Daily GK Update 12th February, 2017

 Daily GK Update 12th February, 2017

Neelu Rohmetra is the first woman to be appointed director of an IIM at Sirmaur

i. The government recently appointed heads of 10 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), including the first woman to head one of the 20 premier B-schools in the country.

ii. The IIMs that got new directors are in Bodhgaya (Bihar), Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Trichy (Tamil Nadu), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Sambalpur (Odisha), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Rohtak (Haryana), Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Bangalore.

iii. Prof Neelu Rohmetra of Jammu University is the first woman to be appointed director of an IIM at Sirmaur. She specialises in HRD and cross-culture management. 

NPCI launches BHIM App on iOS platform

i. After its successful launch on Android, the Bharat Interface for Money, or BHIM, an app, has been finally launched on the iOS platform. 

ii. With its debut on iOS, it is currently supporting over 35 banks and is currently available in Hindi and English, unlike the Android version which supports other regional languages as well.

iii. BHIM app on iOS also has a limit of Rs10,000 per transaction and Rs20,000 in a day for transfers through the bank account. 

US, Japan successfully intercept missile in space

i. The US and Japanese military have successfully tested the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missile defence system by intercepting a medium-range ballistic missile target in space for the first time.

ii. The missile was launched from a ship off the west coast of Hawaii, US. 

iii. The US Missile Defence Agency said that the defence system met each of its primary objectives.

Grammy Awards to include first-ever transgender ‘trophy girl’

i. The three trophy handlers at the ceremony are transgender model Martina Robledo; model and actor Derek Marrocco, and model and actress Hollin Haley. 
ii. The ceremony host is James Corden.

iii. The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on February 12, 2017.




ISRO set to launch record 104 satellites on 15 February

i. The PSLV, in its 39th flight (PSLV-C37), will launch the 714kg Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation along with 103 co-passenger satellites, together weighing about 664kg at lift-off. 

ii. PSLV-C37/Cartosat-2 Series Satellite Mission is scheduled to be launched on February 15, 2017 at 9.28 hours IST from SDSC SHAR Sriharikota. 
iii. The co-passenger satellites comprise 101 nano- satellites, one each from Israel, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and 96 from United States of America (USA), as well as two from India. The two Indian nano-satellites are Isro’s INS-1A and INS-1B.

National productivity week celebrations to begin from 12th February

i. Every year 12th to 18th of February is celebrated as the National Productivity Week. This year the theme of week is 'From Waste to Profits-through Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.'

ii. National Productivity Council, an autonomous body under Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion was established on 12th February in 1958. 
iii. The objective of Council is to stimulate and promote productivity and quality consciousness across all sectors in the country. 


Jiro Taniguchi, legend in Japan's comic art of manga, dies at 69

i. Jiro Taniguchi, a legend in Japan's comic art of manga, died at the age of 69. 
ii. Taniguchi achieved an international following with works such as The Walking Man, The Summit of the Gods and The Magic Mountain, hailed for exquisite line drawing and intricately-constructed landscapes.






India beat Pakistan by 9 wickets to win T20 Blind World Cup 2017 

i. India beat Pakistan by 9-wickets to win T20 Blind World Cup at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium. 
ii. Successfully defending their title in the T20 Blind World Cup, India achieved the victory target of 198-runs in the 18th over in the final of the tournament.

iii. Man-of-the-match was Prakash Jayaramaiah. Man-of-the-series Badar Munir was the top-scorer for Pakistan. 

Quiz-12

             Quiz-12


Q1. Who has stepped down as the captain of India's T-20 & ODI format of cricket recently?
Answer: MS Dhoni

Q2. The United Nations 70th General Assembly has recognised the year 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Who is the present General Secretary of United Nations?
Answer: Antonio Guterres

Q3. Who has been appointed as Executive Director (ED) of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently?
Answer: Surekha Marandi

Q4. Solar power producer Azure Power has commissioned 150 MW solar power project in ____________, which is its largest in North India.
Answer: Punjab

Q5. Who has been elected as the President of Haiti recently?
Answer: Jovenel Moise

Q6. Which state government has announced a new scheme to provide financial assistance of one thousand rupees per month each to single women in the state recently?
Answer: Telangana

Q7. The Munich Re is opening a composite branch office in Mumbai. This world’s leading reinsurer is based in-
Answer: Germany

Q8. Name the veteran actor, who gave countless memorable performances in movies of diverse genres, died at his residence in Mumbai recently?
Answer: Om Puri

Q9. Name the Insurance Company, which has been tied up with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for augmenting capital support to enterprises in the country?
Answer: Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)

Q10. Which private sector bank has launched a month-long campaign to promote a group personal accident insurance scheme for savings bank account-holders?
Answer: Karnataka Bank

Q11. The 14th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) convention has begin in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The three-day event has kicked start with the Youth PBD, the theme of 14th PBD is-
Answer: Role of Diaspora Youth in the Transformation of India

Q12. Name the Company, which have signed a three-year global strategic partnership with TaTa Motors, recently?
Answer: Castrol

Q13. Which country has launched the longest high-speed train service named 'Shangri-la of the World'?
Answer: China

Q14. Which country has decided to development of Chennai, Ahmedabad and Varanasi as smart cities recently?
Answer: Japan

Q15. In which city the All India Conference of Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers of States and Union Territories' Waqf Boards has held? 
Answer: New Delhi

Daily GK Update 11th February, 2017

Daily GK Update 11th February, 2017

Govt clears single exam for engineering and architecture across India from 2018

i. Admission to all engineering colleges in the country will be done through a single entrance examination from next year (2018), the government stated doing away with multiple tests conducted by central agencies, state governments and private institutions. ii. A single test for engineering, as well as architecture courses, will be on lines of the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (NEET), a single, all-India test for entry to medical and dental colleges launched in 2016.

iii. However, students seeking admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will have to clear the JEE-Advanced after taking the engineering entrance exam.The human resource development ministry cleared a proposal by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the country’s top body which frames rules and regulations for engineering and technical institutes.

By June, 2017 govt aims to link 5.58 lakh ration shops with Aadhaar

i. The government stated that it would make 5.58 lakh ration shops Aadhaar-enabled by June 30, 2017 adding that it would not force it on the people and request those who chose to stay out, to come and join the platform. 

ii. This follows a Food Ministry notification making Aadhaar mandatory for food subsidies from February 8, and asking those not enrolled to do so by June 30, 2017.

Ananth Kumar Inaugurates Orientation Programme for Launching of 1000 PMBJKs

i. The Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Ananthkumar inaugurated the Orientation Programme for the district heads of National Yuva Cooperative Society (NYCS) in New Delhi to launch the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) in the country.

ii. The workshop was organized based upon the MoU signed earlier between Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) and NYCS for establishing 1000 PMBJKs in the country. 

iii. The basic details regarding the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) were laid down during the workshop for the effectiveness of the scheme.

Andhra Pradesh Government constitutes 33 member committee for Sagarmala Project

i. A 33 member committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Andhra Pradesh’s Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for the speedy implementation of the Sagarmala Project in Andhra Pradesh.

ii. Sagarmala project aims to improve the state’s  coastline and inland waterways.The committee will be responsible for overseeing the entire project and will bring together all the concerned departments and review their work on a daily basis for timely completion of the project. A nodal officer has also been appointed from every department who would represent the department.

Piyush Goyal Launches TAMRA Portal and Mobile Application for Transparency in Statutory Clearances for Mining Operations 

i. The Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal launched the TAMRA (Transparency, Auction Monitoring and Resource Augmentation) portal and Mobile Application in New Delhi.

ii. TAMRA Portal and Mobile Application aims to enhance the transparency and  Piyush Goyalaccountability in the mining sector as a part of the Ease of Doing Business.

iii. The initiative will speed up mining activity in India and enable all the stakeholders to track the status of the statutory clearances associated with mining blocks for getting mines to reach till operationalization for the same.

World’s first Braille Atlas for visually impaired persons Launched by NATMO in New Delhi

i. The Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan released the world’s first comprehensive Braille atlas for nearly 50 lakh visually challenged people in New Delhi, India.

ii. This is for the first time that such atlas has been prepared for physically challenged with such minute details. The Braille Atlas has been prepared by National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO) under Department of Science & Technology.

 iii. The Braille atlas has 20 maps on different themes like physical, socio-economic, river system, crops pattern, natural vegetation, cultural, metropolitan areas, roads and railways, soil types and crops.

Industrial production contracts 0.4% in December, 2016 following demonetization

Industrial output fell 0.4% in the month of December, 2016 from a year 2015, driven down by a contraction in consumer and capital goods production. It fell 0.4% in December, 2016 as per the data release by the government.

Task force set up to check tax evasion by deviant shell firms

i. In the latest move to curb tax evasion, the government has set up a task force to monitor actions of deviant shell companies. 

ii. The setting up of the task force, under the co-chairmanship of revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia and corporate affairs secretary Tapan Ray, followed a meeting held in Prime Minister’s Office to review the functioning of shell companies to prevent their misuse for money laundering and tax-evasion, especially post-demonetisation.

GMR Hyderabad Airport bags CAPA award

i. GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, which operates Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, has won the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) Chairman’s Order of Merit for its focus on environmental sustainability and becoming the first airport in Asia Pacific to become carbon neutral.

ii. Airports Council International (ACI) has certified Hyderabad International Airport with Level 3+ Neutrality under its Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.

Govt. appoints IAS officer Ajay Tyagi as SEBI chief for 5 years

i. Senior Finance Ministry official Ajay Tyagi has appointed as chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).  He will succeed U K Sinha, whose extended tenure ends on 01st March 2017. 

ii. Tyagi, a 1984 batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, is at present Additional Secretary (Investment) in the Department of Economic Affairs and handles capital market, among others.

iii. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Tyagi's appointment for a period not exceeding five years or till the age of  65 years.

India Proposes Global Services Accord Pact to WTO Chief Azevedo

i. India presented the proposed Trade Facilitation in Services (TFS) Agreement to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Roberto Azevedo and India Inc. in an event organized by Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi. 

ii. The global pact proposed by India to boost services trade at the WTO-level aims to ease norms including those relating to movement of foreign skilled workers and professionals across borders for short-term work.

China releases theme for BRICS Summit 2017

i. 2017 BRICS association of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to be held in Xiamen, China in September 2017.

ii. The summit will be held under the theme “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future,” state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

iii.It will also feature five key priorities such as deepening cooperation, strengthening global governance, carrying out people-to-people exchanges, making institutional improvements and building broader partnerships.

iv. The BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

UNO ropes in Satinder Sartaaj for campaign against trafficking

i. Folk singer from Punjab Satinder Sartaaj has been selected for the awareness project against human trafficking 'Blue Heart Campaign' by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

ii. The 34-year-old artist has collaborated with other celebrated Indian musicians like AR Rahman and Sonu Nigam in this drive to spread awareness about the illegal practice through 'Music to Inspire' album.

Nokia to acquire Finnish telecom software company Comptel for $371 million

i. Finland multinational communications and information technology company Nokia announced to buy telecoms software firm Comptel for 347 million euros ($371 million). 

ii. The aim of the acquisition to help phone carriers manage their networks as mobile andmore and more rely on software to improve their networks.

Sudarsan Pattnaik creates Guinness World Record by creating 48.8 feet tall sand castle

i. Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a Guinness World Record by creating a 48.8 feet tall sand castle at Puri beach in Odisha. 

ii. The record-breaking sculpture was built with a message of world peace, and featured sculptures of Mahatma Gandhi, Gautama Buddha and Nelson Mandela. 

iii. Patnaik achieved the rare feat in four days. The previous record holder, an American, had completed his art of 45.10 feet in seven days.

MRI pioneer and Nobel laureate Sir Peter Mansfield passes away at 83

i. UK physicist and Nobel laureate Sir Peter Mansfield  has died. He was 83. Peter led a team of experts who revolutionised science and worked on MRI scans. 

ii. He had won the Nobel prize for Physiology or Medicine for developing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 2003.

Sports Ministry Launches Mission XI Million in New Delhi

i. The Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goyal launched the Mission XI Million, the biggest school sport outreach programme, in New Delhi in the presence of President of AIFF Shri Praful Patel.

ii. The programme has been launched with an aim to make football a sport of choice in India and encourage children to play the football games on regular basis.

I&B Team win inter-ministry Hockey tournament 2016-17

i. The inter-ministry Hockey tournament 2016 - 17 was held at Central Secretariat Ground Vinay Marg, New Delhi. The final match played between I & B Ministry and Ministry of Health. I&B Team won the final match by three goals to Nil. 

ii. All the Ministry teams participated in the race for the cup. M.L. Sharma, Chandan Singh, Kuldeep Singh were the scrorer.

iii. Most entertaining player Chandan Singh was declared Player of the match.

Quiz-11

Quiz-11

Q1. Which Bank has tied up with Earthport Plc, a cross-border payment network, to enable faster outbound cross-border payments for its customers through Earthport’s state-of-the-art global payments network?

(a) HDFC Bank

(b) ICICI Bank

(c) Bank of Baroda

(d) Axis Bank

(e) State Bank of India

Q2. According to a new study conducted by scientists in collaboration with the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), two new groups of wheat rust have been identified that posed threat to wheat produced in Africa, Asia and Europe in 2016. Where is the headquartered of FAO?

(a) Rome, Italy

(b) Vienna, Austria

(c) Nairobi, Kenya

(d) Paris, France

(e) New York, USA

Q3. In an effort to strengthen the bilateral relations between India and UAE, the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Samudra Pavak made a goodwill visit at the Mina Al Rashid Port from February 04th to 07th, 2017. Mina Al Rashid Port is located at-

(a) Fujairah

(b) Abu Dhabi

(c) Dubai

(d) Sharjah

(e) None of the given options is true

Q4. Which among the following banks has partnered with insurance company Cigna TTK Health to market the insurer’s products in the bank’s branches across the entire country?

(a) ICICI Bank

(b) Punjab National Bank

(c) Bank of Baroda

(d) State Bank of India

(e) Bank of Maharashtra

Q5. Name the Island, in which the Railway Ministry has decided to develop the first ever railway line?

(a) Daman and Diu

(b) Andaman and Nicobar

(c) Dadra and Nagar Haveli

(d) Lakshadweep

(e) None of the given options is true

Q6. The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry led by ?under Prakash Javadekar is set to constitute an NTA which will be responsible for conducting examinations for higher and secondary education. What does NTA stand for-

(a) National Testing Association

(b) National Testing Assembly 

(c) Nominal Testing Agency 

(d) Non-Government Testing Agency 

(e) National Testing Agency

Q7. A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed among the Ministry of Tourism, M/s NPCC & NBCC and Government of ______________ for the implementation of Tourism projects.

(a) Himachal Pradesh

(b) Gujarat

(c) Assam

(d) Jammu and Kashmir

(e) Haryana

Q8. The Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has started its operation with 5 pilot branches in Bengaluru. Who is MD and CEO of the Ujjivan Small Finance Bank?

(a) Anand Kumar Sinha

(b) Chandra Shekhar Ghosh

(c) Samit Ghosh

(d) Vinod Rai

(e) None of the given options is true

Q9. ____________lifted up the ban it had imposed on United States Wrestlers, thus allowing them to participate in the Freestyle World Cup to be held in Iran in February 2017.

(a) UAE

(b) Iran

(c) France

(d) Kenya

(e) Germany

Q10. Who has been honoured with the prestigious $1 million 2017 Genesis Prize by Israel for the utmost contribution for the Jewish community?

(a) Anish Kapoor

(b) Subhash Singh

(c) Annu Saini

(d) Prabhat Bhatt

(e) None of the given options is true

Q11. Which team/country has won the gold medal in the boy's team event at the Asian Junior Squash championship in Hong Kong recently?

(a) Sri Lanka

(b) China

(c) Pakistan

(d) Malaysia

(e) India

Q12. Queen Elizabeth II, the world’s longest-reigning sovereign, has become the first ______________ monarch to reach her Sapphire Jubilee, with 65 years on the throne.

(a) Indian

(b) German

(c) Canadian

(d) British

(e) American

Q13. India and Austria have signed a Protocol to amend the existing DTAC between the two countries recently. What does DTAC stand for-?

(a) Double Taxation Avoidance Conference

(b) Double Taxation Avoidance Council

(c) Double Taxation Avoidance Convention 

(d) Double Timing Avoidance Company

(e) Double Taxation Agreement Convention

Q14. IDBI Bank has reduced its marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) by 30-35 basis points across various tenors. Where is the headquartered of IDBI Bank?

(a) Kolkata

(b) Mumbai

(c) Chennai

(d) New Delhi

(e) Bengaluru

Q15. Name the person, who has won the men’s singles titles in the 81st Senior National Badminton Championships tournament in Patna, Bihar.

(a) Sourabh Varma

(b) Lakshya Sen

(c) B Sai Praneeth

(d) Ajay Jayaram

(e) Chetan Anand

                                                                 Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. India’s third largest private bank, Axis Bank has tied up with Earthport Plc, a cross-border payment network, to enable faster outbound cross-border payments for its customers through Earthport’s state-of-the-art global payments network. Axis Bank has become the first bank in India to connect with Earthport’s global payments network, which spans over 60 countries.

S2. Ans.(a)
Sol. According to a new study conducted by scientists in collaboration with the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), two new groups of wheat rust have been identified that posed threat to wheat produced in Africa, Asia and Europe in 2016. As per the data, the two new groups have been identified as yellow rust and stem rust. The finding calls for the need for early detection and rapid action to keep the fungus under control. Rome, Italy is the headquartered of Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).

S3. Ans.(c)
Sol. In an effort to strengthen the bilateral relations between India and UAE, the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Samudra Pavak made a goodwill visit at the Mina Al Rashid (Dubai Port) from February 04th to 07th, 2017. The Indian Ambassador in UAE Navdeep Suri visited the Indian Navy ship. During the stay at port Rashid, a series of activities is scheduled to take place between Indian and UAE coast guard. 

S4. Ans.(e)
Sol. Public sector lender Bank of Maharashtra has partnered with insurance company Cigna TTK Health to market the insurer’s products in the bank’s branches across the entire country. Under the agreement, the bank will offer the all of Cigna TTK’s superior health insurance products to its 2 crore customers through its network of over 1,896 branches, its 14,000 bank employees across the country as well as through its digital platforms.

S5. Ans.(b)
Sol. The Railway Ministry is set to develop the first ever railway line in Andaman and Nicobar Island that currently has no rail network. The Ministry of Railway is set to approve the project that will construct 240-km broad gauge railway line connecting Port Blair with Diglipur, the largest town on Andaman Island.

S6. Ans.(e)
Sol. The Union Human Resource Development Ministry led by ?under Prakash Javadekar is set to constitute a National Testing Agency (NTA) which will be responsible for conducting examinations for higher and secondary education.

S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed among the Ministry of Tourism, M/s NPCC & NBCC and Government of J&K for the implementation of Tourism projects in Jammu and Kashmir. As a part of the new initiative, Development of Tourism in the State New Projects, the Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned two projects, one each to NPCC and NBCC in the J&K which will be implemented by September 2017.

S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has started its operation with 5 pilot branches in Bengaluru. Samit Ghosh is the MD and CEO of the Ujjivan Small Finance Bank.

S9. Ans.(b)
Sol. Iran lifted up the ban it had imposed on United States Wrestlers, thus allowing them to participate in the Freestyle World Cup to be held in Iran in February 2017. Iran had banned the American team on February 3, 2017 after the decision of US President Donald Trump to temporarily suspend Visas to seven Muslim majority countries including Iran. 

S10. Ans.(a)
Sol. Renowned Indian-origin British sculptor Anish Kapoor has honored with the prestigious $1 million 2017 Genesis Prize by Israel for his utmost contribution for Jewish community.

S11. Ans.(e)
Sol. Top seed India has defeated Malaysia 2-0 to win the gold medal in the boy’s team event at the Asian Junior Squash championship in Hong Kong.

S12. Ans.(d)
Sol. Queen Elizabeth II, the world’s longest reigning sovereign, has became the first British monarch to reach her Sapphire Jubilee, with 65 years on the throne. The 90-year-old monarch is marking the landmark as a day of private contemplation at her Sandringham estate in Norfolk as it also coincides with the day her father, George V who has died.

S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. India and Austria have signed a Protocol to amend the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) between the two countries. The Protocol was signed by CBDT Chairman Sushil Chandra on behalf of India and Georg Zehetner, Charge d' Affaires, Embassy of Austria on behalf of Austria.

S14. Ans.(b)
Sol. IDBI Bank has reduced its marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) by 30-35 basis points across various tenors. Mumbai, Maharashtra is headquarted of IDBI Bank.

S15. Ans.(a)
Sol. Sourabh Varma has dashed Lakshya Sen’s hopes of becoming the youngest National champion as he scored a facile win in the men’s single final at the 81st Senior National badminton championships in Patna, Bihar on 07th February 2017. 

అద్దం ముందు నిలబడి మాట్లాడండి

‘లక్ష్యం మాటల్లో, చేతల్లో ప్రతిబింబించాలి. అందుకు ఆత్మ విశ్వాసం కూడా తోడవ్వాలి. అప్పుడే ఇంటర్వ్యూలో విజయం సాధించగలుగుతారు.’ అంటున్నారు డిప్యూటీ డైరెక్టర్‌ ఆఫ్‌ దూరదర్శన్‌ న్యూస్‌.. షుజాత అలి. తన కెరీర్‌ అనుభవాలను ఇలా పంచుకున్నారు. 

 

మీ మొట్టమొదటి ఉద్యోగం? 

నా మొట్టమొదటి ఉద్యోగం ఫౌండర్‌ అండ్‌ సబ్‌ ఎడిటర్‌ ఆఫ్‌ మున్సిఫ్‌ డైలీ. 1979లో ఆ వార్తా పత్రికలో పనిచేశాను. అప్పుడే ఆలిండియా రేడియోలో న్యూస్‌ రీడర్‌గానూ పనిచేశాను. ఆ తర్వాత 1983లో యుపిఎస్‌సి పరీక్షలు రాసి ఐఐస్‌ ఆఫీసర్‌గా సెలెక్ట్‌ అయ్యాను. అప్పటికి నా వయసు 24 ఏళ్లు. అలా ఆ హోదాలో ‘సైనిక్‌ సమాచార్‌’కు సబ్‌ ఎడిటర్‌గా జాయిన్‌ అయ్యాను. సైనిక్‌ సమాచార్‌ అంటే.. న్యూస్‌ మ్యాగజైన్‌ ఆఫ్‌ డిఫెన్స్‌ ఫోర్సెస్‌ ఆఫ్‌ గవర్నమెంట్‌ ఆఫ్‌ ఇండియా. నా ఫస్ట్‌ లవ్‌.. ‘జర్నలిజం’. అదృష్టవశాత్తూ నా మొట్టమొదటి గవర్నమెంట్‌ అసైన్‌మెంట్‌ కూడా వర్కింగ్‌ జర్నలిస్ట్‌గానే దొరికింది.

 

మొట్టమొదటి ఇంటర్వ్యూ అనుభవం? 

యుపిఎస్‌సిలో పర్సనాలిటీ టెస్ట్‌ ఎంతో కీలకమైనది. అప్పట్లో ఐదుగురు బోర్డ్‌ సభ్యులు నన్ను ఇంటర్వ్యూ చేశారు. ఇంటర్వ్యూ ఎంతో ఆసక్తికరంగా సాగింది. ఇంటర్వ్యూలో అవగాహన ఉన్న ప్రశ్నలను రాబట్టాలంటే మనకు పరిఙ్ఞానం ఉన్న అంశాలనే ప్రొజెక్ట్‌ చేయాలి. అలా బోర్డ్‌ మెంబర్ల నుంచి సమాధానం తెలిసిన ప్రశ్నలనే రాబట్టవచ్చు. ఒకవేళ మనకు సినిమాల పరిఙ్ఞానం ఉంటే మన ఫేవరెట్‌ యాక్టర్‌ గురించి చెప్పాలి. అప్పుడు సంబంధిత ప్రశ్నలే అడుగుతారు. నా విషయంలో అదే జరిగింది.

 

మీ కెరీర్‌లో గర్వంగా ఫీలయిన సంఘటన? 

1986లో నేను ప్రెస్‌ ఇన్‌ఫర్మేషన్‌ అసిస్టెంట్‌గా బెంగళూరులో ఉద్యోగం చేస్తున్నప్పుడు అక్కడ ఏర్పాటుచేసిన సార్క్‌ సమ్మిట్‌కు లైజనింగ్‌ ఆఫీసర్‌గా పనిచేశాను. ఆ సమయంలో ప్రభుత్వ పెద్దలు, ప్రముఖుల్ని మరిముఖ్యంగా అప్పటి ప్రిన్సిపల్‌ ఇన్‌ఫర్మేషన్‌ ఆఫీసర్‌ ఆఫ్‌ గవర్నమెంట్‌ ఆఫ్‌ ఇండియాను రిసీవ్‌ చేసుకునే అవకాశం దొరకటాన్ని ఇప్పటికీ గర్వంగా ఫీలవుతాను. అలాగే రాజీవ్‌ గాంధీ, అటల్‌ బిహారీ వాజ్‌పేయి, ఎల్‌.కె.అడ్వాణీలు ఏర్పాటు చేసిన ప్రెస్‌ కాన్ఫెరెన్స్‌ల్లో పాల్గొనే అవకాశం దొరకటం ఎప్పటికీ మరచిపోలేను. అలాగే నేను రేడియోలో న్యూస్‌ కరెస్పాండెంట్‌గా చేస్తున్నప్పుడు మతహింసలు చెలరేగిన సందర్భాల్లో బిబిసి, ఇతర అంతర్జాతీయ రేడియోలు నా బ్రీఫ్‌ న్యూస్‌ను కూడా ప్రసారం చేసేవి. ఇది కూడా నాకు గర్వకారణమే!

 

కెరీర్‌ పరంగా యువతకు మీరిచ్చే సలహా? 

ప్రస్తుతం యువతలో ఆత్మవిశ్వాసం, కరెంట్‌ అఫైర్స్‌ మీద అవగాహన కొరవడుతోంది. సెల్ఫ్‌ కాన్ఫిడెన్స్‌ను పెంచుకోగలిగితే అద్భుతాలు సృష్టించవచ్చు. ప్రతి ఒక్కరు క్రమం తప్పకుండా రోజుకి రెండు రీజనల్‌, రెండు ఇంగ్లీషు వార్తా పత్రికలు చదవాలి. అలాగే రెండు న్యూస్‌ ఛానెల్స్‌ చూడాలి. ఇలా చేస్తే మన చుట్టూ జరుగుతున్న అన్ని విషయాలు మనకు తెలుస్తాయి. అలాగే అద్దం ముందు నిలబడి మాట్లాడటం అలవాటు చేసుకోవాలి. ఇలా చేస్తే మన బాడీ లాంగ్వేజ్‌, మాటలతో సింక్‌ అవుతుందో లేదో తెలుస్తుంది. చెప్పే విషయంలో ఉన్న ఆవేశం, ఉత్సాహం శరీరంలో కూడా ప్రతిబింబించాలి. కాబట్టి అద్దం ముందు నిలబడి మాట్లాడటం ప్రాక్టీస్‌ చేసి ఇలాంటి పొరపాట్లు సరిదిద్దుకోవచ్చు. ఈ అలవాటు వల్ల కమ్యూనికేషన్‌ పవర్‌ కూడా పెరుగుతుంది. ఎదుటివారితో ఆత్మవిశ్వాసంతో మాట్లాడగలుగుతారు.