Daily GK Update 20th August 2017

1. India’s First World Peace University Inaugurated in MIT, Pune

i. MIT World Peace University, the first of its kind in India, was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis.

ii. Following the celebrations, a two-day ‘Global Summit Science and Spirituality for World Peace’ was organized on the next day discussing issues of national and international importance and how a different outlook towards education could solve many of them.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• C V Rao is the present Governor of Maharashtra.

2. Sadbhavana Diwas: 20 August

i. The Sadbhavana Diwas or Harmony Day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary (August 20) of Rajiv Gandhi.
ii. On this day national integration, peace, love, affection and communal harmony among all Indians is encouraged. Shri Rajiv Gandhi was born on August 20, 1944, in Bombay. At 40, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister of India.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the 6th Prime Minister of India, serving from 1984 to 1989.
• He was assassinated on 21 May 1991.

3. 'Champions of Change' Initiative Organised by NITI Aayog

i. PM Narendra Modi addressed a gathering of young entrepreneurs and CEOs startups at an event organised by NITI Aayog. The event called 'Champions of Change' was organised by India’s policy think-tank, was aimed at bringing together young businessmen at a place and share ideas.

ii. The "Champions of Change" initiative is one effort to bring together diverse strengths for the benefit of the nation and society.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

• PM Narendra Modi is present Chairperson of NITI Aayog.
• Economist Rajiv Kumar to be new Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog.

4. Rs 50 Note to be Launched Soon

i. The Reserve Bank of India will shortly issue Rs 50 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series signed by Governor of RBI Dr. Urjit Patel. The base colour of the note is fluorescent blue.

ii. The new Rs 50 banknote has a motif of Hampi with a chariot, depicting the country’s cultural heritage, and the Swachh Bharat logo with slogan on the reverse. All the banknotes in the denomination of Rs 50 issued by the Reserve Bank in the earlier series will continue to be legal tender.

Important Takeaways From Above News-

• RBI Headquarters in Mumbai.
• The 24th Governor of RBI is Dr. Urjit Patel.
• In November 2016, the RBI had introduced new banknotes of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 denominations with base colours of stone grey and magenta, respectively.

5. Telangana CM Chosen for Agriculture Leadership Award

i. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has been selected for the prestigious Agriculture Leadership Award-2017. The award will be presented on September 5 at Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi.

ii. The Chief Minister has been selected for the award for his innovative services rendered to the welfare of farmers and the farm sector. 

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• The award, instituted by Indian Council of Food and Agriculture in 2008, is presented every year since then.
• E S L Narasimhan is the present Governor of Telangana.

6. Indian Athletes Bag Record 37 Medals at World Dwarf Games

i. The Indian contingent created history in the World Dwarf Games by winning a record haul of medals.

ii. The 21-men Indian team won 37 medals including 15 golds, 10 silver and 12 bronze medals in the 7th edition of the World Dwarf Games. It was held in Toronto, Canada. Arunachalam Nalini, who won five medals, including one gold.

Important Takeaways from Above News-

• Ottawa is the Capital of Canada.
• Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada.

Banking Awareness

Q1. Senior Citizen Saving Scheme (SCSS) is exclusively meant for people over the age of 60 years. They shall come into force on-

(a) August 2004

(b) August 2002

(c) August 2010

(d) August 2008

(e) August 2006

S1. Ans.(a)

Sol. Senior Citizen Saving Scheme (SCSS) is exclusively meant for people over the age of 60 years. They shall come into force on 02nd day of August in 2004.

Q2. What is the maturity period of Senior Citizen Saving Scheme (SCSS)?

(a) 5 years

(b) 50 years

(c) 1 years

(d) 10 years

(e) 15 years

S2. Ans.(a)
Sol. The maturity period of Senior Citizen Saving Scheme (SCSS) is 5 years.

Q3. There are only four eligible categories of PSLCs i.e. PSLC General, PSLC Small and Marginal Farmer, PSLC Agriculture & PSLC Micro Enterprises. PSLC stands for-?

(a) Public Sector Lending Certificates 

(b) Priority Sector Lending Certificates 

(c) Priority System Lending Certificates 

(d) Priority Service Lending Certificates 

(e) Priority Sector Lending Cash

S3. Ans.(b)
Sol. There are only four eligible categories of PSLCs i.e. PSLC General, PSLC Small and Marginal Farmer, PSLC Agriculture & PSLC Micro Enterprises. PSLC stands for Priority Sector Lending Certificates.

Q4. All PSLCs will expire on-

(a) 01st October

(b) 01st April

(c) 01st March

(d) 01st January

(e) 01st June

S4. Ans.(b)
Sol. All PSLCs will be valid till March 31st and will expire on April 1st.

Q5. The guidelines specify that MCLR calculated using methodology prescribed shall correspond to the tenor of funds in the single largest maturity bucket provided it is more than 30% of the entire funds reckoned for determining the MCLR. What is the meaning of "M" in MCLR?

(a) Minimum

(b) Maturity

(c) Marginal

(d) Management

(e) None of the given options is true

S5. Ans.(c)
Sol. The guidelines specify that MCLR calculated using methodology prescribed shall correspond to the tenor of funds in the single largest maturity bucket provided it is more than 30% of the entire funds reckoned for determining the MCLR. MCLR stands for Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate.

Q6. What is the minimum tenure of gold deposits under Gold Monetization Scheme, 2015?

(a) Five year

(b) Two year

(c) One year

(d) Three year

(e) Four year

S6. Ans.(c)
Sol. The deposit will be made under Gold Monetization Scheme, 2015 with the designated banks for a short term period of 1-3 years (with a roll over in multiples of one year) and will be treated as their on-balance sheet liability.

Q7. All Scheduled Commercial Banks excluding ________ are eligible to implement under Gold Monetization Scheme, 2015?

(a) Private Sector Banks

(b) IDBI Bank Limited

(c) State Bank of India

(d) Regional Rural Banks

(e) Public Sector Banks

S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. All Scheduled Commercial Banks excluding Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) are eligible to implement the Scheme.

Q8. BSBDA is a simple, basic account for routine banking transactions without the need of minimum balance requirement. BSBDA stands for-?

(a) Basic Savings Branch Deposit Account

(b) Balance Savings Bank Deposit Account

(c) Basic Savings Bank Demand Account

(d) Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account

(e) None of the given options is true

S8. Ans.(d)
Sol. Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account (BSBDA) a simple, basic account for routine banking transactions without the need of minimum balance requirement.

Q9. Which rate has replaced the erstwhile Benchmark Prime Lending Rate system with effect from July 1, 2010? 

(a) Marginal Rate system

(b) Bank Rate system

(c) Repo Rate system

(d) Open Rate system

(e) Base Rate system

S9. Ans.(e)
Sol. The Base Rate system has replaced the erstwhile Benchmark Prime Lending Rate system with effect from July 1, 2010. Base Rate shall include all those elements of the lending rates that are common across all categories of borrowers.

Q10. Banks cannot accept interest-free deposits other than in-

(a) Saving Account

(b) Recurring Deposit Account

(c) Fixed Deposit Account

(d) Nostro Account

(e) Current Account

S10. Ans.(e)
Sol. Banks cannot accept interest free deposits other than in current account.

QUIZ-20

Q1. The G-20 Summit of 20 powerful nations, focused mainly on combating terrorism was held recently in ___________.
Answer: Hamburg, Germany

Q2. 122 countries had recently approved the first-ever treaty to ban nuclear weapons at the UN meeting boycotted by all nuclear-armed nations. In which year Japan had suffered the nuclear attack in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Answer: 1945

Q3. Centre Government has recently launched an app named ___________ to verify the accurate tax rate on commodity and services under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.
Answer: GST Rates Finder

Q4. Name the globally renowned champion for the cause of autism spectrum disorder who has been recentlty appointed as the WHO's goodwill ambassador for autism in the world body's Southeast Asia region.
Answer: Saima Wazed Hossain

Q5. The G-20 Summit concluded recently. This was the _______ edition of Summit.
Answer: 12th

Q6. Name the Indian origin man who has been recently awarded Order of Australia for community work, the highest civilian award in Australia.
Answer: Guruswamy Jayraman

Q7. Which Indian city has been recently declared as a World Heritage City by UNESCO at the 41st session of world heritage committee?
Answer: Ahmedabad

Q8. In how many months, Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) will mature?
Answer: 115 months

Q9. Number of cities across the world has been declared as a World Heritage City at the 41st session of UNESCO's world heritage committee. The meeting was held recently in ____________.
Answer: Poland

Q10. Which country has topped the medal tally of Asian Athletics Championships, hjeld recently in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha?
Answer: India

Q11. The World Population Day is being observed globally on _________________.
Answer: 11th July

Q12. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed an MoU with which of the following state Government to formalize its support to set up a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence in Transfusion Medicine?
Answer: West Bengal

Q13. Businessman and Martial Arts expert Khaltmaa Battulga was recently elected as the president of ______________.
Answer: Mongolia

Q14. In which month the government of India will organize a global food fair named 'World Food India 2017'?
Answer: November

Q15. The next tranche of sovereign gold bond (SGB) scheme was launched recently by the Finance Ministry. What is the annual interest in the scheme to investors?
Answer: 2.5%

QUIZ-20

Q1. The nation (India) celebrates its _________ Independence Day on 15th August 2017 and the main function was held at the Red Fort of the national capital where Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the National Flag. 

(a) 69th 

(b) 70th

(c) 71st

(d) 72nd

(e) 73rd

S1. Ans.(c)

Sol. The nation (India) celebrates its 71st Independence Day on 15th August 2017 and the main function was held at the Red Fort of the national capital where Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the National Flag. The unfurling of the Tricolour was synchronized with the 21 Gun Salute fired by the valiant gunners of the elite 2281 Field Regiment (Ceremonial).

Q2. Name the football player, who was banned for five-match by the Spanish football federation recently?

(a) Neymar

(b) Tom Brady

(c) Aaron Rodgers

(d) Lionel Messi

(e) Cristiano Ronaldo

S2. Ans.(e)
Sol. World Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo was banned for five-match by the Spanish football federation. He has been banned for pushing the referee after being sent-off in Real Madrid's 3-1 win over Barcelona in the First Leg of Spanish Super Cup.

Q3. Who has resigned as president of the Nagaur District Association, marking an end to his presence in the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), which was banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for allowing him in its fold?

(a) Lalit Modi

(b) Saurabh Ganguly

(c) Anurag Thakur

(d) Sharad Pawar

(e) N Srinivasan

S3. Ans.(a)
Sol. Lalit Modi has resigned as president of the Nagaur District Association, marking an end to his presence in the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), which was banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for allowing him in its fold.

Q4. On the occasion of Independence Day __________ Gallantry Awards have been approved by the President Ram Nath Kovind for the Armed Forces and Paramilitary Forces.

(a) 644 Gallantry Awards

(b) 900 Gallantry Awards

(c) 201 Gallantry Awards

(d) 112 Gallantry Awards

(e) 503 Gallantry Awards

S4. Ans.(d)
Sol. On the occasion of 71st Independence Day, 112 Gallantry Awards have been approved by the President Ram Nath Kovind for the Armed Forces and Paramilitary Forces. It includes five Kirti Chakras, 17 Shaurya Chakras, 85 Sena Medals (Gallantry), three Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and two Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).

Q5. India has bagged two gold in the 6th Golden Glove Women's Boxing Tournament at Vojvodina in-?

(a) Russia

(b) Serbia

(c) France

(d) Brazil

(e) Japan

S5. Ans.(b)
Sol. India bagged two gold in the 6th Golden Glove Women's Boxing Tournament at Vojvodina, Serbia. While Jyoti won Gold in 51 kg category, and Vanlalharitpuii bagged it 60 kg category. In all, India won two gold, four silver and four bronze medals in the tournament.

Q6. The country's exports grew nearly how much percent in July 2017 on a yearly basis to 22 (point) 5 billion dollars?

(a) 5 per cent

(b) 8 per cent

(c) 6 per cent

(d) 2 per cent

(e) 4 per cent

S6. Ans.(e)
Sol. The country's exports grew three point nine percent (nearly 4 per cent) in July this year (2017), on a yearly basis to 22 (point) 5 billion dollars. Exports rose due to an increase in shipments of petroleum, chemicals and marine products. Official data released showed that imports rose 15.4 per cent in July, to 34 billion dollars, due to a rise in inward shipments of crude oil and gold.

Q7. Union Home Minister has launched the live twitter wall for promoting Bharat Ke Veer portal on the eve of Independence Day. Who is the present Union Home Minister of India?

(a) Mahendra Nath Pandey

(b) Radha Mohan Singh

(c) Arun Jaitley

(d) Rajnath Singh

(e) Sushma Swaraj

S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has launched the live twitter wall for promoting Bharat Ke Veer portal on the eve of 71st Independence Day. On the occasion, Mr Singh and Ministers of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir and Kiren Rijiju contributed their one month salary for Bharat Ke Veer corpus.

Q8. The Indian government has directed internet majors- Google, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo - to immediately remove the links of dangerous online game _______________, which has led to the suicide of children in India and other countries.

(a) Black Cockroach Challenge

(b) Red Fish Challenge

(c) Blue Whale Challenge

(d) Green Parrot Challenge

(e) None of the given options is true

S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Indian government has directed internet majors- Google, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Microsoft and Yahoo - to immediately remove the links of dangerous online game Blue Whale Challenge, which has led to the suicide of children in India and other countries. Mumbai and West Midnapore district have reported deaths linked to this game.

Q9. India paid tributes to Sri Aurobindo 145th on his Birth Anniversary. Sri Aurobindo was born in Calcutta on-?

(a) 15th August 1892

(b) 15th August 1872

(c) 15th August 1887

(d) 15th August 1904

(e) 15th August 1877

S9. Ans.(b)
Sol. On 15th August 2017, India paid tributes to Sri Aurobindo on his 145th Birth Anniversary. Sri Aurobindo's rich thoughts and grand vision for India continues to be a great source of inspiration. A spiritual reformer and philosopher, Sri Aurobindo had a major contribution in the Indian freedom struggle. Sri Aurobindo was born in Calcutta on 15th August 1872. Sri Aurobindo left his body on 05th December 1950.

Q10. Bharat Ke Veer portal is technically supported by National Informatics Centre (NIC) and powered by-?

(a) State Bank of India

(b) ICICI Bank

(c) Life Insurance Corporation

(d) Reserve Bank of India

(e) Bank of Baroda

S10. Ans.(a)
Sol. Bharat Ke Veer portal is technically supported by National Informatics Centre (NIC) and powered by State Bank of India.

Q11. Name the 10-year-old mountaineer from Visakhapatnam, who has successfully summited one of the highest peaks in the Himalayas, making her one of the youngest people in the world to achieve this feat.

(a) Mallesh Mangalam

(b) Shruthi Sethi

(c) Lakshmika Rao

(d) Kaamya Karthikeyan

(e) None of the given options is true

S11. Ans.(d)
Sol. A 10-year-old mountaineer from Visakhapatnam, Kaamya Karthikeyan, successfully summited one of the highest peaks in the Himalayas, making her one of the youngest people in the world to achieve this feat. Kaamya completed the expedition three days before she turned 10, on August 7, thereby conquering Mount Stok Kangri. At a height of 6,153 metres (20,187 ft), Stok Kangri is not recommended for beginners and is considered ideal for advanced trekkers.

Q12. IFCI Ltd a government company is set to have a new Managing Director & CEO in _____________, who is currently Chief General Manager at India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL).

(a) Santosh K Sharma

(b) E Sankara Rao

(c) Shashi Shekhar Vempati

(d) S Aparna

(e) I V Subba Rao

S12. Ans.(b)
Sol. IFCI Ltd, a government company, is set to have a new Managing Director & CEO in E Sankara Rao, who is currently Chief General Manager at India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL). The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has given its nod for the Department of Financial Services (DFS) proposal to appoint Emandi Sankara Rao as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of IFCI Ltd. Rao’s appointment will be valid for three years. Rao is also currently a director and chief executive officer at IIFCL Asset Management Company Ltd.

Q13. Who has launched a website to honour all the gallantry award winners since Independence?

(a) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj 

(b) Home Minister Rajnath Singh

(c) President Ram Nath Kovind

(d) Defence Minister Arun Jaitley

(e) Prime Minister Narendra Modi

S13. Ans.(e)
Sol. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a website to honour all the gallantry award winners since Independence. The portal will preserve and tell the stories of bravest men and women, civilians as well as armed forces personnel. In remembrance of heroes who have been awarded gallantry awards since Independence, launched the site http://gallantryawards.gov.in. PM also welcomed citizens’ participation in the process.

Q14. Who has appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) recently?

(a) Shashi Shekhar Vempati

(b) I V Subba Rao

(c) Santosh Sharma

(d) E Sankara Rao

(e) S Aparna

S14. Ans.(c)
Sol. Santosh Sharma has appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Coper Limited (HCL). He is at present Director (Operations) in the HCL. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved his appointment to the post for a period of five years, an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

Q15. Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) Limited is the first Development Financial Institution in the country to cater to the long-term finance needs of the industrial sector. IFCI Limited established on- 

(a) 01st July 1948

(b) 01st October 1982

(c) 01st April 1956

(d) 01st August 1962

(e) 01st December 1972

S15. Ans.(a)
Sol. Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) Limited established on 01st July 1948. IFCI Limited is the first Development Financial Institution in the country to cater to the long-term finance needs of the industrial sector.

QUIZ-20

Q1. Name the Person who has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Indonesia.

Answer: Pradeep Kumar Rawat

Q2. The Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education was held recently in ___________.

Answer: China

Q3. Joko Widodo is the current president of ___________.

Answer: Indonesia

Q4. Tata Global Beverages Ltd. has recently appointed ___________ as the Chairman of its board with immediate effect.

Answer: N Chandrasekaran

Q5. Indian football team has risen to _____ rank, best in two decades as per current FIFA Rankings.

Answer: 96th

Q6. GST Council has reduced the tax rate on fertiliser to _____ percent from previously decided 12 per cent.

Answer: 5 percent

Q7. Which company has recently opened its first digital factory in India?

Answer: Siemens

Q8. Pakistan has successfully test-fired short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile named _____________, recently. 

Answer: Nasr

Q9. Kewal Handa was appointed as non-executive chairman of which bank?

Answer: Union Bank of India

Q10. Global Forgiveness Day is observed on ___________________.

Answer: 7 July

Q11. Who is Nandan Nilekani-

Answer: Former chairman of UIDAI

Q12. The Financial Stability Board (FSB), an international body for the global financial system, has placed _______ in the league of countries that are 'compliant or largely compliant’ on the implementation of priority area reforms.

Answer: India

Q13. Which Nort-Eastern state has been declared as “disturbed area” for six more months under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), which empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere without any prior notice recently (first week of July 2017)?

Answer: Nagaland

Q14. ___________ is an annual Buffalo Race held traditionally under the sponsorship of local landlords and households, in coastal Karnataka, India.

Answer: Kambala

Q15. In which year, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) was established as the successor to the Financial Stability Forum (FSF)?

Answer: 2009

QUIZ-20

Q1. The second Seminar on ‘Make in India’ projects for Indian Army was held in ____________.
(a) Bengaluru
(b) New Delhi
(c) Chennai
(d) Mumbai
(e) Hyderabad

S1. Ans.(b)
Sol. The second Seminar on ‘Make in India’ projects for Indian Army was held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi jointly under aegis of Indian Army and Cll. During the course of the seminar, a round table interaction of various Directorates of Integrated Headquarters of MoD (Army) with industry reps was also held at the same venue.

Q2. Ministry of State for Culture and Tourism has recently organized a Sankalp Se Siddhi (Attainment through Resolve) Program in which of the following city?
(a) Sikkim
(b) Dispur
(c) Coimbatore
(d) Raipur
(e) Mangalore

S2. Ans.(c)
Sol. Ministry of State for Culture and Tourism has recently organized a Sankalp Se Siddhi (Attainment through Resolve) Program at  SriRamalingaSowdambigai College of Science and Commerce, Onappalayam, Coimbatore.  Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge), Dr. Mahesh Sharma graced the occasion.

Q3. A three-day annual cultural festival named _____________ was organized recently by the government of Puducherry.
(a) Fete de Puducherry
(b) Fest de Puducherry
(c) Celebration at Puducherry
(d) Colours of India
(e) Festival of Puducherry

S3. Ans.(a)
Sol. A three-day annual cultural festival named ‘Fete de Puducherry’ was organised recently by the government of Puducherry. The festival is held in 
association with the South Zone Cultural Centre Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu) every year to bring to focus the multi-faceted cultural features of various states.

Q4. Gabriel Chundan won the 65th edition of the prestigious Nehru Trophy held recently at Kerala. Nehru Trophy is related with which sports?
(a) Hockey
(b) Football
(c) Badminton
(d) Boat Race
(e) Kabaddi

S4. Ans.(d)
Sol. Gabriel Chundan, the snake boat powered by oarsmen of Thuruthippuram Boat Club, won the 65th edition of the prestigious Nehru Trophy held at the Punnamda Lake, Kerala.

Q5. Environment Ministry of India has recently launched ‘GajYatra’ to mark World Elephant Day 2017. World Elephant Day is observed globally on __________.
(a) 14 August
(b) 13 July
(c) 12 August
(d) 16 July
(e) 13 August

S5. Ans.(c)
Sol. Environment Ministry of India has recently launched ‘GajYatra’ to mark World Elephant Day 2017. World Elephant Day is observed globally on 12 August.

Q6. On which TherapyIndia's first online course was launched recently by Infusion Nurses Society (INS)?
(a) Physio
(b) Infusion
(c) Muscular
(d) Infant
(e) Molecular

S6. Ans.(b)
Sol. India's first online course on Infusion Therapy was launched recently by Infusion Nurses Society (INS) which is a global authority in infusion therapy.

Q7. Indian Coast Guard has recently commissioned the fifth in the series of six 105-metre offshore patrol vessels (OPVs). What is the name of this ship?
(a) Drona
(b) Arjun
(c) Vijay
(d) Parakram
(e) Shaurya

S7. Ans.(e)
Sol. Indian Coast Guard ship 'Shaurya', the fifth in the series of six 105-metre offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), was commissioned in Goa by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas DharmendraPradhan. The OPV which is propelled by 9100 kilowatt diesel engine, has been designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Ltd.

Q8. Name the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at public broadcaster Prasar Bharati who has been appointed as the chief of Rajya Sabha TV.
(a) Ambati Velthaty
(b) Shikhar Paul
(c) Diwakar Saxena
(d) Shashi Shekhar Vempati
(e) Amar Pratap Singh

S8. Ans.(d)
Sol. ShashiShekharVempati, chief executive officer (CEO) at public broadcaster PrasarBharati has been appointed as the chief of RajyaSabha TV.

Q9. Which of the following state has recently launched 'She Means Business' program of Facebook for women entrepreneurs across the state?
(a) Maharashtra
(b) Haryana
(c) Odisha
(d) Uttar Pradesh
(e) Madhya Pradesh

S9. Ans.(c)
Sol. Chief minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik launched 'She Means Business' programme of Facebook for women entrepreneurs in Odisha. Under the scheme 25, 000 women entrepreneurs and self-help group (SHG) members will be given training on digital marketing skills within next one year.

Q10. Name the state that has recently launched Namo Yuva Rojgar Kendra, an initiative providing job opportunities to unemployed youth.
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Gujarat
(e) Assam

S10. Ans.(b)
Sol. Maharashtra Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis launched NamoYuvaRojgar Kendra, an initiative providing job opportunities to unemployed youth in Mumbai.

Q11. Name the sprinter, who recently took official retirement from racing.
(a) Usain Bolt
(b) Yohan Blake
(c) Moruga Swan
(d) ShimowaBhan
(e) Yaship Grow

S11. Ans.(a)
Sol. The greatest sprinter of modern times, Usain Bolt today said good bye to the Athletics world. Running the final race of his career, the 30-year-old Bolt suffered cramps on his left hamstring.

Q12. In the 7th Asian Championship Shotgun, Mairaj-Rashmmi pair of India bagged a gold medal in the skeet mixed team event. The event was held in _____________.
(a) Jakarta, Indonesia
(b) New Delhi, India
(c) Astana, Kazakhstan
(d) Shanghai, China
(e) Tokyo, Japan

S12. Ans.(c)
Sol. In the 7th Asian Championship Shotgun, Mairaj-Rashmmi pair of India bagged a gold medal in the skeet mixed team event. The event was held in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Q13. To which of the following country, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recently declared free of polio?
(a) Iran
(b) Iraq
(c) Indonesia
(d) Somalia
(e) The UAE

S13. Ans.(d)
Sol. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Somalia free of polio. The UN health agency announced that it had not recorded any case of polio disease in Somalia in the last three years.

Q14. Name the Veteran journalist who has been chosen for the first Kesari Media Award.
(a) P S Katre
(b) Amar Bhanwala
(c) Jason Chaddha
(d) M K Bhargawa
(e) T J S George

S14. Ans.(e)
Sol. Veteran journalist T J S George has been chosen for the first Kesari Media Award, instituted by the Kesari Memorial Journalist Trust. The award comprises a purse of Rs 50,000, citation and a statuette designed by renowned artist Bhatathiri.

Q15. Name the IAS officer who has been appointed as Executive Director of World Bank to represent the constituency of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka for three years.
(a) T. SuwarnaRaju
(b) S. Aparna
(c) KiranRawat
(d) SulekhaRupenwar
(e) Akhil Kumar Jyoti

S15. Ans.(b)

Sol. S. Aparna, an IAS officer from Gujarat cadre has been appointed as Executive Director, World Bank to represent the constituency of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka for three years.