Daily Current Affairs and GK | 29 January 2020

1. Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdelaziz Al Thani, the new Prime Minister of Qatar

• Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdelaziz Al Thani has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Qatar.
• He will replace Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani.
• Qatar:

• It is an Arab country with its capital being Doha.
• Its currency is Qatari Riyal.

2. Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction & Animation Films started in Mumbai, Maharashtra

• The 16^th biennial International Film Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction and Animation Films is being held at the Nehru Central Auditorium in Mumbai.
• It is the oldest international event for non- feature films in South Asia.
• Dr. V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. S. Krishnaswamy for his contribution to non-fiction film making.
• Dr. V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award is given for the futuristic contribution to documentary films and its movement in India. It carries a cash prize of INR 10 lakh, trophy, and a citation.
• The festival is being organized since 1990 by the Films Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

3. 12^th National Conference on Safety in Mines going on in New Delhi

• The 12^th National Conference on Safety in Mines is being held in New Delhi.
• The two-day conference is being organized by the Directorate General of Mines Safety.
• It recommended for the safety, health and welfare measures for the worker of the mine.
• It is attended by Union Minister for Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar.

4. Assam Tableau wins 1^st prize in Republic Day Parade 2020

• The Best Tableaux Award was given to Assam for 71^st Republic Day Parade.
• Assam showcased its unique craftsmanship and culture.
• The second position was jointly held by Odisha (showcased Lord Lingaraja’s Rukana Rath Yatra) and Uttar Pradesh (State’s cultural and religious heritage).
• Among the ministries and departments, the tableaux of National Disaster Relief Force and Jal Shakti Mission were chosen as the best.
• The special prize was given to the Central Public Work Department’s tableau with its theme “Kashmir se Kanyakumari”.

5. Closure of Hindustan Fluorocarbons (HFL) plant in Telangana approved by the cabinet

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the closure of the Hindustan Fluorocarbons Plant in Telangana.
• It is a Central Public Enterprise under the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals.
• For closure, an interest-free loan of over INR 77 crore approved to HFL.
• There is only one plant of HFL in Rudraram, District Sangareddy in Telangana.

6. Mizoram emerged as the champion of North East Dr T Ao Trophy

• Two-time champion Mizoram emerged as the champion of North East Dr T Ao Trophy by defeating Sikkim.
• The event was held at Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima in Mizoram.
• Golden Boot was given to Rhitsho Mero for 10 goals done by him.
• Mizoram received a cash prize of INR 10 lakh and Sikkim got INR 6 lakh.
• Nagaland got the 3^rd prize after defeating Arunachal Pradesh.
• Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio attended the closing ceremony.

7. Indian cyclist Esow Alben wins gold in 6 days Berlin tournament

• Esow Alben bagged gold in Men's Keirin individual event of the Six-Day Berlin Tournament.
• Czech Republic's Tomas Babek earned silver while Maximilian Lev of Germany earned Bronze.
• The tournament was held in Berlin, the Capital city of Germany.
• It is a six-day cycling tournament in which each participant competes every day.

8. Anil Khanna nominated as the life-long President of Asian Tennis Federation

• Anil Khanna has been nominated as the life-long President of Asian Tennis Federation (ATF).
• He has served as the ATF President from 2005-2019 and as the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Vice President from 2015-19.
• He has also been appointed as the chairman of the ATF Finance Committee.
• International Tennis Federation:

• It is a governing body of world tennis, beach tennis, and wheelchair tennis.
• It was founded in 1913 with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom.

• Asian Tennis Federation:

• It is a Non- Profit organization affiliated to the International Tennis Federation.
• Its headquarters is in Hong Kong, China.

9. Beating the Retreat ceremony held in New Delhi

• Beating the Retreat ceremony to be held in Vijay Chowk, New Delhi to mark the end of 4-day long Republic Day celebrations.
• The ceremony was started in the 1950s by Major Roberts who displayed the mass bands in the ceremony.
• Beating the Retreat is an old tradition when the troops stop fighting, sheathed their arms and withdrew from the battlefield and returned to their camps at the sound of the retreat.

10. Bhuvan Panchayat V3 web portal launched

• Bhuvan Panchayat V3 web portal has been launched by the Union Minister of State for PMO Dr. Jitendra Singh to boost up the network applications of the village panchayats.
• The portal was inaugurated at the Antariksh Bhavan, ISRO Headquarters in Bengaluru.
• The portal will work with the help of the satellite technology developed by ISRO.

11. 12^th South Asia Conference being held in New Delhi

• The 12^th South Asia Conference is being held in New Delhi.
• The theme of the 2-day conference was “India’s Neighborhood First Policy: Regional Perceptions”.
• It is organized by the Institute of Defense Studies and Analysis (IDSA) since 2007 to discuss various issues like terrorism, economic cooperation, etc in South Asia.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdelaziz Al Thani has been named as the Prime Minister of which of the following countries?

A. Qatar

B. Saudi Arabia

C. Kuwait

D. UAE

2. International Film Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction & Animation Films has begun in which of the following places?

A. Delhi

B. Mumbai

C. Gandhinagar

D. Chennai

3. 12^th National Conference on Safety in Mines is being held in-

A. Mumbai

B. New Delhi

C. Meerut

D. Chennai

4. Which of the following states got the award for the Best Tableau in the 71^st Republic Day Parade?

A. Assam

B. New Delhi

C. Uttrakhand

D. Uttar Pradesh

5. Which state emerged as the winner of the North East Dr T Ao Trophy?

A. Manipur

B. Mizoram

C. Assam

D. Sikkim

6. Indian cyclist Esow Alben won which of the following awards in Keirin individual event of the Six-Day Berlin Tournament?

A. Silver

B. Gold

C. Bronze

D. None of the above

7. Who among the following has been nominated as the life-long president of the Asian Tennis Federation?

A. Anil Khanna

B. Manoj Sharma

C. Robert Alexio

D. George Winston

8. Who started the ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony?

A. Major James

B. Major Williams

C. Major Roberts

D. Major Frank

9. Bhuvan Panchayat V3 web portal is aimed at boosting the network applications of which of the following?

A. Village Panchayats

B. Village Panchayats to Urban Local Bodies

C. Inter Panchayats and Panchayats to Urban Local Bodies

D. None of the above

10. 12^th South Asian Conference has been inaugurated in which of the following places?

A. New Delhi

B. Bengaluru

C. Hyderabad

D. Bhopal

Solution:

1. A

2. B

3. B

4. A

5. B

6. B

7. A

8. C

9. A

10. A