Daily GK Update 05th June 2017

World Environment Day: 5 June

i. World Environment Day (WED) is the biggest annual event for positive environmental action and takes place every on 5 June. This year’s host country is Canada.

ii. The theme for World Environment Day 2017 is "Connecting People to Nature".

Static Takeaways-

• The World Environment Day is an important part of Canada’s 150th birthday celebrations
• The WED is organized around the world by United Nations
• The WED was celebrated for the first time in 1974
• The host country for 2016 was Angola.

India successfully test-fires 1st all weather tracked-chassis QR-SAM

i. India has successfully test-fired its first all weather tracked-chassis Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QR-SAM) from a mobile launcher at Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha.

ii. The test was carried out for validating various parameters of the sophisticated weapon system to further strengthen its air defence system.

Static Takeaways-

• APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha was previously called as Wheeler Island
• General Bipin Rawat is the 27th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.

SEBI forms committee on corporate governance

i. Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has set up a committee under the Chairmanship of Uday Kotak, Executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Bank to help improve the standards of corporate governance of listed companies in India.

ii. Besides Kotak, the panel comprises of 20 members including representatives of Corporate India, stock exchanges, professional bodies, investor groups, chambers of commerce, law firms, academicians and research professionals.

Static Takeaways-

• Ajay Tyagi is the current Chairman of SEBI
• SEBI is Headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Kotak Mahendra Bank is Headquartered in Mumbai and it was founded in 2003.

States agree to GST rollout from July 1

i. The GST (Goods and Services Tax) Council has cleared the pending rules, including transition provisions and returns, with all the States agreeing to the July 01st 2017 rollout of the tax. Transition rules have been cleared and everybody has agreed for a July 1 rollout,” according to Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac.

ii. The GST Council last month fitted over 1,200 goods and 500 services in the tax brackets of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has chaired the 15th meeting of the GST Council, which is scheduled to decide on the tax rate of six items, including gold, textiles and footwear.

Static Takeaways-

• GST is one indirect tax for the whole nation, which will make India one unified common market.
• In 2003 the Kelkar Task Force on indirect tax had suggested a comprehensive Goods and Services Tax (GST) based on VAT principle.

AP's Vizianagaram bags MGNREGA national award

i. The Ministry of Rural Development has selected Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh as one among the 17 districts across the nation for the MGNREGA annual award 

ii. The award was given for effective implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) Act during 2015-16.

Static Takeaways-

• MGNREGA was set up on Feb 2, 2006 from district Anantapur in the state of Andhra Pradesh
• Coringa National Park is situated in Andhra Pradesh
• Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam (Tiger Reserve) is in AP.

India slips to 45th spot in IMD's World Competitiveness list

i. India has been ranked 45th, down four notches from last year, in terms of competitiveness in the annual rankings compiled by IMD which saw Hong Kong topping the list. The list was compiled by the International Institute for Management Development's (IMD) World Competitiveness Center.

ii. Switzerland and Singapore were ranked second and third respectively, with the USA at the fourth spot.

Static Takeaways-

• Top three Ranked countries in the list are Hong Kong, Switzerland and Singapore
• The rank of India for 2016 was 41st
• The IMD World Competitiveness Center is a research group at International Institute for Management Development (IMD) business school in Switzerland
• It was formed in year 1989 by Prof. Stephane Garelli.

RCom-Aircel merged wireless company to be called Aircom

i. Reliance Communications (RCom) Chairman Anil Ambani has announced that the merged entities of RCom and Aircel will be called Aircom. These merged entities are Reliance Communications and Maxis Communications Berhad (MCB).

ii. The merged company will be one of India’s largest private sector companies. It will have an asset base of over 65000 crore rupees and net worth of 35000 crore rupees.

Static takeaways-

• The Group was founded by Shri Dhirubhai H. Ambani (1932-2002)
• Anil Dhirubhai Ambani is the Chairman of Reliance Group

TATA Projects launches initiative to promote green cover

i. TATA Projects has announced the launch of Green Thumb, an initiative to enhance the green cover. This new initiative of the infrastructure company coincides with World Environment Day (05th June).
ii. TATA Projects planted over 42,000 saplings across over 100 locations during 2016-17.

Static Takeaways-

• TATA Projects headquarters in Hyderabad
• Vinayak Deshpande is the Managing Director of TATA Projects.

Mumbai Metro One ties up with Google Maps

i. Reliance Infrastructure-promoted Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) has partnered with Google to display its services in Google Maps application.
ii. To bring convenience for the commuters, MMOPL has collaborated with Google Maps to publish authentic timetable information and associated geographic information of the Metro One stations in the app.

Static Takeaways-

• Parent organization of google is Alphabet Inc.
• CEO of google is Sundar Pichai.

Real Madrid first to win back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles

i. Never in the history of the UEFA Champions League had a team won the title in consecutive seasons. That is until now — Real Madrid has done it. Now, they stand alone as the only team in the history of the competition to win back-to-back titles.

ii. Unsurprisingly, it was Cristiano Ronaldo who found himself at the centre of attention in both wins.

Static Takeaways-

• Madrid is the Capital of Spain

B Sai Praneeth rallies to win Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold title

i. B Sai Praneeth has clinched the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold badminton title by defeating Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie in a closely-fought final in Bangkok.

ii. In April, the ward of national coach Pullela Gopichand had defeated Kidambi Srikanth in an all-Indian Singapore Open Grand Prix final to claim his maiden Grand Prix title.

Static Takeaways for BOI SO Exam-

• Bangkok is the Capital city of Thailand.
• Currency of Thailand is Thai baht.

Ganeshan Neelakanta Iyer first Indian to be inducted in ITTF URC

i. Ganeshan Neelakanta Iyer, the only assigned competition manager of International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), has become the first Indian to be nominated as a member of the Umpires and Referees Committee (URC).

ii. Ganeshan’s term as URC member is for a period of two years. Ganeshan is also the chairman of the South Asian Federation technical committee and a member of the Technical Committee of the Commonwealth Table Tennis Federation.

Static Takeaways for RBI Phase-I Exam - 

• Mr. Thomas Weikert of Germany is the President of ITTF Executive Commision
• Headquater of ITTF is in Lausanne, Switzerland.

QUIZ-05

Q1. Name the chief one of the famous Indian bank who has become the first Indian woman to be conferred with the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Award for Global Corporate Citizenship.

(a) Arunthati Bhattacharya

(b) Shikha Singh

(c) Usha Ananthasubramanian

(d) Chanda Kochhar

(e) Other than the one given in options

Q2. India has recently decided to replace the Maitri research station with a new one in the next three to four years. This Research station is located in _____________.

(a) Andaman

(b) Daman

(c) Antarctica

(d) Diu

(e) Goa

Q3. Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has recently launched an online interface at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi. What is the name of this online interface?

(a) e-Krishi Karman

(b) e-Krishi Samvad

(c) e-Krishi Charcha

(d) e-Krishi Samadhan

(e) e-Krishi Samarth

Q4. Name the Light combat aircraft that has successfully demonstrated an Air-to-Air Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile firing capability by releasing Derby Air-to-Air BVR missile in RADAR guided mode in Odisha.

(a) Tejas

(b) Kiran

(c) Shaurya

(d) HF-24 Marut

(e) Su-30MKI

Q5. Which of the following state/states has been exempted by the government from mandatory quoting of Aadhaar to obtain PAN cards and file tax returns?

 (a) Jammu and Kashmir

(b) Manipur

(c) Assam

(d) Meghalaya

(e) Only (a), (c) and (d)

Q6. The Election Commission of India has added feather to its cap with the launch of National Contact Centre with a toll-free No. Who is the current Chief Election Commissioner of India?

(a) S. Y. Quraishi

(b) Nasim Zaidi

(c) V. S. Sampath

(d) Ram Singh Kherat

(e) H. S. Brahma

Q7. Name the state that has become first state to introduce a logo for identifying vehicles driven by persons with hearing impairment.

(a) Karnataka

(b) Manipur

(c) Telangana

(d) Assam

(e) Jharkhand

Q8. Which of the following state will host biggest ever International Yoga Day event on the 21st of June?

(a) Karnataka

(b) Maharashtra

(c) Uttarakhand

(d) Gujarat

(e) Uttar Pradesh

Q9. Name the current joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office who has been appointed as the next ambassador to France.

(a) Vinay Mohan Kwatra

(b) Ajit Doval KC

(c) T. V. Somanathan

(d) Bhaskar Khulbe

(e) Tarun Bajaj

Q10. Name the famous actor who has been appointed by the World Health Organization as its Goodwill Ambassador for Hepatitis in South-East Asia Region to spread awareness about the disease.

(a) Jackey Chan

(b) Amitabh Bachchan

(c) Amir Khan

(d) Shahrukh Khan

(e) Aishwarya Rai Bacchan

Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar has become the first Indian woman to be conferred with the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Award for Global Corporate Citizenship.

S2. Ans.(c)
Sol. India has decided to replace the Maitri research station in Antarctica with a new one in the next three to four years. The country is also drafting laws to safeguard its interest in Antarctica and is poised to expand its research activity in the coldest continent with the special ice-cutting facility will be procured for the purpose.

S3. Ans.(b)
Sol. Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched e-Krishi Samvad an online interface at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi. It is an internet-based interface and is a unique platform that will provide direct and effective solutions to the problems faced by farmers and stakeholders in the agriculture sector.

S4. Ans.(a)
Sol. Light combat aircraft 'Tejas' has successfully demonstrated an Air-to-Air Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile firing capability by releasing Derby Air-to-Air BVR missile in RADAR guided mode. The missile launch was performed in Lock ON after Launch mode for a BVR target in the look down mode and the target was destroyed. The test was conducted on a Maneuverable Aerial Target at the Interim Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha.

S5. Ans.(e)
Sol. The government has exempted the residents of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Meghalaya and citizens above 80 years from mandatory quoting of Aadhaar to obtain PAN cards and file tax returns. As per the official notification of the Finance Ministry, the exemption has been given to an individual who does not possess the Aadhaar number or the enrolment ID. The exemption will also apply on non-residents and non-citizens.

S6. Ans.(b)
Sol. The Election Commission of India has added feather to its cap with the launch of National Contact Centre with a toll-free No. 1800111950. Dr. Nasim Zaidi is the 20th Chief Election Commissioner of India. Election Commission of India was founded on 1950.

S7. Ans.(c)
Sol. Telangana has introduced a logo for identifying vehicles driven by persons with hearing impairment and has become the first state in the country to do so.

S8. Ans.(d)
Sol. Ahmedabad in Gujarat will host biggest ever International Yoga Day event on the 21st of June announced by Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev. About 5 lakh people will participate in the event.

S9. Ans.(a)
Sol. Vinay Mohan Kwatra currently a joint secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office has been appointed as the next ambassador to France.

S10. Ans.(b)

Sol. Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has been appointed by the World Health Organization as its Goodwill Ambassador for Hepatitis in South-East Asia Region to spread awareness about the disease. This is the first formal association between WHO and Amitabh Bachchan, who served as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Polio in India.

QUIZ-04+

Q1. World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on _______________.

(a) 29 May

(b) 30 May

(c) 31 May

(d) 10 June

(e) 15 June
S1. Ans.(c)
Sol. World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31. The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2017 is "Tobacco – a threat to development." This theme has been set by the World Health Organization.

Q2. The Minister of Defence and National Security of Fiji, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola signed an MoU with the Minister of Defence, Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley, recently. What is the capital of Fiji?

(a) Baku

(b) Suva

(c) Samona

(d) Paloha

(e) Cuba

S2. Ans.(b)
Sol. The Minister of Defence and National Security of Fiji, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola accompanied by his delegation signed an MoU with the Minister of Defence, Finance and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley, recently. Suva is the capital of Fiji.

Q3. According to India Development Report released by World Bank on the female participation in the workforce, what is the ranking of India in that Report?

(a) 80th

(b) 90th

(c) 110th

(d) 120th

(e) 95th
S3. Ans.(d)
Sol. According to India Development Report released by World Bank, India had one of the lowest female participation in the workforce, ranking 120th among 131 countries.

Q4. Barcelona striker Lionel Messi won the European Golden Shoe for a record equaling fourth time having scored 37 goals in the Spanish league. He drew level with _________________.

(a) Cristiano Ronaldo

(b) Neymar

(c) Pele

(d) Zinedine Zidane

(e) David Beckham
S4. Ans.(a)
Sol. Barcelona striker Lionel Messi won the European Golden Shoe for a record equaling fourth time having scored 37 goals in the Spanish league. He drew level with Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo with the fourth honour. Messi previously won the award, which counts goals in the biggest leagues as more points, in 2010, 2012 and 2013.

Q5. Name the Indian Union Minister who has been chosen for WHO Director-General Special Recognition Awards for accelerating India’s tobacco control initiatives and taking bold measures to protect people against hazards of tobacco use.

(a) Bandaru Dattatreya

(b) Jagat Prakash Nadda

(c) Harsimrat Kaur Badal

(d) Harsh Vardhan

(e) Piyush Goyal
S5. Ans.(b)
Sol. World No-Tobacco-Day is observed on 31st May globally. On this day people are encouraged to observe abstinence of 24 hours from all forms of tobacco consumption. This year Union Health Minister of India Jagat Prakash Nadda is chosen for WHO Director-General Special Recognition Awards for accelerating India’s tobacco control initiatives and taking bold measures to protect people against hazards of tobacco use.

Q6. Name the only player from the country to feature in the top 10 of the ICC Players Rankings for ODIs as he managed to hold on to his third spot in the batsman's chart.

(a) Shikhar Dhawan

(b) Ajinkya Rehane

(c) Virat Kohli

(d) M S Dhoni

(e) Rohit Sharma
S6. Ans.(c)
Sol. India captain Virat Kohli is the lone cricketer from the country to feature in the top 10 of the ICC Players Rankings for ODIs as he managed to hold on to his third spot in the batsman's chart. The top three batsmen South Africa's AB de Villiers (874 rating points), Australian David Warner (871) and Kohli (852) are separated by just 22 points.

Q7. United States has for the first time successfully tested its defence system against an ICBM. What does 'B' stands for in ICBM?

(a) Ballistic

(b) Blowgun

(c) Boomerang

(d) Bullet

(e) Ballista
S7. Ans.(a)
Sol. United States has for the first time successfully tested its defence system against an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). A ground-based interceptor was launched at a California air base and shot down a mock ballistic missile.

Q8. Who is the current President of the USA Headquartered World Bank?

(a) Joaquim Levy

(b) Shaolin Yang

(c) Kristalina Georgieva

(d) Jim Yong Kim

(e) Takehiko Nakao
S8. Ans.(d)
Sol. President of the World Bank is Jim Yong Kim and its headquarter is in Washington D.C., USA. The World Bank was founded in 1944.

Q9. Who is the current Prime Minister of Fiji?

(a) Jona Senilagakali

(b) Frank Bainimarama

(c) Laisenia Qarase

(d) Ratu Tevita Momoedonu

(e) None of the given option is true
S9. Ans.(b)
Sol. Frank Bainimarama is the Prime Minister of Fiji. Suva is the capital of Fiji and its Currency is Fijian Dollar.

Q10. The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2017 is ________________.

(a) Tobacco-a social evil

(b) Tobacco-cancer to growth

(c) Tobacco-a threat to development

(d) Tobacco-a close rival of human

(e) None of the given theme is correct
S10. Ans.(c)
Sol. World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31. The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2017 is "Tobacco – a threat to development." This theme has been set by the World Health Organization, WHO.

Q11. 43rd G-7 Summit was held recently in ________________.

(a) Greece

(b) Russia

(c) China

(d) USA

(e) Italy
S11. Ans.(e)
Sol. 43rd G7 Summit was held on 26-27 May, 2017 in Taormina, Sicily, Italy. The 43rd G7 summit was the first summit for British Prime Minister Theresa May. It was the first time since 1987 that the G7 summit held in Italy was not hosted by Silvio Berlusconi, former PM of Italy.

Q12. The Reserve Bank of India will soon put into circulation currency notes in __________ denomination.

(a) 10 Rupees

(b) 5 Rupees

(c) 2 Rupees

(d) 1 Rupee

(e) None of the given option is true
S12. Ans.(d)
Sol. The Reserve Bank of India will soon put into circulation currency notes in one rupee denomination. New one rupee notes with predominantly pink-green on obverse and reverse in combination with other colours will be soon put into circulation. The notes bearing the rupee symbol have been printed by the Government of India.

Q13. India and Germany recently inked twelve memoranda of understanding and agreements following bilateral delegation-level talks. Who is the present Chancellor of Germany is _____________?

(a) Frank-Walter Steinmeier

(b) Heiko Maas

(c) Angela Merkel

(d) Andrea Nahles

(e) Hermann Grohe
S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. India and Germany recently inked twelve memoranda of understanding and agreements following bilateral delegation-level talks. The Capital of Germany is Berlin and its Currency is  Euro.  Chancellor of Germany is Angela Merkel.

Q14. Urjit Patel is the 24th Governor of RBI and it’s headquarter is in Mumbai. RBI was nationalised in ____________.

(a) 1934

(b) 1935

(c) 1949

(d) 1952

(e) 1951
S14. Ans.(c)
Sol. Urjit Patel is the 24th Governor of RBI and its headquarter is in Mumbai. RBI was nationalized in 1949.

Q15. Name the Prime Minister of Italy.

(a) Matteo Renzi

(b) Paolo Gentiloni

(c) Enrico Letta

(d) Mario Monti

(e) Silvio Berlusconi
S15. Ans.(b)
Sol. PM of Italy is Paolo Gentiloni, its capital is Rome and currency is Euro.

QUIZ-04

Q1. According to the new report of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), 2016 India's travel and tourism sector ranks ____________ in the world in terms of its total contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Answer: 7th

Q2. Which Indian state has decided to provide a one-time grant of Rs 21,000 to all those families whose third girl child was born after August 24, 2015, under the 'Aapki Beti, Hamari Beti' scheme?
Answer: Haryana

Q3. India has recently decided to set up a 240 million pound fund to finance clean energy projects with which country?
Answer: UK

Q4. IDBI Bank has reduced interest rates, ranging from 50 to 75 basis points, on retail term deposits (RTD). CEO of IDBI Bank is __________.
Answer: Mahesh Kumar Jain

Q5. As per the new report of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) 2016 which country has topped in the world in terms of its total contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?
Answer: USA

Q6. In the recently announced 64th National Film Awards, who has been declared as the Best Actor?
Answer: Akshay Kumar

Q7. Ratnakar Bank limited (RBL) Bank announced the opening of its Indian Financial System Code (IFSC) Banking Unit (IBU) at  GIFT City. Gift City is situated in which  Indian state?
Answer: Gujarat

Q8. The amount invested in Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) would get doubled in ______ months.
Answer: 113

Q9. Name the person who has taken over as Director of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Trichy, recently.
Answer: Bhimaraya Metri

Q10. In the 64th National Film Awards which film was declared as the Best Hindi Film for 2016?
Answer: Neerja

Q11. Sports Ministry has approved the appointment of two top foreign athletics coaches, one each in race walking and 400m race keeping in mind 2020 Olympics. 2020 summer Olympics will be held in ______.
Answer: Tokyo, Japan

Q12. National Film Awards were announced recently for year 2016, Akshay Kumar won the Best Actor award for Rustam. It was _______ edition of National Film Awards.
Answer: 64th

Q13. Name the lender that has announced that it’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) will also be available on Chillr, a multi-bank mobile payments app.
Answer: HDFC Bank

Q14. Name the Noble Prize winner who has been recently appointed as the United Nations Messenger of Peace by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Answer: Malala Yousafzai

Q15. Name the public sector bank that has embarked upon an ambitious project of upgrading the bandwidth at all its branches to 2 Mbps in partnership with BSNL.
Answer: Canara Bank

Daily GK Update 3rd June 2017

Odisha to have first automatic coastal warning for disasters in India

i. Odisha is the first State in India to have developed an automatic public address system that can be activated along its entire coast.
ii. The State government is all set to commission the ambitious Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) that would enable loud sirens go off simultaneously from towers at 122 locations by July 2017.
iii. Odisha can now warn the vast population residing along its 480 km-long coast by pressing a single button from a control room in the State capital in the event of the occurrence of natural disasters like a tsunami or a cyclone.

Static Takeaways for SBI PO Mains Exam-

• Odisha CM is Naveen Patnaik and Governor is Senayangba Chubatoshi Jamir.
• Simlipal National Park is situated in Odisha

Varanasi to get India’s 1st freight village

i. Varanasi will get the country's first 'freight village' spread over around 100 acres. 

ii. The plan to set up this project close to the upcoming multi-mode terminal along the Ganga has attracted major players including Dubai Port World and IL&FS. 

iii. It will be developed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

Static Takeaways-

• IWAI was created by Government of India on 27 October 1986 for development and regulation of Inland waterways for shipping and navigation.

RBI initiates ‘prompt corrective action’ for Dena Bank

i.  The Reserve Bank of India has initiated prompt corrective action (PCA) for Dena Bank in view of high net non-performing assets and negative return on assets. Last month (May 2017), the central bank had initiated PCA for IDBI Bank and UCO Bank in view of high NNPAs and negative ROA.
ii. Prompt Corrective Action is the action which will not have any material impact on the performance of the bank infact it will contribute to improve the internal controls of the bank and improvement in its activities.

Static Takeaways for SBI PO Mains Exam-

• Dena Bank Chairman and MD is Ashwani Kumar and its headquarter is in Mumbai
• Urjit Patel is the 24th governor of RBI and its headquarters is in Mumbai.

SBI, World Bank finance ₹400-cr solar projects

i. State Bank of India and the World Bank announced that they had financed 100 MW of rooftop solar projects worth Rs400 crore in India.
ii. SBI has availed of a loan of $625 million from the World Bank for on-lending to viable Grid-Connected Rooftop Solar PV (GRPV) projects undertaken by developers, aggregators and end-users, for installation of rooftop solar systems.

Static Takeaways for SBI PO Mains Exam-

• Chairman of SBI is Arundhati Bhattacharya and its headquarters is in Mumbai
• Jim Yong Kin is the President of World Bank and its headquarters is in Washington, D.C, USA

BoI conducts ‘Star Mahotsav’

i. Bank of India conducted a mass-contact programme, ‘Star Mahotsav’, across its branch network. ii. The thrust was in contacting every customer at their doorstep for recovery of bad loans, disbursement of retail loan, including housing and vehicle loan, disbursement under MSME and agriculture, and promotion of its products including debit/credit cards, PoS machines, internet banking, etc. 

Static Takeaways-

• Dinabandhu Mohapatra is a CEO and MD of Bank of India
• Bank of India headquarters is in Mumbai.

Airtel-Telenor India merger plan gets Sebi, BSE, NSE nod

i. Bharti Airtel has received approvals from the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI), BSE and the National Stock Exchange of India for its proposed merger with Telenor India.
ii. Airtel entered into an agreement with Telenor South Asia Investments in February, 2017 to buy Telenor India’s operations in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, UP (East), UP (West) and Assam. These seven circles contribute about 35% to Airtel’s total revenue.

Static Takeaways for SBI PO Mains Exam-

• Sunil Bharti Mittal is the Chairman of  Bharti Airtel.

Shashi Shekar Vempati is new Prasar Bharati CEO

i. Shashi Shekar Vempati has been appointed as the CEO of Prasar Bharati on the recommendation of the three-member committee headed by the Vice-President, and consisting of the Chairman, Press Council of India, and the President’s nominee.
ii. He will replace Rajeev Singh, who has been serving as interim CEO since February 2017. Shashi Shekar Vempati will be the first non-Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer to head the public broadcaster.

Static Takeaways for SBI PO Mains Exam-

• Prasar Bharati Board Chairman is A. Surya Prakash
• Head office of Prasar Bharati is in New Delhi.

Indian-American Amul Thapar appointed as Judge in US Court of Appeals

i.  Amul Thapar, an Indian-American legal luminary, has been appointed a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit by President Donald Trump.
ii.  Before his appointment to the Court of Appeals, Judge Thapar served on the District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Static Takeaways for SBI PO Mains Exam-

• George Washington was the first President of USA
• The Capital of USA is Washington, D.C, USA and the Currency is US Dollar.

Leo Varadkar to be next Ireland PM

i. Indian-Origin Leo Varadkar is set to become the Republic of Ireland's next Prime Minister after winning the leadership of the Fine Gael party.
ii. The 38-year-old will become the first gay Prime Minister and will also be the country's youngest ever leader. He will succeed Enda Kenny as leader of the centre-right party within weeks.

Static Takeaways for SBI PO Mains Exam-

• Irish Capital is Dublin and Currency is Euro.

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic sworn in as new President of Serbia

i. Aleksandar Vucic has been sworn in as Serbia's new president, promising to work for peace and stability in the war-weary Balkans while strengthening the country's armed forces. 

ii. Vucic formally stepped down from his prime minister's post and took over his new role after his landslide win in April's election.

Static Takeaways-

• Serbia Capital is Belgrade and its Currency is Serbian Dinar.

West Indies cricket team’s official name changed to WINDIES

i. The cricket board for West Indies, on its 91st anniversary, has re-branded themselves as Cricket West Indies from the former West Indies Cricket Board.  
ii. The board also announced in a media release on their official website that the cricket team from now on will be officially known as ‘WINDIES.’

Static Takeaways for SBI PO Mains Exam-

• West Indies was 2016 ICC Twenty20 World Cup Winner.
• 2016 ICC Women's World Twenty20 Winner was West Indies.

QUIZ-03+

Q1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully launched its football-stadium-sized, heavy-lift Super Pressure Balloon (SPB) from _____________.
Answer: Wanaka, New Zealand

Q2. The 2nd quarterly review meeting on the Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) was held recently at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu & Kashmir. On this occasion how many new Iconic places to be taken under the Phase II of Swachh Iconic Places initiative were announced?
Answer: 10

Q3. Who was crowned as Miss Teen Universe 2017 at the event held in Managua, Nicaragua?
Answer: Srishti Kaur

Q4. Who is the Managing Director and Group CEO of Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City)?
Answer: Ajay Pandey

Q5. e-SOT and e-PRAN card launched for Atal Pension Yojana subscribers, recently. What is the full form of SOT?
Answer: Statement of Transaction

Q6. The government has appointed retired Supreme Court judge ___________ as the next chairman of Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).
Answer: Shiva Kirti Singh

Q7. For the first time since Nagaland officially gained recognition as a state, a state Police Officer Atu Zumvu has been awarded one of the nations' military honour, ‘Shaurya Chakra’. Nagaland attained statehood in which year?
Answer: 1963

Q8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a book authored by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in New Delhi, recently. The book is titled as __________.
Answer: Matoshree

Q9. The government has recently set up an 'Inter-Ministerial Committee' to monitor the regional air connectivity scheme named _________.
Answer: UDAN

Q10. Name the novel authored by Colson Whitehead that has won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, recently.
Answer: The Underground Railroad

Q11. ESAF Small Finance Bank has launched a social deposit scheme called _____________ in Thrissur, Kerala.
Answer: Hrudaya Deposit scheme

Q12. Name the mobile manufacturing company that has recently partnered with Airtel and BSNL to set up 5G internet speed in India to introduce a fast internet ecosystem in the country.
Answer: Nokia

Q13. Carme Chacon, the first female defense minister of which country has passed away recently.
Answer: Spain

Q14. Name the person who has recently become the youngest noble prize winner to address Canadian parliament.
Answer: Malala Yousafzai

Q15. The first rail freight service ‘British goods’ has started recently from the UK to which country?
Answer: China