GK UPDATE: APRIL PART-IV

1. Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez died recently at the age of 87. He was a noted __________ A. author B. economist C. physicist D. chemist

ANS. A

BACKGROUND:

Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20^th century, he was awarded the 1972 Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature. He pursued a self-directed education that resulted in his leaving law school for a career in journalism. From early on, he showed no inhibitions in his criticism of Colombian and foreign politics. In 1958, he married Mercedes Barcha; they had two sons, Rodrigo and Gonzalo. García Márquez started as a journalist, and wrote many acclaimed non-fiction works and short stories, but is best known for his novels, such as One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), The Autumn of the Patriarch (1975) and Love in the Time of Cholera (1985).

2. What is the initial minimum deposit requirement while opening a Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account (BSBDA) with a bank as per the circular dated Aug 22, 2012 in this regard? A. Rs 500 B. Rs 800 C. Rs 1000 D. No requirement for any initial deposit

ANS. D

BACKGROUND:

Banks are required to convert the existing ‘no-frills’ accounts’ into ‘Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts. An individual is eligible to have only one ‘Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account’ in one bank. Holders of ‘Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account’ will not be eligible for opening any other savings account in that bank. If a customer has any other existing savings account in that bank, he / she will be required to close it within 30 days from the date of opening a ‘Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account. One can have Term/Fixed Deposit, Recurring Deposit etc., accounts in the bank where one holds ‘Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account. The ‘Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account’ should be considered a normal banking service available to all customers, through branches.

3. Which day is observed as the World Heritage Day? A. 7 Apr B. 10 Apr C. 14 Apr D. 18 Apr

ANS. D

4. The Election Commission comprises a Chief Election Commissioner and two Commissioners. At present, VS Sampath is the CEC while the two Commissioners are: A. HS Brahma and SY Quraishi B. Nasim Zaidi and SY Quraishi C. Nasim Zaidi and HS Brahma D. HS Brahma and KG Balakrishnan

ANS. C

BACKGROUND:

The Chief Election Commissioner heads the Election Commission of India, a body constitutionally empowered to conduct free and fair elections to the national and state legislatures. Chief Election Commissioner of India is usually a member of the Indian Civil Service and mostly from the Indian Administrative Service. It is very difficult to remove the authority of the Chief Election Commissioner once elected by the President, as two-thirds of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha need to vote against him for disorderly conduct or improper actions. While the office has always been an important one in the machinery of the Indian political process, it gained significant public attention during the tenure of T.N. Seshan, from 1990-1996. Mr. Seshan is widely credited with undertaking a zealous effort to end corruption and manipulation in Indian elections. Though he made significant progress, several politicians attempted to derail these efforts. In particular, the expansion of the Election Commission to include the two Election Commissioners (in addition to the Chief Commissioner) was seen as a move to curtail the commissioner’s ability to act aggressively.

5. Abdelaziz Bouteflika won the Presidency for the fourth time in a row in which of the following countries recently? A. Morocco B. Tunisia C. Algeria D. Tanzania

ANS. C

BACKGROUND:

Abdelaziz Bouteflika is an Algerian politician who has been the fifth President of Algeria since 1999. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1963 to 1979. As President, he presided over the end of the bloody Algerian Civil War in 2002, and he had ended emergency rule in February 2011 amidst regional unrest. He has also served as president of the United Nations General Assembly. Protests in Algeria took place between 2010 and 2012; protesters demanded a regime change, as well as solutions to problems with unemployment, corruption, restrictions of freedom of speech, and poor living conditions. In November 2012, he surpassed Houari Boumédienne as the longest-serving President of Algeria.

6. In a recent global study, fifteen Indian bird species have been identified as evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered (EDGE). Which of the following is/are included in these fifteen species? A. Bengal Florican B. Great Indian Bustard C. Jerdon’s Courser D. All the above

ANS. D

BACKGROUND:

The 15 Indian species in ZSL-Yale University EDGE list consists of Bengal Florican, Forest Owlet, Red-headed Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Jerdon’s Courser, Lesser Florican, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Sociable Lapwing, Siberian Crane, Great Indian Bustard, Greater Adjutant, White-bellied Heron, Wood Snipe, Masked Finfoot and Christmas Island Frigatebird. Bengal Florican, Lesser Florican, Great Indian Bustard, Sociable Lapwing and Jerdon’s Courser are birds that are under threat due to the destruction of their habitat of grasslands and scrub forests. The survival of Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Siberian Crane and White-bellied Heron greatly depends on the existence of their wetland habitat. Forest Owlet survival is impossible if its habitat of deciduous forests in Central India is destroyed. Thus, it is obvious that a variety of habitats in the country are threatened by human factors such as uncontrolled urbanisation, unsustainable industrialization and rampant use of chemicals in agriculture.

7. Who among the following has won the 2014 Asian award for outstanding achievement in sports presented in London recently? A. Shikhar Dhawan B. Rohit Sharma C. Yuvraj Singh D. MS Dhoni

ANS. D

8. Bluefin-21 completed its seventh mission recently. It a US-made AUV deployed in which of the following missions? A. Locating debris of the missing Malaysian aircraft B. Verifying the existence of the first earth-size planet C. Tracing existence of liquid water at moon D. Tracing existence of life at mars

ANS. A

BACKGROUND:

The Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), codenamed Bluefin-21 continues with its seventh mission in the underwater search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the Southern Indian Ocean, yesterday. The Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC), which is overseeing the search operation, said the unmanned-vehicle had searched approximately 133 square kilometres to date, since it was dispatched on its maiden mission Monday. “The Bluefin-21 AUV completed mission six overnight in the underwater search area and the data collected is currently under analysis,” the agency said in a statement yesterday.

9. With respect to loans, a time period during the loan term when the borrower is not required to make any repayment, is termed as A. provisioning B. moratorium C. sanction D. limitation

ANS. B

10. The Govt. has decided to continue with the export subsidy on raw sugar shipments for the Apr-May period. In order to help the cash-starved industry to pay arrears to sugarcane farmers, CCEA had approved the incentive for two years which is ___________ A. Rs 1,300 per tone B. Rs 2,300 per tone C. Rs 3,300 per tone D. Rs 3,700 per tone

ANS. C

BACKGROUND:

The Government has decided to continue with the export subsidy of Rs 3,300 per tonne on raw sugar shipments for the April-May period. During February-end, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved an incentive for export of four million tones of raw sugar for two years in order to help the cash-starved industry to pay arrears to sugarcane farmers. The export subsidy was fixed at Rs 3,300 per tonne for the February-March period. CCEA had also decided to review the subsidy amount after every two months depending on the rupee-dollar exchange rate. “The Food Ministry reviewed the subsidy amount last week and decided to continue with the existing rate of Rs 3,300 per tonne for April May as well. A notification will be issued soon,” a government source said. As much as 4,00,000 tonnes of sugar are likely to be exported in April and May. Some shipments have already been dispatched and are in transit, according to the industry body, Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA).

11. Who among the following has recently won the inaugural 10,000 US Dollar Richmond Open squash championship title held in the United States? A. Rachael Grinham B. Dipika Pallikal C. Joshana Chinappa D. Annie Au

ANS. C

BACKGROUND:

India’s Joshana Chinappa has won the inaugural 10,000 US Dollar Richmond Open squash championship title. In the final at Richmond in the United States, she upset former world champion and top seed, Rachael Grinham of Australia, in straight games 11 9, 11-5, 11-8.For World No.21 Chinappa, it is her ninth Women’s Squash Association (WSA) tour title. With the win, Chinappa also avenged her defeat at the Texas Open last week when she lost to the 37-year-old Australian in just 24 minutes.

12. The two week long joint military exercise ‘Peace Angel 2014’ was recently held between which of following countries? A. Pakistan-Iran B. Pakistan-Afghanistan C. US-Afghanistan D. China-Pakistan

ANS. D

BACKGROUND:

The joint exercise is aimed at sharing mutual experience and information in medical field through a comprehensive training program in near real-time environment. The exercise is particularly designed within the scope of disaster relief operations caused due to massive floods and terrorist attacks on relief camps.

13. As per the latest data available with SEBI, investors pumped in a total of nearly _______ in various mutual fund schemes during the 2013-14 financial year. A.Rs 45,000 cr B. Rs 48,000 cr C. Rs 51,000 cr D. Rs 54,000 cr

ANS. D

14. Cash turnover on the nation’s three stock exchanges rose by 2.59 per cent (in comparison to last year) to Rs 33.41 lakh cr in 2013-14. Which of the following are the three full-fledged bourses? A. NSE, DSE and CSE B. NSE, BSE and MCX-SX C. NSE, BSE and DSE D. NSE, BSE and CSE

ANS. B

15. Who among the following has won the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix recently? A. Sebastian Vettel B. Daniel Ricciardo C. Fernando Alonso D. Lewis Hamilton

ANS. D

16. The ten-day joint Air exercise ‘Garuda-5’ is scheduled to take place in June between India and which of the following countries A. Germany B. France C. UK D. US

ANS. B

BACKGROUND:

India and France would start a ten-day joint Air exercise ‘Garuda-5’, aimed at training the pilots and crew of Indian and French fighters in air superiority operations in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur airbase from June 3.Both the Indian Air Force and French Air Force would be engaged in various missions ranging from close combat engagement of large forces, slow mover protection, and protecting and engaging high-value aerial assets in the exercise at the strategic airbase near Indo Pak border.

17. Leading fertiliser cooperative IFFCO has recently announced that its subsidiary has received permission from the provincial govt of which of the following countries to set up a $1.6 bn urea plant? A. Canada B. Spain C. Hungary D. Poland

ANS. A

BACKGROUND:

Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited, also known as IFFCO, is the world’s largest fertiliser cooperative federation based in India which is registered as a Multistate Cooperative Society. IFFCO has 40,000 member cooperatives. IFFCO has been ranked#37 in top companies in India in 2011 by Fortune India 500 list.

18. Name the Earth-sized planet discovered by the US space agency NASA which is 490 light-years away and may sustain life. A. Kepler-10b B. Kepler-11c C. Kepler-11f D. Kepler-186f

ANS. D

BACKGROUND:

Using NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered the first Earth-sized planet orbiting in the “habitable zone” of another star. The planet, named “Kepler-186f” orbits an M dwarf, or red dwarf, a class of stars that makes up 70 percent of the stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The “habitable zone” is defined as the range of distances from a star where liquid water might pool on the surface of an orbiting planet. While planets have previously been found in the habitable zone, the previous finds are all at least 40 percent larger in size than Earth and understanding their makeup is challenging. Kepler-186f is more reminiscent of Earth.

19. What is SpaceX? It was in news recently. A. An international Space Station B. A mysterious alien vehicle. C. A private space agency based in California. D. A newly discovered earth-like planet.

ANS. C

BACKGROUND:

Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or SpaceX, is a space transport service company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by former PayPal entrepreneur and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk.

20. Which of the following teams has won the inaugural I-League football championships recently? A. Dempo Sports Club B. Bengaluru FC C. Mohun Bagan D. Mohammedan SC

ANS. B

BACKGROUND:

The I-League is an Indian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country’s top football competition. Contested by 14 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the I-League 2nd Division. Seasons run from October to May, with teams playing 26 matches each, totaling 182 matches in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekdays.

21. The Supreme Court has allowed iron ore mining in Goa, lifting a ban imposed about 18 months ago, but placed a cap of _________on annual production from these mines. A. 10 million tones B. 15 million tones C. 20 million tones D. 25 million tones

ANS. C

22. Name the noted economist who has been appointed principal economic advisor in the Union finance ministry recently.  A. Ila Patnaik B. Isher Judge Ahluwalia C. Shankar Acharya D. Eswar Prasad

ANS. A

BACKGROUND:

Ila Patnaik is an Indian economist and a financial journalist. She is Professor at National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP). On 21 April 2014, the Government of India appointed her as Principal Economic Advisor

23. Who is the author of the book titled ‘India at Turning Point: The Road to Good Governance’? A. Ram Jethmalani B. Pradip Krishen C. Sl Bhyrappa D. TSR Subramanian

ANS. D

BACKGROUND:

TSR Subramanian is a former cabinet secretary of the Republic of India.He is a 1961 batch Indian Administrative Service officer from Uttar Pradesh Cadre.

24. In private sector banks, increasing foreign shareholding beyond 49 per cent, up to 74 per cent, needs the approval of which of the following? A. RBI B. FIPB C. IBA D. Both the RBI and FIPB

ANS. D

25. Earth Day is celebrated on A. 21 Apr B. 22 Apr C. 23 Apr D. 24 Apr

ANS. B

BACKGROUND:

Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and celebrated in more than 192 countries each year. In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco,peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be celebrated on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature’s equipoise was later sanctioned in a Proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations. A month later a separate Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. Nelson was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award in recognition of his work. While this April 22 Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations. Numerous communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues

26. _________ has acquired Nokia handset business.

ANS. Microsoft

BACKGROUND:

Microsoft, the US software giant on 25 April 2014 completed acquisition of Nokia’s mobile handset business, excluding the Nokia’s Chennai factory from the over 7.2 billion US dollar deal due to tax issues. This exclusion of the Finnish firm’s largest manufacturing facilities of Chennai plant will continue to operate under Nokia, on a service contract for Microsoft. The firms Chennai factory was started in 2006 and the Nokia’s India operations began in 1995.

27. Who is the most influential person in India, according to the TIME magazine?

ANS. Narendra Modi

BACKGROUND:

Time Magazine released the 100 most influential people in the world list on 24 April 2014.  The Time Magazine released its annual list without ranking them.  The four Indian have made it in to the list. The annual list includes US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Grammy-winning artist  Beyonce, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Pope Francis, Russian President Vladimir Putin, whistleblower Edward Snowden, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Pakistani girl’s educational activist Malala Yousafzai among others. The Four Indians who made in to the list are:

• BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi
• Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal
• Author Arundhati Roy
• Coimbatore-based health activist Arunachalam Muruganantham

The Time has described Modi as a divisive politician poised to lead the world’s largest democracy. Arvind Kejriwal was described as powerful outsider in Indian politics who is the antithesis of the modern-day Indian politician and Muruganantham as an unlikely health crusader, his unique idea to help his wife lead to the invention of a machine that manufactures low-cost sanitary pads. Arundhati Roy was described as the novelist who is the conscience of India.

28. World Malaria Day Observed across the world on which date?

ANS. Apr 25

BACKGROUND:

World Malaria Day (WMD) was observed on 25 April 2014 across the world. The day was observed to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control. The theme for 2013-2015 is: Invest in the future. Defeat malaria. On the Occasion, World Health Organisation (WHO) launched a manual to help countries to assess the technical, operational and financial feasibility of moving towards malaria elimination. The new guide, From malaria control to malaria elimination: a manual for elimination scenario planning, will provide countries with a framework to assess different scenarios and timelines for moving towards elimination, depending on programme coverage and funding availability. There has been a 42 percent reduction in malaria mortality rates globally, and a 49 percent decline in the WHO African Region since 2000.

About World Malaria Day
World Malaria Day was instituted by WHO Member States during the World Health Assembly of 2007. The day was celebrated on 25 April every year. According to WHO, the top five countries most affected by malaria are Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone. India is expected to decrease malaria case incidence by 50 to 75 per cent by 2015.

29. ___________ committee on Delhi International Airport Limited has recently submitted its report to DGCA.

ANS. Lalit Gupta

BACKGROUND:

Lalit Gupta Committee on Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) submitted its report to DGCA on 24 April 2014. The committee was set up by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in January 2014. It has recommended that airports near Delhi like Jaipur, Lucknow and Amritsar should be upgraded to Category-IIIB level of Instrument Landing System, which has a runway visibility range of 150 feet or almost near-zero visibility condition. CAT IIIB is operational at the India Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).

30. The prestigious magazine Wisden has recently chosen which of the following among its five cricketers of the year? A. Shikhar Dhawan B. Suresh Raina C. Virat Kohli D. Ravindra Jadeja

ANS. A

31. Which of the following countries has recently become Africa’s biggest economy? A. South Africa B. Nigeria C. Cameroon D. Ghana

ANS. B

BACKGROUND:

Nigeria has overtaken South Africa as Africa’s largest economy after a rebasing calculation almost doubled its gross domestic product to more than $500bn, data from the statistics office showed. GDP for 2013 in Africa’s top oil producer was 80.22 trillion naira, or $509.9bn, the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics said on Sunday, up from the 42.3 trillion estimated before the rebasing, according to the Reuters news agency.

Nigeria vs. South Africa

Nigeria’s taking the title of Africa’s biggest economy will fuel a longstanding rivalry with South Africa. South Africa currently represents Africa at the G20, as well as in the “BRICS” group of the most powerful emerging economies, which also includes Brazil, Russia, India and China. Nigeria may argue that it should join those clubs too. It will also enliven competition for investor capital at a time when South Africa faces challenges such as striking workers and high current account and budget deficits. Despite its roaring growth of recent years and now a bigger GDP, Nigeria still trails South Africa in basic infrastructure – power and roads – necessary to lift its people out of poverty.

32. Retirement fund body EPFO has decided to facilitate all payments to its beneficiaries through electronic mode from Sep 2014, including the employers having bank account in any bank. Till now, only those employers who have a bank account in_____ can pay PF dues online. A. Bank of India B. State Bank of India C. Central Bank of India D. Punjab National Bank

ANS. B

33. As revealed by the ASSOCHAM of India, which of the following states recorded the highest growth in terms of milk production (over 41 per cent) during the period 2006-10? A. Madhya Pradesh B. Gujarat C. Andhra Pradesh D. Uttar Pradesh

ANS. C

34. In spite of accepting deposits and giving loans, the operations of which of the following entities do not come under the purview of the RBI as of now? A. Regional Rural Banks B. Cooperative credit societies C. Payment banks D. Non-Banking Finance Companies

ANS. B

35. The Supreme Court has rapped the Central Govt. for not disclosing information, received from ________ Govt., about the names and bank accounts details of eighteen Indians who had stashed their wealth in the LGT bank of Liechtenstein.  A. US B. Swiss C. German D. Austrian

ANS. C

36. Under deficit financing, the Govt. borrows funds from which of the following sources? A. World Bank B. IMF C. RBI D. Gold loan providers

ANS. C

37. What is the expanded form of MSS? A. Market Strengthening Scheme B. Market Stabilisation Scheme C. Market Sustainability Scheme D. Market Supervision Scheme

ANS. B

38. The FIH men’s hockey World Cup 2014 is scheduled to be held in which of the following cities from May 31 to Jun 15? A. Hague B. Rio De Janeiro C. Perth D. Seoul

ANS. A

39. What is Palcohol? (This consumable item made news recently as it has been approved in the US and may be available to customers later this year) A. A tea variety with high nicotine content B. A milk product with alcohol content C. Dry alcohol specially for children D. Powdered alcohol

ANS. D

40. The Govt of India has authorised the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to issue debt instruments up to a ceiling of _______under the market stabilisation scheme (MSS) for the fiscal 2014-15. A. Rs 20,000 cr B. Rs 30,000 cr C. Rs 40,000 cr D. Rs 50,000 cr

ANS. D

41. Which of the following states is the largest milk producing state in India as of now? A. Uttar Pradesh B. Andhra Pradesh C. Rajasthan D. Gujarat

ANS. A

42. Retirement fund body EPFO will provide permanent or universal account numbers (UAN) on the pattern of core banking services to its over five crore active subscribers by _____ this year. A. Oct 15 B. Oct 31 C. Nov 15 D. Nov 31

ANS. A

43. Which of the following countries has recently expanded its army footprints for the first time in 40 years to Yonaguni islands? A. South Korea B. North Korea C. Japan D. China

ANS.C

BACKGROUND:

Japan began its first military expansion at the western end of its island chain in more than 40 years on Saturday, breaking ground on a radar station on a tropical island off Taiwan. The move risks angering China, locked in a dispute with Japan over nearby islands which they both claim. The Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera, who attended a ceremony on Yonaguni island to mark the start of construction, suggested the military presence could be enlarged to other islands in the seas southwest of Japan’s main islands.

44. Which of the following countries has recently withdrawn as the host of 2019 Asian Games citing financial problems? A. Vietnam B. Philippines C. Bangladesh D. Thailand

ANS. A

45. Which of the following car models has been named 2014 world car of the year? A. Audi A6 B. Audi A3 C. BMW 3 Series D. Mercedes B Class

ANS. B

BACKGROUND:

World Car Awards were announced recently that included categories as diverse as Performance Car of the Year, Green Car of the Year, Car Design of the Year, Car of the Year and more. This is one of the most famous of awards in the car world and one reason may well be because the jury comes from across the globe – motoring journalists test vehicles of different categories individually and vote, from which a panel finally selects winners. This year’s Winners of the World Car Awards were announced on 17th April at the ongoing New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) and Audi A3 was chosen the 2014 World Car of the Year.