Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2019
This page presents 50 random questions from Current Affairs January, 2019 category for January, 2019 month in GKToday. These questions are suitable for SSC, Banking / IBPS, UPSC, IAS, NTSE, CLAT, Railways, NDA, CDS, Judiciary, UPPSC, RPSC, GPSC, MPSC, MPPSC and other states civil services / government job recruitment examinations of India. GKToday publishes 15-20 questions every day in its Yearly Current Affairs Series in GKToday Android App. Download Now.
1. Which Indian player has been named as the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2018?
[A] Jhulan Goswami
[B] Harmanpreet Kaur
[C] Mithali Raj
[D] Smriti Mandhana
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Smriti Mandhana]
Notes:
Stylish left-handed Indian opener, Smriti Mandhana has won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year and also been named as the ICC Women’s ODI Player of the Year. She scored 669 runs at an average of 66.90 in 12 ODIs and 622 runs at a strike-rate of 130.67 in 25 T20Is during the voting period, which ran from 1 January to 31 December 2018. Beside her, Australia’s wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy voted ICC T20I Player of the Year. England’s Sophie Ecclestone named ICC Emerging Player of the Year. Mandhana is only the second Indian woman to win an ICC award after fast bowler Jhulan Goswami who was named the women’s player of the year in 2007.
2. ESAF Small Finance Bank (SFB) has recently got RBI nod to operate as a scheduled bank. The headquarters of ESAF is located at ___?
[A] Thiruvananthapuram
[B] Chennai
[C] Thrissur
[D] Kolkata
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Thrissur]
Notes:
As per 2nd schedule of the RBI Act of 1934, the ESAF Small Finance Bank (SFB) Ltd has got approval from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a scheduled bank. This makes ESAF the fifth scheduled bank from Kerala after Federal Bank, South Indian Bank, Catholic Syrian Bank, and Dhanlaxmi Bank. Being a scheduled bank, ESAF can step up resource mobilisation through the issue of certificate of deposits and inter-bank borrowings at competitive rates of interest. The bank can also seek funds from trusts, associations, religious institutions and mutual funds. It will also enable the bank to avail higher refinance facility. It will also assume more responsibility for the implementation of government schemes and Aadhaar enrolment services. ESAF has a presence in urban, semi-urban, rural and unbanked rural areas with a network of 432 banking outlets across 13 States. The headquarters of ESAF is located at Thrissur, Kerala.
3. Who is the newly appointed Chief Information Commissioner (CIC)?
[A] Sudhir Bhargava
[B] Vanaja N. Sarna
[C] Suresh Chandra
[D] Yashwardhan Sinha
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Sudhir Bhargava]
Notes:
Sudhir Bhargava, a former Secretary to the Ministry of Social Justice, has taken charge as new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) on January 1. Beside him, President Ram Nath Kovind has also appointed four new members as Information Commissioners – ex-IFS officer Yashwardhan Kumar Sinha, former IRS officer Vanaja N Sarna, former IAS Neeraj Kumar Gupta and former Law Secretary Suresh Chandra. Now,the only woman in the CIC will be ex-IRS officer Vanaja N. Sarna. The CIC is the highest appeal body under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The authority deals with grievances related to RTI requests, and has jurisdiction over all central public authorities.
4. Norman Gimbel, the Oscar & Grammy-winning lyricist has passed away. He was from which country?
[A] United States
[B] France
[C] Germany
[D] Italy
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [United States]
Notes:
Norman Gimbel (91), the Oscar & Grammy-winning American lyricist has passed away in New York on December 17, 2018. His lyrics graced hit songs such as Roberta Flack’s “Killing me softly with his song” and Jim Croce’s “I got a name”. He also wrote the English lyrics to the Brazilian bossa nova melody ‘The Girl From Ipanema’.
5. ISRO has launched which initiative with students to engage them on space science activities?
[A] Space
[B] Sansad
[C] Samwad
[D] Sangrah
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Samwad ]
Notes:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has recently launched Samwad with Students as part of its outreach programme. The Indian Space agency will engage youngsters across the country in activities concerning space science under this programme. The new conversation mission will inspire students cutting across schools and colleges. During the inauguration in Bengaluru, 40 students and 10 teachers from select schools interacted with ISRO Chairman Dr. K Sivan about the Indian Space Programme and their benefits to the common man.
6. Which of the following countries have officially quit UNESCO?
[A] Russia and Qatar
[B] Japan and UK
[C] United States and Israel
[D] Iran and Qatar
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [United States and Israel]
Notes:
The United States and Israel officially quit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with the close of 2018. The countries had announced their decisions in 2017 of withdrawing from the agency, accusing it of bias against Israel. America has demanded fundamental reform in UNESCO, which was co-founded by it after World War II to foster peace UNESCO also works to improve education for girls, promote understanding of the Holocaust’s horrors, and to defend media freedom. The withdrawals will not greatly impact UNESCO financially since it has been dealing with a funding slash ever since 2011 when both Israel and the US stopped paying dues after Palestine was voted in as a member state. . Israel joined the agency in 1949. It is best known for its World Heritage program, which designates cultural sites and aims to preserve traditions.
7. The Union Government has launched Ujjwala sanitary napkin initiative in which of the following states?
[A] Uttar Pradesh
[B] Odisha
[C] Jharkhand
[D] Haryana
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Odisha ]
Notes:
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has recently launched the Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin initiative in Bhubaneswar to improve female hygiene and health and employability of rural women. Under the new initiative, 100 manufacturing units will be set up at Common Service Centres (CSCs) covering 93 blocks in the State at an estimated cost of Rs 2.94 crore. Each manufacturing unit will employ five or six Ujjwala beneficiaries with an aim to provide employment to nearly 600 women across all districts. The women will first receive training in manufacturing and sale of sanitary napkins. Each facility will have the capacity to produce 1200-2000 pads per day and will have a sterilisation room to ensure that the napkins are sterilised before they are packed for use. The sanitary napkins will be priced at Rs 42 per pack of eight pads. This initiative will provide women with an opportunity to earn between Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000 per month. Thus, the Central scheme will be a counter to the Odisha government’s Khushi scheme, in which sanitary napkins are provided free of cost to female students of government and government-aided schools in the state.
8. Who has been honoured with the Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja National Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature?
[A] Nabaghana Parida
[B] Suresh Chandra
[C] Yashwardhan Sinha
[D] Manoj Das
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Manoj Das]
Notes:
Prof. Manoj Das, an eminent English and Odia Litterateur, received the Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja National Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature. This ceremony was instituted by the Berhampur University, Odisha. During the 53rd foundation day ceremony, the university also honoured noted folk dance guru Nabaghana Parida with Dakshin Odisha Loksanakruti Samman.
9. Who has been conferred with ISRS National Geospatial Award for Excellence-2017 (LTA Award)?
[A] Jayanta Kumar Ghosh
[B] Manorhar Reddy
[C] Hardeep Singh Puri
[D] Pon Radhakrishnan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Jayanta Kumar Ghosh ]
Notes:
Prof. Jayanta Kumar Ghosh of IIT Roorkee was conferred with ISRS National Geospatial Award for Excellence-2017 (Life Time Achievement Award) at the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad. He won the award for his contribution towards the development of geospatial science and applications. The award comprised a citation, a medal and Rs 1 lakh. The Indian Society for Remote Sensing (ISRS ) is an organization known in the area of space science, remote sensing and geo-spatial technology.
10. Who has been appointed acting Chairman of LIC?
[A] Sunita Sharma
[B] B Venugopal
[C] Hemant Bhargava
[D] Usha Sangwan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Hemant Bhargava]
Notes:
Hemant Bhargava, the senior-most MD at LIC, has been appointed acting Chairman of LIC. The move comes after VK Sharma retired from the top job at LIC on 31st December 2018. In order to select new chairman and one MD, selection process will be conducted by Banks Board Bureau (BBB) and 8 officials will be interviewed for both the posts on January 4 in Delhi. One MD post was vacant since Usha Sangwan retired on September 30. The top management of LIC consists of chairman and four MDs.
The above questions are part of Daily Current Affairs 20 MCQs Series in GKToday's Academy Android Application. This series can be subscribed in the app only for Rs. 750/- for entire year.
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