Best PSC / PCS / STATE PCS online Current Affairs

Current Affairs Dec-2019

Showing 241 - 260 of 263 entries

241. Which state/ UT celebrated the Losar Festival recently?

A
Telangana

B
Meghalaya

C
Puducherry

D
Ladakh

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [Ladakh]

Explaination : [Losar is the New Year’s Day celebration observed in the Himalayan states. Ladakh celebrated the Losar for the first time as a union territory. It is a 15 days long celebration based on Tibetan Buddhist traditions. It is also celebrated in Bhutan, Nepal, etc.]

242. Shirodhara, which was recently highlighted by the health ministry, is most associated with which therapy?

A
Ayurveda

B
Rigpa

C
Unani

D
Traditional Chinese Medicine

Show Answer

Correct Answer : A [Ayurveda]

Explaination : [Shirodhara is a therapy in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. The term Shirodhara is derived from Sanskrit terms for head (shiro) and flow (dhara). The therapy involves pouring liquids like oil, coconut water, milk, water, buttermilk, etc. over the forehead.]

243. The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, near which an earthquake struck recently, is in which country?

A
Iran

B
Iraq

C
Saudi Arabia

D
Kuwait

Show Answer

Correct Answer : A [Iran]

Explaination : [The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is in Iran near its coastline. An earthquake of magnitude 5 recently struck close to it. The plant was inaugurated in August of 2010 and is the first civilian reactor in the Middle East region.]

244. China had recently launched its heaviest satellite, Shijian-20, on which rocket?

A
Long March 2E

B
Long March 4C

C
Long March 3B

D
Long March 5

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [Long March 5]

Explaination : [China had recently launched the heaviest and the most advanced communication satellite, Shijian-20, on the country’s largest carrier rocket Long March 5. This powerful rocket can carry a maximum payload of 25 tonnes into the low Earth Orbit and 14 tonnes into the geosynchronous orbit.]

245. Which archipelago did Tropical Cyclone Sarai recently hit?

A
Indonesia

B
Solomon Islands

C
Fiji

D
New Guinea

Show Answer

Correct Answer : C [Fiji]

Explaination : [The tropical cyclone Sarai had recently hit Fiji, a country in the South Pacific. It is an archipelago consisting of more than 300 islands. On its present track, the cyclone is forecasted to pass adjacent to Fiji’s main island Viti Levu and then may head towards Tonga, where the tropical cyclone warning centre has been alerted.]

246. Who had drafted the recent UNGA-approved draft for international treaty to combat cyber-crime?

B
Russia

C
France

D
China

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [Russia]

Explaination : [The United Nations General Assembly had recently approved a resolution that allows the initiation of the process of drafting a new treaty to combat cyber-crime. This resolution was drafted by Russia and it allows the establishment of expert committee representing all the regions in the world. It will provide for a comprehensive international convention on countering the use of information and communication technologies for the criminal purposes.]

247. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank had recently announced a loan for irrigation and solar energy projects in India. It is headquartered in which of the following countries?

A
South Korea

B
Singapore

C
Japan

D
China

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [China]

Explaination : [The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is a multilateral developmental bank, whose headquarters is located in Beijing, China. It had recently approved a total loan of 210 million USD for solar energy and irrigation projects in India. Of the 100 members, India is its second largest shareholder and the largest recipient of loan and equity commitments.]

248. Which state/UT had recently approved the Electric Vehicle Policy, 2019?

A
Delhi

B
Punjab

C
Puducherry

D
Sikkim

Show Answer

Correct Answer : A [Delhi]

Explaination : [The Delhi Cabinet had recently approved Electric Vehicle Policy, 2019 to counter the air pollution in the national capital. As per the policy, the government seeks to make 25% of all new vehicles into electric vehicles by 2024. Through this policy, the government will provide for public charging infrastructure and subsidies for those who are buy EVs.]

249. Da Chen, who had recently died, is well known for which of the following works?

A
Colours of the Mountain

B
Dream of the Red Chamber

C
To Live

D
Art of War

Show Answer

Correct Answer : A [Colours of the Mountain]

Explaination : [Da Chen, who had recently passed away, was famous for his work “Colours of the Mountain”. In this book, he narrates the abuses he and his family suffered during China’s Cultural Revolution, launched by Mao Zedong. This book was published in seven languages.]

250. Him Darshan Express that was recently launched connects which of the following sites?

A
Sikkim – Gangtok

B
Kalka – Shimla

C
Chandigarh – Shimla

D
Srinagar – Shimla

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [Kalka – Shimla]

Explaination : [On December 2019, for the first time, the Indian Railways had launched the “Him Darshan Express” that consists of vistadome coaches. It travels between Kalka and Shimla. It consists of 6 AC vistadom coaches and one AC coach with transparent ceiling and walls.]

251. Which state’s urban bodies have not yet declared themselves Open Defecation Free?

A
Bihar

B
Uttar Pradesh

C
Jharkhand

D
West Bengal

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [West Bengal]

Explaination : [On December 2019, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs had announced that the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban has achieved the national target of becoming ODF. The urban areas of 35 states/UTs have become ODF. However, the urban local bodies in West Bengal have not yet declared themselves as ODF.]

252. The Mandu Festival is held in Madhya Pradesh. Who is organising this event?

A
Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board

B
Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Department

C
UNESCO

D
Madhya Pradesh Department of Culture

Show Answer

Correct Answer : A [Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board]

Explaination : [The first edition of Mandu Festival haS begun in Mandu, Madhya Pradesh. It is organised by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board. This festival is based on the idea of “Khojne Me Kho Jao”. It would involve the celebration of historic heritage blended with the modern liveliness of the city culture.]

253. Which bank had recently received the “Best Performing Bank Award”?

A
SBI Bank

B
ICICI Bank

C
Jammu and Kashmir Bank

D
Andhra Bank

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [Andhra Bank]

Explaination : [The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj had recently awarded the “Best Performing Bank Award” to the Andhra Bank for the financial year 2018-19. It was awarded for setting up 14 Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Kerala. The RSETIs function under the Andhra Bank Rural Development Trust.]

254. Which of the following versions of fast chess that was in news recently, when Koneru Humpy won the World Women’s Rapid Chess Championship had more time on the clock for the White than the Black?

A
Blitz chess

B
Armageddon chess

C
Bullet chess

D
Ultrabullet chess

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [Armageddon chess]

Explaination : [In Armageddon chess, the White is given more time on the clock than the Black. This is a way to produce decisive results- acting as a tie-breaker. Koneru Humpy became the 2nd Indian chess player after Vishwanathan Anand to win the Rapid Gold.]

255. The Stolen Works of Art Database, which was in news recently, is maintained by which organisation?

A
UNESCO

D
INTERPOL

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [INTERPOL]

Explaination : [The Stolen Works of Art (WoA) database is maintained by the Interpol. The Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI), which is the nodal agency for Interpol in India, recently alerted agencies like the ASI about India turning into a prime target for art thefts.]

256. Which state recorded the highest forest cover in the recently released India State of Forest Report 2019?

A
Andhra Pradesh

B
Madhya Pradesh

C
Nagaland

D
Meghalaya

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [Madhya Pradesh]

Explaination : [Madhya Pradesh recently recorded the highest forest cover in terms of area. Other high forest covers were recorded in Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra. The State of Forest report is released biennially by the Forest Survey of India which is under the ministry of environment, forest and climate change.]

257. What is CAT IIIB system which has been in news recently with respect to the fog conditions in the north?

A
Instrument landing system

B
Weather monitoring system

C
System for classifying fog intensity

D
Road safety system

Show Answer

Correct Answer : A [Instrument landing system]

Explaination : [The CAT III B system is an instrument landing system. It is used for safe landing of airplanes in times of poor visibility. It enables precision landing when the visibility is at least 50 feet. Only CAT III B compliant pilots were allowed to land at the Delhi airport sue to the fog.]

258. Operation Inherent Resolve, which was in news recently, is being conducted by which country’s military forces?

A
France

C
Canada

D
Russia

Show Answer

Correct Answer : B [USA]

Explaination : [Operation Inherent Resolve is a military operation of the USA. It is a military intervention against the activities of ISIL in Iraq, Syria and previously Libya. Recently, the USA undertook airstrikes against Iran-backed militia, Kataib Hezbollah, in Syria and Iraq.]

259. The atrial fibrillation technology, over which tech giant Apple was recently sued, is used to detect what condition?

A
Overheating of system

B
Foreign body attack

C
Irregular heartbeat

D
Electrolyte imbalance

Show Answer

Correct Answer : C [Irregular heartbeat]

Explaination : [The atrial fibrillation technology is used to detect irregularities in the heartbeat. The Apple Watch product makes use of this technology to monitor the functioning of the heart of the wearer. A New York University doctor recently sued Apple for stealing the technology which was patented by him.]

260. The protein Importin-11, that was recently identified by scientists, is linked with causing which type of cancer?

A
Blood Cancer

B
Lung Cancer

C
Prostate cancer

D
Colorectal cancer

Show Answer

Correct Answer : D [Colorectal cancer]

Explaination : [Scientists recently identified the protein, Importin- 11, to be responsible for transferring beta-catenin protein into nucleus of cells. This beta-catenin drives the proliferation of the bowel cancer cells. They identified that the gene IPO11 to be responsible for coding for the Importin- 11 protein.]