Daily Current Affairs: 31st December 2014 1) The United States and NATO on 28 December 2014 marked the formal end of the war in Afghanistan with a ceremony at their military headquarters in Kabul. These western troops have been in Afghanistan since 2001 and had unseated the Taliban regime following the 11 September New York attacks. What was the official name of this force led by the United States? –International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Explanation: International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was set up in 2001 after the U.S.-led invasion as an umbrella for the coalition of around 50 nations that provided troops and took responsibility for security across the country. From 1 January 2015 its combat role in Afghanistan would end and it will change into a training and support mission for Afghan forces. Around 3,500 soldiers belonging to ISAF were killed in 13-year long operation including 2,224 American soldiers. However, the insurgency that ISAF has fought in Afghanistan for last 13 years remains as ferocious and deadly as at any time since the 2001 invasion. ________________________________________ 2) BJP’s Raghubar Das took over as the 10th Chief Minister of Jharkhand on 28 December 2014. He was administered oath of office by Governor Syed Ahmed at capital Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Football Stadium. What is an important fact associated with Raghubar Das becoming Chief Minister of Jharkhand? – He is the first non-tribal Chief Minister of the state Explanation: Other than being a non-tribal, he originally hails from neighboring Chhattisgarh state. This BJP-led government marks first stable government in the state which was carved out of Bihar in November 2000. Jharkhand has had nine governments and three stints of President’s Rule since 2000. The BJP and the All Jharkhand Student’s Union (AJSU) won the state polls, getting 42 seats in the 81-member assembly. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 37 seats while the AJSU won five seats. ________________________________________ 3) An AirAsia plane with 161 people on board lost contact with ground control on 28 December 2014 while flying over the Java Sea. This plane was on its regular flight for Singapore from which provincial city in Indonesia? – Surabaya Explanation: AirAsia is a Malaysian low-cost carrier with presence in several Southeast Asian countries. One of its Airbus A320-200 aircrafts (flight QZ8501) lost communication with Jakarta’s air traffic control at 7.24 a.m. (Singapore time), about an hour before it was scheduled to land in Singapore. The plane had six crew and 155 passengers, including 16 children and one infant. The plane lost contact when it was believed to be over the Java Sea between Kalimantan and Java islands. The whereabouts of the plane were not made till early morning of 29 December 2014. This is the third major air incident for Malaysia this year. On 8 March 2014 Malaysia Airlines flight 370 went missing soon after taking off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing. It remains missing until this day with 239 people in one of the biggest aviation mysteries. Another Malaysia Airlines flight, also a Boeing 777, was shot down over rebel-controlled eastern Ukraine while on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on 17 July 2014. A total of 298 people on board were killed. ________________________________________ 4) One woman was killed and three were injured in a low-intensity blast that was set-off by suspected terrorists using an improvised explosive device (IED) in a crowded street of Bangalore on 28 December 2014. This blast was set-off just outside which popular eating joint of the city? – Coconut Grove Explanation: The improvised explosive device (IED) was kept wrapped in a piece of cloth behind a flower bush in front of Coconut Grove, a popular joint on Bangalore’s Church city. The blast took place at 8:35 pm and people ran helter-skelter after the blast. The blast is being investigated as no organisation has claimed responsibility for it till late hours of 28 December. ________________________________________ 5) What is the name of the Director of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT Delhi) who resigned during December 2014 amid a controversy following reports in a section of media that attributed it to two alleged requests from the Union Govt.? – RK Shevgaonkar Explanation: RK Shevgaonkar submitted his resignation more than two years before the end of his tenure. It was alleged in some sections of media that he resigned due to friction with the Union Government after two alleged requests from it. The first request was allegedly for land in the institute’s premises for a cricket academy which will be run by former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and second was for settling a salary dues case with BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. However, Union Govt. as well as Sachin Tendulkar denied these media allegations.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 14:56:59 +0000
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