CURRENT AFFAIRS DECEMBER 2014

Current affairs December 2014

Set 1

1) Who was appointed as the new CBI Director on 2 December 2014?

Ans. Anil Kumar Sinha

2) 26th World AIDS Day was observed across the world on 1 December 2014

with the theme?

Ans. Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS-free generation

3) Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi was on 5 December 2014 named

as the Asian of the Year 2014 by The Straits Times. 'The Straits Times' is the

leading newspaper in which country?

Ans. Singapore

4) Mahaparinirwan Diwas was observed across India on 6 December 2014 on the

death anniversary of?

Ans. Dr B R Ambedkar

5) Who became the first Indian Footballer to be conferred with Asian Football

Confederation (AFC) Hall of Fame Award on 30 November 2014?

Ans. Baichung Bhutia

6) Which film won the Golden Peacock Award at the 45th International Film

Festival of India (IFFI) which concluded in Goa recently?

Ans. Leviathan, Russian Film

7) Name the mascot for the 2016 European football championship announced

recently?

Ans. Super Victor

8) As decided recently, the birthday of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari

Vajpayee on the 25 December will be observed as?

Ans. National Good Governance Day

9) United Nations General Assembly on 5 December 2014 declared which year as

the International Year of Soils?

Ans. 2015

10) Who was nominated as the next defence secretary of US Department of

Defence by the President Barack Obama on 5 December 2014?

Ans. Ashton Carter

Note: He will replace Chuck Hagel as US Defence Secretary, who resigned in

November 2014.

11) Recently American geologists discovered the most abundant mineral on

earth's lower mantle known as?

Ans. Bridgmanite

12) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 29 November 2014 flagged off first

passenger train to which north-eastern state?

Ans. Meghalaya

Note: The move has put Meghalaya on India's railway map for the first time.

13) Which country on 30 November 2014 launched National Day song in Tamil

language to celebrate 50 years of its independence in 2015?

Ans. Singapore

Note: Tamil is the fourth official language of Singapore.

14) Who became the oldest player to score a century in the One-Day International

(ODI) on 30 November 2014?

Ans. Khurram Khan, United Arab Emirates (UAE) captain

Note: He scored the century against Afghanistan in Dubai. He achieved the feat

at an age of 43 years and 162 days thus breaking the record held in the name of

Sanath Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka.

15) Which country launched the new generation navigation satellite GLONASSK

on 30 November 2014?

Ans. Russia

16) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 2 December 2014 announced ...... bi-Monthly

Monetary Policy Statement?

Ans. fifth

Note: The rates have been kept unchanged. (Repo rate: 8 percent, Reverse repo

rate: 7 percent)

17) Nuclear capable missile Agni-IV was test fired on 2 December 2014 from?

Ans. Integrated Test Range in Wheeler Island, Odisha.

18) Nation on 3 December 2014 remembered the Bhopal gas tragedy that

happened 30 years back on?

Ans. 3 December 1984

19) UN observed International Volunteer Day (IVD) on?

Ans. 5 December

20) International Criminal Court (ICC) on 5 December 2014 withdrew the case

against President of which African country?

Ans. Kenya President, Uhuru Kenyatta

21) Which state government on 5 December 2014 decided to ban health camps

without prior approval of district civil surgeons?

Ans. Punjab

22) Name the multi-level global campaign to highlight importance of girls’

education launched by Bollywood actresses Priyanka Chopra and Freida Pinto

in New Delhi on 29 November 2014?

Ans. Girl Rising

23) Who won the 2014 presidential elections of Uruguay on 30 November 2014?

Ans. Tabare Ramon Vazquez Rosas

24) Maoists killed more than dozen CRPF personnel in an attack in Chintagufa

area of Sukma district of which state on 1 December 2014?

Ans. Chhattisgarh

25) Border Security Force (BSF) celebrated its .....th Raising day on 1 December

2014?

Ans. 49th

26) State Government of Gujarat on 5 December 2014 declared 353 villages of

which district as completely or partially scarcity-affected?

Ans. Kutch

27) Who won the 2014 US Player of the Year award on 5 December 2014?

Ans. US football team goalkeeper Tim Howard

28) Who was appointed as the Director General of National Disaster Response

Force (NDRF) on 1 December 2014?

Ans. OP Singh

29) Credit Rating Agency ICRA Limited on 5 December 2014 appointed whom as

non-executive Chairman after he was elected unilaterally by the ICRA Board?

Ans. Arun Duggal

30) First World Soil Day was observed by the United Nations Food and

Agriculture Organization (FAO) on?

Ans. 5 December 2014

31) Egypt court on 29 November 2014 dropped charges against its former

President?

Ans. Hosni Mubarak

32) The book "2014: The Election That Changed India" that was released on 1

November 2014 was penned by?

Ans. Rajdeep Sardesai

33) India recently joined the elite group of countries to build the largest telescope

in the world at?

Ans. Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

34) International Day for the Abolition of Slavery was observed by the United

Nations on?

Ans. December 2

35) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 30 November 2014 coined the acronym

SMART for police forces across the country in the 49th annual conference of

India DGPs and IGPs. What does SMART stands for?

Ans. S for strict but sensitive, M for modern and mobile, A for alert and

accountable, R for reliable and responsive, T for techno-savvy and trained

36) Researchers led by Professor Gene K Beare recently developed world’s fastest

2D camera at which University?

Ans. National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Washington

University.

Set 2

1) Who was named as the TIME’s Person of the Year 2014 on 10 December 2014

by the TIME’s magazine?

Ans. Ebola fighters

2) Indian Blind Cricket team on 7 December 2014 won the fourth edition of the

Blind Cricket World Cup (BCWC) 2014 by defeating which country in the final?

Ans. Pakistan

Note: The final held at Wally Wilson Cricket Ground in Cape Town, South

Africa. The captain of the Indian team was Shekar Naik.

3) India on 7 December 2014 set the Guinness Record for largest human

formation of a national flag in the world. Where was this event held?

Ans. Chennai

4) Which US-based taxi service was in news recently as Delhi Government

banned its services in the national capital?

Ans. Uber taxi service

5) Who recently became the first Indian-American to be appointed as US

Ambassador to India?

Ans. Richard Rahul Verma

6) Human Rights Day was observed globally on 10 December 2014 with the

theme?

Ans. Human Rights 365

7) Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai received Nobel Peace Prize for the

year 2014 on 10 December 2014. Where was the award ceremony held?

Ans. Oslo, Norway

8) Union Home Ministry on 10 December 2014 removed which section of Indian

Penal Code (IPC) decriminalizing attempt to suicide?

Ans. Section 309

9) Which bank recently launched India’s first credit card with a unique

transparent design and a distinctive look, in association with American Express?

Ans. ICCI Bank

10) Indian Communication Satellite GSAT-16 was on 7 December 2014 launched

successfully from?

Ans. Kourou space port in French Guiana

Note: GSAT-16 carries a total of 48 communication transponders, the largest by

a communication satellite developed by the ISRO so far.

11) International Cricket Council (ICC) on 7 December 2014 suspended which

Pakistani player from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect for

illegal bowling action?

Ans. Mohammad Hafeez

12) Andhra Pradesh Government on 8 December 2014 signed a Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) with which country for the development of its new capital

that is set to come up near Vijawayada region?

Ans. Singapore

13) World’s first handcrafted herbal Holy Quran was unveiled on 8 December

2014 in?

Ans. Dubai

14) State Bank of India (SBI) on 9 December 2014 launched two indices namely

the SBI Monthly Composite Index and the SBI Yearly Composite Index. What is

the aim of these indices?

Ans. To primarily track manufacturing and services activity to determine

contraction and expansion of the Indian economy.

15) Advanced version of Mark-II Pinaka Rocket was successfully test fired on 9

December 2014 from?

Ans. Chandipur, Odisha

16) Which Nobel Laureate was in news recently because he auctioned his Nobel

Prize medal for 4.8 million US dollars, thus becoming the first living recipient to

auction the Nobel Prize medal?

Ans. James D Watson

Note: He was awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery of the structure of DNA

in 1962.

17) Which Australian Cricketer player on 12 December 2014 completed 1000 Test

runs in 2014, becoming the first opener to achieve the feat in one calendar year

since England skipper Alastair Cook in 2012?

Ans. David Warner

18) Which former South African cricketer was on 5 December 2014 appointed as

the mentor and batting consultant for Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata

Knight Rider (KKR)?

Ans. Jacques Kallis

19) Nation remembered and paid homage to martyrs of Parliament attack on

......th anniversary of Parliament attack on 13 December 2014?

Ans. 13th

20) Delhi High Court on 10 December 2014 banned which chinese handset maker

to sell phones in India over patent issue with Ericsson?

Ans. Xiaomi

21) International Anti-Corruption Day was observed by the United Nations on?

Ans. 9 December

22) Which state government on 8 December 2014 launched the 'M One app' that

will provide a platform for m-governance in the State?

Ans. Karnataka

23) Who was awarded Swiss Ambassador's Award in Mumbai on 3 December

2014?

Ans. Azim Premji, Wipro Chairman

24) Which Indian playback singer was awarded the Lifetime Achievement

Award at the 11th Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) held in Dubai on 10

December 2014?

Ans. Asha Bhosle

25) Which Indian won Miss Universal Peace & Humanity 2014 at Beirut, Lebanon

on 10 December 2014?

Ans. Ruhi Singh

26) First Arabic translation of Indian Constitution was launched on 9 December

2014 at?

Ans. Cairo, Egypt.

27) 15th Indo-Russian Bilateral Annual Summit was recently held at?

Ans. New Delhi

Note: President Vladimir Putin of Russia visited India to hold the summit on

the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

28) Name the Indian who was appointed as an honorary member of the

International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently?

Ans. Randhir Singh

29) Olympian Grihanandan Singh who died on 7 December 2014 in New Delhi

was famous in which sport?

Ans. Hockey

30) The Committee on Leveraging the Post Office Network on 4 December 2014

submitted its report to the Union Ministry of Communications and Information

Technology. Who headed the committee?

Ans. Former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian

31) Armed Forces Flag Day was observed recently across the nation on?

Ans. 7 December

Set 3

1) Who was crowned Miss World 2014?

Ans. Rolene Strauss

Note: She was Miss South Africa. The final of the beauty pageant was held in

London, UK. Miss Hungary, Edina Kulcsar, was the runner-up and Miss United

States, Elizabeth Safrit, came third.

2) Which country won Hockey’s Champions Trophy 2014?

Ans. Germany

Note: In the final match played at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar,

Odisha, Olympic Champions Germany defeated Pakistan by 2-0 margin.

3) Who became longest serving Chief Minister of India on 12 December 2014?

Ans. Pawan Chamling, Sikkim Chief Minister

Note: He completed his 20 years in the office on 12 December 2014. Earlier, the

longest serving CM was late Communist leader Jyoti Basu who was chief

minister of West Bengal.

4) Who was appointed as Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) on 13 December

2014?

Ans. Dineshwar Sharma

5) Which bank on 16 December 2014 launched its mobile banking facility named

Bank Aap Ki Muththi Mein?

Ans. HDFC Bank

6) Which terrorist group on 16 December 2014 carried out a massacre in the

Army-run school in Peshawar, Pakistan?

Ans. Tehreek-e-Taliban

7) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 15 December 2014 increased RTGS (real time

gross settlement) business hours from 7.30 hours to 12 hours. What is the revised

timing now?

Ans. 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays.

Note: Earlier it was 9 am to 4.30 pm.

8) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched India’s

heaviest rocket named ___ carrying Crew module Atmospheric Reentry

Experiment (CARE) from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on 18 December 2014?

Ans. GSLV Mark-III-X

9) Book tittled "Born Again on the Mountain" which was released by Prime

Minister Narendra Modi on 12 December 2014 was written by?

Ans. Arunima Sinha

Note: She is the first Indian amputee and first female amputee to climb Mount

Everest.

10) World Diamond Conference was recently held at?

Ans. New Delhi

11) Name the Indian-American physician who was on 15 December 2014

appointed as the 19th Surgeon General of America?

Ans. Vivek Hallegere Murthy

12) 14th Finance Commission headed by whom submitted its report to the

President of India on 15 December 2014?

Ans. YV Reddy, former RBI governor

13) International Boxing Association (AIBA) on 17 December 2014 banned the

which Indian boxer for one year for not accepting her bronze medal at Asian

Games 2014 medal ceremony?

Ans. Sarita Devi

14) Minorities Rights Day was observed across the world to create awareness on

rights of minorities on?

Ans. 18 December

15) Name the Japanese Prime Minister who was on 14 December 2014 re-elected

for another four-year term?

Ans. Shinzo Abe

16) Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics Games mascot have been recently

named respectively as?

Ans. Vinicius and Tom

17) Google on 15 December 2014 released its annual Year in Search (YIS) Report

2014. What was the top trending search during 2014?

Ans. Elections 2014

18) Who became the world’s first twin and sibling to climb the highest peaks of

the seven continents on 16 December 2014?

Ans. Tashi Malik and Nungshi Malik

19) Union Government on 16 December 2014 banned which terror group under

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act?

Ans. Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

20) Which Indian film was nominated on 13 December 2014 for Oscar 2015 in

categories Best Picture and Best Original Score?

Ans. Jal

21) Who was appointed as Mauritius Prime Minister by the President Purryag on

14 December 2014?

Ans. Anerood Jugnauth

22) National Energy Conservation Day was observed on?

Ans. 14 December

23) Which Indian player on 15 December 2014 won his maiden London Classic

Chess title?

Ans. Viswanathan Anand

24) Name the Japanese teens who became youngest table tennis champions on 13

December 2014 in table tennis World Grand Finals?

Ans. Mima Ito and Miu Hirano

25) Vijay Diwas was observed across the country on?

Ans. 16 December

26) Which country on 19 December 2014 became Associate Member State of

CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)?

Ans. Pakistan

Set 4

1) Union Government observed 25 December 2014 as Good Governance Day on

the birthday of?

Ans. Atal Bihari Vajpayee

2) Who was honoured with the Yash Chopra Memorial Award on 23 December

2014?

Ans. Amitabh Bachchan

3) India on 20 December 2014 won the Men and Women title of Kabaddi World

Cup 2014. Where was the event held?

Ans. Jalandhar, Punjab, India.

4) Who was elected as the President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of

Commerce & Industry (FICCI) on 20 December 2014?

Ans. Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson of Bharat Hotels

5) Who was recently appointed as the ambassador of Cricket World Cup 2015?

Ans. Sachin Tendulkar

6) Who was on 19 December 2014 appointed as the Chairman of the reconstituted

Indian Banks’ Association committee on Member Private Sector Banks for 2014-

15?

Ans. Shyam Srinivasan

Note: He is the CEO of Federal Bank.

7) Which section of Indian Penal Code (IPC) was in news recently as Union

Home Ministry decided to remove this Section, thus decriminalizing attempt to

suicide?

Ans. Section 309

8) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 23 December 2014 extended the deadline for

exchanging pre-2005 of various denominations to?

Ans. 30 June 2015

9) Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpee and freedom fighter Pandit Madan

Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) were selected for Bharat Ratna recently. In

which year Bharat Ratna was instituted?

Ans. 1954

10) National Consumers Right Day was observed across India on? - 24

December

11) National Mathematics Day was celebrated on 22 December every year on

whose birthday?

Ans. Srinivasa Ramanujan

12) India on 20 December 2014 exported CGS Barracuda offshore patrol vessel

(OPV) to which country?

Ans. Mauritius

Note: This is the first warship ordered by a foreign country from shipyard of

India.

13) Name the Mission launched by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

on 25 December 2014 to achieve full immunization coverage for all children by

2020?

Ans. Indradhanush

14) Which country recently successfully test-launched Angara-A5 rocket?

Ans. Russia

15) Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) on 22 December 2014 bagged a 16.96 million

Euro contract for a thermal power project in which country?

Ans. Turkey

16) Union Government recently released Calendar for the year 2015 with the

theme?

Ans. Clean India Green India

17) Which was named as the most important scientific Breakthrough of the Year

2014 by Science journal recently?

Ans. European space mission Rosetta

18) Union Ministry of Home Affairs on 23 December 2014 set up a committee to

examine the possibility of constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for

reinvestigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases. Who will head the committe?

Ans. former Supreme Court Judge Justice (retired) G.P. Mathur.

19) Who was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Coal

India Ltd (CIL) on 23 December 2014?

Ans. S Bhattacharya

20) Which country won Gold in World Youth Under-16 Chess Olympiad on 22

December 2014?

Ans. India

Note: Event was held at Gyor, Hungary.

21) Union Cabinet on 23 December 2014 approved promulgation of an Ordinance

to hike Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) cap in the insurance sector to?

Ans. 49 percent

22) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 22 December 2014 licensed which subsidiary

of Ford Motor Credit Company to operate as a non-banking financial company

(NBFC) in India?

Ans. Ford Credit India

23) Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on 19 December 2014 has partnered with

which company to transform Surat into a smart city?

Ans. Microsoft India

24) Book titled Why I Assassinated Gandhi written by Nathuram Godse and

Gopal Godse was in news in during December 2014 for what?

Ans. First revised edition of book was published by Delhi-based Farsight

Publishers and Distributors.

25) Which country on 23 December 2014 launched its largest ever missile

warship named Tuo Chiang?

Ans. Taiwan