Daily GK Update 30th May 2017

Govt to launch new campaign called Darwaza Band

i. The government launched new campaign called Darwaza Band for promotion of toilet usage in the rural areas across the country.
ii. Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, who leads the campaign, is proposed to be joined by Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Narendra Singh Tomar and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the formal launch event to be held in Mumbai.
iii. The campaign also features actor, Anushka Sharma, who will be seen encouraging women to stand up for this issue in their villages and assume a leadership role.

Static Takeaways-

• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a campaign by the Government of India to clean the streets, roads and infrastructure of the country's 4,041 statutory cities and towns.
• It is launched on the occasion of  Gandhi Jayanti 02nd October 2014.

Prakash Javadekar launches UGC App to fight ragging

i. Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar launched an Anti-Ragging Mobile App introduced by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in New Delhi.
ii. This mobile app will help students register complaints to counter the menace of ragging.
iii. This app will work on android system on which students can log in and register their complaints immediately. Accordingly all concerned will be informed immediately and action will start immediately.

Static Takeaways-

• The University Grants Commission of India is a statutory body set up by the Indian Union government in accordance to the UGC Act 1956. 
• It comes under the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

EPFO gives nod to hike in stock investment to 15 per cent 

i. The Employees Provident Fund Organisation has approved hike in investment limit in exchange traded funds (ETFs) to 15%, from the existing 10%, Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya stated it.
ii. The decision was taken during the meeting of the Central Board of Trustees (CBT). In 2016, the investment was raised to 10%.

Static Takeaways-

• EPFO came into existence under the pormulgation of the Employee's Provident Fund Ordinance on the 15th November,1951. 
• It was replaced by the Employee's Provident Fund Act, 1952.

Banks Board Bureau gets 2 more members

i. The government has expanded the Banks Board Bureau (BBB) headed by former comptroller and auditor general Vinod Rai by adding two more members.
ii. Former Allahabad Bank chairperson and managing director Shubhalaxmi Panse and private equity player Pradip Shah have been inducted into the board as independent members.

Static Takeaways-

• Banks Board Bureau (BBB) headed by Vinod Rai 
• The Bureau started functioning from April 01, 2016 as an autonomous recommendatory body.

Prasar Bharati signs MoU with Morocco's SNRT

i. Government-run Prasar Bharati has got into an agreement with Morocco's Societe Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Television (SNRT) to step up cooperation in the broadcasting sector.
ii. The MoU was signed during the fifth India Morocco Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in Rabat, Morocco's capital.

Static Takeaways for Dena Bank PO Exam-

• SNRT full form is Societe Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Television
• Morocco currency is Moroccan Dirham and its capital is Rabat.

Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla appointed Jamia Millia Islamia Chancellor

i. Manipur Governor and former Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla has been appointed as the Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
ii. 77-year old Heptulla succeeds Lt. Gen. (Retd.) M.A. Zaki, who completes his five-year term this month. Ms. Heptulla will also serve for the term of five-years.

Static Takeaways-

• Talat Ahmad is the Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia
• Jamia Millia Islamia, an institution originally established at Aligarh, in 1920 it became a Central University by an act of the Indian Parliament in 1988
• In Urdu language, Jamia means ‘University’, and Millia means ‘National’.

Amul inks MoU with ISRO for fodder acreage estimation

i. Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF)  has signed an agreement with ISRO for fodder acreage assessment using satellite observation and space technology.  

ii. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), ISRO will help in identification between food crops and fodder crops at village level and also locate suitable areas of current fallows and cultivable wastelands at village level for green fodder cultivation. 

Static Takeaways-

• Managing Director of GCMMF is R S Sodhi
• Chairman of ISRo is A S Kiran Kumar
• ISRO was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka
• Vikram Sarabhai was the founder of ISRO

India is second most complex tax jurisdiction: Deloitte

i. Indian tax laws are perceived to be second most complex in the Asia-Pacific region, becoming even less predictable over the last three years, according to Deloitte survey. 

ii. India ranks only after China in having most complex jurisdiction for taxation and most complicated requirements of tax, the Asia Pacific Tax Complexity Survey conducted by Deloitte.Japan, Australia, Indonesia and South Korea trail India in the complexity index.

Static Takeaways-

• CEO of Deloitte is Punit Renjen.

Former Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis dies

i. Constantine Mitsotakis, a former prime minister of Greece remembered for fierce confrontations with Greece's liberal and socialist parties has died.
ii. He served in several Cabinet posts, including finance minister, in liberal governments in 1951-52 and 1963-65.

Static Takeaways-

• Greece Capital is Athens and its Currency is Euro
• PM of Greece is Alexis Tsipras.

Fencer Bhavani Devi, First Indian to win gold in International Event

i. Indian fencer C A Bhavani Devi struck gold in the Turnoi Satellite Fencing Championship at Reykjavik (Iceland).
ii. Bhavani Devi, who hails from Chennai, defeated Great Britain’s Sarah Jane Hampson 15-13.
iii.With this win, Bhavani Devi has also become the first Indian to win a gold medal in an international fencing event. She had previously won a silver medal.

Static Takeaways-

• Fencing, also called Olympic fencing, is a sport in which two competitors fight using 'rapier-style' swords.

Sebastian Vettel wins Monaco Grand Prix

i. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel won the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco, La Condamine and Monte Carlo, Monaco. 

ii. The second place in the race was secured by Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, while the third place was secured by Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.

Static Takeaways-

• Sebastian Vettel is a German racing driver currently driving in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari.

QUIZ-30 +

Q1. India’s first and longest ropeway to connect Mumbai with the famous Island in the Arabian Sea is planned to be constructed by the Mumbai Port Trust. What is name of that Island?
Answer: Elephanta Island

Q2. The Indian Navy has begun a joint maritime exercise with the French Navy at the Mediterranean Sea to further deepen combat coordination between the two navies. The Joint exercise is named as ____________.
Answer: VARUNA

Q3. The White House has recently named a retired Marine major general ______________ as the new Director of the Secret Service.
Answer: Randolph Ailes

Q4. The World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated globally on __________.
Answer: April 26

Q5. Private sector lender Yes Bank announced the alliance with which e-commerce company under which the bank will offer conditionally approved loans to the latter’s existing customers?
Answer: Paisabazaar.com

Q6. ESAF Small Finance Bank has launched a social deposit scheme called _____________ in Thrissur, Kerala.
Answer: Hrudaya Deposit scheme

Q7. Name the mobile manufacturing company that has recently partnered with Airtel and BSNL to set up 5G internet speed in India to introduce a fast internet ecosystem in the country.
Answer: Nokia

Q8. Carme Chacon, the first female defense minister of which country has passed away recently.
Answer: Spain

Q9. Name the person who has recently become the youngest noble prize winner to address Canadian parliament.
Answer: Malala Yousafzai

Q10. The first rail freight service ‘British goods’ has started recently from the UK to which country?
Answer: China

Q11. Which kick-started itAs ambitious ‘Deendayal Rasoi Yojana’ under which subsidised meals that will be available at Rs 5 per plate to people, especially the economically disadvantaged sections of society?
Answer: Madhya Pradesh

Q12. India's largest e-commerce player Flipkart recently bought eBay's India business, and closing a $1.4 billion fund-raising round from Tencent, eBay and Microsoft. Name the Chief Executive Officer of Flipkart.
Answer: Kalyan Krishnamurthy

Q13. The 12th edition Indo-Mongolian Joint Military Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2017 has begun in __________.
Answer: Mizoram

Q14. The Agriculture Ministry joined hands with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) to geo-tag agricultural assets for their real-time monitoring and effective utilization. NRSC is a wing of ____________.
Answer: Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)

Q15. Saraswat Bank is the largest lender in the co-operative space in India. What is the Motto of Saraswat Bank?
Answer: Service to the common man

QUIZ-30

Q1. Name the Indian Shooter who claimed a bronze medal in the women's 10m Air Pistol as India ended the Grand Prix of Liberation Plezn 2017 shooting championships in Czech Republic with seven medals.

(a) Jeetu Rai

(b) Deepa Malik

(c) Heena Sindhu

(d) Aparna Ghosh

(e) Rupali Tomer

Q2. Name the senior diplomat who has been appointed as India’s Ambassador to the Netherlands.

(a) Gopal Rangasami

(b) Venu Rajamony

(c) Kavitha Kalavathi

(d) S S Kamath

(e) Anirudh Bhattacharya

Q3. Name the fast bowler who is now the leading wicket-taker in Women’s ODIs, as per the recent ICC data.

(a) S.R. Taylor

(b) E. Bisht

(c) M. Kapp

(d) Jhulan Goswami

(e) A. Shrubsole

Q4. Name the newly appointed President of South Korea.

(a) Park Geun-hye

(b) Lee Myung-bak

(c) Roh Moo-hyun

(d) Kim Dae-jung

(e) Moon Jae-In

Q5. The Supreme Court has taken its first step towards becoming a paperless, digital court. The First Chief Justice of Supreme Court was _____________.

(a) Harilal J. Kania

(b) M. Patanjali Sastri

(c) Mehr Chand Mahajan

(d) Sudhi Ranjan Das

(e) Bijan Kumar Mukherjea

Q6. Presiding over a review meeting of the states affected by Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has recently announced a new strategy against the Maoists which is named as ____________.

(a) SURAKSHA

(b) SABAL

(c) SAMADHAN

(d) VAJRA

(e) SAMARTHA

Q7. DIPAM has recently set up an Investor Facilitation Platform that will provide information about stocks of public sector units. What does 'I' stands for on DIPAM?

(a) Import

(b) Investment

(c) Income

(d) Investigation

(e) None of the given options is true

Q8. DIPAM is headed by ____________.

(a) Defense Minister

(b) Home Minister

(c) Parliament of India

(d) Finance Minister

(e) Agriculture Minister

Q9. The World Migratory Bird Day is observed every year on __________.

(a) 12 May

(b) 10 May

(c) 9 May

(d) 11 May

(e) 8 May

Q10. South Korea has recently got its new President. Its Currency is ______________.

(a) Krone

(b) Mon

(c) Won

(d) Rial

(e) Korean Dollar

Q11. Technology giant Oracle has launched its cloud computing service for India, which aims to support the government's GST rollout in July and plans to open data centers in the country. Oracle is ________ based company.

(a) South Korea

(b) USA

(c) Sweden

(d) UAE

(e) Australia

Q12. The theme of World Migratory Bird Day 2017 is _________________.

(a) Lets Bring them Back

(b) Save Birds and Save Our Future

(c) Helping Birds along the Way

(d) Their Future is Our Future – A Healthy Planet for Migratory Birds and People

(e) Conserving Colonial Birds - A step towards better future

Q13. Banking on the Government's drive to promote a cash-less economy, cashback portal Cashkaro.com has tied up with which of the following banks to launch card-linked offers as part of its loyalty programme for both offline and online shoppers.

(a) YES Bank

(b) SBI

(c) Axis Bank

(d) ICICI Bank

(e) HDFC Bank

Q14. What is the capital of South Korea?

(a) Incheon

(b) Pohang

(c) Seoul

(d) Pyongyang

(e) Hamhung

Q15. CEO and MD of Yes Bank is ______________.

(a) Ravi Krishan Takkar

(b) Rana Kapoor

(c) Sunil Mehta

(d) Shikha Pandey

(e) Yatendra Singh

Solutions

S1. Ans.(c)
Sol. Heena Sindhu claimed a bronze medal in the women's 10m Air Pistol as India ended the Grand Prix of Liberation Plezn 2017 shooting championships in Czech Republic with seven medals.

S2. Ans.(b)
Sol. Press Secretary to President Pranab Mukherjee and senior diplomat Venu Rajamony has been appointed India’s Ambassador to the Netherlands. Rajamony will also be India’s Permanent Representative to the Organization for Prevention of Chemical Weapons based in The Hague and cover the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration and other international organizations based in the Netherland.

S3. Ans.(d)
Sol. Jhulan Goswami, India’s fast bowler, is now the leading wicket-taker in Women’s ODIs, going past Australia’s Cathryn Fitzpatrick record of 180 wickets. Jhulan, the former India captain, achieved the feat during the ongoing Women’s Quadrangular Series in South Africa. She now has 181 wickets in 153 matches at an average of 21.76 with two five-wicket and 4 four-wicket hauls.

S4. Ans.(e)
Sol. South Korea's liberal leader Moon Jae-In took the oath as president, tasked with navigating the country out of rising tensions over North Korea's nuclear program and the risk of a rift with the United States. Moon Jae-In has replaced Park Geun-Hye.

S5. Ans.(a)
Sol. The Supreme Court has taken its first step towards becoming a paperless, digital court. The First Chief Justice of Supreme Court was Harilal Jekisundas Kania.

S6. Ans.(c)
Sol. Presiding over a review meeting of the states affected by Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced a new strategy against the Maoists—SAMADHAN.

S7. Ans.(b)
Sol. Keen on creating more awareness about the forthcoming disinvestment issues, the Finance Ministry has set up an Investor Facilitation Platform that will provide information about stocks of public sector units. Set up by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), the platform will be an interactive forum for all stakeholders, including investors, investment banks, law firms, public sector units and administrative ministries that are involved in stake sales.

S8. Ans.(d)
Sol. DIPAM is headed by Finance Minister of India Mr. Arun Jaitley.

S9. Ans.(b)
Sol. The World Migratory Bird Day is observed every year on 10 May. The theme of WMBD 2017 is “Their Future is Our Future – A Healthy Planet for Migratory Birds and People”.

S10. Ans.(c)
Sol. South Korea's liberal leader Moon Jae-In took the oath as president. The capital of South Korea is Seoul and its Currency is Won (KRW). 

S11. Ans.(b)
Sol. Technology giant Oracle has launched its cloud computing service for India, which aims to support the government's GST rollout in July and plans to open data centers in the country. Oracle is USA based company.

S12. Ans.(d)
Sol. The World Migratory Bird Day is observed every year on 10 May. The theme of WMBD 2017 is “Their Future is Our Future – A Healthy Planet for Migratory Birds and People”.

S13. Ans.(a)
Sol. Banking on the Government's drive to promote cash-less economy, cashback portal Cashkaro.com has tied up with YES Bank to launch card-linked offers as part of its loyalty programme for both offline and online shoppers.

S14. Ans.(c)
Sol. The capital of South Korea is Seoul.

S15. Ans.(b)
Sol. CEO and MD of Yes Bank is Rana Kapoor. Headquarter of Yes Bank is in Mumbai. The tagline of Yes Bank is 'Experience our Expertise'.

Daily GK Update 29th May 2017

PM Narendra Modi to embark on 4-nation tour today

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a four nation tour beginning today. He will visit Germany first. Trade and commerce, economic cooperation and counter terrorism will be high on the agenda during the Prime Minister’s visit to Germany, Spain, Russia and France.
ii. He will take part in the 4th Indo-German Inter-governmental Consultations. Mr. Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Spain in almost 30 years.

Static Takeaways-

• Capital of Germany is Berlin and its President is Frank-Walter Steinmeier
• Madrid is the Capital of Spain and its PM is Mariano Rajoy
• The Capital of Russia is Moscow its Currency is Russian rubleand President is Vladimir Putin
• The Capital of France is Paris, its President is Emmanuel Macron and Prime minister is Edouard Philippe.

International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers: 29th May

i. 29 May is celebrated as the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
ii. The day was established to Honour the memory of the UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the cause of peace and pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage.
iii. The theme for the 2017 International Day of UN Peacekeepers is “Investing in Peace Around the World".

Static Takeaways-

• The first UN peacekeeping mission was established in 1948
• The name "United Nations", coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt was first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942
• On 24 October 1945, The United Nations officially comes into existence
• Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of United Nations
• United Nations is headquartered in New York.

Vadodara creates Guinness record for most people sweeping street

i. Vadodara, which was declared the 10th cleanest city in the country made a new Guinness world record for the maximum number of people sweeping a single venue.
ii. About 5,058 residents of the city came together to achieve the feat at the venue which was a bridge that connected Akota, an urban area.
iii. The large-scale event saw about 50,000 people in attendance as they cheered and rendered their support to the participants.  The event was organised as a tribute to prime minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ initiative.

Static Takeaways For SBI PO Mains Exam-

• Indore was the the Cleanest city in India
• Gonda was the dirtiest city in India
• The capital of Gujarat is Gandhinagar
• Om Prakash Kohli is the current governor of Gujarat.

Pune city police receive FICCI Smart Policing Award 2017

i. The Pune city police have received the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) Smart Police Award for the year 2017.
ii. Pune Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla received the award from BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi during a program organized by FICCI and Vivekanand International Foundation on Homeland Security in Delhi.
iii. The program focused on the use of modern technology for countering internal security issues.

Static Takeaways-

• FICCI full form is Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries
• President of FICCI is Pankaj R Patel.

Dailong village in Manipur declared Biodiversity Heritage Site

i. The Manipur government has declared Dailong village of Tamenglong district as a Biodiversity Heritage Site of the state. Dailong village, covering an area of 11.35 sq km, has been declared as Biodiversity Heritage Site under Section 37(1) of Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
ii. The declaration was made after the recommendation of Manipur Biodiversity Board, the state government has stated in the notification.

Static Takeaways-

• CM of Manipur is N. Biren Singh and the governor is Dr. Najma Hptulla
• The Keibul Lamjao National Park is situated in Manipur.

ISRO set to launch monster rocket into space

i. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch its most powerful launch vehicle, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III into space.
ii. ISRO will be launching the GSLV Mark III, earlier named Launch Vehicle Mark (LVM)-3, a heavy launch capability launcher, on June 5, 2017 from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. 

Important Points about GSLV-Mark-III:

1. GSLV Mark-III enables ISRO to launch from India heavier communication spacecraft to geostationary orbits of 36,000 km. 

2. GSLV Mark III will launch the GSAT-19 satellite, which is a high throughput communication satellite. It will help in India’s efforts to increase internet connectivity in the country. 

3. The GSLV is a three-stage vehicle with two solid motor strap-ons, a liquid propellant core stage (L110) and a cryogenic stage (C25). 

4. GSLV-Mk III-D1 is the first developmental flight carrying the GSAT-19 satellite.

China launches satellite navigation positioning system

i. China launched a national satellite navigation and positioning system which will provide positioning service to transportation, emergency medical rescue and city planning and management. It is the largest in the country and boasts the widest coverage.
ii. The system consists of 2,700 base stations, a national database centre and 30 provincial level database centers.
iii. The system, featuring faster speed, higher accuracy and wider coverage, will be compatible with other satellite navigation systems, such as the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and Global Position System (GPS).

Static Takeaways-

• PM of China is Li Keqiang and President is Xi Jinping
• Currency of China is Renminbi and Capital is Beijing
• The Great Wall of China is situated at Huairou in China.

IOC overtakes ONGC to become India's most profitable PSU

i. Indian Oil Corporation has overtaken Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to become India’s most profitable state-owned company.
ii. IOC, which has for decades been India’s biggest company by turnover, posted a 70 per cent jump in net profit to Rs. 19,106.40 crore in the financial year ended March 31, 2017.
iii. Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries retained the crown of being India’s most profitable private company for the third year in a row, posting a net Rs. 29,901 crore in financial year 2016-17. Tata Consultancy Services, India’s largest software services exporter, with a net profit of Rs. 26,357 crore was the second most profitable private company in the country.

Static Takeaways-

• Mr. B. Ashok is Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
• Dinesh K. Sarraf is the Chairman & Managing Director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd.
• Natarajan Chandrasekaran is the Chairman of TCS.

 Defence Minister inaugurates DRDO’s Aeronautical Test Range in Karnataka

i. Union Defence and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO)’s new Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Karnataka.
ii. The ATR is a facility under the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) which works on a range of UAVs (unmanned air vehicles). It will be an integrated test center for the DRDO’s cluster of aeronautical laboratories, most of them based in Bengaluru.

Static Takeaways-

• CEO of DRDO is S. Christopher and its headquarter is in New Delhi. 

Satyabrata Rout gets Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar

i. Satyabrata Rout, a professor from the Department of Theatre Arts, S N School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad (UoH) has been awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar for the year 2016.
 ii. He is one of the pioneers of ‘visual theater’ in India, and has ‘Scenography: An Indian Perspective’.

Static Takeaways-

• The Sangeet Natak Akademi created by a resolution of the Ministry of Education, Government of India on 31 May 1952.

BSF officer summits Mount Everest a record 6th time, 1st Indian to clinch feat

i. Uttarakhand Mountaineer Love Raj Singh Dharmshaktu has become the first Indian to summit Mount Everest a record six times. 
ii. Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, the premier institute of mountaineering under the ministry of defence in Uttarkashi, has confirmed that Dharmshaktu is the first Indian to summit the peak six times.

Static Takeaways for SBI PO Mains Exam-

• Mount Everest, also known in Nepal as Sagarmāthā and in China as Chomolungma, is Earth's highest mountain.
• Mount Everest height is about 8,848 meters.

Sudirman Cup 2017: South Korea beat China to clinch the title after 14 years 

i. South Korea won Badminton's Sudirman Cup for the first time in 14 years with 3-2 victory over 10-time champions China at Australia's Gold Coast. 

ii. Before 2017, South Korea won the Sudirman Cup in 1991 and 1993, fought back from 2-1 down in the final to claim victory.

Static Takeaways-

• South Korea capital is Seoul and currency is South Korean Won.

 Priyanka Chopra bags Dadasaheb Phalke Award 

i. Actress Priyanka Chopra will be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award for being an international icon. 'Internationally Acclaimed Actress' category at a ceremony.
ii. The board of trustees for Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Awards include Johny Lever, Pahlaj Nihalani, Mithun Chakraborty and TP Agrawal. The award ceremony will be held on June 1, 2017 in Mumbai.

Static Takeaways-

• The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema and it was established in 1969. 
• The first recipient of this award was Devika Rani.

AUIZ-29

Q1. Which country 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?
Answer: Japan

Q2. Kanha tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh has become the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot of its own. The Mascot has been named as.................? 
Answer: Bhoorsingh the Barasingha

Q3. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has given the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. Najib Tun Razak is present Prime Minister of-
Answer: Malaysia

Q4. Name the private sector bank, which 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?
Answer: Axis Bank

Q5. The Indian Army has entered into an MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) to objective of the agreement is to identify and enhance the critical technological areas that can be enhanced in the armed forces. Who is the present Chief of Army Staff?
Answer: General Bipin Rawat

Q6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 9.2 km long Chenani-Nashri all-weather road tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The 24.5-kilometer long Laerdal Tunnel in _________ is the longest road tunnel in the world.
Answer: Norway

Q7. Who has won the India Open badminton championship 2017 in New Delhi?
Answer: P.V. Sindhu

Q8. Diplomat Vipul, a 1998 batch Indian Foreign Service officer has took up the charge as the new Consul General of Dubai. Mr. Vipul has succeeded-
Answer: Anurag Bhushan

Q9. Which city, the 19th Commonwealth Forestry Conference (CFC) 2017 has been concluded?
Answer: Dehradun, Uttarakhand

Q10. Which player has won the Miami Open 2017 Singles title?
Answer: Roger Federer

Q11. Name the Cab aggregator that has integrated with Unified Payment Interface (UPI) to simplify digital payment options for its customers.
Answer: Ola

Q12. Phoenix India Research and Development Group launched the first bio-gas fuelled bus in which Indian city keeping a flat fare of just Rs 1.
Answer: Kolkata

Q13. Name the country that has topped in a doping violation report published by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for 2015.
Answer: Russia

Q14. A Malaysian company MTN has recently agreed to help set up a technology park in which Indian State that’s expected to attract private sector investment of $100 million in the first phase.
Answer: Andhra Pradesh

Q15. Kerala, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh have also recently joined the Centre’s power distribution company debt relief scheme, Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna (UDAY). UDAY scheme was launched in ___________.
Answer: 2015

Daily GK Update 27th and 28th May 2017

India announces $500 mn assistance to Mauritius

i. India announced a $500 million line of credit to Mauritius as the two countries resolved to deepen ties in a range of areas including the maritime domain. The two countries also signed a maritime security agreement after extensive talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth. 

ii. In a statement, Modi stated he and Jugnauth agreed that effective management of conventional and non-conventional threats in the Indian Ocean is essential to pursue economic opportunities.

Goldman, Citigroup among 5 bankers selected for IOC stake sale 

i. The government has selected five merchant bankers, including Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, to manage the government's 3 per cent stake sale in IOC (Indian Oil Corporation) which could fetch about Rs 6,000 crore to the exchequer. The other bankers who have been selected by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) for managing the stake sale are Deutsche Equities, SBI Capital Markets and ICICI Securities. 

ii. As many as 10 merchant bankers had made presentations before the DIPAM yesterday, out of which five were selected. 

Apple opens first official store in Southeast Asia

i. Apple opened its first Southeast Asia store in Singapore, drawing hundreds of excited fans to the swanky two-storey site in the city’s upmarket shopping district. Located on the affluent Orchard Road, the new shop — easily distinguished by its iconic glass facade — is expected to be one of the most popular Apple stores in the world according to the US tech giant.

ii. Merchandise such as the iPhone and MacBook were strategically placed on display across the spacious first floor, while the upper level acted as a classroom for customers to participate in hands-on sessions. 

Nagpur gets India's first fleet of electric vehicles 

i. The Orange City (Nagpur) has become India’s first city to have electric mass mobility system. It will have a fleet of 200 electric vehicles including taxis, buses, e-rickshaw and autorickshaws, all of which will be fully owned by cab aggregator Ola. 

ii. Road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has inaugurated India’s first multi-modal electric vehicle project at the Nagpur Airport Complex. 

India-Mauritius sign four agreements

i. Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth is on a three-day visit to India. This is his first port of call after assuming office and India laid out a red carpet welcome to make it a truly historic and memorable first visit. Apart from announcing a 500 million USD line of credit, India offered unconditional cooperation in the key area of maritime security in the Indian Ocean region. 

ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Mauritius of continued Indian support in other important sectors including skill development and human resource development. Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth had extensive delegation level talks with Indian PM Narendra Modi. At the conclusion of the talks, both the countries inked four important agreements in the field of education, maritime security, marine science and technology.