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winmeen.

com 2019 JAN 27

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1. What is the theme of the National Voters Day?

Ans: No Voter to be Left Behind

 The National Voters Day (NVD) is celebrated every year in India on January 25 since 2011 to enhance
participation of citizens in the electoral process. The day also marked the Foundation day of
Election Commission of India, which was established on 25th January 1950.

 The main purpose of the celebration is to encourage, facilitate and maximize the enrollment,
especially for the new voters. In view of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, ‘No Voter to be Left
Behind’ has been selected as the theme for the 9th National Voters’ Day.

 During the 9th NVD 2019, the National Awards for the Best Electoral Practices were conferred on
Officers for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections. President Ram Nath Kovind
was the Chief Guest at the main function being organized by Election Commission in New Delhi.

2. Who have been awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously in 2019?

Ans: Nanaji Deshmukh and Bhupen Hazarika

 On 26th January 2019, President Ramnath Kovind conferred the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest
civilian honour, on former President Pranab Mukherjee, along with social activist Nanaji Deshmukh
(posthumous), and Assamese musician Bhupen Hazarika (posthumous). Nanaji Deshmukh was a
senior RSS leader who also worked for rural development and welfare of farmers, and was
considered a stalwart of the Sangh Parivar.

 Mr. Hazarika’s award appears to be a nod to the importance the North East has been accorded by
the current government amid huge unrest following the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill being
pushed. Mr. Mukherjee is a Congressman for five decades before he became President (2012-2017)
spoke at an annual RSS event in Nagpur in 2018.

 The last time Bharat Ratnas were conferred was in 2015, when educationalist-politician Madan
Mohan Malviya and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee were the recipients.

3. Who led the all-women Assam Rifles contingent, which has created history by participating
for the first time in a Republic Day parade?

Ans: Khushboo Kanwar

 On 70th Republic Day parade 2019, women power displayed at Rajpath, with contingents of the
Indian Navy, India Army Service Corps and a unit of Corps of Signals (transportable satellite
terminal) were all led by women officers and a woman officer exhibiting stunts on bike. In it, Major
Khushboo Kanwar led all-women Assam Rifles contingent has created history by participating for
the first time in a Republic Day parade.

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 Capt Shikha Surabhi from the Corps of Signals became the first woman to perform bike stunts
alongside her male teammates as part of daredevils, a major attraction every Republic Day. For the
first time, a lady officer, Lt. Bhavana Kasturi led a contingent of the India Army Service Corps and
Capt Bhavna Syal, an officer in the armed forces, led the transportable satellite terminal’s
contingent.

4. Who has been named as the new King of Malaysia?

Ans: Sultan Abdullah

 Sultan Abdullah of Pahang has been elected as the new King of Malaysia, after Malaysian King
Sultan Muhammad V step down from the throne before completing his five-year tenure on 6th
January 2019. Sultan Abdullah will be sworn-in as the Nation's 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (or
head of state) in a traditional ceremony on 31st January 2019.

 Malaysia is the only country in the world to have a rotational monarchy since the country became
independent from Britain in 1957. The country has nine royal households, who typically take turns
to sit on the throne. King’s constitutional powers include the ability to veto the appointment of
key political office holders, including the prime minister. The king also has powers to grant full
pardons to citizens convicted in the courts.

5. Who is the author of the book ‘Panchashati Galpo’?

Ans: Atin Bandyopadhyay

 Atin Bandyopadhyay (85), the renowned Bengali writer, has passed away in Kolkata on 19th January,
2019. He won the 2001 Sahitya Akademi award for his compilation of short stories ‘Panchashati
Galpo’.

6. Russell Baker, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author has passed away. He was from
which country?

Ans: United States

 Russell Baker (93), the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author has passed away in Virginia, United
States on January 21, 2019. He won Pulitzers in 1979 for the ‘Observer’, the Times column he wrote
for 35 years, and in 1983 for his autobiography ‘Growing Up’. It was the 1st Pulitzer for commentary
awarded to a humorist.

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7. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Saab have signed a pact to explore air traffic
management. Where is the headquarters of Saab located?

Ans: Sweden

 The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Swedish aerospace and defence company (Saab) to explore Air Traffic Management (ATM) solutions
for airports operating under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme.

 In the sector of ATM solutions, Saab has a portfolio ranging from Advanced-Surface Movement
Guidance & Control System (A-SMGCS) and Surface Movement Radar (SR- 3), to Remote Towers
which can be deployed at all types of airports.

 ATM solutions from Saab can support both single and multiple runway airfields, as well as remote
operations and deployable systems. Hence, the MoU with Saab will support AAI’s need for ATM
solutions and training of its personnel in ATM services.

8. The researchers of which country have developed a system that can produce electricity and
hydrogen fuel from carbon dioxide?

Ans: South Korea

 Scientists from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea have
developed a system that can produce electricity and hydrogen fuel from carbon dioxide. The Hybrid
Na-CO2 system can continuously produce electrical energy and hydrogen through efficient carbon
dioxide (CO2) conversion with stable operation for over 1,000 hours.

 The key to this technology is the easy conversion of chemically stable CO2 molecules to other
materials. Much of human CO2 emissions are absorbed by the ocean and turned into acidity. The
researchers focused on this phenomenon and came up with the idea of melting CO2 into water to
induce an electrochemical reaction. If acidity increases, the number of protons increases, which in
turn increases the power to attract electrons.

 If a battery system is created based on this phenomenon, electricity can be produced by removing
CO2. In particular, this system has shown stability to the point of operating for more than 1,000
hours without damage to electrodes. The system can be applied to remove CO2 by inducing
voluntary chemical reactions.

9. What is the theme of the 2019 International Customs Day?

Ans: SMART borders for seamless Trade, Travel and Transport

 The International Customs Day is observed every year on January 26 to recognize the role of custom
officials and agencies in maintaining border security. It focuses on the working conditions and
challenges that customs officers face in their jobs.

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 The 2019 theme is “SMART borders for seamless Trade, Travel and Transport”. This reflects the
fact that the expectations of travellers and businesses around the world are changing.

10. Who has won the women’s singles 2019 Australian Open Tennis Tournament?

Ans: Naomi Osaka

 Naomi Osaka from Japan has won the women’s singles 2019 Australian Open Tennis Tournament.
She beat Czech Petra Kvitova in a seesaw Australian Open final by 7-6 (7-2) 5-7 6-4 to win back-to-
back Grand Slams and become the new World No.1. Osaka is known for her multi-ethnic
background and her shy, candid personality.

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