190218 - 240218

1. Jaipur’s Gandhinagar railway station becomes 1st fully women operated station

• The Gandhi Nagar railway station of Jaipur, Rajasthan became the country’s first major non-suburban railway station to be fully-managed by women.

• It is the second station in the country to be managed solely by women – the first being Matunga in Mumbai.

• Gandhi Nagar is important railway station in Jaipur situated on Jaipur-Delhi rail route. More than 50 trains pass through the station daily out of which 25 halting at it.

2. UNICEF issues Blank Statement on Syria, says it has run out of words

• UNICEF issued a blank statement to Syria on February 20, 2018 to express its outrage at mass casualties among Syrian children in the besieged enclave of Eastern Ghouta and neighboring Damascus.

• There were 10 empty lines with quote marks indicating missing text and an explanatory footnote, indicating its incapability to describe children’s suffering and its outrage.

• Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been besieging almost 400000 civilians trapped inside Eastern Ghouta for years.

• This siege has tightened this year and attacks on the enclave have intensified.

3. ICC Rankings: Virat Kohli crosses 900 points in Tests, ODIs

• India captain Virat Kohli became only the second batsman after South Africa's AB de Villiers, in the history of the game to cross the 900-point mark in Tests and ODIs, as per latest ICC ODI player rankings.

• Pacer Jasprit Bumrah grabbed the joint-top position among bowlers.

• Kohli consolidated his top position with 558 runs in the 5-1 series win over South Africa, during which he slammed three centuries.

• Kohli is now a good 22 points ahead of Sachin Tendulkar, whose ODI career high was 887 points which came against Zimbabwe in January 1998.

4. Students in Bihar asked to wear slippers during board exams

• In a bid to stop cheating, the Bihar School Examination Board on February 18, 2018 ordered students sitting for the board examinations to not wear shoes and socks during the examination.

• The board stated in an official circular that the students will have to wear slippers on the exam day.

• The Bihar School Examination Board's President stated that this rule will also be implemented in the annual Secondary Examinations.

• The instructions have been issued to all district education officers, candidates and parents in this regard.

• The board examinations are scheduled to commence in Bihar from February 21, 2018.

• The new rule comes after 985 students were expelled on February 17 for cheating during the intermediate examination conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board.

• A total of 25 people were caught writing the exam on behalf of another candidate.

5. Reliance to invest 60,000 cr in Maharashtra

• The Chairman and MD of Reliance Industries Limited, Mukesh Ambani announced on February 18, 2018 that his company would be investing around Rs 60,000 crores in a collaborative initiative in the state of Maharashtra, over the next 10 years.

• Reliance would be establishing India's first-ever integrated industrial area for the fourth Industrial Revolution in the state of Maharashtra.

• More than 20 global companies, including Nokia, Dell, HP, Cisco, Siemens have already agreed to co-invest with Reliance.

• The fourth Industrial Revolution is expected to help Maharashtra and India solve difficult problems including education, healthcare, water security and also boost agriculture.

6. Woman cricketer Harmanpreet to join Punjab police on March 1

• India's Twenty20 women's cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur is set to join Punjab police as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) on March 1, 2018.

• This became possible after Indian Railways relieved Harmanpreet following her request to join Punjab police.

• She had resigned from the Railways last year. Her medical test for the post of DSP had already been completed but she could not join as Indian Railway did not relieve her.

• Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had offered the DSP post to Harmanpreet in July 2017, following her scintillating performance in the Women's World Cup 2017.

7. Norway's Bjoergen becomes most successful Winter Olympian

• Norway's Marit Bjoergen on February 21, 2018 became the most successful athlete in Winter Olympics history by clinching the bronze medal in cross country skiing's women's team sprint free.

• Kikkan Randall and Jessica Diggins won the gold and the first Olympic cross country title for the United States.

• Bjoergen's bronze with Maiken Caspersen Falla took her total tally to 14 Olympic medals, surpassing fellow Norwegian Ole Einar Bjoerndalen who has 13 in biathlon.

• The 37-year-old Bjoergen is also the second most successful woman at both Summer and Winter Games, trailing behind only Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina who has won 18 medals.

8. CCEA approves opening up of commercial coal mining to private firms

• CCEA approved the methodology for auction of coal mines for sale of coal under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

• It also allowed private companies to mine the fossil fuel for commercial use, ending the monopoly of state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL), which is a major reform in the coal sector since its nationalisation in 1973.

• Currently, private sector is allowed coal mining for captive use only.

9. For garbage disposal, Bengal a model for the whole country

• Union Rural Development Ministry recently has sent instructions to all the state and union territory governments to study and implement the Bengal model.

• TMC Government in West Bengal has used the 100 Days’ Work Scheme (NREGA) for garbage disposal by the Panchayats.

• The solid waste management system that the panchayats have implemented is both health-friendly and environment-friendly.

• West Bengal has also been acknowledged by the Centre as being the best in implementing the 100 Days’ Work Scheme.

10. Artificial Intelligence can be used to eradicate poverty and diseases: PM Modi

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated recently that the Union Government has firm belief that it can use artificial intelligence to eradicate poverty and diseases.

• He said by doing so the government would be able to bring prosperity to poor and under-privileged sections.

• The Prime Minister said there is no doubt that productivity will increase by using Artificial Intelligence, however, there are also rising fears of human redundancy because there is a competition between the mind and the machine.

• Further, he added that the progress of Artificial Intelligence depends on and will be driven by human intentions.

Weekly Current affairs 190218 - 250218

1. Which country has allowed women to open business without any male consent?

a) Kuwait
b) Saudi Arabia
c) Yemen
d) Qatar

2. The annual joint military exercise ‘Garuda Shakti-2018’ started between India and which country?

a) Sri Lanka
b) Indonesia
c) Bangladesh
d) Myanmar

3. India was placed at which position in the list of targeted countries for Web Application Attacks by Akamai State of Internet Security Q4 2017 report?

a) Third
b) Seventh
c) Fifth
d) Tenth

4. Which state government is going to launch cheap sanitary pad scheme on International women’s day?

a) Karnataka
b) Uttar Pradesh
c) Delhi
d) Maharashtra

5. Which state government would soon be using robots to clean up manholes?

a) Maharashtra
b) Karnataka
c) Gujarat
d) Kerala

6. Which tennis champion has become the oldest World no. 1 in tennis history?

a) Roger Federer
b) Rafael Nadal
c) Serena Williams
d) Novak Djokovic
7. According to UNICEF report, which nation is the riskiest to be born in?

a) India
b) Pakistan
c) Bangladesh
d) Nepal

8. India recently launched Joint research projects on clean water & energy in partnership with which country?

a) United States
b) Saudi Arabia
c) United Kingdom
d) Canada

9. Which gulf nation is going to host its first-ever Arab Fashion week?

a) Qatar
b) Saudi Arabia
c) Kuwait
d) UAE

10. UNICEF issued a blank statement to which nation, expressing its outrage at mass casualties among the children?

a) Iran
b) Yemen
c) South Sudan
d) Syria

11. India was ranked at which position on the global Corruption Perception Index 2017?

a) 77
b) 88
c) 81
d) 92

12. Who became the first Indian woman to fly fighter aircraft solo?

a) Avani Chaturvedi
b) Bhawana Kanth
c) Mohana Singh
d) Geeta Singh

13. Which city’s railway station has become the first fully women operated station?

a) Jaipur
b) Bengaluru
c) Kochi
d) Ahmedabad

14. The World Congress on Information Technology was inaugurated in which city?

a) Hyderabad
b) Zurich
c) New Delhi
d) Kathmandu

15. What was India’s neonatal mortality rate in the UNICEF report on newborns?

a) 25.4
b) 14.7
c) 45.6
d) 10.6

Answers with Explanation

1. (b) Saudi Arabia

In a significant move towards achieving an open and modern economy, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has allowed women to open their own businesses without the consent of a husband or male relative.The policy change marks a major step away from the strict guardianship system that has ruled the oil-rich Gulf nation for decades.

2. (b) Indonesia

The 6th edition of annual joint military exercise ‘Garuda Shakti-2018’ started between Indian and Indonesian Army in Bandung, Indonesia on February 19, 2018. This joint exercise between Indian and Indonesian Special Forces highlights the increasing trust and cooperation between the two armies.

3. (b) Seventh

India has been placed at the seventh spot in the list of targeted countries for Web Application Attacks (WAA), according to a new report titled ‘Akamai State of the Internet Security Q4 2017’ that released on February 21, 2018.

4. (d) Maharashtra

The state government of Maharashtra would be launching its new programme, ‘Asmita Yojana’ on the occasion of the International Women’s Day on March 8, 2018 to provide cheap and subsidised sanitary pads to school girls and women.

5. (d) Kerala

The Kerala government will soon be utilising the services of robots to clean the sewer holes in the state. Named 'Bandicoot', the robots are equipped with Wi-Fi, blue tooth and control panels and have four limbs and a bucket system attached to a spider web looking extension to scoop out the waste from sewers.

6. (a) Roger Federer

Twenty-time Grand Slam winner, Roger Federer became the oldest world number one after he defeated his Dutch opponent Robin Haase in Rotterdam at the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament on February 16, 2018.

7. (b) Pakistan

According to a UNICEF report that released on February 20, 2018, Pakistan is the riskiest nation to be born in, as it has the highest newborn mortality rates in the world. The report mainly examined the death rates of newborn babies during the first 28 days of life.

8. (c) United Kingdom

The UK – India Joint research projects on ‘Water Quality Research’ and ‘Energy Demand Reduction in Built Environment’ were launched in New Delhi on February 20, 2018. The Water Quality Research programme has 8 projects and ‘Energy Demand Reduction in Built Environment’ programme has four projects.

9. (b) Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia will debut with its first-ever Arab Fashion Week in Riyadh in March 2018. The move is another step towards opening up of the country under Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s ambitious transformation programme. The Dubai-based Arab Fashion Council said the fashion week will be held in Riyadh from March 26 to March 31, with a second edition already scheduled for October.

10. (d) Syria

UNICEF issued a blank statement on February 20, 2018 to express its outrage at mass casualties among Syrian children in the besieged enclave of Eastern Ghouta and neighboring Damascus. There were 10 empty lines with quote marks indicating missing text and an explanatory footnote, indicating its incapability to describe children’s suffering and its outrage.

11. (c) 81

India was placed at the 81st spot among 180 nations in the global Corruption Perception Index for 2017, which was recently released by Transparency International. The report in fact named India among the worst offenders in terms of graft and press freedom in the Asia Pacific region.

12. (a) Avani Chaturvedi

Flying officer Avani Chaturvedi from Madhya Pradesh scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo. She flew a MiG-21 bison in her first solo sortie from IAF’s Jamnagar base in Gujarat on February 19. She is one of the three in the first batch of female pilots, besides Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh, who were inducted in Indian Air Force fighter squadron in 2016.

13. (a) Jaipur

The Gandhi Nagar railway station of Jaipur, Rajasthan became the country’s first major non-suburban railway station to be fully-managed by women.  It is the second station in the country to be managed solely by women – the first being Matunga in Mumbai.

14. (a) Hyderabad

The World Congress on Information Technology was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 19, 2018 through video conferencing at Hyderabad, India. The event, held for the first time in India, was organised in partnership with NASSCOM, WITSA and the Government of Telangana.

15. (a) 25.4

According to a UNICEF report that released on February 20, 2018, India's neonatal mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) was 25.4, making it the 12th worst among 52 ‘lower middle-income countries’ that pose risk for newborns.

According to a UNICEF report that released on February 20, 2018, India's neonatal mortality rate (deaths per 1,000 live births) was 25.4, making it the 12th worst among 52 ‘lower middle-income countries’ that pose risk for newborns.

Weely Current affairs 250218 - 040318

1. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently launched the Ombudsman Scheme for which organisations?
a) Non-Banking Financial Companies
b) Banking Sector
c) Mutual Funds
d) Insurance Companies

2. Which country recently proposed removal of 2-term limit for President?
a) India
b) China
c) Japan
d) Nepal

3. Name the former Cabinet secretary of India who passed away recently?
a) Mukul Rohatgi
b) Bikram Chaturvedi
c) TSR Subramanian
d) Bipin Rawat

4. National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts will be established in which IIT?
a) IIT Bombay
b) IIT Delhi
c) IIT Roorkee
d) IIT Chennai

5. Name the legendary Bollywood actress who died in Dubai recently.
a) Sridevi
b) Reema Lagoo
c) Pratyusha Banerjee
d) Avav Mukherjee

6. The UIDAI has launched ‘Baal Aadhaar’ for children below the age of 5 years. What is the colour of the ID card?
a) Blue
b) Green
c) Pink
d) Red

7. Which nation has for the first-ever time allowed women to join the military?
a) Tanzania
b) Iraq
c) Saudi Arabia
d) Qatar

8. Which state’s Chief Minister has announced a 5 lakh health-cum-life insurance scheme for farmers?
a) Maharashtra
b) Madhya Pradesh
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Telangana

9. Which country was elected as the Vice Chair of Financial Action Task Force?
a) India
b) China
c) Pakistan
d) UK

10. Which nuclear capable surface-to-surface missile was successfully test-fired from a ship in Bay of Bengal?
a) Brahmos
b) Dhanush
c) Prithvi-II
d) Agni-II

 

ANSWERS

1. (a) Non-Banking Financial Companies
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched Ombudsman Scheme for redressal of complaints against the Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). The scheme will provide a cost-free and expeditious complaint redressal mechanism relating to deficiency in the services by NBFCs covered under the scheme.

2. (b) China
China on February 25, 2018 paved the way for third consecutive term of President Xi Jinping by proposing removal of 2-term limit for President. The proposal was made by Communist Party of China (CPC) through amendments to China's Constitution. It proposed that the President and the Vice-President shall not be constitutionally restricted to two consecutive terms in office.

3. (c) TSR Subramanian
TSR Subramanian (79), the former Cabinet secretary of India, has passed away in New Delhi on February 26, 2018. He served as the cabinet secretary from 1996 to 1998.

4. (d) IIT Chennai
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, on February 26, 2018 laid  the  foundation stone for setting up of a National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC) at IIT Chennai. NTCPWC will be set up under the Union Shipping Ministry’s flagship 'Sagarmala Programme '.

5. (a) Sridevi
Bollywood’s legendary and veteran actor Sridevi passed away on February 24, 2018 due to cardiac arrest in Dubai. She was 54. Sridevi made her Bollywood debut as a child artist at the age of 12 in “Julie” (1975). In 1978 she played the lead role in "Solva Sawan".

6. (a) Blue
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has introduced a blue coloured 'Baal Aadhaar' card for children below the age of five years. The card will be issued to children in the age group without any biometric details but they will be required to complete a mandatory verification process when they turn five and then again when they are 15 years old.

7. (b) Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has for the first-ever time opened applications for women to enlist in the military. Though the roles do not appear to involve combat, they will give women the opportunity to work in security.

8. (d) Telangana
The Telangana government has announced Rs 5 lakh worth health-cum-life insurance cover for farmers. The state government will be paying the entire premium on behalf of the farmer. The scheme is expected to benefit 70 lakh farmers in the state.

9. (b) China
China was elected as vice chair of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global body mandated to combat terror financing and money laundering. In its plenary meeting in Paris, FATF had placed Pakistan under “grey list” subject to direct monitoring and intense scrutiny by International Cooperation Review Group till June 2018 for compliance of Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Finance of Terrorism regulations.

10. (b) Dhanush
The Indian armed forces on February 24, 2018 successfully test fired nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile Dhanush from a naval warship positioned in the Bay of Bengal. The trial was conducted by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Navy from an undisclosed location nearly 45 km from the Paradip coast.

1. This Indian state has been declared as a disturbed area till June 2018 - Nagaland

2. This state hosted the 171st Araadhanai Music Festival - Tamil Nadu 

3. These two nations have become the first in Gulf to introduce VAT - UAE and Saudi Arabia
4.This state has become the second one in the North East to be declared Open Defecation free - Arunachal Pradesh 

5. This Prominent poet, who translated the Bhagwad Geeta into Urdu, passed away at the age of 71 on 2 January 2018 - Anwar Jalalpuri

6. This state has received the approval for purchase of electric vehicles under the FAME India Scheme - Karnataka

7.Person appointed as the Prime Minister of Mali - Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga

8. This state published the first draft of National Register of Citizens with 1.9 crore names - Assam

9. Person appointed as the Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh recently - Om Prakash Singh

10.Person appointed as President of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) - Vinay Sahasrabuddhe

11. Indian origin scientist honoured with Damehood by Queen Elizabeth - Pratibha Laxman Gai
12. This country recently confirmed its withdrawal from UNESCO following the withdrawal of US - Israel

13. North Korea re-opened a communication channel with this country after months of hostility - South Korea

14. This state has decided to impose a spot fine of Rs 500 for open defecation - Maharashtra

15. This Indian tennis player is the highest-ranked in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings - G Sathiyan

16. The Union Cabinet has approved a MoU in the oil and gas sector between India and this nation - Israel

17. The Union cabinet has approved an agreement between India and this nation on land border crossing – Myanmar

18. This nation-wide cleanliness survey was launched across India on 4 January- Swachh Survekshan

19.Union Cabinet recently approved establishment of AIIMS under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana at - Bilaspur

20. Union Minister Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated this online portal for women empowerment - NARI 

21. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved mandatory packaging of foodgrains and sugar in - Jute material

22. CCEA approved construction, operation and maintenance of 2-lane bi-directional Zojila Tunnel in - Jammu & Kashmir

23.Union Cabinet approved amendments in the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) to boost - Port Sector

24. Radha Vishwanathan, the noted vocalist passed away recently. She was daughter of - MS Subbulakshmi

25. The United States has suspended security aid to this nation - Pakistan

26. This state government is going to form an education board for non-English medium schools - Maharashtra 

27. This senior NCP leader passed away on 4 January following prolonged illness - Vasant Davkhare 

28.This former cricketing legend has been appointed as the coach of the Delhi Daredevils franchise for the upcoming IPL 2018 - Ricky Ponting 

29. Following the Assam NRC implementation, this state has taken up preventive measures to prevent a possible spillover of illegal migrants to the state - Arunachal Pradesh 

30. The Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Department of Science & Technology signed a MoU for - Joint funding of Technology Mission for Indian Railways.

31. The Health Ministry and Tata Memorial Centre have launched the first digital - Online Oncology Tutorial

32. The Defence Ministry has cleared arms procurement contracts worth this much amount for Navy, Army - Rs 2,420 crore

33. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved five projects worth - Rs 295.01 crore

34. The Supreme Court of this nation ruled that child's rights are sacred, cannot be bartered by orphanage in-charges – India

Weekly Current Affairs 15-01-18 to 21-01-18

1. Which country’s President has ordered to re-impose a ban on women buying alcohol?
Sri Lanka (Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena soon (after 39 yr ban removal) as they had attracted wide media attention and was welcomed by woman and intellectual groups.)
2. India is going to conduct a joint military exercise called ‘Vajra Prahar’ with which nation?
 US (The Indo-US joint military exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’ will be undertaken at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Seattle, US in the third week of January. The exercise would see a 45-member Special Forces team from Indian Army’s Southern Command train alongside US soldiers. )

3. Which messenger service application has launched its business version to enable businesses to communicate better with their customers globally?
 Whatsapp (on 18 January 2018 launched ‘Whatsapp Business’)


4. Moshe Holtzberg, the toddler who survived the 26/11 terror attacks that took the lives of his parents along with hundreds of others, recently returned to the city for the first time post the attack. Which nation does he originally belong to?
Israel(Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli boy who survived the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks as a toddler but lost his parents, returned to Mumbai recently. This is his first visit to the city since the attacks by Pakistani terrorists over nine years ago that killed 166 people.)

5. Archaeologists have discovered the World's Biggest Flooded Cave in which nation?
Mexico

6. The UIDA has introduced which new means of Aadhaar authentication?
Face


7. Which Indian IT firm has signed a deal worth over 690 mn dollars with M&G Prudential?
 Tata Consultancy Services


8. Which historical war memorial in India has been renamed after the Israeli city of Haifa?
 Teen Murti(The Teen Murti Chowk in central Delhi was formally renamed as Teen Murti-Haifa, after Israeli city Haifa in a solemn ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on 14 January 2018.)

9. Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh has been appointed as the Chief of Staff of which naval command?
Western Naval Command

10. Which country has built the world’s largest air purifier to fight pollution?
 China(Xian smog tower,)

11. Which country has become the first one to be connected to India’s National Knowledge Network?
 Sri Lanka(India and Sri Lanka signed four agreements on 15 January 2018 for collaboration in the Information and communication technology (ICT) sector, setting up of an e-office system and connecting of National Knowledge Network (NKN) for collaboration among universities and academics.  With the move, Sri Lanka has become the first country to be connected to India’s NKN through a Gigabyte optical fibre network. )

12. Which cricketer was named ICC Cricketer of the Year 2017?
 Virat Kohli( he knocked up a total of 2203 runs including 8 centuries in tests, 1818 runs with 7 centuries in ODIs and 299 runs in T20 Internationals.)
 
13. Which country has appointed a Minister for Loneliness to tackle the issue of loneliness in the nation?
UK (The New York)


14. Which state cabinet has approved 1 per cent reservation for orphans in government jobs?
Maharashtra (the state’s Women and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde said that it will help rehabilitate orphan children and secure their future. )

15. Survey suggests that students of which nation are too busy for playtime?
 China (about 48.9 percent of primary and middle school students in China take private lessons. More than half of the students surveyed said that they have to bury their heads in books and had no time to play after school.)

04-01-18

1. North Korea re-opened a communication channel with this country after months of hostility - South Korea

2. This state has decided to impose a spot fine of Rs 500 for open defecation - Maharashtra

3.This Indian tennis player is the highest-ranked in the latest International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings - G Sathiyan

4.The Union Cabinet has approved a MoU in the oil and gas sector between India and this nation - Israel

5.The Union cabinet has approved an agreement between India and this nation on land border crossing – Myanmar

6.This nation-wide cleanliness survey was launched across India on 4 January- Swachh Survekshan

7. Union Cabinet recently approved establishment of AIIMS under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana at - Bilaspur
 
8. Union Minister Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated this online portal for women empowerment- NARI 

9. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved mandatory packaging of foodgrains and sugar in - Jute material

10. CCEA approved construction, operation and maintenance of 2-lane bi-directional Zojila Tunnel in - Jammu & Kashmir

11. Union Cabinet approved amendments in the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) to boost - Port Sector


12. Radha Vishwanathan, the noted vocalist passed away recently. She was daughter of - MS Subbulakshmi

Weekly Current Affairs 251217-311217

1.Which nation has signed an agreement with Sudan to build a nuclear power plant in its territory?
Russia 

2.Who launched the electronic-Human Resource Management System?
The DoNER, Space and Public Grievances & Pensions Minister, Jitendra Singh with 25 Apps of 5 Modules

3.Which nation besides the US has announced its decision of moving its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem?
Guatemala

4. Which Indian female cricketer has been selected for both ICC Women's ODI Cricket Team of the Year and ICC Women's T20 International Cricket Team of the Year?
Ekta Bisht(lone cricketer to find a place in the both the ODI and T20 Teams of the year announced by the world body)

5.Mithali Raj-Indian skipper was on 21 December 2017 named in the ICC Women's ODI Cricket Team of the Year

6. Former football superstar, George Weah has won the presidential elections of which nation? 
Liberia

7.Which country’s parliament passed a law limiting the powers of its police?  
Israel

8.Which high court passed a ruling stating that no one has the right to use government land as a burial ground?
Delhi HC  

9.Which Bollywood actor has been named the PETA 2017 Person of the Year?
Anushka Sharma  (PETA 2017 Person of the Year for her wide-reaching work for animals. According to PETA’s Associate Director Sachin Bangera, the actor is a proud animal rights proponent whose kindness and initiative know no bounds.)

10.Jairam Thakur, who was sworn-in as CM of Himachal Pradesh, contested from which constituency?
Seraj(Governor Acharya Devrat administered the oath of office and secrecy to Thakur and 11 other Ministers at the Ridge ground in Shimla.)

11.Which country inaugurated world’s longest glass bridge recently?
China (Though it has a capacity to hold 2000 people, only 500 would be allowed at a time. The magnificent bridge lies 218 meters above hanging between the two cliffs in Hongyagu Scenic Area in Pingshan County. )

12.India’s First Runway on 'Sea Bridge' will be located at which place?
Lakshadweep Islands(India is all set to get its first runway on a ‘sea bridge’, as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been given a nod to extend Lakshadweep’s Agatti Airport. The task will be carried out by building an RCC platform on the beach and shallow area which will allow bigger ATRs to operate on the island. The Project is likely to cost about Rs 1500 crore)

13. Which Indian city became the first to have its own logo?
Bengaluru(like Newyork and paris
The logo unveiled is a 180 degree straight line with Bengaluru amalgamated in Kannada and English. The tagline 'Bengaluru - Be U' (be you) is expected to build the city's image on the global stage.)

14.India signed how much amount of loan agreement with World Bank for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project?
USD 318 million( to promote climate resilient agriculture technologies, improve water management practices and increase market opportunities for farmers in the state)
 

15.
Which country has largest Diaspora population in the world, as per UN World Migration Report 2018?
India(According to UN World Migration Report (2018), India has largest diaspora in the world with more than 15.6 million people from India living overseas. Of the international migrants (people living outside the country of their birth) which was estimated at 243 million in 2015, the Indian diaspora constitutes nearly 6 per cent.)

16.
Which state launched a free household power connection scheme ‘Prakash hai to vikas hai’?
Uttar Pradesh (to mark former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birthday. Initially, the two village Lohban and Gausana of Mathura district have been covered for 100% electrification.)