Saturday, 12 September 2015

CURRENT AFFAIRS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS-MARCH 2015.

1.    Who has been appointed as the new chairman of National Book Trust on March 2, 2015?
Baldev Sharma.
Sharma was the former editor of Panchajanya, one of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's publications.

2.    The first 'selfie' taken in space by NASA astronaut in 1966 has fetched almost 6,000 pounds at London's Bloomsbury Auction. Who is that astronaut?


Buzz Aldrin.

3.    Which team won the 2015 Football League Cup?
Chelsea.
Chelsea beat Tottenham, 2-0 in the final.

4.    Who is unanimously elected as the President of Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) on 2 March 2015?
Jagmohan Dalmiya.
He has previously served as President of the International Cricket Council.

5.     Who has been appointed as India's ambassador to the U.S.A?
Arun Singh.
A 1979-batch IFS officer, Mr Singh will be replacing S Jaishankar, who was appointed as Foreign Secretary on January 28 this year.

6.    Which state of India has recently banned the slaughter of cows and the sale and consumption of beef?
Maharashtra.
The Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill took 19 years to become law - it was first passed by the state's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena government in 1995 and was sent to the president for approval in January 1996. The Indian president has approved a bill which bans the slaughter of cows and the sale and consumption of beef in the western state of Maharashtra.

7.    Who has become the fastest player to score 20 centuries in One Day International cricket, beating Indian stalwart Virat Kohli who had done it in 133 innings?
Hashim Amla.
Amla’s career-best 159 off 128 balls came in his 108th innings, with Indian batsman Virat Kohli being the next best to reach 20 tons in 133 innings.

8.    India and Nepal are recently launched second direct bus service between Nepal and India after the Kathmandu-Delhi bus service launched last year. The bus service will connect the cities?
Varanasi and Kathmandu.
The Kathmandu-Varanasi Nepal India Bus Service was on March 5, 2015 flagged off jointly by India and Nepal. The bus service was launched under the ambit of Motor Vehicle Agreement signed between India and Nepal during the 18th SAARC Summit

9.    Which country holds the record for the highest score by any team in a World Cup?
Australia.
Australia’s 417 against Afghanistan is the highest score by any team in a World Cup. Australia past India's World Cup record score of 413/5 against Bermuda during that match.

10.    Which cricketer holds the record for the highest score by an Australian in World Cup history?
David Warner.
Warner's 133-ball 178 is the highest score by an Australian in World Cup. He surpassed the previous Australian record of 158 set by Matthew Hayden against West Indies in 2007.

11.     Who surpassed former skipper Sourav Ganguly as the most successful Indian captain in terms of ODI victories achieved on foreign shores?
Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The four-wicket win over the West Indies in the cricket World Cup was Dhoni's 59th while Ganguly had 58 victories under his belt.

12.    Which country stands second alongside Clive Lloyd’s West Indies in terms of consecutive victories in World Cup?
India.
The eight-wicket win against Ireland was India’s ninth consecutive victory in the World Cup.

13.    Name the controversial documentary film directed by Leslee Udwin which is based on the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman who was a physiotherapy student?
“India's Daughter”.
The film was scheduled to be aired on TV channels round the world on March 8 to coincide with International Women's Day. However, when excerpts of the film, which included an interview with Mukesh Singh, one of the four men convicted of the rape and murder, were broadcast, a court stay order prohibiting the broadcast was obtained by the Indian police. The BBC complied with the request and did not air the film in India. Yet it aired outside of India on 8 March, was uploaded on YouTube, and soon went viral via shares on social media. On 5 March, the Indian government directed YouTube to block the video in India.

14.    Founder and managing director of Sun Pharmaceuticals who surpassed Mukesh Ambani as the world's richest Indian with a net worth of US $21.5 billion, according to the Forbes list published on March 5, 2015?
Dilip Shanghvi.

15.    Government of which state has officially scraped the five percent reservation to Muslims in education?
Maharashtra.

16.    The US ambassador to South Korea who has been slashed by a political extremist armed with a razor at a function in Seoul where he was to give a lecture?
Mark Lippert.

17.    Islamic State militants have destroyed ruins at the ancient Assyrian city of Iraq in March 2015. Which is that city?
Nimrud.
Nimrud was a major Assyrian city between approximately 1250 BC and 610 BC. In 2015, the militant organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) announced its intention to destroy the site because of its "un-Islamic" nature. In March 2015, the Iraqi government reported that ISIL had used bulldozers to destroy excavated remains of the city.

18.    Kerala Assembly Speaker and former two-time minister in the AK Antony cabinet who passed away on March 7, 2015?
G. Karthikeyan.
He was the Member of the Legislative Assembly (M.L.A) from Aruvikkara, Thiruvananthapuram who represented Indian National Congress party.  He served as Minister for Electricity (Government of Kerala) in the Ministry headed by Shri A.K. Antony in 1995 and was the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies in the A.K. Antony Ministry in 2001 He was the second Speaker to die in office, after K. M. Seethi Sahib in 1961, and the first to die during a legislative session.

19.    NASA's spacecraft which has become the first mission to achieve orbit around a dwarf planet?
Dawn.
After a journey that took 7.5 years to cover 3.1 billion miles, Dawn with be the first spacecraft to orbit a dwarf planet. The spacecraft was approximately 38,000 miles (61,000 kilometers) from Ceres when it was captured by the dwarf planet's gravity. Beyond being the first to orbit a dwarf planet, the spacecraft is also the first to orbit two extraterrestrial targets.

20.    Which cricketer has also equalled Adam Gilchrist’s record of taking 6 catches behind the stumps in World Cup match?
Sarfraz Ahmed.
He achieved this feat against South Africa.

21.    Veteran journalist and the founder editor-in-chief of Outlook from 1995 to 2012, passed away on March 8, 2015?
Vinod Mehta.
He had been editor of publications such as The Pioneer, The Sunday Observer, The Independent and The Indian Post.
His major works are “Bombay: A Private View”,  “Meena Kumari”, “Mr Editor, how close are you to the PM?” and “ The Sanjay Story”.

22.    Who has won the prestigious Women’s Singles Title in the All England Open Badminton Championships 2015?
Carolina Marin Martin. (Spain).
She defeated Saina Nehwal (India) in the final. She became the first Spanish player to win this prestigious title. Saina Nehwal is the first Indian woman Badminton player to reach the finals of All England Open.

23.    Chief of Muslim league and senior Hurriyat Conference leader who has been released from Baramulla jail by the Mufti Mohd Sayeed government of  Jammu Kashmir  in spite of the opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)?
Masarat Alam.
Alam was lodged in the Baramulla jail since 2010 after he was arrested for organising anti-India protests across the Kashmir valley. The separatist leader rose to prominence during the Amarnath land row in 2008. He was arrested in September 2008 and booked under Public Safety Act (PSA).

24.        Name the UNESCO World Heritage Site and 2,000-year-old city     in northern Iraq which was destroyed by IS militants?
Hatra.
On 7 March 2015, various sources including Iraqi officials reported that the militant group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) had begun demolishing the ruins of Hatra. Hatra was an ancient city in the Ninawa Governorate and al-Jazira region of Iraq. It was known as al-Hadr, a name which appears once in ancient inscriptions, and it was in the ancient Persian province of Khvarvaran.

25.    Which cricketer becomes the first man in ODI history to score centuries in four consecutive matches?
Kumar Sangakkara. (Sri Lanka).
The 37-year scored his fourth consecutive ODI century against Scotland in Hobart. The batting great scored 105 not out against Bangladesh, 117 not out against England and 104 against Australia in earlier World Cup matches.

26.    Which batsman holds the record for the maximum number of sixes in a single edition of the cricket World Cup?
A.B. De Villiers.
He hit 20 sixes in the 2015 Cricket World Cup. He broke former Australia left-handed opener Matthew Hayden's record of 18 sixes in the 2007 edition.

27.    Which team won the Ranji Trophy-2015 defeating Tamilnadu in the final by an innings and 217 runs?
Karnataka.

28.    Which countries signed four bilateral pacts- agreement on visa, customs and youth development on 13 March 2015?
India and Sri Lanka.
    The four agreements signed are agreement on visa, agreement on customs, agreement on youth development and agreement on building memorial of Rabindranath Tagore in Sri Lanka. These agreements were signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden visit to Sri Lanka.

29.    A new statue of an Indian freedom fighter by British sculptor Philip Jackson is unveiled by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Parliament Square, London on March 14, 2015. Whose statue is unveiled?
Mahatma Gandhi.

30.    Veteran gandhian and the son of Mahatma Gandhi's personal secretary “Mahadev Desai” who passed away on March 15, 2015?
Narayanbhai Desai.
Desai was known for his lecture series on Gandhi called Gandhi Katha, which he started in 2004. In 1993, Narayan was accorded the Sahitya Akademi Award for Gujarati for writing a biography of his father Mahadev Desai which he wrote as part of the centenary celebrations of Gandhi's close aide. Narayan's book about his childhood reminiscences of Gandhi too had won the Sahitya Akademi Award. In 1998, The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize was awarded to him for his tireless work in favour of the promotion of inter-religious and inter-ethnic understanding, tolerance and harmony and his achievements in the education and training for non-violence and peace, as well as anti-nuclear activism. He won the eighteenth Moortidevi Award for the year 2004, given by Bharatiya Jnanpith, for his famous work Maroon Jeewan Aj Mari Vaani, which is based upon the life, philosophy and work of Mahatma Gandhi. He also received Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak, the highest award of Gujarati literature in 2001.

31.     What is the name of the book written by the British author Lance Price which depicts the personal and political life of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India?
 "The Modi Effect: Inside Narendra Modi's Campaign to Transform India".
Published in India by Hachette, the book is based on the author's interviews with the prime minister, his Cabinet colleagues like Piyush Goyal, Prakash Javadekar and Smriti Irani and his team of advisers and analysts.

32.    Young Indian shuttler who clinched the Swiss Grand Prix Gold championship title-2015?
K. Srikanth.
He defeated Viktor Alexson in the final.

33.    Which team won the 69th Santosh Trophy Football title by defeating Punjab 5-4 tie-breaker in a nail-biting match at Guru Nanak Stadium, Ludhina, Punjab?
Services.
This is the fourth time that Services lifting the trophy. Previously the Services team had won in year 1961, 2012, 2013.
     The 2015 Santosh Trophy is the 69th edition of the Santosh Trophy, the main state competition in Indian football. 33 teams in total from around India entered the competition. Only 10 teams competed in the competition proper after going through the qualifiers. The tournament proper began on 1 March and will conclude with the final on 15 March.

34.    Which country won FIH World Hockey Women’s League -2015 defeating Poland 3-1 in the final?
India.

35.    Who is sworn in as the new Chief Justice of Kerala High Court on March 26, 2015?
Justice Ashok Bhushan.
He is the 31st Chief Justice of Kerala High Court. The High Court of Kerala is headquartered at Ernakulam, Kochi.

36.    Veteran singer and noted music director who composed music for 13 Malayalam films, passed away on March 16, 2015?
Bombay.S.Kamal.
His debut was in the film ‘Nilavilakku’ in 1986 in which he rendered music for the song ‘Devi sukruthanandamayi’ sung by K J Yesudas and P Susheela.  He has also composed songs for films including ‘Aksharathram’ (1991), ‘Sheershakam’ (1991), ‘Police Diary’ (1992) and ‘Shanthi Nilayam.’ He also penned the title song of the Mohanlal-starrer ‘Keerthichakra.’ He was a winner of the Swaralaya Guruvandanam Award for the year 2012.

37.    Noted painter and sculptor who has been selected for Kerala Government's prestigious Raja Ravi Varma award in recognition of his outstanding contribution in the field of art?
Balan Nambiar.

38.    Congress leader who has been elected 21st Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly?
N. Sakthan.
    He defeated his rival P. Aysha Potty CPI (M) by 74 to 66 votes and     replaces G. Karthikeyan, who died on March 7, 2015.

39.    Name the solar aircraft which completed in 2014 and started its journey from Abudabi in March 2015?
Solar Impulse-2.
Solar Impulse is a Swiss long-range experimental solar-powered aircraft project, and also the name of the project's two operational aircraft. The aircraft are single-seat monoplanes powered by photovoltaic cells and capable of taking off under their own power. The prototype, often referred to as Solar Impulse 1, was designed to remain airborne up to 36 hours. It conducted its first test flight in December 2009. The second aircraft is named Solar Impulse 2, carries more solar cells and more powerful motors.

40.    The Karnataka Batsman who scored the highest ever individual score in a Ranji Trophy final, breaking a 68-year-old record held by Gul Mohammad in the 1946-47 season?
Karun Nair.
He scored 328 runs in the final.

41.    Former business process outsourcing head at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) who has been appointed as the group president and chief operating officer (COO) of Wipro?
Abid Ali Neemuchwala.

42.    Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader who has been selected for the prestigious Saraswati Samman for 2014 for his Kannada poem ‘Ramayana Mahanveshanam’?
M. Veerappa Moily.

43.    Name the two state owned enterprises which have recently joined a list of 65 sick public sector enterprises (PSUs?
Air India and MTNL.
    Air India, on the other hand, was founded by J R D Tata in 1930 as Tata Airlines. It has been India’s national carrier since 1948. The public owned airlines has been gathering huge losses and has slipped to the third spot behind Indigo and Jet Airlines.
    Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited is the state-owned telecommunications service provider in the metro cities of Mumbai and New Delhi in India and in the island nation of Mauritius in Africa. It was founded in 1986 and had a monopoly over New Delhi and Mumbai till 1992. The company has been struggling lately due to immense competition from private operators.

44.    Superstars of Sri Lankan cricket who have announced their retirement from One Day Internationals, after Sri Lanka’s World Cup quarterfinal loss to South Africa?
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
Sangakkara finishes his ODI career with 12,646 runs in 447 ODIs with 77 fifties and 19 hundreds. Jayawardene has 14,189 runs with 93 fifties and 25 hundreds in his ODI career.

45.    England’s slain king who has been reburied with honour in March 2015, 530 years after his brutal death on the battlefield?
Richard III.
Following extensive anthropological and genetic testing, the remains of Richard III, the last English king killed in battle, were ultimately reinterred at Leicester Cathedral on 26 March 2015. Richard III, the     final ruler of the Plantagenet dynasty, was killed on 22 August 1485 in the Battle of Bosworth Field, the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses.

46.    Nuclear scientist who has resigned as the chairman of the board of governors of IIT Bombay apparently because of differences with the HRD ministry over selection of some IIT directors?
 Anil Kakodkar.

47.    Mahendra Singh Dhoni achieved the memorable milestone of recording 100 ODI win during the World Cup 2015.He achieved his 100th victory against which country?
Bangladesh.
Dhoni is the first non-Australian captain to achieve the feat -- in his 178th ODI - as he got past South Africa's Hansie Cronje, who won 99 ODIs for his side. Ricky Ponting, with 165 ODI wins as captain, and Allan Border (107) are the two Australian greats leading the chart in the 50-overs format.

48.    The former Australian Prime Minister who was notoriously catapulted to power by a constitutional crisis that left the nation bitterly divided, passed away on March 20, 2015?
John Malcolm Fraser.
        He was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia and the Leader of     the Liberal     Party from 1975 to 1983. Fraser was appointed as     caretaker prime minister on 11November 1975 by the Governor-    General of Australia, Sir John Kerr, following the controversial     dismissal of the Whitlam Government in which he played a key role.     He went on to win the largest parliamentary majority as a proportion     of seats in Australian political history at the subsequent election. After     two further election victories in 1977 and 1980, he was defeated by     the Bob Hawke-led Australian Labor Party in 1983 and left     parliament shortly after.

49.    Name the Pakistani cricketers who announced their retirement from the One Day International Cricket on March 20, 2015?
Misbah-ul-Haq and Shaid Afridi.
    Misbah made his international debut in 2001 against New Zealand and was able to score 42 half-centuries and 5122 runs till date in his ODI career.
    Afridi, also known as Boom Boom Afridi, is considered to be an all-rounder of the Pakistani Cricket team who claimed 395 wickets and 8064 runs in overall 398 ODIs. His name Boom Boom Afridi was a gift from his fans after he scored the fastest ODI century in 37 balls in 1996 against Sri Lanka while making a debut.

50.    Who has been appointed as the new Chancellor of the Visva Bharati University?
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister.
       Visva Bharati is one of India's major Central Government funded autonomous universities located in Santiniketan, West Bengal. It was founded by Rabindranath Tagore who called it Visva Bharati, which means the communion of the world with India. 

51.    Which state became only the second state team to bag back-to-back Irani Cups after wrapping up a 246-run win over Rest of India?
Karnataka.
Karnataka became the first Ranji Trophy champion in the last eight seasons to win the Irani Cup.

52.    Renowned Malayalam poet who won several awards for his poetry which include the Odakkuzhal, Kerala Sahitya Academy and Vallathol awards, passed away on March 21, 2015?
Yusuf Ali Kechery.
    His debut as lyricist was in 1971 with Malayalam film Sindooracheppu.     He made his directorial debut in 1973 with Maram (Tree), a film     written by M.T. Vasudevan Nair. He also directed the films     Vanadevatha (1977) and Neelathamara (1979). He has won numerous     awards including Odakkuzhal Award (1987), Kerala Sahitya Academy     Award (1985) and Vallathol Award(2012).

53.    Who became the first New Zealand player to hit a double century in ODI?
Martin Guptil.
His 237(not out) was the second best in an ODI innings - second only to Rohit Sharma's 264. Guptill achieved the feat in the fourth quarter-final of World Cup 2015 against West Indies. He becomes the second player to hit a World Cup double ton after Chris Gayle scored 215 vs Zimbabwe. This is the highest ever World Cup score by any batsman.

54.    Who has been appointed the editor-in-chief of the Guardian?
Katharine Viner.
She is the first woman to run the newspaper in its 194-year history.

55.    Veteran Bollywood actor who was honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award-2014?
Shashi Kapoor.
He is the 46th person to receive this prestigious award. He is the winner of two National Film Awards including Best Actor for New Delhi Times in 1985.

56.    Which pair won the Indian Wells Doubles title 2015?
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis.
    They defeated Russians Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova in the     final.

57.    Former Chief of Defence Staff of Sri Lanka who was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal on March 22, 2015?
Sarath Fonseka.
Sarath Fonseka is Sri Lanka’s first Field Marshal. The rank of Field Marshal, which never retires, is equivalent to the position of a cabinet minister and is the highest rank in the three armed forces of the world.

58.    The founding father of Singapore who guided its development into a modern, stable nation as well as one of the world's riches, passed away on March23, 2015?
Lee Kuan Yew.
Lee Kuan Yew was the first Prime Minister of Singapore, governing for more than three decades from 1959 to 1990, including through Singapore's independence from Malaysia in 1965. After Lee chose to step down as Prime Minister in 1990, Lee's successor, Goh Chok Tong, appointed him as Senior Minister, a post he held until 2004, when his elder son, Lee Hsien Loong, became the nation's third prime minister.
59.    Which country held its first Republic Day parade on March 23, 2015 after a gap of seven years to underscore improved security around the country following recent military-led counterterrorism operations?
Pakistan.

60.    Who won the Indian Wells Men’s title 2015 defeating Roger Federer in the final?
Novak Djokovic. (Serbia)

61.    Who won the Indian Wells Women’s title 2015 defeating Jelena Jankovi in the final?
Simona Halep. (Romania).

62.    COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS OF NATIONAL FILM AWARDS -2014/62ND NATIONAL FILM AWARDS
The 62nd National Film Awards ceremony is an upcoming event during which the Directorate of Film Festivals presents its annual National Film Awards to honor the best films of 2014 in the Indian cinema.
    Best Actor: Vijay for Nanu Avanalla Avalu (Kannada).
    Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut for Queen.
    Best Direction: Srijit Mukherji for Chotushkone (Bengali)
    Best Feature Film: Court (Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati & English)
    Best Popular Film for Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Mary Kom
    Best Male Playback Singer: Sukhwinder Singh, for Bismil, Haider
    Best Dialogues: Vishal Bhardwaj for Haider
    Best Costume Designer: Haider (Hindi) Dolly Ahluwalia
    Best Music Direction- Vishal Bhardwaj ( Haider).
    Best Lyrics: Na. Muthukumar (for "Azhage"), Film:Saivam.
    Best Choreography: Sudesh Bismil, Haider
    Best Supporting Actor: Bobby Simhaa for Jigarthanda (Tamil)
    Best Supporting Actress: Baljinder Kaur for Pagdi The Honour     (Haryanavi)
    Best Female Playback Singer: Saivam (Tamil) and Uttara Unnikrishanan     (Song:Azhagu)
    Best Music Direction Background Score: Nineteen Eighty Three     (Malayalam)
    Best Hindi Film: Queen
    Best Assamese Film: Othello
    Best Bengali Film: Nirbashito
    Best Rabha Film: Orong
    Best Haryanvi Film: Pagdi The Honour
    Best Punjabi Film: Punjab 1984
    Best Tamil Film: Kuttram Kadithal
    Best Telugu Film: Chandamama Kathalu
    Best Malayalam Film: Ain
    Best Marathi Film: Killa
    Best Odiya Film: Aadim Vichar
    Best Kannada Film: Harivu
    Best Konkani Film:Nachom – IA Kumpasar
    Special Mention: Killa (Marathi)
    Best Film on Environment Consevation/Preservation: Ottaal     (Malayalam)
    Best Educational Film: Komal & Behind the Glass Wall
    Best Exploration/ Adventure Film: Life Force – India’s Western Ghats
    Best Investigative Film:Phum Shang
    Best Animation Film:Sound of Joy
    Best Short Fiction Film:Mitraa
    Best Film Critic: Tanul Thakur
    Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director: Asha for Jaoar     Majhe

63.    Indian born Nobel laureate who has been confirmed as the president of Britain’s prestigious Royal Society, a communion of the many of the world's most distinguished scientists?
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan.
His pioneering work in molecular biology won him the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

64.     The Supreme Court on March 24, 2015 struck down a section of the IT Act which allowed arrests for posting offensive content on social media sites. Which is that section?
Section 66A.
The Information Technology Act, 2000 was amended in 2008. The amended Act which received the assent of the President on February 5, 2009, contains section 66A.
Section 66A prescribes the punishment for sending "offensive' messages through computers or any other communication device such as a mobile phone or a tablet, and a conviction can fetch a maximum of three years in jail.
According to the act, any person who sends, by means of a computer resource or a communication device,-
(a) any information that is grossly offensive or has menacing character; or
(b) any information which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will, persistently by making use of such computer resource or a communication device,
(c) any electronic mail or electronic mail message for the purpose of causing annoyance or inconvenience or to deceive or to mislead the addressee or recipient about the origin of such messages, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and with fine.

65.    Name the multi-purpose and multi-modal platform launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi which is aimed at addressing common man’s grievances, and simultaneously monitoring and reviewing important programmes and projects of the Government of India as well as projects flagged by State Governments?
PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation).
    PRAGATI is designed in-house by the PMO team with the help of     National Informatics Center. PRAGATI is a three tier application, which     includes PMO; Union Government secretaries; and Chief Secretaries     of     States.  Prime Minister will interact with bureaucrats once in every     month on fourth Wednesday at 3.30 PM. This day will be known as     PRAGATI Day. The PRAGATI platform uniquely combines three     latest technologies: Digital data management, video-conferencing and     geo-spatial technology. Union Government Secretaries and Chief     Secretaries have to put their comments and updates about the flagged     issues within three days.
66.    Which countries signed six agreements including one on transfer of sentenced prisoners on March 25, 2015?
India and Qatar.

67.    Senior Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer and noted novelist who has been appointed as the new spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs of India?
Vikas Swarup.
    Swarup is the author of internationally acclaimed novel “Q & A” which     was made into “Slumdog Millionaire”, which won eight Academy     Awards in 2009, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best     Adapted Screenplay   

68.    Which organisation has been selected for the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2014 for its contribution to the country’s development through space technology and satellite-based services?
ISRO(Indian Space Research Organisation)
    The award, comprising Rs one crore and a citation. The Gandhi Peace     Prize for social,     economic and political transformation through non-    violence was instituted in 1995.
69.    Which satellite was launched successfully on 28 March 2015 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR), Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh?
Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) 1-D.
    The satellite was placed in geosynchronous orbit by the Polar Satellite     Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C27. This is the twenty eighth consecutively     successful mission of the PSLV. The satellite will     provide navigation,     tracking and mapping services.
70.    Who won the Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year 2014 given by Hockey India?
Sreejesh.
Hockey India conferred the Awards in the following categories: The Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award to Balbir Singh Sr,  the Dhruv Batra Award for Player of the Year (Men and Women) was awarded to Birendra Lakra and Vandana Katariya; Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution (for coaches and support staff) awarded to Harendra Singh.
71.    Which country won the ICC cricket World Cup 2015?
Australia.
This is Australia’s fifth World Cup title. In the final of ICC World Cup 2015, Australia crushed New Zealand by 7 wickets.
72.    Who won the Man of the Match award in the final of  ICC Cricket World Cup 2015?
James Faulkner (Australia). He took 3 wickets conceding just 36 runs in 9 overs.
73.    Who won the Man of the Series award of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015?
Mitchell Starc.(Australia)
74.    Mizoram Governor who has had a running feud with the Centre and even approached the Supreme Court against attempts to ease him out, was sacked on March 28, 2015?
Aziz Qureshi.

75.    The Third International Pledging Humanitarian Conference for Syria (Kuwait III) was held in?
Kuwait.

76.    Who won the Indian Open Badminton Women’s title-2015?
Saina Nehwal.(India).
She defeated Ratchanok Intanon in the final.

77.    Who won the Indian Open Badminton men’s title-2015?
K.Srikanth.
He defeated Viktor Axelsen in the final.

78.    Who was re-elected general secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) at its 22nd national congress that concluded in Puducherry?
S. Sudhakar Reddy.
Gurudas Dasgupta was elected deputy general secretary.

79.    New Zealand left-arm spinner who announced his retirement from international cricket following his side's World Cup final defeat?
Daniel Vettori.
Vettori played 113 Test matches, 295 one-day internationals and 34 Twenty20 internationals, taking 705 wickets, as well as scoring 6,989 runs. The Auckland-born player, who captained New Zealand in all three formats of the game, also holds the record for the most Test and ODI appearances for his country.

80.    Who won the Malaysia Grand Prix-2015?
    Sebastian Vettel.
81.    Who has won the Samba Gold trophy -2015 or the best Brazilian in European football?
Neymar.

82.    Who is sworn in as the new President of Nigeria on May 27, 2015?
Muhammadu Buhari.
He is a retired Nigerian Army major general and was Head of State of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985, after taking power in a military coup. The term Buharism is ascribed to the Buhari military government.