Daily GK Update 20th March, 2017

Daily GK Update 20th March, 2017

Finance Minister finalized capital infusion for 10 PSU banks

i. Coming in support of weak and non-performing Public Sector Banks (PSBs), the Finance Ministry has chalked out a turnaround-linked Rs 8,586-crore capital infusion plan for 10 PSBs.

ii. The Top five capital gaining banks are IDBI Bank (Rs 1,900 crore), Bank of India (Rs 1,500 crore), UCO Bank ( Rs 1,150 crore), Andhra Bank and Indian Overseas Bank with Rs (1,100 crore) each.

3 Day International Buddhist Conference in Bihar

i. The three days 'International Buddhist Conference' organized by Ministry of Culture and Nava Nalanda Mahavira Deemed University in Rajgir, Bihar.

ii. The two highlights of the inaugural session- first, the release of the reprint of the Pali Tripitaka in Devanagari script by the Dalai lama and second highlight was the announcement of the opening of the department of the Buddhist science for the first time in Asia.

Harsh Vardhan to inaugurate 5th foundation day function of BIRAC

i. Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan will inaugurate the 5th foundation day function of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) in New Delhi.

ii. The discussion will focus on the impact the Biotech Ecosystem is making on the Indian economy and the opportunities which exist for the Indian Biotech Sector as a global player.

Amazon India brings out ‘A-Z GST Guide’ program

i. E-commerce major Amazon India has come out with a new program for sellers to get insights and help related to the goods and services tax (GST), called the ‘A-Z GST Guide’.

ii. The programme in its pilot phase has already trained over 5,000 sellers on the Amazon platform. The portal provides resources in the form of tutorials, blogs, and free online training sessions.

Idea Cellular board approves merger with Vodafone India

i. The boards of Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Group have approved a merger between Idea Cellular and Vodafone India Ltd.

ii. Vodafone India will own 45.1 percent stake in the merged entity. Promoters of Idea will hold 26 percent stake in the company and the remaining will be held by the public.

World Bank announces 57 billion US dollar for sub-Saharan Africa

i. World Bank has announced 57 billion US dollar financing for sub-Saharan Africa over the next three fiscal years (2017-2019).

ii. Of that total, 45 billion dollars will come from the International Development Association (IDA), 8 billion dollars from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and USD 4 billion dollars will come from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).

Government swaps chief executives of IDBI Bank, Indian Bank

i. The Centre has swapped the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of state-owned Indian Bank and IDBI Bank.

ii. Mahesh Kumar Jain, who was Managing Director & CEO at Indian Bank, has been appointed as Managing Director & CEO of IDBI Bank.

iii. Kishore Piraji Kharat, who was appointed as IDBI Bank CEO, has now been appointed as Managing Director and CEO of Indian Bank.

ONGC signs pact to buy out GSPC’s KG block stake

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has signed definitive agreements to buy out debt-ridden Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation’s (GSPC) entire 80% stake in KG-basin natural gas block for $1.2 billion.

Snapdeal appoints Jason Kothari as CEO of FreeCharge

i. E-commerce firm Snapdeal announced the appointment of Jason Kothari as the Chief Executive Officer of its digital payment platform FreeCharge.

ii. In addition to taking on the role of CEO, Jason will continue his key leadership role as Chief Strategy and Investment Officer at Snapdeal.

Kumar Mangalam Birla named Chairman of Vodafone-Idea merged entity

i. British telecom major Vodafone and Aditya Birla group-run Idea Cellular announced the merger of their operations and Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla has been appointed as the Chairman of Vodafone-Idea merged entity.

Indian-American Computer Scientist Anshumali Wins NSF’s CAREER Award

i. An Indian-American computer scientist, Anshumali Shrivastava, was honored with the National Science Foundation’s prestigious CAREER Award for his research on redesigning current machine-learning processes.

Former Odisha MP Pyarimohan Mohapatra passes away

i. Former Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra passed away in Mumbai after a prolonged illness. He was 77.

ii. Mohapatra was the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister when Biju Patnaik occupied the top post.

Meteorologist Dev Raj Sikka passes away

i. Dev Raj Sikka, former director of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune died of a cardiac arrest.  He was 85 years old.

ii. He was the first to propose a link between the El Nino phenomenon and the Indian monsoon.

Shahid Afridi appointed as ambassador of Blind Cricket World Cup

i. Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has been appointed as the ambassador for the fifth edition of the Blind Cricket World Cup 2018.

ii. The announcement was made by the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC). Blind Cricket World Cup will be hosted by PBCC in the United Arab Emirates(UAE) and Pakistan in January 2018.

Roger Federer claims fifth Indian Wells Masters title

i. World famous tennis player Roger Federer (Switzerland) claimed his fifth BNP PARIBAS OPEN, ATP Indian Wells Masters title after defeating Stan Wawrinka in California, USA.

ii. Federer joined Novak Djokovic as the only men to win five Indian Wells titles, adding to those he won in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2012.

QUIZ-20

Q1. A famous automaker company Ford Foundation has recently appointed Pradeep Nair as regional director for India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Ford Foundation is ______________ based company.

(a) Japan

(b) Australian

(c) Hungary

(d) American

(e) France

Q2. Name the state that has recently launched mobile app and website titled ‘My Talent’  to help skilled and semi-skilled workers find jobs.

(a) Punjab

(b) Himachal Pradesh

(c) Arunachal Pradesh

(d) Bihar

(e) Tamil Nadu

Q3. Name the company that has recently created the world’s smallest magnet using a single atom which can store one bit of data on it.

(a) Infosys

(b) TCS

(c) IBM

(d) WIPRO

(e) Microsoft

Q4. Name the person who has inaugurated the two-day 12th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership held recently in New Delhi.

(a) Narendra Modi

(b) Pranab Mukherjee

(c) Rajnath Singh

(d) Sushma Swaraj

(e) Arwind Kejriwal

Q5. As per recent notification of RBI, Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) cannot lend more than __________ in cash against gold, earlier limit was Rs1 lakh.

(a) Rs 25,000

(b) Rs 35,000

(c) Rs 45,000

(d) Rs 50,000

(e) Rs 60,000

Q6. India successfully test-fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which is capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kg, recently. India had bought BrahMos missile from _________.

(a) USA

(b) France

(c) China

(d) Russia

(e) Germany

Q7. Jiratchaya Sirimongkolnawin was crowned Miss International Queen 2016 recently at a contest billed as the world’s largest and most popular transgender pageant. She is from which country?

(a) China

(b) Thailand

(c) Japan

(d) South Korea

(e) Indonesia

Q8. On the occasion of 127th Foundation Day of National Archives of India (NAI), an exhibition entitled “Revolutionary Patriots” was inaugurated by Shri N.K. Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Culture. It included patriots from ________ to 1947.

(a) 1900

(b) 1857

(c) 1905

(d) 1888

(e) 1910

Q9. B P Kanungo was recently appointed as the Deputy Governor in Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for three years. He has been appointed in place of __________.

(a) R Gandhi

(b) V Acharya

(c) S S Mundra

(d) Harun R Khan

(e) Urjit R Patel

Q10. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar was appointed Goa chief minister, recently. Who is the governor of Goa?

(a) Ashish Malhotra

(b) Antony D'costa

(c) Matthew D'suza

(d) Vimal Acharya

(e) Mridula Sinha

Q11. Name the person who has been appointed as the chairman of Europe's biggest bank named HSBC Holdings Plc.

(a) Johnny Banzo

(b) Mark Tucker

(c) Sushan Mark

(d) Anni Tesla

(e) James Nicholas

Q12. Airtel Payments Bank, offered by telecom major Bharti Airtel has recently announced that over one lakh savings accounts were opened in 100 villages in which of the following state?

(a) Tamil Nadu

(b) Andhra Pradesh

(c) Uttar Pradesh

(d) Maharashtra

(e) Gujarat

Q13. Norway has become first country to cease FM Radio broadcasting. The capital of Norway is __________.

(a) Bergen

(b) Trondheim

(c) Stavanger

(d) Oslo

(e) Kristiansand

Q14. The minimum pension of central government employees has been increased to ________ per person per month.

(a) Rs 5,000

(b) Rs 7,000

(c) Rs 9,000

(d) Rs 10,000

(e) Rs 12,000

Q15. Name the country that is set to conduct its first national census in 19 years which will begin with the assistance of over 200,000 troops.

(a) Azerbaijan

(b) Oman

(c) Iran

(d) Sri Lanka

(e) Pakistan

                                                           Answers

S1. Ans.(d)

Sol. Ford Foundation has appointed Pradeep Nair as regional director for India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, recently. Ford is a New York-based (America) motor company.

S2. Ans. (b)

Sol. Virbhadra Singh led Himachal Pradesh government has launched mobile app and website titled ‘MeraHunar HP’ or ‘My Talent’  to help skilled and semi-skilled workers find jobs.

S3. Ans. (c)

Sol. A team of researchers at IBM has created the world’s smallest magnet using a single atom which can store one bit of data on it.

S4. Ans. (b)

Sol. President Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated the two-day 12th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership in New Delhi. The first conclave has held in 2005.

S5. Ans. (a)

Sol. Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) cannot lend more than Rs 25,000 in cash against gold according to RBI. RBI reduced the amount to Rs 25,000 from the earlier Rs 1 lakh in line with the provisions of the Income Tax Act.

S6. Ans. (d)

Sol. India successfully test-fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which is capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kg, from a test range along the Odisha coast. It was bought from Russia.

S7. Ans. (b)

Sol. Thailand contestant Jiratchaya Sirimongkolnawin was crowned Miss International Queen 2016 on Friday at a contest billed as the world's largest and most popular transgender pageant.

S8. Ans. (c)

Sol. On the occasion of 127th Foundation Day of National Archives of India (NAI), an exhibition entitled “Revolutionary Patriots (1905-1947)” was inaugurated by Shri N.K. Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Culture in the presence of Shri Raghvendra Singh, Director General of NAI and many dignitaries.

S9. Ans. (a)

Sol. B P Kanungo was appointed Deputy Governor in Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for three years. He has been appointed in place of R Gandhi. Kanungo was in March 2016 appointed as executive director in the central bank.

S10. Ans. (e)

Sol. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar was appointed Goa chief minister. Governor Mridula Sinha invited Parrikar to form the government after he staked claim and showed the support of 21 MLAs.

S11. Ans. (b)

Sol. HSBC Holdings Plc , Europe's biggest bank, tapped an outsider for its top job on Monday, appointing insurance veteran and AIA Group boss Mark Tucker as chairman to replace Douglas Flint, who plans to step down in 2017.

S12. Ans. (a)

Sol. Airtel Payments Bank, offered by telecom major Bharti Airtel, announced that over one lakh savings accounts were opened in 100 villages across Tamil Nadu.

S13. Ans. (d)

Sol. Norway has become first country to cease FM Radio broadcasting. Oslo is the capital of Norway and among the fastest growing cities in Europe.

S14. Ans. (c)

Sol. The minimum pension has been increased to Rs 9,000 per person besides a two-fold hike in ex-gratia amount for central government employees.

S15. Ans. (e)

Sol. Pakistan is set to conduct its first national census in 19 years which will begin with the assistance of over 200,000 troops.

Daily GK Update 19th March, 2017

 Daily GK Update 19th March, 2017

Uttar Pradesh now have two Deputy CM

i. Yogi Adityanath, the 32nd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh now have two deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya and  Dinesh Sharma. 

ii.Other states who have had two Deputy CM are Meghalaya, Telangana and Jharkhand.

First fully India-made train flagged off at Dadar station

i.Medha, the made-in-India rake was flagged off for the maiden run of the 12-coach train from Dadar to Borivali, at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. 

ii.Medha has been manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, which has installed LED lighting to reduce energy consumption.



Amitabh Bachchan launches world's first app for breast health

i.Mumbai-based Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation has released an app to provide information under one roof. 
ii.Launched by Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, the app – ‘ABC of Breast Health’ – will provide information in 12 languages.


Punjab to provide 33 percent reservation for women in govt jobs

i.Punjab cabinet has decided to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in all government jobs. 

ii.The cabinet also decided to increase representation of women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies from the present 33 per cent to 50 per cent. 

March 16: Indian-American Appreciation Day recognised by Kansas

i.The U.S. state of Kansas has recognised March 16 as ‘Indian-American Appreciation Day’ to honour an Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla who was killed last month in a racially-motivated hate crime.

QUIZ-19

QUIZ-19

Q1. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that the cash withdrawal limit on savings accounts will be scrapped from-
Answer: 13th March 2017

Q2. Which two priate sector banks are live with the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) that is aimed at easing utility and other repetitive bill payments for consumers?
Answer: HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank

Q3. In which Indian city, the 23rd edition of International Conference and Exhibition on Terrestrial & Satellite Broadcasting was held?
Answer: New Delhi

Q4. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to phase out weekly limit on cash withdrawal from savings accounts recently. The weekly withdrawal limit for savings accounts will be raised to how much amount from 20th February 2017? 
Answer: Rs. 50,000

Q5. With the government taking steps to improve ease of doing business and relax regulations, FDI into the country surged by 60% to USD 4.68 billion in November 2016. What is meaning of "I" in FDI?
Answer: Investment

Q6. The government has sold two per cent stake in ITC to ______________ and earned Rs 6,690 crore (around $1 billion) as part of its divestment plan for 2016-17.
Answer: LIC

Q7. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s driver and INA veteran ‘Colonel’ ___________ has passed away in his native village of Dhakwa in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh after a prolonged illness.
Answer: Nizamuddin

Q8. Which country has been barred from international competition since November 2015 following a damaging report alleging that state-sponsored doping was rife in the country?
Answer: Russia

Q9. Name the person/persons, who/whom has appointed as the part-time Non-Official Directors on the all-powerful Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India for a four-year term. 
Answer: Ashok Gulati, Manish Sabharwal and Rajiv Kumar

Q10. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved PMGDISHA recently. What is the meaning of "G" in PMGDISHA?
Answer: Gramin

Q11. Which team has won the inter-ministry Hockey tournament 2016 - 17 in New Delhi?
Answer: I & B Ministry

Q12. Who has appointed as chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)? 
Answer: Ajay Tyagi

Q13. In the latest move to curb tax evasion, the government has set up a task force to monitor actions of deviant shell companies. The setting up of the task force, under the co-chairmanship of revenue secretary and corporate affairs secretary Tapan Ray. Who is the present revenue secretary of Government of India?
Answer: Hasmukh Adhia

Q14. Glob-trotting sand artist __________________ has added yet another feature in his cap by storming into Guinness World Records for having created the world's tallest sand castle on Puri beach.
Answer: Sudarsan Pattnaik

Q15. Where is the headquartered of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)?
Answer: Mumbai

Daily GK Update 18th March, 2017

RBI to print Rs 10 plastic notes

i. RBI has been authorized by Government of India (GOI) to conduct field trials of plastic notes of Rs 10 in five cities across the country viz Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur, Shimla and Bhubaneswar.

ii. The main purpose of introducing plastic note is to extend the life cycle of banknotes. Moreover, Plastic notes are cleaner, lasts longer and are difficult to counterfeit.

Trivendra Rawat elected as Uttarakhand CM

i. Trivendra Singh Rawat, a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Pracharak elected as Uttarakhand's 9th Chief Minister after replacing of Harish Rawat.

ii. He is currently the convener of the Modi government’s flagship program for Ganga cleanup, the ‘Namami Gange’ program and also the party in charge in Jharkhand. 

India, Russia sign long-term support pact on Sukhoi Su-30MKI

i. India and Russia have signed two long-term support agreements for the Sukhoi Su-30MKI combat aircraft fleet, of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

ii. Bangalore-headquartered Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) with United Aircraft Corporation and United Engine Corporation also signed an agreement for maintenance of other Russian-origin platforms.

Essar group: India’s first private sector township to go cashless

i. The Essar group’s township at Hazira in Surat district of Gujarat has become India’s first private sector township to go cashless.

ii. This will prove to be an important step towards making India a cashless economy.

iii. TMW is a Mumbai-based financial technology company whose wallet is powered by Mumbai-headquartered RBL Bank Ltd.

GST Council Approves SGST & UTGST Draft Bills

i. The Goods and Service Tax (GST) council headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley cleared the remaining State GST (SGST) and Union Territory GST (UTGST) draft bills during its 12 Council meeting.

ii. Now with this Council has approved all five draft bills for GST which is likely to be rollout by July 1, 2017.

iii. The UTGST draft law is for the Union Territories like Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, which do not have legislative assemblies.

Indian railways signs agreement with Australian research center

i. To support future research and technology development, related to critical infrastructure in India, a railway research center in Australia has entered into an agreement with the Indian Railways.

ii. Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL), a Special Purpose Vehicle set up under the administrative control of Ministry of Railways, has signed an agreement with representatives from Monash University's Institute of Railway Technology (IRT), Australia in New Delhi.

iii. Establishment of a new applied research and development institute in India, SRESTHA (Special Railway Establishment for Strategic Technology & Holistic Advancement) will be guided by them.

Sanjauli police post becomes first in India to be linked with CCTNS

i. Sanjauli police station of Sanjauli the main suburb of the city of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh has become the first police post in the country to be linked with Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), a nationwide online tracking system. Chief minister Virbhadra Singh inaugurated the system.

ii. The system will facilitate people in lodging online/offline complaints, police verification of job applicants, tenants, character verification and migrant labourer registration. 

Kerala gets first private bank: ESAF Small Finance Bank

i. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched ESAF (Evangelical Social Action Forum) Small Finance Bank, Kerala’s first private sector bank since the country’s Independence, in Thrissur, Kerala.

ii. R Prabha, former Chairman, Kerala Grameen Bank, is the Chairman of ESAF Small Finance Bank. The Bank will launch a new social deposit scheme ‘Hridaya Deposits’ for HNI and NRI customers.

World Bank approves funding for India's ambitious National Hydrology Project

i. The World Bank has approved a $175 million loan to India for the National Hydrology Project to improve India’s ability to forecast floods and reduce the recurring chances of floods and droughts.

ii. The loan would be disbursed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The loan has a six-year grace period in which no interest payments will be due and will mature in 23 years.

Social Security Agreement between India and Brazil

i. India and Brazil initialed the text of the Social Security Agreement (SSA) in Brazil.

ii. The SSA between India and Brazil once in force by early 2018 will be the first such agreement between the BRICS countries.

Mallikarjun Kharge becomes next PAC Chairman

i. Former Minister of Inidan Railways Mallikarjun Kharge has been nominated for the post of chairman of the Public’s Account Committee (PAC) of Parliament.

ii. Kharge will take charge from K.V. Thomas on May 1, 2017.

India ranks 148 in 2017 UN Women in Politics Map

i. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women launched the ‘Women in Politics 2017 Map’ in New York.

ii. The Women in Politics 2017 Map is the visual representation of women’s political empowerment in executive government and parliament as on January 1, 2017. 

iii. As per the Map, India ranked 148 out of 193 UN member nations in representing women in the executive government. The theme for 2017 is 'Women’s Economic Empowerment In The Changing World Of Work'.

iv. Top 5 countries with highest women in parliament: Rwanda, Bolivia, Cuba, Iceland and Nicaragua.

Michael Clarke’s launches his autobiography ‘My Story’

i. Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has launched his autobiography named ‘My Story’ in Kolkata.

ii. This book was triggered by how he was affected by Phil Hughes’ death when India was touring Australia in 2014-15.