Current Affairs updated --January 2009

Current affairs plays a major role in Bank and other exams. Here is the latest current affairs.

1. Over 60 people killed in fires in Bangkok during the New Year eve.
2. Sheikh Hassina takes over as the Prime minister of Bangladesh after her party Awami League wins a Massive majority.
3.Sri Lankan Army captures LTTE stronghold Kilinochchi. Kilinochchi is considered the de-facto political capital of LTTE.
4.India decides to buy P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft from the US. It is a step towards securing the country’s rather long coastline. The deal is worth $2.1-billion.
5.Russian energy giant Gazprom decided to cut exports through Ukrainian pipelines by a fifth in a row over unpaid bills.

This causes a shortage in Gas supply across Europe.

6.Israel launches ground attack in Gaza. A total of 1200 people killed in the attack.

7. Cholera kills 2000 people in Zimbabwe.

8. Indian Government announces a second stimulus package worth Rs. 20000 Crore.

9. Satyam CEO ramalinga Raju admits fraud amounting to Rs.7,000 Crore. Govt dismantles Satyam board and appoints three board of directors. They are Deepak Parekh,Kiran Karnik, C. Achutan.


10.Jharkhand Chief minister Shibu soren resigns after losing a by-election. Presidents rule imposed in State.

11.The film Ghajini has reportedly raked in more than Rs. 200 crores in two weeks. This appears to be largest ever collection by any Indian film so far.


12.Slumdog Millionaire received in all four Golden Globes in Los Angeles. It got the globes for Best film, Best Director (Danny Boyle), Best Screenplay (Simon Beaufoy) & Best original score (AR Rahman).


13.China overtake Germany as the World's third largest economy.


14.Citigroup splits into two.It removes its investments banking operations from its major banking operations.

15.Bank of America gets a $20 billion aid from U S Govt.

16. Barack Hussein Obama sworn in as the New president of United States. His Cabinet include-Hillary Clinton,Secretary of State,Robert Gates--Secretary of Defence and Timothey Geithner, Treasury Secretary.

17.United states Economy contracts in the last quarter of 2008 by 3.8 %

18.The Ashoka Chakra is awarded to former Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare, the seniormost officer to be killed during 26/11, and assistant sub-inspector Tukaram Omble, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Havaldar Gajender Singh Bisht of National Security Guard, who died in Taj Mahal Hotel and Nariman House encounter, Senior Mumbai Police officers Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar, Colonel Jojan Thomas and Havaldar Bahadur Singh Bohra of the Army, who died in fighting terrorists in J&K, Delhi Police inspector M C Sharma, who died in the Jamia Nagar encounter, R P Diengdoh of Meghalaya Police and Pramod Kumar Satapathy of Orissa Police.

19.Prime minister successfully undergoes heart surgery.

20.Former President R. Venkitaraman passes away.

21.Australian Open Mens Title won by Rafael Nadal andwomen's Title won by Serena Williams.

India Lok Sabha elections--Quiz

1. Which is the largest Lok sabha constituency in India by area?

Ladakh

2. Which is the largest Lok sabha constituency by number of voters?

Outer Delhi

3.Which is the smallest Lok sabha constituency in India by area?

Chandni Chowk

4. Which is the smallest Lok sabha constituency by number of voters?

Lakshdweep

5. Who holds the record of Highest majority of a candidate in Lok sabha elections?

Anil Basu of CPM won from Arambagh, West Bengal with a margin of 592502 votes in 2004.

6.Which state has the highest number of MPs in Lok Sabha?

Uttar Pradesh-- 80 MPs

7.What is the maximum no. of seats won by a party in an election/

Congress in 1984 won 415 seats

8. Which was Jawaharlal Nehru's constituency?

Phulpur in U P

9.Which was Indira Gandhi's constituency?

Rae Barelli

10. Who has won the maximum no of Lok sabha elections from a same constituency?

P M Saeed from Lakshdweep

List of major inventions and inventors--Quiz

FIND out Who invented what? Useful for Quiz competitions and competitive exams etc.

Aeroplane : Orville and Wilbur Wright
Atom Bomb ; Auto Han
Diesel Engine : Rudolf Diesel
Dynamite : Alfred B. Nobel
Electric Generator : Michael Faraday
Electric Lamp : Thomas Alva Edison
Electrolytic cell : Alessandro Volta
Elevator : Elisha G. Otis
Gramophone : Thomas Alva Edison
Integrated Chip : Jack Kilby
Lightning Conductor : Benjamin Franklin
Mercury Thermometer : Fahrenheit
Microphone : Sir Alexander Graham Bell
Movie Projector : Thomas Alva Edison
Pneumatic Tyres : John Boyd Dunlop
Radio : Marconi
Safety Razor : King C. Gillette
Steam Engine (condenser) : James Watt
Telegraph Code : Samuel Morse
Telephone : Sir Alexander Graham Bell
Television (mechanical) : John Logie Baird
Telescope : Galileo
Transformer : Michael Faraday
Vulcanised Rubber : Charles Goodyear
X-Ray : Rontgen

Awards won in 2008--Quiz

1. Who won Bharat Ratna in 2008?
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
2.Who won Magsasay award in 2008?
Grace Padaca
3.Who won Jnanpith award in 2008?
Rahman Rahi --Kashmiri
4.Who won the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2008?
M S Dhoni
5.Who won the DadaSaheb Phalke award in 2008?
Tapan Sinha
6.Who won the Indira Gandhi peace prize in 2008?
Mohammed El Baradei
7.Who won the Booker prize in 2008?
Aravind Adiga

Geographical discoveries-Great explorers-Quiz

1. Who discovered Brazil?

Ans: Pedro Alvarus Cabral

2.Who discoverd New Zealand?

Ans:Abel Tasman

3. Who discoverd Philippines?

Magellan

4.Who discovered the Cape of Good hope?

Bartha lomio Diaz

5.Who discovered Australia?

Captain Cook

6.Who discoverd America?

Christopher Columbus

7. Who discovered a sea route to India from Europe?

Vasco de Gama

8. Who discovered Victoria falls?

David Livingstone

9.Who discovered Tasmania?

Abel Tasman

10.Who discoverd South Pole?

Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen

11.Who discovered North Pole?

Robert Peary