Daily GK Update 16th March, 2017

Captain Amarinder Singh to be sworn-in as CM of Punjab 

i. Captain Amarinder Singh, who led the Congress to victory in Punjab after a decade, will be sworn-in as the Chief Minister for the second time.

ii. Congress had won 77 of the 117 state Assembly seats in the recently held polls. The Aam Aadmi Party emerged as the largest opposition party with 20 seats. The Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance finished third with 18 seats.

Govt approves National Health Policy 

i. The government has approved the National Health Policy which proposes to provide assured health services to all in the country. 

ii. The policy was approved at the meeting of Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.  The policy increases the gambit of sectors covered in the Primary Health Centre (PHC) level and envisages a comprehensive approach.

Cabinet approves setting up of 50 Kendriya Vidyalayas

i. Fifty new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) will be established across the country to provide quality education to around 50,000 students with the Cabinet giving a go ahead to the project.

ii. The schools, which will be set up under the civil sector for classes 1 to 5.

iii. By providing a common syllabus and system of education, the KVs are intended to ensure that the children of government employees do not face education disadvantages while their parents are transferred from one location to another.

Namami Gange: 20 projects approved for swift implementation

i. 20 projects worth Rs 1,900 Crore have been approved for swift implementation of Namami Gange Programme in Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Delhi. The Executive Committee (EC) of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) approved these projects. 

ii. Out of 20 projects which were given EC approval, 13 are in Uttarakhand that includes creating new sewage treatment plants, upgrading existing STPs and laying of sewage networks in Haridwar at an estimated cost of approximately Rs 415 crore. 

iii. This plan is aimed at treating sewage water generated by not only city's 1.5 lakh local dwellers, but also by people who visit the holy place for various purposes. 

Cabinet clears special assistance for EAPs in Andhra Pradesh

i. The Cabinet has approved financial assistance for bifurcated Andhra Pradesh by way of special dispensation in funding of Externally Aided Projects (EAPs) and also the irrigation component of Polavaram project.

ii. The special assistance will be provided to the state towards repayment of loan and interest for EAPs signed and disbursed from 2015-16 to 2019-20.The Centre will also fund 100% of the irrigation component of the Polavaram project starting from 1st of April, 2014.

Govt launches new scheme for developing export linked infrastructure

i. The government has launched a new scheme Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) for developing export linked infrastructure in states with a view to promote outbound shipments. 

ii. Launched by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, TIES seeks to bridge the infrastructure gap and provide forward and backward linkages to units engaged in trade activities.

 iii. The TIES would focus on projects like customs checkpoints, last mile connectivity, border haats and integrated check posts.

iv. The scheme, to be implemented from April 1, would have a budgetary allocation of Rs 600 crore for three years with an annual outlay of Rs 200 crore. It will be implemented from 2017-18 till 2019-20.

UCO Bank, Future Generali tie up

i. Private insurer Future Generali India Insurance Company (FGII) has entered into a corporate agency tie-up for its products with public lender UCO Bank.

ii. The PSU lender will provide a window at its bank branches for marketing FGII’s offerings. Apart from UCO, the company has tie-ups with over 100 banks across the country. 

HDFC Bank to offer online loans against securities

i. HDFC Bank launched an instant digital Loan Against Securities (LAS) facility in collaboration with the National Securities Depository Ltd.(NSDL).

ii. The bank stated that customers can avail themselves of overdraft facility against shares in three steps:
(a) Select the shares to be pledged on net banking
(b) Accept agreement through one-time password (OTP)
(c) Pledge the shares with NSDL online through OTP.

iii. Demat customers can calculate their eligibility for overdraft limit against shares, and open a current account instantly.

State Bank of India signs MoU with CREDAI

i. State Bank of India and real estate developers’ body Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly conduct various initiatives towards development of the realty sector.

ii. The MoU will be in force for a period of 3 years.

iii. CREDAI is the largest real estate association in the country with over 11,500 members.

McNally Bharat bags Rs. 415-cr solar power project in AP

i. McNally Bharat Engineering Company Ltd has bagged a Rs. 415.29-crore order from Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Ltd.

ii. The project entails design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, commissioning and operation and maintenance of 500-MW grid connected solar photovoltaic power project including civil works in Andhra Pradesh.

BHEL's first 800-MW supercritical plant becomes operational

i. Power equipment maker BHEL has commenced commercial operations of its first 800-MW unit, a supercritical thermal plant in Karnataka.

ii. Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd (KPCL) and BHEL are the main equity partners of RPCL, the owner and operator of this power plant. The milestone was achieved for the first unit of the 2x800-MW Yeramarus thermal power station of Raichur Power Corporation Ltd (RPCL), in Raichur district of Karnataka. 

International Vision Zero Conference Begins In New Delhi

i. The International Conference on the Vision Zero and its relevance to Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) began at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

ii. The aim is to focus on the Occupational Safety and Health issues and challenges in the Manufacturing, Construction and Mining sector and provide a forum for promoting safety and health at work by exchanging knowledge, practices, and experience. 

iii. The conference was inaugurated by the Minister of State (Independent) for Labour and Employment, Shri Bandaru Dattatreya.

Chennai Port Trust signs MoU with the Government of Puducherry

i. Chennai Port Trust and the Government of Puducherry has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for handling EXIM cargo originating from Puducherry Port hinterland in New Delhi. 

ii. The aim is to promote industrial growth in the region, generate substantial employment and attract investment by major industries. Around 5 Lakh to 10 Lakh tonnes of cargo is expected to be handled between this two ports.

India's contribution to UN increases to Rs 244 crore

i. India's contribution to the United Nations rose 55% to Rs 244 crore in 2015-16 compared with the previous fiscal. 

ii. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed the Lok Sabha that the government had also made voluntary contributions to the tune of Rs 22 crore to international organizations, including UN agencies, in the last financial year.

iii. The country contributed Rs 244 crore to the UN last fiscal compared with Rs 157 crore in 2014-15.

 Annual Krishi Unnati Mela Begins in New Delhi

i. The three-day annual Krishi Unnati Mela was inaugurated by Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh at the Indian Agriculture Research Institute in Pusa, New Delhi. 

ii. To provide information on new farm schemes and technologies and another welfare scheme that will help to double the farmer’s incomes by 2022. 

iii. As a part of the event, the Minister also gave away Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Protsahan Puraskar 2016 to recognize the contribution of Krishi Vigyan.

Justice Sharma sworn in as Upalokayukta of Assam

i. Justice Chittaranjan Sharma sworn in as Assam's Upalokayukta by Governor Banwarilal Purohit. 

ii. He was administered the oath of office by the governor at a simple ceremony in the Raj Bhawan. Justice Sharma was a former Judge of the Gauhati High Court.

Tata Steel, Wipro in world's most ethical companies' list 

i. Two Indian companies namely Tata Steel Limited and Wipro Limited have been named in the list of World’s Most Ethical Companies 2017 by American think tank Ethisphere Institute. 

ii. Wipro is one among the two Information technology category firm named in the list. The other firm in that category is US based Xerox Corporation. 

iii. Besides, Tata Steel is also one of the two companies named in the metals, minerals and mining category. US-based Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc is the other company in this segment.  

iv. World’s Most Ethical Companies 2017 list consists of 124 firms. US based Ford Motor Company has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the 8th straight year.

Babul Supriyo named vice-president of FIFA U-17 World Cup

i. Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Babul Supriyo has been named as Vice President of the 2017 U-17 FIFA World Cup organizing committee stated by Praful Patel, president of All India Football Federation (AIFF).

ii. For the first time, India to host FIFA U-17 World from October 6 to 28, 2017. Host cities are Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Kochi, Margao and Guwahati.

Joanna Rowsell Shand Announces Retirement

i. Two times Olympic gold medallist Joanna Rowsell Shand announced her retirement from international cycling. 

ii. The 28-year-old track cyclist won gold in the women’s team pursuit at London Olympics 2012 and Rio Olympics 2016.

Daily GK Update 15th March, 2017

Daily GK Update 15th March, 2017

Govt introduces bill on inter-state river water row in Lok Sabha

i. The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 has been introduced in the Lok Sabha which proposes to streamline the adjudication of river water disputes and make the present legal and institutional architecture robust. 

ii. Minister of Water Resources and River Development Uma Bharti introduced the Bill in the house. 

iii. The tribunal will consist of one Chairperson, one Vice-Chairperson and not more than six other members. The total time period for adjudication of dispute has been fixed at maximum of four and half years.

Footwear Design And Development Institute Bill, 2017 Introduced In The Lok Sabha

i. The Commerce & Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) Bill, 2017 in the Lok Sabha in order to declare the FDDI as an Institution of National Importance (INI).

ii. To enable FDDI emerge as Centre of Excellence to meet with the international standards and address the shortage of trained human resource in the sector. 

iii. The FDDI was established by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India in the year 1986. It has pan-India presence with campuses at Noida, Kolkata, Chennai, Fursatganj (UP), Rohtak (Haryana), Chhindwara (M.P) and Jodhpur (Rajasthan).

World Consumer Rights Day being observed: 15 March

i. World Consumer Rights Day is being observed today (15 March 2017) which is an awareness day and theme for this year is 'Building a Digital World Consumers can Trust’. Several functions are being organized across the country to mark the occasion. 

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Union Government launches Rs.52000 lakh Mission Fingerling

i. The Union government has launched Mission Fingerling to achieve Blue Revolution with the holistic development and management of fisheries in the country.

ii. The Blue Revolution programme focuses on creating an environment that envisages integrated and holistic development and management of fisheries for the socio-economic development of the fishers and fish farmers. 

iii. The main motive behind this programme is to enhance the fisheries production from 10.79 mmt (2014-15) to 15 mmt by 2020-21.

 Biren Singh to be Sworn in Next CM of Manipur

i. The incumbent Chief Minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi Singh resigned from the post giving way for formation of a new ministry under the BJP. 

ii. This is the first time the BJP has come to power in the north-eastern state. The Congress leader Okram Ibobi announced to resign after BJP named Nongthombam Biren Singh as the party’s leader to form the government with the majority win. 

iii. The BJP’s N. Biren Singh will take oath as Manipur’s next chief minister on 15th March 2017 along with his council of ministers in the presence of BJP president Amit Shah and Union Minister Jitendra Singh.  

Digital push: Gujarat to provide e-marketplace for businesses

i. The Gujarat government has entered into an agreement with a global cloud-based solutions provider cloudBuy.com to develop a B2B marketplace for small and large business units in the state.

ii. The e-marketplace will be used to promote businesses in the state on one single platform, where members can trade with each other and across India and globally. The project has been developed as part of the Centre’s ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives.

SBI announces Rs 6,000-cr tractor loan settlement scheme

i. State Bank of India has announced a one-time farm loan settlement scheme worth 6,000 crore rupees primarily for tractors. SBI in a tweet stated that One Time Settlement is announced for Agriculture Loans and the Scheme is valid until 31st March 2017.

ii.  Managing Director of the bank Rajnish Kumar stated that loans disbursed before 2011 and falling under doubtful or loss category accounts as of September 2016, will be considered under the scheme.

iii. The MD also said other agri-loans like kisan credit cards and other term-loans for tractors and farm loans may also be covered under the scheme. SBI's total farm loan portfolio is 1.25 Lakh Crore rupees and tractor loan book is about 6,000 crore rupees.

Wholesale Inflation rises to 6.55% in February 2017

i. Wholesale inflation shot up to a 39-month high of 6.55% in February 2017, on account of costlier food and fuel items. Wholesale price based inflation had stood at 5.25% in January 2017, and 3.68% in December 2016. 

ii. According to official data, food inflation jumped to 2.69% in February 2017, from minus 0.56% in January 2017. Inflation in the fuel basket spurted to 21.02% in February 2017, from 18.14% in January 2017.

Retail inflation rises to 4-month high of 3.65%

i. Retail inflation rose to a 4-month high of 3.65% in February 2017, mainly due to an increase in the prices of food items.Inflation measured in terms of the Consumer Price Index had stood at 3.17% in January 2017. 

ii. Retail inflation was 5.26% in February 2016. According to data released by the Central Statistics Office, retail inflation in food items rose to 2.01% in February 2017, from 0.61% in January 2017. But prices of vegetables declined by 8.29% and of pulses by 9.02%. 

World Bank loan for MP solar plant

i. The World Bank has agreed to provide a loan to develop internal transmission arrangements of the upcoming Rewa Ultra Mega Solar project in Madhya Pradesh.

ii. It will provide 25% of the loan amount under its Clean Technology Fund, where the money will be provided at an interest rate of only 0.25%. This would be the first solar power project in the country to receive a loan under Clean Technology Fund (CTF).

BoB approves bond issue

i. The Capital Raising Committee of Bank of Baroda’s board approved raising of funds through the issuance of Basel III compliant Additional Tier-I bonds (perpetual debt instrument) amounting to Rs 500 crore with green shoe option of Rs 500 crore.

ii. In a stock exchange notification, the bank stated the issuance will be on private placement basis depending on market conditions.

Official language policy award

i. Central Bank of India has been awarded first prize in the implementation of Official Language Policy in the western region for the year 2015-2016. 

ii. Sudhir Pathak, Chief Manager of Central Bank of India received the trophy and certificate from Kalyan Singh, Governor of Rajasthan at the Official Language Conference of Central and Western Regions in Udaipur recently.

IndusInd Bank to acquire IL & FS Securities Services

i. IndusInd Bank has entered into an agreement with Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL& FS) to acquire 100% stake in IL& FS Securities Services Ltd (ISSL).

ii. The private sector bank, however, did not disclose the cost of acquisition or the price at which ISSL shares were acquired. 

iii. ISSL, which was incorporated in 2007 as a subsidiary of IL& FS, is a capital market intermediary for professional clearing, depository and custodial Services.

Reliance Comunications gets SEBI approval for merger with Aircel

i. Reliance Communications has received approvals from markets regulator SEBI and the stock exchanges for proposed demerger of its wireless business into Aircel Ltd.

ii. Reliance Communications has received approval of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), BSE and NSE for the proposed scheme of arrangement for demerger of the wireless division of the company into Aircel Ltd and Dishnet Wireless Ltd. 

Government Establishes Banana Research Centre in Bihar

i. The Union Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh laid the foundation stone of the Banana Research Centre at Vaishali, Bihar Centre to fulfill the aspirations of the local banana growers. 

ii. The new center will work to find reasons behind less production in banana, enhancement in acreage for cultivation, suitable utilization of the various parts of the plants, different products, marketing and value addition.

Pawan Goenka gets 2nd term as IIT-Madras Board Chairman

i. Pawan Goenka Managing Director of Mahindra and Mahindra has been granted second-term as Chairman of the Board of Governors (BoG) of IIT-Madras.

ii. The President of India, in his capacity as visitor of IIT-Madras, approved the nomination of Goenka, for three years with effect from June 9, 2017.

iii. He had been serving as Chairman, BoG of IIT-Madras, since 9th June 2014 when he was first nominated to the position for a three-year period.

Vienna World’s Best City in Quality of Life, Hyderabad Best Indian City: Mercer

i. According to the Mercer’s 19th annual Quality of Living survey released Vienna, the capital of Austria has topped the list of cities offering the highest quality of life for the eighth year in a row. 

ii. In India, Hyderabad emerged as the best city in terms of living standards among Indian cities for the third year in a row.
iii. Baghdad was ranked the worst place at 230 to live due to continuous violence in the city.

Now, book an Uber when flying Jet Airways

i. Full-service airline Jet Airways has announced a partnership with ride-hailing app Uber to book airport cabs through the Jet Airways app itself.

ii. The airline will partner Uber and facilitate travel from the airport once a passenger has booked a ticket on the Jet Airways app. 

iii. Guests booking their flights on the app and using Uber for the first time will also benefit from a discount of Rs. 150 across their first three rides by using the promo code JETUBER.

Commonwealth Day

i. Commonwealth Day has celebrated annually across the Commonwealth of Nations on 13th March 2017.

ii. The objective is to come together and celebrate its values and diversity. Theme is 'A peace-building Commonwealth'. It is marked by a multi-faith service in Westminster Abbey, normally attended by Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth along with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and Commonwealth High Commissioners in London.

Shashank Manohar resigns from ICC chairman’s post

i. In a surprise development, Shashank Manohar has resigned as International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman after merely eight months in office, citing personal reasons. 

ii. He became the first independent chairman of ICC but had several run-ins with the BCCI on revenue sharing pattern.

 Filmmaker and Children’s Author Amy Krouse Rosenthal Dies 

Popular American author, filmmaker and public speaker, Amy Krouse Rosenthal died due to ovarian cancer. She was 51.

QUIZ-15

QUIZ-15

Q1. In which cities, the 03-day global conference on Nuclear Terrorism has begun on 08th February 2017?
Answer: New Delhi, India

Q2. Name the person, who has won the women’s singles titles in the 81st Senior National Badminton Championships tournament in Patna, Bihar?
Answer: Rituparna Das

Q3. Who has been appointed as the CEO of Adani Group for its renewable energy business unit in Australia in a bid to drive its plans to become the largest renewable energy player in the country?
Answer: Jennifer Purdie

Q4. Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh stated that over 13 thousand Divyangs have been given jobs in various central government departments recently. Where is constituency of Jitendra Singh?
Answer: Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir

Q5. Israel’s Parliament has passed a law retroactively legalising about 4,000 homes built in Area (C) of the occupied West Bank. What is the name of Parliament of Israel?
Answer: Knesset

Q6. Union Cabinet recently approved PMGDISHA scheme which will cover 6 cr rural households to make them-
Answer: Digitally literate

Q7. The Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has presented the state Budget for the session 2017-18 in the state assembly. The budget was based on the theme................?
Answer: Resurgent Assam

Q8. Alexei Navalny has was found guilty of embezzlement recently, is the opposition leader in-
Answer: Russia

Q9. In a bid to strengthen cyber security system, the Reserve Bank (RBI) has decided to set up an inter-disciplinary panel on cyber security to examine various threats and suggest measures to deal with it. The decision has been taken based on the recommendations of the expert panel on information technology examination and cyber security headed by- 
Answer: Meena Hemachandra

Q10. Which state has became the first state in the North-East to implement e-Cabinet solution for the state cabinet members?
Answer: Arunachal Pradesh

Q11. The fourth edition of BIMSTEC Summit-2017 will be held in-
Answer: Nepal

Q12. Which airport has won the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) Chairman’s Order of Merit for its focus on environmental sustainability and becoming the first airport in Asia Pacific to become carbon neutral?
Answer: Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad

Q13. India and Austria have signed a protocol to amend the existing treaty for Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion. The currency of Austria is-?
Answer: Euro

Q14. Name the Indian Batsman, who has surpassed the 52-year long-standing record of former Indian cricketer Chandu Borde of highest first-class runs in a single cricketing season?
Answer: Cheteshwar Pujara

Q15. Which state has become the first state in the country for establishing the cashless system in its public distribution system (PDS) of food grains?
Answer: Gujarat

QUIZ-14

QUIZ-14

Q1. Name the state where Prime Minister of India has decided to dedicate to the nation, a Petrochemical Complex of ONGC Petro Additions Limited, recently.

(a) Madhya Pradesh

(b) New Delhi

(c) Gujarat

(d) Maharashtra

(e) Uttarakhand

Q2. Name the company that has been given the sponsorship of the Indian cricket team (from April 1, 2017) for a period of five years.

(a) Airtel India

(b) Oppo Mobiles India

(c) Star India

(d) Paytm India

(e) None of the given option is true

Q3. International women's day is observed globally on _________.

(a) 18th February

(b) 28th February

(c) 6th March

(d) 8th March

(e) 18th April

Q4. The Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE has introduced a mobile application to help students appearing for class 10th and 12th examinations. Name of that application is ____________.

(a) Exam Sahayata

(b) Exam Madad

(c) Exam Locator

(d) Exam Taiyari

(e) Exam Monitor

Q5. Name the public lender that has recently launched a new facility to enable its employees to 'work from home'.

(a) State Bank of India

(b) Punjab National Bank

(c) Allahabad Bank

(d) Syndicate Bank

(e) Bank of India

Q6. Name the joint military exercise that begun between India and Nepal, recently.

(a) Parakram-III

(b) Indo-Nepo-X

(c) Al-Nagah-II

(d) Surya Kiran-XI

(e) Dhruva-IV

Q7. Name the first smart tribal model village, that was recently inaugurated in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

(a) Akodara

(b) Narobi

(c) Gharah

(d) Voharan

(e) Habbi

Q8. What is the Capital and Currency of Oman?

(a) Matrah, Dinar

(b) Muscat, Rial

(c) Nizwa, Oman Rupiyah

(d) Rustaq, Oman Euro

(e) Samail, Saudi Riyal

Q9. Name the player, who has won his third consecutive Brasil Open title, 2017.

(a) Federico Delbonis

(b) Albert Ramos Viñolas

(c) Pablo Cuevas

(d) Luca Vanni

(e) Rafael Nadal

Q10. India has announced a policy OALP for conducting oil and gas exploration in India. In OALP, term 'A' stands for _____________.

(a) Acreage

(b) Authority

(c) Automation

(d) Automotive

(e) Auditing

Q11. Name the Indian Airport, which has become the world's no.1 airport in terms of service quality, recently.

(a) Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi

(b) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad

(c) Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai

(d) Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru

(e) Chennai International Airport, Chennai

Q12. Name the Indian Actress who has won the Best Actress award at the International Film Festival and Awards of Australia (IFFAA).

(a) Deepika Padukon

(b) Anushka Sharma

(c) Divya Gupta

(d) Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

(e) Radhika Apte

Q13. World Hearing Day is observed globally on ______________.

(a) 3rd March

(b) 13th March

(c) 6th March

(d) 13t April

(e) 8th March

Q14. What is the theme of International Women's Day 2017 campaign?

(a) Support Women

(b) Empower women, Empower Nation

(c) Together with her

(d) Be Bold For Change

(e) A change for cause

Q15. A joint military exercise 'Surya Kiran-XI' between India and Nepal begun in _______.

(a) Himachal Pradesh

(b) Jammu & Kashmir

(c) Uttarakhand

(d) Gujarat

(e) Punjab

                                                            ANSWERS

S1. Ans.(c)

Sol. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation a Petrochemical Complex of ONGC Petro Additions Limited at Dahej, Gujrat. During his two day visit to Gujarat he will also dedicate a four-lane bridge over the Narmada at Bharuch on NH-8.

S2. Ans.(b)

Sol. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that mobile manufacturing company Oppo Mobiles India Private Limited will be the new team sponsor of the Indian cricket team from April 1, 2017 for a period of five years.

S3. Ans.(d)

Sol. International Women's Day is observed globally on 8th March every year. It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

S4. Ans.(c)

Sol. The Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE has introduced a mobile application to help students appearing for class 10th and 12th examinations to locate their exam centers. The App named 'Exam Locator’ will help students to quickly know the exam center on the basis of their roll number.

S5. Ans.(a)

Sol. Country's largest lender State Bank of India launched a new facility to enable its employees to 'work from home'. The Board of the bank has recently approved the 'Work from Home' policy to enable its employees to work while at home using mobile devices to address any urgent requirement they may have, that prevents their traveling to work.

S6. Ans.(d)

Sol. A joint military exercise 'Surya Kiran-XI' between India and Nepal begins in Pithoragarh area of Uttarakhand.

S7. Ans.(e)

Sol. Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali inaugurated the first smart tribal model village 'Habbi' in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

S8. Ans.(b)

Sol. The Capital of Oman is Muscat and its currency is Rial.

S9. Ans.(c)

Sol. Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas won his third consecutive Brasil Open title by beating Spain's Albert Ramos Vinolas in a final.

S10. Ans.(a)

Sol. India has announced an Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) for conducting oil and gas exploration in India.

S11. Ans.(b)

Sol. GMR group led Rajiv Gandhi Hyderabad International Airport has secured first position in the world in the prestigious Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey in the 5-15 million passengers per annum (MPPA) category for the year 2016.

S12. Ans.(d)

Sol. The actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who played the character of Sarabjit Singh’s sister Dalbir Kaur, has won the Best Actress award at the International Film Festival and Awards of Australia (IFFAA).

S13. Ans.(a)

Sol. World Hearing Day is an annual advocacy event held on 3 March. Designated at the First International Conference on Prevention and Rehabilitation of Hearing Impairment in Beijing, China in 2007, the day aims to raise awareness and promote ear and hearing care across the world.

S14. Ans.(d)

Sol. The theme of International Women's Day (IWD) 2017 campaign is 'Be Bold For Change'.

S15. Ans.(c)

Sol. A joint military exercise 'Surya Kiran-XI' between India and Nepal has begun in Pithoragarh area of Uttarakhand.