1. Uruguay international midfielder who has been named the 2015 Rey de America, awarded to the best player in South American football?
Carlos Sanchez.
2. The former general secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), passed away on January 2, 2016?
A.B. Bardhan.
Bardhan held the post of general secretary for over a record number of years from 1996 to 2012. He became the General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress in 1994 and became the Deputy General Secretary of the Communist Party of India in 1995. When Indrajit Gupta joined the United Front government as the Minister of Home Affairs (India), Bardhan succeeded him as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India following Gupta's resignation from the post of party's General Secretary.
3. The government of India on January 1, 2016constituted a committee headed by eminent filmmaker to look into the revamp of the Censor Board, functioning of which has been mired in controversies in recent past. Who is that film maker?
Shyam Benegal.
The other members of the committee include Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Piyush Pandey, Bhawana Somaaya, Nina Lath Gupta and Joint Secretary (Films) as Member Convener. The committee has been requested to submit their recommendations within two months.
4. On 2 January 2016, a heavily armed group attacked an Air Force Station, part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force. The Air force station is situated at?
Pathankot. (Punjab).
Pathankot Air Force Station is a military airport located 3 km from Pathankot. On 2 January 2016, six heavily armed terrorists suspected to belong to Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed attacked the Air Force Station. The terrorists were wearing Indian Army fatigues and rode a stolen car of a superintendent of the Punjab Police. All six terrorists and seven security forces personnel were killed in the gun battle on 4th January.
5. The 103rd edition of Indian Science Congress was held in?
Mysore.
Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is a premier scientific organisation of India with headquarters at Kolkata, West Bengal. The association started in the year 1914 in Kolkata and it meets annually in the first week of January every year.
6. Who won the Player of the series award in the three test cricket matches between West Indies and Australia(The Frank Worrell Trophy) held in Australia from December 2015-Jan 2016?
Adam Voges (Australia).
Series - Australia won the 3-match series 2-0.
7. Who won the Player of the series award in the four test cricket matches between England and South Africa (The Basil D'Oliveira Trophy) held in South Africa from December 2015-Jan 2016?
Ben Stokes (England).
Series - England won the 4-match series 2-1.
8. England all-rounder who hit the second fastest double century in Test history in a blistering assault on the South African bowlers on the second day of the second Test at Newlands (on 02-01-2016)?
Ben Stokes.
Stokes reached 150 off 135 balls and made his double century off 163 deliveries, with 26 fours and seven sixes. Only Nathan Astle, who reached the mark off 153 balls for New Zealand against England in Christchurch in 2001/02, has been faster.
9. Which country won the South Asian Football Federation Cup for the seventh time defeating Afghanistan (2-1) in the final?
India.
Match went into the extra time as both teams ended the tie at 1-1 after 90 minutes. Jeje Lalpekhlua (72nd minute) and Sunil Chhetri (101th) scored for India. India had lost to Afghanistan 0-2 in the final of 2013 edition in Kathmandu.
10. Masterly innings of which cricketer has been rated as the greatest Test performance of the last 50 years according to a poll published in the January issue of ESPN’s digital magazine the Cricket Monthly.?
V. V. S. Laxman’s masterly innings of 281 against Australia at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Laxman, promoted to no. 3 after his first innings’ 59 out of a team score of 171, came up with his magical innings and also added 376 runs for the fifth wicket with Rahul Dravid (180).
11. Who has been appointed as executive vice chairman of Wipro Limited?
T.K.Kurien.
IT consulting and system integration services multinational Wipro Limited on Monday announced the appointment of TK Kurien as the executive vice chairman and Abid Ali Neemuchwala as the chief executive officer and member of the board of the company effective February 1, 2016.
12. Mumbai school cricketer who has become the first cricketer in history to score 1,000 runs in a single innings?
Pranav Dhanawade.
Batting for Smt KC Gandhi School, Kalyan Pranav scored unbeaten 1009 (from 323 balls) which include 59 sixes and 129 fours at a strike-rate of 312.38.He achieved this feat against Arya Gurukul School in the HT Bhandari Cup inter-school tournament organised by the Mumbai Cricket Association. Dhanawade's innings enabled his side to declare on the mind-boggling 1465/3, also a world record, with Pranav unbeaten on 1,009.The 15-year-old’s father Prashant is an auto rickshaw driver.
13. Who has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Niti Aayog?
Amitabh Kant.
Mr Kant has been appointed in place of former IAS officer Sindhushree Khullar, who was appointed as the first CEO of the National Institution for Transforming India (Niti) Aayog, a body that has replaced Planning Commission, for a fixed one-year term beginning January 1, last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is Chairman of Niti Aayog.
14. Who has been named as the new coach of Real Madrid after Rafa Benitez is sacked from the post?
Zinedine Zidane.
15. Who has been appointed as chairman and managing director of the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL)?
Madhu S Nair.
He succeeds Commodore K Subramaniyam, who will be retiring from service on December 31 after heading the PSU for five years.
16. Which country conducted a powerful hydrogen bomb test on January 6, 2016?
North Korea.
A hydrogen bomb can be up to 1000 times more powerful than the early atomic weapons that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
17. Four-time Ballon d'Or winner who has been named the Playmaker of the Year by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS)?
Lionel Messi.
The IFFHS named Nicola Rizzoli as the top official for a second consecutive year.
18. Name the French test pilot who was the first person to fly the Concorde, passed away on January 4, 2016?
Andre Turcat.
He became Concorde's chief test pilot and Sud Aviation's director of flight testing. On 2 March 1969, Turcat had the honor of flying the first prototype of Concorde for its maiden flight. Later that year (1 October), he was also at the controls for Concorde's first supersonic flight.
19. Indian shooter who broke the world record on way to winning gold in the women's 10 meter air rifle event at the Swedish Cup Grand Prix?
Apurvi Chandela.
20. United Nations has recently awarded medals for peacekeepers of which country for their courage and service in maintenance of peace and security in the West African country, Liberia?
India.
21. Senior diplomat who has been appointed India's ambassador to Israel on January 7, 2016, where he will succeed Jaideep Sarkar?
Pavan Kapoor.
22. Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir who passed away on January 7, 2016?
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
He served twice as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, from November 2002 to November 2005 and again from March 2015 to January 2016. He was also Home Minister of India from December 1989 to November 1990. He founded the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party in July 1999. He joined the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1986 as Minister of Tourism. In 1987, he quit the Congress party to join V. P. Singh's Jan Morcha, which led to his becoming the first Muslim Minister for Home Affairs in the Union Cabinet of India for one year, from 1989 to 1990.
23. Who becomes the first woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir?
Mehbooba Mufti.
Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed is the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the daughter of Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who served as former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and died while in office.
24. Gabon striker who was named African Footballer of the Year 2015?
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
He becomes the first Gabonese player to win the African Footballer of the Year.
25. The central government announced on January 8, 2016 its decision to allow the traditional bull taming sport during Pongal festival. What is the name of that bull taming sport?
'Jallikattu'.
However the Animal Welfare Board has moved the apex court against Centre's move to lift ban on the controversial bull-taming sport in Tamil Nadu. The Supreme Court on January 12, 2016 stayed the Centre's notification on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.
26. Former Gujarat cadre IAS officer who has been appointed as the Chairman of the Competition Commission of India (CCI)?
Devender Kumar Sikri.
Competition Commission of India is a body of the Government of India responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 throughout India and to prevent activities that have an adverse effect on competition in India. It was established on 14 October 2003. It became fully functional in May 2009 with Dhanendra Kumar as its first Chair
27. Borussia Dortmund and Gabon forward who has been crowned African Footballer of the Year for 2015?
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.
Aubameyang, who scored 43 goals for club and country during 2015, becomes the first player from Gabon to win the award.
28. Which pair won the women’s doubles title of the $1 million Brisbane International -2016?
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis.
They defeated Angelique Kerber and Andrea Petkovic in the final.This is the Indo-Swiss pair’s 26th win in a row and the first title of 2016.
29. Notorious drug lord who has been recaptured by Mexican authorities in Mexico on 22 February 2014, six months after he escaped a maximum security prison?
Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
30. Scientists at the Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes (CIRB) in Hisar, Haryana have successfully produced a cloned buffalo offspring. What is the name of that buffalo?
‘Cirb Gaurav’.
With this achievement, CIRB becomes world’s third and India’s second institute to produce cloned buffalo. National Dairy Research Institute in Karnal was the first to produce a cloned calf in India.
31. Which team won the 64th National Senior Volleyball Championship in both men and women categories?
Railways.
In both men and women categories, Railways beat Kerala in the final.
32. Who hit the second fastest Twenty20 half-century which was also the fastest 50 by a New Zealander?
Colin Munro.
Munro hit unbeaten 50 from 14 balls, the second fastest Twenty20 half-century behind a 12-ball spree by India's Yuvraj Singh against England in 2007. It was also the fastest 50 by a New Zealander, eclipsing the 20-minute-old record set by Guptill who took 19 balls to achieve 50 in the same match.
33. Who has created the world record for the longest flute marathon when he played flute for 28 hours non-stop?
Murali Narayanan.
Murali broke the current world record for longest flute marathon set by Katherine Brookes of United Kingdom in February, 2012 for 25 hours and 48 minutes. Murali aged 40, who hails from Thalikkulam played flute for 27 hours 20 minutes and 50 seconds.
34. Who won the Qatar Open -2016 defeating Rafael Nadal in the final?
Novak Djokovic.
35. Pakistani Ghazal maestro who was presented with the first Swaralaya Global Legendary Award?
Ghulam Ali.
36. Who won the Player of the Series Award in the 5 ODI Cricket series played between Australia and India held in Australia in January 2015?
Rohit Sharma (India).
Series - Australia won the 5-match series 4-1.
37. LIST OF WINNERS OF GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS 2016:
Best Picture, Drama: The Revenant
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama: Brie Larson, Room
Best Picture, Comedy: The Martian
Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy: Jennifer Lawrence, Joy
Best Actress in a Drama Series: Taraji P. Henson, Empire
Best Director: Alejandro G. Inarritu, The Revenant
Best Drama Series: Mr. Robot
Best Original Song: "Writing's on the Wall" - Sam Smith, Spectre
Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie: Lady Gaga, American Horror Story: Hotel
Best Foreign Language Film: Son of Saul (Hungary)
Best Actor in a Comedy Series: Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle
Best Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, Steve Jobs
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Sylvester Stallone, Creed
Best Animated Film: Inside Out
Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy: Matt Damon, The Martian
Best Actor in a Drama Series: Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Best Original Score in a Motion Picture: Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight
Best Supporting Actor in TV Series, Limited Series or TV Movie: Christian Slater, Mr. Robot
Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie: Oscar Isaac, Show Me a Hero
Best Limited Series or TV Movie: Wolf Hall
Best Comedy Series: Mozart in the Jungle
Best Actress in a Comedy Series: Rachel Bloom, The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Limited Series or TV Movie: Maura Tierney, The Affair
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
Cecil B. DeMille Award: Denzel Washington.
38. The iconic rock star whose career spanned more than half a century who created hits like “Let's Dance” and “Changes”, passed away on January 10, 2016?
David Bowie.
The artist's other hits include Space Oddity, Starman, Modern Love, Heroes, Under Pressure, Rebel Rebel and Life on Mars. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
39. Which footballer has won the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’ Or Award?
Lionel Messi.
It was Messi’s record breaking 5th Ballon d’Or Award. He has won four back to back Ballon d’Or titles in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 and 2015.
40. The Chief of Staff of the Eastern Command which played a pivotal role in defining the Indian Army's strategy during the 1971 war which resulted in creation of Bangladesh, passed away on January 13, 2016?
J.F.R.Jacob.
Jacob was an Indian Army Lieutenant General. He was best known for the role he played in India's victory in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 and the Liberation of Bangladesh. Jacob, then a Major General, served as the Chief of Staff of the Indian Army's Eastern Command during the war. During his 36-year career in the army, he also fought in World War II and the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965. He later served as the Governor of the Indian states of Goa and Punjab.
41. FIFA’s Secretary General who has been suspended by the World Governing Committee after he allegedly was involved in the black market selling of tickets to the FIFA World Cup 2014 matches?
Jerome Valcke.
Jerome Valcke is a French football administrator, best known as the former Secretary General of FIFA (the international governing body of the sport). He was sacked on 13 January 2016 as a result of allegations arising from the ongoing 2015 FIFA corruption case.
42. Footballer who was named as the first global ambassador for Dubai's World Expo 2020 event?
Lionel Messi.
43. The British Actor known for films including Harry Potter, Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, passed away on January 14, 2016?
Alan Rickman.
He became one of Britain's best-loved acting stars thanks to roles including Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films and Hans Gruber in Die Hard. His final film role is as the voice of Absolem in Alice Through the Looking Glass, which will be released in May 2016.
44. Which pair equalled the World Record for the longest women’s doubles winning streak by advancing to the WTA Sydney International semifinals with a straight set triumph in Sydney?
Sania Mirza(India) and Martina Hingis(Switzerland).
Mirza and Hingis won their 28th consecutive match to equal the record set by Puerto Rican Gigi Fernandez and Belarus’ Natasha Zvereva in 1994.
45. Who has been named Germany national team player of the year for 2015?
Mesut Ozil.
46. In the Test match against England, all the 11 batsmen of the opposite team made double-digit scores, without scoring fifty runs. Which is that team?
South Africa.
The highest score was 46 by Dean Elgar, at No. 1, while the lowest was 12 by Morne Morkel, at No. 11. All 11 South Africa batsmen scored between 10 and 49 runs in the third Test between South Africa and England at Wanderers.
47. Which cricketer became the first black South African man to have scored a Test century?
Temba Bavuma.
48. Name the NASA’s spacecraft bound in July which has set a record as the most distant solar-powered space probe ever flown?
Juno.
Juno broke the record previously held by the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft Jan. 13 as it flew about 493 million miles (793 million kilometers) from the sun. When it enters orbit around Jupiter on July 4, the Juno spacecraft will become the first solar-powered mission to reach the gas giant. Juno carries three large solar panels, each one 9 feet wide and 29 feet long, to generate electricity. Juno was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on August 5, 2011 and will arrive on July 4, 2016.
49. Who has been elected Taiwan's first female president?
Tsai Ing-wen.
50. Which country declares a 60-day nationwide economic emergency on January 15, 2016 over economic crisis?
Venezuela.
MORE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WILL BE UPDATED SOON!