Daily GK Update 1st April, 2017

Government launched two mobile apps- echallan and mParivahan

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

ii. 'eChallan' is an integrated enforcement solution to manage traffic violations.

iii. 'mParivahan' is an empowering app for the citizen which provides access to various services, information and utilities related to the transport sector.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak Visits India

i. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is on a 6-day visit to India.

ii. This year marks the 60th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations. Malaysia’s father of independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman, visited India in 1962.
iii. India and Malaysia signed their strategic partnership in 2010. India has trained Malaysian pilots for the Russian SU-30 aircraft. 

Japan commits 371 bn yen assistance for infra projects in India

i. Japan has committed an 'Official Development Assistance' (ODA) of 371.345 billion yen (about Rs 21,590 crore) under 2016-2017 for various infrastructure projects, including the dedicated freight corridor, in India.

ii. The notes in this regard were exchanged in New Delhi between S Selvakumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs and Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India.

Kanha tiger reserve becomes first in India get official mascot

i. Kanha tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh has become the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot of its own.

ii. The Mascot has been named 'Bhoorsingh the Barasingha' to present the hard ground swamp deer as the spirit of the reserve and spread awareness to save it from possible extinction. Barasingha or Swamp Deer is the State animal of Madhya Pradesh.

 82nd Establishment Day of RBI- 01st April 2017
i. The Reserve Bank of India is the central bank of the country. The Reserve Bank of India was set up on the basis of the recommendations of the Hilton Young Commission. The Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (II of 1934) provides the statutory basis for the functioning of the Bank, which commenced operations on April 1, 1935.
Click here to read more

IIT-Madras signs MoU with Indian Army

i. The Indian Army has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M).

ii. The objective of the agreement is to identify and enhance the critical technological areas that can be enhanced in the armed forces.


Vanaja Sarna appointed as CBEC's new Chairman

i. Vanaja N. Sarna was appointed as the new chairman of Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).

ii. She has replaced Najib Shah after his retirement. Prior to becoming Member of the CBEC, she held the charge of Director General of Vigilance and Chief Vigilance Officer of the Department.

SBI gets new logo and enters in the league of top 50 Global Banks

i. From April 1, the associate banks which will be merging with State Bank of India will sport the lender's signage and logo, with its iconic keyhole set against the background of inky blue.

ii. On the design, “SBI” legend will be seen in white colour and will be written in a new font called Effra.

iii. As per the Reserve Bank of India, all branches of the associate banks will function as branches of SBI from April 1, 2017.
iv. With The merger, State Bank of India will enter the league of Top 50 Global Banks with a balance sheet size of Rs. 41 trillion.

Axis Bank ties up with Wells Fargo for US remittances

i. Axis Bank has tied up with Wells Fargo (the third largest American bank by assets) to offer real-time remittances from the Indian diaspora to their relatives back home.

ii. Under the arrangement between the two banks, any member of the Indian diaspora with an account with the Wells Fargo will be able to transfer money to their relatives back home and there will be no transaction fee applicable to the money transfers from the USA. But the relative or the beneficiary in India will need to have an account with Axis Bank.

Kotak Mahindra Bank launches 8-11 app to double customer base

i. Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched the '811 banking app' which is part of the lender's vision to double customer base in 18 months.

ii. Customers will be able to open an account on the 811 banking app with zero balance. Only Aadhaar and PAN card would be required to open 811 account which would provide access to over 100 features on mobile. The account offers up to 6 percent interest rate on savings deposits.

Railway Minister released Book Titled 'Indian Railway- The weaving of a National Tapestry'

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

ii. The theme of this book is the historical development of railways in India, organized into chapters dealing with different periods of development in chronological order.

iii. In addition, Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhu also launched Hi-speed free Wi-Fi services for the visitors at National Rail Museum, New Delhi.

Important Takeaways from above GK Update are as follows-

• Government launched two mobile apps named echallan and mParivahan
• Apps are available on Google Playstore
• Prime Minister of Malaysia is Mr.Najib Razak
• Tunku Abdul Rahman is Malaysia’s father of independence
• Capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur and its Currency is Malaysian ringgit
• Japan has committed an 'Official Development Assistance' (ODA) of 371.345 billion yen
• Kenji Hiramatsu is the Ambassador of Japan to India
• Currency of Japan is Japanese yen and its Prime minister is Shinzō Abe
• Kanha tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh becomes first in India get official mascot
• Name of the mascot is 'Bhoorsingh the Barasingha'
• Barasingha or Swamp Deer is the State animal of Madhya Pradesh
• RBI was set up on the basis of the recommendations of the Hilton Young Commission.
• Reserve Bank of India was established on 01st April 1935.
• Sir Osborne Smith was the first Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
• Urjit Ravindra Patel is present and 24th Governor of RBI.
• The Reserve Bank of India was nationalized on 1st January 1949.
• C. D. Deshmukh was the first Indian governor of RBI.
• The headquarter of RBI is in Mumbai, Maharashtra. 
• IIT-Madras has signed an MoU with the Indian Army
• The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) is General Bipin Rawat
• Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) is Lieutenant General Sarath Chand
• Director of IIT- M is Bhaskar Ramamurthy.
• Vanaja N. Sarna is now the new chairman of Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC)
• She has replaced Najib Shah
• CBEC has been renamed as Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) under GST Regime
• Public Lender State Bank of India gets a new logo
• State Bank of India will enter in the league of Top 50 Global Banks with a balance sheet size of Rs. 41 trillion
• SBI will be written in a new font called Effra
• Chairman of SBI is Mrs. Arundhati Bhattacharya
• Axis Bank has tied up with Wells Fargo for US remittances
• Wells Fargo is the third largest American bank by assets
• Wells Fargo & Company WFC is a diversified, community-based financial services company
• WFC was founded in 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco
• Axis Bank is Headquartered in Mumbai and its CEO is Shikha Sharma.
• Kotak Mahindra Bank launched the '811 banking app
• Headquarter of  Kotak Mahindra Bank is in Mumbai and was founded in 2003
• Uday Kotak is the executive vice-chairman and MD of Kotak Mahindra Bank 
• Railway Minister released the book titled 'Indian Railway- The weaving of a National Tapestry'
• Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu is the Railway Minister of India
• He launched Hi-speed free Wi-Fi services for the visitors at National Rail Museum, New Delhi.

QUIZ-01

Q1. Legendary American jazz singer Al Jarreau passed away in Los Angeles. He was ____________ years old.
Answer: 76

Q2. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) launched its first fully integrated capacity development centre, South Asia Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) in ____________, recently.
Answer: New Delhi

Q3. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee declared _______________ as 21st district of West Bengal. The new district is from Darjeeling.
Answer: Kalimpong

Q4. The total foodgrain production in the country has been pegged at record 272 million tonne, recently. It is higher by 6.94 million tonnes than the previous record production of 265 million tonnes in 2013-14. It is a noticeable success in the field of agriculture. Who is the union minister of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare?
Answer: Radha Mohan Singh

Q5. The 2017 Cobra Gold Military Exercise kicked off at the Sattahip Royal Thai Marine Corps Base in Chonburi Province, Thailand .Cobra Gold 2017 is the ________________ edition of the multinational drill and is co-organized by United States and Thailand.
Answer: 36th

Q6. Union Health Secretary C.K. Mishra has recently launched a kit that will provide information on adolescent related issues such as puberty and mental health, among others. What is the name of that kit?
Answer: Saathiya Resource Kits

Q7. Astronomers of NASA have discovered seven Earth-like Exoplanets, recently. Name of this Exoplanet system is _____________.
Answer: TRAPPIST-1

Q8. The WTO's trade facilitation agreement, which seeks to ease customs norms, came into effect with its two-third members ratifying the pact, recently. Director-General of WTO is ________________ and its Headquarter is in _________________, respectively.
Answer: Roberto Azevêdo, Geneva

Q9. In the recent list of ICC women’s' ranking India’s one day captain Mithali Raj and batter Harmanpreet Kaur were placed on 2nd and 10th positions, respectively. Name the First Rank holder in the list.
Answer: Meg Lanning

Q10. The country's largest telecom services provider, Bharti Airtel (Airtel) has recently acquired a telecom service provider company. What is the name of that company?
Answer: Telenor India

Q11. India is among nine countries that will be part of a global health network focused on improving the quality of care for new mothers and babies and strengthen national efforts to end preventable deaths of pregnant women and newborns by ____________.
Answer: 2030

Q12. National Crime Agency (NCA) of Britain has arrested two persons in connection with the spot-fixing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), recently. Where is the Headquarter of NCA?
Answer: London

Q13. Strata Manufacturing PJSC (Strata), the advanced composite aero-structures manufacturing company, wholly owned by Mubadala Development Company  and Reliance Defense Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on advanced aerospace manufacturing capabilities between India and ______________.
Answer: The UAE

Q14. Bharat Electronics unveiled its new communication network, BELCOMNET, for the Defense/Paramilitary forces and export market. BELCOMNET, designed and developed by BEL, is a V/UHF secure voice communication network with user specific encryption algorithm. Who is the newly appointed Director (HR) of BEL?
Answer: Mr. R N Bagdalkar

Q15. Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited (KSSL), the defense arm of Kalyani Group, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to incorporate a joint venture company (JVC) in India. The MoU was signed in ______________ at Aero India, by Joseph Weiss
Answer: Bengaluru

Daily GK Update 31st March, 2017

President inaugurated 'Namami Brahmaputra' festival in Assam

i. The biggest river festival of India, Namami Brahmaputra, begins in 21 districts of Assam.

ii. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the festival on the banks of the river Brahmaputra, which is considered country's only male river.

iii. The main purpose of the 5-day festival (31st March to 4th April) is to give a boost to the investment and tourism prospect in the state.

India signs First Loan Agreement with New Development Bank

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

ii. This is the First Loan Agreement for NDB assisted project in India. The objective of the Project is upgradation of major district roads (Approx. 1,500 km) in Madhya Pradesh to improve connectivity of the interior areas of the state with the national and state highway networks. The project implementation is 5 years.

Mental Healthcare Bill passed in Parliament

i. Parliament passed the Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016, which provides healthcare and services to the people with mental illness and also decriminalizes suicide.

ii. The bill was passed by Rajya Sabha in August 2016. The Mental Healthcare Bill secured approval in Lok Sabha too, recently. On the clauses decriminalizing suicide, the bill states that a person who attempts suicide should be presumed to have severe stress, and shall not be punished.

iii. Under the Mental Healthcare Bill, the punishment for flouting of provisions will attract up to six months in prison or Rs 10,000 fine or both.

RBI says payment systems to remain closed on April 1

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said all payment systems will remain closed on April 1, in a change from its earlier directive asking banks to remain open on the first day of the next fiscal beginning April.

ii. Electronic fund transfers using payment channels like RTGS (Real-time gross settlement) and NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer) would remain closed on Saturday. However, debit card and credit card transactions would remain unaffected. 

Interest rates on small savings schemes cut by 0.1%

i. The returns on small savings schemes, including Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC) and Kisan Vikas Patra, will be lowered by 0.1 percent for the April-June quarter.

ii. Interest rates on all nine small savings schemes will be lower by 0.1%. Interest rates are reviewed quarterly.

iii. According to finance ministry notification, investments in the public provident fund (PPF) scheme will fetch lower annual rate of 7.9%, the same as a five-year National Savings Certificate.

Karnataka Bank, SBI Card launch co-branded credit card
i. Karnataka Bank and SBI Card have launched co-branded credit cards for the customers of Karnataka Bank.

ii. Through this alliance, Karnataka Bank and SBI Card will launch two variants of the co-branded credit card named ‘Karnataka Bank Platinum SBI Card’ and ‘Karnataka Bank SimplySAVE SBI Card’.

Sunaina Singh appointed as new Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University

i. Sunaina Singh has been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University. She was Vice Chancellor of Hyderabad-based EFL University. She has replaced George Yeo.

ii. The University has received a total of 160 applications for the position and six people were called for interviews and three names were then sent to the Visitor. Singh’s name was on top.

El Salvador becomes first country in the world to ban metals mining

i. El Salvador, Central America’s smallest nation, has become the first country in the world to ban metals mining nationwide.

ii. The new law, supported by 70 lawmakers, bans all exploration, extraction, and processing of metals both in open pits and mines.

NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson breaks Sunita Williams’ spacewalking record

i. American astronaut Peggy Whitson made history when she floated outside the International Space Station (ISS).

ii. She broke the record for the most spacewalks by a woman. Whitson at the age of 57, is making her eighth career spacewalk, surpassing the record of seven previously held by American Sunita Williams.
iii. Ms. Whitson earned a doctorate in biochemistry and served as the first female space station commander in 2008.

India's S V Sunil named player of the year for 2016 in Asian Hockey Awards

i. Indian forward player S V Sunil was named the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Player of the Year for 2016.

ii. Drag-flick specialist Harmanpreet Singh was chosen as the Promising Player of the Year in the continental body’s annual awards.

Sachin Tendulkar launches own mobile app
i. Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar launched his Android and iOS app called '100MB'. The app has been developed by Pune-based technology firm JetSynthesys.
ii. The app allows users access to their personal social media account within the app and access to exclusive information and interaction with Tendulkar.

Important Takeaways from above GK Update are as follows-

• The 5-day long Festival 'Namami Brahmaputra' begins in Assam
• Inaugurated by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee
• Prime Minister of Bhutan is Mr. Tshering Tobgay
• Brahmaputra River is country's only male river
• India signs First Loan Agreement of US$ 350 Million with New Development Bank for the first time
• The project implementation duration is 5 years
• The Government of Madhya Pradesh and MPRDC are the implementing agencies
• Judiciary capital of Madhya Pradesh is Jabalpur
• New Development Bank (NDB) is headquartered in Shanghai, China
• BRICS countries are members of NDB
• Parliament passed the Mental Healthcare Bill 2016
• punishment for flouting of provisions will attract up to six months in prison or Rs 10,000 fine or both
• The bill was passed by Rajya Sabha in August 2016 and now passed in Lok Sabha too.
• All payment systems will remain closed on April 1
• Electronic fund transfers using payment channels like RTGS and NEFT would remain closed on Saturday
• India signs First Loan Agreement of US$ 350 Million with New Development Bank for the first time
• The project implementation duration is 5 years
• The Government of Madhya Pradesh and MPRDC are the implementing agencies
• Judiciary capital of Madhya Pradesh is Jabalpur
• New Development Bank (NDB) is headquartered in Shanghai, China
• BRICS countries are members of NDB.
• Sunaina Singh appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Nalanda University
• She has replaced George Yeo
• Nalanda University is located in Nalanda District of Bihar
• It was established in 2014.
• El Salvador has become the first country in the world to ban metals mining
• El Salvador is Central America’s smallest nation
• Capital and largest city of El Salvador is San Salvador
• Salvador Sánchez Cerén is the president of El Salvador
• NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson breaks Sunita Williams’ spacewalking record
• She is making her eighth career spacewalk
• She was the first female space station commander in 2008
• S V Sunil named the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Player of the Year for 2016
• Harmanpreet Singh was named as the Promising Player of the Year
• Karnataka Bank and SBI Card have launched co-branded credit cards for the customers of Karnataka Bank named ‘Karnataka Bank Platinum SBI Card’ and ‘Karnataka Bank SimplySAVE SBI Card’
• Polali Jayarama Bhat is CEO of Karnataka Bank and its Headquarter is in Mangalore
• Vijay Jasuja is CEO of SBI Card and its Headquarter is in Gurgaon.

QUIZ-31

Q1. International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, has teamed up with Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC) to conduct training programs for NBFC. What does ‘F’ stands for in NBFC?
Answer: Finance

Q2. Kim Jong-Nam from South Korea half-brother of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un was assassinated mysteriously, recently. Who is the acting President of South Korea?
Answer: Hwang Kyo-ahn

Q3. MD and CEO of United Bank of India (UBI) inaugurated the 2018th branch of the bank at Kovaipudur in Coimbatore, plans to strengthen its presence in the southern and western parts of India, where it is weak at present. Who is the Acting MD and CEO of UBI?
Answer: Pawan Bajaj

Q4. India is among six nations participating in a conference on Afghanistan’s future in ___________, recently, two months after Russia hosted a similar conference with only China and Pakistan.
Answer: Moscow

Q5. IDFC Asset Management Company launched an open-ended fixed income fund named COF in Mumbai which is expected to raise the revenue of the company in the range of Rs300 crore-500 crore within the NFO period itself. What does 'O' stands for in COF?
Answer: Opportunities

Q6. The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee has appointed five new judges to the Supreme Court of India, in a much-needed boost to the judicial strength of the highest court, recently. Who among the following is not one of them?
Answer: Justice E. R. Rehman

Q7. Cabinet Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley  has recently approved merger of _________ subsidiary banks with State Bank of India.
Answer: 5

Q8. More than one thousands delegates, including many leading industrialists, both Indian and from other countries, took part in mega event of 2 day Global Investor Summit. This summit was held in _____________.
Answer: Jharkhand

Q9. All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) of Delhi has won the first prize and a cash reward for maintaining high standards of sanitation and hygiene under the Government's Kayakalp awards held, recently. What was the cash pize of this award?
Answer: Rs 5 crore

Q10. The five-day ‘Ïndian Panorama Film Festival’ being organised by the Directorate of Information and Publicity, in association with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Directorate of Film Festivals(IFFI) has been started in ____________, recently
Answer: Port Blair

Q11. Raytheon Company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) to engage in the co-production of Stinger air defence missile components, recently. Who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL)?
Answer: Mr Sukaran Singh

Q12. Saab subsidiary, Saab Grintek Defence (SGD) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s (HAL), Indian Avionics Division have signed a contract to deliver Transfer of Technology (ToT). Saab Grintek Defence (SGD) is _____________ based company.
Answer: South Africa

Q13. Reserve Bank of India has raised the ceiling of gold loans given by regional rural banks (RRB) to ______________ from Rs 1 lakh, expanding the access to credit for farmers and artisans willing to pledge gold as collateral.
Answer: Rs 2 Lakh

Q14. It is in partnership with this Indian company Rafale fighter jet manufacturer Dassault Aviation has floated a joint venture. It was announced at the Aero India 2017 air show at Yelahanka airbase.
Answer: Reliance Aerostructure Limited

Q15. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for execution of infrastructure development works at HAL’s new Greenfield helicopter facility at Tumakuru, Karnataka. Who is the Chairman and Managing Director of HAL?
Answer: T Suvarna Raju

Daily GK Update 30th March, 2017

Kerala, Tripura and Arunachal joined UDAY
i. Kerala, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh have joined the Centre’s power distribution company debt relief scheme, Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna (UDAY). With this, 26 states have joined the scheme.
ii. The government estimates that Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura will gain net benefits of approximately Rs 4,178 crore, Rs 309 crore and Rs 810 crore respectively. 

Union Government launches Online Film Certification System

i. Information & Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu launched the online film certification system, 'e-cinepramaan' with an aim to censor corruption and promote clean cinema.

ii. The new system of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) will make the entire process of certification transparent and efficient. The payments made during the process by the producers will go to Bharat Kosh portal.

Chenani-Nashri Tunnel: The longest road tunnel in South Asia
i. In the Historic move, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will formally open the longest road tunnel of South Asia- Chenani-Nashri Tunnel on 2nd April 2017.

Click here to read more

Govt signs deal for Hydrocarbon project in Neduvasal

i.  The Government of India signed a contract for the Discovered Small Fields (DSF) Bid 2016 with GEM Laboratories for extracting Hydrocarbons at Neduvasal, in Tamil Nadu.

ii. The contract was one of the many signed for 31 areas under the DSF Bid Round 2016.

India, Nepal renew fuel supply pact

i. India and Nepal have renewed the fuel supply agreement between Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) and Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) for another five years.

ii. Supplies to Nepal from India have been meeting the petroleum product requirements since 1974. Both countries are working together for the construction of petroleum product Motihari-Amlekhgunj Pipeline.

Third meeting of G-20 framework working group held at Varanasi

i. The 3rd G-20 Framework Working Group (FWG) Meeting under the G-20 German Presidency was held in Varanasi on 28th and 29th of March, 2017.

ii. The first two G-20 FWG meetings under the G-20 German Presidency have already been held at Berlin in Dec 16 and at Riyadh in Feb 17. Since the inception of the FWG in 2009, this is the fourth occasion that India is hosting this meeting.

iii. Previously, India had hosted the G-20 FWG Meetings in Rajasthan (2012), in Goa (2014) and in Kerala (2015) under different presidencies.

NASA, ISRO jointly working on project NISAR

i. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are jointly working on the development of Dual Frequency (L and S band) Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging Satellite named as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR)

ii. The L-band SAR is being developed by JPL/NASA, while ISRO is developing S-band SAR.

World Environmental Education Congress 2017

i. The 9th World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) will be held in Vancouver, Canada between September 9-15 2017. The theme will be 'Weaving new connections'.

ii. The International Organizing Committee is the WEEC Permanent Secretariat, based in Italy. The congress is an international meeting point for everyone working with education for environment and sustainable future or who has an interest in the field.

 Amazon makes entry in UAE by acquiring Souq.com

i. Amazon, the USA based e-commerce giant made its entry in UAE by acquiring Souq.com, the Middle East’s largest online retailer.

ii. This agreement brings Amazon into a fast-growing market as it expands into a wide range of services. Souq.com, based in Dubai is the largest e-commerce platform in the Arab world offering more than 400,000 products such as consumer electronics, fashion products, and household goods.

 ALTBalaji ties up with MobiKwik

i. ALTBalaji, the digital platform of Balalji Telefilms Ltd, has announced a partnership with mobile wallet major MobiKwik.

ii. The Over-the-top (OTT) entertainment platform ALTBalaji will offer 250 hours of original content and subscribers can now avail themselves of 25 per cent cashback while paying for the service using MobiKwik wallet.

Indian Army Releases Book on Rashtriya Rifles
i. General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) in New Delhi, released the book ‘Home of the Brave’ on the history of Indian Army’s Counter Insurgency Force, the Rashtriya Rifles (RR).
ii. The book is authored by Mr. Nitin A Gokhale, Defence & Security Analyst and Brig S K Chatterji (Retired).

Important Takeaways from above GK Update are as follows-

• Kerala, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh have joined UDAY scheme
• First state to join UDAY scheme was Andhra Pradesh
• Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna is the full form of UDAY
• UDAY was launched in November 2015
• Union govt launched online film certification system 'e-cinepramaan'
• M Venkaiah Naidu is Information & Broadcasting Minister
• CBFC full form is  Central Board of Film Certification 
• Govt of India signed contract for extracting Hydrocarbons at Neduvasal, Tamil Nadu
• Edappadi K. Palaniswami is the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
• C.Vidyasagar Rao is the governor of Tamil Nadu.
• India and Nepal have renewed the supply agreement  of fuel for another five years
• Prime Minister of Nepal is  Pushpa Kamal Dahal
• India is supplying fuel to Nepal to meet the petroleum product requirements since 1974
• The currency of Nepal is Nepalese Rupee and capital is Kathmandu.
• The 3rd G-20 FWG Meeting under the G-20 German Presidency was held in Varanasi
• The G-20 is the group of 19 countries and European Union (EU) deliberating on global economic issues
• The headquarter of G-20 developing nation is in Cancún, Mexico.
• NASA and ISRO are jointly working on project NISAR
• ISRO  full form is Indian Space Research Organization
• ISRO chairman is Kiran Kumar and its headquarter is in Bengaluru, India
• Full form of NASA is National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Full form of NISAR is  NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar
• WEEC full form is World Environment Education Congress
• 9th WEEC will be held in Vancouver, Canada
• The Theme of WEEC 2017 is 'Weaving new connections'
• Amazon acquired Souq.com
• CEO of Amazon is Jeff Bezos
• Amazon headquarter is in the United States of America
• Souq.com headquarter is in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates
• CEO of Souq.com is Ronaldo Mouchawar
• MobiKwik partnered with ALTBalaji
• MobiKwik head office is in Gurgaon, India
• CEO of MobiKwik is Bipin Preet Singh
• ALTBalaji is the digital platform of Balaji Telefilms Ltd.

QUIZ-30

Q1. Name the oil company that has recently decided to invest over Rs 21,500 crore to develop India's deepest gas discovery by 2022-23.

 (a) GAIL

(b) IOCL

(c) Reliance Oils

(d) ONGC

(e) SAIL

Q2. Which of the following Airport has been voted the World's Best Airport by air travelers at the 2017 World Airport Awards for the fifth consecutive year?

(a) Tokyo International Airport

(b) Munich Airport

(c) Hamad International Airport

(d) London Heathrow Airport

(e) Changi Airport

Q3. Trivendra Rawat was elected as Uttarakhand Chief Minister, recently. He is  ____th CM of the State.

(a) 9

(b) 11

(c) 12

(d) 8

(e) 13

Q4. Sanjauli police station has become the first police post in the country to be linked with Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), a nationwide online tracking system. Sanjauli police station is located in ____________.

(a) Arunachal Pradesh

(b) Assam

(c) Himachal Pradesh

(d) Jammu & Kashmir

(e) Punjab

Q5. Changi Airport is located in ___________.

(a) Switzerland

(b) Indonesia

(c) Japan

(d) Singapore

(e) China

Q6. The Essar group’s township in _________ has become India’s first private sector township to go cashless.

(a) Maharashtra

(b) Gujarat

(c) Himachal Pradesh

(d) Manipur

(e) Assam

Q7. RBI has been recently authorized by Government of India to conduct field trials of plastic notes of Rs _________ in five cities across the country.

(a) 20

(b) 50

(c) 10

(d) Both (a) and (c)

(e) Both (a and (b)

Q8. Name the country that has recently initialed the text of the Social Security Agreement (SSA) with India, first of its kind between BRICS countries.

(a) Brazil

(b) Russia

(c) China

(d) South Africa

(e) None of the given options are true

Q9. ESAF small Financial Bank was launched recently for the first time in which of the following Indian State.

(a) Tamil Nadu

(b) Maharashtra

(c) Tripura

(d) Haryana

(e) Kerala

Q10. Name the first fully India-made train that was flagged off recently at Dadar station, Mumbai.

(a) Tejas

(b) Gatiman

(c) Chhaya

(d) Medha

(e) Anchal

                                                          Answers

S1. Ans.(d)

Sol. State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will invest over Rs 21,500 crore to develop India's deepest gas discovery by 2022-23, helping it more than double output from its prime KG basin block.

S2. Ans.(e)

Sol. Singapore's Changi Airport has been voted the World's Best Airport by air travellers at the 2017 World Airport Awards for the fifth consecutive year.

S3. Ans.(a)

Sol. The BJP named Trivendra Singh Rawat, a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak as a new Uttarakhand CM after replacing of Harish Rawat. Mr.Trivendra Rawat named as the State's ninth Chief Minister.

S4. Ans.(c)

Sol. Sanjauli police station of Sanjauli the main suburb of the city of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh has become the first police post in the country to be linked with Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), a nationwide online tracking system.

S5. Ans.(d)

Sol. Changi Airport is located in Singapore.

S6. Ans.(b)

Sol. The Essar group’s township at Hazira in Surat district of Gujarat has become India’s first private sector township to go cashless.

S7. Ans.(c)

Sol. RBI has been authorized by Government of India (GOI) to conduct field trials of plastic notes of Rs 10 in five cities across the country.

S8. Ans.(a)

Sol. India and Brazil initialed the text of the Social Security Agreement (SSA) in Brazil. The SSA between India and Brazil once in force by early 2018 will be the first such agreement between the BRICS countries.

S9. Ans.(e)

Sol. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched ESAF (Evangelical Social Action Forum) Small Finance Bank, Kerala’s first private sector bank since the country’s Independence, in Thrissur, Kerala.

S10. Ans.(d)

Sol. Medha, the made-in-India rake was flagged off for the maiden run of the 12-coach train from Dadar to Borivali, at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Mumbai.