1. Which country officially became the 123rd member of the International Criminal Court (ICC)?
Palestine.
The Palestinians signed the ICC's founding Rome Statute in January, when they also accepted its jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed "in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, since June 13, 2014."
2. Who won the man of the Match award in the fourth Test cricket match between India and Australia held in Melbourne from January 6-10, 2015?
Steven Smith (Australia).
He scored 117 runs in first innings and 71 runs in second innings.
Result: Match drawn.
Palestine.
The Palestinians signed the ICC's founding Rome Statute in January, when they also accepted its jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed "in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, since June 13, 2014."
2. Who won the man of the Match award in the fourth Test cricket match between India and Australia held in Melbourne from January 6-10, 2015?
Steven Smith (Australia).
He scored 117 runs in first innings and 71 runs in second innings.
Result: Match drawn.
3. Who won the Player of the Series award in the 4 Test Cricket matches between India and Australia (Border Gavaskar Trophy) held in Australia in 2014-2015?
Steven Smith (Australia).
Series - Australia won the 4-match series 2-0.
4. Lebanese politician who served two terms as prime minister of Lebanon who passed away on January 1, 2015?
Omar Abdul Hamid Karami.
He was Prime Minister for the first time from 24 December 1990, when Selim al-Hoss gave up power, until 13 May 1992, when he resigned due to economic instability. He was again Prime Minister from October 2004 to April 2005.
5. Who won the Player of the Series award in the three test cricket matches between South Africa and West Indies (Sir Vivian Richards Trophy) held from December 2014 to January 2015?
Hashim Amla (South Africa).
South Africa won the 3-match series 2-0.
6. Who won the Man of the Match award in the second test cricket between New Zealand and Sri Lanka held in Christchurch from January 3-7, 2015?
Kane Williamson (New Zealand).
He scored unbeaten 242 runs in second innings. New Zealand won the match by 193 runs.
7. France's influential economist and author of "Capital in the 21st Century", refused to accept the country's highest award, the Legion d'honneur, to criticise the Socialist government in power?
Thomas Piketty.
8. A new monkey species (a new type of saki monkey) with unique calico colouring has been discovered in a rainforest recently. Which is that rainforest?
Amazon Rainforest.
Saki monkey lives in rainforests ranging across South America from South Colombia to Central Brazil. They can reach up to 20 inches long and weigh about 4.4 pounds. . The majority of the Amazon rain forest is contained within Brazil, with 60% of the rainforest, followed by Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, and with minor amounts in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.
9. Which dam has broken the world record for annual hydroelectric power production, more than a decade after it became the world's largest power plant?
Three Gorges dam (China).
The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River, located in Yiling District,, China. The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest power station in terms of installed capacity (22,500 MW). The dam is the largest operating hydroelectric facility in terms of annual energy generation.
10. Former ISRO chief and renowned Scientist who passed away on January 2, 2015?
Vasant Ranchhod Gowarikar.
He was famously known as 'Father of Indian Monsoon Model', as he was man behind the country's first monsoon forecast model. He was the chief of Indian Space Research Organization and also the scientific advisor to the Prime Minister of India in 1991–1993. On 17th April 1983, under his leadership Satellite launcher SLV-3 became successfully operational in orbit. Gowarikar was awarded Padma Shri in 1984 and Padma Bhushan in 2008. He is the author of the book ‘I Predict’ which contains essays on Indian population.
11. Which cricketer became the fastest player to reach 12,000 Test runs?
Kumar Sangakkara.
Sangakkara has accumulated 12000 runs in 224 innings, compared to India's Sachin Tendulkar and Australia's Ricky Ponting, who both needed 247 innings to surpass the mark. He becomes the first Sri Lankan Player to pass 12000 test runs.
12. Who was sworn in as the President of Brazil in January 2015 to her second term in office?
Dilma Rousseff.
13. USA has imposed new sanctions on which country in response to a cyber-attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment?
North Korea.
14. Which country has decided to halt tax fund transfers to the Palestinian Authority in response to its application to join the International Criminal Court?
Israel.
15. Who has emerged the 2014 Samba Gold Award winner as the best Brazilian, playing in Europe?
Neymar.
The "Samba Gold" (Samba d'Or) is a football award given to the best Brazilian footballer in Europe, as awarded by the Sambafoot Company. The inaugural award was made in 2008. The Samba Gold is determined by three voter panels: journalists, fellow footballers, and votes from Internet users. In 2008, the winner was Milan midfielder Kaka.
16. Columbia University professor and eminent economist who has been appointed as the first Vice Chairman of the newly formed NITI Aayog?
Arvind Panagariya.
Scientist V K Saraswat and economist Bibek Debroy have been appointed as members of
NITI Aayog. The panel will consist of finance minister Arun Jaitley, home minister Rajnath Singh, railway minister Suresh Prabhu and agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh, The four were made ex-officio members.
The NITI Aayog would be headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprises a vice-chairman; fulltime members and two part-time members. The Central government had earlier proposed the setting up of the NITI Aayog, a think-tank and policy for the central and state governments.
17. Which cricketer scored his 11th double century against New Zealand and is just one more away from equalling Sir Donald Bradman's tally of 12 double centuries?
Kumar Sangakkara.
Kumar Sangakkara posted a majestic 203 — his 11th Test double century against New Zealand.
18. Who won the man of the match award in the fourth test between Australia and India held in Sydney from January 6 -10, 2015?
Steven Smith (Australia).
19. Who won the Player of the Series award in the Border Gavaskar Trophy held in Australia (4 Test Cricket matches between India and Australia held from December 2014-January 2015)?
Steven Smith (Australia).
Australia won the 4-match series 2-0.
20. What is the name given to the policy think-tank of Government of India that replaces Planning Commission and aims to involve the states in economic policy-making in India?
NITI Aayog. (National Institution for Transforming India Aayog).
NITI Aayog will be providing strategic and technical advice to the central and the state governments i.e. by adopting bottom-up approach rather than traditional top-down approach as in planning commission. The Prime Minister heads the Aayog as its chairperson. While the Planning Commission had no representation for State and Union territories, the NITI Aayog has. Union Government of India had announced formation of NITI Aayog on 1 January 2015. The first meeting of NITI Aayog was held on 8th February 2015.
21. Former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh's assassin who was arrested in Thailand by Thai Police on a tip-off on his movements given by the Punjab Police after he had escaped from High Security Burail Jail ten year ago?
Jagtar Singh alias Tara.
Tara who was self-styled commander of Khalistan Tiger Force was one of the masterminds in the assassination of Beant Singh by a human bomb outside Punjab Secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. Besides Beant Singh, 17 others had lost their lives in that blast.
22. Who became the first black female Republican member of US Congress?
Mia Love.
23. Islamic Terrorists attacked the Paris offices of satirical weekly newspaper known for taking satirical shots at the prophet Mohammed, killing 12 people before fleeing. What is the name of that News Paper?
Charlie Hebdo.
Charlie Hebdo has been the target of violence in the past over its work. In 2011, its offices were firebombed after it carried a caricature of Prophet Muhammad on its cover. When the newspaper published more provocative cartoons of Prophet Muhammad a year later, it sparked violent protests across the Muslim world.
24. Name the controversial novel published in France on January 7, 2015, imagining a future France coming under Islamic rule?
'Soumission' (Submission).
The author of the novel is French writer Michel Houellebecq. The book depicts French elections in 2022, in which a Muslim Brotherhood-style party confronts Marine Le Pen’s right-wing National Front and wins.
25. Nasa's Kepler space telescope has found who many planets in the so-called Goldilocks zone of their stars, just at the right distance to contain liquid water and, possibly, life?
Eight.
Two of them have been touted as most Earth-like — Kepler-438b and Kepler-442b — which are orbiting red dwarf stars that are smaller and cooler than our Sun. Kepler-438b circles its star every 35 days while Kepler-442b completes one orbit every 112 days.
26. Which country has banned access to the WhatsApp messaging site, a popular site for many to communicate both inside and outside the country, stating that a Jewish “American Zionist” owns the site?
Iran.
27. Who has become the first Test captain in cricket history to score three centuries in first three innings?
Virat Kohli.
Australian Greg Chappell had scored a century each in his first two innings as skipper against the West Indies at Brisbane in 1975.
28. Who has sworn in as the new president of Sri Lanka on January 9, 2015?
Maithripala Sirisena.
He is the first Sri Lankan president who hails from the North Central Province of the country. Sirisena was sworn in as the sixth executive president of Lanka.
29. Manchester City midfielder who has been named the CAF African Footballer of the Year for third successive time?
Yaya Toure.
30. Who has sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on January 9, 2015?
Ranil Wickremesinghe.
He previously served as Prime Minister from 7 May 1993 to 19 August 1994 and from 9 December 2001 to 6 April 2004. A member of the United National Party, he was appointed party leader in November 1994. He is also the leader of the United National Front, having been appointed head of the alliance in October 2009.
31. Who won the Brisbane International Women’s tile-2015 defeating Ana Ivanovic in the final?
Maria Sharapova.
32. Who won the Brisbane International men’s tile-2015 defeating Milos Raonic in the final?
Roger Federer.
33. Name the bloodthirsty Nigerian terror group which killed as many as 2,000 people in a horrific attack, most victims were children, women and elderly people who could not run fast enough to escape the murderers?
Boko Haram.
Amnesty International called it the “deadliest massacre” in the history of Boko Haram, which entered infamy in 2014 when fighters kidnapped 276 schoolgirls.
Boko Haram is a jihadist group based in north eastern Nigeria, also active in Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon. The group is led by Abubakar Shekau.
34. Which team won the 2015 Indian Federation Cup Football Title defeating Dempo (2-1) in the final?
Bengaluru FC.
This was the first time Bengaluru FC had won the Federation Cup tournament.
35. Who was appointed Chief Justice of Bangladesh to become the first Hindu to hold the highest judicial post in the Muslim-majority country?
Justice S. K. Sinha.
He is the 21st head of judiciary in Bangladesh.
36. Swedish-Italian actress and model who is best known for her role as Sylvia in the Federico Fellini film La Dolce Vita (1960), passed away on January 11, 2015?
Anita Ekberg.
37. Distinguished scientist who has been appointed as the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation and Space Commission in January 2015?
A.S. Kiran Kumar.
He assumed office as Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation and Space Commission on 12 January 2015. He is credited with the development of key scientific instruments aboard the Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan space crafts. In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, for his contributions to the fields of science and technology. Kiran Kumar previously served as Director of Ahmedabad Space Applications Centre.
38. Who has become the first female president of Croatia, winning by the narrowest of margins?
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.
39. The list of winners for various categories for 72nd annual Golden Globe Awards -
The 72nd Golden Globe Awards, honouring the best in film and American television of 2014, was broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 11, 2015.
Best Motion Picture - Drama
'Boyhood'
Best Director - Motion Picture
Richard Linklater for 'Boyhood'
Best Actor, Motion Picture - Drama
Eddie Redmayne for 'The Theory of Everything'
Actress, Motion Picture - Drama
Julianne Moore for 'Still Alice'
Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy
'The Grand Budapest Hotel'
Best Actor, Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy
Michael Keaton for 'Birdman'
Best Actress, Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy
Amy Adams for 'Big Eyes'
Best Actor, Supporting Role - Motion Picture
J.K. Simmons for 'Whiplash'
Best Actress, Supporting Role - Motion Picture
Patricia Arquette for 'Boyhood'
Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
'Birdman' - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Armando Bo, Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone
Best Original Song - Motion Picture
'Common' for 'Selma'
Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Johann Jóhannsson for 'The Theory of Everything'
Best Animated Film
'How to Train Your Dragon 2'
Best Foreign Language Film
'Leviathan'
Best TV Series - Drama
'The Affair'
Best Actor TV Series - Drama
Kevin Spacey for 'House of Cards'
Best Actress, TV Series - Drama
Ruth Wilson for 'The Affair'
Best TV Series - Musical/Comedy
'Transparent'
Best Actor, TV Series - Musical/Comedy
Jeffrey Tambor for 'Transparent'
Best Actress, TV Series - Musical/Comedy
Gina Rodriguez for 'Jane the Virgin'
Best Mini-Series/Motion Picture - TV
'Fargo'
Best Actor, Mini-Series/Motion Picture - TV
Billy Bob Thornton for 'Fargo'
Best Actress, Mini-Series/Motion Picture - TV
Maggie Gyllenhaal for 'The Honourable Woman'
Best Actor, Supporting Role, Series, Mini-Series/Motion Picture - TV
Matt Bomer for 'The Normal Heart'
Best Actress, Supporting Role, Series, Mini-Series/Motion Picture - TV
Joanne Froggatt for 'Downton Abbey'
40. Who is the newly appointed chairman of Kerala Lalitha Kala Akademi?
C.N. Balakrishnan.
Kerala Lalithakala Academy for Fine Arts is an autonomous body which was established in 1962 to promote art and artistic heritage, based at Thrissur in Kerala.
41. Name the heavy-lift helicopter for military and civil use which landed at the airfield at an altitude of 11,660 feet in Kedarnath, Utharakhand?
Mi-26.
42. Which country won the Border–Gavaskar Trophy 2014-2015?
Australia.
Australia won the test series 2-0.
43. Former Planning Commission Secretary who has been appointed as the first CEO of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog?
Sindhushree Khullar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the Niti Aayog’s Chairman. He appointed noted economist Arvind Panagariya as Niti Aayog’s Vice-Chairman. He also appointed Economist Bibek Debroy and former DRDO Chief V K Saraswat as full-time members.
44. Name the Chief of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) whose contract has been terminated by central government with effect from January 31, more than a year before his tenure was to end?
Avinash Chander.
45. Real Madrid forward who has won the Ballon d'Or world footballer of the year-2015?
Cristiano Ronaldo
He has won the Ballon d'Or world footballer of the year award for the second year in a row.
The FIFA Ballon d'Or is an annual association football award given by FIFA to the male player considered to have performed the best in the previous calendar year. It is awarded based on the votes from national team coaches and captains, as well as journalists from around the world. The award started in 2010. The winner of the inaugural 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or was Lionel Messi who then went on to reclaim the title the following two years. . As of 2014, Ronaldo is the most recent recipient of the FIFA Ballon d'Or.
46. Indian professional golfer who has been voted as the 2014 Players’ Player of the Year for his successful exploits on the Asian Tour where he won two titles and finished second on the Order of Merit?
Anirban Lahiri.
47. Which footballer has won the Puskas Award for the goal of the year at the Ballon d'Or ceremony-2015?
James Rodriguez.
48. Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs who was sentenced to one year imprisonment for violating prohibitory orders in the run-up to the 2009 Lok Sabha election?
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
However a district court has stayed the conviction of Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and granted him bail.
49. Who is the first saint to have been canonised in Sri Lanka?
Joseph Vaz.
Vaz was an Oratorian priest and missionary in Sri Lanka. On 21 January 1995, he was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Colombo. He was canonized on 14 January 2015 by Pope Francis in an open-air Mass ceremony at the Galle Face Green in Colombo.
50. Who has become the first Indian-origin cricketer to play for Australia?
Gurinder Sandhu.
Gurinder Sandhu made his senior international debut for Australia in a One Day International against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in January 2015. Usman Khawaja was the first Pakistan-born cricketer to play for Australia when he made his Test debut against England in Sydney in January last year.
51. Who has been appointed as the 19th Chief Election Commissioner of India?
Hari Shankar Brahma.
Brahma, who succeeds V S Sampath, assumed charge as chief election commissioner with effect from January 16, 2015.
52. Veteran Nepali Congress leader and former minister who has been appointed as Nepal’s new ambassador to India?
Deep Kumar Upadhyay.
53. What is the name of the unauthorized biography of Congress President Sonia Gandhi i
which is being released by Roli Books in India?
The Red Saree.
“Red Saree” is written by Spanish writer Javier Moro and The book was published in Spanish with the title ‘El Sari Rojo‘ in 2008 and created much controversy with the chief lawyers of Congress. The book deals with Sonia Gandhi’s childhood life, her passionate love with Rajiv Gandhi, her days as a docile daughter-in-law and her current status as an Indian politician.etc. Javier Moro’s earlier book “Passion India” traces the Sonia Gandhi’s life with information sourced from close friends and colleagues.
54. Who has been appointed as the new head coach of the National Football Team of India?
Stephen Constantine.
55. Which pair won the Women’s doubles trophy at the Sydney International Tennis Tournament on January 16, 2015?
Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek.
56. The South African cricketer who broke Virat Kohli’s and Sir Vivian Richards’ joint record for the fastest to reach 5000 runs in One-Day International (ODI) cricket during the match against West Indies?
Hashim Amla.
Amla reached 5000 runs in 101 innings, well ahead of the previous record of 114 jointly held by West Indies great Viv Richards and Indian batsman Virat Kohli.
57. The first indigenously-built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) which was handed over to the Indian Air Force on January 17, 2015?
Tejas.
The Tejas LCA programme was initiated in 1983 to replace the ageing MiG-21s in IAF's combat fleet but has missed several deadlines.
58. Chairperson of censor board of India who has resigned after reports that a film rejected by her panel has been cleared for release?
Leela Samson.
She sent in her resignation soon after the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) had cleared the release of the film “MSG - The Messenger of God” featuring Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan. The Ms Samson-led Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had found the film unsuitable for the public, reportedly because it promoted superstition. Two days after Leela Samson resigned, 12 members of the Board tendered their resignations.
59. Which pair won the Heineken Open men's doubles title-2015?
Leander Paes (India) and Raven Klaasen (South Africa).
60. Which pair won the Apia International men’s doubles title-2015?
Rohan Bopanna and Daniel Nestor (Canada).
61. Which batsman has broken the World record for the fastest 50 and 100 in ODI history, after slamming a half-century in 16 balls and getting to his century in just 31 balls in the 2nd ODI against West Indies?
AB de Villiers. (South Africa).
He bettered the previous record for the fastest 50 which was held by Sanath Jayasuriya who had hit fifty in 17 balls against Pakistan in 1996. When de Villiers reached his ton, he beat Corey Anderson’s(New Zealand) record, who had hit a century in 36 balls in 2014.
62. Noted Bharatanatyam exponent who has been selected for Nishagandhi Puraskaram -2015 (Nishagandhi award) instituted by the Tourism Department of Kerala?
Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam.
She was selected for the award, which is instituted to honour eminent personalities in the fields of dance and music, for her contribution to Indian classical dance. The award carries a purse of Rs 1,50,000, citation and a statuette.
63. Eminent scholar and the founder of Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) in 1963 who passed away on January 19, 2015?
Rajni Kothari.
He was the founder of CSDS, a social sciences and humanities research institute, based in Delhi and Lokayan (Dialogue of the People), started in 1980 as a forum for interaction between activists and intellectuals. He was also associated with Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), International Foundation for Development Alternatives and People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). Kothari was member of the Planning Commission during the national Front Government led by V P Singh.
His noted works include Politics in India (1970), Caste in Indian Politics (1973) and Rethinking Democracy (2005). In 1985, Lokayan was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, also known as "Alternative Nobel".
64. Iconic Egyptian actress and Arab film icon best known by mainstream audiences for her English-language film “Cairo,” passed away on January 17, 2015?
Faten Hamama.
Hamama appeared in almost 100 films, often alongside her now ex-husband, three-time Golden Globe winner Omar Sharif. The couple divorced in 1974. She made her film debut at seven years old in “Youm Saeed” (“Happy Day”), alongside legendary singer Mohamed Abdel Wehab. Dubbed the “lady of the Arabic screen,” Hamama appeared in films including “Struggle in the Valley” (1954), “The Nightingale’s Prayer” (1959), “I Want a Solution” (1974) and “The Night of Fatima’s Arrest” (1985).
She was named “star of the century” by the Egyptian Writers and Critics organization at the 2001 Alexandria International Film Festival.
65. An eminent Indian- American entrepreneur and philanthropist who has been selected for the prestigious Martin Luther King Junior Award-2015?
Mr.Frank.F. Islam.
He has given this award for his contribution to the legacy of the great leader through his efforts in international service and civil engagement.
66. Who has become the first female president of Croatia in 2015?
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.
Previously, she was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia from 2005 to 2008 in the Cabinet of Ivo Sanader I, and Croatia's ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2011.
67. Who has been appointed as the Director General of Army Aviation Corps at the Army Headquarters, Delhi?
Lt Gen Pranab Kumar Bharali.
This also makes him the first ever Assamese to take on this role. Till 2015, the Army Aviation Corps officers could hold rank only up to Major General. This is the first time Army promoted an officer from Army Aviation Corps to this post. Bharali has been the head of Army Aviation Corps from July, 2009.
68. Fitness instructor, actor and former Calvin Klein model who has been struck and killed by a train on January 17, 2015?
Greg Plitt.
69. Organizer of the anti-Islam and anti-immigration far right group Pegida who resigned from his role at Pegida after a photograph of him dressed as Adolf Hitler emerged online?
Lutz Bachmann.
70. The King of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques from 2005 to 2015 who passed away on January 23, 2015?
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
71. President and Prime Minister of Yemen, who have offered their resignation from the country’s top positions in January 2015?
Abd-Rabbu Mansour(President) and Khaled Balah(Prime Minister).
72. Name the New Zealand cricketers who break the record for the highest 6th-wicket partnership in ODI cricket history?
Luke Ronchi and Grant Elliott.
They put on a 267-run partnership against Sri Lanka and the New Zealand pair bettered the 218, MS Dhoni and Mahela Jayawardene put on together while playing for Asia XI against Africa XI in Chennai in 2007. Ronchi slams 170 and Elliot scored 104 runs.
73. US President Barack Obama arrived in his own highly-secured bomb-proof vehicle for attending the Republic Day celebrations of India. What is the name of that car?
“The Beast”.
74. Activist who has staged a 14-year hunger strike in protest at human rights abuses in Manipur, released from the jail on January 22 as per the order of Manipur court?
Irom Sharmila.
Sharmila, known as the Iron Lady of Manipur for her unwavering and non-violent protest, has refused food and water for almost 14 years in her demand to repeal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSA).
75. The Indian American writer has been announced as the winner of the widely acclaimed DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015 for her book “The Lowland”?
Jhumpa Lahiri.
76. Who won Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold badminton women’s singles title-2015 defeating Carolina Marin in the final?
Saina Nehwal.
77. Who won Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold badminton men’s singles title-2015 defeating K Srikanth in the final?
Parupalli Kashyap.
78. Late soldier from Kerala who has been honoured with Uttam Jeevan Raksha Pathak, the Government of India's second highest award for bravery?
P. G. Jomon.
Jomon, who was a member of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, died during the rescue operations in Kedarnath during the deadly Uttarakhand floods in 2013.
79. Who won the Player of the series award in the 7 ODI cricket matches played between Sri Lanka and New Zealand held in New Zealand in January 2015?
Kane Williamson (New Zealand).
New Zealand won the 7-match series 4-2.
80. Name the two Army jawans who have been selected posthumously for the highest peacetime gallantry award Ashoka Chakra-2015?
Major Mukund Varadarajan and Naik Neeraj Kumar.
Major Varadarajan of the army's 44 Rashtriya Rifles died in April last year, in heavy firing by terrorists who were hiding in a village in Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir. The 31-year-old officer managed to kill three terrorists before dying.
Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh, also from Rashtriya Rifles, was killed while he was leading a search operation at Kupwara in Jammu & Kashmir in August. He rescued an injured soldier and shot dead one of the terrorists. He refused to be moved to safety until he fell unconscious.
81. COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS OF PADMA AWARDS-2015.
To know the complete lists of winners of Padma Awards-2015 please click the below link:
http://questionforall.blogspot.in/2015/06/complete-list-of-winners-of-padma.html
82. Who has been elected as the 6th President of Zambia in January 2015?
Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
Under President Michael Sata, Lungu served as Minister of Justice and Minister of Defense. Following Sata's death in October 2014, Lungu was adopted as the candidate of Sata's party, the Patriotic Front, for the January 2015 presidential by-election. In the election, he narrowly defeated opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema and took office on 25 January 2015.
83. Colombian model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 2014 in Doral, USA?
Paulina Vega.
She is the second Colombian woman to win the Miss Universe pageant.
84. Who has been elected as the 186th Prime Minister of Greece?
Alexis Tsipras.
In 2015 he was voted by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people globally.
85. Who has been appointed as the first woman bishop by Church of England?
Libby Lane
She became the new Bishop of Stockport following legislation adopted last year to allow female bishops for the first time since the Church's foundation by King Henry VIII in 1534.
86. Legendary cartoonist and creator of” the Common Man”who passed away on January 26, 2015?
R.K. Laxman.
He was best known for his creation The Common Man and for his daily cartoon strip, "You Said It" in The Times of India, which started in 1951. Mr. Laxman, who was awarded the Padma Vibhushan (1973), Padma Vibhushan (2005) and the Magsaysay Award (1984). His autobiography is “Tunnel of Time”.
87. Legendary Argentina footballer who Juan has decided to retire from football in January, 2015?
Roman Riquelme.
He was named the Argentine Footballer of the Year four times. An Argentine international for eleven years, Riquelme represented the nation at the 2006 World Cup and two Copa America tournaments, reaching the final in the 2007 edition; he also participated in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup with Argentina, reaching the final, and he led his country as captain to win a Gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.
88. Which cricketer has won the 2015 Allan Border Medal for best Australian cricketer of the past year?
Steven Smith.
He also won the Australian Test and ODI player of the year awards.
89. Former Prime Minister of Thailand, who has been impeached, banned from politics and will be criminally charged over a failed rice subsidy scheme?
Yingluck Shinawatra.
90. Which state won the overall title of National Schools Athletic Meet concluded at the Birsa Munda stadium, Ranchi in January 2015?
Kerala.
Kerala bags a record 18th title at national athletics meet.
91. Which University won the overall championship at the 75th All India Inter University Athletics Championship which was organized by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, in association with Government of Karnataka and Alva’s Education Foundation, Moodbidri?
The Punjab University of Patiala.
92. Malayalam film industry's popular comedian who acted in close to 400 films, passed away on January 28, 2015?
Mala Aravindan.
Aravindan started his film career with the movie” Ente Kunju”, but the film got never released. His first movie released was “Thalirukal “in 1967 in which he acted as a mental patient among many. His first full fledged role was in the 1968 movie “Sindhooram”, directed by Balakrishnan. Since then he has acted in over 400 films for 33 years and established his own style which became his trademark. During the initial stages of his career, the Mala-Pappu-Jagathy trio was a guaranteed crowd-puller among Malayalam film audiences. His last film was”Noolppaalam” which is yet to be released. He was the president of the AMMA, the association of Malayalam film artistes.
93. Who took charge as the 39th Chief Secretary of Kerala?
Jiji Thomson.
94. Indian diplomat who has been appointed as the foreign secretary of India for a tenure of two years on 28 January, 2015?
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Jaishankar was appointed as India's ambassador to United States in September 2013. He was India's longest-serving ambassador to China, with a four-and-a-half year term.
95. U.S. nuclear scientist who has been sentenced to 5 years in jail for attempting to sell nuclear-weapon secrets to Venezuela?
Pedro Mascheroni.
Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni, originally from Argentina, pleaded guilty in 2013 to delivering secrets to an undercover FBI agent posing as Venezuelan official.
96. Which country will host the 2016 Twenty20 World Cup?
India.
The previous edition of the World Cup was held in Bangladesh which was won by Sri Lanka. India has won the first T20 World Cup in South Africa.
97. Apartheid death-squad leader, dubbed 'Prime Evil' for his role in the torture and murder of scores of black South African activists in the 1980s and early 1990s, who was granted parole on January 20, 2015, after more than 20 years in prison?
Eugene de Kock.
98. The Zimbabwean president who has been sworn in as chairman of the African Union?
Robert Mugabe.
Mugabe who was elected head of the union replaces President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, of Mauritania.
99. Longest range ballistic missile of India which was successfully test fired on January 31, 2015 from the Odisha coast?
Agni-5.
100. Who won the Australian Open Women’s Title -2015 defeating Maria Sharapova in the final?
Serena Williams.
This is her 19th Grand Slam Title. This is Williams' sixth Australian Open crown, the most in the open era, having previously won it in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010.
101. Who is sworn in as the 12th President of Italy?
Sergio Mattarella.
He was a Member of Parliament from 1983 to 2008, serving as Minister of Education from 1989 to 1990 and as Minister of Defence from 1999 to 2001. In 2011, he became an elected judge on the Constitutional Court. On 31 January 2015, he was elected by parliament to be the 12th President of the Italian Republic. He is the first Sicilian to have held the post.
102. Which country won its first ever Asian Cup Football title defeating South Korea in the final?
Australia.
The 2015 AFC Asian Cup was the 16th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, an international association football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It was held in Australia from 9 to 31 January 2015.