Daily GK Update 26th May 2017

Uttar Pradesh Govt. launches JE vaccination drive in 38 districts

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

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

Static Takeaways-

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

 Mumbai is second most crowded city in the world: WEF

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

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

Static Takeaways-

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

PM Modi inaugurates India's longest bridge in Assam

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

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

Static Takeaways-

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

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

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

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

Static Takeaways-

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

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

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

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

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

Static Takeaways-

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

Google India head Rajan Anandan appointed IAMAI chairman

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

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

Static Takeaways-

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

QUIZ-26

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

(a) Beijing, China

(b) Jakarta, Indonesia

(c) Paris, France

(d) Ipoh, Malaysia

(e) Chennai, India

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

(a) 6th May

(b) 8th May

(c) 7th May

(d) 9th May

(e) 5th May

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

(a) Jaipur

(b) Barmer

(c) Pune

(d) Jhargram

(e) Bhiwani

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

(a) Sushma Swaraj

(b) Pranab Mukherjee

(c) Nitin Gadkari

(d) Rajnath Singh

(e) Prakash Javedkar

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

(a) Martin Luther King-I

(b) Mark Lunger

(c) Henry Dunant

(d) Jack Dinarthy

(e) Osman Waghar

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

(a) S. Radhakrishnan

(b) Rabindranath Tagore

(c) Mahatma Gandhi

(d) G. K. Gokhle

(e) Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru

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

(a) Nikolas Sarkozy

(b) Socker Yosera

(c) Abraham Sarfez

(d) Emmanuel Macron

(e) Steven Ambrose

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

(a) Krishna Chatterjee

(b) Subhash Khot

(c) Yadvinder Malhi

(d) Saurabh Shahi

(e) None of the above option is true

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

(a) Wi-Fi Speedy

(b) Hi-Fi Wi-Fi

(c) Express Wi-Fi

(d) Wi-Fi Version

(e) None of the given options is true

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

(a) Lets know Red Cross

(b) Success Stories of Red Cross

(c) Red Cross around the world

(d) Innovating the Red Cross

(e) Less Known Red Cross Stories

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

(a) Odisha

(b) Rajasthan

(c) Maharashtra

(d) Meghalaya

(e) Sikkim

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

(a) Rahul Dravid

(b) Sachin Tendulkar

(c) Virendra Sehwag

(d) Abhinav Bindra

(e) Milkha Singh

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

(a) 1910

(b) 1912

(c) 1913

(d) 1911

(e) 1914

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

(a) Azerbaijan

(b) China

(c) Indonesia

(d) Uzbekistan

(e) Hong-Kong

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

(a) Sandeep Kunwar

(b) Prateek Yuzu

(c) Prabhat Kamal Bezboruah

(d) Sankalp Sidha Menon

(e) Yashpal Gill

Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. Great Britain beat Australia 4-3 in a thrilling hockey final of the 26th edition of the Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh, Malaysia. This victory came to Great Britain in the Azlan Shah Cup after 23 years. Australia had won the Azlan Shah title nine times.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daily GK Update 25th May 2017

Important Cabinet Approvals- 24 May 2017

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

The Cabinet has approved-

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

Govt launches ‘eSanad’ for online document verification

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


Static Takeaways-

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

BSNL launches satellite phone service using Inmarsat

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


Static Takeaways-

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

EDII and ITC bags Porter Prize 2017 

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

Static Takeaways-

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

Two Indian peacekeepers honoured posthumously with UN medal

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

Static Takeaways-

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

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

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



Static Takeaways-

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

Socialist Lenin Moreno sworn in as Ecuador president

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

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

Static Takeaways-

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

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

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





Static Takeaways-

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

P V Sindhu Elected to Badminton World Federation Athletes' Commission

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


Static Takeaways-

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

 Ashwin wins International Cricketer of the Year award

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


Static Takeaways-

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

QUIZ-25

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daily GK Update 24th May 2017

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

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

Static Takeaways-

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

Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' resigned as Nepal Prime Minister

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

Static Takeaways-

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

‘Good morning’ squads to tackle open defecation in Maharashtra

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



Static Takeaways-

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

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

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

Static Takeaways-

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

Karnataka Bank pact with HDFC Asset Management

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

Static Takeaways-

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

Tata appoints new legal chief

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


Static Takeaways-

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

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the new WHO Chief

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


Static Takeaways-

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

Japan to build war museum in Manipur

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

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

Static Takeaways-

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

 Union Home Minister releases the book India 2017 Yearbook

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

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

Static Takeaways-

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

Kiren Rijiju unveils world's first philosophical novel on God

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


Static Takeaways-

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

Roger Moore, Who Played James Bond 007 Times passes away

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


Static Takeaways-

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

SSC MTS Exam 2016 Cancelled

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

The examinations already conducted on 

• 30.4.2017  
• 14.5.2017

The examinations to be conducted on 

• 28.5.2017, 
• 4.6.2017,
• 11.6.2017 

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

QUIZ-24

Q1. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has recently approved USD 160 million loans for a power project in Andhra Pradesh, the first credit from the bank for an Indian project. The AIIB is sponsored by ____________

(a) Japan

(b) Austria

(c) China

(d) South Africa

(e) Brazil

Q2. Braj Bihari Kumar has been recently appointed as the chairman of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). He has succeeded famous economist ______________.

(a) Shashi Tharoor

(b) Kamla Kiran

(c) P N Mallikarjuna

(d) S K Thorat

(e) S N Tiwari

Q3. In order to improve the connectivity of the state, Union Cabinet approved ______________ Airport as International Airport recently.

(a) Vijayawada

(b) Chennai

(c) Hyderabad

(d) Bengaluru

(e) Thiruvananthapuram

Q4. India is all set to get world's highest railway bridge in J&K which is 35 meters taller than Eiffel Tower. The Bridge will be built across which of the following River?

(a) Beas River

(b) Jhelum River

(c) Churu River

(d) Chenab River

(e) Nubra River

Q5. The 'Swachh Survekshan 2017' survey results were recently announced by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. Which of the following city is India’s cleanest city?

(a) Bhopal

(b) Indore

(c) Bengaluru

(d) New Delhi

(e) Bhubneshwar

Q6. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for restructuring the schemes of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) under new Central Sector Scheme named SAMPADA. What does 'P' stands for in SAMPADA?

(a) Production

(b) Permeable

(c) Processing

(d) Power

(e) Provident

Q7. The Union Cabinet chaired by ____________ has given its approval for National Steel Policy (NSP) 2017.

(a) Shri Birender Singh

(b) Shri Arun Jaitley

(c) Shri Rajnath Singh

(d) Shri Narendra Modi

(e) None of the given options is true

Q8. The Indian men’s national football team has made it into the top 100 of the FIFA world football rankings for the first time in 21 years. Who is the President of FIFA?

(a) Sepp Blatter

(b) Joao Havelange

(c) Gianni Infantino

(d) Takehiko Nakao

(e) Soal Manol

Q9. What is the best ever ranking of Indian football team in FIFA world ranking?

(a) 99th

(b) 86th

(c) 96th

(d) 95th

(e) 94th

Q10. The 'Swachh Survekshan 2017' survey results were recently announced by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. Which of the following city is the dirtiest city in India?

(a) Itawah

(b) Varanasi

(c) Hardoi

(d) Gonda

(e) Bhusawal

Q11. India has launched the GSLV-F09 carrying the GSAT-9 or the “South Asia” satellite from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. What is the meaning of "S" in GSLV?

(a) Satellite

(b) Solutions

(c) Search

(d) Science

(e) Space

Q12. In order to Strengthen defence ties, India has opened its first private small arms manufacturing plant at- 

(a) Vadodara, Gujarat

(b) Malanpur, Madhya Pradesh

(c) Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

(d) Darbhanga, Bihar

(e) None of the given options is true 

Q13. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has constituted Technical Committee to lay down Technical Standards for the performance of core services and other services in accordance with Regulation 14 of the IBBI (Information Utilities) Regulations, 2017. The committee will be chaired by-

(a) Mr. Anthony Lianzuala

(b) Shobana Kamineni

(c) Dr. RB Barman

(d) Yusra Mardini 

(e) Nita Ambani

Q14. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India was established on ______________ in accordance with the provisions of The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

(a) 01st April 2017

(b) 01st October 2013

(c) 01st November 2015

(d) 01st October 2016

(e) 01st September 2016

Q15. Which among the following state government has passed a resolution granting river Narmada the status of a living entity and committed itself to the protection of its legal rights recently?

(a) Andhra Pradesh

(b) Himachal Pradesh

(c) Arunachal Pradesh

(d) Uttar Pradesh

(e) Madhya Pradesh

Q16. The NABARD (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was introduced by Minister of Finance, Mr. Arun Jaitley. Who is the present Chairman of NABARD?

(a) Dr. Kshatrapati Shivaji

(b) Yaduvendra Mathur

(c) Urjit R Patel

(d) Ajay Tyagi

(e) Harsh Kumar Bhanwala

Q17. Reliance Corporate IT Park Ltd. (RCITPL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with enterprise application software major SAP SE to launch ________________ solution for taxpayers.

(a) SUKHAD GST

(b) SUGAM GST

(c) SINEH GST

(d) SARAL GST

(e) None of the given options is true 

Q18. Thirty-four MoUs amounting to about Rs 2 lakh crores were signed in the three-day India Integrated Transport and Logistics Summit that was concluded in-

(a) Mumbai

(b) Lucknow

(c) New Delhi

(d) Chennai

(e) Kolkata

Q19. Who is the current Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping?

(a) Radha Mohan Singh

(b) Nitin Jairam Gadkari

(c) Ram Vilas Paswan

(d) Anant Geete

(e) Bandaru Dattatreya

Q20. The Haryana government has decided to open canteens offering meals at subsidized rates to registered construction workers under the "Antyodaya Anna Yojana" at 23 locations in the state. Who is the present Chief Minister of Haryana?

(a) Manohar Lal Khattar

(b) Captain Amarinder Singh

(c) Shivraj Singh Chouhan

(d) Yogi Adityanath

(e) Virbhadra Singh

Q21. The Antyodaya Anna Yojana, an important milestone in providing foodgrains to the poor was launched on- 

(a) 25th December 2000

(b) 02nd October 2006

(c) 20th August 2004

(d) 14th November 2010

(e) 15th August 2015

Q22. The promulgation of the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 inserting two new Sections (viz. 35AA and 35AB) after Section 35A of the __________________ enables the Union Government to authorize the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to direct banking companies to resolve specific stressed assets by initiating insolvency resolution process, where required.

(a) Banking Regulation Act, 1935

(b) Banking Regulation Act, 1949

(c) Banking Regulation Act, 1956

(d) Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934

(e) Reserve Bank of India Act, 1949

Q23. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved seven top-level changes in various public sector banks recently. Who has been appointed as MD & CEO of Allahabad Bank?

(a) G Rajkiran Rai

(b) R Subramaniakumar

(c) Usha Ananthasubramanian

(d) Dinabandhu Mohapatra

(e) RA Sankara Narayanan

Q24. Who has been appointed as MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank by appointments Committee of the Cabinet?

(a) G Rajkiran Rai

(b) R Subramaniakumar

(c) Usha Ananthasubramanian

(d) Sunil Mehta

(e) RA Sankara Narayanan

Q25. Which among the following countries has beat Australia 4-3 in a thrilling hockey final of the 26th edition of the Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh, Malaysia?

(a) Russia

(b) Singapore

(c) India

(d) New Zealand

(e) Great Britain

Solutions

S1. Ans.(c)
Sol. China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has recently approved USD 160 million loan for a power project in Andhra Pradesh, the first credit from the bank for an Indian project. The AIIB, in which India is the second largest shareholder after China, has approved the project with the objective to strengthen the power transmission and distribution system in Andhra Pradesh.

S2. Ans.(d)
Sol. Braj Bihari Kumar, the editor of quarterly journals Dialogue and Chintan Srijan, has been appointed as the chairman of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). He has succeeded famous economist S K Thorat.

S3. Ans.(a)
Sol. Union Cabinet approved Vijayawada Airport as International Airport recently. This move will improve the connectivity of the state and provide a wider choice of service at competitive cost to air travelers.

S4. Ans.(d)
Sol. Around two years from now, the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir will be spanned by the world’s highest railway bridge that is expected to be 35 metres taller than Paris’ Eiffel Tower. The massive arch-shaped structure, being constructed at a cost of around Rs. 1,100 crores, will rise 359 m above the river bed.

S5. Ans.(b)
Sol. The 'Swachh Survekshan 2017' survey results were recently announced by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. The total 434 cities of India were surveyed. Indore in Madhya Pradesh is India’s cleanest city while Gonda in Uttar Pradesh is the dirtiest, according to the ‘Swachh Survekshan-2017’.

S6. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for restructuring the schemes of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) under new Central Sector Scheme – SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) for the period 2016-20

S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for National Steel Policy (NSP) 2017. The new Steel Policy enshrines the long term vision of the Government to give impetus to the steel sector.

S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Indian men’s national football team has made it into the top 100 of the FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) world football rankings for the first time in 21 years. Gianni Infantino is the President of FIFA.

S9. Ans.(e)
Sol. The Indian men’s national football team has made it into the top 100 of the FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) world football rankings for the first time in 21 years. The last time India had been in the top 100 of the rankings was way back in 1996, with the 94th spot in February 1996 being the country’s best ever FIFA ranking.

S10. Ans.(d)
Sol. The 'Swachh Survekshan 2017' survey results were recently announced by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. The total 434 cities of India were surveyed. Indore in Madhya Pradesh is India’s cleanest city while Gonda in Uttar Pradesh is the dirtiest, according to the ‘Swachh Survekshan-2017’.

S11. Ans.(a)
Sol. India made its biggest space diplomacy push when the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F09), carrying the GSAT-9 or the "South Asia" satellite, was launched successfully from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. 

S12. Ans.(b)
Sol. In order to Strengthen defence ties, India has opened its first private small arms manufacturing plant at Malanpur, Madhya Pradesh in a joint venture with Israel. The plant has been set up as a joint venture Punj Lloyd Raksha Systems between Indian defence conglomerate Punj Lloyd and Israel Weapons Industries (IWI).

S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has constituted Technical Committee to lay down Technical Standards for the performance of core services and other services in accordance with Regulation 14 of the IBBI (Information Utilities) Regulations, 2017. The committee will be Chaired by Dr. R. B. Barman and the three members of the committee are Dr. Nand Lal Sarda, Dr.  Pulak Ghosh and Sh. V. G. Kannan.

S14. Ans.(d)
Sol. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India was established on October 1, 2016 in accordance with the provisions of The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. Dr. MS Sahoo currently serves as Chairperson of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).

S15. Ans.(e)
Sol. The Madhya Pradesh government has passed a resolution granting river Narmada the status of a living entity and committed itself to the protection of its legal rights. A month ago, the Uttarakhand High Court had declared Ganga, Yamuna and their tributaries living entities with the status of a legal person.

S16. Ans.(e)
Sol. Minister of Finance, Mr. Arun Jaitley in Lok Sabha on April 5, 2017, The Bill seeks to amend the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala is the present  Chairman of NABARD.

S17. Ans.(d)
Sol. Reliance Corporate IT Park Ltd. (RCITPL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with enterprise application software major SAP SE to launch 'SARAL GST' solution for taxpayers. According to the subsidiary of Reliance Industries, the new offering will enable taxpayers to be GST compliant and smoothly access the government's GST System, once GST is rolled out from July 1, 2017.

S18. Ans.(c)
Sol. Thirty-four MoUs amounting to about Rs 2 lakh crores were signed in the three-day India Integrated Transport and Logistics Summit that was concluded in New Delhi. 

S19. Ans.(b)
Sol. Nitin Jairam Gadkari is the current Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping.

S20. Ans.(a)
Sol. The Haryana government has decided to open canteens offering meals at subsidized rates to registered construction workers under the "Antyodaya Anna Yojana" at 23 locations in the state. Besides, mobile food vans would be started at 23 convenient sites with a large number of workers. Manohar Lal Khattar is the present Chief Minister of Haryana.

S21. Ans.(a)
Sol. The Antyodaya Anna Yojana, an important milestone in providing foodgrains to the poor was launched on December 25, 2000.

S22. Ans.(b)
Sol. The promulgation of the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 inserting two new Sections (viz. 35AA and 35AB) after Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 enables the Union Government to authorize the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to direct banking companies to resolve specific stressed assets by initiating insolvency resolution process, where required. The RBI has also been empowered to issue other directions for resolution, and appoint or approve for appointment, authorities or committees to advise banking companies for stressed asset resolution. 

S23. Ans.(c)
Sol. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved seven top-level changes in various public sector banks. Usha Ananthasubramanian, MD, and CEO, Punjab National Bank, has been appointed as MD & CEO of Allahabad Bank. 

S24. Ans.(d)
Sol. Sunil Mehta, Executive Director, Corporation Bank, has been appointed as MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank. 

S25. Ans.(e)
Sol. Great Britain beat Australia 4-3 in a thrilling hockey final of the 26th edition of the Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh, Malaysia. This victory came to Great Britain in the Azlan Shah Cup after 23 years. Australia is the world champions and had won the Azlan Shah title nine times. Great Britain becomes the first team from the British Isles to win the Azlan Shah title since 1994.