General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding is an international award presented by the Government of India. Goh Chok Tong, the former Prime Minister of Singapore, was the recipient of this prestigious award in 2003.

BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited) secured a significant contract worth Rs 2,100 crore from NTPC in 2008. The order was for the supply and installation of the main plant equipment for the Mauda Super Thermal Power Project.

World Diabetes Day is observed every year on November 14. This date was chosen to honor the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin in 1922.

Spain won the UEFA Euro 2008 championship by defeating Germany 1-0 in the final held in Vienna. This victory ended a 44-year title drought for the Spanish national team and began their era of international dominance.

Simran Kaur Mundi won the Femina Miss India Universe title in 2008. She went on to represent India at the Miss Universe pageant held in Vietnam that same year. The other contestants listed participated in various pageants but did not hold the primary Universe title for 2008.

Lakshmipathy Balaji, playing for Chennai Super Kings, took the first-ever hat-trick in IPL history during the 2008 season. He achieved this feat against Kings XI Punjab in the final over of the match. While Brett Lee took the first T20I hat-trick, Balaji holds the record for the IPL.

Brendon McCullum scored a massive 158 runs off just 73 balls in the very first match of the IPL in 2008. Playing for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore, his innings included 13 sixes and 10 fours. This record stood as the highest individual score in the IPL for several years.

Dmitry Medvedev served as the third President of the Russian Federation from 2008 to 2012. He succeeded Vladimir Putin, who had served two terms and then became Prime Minister. Medvedev's presidency was marked by efforts to modernize the Russian economy and society.

NASSCOM stands for the National Association of Software and Service Companies. It is a non-profit trade association that serves as the apex body for the Indian IT-BPM industry. Established in 1988, it plays a crucial role in policy advocacy and industry growth.

At the time this question was framed, the total strength of the Lok Sabha was 545. This included 543 elected members and 2 members nominated from the Anglo-Indian community by the President. Note that the nomination of Anglo-Indians was discontinued in 2020 via the 104th Constitutional Amendment.

Chandrayaan 1, India's first mission to the Moon, was launched by ISRO on October 22, 2008. It was launched using the PSLV-C11 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. The mission was instrumental in discovering water molecules on the lunar surface.

General V.K. Singh served as the 24th Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army from 2010 to 2012. He was the first commando to become the Army Chief. The other options refer to previous chiefs or heads of other wings of the armed forces.

Sonia Gandhi was born as Edvige Antonia Albina Maino in Lusiana, Italy. She moved to India after marrying Rajiv Gandhi and later became a naturalized Indian citizen. She served as the President of the Indian National Congress for a record number of years.

Serena Williams won the singles title at the 2008 Bangalore Open (also known as the Canara Bank Bangalore Open). She defeated Patty Schnyder in the final. This was a Tier II WTA tournament held in India.

The 34th G8 summit was held in Toyako, Hokkaido, Japan, from July 7 to July 9, 2008. The summit focused on global economic issues, climate change, and development in Africa. Japan has hosted several such international summits over the decades.

The biographical sports drama 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag', directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, won the Best Picture award at the 15th IIFA Awards held in 2014. The film is based on the life of Indian athlete Milkha Singh. It swept several major categories at the ceremony that year.