Current News and Affairs

Which one of the following cities was named by UNESCO as World Capital of Architecture for 2020 ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Tokyo” option2=”Johannesburg” option3=”Rio de Janerio” option4=”New Delhi” correct=”option3″]

The city named by UNESCO as World Capital of Architecture for 2020 was Rio de Janeiro.

This designation is jointly awarded by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects (UIA) every three years.

The designated city hosts the UIA World Congress of Architects. Rio de Janeiro’s nomination was based on its vibrant culture, historical buildings, and commitment to using architecture and urban planning as tools for social development and environmental sustainability.

The 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, 2019 was held in

[amp_mcq option1=”New Delhi” option2=”Gandhi Nagar” option3=”Prayagraj” option4=”Varanasi” correct=”option4″]

The 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, 2019 was held in Varanasi.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated every two years to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. The 15th edition was held from January 21 to 23, 2019, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

The theme for the 15th PBD was “Role of Indian Diaspora in building New India”. The event also coincided with the Kumbh Mela and Republic Day celebrations, allowing participants to experience these cultural events.

Who among the following was awarded The Hindu Prize in Fiction category for the year 2018 ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Neelum Saran Gour” option2=”N Kalyan Raman” option3=”Manoranjan Byapari” option4=”Arunav Sinha” correct=”option1″]

Neelum Saran Gour was awarded The Hindu Prize in the Fiction category for the year 2018.

Neelum Saran Gour won The Hindu Prize 2018 for Fiction for her novel “Requiem in Raga Janki”.

The Hindu Prize is an Indian literary award established in 2010. It recognizes authors who have made significant contributions to Indian literature in English.

Justice Dalveer Bhandari of India was recently re-elected to the International Court of Justice after Christopher Greenwood pulled out before 12th round of voting. Christopher Greenwood was a nominee of

[amp_mcq option1=”Canada” option2=”Russia” option3=”Britain” option4=”USA” correct=”option3″]

The correct option is C, Britain (United Kingdom). Justice Dalveer Bhandari of India was re-elected to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in November 2017 after the UK candidate, Christopher Greenwood, withdrew from the contest for the final remaining seat.

– The election for the ICJ seats is held simultaneously by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council. Candidates need an absolute majority in both bodies to be elected.
– Justice Bhandari had secured a majority in the General Assembly votes against Greenwood, who had secured more votes in the Security Council. Greenwood’s withdrawal paved the way for Bhandari’s re-election.

This event was seen as a diplomatic victory for India and highlighted the increasing influence of developing nations in international forums.

Which one of the following countries did NOT participate in the 21st edition of Exercise Malabar ?

[amp_mcq option1=”United States of America” option2=”Japan” option3=”India” option4=”Australia” correct=”option4″]

The correct option is D, Australia. The 21st edition of Exercise Malabar in 2017 was a trilateral naval exercise involving India, the United States, and Japan. Australia did not participate in this edition.

– Exercise Malabar started as a bilateral exercise between India and the United States in 1992.
– Japan joined as a regular participant in 2015, making it a trilateral exercise.
– Australia was invited to join the Malabar exercise starting from the 2020 edition.

The exercise focuses on enhancing inter-operability and mutual understanding between the participating navies. Its scope has expanded over the years to include complex warfare scenarios.

Which one of the following countries has failed to qualify for the first time in 60 years for the FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia in the year 2018 ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Mexico” option2=”Iran” option3=”Saudi Arabia” option4=”Italy” correct=”option4″]

The correct option is D, Italy. Italy failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup held in Russia in 2018, which was the first time they missed the tournament in 60 years (since 1958).

– Italy, a four-time World Cup champion, was eliminated by Sweden in the play-offs, marking a significant upset in football history.
– This failure ended Italy’s streak of 14 consecutive World Cup appearances.

Mexico and Iran qualified for the 2018 World Cup. Saudi Arabia also qualified, returning to the tournament after missing two editions.

Who among the following Indians did NOT hold the title of Miss World ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Reita Faria” option2=”Sushmita Sen” option3=”Diana Hayden” option4=”Yukta Mookhey” correct=”option2″]

The correct option is B, Sushmita Sen. Among the options provided, Sushmita Sen did not hold the title of Miss World.

– Reita Faria (1966), Diana Hayden (1997), and Yukta Mookhey (1999) are all past winners of the Miss World title from India.
– Sushmita Sen was the winner of the Miss Universe pageant in 1994.

India has had six Miss World winners: Reita Faria, Aishwarya Rai, Diana Hayden, Yukta Mookhey, Priyanka Chopra, and Manushi Chhillar.

Who among the following recently became the first woman pilot in Indian Navy ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Astha Segal” option2=”Roopa A” option3=”Sakthi Maya S” option4=”Shubhangi Swaroop” correct=”option4″]

The correct option is D, Shubhangi Swaroop. She was the first woman pilot to be inducted into the Indian Navy.

– Shubhangi Swaroop was one of three women cadets who created history by being the first batch of women officers in the naval armament inspection branch, air traffic control (ATC), and pilot stream, respectively.
– She was selected as a pilot and was set to train at the Air Force Academy in Hyderabad in late 2017.

The inclusion of women in combat roles and various specialized branches was a significant step for the Indian Navy’s gender inclusion policy.

Which of the following statements about ‘Aadi Mahotsav’ held recently in New Delhi is/are correct ?

• 1. The theme of the festival was ‘A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture, Cuisine and Commerce’
• 2. The festival was organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”Both 1 and 2″ option4=”Neither 1 nor 2″ correct=”option1″]

The correct answer is A.

Aadi Mahotsav is a national tribal festival showcasing tribal art, craft, cuisine, and commerce. Statement 1, describing the theme as ‘A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture, Cuisine and Commerce’, accurately reflects the purpose and scope of the festival. Statement 2 is incorrect; Aadi Mahotsav is organized by TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India), which functions under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, not the Ministry of Tourism.

TRIFED is a national-level apex organization under the administrative control of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, and is engaged in the marketing development of tribal products. Aadi Mahotsav serves as a platform for tribal artisans and craftspersons to showcase and sell their products directly to consumers.

Arrange the following countries in ascending order on the basis of the total medals earned by them in Rio Olympic 2016 :

1. United States
2. China
3. Great Britain
4. Russia

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

[amp_mcq option1=”1, 2, 3, 4″ option2=”1, 3, 2, 4″ option3=”4, 3, 2, 1″ option4=”4, 3, 1, 2″ correct=”option3″]

The question asks to arrange the given countries based on the total medals earned in the Rio Olympic 2016 in ascending order (from fewest medals to most medals).

The total medal counts for the specified countries in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics were:
1. United States: 121 medals
2. China: 70 medals
3. Great Britain: 67 medals
4. Russia: 56 medals
Arranging these countries in ascending order of total medals:
Russia (56) < Great Britain (67) < China (70) < United States (121) The corresponding numbers from the list are: 4 (Russia), 3 (Great Britain), 2 (China), 1 (United States). So the ascending order is 4, 3, 2, 1.

The United States traditionally tops the medal tally in the Summer Olympics. Great Britain had a very successful performance in Rio, finishing second in the gold medal count and second to the US in total medals among these four countries. Russia’s participation was affected by doping controversies, leading to exclusion of some athletes.