Daily GK Update 02nd May, 2017

India and Turkey agree to strengthen co-operation in Combating terrorism

i. India and Turkey have strongly condemned the “use of double standards” in combating terrorism and agreed to strengthen cooperation in effectively dealing with the menace both bilaterally and at multilateral fora.
ii. The joint statement was issued after extensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New Delhi.

Centre launches 'One IP- Two Dispensaries' and 'Aadhaar Based Online Claim Submission' Schemes

i. Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment, Shri Bandaru Dattatreya launched two schemes “One IP- Two Dispensaries” and “Aadhaar based Online Claim Submission” on the occasion of International Labour Day (1st May).
ii. Under One IP- Two Dispensaries scheme has given an option to an Insured Person (IP) to choose two dispensaries, one for self and another for the family through an employer. 

iii. Under Aadhaar based Online Claim Submission scheme all EPF Members who have activated their Universal Account Number (UAN) and seeded their KYC (Aadhaar) with EPFO will be able to apply for PF final settlement, Pension withdrawal benefit and PF part withdrawal from their UAN Interface directly.

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar launched Vidya-Veerta Abhiyan

i. Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar launched 'Students for soldiers- a nationwide Vidya-Veerta Abhiyan' to encourage Universities to display portraits of Param Veer Chakra-decorated soldiers.
ii. The aim of this Abhiyan is to instill a sense of patriotism and nationalism among students.
iii. Mr. Javadekar launched the Vidya-Veerta Abhiyan to create 'walls of heroes' - displaying the portraits of the heroes in institutions of higher learning.

Mr. Anthony Lianzuala takes over as the New Controller General of Accounts

i. Mr. Anthony Lianzuala took over as the New Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance with effect from May 1, 2017, in New Delhi.
ii. He is the First person from the North-Eastern Region to hold this position.

Shobana Kamineni is the new CII President

i. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has recently announced new office-bearers for the year 2017-18. Ms. Shobana Kamineni, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd., has assumed office as the new President of CII. She is the first woman President of CII. She takes over from D. Naushad Forbes.
ii. Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, is the new President-Designate, CII.
iii. Mr. Uday Kotak, Executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited is the new Vice President of CII.

Defence Minister hands over DRDO developed devices to forces

i. Defence Minister (Additional Charge) Arun Jaitley handed over a number of devices developed by the DRDO to National Security Guard (NSG), Delhi Police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
ii. The devices handed over in New Delhi to NDRF included 'E-Nasika', a hand-held equipment which is capable of rapid detection of chemical agents well below their toxic limits.
iii. He also handed over to NSG an equipment called 'OTL-300'. It can instantly detect partially camouflaged optical elements, such as telescopes, binoculars and night vision devices.

Dubai becomes first city in the world to get its own Microsoft font

i. Dubai has become the first city in the world to get its own Microsoft font.
ii. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, launched the Dubai Font recently.
iii. The font, available in three styles as 'Dubai', 'Dubai Medium' and 'Dubai Light', can be in italics, underlined and bold.

Chandrababu Naidu bags USIBC award

i. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been selected for the ‘Transformative Chief Minister Award 2017’ in recognition for his role in advancing the US-India partnership at the state level.
ii. The award by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) would be presented to Mr. Naidu during the USIBC West Coast Summit in Bengaluru (the Silicon Valley) on May 8.
iii. Last year’s recipient of this award was Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Aayog.

Aamir Khan launches Asha Parekh’s autobiography in New Delhi

i. Bollywood actor Aamir Khan launched renowned actress of her age, Asha Parekh’s autobiography “Asha Parekh: The Hit Girl” in New Delhi.
ii. 'The Hit Girl' has been penned down by the renowned film critic Khalid Mohamed.

Bharti Enterprises appointed Soumen Ghosh as MD - Financial Services

i. Bharti Enterprises, one of India’s leading business groups, has appointed Soumen (Sam) Ghosh as Managing Director of Financial Services.

ii. Prior to joining Bharti, Ghosh was heading the Financial Services business at Reliance Capital as Executive Director and Group Chief Executive Officer.

Important Takeaways from above GK Update for Exams are as follows-

• India and Turkey signed an agreement to strengthen co-operation in Combating terrorism
• The agreement was signed in New Delhi
• Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the President of Turkey
• The Capital of Turkey is Ankara and its Currency is Turkish lira.
• Union Government launched two schemes “One IP- Two Dispensaries” and “Aadhaar based Online Claim Submission”
• Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment is Shri Bandaru Dattatreya
• International Labour Day is observed on 1st May.
• HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar launched Vidya-Veerta Abhiyan
• The aim of this Abhiyan is to instill a sense of patriotism and nationalism among students
• Mr. Anthony Lianzuala takes over as the New Controller General of Accounts
• He is the First person from the North-Eastern Region to hold this position.
• Shobana Kamineni is the new President of CII
• Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal is the new President-Designate
• Mr. Uday Kotak is the new Vice President of CII
• Defence Minister handed over number of devices to NSG, DP, and NDRF
• The devices were developed by DRDO
• Important devices included 'E-Nasika' and 'OTL-300'
• Dubai becomes the first city in the world to get its own Microsoft font
• Dubai is the City in the United Arab Emirates
• Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is Dubai's Crown Prince.
• Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu has been selected for the ‘Transformative Chief Minister Award 2017’
• The award is given by the US-India Business Council (USIBC)
• The recipient of this award for 2016 was Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Aayog
• The name of Asha Parekh's autobiography is “Asha Parekh: The Hit Girl”
• It has been penned down by Khalid Mohamed.

QUIZ-02

Q1. The government has appointed retired Supreme Court judge ___________ as the next chairman of Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). 
(a) M. PatanjaliSastri
(b) VikramajitSen
(c) Shiva Kirti Singh
(d) Balbir Singh Chauhan
(e) Ram PrakashSethi

Q2. For the first time since Nagaland officially gained recognition as a state, a state Police Officer AtuZumvu has been awarded one of the nations' military honour, ‘Shaurya Chakra’. Nagaland attained statehood in which year? 
(a) 1965
(b) 1955
(c) 1971
(d) 1963
(e) 1975

Q3. Prime Minister NarendraModi released a book authored by LokSabha Speaker SumitraMahajan in New Delhi, recently. The book is titled as __________.
(a) Matopadesh
(b) Bhagyashree
(c) Matoshree
(d) Preranadayini
(e) Hanswahini

Q4. The government has recently set up an 'Inter-Ministerial Committee' to monitor the regional air connectivity scheme named _________.
(a) UDAY
(b) UDAAN
(c) UJJWALA
(d) UNNATI
(e) UDAN

Q5. Name the novel authored by Colson Whitehead that has won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, recently.
(a) The Underground Railroad
(b) Don Quixote
(c) The Odyssey by Homer
(d) In Search of Time
(e) The Divine Comedy

Q6. ESAF Small Finance Bank has launched a social deposit scheme called _____________ in Thrissur, Kerala.
(a) FinTech Subsidy Scheme
(b) Hrudaya Deposit scheme
(c) PowerTex Form Scheme
(d) Ujala Deposit Scheme
(e) Hardik Deposit Scheme

Q7. Name the mobile manufacturing company that has recently partnered withAirtel and BSNL to set up 5G internet speed in India to introduce a fast internet ecosystem in the country.
(a) Samsung
(b) Micromax
(c) Nokia
(d) Vivo
(e) Gionee

Q8. Carme Chacon, the first female defense minister of which of the following countries has passed away recently.
(a) Germany
(b) Spain
(c) France
(d) Nigeria
(e) UK

Q9. Name the person who has recently become the youngest noble prize winner to address Canadian parliament.
(a) KailashSatyarthi
(b) Aung San SuuKyi
(c) Raoul Wallenberg
(d) MalalaYousafzai
(e) None of the given options are true

Q10. The first rail freight service ‘British goods’has started recently from the UK to which one of the following countries?
(a) Japan
(b) India
(c) France
(d) Spain
(e) China

Q11. MuktaDuttaTomar has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to which of the following countries?
(a) Japan
(b) Germany
(c) Oman
(d) Georgia
(e) Nigeria

Q12. India's first ever micro-drama festival, named Thespis, was held recently in which one of the following cities? 
(a) New Delhi
(b) Chandigarh
(c) Bengaluru
(d) Chennai
(e) Bareilly

Q13. Nearly four crore members of which of the following organizations will soon be able to settle their claims through the mobile application UMANG?
(a) SEBI
(b) RBI
(c) IRDAI
(d) EPFO
(e) SIDBI

Q14. India and which country recently inked six pacts including one aimed at boosting counter-terrorism cooperation?
(a) China
(b) Japan
(c) Australia
(d) Malaysia
(e) Bangladesh

Q15. Name the person who has recently inaugurated the first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit 2017 in New Delhi.
(a) ShriNarendraModi
(b) ShriRajyavardhan Sing Rathore
(c) ShriNarendraPradhan
(d) ShriRaghubar Das
(e) ShriPranab Mukherjee

Solutions

S1. Ans.(c)
Sol. The government has appointed retired Supreme Court judge Shiva KirtiSingh as the next chairman of Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). 

S2. Ans.(d)
Sol. For the first time since Nagaland officially gained recognition as a state, a state Police Officer AtuZumvu has been awarded one of the nations' military honour, ‘Shaurya Chakra’. Nagaland attained statehood in 1963. 

S3. Ans.(c)
Sol. Prime Minister NarendraModi released a book authored by LokSabha Speaker SumitraMahajan in New Delhi, recently. The book is titled as 'Matoshree'.

S4. Ans.(e)
Sol. The government has set up an 'Inter-Ministerial Committee' to monitor the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN (UdeDeshKaAamNaagrik) which seeks to make flying affordable by connecting unserved and under-served airports.

S5. Ans.(a)
Sol. The literary blockbuster novel 'The Underground Railroad' authored by Colson Whitehead, which depicts the journey of a young woman escaping from slavery via a fantastical train system has won the Pulitzer prizefor fiction.

S6. Ans.(b)
Sol. ESAF Small Finance Bank has launched a social deposit scheme called 'Hrudaya Deposit scheme' in Thrissur, Kerala.

S7. Ans.(c)
Sol. Nokia and Airtel along with state-owned network BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd) have announced that they have partnered to set up 5G internet speed in India to introduce a fast internet ecosystem in the country.

S8. Ans.(b)
Sol. Carme Chacon, the first female defense minister of Spain passed away recently. She was 46 years old.

S9. Ans.(d)
Sol. MalalaYousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, becomes the first noble prize winner to address Canadian parliament.

S10. Ans.(e)
Sol. The first rail freight service British goods from the UK to China has departed on its 17-day, 7,500-mile journey.

S11. Ans.(b)
Sol. MuktaDuttaTomar has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Federal Republic of Germany, recently.

S12. Ans.(a)
Sol. India's first ever micro-drama festival, named Thespis, was held recently in New Delhi. 

S13. Ans.(d)
Sol. Nearly four crore members of retirement fund body Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) will soon be able to settle their claims like employees’ provident fund (EPF) withdrawal through mobile application UMANG.

S14. Ans.(c)
Sol. India and Australia has recently inked six pacts including one aimed at boosting counter-terrorism cooperation after talks between PM NarendraModi and his counterpart Malcolm Turnbull (PM of Australia) in New Delhi.

S15. Ans.(e)
Sol. The President of India, ShriPranab Mukherjee inaugurated the first NIMCARE World Health Day Summit 2017 in New Delhi.

Daily GK Update 01st May, 2017

Ganga Cleanliness Pledge Day to be observed on May 2

i. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) will observe 'Ganga Cleanliness Pledge Day' on 02nd May 2017 at various places in the river's basin states to spread awareness and ensure public participation in the program.
ii. The events will be organized in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Hardoi, Bithoor and Vidhur Kuti; Uttarakhand's Srinagar and Devprayag; Patna and Bhagalpur in Bihar; Sahibganj (Jharkhand) and Kolkata (West Bengal).

India to give Rs 35 cr to Bangladesh under 'Muktijodha scholarship' scheme

i. India will give Rs 35 crore to children of freedom fighters in Bangladesh in the next five years under the new 'Muktijodha scholarship' scheme. 
ii. India initiated the Muktijodha Scholarship Scheme in 2006 for descendants of the 1971 Freedom Fighters. Until now, more than 10,000 scholarships worth Tk150 million have been disbursed.

Former minister Ashwani Kumar to get Japan Imperial Decoration

i. Former Union minister Ashwani Kumar has been selected by Japan for this year's Spring Imperial Decorations, for his contribution to the strengthening of bilateral ties and promotion of friendship between the two countries.
ii. The Presentation Ceremony for the Investiture of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun will be held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on May 9.

International Labour Day: 01st May

i. International Labour Day, also known as International Worker's Day or May Day is observed on 01st of May every year to promote and encourage the international labour associations.
ii. The day marks the victory of workers' movement for eight hours of work. It also aims to pay tribute to workers sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights all over the world.
iii. In India, Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya will chair International Labour Day function in New Delhi.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip on visit to India

i. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was given the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. The visiting dignitary will hold delegation level talks with PM Modi.
ii. A number of agreements will be signed in several areas after the talks. The Turkish President is accompanied by senior cabinet ministers and a 150-member business delegation that will take part in a meeting of the India-Turkey Business Forum.

Kerala's Aymanam Becomes Country's First Digitised Panchayat ward

i. Aymanam ward in the Kerala district on became India’s first digitalised panchayat ward. Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Krishan Pal Gurjar inaugurated the website of the first digitalised panchayat ward number 15 of Aymanam gram panchayat.
ii. The minister launched the website www.digitalaymanam.com at the function.

Maharashtra CM inaugurated state's 1st automatic weather station

i. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has inaugurated the State’s first automatic weather station at Dongargaon in Vidarbha region.
ii. With the installation of this station information from the stations would help farmers plan and manage the sowing process better.
ii. In the first phase, information will be shared using SMS, and in the second, all gram panchayats will get half-hourly information on weather conditions.

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2017 (RERA) comes into effect from today (01st May 2017)

The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2017 (RERA) has come into force today, aimed to protect the interests of homebuyers across the country and bring transparency.
Here are some key features of the Act-

• It aims to protect the interests of homebuyers across the country and bring transparency.
• The real estate developers will not be allowed to take advances and booking amounts from customers in yet to be launched projects till they are registered with RERA.
• According to the current guidelines, developers have to register their under-construction projects along with all the relevant details with RERA by July 31.
• In case a customer makes three consecutive defaults in payments, the developer will have to give three weeks’ notice to the customer, and if no response is received, the developer can cancel the agreement.
• So far around 13 states and Union Territories (UTs) have reportedly notified their rules. These include Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Delhi.

Google introduces 'Solve for India' campaign

i. Google has announced the new "Solve for India" initiative, especially for tier-2 cities such as Pune, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochi, Indore, Nagpur, Nashik, Madurai, Kanpur, and Chennai.
ii. This program will aim to support entrepreneurs and developers of the country. Entrepreneurs will now have the opportunity to learn directly from Google engineers. Some of the areas will include agri-tech, healthcare, transportation, education, sanitation and more.

Yusra Mardini appointed UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador

i. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has appointed Syrian refugee and Olympic athlete Yusra Mardini as a Goodwill Ambassador.
ii. Ms. Mardini, who has settled in Germany, participated in the first ever Olympic refugee team at the Rio de Janeiro games in 2016.

iii. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people.

Russian Grand Prix 2017: Valtteri Bottas wins his first F1 race

i. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) claimed his first Formula One victory, taking the flag at the Russian Grand Prix after a tense final few laps as he was chased down by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.
ii. In the race, Sebastian Vettel finished in second and Mercedes's Lewis Hamilton stood fourth.

Rafael Nadal Clinches his 10th Barcelona Open Title

i. Rafael Nadal won a record-extending 10th Barcelona Open title by defeating Dominic Thiem of Austria. He collected his second claycourt title in a row.
ii. Nadal, who won the Monte Carlo Masters for a 10th time last week, romped to the title without dropping a set on the newly renamed Rafa Nadal court at the Real Tennis Club in Barcelona.

Pankaj Advani wins silver at Asian Snooker Championship

i. India's top cueist Pankaj Advani lost to China's Lv Haotian in the summit clash of Asian Snooker Championship held in Doha, Qatar.
ii. This is the first silver Advani has won this season, the rest all gold medals at the National Championships of Billiards, 6-red Snooker and 15-red Snooker, as well as the Asian Billiards Championship.

Joshna Chinappa becomes first Indian to win Asian Squash title

i. Joshna Chinappa scripted history by becoming the first Indian to clinch the Asian Squash title with a thrilling win over compatriot Dipika Pallikal Karthik in the women's final.
ii. The event was organized in Chennai.
iii. In the men's final, top-seeded Max Lee of Hong Kong kept his tryst with glory, winning his maiden title beating India's Saurav Ghosal.

Sufi legend Begum Yaman passes away at 52

i. Famous Sufi singer and daughter of legendary Sitar Maestro (late) Ustad Vilayat Ali Khan, Begum Yaman K. Khan has passed away after multiple organ failures.
ii. She was 52 years old.
iii. She was the recipient of ‘Hasrat Amir Khusrao Award’ by Urdu Press Club International.

Important Takeaways from above GK Update for Exams are as follows-

• Ganga Cleanliness Pledge Day to be observed on May 2, 2017
• Uma Bharti is present Union Water Resources Minister
• NMCG stands for  National Mission for Clean Ganga 
• India to give Rs 35 crore to Bangladesh
• India to give Rs 35 crore to Bangladesh under 'Muktijodha scholarship' scheme.
• Muktijodha Scholarship Scheme in 2006 for descendants of the 1971 Freedom Fighters. 
• Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh. 
• Taka is the currency of Bangladesh.
• Sheikh Hasina Wazed is the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
• Md. Abdul Hamid is President of Bangladesh.
• Former Union minister Ashwani Kumar has been selected by Japan for this year's Spring Imperial Decorations.
• Shinzo Abe is the Prime Minister of Japan.
• Tokyo is the capital of Japan.
• International Labour Day is celebrated globally on 01st May
• It is celebrated to promote and encourage the international labor associations across the world
• Labour and Employment Minister of India is Mr. Bandaru Dattatreya
• Turkey's President Recep Tayyip is on visit to India
• The Capital of Turkey is Ankara
• Currency of Turkey is Turkish lira
• Kerala's Aymanam has become Country's First Digitised Panchayat ward
• Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment is Krishan Pal Gurjar
• He has launched the website www.digitalaymanam.com
• CM of Kerala is Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan and its governor is Mr. P Sathasivam
• Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has inaugurated the State’s first automatic weather station at Dongargaon in Vidarbha region
• The move will help farmers plan and manage the sowing process better
• Google introduced 'Solve for India' campaign
• The initiative is aimed to support entrepreneurs and developers
• The campaign is for Tier-2 cities
• CEO of Google is Mr. Sundar Pichai and is headquartered in California, USA
• Alphabet Inc. is the parent organization of Google.
• UNHCR has appointed Syrian Yusra Mardini as a Goodwill Ambassador
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is the full form of UNHCR
• UNHCR was created in 1950
• Filippo Grandi is the 11th United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
• UNHCR is Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Valtteri Bottas wins Russian Grand Prix 2017
• It was his first F1 win
• Sebastian Vettel finished in second in the event
• Valtteri Bottas is from Finland
• Rafael Nadal Clinched his 10th Barcelona Open Title
• He defeated Dominic Thiem of Austria
• Rafael Nadal is from Spain.
• Pankaj Advani wins silver at Asian Snooker Championship
• He was defeated by China's Lv Haotian
• Asian Snooker Championship held in Doha, Qatar
• Joshna Chinappa becomes first Indian to win Asian Squash title
• She defeated Dipika Pallikal Karthik
• Max Lee won in men's category by defeating Saurav Ghoshal.
• The event was held in Chennai, India.
• Sufi legend Begum Yaman passed away at 52
• She was the recipient of ‘Hasrat Amir Khusrao Award’.

QUIZ-01

Q1. Name the Author of book recently released by Prime Minister of India titled as 'Matoshree'.

(a) Kiran Bedi

(b) Jhumpa Lahiri

(c) Arundhati Roy

(d) Sumitra Mahajan

(e) Anitha Desai

Q2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as the most followed world leader on photo-sharing app Instagram with a whopping 6.9 million followers. Who was on second position in the list?

(a) Vladimir Putin

(b) Donald Trump

(c) Xi Jinping

(d) Kim Jong-un

(e) David Camero

Q3. United Nation (UN) chief Antonio Guterres has named ___________ as the new administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, recently.

(a) Achim Steiner

(b) Suchetha Desai

(c) Frank Mushyo

(d) Jeremiah Mamabolo

(e) David Beasley

Q4. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has recently given its approval for the listing of how many Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) on stock exchanges?

(a) 9

(b) 14

(c) 11

(d) 17

(e) 15

Q5. Name the author of blockbuster novel 'The Underground Railroad' who has recently won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

(a) Jane Austen

(b) Colson Whitehead

(c) Shankha Ghosh

(d) Svetlana Alexievich

(e) Marlon James

Q6. India and Prime Minister of which country have started a partnership aimed at increasing cooperation in sports, in the presence of batting legend Sachin Tendulkar?

(a) Bangladesh

(b) Myanmar

(c) Germany

(d) Australia

(e) Malaysia

Q7. What was the name of India's first ever micro-drama festival that was held recently in New Delhi.

(a) Thespis

(b) Taapsi

(c) Ankulrama

(d) Thanes Hare

(e) Mospesis

Q8. Name the person who has been recently appointed as the new MD and CEO of Karnataka Bank Ltd.

(a) Kailash Krishnamurthy

(b) M Venkataraman

(c) R Vimal Shankar

(d) B P Malhotra

(e) M M Subrahmanya

Q9. Haldia Port has topped the List in the First-Ever Ranking of Ports on Sanitation Parameters in the exercise that was undertaken during the ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’ (in March 2017). Haldia Port is situated in _____________.

(a) Chennai

(b) West Bengal

(c) Odisha

(d) Goa

(e) Maharashtra

Q10. ESAF Small Finance Bank has recently launched a social deposit scheme called 'Hrudaya Deposit scheme' in ___________.

(a) Thiruvananthpuram

(b) Bengaluru

(c) Thrissur

(d) Mangalore

(e) Yehlanka

Q11. As per the recent announcement of the government, from May 1, 2017, petrol and diesel prices will change every day in sync with international rates first in five cities. Which of the following city is not among them?

(a) Puducherry

(b) Vizag

(c) Udaipur

(d) Lucknow

(e) Jamshedpur

Q12. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu has recently announced the re-launch of a scheme for uplifment and all-round development of people belonging to the Backward Classes. What is the name of that scheme?

(a) Adarana Scheme

(b) Aradhya Scheme

(c) Bandhan Scheme

(d) Utkarsh Scheme

(e) Utthaan Scheme

Q13. The pink patrol cars called the 'Pink Hoysalas' and the Suraksha mobile phone app was launched recently as part of an effort to improve the safety and security of women in which of the following cities?

(a) Varanasi

(b) Bengaluru

(c) Gandhinagar

(d) Chandigarh

(e) New Delhi

Q14. The World Bank has recently approved a $375 million loan to India’s first inland water transport fairway National Waterway 1 (NW1) project. This project is based on which one of the following Rivers?

(a) Brahmaputra River

(b) Beas River

(c) Ganga River

(d) Godavri River

(e) Yamuna River

Q15. Malala Yousafzai has recently become the youngest Nobel Prize laureate to address parliament of which of the following countries?

(a) Australia

(b) Germany

(c) Spain

(d) Malaysia

(e) Canada

                                                       Solutions  

S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a book authored by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in New Delhi, recently. The book is titled as 'Matoshree'.

S2. Ans.(b)
Sol. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as the most followed world leader on photo-sharing app Instagram with a whopping 6.9 million followers, surpassing US President Donald Trump.

S3. Ans.(a)
Sol. United Nation (UN) chief Antonio Guterres has named a German Achim Steiner, as the new administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

S4. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its approval for the listing of 11 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) on stock exchanges. As approved, the listing of CPSEs will be through the public offer of shares up to 25 per cent of Government of India's shareholding, which may include an offer of fresh shares for raising of resources from the market.

S5. Ans.(b)
Sol. The literary blockbuster novel 'The Underground Railroad' authored by Colson Whitehead, which depicts the journey of a young woman escaping from slavery via a fantastical train system has won the Pulitzer prize for fiction.

S6. Ans.(d)
Sol. India and Australia have recently started a partnership aimed at increasing cooperation in sports, in the presence of visiting Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.

S7. Ans.(a)
Sol. India's first ever micro-drama festival, named Thespis, was held recently in New Delhi.

S8. Ans.(e)
Sol. Mahabaleshwara Mavinakudige Subrahmanya has been appointed as the new MD and CEO of Karnataka Bank Ltd. He will assume the Charge from 15th April 2017.

S9. Ans.(b)
Sol. Haldia Port in West Bengal has topped the List in the First-Ever Ranking of Ports on Sanitation Parameters.The exercise was undertaken during the ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’ observed from the 16th to 31st of March 2017.

S10. Ans.(c)
Sol. ESAF Small Finance Bank has launched a social deposit scheme called 'Hrudaya Deposit scheme' in Thrissur, Kerala.

S11. Ans.(d)
Sol. As per the announcement of government from May 1, 2017, petrol and diesel prices will change every day in sync with international rates. A pilot for daily revision of petrol and diesel price will be first implemented in Puducherry, Vizag in Andhra Pradesh, Udaipur in Rajasthan, Jamshedpur in Jharkhand and Chandigarh.

S12. Ans.(a)
Sol. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu announced the re-launch of 'Adarana scheme' for improving traditional occupations.It is for the uplift and all-round development of people belonging to the Backward Classes.

S13. Ans.(b)
Sol. The pink patrol cars called the 'Pink Hoysalas' and the Suraksha mobile phone app was launched recently as part of an effort to improve the safety and security of women in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

S14. Ans.(c)
Sol. The World Bank has approved a $375 million loan to India’s first inland water transport fairway National Waterway 1 (NW1) project on a 1,360 km-stretch of the Ganga river between Varanasi and the seaport of Haldia for bringing thousands of jobs in cargo logistics and transportation. 

S15. Ans.(e)
Sol. Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, becomes the first noble prize winner to address Canadian parliament.