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BANK PO (IBPS PO/MT/SO, RBI Grade-B, SBI PO, SBI Management Executive, NABARD, IDBI, LIC & Other Exams)
2018 – Till Date SOLVED PAPERS INCLUDING MODEL SOLVED PAPERS OF ¾ Canara Bank PO Exam, 04.03.2018
¾ IDBI Executive Exam, 16.05.2019
¾ SBI PO Phase-II (Main) Exam, 05.08.2018
¾ SBI PO Prelim Exam, 14.06.2019
¾ SBI PO Prelim Exam, 09.06.2019
¾ IDBI Bank PO Exam, 29.04.2018
¾ RBI Officers in Grade ‘B’ Phase–I Exam, 16.08.2018 ¾ Indian Bank PO Online Prelim Exam, 06.10.2018
¾ IBPS Bank PO/MT CWE (Prelim Exam), 14.10.2018 ¾ IBPS Bank PO/MT CWE (Prelim Exam), 21.10.2018 ¾ IBPS Bank PO/MT CWE (Main Exam), 18.11.2018 ¾ Canara Bank PO Exam, 23.12.2018
¾ IBPS Specialist officer CWE (Prelim Exam), 31.01.2019 ¾ LIC AAO Prelim Exam, 04.05.2019 ¾ LIC AAO Prelim Exam, 05.05.2019
¾ NABARD GRADE ‘A’ MANAGER Exam, 15.06.2019 ¾ LIC AAO Main Exam, 28.06.2019
¾ SBI PO Phase-II Main Exam, 20.07.2019
¾ IBPS Bank PO/MT CWE Prelim Exam, 12.10.2019 ¾ IBPS Bank PO/MT CWE Prelim Exam, 19.10.2019 ¾ RBI Grade ‘B’ Officer Exam, 09.11.2019
¾ IBPS Bank PO/MT CWE Main Exam, 30.11.2019
¾ IBPS Specialist officer CWE (Prelim Exam), 28.12.2019 ¾ NABARD GRADE ‘A’ OFFICER Exam, 25.02.2020
¾ Indian Bank Specialist Officer Exam, 08.03.2020
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CONTENTS
Q CURRENT AFFAIRS ..................................................................................................................... EPO-5
MODEL SOLVED PAPERS SET–1 Y Y Y Y
SET–7
Canara Bank PO Exam, 04.03.2018 Reasoning ........................................................ EPO-33 Quantitative Aptitude ................................... EPO-38 English Language ........................................... EPO-42 General Awareness ......................................... EPO-48
IBPS BANK PO/MT CWE Prelim Exam, 21.10.2018 Y English Language ........................................ EPO-180 Y Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-183 Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-185
SET–8
SET–2 IDBI Bank PO Exam, 29.04.2018
Y Reasoning ........................................................ EPO-66 Y English Language ........................................... EPO-70 Y Quantitative Aptitude ................................... EPO-76
SET–3 Y Y Y Y Y
SBI PO Phase-II (Main) Exam, 05.08.2018 Reasoning & Computer Aptitude ................. EPO-89 Data Analysis & Interpretation ................... EPO-94 General Awareness ......................................... EPO-99 English Language ........................................ EPO-101
Descriptive Paper ...................................... EPO-117
SET–4 RBI Officer Grade ‘B’ Phase-I Exam, 16.08.2018 General Awareness ...................................... EPO-119 English Language ........................................ EPO-123 Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-128 Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-131
Y Y Y Y
SET–5 INDIAN BANK PO ONLINE PRELIM EXAM, Exam, 06.10.2018 Y English Language ........................................ EPO-150 Y Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-153 Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-155
IBPS BANK PO/MT CWE (Main Exam), 18.11.2018 Y Reasoning ................................................. EPO-195 Y Quantitative Aptitude ............................... EPO-200 Y English Language ..................................... EPO-203 Y General Awareness ................................... EPO-209 Y Descriptive Paper ........................... EPO-222
SET–9 Y Y Y Y
Canara Bank PO Exam, 23.12.2018 Reasoning ................................................. EPO-226 Quantitative Aptitude ............................... EPO-230 English Language ..................................... EPO-234 General Awareness ................................... EPO-239
SET–10 IBPS SPECIALIST OFFICER CWE Prelim Exam, 31.01.2019 Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-255 Y Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-259 Y English Language ........................................ EPO-264
SET–11 LIC AAO PRELIM EXAM, 04.05.2019 [Also Useful for IBPS Bank PO/MT CWE (Prelim Exam)] Y English Language ........................................ EPO-280
Y Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-283 Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-286
SET–6
SET–12
IBPS BANK PO/MT CWE Prelim Exam, 14.10.2018 Y English Language ........................................ EPO-164 Y Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-168
Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-170
LIC AAO PRELIM EXAM, 05.05.2019 [Also Useful for IBPS Bank PO/MT CWE (Prelim Exam)] Y English Language ........................................ EPO-295
Y Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-297 Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-300
EPO-3
SET–13
SET–20
IDBI EXECUTIVE EXAM, 16.05.2019 Y English Language ........................................ EPO-311 Y Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-315 Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-318
IBPS BANK PO/MT CWE Prelim Exam, 19.10.2019 Y English Language ........................................ EPO-441
SET–14
Y Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-443 Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-445
SBI PO PRELIMINARY EXAM, 09.06.2019
Y English Language ........................................ EPO-331 Y Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-333 Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-336
SET–15 SBI PO PRELIMINARY EXAM, 14.06.2019
Y English Language ........................................ EPO-345 Y Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-348 Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-350
SET–16 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
NABARD GRADE ‘A’ MANAGER EXAM, 15.06.2019 Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-359 English Language ........................................ EPO-361 Computer Knowledge .................................. EPO-365 General Awareness ...................................... EPO-366 Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-367 Economy and Social Issues ......................... EPO-369 Agriculture and Research Development .... EPO-371
SET–17 Y Y Y Y Y
LIC AAO MAIN EXAM, 28.06.2019
RBI GRADE ‘B’ OFFICER EXAM, 09.11.2019
Y Y Y Y
Data Interpretation and Aptitude ............. EPO-391 General Knowledge ...................................... EPO-394 Insurance and Market Awareness ............. EPO-395 Descriptive Test ........................................ EPO-405
SBI PO PHASE-II MAIN EXAM, 20.07.2019 Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-407 Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-410 General and Financial Awareness ............. EPO-414 English Language ........................................ EPO-416 Descriptive Test ........................................ EPO-427
Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-460 English Language ........................................ EPO-462 Genral Awareness ........................................ EPO-467
IBPS BANK PO/MT CWE Main Exam, 30.11.2019 Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-486
Y Y Y Y
Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-490 General Awareness ...................................... EPO-493 English Language ........................................ EPO-495 Descriptive Test ........................................ EPO-510
SET–23 IBPS SPECIALIST OFFICER CWE PRE EXAM, 28.12.2019
Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-512 Y English Language ........................................ EPO-517 Y Genral Awareness ........................................ EPO-522
SET–24 NABARD GRADE ‘A’ OFFICER EXAM, 25.02.2020 Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-536
Y Y Y Y Y Y
English Language ........................................ EPO-538 Computer Knowledge .................................. EPO-542 General Awareness ...................................... EPO-543 Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-544 Economy and Social Issues ......................... EPO-546 Agriculture and Research Development .... EPO-548
SET–25
SET–19 IBPS BANK PO/MT CWE Prelim Exam, 12.10.2019 Y English Language ........................................ EPO-429 Y Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-431 Y Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-434
Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-453
SET–22
Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-389
SET–18 Y Y Y Y Y
SET–21
Y Y Y Y
EPO-4
INDIAN BANK SPECIALIST OFFICER EXAM, 08.03.2020 English Language ........................................ EPO-565 Quantitative Aptitude ................................ EPO-570 Reasoning ..................................................... EPO-574 Professional Knowledge Credit Officer ...... EPO-578
CURRENT AFFAIRS
CURRENT AFFAIRS
CURRENT AFFAIRS PADMA AWARDS 2020 ANNOUNCED The government on 25 January 2020 announced 141 Padma Awards for this year on the occasion of 71st Republic Day. The list comprises of 7 Padma Vibhushan, 16 Padma Bhusan and 118 Padma Shri awards. 34 awardees are women and 18 foreigners. 12 persons are awarded posthumously. Former Union Ministers George Fernandes, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley will be awarded Padma Vibhushan posthumously. Pejavara math seer late Vishveshateertha Swamiji will be awarded Padma Vibhushan posthumously.
PADMA VIBHUSHAN S.N.
Name
Field
Sate/Country
1.
Shri George Fernandes (Posthumous)
Public Affairs
Bihar
2.
Shri Arun Jaitley (Posthumous)
Public Affairs
Delhi
3.
Sir Anerood Jugnauth GCSK
Public Affairs
Maurritius
4.
Smt. M.C. Mary Kom
Sports
Manipur
5.
Shri Chhanumlal Mishra
Art
Uttar Pradesh
6.
Smt. Sushma Swaraj (Posthumous)
Public Affairs
Delhi
7.
Sri Vishveshateerth Swamiji Sri Pejavara Others-Spiritualism
Karnataka
Adhokhaja Matha Udupi (Posthumous)
PADMA BHUSHAN S.N.
Name
Field
State/Country
8.
Shri M. Mumtaz Ali (Sri M)
Others-Spiritualism
Kerala
9.
Shri Syed Muazzem Ali (Posthumous)
Public Affairs
Bangladesh
10.
Shri Muzaffar Hussain Baig
Public Affairs
Jammu and Kashmir
11.
Shri Ajoy Chakravorty
Art
West Bengal
12.
Shri Manoj Das
Literature and Education
Puducherry
13.
Shri Balkrishna Doshi
Others-Architecture
Gujarat
14.
Ms. Krishnammal Jagannathan
Social work
Tamil Nadu
15.
Shri S.C. Jamir
Public Affairs
Nagaland
16.
Shri Anil Prakash Joshi
Social work
Uttarakhand
17.
Dr. Tsering Landol
Medicine
Ladakh
18.
Shri Anand Mahindra
Trade and Industry
Maharashtra
19.
Shri Neelakanta Ramakrishna Public Affairs
Kerala
Prabhu Parrikar (Posthumous)
Public Affairs
Goa
21.
Prof. Jagdish Sheth
Literatrue and Education
USA
22.
Ms. P.V. Sindhu
Sports
Telangana
23.
Shri Venu Srinivasan
Trade and Industry
Tamil Nadu
Madhava Menon (Posthumous) 20.
Shri Manohar Gopalkrishna
EPO-5
CURRENT AFFAIRS
CURRENT AFFAIRS
THE 65TH FILMFARE AWARD
ACADEMY AWARDS (OSCARS)
THE 65TH FILMFARE AWARDS : 65th Filmfame awards ceremony, presented by The Times Group, honoured the best Indian Hindi-language films of 2019. The ceremony was held on February 15, 2020 in Guwahati. This is the first time in six decades that a Filmfare Award ceremony was held outside Mumbai. Karan Johar and Vicky Kaushal were hosts of the award ceremony. Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh-starrer Gully Boy won big at the awards. While Ranveer took home the Best Actor’s trophy for his performance in the film, Alia won the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female) for the same film. The films nominated for the Best Film award this year were, Chhichhore, Gully Boy, Mission Mangal, Uri: The Surgical Strike and War. Gully Boy emerged as the winner. Awards at a Glance z Best Film : Gully Boy z Best Director : Zoya Akhtar for Gully Boy z Best Film (Critics) : Article 15 (Anubhav Sinha) and Sonchiriya (Abhishek Chaubey) z Best Actor In A Leading Role (Male) : Ranveer Singh for Gully Boy z Best Actor (Critics) : Ayushmann Khurrana for Article 15 z Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female) : Alia Bhatt for Gully Boy z Best Actress (Critics) : Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu for Saand Ki Aankh z Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female) : Amruta Subhash for Gully Boy z Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male) : Siddhant Chaturvedi for Gully Boy z Best Music Album : Zoya Akhtar-Ankur Tewari for Gully Boy, Mithoon, Amaal Mallik, Vishal Mishra, SachetParampara and Akhil Sachdeva for Kabir Singh z Best Lyrics : Divine and Ankur Tewari for Apna Time Aayega (Gully Boy) z Best Playback Singer (Male) : Arijit Singh for Kalank Nahi (Kalank) z Best Playback Singer (Female) : Shilpa Rao for Ghungroo (War) z Best Debut Director : Aditya Dhar for Uri: The Surgical Strike z Best Debut Actor : Abhimanyu Dassani for Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota z Best Debut Actress : Ananya Pandey for Student Of The Year 2, Pati Patni Aur Woh z Best Original Story : Anubhav Sinha and Gaurav Solanki for Article 15 z Best Screenplay : Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar for Gully Boy z Best Dialogue : Vijay Maurya for Gully Boy z Lifetime Achievement Award : Ramesh Sippy z Excellence In Cinema : Govinda z RD Burman Award For Upcoming Music Talent : Sashwat Sachdev-UR
South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite became the first non-English feature film to win the Best Film Oscar at the 92nd Academy Awards on February 9, 2020. Parasite is also a rare film to have won both International Feature and Best Picture awards. It is the first South Korean film to get nominated and to have won the International Film Oscar. Parasite is also the first Asian film to have grabbed the Best Screenplay award, shared by Mr. Bong with Han Jin-won. Giving Mr. Bong company in making history was the New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi, who became the first Maori to enter the privileged Oscar club with Adapted Screenplay award for his Nazi satire Jojo Rabbit. Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor for Joker. Renee Zellweger was named Best Actress for her performance as an ageing Judy Garland in the musical biopic Judy. Mr. Tarantino’s sentimental, ode to Tinseltown, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, brought the first acting Oscar for Brad Pitt, who played a supporting role as a laid-back stunt man. Laura Dern took the Supporting Actress Oscar, her first Academy Award, for playing a ruthless divorce lawyer in Marriage Story. First World War film 1917, from Universal Pictures, had been seen as the film to beat but won just three of its 10 nominations. They came for its stunning “oneshot” feel Cinematography, for Visual Effects and for Sound Mixing. Toy Story 4 took home the Oscar for best animated film — the third golden statuette for the innovative Pixar franchise about a collection of toys, the value of friendship and accepting change. Hildur Guonadottir won the Best Original Score for Joker. American Factory, a documentary produced by Barack and Michelle Obama for Netflix about a manufacturing plant in the United States Midwest reopened by a Chinese billionaire, won the Oscar for best documentary Film Editing z Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland z (Ford v Ferrari) Best Visual Effects z Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy (1917)
BAFTA AWARDS The British Academy of Film and Television Arts or BAFTA Film Awards were presented on February 2, 2020 in London. Gut-wrenching World War I epic 1917 was the big winner, securing seven prizes including best picture and best director. Joaquin Phoenix was named best actor for superhero story Joker, which charts the origins of Batman’s ginning nemesis. Renee Zellweger won the best actress prize for the Judy Garland biopic Judy. 1917 also won best British film and cinematography prizes—Roger Deakins’ fifth win in that category. It also took trophies for production design, sound and visual effects.
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CURRENT AFFAIRS
NOBEL PRIZE : 2019 TheNobel are prizes awarded annually by theRoyal Swedish Academy of Sciences, theSwedish Academy, theKarolinska Institutet, and theNorwegian Nobel Committeeto individuals and organizations who make outstanding contributions in the fields ofchemistry,physics,literature,peace andphysiology or medicine.They were established by the 1895 will ofAlfred Nobel, which dictates that the awards should be administered by theNobel Foundation. TheNobel Memorial Prize in Economic Scienceswas established in 1968 by theSveriges Riksbank, thecentral bankofSweden, for contributions to the field of economics. Each recipient, or “laureate”, receives a gold medal, adiploma, and a sum of money, which is decided annually by the Nobel Foundation. Each prize is awarded by a separate committee; the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the Prizes in Physics, Chemistry and Economics, the Karolinska Institute awards the Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee awards the Prize in Peace.Each recipient receives a medal, a diploma and a monetary award that has varied throughout the years.In 1901, the recipients of the first Nobel Prizes were given 150,782SEK, which is equal to 8,402,670 SEK in December 2017. In 2017, the laureates were awarded a prize amount of 9,000,000 SEK.The awards are presented inStockholmin an annual ceremony on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death. In years in which the Nobel Prize is not awarded due to external events or a lack of nominations, the prize money is returned to the funds delegated to the relevant prize.The Nobel Prize was not awarded between 1940 and 1942 due to the outbreak ofWorld WarII. The 2019 Nobel Prize in physics has been awarded to three scientists “for contribution to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth’s place in the cosmos.” This year’s prize was awarded to James Peebles of Princeton University “for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology, and Michel Mayor of the University of Geneva and Didier Queloz, of the University of Geneva and the University of Cambridge, “for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star.” The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019 was awarded jointly to John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino ”for the development of lithium-ion batteries.” The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2019 was awarded jointly to William G. Kaelin Jr, Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza ”for their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.” The Nobel Prize in Literature 2019 was awarded to Peter Handke ”for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience.” The Nobel Peace Prize 2019 was awarded to Abiy Ahmed Ali ”for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.” The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2019 was awarded jointly to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer ”for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.”
Q PHYSICS : James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz Q CHEMISTRY : John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino
Q MEDICINE : William G. Kaelin Jr., Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza Q LITERATURE : Peter Handke Q PEACE : Abiy Ahmed Ali
Q ECONOMICS : Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer EPO-7
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CURRENT AFFAIRS
GENERAL BIPIN RAWAT Former Army Chief General Bipin Rawat took over as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on December 31, 2019, the day he was superannuated as the Army Chief. Son of a three-star general, Rawat was commissioned into the army in December 1978 after graduating from the Dehradun based Indian Military Academy where he was awarded the coveted Sword of Honour for exceptional performance. He was commissioned into the 5/11 Gorkha Rifles. The National Democratic Alliance government superseded two top generals – Lieutenant Generals Praveen Bakshi and PM Hariz – to appoint him army chief on December 31, 2016. The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) has been created in the Defence Ministry and it will be headed by General Rawat.
BCCI AWARDS The annual BCCI Awards at a Glance for the 2018-19 seaon were given away in Mumbai on January 12, 2020. India spearhead Jasprit Bumrah headlined the BCCI Annual Awards function, grabbing the prestigious Polly Umrigar award apart from annexing the Dilip Sardesai honour for his exploits in international cricket in the 2018-19 season. Polly Umrigar award is presented to the best male international cricketer and it carries a citation, trophy and cheque for Rs. 15 lakh. Dilip Sardesai award is conferred on both the highest wicket-taker and highest run-getter in Test cricket. Bumrah took 34 wickets in six matches with three five-wicket hauls. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award
K. Srikkanth
Lifetime Achievement Award for Women
Anjum Chopra
BCCI Special Award
Dilip Doshi
Dilip Sardesai Award - Highest Run-getter in Tests
Cheteshwar Pujara
Dilip Sardesai Award - Highest Wickets in Tests
Jasprit Bumrah
Highest Run-getter in ODIs - Women
Smriti Mandhana
Highest Wickets in ODIs - Women
Jhulan Goswami
Polly Umrigar Award - Best International Cricketer - Men
Jasprit Bumrah
Best International Cricketer - Women
Poonam Yadav
Best International Debut - Men
Mayank Agarwal
Best International Debut - Women
Shafali Verma
Lala Amarnath Award for Best Allrounder in Ranji Trophy
Shivam Dube (Mumbai)
Lala Amarnath Award for Best Allrounder in Domestic Limited-overs
Nitish Rana (Delhi)
Madhavrao Scindia Award - Highest Run-getter in Ranji Trophy
Milind Kumar (Sikkim)
Madhavrao Scindia Award - Highest Wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy
Ashutosh Aman (Blhar)
M.A. Chidambaram Trophy - Highest Run-getter (U-23)
Manan Hingrajia (Gujarat)
M.A. Chidambaram Trophy - Highest Wicket-taker (U-23)
Sidak Singh (Pondicherry)
M.A. Chidarnbaram Trophy - Highest Run-getter (U-19)
Vathsal Govind (Kerala)
M.A. Chidambaram Trophy - Highest Wicket-taker (U-19)
Apurva Anand (Bihar)
Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy - Highest Run-getter (U-16)
Aryan Hooda (Jharkhand)
Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy - Highest Wicket-taker (U-16)
Abhishek Yadav (Jharkhand)
Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy - Best Woman Cricketer (Sr. Domestic)
Deepti Sharma (Bengal)
Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy - Best Woman Cricketer (Jr. Domestic)
Shafali Verma (Haryana)
Best Umpire in Domestic cricket
Virender Sharma
Best Performance in Domestic Tournaments
Vidarbha CA
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CURRENT AFFAIRS
ICC AWARDS India’s Swashbuckling opener Rohit Sharma was on January 15, 2020 named the ICC’s ‘2019 ODI Cricketer of the Year’ for his incredible run of form through, while English all-rounder Ben Stokes walked away with the overall honours. Indian skipper Virat Kohli was named captain of both the ICC’s Test and ODI teams of the year besides winning the ‘Spirit of Cricket’ award for his gesture of trying to stop the fans from booing Steve Smith during a World Cup match. Smith was returning to international cricket from a one-year suspension for ball-tampering at that time. England’s World Cup-winning all-rounder Stokes got the biggest prize - the ‘Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy’ for Player of the Year, while Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins was named Test Player of the Year. India seamer Deepak Chahar won the T20 International Performance of the Year, Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne was named as Emerging Cricketer of the Year, while Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer was declared the Associate Cricketer of the Year. Awards at a Glance z Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Best Cricketer of the Year : Ben Stokes (England) z Test Cricketer of the Year : Pat Cummins (Australia) z ODI Cricketer of the Year : Rohit Sharma (India) z T20I Performance of the Year : Deepak Chahar (India, 6/7 v Bangladesh) z Emerging Cricketer of the Year : Marnus Labuschagne (Australia) z Associate Cricketer of the Year : Kyle Coetzer (Scotland) z Spirit of Cricket Award : Virat Kohli stopping the fans booing Steve Smith at the Oval z David Shepherd Trophy for Umpire of the Year : Richard Illingworth.
SARASWATI SAMMAN Acclaimed Sindhi poet and writer Vasdev Mohi was on January 16, 2020 selected for the prestigious Saraswati Samman, a literary recognition given annually by the KK Birla Foundation. The award is for his work ‘Chequebook, a collection of short stories in Sindhi, published in 2012. ‘Chequebook’ highlights the life of a domestic helper, facing ill-treatment from her husband and hardships because of poverty. Born in 1944 in Mirpur Khas of undivided India, Mohi has a repertoire that includes 25 books of poetry, translated works, critical pieces and short stories. His critical essays and papers have appeared in
national and international literary seminars. He is the recipient of several awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award, Sindhi Sahitya Academy Award, Gangadhar Mehar National Award and Lifetime Achievement Award of Sindhi Academy. With a Masters in English literature, Mohi joined Life Insurance Corp of India, but went on to teach English at the Indian High School, Dubai, from where he retired as the lecturer and the head of department, English.
DADA SAHEB PHALKE AWARD Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan was on September 24, 2019 named the Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipient for 2018 for his contribution to the Indian film industry. Bachchan, 76, who completes 50 years as an actor this year, made his debut with Saat Hindustani in 1969 and has since gone on to work in close to 200 films. Bachchan is the 66th recipient of the award, named after Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, who directed India’s first feature film, Raja Harishchandra, in 1913. The award is considered the highest honour for an artiste in India. From achieving superstardom in the 1970s and 1980s, with back-to-back blockbusters such as Zanjeer, Deewar, Sholay, Amar Akbar Anthony and Don to facing bankruptcy in the 1990s, to the bouncing back with the TV quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2000. Big B – as he is popularly known – has had an eventful career. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award in India, in 2015. He has also been awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest civilian honour, for his “exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond”. The Phalke award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus), a shawl and a cash prize of Rs. 1,000,000.
FEMINA MISS INDIA 2019 Femina Miss India 2019 was the 56th edition of the Femina Miss India beauty pageant. It was held at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium, Mumbai on June 15, 2019, and was be hosted by Karan Johar and Manish Paul and Manushi Chhillar. At the end of the event, Anukreethy Vas of Tamil Nadu crowned Suman Rao of Rajasthan as her successor. She will represent India at Miss World 2019 in Thailand. Meenakshi Chaudhary of Haryana crowned Shivani Jadhav of Chhattisgarh as Miss Grand India 2019. Gayatri Bhardwaj of New Delhicrowned Shreya Shanker of Bihar as Miss United Continents India 2019. Shreya Rao Kamavarapu of Andhra Pradesh crowned Sanjana Vij of Telangana as Runner-Up at the end of the event.
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CURRENT AFFAIRS
MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE Celestial Bodies, a family saga set against Oman’s transition from slave trading centre to oil producer, became on May 21, 2019 the first novel originally written in Arabic to win the Man Booker International Prize. The book’s author, Jokha Alharthi of Oman, shares the award of £50,000 pounds (about $63,000) with its translator, Marilyn Booth. The prize, given each year to the best book translated into English and published in Britain, is widely seen as the world’s most significant award for translated fiction. Ms. Alharthi’s novel, first published in 2010 as Ladies of the Moon, follows an Omani family over three generations, from the 1880s to today.
RAMON MAGSAYSAY AWARD Indian journalist Ravish Kumar on August 2, 2019 was awarded the 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award, regarded as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize. Kumar, 44, who is NDTV India’s senior executive editor is one of India’s most influential TV journalists, the award citation said. He is among five individuals who were declared winners of the award. Kumar’s “Prime Time” programme “deals with reallife, under-reported problems of ordinary people”. The four other winners of the 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award are Ko Swe Win from Myanmar, Angkhana Neelapaijit from Thailand, Raymundo Pujante Cayabyab from Philippines and Kim Jong-Ki from South Korea. Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia’s highest honour. It celebrates the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine president after whom the award is named, and is given every year to individuals or organisations in Asia who manifest the same selfless service and transformative influence that ruled the life of the late and beloved Filipino leader.
GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS The 77th Golden Globe Awards, honouring the best in film and American television of 2019, were broadcast live from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on January 5, 2020, by NBC. It was produced by Dick Clark Productions and the HFPA. Ricky Gervais hosted the ceremony for the fifth and final time. The nominees were announced on December 9, 2019, by Tim Allen, Dakota Fanning, and Susan Kelechi Watson. Marriage Story earned a leading six nominations. Tom Hanks and Ellen DeGeneres were announced as the recipients of the Cecil B. DeMille Award and the Carol Burnett Award, respectively. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood won the most awards for the ceremony with three, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. 1917 Joker, and Rocketman won two awards each, with 1977 winning Best Motion Picture – Drama. In television, Succes-
sion, Fleabag, and Chernobyl were the most awarded, with two awards each. O Best Motion Picture - Drama : 1917 O Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture- Drama : Renee Zellweger (Judy) O Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture- Drama : Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) O Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy : Once upon a time.... In Hollywood O Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy : Awkwafina (The Farewell) O Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy : Taron Egerton (Rocketman) O Best Motion Picture - Animated : Missing Link O Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language : Parasite (South Korea) O Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting role in any Motion Picture : Laura Dern (Marriage Story) O Best Screenplay - Motion Picture : Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon A Time... in Hollywood) O Best Original Score - Motion Picture : Hildur Guonadottir (Joker) O Best Original Song - Motion Picture : ‘‘I’m Gonna Love Me Again” (Rocketman) O Best Television Series - Drama : Succession HBO O Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama : Olivia Colman (The Crown) O Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama : Brian Cox (Succession) O Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy : Fleabag (Prime Video) O Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy : Phoebe WallerBridge (Fleabag) O Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy : Ramy Youssef (Ramy) O Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television : Chernobyl- HBO O Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture made for Television : Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon) O Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture made for Television : Russell Crowe (The Loudest Voice) O Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television : Patricia Arquette (The Act) O Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television : Stellan Skarsgard (Chernobyl)
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66th NATIONAL FILM AWARDS 2019 The 66th National Film Awards were announced in Delhi on 9 August 2019. Ayushmann KhuranaRadhika Apte starrer Andhadhun won the ‘Best Film’ award; while, Aditya Dhar-directorial debut Uri: The Surgical Strike bagged four awards - best actor, best background music, best sound design and best direction in the 66th National Film Awards 2019. Ayushmann Khurana and Vicky Kaushal shared the ‘Best Actor’ award for their performances in Andhadhun and Uri: The Surgical Strike. THE WINNERS ARE AS FOLLOWS: O Best Feature Film: ‘Hellaro’ (Gujarati) O Best Non Feature Film: Son Rise by Vibha Bakshi and The Secret Life of Frogs by Ajay and Vijay Bedi O Best Actor: Ayushmann Khurrana (‘Andhadhun’) & Vicky Kaushal (‘Uri’) O Best Actress: Keerthy Suresh for ‘Mahanati’ (Telugu) O Best Supporting Actress: Surekha Sikri for ‘Badhaai Ho’ O Best Supporting Actor: SwanandKirkire for ‘Chumbak’ (Marathi) O Best Director: Aditya Dhar for- ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ O Best Popular Film providing wholesome entertainment: ‘Badhaai Ho’ O Best film on social issues: ‘Padman’ O Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation: ‘Paani’ (Marathi) O Best Film for National Integration – OndallaEradalla (Kannada) O Best Educational Film: Sarala Virala O Best Cinematography – Olu (Malayalam) to MJ Radhakrishnan O Best Children’s Film: ‘SarkariHiriyaPrathamika Shale Kasargodu’ (Kannada) O Best Child artist: P V Rohith (Kannada), Sameep Singh (Punjabi), Talha Arshad Reshi (Urdu) and Shrinivas Pokale (Marathi) O Best Debut Film of a Director: Naal (Marathi) O Best Choreography: ‘Ghoomer’ in ‘Padmavaat’ O Best Editing: ‘Nathicharami’ (Kannada) O Best Special Effects: KGF O Special Jury Award: Award shared by Sruthi Hariharan, Joju George for Joseph, Savithri for Sudani From Nigeria, Chandrachood Rai BEST REGIONAL FILMS O Best Rajasthani Film: Turtle O Best Tamil Film: Baaram
Best Marathi Film: Bhonga Best Hindi Film: Andhadhun O Best Urdu Film: Hamid O Best Telugu Film: Mahanati O Best Assamese Film: Bulbul Can Sing O Best Punjabi Film: Harjeeta MUSIC O Best Lyrics: Nathichirami (Kannada) O Best Music Direction (Songs): Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Padmaavat O Best Music Direction (Background score): Uri O Best Sound Design: Uri O Best Female playback Singer: Bindhu Malini for Mayavi Manave from Nathichirami (Kannada) O Best Male Playback Singer: Arijit Singh for ‘Binte Dil’ in ‘Padmavaat’ PRODUCTION O Best Make-Up artist– Awe O Best Production Design: Kammara Sambhavam (Malayalam) O Best Costume: Mahanati SCREENPLAY O Best Original Screenplay: ‘Chi Arjun La Sow’ (Telugu) O Best Adapted Screenplay: Andhadhun O Best Dialogues: Tariqh O
55th JNANPITH AWARD The Jnanpith Selection Board on 29 November 2019 announced eminent Malayalam poet Akkitham as the winner of the 55th Jnanpith Award. Akkitham has authored 55 books out of which 45 are collections of poems including “Khanda Kavyas”, “Katha Kavyas”, “Charitha Kavyas” and songs. Some of his celebrated creations include “Veeravadam”, “Balidarsanam”, “Nimisha Kshethram”, “Amrita Khatika”, “Akkitham Kavithaka”, “Epic of Twentieth Century” and “Antimahakalam”. A Padma Shri awardee, he has won several literary accolades including the Sahitya Akademi Award (1973), Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award (1972 and 1988), Mathrubhumi Award, Vayalar Award, and Kabir Samman.
28th VYAS SAMMAN The 28th Vyas Samman for the year 2018 was in October 2019 conferred on noted Hindi poet and writer Leeladhar Jagoori for his poetry collection ‘Jitne Log Utne Prem’, at a function held in New Delhi. Jagoori was conferred the prestigious award for his poetry collection by renowned author and scholar Govind Mishra. Well known Hindi poet Leeladhar Jagoori’s poems often celebrate love and hope. The poetry collection ‘Jitne Log Utne Prem’ is Jagoori’s 12th anthology of poetry.
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NATIONAL SPORTS AWARDS 2019 Based on the recommendations of theSelection Committee for the Sports Awards 2019, headed by Justice Mukundakam Sharma, the government on 19 August 2019 decided to confer awards upon the following sportspersons, coaches, entities and university: O Khel Ratna: Bajrang Punia (wrestling), Deepa Malik (para-athletics); O Arjuna Award: Ravindra Jadeja (cricket), Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (hockey), Ajay Thakur (kabaddi), Tajinder Pal Singh Toor (athletics), Mohammed Anas Yahiya (athletics), Sundar Singh Gurjar (para sportsathletics), S Bhaskaran (body building), Sonia Lather (boxing), Gaurav Singh Gill (motor sports), Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth (badminton), Pramod Bhagat (para sports-badminton), Anjum Moudgil (shooting), Harmeet Rajul Desai (table tennis), Pooja Dhanda (wrestling), Fouaad Mirza (equestrian), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (football), Poonam Yadav (cricket), Simran Singh Shergill (polo), Swapna Burman (athletics). O Dronacharya Award (regular category): Coach: Vimal Kumar (badminton), Sandeep Gupta (table tennis) and Mohinder Singh Dhillon (athletics) O Dronacharya Award (Lifetime Category): Coach: Mezban Patel (hockey), Rambir Singh Khokar (kabaddi) and Sanjay Bhardwaj (cricket) O Dhyan Chand Award: Manuel Fredricks (hockey), Arup Basak (table tennis), Manoj Kumar (wrestling), Nitten Kirrtane (tennis) and C Lalremsanga (archery). O Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy Punjab University, Chandigarh – Overall winner university. President Ramnath Kovind on 29 August 2019 gave away the national sports awards in New Delhi on the occasion of National Sports Day.
GALLANTRY AWARDS The Indian Air Force personnel who were part of the February 26 Balakot air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror training camp in Pakistan and the air engagement a day after were awarded gallantry medals on the eve of Independence Day on August 14, 2019. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was caught by Pakistan after his MiG-21 Bison fighter jet went down across the Line of Control (LoC) on February 27 and was returned three days later, awarded Vir Chakra, the country’s third-highest gallantry award. During a dogfight, he shot down a Pakistani F-16 but his jet was shot down soon after. He was handed over by Pakistan at the Wagah-Attari border crossing on March 1, 2019. President Ram Nath Kovind, who is also the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, has approved 132 awards to armed forces personnel and members of paramilitary forces. These include two Kirti Chakras, one Vir Chakra, 14 Shaurya Chakras, 98 Sena Medals (Gallantry), five Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry), seven Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry) and five Yudh Seva Medals. Kirti Chakra was posthumously awarded to Sapper Prakash Jadhav. The Army also got eight Shaurya Chakras, 98 Sena Medals (Gallantry) and four Mention-in-Dispatches. KIRTI CHAKRA O Sapper Prakash Jadhav (Posthumous) killed militants in Kashmir while saving his fellow jawans. O Harshpal Singh a CRPF deputy commandant, received his fifth gallantry medal for a counter-terror operation in Jammu. SHAURYA CHAKRA O Lt Col Ajay Singh Kushwah O Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal (posthumous) O Captain Mahesh Kumar Bhure O Lance Naik Sandeep Singh (posthumous) O Sepoy Brajesh Kumar (posthumous) O Sepoy Hari Singh (posthumous) O Rifleman Ajveer Singh Chauhan O Rifleman Shive Kumar (posthumous) O LME Amit Singh Rana O CRPF constable Sable Dnyaneshwar Shriram O SPO Ashiq Hussain Malik (posthumous) O J&K police head constable Subash Chander O Sub Inspector Imran Hussan Tak (posthumous)
MISS UNIVERSE 2019 The 26-year old Miss South Africa Zozibini Tunzi was crowned Miss Universe 2019 on December 8, 2019 in Atalanta after beating more than 90 contestants from around the globe in the 68th edition of Miss Universe. Miss Puerto Rico Madison Sara Anderson Berrios was the first runner-up followed by Miss Mexico Ashley Alvidrez as the second runner-up. It was the third Miss Universe crown for South Africa, with Demi-Leigh NelPeters being declared the winner in 2017.
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TENNIS GRAND SLAMS : 2019-20 AUSTRALIAN OPEN–2020 O
Men’s Singles : Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Dominic Thiem (Austria)
O
Women’s Singles : Sofia Kenin (USA) beat Garbine Muguruza (Spain) Men’s Doubles : Rajeev Ram (USA) and Joe Salisbury (Britain) beat Max Purcell and Luke Saville (Australia) Women’s Doubles : Timea Babos (Hungary) and Kristina Mladenovic (France) beat Hsieh Su Wei (Taiwan) and Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic) Mixed Doubles : Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic) and Nikola Mektic (Croatia) beat Bethanie Mattek (USA) and Jamie Murray (Britain)
O
O O
FRENCH OPEN–2019 O
Men’s Singles : Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Dominic Theim (Austria)
O
Women’s Singles : Ashleigh Barty (Australia) beat Marketa Vondrousova (Czech)
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Men’s Doubles : Jerry Chardy (France) and Fabrice Martin (France) beat Kevin Krawietz (Germany) Andreas Mies (Germany)
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Women’s Doubles : Timea Babos (Hungary) and Kristina Mladenovic (Franch) beat Duan Yingying and Zheng Saisai (China)
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Mixed Doubles : Ivan Dogig (Croatia) and Latisha Chan (Taiwan) beat Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) and Mate Croatia (Croatia)
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Boys’ Singles : Tseng Chun-Hsin (China) beat Sebastian Baez (Argentina)
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Girls’ Singles : Cori Gauff (America) beat Caty Mcnally (America)
WIMBLEDON–2019 O
Men’s Singles : Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Roger Federer (Switzerland)
O
Women’s Singles : Simona Halep (Romania) beat Serena Williams (America) Men’s Doubles : Juan Sebastian Cabal (Colombia) and Nicolas Mahut (France) beat Robert Farah (Colombia) and Edouard Roger Vasselin (France)
O
O
Women’s Doubles : Hsieh Suwei (Chinese Taipai) and Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic) beat Dabrowski (Canada) Xu Yifan (China)
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Mixed Doubles : Ivan Dodig (Croatia) and Latisha Chan (Chinese Taipei) beat Robert Lindstedt (Sweden) and Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia)
US OPEN–2019 O O O
O
O
O O O
O
Men’s Singles : Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Daniil Medvedev (Russia) Women’s Singles : Bianca Andreescu (Canada) beat Serena Williams (America) Mens’ Doubles : Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah (Colombia) beat Marcel Granollers (Spain) and Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) Women’s Doubles : Elise Mertens (Belgium) and Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) beat Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) and Ashleigh Barty (Australia) Mix Doubles : Jamie Murray (Great Britain) and Bethanie Matek-Sands (USA) and beat Michael Venus (New Zealand) and Chan Hao Ching (Taiwan) Boys’ Singles : Jonas Forejtek (Czech Republic) beat Emilio Java (USA) Girls’ Singles : Maria Camila Osorio Serrano (Colombia) beat Alexandra yapifanova (USA) Boys’ Doubles : Eliot Spizziri and Tyler Zink (USA) beat Andrew Paulson (Czech Republic) Alexander Zgirovsky (Belarus) Girls’ Doubles : Kamilla Bartone (Latvia) and Oksana Selekhmeteva (Russia) beat Aubane Droguet and Selena Janicijevic (France)
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TATA POWER BAGS EDISON AWARD FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION z Tata Power bags Edison Award for social innova-
tion. The company bags the awards for its 'Club Enerji #Switchoff2SwitchOn' campaign. z It has brought about 533 participating schools across India, saving over 29.8 million units of power since its inception in 2007. What is Edison Award? z The Edison Awards honours the world's best innovations and innovators. It is to honour excellence in new product and service development, marketing, design and innovation. z The award winners represent products and services, leadership and excellence in innovation around four criteria: Concept, Value, Delivery, and Impact. z It is established in 1987 in the memory of Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931). z CEO of TATA Power: Praveer Sinha. z TATA Power Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
11TH SESSION OF PETERSBERG CLIMATE DIALOGUE HELD The 11th session of Petersberg Climate Dialogue was held through video conferencing witnessing India along with 30 countries deliberating over ways and means to tackle COVID-19.The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar attended the Petersberg Climate Dialogue and talked about climate technology that must be available at an affordable cost.The 11th session of Petersberg Climate Dialogue was hosted by Germany, and it was cohosted by the United Kingdom (UK).
AMARTYA SEN TO BE AWARDED THE 2020 PEACE PRIZE OF THE GERMAN BOOK TRADE z The German Book Trade has chosen Indian No-
bel prize-winning economist and philosopher Amartya Sen for its prestigious 2020 Peace Prize. z He has been chosen for the prestigious prize for his pioneering work addressing issues of global justice, social inequality in education and healthcare.
sity of Melbourne, figures in the Queen's Birthday 2020 Honours List. z She has been chosen for the Medal of the Order for her service to the community and the country. MEDAL OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA
z The medal of the order of Australia is awarded to
the individuals contributing to their community or to Australia globally or domestically. z The recipients are nominated and assessed independently as worthy of recognition.
INDIAN-AMERICAN SCIENTIST RATTAN LAL WINS 2020 WORLD FOOD PRIZE z Indian American soil scientist Dr Rattan Lal has
won the World Food Prize for mainstreaming and developing soil centric approach in order to increase food production. z He has been awarded for developing and mainstreaming a soil-centric approach to increasing food production that conserves natural resources and mitigates climate change. z He will receive USD 250,000 as prize money. z Lal serves as Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science and founding Director of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center at The Ohio State University (OSU).
DDS WINS MONACO FOUNDATION AWARD z The Deccan Development Society (DDS), a non-
governmental organisation working with women farmers, has won the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Award. z The honour was declared by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Vice President and CEO, Olivier Wenden. z The honour of 40,000 Euros (roughly Rs 35 lakhs) has been given to the general public. z This is in acknowledgement of "the people who devote their activities and associations for their profound duty to saving our planet.
HILLEL FURSTENBERG AND GREGORY MARGULIS WIN ABEL PRIZE 2020
INDIAN MUSICIAN SHOBHA SEKHAR RECEIVES "THE MEDAL OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA" z Indian Musician & founder of Kalakruthi music
organisation in Australia, Shobha Sekhar will be conferred the "Medal of the Order of Australia". z The Montreal-based artiste and lecturer, Univer-
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Two mathematicians Hillel Furstenberg (Israel) and Gregory Margulis ( Russian-American) will share the 2020 Abel Prize - one of the field's most prestigious awards. The two winners will share 7.5 million Norwegian kroner, or about US$ 625,000. These mathematicians used randomness to cast new light on the certainties of mathematics . According to the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters announced on 18 March, they will be awarded "for pioneering the use of methods from probability and dynamics in group theory, number theory and combinatorics".
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z The Abel Prize is named after Norwegian mathe-
z The Nature Index is a database of author affilia-
matician Niels Henrik Abel (1802-29) and was established in 2003. z It is noteworthy that no Nobel Prize is awarded in mathematics. z The most prestigious mathematics award is the 'Field Medal' which is awarded to mathematicians up to 40 years of age every four years. z Maryam Mirzakhani is the only woman to be awarded the Field Medal. z The Abel Prize is named after Norway mathematician Niels Heinrich Abell. z This award has been instituted on the lines of Nobel and it is given annually.
tion information collated from research articles published in an independently selected group of 82 high-quality science journals. z The database is compiled by Nature Research, a division of the international scientific publishing company Springer Nature that publishes academic journals. Nature Research's flagship publication is Nature, a weekly multidisciplinary journal first published in 1869. z The Nature Index provides a close to real-time proxy of high-quality research output and collaboration at the institutional, national and regional level.
INDIA DROPS 2 PLACES TO RANK 142ND ON GLOBAL PRESS FREEDOM INDEX World Press Freedom Index 2020 murders of journalists in India in 2019, as against six in the year 2018 and the security situation for the country's media might seem on the face. India z The World Press Freedom Index says that with no murder of journalists in India in 2019 as compared to 2018, the security situation in the country has improved. z According to the index, there were 6 murders of journalists in the country in 2018. z According to the index, in India, there have been violations in press freedom, reprisals that were instigated by corrupt local officials and ambushes by political activists. Norway Highest Place z Norway remains at the top position in the Press Freedom Index 2020 for the fourth consecutive year. Finland ranks second. North korea bottom z North Korea ranks 180th out of 180 countries in the world. z China at 177 and Iran at 173. z The low ranking of China and Iran has been attributed to hiding information related to the Kovid-19 epidemic. World Press Freedom Index z The Index is compiled and published by Reporters without borders, a Paris based non-profit organisation. Around 180 countries were ranked in the index. According to the index, South Asia performed the least as compared to all the other regions.
NATURE INDEX TABLE 2020 z In the recently-released Nature Index table 2020,
India is placed twelfth globally in science research output. z The top five positions have gone to the United States of America, China, Germany, United Kingdom and Japan.
FINLAND IS WORLD'S HAPPIEST COUNTRY, INDIA RANKS 144 Finland was once again adjudged as the world's happiest country, extending its lead over Denmark and Switzerland, according to a United Nations-affiliated research network. For the third year in a row, Finland has been named the world's happiest country. Finland came top by some margin, followed by Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland and Norway. Highlights z Following Finland, Denmark and Switzerland ranked second and third positions respectively. z Finland ranked topmost for the third consecutive time. Afghanistan ranked the least. z The United States moves by one place and was at 18th position. z The United Kingdom was at 13th position. z India was ranked among the least happy nations. India z According to the index, the urban-rural difference in India was high. Also, the report noticed that in India, the peri-urban population was happier than urban population. Theme z This year's theme is environments for happiness, with special attention to the social environment, happiness in cities and rural areas, and the natural environment, including links between happiness and sustainable development. About the report z The World Happiness Report is a publication of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. z This is the eighth World Happiness Report. The first seven reports were produced by the founding trio of co-editors assembled in Thimphu in July 2011 pursuant to the Bhutanese Resolution passed by the UN General Assembly in June 2011 that invited national governments to "give more importance to happiness and well-being in determining how to achieve and measure social and economic development."
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