GK UPDATE: MARCH PART-III

1. Which of the following countries has recently lifted a contract ban on BP? A. France B. Canada C. USA D. England

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

United States on 13 March 2014 lifted the ban on oil giant BP that prevented it from winning new government contracts. This ban has been lifted following a commitment of the firm that it will implement a set of safety and operations, ethics and compliance and corporate governance requirements. The administrative agreement between the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and BP, says that the firm will also drop its lawsuit against the US Environmental Protection Agency. The administrative agreement applies to all of the suspended and debarred BP entities, including BP Exploration & Production Inc., BP p.l.c. and certain affiliated companies. This move of US will allow the firm to enter into the new contracts with US, which also includes the Gulf of Mexico. This ban was imposed on BP, Europe’s third-largest oil company as a penalty for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which was worst in US history.

2. Which country’s Parliament has recently approved a new Election Law? A. Syria B. Iran C. Nigeria D. Ukraine

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Parliament of Syria on 13 March 2014 unanimously approved a new election law that allows multiple candidates to run for the post of President. This passage of the law has opened the doors for other contenders apart from President Bashar Assad. The new law permits only Syrian nationals or other person who have lived in Syria for minimum 10 consecutive years to run for the Presidential election. The new law was formulated on the basis of the new constitution that was passed in a referendum in March 2012 that allows multiparty political system in Syria and multiple Presidential candidates. The Presidential polls will be held between 60 and 90 days before the end of term of Assad. The election law adopted by Parliament was rejected by the opposition Syrian National Coalition claiming it as illegitimate. Bashar Assad’s seven-year term in the office of the President will officially come to an end on 17 July 2014. The new law was voted four months before end of the tenure of Assad’s President Position. Apart from this, Baath Party has ruled on Syria since it seized power in a 1963 coup.

3. Recently RBI has hiked the trade related remittance from 2 to ________ rupees per transaction. A. 5 Lakh rupees B. 6 Lakh rupees C. 8 Lakh rupees D. 9Lakh rupees

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 13 March 2014 hiked the trade related remittance limit from 2 lakh rupees to 5 lakh rupees per transaction with immediate effect. It also increased the number of transaction handled by exchange houses. RBI decided to increase the limit of trade transactions on a review of the permitted transactions under the Rupee Drawing Arrangements (RDAs). These changes have been included in Memorandum of Instructions for Opening and Maintenance of Rupee/Foreign Currency Vostro Accounts of Non-resident Exchange Houses. Earlier, in 2009 RBI rationalised norms on maintenance of rupee/foreign currency Vostro accounts of non-resident Exchange Houses. It was in view of the increased number of transactions being handled by the Exchange Houses and the rapid developments in the communication facilities. Besides RBI informed that the government has notified the repurchase of its securities through reserve auction for an aggregate amount of 15000 crore (face values). Bids for the auction will be submitted in electronic format on the RBI core Banking Solution (E-Kuber) system on 18 March 2014.

4. Recently India offered 1 billion US $ line of credit to ______ for trade & infra development. A. Bangladesh B. SriLanka C. Nepal D. Myanmar

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

India on 13 March 2014 offered 1 billion US dollar line of credit to Bangladesh for development of trade facilities and infrastructure. India made the offer at a 2-days meet of the Joint Working Group on Trade held in Dhaka. Apart from the line of credit, India has also offered to supply another 500 megawatts of power to the country on completion of the required infrastructure. During the meet, the officials of both the countries discussed ways to boost trade between the two countries by removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers. The two sides also discussed another issues including resumption of coastal shipping services, India-Bangladesh Container Train Service and finalisation of Cooperation Agreement between Bureau of Indian Standards and Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institutions. This credit has been offered four years after India gave a credit of the same amount to a neighboring country. India (New Delhi) and Bangladesh (Dhaka) in August 2010 signed an agreement of 1 billion US dollar with the Indian EXIM Bank to finance 14 infrastructure projects of Bangladesh of which main would be of communication sector. As per the deal the two sides decided to keep the financial support amount as soft loan. Earlier, India in November 2011 announced duty-free access of all Bangladeshi products to the market, except 25 alcoholic and drug items.

5. Which of the following is the largest ever yellow hypergiant stars to be recently discovered? A. HR 5171 A B. HR 5171 B C. HR 5171 C D. HR 5171 D

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Researchers have discovered the largest yellow star measuring 1300 times more than the diameter of sun. The star dubbed HR 5171 A, was discovered nearly 12000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus is the largest member of the family of yellow stars of which our sun belongs. The new image of the star was released on 12 March 2014. The star was studied by a team lead by Oliver Chesneau of the Cote d’Azur Observatory in Nice, France with the Very Large Telescope in Atacama, Chile. In their study they found that the yellow hyper giant star is much bigger than it was expected. The researchers claimed that it is one of the ten largest stars found and is about 50 percent larger than red supergiant Betelgeuse. The star is about one million times brighter than the Sun. Yellow hypergiants are very rare and only about a dozen of such stars are known in our galaxy of which the most famous known is Rho Cassiopeiae. These stars are among the biggest and brightest known stars and are at an unstable stage of their lives and are changing rapidly. This instability allows them to expel material outwards by forming a large extended atmosphere around themselves. The team has also discovered a companion star of HR 5171 A that orbits it every 1300 days. The smaller companion is only slightly hotter than the surface temperature of 5000 degrees Celsius of HR 5171 A.

6. Which of the following has developed a cloud based open-source Web-GIS tool? A. The Energy and Resources Institute B. Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation C. Chandigarh Renewable Energy Science and Technology Promotion Society D. Solar Energy Corporation of India

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on 13 March 2014 developed its first ever cloud based open-source Web-GIS tool. The tool was developed to estimate the rooftop solar power potential for Indian cities. The development of Web-GIS tool project was supported by

• Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF)

• Chandigarh Renewable Energy Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST)

• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)

• Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI)

• Confederation of Industry (CII)

7. Which of the following country’s Former President, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah died recently? A. Sierra Leone B. Brazil C. Chile D. Iran

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, the former President and leader of Sierra Leone died on 13 March 2014 in Freetown. He was 82. He played a pivotal role in gaining peace to the country after 11-year long brutal civil war. The war was infamous for the use of child soldiers, which was also criticized for the use of Blood diamonds in funding the violence. In 1996, he was elected as President after a decade of military rule. In less than a year, due to a military coup by Revolutionary United Front (RUF), he fled to Guinea and formed government-in-exile. He returned in 1998 and was successful in establishing peace in the Sierra Leone with the help of United Nations. He was again elected in 2002 and ruled the country till 2007.

8. Recently IOC has sold off ­­­ ____ percent of Government’s stake to OIL and ONGC. A. 10 percent B.11 percent C.12 percent D.13 percent

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) sold 10 percent of government stake (for 5340 crore rupees) to the Oil India Limited (OIL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on 14 March 2014. Earlier, government shareholding in IOC was 78.92% which has now reduced to 68.92 percent. The aim of this deal was to encourage the disinvestment programme by the government of India. Till date, overall disinvestments have raised about 10434 crore rupees. This transaction was an Off market transaction. Both the OIL, ONGC together bought 5 percent stake each at 220 rupees per share. This was for the first time for OIL to hold shares in IOC whereas, ONGC’s holding in IOC increased to 13.77 percent from 8.77 percent.

9. How much penalty has CCI imposed on Bengal Chemist and Druggist Association? A. 18.38 Crore B. 19.38 Crore C. 20.38 Crore D.21.38 Crore

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 14 March 2014 imposed a penalty of 18.38 crore rupees on Bengal Chemist and Druggist Association (BCDA) and its office bearers. The penalty was imposed for anti-competitive practices in supply of the medicines, after a case was filed by Dr. Chintamoni Ghosh, Director, Directorate of Drugs, West Bengal in 2013. Holding that BCDA and its District and Zonal Committees were engaged in anti-competitive practices directly or indirectly determining the sale prices of drugs and controlling or limiting the supply of drugs through concerted and restrictive practices. The CCI has also directed the BCDA and its office bearers and executive committee members to seize and desist from indulging in practices found to be anticompetitive in terms of the provisions of the Act. Considering the issue, the CCI in its decision has imposed a penalty on BDCA and those office bearers who were directly responsible for running its affairs and play lead role in decision making at 10 percent and on the executive committee members at 7 percent, of their respective turnover/income/receipts. The CCI after considering the entire material had directed the Director General (DG) to cause an investigation into the matter and to submit its report.

10. Which of the following teams has won the Santosh Trophy 2014 football tournament recently? A. Railways B. Mizoram C. Punjab D. Kerala

Ans. B

11. Eight time world champion Pankaj Advani is associated with which of the following games? A. Snooker B. Table tennis C. Chess D. Badminton

Ans. A

12. As announced by the BCCI recently, the initial phase of the IPL 7 will be staged in which of the following countries? A. United Arab Emirates B. South Africa C. England D. Sri Lanka

Ans. A

13. Which of the following auto majors has announced a tie up with Bharatiya Mahila Bank to provide retail finance to its passenger vehicle customers recently? A. Maruti Suzuki B. Tata Motors C. Mahindra and Mahindra D. Force Motors

Ans. B

14. What is the expanded form of TDS, a term related with taxation in India? A. Tax Deducted at Source B. Tax Defaulted at Source C. Tax Demanded at Source D. Tax Differed at Source

Ans. A

15. The full form of FSDC is: A. Financial Suitability and Development Council B. Financial Sustainability and Development Council C. Financial Structure Development Council D. Financial Stability and Development Council

Ans. D

16. What is the term used for the debt instrument, secured by the collateral of an immovable property, in which the borrower is obliged to pay back the debt on the terms agreed upon? A. Lien B. Assignment C. Mortgage D. Hypothecation

Ans. C

17. As per the industry estimates, by 2015-16 the domestic steel capacity of India is slated to go up to _____ from the present level of 90 mt. A. 100 mt B. 120 mt C. 135 mt D. 140 mt E. 150 mt

Ans. C

18. What does the letter ‘A’ represent in the term CRAR? A. Allocation B. Advance C. Adequacy D. Assets

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

CRAR stands for Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio.

19. Who among the following was the Chairman of MCX-SX who resigned recently? A. Thomas Mathew T B. CB Bhave C. Jignesh Shah D. GK Pillai

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

GK Pillai resigned as Chairman of MCX-SX on 14 March 2014. Consequently, current Vice Chairman and former LIC Chairman, Thomas Mathew T was elected as new Chairman and Ashima Goyal was elected as Vice Chairperson by the Board members. The exchange also announced that MCX and FTIL had been reclassified as Public Shareholder from Promoter Shareholder. Incidentally, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) began its probe on 13 March 2014 against the stock exchange’s founder Jignesh Shah and former Chairman of SEBI C.B. Bhave. The probe will also investigate the alleged irregularities in the sanctioning of MCX SX along with the subsequent recognition renewals of exchange in 2009, 2010.

20. T C Teli who died recently was: A. Former Arunachal Pradesh Minister B. Booker’s Prize Winner C. International Painter D. Squash Player

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

TC Teli, the former Arunachal Pradesh Minister died on 14 March 2014 at his residence in Itanagar. He died at age of 50. He was suffering from liver cancer and underwent treatment at Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon. He was brought back to Itanagar after the treatment on 13 March 2014. He is now survived by his two wives, four sons and five daughters. He represented Doimukh assembly constituency two times, consecutively. He was popularly known as Tiger and served North East Homeopathic Medical College & Hospital as its chairman.

21. Who among the following has been voted Cricketer of the Generation? A. Sachin Tendulkar B.  Shahid Afridi C.Mitchell Johnson D. Rohit Sharma

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Sachin Tendulkar on 14 March 2014 was voted as the Cricketer of the Generation by a 50-member jury that comprised current and former cricketers and journalists. To win the award, Sachin defeated his competitors spin legend Shane Warne and all-rounder Jacques Kallis.

Other titles for 2013 in the annual ESPNcricinfo Awards

• Test bowling title for 2013 – Mitchell Johnson

• ODI bowling award – Shahid Afridi, he won under the same category for 2009

• Test batting award – Shikhar Dhawan for his knocking 187 runs on debut against Australia in Mohali in 2013

• ODI batting performance of the year – Rohit Sharma for his ODI double-century in Bangalore, against Australia

• The Debutant of the Year (new category) – Mohammed Shami of India

• Contribution to Cricket Award (new category) – Tarak Sinha, head coach of the Sonnet Cricket Club in Delhi,

• Cricket for Good award – Rahul Dravid for mentoring the junior and Paralympic athletes in India

• Batsman of the Year, Best Test Batsman, and Most Consistent Batsman – AB de Villiers

• Bowler of the Year and the Best Test Bowler – Dale Steyn

22. NTPC has recently approved 14366-crore rupees investment for its ­­__________ plant: A. Jharkhand B. Bihar C. Maharashtra D. Madhya Pradesh

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

NTPC on 15 March 2014 approved an investment of 14366.58 crore rupees for its Karanpura thermal power project in Jharkhand. This investment has been planned after the company in 2013 was reallocated coal blocks in the state. The Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) in 2013 cleared the proposal of NTPC allowing it to set up a 1980 MW power plant with three units of 660 MW each. The project was struck, since 2008 following the withdrawal of coal linkages by the Coal Ministry. Apart from this a consultancy wing of NTPC has won a contract to provide engineering consultancy services to Trincomalee Power Company Ltd. The consultancy project has been won for setting up 500 MW (2X250 MW) coal-based project at Trincomalee in Sri Lanka. The contract agreement between NTPC and Trincomalee Power Company Ltd. (TPCL) and NTPC signed a contract agreement on 13 March 2014 at Colombo in Sri Lanka.

23. Who has won the Templeton Prize 2014? A. Saint Peter B.Abdul bin Aziz C. Prince Charles D. Tomas Halik

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

Tomas Halik, the Czech priest won the Templeton Prize for 2014. The award was announced by the John Templeton Foundation on 13 March 2014 and under the award he will receive 1.1 million Euro. Tomas Halik (65) is a person, whose work is aimed at seekers, the segment of those asking questions about religious and spiritual issues but unaffiliated with religion or atheism. Since 1997 Halik has taught the sociology of religion at Charles University in Prague. He authored numerous books like Patience With God and Night of the Confessor. In 2011 he received honorary title Man of Reconciliation 2010 and he also received The Knight’s cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 2012.

About Templeton Prize

• The award was established in 1972 by the late Sir John Templeton. The Prize is a monetary award of 1.1 million Euros and is the largest annual award in terms of cash in the world.

• It honours a living person for his exceptional contribution of affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical work.

• The first winner of Templeton was Mother Teresa in 1973. The two recent winners were Nobel Peace Prize laureates Desmond Tutu in 2013 and the Dalai Lama in 2012.

24. Who among the following has won the BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells Masters) final? A. Roger Federer B. Novak Djokovic C. Raffle Nadel D. Serena Williams

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

The world’s number two Novak Djokovic on 16 March 2014 defeated Roger Federer to win the BNP Paribas Open Final in Indian Wells ATP Tennis Masters in California 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3). This trophy is the first title of the year for Djokovic and third at the BNP Paribas Open. Earlier in February 2014, Djokovic lost to Federer in the semi finals of the Dubai tennis championship.

25. Which of the following countries has imposed a partial car ban to combat pollution? A. France B. UK C. USA D. Italy

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

France on 17 March 2014 introduced driving restrictions in Paris to tackle dangerous pollution levels. Under the scheme drivers are allowed to use their cars only on alternate days, according to the odd or even numbers on their license plates.  Parking will be free for vehicles with even number plates on a particular day. The residents are encouraged to carpooling or car-sharing sites to work out their commutes and rides. Free public transport including cycle and electric car-sharing schemes also introduced to combat smog. The restrictions will be reviewed on a daily basis to determine if an extension is necessary. The last restricted driving scheme was introduced in October 1997 in response to pollution from heavy diesel fumes. It lasted one day. Paris is more prone to smog than other European capitals because of France’s diesel subsidies and its high number of private car drivers. As per the European Environment Agency (EEA) data, there was 147 microgrammes of particulate matter (PM) per cubic metre of air in Paris – compared with 114 in Brussels, 104 in Amsterdam, 81 in Berlin and 79.7 in London.

26. Recently India nominated Rani-ki-Vav and Great Himalayan Park for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site Status. Where is Rani-ki-Vav located? A. Sikkim B. Madhya Pradesh C. Maharashtra D. Gujarat

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

India nominated Rani-ki-Vav located in Patan, Gujarat and the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in Himachal Pradesh for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site Status for 2014. The World Heritage Committee will convene in Doha, Qatar, in June 2014 to review the nomination and take a final decision.

About Rani-ki-Vav

• Rani-ki-Vav is an 11the century stepwell and it is one of the finest examples of stepwells in Gujarat. It was constructed by Queen Udayamati of the Solanki dynasty.

• The well is subterranean structure with a series of steps, board landings, pavilions and sculpted walls which provides access to water in deep water.  It is of seven storeys with five exist and there are more than 800 elaborate sculptures which are survived. This is a protected monument under the Archeological Survey of India.

• Earlier in 1998, the Indian government had included in the tentative list but next step not pursued.

About Great Himalayan Park

• The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) is located in the western part of the Himalayan Mountains in Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh. The GHNP was initially constituted in 1984 and declared as a National Park in 1999.

• The Park is known for its biodiversity. It has more than 25 forest types, 800 kinds of plants and is home to more than 180 bird species.

• In 2009, GHNP is included in the tentative list and submitted for UNESCO’s consideration in 2013. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) did not recommend the park for the World Heritage status.

27. Who has bagged the Gollapudi Srinivas National Award 2013? A. Gyan Correa B. Kushboo C. Sreekar Prasad D. Vasanth

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Gyan Correa has been selected for the 17th Gollapudi Srinivas National Award 2013 for his debut film as a director, The Good Road in Gujarati. The film was selected from 20 nominations across many languages including Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. The award that comprises of a cash prize of 1.50 lakh rupees and a memento and will be presented to Gyan Correa on 12 August 2014 at a ceremony at the Music Academy, Chennai. The jury that selected The Good Road for the award consisted of director Vasanth, Editor Sreekar Prasad and actor Kushboo. The Good Road is the first Gujarati film to be selected to represent India at the Oscars and it has also bagged the Best Gujarati film award at the 60th National Film Award.

28. Recently Indian Oil has announced to build 30000 crore rupees refinery at Mundra. Mundra is in: A. Gujrat B. Tamilnadu C. Kerala D. Maharashtra

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Indian Oil Corp (IOC) on 17 March 2014 announced to set up 30000 crore rupees refinery at Mundra in Gujarat with 15 million tones capacity. The plant is scheduled to come up by 2021-22. The Adani Groups offered land to IOC to set up refinery at Mundra. The plan to set up a refinery is to increase the processing capacity of IOC to 100 million tones. IOC planned to raise its refining capacity to 100 million tones by 2021-22. Current total capacity of IOC is 54.2 million tones with seven refineries and subsidiary Chennai Petroleum Corp operates an 11.5 million tones plant. A coastal refinery would enable IOC to ship in larger quantities of heavier grades of crude oil, which are cheaper because they are more difficult to process into fuels. All the refineries of IOC are landlocked. In the 12th Five Year Plan which ends up in 31^st March 2017, IOC planned to invest 56200 crore rupees. In the Plan 27159 crore rupees was set aside to expand refining capacity. Also, IOC is planning to expand few of its refineries to achieve the 100 million tones target.

• Refinery at Koyali in Gujarat has 13.7 million tones capacity and it will be increased to 18 million tones at a cost of 4858 crore rupees.
• The Mathura plant may be expanded to 11 million tones from 8 million tones.
• An expansion of the Panipat plant to 18 or 21 million tones from 15 million tones is being considered.
• The under-construction 15 million ton Paradip refinery in Odisha would be expanded to 20 million tones.

29. According to a report by SIPRI, which country is the world’s largest arms importer? A. Pakistan B. India C. Bangladesh D. China

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

A new data on international arms transfers released on 17 March 2014 said that India’s import of weapon systems is three times more than Pakistan and China. The report published by as Swedish Think Tank, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has claimed that India continues to be the largest buyer of arms in the world.  The new data has ranked China and Pakistan second and third respectively as the largest arms importer. China was replaced as the world’s biggest arms buyer by India in 2010. Overall, the volume of international transfers of major conventional weapons grew by 14 percent between 2004–08 and 2009–13. Findings of the data released by the think tank

• Between 2004 and 2008, the imports of major weapons by India rose by 111 percent

• India’s share in the volume of international arms import between 2009 and 2013 increased from 7 to 14 percent

• Between 2009 and 2013, Russia was ranked as the major supplier of arms to India accounting for 75 percent of imports

• It claims that the United States with 7 percent imports to India from 2009-13 for the first time became the second largest arms supplier for India and in the same time, Pakistani imports of arms from US was 27 percent

• China has played an important role in imports of arms for Pakistan with its share of 54 percent and 82 percent in the case of imports in Bangladesh. According SIPRI release, the five largest arms suppliers worldwide between 2009 and 2013, who collectively accounts for 74 percent of total arms exports were:

• United States with 29 percent of global exports

• Russia with 27 percent of global exports

• Germany with 7 percent of global exports

• China with 6 percent of global exports

• France with 5 percent of global exports

The USA and Russia together accounted for 56 per cent of the volume of arms exports. SIPRI data of top five arms importer

• India

• China

• Pakistan

• United Arab Emirates

• Saudi Arabia

30. Which among the following has won the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2013-14? A. Delhi B. Tamil Nadu C. Karnataka D. Railways

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

Karnataka won the Vijay Hazare Cricket Trophy 2013-14 by defeating Railways by four wickets at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on 16 March 2014. Karnataka for the first time won the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the final, Railways scored 157 in 47.4 overs whereas Karnataka scored 158 in 43 over for six wickets. Abhimanyu Mithun was named as the man of the match for picking up 4 wickets for 19 runs. Earlier in the year 2014, Karnataka has already won the Ranji Trophy and Irani Trophy.

About Vijay Hazare Trophy

• Vijay Hazare Trophy was started in 2002-03. It is the One-day version of the Ranji Trophy. It is a domestic competition among the states teams from the Ranji Trophy for limited over.

• Tamil Nadu won the trophy four times and Delhi won the trophy in 2012-13.

• Railway won the trophy in 2005-06.

31. Recently Coal India introduced Voluntary retirement Scheme for­­­­ ______ workers: A. Female B.Male C. Both Male and Female D. Above 55 years

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Maharatna PSU Coal India limited (CIL) on 17 March 2014 introduced a voluntary retirement scheme for non-technical female workers. The scheme was approved by board of CIL. Under the programme, Coal India Special Female Voluntary Scheme, a woman employee accepting the offer can nominate her son for appointment at the company. Almost all of CIL’s 26000 female employees have been appointed on compassionate ground and are employed on non-technical work. If a worker opts for the VRS, she can nominate her son provided he has a certificate from an industrial training institute or has passed Class 10 and is in the age group of 18-35 years. The scheme is targeted at close to 4000 permanent non technical female workers who have completed 10 years of service but haven’t reached 50 years of age. The objective of the scheme is to optimise manpower utilisation of the company by reducing non-technical female employees by infusing new blood and skills in the company. Those nominated by their mothers will be employed only at CIL’s subsidiary Central Mine Planning & Design Institute. The proposed scheme will be implemented for six months starting from 17 March 2014 across Coal India and its 8 subsidiaries like Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) and Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL). A similar scheme was offered in 2002.

32. UNSC has recently extended mandate of United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) till: A. March 2015 B. April 2015 C. May 2015 D. June 2015

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

The UN Security Council on 17 March 2014 extended the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for another year until 17 March 2015. The mandate is focused on local ownership and leadership regarding security, governance and development in Afghanistan. As per a release issued by UNSC, the 15-member council during the New York meeting unanimously adopted a resolution saying that the mission would continue to lead and coordinate international civilian efforts in Afghanistan, that includes support for 2014 Presidential election on 5 April 2014, the 2015 Parliamentary elections and future electoral processes. The Presidential election of Afghanistan that is scheduled to be held on 5 April 2014 is the country’s third Presidential election and the two-term President, Hamid Karzai is not eligible to run for it.

33. India is ranked _______ in spam e-mails export: Microsoft Report A. 4th B. 5th C. 3rd D. 2nd

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

India was ranked fourth in a Microsoft report in the list of the countries sending out spam e-mails. Microsoft on 28 February 2014 released security intelligence report saying that spam emails contents are malicious and carries advertisements for pharma products and sexually explicit material. The report is based on the survey conducted during January to June 2013. In the list of the Microsoft report, India has followed three nations namely

• US topped the list for sending maximum number of Botnet spam

• China

• The UK