Daily GK Update 06th June 2017

EESL takes up first rural LED streetlighting project in Andhra Pradesh

i. Energy Efficiency Services Ltd. has initiated a French Agency-funded project to retrofit 10 lakh conventional street lights with LED lights in Gram Panchayats of 7 districts in Andhra Pradesh.
ii. This is the first project for rural LED street lighting in the country under the Centre’s Street Lighting National Project (SLNP).

iii. The entire capital cost of this project is being funded by French Development Agency, Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

iv. Under the project, EESL has agreed to carry out the entire annual maintenance and warranty replacement in these gram panchayats for a period of 10 years.

Static takeaways-

• Saurabh Kumar is the Managing Director, EESL
• Andhra Pradesh was the first state to seek assistance from EESL to replace conventional street lighting with LED lighting in Visakhapatnam.
• EESL is registered under the companies Act, 1956 in 2009 and the commencement of business certificate is obtained in 2010.
• E. S. L. Narasimhan is the governor of Andhra Pradesh
• N Chandrababu Naidu is the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

Telangana launches single-woman pension scheme, first in India

i. Telangana government has recently launched the single-women pensions scheme across the state. Single women will be given Rs 1,000 per month. It is the first such scheme in India.

ii. The government had also increased the Kalyana Laxmi and Shaadi Mubarak scheme amount from Rs50,116 to Rs75,116. Children of single women would be admitted into all Telangana Residential Educational Institutions without having to write an examination or waiting for the lottery system.

Static Takeaways-

• Nagarjuna Sagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve is located in Telangana
• K. Chandrashekar Rao is the CM of Telangana and governor is E S L Narasimhan
• Pakhal Lake is situated in Telangana.

India’s first public bicycle sharing project launched in Mysuru

i. Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah has recently launched India’s first public bicycle sharing (PBS) initiative 'Trin Trin' in Mysuru.
ii. The World Bank, Global Environmental Fund, and state govt have jointly funded the initiative.

iii. Mysuru is the first city in India to have a public bicycle sharing system. A total of 450 bicycles can be borrowed from 48 docking stations set up across the City for a nominal fee.

Static Takeaways-

• Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala is the present Governor of Karnataka
• Kempegowda International Airport is located in Karnataka
• Magod Falls are situated in Karnataka

NSDC signs MoU with Bird Academy for skilling of unemployed youth

i. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Bird Academy have signed an MoU to skill more than 30 thousand unemployed youth from across states in the aviation and aerospace sectors.

ii. According to an official release, NSDC and Bird Academy will set up training centres and centres of excellence with an aim of increasing employability of youth in these sectors.

Static Takeaways-

• Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) jointly launched the SMART
• SMART is abbreviated as Skill Management and AccReditation of Training Centres.

TRAI launches three new apps

i. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recently launched three new apps to help customers rate quality of services, speed and performance.
ii. The three new apps are Mycall app, MySpeed app and 'Do not disturb (DND 2.0)' app. The apps are being launched with the motive that there is more transparency between the consumers and the service providers.

iii. The MyCall app, is an Android application for crowdsourced voice call quality monitoring.
iv.  MySpeed app will enable TRAI to obtain test-data from users in all service areas, without any action by the users. 
v. The DND service app will enable users to register their mobile number under DND to avoid unsolicited commercial communication/telemarketing calls/SMS.

Static Takeaways-

• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) established with effect from 20th February 1997 by an Act of Parliament, called the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997
• R.S.Sharma is the present Chairman of TRAI
• Head Office of TRAI is in New Delhi.

India overtakes China to top global retail index: GRDI

i. India has surpassed China to secure the top position among 30 developing countries on ease of doing business, according to a study that cited India’s rapidly expanding economy, relaxation of FDI rules and a consumption boom as the key drivers.
ii. The GRDI was titled as ‘The Age of Focus’, ranks China in second place. Malaysia was in the third position in the list.

Static Takeaways-

• Top three countries in the list are India China and Malaysia
• The GRDI 2017 was titled as 'The Age of Focus'
• The capital of Malaysia is in Kuala Lumpur.

RBI kicks off financial literacy week

i. To emphasize the importance of financial literacy, the Reserve Bank of India is observing June 5-9, 2017 as Financial Literacy Week across the country.
ii. The Week will focus on four broad themes, viz. Know Your Customer (KYC), Exercising Credit Discipline, Grievance Redress and Going Digital.

Static Takeaways-

• Shri B.P. Kanungo is the newly appointed Deputy Governor of RBI
• The Reserve Bank of India was established on April 1, 1935 in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• RBI was nationalized in 1949.

NSE launches international exchange at GIFT City

i. Leading bourse National Stock Exchange (NSE) launched its international exchange in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). NSE IFSC Ltd, the global exchange promoted by NSE, will remain operational for a longer period than NSE during a trading day.

ii. All the trades will be cleared and settled through NSE IFSC Clearing Corporations Ltd. Several products from the currency, commodity and equity segments are expected to get listed on the new exchange which may also introduce other innovative products in line with Sebi regulations.

Static Takeaways-

• Gujarat International Finance Tec-City is the full form of GIFT City.

'Ministry of Utmost Happiness' authored by Arundhati Roy launched

i. The book “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness” has been authored by Arundhati Roy, was released recently.
ii. It is fiction-based novel and will be published by Hamish Hamilton UK and Penguin India.

Static Takeaways-

• Roy became the first Indian woman to win the prestigious Booker Prize with her 1997 work.

QUIZ-06+

Q1. India has signed a loan agreement of 36 million dollars with the World Bank for Public Financial Management Capacity Building Program of which of the following Indian states?
(a) Jammu & Kashmir
(b) Himachal Pradesh
(c) New Delhi
(d) Arunachal Pradesh
(e) Haryana
S1. Ans.(b)
Sol. India has signed a loan agreement of 36 million dollars with the World Bank for Himachal Pradesh Public Financial Management Capacity Building Programme. The project aims to improve the efficiency of public expenditure management and tax administration in Himachal Pradesh.

Q2. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has signed seven agreements with Spain to strengthen bilateral cooperation to fight against terrorism after the visit from Germany. Who is the current Prime Minister of Spain?
(a) Juan Alvarez
(b) Juan Carlos
(c) Francisco Franco
(d) Mariano Rajoy
(e) Diego Martinez Barrio
S2. Ans.(d)
Sol. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has signed seven agreements with Spain PM Mariano Rajoy to strengthen bilateral cooperation to fight against terrorism after the visit from Germany.

Q3. World Milk Day is observed around the globe on ___________.
(a) 31 May
(b) 30 May
(c) 1 June
(d) 2 June
(e) 4 June
S3. Ans.(c)
Sol. World Milk Day is an initiative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, to celebrate the contribution of the dairy industry around the globe on 1st June.

Q4. India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at what percent during the January-March quarter of 2017, according to government data?
(a) 6.4%
(b) 6.3%
(c) 6.2%
(d) 6.1%
(e) 6.0%
S4. Ans.(d)
Sol. India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 6.1 per cent year-on-year during the January-March, 2017 period according to government data.

Q5. To attract more passengers to buy online train tickets, Indian Railways has introduced a new service called ___________________.
(a) Buy Now, Pay Later
(b) Instant Payment
(c) Cash on Delivery
(d) Payment on Demand
(e) Buying at will
S5. Ans.(a)
Sol. To attract more passengers to buy online train tickets, Indian Railways has introduced a service ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ which allow passengers to make payment for tickets booked online within a window of 15 days.

Q6. Name the Union Minister who has recently inaugurated a grid-connected solar power plant of 16 MW capacity at the Ordinance Factory in Telangana’s Medak district.

(a) Rajnath Singh
(b) Bandaru Dattatreya
(c) Arun Jaitley
(d) Dharmendra Pradhan
(e) Suresh Prabhu
S6. Ans.(c)
Sol. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated a grid-connected solar power plant of 16 MW capacity at the Ordinance Factory in Telangana’s Medak district. He also dedicated a 9 MW capacity windmill project installed at Dammur in Karnataka at a cost of Rs 53 crore by Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), a defence PSU.

Q7. Which of the following Police has recently launched patrolling on bicycle to improve policing in congested localities in the city?
(a) Delhi Police
(b) Mumbai Police
(c) UP Police
(d) Pune Police
(e) Chennai Police
S7. Ans.(a)
Sol. The Delhi Police launched patrolling on bicycle to improve policing in congested localities in trans-Yamuna region of the city. The move is also being billed as a green initiative. The bicycle patrols will complement and supplement the existing motorcycle and PCR patrols which focus mainly on crime prevention along the arterial and main roads of Delhi.

Q8. Name the Economic Affairs Secretary who has recently announced his retirement as the Corporate Affairs Secretary.
(a) Sandeep Jijodia
(b) Avinash Chander
(c) Shaktikanta Das
(d) Ravindra Singh
(e) Vijayalakshmy K. Gupta
S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das announced his retirement as the Corporate Affairs Secretary. Shaktikanta Das has been associated with the Government of India as the Economic Affairs Secretary for nearly 37 years. He will be succeeded by Tapan Ray, who will take the additional charges as the new Economic Affairs Secretary.

Q9. Economic Affairs Secretary has recently announced his retirement as the Corporate Affairs Secretary. He is replaced by ______________.
(a) Prabhu Dayal Meena
(b) R.K. Mathur
(c) Shailesh Nayak
(d) Tapan Ray
(e) Pankaj Jain
S9. Ans.(d)
Sol. Economic Affairs Secretary has recently announced his retirement as the Corporate Affairs Secretary. He is replaced by Tapan Ray.

Q10. Who is the current President of Switzerland-headquartered World Health Organization?
(a) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
(b) Margaret Chan
(c) Takehiko Nakao
(d) Jim Yong Kim
(e) None of the given option is true
S10. Ans.(b)
Sol. Dr. Margaret Chan is the current Director-General of WHO and its headquarter is in Geneva, Switzerland.


Q11. Name the public lender who has signed a $100 million loan with Asian Development Bank (ADB) that will finance large solar rooftop systems on industrial and commercial buildings throughout India.
(a) State Bank of India
(b) Allahabad Bank
(c) Punjab National Bank
(d) UCO Bank
(e) Union Bank
S11. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Punjab National Bank (PNB) signed a $100 million loan  to be guaranteed by the Government of India that will finance large solar rooftop systems on industrial and commercial buildings throughout India.

Q12. Name the country that will become first in the world to have all government-owned ports running on solar and wind energy.
(a) India
(b) Portugal
(c) USA
(d) China
(e) Singapore
S12. Ans.(a)
Sol. All 12 major domestic ports will soon switch to renewable energy to meet their entire power requirements, making India the first country to have all government-owned ports running on solar and wind energy.

Q13. Name the cricketer who has become the first Indian Women cricketer to play in Kia Super League, the England T20 League.
(a) Mithali Raj
(b) Harmanpreet Kaur
(c) Anjum Chopra
(d) Shikha Pandey
(e) Ekta Bisht
S13. Ans.(b)
Sol. Harmanpreet Kaur has become the first Indian Women cricketer to play in Kia Super League, the England T20 League.

Q14. The RBI will soon put into circulation currency notes in one rupee denomination. The new notes printed by the Government of India will bear the signature of _______________.
(a) Tapan Ray
(b) Manohar Kant
(c) Shaktikanta Das
(d) Swapnil Singh
(e) Murari Jha
S14. Ans.(c)
Sol. The RBI will soon put into circulation currency notes in one rupee denomination. The new notes printed by the Govt of India will bear the signature of Shaktikanta Das.

Q15. Who is the present MD and CEO of Punjab National Bank?
(a) Usha Ananthasubramanian
(b) Chanda Kocchar
(c) Melwyn Rego
(d) Sunil Mehta
(e) None of the given option is true
S15. Ans.(d)
Sol. Chief Executive officer of Punjab National Bank is Sunil Mehta and its Headquarter is in New Delhi.

QUIZ-06+

Q1. Which kick-started its ambitious ‘Deendayal Rasoi Yojana’ under which subsidised meals that will be available at Rs 5 per plate to people, especially the economically disadvantaged sections of society?
Answer: Madhya Pradesh

Q2. India's largest e-commerce player Flipkart recently bought eBay's India business, and closing a $1.4 billion fund-raising round from Tencent, eBay and Microsoft. Name the Chief Executive Officer of Flipkart.
Answer: Kalyan Krishnamurthy

Q3. The 12th edition Indo-Mongolian Joint Military Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2017 has begun in __________.
Answer: Mizoram

Q4. The Agriculture Ministry joined hands with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) to geo-tag agricultural assets for their real-time monitoring and effective utilization. NRSC is a wing of ____________.
Answer: Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)

Q5. Saraswat Bank is the largest lender in the co-operative space in India. What is the Motto of Saraswat Bank?
Answer: Service to the common man

Q6. Name the port that has recently topped the list in the First-Ever Ranking of Ports on Sanitation Parameters in the exercise that was undertaken during the ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’.
Answer: Haldia Port

Q7. Jharkhand Police has initiated __________ programme, recently to enlighten children in Naxal-affected areas in the Palamau district of Jharkhand.
Answer: Tare Zameen Par

Q8. Name the Public lender, which has joined hands with Department of Posts to promote Point of Sale (POS) machines for cashless transactions at post office counters.
Answer: SBI

Q9. Name the Finance Bank that has recently launched a social deposit scheme called 'Hrudaya Deposit scheme' in Thrissur, Kerala.
Answer: ESAF Small Finance Bank

Q10. Name the State, which has been selected by the Union Ministry of Agriculture for the Krishi Karman Award 2015-16 for the commendable increase in food grains production, recently.
Answer: Himachal Pradesh

Q11. Name the Country, which has signed an agreement recently with India for collaboration in modification of Indian Railways for  high-speed and semi-high speed rail.
Answer: France

Q12. The 'Adarana scheme' was launched recently for the uplift and all-round development of people belonging to the Backward Classes in which Indian state?
Answer: Andhra Pradesh

Q13. Name the state which has recently launched a campaign named 'Operation Durga' to ensure safety towards women.
Answer: Haryana

Q14. A book on Draupadi named 'the Flaming Tresses of Draupadi' was released recently by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Who is the author of this book?
Answer: M Veerappa Moily

Q15. US-based tech giant Cisco launched its fifth global cyber range lab in __________ with an aim to train Indian firms and government agencies on real-world cyber-attacks.
Answer: Gurugram

QUIZ-06

Q1. Saraswat Bank, the largest lender in the co-operative space has appointed ______________ as its Managing Director (MD), recently.
Answer: Smita Sandhane


Q2. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has recently approved 26 projects worth Rs 2,154.28 crore under the Centre’s ‘Namami Gange’ programme. Who is the cabinet minister for water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation?
Answer: Uma Bharti

Q3. Name the Formula One racer who defeated four-time Formula One World Champion to lift his fifth title at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Answer: Lewis Hamilton

Q4. India has signed a joint declaration with Russia to promote innovation and the R&D ecosystem between the two countries. What is the Capital and currency of Russia?
Answer: Moscow, Russian Ruble

Q5. R&D Institute of which company filed the maximum number of patent applications in the IT sector in 2015-16, according to Indian Patent Office survey?
Answer: Samsung

Q6. The government has appointed retired Supreme Court judge ___________ as the next chairman of Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).
Answer: Shiva Kirti Singh

Q7. For the first time since Nagaland officially gained recognition as a state, a state Police Officer Atu Zumvu has been awarded one of the nations' military honour, ‘Shaurya Chakra’. Nagaland attained statehood in which year?
Answer: 1963

Q8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a book authored by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in New Delhi, recently. The book is titled as __________.
Answer: Matoshree

Q9. The government has recently set up an 'Inter-Ministerial Committee' to monitor the regional air connectivity scheme named _________.
Answer: UDAN

Q10. Name the novel authored by Colson Whitehead that has won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, recently.
Answer: The Underground Railroad

Q11. Name the Author of book recently released by Prime Minister of India titled as 'Matoshree'.
Answer: Sumitra Mahajan

Q12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as the most followed world leader on photo-sharing app Instagram with a whopping 6.9 million followers. Who was on second position in the list?
Answer: Donald Trump

Q13. United Nation (UN) chief Antonio Guterres has named ___________ as the new administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, recently.
Answer: Achim Steiner

Q14. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has recently given its approval for the listing of how many Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) on stock exchanges?
Answer: 11

Q15. Name the author of blockbuster novel 'The Underground Railroad' who has recently won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
Answer: Colson Whitehead