Daily GK Update 03nd March, 2017

Daily GK Update 03nd March, 2017

Indian Navy successfully test-fires missile from Kalvari submarine

i. The Indian navy successfully test-fired an anti-ship missile for the first time from an indigenously built Kalvari class submarine.

ii. The weapon was fired from the submarine, the first of India’s six Scorpene-class submarines which are being built under the Project 75 and it “successfully hit” a surface target during the trial in the Arabian Sea.

iii. The submarines were designed by French naval defense and energy company DCNS and are being built by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai.

Centre approves over 4,000 PG seats in medical colleges & hospitals

i. Centre has approved over 4,000 Post Graduate seats in medical colleges and hospitals across the country for the academic session 2017-18. 

ii. Health Minister J P Nadda in an official statement stated that with this, the total number of PG seats available in the country will go up to over 35 thousand. He also said this will further boost nation's resolve to strengthen tertiary care and improve the medical education in the country. 

iii. Centre had announced the creation of additional 5,000 PG medical seats every year during this year's (2017) budget with an aim to bolster availability of specialist doctors at secondary and tertiary levels. 

Govt launches nationwide 'Swachh Shakti Saptah' 

i. The Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar has launched 'Swachh Shakti Saptah' in Gurugram, Haryana to raise awareness on sanitation and cleanliness.

ii. Mr. Tomar has decided to observe 'Swachh Shakti Saptah' from March 1 to 8, 2017 across the country. Over 1,500 women sarpanches of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and all women sarpanches of Gurugram division are participating in this event. 

iii. PM Modi will take part in a closing ceremony of the program on March 8, 2017 at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

Himachal okays proposal to make Dharamshala its second capital

i. The Himachal Pradesh cabinet approved the proposal to make Dharamshala as the second capital of the state.

ii. The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who had earlier during his winter sojourn to Kangra had expressed his desire to make Dharamshala as the second capital. 

Government’s biotech innovation BIRAC Regional Entrepreneurship Centre set up in Bengaluru

i. The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms – C-CAMP, technology, and innovation hub, will house the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) Regional Entrepreneurship Centre (BREC) in Bengaluru.

ii. The center has been set up with the objective of encouraging the spirit of bio-entrepreneurship, facilitating the creation of life science start-ups and mentoring start-ups to increase their chances of success.

JNU wins Visitor's Awards 2017 for best university

i. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has won the annual Visitor's Award for the 'Best University', 2017.

ii. Deepak Pant from the Central University of Himachal Pradesh won the Visitor's Award for 'Innovation' while the Visitor's Award for 'Research' has been jointly won by Shyam Sunder from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Professor Niranjan Karak from Tezpur University.

iii. President Pranab Mukherjee will present the Visitor's Awards on 06 March 2017 at a function to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan as part of the 'Festival of Innovations'. 

GAIL signs 1st time-swap deal for US LNG with Gunvor

i. State-run gas company Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL) has signed a time-swap deal with Swiss trader Gunvor to sell some of its US Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as the Indian firm tries to ease the burden of its costly foreign LNG supplies.

ii. It is the first time-swap agreement by GAIL, which is trying to juggle its LNG portfolio to cut costs for price-sensitive Indian customers after a sharp fall in Asian spot prices made its US gas unattractive.

DRDO Hands Over 3 Developed Products to Indian Army

i. Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over three of its products for induction into the Indian Army in a formal function.The products are namely:

(a) Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), SWATHI

(b) NBC Recce vehicle

(c) NBC Drugs

ii. The Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar who presided the function handed over the products to the Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on behalf of DRDO.

Jindal Steel to make high nitrogen steel for DRDO

i. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has signed a technology transfer agreement with Haryana-based Jindal Stainless Ltd.(JSHL) for manufacturing High Nitrogen Steel (HNS). 

ii. HNS has higher ballistic strength. It is not only tough but also has good strength. It is non-magnetic and corrosion-resistant. Its cost is about 40% less than that of Rolled Homogeneous Armour steel (RHA). 

MTNL appoints P K Purwar as Chairman and Managing Director

i. P K Purwar was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of state-run telecom major Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL).The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment to the post for five years. 

Singareni Collieries records new highs in coal output, dispatches

i. Singareni Collieries Company Limited has set a new record with coal production of 58.7 lakh tons and highest dispatches of 57 lakh tons in a month during February 2017.

ii. The mining company’s 1,200 MW power plant has also logged high plant load factor. With this, SCCL recorded a growth of 9.31% in coal production against 53.7 lakh tons during February 2016.

Daily GK Update 02nd March, 2017

Daily GK Update 02nd March, 2017

DRDO tests interceptor missile successfully

i. India’s Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) shield got a further fillip with the successful test of an interceptor supersonic missile conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

ii. The Advanced Area Defence (AAD) endo-atmospheric missile capable of intercepting incoming target missile at an altitude of 15 to 25 km range was tested.
iii. It was launched from the Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast to stop an incoming enemy missile which was launched from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur.

Number of Jan Dhan accounts rose by 2.26 crore after note ban

i. The demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bank notes on November 8, 2016, seems to have given a thrust to new account opening under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY).

ii. A hundred days after demonetization, the number of accounts under the PMJDY has increased by 2.26 crore and deposits by Rs 19,084 crore. A major share of new PMJDY accounts came from Uttar Pradesh (57.11 lakh), followed by Maharashtra (25.05 lakh), and Madhya Pradesh (24.11 lakh).

Panneerselvam inaugurates 'Amma Kalviyagam'

i. Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam launched a portal which will be a hub of learning, interaction, opportunity, and connection. 

ii. The 'ammakalviyagam.in', named after late chief minister Jayalalithaa, was launched by Panneerselvam as part of her 69th birth anniversary celebrations. Jayalalithaa is fondly addressed as 'Amma' (Mother) by her supporters.

iii. It is a platform for learners, experts, academic and industry professionals, and recruiters to meet, gain and provide skills, and discover and hone talent.

Aashray inks MoU with Jharkhand, to set up incubation center for start-ups

i. Gujarat-based Incube Ventures Pvt Ltd, under the banner of Aashray Promotion of Social Enterprises Foundation announced the signing of an MoU with the Jharkhand government’s Department of Information Technology and e-Governance (DoIT) to establish an incubation center for start-ups in the state.

ii. The MoU was entered in the ‘Momentum Jharkhand Global Investors Summit 2017’ held recently.

Ajay Tyagi takes charge as 9th Sebi chief

i. IAS officer Ajay Tyagi is taking charge as the chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 2 March 2017. He has replaced Mr. U.K Sinha.  Mr. Tyagi needs to immediately take a call on five key issues.

Click Here to Read More

World Bank offers over $1-billion loan to Maharashtra

i. The World Bank has announced an assistance programme of over $1 billion in the areas of urban transport and climate resilient agriculture in Maharashtra, over the next 2-3 years.

ii. This was announced by the World Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Kristalina Georgieva. Over the last five years, World Bank had invested over $1.4 billion in Maharashtra in urban transport, rural water supply, and agriculture. 

Reliance General Insurance, Catholic Syrian Bank tie up

i. Reliance General Insurance (RGI), a part of Reliance Capital, has entered into a bancassurance tie-up with Catholic Syrian Bank.

ii. With this tie-up, RGI will offer its general insurance products to Catholic Syrian Bank's 1.5 million customer base spread across its 430 branches in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. 

JS Deepak named India’s next Ambassador to WTO

i. Telecom Secretary J S Deepak was named India’s next Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) from June 2017.
ii. A 1982 batch IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Deepak has been shifted with “immediate effect” from the telecom ministry and has been made Officer on Special Duty in the commerce department.

BEML launches solar rooftop project in Karnataka

i. BEML (Bharat Earth Movers Limited), a defense public sector company, has set itself a goal of utilizing 100 percent renewable energy for its consumption.

ii. In this endeavor, the company has inaugurated a 200 KW grid connected rooftop solar project at its Mysore complex. To achieve 100% renewable energy, BEML has set up a 5 MW windmill project in Gadag district in north Karnataka.

Luis Norton de Matos appointed new head coach of India U-17 football team

i. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointed Portugal's Luis Norton de Matos as the head coach of the India Under-17 team for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

ii. The tournament is scheduled to be held in October 2017 in India. A former manager with the Benfica Reserve side, De Matos replaces Nicolai Adam, who was forced to resign under controversial circumstances after a revolt from the players.

Kohli nominated for Polly Umrigar award, Ashwin for Dilip Sardesai award

i. India captain Virat Kohli was nominated for the prestigious Polly Umrigar award while all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin named for the Dilip Sardesai award.The awards will be presented at the BCCI Annual Awards to be held in Bengaluru on 8th March, 2017.

ii.  Kohli becomes the first Indian cricketer to get Polly Umrigar award on the third occasion after 2011-12 and 2014-15 season.

iii.  Ashwin will also become the first cricketer to receive the 'Dilip Sardesai Award' twice. The award is given to honor the best performance in the bilateral Test series between India and West Indies

QUIZ-02

Q1. The Minister of Commerce & Industry ________________ has launched Rubber Soil Information System (RubSIS) in New Delhi to provide the detail  RubSIS about the soil quality to the rubber growers to enhance productivity besides reducing the cost of production.
Answer: Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman

Q2. Who has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Kings XI Punjab, recently?
Answer: Virender Sehwag

Q3. Who has been appointed Director of the New Delhi based United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) covering India and the Kingdom of Bhutan by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres?
Answer: Derk Segaar

Q4. India has partnered with __________ to over a project that aims to study the air pollution level in Delhi and health problems associated it.
Answer: UK

Q5. Name the multiplex chain operator, which has launched a theatre on demand service ‘VKAAO’?
Answer: PVR

Q6. Which company has buys Switzerland based bio-pharmaceutical firm, Actelion, for $30billion (27.9 billion euros)?
Answer: Johnson & Johnson

Q7. Who has been appointed as the new attorney to key White House position, recently?
Answer: Uttam Dhillon

Q8. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully ground tested the Cryogenic Upper Stage engine meant for the rocket GSLV-Mark-III. Who is the present Chairman of ISRO? 
Answer: AS Kiran Kumar

Q9. The Reserve Bank of India has prohibited the Indian entities from making direct overseas investments in any entity that is located in ‘non co-operative countries and territories’, as identified by the inter-governmental body FATF. What is the full form of FATF- 
Answer: Financial Action Task Force

Q10. Usain Bolt has lost his Gold medal because his relay teammate Nesta Carter was found guilty of doping at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Usain Bolt belongs to which Country?
Answer: Jamaica

Q11. Name the renowned personality, who will headed the committee to identify athletes under Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme?
Answer: Abhinav Bindra

Q12. President Pranab Mukherjee has given Governor of Assam __________________ additional charge of Meghalaya.
Answer: Banwarilal Purohit

Q13. IndiaPost has become the third entity to receive a final license from the Central Bank (RBI) to start its payment bank operations. Payments bank has initially be restricted to holding a maximum balance of how much amount per individual customer? 
Answer: Rs. 1,00,000 per individual customer

Q14. In Australian Open 2017 tennis, Serena Williams beat her sister Venus Williams in the final to win her _______ Grand Slam singles title.
Answer: 23rd

Q15. Which country has announced it will appoint a 'digital ambassador' to manage its relationship with technology giants like Google and Apple, becoming the first country to do so. 
Answer: Denmark

QUIZ-02

Q1. Chandra Shekhar Azad's 86th Martyrdom Day has been observed on 27th February 2017. He was born on-

(a) 23rd February 1906

(b) 23rd November 1906

(c) 23rd May 1906

(d) 23rd March 1906

(e) 23rd July 1906

Q2. Softbank Group Corp and Taiwan's Foxconn have agreed to form a joint venture, as the two large Asian technology companies expand their ties. Softbank Group based in-

(a) Canada

(b) Germany

(c) France

(d) Japan

(e) China

Q3. Name the hockey player, who has named as International Hockey Federation's player of the year 2016 awards in the male category?

(a) Christian Blasch

(b) Van Doren

(c) John-John Dohmen

(d) Karen Brown

(e) None of the given options is true

Q4. Which among the following Indian City has been named as the richest Indian city with a total wealth of $ 820 billion according to New World Wealth Group?

(a) New Delhi

(b) Mumbai

(c) Bengaluru

(d) Chennai

(e) Chandigarh

Q5. Which of the following states has inaugurated the Project RAHAT for Prompt Treatment of Heart Diseases?

(a) Rajasthan

(b) Gujarat

(c) Madhya Pradesh

(d) Kerala

(e) Odisha

Q6. Name the Indian company, which has been rated as one of the top three 'most-valuable brands' in the Information Technology (IT) service sector by Brand Finance? 

(a) Tech Mahindra

(b) Infosys

(c) HCL

(d) Wipro

(e) TCS

Q7. Who has won the men's title in the second edition of the IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon?

(a) Ranjan Kumari 

(b) Jyoti Gawate 

(c) Monika Athare

(d) Thanackal Gopi

(e) None of the given options is true

Q8. Star Indian badminton player _____________ has appointed as a member of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Athletes' Commission (AC) in 2016, will represent the panel in the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

(a) Jwala Gutta

(b) Pullela Gopichand 

(c) Saina Nehwal

(d) Parupalli Kashyap

(e) Pusarla Venkata Sindhu

Q9. The 89th Academy Awards ceremony has presented by the AMPAS (commonly referred to as Oscars) held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California. Which movie has won the best picture award?

(a) Find Them

(b) Moonlight

(c) La La Land

(d) Manchester by the Sea

(e) Made In America

Q10. The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has entered into an agreement with Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT-City) for closer collaboration in financial market activities. Who is the present Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of GIFT SEZ?

(a) Ajay Pandey

(b) Kalraj Sharma

(c) AP Hota

(d) Vijay Kumar Sharma

(e) Sohan Bhai Patel

Solutions

S1. Ans.(e)
Sol. Chandra Shekhar Azad's 86th Martyrdom Day has been observed on 27th February 2017. Chandra Shekhar Azad, the mere name that could make a British policeman during the British Raj era break into cold sweat. He was born on 23 July 1906, in Bhavra, Alirajpur. He died on 27 February 1931 at Allahabad. He lived for mere 24 years, but made a world of difference to India’s freedom struggle.

S2. Ans.(d)
Sol. Japan's SoftBank Group Corp and Taiwan's Foxconn have agreed to form a joint venture, as the two large Asian technology companies expand their ties. The arrangement involves Foxconn buying a 54.5% stake in SoftBank Group Capital Apac Pte Ltd, a wholly owned SoftBank unit, for $600 million.

S3. Ans.(c)
Sol. Belgium captain John-John Dohmen has named as International Hockey Federation's player of the year 2016 awards in male categoty. 

S4. Ans.(b)
Sol. According to the New World Wealth report Mumbai, the financial capital of India has been named as the Richest Indian city with a total wealth of $ 820 billion. Delhi and Bengaluru in the second and third place, respectively.  Delhi is home with a total wealth of $ 450 billion, while Bengaluru with a total wealth of $ 320 billion.

S5. Ans.(a)
Sol. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has inaugurated a medical project Rajasthan Heart Attack Treatment programme (RAHAT) at the Eternal Heart Care Center Hospital in Jaipur. She also flagged off an ambulance fitted with equipment and trained paramedical staff required for treatment of heart disease. RAHAT programme aims to provide people in remote and rural areas with timely treatment during heart attacks. 

S6. Ans.(e)
Sol. India’s largest software services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been rated as one of the top three 'most-valuable brands' in the Information Technology (IT) service sector by Brand Finance, the leading global brand valuation firm. As IBM and Accenture are on the top two positions.

S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. Rio Olympian Thanackal Gopi has won the men's title in the second edition of the IDBI Federal Life Insurance New Delhi Marathon held on 26th February 2017. Monika Athare claimed the honors in the women's section.

S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. Star Indian badminton player Saina Nehwal has appointed as a member of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Athletes' Commission (AC) in 2016, will represent the panel in the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Saina would join the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Athletes' Commission as a representative of the IOC AC. Currently, ranked world number 10 in BWF rankings, Saina is now aiming to win the prestigious All England Championship in March 2017.

S9. Ans.(b)
Sol. The 89th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to honor the best films of 2016, held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories. "Moonlight" has won the best picture award.

S10. Ans.(a)
Sol. The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has entered into an agreement with Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT-City) for closer collaboration in financial market activities. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the same was signed by Ajay Pandey, Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of GIFT SEZ, and Richard Teng, CEO of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of ADGM.

QUIZ-2

QUIZ-2

Q1. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has awarded the first ever Hugo Chavez Prize for Peace and Sovereignty to President Vladimir Putin. Vladimir Putin is the present president of-
Answer: Russia

Q2. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal of ITPO for redevelopment of Pragati Maidan by setting up of a world class Integrated Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. What is ITPO stands for?
Answer: India Trade Promotion Organisation

Q3. Name the person, Who has confirmed as US envoy to United Nations recently?
Answer: Nikki Haley

Q4. The Election Commission of India has celebrated the _______ National Voters’ Day across the country on 25th January 2017 for enhanced participation of citizens in the electoral process.
Answer: 07th

Q5. Name the Former Australian Cricketer/Cricketers, who has/have been inducted into Australian Cricket Hall of Fame recently?
Answer: Matthew Hayden and David Boon

Q6. What is India’s ranking in a list of eight great powers for the year 2017 issued by the leading American foreign policy magazine “The American Interest”?
Answer: Sixth

Q7. In which city India's first Post office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSK) has inaugurated?
Answer: Mysuru, Karnataka

Q8. Facing sexual harassment charges, V Shanmuganathan recently resigned as the Governor of
Answer: Meghalaya

Q9. The Chief Minister of _______________ Pinarayi Vijayan has launched the IT Project, e-Health Kerala which is named Jeevan Rekha at Peroorkada Model Government Hospital.
Answer: Kerala

Q10. Which state has launched ‘Dulari Kanya’, a special scheme to check infant mortality in the state?
Answer: Arunachal Pradesh

Q11. In order to woo the young audiences at the 2020 Olympics, the organisers of the Tokyo Games have unveiled Japan's cult anime character ___________ as its ambassador.
Answer: Son Goku

Q12. Name the person, Who has selected to the 2017 Ophthalmology Hall of Fame instituted by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery?
Answer: Gullapalli N Rao

Q13. Name the State, in which Oil Companies HPCL, ONGC and the GAIL have signed MoUs for investing Rs 1.65 lakh crore?
Answer: Andhra Pradesh

Q14. Which state government has signed a memorandum of agreement with French firm Aerocampus Aquitaine, known for aircraft maintenance skill training, to create a world-class aero skill academy recently?
Answer: Telangana

Q15. The government stated that ____________ banks are connected with the Aadhaar-enabled payment system and 33.87 crore transactions have taken place through Aadhaar-enabled payment systems.
Answer: 119

QUIZ-01

Q1. Which bank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Rajkot-based Tirth Agro Technology Pvt Ltd (manufacturer of agricultural equipment and implements) for financing agricultural mechanisation.
Answer: Karnataka Bank

Q2. Which state ranked first in the 'Cashless India Scorecard’ prepared by Walnut app to track the growth of digital payments in the country?
Answer: Gujarat

Q3. The annual cultural extravaganza of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Chaos-2017 has kicked off, with the theme of-
Answer: Wanderlust

Q4. Who has been awarded for Ashok Chakra on 68th Republic Day 2017?
Answer: Havildar Hangpan Dada

Q5. Russian Ambassador _______________ a fluent Hindi-speaking career diplomat considered a great friend of India, passed away at a hospital after a brief illness.
Answer: Alexander Kadakin

Q6. Which online ticket firm has been acquired by BookMyShow for an undisclosed amount, recently?
Answer: MastiTickets

Q7. Name the Player, who has been bagged the Australia's T20 International player of the Year award?
Answer: Shane Watson

Q8. Which country has been developed the world's biggest Solar Park?
Answer: China

Q9. Which state has been launched Chief Ministers Award to reward districts digital Payments?
Answer: Assam

Q10. India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has inked various agreements in various areas including in defence, maritime transport, comprehensive strategic partnership. Where is the capital of UAE?
Answer: Abu Dhabi

Q11. India has been ranked at 79th spot out of 176 countries in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for the year 2016 released  by the Berlin-based corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI). Which country has topped the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2016 list?
Answer: Somalia

Q12. Name the State, which has launched Rs 100 cr fund of  funds for investing in Fintech Startup recently?
Answer: Andhra Pradesh

Q13. The State Bank of India has launched a new wealth management product named 'SBI Exclusif' in-
Answer: Kochi, Kerala

Q14. The Union Finance Ministry has announced that the GAAR will be effective from the 01st April, 2017. What is the GAAR stands for-
Answer: General Anti Avoidance Rule

Q15. Who has been appointed as the new vice-chancellor of Nalanda University?
Answer: Dr Vijay Bhatkar

QUIZ-1

Q1. India has signed an agreement with Japan on enhancing railway safety in the Indian Railways with focus on the railway track and rolling stock safety. Who is the present chairman of Railway Board?
(a) AK Mittal

(b) Bharti Pradhan

(c) Arunendra Kumar

(d) JS Reddy

(e) Suresh Prabhu

Q2. The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has celebrated the Central Excise Day across the country on-

(a) 23rd February

(b) 24th February

(c) 25th February

(d) 26th February

(e) 27th February

Q3. Global payments network Visa has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government to help transform ____________ into India's first 'less cash' city.

(a) Machilipatnam

(b) Nellore

(c) Vishakhapatnam

(d) Guntur

(e) Kakinada

Q4. Name the Nobel-winning economist, mathematician, who has passed away in the USA recently?

(a) Jan Tinbergen

(b) Paul Samuelson

(c) Ragnar Frisch

(d) Kenneth J Arrow

(e) None of the given options is true

Q5. Which among the following countries has became Germany’s most important trading partner in 2016, overtaking the United States?

(a) France

(b) Russia

(c) India

(d) Japan

(e) China

Q6. Which among the following public sector bank has signed a corporate agency agreement with Chennai-based general insurance provider Cholamandalam General Insurance Company for distribution of insurance products?

(a) Central Bank of India (CBI)

(b) Indian Overseas Bank (IOB)

(c) Punjab National Bank (PNB)

(d) State Bank of India (SBI)

(e) Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC)

Q7. An Rs 17,000 crore deal has been cleared by the Indian government for jointly developing with _________ a medium-range surface-to-air missile (MR-SAM) for the Indian Army. 

(a) Canada

(b) South Africa

(c) Germany

(d) Israel

(e) Brazil

Q8. India and Germany have ratified the SSA, which will come into force from 01st May 2017, to help promote more investment flows between the two countries. SSA stands for-

(a) Social Security Association

(b) Social Security Agency

(c) Social Security Agreement

(d) Social Security Assistance

(e) Social Security Assembly

Q9. Name the State, which has became the second largest crude oil producer in the country after the offshore field Bombay High.

(a) Punjab

(b) Rajasthan

(c) Uttar Pradesh

(d) Gujarat

(e) Kerala

Q10. Which among the following bank has introduced Radio Frequency Identification Card (RFID) enabled banking cards, recently?

(a) Dena Bank

(b) Uco Bank

(c) Syndicate Bank

(d) Canara Bank

(e) Indian Bank

Q11. United Bank of India (UBI) has launched a railway ticket booking facility by having a direct tie-up IRCTC. United Bank of India (UBI) based in-

(a) Kolkata

(b) Gurugram

(c) Manipal

(d) Pune

(e) Mumbai

Q12. Name the Bollywood actress, who has been roped as brand ambassador for Indian government's cleanliness initiative Swachh Bharat Mission, recently?

(a) Kiara Advani

(b) Shilpa Shetty

(c) Alia Bhatt

(d) Kriti Sanon

(e) Sonakshi Sinha

Q13. India and Bangladesh have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the sustainable development of ------------- with financial aid from India.

(a) Khulna

(b) Chittagong

(c) Sylhet city

(d) Dhaka

(e) Rangpur City

Q14. Which among the following international organisation has signed USD 375 million pact for loans and grants to develop 800 km Visakhapatnam—Chennai Industrial Corridor, which is the first phase of a planned 2,500-km East Coast Economic Corridor?

(a) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) 

(b) International Monetary Fund (IMF)

(c) New Development Bank (NDB

(d) Asian Development Bank (ADB)

(e) World Bank

Q15. FDI in India has grown 18% during 2016 to touch $46 billion, data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). What is the meaning of "I" in FDI?

(a) Indian

(b) Installment

(c) International

(d) Infrastructure

(e) Investment

Solutions

S1. Ans.(a)
Sol. India has signed an agreement with Japan on enhancing railway safety in the Indian Railways with focus on railway track and rolling stock safety. The Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between Railway Board Chairman A.K.Mittal and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan Vice-Minister Hiroshi Tabata.

S2. Ans.(b)
Sol. The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has celebrated 74th Central Excise Day on 24th February 2017 in New Delhi. CBEC is the single largest contributor to the national exchequer with the collection of Rs 8,50,000 crore a year.

S3. Ans.(c)
Sol. Global payments network Visa has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government to help transform Vishakhapatnam into India's first 'less cash' city. This initiative is designed to provide the foundation for the city to emerge as India's 'Fintech Valley'.

S4. Ans.(d)
Sol. Nobel-winning economist, mathematician Kenneth J Arrow has passed away in USA. He was 95. Kenneth J. Arrow. Kenneth  received the Nobel memorial prize in economic science for their pioneering mathematical work on general equilibrium theory in 1972.

S5. Ans.(e)
Sol. China for the first time became Germany’s most important trading partner in 2016, overtaking the United States. The USA fell back to third place behind France in the data shown recently. German imports from and exports to China rose to 170 billion euros ($180 billion) in 2016, Federal Statistics Office figures reviewed by Reuters showed.

S6. Ans.(e)
Sol. Haryana based Oriental Bank of Commerce has signed an corporate agency agreement with Chennai based general insurance provider Cholamandalam General Insurance Company for distribution of insurance products. The insurance products includes motor, health, home and travel.

S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. A Rs 17,000 crore deal has been cleared by the Indian government for jointly developing with Israel a medium-range surface-to-air missile (MR-SAM) for the Indian Army. The project will be implemented by the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israeli Aircraft Industry (IAI).

S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. India and Germany have ratified the Social Security Agreement (SSA), which will come into force from 01st May 2017, to help promote more investment flows between the two countries. The SSA will also integrate the provisions of the 2008 social insurance pact that exempts detached workers of the two country from making social security contributions in either countries so long as they were making such contributions in their respective countries.

S9. Ans.(b)
Sol. Rajasthan has become the second largest crude oil producer in the country after the offshore field Bombay High, Governor Kalyan Singh said in the Assembly by highlighting the achievements of the state government. Mr. Singh has stated that oilfields in the state were producing nearly 90 lakh tones oil annually, which is 24% of the total domestic crude oil production.

S10. Ans.(a)
Sol. Dena Bank has introduced Radio Frequency Identification Card, (RFID) enabled banking cards. With the help of this card a branch/relationship manager can identify a valued client entering a branch with the card. Once the client enters the branch, complete information about the customers will pop up on the manager’s desktop.

S11. Ans.(a)
Sol. Kolkata-based United Bank of India (UBI) has launched a railway ticket booking facility by having a direct tie-up IRCTC. Post the introduction of this facility, UBI customers can now book railway tickets seamlessly through IRCTC website using the bank’s debit card.

S12. Ans.(b)
Sol. The government has roped in actress Shilpa Shetty as a brand ambassador for the Indian government cleanliness initiative 'Swachh Bharat Mission'. She will feature in TV and radio campaigns aimed at discouraging people from littering on roads. Soon, campaign posters featuring her will be displayed at various places across the country. 

S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. India and Bangladesh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the sustainable development of Sylhet city with financial aid from India. Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Sylhet City Corporation CEO Enamul Habib signed the tripartite agreement in Sylhet, a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. 

S14. Ans.(d)
Sol. India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed USD 375 million pact for loans and grants to develop 800 km Visakhapatnam—Chennai Industrial Corridor, which is the first phase of a planned 2,500-km East Coast Economic Corridor. ADB had last September 2016 has approved USD 631 million in loans and grants for the industrial corridor.

S15. Ans.(e)
Sol. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India has grew 18% during 2016 to touch $46 billion, data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). The country attracted FDI of $39.32 billion in 2015. The main sectors which attracted the highest foreign inflows include services, telecom, trading, computer hardware and software and automobile. Bulk of the FDI came in from Singapore, Mauritius, the Netherlands and Japan.