QUIZ-27

Q1. As per the government announcement the returns on small savings schemes, including Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Kisan Vikas Patra, has been lowered by 0.1 percent for the April-June (2017) quarter. Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) investments will yield 7.6% and mature in ________.
Answer: 112 months

Q2. The Loan Agreement for New Development Bank (NDB) financing of ____________ for Development and Upgradation of Major District Roads Project in Madhya Pradesh was signed between Government of India and the New Development Bank (NDB).
Answer: US$ 350 Million

Q3. Parliament has passed the Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016, which provides healthcare and services to the people with mental illness and also decriminalizes suicide. Who is the present Union Health Minister of India?
Answer: Jagat Prakash Nadda

Q4. Which two banks have launched co-branded credit cards for the customers recently?
Answer: SBI and Karnataka Bank

Q5. Who has appointed as the new chairman of Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC)?
Answer: Vanaja N. Sarna

Q6. The BRICS-backed New Development Bank (NDB) has invested in seven projects totaling $1.5 billion in about two years of its operation. Where is the headquarter of NDB?
Answer: Shanghai, China

Q7. Joyciline Jepkosgei has broken the world half marathon record as well as the 10km and 15km marks at the Prague Half Marathon on the way to winning the IAAF Gold Label Road Race in one hour, four minutes and 52 seconds. She is from-
Answer: Kenya

Q8. Name the American singer and song-writer, who has finally accepted his Nobel Prize for literature 2016, more than three months after the awards ceremony.
Answer: Bob Dylan

Q9. The World Autism Awareness Day 2017 has been observed across the world on 02 April 2017. The 2017 theme for the day is-
Answer: Toward Autonomy and Self-Determination

Q10. In which city, the second annual meeting of BRICS's New Development Bank (NDB) has been concluded.
Answer: New Delhi, India

Q11. The Madhya Pradesh government has launched an app named ____________ to provide various municipal services online.
Answer: MP e-nagarpalika

Q12. Which Indian Universities has topped the list of country's official higher education rankings, recently announced by the HRD Ministry?
Answer: IISc-Bengaluru

Q13. Renowned Hindustani classical vocalist ___________ passes away, recently.
Answer: Kishori Amonkar

Q14. FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) has recently banned Guatemala's former football chief Brayan Jimenez for lifetime. Name the President of FIFA.
Answer: Gianni Infantino

Q15. After the merger of subsidiary bank in the State Bank of India the base rate or the minimum lending rate of the bank has been reduced from 9.25% to ___________.
Answer: 9.10%

Daily GK Update 26th May 2017

Uttar Pradesh Govt. launches JE vaccination drive in 38 districts

i. In Uttar Pradesh, a massive immunisation drive has been launched in 38 districts to eradicate Japanese Encephalitis (JE). Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched the drive from Kushinagar district. The government also launched a toll-free number to get or provide any information about encephalitis. The number is 18001805544. His several cabinet colleagues also participated in the launch programmes in different districts. Drive will be continued by June 11th, 2017.

ii. Initiating the drive from a slum locality in Kushinagar district, Mr Yogi issued an appeal to all the public representatives starting from MPs to village Pradhans to give their full cooperation in the drive. 

Static Takeaways-

• Ram Naik is Governor of Uttar Pradesh
• Dudhwa National Park is a national park in Uttar Pradesh
• Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state.
• As per details from Census 2011, Uttar Pradesh has the population of 19.98 Crores.
• Mumbai is second most crowded city in the world: WEF

 Mumbai is second most crowded city in the world: WEF

i. Two Indian cities — Mumbai and Kota — have been named among the world’s most crowded in a list topped by Dhaka, according to World Economic Forum (WEF) citing UN-Habitat data. With a population density of 44,500 people per square kilometre, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is the most crowded city on the planet, followed by India’s financial capital Mumbai, home to 31,700 people per square kilometre at the second place.

ii. Kota in Rajasthan with 12,100 people per square kilometre was ranked seventh. Others in the list include Medellin in Columbia ranked third with 19,700 people per square kilometre, Manila, Philippines (4th, 14,800), Casablanca, Morocco (5th, 14,200), Lagos, Nigeria (6th, 13,300), Singapore (8th, 10,200) and Jakarta, Indonesia (9th, 9,600).

Static Takeaways-

• World Economic Forum (WEF) was established in 1971.
• WEF is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• The Gateway of India is a monument built during the 20th century in Mumbai City of Maharashtra state in Western India.

PM Modi inaugurates India's longest bridge in Assam

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the country’s longest bridge - the Dhola-Sadia Bridge in Assam on. Mr Modi walked a short distance over the bridge and enjoyed two minutes of solitude amidst his hectic schedule, with a strong wind above him and gushing waters below him as his companions. 

ii. Mr Modi named the bridge after legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika. This three-lane, the 9.15-kilometre bridge has been built over the Brahmaputra river. It links Dhola to Sadia, both in Assam. The bridge will reduce the distance from Rupai on NH- 37 in Assam to Meka-Roing on NH-52 in Arunachal Pradesh by 165 KM. The travel time between the two places will come down from the current six hours to just one hour, a total five-hour reduction. 

Static Takeaways-

• Banwarilal Purohit is Governor of Assam.
• Sarbananda Sonowal is Chief Minister of Assam.
• The Kamakhya Temple also Kamrup-Kamakhya is a Hindu temple dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya is in located in Kamakhya, Guwahati in Assam.
• Bhupen Hazarika was an Indian playback singer, lyricist, musician, singer, poet and film-maker from Assam.
• US Senate confirms Indian-American Amul Thapar to key judicial post

US Senate confirms Indian-American Amul Thapar to key judicial post

i. The United States Senate has confirmed Indian-American Judge Amul Thapar to a key judicial position on the powerful US court of appeals. Thapar, the first Indian-American to be nominated by US President Donald Trump for the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals, was confirmed by the Senate 52-44, a vote on party lines. 

ii. With this, 48-year-old Thapar will become the second South Asian judge to be on the US Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears appeals from Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Michigan. Thapar, currently a US District Court Judge, was nominated by Trump on 21st March. Thapar received his undergraduate degree from Boston College and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Static Takeaways-

• Since 1976 the US Senate Historical Office has conducted interviews with senators and staff. 
• Office of Senator is in Washington, D.C. 
• Donald John Trump is the 45th and current President of the United States.
• The Federal Reserve System is the central banking system of the United States.

President receives book on PM Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat'

i. President Pranab Mukherjee has received the first copy of two books 'Mann Ki Baat-A Social Revolution on Radio' and 'Marching with a Billion-Analysing Narendra Modi’s Government at Mid term' at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Speaker of Lok Sabha, Sumitra Mahajan formally released the books at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The book Mann Ki Baat: A Social Revolution on Radio by Rajesh Jain is a compilation of Prime Minister Modi’s addresses to the nation on All India Radio every month under the programme Mann Ki Baat.

ii. It contains a comprehensive, qualitative and academic analysis of programme - the themes, the choice of topics, the salient features. It illustrates how this programme has connected with the New India - the youth in particular. It also presents a coherent narrative about the manner in which 'Mann Ki Baat' has created mass movements, including cleanliness, safer roads, and drugs free India.

iii. The book Marching with a Billion- Analysing Narendra Modi’s Government at Mid-term written by eminent journalist Uday Mahurkar analyses the monumental changes that PM Narendra Modi has brought on multiple fronts as Prime Minister on India's governance landscape by ushering in an unprecedented culture of transparency to create a level playing field.

Static Takeaways-

• ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is a unique initiative of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to reach the masses across the country through the Radio. 
• PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat programme was first aired on October 03rd 2014.

Google India head Rajan Anandan appointed IAMAI chairman

i. Google’s vice-president for South East Asia and India, Rajan Anandan has been appointed the new chairman of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). 

ii. He will take over from FreeCharge’s co-founder and chief executive officer Kunal Shah. MakeMyTrip Chairman & Group CEO Deep Kalra has taken over as vice-chairman from music app Saavn co-founder and president Vinodh Bhat; Facebook’s managing director - India & South Asia, Umang Bedi has been elected as the new treasurer of the association, while Subho Ray continues to be the president. The tenure of the new Council is for two years.

Static Takeaways-

• The Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is a not-for-profit industry body registered under the Societies Act, 1896.
• Founded in January 2004 by leading portals in India, IAMAI is the only specialised industry body in India representing the interests of online and mobile value added services industry.             

QUIZ-26

Q1. Great Britain has beaten Australia in the hockey final of the 26th edition of the Azlan Shah Cup. The event was held in _____________.

(a) Beijing, China

(b) Jakarta, Indonesia

(c) Paris, France

(d) Ipoh, Malaysia

(e) Chennai, India

Q2. World Red Cross Day is observed every year on _______________.

(a) 6th May

(b) 8th May

(c) 7th May

(d) 9th May

(e) 5th May

Q3. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highway Nitin Gadkari recently inaugurated the country's first bio-refinery plant which produces ethanol from the variety of biomass. The project is situated in ___________________.

(a) Jaipur

(b) Barmer

(c) Pune

(d) Jhargram

(e) Bhiwani

Q4. PM Modi has recently addressed Indian heads of mission meet in New Delhi. The four-day conference was formally inaugurated by _______________.

(a) Sushma Swaraj

(b) Pranab Mukherjee

(c) Nitin Gadkari

(d) Rajnath Singh

(e) Prakash Javedkar

Q5. World Red Cross Day is observed every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of ______________, the founder of the Red Cross as well as the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

(a) Martin Luther King-I

(b) Mark Lunger

(c) Henry Dunant

(d) Jack Dinarthy

(e) Osman Waghar

Q6. India has recently organized a cultural festival in Egypt to mark the 156th birth anniversary of ___________________.

(a) S. Radhakrishnan

(b) Rabindranath Tagore

(c) Mahatma Gandhi

(d) G. K. Gokhle

(e) Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru

Q7. Pro-European centrist leader ____________ has been elected as President of France.

(a) Nikolas Sarkozy

(b) Socker Yosera

(c) Abraham Sarfez

(d) Emmanuel Macron

(e) Steven Ambrose

Q8. Three Indian Scientist have been elected as the Fellows of The Royal Society, a premier scientific academy of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, for their “outstanding contributions to science“. Which of thefollowing is not among the three winners?

(a) Krishna Chatterjee

(b) Subhash Khot

(c) Yadvinder Malhi

(d) Saurabh Shahi

(e) None of the above option is true

Q9. Facebook has launched its _____________ commercially in India and the service is now available via 700 hotspots across four states of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Meghalaya.

(a) Wi-Fi Speedy

(b) Hi-Fi Wi-Fi

(c) Express Wi-Fi

(d) Wi-Fi Version

(e) None of the given options is true

Q10. What is the theme for World Red Cross Day 2017?

(a) Lets know Red Cross

(b) Success Stories of Red Cross

(c) Red Cross around the world

(d) Innovating the Red Cross

(e) Less Known Red Cross Stories

Q11. Name the state that has recently decided to introduce boat ambulance service in four districts where people face difficulties in getting health service.

(a) Odisha

(b) Rajasthan

(c) Maharashtra

(d) Meghalaya

(e) Sikkim

Q12. Name the Indian player who has recently received the Fellowship Award at the 7th annual Asian Awards initiatives to help the under-privileged people in UK.

(a) Rahul Dravid

(b) Sachin Tendulkar

(c) Virendra Sehwag

(d) Abhinav Bindra

(e) Milkha Singh

Q13. Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature in _____________.

(a) 1910

(b) 1912

(c) 1913

(d) 1911

(e) 1914

Q14. Indian boxer Shiva Thapa ended up with a silver medal in the 60-kg category at the Asian Boxing Championships. The event was held in ______________.

(a) Azerbaijan

(b) China

(c) Indonesia

(d) Uzbekistan

(e) Hong-Kong

Q15. Name the Renowned tea planter from Assam who has been appointed as the new chairman of the Tea Board of India by the Union government.

(a) Sandeep Kunwar

(b) Prateek Yuzu

(c) Prabhat Kamal Bezboruah

(d) Sankalp Sidha Menon

(e) Yashpal Gill

Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)
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 had won the Azlan Shah title nine times.

S2. Ans.(b)
Sol. World Red Cross Day is observed on May 8 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross as well as the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

S3. Ans.(c)
Sol. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highway Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the country's first bio-refinery plant which produces ethanol from the variety of biomass. The project is situated at Rahu in Pune district.

S4. Ans.(a)
Sol. PM Modi has recently addressed Indian heads of mission meet in New Delhi. The four-day conference was formally inaugurated by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

S5. Ans.(c)
Sol. World Red Cross Day is observed on May 8 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross as well as the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

S6. Ans.(b)
Sol. India has organized a cultural festival in Egypt to mark the 156th birth anniversary of the famous Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore. The Tagore festival is being organized by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture, the cultural wing of the Indian Embassy in Cairo.

S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. Pro-European centrist leader Emmanuel Macron has been elected as President of France. 39-year-old former investment banker, who has never held elected office, becomes the youngest President and occupant of the Élysée Palace (official residence of the President of France).

S8. Ans.(d)
Sol. Three Indian Scientist have been elected as the Fellows of The Royal Society, a premier scientific academy of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, for their “outstanding contributions to science“. The three scientists are Krishna Chatterjee from Cambridge University, Subhash Khot from New York University, and Yadvinder Malhi from Oxford University.

S9. Ans.(c)
Sol. Facebook has launched its 'Express Wi-Fi' commercially in India and the service is now available via 700 hotspots across four states of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Meghalaya.

S10. Ans.(e)
Sol. World Red Cross Day is observed on May 8 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross as well as the founder of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The theme for this year (2017) is “Less Known Red Cross Stories”.

S11. Ans.(a)
Sol. Odisha will introduce boat ambulance service in four districts where people face difficulties in getting health service. The boat ambulance service will be available in the districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Kendrapara and Kalahandi where people face problems in availing 108 ambulance service.

S12. Ans.(b)
Sol. India’s cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar plans to support charities and various initiatives to help the under-privileged people. He has received the Fellowship Award at the 7th annual Asian Awards in the UK.

S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. He was the first non-European to win this prestigious award, in recognition for his collection of poems, ‘Gitanjali’.

S14. Ans.(d)
Sol. Indian boxer Shiva Thapa ended up with a silver medal in the 60-kg category at the Asian Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

S15. Ans.(c)
Sol. Renowned tea planter from Assam Prabhat Kamal Bezboruah has been named the new chairman of the Tea Board of India by replacing Shri Santosh Sarangi, stated by the Union government.

Daily GK Update 25th May 2017

Important Cabinet Approvals- 24 May 2017

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval in the various fields and has also approved some important MoUs. The important approvals of the Cabinet are as follows-

The Cabinet has approved-

• MoU between India and Bangladesh on cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
• Raising of Bonds of Rs. 2360 crores for Renewable Energy.
• Joint Declaration of Intent between Germany and India regarding cooperation in the sector of alternative medicine.
• Phasing out Foreign Investment Promotion Board.
• MoU between Spain and India on cooperation in the field of Organ Transplant Services.
• Setting up of new AIIMS in Kamrup, Assam.
• The allocation of 2.5 per cent of Central Road Fund for development and maintenance of National Waterways (NWs) by amending the Central Road Fund Act, 2000.

Govt launches ‘eSanad’ for online document verification

i. The Human Resource Development Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry launched an online verification portal 'e-sanad' to make the document verification process easier for students who planning to study abroad.
ii. 'e-Sanad' is an initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in association with two other ministries with the help of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
iii. CBSE becomes the first Board to partner with MEA for e-Sanad.


Static Takeaways-

• Human Resource Development Minister of India is Prakash Javedkar 
• External Affairs Minister of India is Sushma Swaraj
• CBSE Chairman is RK. Chaturvedi.

BSNL launches satellite phone service using Inmarsat

i. State-owned BSNL started satellite phone service through INMARSAT which will be initially offered to government agencies and later opened for others citizen in phased manner.
ii. The service will cover areas where no networks are present and be provided by INMARSAT which has 14 satellites. Agencies handling disasters, state police, railways, Border Security Force and other government agencies will be given the phones in the first phase


Static Takeaways-

• BSNL Chairman and Managing Director is Anupam Shrivastava
• Full form of BSNL is Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and its headquarter is in New Delhi.
• BSNL was founded in 2000.
• INMARSAT full form is International Maritime Satellite

EDII and ITC bags Porter Prize 2017 

i. Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Gujarat and ITC Ltd have won the Porter Prize 2017.
ii. ITC bags for  Excellence in Corporate Governance and Integration and for its contribution in Creating Shared Value.
iii. The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), is an autonomous body and not-for-profit institution, set up in 1983, is sponsored by apex financial institutions, namely the IDBI Bank Ltd, IFCI Ltd. ICICI Ltd and State Bank of India (SBI).

Static Takeaways-

• Porter Prize is named after Michael E. Porter, an economist, researcher, author, advisor, speaker,  teacher.

Two Indian peacekeepers honoured posthumously with UN medal

i. Two Indian peacekeepers Rifleman Brijesh Thapa and Ravi Kumar were among 117 military, police and civilian personnel honoured by the United Nations with a prestigious UN medal awarded posthumously for courage and sacrifice in the line of duty. ii. They received the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal on the Ocassion of International Day of UN Peacekeepers which was observed on 24 May, 2017.

Static Takeaways-

• António Guterres is the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations.
• United Nations headquarter is in New York City, USA.

IIT-Kharagpur signs MoU with Madhya Pradesh for measuring Happiness Index

i. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur's Rekhi Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness has signed an MoU with Madhya Pradesh government to collaborate on the development of a Happiness Index for measuring the well-being of the people of the state.
ii. The MoU was signed with MP government's 'Rajya Anandam Sansthan' (Department of Happiness) in the presence of MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and IIT-KGP Director Prof P P Chakrabarti at Bhopal recently.



Static Takeaways-

• Prof P P Chakrabarti is the Director of IIT Kharagpur
• Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh is Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan
• Om Prakash Kohli is the Governor of Madhya Pradesh
• Kanha National Park is situated in Madhya Pradesh famous for Tigers

Socialist Lenin Moreno sworn in as Ecuador president

i. Lenin Moreno was sworn in as Ecuador's president following a tight electoral race that the former vice president won on promises of maintaining the social programs of his leftist predecessor, Rafael Correa. 

ii. The 64-year-old Moreno, a socialist, last month won a runoff vote in the oil-exporting country, bucking a shift to the right in South America as leftist governments struggle to maintain support.

Static Takeaways-

• Ecuador capital is Quito and its currency is United States Dollar

 New Book on Virat Kohli's Winning Formula Revealed by Abhirup Bhattacharya

i. A new book “Winning like Virat: Think & Succeed like Kohli” by Abhirup Bhattacharya, unravels the secrets of the cricketer’s consistent form, while attempting to decode his philosophy towards life.
ii. In the book, the writer etches Virat’s success curve by using statistics that chart his performances and anecdotes from his predecessors and contemporaries in the game.





Static Takeaways-

Virat Kohli was awarded the Polly Umrigar Award at the BCCI award ceremony 2017.

P V Sindhu Elected to Badminton World Federation Athletes' Commission

i. Olympic silver medalist P.V. Sindhu became a member of the BWF Athletes' Commission after voting closed for the four places on the representative body.
ii. The 21-year-old Indian topped the ballot with 129 votes as she led a trio of women onto the BWF Athletes' Commission. She will serve for four years term.


Static Takeaways-

• BWF was initially called as The International Badminton Federation (IBF), was established in London, on 5 July 1934 with nine founding member associations
• The BWF is a federation of 188 members globally
• BWF is headquaretered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

 Ashwin wins International Cricketer of the Year award

i. India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin won the coveted International Cricketer of the Year award at the CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) International awards 2017.
ii. The award was presented to Ashwin by former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar and Harsh Goenka, Chairman of RPG Enterprises, at a function held at the Cricket Club of India.


Static Takeaways-

• Ravichandran Ashwin won both the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2016 and the ICC Test cricketer of the Year 2016 award.

QUIZ-25

Q1. Who has been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University?
Answer: Sunaina Singh

Q2. Name the Indian forward player, who has named the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Player of the Year for 2016.
Answer: S V Sunil

Q3. President Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated the "Namami Brahmaputra" festival on the banks of the river Brahmaputra in 21 districts of-
Answer: Assam

Q4. Which country has become the first country in the world to ban metals mining nationwide?
Answer: El Salvador

Q5. Name the American astronaut, who made history when she floated outside the International Space Station (ISS) and broke the record for the most spacewalks by a woman?
Answer: Peggy Whitson

Q6. Which bank has launched the '811 banking app' which is part of the lender's vision to double customer base in 18 months?
Answer: Kotak Mahindra Bank

Q7. Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu has released the book titled __________________________________ jointly authored by Shri Bibek Debroy (Member, NITI Aayog) Shri Sanjay Chadha (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce) & Ms. Vidya Krishnamurthi.
Answer: Indian Railway- The weaving of a National Tapestry

Q8. The Reserve Bank of India has completed its 82nd establishment day on 01st April 2017. RBI was set up on the basis of the recommendations of-
Answer: Hilton Young Commission

Q9. The government has launched two mobile apps ______________________ that provide access to various services and information, and enable citizens to report any traffic violation or road accident.
Answer: echallan and mParivahan

Q10. The State Bank of India, the country's largest lender has started functioning as unified entity from 01st April 2017 post merger of its five associate banks, besides Bharatiya Mahila Bank. State Bank of India was established on-
Answer: 01st July 1955

Q11. India-Malaysia has recently signed seven agreements including air services agreement and MoUs in education and sports. What is the capital of Malaysia?
Answer: Kuala Lumpur

Q12. Name the state that has become the 27th State to join the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY).
Answer: Mizoram

Q13. Name the person who has been recently appointed as the new Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. 
Answer: Indira Banerjee

Q14. The Government has recently launched a comprehensive scheme for power loom sector development at over 45 locations in the country. What is the name of that scheme?
Answer: PowerTex India

Q15. Name the person who has been appointed as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Offices in Geneva, Switzerland.
Answer: Rajiv Kumar Chander

Daily GK Update 24th May 2017

Piyush Goyal launches mobile app 'SEVA' for quick tracking of coal dispatch

i. Union Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal launched the Saral Eindhan Vitaran Application (SEVA), in News Delhi.
ii. The app is developed in-house by Coal India Limited (CIL) for power sector consumers.
iii. SEVA is a part of ‘Digital India’ initiative, which is aimed at increasing the Consumer Connect as well as the Transparency and Accountability in Coal dispatch.

Static Takeaways-

• Shri Piyush Goyal is the Union Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines
• Jharkhand is the largest producer of Coal in India
• The nationalization of coal mine was done in two phases, the first with the coking coal mines in 1971-72 and then with the non-coking coal mines in 1973.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' resigned as Nepal Prime Minister

i. Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has resigned paving way for Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba to become the next Prime Minister.
ii. The resignation is to honor an accord signed in August 2016 when Prachanda was elected the prime minister with Deuba's support.

Static Takeaways-

• Pushpa Kamal Dahal was 39th prime minister of Nepal
• Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal
• Bidhya Devi Bhandari is the President of Nepal

‘Good morning’ squads to tackle open defecation in Maharashtra

i. The Maharashtra government has decided to form ‘good morning’ squads to monitor and prevent open defecation in villages and districts across the state.
ii. These squads will comprise representatives of local bodies, self-help groups, NGOs, students and social workers working in the area of sanitation and cleanliness.



Static Takeaways-

• CM of Maharashtra is Devendra Fadnavis and governor is C.Vidyasagar Rao
• Melghat Tiger Reserve and Bor Tiger Reserve is situated in Maharashtra
• Tadoba National Park is situated in Maharashtra.

Bank of Baroda, IFFCO roll out co-branded debit card for farmers

i. Bank of Baroda (BOB) and IFFCO rolled out their first set of co-branded debit cards for farmers as part of a novel initiative to push digitalisation and cashless economy.
ii. The co-branded debit cards, with inbuilt overdraft of Rs. 2,500 in special savings bank account, could be used for purchase of various agri products at IFFCO sale counters.
iii. Two lakh co-branded debit cards will be issued initially to the farmers beginning with the States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. These co-branded debit cards will be exclusively used for the purchase of IFFCO products only.

Static Takeaways-

• Chairman of BOB is Mr. Ravi Venkatesan and CEO is Mr. P.S. Jayakumar
• BOB headquarter is in Vadodara, Gujarat and its tagline is 'India's International Bank'
• IFFCO full form is Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited.

Karnataka Bank pact with HDFC Asset Management

i. Karnataka Bank Ltd has entered into a distribution agreement to sell the mutual fund products of HDFC Capital Asset Management Ltd (HDFCAML) during exchanged the memorandum of understanding in Mangaluru, Karnataka.
ii. Investment in mutual funds will provide an opportunity to those customers who are uncomfortable about investing directly in stock markets as this tie-up will give HDFCAML an opportunity to expand its base in these centers.

Static Takeaways-

• CEO of Karnataka Bank is  Mahabaleshwara MS and its headquarter is in Mangaluru, Karnataka
• MD of HDFC Bank is Aditya Puri.

Tata appoints new legal chief

i. A day after appointing a new Chief Financial Officer Saurabh Agrawal, Tata Sons has appointed a new legal head.
ii. The group has appointed Shuva Mandal as the Group General Counsel after incumbent Bharat Vasani quit the role.
iii. Mandal will assume in July 2017. Vasani will continue with the group as Legal Adviser to the Chairman’s office.


Static Takeaways-

• Chairman of Tata Sons is Natarajan Chandrasekaran
• Founder of Tata was Jamsetji Tata.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the new WHO Chief

i. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a former Ethiopian health minister, has been chosen to head the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is the first African to do so since the creation of the United Nations agency in 1948.
ii. He will begin his five-year term on 1 July 2017. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has replaced Margret Chan who steps down after ten years as the WHO chief.


Static Takeaways-

• WHO’s Constitution came into force on 7 April 1948, a date which is celebrated every year as World Health Day
• WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Dr B. Chisholm was the first Director-General of WHO

Japan to build war museum in Manipur

i. Japan is going to build a war museum at the hillock at Maiba Lokpa in Bishnupur district in Manipur where a Japanese camp was located during World War II. 

ii. The Japanese ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu, has stated that about 70,000 Japanese soldiers had died in battles from March to June 1944 in Imphal and Kohima.

Static Takeaways-

•  PM of Japan is Shinzo Abe and its capital is Tokyo
•  Currency of Japan is Yen

 Union Home Minister releases the book India 2017 Yearbook

i. The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh has released the book India 2017 Yearbook authored by the Union Home Secretary, Shri Rajiv Mehrishi. 

ii. The CEO, NITI Aayog, Shri Amitabh Kant was also present on the occasion. The book was published by the Mc Graw Hill Education India. 

Static Takeaways-

• Chairman of NITI Aayog is Prime Minister of India
• Current chairman of NITI Aayog is Shri Narendra Modi

Kiren Rijiju unveils world's first philosophical novel on God

i. In a rare feat, a young Indian IAS officer, Haulianlal Guite, who hails from Manipur state has recently published a book titled "Confessions of a dying mind: the blind faith of atheism" in New Delhi.
ii. The book was unveiled by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in presence of David Syiemlieth, Chairman, UPSC in august gathering at Civil Services Officers' Institute.


Static Takeaways-

• Dr. Najma Heptulla is the governor of Manipur
• Nongthobam Biren Singh is the present CM of Manipur
• Loktak Lake is situated in Manipur which is the largest fresh water lake in the North-East.

Roger Moore, Who Played James Bond 007 Times passes away

i. Actor Sir Roger Moore, best known for playing James Bond, has died at age 89.
ii. He played the famous spy in seven Bond films including Live and Let Die and A View to a Kill.
iii. Sir Roger was also well known for his humanitarian work he was introduced to UNICEF by the late Audrey Hepburn and was appointed as a goodwill ambassador in 1991.


Static Takeaways-

• UNICEF full form is The United Nations Children's Fund and its headquarter is in New york City, USA
• Executive Director of UNICEF is Anthony Lake.

SSC MTS Exam 2016 Cancelled

SSC MTS Exam Cancelled! Yes, you read it right. Due to many issues related to leakage of exam papers, Staff Selection Commission(SSC) has taken a decision to cancel the Multi-Tasking Staff (Non-Technical) Examination, 2016 in the OMR based mode for all 5 days.

The examinations already conducted on 

• 30.4.2017  
• 14.5.2017

The examinations to be conducted on 

• 28.5.2017, 
• 4.6.2017,
• 11.6.2017 

Now the examination would be conducted by the Commission afresh in the computer based mode, tentatively during the month of September-October, 2017.