Thursday, 21 September 2017

Daily GK Update 21st September 2017



i. The Union Cabinet has approved the revamped Khelo India program at a cost of Rs.1,756 crore for the period 2017-18 to 2019-20.
ii. The Programme aims at mainstreaming sport as a tool for individual development, community development, economic development and national development.
iii. Important features of the Program include:
  1. An unprecedented Pan Indian Sports Scholarship scheme, which would cover 1,000 most talented young athletes. 
  2. Each athlete selected under the scheme shall receive an annual scholarship worth Rs. 5.00 lakh for 8 consecutive years. 
  3. This is the first time ever that a long-term athlete development pathway would be made available to gifted and talented youngsters to excel in competitive sports.
  4. The Program aims to promote 20 universities across the country as hubs of sporting excellence, which would enable talented sportspersons to pursue the dual pathway of education and competitive sports.  
  5. The Programme would cover about 200 million children in the age group of 10-18 under a massive national physical fitness drive.


i. The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first tranche of emergency funding of $175,000 to provide life-saving healthcare to the "vulnerable population" in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar.
ii. The WHO South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF) grant will support 20 mobile medical teams to provide essential services for at least two months.

Important Takeaways from Above News-
  • Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the newly appointed Director-General of World Health Organization.
  • WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.


i. World trade in goods is estimated to grow at a higher 3.6 percent in 2017 compared to 1.6 percent increase in 2016, according to revised estimates circulated by the World Trade Organisation.
ii. Growth in global trade was earlier projected at 2.4 percent in 2017 by the WTO, which attributed the improved outlook to a resurgence of Asian trade flows. This was mainly due to intra-regional shipments picking up and a recovery in import demand in North America.

Important Takeaways from Above News-
  • Roberto Azevêdo is the sixth Director-General of the WTO.


i. China restored the maximum speed of bullet trains on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway line to 350 kilometers per hour, making it the fastest commercially run train, six years after it reduced the speed due to a fatal accident.
ii. The speed was reduced to 300 kilometers per hour following the deadly accident in July 2011 that killed 40 people.

Important Takeaways from Above News-
  • China has the world’s longest high-speed rail network of over 22,000 kilometers, about 60 percent of the world’s total.


i. Fifty countries have signed a treaty to ban nuclear weapons, a pact that the world’s nuclear powers spurned but supporters hailed as a historic agreement nonetheless. 
ii. More than 120 countries approved the new nuclear weapons ban treaty in July 2017 over opposition from nuclear-armed countries and their allies, who boycotted negotiations.

Important Takeaways from Above News-
  • The United Nations is Headquartered in New York, United States. 
  • Irina Bokova is the Present Director-General of UNESCO.


i. After a year or more of due-diligence, the RBI has notified that peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms need to be regulated and treated on par with non-banking financial companies (NBFCs). 
ii. The final regulatory framework for P2P lenders is still awaited. Few important P2P lending platforms in India are LenDen Club, Faircent, Qbera, Lendbox, Rupaiya Exchange and Monexo.


i. Fino Payments Bank has launched its mobile banking app called BPay. Fino aims to make banking easy for millions of underbanked people in India. The upgraded BPay app is available on Android at present.
ii. An interesting feature of the mobile app is that it allows customers to seamlessly access wallet as well as savings account, with a single login and interface.

Important Takeaways from Above News-
  • Rishi Gupta is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fino the Paytech.
  • FINO PayTech is headquartered in Mumbai.


i. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has appointed B Sambamurthy as interim Chairman of the board. He will replace M Balachandran, who was Non-Executive Chairman of NPCI.
ii. Sambamurthy was formerly Director and CEO of the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) and Chairman and Managing Director of Corporation Bank prior to that. 

Important Takeaways from Above News-
  • NPCI is the umbrella organization for all retail payment systems in the country
  • B Sambamurthy has been the nominee director from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on the board of NPCI since December 5, 2013.


i. India has replaced China as the top retail destination in 2017 as part of the global retail development index. The change in ranking was an outcome of four factors including increased consumer spending beyond essentials, rising mobile and internet penetration, favorable foreign investment climate and bold action on cashless transaction and GST.
ii. In addition to the bigger retailers and brands, the mid-size brands from across the world are also looking to cash on the relaxed retail policy in India.

Important Takeaways from Above News-
  • Arun Jaitley is the Cabinet Minister of Finance.


i. A Nigerian, Zannah Mustapha has won the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) 2017 Nansen Refugees Award. He is the Director of Future Prowess Islamic Foundation School. Mr. Mustapha is the first Nigerian recipient of the award.
ii. Mr. Mustapha was chosen as the winner of the award for his humanitarian work in championing the rights of children.

Important Takeaways from Above News-
  • The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was created in 1950.
  • In 1954, UNHCR won the Nobel Peace Prize for its groundbreaking work in Europe.
  • Filippo Grandi is the 11th United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.


i. The official emblem and slogan for FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019 were unveiled in Paris, France. The emblem features the competition trophy wrapped in blue and white, with eight shards of light around football at the top of the trophy symbolizing the eighth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup.
ii. The slogan of the tournament "Dare To Shine" reflects the development of football, especially women's football.

Important Takeaways from Above News-
  • Gianni Infantino is the President of FIFA.
  • The 2019 edition of FIFA Women's World Cup will take place from June 7 to July 7, 2019.


i. Asian champions G. Lakshmanan and P. U. Chitra won gold medals in the athletics events of the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
ii. Tamil Nadu’s Lakshmanan won the men’s 3000m while Kerala’s Chitra, who was not cleared by the national body Athletics Federation of India for the recent World Championships in London despite making the cut, took the women’s 1500m title.

Important Takeaways from Above News-
  • Ashgabat is the Capital of Turkmenistan.

THANK YOU



Bank of Maharashtra Recruitment 2017 – Apply Online for 110 Specialist Officer Posts:



Bank of Maharashtra Recruitment 2017 – Apply Online for 110 Specialist Officer Posts:

        Human Resources Management Department, Bank of Maharashtra, Pune has advertised a notification for the recruitment of 110 Specialist Officers vacancies in Scale – IV & II. Eligible candidates can apply online from 16-09-2017 to 07-10-2017. Other details like age limit, educational qualification, selection process & how to apply are given below…
Bank of Maharashtra Vacancy Details:
Total No. of Posts: 110
Name of the Post: Specialist officers in Scale – IV & II
1. Chief Manager- Balance sheet IV: 01 Post
2. Chief Manager- Taxation IV: 01 Post
3. Civil Engineer IV: 01 Post
4. Chartered Accountant II: 100 Posts
5. Civil Engineer II: 04 Posts
6. Electrical Engineer II: 02 Posts
7. Fire Engineer II: 01 Post
Age Limit: Candidates age limit should be between 25 – 35 years for S.No-1, 2, 5, 6, 30 – 45 for S.No-3, 21 – 35 years for S.No-4, as on 10-09-2017.
Educational Qualification: Candidates should possess Graduation from recognized university with professional qualification of CA from the recognized institute/ board for S.No-1, 2, 4, Full time 4 years Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering approved by AICTE for S.No-3, 5, Full time 4 years Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering approved by AICTE for S.No-6, Full time 4 years Bachelor’s degree in Fire Engineering or equivalent for S.No-7 Posts.
Selection Process: Candidates will be selected based on Group Discussion and Personal Interview.
Application Fee: Candidates should pay Rs. 600/- (Application fee + intimation charges) for General/ OBC candidates & Rs. 100/- for Sc/ ST/ PWD Candidates through online.
How to Apply: Eligible candidates can apply online through the website www.bankofmaharashtra.in from 16-09-2017 to 07-10-2017 & send Print copy of on line application with attested copies of certificates in support of age, qualifications & experience etc., & in an envelope must be written as “Post applied for” to The Asstt. General Manager (IR &HRD) Bank of Maharashtra ‘Lokmangal” 1501, Shivaji Nagar Pune-411005 on or before 17-10-2017.
Instructions to Apply Online:
1. Before applying online candidates have valid e-mail id & password
2. Candidates log on through the website www.bankofmaharashtra.in
3. Click on Careers ———–> Recruitment Process —————> Current Openings
4. Select the desired post & Click on “Apply Online”
5. Read all instructions, login your self & Fill all the details
6. Check once before submit the form.
7. After submission, take a print out of online application for future use.
Important Dates:
Starting Date to Apply Online & Fee Payment: 16-09-2017 
Last Date to Apply Online & Fee Payment: 07-10-2017
Last Date for receipt of hard copy of application: 17-10-2017
For more details like pay scale, experience & other information refer the click on the link given below…



Mehsana Urban Cooperative Bank Recruitment 2017


Mehsana Urban Cooperative Bank Recruitment 2017 – Apply Online for 70 Clerical Trainee Posts: Mehsana Urban Co-operative Bank Limited has published notification for the recruitment of 70 Clerical Trainee Vacancies. Eligible candidates may apply online on or before 04-10-2017 till 11:59 PM. Other details like age limit, educational qualification, selection process, application fee & how to apply are given below….
Mehsana Urban Cooperative Bank Vacancy Details:
Total No. of Posts: 70
Name of the Post: Clerical Trainee
Age Limit: Candidates age limit should be between 21 to 35 years as on 14-09-2017.
Educational Qualification: Candidates should possess M.Com, M.Sc., MCA, MBA.
Selection Process: Candidates will be selected on the basis of Written Exam & Interview.
Application Fee: Candidates have to pay Rs.100/- (Non-Refundable).
How to Apply: Eligible candidates may apply online through the website www.mucbank.com on or before 04-10-2017 till 11:59 PM & Send the Printout of Online Application, 02 photographs & all testimonials to The Mehsana Urban Co-op Bank Ltd, (Multi- State Scheduled Bank) Corporate Building, Highway, Mehsana – 384 002 on or before 04-10-2017.
Instructions to Apply Online:
1. Candidates should log on to the website www.mucbank.com.
2. Go to Latest News & Click on Clerical Trainee Bharti 2017
3. Read the Notification & Clicking Online Application Form.
4. Fill all the details & submit the form
5. Take print copy of application form for future use
Important Dates:
Last Date to Apply Online: 04-10-2017 till 11:59 PM.
Last Date for Receipt of Online Printout & Other documents: 04-10-2017.

QUIZ-21

Q1. Name the Public sector lender that has recently offered Bharat Bill Payment System, introduced by the National Payments Corporation of India, for its customers.
Answer: Indian Overseas Bank

Q2. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League has recently selected Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to be the interim prime minister of Pakistan. He was ______________ of Pakistan.
Answer: Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources

Q3. The United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons 2017 is observed across the world on ___________________.
Answer: 30 July

Q4. Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has recently developed India's first unmanned tank, which has three variants – surveillance, mine detection and reconnaissance in areas with nuclear and bio threats. It has been named as ______________.
Answer: Muntra

Q5. The Punjab government has recently announced the launch of its flagship 'Apni Gaddi Apna Rozgar' scheme. The scheme has been launched by the government in association with which cab service provider?
Answer: Uber

Q6. Indian boxers had recently clinched 8 Medals at the 48th Grand Prix Usti Nad Labemat. The event was held in ________________.
Answer: The Czech Republic

Q7. Which lender has recently cut the savings bank deposits rate from 4 per cent to 3.5 per cent on deposits below Rs. 1 crore?
Answer: State Bank of India

Q8. Name the person who has been recently appointed as a part-time member on the board of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
Answer: Ravi Mittal

Q9. Name the Ferrari driver who has recently won the Hungarian Grand Prix 2017.
Answer: Sebastian Vettel

Q10. On which Bank, the RBI has recently imposed a penalty of Rs. 3 crore for “non-compliance” with the directions on Know Your Customer (KYC) norms?
Answer: Union Bank of India

Q11. Tech giant Cisco has recently appointed ______________  as president for its India and SAARC operations.
Answer: Sameer Garde

Q12. Name the first vice-chairman of NITI Aayog, who has recently announced his resignation.
Answer: Arvind Panagariya

Q13. Mukesh Ambani has elbowed past _____________ to become Asia’s second-richest man, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Answer: Li Ka-shing

Q14. Which payments bank has recently announced a strategic partnership with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) to give further boost to digital payments in the country? 
Answer: Airtel Payments Bank

Q15. In which country, China has formally opened its first overseas military base?
Answer: Djibouti

QUIZ-21


Q1. The theme for International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2017 is ______________.
(a) Protection under the Sun
(b) All under one roof
(c) Protecting life Under the Sun
(d) Caring for all life under the sun
(e) None of the given themes are correct

S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. The International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is observed globally on 16 September every year.  The theme for 2017 is 'Caring for all life under the sun'.

Q2. The final development trials of indigenous beyond visual range Astra missile were successfully concluded into the Indian Air Force. Astra is ______________ Missile.
(a) Surface-to-Surface Missile
(b) Air-to-Air Missile
(c) Surface-to-Air Missile
(d) Air-to-Surface Missile
(e) None of the given Option is True

S2. Ans.(b)
Sol. Final development trials of indigenous beyond visual range air-to-air missile Astra were successfully concluded into the Indian Air Force. The trials were conducted over the Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast at Chandipur, with the missile being test-fired from a Su-30 fighter aircraft.

Q3. Name the only Marshal of the Indian Air Force who passed away recently.
(a) Arjan Singh
(b) K. C. Kariappa
(c) Arup Raha
(d) Aspy Engineer
(e) SubrotoMukerjee

S3. Ans.(a)
Sol. The sole Marshal of the Indian Air Force, Arjan Singh, passed away at the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital on Saturday. He was 98 years old.

Q4. Prime Minister NarendraModi has recently launched the world's second biggest dam on the river Narmada in Gujarat. This dam has been named as ________________.
(a) Mansarovar Dam
(b) Rihand Dam
(c) SardarSarovar Dam
(d) Kol Dam
(e) Kishau Dam

S4. Ans.(c)
Sol. Prime Minister NarendraModi launched the SardarSarovar Dam - the world's second biggest - on the river Narmada in Gujarat.

Q5. PV Sindhu has become the first Indian to win the Korea Open Superseries 2017 held in Seoul. She has defeated _______________.
(a) Corolina Marin
(b) RatchanokIntanon
(c) Tai Tzu-ying
(d) NozomiOkuhara
(e) Wang Shixian

S5. Ans.(d)
Sol. PV Sindhu becomes the first Indian to win the Korea Open Superseries with an outstanding win over NozomiOkuhara in the much-talked-about women's singles final in Seoul.

Q6. With which of the following country, India has signed 'Open Sky Agreement' that will allow their airlines to operate unlimited number of flights between the two countries?
(a) South Korea
(b) Myanmar
(c) USA
(d) China
(e) Japan

S6. Ans.(e)
Sol. India and Japan signed an agreement that will allow their airlines to operate unlimited number of flights between the two countries. It opens skies between India and Japan ie. Indian and Japanese carriers can mount now unlimited number of flights to the selected cities of each other's countries.

Q7. Name the lender with which Amazon has tied up recently for the loans up to Rs. 25 lakh.
(a) Bank of Baroda
(b) State Bank of India
(c) Bank of Maharashtra
(d) Nainital Bank
(e) HDFC Bank

S7. Ans.(a)
Sol. Amazon has tied up with Bank of Baroda for the loans, which can go up to Rs. 25 lakh. The Indian arm of the US e-commerce giant, Amazon plans to provide unsecured micro-loans, as low as 1 lakh, at interest rates as low as 10.45-11 per cent at a short span of 3-5 days. With the Bank of Baroda tie-up, the company wants to cater to every strata of sellers.

Q8. In which of the following city, External Affairs Minister SushmaSwaraj will represent India at the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) session?
(a) Paris
(b) New Delhi
(c) Moscow
(d) New York
(e) Vienna

S8. Ans.(d)
Sol. External Affairs Minister SushmaSwaraj arrived in New York to represent India at the annual UN General Assembly, UNGA, session.

Q9. Name the country with which Russia has restored scheduled commercial airline services for the first time since 2004.
(a) Iran
(b) Iraq
(c) South Korea
(d) Syria
(e) Indonesia

S9. Ans.(b)
Sol. Russia and Iraq restored scheduled commercial airline services for the first time since 2004. This move has been hailed as a sign of stability returning to the war-torn country.

Q10. An indigenous artillery gun, ATAGS has set a new world record in range by hitting targets at a distance of 48 km. What does 'T' stands for in ATAGS?
(a) Target
(b) Transmitted
(c) Towed
(d) Transportable
(e) Truncated

S10. Ans.(c)
Sol. An indigenous artillery gun, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has set a new world record in range by hitting targets at a distance of 48 km.

Q11. Name the NASA's $3.9-billion spacecraft that has ended its 20-year-long ground-breaking journey with a fiery plunge into the Saturn’s crushing atmosphere.
(a) Cassini
(b) Apollo
(c) Euclid
(d) Heliophysics
(e) NEOWISE

S11. Ans.(a)
Sol. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) $3.9-billion Cassini spacecraft ended its 20-year-long ground-breaking journey with a fiery plunge into the Saturn’s crushing atmosphere. It had beamed back never-before-seen images of the ringed planet and its mysterious moons until the last moment.

Q12. Name the elusive animal species that has been upgraded recently to 'vulnerable' status from previous endangered status.
(a) African Penguin
(b) Amur tiger
(c) Whale Shark
(d) Snow Leopards
(e) Green Sea Turtle

S12. Ans.(d)
Sol. The elusive snow leopards, long considered an endangered species, has been upgraded to 'vulnerable'. But experts warned the new classification does not mean they are safe.

Q13. Name the Google app that has become the latest UPI-based payments app in the country thatcan be used to pay for movie tickets, utility bills, and make other transactions online.
(a) Google Salahkar
(b) Google Tez
(c) Google Saral
(d) Google Pay
(e) Google Kharcha

S13. Ans.(b)
Sol. Google Tez has become the latest UPI-based payments app in the country. The new Google Tez app can be used to pay for movie tickets, utility bills, and make other transactions online.

Q14. Name the payment bank that has become the first payments bank in India to integrate the UPI on its digital platform.
(a) Paytm Payment Bank
(b) IPPB
(c) Airtel Payments Bank
(d) Aditya Birla Payment Bank
(e) Dhanlaxmi Payment Bank

S14. Ans.(c)
Sol. Sunil Mittal-driven Airtel Payments Bank integrated the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on its digital platform, allowing customer choice and convenience to facilitate secure digital payments. Airtel Payments Bank has become the first payments bank in India to integrate the UPI on its digital platform.

Q15. Haider al-Abadi is the present Prime Minister of ____________.
(a) Iran
(b) Syria
(c) Azerbaijan
(d) Iraq
(e) Kazakhstan

S15. Ans.(d)
Sol. Haider al-Abadi is the Prime Minister of Iraq. Baghdad is the capital of Iraq.

Banking Awareness



Q1. Refinance facility is provided by NABARD. Which institutions can avail this facility?
(a) State cooperative banks
(b) Regional rural banks
(c) Commercial bank
(d) All of the above
(e) None of the above

Q2. Kisan Credit Cards are an effective way of reaching out to the farmers by the banks. What assistance does the farmer receive in this way?
(a) Credit facility for crops etc against an approved limit
(b) Short-term credit facility against value of his crops
(c) Long-term credit is provided against his land holdings
(d) Loan is permissible against crops sold, but payment yet to be received by the farmer
(e) None of the above

Q3. Which of the following is true?
(a) NBFCs can accept deposits from the public
(b) NBFCs cannot offer deposit schemes to the public
(c) Deposits of NBFCs are insured with DICGC
(d) NBFCs can accept deposits from public if they are registered and permitted by RBI
(e) None of the above

Q4. Base rate is the rate below which no bank can allow their lending to anyone. Who sets-up this ‘Base rate’ for banks?
(a) Individual Banks’ Board
(b) Ministry of Commerce
(c) Ministry of Finance
(d) RBI
(e) Interest Rate Commission of India

Q5. The financial assistance of loans of Rs.10000 by bank to a small borrower will be called..........?
(a) business finance
(b) government finance
(c) micro finance
(d) small finance
(e) KYC finance

Q6. The Aadhar-Enabled Payment System (AEPS) is a bank-led model that facilitates banking facilities through banking correspondents across banks. However, Aadhaar-enabled basic types of banking transactions do ‘not’ include?
(a) Aadhaar to Aadhaar funds transfer
(b) small overdraft facility
(c) cash withdrawal
(d) balance enquiry
(e) cash deposit

Q7. A type of fraud where in criminals use an innocent person’s details to open or use an account to carry out financial transactions, is known as?
(a) identity theft
(b) hacking
(c) money laundering
(d) espionage
(e) phishing

Q8. The part of a company’s earnings or profits which are paid out to shareholders, is known as- 
(a) capital gains
(b) taxes
(c) interest on borrowings
(d) dividends
(e) penal interest

Q9. NABARD is responsible for regulating and supervising the functions of 
(a) Investment and Industrial Finance Banks
(b) Cooperative Banks and Regional Rural Banks
(c) Corporate Finance and Overseas Banking Units
(d) Private Sector and Multinational Banks
(e) Reserve Bank of India

Q10. The government of India has announced a ‘Funding for Lending’ scheme. Who are the beneficiaries for this scheme?
(a) Commercial Banks
(b) Regional Rural Banks
(c) Micro-finance Institutions
(d) Finance Departments of the State Governments
(e) None of the above

Q11. As per the reports, the collection of direct taxes has gone up by about 19% in last few months. Which of the following agencies releases the figures about tax collection?
(a) Central Statistical organisation
(b) Reserve Bank of India
(c) Department of Income Tax
(d) Central Board of Direct Taxes
(e) None of the above

Q12. As we know commercial banks accept deposits from the public. What do banks do with this money?
(a) This is a type of credit creation. Bank gives this on loan
(b) This is an income for the bank
(c) Banks give this money directly to the govt for developmental projects
(d) This money is deposited with the RBI who in turn gives some interest on it banks
(e) None of the above

Q13. Which of the following in NOT a type of cheque issued by an individual?
(a) Bearer cheque
(b) Order cheque
(c) Crossed cheque
(d) Savings cheque
(e) None of the above

Q14. Which of the following terms is used in banking?
(a) Vacuum
(b) Power
(c) Density
(d) Credit Card
(e) None of the above

Q15. “Sensitive Index” of Bombay Stock Exchange is called ……………?
(a) Forex
(b) MAX
(c) LIBOR
(d) Sensex
(e) None of the above

Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. 

S2. Ans.(a)
Sol. 

S3. Ans.(d)
Sol. 

S4. Ans.(a)
Sol. 

S5. Ans.(c)
Sol. 

S6. Ans.(b)
Sol. 

S7. Ans.(e)
Sol. 

S8. Ans.(d)
Sol. 

S9. Ans.(b)
Sol. 

S10. Ans.(a)
Sol. 

S11. Ans.(d)
Sol. 

S12. Ans.(a)
Sol. 

S13. Ans.(d)
Sol. 

S14. Ans.(d)
Sol. 

S15. Ans.(d)
Sol.