1.

Which international personality has topped the 2016 World’s Most Powerful People
list of Forbes? [A]Vladimir Putin [B]Donald Trump [C]Narendra Modi [D]Angela Merkel
Hide Answer Vladimir Putin Russian President Vladimir Putin has been ranked first
among the 2016 World’s Most Powerful People annual list of Forbes for a fourth straight
year. In the list of 74 international personalities, US President-elect Donald Trump has
stood at second position, followed by Angela Merkel, Xi Jinping and Pope Francis. Apart
from this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked 9th among the top 10 most
powerful people in the world by Forbes. Forbees stated that Modi has emerged as a key
figure in the international effort to tackle climate change. It also took note of Prime
Minister Modi’s demonetisation decision. .

2. The Economic Times Asian Business Leaders’ Conclave 2016 has been held in
which country? [A]India [B]Malaysia [C]Singapore [D]Indonesia Hide Answer Malaysia
The Economic Times Asian Business Leaders’ Conclave 2016 has been held in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia on December 14-15, 2016. The purpose of the annual event was to
deliberate the course businesses need to take to make Asia the most thriving region for
trade in the world. Over 400 C-level executives from all across Asia and around the
globe gathered to discuss trending leadership topics such as diversity and inclusion,
disruptive technologies and innovation, talent management, corporate governance, etc.
.

3. Which state has become the first Indian state to launch Mahila Police Volunteer
(MPV) initiative? [A]Uttar Pradesh [B]Assam [C]Haryana [D]Kerala Hide Answer
Haryana The Haryana government has recently launched the Mahila Police Volunteer
(MPV) initiative in Karnal and Mahendragarh districts of Haryana to bridge the gap
between Police and Civil society. With this, Haryana has become the first Indian state to
adopt this scheme. Mahila Police Volunteer is a joint initiative with the Union Ministry of
Home Affairs. The MPV initiative will create a link between the police authorities and the
local communities in villages through police volunteers who will be women specially
trained for this purpose. .

4. “2016 EKUVERIN” the joint military exercise has started between India and which
country? [A]Japan [B]Morocco [C]South Africa [D]Maldives Hide Answer Maldives The
7th edition of India-Maldives joint military exercise “EKUVERIN 2016” has started at
Kadhdhoo, Laamu Atoll, Maldives. The purpose of the 14 day joint exercise is to
acquaint both forces with each other’s operating procedures in the backdrop of
amphibious and counter insurgency/ Counter terrorism environment and also to
increase the existing military relationship between the Indian Army and the Maldivian
National Defence Force. .

5. Who has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Indian Banks’
Association (IBA)? [A]V G Kannan [B]Mythili Bhusnurmath [C]P S Jayakumar [D]M V
Tanksale Hide Answer V G Kannan V G Kannan, a former MD of State Bank of India
(SBI), has took charge as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Indian Banks’
Association (IBA). He succeeded M V Tanksale, who demitted office as Chief Executive
on August 9, 2016 after being at the helm for three years. IBA is a self-regulatory
organisation of banks. The purpose of IBA is to promote and develop in India sound and
progressive banking principles, practices and conventions and to contribute to the
development of creative banking. .

6. The 2016 International Civil Aviation Negotiations (ICAN) was recently held in which
city? [A]Nassau [B]New Delhi [C]Berlin [D]New York Hide Answer Nassau The 2016
International Civil Aviation Negotiations (ICAN) was recently held in Nassau, Bahamas
from 5th to 9th December, 2016. During ICAN 2016, India signed Open Skies
agreement with 6 countries viz. Jamaica, Guyana, Czech Republic, Finland, Spain and
Sri Lanka.With this agreement, India will allow unlimited number of flights to 6 metro
airports namely Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai. The new
arrangement will encourage connectivity and passenger travel between India and these
countries. .

7. India’s first transgender school will come up in which of the following cities?
[A]Chennai [B]Jaipur [C]Kochi [D]Bhopal Hide Answer Kochi India’s first transgender
school will be inaugurated by transgender rights activist and artist Kalki Subramaniam at
Sahaj International School in Kochi, Kerala on December 30, 2016. The school will be
led by six transgenders working with the TransIndia Foundation and will initially
accommodate 10 transgender children, who will study under the National Open School
system. The purpose of Transgender School is to provide transgenders security,
salvation and sustainability. The school will provide education and examination
equivalent to Class X and XII. The students have been selected from different sections
of the transgender community itself, which includes a disabled person and a migrant. .

8. Which Indian batswoman has been named in the ICC Women’s team of the year
2016? [A]Vellaswamy Vanitha [B]Veda Krishnamurthy [C]Smriti Mandhana [D]Mithali
Raj Hide Answer Smriti Mandhana Indian batswoman Smriti Mandhana has been
named in the ICC Women’s Team of the Year 2016, which will be captained by Stafanie
Taylor, a West Indies player . This is the first time that the International Cricket Council
(ICC) has named a women’s team of the year. Beside this, Suzie Bates of New Zealand
has become the first cricketer to clinch both the ICC Women’s ODI and T20I Player of
the Year awards. .

9. Who has been appointed as the new director general of the Indian Institute of
Corporate Affairs(IICA)? [A]Nilesh Mittal [B]K C Ahuja [C]Sunil Arora [D]Vijay Singh
Hide Answer Sunil Arora Sunil Arora, an IAS officer of 1980-batch Rajasthan cadre, has
been appointed as the new Director General (DG) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, a think tank that comes under the Corporate
Affairs Ministry. He will serve for a period of 5 years or till attaining 65 years of age or
until further orders, whichever is the earliest. Arora is the former Information and
Broadcasting Secretary and was also serving as an advisor at Prasar Bharati. IICA
focuses on matters impacting functioning of corporates and work towards capacity
building with various stakeholders including regulators and professionals, among other
activities. .

10. How much India will contribute to UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
for 2016-17? [A]$300,000 [B]$500,000 [C]$450,000 [D]$400,000 Hide Answer $500,000
The Government of India (GoI) will contribute $500,000 to United Nations’ Central
Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for the year 2016-17. The CERF is a humanitarian
fund to promote early and coordinated action and response to save lives, to increase
response to time-crucial requirements based on demonstrable needs and to strength
the core elements of humanitarian response in under-funded crises.
http://www.gktoday.in/gk-current-affairs-december-15-16-2016/

1. Who has been conferred with the ICFA’s 2016 Global Agriculture Leadership Award?
[A]Narendra Modi [B]Mukesh Ambani [C]Venkaiah Naidu [D]Ratan Tata Hide Answer
Ratan Tata The Indian Council of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) has conferred the 2016
Global Agriculture Leadership Award to Tata Sons interim Chairman Ratan Tata in
Mumbai, Maharashtra for his transformational role in scaling Tata Group as the globally
admired group during his stint of two decades as Chairman. The ICFA is an apex body
of India that act as think tank, policy research, trade facilitation, development catalyst
and monitor centre for food and agriculture sector and serve as global platform for
partnerships. .

2. Amina Mohammed, who has been named as the UN’s Deputy Secretary-General, is
belonged to which country? [A]Nigeria [B]Israel [C]Brazil [D]Bangladesh Hide Answer
Nigeria Amina Mohammed, the environment minister of Nigeria, has been named as the
new UN’s Deputy Secretary-General. She has been appointed on this post by Antonio
Guterres, who is newly elected Secretary General of the United Nations and will
succeed Ban Ki-moon in 2017. .

3. “Immunization Incentives and Information Programme” has been launched by which

state government of India? [A]Uttar Pradesh [B]Haryana [C]Kerala [D]Odisha Hide
Answer Haryana The Haryana government has launched “Haryana Immunization
Incentives and Information Programme” to increase immunization rates of children
between the age group of 0-12 months. The programme would be implemented in 7
districts viz. Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Mewat, Palwal, Panipat, Rewari and Sonipat covering 140
Primary Health Centres (PHCs). The purpose of the programme is to significantly
improve immunization coverage in lower performing districts, especially for girls, who in
all 7 districts have lower immunization rates than boys. .

4. Which state government has launched the “Annapurna Rasoi” scheme for
underprivileged people? [A]Assam [B]Punjab [C]Rajasthan [D]Karnataka Hide Answer
Rajasthan The Rajasthan government has recently launched a subsidized meal scheme
“Annapurna Rasoi” at the Jaipur Municipal Corporation campus for underprivileged
people under which food will be provided at nominal rates. Initially, the scheme is
introduced for 12 cities and in future will cover the state. As per the scheme, the poor
and the needy will get breakfast for Rs 5 and lunch or dinner for Rs 8. The breakfast will
include Poha, Upma, Sevaiyan, Idli Sambhar, Jwar Khichda, Bazra Khichada etc. while
one can have Dal-chawal, Churma, Dal-dhokli and other items for lunch or dinner. .

5. Which of the following districts will become the India’s first carbon neutral district?
[A]Shimla [B]Mysuru [C]Bijapur [D]Majuli Hide Answer Majuli The world famous river
island and seat of Vaishnavite culture “Majuli district” will soon become the India’s first-
ever carbon neutral district by 2020. To achieve this goal, the Assam government has
launched a project “Sustainable Action for Climate Resilient Development in Majuli” (
SACReD Majuli) to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. .

6. The 2016 World Confluence of Humanity, Power and Spirituality has started in which
country? [A]India [B]South Africa [C]Nigeria [D]Egypt Hide Answer India The 9th World
Confluence of Humanity, Power and Spirituality has started in New Delhi on December
16, 2016 to spread the message of inter-faith peace and harmony, to ignite the human
spirit and to harness the potential of human beings towards selfless service. The annual
convention is organized by ASSOCHAM, Srei Foundation and the Times Group. The
theme of the convention is “Sach Bharat: Spirituality at Work”. .

7. “Swasthya Raksha Programme” has been launched by which union ministry?

[A]Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change [B]Ministry of AYUSH
[C]Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation [D]Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Hide Answer Ministry of AYUSH The Swasthya Raksha Programme has been launched
by the Ministry of AYUSH to promote health and health education in villages. The
purpose of the programme is to organize Swasthya Rakshan OPDs, Swasthya
Parikshan Camps and Health/Hygiene awareness programme and to create awareness
about cleanliness of domestic surroundings and environment. The programme will also
provide medical aid/incidental support in the adopted Colonies/villages. .

8. The 6th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meet has been held in which of the following cities?
[A]Beijing [B]Pretoria [C]New Delhi [D]Brasília Hide Answer New Delhi The 6th BRICS
Health Ministers’ Meet has been held in New Delhi to strengthen intra-BRICS
cooperation to promote health and acknowledge the renewed commitment to health by
the BRICS leaders as expressed in the Goa Declaration of October 2016. The
7thBRICS Health Ministers meeting and Meeting of Senior Health Officials will be held
in China in 2017. .

9. The Thal Favang Kut festival has started in which state of India? [A]Tripura
[B]Nagaland [C]Mizoram [D]Arunachal Pradesh Hide Answer Mizoram The Thal Favang
Kut festival has started at Aizawl in In Mizoram with enthusiasm and fervour. The 3-day
long festival is being organised by Department of Tourism, Government of Mizoram.
Thal Favang Kut is a post harvest festival which is celebrated after harvesting the
paddy. It is celebrated every year in Mizoram to thank the Almighty as well as to
promote tourism in the state. .

10. Who has become the new chairman of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)?
[A]Usha Sangwan [B]V K Sharma [C]Anita Bhavsar [D]M K Roy Hide Answer V K
Sharma V K Sharma has become the new chairman of Life Insurance Corporation of
India (LIC) for 5 years. Sharma, who is the managing director of LIC, was acting as
chairman since September 2016 when the then chairman S K Roy resigned from the
post due to personal reasons.
http://www.gktoday.in/gk-current-affairs-december-17-2016/

1. Who has been named as the new director of Intelligence Bureau (IB)? [A]Rajiv Jain
[B]Miland Singh [C]M S Dhanoa [D]Nishant Sharma Hide Answer Rajiv Jain Rajiv Jain,
an IPS officer of 1980 batch of Jharkhand cadre, has been appointed as the new
Director of Intelligence Bureau (IB) for a period of two years. Currently, he is working as
Special Director in the IB. He will take over the post from Dineshwar Sharma on
January 2017, who completes his two-year tenure on December 31, 2016. The
Intelligence Bureau (IB) is the internal intelligence agency of India and reports to
Ministry of Home Affairs. .

2. Who has been appointed as the new chief of the Research and Analysis Wing
(RAW)? [A]K C Pant [B]Anil Dhasmana [C]Alok Joshi [D]Arvind Saxena Hide Answer
Anil Dhasmana Anil Kumar Dhasmana, an IPS officer of 1981-batch Madhya Pradesh
cadre, has been appointed as the new chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)
for a period of two years. Dhasmana’s domain of expertise is considered to be
Balochistan, counter-terrorism and Islamic affairs. He will succeed Rajinder Khanna,
who completes his two-year tenure on January 31, 2017. RAW is the external
intelligence agency of India and the head of RAW is designated “Secretary (Research)”
in the Cabinet Secretariat and is under the direct command of the Prime Minister and
reports on an administrative basis to the Cabinet Secretary of India, who reports to the
Prime Minister. .
3. Who will be the new chief of the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army?
[A]Balbir Singh Sandhu [B]Velu Nair [C]Bipin Rawat [D]Amit Sarin Hide Answer Bipin
Rawat The Vice Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt General Bipin Rawat will be the new
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army. Lt. Gen Rawat is known for his
balanced approach towards soldiering, compassion, and connect with civil society. He
will succeed General Dalbir Singh Suhag, who will retire on December 31, 2016. The
primary mission of the Indian Army is to ensure national security and unity, defending
the nation from external aggression and threats, and maintaining peace and security
within its borders. The President of India serves as the Supreme Commander of the
Indian Army. .

4. Who will be the new chief of the Chief of the Air Staff (COAS) of the Indian Air Force
(IAF)? [A]H S Arora [B]P P Khandekar [C]M K Malik [D]B S Dhanoa Hide Answer B S
Dhanoa The Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS), Air Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa will be
the new chief of Air Staff (CAS) of the Indian Air Force (IAF). He will assume the post of
Air Chief on January 1, 2017 after Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha retires. The primary
responsibility of IAF is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a
conflict. The President of India serves as Supreme Commander of the IAF. .

5. Which of the following states has attained 100% Aadhaar saturation in India?
[A]Himachal Pradesh [B]Uttar Pradesh [C]Kerala [D]Tamil Nadu Hide Answer Himachal
Pradesh The Himachal Pradesh has recently achieved 100% Aadhar saturation on the
basis of population of year 2015. With this, Himachal Pradesh has become the 6th
State/UT in India to achieve this mile stone. The other states which achieved 100%
Aadhaar coverage are Delhi, Telangana, Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh. Apart from
this, Himachal Pradesh has recently opened its first Cyber Crime Police Station at state
police headquarter in Shimla. The main purpose of this police station is to deal with
increasing crime based on misuse of information technology by the High tech criminals.
The cyber offences like hacking of government web sites and its data, prevention and
detection of cyber terrorism & financing all types of cyber fraud cases would be
investigate by this police station. The police station officials will also create general
awareness among the masses to prevent them from falling victim to high-tech and cyber
criminals. To tackle cyber-crimes in this hill state this kind of police station was the need
of hour which has been now fulfilled. .

6. “State Bank MobiCash” digital wallet has been launched by State Bank of India (SBI)
in partnership with which telecom company? [A]Bharti Airtel [B]BSNL [C]Idea Cellular
[D]Reliance Jio Hide Answer BSNL The State Bank of India (SBI) has recently launched
its mobile wallet application ‘State Bank MobiCash’ in partnership with Bharat Sanchar
Nigam Limited (BSNL). MobiCash will allow users to deposit cash through BSNL retail
outlets and withdraw funds from their account. Initially, the new wallet services will be
available in Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Bihar and will expanded pan-India by the
end of December 2016. .

7. The first-ever Indian Institute of Skills will come up in which state of India? [A] Andhra
Pradesh [B] Karnataka [C] Madhya Pradesh [D]Uttar Pradesh Hide Answer Uttar
Pradesh Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently laid the foundation stone of the
first-ever “Indian Institute of Skills” at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The Institute has been
conceptualized by Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Singapore’s Institute of
technical education. The first-ever of its kind institute will be open by the Skill
Development Ministry in partnership with the Institute of Technical Education,
Singapore. Beside this, Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Kaushal Pradarshini
(Skill Exhibition) for the youth. The Exhibition will showcase state-of-the-art vocational
training practices of various sectors. He will also launch a number of skill development
initiatives including Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras and Drivers’ Training Institutes. .

8. Who of the following has won the Miss World 2016 competition ? [A]Mireia Lalaguna
[B]Stephanie del Valle [C]Natasha Mannuela [D]Yaritza Miguelina Hide Answer
Stephanie del Valle Stephanie Del Valle, a Puerto Rican musician and model, has won
the 66th edition of the Miss World pageant “Miss World 2016” in Washington, United
States on December 18, 2016. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is an unincorporated
territory of the United States and its capital is San Juan. .

9. Which country’s team has won the 2016 Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup
tournament? [A]Malaysia [B]India [C]Australia [D]Belgium Hide Answer India Indian
Junior Men’s hockey team has won the 2016 Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup
tournament by defeating Belgium in the final match by 2-1 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
From India, Gurjant Singh and Simranjeet Singh scored the goals against Belgium in
the game. This is India’s 2nd world cup title. Earlier, India won the Junior World Cup
trophy in 2001 in Hobart, Australia. .

10. The International Migrants Day (IMD) is observed on which date? [A]December 19
[B]December 18 [C]December 20 [D]December 17 Hide Answer December 18 The
United Nations (UN) International Migrants Day (IMD) is observed every year on
December 18 to protect the rights of migrant workers and members of their families.This
year, 2016, marks the 26th anniversary of the UN’s International Convention on the
Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
http://www.gktoday.in/gk-current-affairs-december-18-19-2016/

1. Which union ministry has launched GARV-II mobile app to monitor rural electrification
data? [A]Ministry of Power [B]Ministry of Rural Development [C]Ministry of Panchayati
Raj [D]Ministry of Tribal Affairs Hide Answer Ministry of Power The Union Minister of
State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Piyush Goyal has
recently launched Grameen Vidyutikaran mobile application ‘GARV-II’ App in New Delhi
to track rural household electrification and citizen engagement window ‘SAMVAD’.
GARV-II is an upgraded version of its earlier version, which hosts village-wise,
habitation wise baseline data on household electrification on all states. .

2. India’s first cashless bazaar has come up in which of the following states?
[A]Rajasthan [B]Chhattisgarh [C]Uttar Pradesh [D]Madhya Pradesh Hide Answer
Chhattisgarh India’s first cashless bazaar has come up in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Now,
over 900 shops of this ‘Smart’ bazaar are providing customers the facilities of cashless
payments using POS, UPI and other digital systems. Currently, Chhattisgarh is leading
in the nation in training its people in digital transactions. According to data on a central
government website, Chhattisgarh has trained over 5 lakh people in cashless payments
in first 10 days of training. .

3. Karun Nair is associated with which sports? [A]Hockey [B]Badminton [C]Cricket

[D]Chess Hide Answer Cricket Karun Kaladharan Nair, an Indian cricketer from
Karnataka, has recently hit the triple century in the fifth and final Cricket Test against
England at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. With this, Nair
became only the 2nd Indian batsman to hit a triple-hundred in international cricket
history after Virender Sehwag and the 3rd player after Bob Simpson and Sir Garfield
Sobers to convert their maiden Test centuries into triple centuries. .

4. Which union ministry has won gold medal in the Web Ratna category of 2016 Digital
India Awards? [A]Ministry of Human Resource Development [B]Ministry of Tourism
[C]Ministry of Power [D]Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Hide Answer Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare won gold in the
Web Ratna category at the 2016 Digital India awards. The 2016 Digital India awards
have been conferred by the Ministry of Electronics & IT to promote more innovative e-
governance initiatives by the government entities. Web Ratna award felicitates a
Ministry or Department of the Government of India (GoI) which has a comprehensive
web presence and display the level of accountability in terms of quantity, quality,
spectrum of coverage and innovation ascertaining user satisfaction. Level of
convenience provided to the citizen for availing the services, usability and accessibility
are also assessed. .

5. Anupam Mishra, who passed away recently, was the noted personality of which field?
[A]Water conservation [B]Environment [C]Journalism [D]All of the above Hide Answer
All of the above Anupam Mishra (68), who recently passed away in New Delhi, was the
noted environmentalist, Gandhian ideologue, a journalist, an author and an authoritative
voice in the field of water conservation in India. He was well known for his written books
such as “Aaj Bhi Khare Hain Taalab” and “Rajasthan Ki Rajat Boondein”, the landmark
works in the field of water conservation. .
6. ‘Saanjhi Saanjh’ the national newspaper for senior citizen has been launched by
which union ministry? [A]Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
[B]Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment [C]Ministry of Human Resource
Development [D]Ministry of Rural Development Hide Answer Ministry of Social Justice
and Empowerment The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment,
Thaawarchand Gehlot has released the first issue of a National Newspaper ‘Saanjhi
Saanjh’ for senior citizen in New Delhi. This newspaper for senior citizen is edited by
J.V Manisha Bajaj, Secretary of Harikrit, an NGO for elderly people. The bilingual
newspaper has 8 pages which will be published from Delhi by Harikrit publishers. The
newspaper will carry important and useful news pertaining to elderly persons besides
inspirational stories. It will serve as a bridge between old and new generations. .

7. What is the current interest rate on Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) for FY 17?
[A]8.65% [B]8.55% [C]8.75% [D]8.45% Hide Answer 8.65% The Employees Provident
Fund Organisation (EPFO) has recently lowered the interest rate on Employees’
Provident Fund (EPF) deposits to 8.65% for the current fiscal FY 17 (2016-17) from
8.8% in 2015-16. The decision was taken by the Employees Provident Fund
Organisation (EPFO)’s central board of trustees i.e. chaired by Bandaru Dattatreya, the
Union Minister of Labour and Employment. As per EPFO, interest income from PF
investments for 2016-17 has been estimated mainly on the basis of interest income
received or receivable in this financial year, including surplus from previous year of Rs.
410 crore. .

8. Who will be the head of newly constituted high-level task force on Indus Water Treaty
(IWT)? [A]Shaktikanta Das [B]Nripendra Mishra [C]Ajit Doval [D]Aditya Mehta Hide
Answer Nripendra Mishra The Union Government has recently formed an inter-
ministerial task force on Indus Water Treaty (IWT), which will be headed by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s Principal Secretary Nripendra Mishra. Mishra will look into all
the strategic aspects of Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan. The other members of
the team include NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Secretaries in
ministries of Finance, Environment, Power and Water Resource. .

9. Which famous personality has become the brand ambassador of Assam tourism?
[A]Sachin Tendulkar [B]Priyanka Chopra [C]Aamir Khan [D]Lata Mangeshkar Hide
Answer Priyanka Chopra The Assam government has appointed Bollywood actress
Priyanka Chopra as the state’s tourism brand ambassador for two years to promote the
new brand entity “Awesome Assam”. The actress will not charge a fee for the brand
ambassador assignment. She will charge professional charges for the work she will do
in photoshoots and television commercials. .

10. Saumitra Chaudhuri, who passed away recently, was the famous personality of
which field? [A]Sports [B]Film Industry [C]Economics [D]Science Hide Answer
Economics Dr. Saumitra Chaudhuri (62), an eminent economist and a former member
of the erstwhile Planning Commission, has recently passed away in New Delhi. He was
one of the longest serving members of the Planning Commission of India. Before being
part of Planning Commission, Dr. Chaudhuri worked as Economic Advisor and
Research Co-ordinator with ICRA Limited, a full service credit rating agency, for 16
years (1993-2009) and was executive editor of the research publication — Money and
Finance. Dr.Chaudhuri had over 25 monographs and papers spanning issues of
industry, the financial sector, regional development and fiscal policy.
http://www.gktoday.in/gk-current-affairs-december-20-2016/

1. Who of the following has won the BBC sports personality of the Year 2016? [A]Andy
Murray [B]Alistair Brownlee [C]Kate Richardson [D]Nick Skelton Hide Answer Andy
Murray Andy Murray, a Scottish professional tennis player, has won the BBC sports
personality of the Year 2016 at the Genting Arena in Birmingham, England. With this, he
became the first person to win award 3 times. .

2. The India-Nepal folk crafts festival (INCF-2016) has started in which city? [A]New
Delhi [B]Kathmandu [C]Nepalgunj [D]Pune Hide Answer Kathmandu The India-Nepal
Folk Crafts Festival (INCF-2016) has started in Kathmandu, Nepal on December 19,
2016 to promote cultural exchanges between the two neighbours. The festival is an
initiative of South Asia Foundation (SAF) and aims to promote crafts based bilateral
relations and enhance cultural exchanges between the artisans of India and Nepal. The
5-day festival will highlight more than 70 theme based pavilion with focus on folk crafts
of India and Nepal, cultural events, live demonstration by crafts-persons, design
workshops to be conducted by qualified designers, trade facilitation and exclusive
buyer-seller meet among others. The SAF, set up in 1991, has been working to
enhance the livelihood of the artisans of the region and contributing towards
strengthening the crafts sector of both the countries. .

3. The International Human Solidarity Day is observed on which date? [A]December 19

[B]December 22 [C]December 20 [D]December 21 Hide Answer December 20 The
United Nations’ (UN) International Human Solidarity Day is observed every year on
December 20 to celebrate unity in diversity. The day reminds people on the importance
of solidarity in working towards eradicating poverty. Its purpose is to eradicate poverty
and promote human and social development in developing countries, in particular
among the poorest segments of their populations. .

4. The 2016 Hero Indian Super League (ISL) has been won by which football team?
[A]Mumbai City [B]Delhi Dynamos [C]Kerala Blasters [D]Atletico de Kolkata Hide
Answer Atletico de Kolkata Atletico de Kolkata has won the 2016 Hero Indian Super
League (ISL) by defeating the Kerala Blasters in a penalty shootout by 4–3 in the final at
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, Kerala. .
5. Which state will become the first Indian state to have 24×7 helpline for forests?
[A]Maharashtra [B]Uttar Pradesh [C]Rajasthan [D]Madhya Pradesh Hide Answer
Maharashtra The Maharashtra forest department will launch a state-wide call centre
facility from January 6, 2017 for registering complaints or getting information about
issues related to forests and wildlife. The facility would enable citizens to complain
about illegal wildlife trade, poaching, forest fires and encroachments on reserved land,
among others. With this facility, Maharashtra will become the first Indian state to have
24×7 helpline for forests. .

6. Who has been honoured with ‘Legends Award’ by the International Boxing
Association (AIBA)? [A]Shiv Thapa [B]Mary Kom [C]Akhil Kumar [D]Vikas Krishan Hide
Answer Mary Kom M C Mary Kom , an Olympic bronze-medallist and a five-time world
champion, has been honoured with the ‘Legends Award’ by the International Boxing
Association (AIBA) for her trailblazing boxing career in Montreux, Switzerland. Beside
her, Vikas Krishan has also won the AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) Best Boxer trophy at the
AIBA’s 70th anniversary event. .

7. Consider the following statements: a. The 2017 Global Conference on Cyber Space
(GCSS) will be hosted by United Kingdom. b. The GCSS conference is to promote
practical cooperation in cyberspace. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
[A]Only a [B]Only b [C]Both a & b [D]Neither a nor b Hide Answer Only b India will host
the 5th edition of the Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCSS) in 2017 in which over
100 countries are expected to participate. GCCS will deliberate on issues related to
promotion of cooperation in cyberspace, norms for responsible behaviours in
cyberspace and to enhance cyber capacity building. The purpose of the GCSS
conference is to promote practical cooperation in cyberspace, to enhance cyber
capacity building and to discuss norms for responsible behaviour in cyberspace. .

8. Consider the following statements: a. The headquarters of Artificial Limbs

Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) is located at Kanpur. b. ALIMCO has
recently signed MoU with UK firm to produce affordable wheel chairs. Which of the
following statements is/are correct? [A]Only a [B]Only b [C]Both a & b [D]None of the
above Hide Answer Both a & b The Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India
(ALIMCO) has recently signed MoU with UK-based Motivation Charitable trust to
manufacture affordable state-of-art wheel chairs according to WHO guidelines in India.
The ALIMCO is a non-profit making organisation, working under the Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment to manufacture artificial limb components and rehabilitation
aids for the benefit of the physically handicapped. The headquarters of Artificial Limbs
Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) is located at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. .

9. The 2016 Sahitya Akademi award has been won by which author? [A]Joe D Cruz
[B]Vannadasan [C]A. Madhavan [D]D Selvaraj Hide Answer Vannadasan Tamil writer
Vannadasan has been selected for 2016 Sahitya Akademi award for his book “Oru Siru
Isai”, a collection of short stories. He has been active in the modern Tamil literary field
for more than 30 years and contributing immensely to the literature, particularly in the
field of short story and poetry. .

10. The book “Asura: Tale of the Vanquished: The Story of Ravana and His People” has
been authored by whom? [A]Anand Neelakantan [B]Gayathri Susheel [C]Deepa Parmar
[D]Aishwarya Dhanush Hide Answer Anand Neelakantan The book “Asura: Tale of the
Vanquished: The Story of Ravana and His People” has been authored by Anand
Neelakantan. The author depicts the Ramayana focusing on the Ravana and Bhadra’s
characters and their view points. This tale has attempted to escape from the dullness of
recounting stories from the point of view of a victor.This narrative is a blend of history,
religion and mythology. The book has aimed to demystify the blunders done by the
Deva clan, which is represented as conventional and prejudiced. Also, it throws light on
the liberation enjoyed by the Asuras.
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