Wednesday, 24 May 2017

QUIZ-24


Q1. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has recently approved USD 160 million loans for a power project in Andhra Pradesh, the first credit from the bank for an Indian project. The AIIB is sponsored by ____________
(a) Japan
(b) Austria
(c) China
(d) South Africa
(e) Brazil

Q2. Braj Bihari Kumar has been recently appointed as the chairman of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). He has succeeded famous economist ______________.
(a) Shashi Tharoor
(b) Kamla Kiran
(c) P N Mallikarjuna
(d) S K Thorat
(e) S N Tiwari

Q3. In order to improve the connectivity of the state, Union Cabinet approved ______________ Airport as International Airport recently.
(a) Vijayawada
(b) Chennai
(c) Hyderabad
(d) Bengaluru
(e) Thiruvananthapuram

Q4. India is all set to get world's highest railway bridge in J&K which is 35 meters taller than Eiffel Tower. The Bridge will be built across which of the following River?
(a) Beas River
(b) Jhelum River
(c) Churu River
(d) Chenab River
(e) Nubra River

Q5. The 'Swachh Survekshan 2017' survey results were recently announced by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. Which of the following city is India’s cleanest city?
(a) Bhopal
(b) Indore
(c) Bengaluru
(d) New Delhi
(e) Bhubneshwar

Q6. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for restructuring the schemes of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) under new Central Sector Scheme named SAMPADA. What does 'P' stands for in SAMPADA?
(a) Production
(b) Permeable
(c) Processing
(d) Power
(e) Provident

Q7. The Union Cabinet chaired by ____________ has given its approval for National Steel Policy (NSP) 2017.
(a) Shri Birender Singh
(b) Shri Arun Jaitley
(c) Shri Rajnath Singh
(d) Shri Narendra Modi
(e) None of the given options is true

Q8. The Indian men’s national football team has made it into the top 100 of the FIFA world football rankings for the first time in 21 years. Who is the President of FIFA?
(a) Sepp Blatter
(b) Joao Havelange
(c) Gianni Infantino
(d) Takehiko Nakao
(e) Soal Manol

Q9. What is the best ever ranking of Indian football team in FIFA world ranking?
(a) 99th
(b) 86th
(c) 96th
(d) 95th
(e) 94th

Q10. The 'Swachh Survekshan 2017' survey results were recently announced by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. Which of the following city is the dirtiest city in India?
(a) Itawah
(b) Varanasi
(c) Hardoi
(d) Gonda
(e) Bhusawal

Q11. India has launched the GSLV-F09 carrying the GSAT-9 or the “South Asia” satellite from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. What is the meaning of "S" in GSLV?
(a) Satellite
(b) Solutions
(c) Search
(d) Science
(e) Space

Q12. In order to Strengthen defence ties, India has opened its first private small arms manufacturing plant at- 
(a) Vadodara, Gujarat
(b) Malanpur, Madhya Pradesh
(c) Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
(d) Darbhanga, Bihar
(e) None of the given options is true 

Q13. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has constituted Technical Committee to lay down Technical Standards for the performance of core services and other services in accordance with Regulation 14 of the IBBI (Information Utilities) Regulations, 2017. The committee will be chaired by-
(a) Mr. Anthony Lianzuala
(b) Shobana Kamineni
(c) Dr. RB Barman
(d) Yusra Mardini 
(e) Nita Ambani

Q14. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India was established on ______________ in accordance with the provisions of The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
(a) 01st April 2017
(b) 01st October 2013
(c) 01st November 2015
(d) 01st October 2016
(e) 01st September 2016

Q15. Which among the following state government has passed a resolution granting river Narmada the status of a living entity and committed itself to the protection of its legal rights recently?
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Himachal Pradesh
(c) Arunachal Pradesh
(d) Uttar Pradesh
(e) Madhya Pradesh

Q16. The NABARD (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was introduced by Minister of Finance, Mr. Arun Jaitley. Who is the present Chairman of NABARD?
(a) Dr. Kshatrapati Shivaji
(b) Yaduvendra Mathur
(c) Urjit R Patel
(d) Ajay Tyagi
(e) Harsh Kumar Bhanwala

Q17. Reliance Corporate IT Park Ltd. (RCITPL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with enterprise application software major SAP SE to launch ________________ solution for taxpayers.
(a) SUKHAD GST
(b) SUGAM GST
(c) SINEH GST
(d) SARAL GST
(e) None of the given options is true 

Q18. Thirty-four MoUs amounting to about Rs 2 lakh crores were signed in the three-day India Integrated Transport and Logistics Summit that was concluded in-
(a) Mumbai
(b) Lucknow
(c) New Delhi
(d) Chennai
(e) Kolkata

Q19. Who is the current Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping?
(a) Radha Mohan Singh
(b) Nitin Jairam Gadkari
(c) Ram Vilas Paswan
(d) Anant Geete
(e) Bandaru Dattatreya

Q20. The Haryana government has decided to open canteens offering meals at subsidized rates to registered construction workers under the "Antyodaya Anna Yojana" at 23 locations in the state. Who is the present Chief Minister of Haryana?
(a) Manohar Lal Khattar
(b) Captain Amarinder Singh
(c) Shivraj Singh Chouhan
(d) Yogi Adityanath
(e) Virbhadra Singh

Q21. The Antyodaya Anna Yojana, an important milestone in providing foodgrains to the poor was launched on- 
(a) 25th December 2000
(b) 02nd October 2006
(c) 20th August 2004
(d) 14th November 2010
(e) 15th August 2015

Q22. The promulgation of the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 inserting two new Sections (viz. 35AA and 35AB) after Section 35A of the __________________ enables the Union Government to authorize the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to direct banking companies to resolve specific stressed assets by initiating insolvency resolution process, where required.
(a) Banking Regulation Act, 1935
(b) Banking Regulation Act, 1949
(c) Banking Regulation Act, 1956
(d) Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
(e) Reserve Bank of India Act, 1949

Q23. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved seven top-level changes in various public sector banks recently. Who has been appointed as MD & CEO of Allahabad Bank?
(a) G Rajkiran Rai
(b) R Subramaniakumar
(c) Usha Ananthasubramanian
(d) Dinabandhu Mohapatra
(e) RA Sankara Narayanan

Q24. Who has been appointed as MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank by appointments Committee of the Cabinet?
(a) G Rajkiran Rai
(b) R Subramaniakumar
(c) Usha Ananthasubramanian
(d) Sunil Mehta
(e) RA Sankara Narayanan

Q25. Which among the following countries has beat Australia 4-3 in a thrilling hockey final of the 26th edition of the Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh, Malaysia?
(a) Russia
(b) Singapore
(c) India
(d) New Zealand
(e) Great Britain

Solutions

S1. Ans.(c)
Sol. China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has recently approved USD 160 million loan for a power project in Andhra Pradesh, the first credit from the bank for an Indian project. The AIIB, in which India is the second largest shareholder after China, has approved the project with the objective to strengthen the power transmission and distribution system in Andhra Pradesh.

S2. Ans.(d)
Sol. Braj Bihari Kumar, the editor of quarterly journals Dialogue and Chintan Srijan, has been appointed as the chairman of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). He has succeeded famous economist S K Thorat.

S3. Ans.(a)
Sol. Union Cabinet approved Vijayawada Airport as International Airport recently. This move will improve the connectivity of the state and provide a wider choice of service at competitive cost to air travelers.

S4. Ans.(d)
Sol. Around two years from now, the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir will be spanned by the world’s highest railway bridge that is expected to be 35 metres taller than Paris’ Eiffel Tower. The massive arch-shaped structure, being constructed at a cost of around Rs. 1,100 crores, will rise 359 m above the river bed.

S5. Ans.(b)
Sol. The 'Swachh Survekshan 2017' survey results were recently announced by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. The total 434 cities of India were surveyed. Indore in Madhya Pradesh is India’s cleanest city while Gonda in Uttar Pradesh is the dirtiest, according to the ‘Swachh Survekshan-2017’.

S6. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for restructuring the schemes of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) under new Central Sector Scheme – SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) for the period 2016-20

S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for National Steel Policy (NSP) 2017. The new Steel Policy enshrines the long term vision of the Government to give impetus to the steel sector.

S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Indian men’s national football team has made it into the top 100 of the FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) world football rankings for the first time in 21 years. Gianni Infantino is the President of FIFA.

S9. Ans.(e)
Sol. The Indian men’s national football team has made it into the top 100 of the FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) world football rankings for the first time in 21 years. The last time India had been in the top 100 of the rankings was way back in 1996, with the 94th spot in February 1996 being the country’s best ever FIFA ranking.

S10. Ans.(d)
Sol. The 'Swachh Survekshan 2017' survey results were recently announced by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. The total 434 cities of India were surveyed. Indore in Madhya Pradesh is India’s cleanest city while Gonda in Uttar Pradesh is the dirtiest, according to the ‘Swachh Survekshan-2017’.

S11. Ans.(a)
Sol. India made its biggest space diplomacy push when the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F09), carrying the GSAT-9 or the "South Asia" satellite, was launched successfully from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. 

S12. Ans.(b)
Sol. In order to Strengthen defence ties, India has opened its first private small arms manufacturing plant at Malanpur, Madhya Pradesh in a joint venture with Israel. The plant has been set up as a joint venture Punj Lloyd Raksha Systems between Indian defence conglomerate Punj Lloyd and Israel Weapons Industries (IWI).

S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has constituted Technical Committee to lay down Technical Standards for the performance of core services and other services in accordance with Regulation 14 of the IBBI (Information Utilities) Regulations, 2017. The committee will be Chaired by Dr. R. B. Barman and the three members of the committee are Dr. Nand Lal Sarda, Dr.  Pulak Ghosh and Sh. V. G. Kannan.

S14. Ans.(d)
Sol. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India was established on October 1, 2016 in accordance with the provisions of The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. Dr. MS Sahoo currently serves as Chairperson of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).

S15. Ans.(e)
Sol. The Madhya Pradesh government has passed a resolution granting river Narmada the status of a living entity and committed itself to the protection of its legal rights. A month ago, the Uttarakhand High Court had declared Ganga, Yamuna and their tributaries living entities with the status of a legal person.

S16. Ans.(e)
Sol. Minister of Finance, Mr. Arun Jaitley in Lok Sabha on April 5, 2017, The Bill seeks to amend the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala is the present  Chairman of NABARD.

S17. Ans.(d)
Sol. Reliance Corporate IT Park Ltd. (RCITPL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with enterprise application software major SAP SE to launch 'SARAL GST' solution for taxpayers. According to the subsidiary of Reliance Industries, the new offering will enable taxpayers to be GST compliant and smoothly access the government's GST System, once GST is rolled out from July 1, 2017.

S18. Ans.(c)
Sol. Thirty-four MoUs amounting to about Rs 2 lakh crores were signed in the three-day India Integrated Transport and Logistics Summit that was concluded in New Delhi. 

S19. Ans.(b)
Sol. Nitin Jairam Gadkari is the current Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping.

S20. Ans.(a)
Sol. The Haryana government has decided to open canteens offering meals at subsidized rates to registered construction workers under the "Antyodaya Anna Yojana" at 23 locations in the state. Besides, mobile food vans would be started at 23 convenient sites with a large number of workers. Manohar Lal Khattar is the present Chief Minister of Haryana.

S21. Ans.(a)
Sol. The Antyodaya Anna Yojana, an important milestone in providing foodgrains to the poor was launched on December 25, 2000.

S22. Ans.(b)
Sol. The promulgation of the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 inserting two new Sections (viz. 35AA and 35AB) after Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 enables the Union Government to authorize the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to direct banking companies to resolve specific stressed assets by initiating insolvency resolution process, where required. The RBI has also been empowered to issue other directions for resolution, and appoint or approve for appointment, authorities or committees to advise banking companies for stressed asset resolution. 

S23. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved seven top-level changes in various public sector banks. Usha Ananthasubramanian, MD, and CEO, Punjab National Bank, has been appointed as MD & CEO of Allahabad Bank. 

S24. Ans.(d)
Sol. Sunil Mehta, Executive Director, Corporation Bank, has been appointed as MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank. 

S25. Ans.(e)
Sol. Great Britain beat Australia 4-3 in a thrilling hockey final of the 26th edition of the Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh, Malaysia. This victory came to Great Britain in the Azlan Shah Cup after 23 years. Australia is the world champions and had won the Azlan Shah title nine times. Great Britain becomes the first team from the British Isles to win the Azlan Shah title since 1994.

Tuesday, 23 May 2017

Daily GK Update 23rd May 2017


PM launches various projects of Kandla Port Trust, Gujarat
i. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has launched various projects of Kandla Port Trust at Gandhidham in Gujarat. 
ii. He unveiled plaques to mark the laying of Foundation Stone for the construction of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Convention Centre and the development of the 14th and 16th General Cargo Berth.
iii. He handed over Letters of Award for Construction of Interchange-cum-ROB (Railway Bridge) at Kutch Salt Junction, Deployment of two Mobile Harbour Cranes and Mechanization for the handling of fertilizers at Kandla Port.

Static Takeaways-
  • Kandla was constructed in the 1950s as the chief seaport serving western India.
  • CM of Gujarat is Mr. Vijay Rupani and its governor is Mr. Om Prakash Kohli.
  • Shri.Ravi M Parmar is the Chairman of Kandla Port Trust.

India becomes second largest steel producer in the world
i. India overtook Japan to become the second-largest steel producer in the world after China in 2016, according to data released by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF).
ii. India’s stainless steel production rose to 3.32 million tons for 2016 showing an impressive growth of about 9% over 3.0 million tons achieved in 2015.
iii. The data were released at ISSF annual conference in Tokyo, Japan.
Static Takeaways-
  • The International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) is a non-profit research and development organization which was founded in 1996
  • Roeland Baan is the Chairman of ISSF
  • The Indian Stainless Steel Development Association (ISSDA) is the unifying point for the growth and development of stainless steel usage in India and it was Founded in 1989.
  • Shri Chaudhary Birender Singh is Union Minister of Steel since July 2016.

Free Wi-Fi Facility to be provided at 28 Railway Stations
i. Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu has inaugurated the WiFi facility from Kudal Railway Station at 28 Railway Stations of Konkan Railway.
ii. Indian Railways has tied up with M/s SYSCON/JOISTER for provision of 2 Mbps peer to peer 24 hrs FREE Wi-Fi INTERNET bandwidth at 28 stations of Konkan Railway.
iii. This facility will help travelling public, commutes & tourists on Indian Railways to access essential information and they could use their time productively while waiting for trains at railway stations.  This initiative of corporation is a steps towards making a smarter India.

Static Takeaways-




  • First Railway Minister of Independent India is John Mathai


  • HDFC Life launches AI-based insurance email bot 'SPOK'
    i. HDFC Life announced the launch of an artificial intelligence-based application 'SPOK' that can automatically read, understand, categorize, prioritize and respond to customer emails sent to the private insurer.
    ii. 'SPOK', an insurance email bot, can read customer queries within milliseconds and respond to them.
    iii. The deployment of SPOK will improve customer experience, while providing the support staff with the bandwidth to focus on customer satisfaction.




    Static Takeaways-
    • HDFC Bank MD is Aditya Puri
    • Headquarter of HDFC Bank is Mumbai.

    Federal Bank launches new trading platform
    i. Federal Bank, in association with Geojit, has launched a new trading platform called “Selfie” for customers.
    ii. Designed and managed by Geojit, the trading platform will give its users absolute control over their investments with timely research inputs to make sound investment decisions.

    Static Takeaways-
    • Federal Bank Headquarter is in Kochi, Kerala and its CEO is Shyam Srinivasan.

    Israel aerospace industries signs $630 million deal with India
    i. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has closed another major deal worth 630 million US dollar with India to supply advanced long-range air and missile defense systems for four ships of the Indian Navy. 
    ii. According to State-owned IAI, the contract is for supplying Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM) systems.
    iii. The LRSAM is a joint development by IAI and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The system provides the ultimate protection against a variety of aerial, naval and airborne threats. The deal, a major boost to the ‘Make in India’ campaign.


    Static Takeaways-
    • Mr. Joseph Weiss is the President & CEO of IAI
    • Israel Aerospace Industries was established in 1953 as Bedek Aviation Company.
    • Israel is the Country in the Middle East and its Capital is Jerusalem.

    First draft of nuclear ban treaty released by UN
    i. A United Nations-backed panel has publicly released a draft treaty banning the possession and use of all nuclear weapons.
    ii. The draft treaty is the culmination of a sustained campaign, supported by more than 130 non-nuclear states, to prohibit nuclear weapons and persuade nuclear-armed states to disarm.
    iii. Nine countries that are known to possess nuclear weapons are- the US, UK, Russia, China, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel has not supported the draft plan.

    Static Takeaways-
    • The United States dropped nuclear weapons on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively.


     World Biodiversity Day.
    i. Every year, May 22 is observed as International Day for Biodiversity or World Biodiversity Day. This date commemorates the date of Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity at UNEP Headquarters, Nairobi on 22 May 1992. 
    ii. The theme for 2017 for World Biodiversity Day is “Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism”

    Static Takeaways-
    • UNEP full form is United Nations Environment Programm
    • UNEP headquarter is in Nairobi, Kenya.


    India's Rohan Chakravarty won WWF International President’s Award 2017

    i. Rohan Chakravarty, a wildlife and environment cartoonist from India, has won WWF International President’s Award 2017 for his efforts to change attitudes towards nature.
    ii.The award is the top accolade given by WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to recognize leadership in young conservationists who are under the age of 30 from around the world. The award ceremony was held recently in Manado, Indonesia.


    Static Takeaways-
    • Carter Roberts is the President & CEO of WWF (World Wildlife Fund)
    • Green Humour is the first Indian comic strip to be distributed internationally

    Indian-born woman elected to City of London Corporation
    i. A 43-year-old UK entrepreneur has become the first India-born woman to be elected as a councillor to a ward in the UK. 
    ii. Rehana Ameer, who was born and raised in Chennai, contested from Vintry ward in the City of London county as an independent candidate. 



    Static Takeaways-
    • UK capital is London and its currency is British Pound
    • PM of UK is Theresa May.

    Mathunny Mathews, the Real-life Hero of 'Airlift' passes away
    i. Indian businessman Mathunny Mathews died aged 81 in Kuwait after being part of the tiny emirate's fortunes and trials for over six decades.
    ii. He was known as one of the heroes who made possible the largest civilian evacuation in known history and the main inspiration behind the 2016 Bollywood historical drama Airlift.




    Static Takeaways-




  • Airlift movie was directed by Raja Krishna Menon.

  • India's Vaishali wins gold in Asian Blitz Chess Championship
    i. India's R Vaishali won the women's title with eight points from nine rounds in the Asian Continental Blitz Chess Championship in Chengdu, China.
    ii. Vaishali drew her final round game against Uurtsaikh Uuriintuya of Mongolia to finish half-a-point ahead of Iran's Sarasdat Khademalsharieh and clinch the gold medal.
     iii. The Chennai player with an ELO rating of 2203 had finished third in the Asian Championship event.
    Static Takeaways-




  • Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports is Vijay Goel.

  • ssc mts


    NOTICE:


               The Staff Selection Commission has taken a decision to cancel the (Paper-I) (Afternoon Shift) of the MTS (Non-Technical) Examination 2016 held on 30th April 2017, because the said paper was found to be compromised. The re-examination for only those candidates who appeared in this shift will be held in due course and the candidates would be suitably informed accordingly. The inconvenience caused to the candidates is regretted.

    ssc mts


    NOTICE REGARDING MTS EXAMINATION, 2016

    23rd May, 2017

           The Commission has taken a decision to cancel the Multi-Tasking Staff (Non-Technical) Examination, 2016 in the OMR based mode for all 5 days (viz. the examinations already conducted on 30.4.2017 and 14.5.2017, and to be conducted on 28.5.2017, 4.6.2017 and 11.6.2017). The said examination would now be conducted by the Commission afresh in the computer based mode, tentatively during the month of September-October, 2017. The details in this regard would be hosted on the website of the Commission in due course.

    QUIZ-23


    Q1. In 'Swachh Shakti Saptah' Gurugram, Haryana, held recently, approximately how many districts have been declared ODF (Open Defecation Free). 
    Answer: 100

    Q2. Which Regulatory body has proposed up to 50 per cent increase in insurance premium for cars, motor cycles as well as commercial vehicles from April 1.
    Answer: IRDAI

    Q3. The GST Council recently approved the draft CGST and IGST Bills. The letter ‘C’ in the term CGST stands for ‘Central’ while letter ‘I’ in the term ‘IGST’ stands for __________.
    Answer: Integrated

    Q4. The Union Finance Ministry has agreed in-principle to allow public sector banks to offer ESOPs to their employees from 2017-18. The term ESOPs stands for _____________.
    Answer: Employee Stock Option Plans

    Q5. Which country has won the Most Popular Tourism Destination Award, recently?
    Answer: Sri Lanka

    Q6. Name the City in which a two-day North-East Business Summit (NEBS) held, recently.
    Answer: New Delhi

    Q7. Which organisation has extended the last date of submission of digital life certificate through Jeevan Pramaan Patra by March 31st, 2017 under Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS).
    Answer: EPFO

    Q8. Which institutes has recently won the 2017 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Spectrum Technology in the Service of Society Award for its solar-direct current (DC) inverter system.
    Answer: IIT- Madras

    Q9. Name the first state to launch web-based portal to showcase the government’s performance and achievements to the citizens of the state.
    Answer: Andhra Pradesh

    Q10. Name the country that will host Mobile World Congress (for the first time) to be held in September 2017.
    Answer: India

    Q11. Which state has launched 24*7  helpline number 181 to assist women in distress on the occasion of International Women’s Day (8th March 2017).
    Answer: Odisha

    Q12. In 'BCCI Annual Awards for 2015-16' who won the Best Umpire in Domestic cricket award?
    Answer: Nitin Menon

    Q13. Name the state that has recently launched a housing scheme estimated at Rs 1,580 crore.
    Answer: Tamil Nadu

    Q14. Name the ballistic missile that was recently launched by Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
    Answer: Hormuz 2

    Q15. Parliament recently approved a bill granting women working in the organized sector paid maternity leave of ___________ weeks up from 12 weeks now.
    Answer: 26

    Monday, 22 May 2017

    Daily GK Update 21th & 22 nd May 2017

    1. May 21st is observed as Anti-Terrorism Day in the memory of former Indian PM Mr. Rajiv Gandhi
    i. All over India, May 21st is observed as Anti-Terrorism Day in the memory of former Indian PM Mr. Rajiv Gandhi who passed away on this day.
    ii. On this day in the year 1991, former India’s PM Rajiv Gandhi was killed brutally by terrorist attacks. Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, while conducting an election campaign in Sriperumbudur (located near Chennai) in Tamil Nadu was assassinated by a suicide bomber on 21 May 1991.


    Static Takeaways-
    • Rajiv Ratna Gandhi (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was Prime Minister of India, serving from 1984 to 1989.
    • He took office after the 1984 assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, his mother, to become the youngest Indian premier.

    2. Arunachal’s Anshu Jamsenpa is the first woman to scale Mt Everest twice in 5 days
    i. Arunachal Pradesh mountaineer Anshu Jamsenpa has become the world’s first woman to scale Mt Everest twice in five days.
    ii. Her ascent of the world’s tallest peak in the Himalayas at 7.45 am on 21st May 2017 was her fifth overall and the second after 16th May 2017.



    Static Takeaways-
    • Mount Everest height is about 8,848 meters above sea level
    • First Persons to climb Mt Everest in 1953 are Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

    3. NASA names bacteria after Abdul Kalam

    i. Scientists at NASA have named a new organism discovered by them after the much-loved A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
    ii.The name of the bacterium is Solibacillus kalamii, the species name is after Dr. Abdul Kalam and genus name is Solibacillus which is a spore-forming bacteria.




    Static Takeaways-
    • Dr. Kalam was the 11th President of India became on 25th July 2002
    • APJ Kalam also known as Missile Man of India and his full name is Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
    • India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3) was developed by Dr. APJ Kalam for ISRO
    • NASA headquarter is in Washington, D.C. USA.

    4. Tejas Express to make its debut on Mumbai-Goa route
    i. India’s state-of-the-art high-speed train Tejas Express, which can run up to the speed of 200km per hour, has made its trip between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai, and Karmali, North Goa.
    ii. 
    The train will cover a distance of 579km in 8.5 hours with halts at Dadar, Thane, Panvel, Ratnagiri and Kudal.
    iii. The 15-coach train has two classes chair car and executive chair car and is equipped with facilities like secured gangways, automatic doors, LCD screens, Wi-Fi, tea-coffee vending machines, magazines, bio-toilets, hand dryers etc.

    Static Takeaways-
    • Railway Minister of India is Suresh Prabhu
    • First Railway Minister of  Independent India is John Mathai.

    5. Tata Sons appoints Saurabh Agrawal as Group CFO
    i. Tata Sons has appointed Saurabh Agrawal, an investment banker who was formerly with the Aditya Birla Group, as its Group Chief Financial Officer. He will join the company from July 2017. 
    ii. Agrawal, among India’s most successful investment bankers, brings with him over two decades of experience in the capital markets.





    Static Takeaways-
    • Chairman of Tata Sons is N. Chandrasekaran
    • Founder of Tata is Jamsetji Tata and it was founded in 1868.

    6. Cochin Port Trust bags two awards
    i. Cochin Port Trust has received two Best Performance Awards from Ministry of Shipping for the highest growth in operating surplus and also for achieving third highest growth in cargo traffic among the major ports in the year 2016-17.
    ii. The awards were received from Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari by P Raveendran, Chairman, and A V Ramana, Deputy Chairman, Cochin Port Trust at a function held at Goa Port Trust.

    Static Takeaways-
    • CM of Kerala is Pinarayi Vijayan and governor is P.Sathasivam
    • Periyar Tiger Reserve is situated in Kerala.

    7. India's Prashant Ranganathan wins top intel International science award in US
    i. An Indian boy has won the world’s largest pre-college science competition, The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) in the US in the environmental engineering category for his project on biodegradation of pesticides. 
    ii. The name of his project was ‘Biodegradation of Chlorpyrifos using native bacteria’ which was based on the theme that farmers should not use pesticides.


    Static Takeaways from above News-
    • The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) is a program of Society for Science & the Public (the Society)
    • This is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition.

    8. Deveshwar, Soumitra Chatterjee conferred Bengal's highest civilian award
    i. Thespian Soumitra Chatterjee and Y.C. Deveshwar were conferred the Banga Samman, West Bengal's highest civilian award, by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
    ii. The Banga Samman awards were instituted in 2011 after Banerjee came to power. Celebrated artists, singers, sportspersons, filmmakers, intellectuals have been honored with these awards in the past.

    Static Takeaways-
    • CM of West Bengal is Mamta Banerjee and governor is Keshari Nath Tripathi
    • The Buxa Tiger Reserve is situated in West Bengal.

    9. Karnataka Bank inks pact with LIC
    i. Karnataka Bank Ltd has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India for selling life insurance products of LIC.
    ii. The bank signed the corporate agency agreement with LIC in Mangaluru, Karnataka. The bank will be able to provide the vast choice of life insurance products to its customers across all its 769 branches with this MoU.

    Static Takeaways from above News-
    • Mr.Mahabaleshwara M.S is the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Karnataka Bank
    • V. K. Sharma is the current chairman of LIC
    • LIC is Headquartered in Mumbai.

    10. Hassan Rouhani wins Presidential Re-election in Iran
    i. Hassan Rouhani was re-elected as the President of Iran after winning Iranian presidential elections 2017. 
    ii. This is his second term as Iran's President. He was first elected as Iran's President in 2013. 
    iii. In the Iranian Presidential Elections, Hassan Rouhani defeated his Conservative opponent Ebrahim Raisi by winning 57% of the total seats. The elections were labeled as the “most competitive ever”.

    Static Takeaways from above News-
    • Tehran is the Capital of Iran and its Currency is Iranian rial.

    11. Alexander Zverev win Italian Open title by defeating Novak Djokovic
    i. Alexander Zverev defeated the world no. 2 ranking player Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 to win the Italian Open, 2017. The final was held in Rome, Italy. 
    ii. The 20-year-old Zverev became the youngest player to win a Masters 1000 event since Djokovic won in Miami a decade ago at 19. 
    iii. The Italian Open women's Singles Title 2017 was won by Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.

    Static Takeaways from above News-
    • Alexander Zverev is the professional German tennis player
    • Italian open is also known as Rome Masters and Italian Championship
    • Rome is the Capital city of Italy
    • The currency of Italy is Euro.

    12. Bengaluru FC wins Federation Cup
    i. The Bengaluru FC defeated Mohun Bagan (2-0) to lift 38th Federation Cup football tournament at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha. 
    ii. In the tightly contested tussle befitting a final, BFC overcame a bit of hard luck to ride on C.K. Vineeth’s extra-time brace and bag the prestigious title despite the unavailability of two of key players, Sunil Chhetri and Cameron Watson.


    Static Takeaways from above News-
    • Bengaluru FC is currently owned by Mumbai-based Company, JSW Group
    • The Club was formed in July 2013
    • Federation Cup was started in the year 1977

    13. Mumbai Indians win IPL title for the third time
    i. In Cricket, Mumbai Indians lifted the 10th Indian Premier League trophy for the third time, as they recorded a scintillating 1-run win against Rising Pune Supergiant in the title clash at Hyderabad during final.
    ii. Mumbai successfully defended a total of 129 and restricted Pune to 128/6 to lift their third IPL trophy. Krunal Pandya from Mumbai Indians was named the man of the match.

    Static Takeaways-
    • Orange Cap in IPL 2017 refers to the most runs taken by a batsman which is David Warner from Sunrise Hyderabad team has taken 641 runs in 2017 tournament.
    • Purple Cap in IPL 2017 refers to the most wickets taken by a bowler which is Bhuvneshwar Kumar from Sunrise Hyderabad team has taken 26 overall wickets in 2017 tournament.
    • Hyderabad team was the winner of 9th IPL tournament in 2016.



    Vizag Steel Plant Recruitment 2017 – 238 MT, JMO


    Vizag Steel Plant Recruitment 2017 – Apply Online for 233 MT & JMO Posts: Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, Vizag Steel Plant, Visakhapatnam has published notification for the recruitment of 233 Management Trainee (MT) & Junior Medical Officer vacancies. Eligible candidates may apply online from 17-05-2017 to 31-05-2017. Other details like age limit, educational qualification, selection process, application fee & how to apply are given below….
    Vizag Steel Plant Vacancy Details:
    Total No. of Posts: 233
    Name of the Post:
    1. Management Trainee (Technical): 223 Posts
    2. Management Trainee (F&A): 03 Posts
    3. Junior Medical Officer: 07 Posts
    Age Limit: Candidates age limit should be 27 years (i.e Born not earlier than 01-05-1990) for Post No. 01 & 02 and 30 years (i.e Born not earlier than 01-05-1987) for Post No. 03 as on 01-05-2017. Age relaxation is applicable to 05 years for SC/ ST candidates, 03 years for OBC (Non Creamy Layer) candidates & 10 years for PWD Candidates. For more relaxation details refer the notification.
    Educational Qualification: Candidates should possess Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or Technology in the disciplines of Mattallurgy/ Mechanical/ Electrical/ Chemical/ Civil/ Ceramics/ Mining from a University/ Institute recognized by AICTE with minimum 60% of marks in the aggregate of all years/ semesters and all subjects (50% in aggregate for SC/ ST/ PWD candidates) for Post No. 01, Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline with minimum 60% of marks in aggregate of all years/ semesters and all subjects from a recognized University (50% in aggregate for ST Candidates) and have passed final examination of ICAI or ICWAI for Post No. 02 & MBBS Degree from any recognized University/ State or Central Government Institution/ Medical College recognized by Medical Council of India (MCI) for Post No. 03 with relevant experience.
    Selection Process: Candidates will be selected based on Written Test followed by Interview.
    Application Fee: Candidates should pay Rs. 500/- for General and OBC candidates through Challan/ Pay-in-Slip should be deposited in RINL-VSP Recruitment Account No. 30589461220 at any of the Core Banking Branches of State Bank of India (SBI).
    How to Apply: Eligible candidates may apply online through the website www.vizagsteel.com from 17-05-2017 to 31-05-2017.
    Instructions to Apply Online:
    1. Before applying online caniddates should have valid e mail id & password
    2. Candidates log on the webiste www.vizagsteel.com
    3. Click on Careers ——-> “Click here to register online for recruitment for the posts of MT(Tech), MT(F&A) and Jr. Medical Officers vide Recruitment Advertisement No. 02/2017″
    4. Read all instructions & fill all the details login your self
    5. Check once before submit the form
    6. After submission, take a print out of online application for future us
    Important Dates:
    Starting Date to Apply Online17-05-2017  
    Last Date to Apply Online & Payment of Fee31-05-2017
    Download of Admit Cards15-06-2017 to 25-06-2017
    Date for Written Test25-06-2017 at 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
    Reporting Time09:00 AM
    Last Date for receipt of objections, if any, to the Answer Key27-06-2017
    Release of Final Answer Key03-07-2017
    Date for Written Test Results10-07-2017
    Date for Interview25-07-2017 onwards 
    For more details like pay scale, emolument, experience & other information click on the link given below….


    Read more: Vizag Steel Plant Recruitment 2017 – 238 MT, JMO, Specialist & Other Posts 

    QUIZ-22


    Q1. The World Press Freedom Day 2017 is celebrated globally under the theme _______________.
    (a) Together with Journalism
    (b) Free Journalism free World
    (c) Salute to the Critical Minds
    (d) Critical Minds for Critical Times
    (e) None of the given themes are true

    Q2. Department of Commerce, Government of India has recently (May 2017) organized the 4th National Standards Conclave in which of the following Indian cities?
    (a) Bengaluru
    (b) New Delhi
    (c) Mysore
    (d) Chennai
    (e) Chandigarh

    Q3. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has announced the winners of the 44th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards held in California, USA. Which of the following show has won the award for Outstanding Game Show?
    (a) Entertainment Tonight
    (b) General Hospital
    (c) Natosh
    (d) Jack and Jones
    (e) Jeopardy

    Q4. Name the past president of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) who was recently conferred with the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit SungnyeMedal of the Republic of Korea for his services rendered as honorary consul general of South Korea in Kolkata.
    (a) Rajive Kaul
    (b) Jagmohan Dalmiya
    (c) Sudhir Khandelwal
    (d) Sunil Kumar Jagga
    (e) SanjeevRajan

    Q5. The Telecom Ministry of India has recently launched a portal for Information sharing on Mobile Towers and EMF Emission Compliances in an event organized at New Delhi. The web portal is named as ____________.
    (a) Doorsanchar
    (b) Samanvay Sanchar
    (c) Gyan Sanchar
    (d) Tarang Sanchar
    (e) Desh Sanchar

    Q6. Name the person who has been appointed as the new chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament of India.
    (a) Rajiv Mohan
    (b) Mallikarjun Kharge
    (c) S R Rangasami
    (d) T Balaraman
    (e) Sachin Bansal

    Q7. Shabana Azmi starrer film ____________ was recently awarded the Special Jury Remi Award at the 50th annual Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival (WHIFF).
    (a) The Black Pearl
    (b) Soye Khwaab
    (c) The Black Beard
    (d) The Revenge
    (e) The Black Prince

    Q8. As per the UN report, India is expected to achieve how much percent growth the year 2017?
    (a) 6.90
    (b) 7.00
    (c) 7.10
    (d) 7.20
    (e) 7.40

    Q9. Minister of Road Transport and Highways has inaugurated two exhibitions namely 'The Highway Saga: Past Present and Future' and SRISHTI exhibition in New Delhi. SRISHTI stands for _____________.
    (a) Safe Road and Inter-State Highways Transport of India
    (b) Safe Road and Inter-State Highways Transforming India
    (c) Safe Road and Inter-State Highways Transferring India
    (d) Safe Road and Inter-State Highways Transition of India
    (e) Safe Road and Inter-State Highways Truncation of India

    Q10. Name the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Communications of India.
    (a) Siddhartha Goswami
    (b) Kamal Narayan
    (c) ManojSinha
    (d) Suresh Thakur
    (e) SantoshSehgal

    Q11. Madhya Pradesh has become the first state to switch to the January-December financial year from the existing April-March cycle. India started adopting the April-March financial year from ____________.
    (a) 1877
    (b) 1890
    (c) 1901
    (d) 1867
    (e) 1926

    Q12. Chhattisgarh has recently auctioned India’s most expensive limestone block. This block is named as ____________.
    (a) Tesla-I
    (b) Cao-II
    (c) Limestone-III
    (d) HardRock-I
    (e) Kesla-II

    Q13. India successfully carried out a fresh user trial of 3,000-kilometer range Agni-III ballistic missile from Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast. Abdul Kalam Island was previously known as ________________.
    (a) Rajiv Gandhi Island
    (b) Wheelers Island
    (c) Odisha Island
    (d) Snickers Island
    (e) Whirling Island

    Q14. Chhattisgarh has recently auctioned India’s most expensive limestone block in Raipur District. The previous national record was held by _____________.
    (a) Madhya Pradesh
    (b) Jharkhand
    (c) Rajasthan
    (d) Bihar
    (e) Maharashtra

    Q15. Who is the Cabinet Minister of Road Transport and Highways?
    (a) Rajnath Singh
    (b) Smriti Irani
    (c) Amit Shah
    (d) Prakash Javedkar
    (e) None of the given options is true


    Solutions

    S1. Ans.(d)
    Sol. Every year, 3rd May is celebrated as the World Press Freedom Day. It is celebrated by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. The theme for World Press Freedom Day is Critical Minds for Critical Times.

    S2. Ans.(b)
    Sol. Department of Commerce, Government of India in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) has organized the 4th National Standards Conclave on 1-2 May 2017 at New Delhi.

    S3. Ans.(e)
    Sol. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has announced the winners of the 44th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards held in California, USA.  Jeopardy show has won the award in the category of Outstanding Game Show.

    S4. Ans.(a)
    Sol. Chairman of Nicco group and past president of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Rajive Kaul was conferred with the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit Sungnye Medal of the Republic of Korea for his services rendered as honorary consul general of South Korea in Kolkata.

    S5. Ans.(d)
    Sol. Manoj Sinha, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Communications and Minister of State for Railways, formally launched the 'TarangSanchar portal' in an event organized at New Delhi. The web portal is for Information sharing on Mobile Towers and EMF Emission Compliances.

    S6. Ans.(b)
    Sol. Mallikarjun Kharge is the new chairman of the 21-member (14 from LokSabha and 7 from RajyaSabha)  Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament. Kharge has replaced Congress leader K V Thomas whose term ended on April 30.

    S7. Ans.(e)
    Sol. Hollywood film The Black Prince, featuring singer-poet SatinderSartaaj and veteran actress ShabanaAzmi, was awarded the Special Jury RemiAward at the 50th annual Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival (WHIFF).

    S8. Ans.(c)
    Sol. As per the UN report, India is expected to achieve 7.1 percent growth this year as re-monetisation restores consumption, and infrastructure spending increases. The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) launched its annual flagship report 'The Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2017'. The report said India's growth would edge up to 7.5 percent for 2018.

    S9. Ans.(b)
    Sol. Minister of Road Transport and Highways NitinGadkari has inaugurated two exhibitions namely 'The Highway Saga: Past Present and Future' and 'Safe Road and Inter-State Highways Transforming India (SRISHTI)’ at VigyanBhawan in New Delhi.

    S10. Ans.(c)
    Sol. Manoj Sinha is the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Communications of India.

    S11. Ans.(d)
    Sol. Madhya Pradesh has become the first state to switch to the January-December financial year from the existing April-March cycle. India started adopting the April-March financial year from 1867.

    S12. Ans.(e)
    Sol. Chhattisgarh successfully auctioned its third limestone block, Kesla-II to Dalmia Cement in a bidding that went on for a record 23 hours with the highest bid received 96.15% of IBM (Indian Bureau of Mines) prices which are 20 times more than the reserve price.

    S13. Ans.(b)
    Sol. India successfully carried out a fresh user trial of 3,000-kilometer range Agni-III ballistic missile from Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast. Abdul Kalam Island was previously known as Wheelers Island.

    S14. Ans.(c)
    Sol. Chhattisgarh successfully auctioned its third limestone block, Kesla-II to Dalmia Cement in a bidding that went on for a record 23 hours with the highest bid received 96.15% of IBM (Indian Bureau of Mines) prices which are 20 times more than the reserve price. The previous national record was held by Rajasthan at 67.94 percent of IBM prices for its limestone block of Nagaur District.

    S15. Ans.(e)
    Sol. Nitin Gadkari is the Cabinet Minister of Road Transport and Highways.