Current News and Affairs

Greta Thunberg, a teenaged environment activist who was in news recently, hails from

[amp_mcq option1=”Sweden” option2=”Germany” option3=”USA” option4=”Canada” correct=”option1″]

Greta Thunberg, the teenaged environment activist, hails from Sweden.

Greta Thunberg gained international prominence for her activism challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change. She is from Sweden.

Thunberg initiated the “Skolstrejk för klimatet” (School strike for climate) movement in August 2018 outside the Swedish Parliament. Her activism quickly grew into a global movement called “Fridays for Future”.

In September 2019, which one of the following travel giants declared itself bankrupt?

[amp_mcq option1=”Expedia” option2=”Cox & Kings” option3=”SOTC” option4=”Thomas Cook” correct=”option4″]

Thomas Cook, a global travel group, declared bankruptcy in September 2019.

Thomas Cook, one of the world’s oldest and largest travel companies, ceased trading in September 2019 after failing to secure rescue funding.

The collapse of Thomas Cook led to stranding hundreds of thousands of tourists worldwide, triggering the UK’s largest peacetime repatriation effort. The event had significant repercussions for the travel industry and related businesses.

Who among the following won the Best Men’s Player Award of FIFA Football Awards, 2019?

[amp_mcq option1=”Cristiano Ronaldo” option2=”Virgil van Dijk” option3=”Lionel Messi” option4=”Xavi” correct=”option3″]

Lionel Messi won the Best Men’s Player Award at the FIFA Football Awards in 2019.

The FIFA Best Men’s Player award for the year 2019 was presented to Argentine footballer Lionel Messi.

The ceremony took place in Milan, Italy. Other finalists for the award were Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal). This was Messi’s sixth FIFA award for the world’s best player.

The 11th BRICS Summit in 2019 will be hosted by

[amp_mcq option1=”China” option2=”Russia” option3=”Brazil” option4=”India” correct=”option3″]

The BRICS summit host country rotates annually among the member states in the order of the acronym BRICS.

The 10th BRICS summit was held in South Africa in 2018. Following the rotation (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), the 11th summit in 2019 was hosted by Brazil.

The BRICS summit in 2019 was held in Brasilia, Brazil. Subsequent summits followed the rotation: Russia (2020), India (2021), China (2022), South Africa (2023).

Till 2018, which of the following countries have legalized the possession and use of recreational cannabis?

• 1. America
• 2. Canada
• 3. Nigeria
• 4. Uruguay

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

By the end of 2018, recreational cannabis had been legalized in Canada and Uruguay, as well as several states within the United States (referred to here as ‘America’). Nigeria had not legalized it.

Uruguay legalized recreational cannabis in 2013. Canada legalized recreational cannabis federally in October 2018. Several US states had legalized recreational use through ballot initiatives by 2018. Nigeria maintains strict laws against cannabis.

The legalization landscape for cannabis is complex and varies by country and within countries (e.g., state vs. federal laws in the US). The question asks about ‘possession and use’, which was legal in specific jurisdictions within the US by 2018, making statement 1 applicable in that context.

Which one of the following viruses is responsible for the recent death of lions in Gir National Park?

[amp_mcq option1=”Canine Distemper Virus” option2=”Nipah Virus” option3=”Hendra Virus” option4=”Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus” correct=”option1″]

Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) was identified as the primary cause behind the death of several lions in Gujarat’s Gir National Park in 2018.

CDV is a highly contagious viral disease that affects canids and other carnivores. The outbreak in Gir was a significant threat to the Asiatic lion population.

Apart from CDV, Babesiosis (a tick-borne disease) was also found to be a contributing factor in some of the lion deaths during the 2018 outbreak. Subsequent measures, including vaccination and habitat management, were implemented to protect the lion population.

Who among the following won India’s first ever gold medal in the International Youth Olympic Games (2018) held in Argentina?

[amp_mcq option1=”Neeraj Chopra” option2=”Praveen Chitravel” option3=”Jeremy Lalrinnunga” option4=”Suraj Panwar” correct=”option3″]

Jeremy Lalrinnunga won India’s first ever gold medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Jeremy Lalrinnunga won the gold medal in the men’s 62 kg weightlifting event.

Other Indian medalists at the 2018 Youth Olympics included Suraj Panwar (silver in 5000m race walk) and Praveen Chitravel (bronze in triple jump). Neeraj Chopra had won gold in the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships and the 2018 Asian Games, but did not compete in the 2018 Youth Olympics.

In October 2018, India was elected as a member to the United Nations Human Rights Council for a period of

[amp_mcq option1=”five years” option2=”four years” option3=”three years” option4=”two years” correct=”option3″]

The correct answer is C.

Members of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) are elected for staggered terms of three years and may be re-elected for one additional consecutive term. In October 2018, India was elected to the UNHRC for a term beginning on January 1, 2019, for a period of three years (2019-2021).

The UNHRC is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. It consists of 47 member states elected by the UN General Assembly.

Which one of the following statements with regard to India’s surgical strike inside Pakistan Occupied Kashmir is correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”It was conducted in the year 2018.” option2=”It was led by the Indian Air Force.” option3=”It was not given any name.” option4=”It was sanctioned by the United Nations.” correct=”option3″]

The correct answer is C) It was not given any name.

The surgical strike conducted by the Indian Army across the Line of Control in September 2016 was not officially given a specific, publicly known codename.

The surgical strike was carried out by the Indian Army’s Special Forces on September 29, 2016, following the Uri attack. It was not conducted in 2018, nor was it led by the Indian Air Force. It was a military action by India and was not sanctioned by the United Nations.

Saurabh Chaudhary excels in which one of the following sports?

[amp_mcq option1=”Archery” option2=”Shooting” option3=”Boxing” option4=”Judo” correct=”option2″]

Saurabh Chaudhary is a prominent Indian sportsperson who excels in shooting, specifically in pistol events like 10m Air Pistol. He has won multiple medals at international competitions, including the Asian Games, ISSF World Cup, and Youth Olympics.

This question tests knowledge about famous Indian sportspersons and their respective disciplines.

Saurabh Chaudhary became the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the Asian Games (2018) and the youngest Indian to win an ISSF World Cup gold medal.