CURRENT AFFAIRS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS JANUARY-2019

1. Who becomes the first Chief Justice of Telangana?

Thottathil.B.Radhakrishnan.

2. Which country introduced its first minimum wage ($ 1.39/hr) on January 1, 2019?

South Africa.

3. Name the NASA space craft which flew past the most distant world ever studied by human kind “Ultima Thule”?

New Horizons.

Ultima Thule is a frozen relic of the early solar system that could reveal how planets formed.

4. Name the Afghan-born Indian-Canadian film actor, screenwriter, comedian, and director who passed away on December 32, 2018?

Kader Khan.

As an actor, Kader Khan appeared in over 300 films after his debut film in the 1973 film Daag, starring Rajesh Khanna, in which he acted as a prosecuting attorney.

5. Name the China’s space probe which touched down on the far side of the moon on January 3, 2019?

The Chang’e-4.

6. Which film is selected as the best picture of 2018 by the National Society of Film Critics?

The Rider. (Director-Chloe Zhao).

7. Who became the first person to be declared a fugitive economic offender by the special court hearing cases under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA)?

Vijay Mallia.

8. Israeli writer, novelist, journalist, and intellectual who was a prominent advocate of a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, passed away on December 28, 2018?

Amos Oz.

He was the author of 40 books, including novels, short story collections, children's books, and essays, and his work has been published in 45 languages, more than that of any other Israeli writer. He was the recipient of many honours and awards, among them the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, the Legion of Honour of France, the Israel Prize, the Goethe Prize, the Prince of Asturias Award in Literature, the Heinrich Heine Prize, and the Franz Kafka Prize.

9. Who became the first player to win three Hopman Cups?

Roger Federer.

Federer won the Hopman Cup teaming with Belinda Bencic and this is the duo’s second consecutive title. Federer first won the Hopman Cup back in 2001 when he teamed with Martina Hingis.

10. Name the bill which was passed by Lok Sabha on January 8, 2019 that seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan?

Citizenship (Amendment) Bill-2019.

11. Name the new book written by Nobel peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai which charting her experiences travelling the world and visiting refugee camps?

“We are Displaced”.

12. The high power committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed the CBI Director on January 10, 2019, a day after he resumed office following the Supreme Court verdict restoring his position. Name that CBI Director?

Alok Verma.

13. Who has been appointed president of the Alliance for Media Freedom (AFMF), a cross media advocacy and action group of media organisations, promoters and journalists?

N.Ram.

14. Who won the 2018 Olof Palme human rights prize?

Daniel Ellsberg.

15. Childhood coach of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar who passed away on January 2, 2019?

Ramakant Vitthal Achrekar.

He founded Kamanth Memorial Cricket Club at Shivaji Park. He coached and nurtured numerous cricketers, including the Test players Sachin Tendulkar, Ajit Agarkar, Chandrakant Pandit, Vinod Kambli and Pravin Amre. 

16. Which country has been named the second best performing country after Sweden in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI)?

Morocco.

17. Who was sworn in as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister for a record fourth term on January 7, 2019?

Sheikh Hasina.

18. Which country on January 7, 2019 started levying $9.22 departure tax on each person leaving the country, a measure aimed at raising funds to further boost tourism?

Japan.

19. Tamil Nadu’s  Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister who was convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment in a case of unlawful assembly and rioting in 1998 in Bagalur village near Hosur?

P.Balakrishna Reddy.

20. Former Finance secretary who has resigned as chairman of the Energy Resources Institute (TERI)?

Ashok Chawla.

21. Which state won the Vijay Merchant Trophy defeating Jharkhand in the final on the basis of first innings lead?

Haryana.

22. Who becomes the first South Asian who has been appointed as a member of a congressional committee on intelligence, a powerful body tasked to strengthen U.S’s national security?

Raja Krishnamoorthi.

23. Name the recipients of Bharat Ratna-2019, the highest civilian award of the Republic of India.

Pranab Mukherjee: Mukherjee is an Indian politician who served as the 13th President of India from 2012 until 2017. In a political career spanning five decades, Mukherjee has been a senior leader in the Indian National Congress and has occupied several ministerial portfolios in the Government of India

Bhupen Hazarika: Hazarika was an Indian playback singer, lyricist, musician, poet and film-maker from Assam, widely known as Sudhakantha. His songs, written and sung mainly in the Assamese language by himself, are marked by humanity and universal brotherhood and have been translated and sung in many languages, most notably in Bengali and Hindi.

Nanaji Deshmukh: Chandikadas Amritrao Deshmukh also known as Nanaji Deshmukh (11 October 1916 – 27 February 2010) was a social activist from India. He worked in the fields of education, health, and rural self-reliance. He was a leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and also a member of the Rajya Sabha.

24. Who won the prestigious DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for the book “No Presents Please”?

Jayant Kaikini, along with translator Tejaswini Niranjana.

25. Australian Open Title 2019 Winners:

Men’s Singles: 

Winner: Novak Djokovic (Serbia)

Runner Up: Rafael Nadal (Spain)

Women’s Singles: 

Winner: Naomi Osaka (Japan)

Runner Up: Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic)

Men’s Doubles:

Winner: Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) and Nicolas Mahut (France)

Runner Up: Henri Kontinen (Finland) and John Peers (Australia)

Women’s Doubles:

Winners: Samantha Stosur (Australia) and Zhang Shuai (China)

Runners Up: Tímea Babos (Hungary) and Kristina Mladenovic (France)

Mix Doubles:

Winners: Barbora Krejcíkova (Czech Republic) and Rajeev Ram (United States).

Runners Up: Astra Sharma (Australia) and John-Patrick Smith (Australia)

26. Who won the Indonesia Masters-2019 after Carolina Marin was forced to retire with a knee injury in the final?

Saina Nehwal.

27. Who becomes the first Hindu woman judge of Pakistan?

Suman Kumari.

28. The ICICI Bank has recently decided to terminate the contract of former Managing Director and CEO, after the B.N.Srikrishna panel found that she violated the Bank’s code of conduct. Name the former CEO?

Chanda Kochar.

29. Who is sworn in as the 26th Chief Justice of Pakistan?

Justice.Asif Saeed Khosa.

30. American poet who won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, passed away on January 17, 2019?

Mary Oliver.

Her fifth collection of poetry, American Primitive, won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1984.

31. Who becomes the new king of Malaysia, after the last monarch abdicated in a historic fist following his reported marriage to a Russian ex beauty queen?

Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.

32. Sachin Tendulkar was present at the book launch of Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar's book launch in Mumbai. What is the name of her book?

“The small Wonder”

The book gives an insight into the life of the gymnast and the hardships that she has gone through to reach the stage of her life where she is at the moment. The book also speaks about her feat in the Rio Olympics in 2016 where she finished fourth in the finals of the vault event. 

33. Former defence minister, anti-Emergency crusader and founder of the Samata Party, passed away on January 29, 2019?

 George Fernandes. He held several ministerial portfolios including communications, industry, railways, and defence.

34. Who becomes the first cricketer to hit 900 sixes in T20 format?

Chris Gayle.

35. Who won the ICC women Cricketer of the year (2018) award?

Smrithi Mandhana.

She adjudged 'Women's Cricketer of the Year' as well as the 'Women's ODI Player of the Year' by the ICC.

36. Who won the ICC T20I Woman Player of the Year-2018?

Alyssa Healy (Australia’s wicketkeeper)

England’s Sophie Ecclestone named ICC Emerging Player of the Year-2018.

37. Who becomes the first Indian Wicket Weeper to score a century in Australia?

Rishabh Panth.

38. Which cricketer has beaten Sachin Tendulkar as the quickest batsman to 19,000 international runs?

Virat Kohli.

The Indian skipper reached the milestone in 399 innings while Sachin did it in 432.

39. Which footballer has surpassed Lionel Messi to become the second highest international goal scorer among active players?

Sunil Chhetri.

40. Who has been named the CAF African Footballer of the Year 2018?

Mohamed Salah.

41. American nuclear physicist who served as United States Secretary of Defense from 1977 to 1981, under President Jimmy Carter, passed away on January 4, 2019?

Harold Brown.

42. Who is currently not recognized as the legitimate president of Venezuela by over 50 countries and a number of international organizations?

Nicolás Maduro

Despite encouragement to resign as president when his first term expired on 10 January 2019, President Maduro was inaugurated by Maikel Moreno, Chief Justice of the Supreme Tribunal of Venezuela. This resulted in widespread condemnation; minutes after taking oath, the Organization of American States approved a resolution in a special session of its Permanent Council in which Maduro was declared illegitimate as President of Venezuela, urging that new elections be summoned.  The National Assembly invoked a state of emergency and some nations removed their embassies from Venezuela.

Additionally, on 23 January 2019, the President of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, was declared the interim President by that body. Guaidó was immediately recognized as the legitimate President by several nations, including the United States and the Lima Group, as well as the Organization of American States. Maduro disputed Guaidó's claim and broke off diplomatic ties with several nations who recognized Guaidó's claim.

Lima Group: Lima Group is a multilateral body that was established following the Lima Declaration on 8 August 2017 in the Peruvian capital of Lima, where representatives of 12 countries met in order to establish a peaceful exit to the Crisis in Venezuela.

43. Who became the fourth Indian to reach the milestone of 10,000 runs in ODIs?

Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

44. Who becomes the youngest Grand Master of India?

Gukesh.D

At the age of 12 years, 7 months, and 17 days, Indian prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju became the second youngest grandmaster in chess history. The country’s 59th GM is also the youngest after breaking the record of state-mate R. Praggnanandhaa set in June last year.

45. Which country created history by growing the first seed in Moon?

China.

Cotton seeds carried on board the Chang’e-4 lunar lander have just sprouted, making them the first plants to ever germinate on another world.

46. Who was the first recipient of the Ashok Chakra award from Kashmir region of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir?

Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani. He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime military decoration in January 2019.

47. Padma Awards 2019.
Please click the below link to know the complete list of winners of Padma Awards-2019.
Padma Awards 2019

48. Who is sworn in as the new president of Congo on January 24, 2019?

Félix Tshisekedi.

49. Pakistan cricketer who has been banned for four matches after he admitted breaching the International Cricket Council’s anti-racism code?

Sarfraz Ahmed.

Sarfraz (Captain of Pakistan) made comments to South Africa’s Andile Phehlukwayo – picked up by the stump mic. Sarfraz met Phehlukwayo to apologise for his remarks, which included the Urdu word “kaale”, meaning “black”.

50. Name the India's first semi-high speed train which has been developed indigenously by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai?

Vande Bharat Express.

Vande Bharat Express train will travel from Delhi to Varanasi in 9 hours and 45 minutes. Train 18 has been renamed Vande Bharat Express.

CURRENT AFFAIRS QUESTION AND ANSWERS MAY-2018

  

1. Who has been appointed as the new general secretary of the ALL India Congress Committee(AICC)?

Ummen Chandy, former Chief Minister of Kerala.

2. Which country has voted by a landslide to legalise abortion in its sixth referendum on the issue?

Ireland.

3. Which team won the 11th IPL title defeating Sun Risers Hyderabad in the final by eight wickets?

Chennai Super Kings.

4. Who won the Man of the Match in the final of the IPL-2018?

Shane Watson (Chennai Super Kings). He scored unbeaten 117 runs from 57 balls.

5. The fourth man to walk on the moon who passed away on May 26,2018?

Alan Bean.

Alan was an American naval officer and naval aviator, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. He was selected to become an astronaut by NASA in 1963 as part of Astronaut Group 3.Bean stepped onto the lunar surface preceded by Pete Conrad, the mission commander of their Apollo 12 flight, in November 1969, four months after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first lunar explorers.

6. Gangster who is sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of journalist in June 2011?

Chhota Rajan.

7. Which film won the Palme d’Or top prize at the Cannes Film Festival-2018?

Shoplifters.

The film is directed by Hirokazu Kore-Eda.

8. Malaysian reformist who was granted a full pardon and freed on May 16, 2018?

Anwar Ibrahim.

9. What is the name given to the newest frog found in a small industrial region in coastal Karnataka?

Microhyla Kodial.

10. Who has been appointed as the new coach of Indian Men’s Hockey Team?

Harendra Singh.

11. Indian pugilist who has been conferred with the WBC Asia Boxer of the Year-2018 Award ?

Neeraj Goyat .

12. Who won the FWA Footballer of the Year (2018) award after his incredible debut season at Liverpool?

Mohamed Sala.

13. Which club won the F.A.Cup 2018 defeating Manchester United by 1-0 ?

Chelsea.

14. Which country won the Asian Women Hockey Championship defeating India in the final?

South Korea.

15. Who won the Italian Open Women’s Tennis Title 2018 defeating Simona Halep In the final?

Elina Svitolina.

16. US retailer on May 9, 2018y acquired a 77 per cent stake in Flipkart for about $16 billion in its biggest acquisition till date. Name that US retailer?

Wallmart.Inc.

17. Who is Malaysia’s first Sikh Minister?

Gobind Singh Deo.

An Indian-origin Sikh politician in Malaysia, Deo, has become a cabinet minister, the first member of the minority community in the country's history to be appointed as a minister.

18. American Novelist whose novel American Pastoral won a Pulitzer in 1998 but who was best-known for the controversial and explicit 1969 “Portnoy's Complain”, passed away on May

Philip Roth

19. South African Cricketer who has announced his retirement from international cricket, four days after his IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore exited the 11th season of the lucrative Twenty20 league?

A.B. De Villiers.

He has represented South Africa in 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20 Internationals.  He is South Africa's fourth most successful Test batsman with 8765 runs at 50.66, second-highest run-getter in ODIs with 9577 at 53.50 and second in T20Is with 1672 at 26.12. He scored 22 Test centuries and 25 in ODIs, with a best of 79* in T20Is.

20. Who won the Italian Open Men’s Tennis Title 2018 defeating Alexander Zverev (Germany) In the final?

Rafael Nadal.

21. Who has been named as Australia's new head coach, replacing Darren Lehmann, who resigned in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal?

Justin Langer

22. Who is confirmed as the winner of the 2017-18 European Golden Shoe after smashing 34 goals for Barcelona in their Liga-winning campaign?

Lionel Messi.

23. Parliament of which European country passed a law on May 30, 2018 banning burqa, the Islamic full face veil, in Public spaces?

Denmark.

24. The United States has recently renamed its strategically important Pacific Command (PACOM). What is the new name given to PACOM?

U.S. Indo Pacific Command.

25. The Vedanta Group’s Copper smelter plant in Tamil Nadu which was sealed on May 28, 2018 after the Tamil Nadu Environment and Forests Department issued government order for its permanent Closure. What is the name of that plant?

Sterlite Copper.

The decision to close down that factory comes against the backdrop of the killing of 13 persons in police firing at an anti Sterlite rally.

26. Former Chief Justice of Pakistan who is appointed as the caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan until a general election on July 25, 2018?

Nasir-ul-Mulk.

27. Who won the CEAT International Cricketer of the year (2018) award?

Virat Kohli(India).

28. Indian Botanist who becomes the first Indian to win the prestigious Linnean Medal in Botany from the Linnean Society of London?

Kamaljit S.Bawa.

29. Which club won the French Cup-2018?

PSG.

30. Which country become the NATO’s  first Latin American “Global Partner”?

Colombia.

31. Which countries signed 15 strategic pacts one to boost defence cooperation and called for freedom of navigation in the strategic Indo-Pacific region on May 30, 2018?

India and Indonesia.

32. NASA has recently announced to send a small helicopter to a planet  for planetary exploration which is scheduled to be launched in July 2020. Which is that planet?

Mars.

NASA currently has two cars roaming Mars-the Opportunity and Curiosity Rovers.

33. Which Indian has been ranked among the top 10 most powerful people in the World by Forbes ?

Narendra Modi.

Modi ranks 9th on the Forbes 2018 list of the World’s Most Powerful.  Chinese President Xi Jinping ranked first and Russian President Vladimir Putin ranked second.

CURRENT AFFAIRS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS DECEMBER 2016

1. Which countries signed four agreements on visas, cyberspace and investments on December 3, 2016?

India and Qatar.

2. Prime Minister of New Zealand who resigned from the post, citing family reasons?

John Key.

3. Prime Minister of Italy who resigned on December 7, 2016 after a bruising referendum loss?

Matteo Renzi.

4. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for over fourteen years between 1991 and 2016, who passed away on December 5, 2016?

Jayalalitha.

Jayalalitha was an Indian actor turned politician who served six terms as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for over fourteen years between 1991 and 2016. From 1989 she was the general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), a Dravidian party whose cadre revered her as their Amma (mother), Puratchi Thalaivi (revolutionary leader) and Thanga Tharagai (golden maiden).

Ms. Jayalalitha was a reluctant entrant into films as well as politics but she succeeded in both; her film career began in 1965 with her first film 'Vennira Aadai'.

5. French Socialist politician who became the Prime Minister of France on December 6, 2016?

Bernard Cazeneuve.

Bernard Cazeneuve has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of France after Manuel Valls quit his post to focus on running for President in the country’s coming elections.

6. Political commentator, theatre personality and editor of Thuglak, a Tamil magazine known for its withering satire and fearless criticism of political figures, passed away on December 7, 2016?

Cho S. Ramaswamy.

7. Name the Remote sensing satellite which was successfully launched by India on December 7, 2017?

Resourcesat-2A.

Resourcesat-2A is a follow on mission to Resourcesat-1 and Resourcesat-2 which were launched in October, 2003 and April, 2011 respectively. The new satellite provides the same services as the other Resourcesat missions. It will give regular micro and macro information on land and water bodies below, farm lands and crop extent, forests, mineral deposits, coastal information, rural and urban spreads besides helping in disaster management.

8. Name the new four elements officially added to the Periodic Table of elements in December 2016?

Nihonium, Moscovium, Tennessine and Oganesson.

In December-2016, four new elements—with atomic numbers 113, 115, 117, and 118—earned their spots on the periodic table. Scientists first synthesized the new elements between 2002 and 2010, but it wasn’t until December of 2015 that the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry officially recognized the discoveries.

Here are the four elements and where their names come from:

• Japanese researchers proposed Nihonium, symbol Nh, for element 113 after the Japanese word Nihon, which means Japan.

• A team consisting of scientists from Russia and the United States named element 115, symbol Mc, after Moscow, and element 117, symbol Ts, after Tennessee.

• Element 118 was named Oganesson, symbol Og, for Yuri Oganessian, a prolific element hunter, by the Russian team that discovered it.

9. Who becomes the second Indian Cricketer to score a triple-century in Tests?

Karun Nair.

Nair, in his third Test, finished not out on 303 as India declared with their highest score in Tests, a massive 759/7, at the Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. At 25 years and 13 days, Nair also overtook Sehwag's Indian record of youngest Test triple-centurion. 

10. Who becomes the 39th Prime Minister of New Zealand?

Bill English.

11. Who won the 2016 Ballon d'Or award for the best player in World Football?

 Cristiano Ronaldo.

12. Eminent writer and journalist who has been chosen for the prestigious Moortidevi award for 2016 for his Malayalam travelogue “Haimavatha Bhooviil” which unravels ancient trails of Indian culture and literature?

M. P. Veerendra Kumar.

The award carries an amount of Rs 4 lakh, a statue of Saraswati and a plaque.

13. Who topped Forbes magazine’s list of The World’s Most Powerful People in 2016?

Vladimir Putin.( Russian President).

14. Who is the 69th and current United States Secretary of State?

Rex Wayne Tillerson.

15. Who was removed as director of Tata Group's crown jewel, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) with 93.11 per cent of shareholders present at the extra-ordinary general meeting voting for his ouster?

Cyrus P Mistry.

16. Name the Egyptian movie which has won the Suvarna Chakoram (Golden Crow Pheasant) Award at the 21st International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)?

Clash”, The movie is directed by Mohamed Diab.

“Clair Obscur” directed by Yesim Ustaoglu won the Rajatha Chakoram (Silver Crow Pheasant) Award for the Best Director. Vidhu Vincent won the Rajatha Chakoram for the Best Debut Director. 

17. Which country has won the junior World Cup hockey title after a gap of 15 years?

India.

India beat Belgium 2-1 in a final match they dominated at Lucknow’s Major Dhyan Chand Stadium.

18. Who is the 25th Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force?

Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa.

 He assumed the post on 31 December 2016 after Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha retired Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa

19. Who is the 27th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army?

General Bipin Rawat,

He assumed office on 31 December 2016 after retirement of General Dalbir Singh. 

20. Who is the present chief of the Intelligence Bureau?

Rajiv Jain.

21. Who is the Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing, India's foreign intelligence service?

Anil Kumar Dhasmana.

He was appointed as the Chief of R&AW as the post fell vacant on 31 January 2017.

22. Which team crowned ISL 2016 champions after beating Kerala Blasters FC in the final?

Atletico de Kolkata .

23. Puerto Rican musician, model, and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2016?

Stephanie Del Valle.

24. Who won the unified WBO Asia Pacific and Oriental Super Middleweight boxing titles-2016 held in Mumbai?

Vijender Singh.

25. Name the fourth cyclonic storm, as well as the most intense tropical cyclone of the 2016 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, which struck the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as well as South India in December 2016?

Cyclone Vardah.

The name Vardah, suggested by Pakistan, refers to the red rose.

26. American actress, writer, and humorist who was known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars films, passed away on December 27, 2016?

Carrie Frances Fisher.

27. Astrophysicist who discovered evidence of dark matter, passed away on December 25, 2016?

Vera Rubin.

Rubin was an American astronomer who pioneered work on galaxy rotation rates. She uncovered the discrepancy between the predicted angular motion of galaxies and the observed motion, by studying galactic rotation curves. This phenomenon became known as the galaxy rotation problem, and was evidence of the existence of dark matter.

28. The last leader of Uruguay’s brutal dictatorship of the 1970s and ’80s, passed away on December 28, 2016?

Gen. Gregorio Alvarez.

Alvarez is also known as El Goyo, was an Uruguayan army general who served as the de facto president of Uruguay from 1981 until 1985 and was the last surviving President of the civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay.

29. The Malayalam Poet who has won the Kendra Sahithya Akademi Award for the year 2016? 

Prabha Varma.

 Prabha Varma’s ‘Shyama Madhavam’ has been selected for Kendra Sahitya Akademi award for the year 2016. The work had earlier won several laurels, including the coveted Vayalar Award.

30. Former Air Force Chief who was arrested over alleged irregularities in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal worth 3,600 crores, signed when the Congress was in power?

SP Tyagi.

31. Which Indian cricketer created history by becoming the first Indian batsman to notch up three double centuries in a calendar year?

Virat Kohli.

Before Kohli, only four batsmen – Sir Don Bradman (1930), Ricky Ponting (2003), Michael Clarke (2012), and Brendon McCullum (2014) – had achieved the same. Clarke leads the list with four double centuries, while the other three batsmen managed three each.

32. Who has been the Prime Minister of Italy since 12 December 2016?

Paolo Gentiloni.

Gentiloni, a member of the Democratic Party, served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 31 October 2014 until December 2016, when President Sergio Mattarella asked him to form a new government.

33. President of South Korea who was impeached by the National Assembly on 9 December 2016, on charges related to influence peddling by her top aide, Choi Soon-sil. Her presidential powers and duties were suspended with the ratification of the impeachment. Name that President of South Korea?

Park Geun-hye.

She was the first woman to be elected as President of South Korea and she served as President of South Korea from 2013 to 2017.

34. Who was named by Time magazine as its 'Person of the Year 2016'?

Donald Trump .

35. Who has won the 2016 Ballon d’Or, an award given to the best-performing football player around the world in 2016?

Cristiano Ronaldo.

It was his fourth Ballon d'Or, the most of any European player in the history of the award.

36. Who is the Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence since 11 December 2016?

Naveed Mukhtar .

He previously served as a three-star rank army general in the Pakistan Army and the Commander of V Corps of Karachi from 2014 to 2016.

37. Which cricketer becomes the 10000th LBW victim in Test Cricket?

Hashim Amla.

He became the 10,00th lbw victim in Test cricket when he was dismissed for a score of 48 by Sri Lanka's Nuwan Pradeep during the first match in Port Elizabeth.

38. Who won the World Billiards Championships title-2016 defeating Peter Gilchrist of Singapore ?

Pankaj Advani.

39. Who amassed an unbeaten 359 in their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal tie against Odisha at Jaipur, bettering a 117-year world record for the highest score while carrying the bat in first-class cricket?

Samit Gohel.

Gujarat opening batsman achieved the record, facing 723 balls and hitting 45 fours and a six. The previous record was Bobby Abel’s 357* (in Surrey’s 811) against Somerset in English county cricket at The Oval in 1899.

40. Who has become the third India player and 12th player overall to win the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy after being named as the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2016?

Ravichandran Ashwin.

41. The full list of ICC Award 2016 winners is:

ICC Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) – Ravichandran Ashwin (India)

ICC Test Cricketer of the Year – Ravichandran Ashwin (India)

ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year – Quinton de Kock (South Africa)

ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year – Suzie Bates (New Zealand)

ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year – Suzie Bates (New Zealand)

ICC T20I Performance of the Year – Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies ) (34 not out, 10 balls, 1x4, 4x6, ICC WT20 India 2016 final v England, Kolkata)

ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year – Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)

ICC Associate/Affiliate Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan)

ICC Spirit of Cricket Award – Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan)

ICC Umpire of the Year (David Shepherd Trophy) – Marais Erasmus

42. Eminent modern Bengali poet  who has been chosen for the prestigious Jnanpith Award for 2016?

Shankha Ghosh.

43. Which club won the Italian Super Cup defeating Juventus in the final?

 AC Milan.

44. Who was appointed as the brand ambassador of Assam tourism?

Priyanka Chopra 

45. Who has been appointed as the Director of the White House National Trade Council, a newly created entity in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government?

Peter Navarro.

46. Which collectorate of Kerala became the first cashless collectorate in the State?

Pathanamthitta.

47. Which country won the 2016 Under-19 Asia Cup defeating Sri Lanka in the final?

India.

The 2016 Under-19 Asia Cup was an international cricket tournament that was held in Sri Lanka from 15 to 23 December 2016.

48. Which country is now the 6th largest economy in the world with a growth forecast of 7.6 per cent by the International Monetary Fund, according to a  report published in Forbes magazine?

India.

49. Who has been reelected as the president of India's association football governing body the All India Football Federation (AIFF)?

Praful Patel.

50. Who has been selected as the 2016 Player of the Year by the All India Football Federation (AIFF)?

Jeje Lalpekhlua.

Odisha’s Sasmita Malik was chosen woman footballer of the year-2016.

51. English legendary singer who was best known for his hit singles such as "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Last Christmas", and albums such as Faith (1987) and Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, passed away on December 26, 2016?

George Michael.

52. Name the indigenously developed intercontinental surface-to-surface nuclear capable ballistic missile successfully test fired by India on December 26,2017?

 'Agni-5'

Agni-V is an intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India. The nuclear-capable Agni-V, which can even reach the northernmost parts of China with its strike range of over 5,000-km. On 26 December 2016, a fourth test of the missile was successfully conducted from complex 4 of Wheeler Island, Odisha at 11.05 IST

CURRENT AFFAIRS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS MAY 2017

1. Which country won the 2017 Sultan Azlan Shah men's field hockey tournament held in Malaysia defeating Australia in the final?

Britain.

2. The first woman judge of Delhi High Court who passed away on May 6, 2017?

Justice Leila Seth.

She played vital role in amending the Hindu Succession Act which gave equal rights to daughters in joint family property.

3. Who has become the leading wicket-taker in Women's One-Day Internationals going past Australian Cathryn Fitzpatrick record of 180 wickets on May 9, 2017?

Jhulan Goswami.

She is the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year 2007, Arjuna Awardee and Padma Shri winner.

4. Who has elected as the new president of South Korea in the 2017 South Korean presidential election after the impeachment of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye?

Moon Jae-in.

5. The minority Christian governor of Jakarta (Indonesia) who has been sentenced to two years in prison on May 9, 2017 for blaspheming the Koran?

Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama.

6. Calcutta high court judge who has been sentenced to six months in jail for contempt of court by The Supreme Court of India on May 9, 2017?

Justice C.S. Karnan.

7. The seventh Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who was dismissed by President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017?

James Comey.

He served as the director of FBI from September 4, 2013 until May 9, 2017.

8. What was the name given to the May 2017 worldwide cyberattack which targeted computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system by encrypting data and demanding ransom payments in the Bitcoin cryptocurrency?

The WannaCry ransomware attack.

The attack began on Friday, 12 May 2017, and within a day was reported to have infected more than 230,000 computers in over 150 countries.  Parts of the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) were infected, causing it to run some services on an emergency-only basis during the attack.

9. Which club won the 2016–17 English Premier League, the top English professional league for association football clubs?

Chelsea.

The season began on 13 August 2016 and concluded on 21 May 2017. Chelsea won their fifth Premier League title, and sixth English title, with two matches to spare following a 1–0 away win over West Bromwich Albion on 12 May. The defending champions were Leicester City who finished in 12th position.

10. Who was named the chairman of FIFA’s governance committee at the world football governing body’s 67th Congress in Bahrain’s capital city of Manama?

Justice Mukul Mudgal. 

He also headed the IPL 2013 spot-fixing probe.

11. Which film won the Palme d’Or award in the 2017 Cannes Film Festival?

The Square.

The Square is a 2017 Swedish satirical drama film directed by Ruben 

Ostlund.

Other Awards in the 2017 Cannes Film Festival

70th Anniversary Award: Nicole Kidman

Grand Prix: “BPM (Beats Per Minute)” (Robin Campillo)

Director: Sofia Coppola, “The Beguiled”

Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, “You Were Never Really Here”

Actress: Diane Kruger, “In the Fade”

Jury Prize: “Loveless” (Andrey Zvyagintsev)

Screenplay — TIE: “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” (Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou) and “You Were Never Really Here” (Lynne Ramsay)

12. Who won the European Golden Shoe for a record-equaling fourth time, drawing level with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo?

Lionel Messi.

13. Who has been elected as the youngest ever president of France in May, 2017?

 Emmanuel Macron.

Macron has defeated nationalist rival Marine Le Pen in France's presidential election. 

14. Who holds the World Record for most number of Catches in Twenty20 cricket?

M.S.Dhoni.

Dhoni past Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara to become the only wicketkeeper to take 124 catches in Twenty20 cricket. 

15. Who won the 2017 Madrid Open Men’s Single Tennis title defeating  Dominic Thiem in the final?

Rafael Nadal. 

This is his fifth Madrid Open title.

16. Who won the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix -2017?

Lewis Hamilton.

17. The 'One Belt One Road' summit was held in?

China.

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, or BRF was held on May 14–15, 2017 in Beijing, and claimed to draw 29 foreign heads of state and government and representatives from more than 130 countries and 70 international organizations. 

18. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the country’s longest bridge over the Lohit River in Assam on May 26, 2017. What is the name of that bridge?

The Bhupen Hazarika Setu also referred to as the Dhola–Sadiya Bridge.

          Bhupen Hazarika Bridge is a beam bridge in India, connecting the northeast states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The bridge spans the Lohit River, a major tributary of the Brahmaputra River, from the village of Dhola (Tinsukia District) in the south to Sadiya to the north. The bridge is the first permanent road connection between the northern Assam and eastern Arunachal Pradesh.

      At 9.15 kilometres (5.69 mi) in length, it is the longest bridge in India. However, the New Ganga Bridge Project under construction in the Indian state of Bihar is expected to become the longest bridge in India upon its estimated completion in December 2020, with a length of 9.8 kilometers. The bridge is named after singer Bhupen Hazarika, who hailed from Sadia.

19. Which country has been unanimously elected as the president of the UN-Habitat, an organ of the United Nations promoting sustainable human settlements across the globe?

India.

On behalf of India, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister M Venkaiah Naidu will preside over the deliberations of the 58-member Governing Council (GC) of the UN-Habitat for the next two years.

20. Who has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of France on May 15, 2017?

Edouard Philippe.

21. IFS officer and Press Secretary to President Pranab Mukherjee who has been appointed as India's Ambassador to the Netherlands?

Venu Rajamony.

22. Who became the leading wicket-taker in the history of the women’s ODIs, surpassing the previous record holder Cathryn Fitzpatrick’s record tally of 180 wickets?

Jhulan Goswami (India).

She took her 181st wicket in India’s win against South Africa, beating the record of Australian Cathryn Fitzpatrick. Goswami made her international debut in 2002 against England and has played in 10 Tests, 153 ODIs and 60 Twenty20s. The fast bowler was also named the International Cricket Council’s women’s cricketer of the year in 2007.

23. Name the prominent, award-winning Mexican journalist famed for fearlessly covering drug cartels who was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen on May 15, 2017?

Javier Valdez.

Javier was a Mexican journalist and founder of Riodoce, a newspaper based in Sinaloa. He received several international awards for his writings on drug trafficking and organized crime in the Mexican Drug War.

24. What is the name of Indian docudrama-biographical film, based on the life of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar which was released on 26 May 2017?

Sachin: A Billion Dreams.

Sachin: A Billion Dreams is a 2017 Indian docudrama-biographical film directed by James Erskine and produced by Ravi Bhagchandka and Carnival Motion Pictures under 200 NotOut Productions. It captures Tendulkar's cricket and personal life in substantial detail, as well as reveals few aspects of his life which have never been heard of or seen before.

25. Central Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, passed away on May 18, 2017?

Anil Madhav Dave.

He was appointed as the Minister of State (MoS) independent charge of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the Modi Government's cabinet expansion on 5 July 2016. He died of a cardiac arrest in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

26. Veteran actress, known for her performance in movies like 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun' and 'Kal Ho Na Ho' and TV shows 'Shrimaan Shrimati' and 'Tu Tu Main Main', died due to a cardiac arrest on May 18,2017?

Reema Lagoo.

27. The International Court of Justice on May 18, 2017 ordered Pakistan not to execute a former Indian Navy officer convicted of alleged espionage and terrorism, till it gives a final decision on New Delhi’s petition to annul his death sentence. Who is that Indian Navy Officer?

Kulbhushan Jadhav.

In April, a military court of Pakistan sentenced him to death for alleged involvement in spying and subversive activities. India has contended he was kidnapped from the Iranian port of Chabahar and his secret trial was a “farce”.

28. Which club is the winner of the 2016–17 Coppa Italia?

Juventus.

Juventus won the match (2–0) defeating Lazio in the final. This is their third consecutive Coppa Italia title and 12th title overall.

29. Filmmaker who has been chosen for the prestigious J.C. Daniel Award for 2016?

Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

 The J.C. Daniel Award, conferred by the Kerala State government annually in recognition to an individual’s contributions to Malayalam cinema, carries a purse of ₹1 lakh, a plaque, and a citation.

30. British actor best known for playing James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985, passed away on May 23, 2017?

Roger Moore.

Moore took over the role of Bond from Sean Connery in 1972, and made his first appearance as 007 in Live and Let Die (1973). He is best known for playing the dashing spy James Bond, a role he mastered in seven films from Live and Let Die (1973) to A View to a Kill (1985). Appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1991, Moore was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003 for "services to charity". In 2007, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in television and in film.

31. American professional motorcycle racer who won the MotoGP World Championship in 2006, passed away on May 22, 2017?

Nicky Hayden.

Nicholas Patrick Hayden, nicknamed "The Kentucky Kid", was hit by a car while riding his bicycle in Italy. He suffered a traumatic brain injury.

32. The Supreme Court in Spain has upheld a 21-month prison sentence for Argentine footballer and his father in the appeal of their tax fraud case. Who is that footballer?

Lionel Messi.

In Spain, prison terms of less than two years can be served under probation. Hence, neither are expected to serve any jail time.

33. Which is the first metro project in India to have an underwater tunnel? 

The Kolkata Metro.

The tunneling work under the Hooghly River, the first such underwater project in the country, to provide metro connectivity between Howrah and Kolkata.

34. Which country becomes the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, after a landmark ruling by the constitutional court?

Taiwan.

Taiwan's Constitutional Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage on May 24, 2017, punctuating year’s long campaign by advocates for gay rights in one of the continent's most liberal democracies.

35. Which club won the 2016-2017 FA Cup, known officially as The Football Association Challenge Cup?

Arsenal.

Arsenal defeated Chelsea in final.

36. Which club won the Copa del Rey-2017, an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams?

Barcelona.

37. Who has been reelected as the President of Iran?

Hassan Rouhani.

He became the third Iranian President, after Mohammad Khatami and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to win a presidential victory as an incumbent with an increased electoral mandate.

38. Parliament of which country has passed legislation making it easier to deport failed asylum seekers and monitor those deemed dangerous in a move that has been slammed by opposition parties and rights groups as an assault on the rights of refugees. 

Germany.

39. Which team won the Federation Cup Football-2017?

Bangalore FC.

40. Which country beat Colombia to win the gold medal in the Archery World Cup held in Shanghai?

India.

India’s compound men’s archery team consisting of Abhishek Verma, Chinna Raju Srither and Amanjeet Singh defeated Colombia in the final.

41. Who has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Ireland?

Leo Varadkar.

42. Which team won Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 title defeating Rising Pune Supergiant at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad?

Mumbai Indians.

43. Name the world's lightest satellite weighing a mere 64 grams which was designed by 18-year-old Tamil Nadu student Rifath Sharook and his team?

Kalamsat.

Kalam SAT is a Femto Satellite and widely-claimed to be the world's lightest satellite, named after former Indian president Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

44. Which team won the 2016–17 La Liga?

 Real Madrid

Real Madrid became champions for the first time since the 2011–12 season. En route to their 33rd championship, Real Madrid became the first side to score in every match of their Liga campaign.

45. Scientists at NASA have named a new organism discovered by them after the much-loved APJ Abdul Kalam. What is the name of that  new organism - a form of a bacteria ?

Solibacillus kalamii.

Till date, the new organism - a form of bacteria - has been found only on the International Space Station (ISS) and has not been found on earth.