Friday 26 May 2017

Daily GK Update 26th May 2017


i. In Uttar Pradesh, a massive immunisation drive has been launched in 38 districts to eradicate Japanese Encephalitis (JE). Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched the drive from Kushinagar district. The government also launched a toll-free number to get or provide any information about encephalitis. The number is 18001805544. His several cabinet colleagues also participated in the launch programmes in different districts. Drive will be continued by June 11th, 2017.

ii. Initiating the drive from a slum locality in Kushinagar district, Mr Yogi issued an appeal to all the public representatives starting from MPs to village Pradhans to give their full cooperation in the drive. 
Static Takeaways-
  • Ram Naik is Governor of Uttar Pradesh
  • Dudhwa National Park is a national park in Uttar Pradesh
  • Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state.
  • As per details from Census 2011, Uttar Pradesh has the population of 19.98 Crores.
  • Mumbai is second most crowded city in the world: WEF
i. Two Indian cities — Mumbai and Kota — have been named among the world’s most crowded in a list topped by Dhaka, according to World Economic Forum (WEF) citing UN-Habitat data. With a population density of 44,500 people per square kilometre, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is the most crowded city on the planet, followed by India’s financial capital Mumbai, home to 31,700 people per square kilometre at the second place.

ii. Kota in Rajasthan with 12,100 people per square kilometre was ranked seventh. Others in the list include Medellin in Columbia ranked third with 19,700 people per square kilometre, Manila, Philippines (4th, 14,800), Casablanca, Morocco (5th, 14,200), Lagos, Nigeria (6th, 13,300), Singapore (8th, 10,200) and Jakarta, Indonesia (9th, 9,600).

Static Takeaways-
  • World Economic Forum (WEF) was established in 1971.
  • WEF is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • The Gateway of India is a monument built during the 20th century in Mumbai City of Maharashtra state in Western India.

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the country’s longest bridge - the Dhola-Sadia Bridge in Assam on. Mr Modi walked a short distance over the bridge and enjoyed two minutes of solitude amidst his hectic schedule, with a strong wind above him and gushing waters below him as his companions. 

ii. Mr Modi named the bridge after legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika. This three-lane, the 9.15-kilometre bridge has been built over the Brahmaputra river. It links Dhola to Sadia, both in Assam. The bridge will reduce the distance from Rupai on NH- 37 in Assam to Meka-Roing on NH-52 in Arunachal Pradesh by 165 KM. The travel time between the two places will come down from the current six hours to just one hour, a total five-hour reduction. 

Static Takeaways-
  • Banwarilal Purohit is Governor of Assam.
  • Sarbananda Sonowal is Chief Minister of Assam.
  • The Kamakhya Temple also Kamrup-Kamakhya is a Hindu temple dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya is in located in Kamakhya, Guwahati in Assam.
  • Bhupen Hazarika was an Indian playback singer, lyricist, musician, singer, poet and film-maker from Assam.
  • US Senate confirms Indian-American Amul Thapar to key judicial post
i. The United States Senate has confirmed Indian-American Judge Amul Thapar to a key judicial position on the powerful US court of appeals. Thapar, the first Indian-American to be nominated by US President Donald Trump for the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals, was confirmed by the Senate 52-44, a vote on party lines. 

ii. With this, 48-year-old Thapar will become the second South Asian judge to be on the US Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears appeals from Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Michigan. Thapar, currently a US District Court Judge, was nominated by Trump on 21st March. Thapar received his undergraduate degree from Boston College and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Static Takeaways-
  • Since 1976 the US Senate Historical Office has conducted interviews with senators and staff. 
  • Office of Senator is in Washington, D.C. 
  • Donald John Trump is the 45th and current President of the United States.
  • The Federal Reserve System is the central banking system of the United States.
i. President Pranab Mukherjee has received the first copy of two books 'Mann Ki Baat-A Social Revolution on Radio' and 'Marching with a Billion-Analysing Narendra Modi’s Government at Mid term' at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Speaker of Lok Sabha, Sumitra Mahajan formally released the books at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The book Mann Ki Baat: A Social Revolution on Radio by Rajesh Jain is a compilation of Prime Minister Modi’s addresses to the nation on All India Radio every month under the programme Mann Ki Baat.

ii. It contains a comprehensive, qualitative and academic analysis of programme - the themes, the choice of topics, the salient features. It illustrates how this programme has connected with the New India - the youth in particular. It also presents a coherent narrative about the manner in which 'Mann Ki Baat' has created mass movements, including cleanliness, safer roads, and drugs free India.

iii. The book Marching with a Billion- Analysing Narendra Modi’s Government at Mid-term written by eminent journalist Uday Mahurkar analyses the monumental changes that PM Narendra Modi has brought on multiple fronts as Prime Minister on India's governance landscape by ushering in an unprecedented culture of transparency to create a level playing field.

Static Takeaways-
  • ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is a unique initiative of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to reach the masses across the country through the Radio. 
  • PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat programme was first aired on October 03rd 2014.
i. Google’s vice-president for South East Asia and India, Rajan Anandan has been appointed the new chairman of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). 

ii. He will take over from FreeCharge’s co-founder and chief executive officer Kunal Shah. MakeMyTrip Chairman & Group CEO Deep Kalra has taken over as vice-chairman from music app Saavn co-founder and president Vinodh Bhat; Facebook’s managing director - India & South Asia, Umang Bedi has been elected as the new treasurer of the association, while Subho Ray continues to be the president. The tenure of the new Council is for two years.

Static Takeaways-
  • The Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is a not-for-profit industry body registered under the Societies Act, 1896.
  • Founded in January 2004 by leading portals in India, IAMAI is the only specialised industry body in India representing the interests of online and mobile value added services industry.             

QUIZ-26


Q1. Great Britain has beaten Australia in the hockey final of the 26th edition of the Azlan Shah Cup. The event was held in _____________.
(a) Beijing, China
(b) Jakarta, Indonesia
(c) Paris, France
(d) Ipoh, Malaysia
(e) Chennai, India

Q2. World Red Cross Day is observed every year on _______________.
(a) 6th May
(b) 8th May
(c) 7th May
(d) 9th May
(e) 5th May

Q3. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highway Nitin Gadkari recently inaugurated the country's first bio-refinery plant which produces ethanol from the variety of biomass. The project is situated in ___________________.
(a) Jaipur
(b) Barmer
(c) Pune
(d) Jhargram
(e) Bhiwani

Q4. PM Modi has recently addressed Indian heads of mission meet in New Delhi. The four-day conference was formally inaugurated by _______________.
(a) Sushma Swaraj
(b) Pranab Mukherjee
(c) Nitin Gadkari
(d) Rajnath Singh
(e) Prakash Javedkar

Q5. World Red Cross Day is observed every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of ______________, the founder of the Red Cross as well as the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
(a) Martin Luther King-I
(b) Mark Lunger
(c) Henry Dunant
(d) Jack Dinarthy
(e) Osman Waghar

Q6. India has recently organized a cultural festival in Egypt to mark the 156th birth anniversary of ___________________.
(a) S. Radhakrishnan
(b) Rabindranath Tagore
(c) Mahatma Gandhi
(d) G. K. Gokhle
(e) Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru

Q7. Pro-European centrist leader ____________ has been elected as President of France.
(a) Nikolas Sarkozy
(b) Socker Yosera
(c) Abraham Sarfez
(d) Emmanuel Macron
(e) Steven Ambrose

Q8. Three Indian Scientist have been elected as the Fellows of The Royal Society, a premier scientific academy of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, for their “outstanding contributions to science“. Which of thefollowing is not among the three winners?
(a) Krishna Chatterjee
(b) Subhash Khot
(c) Yadvinder Malhi
(d) Saurabh Shahi
(e) None of the above option is true

Q9. Facebook has launched its _____________ commercially in India and the service is now available via 700 hotspots across four states of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Meghalaya.
(a) Wi-Fi Speedy
(b) Hi-Fi Wi-Fi
(c) Express Wi-Fi
(d) Wi-Fi Version
(e) None of the given options is true

Q10. What is the theme for World Red Cross Day 2017?
(a) Lets know Red Cross
(b) Success Stories of Red Cross
(c) Red Cross around the world
(d) Innovating the Red Cross
(e) Less Known Red Cross Stories

Q11. Name the state that has recently decided to introduce boat ambulance service in four districts where people face difficulties in getting health service.
(a) Odisha
(b) Rajasthan
(c) Maharashtra
(d) Meghalaya
(e) Sikkim

Q12. Name the Indian player who has recently received the Fellowship Award at the 7th annual Asian Awards initiatives to help the under-privileged people in UK.
(a) Rahul Dravid
(b) Sachin Tendulkar
(c) Virendra Sehwag
(d) Abhinav Bindra
(e) Milkha Singh

Q13. Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature in _____________.
(a) 1910
(b) 1912
(c) 1913
(d) 1911
(e) 1914

Q14. Indian boxer Shiva Thapa ended up with a silver medal in the 60-kg category at the Asian Boxing Championships. The event was held in ______________.
(a) Azerbaijan
(b) China
(c) Indonesia
(d) Uzbekistan
(e) Hong-Kong

Q15. Name the Renowned tea planter from Assam who has been appointed as the new chairman of the Tea Board of India by the Union government.
(a) Sandeep Kunwar
(b) Prateek Yuzu
(c) Prabhat Kamal Bezboruah
(d) Sankalp Sidha Menon
(e) Yashpal Gill


Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. Great Britain beat Australia 4-3 in a thrilling hockey final of the 26th edition of the Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh, Malaysia. This victory came to Great Britain in the Azlan Shah Cup after 23 years. Australia had won the Azlan Shah title nine times.

S2. Ans.(b)
Sol. World Red Cross Day is observed on May 8 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross as well as the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

S3. Ans.(c)
Sol. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highway Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the country's first bio-refinery plant which produces ethanol from the variety of biomass. The project is situated at Rahu in Pune district.

S4. Ans.(a)
Sol. PM Modi has recently addressed Indian heads of mission meet in New Delhi. The four-day conference was formally inaugurated by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

S5. Ans.(c)
Sol. World Red Cross Day is observed on May 8 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross as well as the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

S6. Ans.(b)
Sol. India has organized a cultural festival in Egypt to mark the 156th birth anniversary of the famous Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore. The Tagore festival is being organized by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture, the cultural wing of the Indian Embassy in Cairo.

S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. Pro-European centrist leader Emmanuel Macron has been elected as President of France. 39-year-old former investment banker, who has never held elected office, becomes the youngest President and occupant of the Élysée Palace (official residence of the President of France).

S8. Ans.(d)
Sol. Three Indian Scientist have been elected as the Fellows of The Royal Society, a premier scientific academy of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, for their “outstanding contributions to science“. The three scientists are Krishna Chatterjee from Cambridge University, Subhash Khot from New York University, and Yadvinder Malhi from Oxford University.

S9. Ans.(c)
Sol. Facebook has launched its 'Express Wi-Fi' commercially in India and the service is now available via 700 hotspots across four states of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Meghalaya.

S10. Ans.(e)
Sol. World Red Cross Day is observed on May 8 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross as well as the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The theme for this year (2017) is “Less Known Red Cross Stories”.

S11. Ans.(a)
Sol. Odisha will introduce boat ambulance service in four districts where people face difficulties in getting health service. The boat ambulance service will be available in the districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Kendrapara and Kalahandi where people face problems in availing 108 ambulance service.

S12. Ans.(b)
Sol. India’s cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar plans to support charities and various initiatives to help the under-privileged people. He has received the Fellowship Award at the 7th annual Asian Awards in the UK.

S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. He was the first non-European to win this prestigious award, in recognition for his collection of poems, ‘Gitanjali’.

S14. Ans.(d)
Sol. Indian boxer Shiva Thapa ended up with a silver medal in the 60-kg category at the Asian Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

S15. Ans.(c)
Sol. Renowned tea planter from Assam Prabhat Kamal Bezboruah has been named the new chairman of the Tea Board of India by replacing Shri Santosh Sarangi, stated by the Union government.