KRISHNA MOHAN

Saturday, 15 April 2017

Daily GK Update 15th April, 2017

PM launches GNFC’s cashless/less cash township model across 12 States

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched in Nagpur, a cashless/less cash township model, developed by Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd (GNFC), across 81 townships in 12 States.
ii. These townships will deliver 2.5 lakh cashless transactions per day, translating into 9 crore cashless transactions in a year.
iii. GNFC’s township at Bharuch in Gujarat became India’s first cashless township after demonetization.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana tops target for 2016-17

i. Loans extended under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) during 2016-17 have crossed the target of Rs 1,80,000 crore for 2016-17.

ii. The Union Budget has announced a target of Rs. 2.44 lakh crore for Mudra Loans during 2017-18. There would be a special focus within the Mudra Scheme on convergence with other government schemes, deepening connect with borrowers and meeting credit requirements of trainees completing skilling course

UP govt, Centre sign MoU for 'Power for All' scheme

i. Uttar Pradesh government and the Centre have signed an MoU for the 'Power for All' scheme in the state.
ii. The aim of this scheme is to ensure 24-hour quality power supply in the state by October 2018 and electric connection to every house and agriculture field by 2019.
iii. The project will cost above rupees 40 thousand crore out of which 20 thousand crore will be spent till 2018.

RBI issues new framework for bad loans

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a new set of enabling provisions titled 'Revised Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework' to resolve the problem of banks mounting non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans.
ii. The new set of provisions, effective from April 1, 2017 override the existing PCA framework and are based on the financials of each bank as of March 2017.
iii. Under the revised framework, if a bank crosses the third level of risk threshold (where a bank’s common equity tier I capital falls below the threshold of 3.625 per cent by 3.125 per cent, or more) it will either be amalgamated or merged, or taken over by another entity.

Income Tax department launches 'Operation Clean Money-II'

i. The Income Tax department has launched the second phase of the ‘Operation Clean Money’ to investigate over 60,000 individuals with an aim to detect black money generation post demonetisation.
ii. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the policy-making body of the income tax department has detected the flow of black money into the banks amounting to over Rs 9,334 crore between November 9, 2016 and February 28, 2017.

PM Modi inaugurates new units in Koradi thermal power station

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated 1980 MW of the Koradi super-critical thermal power project of state-run Mahagenco near Nagpur in Maharashtra to the nation.
ii. The 1,980 MW capacity includes three units of 660 MW each. The plant currently has one unit of 200 MW, two units of 210 MW each and with the addition of the three units of 660 MW each, its total capacity has increased to 2,600 MW.

Nepal, China hold first ever military exercise

i. Nepal and China will hold the first-ever joint military exercise named ‘Sagarmatha Friendship-2017’ from 17 April 2017 with a special focus on combating terror and disaster management.
ii. Sagarmatha is the Nepali name of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, that is bordering between Nepal and China.

Former J&K Governor Girish Saxena dies

i. Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Girish Chandra Saxena has passed away at the age of 90.
ii. Saxena was an Indian Police Service officer of the 1950 batch from the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
iii. He served two terms as the governor of Jammu and Kashmir. He also served as the head of Research and Analysis Wing from 1983 to 1986.

Important Takeaways from above GK Update are as follows

UP and Centre have signed an MoU for the 'Power for All' scheme in the state
CM of Uttar Pradesh is Yogi Adityanath
Governor of UP is Shri Ram Naik
PM Narendra Modi launched in Nagpur a cashless/less cash township model
Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd is full form of GNFC
GNFC’s township at Bharuch in Gujarat became India’s first cashless township
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana tops target for 2016-17, loans cross target of Rs 1.8 lakh crore
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) was launched on 8th April 2015 by PM Narendra Modi
IT department has launched 'Operation Clean Money-II'
Operation Clean Money is launched with an aim to detect black money
The first phase of ‘Operation Clean Money’ was launched on January 31, 2017
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is the policy-making body of the income tax department
RBI issued new framework for bad loans named as 'Revised Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework'
The head office of RBI is in Mumbai and was formed in 1 April 1935
Urjit Patel is the 24th governor of RBI
B P Kanungo is the newly appointed Deputy governor of RBI.
Nepal and China will hold the first-ever joint military exercise named ‘Sagarmatha Friendship-2017’
Sagarmatha is the Nepali name of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak
Nepal capital is Kathmandu and currency is Nepalese Rupee
China capital is Beijing and currency is Renminbi/Yuan.
PM Modi inaugurated new units of 1980 MW in Koradi thermal power station
Koradi is located near Nagpur, Maharashtra
CM of Maharashtra is Devendra Fadnavis and Governor is C. Vidyasagar Rao.
Former J&K governor Girish Chandra Saxena has passed away
He served two terms as the governor of Jammu and Kashmir
He also as an advisor to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

QUIZ-15

Q1. 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-
Answer: Kolkata

Q2. Name the bollywood actress, who has been roped as brand ambassador for Indian government's cleanliness initiative Swachh Bharat Mission, recently?
Answer: Shilpa Shetty

Q3. India and Bangladesh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the sustainable development of ------------- with financial aid from India.
Answer: Sylhet city

Q4. Which international organisation 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?
Answer: Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Q5. FDI in India has grew 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?
Answer: Investment

Q6. The Karnataka bank was the winner in ‘Best financial inclusion initiatives (small bank)’ category in ‘IBA-Banking Technology’ awards held recently. The IBA- Banking Technology award was held in _____________.
Answer: Mumbai

Q7. Cabinet has recently approved MoU between India and ______________ for promotion and development of cooperation in civil aviation security in India.
Answer: Australia

Q8. The Third National Biodiversity Congress (NBC) 2017 was held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, recently. What was the theme of NBC, 2017?
Answer: Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development

Q9. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu unveiled a new Express train for common man Equipped with cushioned seats, aluminium composite panels, and LED lights, with specially designed colorful coaches, recently. Name of that Express train is ___________.
Answer: Antyodaya Express

Q10. _______________ based non-banking finance company Microfinance institution Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd. has launched an instant loan approval at a village near Bassi in Jaipur district, Rajasthan, recently.
Answer: Hyderabad

Q11. Name the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jasper Infotech-owned digital payments platform FreeCharge who has recently resigned from his post.
Answer: Govind Rajan

Q12. The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) announced that India will be hosting the Combined World Cup for shooting in 2019 during the meeting held in New Delhi, recently. Who is the President of NRAI?
Answer: Raninder Singh

Q13. The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the IoT Acceleration Consortium (ITAC) to collaborate to address digital technology shifts, recently. ITAC is ______________ based company.
Answer: Japan

Q14. Name the Person who has been appointed as the chairman of TATA Group's Indian Hotels, recently.
Answer: N Chandrashekaran

Q15. Cabinet approved signing of Air Services Agreement between India and Greece, recently. What is the currency of Greece?
Answer: Euro

Friday, 14 April 2017

Daily GK Update 14th April, 2017

127th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar: 14 April

i. Nation remembers Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on his 127th birth anniversary today i.e 14 April 2017.
ii. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, chief architect of the Constitution of India, was born on 14th April 1891 at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, which is now known as Dr. Ambedkar Nagar. He was also the first law minister of India.
iii. Prime Minister Modi launched several crucial initiatives to further the digital payments revolution in India on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti in Nagpur. These projects include the launch of BHIM Aadhaar platform for merchants, cash back and referral bonus schemes for BHIM and declaring about 75 townships going less-cash.

France, India ink pact to upgrade Railways

i. The French Minister of State for Transport Alain Vidalies signed an agreement with Indian Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu for collaboration in railway areas such as high-speed and semi-high speed rail, modernisation of current operations and infrastructure, station renovation and operations, suburban trains and safety systems.

Women can retain maiden names in passports, PM announced

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that women are free to retain their maiden names in their passports now after the marriage.
ii. Stating that he wanted women to be at the centre of the developmental schemes as the government is working in different ways to empower them through various schemes like Mudra and Ujjwala.

Haryana launched Operation Durga to ensure women Safety

i. Similar to that of Uttar Pradesh’s ‘Anti-Romeo Squad’, the Haryana government has launched ‘Operation Durga’ to ensure women safety in the state.
ii. Under this operation, the 'Flying Squad' is patrolling those areas where anti-social elements are committing crimes against women. The team is formed by Chief Minister of Haryana Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar.

Jharkhand police initiates Tare Zameen Par programme for underprivileged kids

i. Jharkhand Police has initiated 'Tare Zameen Par programme' to enlighten children in Naxal-affected areas in the Palamau district of Jharkhand.
ii. This programme is aimed to restore confidence in the state police force and to encourage children to lead happy lives.
iii. As a part of the programme, the state police appealed the locals to donate bags, shoes, books and clothes to improve the basic amenities of the children in the Naxal-affected areas.

Bank Boards Bureau evolves 'GRAF' for PSBs

i. The Bank Boards Bureau (BBB) has evolved a Governance, Reward and Accountability Framework (GRAF) for public sector banks to ensure that they have the ability to compete successfully with private sector banks, small finance and payments banks, foreign banks and non-banking finance companies.
ii. The framework is guided by the latest global benchmarking on governance practices provided by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervisions guidelines on corporate governance principles for banks released in July 2015.

Postal department, SBI join hands to promote cashless transactions

i. Department of Posts has joined hands with State Bank of India to promote 'SBI buddy e-wallet' and Point of Sale (POS) machines for cashless transactions at post office counters while booking speed post and registered post items.
ii. Higher officials have dedicated SBI buddy e-wallet and SBI POS machines at Chandigarh General Post Office for the general public.

I-T CPC in Bengaluru gets new unique pin code for taxpayers benefit

i. Taxpayers wanting to send their paper Income Tax Return (ITR) acknowledgment forms or documents related to refunds and others to the I-T department's CPC in Bengaluru can now send it to a unique pin code '560500'.
ii. The Department of Post has allotted the pin code to the Central Processing Centre (CPC) to ensure that letters and emails sent by taxpayers and assessees are not lost and reach the centre without delay.

IRDAI launches web portal for insurers

i. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has launched a web portal for insurers that will allow them to register and sell policies online.
ii. The portal 'isnp.irda.gov.in' is also open to intermediaries in the insurance business.

Grasim gets RBI approval to hike FII limit

i. The Reserve Bank has allowed Aditya Birla Group firm Grasim Industries to raise the foreign shareholding to 49% from the existing limit of 30%.
ii. RBI has notified that foreign institutional Investors/foreign portfolio investors can now invest the paid-up capital of Grasim Industries Ltd under the Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS).

Dr. (Ms.) Mukulita Vijayawargiya takes charge as Whole Time Member of IBBI

i. Dr. (Ms.) Mukulita Vijayawargiya took charge as Whole Time Member of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) in New Delhi.
ii. He will look after the fields like Administrative Law Wing, Information Technology, Limited Insolvency Examination, National Insolvency Examination, Finance Accounts and Communication.

Himachal Pradesh bags Krishi Karman Award 2015-16

i. The Union Ministry of Agriculture has selected Himachal Pradesh for the Krishi Karman Award 2015-16 for the commendable increase in food grains production.
ii. Himachal Pradesh is being selected for this award for the third time. The award would carry a trophy, citation and cash prize. The state was also conferred the Krishi Karman Award for 2011-12 for the increase in wheat production and in 2014-15 for increasing food grains production.

Indian wins top prize at UN challenge for open source tool

i. An Indian software engineer Abdulqadir Rashik has won the top prize at a global challenge for an open-source tool that enables users to interactively view UN General Assembly resolutions and gain a deeper understanding of the voting patterns of member states.
ii. He also won the 'Unite Ideas UNGAViz Textual Analysis and Visualisation Challenge' for his Global Policy.

Cisco launched 5th global and 1st in India cyber range lab in Gurugram

i. US-based tech giant Cisco launched its fifth global cyber range lab in Gurugram, Haryana with an aim to train Indian firms and government agencies on real-world cyber attacks.
ii. This is the first cyber range lab in India. The facility was inaugurated by National Cyber Security Coordinator Gulshan Rai.

Pranab Mukherjee released book on Draupadi by Veerappa Moily

i. A book on Draupadi named 'the Flaming Tresses of Draupadi' written by senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily was released by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
ii. The book is an English translation by D A Shankar of Moily’s original work in Kannada.

Important Takeaways from above GK Update are as follows-

Nation remembers BR Ambedkar on his 127th birth anniversary i.e. 14 April 2017
He was born on 14th April 1891 at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, which is now known as Dr. Ambedkar Nagar
He was also the first law minister of India
Unified Payment Interface (UPI) based app BHIM was launched by PM Modi which has been named after Bhim Rao Ambedkar.
Pranab Mukherjee released the book named 'the Flaming Tresses of Draupadi' authored by M Veerappa Moily
The book was translated into English by D A Shankar
Moily is best known for his book Shree Ramayana Mahanveshanam, which received the Moortidevi Award of the Bharatiya Jnanpith.
Haryana govt launched Operation Durga to ensure women Safety
Haryana CM is Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar
Governor of Haryana is Kaptan Singh Solanki.
Cisco launched its fifth global cyber range lab in Gurugram, Haryana
The facility was inaugurated by National Cyber Security Coordinator Gulshan Rai
Cisco was formed in 1984 and it is headquartered in California, USA
Chuck Robbins is the current CEO of Cisco
India and France inked pact to upgrade Railways
France PM is Bernard Cazeneuve
The capital of France is Paris and its Currency is Euro
French Minister of State for Transport is Alain Vidalies.
Himachal Pradesh bags Krishi Karman Award for 2015-16
The total food grains production has increased from 14.94 lakh tonne to 16.34 lakh tonne in Himachal Pradesh
Radha Ram Mohan Singh is the Union Agriculture and farmer welfare Minister of India
The Capital of Himachal Pradesh is Shimla and its Chief Minister is Mr. Virbhadra Singh
Postal department and SBI joined hands to promote cashless transactions in India
SBI buddy e-wallet and SBI POS machines at Chandigarh General Post Office has been dedicated to the general public
Smt. Arundhati Bhattacharya is the Chairperson of Mumbai Headquartered State Bank of India
Tare Zameen Par programme launched in Jharkhand
CM of Jharkhand is Raghubar Das
Governor of Jharkhand is Draupadi Murmu.
Tare Zameen Par programme launched in Jharkhand
CM of Jharkhand is Raghubar Das
Governor of Jharkhand is Draupadi Murmu.
BBB has evolved a Governance, Reward and Accountability Framework (GRAF) for public sector banks
Banks Board Bureau is an autonomous body of Union Government of India tasked to improve the governance of Public Sector Banks.

IRDAI has launched a web portal 'isnp.irda.gov.in' for insurers that will allow them to register and sell policies online.
Full form of IRDAI is Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
IRDAI Chairman is T.S Vijayan and its headquarter is in Hyderabad.
Dr. (Ms.) Mukulita Vijayawargiya took charge as Whole Time Member of IBBI
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) was established on October 1, 2016, in accordance with the provisions of The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

Banking Awareness

Q1. Financial literacy is a serious issue for RBI, because?

(a) It would enable better understanding of banking business

(b) With better understanding, more and more people would utilize the banking services

(d) It would mean the maximum number of people