturvedi

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has appointed Girish Chandra Chaturvedi as its new chairman. The NSE
chairman was lying vacant since January 2019 when then incumbent Chairman of NSE Ashok Chawla resigned
in the middle of charges of corruption. He is a former bureaucrat who retired from IAS in January 2013 as
Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He is currently on board of ICICI Bank and member of
government appointed board of Infrastructure leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS).

RESIGNATION/ RETIREMENT
Leander Paes

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Indian tennis ace Leander Paes has announced that 2020 will be his last year as a professional tennis player.
The 46-year old will bid adieu to the sport after next season. Leander, who made his Olympic debut in 1992,
will look for one final flourish at Tokyo Olympics next year. The Indian has made 7 appearances in a row at the
Olympics making him the only tennis player ever to do so. Paes has won eight doubles and ten mixed doubles
Grand Slam titles.

OBITUARY
Ganga Prasad Vimal

Famous Hindi author Ganga Prasad Vimal was recently killed in a road accident in Sri Lanka. He was 80. Ganga
Prasad was an author, translator, and professor at Jawahar Lal Nehru University. He was known as the father
of Akahani Movement in the Hindi literary world. He wrote more than 12 short story collections, novels and
poetry collections. His first poetry collection ‘Vizzap’ was published in 1967. However, his first novel, titled,
'Apne Se Alag', was published in 1972.

Shriram Lagoo

Shriram Lagoo, veteran film and theatre actor passed away on December 17, 2019 after suffering a cardiac
arrest at his Pune residence. He was 92. He was considered as one of the greatest Marathi stage actors during
the turn of the 20th century. The actor was also known to be very vocal and active about his progressive and
rationalist beliefs.

Some of his most memorable roles were in Marathi plays including "Himalayachi Saoli" and "Natsamrat" and
films such as “Pinjra” and “Sinhasan”. His most memorable Bollywood films include Lawaris, Gharonda and Ek
Din Achanak, Maqsad, Souten and Awam.

Vidushi Savita Devi

Renowned Hindustani classical vocalist Vidushi Savita Devi has passed away at the age of 80. Daughter and
disciple of late Siddheshwari Devi and recipient of the Padma Shri award, Savita Devi had carved a niche for
herself in the world of Indian classical music as an inimitable vocalist. She imbibed the nuances of various
semi-classical vocal forms such as thumri, dadra, chaiti, kajri and tappa of the Banaras Gharana (Purabang).

Bhagabat Mohanty

Former Odisha Minister Bhagabat Prasad Mohanty passed away.Mohanty represented Kendrapda thrice in the
state Assembly.Mohanty was elected to the state Assembly in 1971 as Praja Socialist Party (PSP) candidate and
in 1985 and 1995 as a Congress nominee. He had served as the Higher Education Minister of the state.

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Bob Willis

Bob Willis was the former England captain and a fast bowler. He died of thyroid cancer on December 04, 2019
after a short illness. Willis will be always remembered for his superb performance in the 1981 Ashes Series. He
was given nickname ‘Goose’ due to his bowling talent.

PERSON IN NEWS

Nirmala Sitharaman

Nirmala Sitharaman’s name has been included in the list of top Forbes' 100 most Powerful Women List of
2019. She is India’s former Defence Minister and current Finance Minister. Sitharaman also surpassed Ivanka
Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump and Queen Elizabeth II in the list.

Along with Sitharaman, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, CEO and Executive Director of HCL Corporation and Kiran
Mazumdar Shaw, founder of Biocon, are included in the list. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has topped the
Forbes 2019 'The World's 100 Most Powerful Women' list.

Shivangi Swaroop

Shivangi Swaroop has become the first woman pilot to fly Indian Navy fixed-wing Dornier surveillance planes.
She has joined the Indian Navy as the first female pilot on December 2, 2019. She will be involved in Operation
Duty in Kochi.

Sub-lieutenant Shivangi is from Muzaffarpur in Bihar. She has done her studies from DAV Public School. After
completing school education, Lieutenant Shivangi did B.Tech from Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology.

Salman Khan

Food and beverage giant PepsiCo has roped in Bollywood actor Salman Khan as the new face of its flagship
Pepsi brand of carbonated beverage in India. The actor has been the face of rival Coca-Cola’s popular
ThumsUp brand for years and was recently seen promoting Parle Agro-backed soft drink Appy Fizz. Khan had
previously endorsed PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew drink. PepsiCo will also associate itself with Khan’s next big
release Dabangg 3 that is scheduled to release later this month.

Pat Cummins

The Australian pacer Pat Cummins, with a base price of Rs. 2 crore, become the most expensive overseas
player in Indian Premier League (IPl) as he was sold to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a whopping Rs. 15.50
crore ($ 2.2 million).
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Pervez Musharraf

Pakistan's ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf was sentenced to death in the high treason case by a special
court in Islamabad. A three-member bench of the special court handed Musharraf death sentence in the long-
drawn high treason case against him for suspending the Constitution and imposing emergency rule in 2007, a
punishable offence for which he was indicted in 2014. The former Army chief left for Dubai for medical
treatment in March 2016 and has not returned since, citing security and health reasons. Musharraf is a
Pakistani politician and retired four-star general of the Pakistan Army, who was the 10th President of Pakistan.

PLACE IN NEWS
Pragati Maidan

Delhi government's naming committee has decided to rename Pragati Maidan Metro station as Supreme
Court Metro Station. Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia announced this in New Delhi during a
press conference. The naming committee in its meeting also decided to rename Mukarba Chowk and its
flyover after Kargil war martyr Captain Vikram Batra and Mehrauli - Badarpur Road as Acharya Shri
Mahapragya Marg.

Nashik Railway Station

In a unique initiative to battle rising air pollution in cities, Indian Railways has opened an 'Oxygen Parlour' at
Nashik railway station in Maharashtra. The initiative seeks to provide an experience of breathing clean air to
commuters. It has been set up by Indian Railways in collaboration with Airo Guard, a one of the leading
consultancies in field of plant nurseries based in Nashik. The objective behind setting up parlour is to expand
this initiative to every railway station as well as every home.

Luzon, Philippines

In the Philippines, typhoon Kammuri has made landfall at Luzon, the country's largest and most populous
island. Around two lakh residents have been evacuated from coastal and mountainous areas over fears of
flooding, storm surges and landslides. Kammuri is now expected the pass to the south of the capital Manila,
which is hosting thousands of athletes for the regional Southeast Asian Games.

BOOKS/ AUTHORS
Dreams of a Billion: India and the Olympic Games - Boria Majumdar

Politics of Opportunism - R P N Singh

AWARDS & HONOURS

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Amitabh Bachchan honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award

The 50th Dadasaheb Phalke Awards honored legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan with India's highest film
honor for his stupendous contribution to Indian cinema, in New Delhi. President Ram Nath Kovind presented
the Award to Mr. Bachchan. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar announced that Mr. Bachchan would be
awarded the prestigious award. The legend Amitabh Bachchan who entertained and inspired for two
generations selected unanimously for Dadasahab Phalke Award.

Miss Universe 2019

South Africa's Zozibini Tunzi was crowned Miss Universe 2019 on December 8, 2019. Zozibini Tunzi beat 90
contestants from different countries across the globe to win the coveted title. She has become the third Miss
Universe winner from South Africa.
Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray crowned new Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi at the event. India’s Miss
Universe 2019 representative Vartika Singh bowed out of the Miss Universe 2019 competition after securing a
place in the Miss Universe 2019 top 20.

The Miss Universe 2019 runner-ups included Miss Puerto Rico Madison Anderson as the first runner-up
and Miss Mexico Ashley Alvidrez as the second runner-up. The others in the top five of the Miss Universe 2019
beauty pageant included Miss Colombia and Miss Thailand.

'Joker' fame Joaquin Phoenix named PETA's Person of the Year

'Joker' Star Joaquin Phoenix has been named 2019 Person of the Year by People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA). Phoenix is vegan since the age of three and has been a longtime supporter of the animal rights
organisation. He recently appeared in PETA's "We Are All Animals" billboards in Times Square and on Sunset
Billboard as he promoted legislation to ban travelling wild-animal circuses. Previous PETA Person of the Year
winners includes Pope Francis, Oprah Winfrey, Anjelica Huston, Olivia Munn, Eva Mendes and Alicia
Silverstone.

Ballon d'or 2019: Lionel Messi wins the title for record sixth time

Argentine footballer Lionel Messi won the prestigious football honor Ballon d'Or for record sixth time.
Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk finished second and Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus finished third.

Megan Rapinoe won this award in the women category. Messi, who could not make it to the top three last
time, won the award after four years. Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal has won this award five times.

EXCERCISE / OPERATION

Surya Kiran – XIV

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Exercise SURYA KIRAN-XIV, a joint military training exercise between India and Nepal culminated at Nepal
Army Battle School (NABS), Rupendehi district of Nepal.The troops of both the Armies participated in 14 days
long joint training based on counter insurgency operations in jungle and mountainous terrain and also
practised response mechanism in the eventualities of natural and manmade disasters. As part of the exercise,
important lectures, demonstrations and drills related to counter insurgency, counter terrorism operations and
humanitarian assistance and disaster relief response mechanism were rehearsed and executed jointly. The
training culminated with a 72 hours outdoor exercise in which troops of both contingents carried out drills of
counter insurgency operations.

MITRA SHAKTI

The 17th edition of exercise MITRA SHAKTI aimed at enhancing interoperability and operational efficiency
amongst the armies of India and Sri Lanka commenced at Aundh Military Station, Pune.

The objective of the exercise is to build and promote positive relations between armies of both countries
through a focus on sub-unit-level training on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in the
urban and rural environment.

The joint training exercise also signifies the strength of India-Sri Lanka relations in the field of military
cooperation and engagement.

The exercise is designed for incorporating the current dynamics of United Nations peacekeeping operations
through practical and comprehensive discussions and tactical exercises.

Exercise ‘Apharan’

The Indian Navy, in collaboration with Indian Coast Guard, Cochin Port Trust conducted a large scale Anti
Hijacking Exercise “Apharan” off the Port of Kochi. This was the first time that such a large scale exercise
involving all stakeholders has been conducted in Kerala. The Exercise ‘Apharan’ was aimed at streamlining the
response mechanism/ preparedness to any attempt by Anti-National Elements to hijack a merchant vessel or
attempt forced entry of a rogue/commandeered merchant vessel into Kochi harbour.

DEFENCE

Rafale jet tail numbers to feature former Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa’s initials

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In recognition of Air Chief Marshal (retd) B S Dhanoa’s unrelenting backing for the Rafale deal, the Indian Air
Force has decided to put tail numbers in 30 Rafale jets with ‘BS’ initials. Six Rafale trainer aircraft will carry RB
series tail numbers which stand for Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, the current Chief of Air Staff who played
a key role as lead negotiator for the mega deal. The political controversy relating to purchase of 36 Rafale jets
from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation for the IAF at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore peaked during
Dhanoa’s tenure as chief of the air staff and he had stoutly defended the deal. Out of 36 Rafale jets, 30 will be
fighter jets and six will be trainers. The trainer jets will be twin-seater and they will have almost all the
features of the fighter jets.

SUMMIT/ CONFERENCE
UN Climate Summit concludes

The longest climate talks in the histrory of United Nations that was held in Madrid, Spain, ended on December
15, 2019. The climate summit ended without crucial agreement on carbon market rules of the Paris
Agreement.

The key issues that was aimed to get resolved at the summit was the regulation of carbon market. Carbon
market puts prices on carbon dioxide emission. However, no conclusion was reached and the issue is to be
taken at next summit to be held at Glasgow in 2020. The summit failed to reach an agreement on the
implementation of Article 6 of Paris Agreement.

India to host 36th International Geological Congress in March 2020

India is gearing up to host the 36th International Geological Congress (IGC) in the capital during the first week
of March 2020. The theme of this conference is ‘Geosciences: The Basic Science for Sustainable Development'.
Popularly described as the Olympics of Geosciences, the IGCs are a prestigious global geoscientific events held
once every four years and participated by around 5,000-6,000 geoscientists from all across the world. India is
the only Asian country to host the event twice. In 1964, India had hosted it for the first time, which was the
22nd IGC, inaugurated by the then President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

3 Day “International Seminar on Climate Smart Farming Systems” for BIMSTEC countries begins in New
Delhi

The three day ‘International Seminar on Climate Smart Farming Systems’ for BIMSTEC countries began in New
Delhi. Participants from all the Seven BIMSTEC Countries viz. Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri
Lanka, Thailand and BIMSTEC Secretariat is attending the Seminar. The seminar is being organized as a
Government of India initiative as announced earlier by the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi at the
4th BIMSTEC Summit at Kathmandu on 30-31st August, 2019.

COMMITTEE/ COMMISSION
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SC sets up committee for speedy disposal of rape cases

The Supreme Court has formed a two-judge committee to ensure speedy disposal of rape cases across India.
The committee was set up by Chief Justice SA Bobde. The committee will comprise two members including
Justices R Subhash Reddy and MR Shah. The committee will be looking into expeditious disposal of rape cases
across the country.

CJI Bobde constituted the two-judge panel by exercising his administrative powers to monitor the rape cases
to ensure their speedy disposal in a time-bound manner. The committee would monitor the case through the
High Courts.

SURVEY/ REPORT
CCPI 2020: India ranks 9th, US worst climate change performer

India joins the top ten countries in this year's Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) for the first time. This
is a result of efforts made to bring down India's carbon emission. On the other hand, the United States
included in the worst-performing countries for the first time.

Australia and Saudi Arabia, running their economies on the basis of coal industries, are also among the
countries with high carbon emissions. The CCPI report was released at the 'COP 25' climate change conference
in the Spanish capital Madrid.

WEF Gender Gap Index: India slips to 112th rank, in bottom 5 on health, economic fronts

World Economic Forum (WEF) has recently released Gender Gap Index-2019 that shows India has slipped to
112th position. India has moved downwards four places in terms of gender equality amid increasing disparity
in terms of women’s participation in the development of the country. The country is ranked in the bottom five
on health and economic fronts.

Last year, in 2018, India was on the 108th position on the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report. The
report also highlights that as per the present scenario, workplace inequality will not be erased until the year
2276.

India improves Sustainable Development Goals Index score by three positions

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India has improved its composite score from 57 in 2018 to 60 in the Sustainable Development Goals Index
2019-20. This has been achieved due to better work in water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy and
industry, innovation, and infrastructure. Kerala achieved the first rank in the composite SDG Index with a score
of 70, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 69. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu ranked at the third
position with a score of 67. The states showing the biggest improvement since 2018 are Uttar Pradesh which
has moved from the 29th position to the 23rd, Odisha from 23rd to 15th and Sikkim from 15th to 7th position.

MISCELLANEOUS

UN declares Malala decade’s ‘most famous teenager’

The UN has declared Pakistani education activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai as “the most famous
teenager in the world” in its ‘Decade in Review’ report. In 2014, Malala became the youngest recipient of the
Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her efforts for children’s rights which started even before she was shot in
the head two years ago by Taliban militants. She became a UN Messenger of Peace in 2017, with a special
focus on girls.

'World's oldest rhino' dies in Tanzania

A female black rhino, Fausta, who was believed to be the world’s oldest rhino has died at the age of 57 in a
Tanzanian conservation area. Fausta died of natural causes in captivity in Ngorongoro Crater, which lies in
Ngorongoro Conservation Area of Tanzania. The records showed that Fausta lived longer than any rhino in the
world.

Railways Renames RPF as Indian Railway Protection Force Service

The Railways has renamed its security force RPF (Railway Protection Force) as Indian Railway Protection Force
Service. The ministry has accorded organized Group A status to RPF and renamed it. The Railway Protection
Force (RPF) is a security force, enacted by the Indian Parliament for "the better protection and security of
railway property". The force is under the authority of the Indian Ministry of Railways.

STATES SCAN

ANDHRA PRADESH

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Andhra cabinet approves Disha Act providing for harsher punishments for crimes against women

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved the enactment of the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Law (Amendment) Act
also known as the Disha Act that provides for harsher punishments, including death sentence to those guilty of
heinous crimes against women. As announced earlier in the assembly by Chief Minister, in the presence of
adequate conclusive evidence in cases of crime against women such as rape, acid attacks among others the
judgment must be pronounced within 21 days and trial must be completed in 14 days. The cabinet also
approved the Andhra Pradesh Special Court for Specified Offences against Women and Children Act 2019,
which allows the establishment of special courts in each district to address crimes against women and
children. The bill allows taking actions under Indian Penal Code section 354 (E) against those who upload posts
on social media that degrades women's reputation.

ASSAM

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal launches welfare scheme for students

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched the state government's Abhinandan scheme during a
programme held at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati.

This scheme emphasis on one-time subsidy against education loans availed by the students for an amount of
Rs 50,000 each to 1,546 students. Abhinandan scheme extend cooperation to students in pursuing higher
education and to fulfil the dreams. The students to work towards putting Assam in the list of front-ranking
states of the country with their hard work, knowledge and their service to society. The united efforts to
develop a positive and healthy environment in the society.

MANIPUR
Govt approves development of Loktak Inland Waterways Project in Manipur

The Union Ministry of Shipping has approved the development of the Loktak Inland Waterways Project in
Manipur. The approval of this project by the Government of India will give a boost to tourism in the state. The
total cost of this project is 25.58 crores. This will give a boost to inland water transport connectivity in the
North-Eastern states and also give a big boost to the tourism sector. It will be the cheapest means of transport
in the area. There is less chance of accident so it is safer than road and rail. The scheme has been approved on
the basis that, it will not harm the environment and its flow will not affect the natural resources.

ODISHA
Odisha CM launches 'Jalsathi' programme

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Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the 'Jalsathi' programme which will ensure supply of safe
drinking water to all households in the state. Patnaik also distributed water quality testing kits and POS (point
of sale) machines to the women volunteers - 'Jalasathis'. Inclusion of women volunteers from Mission Shakti
for piped water supply is a cherished step as they will serve the people as 'Jalasathis'. Under the 'Jalsathi'
programme, about 5,000 women will be engaged for supplying safe drinking water.

LPG bottling plant inaugurated in Odisha

The LPG bottling plant at Balangir, Odisha was recently dedicated to the nation by Odisha Governor Ganeshi
Lal. This BPCL plant was to be dedicated to the nation by the Vice President.

BPCL has set up the plant for Rs 103 crore. The production capacity of the factory is 42 lakh cylinders per year.
This will benefit the people of 14 districts of western Odisha. The number of LPG customers in Odisha was 20
lakhs in 2014, now this number has increased to 88 lakhs. BPCL has 21 lakh 59 thousand customers in Odisha.
It is expected that the consumption will be increased to the 105 lakh cylinders by the end of 2020.

RAJASTHAN

Rajasthan government starts first Janta Clinic

Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot inaugurated the first Janta clinic at in the Malviya Nagar area of Jaipur to
provide free primary health care to people living in slums. In its first phase, 12 Janta Clinics will be opened in
Jaipur where people would get free medicines, and free medical examination in some cases. Later, in the
second and third phases of this scheme, Janta Clinics will be opened in other areas.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS FOR UPCOMING EXAMINATION

1. Who has been appointed as the 24th Controller General of Accounts?

a) Sumanto Ghosh
b) Soma Roy Burman
c) Ashutosh Sahay
d) Patralekha Dutta

Ans. (b) Soma Roy Burman

Explanation: Soma Roy Burman has taken charge as the 24th Controller General of Accounts (CGA). She is the
seventh women to hold the post.

2. Who among the following won the 55th Jnanpith Award?

a) Akkitham
b) Prem Das
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c) Rachna Mandal
d) Anil Desai

Ans. (a) Akkitham

Explanation: Akkitham Achuthan Namboodari has won the 55th Jnanpith Award. He was born on March 8,
1926 in Palakkad district of Kerala. Akkitham Namboodari was interested in literature and art since childhood.
Apart from poetry, Akkitam has also written plays and novels.

3. The day, December 3, 2019, marks the 35th year of which major Indian tragedy?
a) Bhopal gas tragedy
b) Bombay Bombings
c) Delhi Bombings
d) Amarnath Yatra tragedy

Ans. (a) Bhopal gas tragedy

Explanation: The day, December 3, 2019, marks the 35th year of Bhopal gas tragedy. The tragedy is known as
one of the worst industrial disasters of the world, as a gas leak from the Union Carbide Plant in Bhopal
exposed over 500,000 people to toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals.

4. Who was the first to spot Vikram Lander’s debris on the lunar surface?
a) Shanmuga Subramanian
b) Shanti Krishnamachari
c) Ravindran Sundaram
d) Shresth Chaturvedi

Ans. (a) Shanmuga Subramanian

Explanation: A Chennai-based engineer Shanmuga Subramanian was the first to sport Vikram Lander’s debris
on the lunar surface and he alerted NASA about it. NASA confirmed the same through a tweet on December 2,
2019. The Chandrayaan-2 mission’s Vikram Lander was found to have crashed, about 1 km away from its
landing site.

5. The test launch of which missile by DRDO failed recently?

a) Agni-III
b) Spike Missile
c) Agni IV
d) Astra 4

Ans. (a) Agni-III

Explanation: The first night test launch of Agni-III, a long-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile failed
recently. The test was conducted as a user trial for the Indian Army.

6. Who among the following was honoured with the 2019 Ballon d’Or award?
a) Lionel Messi
b) Cristiano Ronaldo
c) Luis Suarez
d) Luca Modric

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Ans. (a) Lionel Messi
Explanation: Argentinian football star Lionel Messi was honoured with the 2019 Ballon d'Or award. Messi has
been awarded the prestigious football honor for the sixth time. Virgil Van Dijk finished second and Cristiano
Ronaldo was at the third position.

7. Who is the writer of book “Early Indians: The story of our ancestors and where we come from,” who
recently won the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize?
a) Ravi Burman
b) Achyut Nandan
c) Romesh Dutta
d) Tony Joseph

Ans. (d) Tony Joseph

Explanation: English writer Tony Joseph will be awarded the 12th 'Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize' for his book
'Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From' published in 2018.

8. India was placed at which position in the Global Climate Risk Index 2020?
a) 5th
b) 4th
c) 3rd
d) 6th

Ans. (a) 5th

Explanation: India was the fifth most climate-affected country in 2018, according to the Global Climate Risk
Index 2020 released on December 4, 2019.

9. Which country recently inaugurated ‘Power of Siberia’ cross border gas pipeline along with Russia?
a) China
b) Pakistan
c) Nepal
d) Sri Lanka

Ans. (a) China

Explanation: China recently inaugurated ‘Power of Siberia’ cross border gas pipeline along with Russia. This
pipeline will help China and Russia to replace coal with natural gas. The new pipeline is a symbol of energy
integration in Eurasia as major partners of Russia and China.

10. Who has been appointed as the new CEO of Alphabet?

a) Larry Page
b) Sergey Brin
c) Sundar Pichai
d) Mark Zuckerberg

Ans. (c) Sundar Pichai

Explanation: Google CEO Indian-American Sundar Pichai will soon take over as the CEO of Alphabet, Google’s

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parent company. The move is expected to make him one of the most powerful corporate leaders of the world.
The announcement came after Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin informed about their decision
to step down from the leadership position at Alphabet.

11. When is Indian Navy Day observed every year?

a) 3rd December
b) 4th December
c) 5th December
d) 6th December

Ans. (b) 4 December

Explanation: The Indian Navy Day is celebrated annually on December 4. This day is celebrated by the Indian
Navy to commemorate the victory of the Indian Navy in the Indo-Pak war of 1971. Indian Navy destroyed
Karachi port on this day in 1971.

12. India and ADB signed a 206 million loan agreement to strengthen urban services in which state?
a) Andhra Pradesh
b) Tamil Nadu
c) Telangana
d) Assam

Ans. (b) Tamil Nadu

Explanation: India has signed a 206 million loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank to develop
water supply and sewerage infrastructure in 5 cities of Tamil Nadu.

13. Which state government launched the 'Madhu App' for school students?
a. Haryana
b. Odisha
c. Maharashtra
d. Telangana

Ans. (b) Odisha

Explanation: The purpose of the Madhu app is to help school students to learn their lessons through videos
and tutorials. The first phase of the app has study material for Mathematics and Science subjects from class
5th to 8th.

14. Which Coast Guard ship built in India has been gifted to the Maldives by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
recently?
a. Karanj
b. Kaamyaab
c. Rakshak
d. Deepan

Ans. (b) Kaamyaab

Explanation: A Coast Guard ship named 'Kaamyaab' was recently given to the Maldives by Prime Minister

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Narendra Modi was given to the Maldives. Several other development projects were launched in the Maldives
by PM Modi.

15. Which state has recently organized the ‘Hornbill Festival’ on the occasion of the foundation day of the
state?
a. Assam
b. Nagaland
c. Manipur
d. Sikkim

Ans. (b) Nagaland

Explanation: The 20th Hornbill Festival is being organized in the Nagaland. This time it is being celebrated with
a ban on single-use plastic. The festival is named after the hornbill bird and the festival was started in the year
2000.

16. Which among the following disciplines has been introduced as a CBSE subject from 2019-20 academic
year?
a) Robotics
b) Artificial Intelligence
c) Applied Arts
d) Scientology

Ans. (b) Artificial Intelligence

Explanation: Artificial Intelligence has been introduced as a subject in class IX from academic session 2019-20
in all schools affiliated with the CBSE board. The main objective behind the move is to enhance
multidisciplinary approach in teaching-learning and to sensitize the new generation.

17. Which company has announced the world’s largest-ever IPO?

a) Alibaba
b) Reliance
c) Saudi Aramco
d) Amazon

Ans. (c) Saudi Aramco

Explanation: Saudi oil giant Aramco has announced its initial public offering (IPO) at $25.6 billion, which is the
world’s largest ever. The gulf nation’s state oil company made the announcement on December 5, 2019.

18. Who was crowned Miss Universe 2019?

a) Ashley Alvidrez
b) Zozibini Tunzi
c) Madison Anderson
d) Gabriela Tafur

Ans. (b) Zozibini Tunzi

Explanation: Miss Universe 2019 winner is South Africa’s Zozibini Tunzi. Tunzi beat 90 participants to claim the

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coveted crown. The top three contestants included Zozibini Tunzi, Madison Anderson from Puerto Rico and
Ashley Alvidrez from Mexico.

19. Who has become the world’s youngest serving prime minister?
a) Katri Kulmuni
b) Li Anderson
c) Maria Ohisalo
d) Sanna Marin

Ans. (d) Sanna Marin

Explanation: Sanna Marin hasl become the world’s youngest prime minister and Finland’s third female head of
the government. The 34-year-old was elected as the leader of the Social Democratic Party, the largest party in
the coalition, after she beat her rival Antti Lindtman with 32-29 votes at the Social Democratic Party council
meeting on December 8, 2019.

20. What is India’s position in the UNDP Human Development Rankings-2019?

a) 129
b) 132
c) 139
d) 142

Ans. (a) 129

Explanation: India has recorded improvement of one position in UNDP’s Human Development rankings. India
ranks 129 out of 189 countries in the Human Development Rankings. However, Pakistan improved three
positions and reached 147th position from 150th in 2018.

21. Which Hindi poet was recently awarded the Gangadhar National Award?
a) Vishwanath Prasad
b) Akhilesh Chandra
c) Suryapratap Bhushan
d) Ashutosh Mishra

Ans. (a) Vishwanath Prasad

Explanation: Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari has recently been selected for the Gangadhar National Award. He will
be given Rs 50,000, a shawl and souvenir under this award.

22. George Laurer passed away recently at the age of 94. He was known to have invented the following
feature.
a) Credit Card
b) Card reader
c) Clothing iron
d) Bar code

Ans. (d) Bar code

Explanation: George J. Laurer, who had invented Universal Product Code (Bar code) at IBM, passed away last
week at the age of 94 years. His invention transformed retail and other industries across the world. He had
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served as an electrical engineer with IBM in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park in the 1970s when he had
spearheaded the development of bar code.

23. India won how many medals at the 13th edition of the South Asian Games?
a) 130
b) 259
c) 312
d) 351

Ans. (c) 312

Explanation: India won the highest number of medals in the 13th South Asian Games held in Nepal from
December 1-10, 2019. The Indian medal tally included 312 medals including 173 gold, 93 silver and 44 bronze
medals. It is a biennial sports competition organized among South Asian nations.

24. Which state’s cabinet has approved Disha Act to provide harsher punishment for crimes against women,
children?
a) Madhya Pradesh
b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Telangana

Ans. (b) Andhra Pradesh

Explanation: Andhra Pradesh has approved enactment of the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Law (Amendment) Act,
which is also known as Disha Act. The act provides for harsher punishments to those guilty of heinous crimes
against women including the death sentence.

25. Which of the following recently separated from Papua New Guinea and voted to become a new country?
a) Copenbroad
b) Julianson
c) Bougainville
d) None of the above

Ans. (c) Bougainville

Explanation: Bougainville has recently split from Papua New Guinea and voted to become a separate country.
About 1, 81,067 people voted for its separation from Papua New Guinea.

26. Who among the following was chosen by the Time magazine as the 'Person of the Year' 2019?
a) Greta Thunberg
b) Rahul Gandhi
c) Narendra Modi
d) Donald Trump

Ans. (a) Greta Thunberg

Explanation: Greta Thunberg has achieved this honor at the youngest age. She was in the news because of her
influential and aggressive speeches. She also gave a speech at the United Nations Climate Action Summit this
year.
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27. Nirmala Sitharaman was ranked at which position in the list of the world's most powerful women released
by Forbes recently?
a) 34
b) 67
c) 54
d) 74

Ans. (a) 34
Explanation: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is ranked 34th in the Forbes list of 100 most powerful
women of the world. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is on the top position in this list.

28. Which party won majority in the UK elections 2019?

a) Labour Party
b) Conservative Party
c) Scottish National Party
d) Liberal Democrats

Ans. (b) Conservative Party

Explanation: British PM Boris Johnson’s Conservative party has won a large majority in the UK elections 2019,
paving the way forward for a smooth Brexit. The party won 364 seats out of the total 650 seats in the British
House of Commons, while Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party won 203 seats.

29. INDRA 2019 is a bilateral military exercise between India and which nation?
a) China
b) Russia
c) Japan
d) Sri Lanka

Ans. (b) Russia

Explanation: INDRA 2019 is a bilateral military exercise between India and Russia, which is being held from
December 10-19, 2019 at Babina, Pune and Goa. The exercise will witness participation from mechanized
contestants, combat and transport aircraft and ships of the armed forces of India and Russia.

30. India was ranked at which position in the Climate Change Performance Index 2019?
a) 22nd
b) 12th
c) 9th
d) 10th

Ans. (c) 9th

Explanation: India was ranked at the 9th position in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2019. The
index was released on December 10, 2019 at the COP25 climate summit in Madrid, Spain. Besides India, only
one G20 nation -the UK was ranked high in the index, while eight G20 countries were ranked in the worst
category of the index.

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31. Who among the following was recently crowned Miss World 2019?
a)Tony Ann Singh
b)Suman Rao
c)Jogbani Tunzi
d)Opelie Mezzino

Ans. (a) Tony Ann Singh

Explanation: Miss Jamaica Toni-Ann Singh won the Miss World 2019 Title. Miss France Ophely Mezino and
Miss India Suman Rao were the first and second runners up of the beauty contest.

32. India was ranked at which position in the Gender Gap Index-2019?
a) 110
b) 97
c) 88
d) 112

Ans. (d) 112

Explanation: India was ranked at the 112th position in the recently released Gender Gap Index-2019. The
index was released by the World Economic Forum. India’s rank has slipped from its previous 108th position in
2018.

33. Who will be the next chief of Indian Army?

a) Manoj Mukund Narvane
b) Govind Sahay
c) Vivek Pal Mandal
d) Ashwini Kumar Batra

Ans. (a) Manoj Mukund Narvane

Explanation: Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Narvane, Deputy Chief of the Indian Army, will be the next
Chief of the Indian Army. The current army Chief Bipin Rawat is retiring on December 31. Narvane has served
in various roles in the Army during his 37-year tenure.

34. Which nation’s former Prime Minister has been awarded death penalty for his unlawful imposition of
emergency in 2007?
a) Pakistan
b) Bangladesh
c) Afghanistan
d) Sri Lanka

Ans. (a) Pakistan

Explanation: Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has been given death penalty for his unlawful
decision of imposing emergency in 2007. The judgement was delivered by a special court in Pakistan on
December 17, 2019.

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35. Who among the following has won Sahitya Akademi Award in the creative non-fiction category in English
literature?
a. Amitav Ghosh
b. Arundhati Roy
c. Shashi Tharoor
d. Salman Khurshid

Ans. (c) Shashi Tharoor

Explanation: Writer and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was named among the winners for Sahitya Akademi
Awards. He won the prestigious literature award for his novel 'An Era of Darkness' in the creative non-fiction
category in English literature. The novel which was published in 2016 describes British rule in India.

36. Which Indian spinner became the first Indian to take a hat-trick twice in international cricket?
a. Kuldeep Yadav
b. Murli Kartik
c. Ravichandran Ashwin
d. Ravindra Jadeja

Ans. (a) Kuldeep Yadav

Explanation: Kuldeep Yadav is the first Indian to take a hat-trick for the second time in international cricket.
He first dismissed Shai Hope, Jason Holder and Aljari Joseph of West Indies.

37. Which state’s Chief Minister launched 'Jalsathi' programme?

a. Uttar Pradesh
b. Odisha
c. Madhya Pradesh
d. Telangana

Ans. (b) Odisha

Explanation: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the 'Jalsathi' programme on December 18, 2019
with the aim to ensure supply of safe drinking water to all households in the state. The Odisha government
has roped in women volunteers to serve the people as 'Jalasathis'.

38. Who among the following topped the Forbes 100 Indian celebrities List 2019?
a) Akshay Kumar
b) Salman Kumar
c) Ranvir Singh
d) Virat Kohli

Ans. (d) Virat Kohli

Explanation: Indian cricket team Captain Virat Kohli topped the Forbes’ 100 Indian Celebrities list 2019,
followed by Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan at second and third place respectively.

39. Which film won the ‘Best Hindi Film’ award at the 66th National Film Awards?
a) Andhadhun
b) Badhai Ho
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c) Uri
d) Padmavat

Ans. (a) Andhadhun

Explanation: Andhadhun won the National film Award in the ‘Best Hindi Film’ category at the 66th National
Film Awards.

40. Manuel Marrero Cruz has been appointed as the Prime Minister of which nation?
a) Ecuador
b) Georgia
c) Cuba
d) Colombia

Ans. (c) Cuba

Explanation: Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has appointed Manuel Marrero Cruz as the new Prime
Minister of the nation. Cruz earlier served as the tourism minister of the nation. The post of Prime Minister
was abolished in Cuba in 1976 by Fidel Castro and was restored in 2019.

41. Who won gold in the women’s 49kg weightlifting category at the 6th Qatar International Cup in Doha?
a) Punam Yadav
b) Santoshi Matsa
c) Geeta Rani
d) Mirabai Chanu

Ans. (d) Mirabai Chanu

Explanation: Former world champion Saikhom Mirabai Chanu bagged the gold medal in the women's 49kg
weightlifting category at the 6th Qatar International Cup in Doha on December 20, 2019.

42. Which female weightlifter won a bronze medal and created two national records in the Qatar International
Cup?
a) Karnam Malleshwari
b) Heena Khan
c) Jigisha Patel
d) Rakhi Halder

Ans. (d) Rakhi Halder

Explanation: Rakhi Halder is a Commonwealth gold medalist, who has set a national record by performing best
in snatch and overall weight. She made this record by lifting a total of 218 kg with 95 kg in snatch and 123 kg in
clean and jerk.

45. What is the name of common currency recently announced by western Africa?
a) ROAR
b) ECO
c) COIN
d) NAT

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Ans. (b) ECO
Explanation: Eight countries in West Africa have decided to change the name of their common currency to
'Eco'. These countries also decided to leave the current currency 'CFA franc'. Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-
Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo in West Africa are currently using this currency.

46. Who among the following won the Presidential elections in Afghanistan?
a) Abdullah Abdullah
b) Mohammad Salem
c) Ashraf Gani
d) Maqsood Alam

Ans. (c) Ashraf Gani

Explanation: Presidential election results in Afghanistan have been released. Ashraf Ghani regained the post
of President by defeating rival candidate Abdullah Abdullah. Gani received 9,23,868 votes which is 50.64% of
total votes.

47. Who among the following has recently been appointed as Foreign Secretary of India?
a) Harsh Vardhan Shringla
b) Anupam Trivedi
c) Vivek Bansal
d) Pawan Chaturvedi

Ans. (a) Harsh Vardhan Shringla

Explanation: Harsh Vardhan Shringla has been appointed as the next Foreign Secretary of India. He will take
over from January 29, 2020. Harsh Vardhan will replace Vijay Gokhale.

48. Which Indian cricketer has been included in Wisden's top five players of the decade list?
a. MS Dhoni
b. Ravindra Jadeja
c. Rohit Sharma
d. Virat Kohli

Ans. (d) Virat Kohli

Explanation: Virat Kohli has been named among the top 5 cricketers of the decade in Wisden cricketers of the
decade. Apart from Virat Kohli, three other four other players are – Alice Perry, Steve Smith, Dale Steyn, AB de
Villiers.

49. What is the new name of the Rohtang Tunnel?

a. Atal Tunnel
b. Hindu Tunnel
c. Ekta Tunnel
d. Patel Tunnel

Ans. (a) Atal Tunnel

Explanation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi renamed Rohtang Tunnel as Atal Tunnel on the occasion of the

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birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This strategic tunnel is connecting Leh and Manali via
Rohtang Pass.

50. Who has been named as the most famous teenager in the world by the United Nations?
a) Greta Thunberg
b) Malala Yousafzai
c) Millie Bobby Brown
d) Storm Reid

Ans. (b) Malala Yousafzai

Explanation: Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai was declared as the ‘most famous teenager in the
world’ by the United Nations in its 'decade in review' report released on December 23, 2019. The young
education activist was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman while taking a bus from school in October 2012.

51. Which Indian Air Force aircraft was decommissioned on December 27, 2019?
a) Miraj-2000
b) MiG-27
c) MiG-21
d) MiG-23

Ans. (b) MiG-27

Explanation: The MiG-27 fighter jet, known as the hero of the Kargil conflict, made its final roar from Jodhpur
airbase on December 27, 2019.

52. Which mobile service provider recently introduced Wi-Fi calling facility in India?
a) Vodafone
b) Airtel
c) Jio
d) Idea

Ans. (b) Airtel

Explanation: Wi-Fi calling has been started in India by Bharti Airtel, this facility is being considered as a
revolutionary step in this direction. No carrier network is required to avail this facility. It does not require talk
time or balance.

53. Which state has found the oldest inscription of South India?
a) Kerala
b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Odisha
d) Tamil Nadu

Ans. (b) Andhra Pradesh

Explanation: The oldest Sanskrit inscription of South India has been found by the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) in Andhra Pradesh. This inscription gives information about Saptamatruka i.e. seven goddesses in
Hinduism.

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54. Who has been named as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff?
a) Bikram Singh
b) Bipin Rawat
c) VK Singh
d) Deepak Kapoor

Ans. (b) Bipin Rawat

Explanation: General Bipin Rawat has been named as the first Chief of Defence Staff of India. He will serve as
the principal military advisor to the Union Defence Minister. He will be responsible for the administration of all
three armed services including the army, navy and the air force.

55. What is the name of ISRO’s first solar mission?

a) PRABA-I
b) Vaibhav-I
c) Surya-GIV
d) Aditya-L1

Ans. (d) Aditya-L1

Explanation: India's first solar mission has been named Aditya L-1 by ISRO. Six payloads will be sent on this
mission. It will study the effects of sun in solar system.

56. Which Indian female chess player recently won the World Rapid Championship title?
a) Koneru Hampy
b) Pragya Vajpayee
c) Ankita Bhambri
d) Nutan Awasthi

Ans. (a) Koneru Humpy

Explanation: India's female chess player Koneru Hampi won the title by defeating China's Lei Tingji in the
World Rapid Chess Championship in the tiebreaker's series (Armageddon). Koneru Hampi has been awarded
the 'Arjuna Award' in the year 2003 and 'Padma Shri' in the year 2007.

57. Which country recently deployed first ‘Avangard’ Hypersonic missile in its defence system?
a) China
b) Russia
c) USA
d) Germany

Ans. (b) Russia

Explanation: Russia recently deployed first ‘Avangard’ Hypersonic missile in its defence system. This
hypersonic missile can fly 20 times faster than the speed of sound (33,000 km/h). According to Vladimir Putin,
it can’t be caught by any radar or defence system due to its technology and speed.

58. Which state has become the first to pass an anti-CAA resolution?
a) Rajasthan
b) Madhya Pradesh

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c) Kerala
d) Gujarat

Ans. (c) Kerala

Explanation: Kerala has become the first state in India to pass a resolution demanding scrapping of the
controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The anti-CAA resolution was moved in the state assembly by
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and it was passed with unanimous support.

59. Which state recently announced the Jyotirao Phule Kisan Loan Waiver Scheme?
a) Andhra Pradesh
b) Telangana
c) Maharashtra
d) Haryana

Ans. (c) Maharashtra

Explanation: Jyotirao Phule Kisan loan waiver scheme for farmers has been launched by Maharashtra Chief
Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Farmers who have taken a loan of Rs 2 lakh can avail this scheme. This scheme
will be implemented in Maharashtra from March 2020.

60. The Reserve Bank of India has launched which app to help the visually challenged identify the
denomination of currency notes?
a) INSIGHT
b) Surya
c) MANI
d) ABLE

Ans. (c) MANI

Explanation: The Reserve Bank of India launched ‘MANI’ mobile app to help the visually challenged identify
the denomination of currency notes on January 1, 2019.

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