Weekly Current Affairs Questions and Answers: 17 January 2022 to 23 January 2022

Weekly Current Affairs Questions for UPSC/ IAS exams: Weekly Current Affairs Quiz section of Jagran Josh aims to help every competitive exam aspirant to revise the day at ease. This week, we have compiled 15 weekly current affairs questions and answers relevant for National Disaster Response Force, Republic Day celebrations 2022, ICC Team of the Year 2021 and world's fastest sinking cities among others. 

1. When was National Disaster Response Force formed?

a) 2005

b) 2006

c) 2014

d) 2015

2. Who among the following has topped the list of most popular world leaders with a rating of 71 percent?

a) PM Narendra Modi 

b) Justin Trudeau 

c) Scott Morrison

d) Joe Biden 

3. When was the last time India did not have any foreign head of state as Chief Guest at Republic Day celebrations before 2021?

a) 1971

b) 1966

c) 1984

d) 1952

4. Which among the following is the world's fastest sinking cities?

a) Male

b) Lindau

c) New York

d) Jakarta

5. Who has been chosen as the new head of the European Parliament?

a) Roberta Metsola

b) Angela Merkel

c) Sanna Marin

d) Magdalena Andersson

6. Russia has amassed thousands of troops along its border with which among the following countries?

a) Kazakhstan

b) Ukraine

c) Finland 

d) Latvia

7. Which nation is relocating its capital to Nusantara?

a) Malaysia

b) Indonesia

c) Brunei

d) Vietnam

8. Rare instance of snowfall was witnessed in which desert recently?

a) Sahara

b) Thar 

c) Nami 

d) Atacama 

9. Who won the men's singles final at India Open 2022?

a) Loh Kean Yew

b) Lakshya Sen 

c) Kidambi Srikanth

d) B. Sai Praneeth

10. Who is the sole Indian cricketer in the ICC Women's T20 Team of the Year 2021?

a) Mitali Raj 

b) Harmanpreet Singh

c) Shefali Verma

d) Smriti Mandhana

11. Who has named as the captain of the ICC Men's Test Team of the Year 2021?

a) Rohit Sharma 

b) Kane Williamson

c) Joe Root

d) Aaron Finch 

12. Who among the following has announced her retirement after the 2022 season?

a) Sania Mirza

b) Saina Nehwal

c) Mitali Raj

d) Mary Kom

Answers

1. (b) 2006

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was formed in 2006. Every year the day is observed as the NDRF Raising Day. The NDRF Raising Day highlights the role of the NDRF personnel for their help and assistance during disaster situations in India.

2. (a) PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tops the list of most popular world leaders with an approval rating of 71 percent. The list consists of 13 leaders. US President Joe Biden has been ranked at number 6. He is followed by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

3. (b) 1966

The year 1966 was the last time before 2021 when India did not host any Head of State during the Republic Day parade. It was in 1966 when the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri had suddenly died in Tashkent and new PM Indira Gandhi was sworn in just two days before Republic day, on January 24, 1966.

4. (d) Jakarta

The city of Jakarta sits on the swampy ground near the sea, which not only makes it one of the fastest sinking cities on the Earth but is also prone to flooding. Jakarta has been sinking into the Java Sea at an alarming rate due to the over-extraction of groundwater. As per several studies, the city could entirely sink by 2050. 

5. (a) Roberta Metsola

Maltese lawmaker Roberta Metsola was chosen as the new President of European Parliament on January 18, 2022. She has become the only third woman to head the European Parliament. The 43-year-old will also become the youngest president ever to run the chamber. She takes over at a time of mourning for the legislature after the sudden passing of its President David Sassoli.

6. (b) Ukraine

Russia has reportedly amassed 100,000 Russian troops on the eastern side along its border with Ukraine, raising fears that it could be preparing for a new military offensive against Ukraine. The US and its allies fear another invasion of Ukraine by Russia, on the lines of Crimea in 2014. 

7. (b) Indonesia
 
The Indonesian Parliament approved a bill on January 18, 2022 to relocate the country’s capital from Jakarta to Nusantara. The new capital city of Nusantara will be built on Borneo Island, in the forested province of East Kalimantan. 

8. (a) Sahara

In a rare phenomenon, snowfall was captured on the dunes of the Sahara Desert after the temperatures dropped below zero. This is the 5th time in 42 years that it has snowed in the Sahara desert. The earlier times were in 1979, 2016,2018 and 2021. The maximum temperature in the desert reaches to about 58 degrees in the summer.

9. (b) Lakshya Sen 

Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen won the men's singles final at the ongoing India Open 2022 on January 16, 2022 at the KD Jadhav Stadium in New Delhi. Sen defeated Singapore's Loh Kean Yew, who is also the world champion, in two straight sets of 24-22, 21-17 in the finals.

10. (d) Smriti Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana is the sole Indian cricketer named in the ICC Women's T20 Team of the Year 2021. Mandhana was the highest scorer for the Indian women's cricket team in the T20 format in 2021 with two fifties in 9 matches. 

11. (b) Kane Williamson 

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has been named as the captain of the ICC Test Team of the year 2021. Williamson had led New Zealand to victory in the first-ever World Test Championship final against India at Southampton, England. 

12. (a) Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza, former world no. 1, has announced that she would be retiring from Tennis after the 2022 season.The Indian tennis player has won six Grand Slams and also reached the summit of the WTA doubles ranking. She is also the first Indian to break into the top 30 in the WTA singles ranking.