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1. Which Indian origin person has been appointed the director of the US investigation agency Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)?
Name the director of the US investigative agency Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who took oath with his hand on the Bhagavad Gita?
a. Ajay Joy
b. Rajakrishnamurthy
c. Kash Patel
d. Vivek Murthy
Answer: c. Kash Patel (full name Kashyap Pramod Patel)
– On February 21, 2025, he took an oath with his hand on the ‘Bhagavad Gita’.
– He described the opportunity to lead the FBI as the “greatest honor” of his life.
The organization has been notorious for several reasons:
– Its founder, John Edgar Hoover, remained its head for nearly fifty years until his death.
– Foreign affairs expert ‘Prakash Ke Ray’ says that whenever any president or leader considered removing him, Hoover would blackmail them by showing a file.
– These files contained details about sexual relations, drug use, gambling, etc. There is a good movie called ‘J. Edgar’ based on him.
– After his death, a movie was also made about his subordinate, Mark Felt.
– Felt provided confidential information to ‘Washington Post’ reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein under the alias ‘Deep Throat’.
– Based on that information, the Watergate scandal was uncovered, leading to President Richard Nixon’s resignation. There is a famous movie about this incident called ‘All the President’s Men’.
– Anyway, there are many books and films about the FBI. Kash Patel has promised to reform the institution and improve its image. He has also pledged to expose the criminal and disgraceful sexual behavior of those in positions of power and wealth in America.
– Patel has mentioned that he plans to declassify several files.
– Regardless, his tenure will certainly be interesting, and he will stay in the headlines.
About Kash Patel:
– Kash Patel’s full name is Kashyap Pramod Patel.
– Born: 1980, in Garden City, New York, to Indian Gujarati immigrant parents. His family hails from the village of Bhadran in Gujarat.
– Patel’s parents moved from East Africa to Canada and then to the United States in the 1970s.
– Patel started his career as a public defender in Florida.
– Later, he became a prosecutor in the U.S. Department of Justice, handling terrorism-related cases.
– Patel is a member of the Republican Party.
– In 2017, he was appointed to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).
– Patel became close to Trump after criticizing the FBI’s investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
– He quickly advanced to key government positions after that.
– In 2019, he was appointed a member of the National Security Council.
– In 2020, he was made the Chief of Staff of the Acting Secretary of Defense.
Who took the oath on the Gita before him:
– Many other leaders around the world have also taken an oath on the Bhagavad Gita in their parliaments.
– In February 2024, Indian-origin barrister Varun Ghosh became the first senator to take an oath on the Bhagavad Gita in the Australian Parliament.
– In January 2023, Aruna Miller, the first Indian-American Lieutenant Governor of the state of Maryland, took the oath on the Gita.
– The UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also took the oath of office as an MP in the British Parliament, the House of Commons, with his hand on the Bhagavad Gita.
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2. Who has become the fastest batsman to score 14,000 runs in One Day Internationals?
a. Kuldeep Yadav
b. hardik pandya
c. Rohit Sharma
d. Virat Kohli
Answer: d. Virat Kohli
– This record was completed by Virat Kohli on February 23, 2025, during the Champions Trophy match against Pakistan.
– Kohli is now the third batsman to score 14,000 runs in One Day International (ODI) cricket. Before him, the legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (18,246 runs) and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (14,234 runs) held this achievement.
– However, Kohli is the fastest player to reach this milestone, having completed 14,000 ODI runs in 287 innings. Before him, Tendulkar took 350 innings to achieve this feat, while Sangakkara took 378 innings.
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3. Who is the Indian player who has taken the most catches in ODI cricket?
a. Mohammad Azharuddin
b. Sachin Tendulkar
c. Rohit Sharma
d. Virat Kohli
Answer: d. Virat Kohli
– Virat Kohli has become the player with the most catches for India in One Day International (ODI) cricket.
– During the Champions Trophy on February 23, 2025, he reached 158 catches.
– In second place in the record is Mohammad Azharuddin, who has 156 catches.
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4. How much did the central government extend the tenure of NITI Aayog CEO (BVR Subramaniam)?
a. five years
b. three years
c. two years
d. one year
Answer: d. one year
– He was appointed to this position for a two-year term in February 2023.
– According to the Ministry of Personnel’s order, his tenure has been extended for one more year, starting from February 24, 2025.
BVR Subrahmanyam:
– He is a retired IAS officer of the 1987 batch from the Chhattisgarh cadre.
– He has previously served as the Chairman and Managing Director of the India Trade Promotion Organization.
– In 2018, he was appointed as the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir.
– From 2004 to 2008, he also served as the Private Secretary to former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
NITI Aayog:
– Headquarters: New Delhi
– Vice Chairman: Suman Bery
– Chairman: Prime Minister
– Formation: January 1, 2015
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5. What is the name of the country’s first assembly to be equipped with translator facilities?
a. Rajasthan Assembly
b. Madhya Pradesh Assembly
c. Uttar Pradesh Assembly
d. Bihar Assembly
Answer: c. Uttar Pradesh Assembly
– The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly session began on February 18. This session will be the first in the country to be equipped with the translator facility.
– On February 17, 2025, a meeting of the working committee was held under the chairmanship of Speaker Satish Mahana. The schedule for the budget session was approved during the meeting.
– The proposal for the translator facility was presented before the governing committee.
– After the approval of the house, it will be implemented.
– Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reviewed the rehearsal for translation into Awadhi, Braj, Bhojpuri, Bundelkhandi, and English in the assembly.
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6. During the visit of the Emir of Qatar to India, both the countries set a target of doubling the bilateral trade to how much in five years?
a. 20 billion dollars
b. 28 billion dollars
c. 30 billion dollars
d. 35 billion dollars
Answer: b. 28 billion dollars
– At the invitation of India, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar, paid a state visit to India on February 17-18, 2025.
– This was his second state visit to India.
– India and Qatar agreed on February 18, 2025, to double trade in the next five years, reaching $28 billion, and announced plans to elevate their relationship to a strategic partnership level.
– During this period, PM Modi had discussions with the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in New Delhi.
Previous Trade:
– The annual trade between the two countries amounts to $14 billion.
– Both countries have set a target to double this trade to $28 billion by 2030.
– According to some news reports, Qatar has announced an investment of $10 billion (around ₹83,000 crores) in India, focusing on sectors such as infrastructure, technology, and manufacturing.
– Additionally, Qatar’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, Qatar Investment Authority, has currently invested about $1.5 billion in India in sectors like retail, electricity, IT, education, healthcare, and affordable housing.
Documents Signed/Exchanged:
1. Agreement on the establishment of a bilateral strategic partnership.
2. Revised agreement to avoid double taxation on income and prevent fiscal evasion.
3. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on financial and economic cooperation between the Ministry of Finance (India) and the Ministry of Finance (Qatar).
4. MoU on cooperation in the field of youth and sports.
5. MoU on cooperation in the field of documents and archives.
6. MoU on cooperation between Invest India and Invest Qatar.
7. MoU between the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Qatar Businessmen Association.
Additionally, other issues were also discussed.
India-Qatar Relations:
Commercial Relations:
– Qatar is India’s largest supplier of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
– Over 48% of India’s global LNG imports come from Qatar.
– 29% of India’s LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) needs are imported from Qatar.
– Indian company Petronet has renewed its contract to purchase 7.5 million tons of LNG annually from Qatar for 20 years starting from 2029.
Defense Relations:
– India and Qatar conduct a joint military exercise named ‘Zayed Al Bahr.’
Cultural Relations:
– More than 800,000 Indians live in Qatar, making them the largest expatriate group in the country.
– The year 2019 was celebrated as the ‘India-Qatar Year of Culture.’
Qatar:
– Capital: Doha
– Amir: Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
– Prime Minister: Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
– Population: 2.7 million
– Currency: Qatari Rial
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7. Which film won the Best Film Award at the 78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA Awards 2025)?
a. flower moon
b. oppenheimer
c. conclave
d. Past Lives
Answer: c. conclave
– Director Edward Berger’s film Conclave won four awards, including Best Film, at the 78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA Awards) on February 16, 2024.
– The film is directed by Edward Berger.
– Conclave is a political thriller film from 2024.
– It is based on Robert Harris’s 2016 novel.
– The film is about Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes), who plans a papal conclave to elect the next pope and soon begins investigating the secrets and scandals of each candidate.
Note: At the 77th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA Awards 2024), the Best Film award went to Oppenheimer.
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8. ‘Emilia Perez’ film won the title of Best Non-English Film at the 78th BAFTA Awards 2025, leaving behind which first film of Indian director Payal Kapadia?
a. ‘All We Imagine as Light’
b. The Killer Years
c. car drama
d. grand prix
Answer: a. All We Imagine as Light
– Earlier, Indian director Payal Kapadia’s film All We Imagine As Light* won the prestigious Grand Prix award.
Story revolves around two nurses:
– The film’s story is centered around two nurses, Prabha and Anu, from Kerala who live in Mumbai.
– They both live in the same flat. While Prabha waits for the return of her husband, Anu falls in love with a Muslim boy, Shiyaz, who has come to Mumbai from Kerala.
– There’s also a middle-aged woman who has been deceived by both of them. All three women are trying to find light in their own way in the darkness of such a large city.
How many Indians have won a BAFTA so far?
– So far, only four Indians have won this award:
– 1982: Rohini Hattangadi – Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Film *Gandhi*)
– 1998: Shekhar Kapur – Outstanding British Film (Film *Elizabeth*)
– 2008: Resul Pookutty – Best Sound (Film Slumdog Millionaire)
– 2010: A.R. Rahman – Best Original Music (Film 127 Hours)
Note: A total of 19 Indians have received BAFTA nominations, with only 4 having won the award.
About BAFTA:
– The BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show organized by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to honor the best British and international contributions to film.
– Hosted by David Tennant, the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards ceremony was held at London’s Royal Festival Hall and was the UK’s largest film night.
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9. List of winners of 78th BAFTA Awards 2025:
– Best Film: Conclave
– Best Director: Brady Corbet (The Brutalist)
– Best Actor (Lead Role): Adrian Brody (The Brutalist)
– Best Actress (Lead Role): Mickey Madison (Anora)
– Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)
– Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldana (Emilia Perez)
– Best Original Screenplay: Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain)
– Best Animated Film: Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Foul
– Best Documentary: Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story
– Best Non-English Film: Emilia Perez (This film won over Indian director Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light to take the title)
– Best Casting: Anora (Sean Baker and Samantha Quan)
– Best Cinematography: The Brutalist (Lol Crawley)
– Best Editing: Conclave (Nick Emerson)
– Best Sound: Dune: Part Two (Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, Gareth John, and Richard King)
– Best British Film: Conclave
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10. When is World Pangolin Day celebrated?
a. first saturday of february
b. second saturday of february
c. third saturday of february
d. fourth saturday of february
Answer: c. Third Saturday of February (February 15 in 2025)
The purpose of celebrating this day is to increase awareness about these mammals.
About Pangolins:
– Its body is covered with keratin-based scales, which protect it from other animals.
– The pangolin is the only mammal with such scales.
– It is naturally found in Africa and Asia.
– A pangolin’s tongue is longer than its body.
– Their name comes from the Malay word “penguling,” which means “something that rolls.”
– Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world because people desire their meat and bones.
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11. When is Soil Health Card (SHC) Day celebrated?
a. 19 February
b. 20 February
c. 21 February
d. 22 February
Answer: a. 19 February
– Every year, India celebrates Soil Health Card Day on February 19 to mark the launch of the Soil Health Card Scheme.
– The aim of this scheme is to issue a Soil Health Card to all farmers every two years.
– Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Soil Health Card Scheme on February 19, 2015, in Suratgarh, Rajasthan.
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12. When is World Scout Day celebrated?
a. 22 February
b. 23 February
c. 24 February
d. 25 February
Answer: a. 22 February
– The Scout Movement was founded by Lord Robert Baden-Powell.
– World Scout Day is celebrated on February 22, on the occasion of his birthday.
– The Scouting movement started in 1907 in the United Kingdom.
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