GK UPDATE: MARCH PART-V

1. A lightweight revolver for protection of women was launched recently. The name of the revolver is A. Nirman B. Nirbheek C. Niramay D. Nirbhay

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

Indian Ordinance factory on 25 March 2014 launched a light-weight revolver named Nirbheek. This revolver is designed especially for women to defend themselves from assault. Nirbheek that weighs 500 gm is a .32 bore revolver and it can be carried by women in their purses or handbags. The name of the gun, Nirbheek had been derived from the name of the paramedical student Nirbhaya, the girl who was gang raped in a bus in Delhi on 16 December 2012. This revolver has been launched more than a year after the Delhi gang rape case of Nirbhaya. Nirbahaya is the name was given to the girl by the media, who died few days after the rape. The revolver is made of titanium alloy and is priced 122360 rupees.

2. Uttrakhand Government has ordered the deployment of SDRF on Char Dham route. Who is the CM of Uttrakhand? A. Harish Rawat B. Vijay Bahuguna C. Hariprakash Rawat D. ND Tiwari

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Harish Rawat, the Chief Minister of Uttrakhand on 25 March 2014 ordered deployment of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel in the danger zone that are prone to disaster. The newly constituted SDRF will be deployed during the Char Dham Yatra in full strength. Route of the Himalayan shrines located in the state are considered as prone to disasters. Apart from this, Harish Rawat has also reminded the state officials to complete the road repair work along the pilgrimage route by its deadline on 30 April 2014. The Char Dham Yatra of the Himalayan shrines is scheduled to begin in the first week of May 2014. The Kedarnath pilgrim will be opened for the devotees on 5 May 2014.

3. The book titled “Lal Bahadur Shastri: Lessons in Leadership” has been written by: A. Amit Narang B. Pavan Choudhary C. Vijay Mudalyar D. Shobha De

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

The book titled Lal Bahadur Shastri: Lessons in Leadership written by the Pavan Choudary was released on 23 March 2014. The book was released by the spiritual leader Dalai Lama in New Delhi. The book written by Pavan is based on the narration given by Lal Bahadur Shastri’s son Anil Shastri. The book details about the Shastri’s childhood, his adult and public life which are thought provoking. The book also highlights his virtues of simplicity, integrity, tenacity, wisdom and leadership. The book also contains an account of how Shastri handled questions of governance and politics as well as how he dealt with crises like the 1965 war with Pakistan. The book highlights the rich values and principles of Lal Bahadur Shastri which may teach important lessons of life to present leaders. Other Books Written on Lal Bahadur Shastri are:

• Lal Bahadur Shastri: Past Forward is an English version of Sunil’s earlier book in Hindi, Lal Bahadur Shastri-Mere Babuji

• Lal Bahadur Shastri: A Life of Truth in politics written by C P Srivastava

• Lal Bahadur Shastri: Common Man Great Deeds written by Monika Khanna

• Lal Bahadur Shastri written by Vibha Ghai

4. Which of the following countries has signed an agreement to hand over nuclear material to the US? A. Japan B. North Korea C. Pakistan D. Iran

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Japan and the United States on 24 March 2014 signed an agreement for removal of 315 kilograms of weapon-grade Plutonium and Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) to United States. As per the deal, the fissile material would be transported from Fast Critical Assembly (FCA) at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to a secure facility in the United States. This deal was reached between the two nations during the 2014 International Nuclear security summit in The Hague, Netherlands. This deal of providing the highly enriched uranium and plutonium to US can be considered as Japanese effort to prevent proliferation and abuse of nuclear material by terrorists, which is the background of the nuclear summit.

5. CEO of which of the following companies Mr. Saugata Gupta has been promoted as Managing Director? A. Pepsico B. MacDonald’s C. Brittania Foods D. Marico

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

Saugata Gupta chief executive officer (CEO) of Marico on 25 March 2014 was promoted as Managing Director (MD). Harsh Mariwala will step down from the post of MD and will remain Chairman of the company. Saugata Gupta had joined Marico in 2004 as the head of marketing. Soon, he became CEO of the India business in 2007. In April 2013, he was given additional responsibility of the international business.

About Marico

Marico is 4583 crore rupees Mumbai based consumer Products Company providing consumer products and services in the areas of Health and Beauty. The organisation holds a number of brands including Parachute, Saffola, Hair&Care, Nihar, Mediker, Revive, Manjal, Kaya Skin Clinic, Livon, Set Wet, Zatak, Fiancee, HairCode, Eclipse, Xmen, Hercules, Caivil, Code 78 and Black Chic.

6. Which of the following words has been included in the Oxford English Dictionary? A. Hongkonger B. Hongkongee C. Hongkongai D. Hongkongan

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

The Oxford English dictionary has added Hongkonger and Hong Kongese in March 2014 in recognition of Hong Kong’s local identity of inhabitants of the city. These are among the 900 new words added to the dictionary. The word has been added to the dictionary at a time, when the people of the city are losing their original/individual identity due to Chinese influence on the countries politics and culture has emerged a lot. Meaning of these words as per the dictionary

• Hongkonger and Hong Kongese are defined as the native or inhabitant of Hong Kong {A person living in Hong Kong SAR (Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China)}

• Hong Kongese can also be defined as an adjective to describe anything related to the city or its residents

7. Managing Director of which of the following companies, Vinita Bali announced her retirement recently? A. Britannia Industries B. DLF C. Kribhco D. Adani Industries

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Managing Director (MD) of Britannia Industries Vinita Bali on 25 March 2014 announced to retire till the end of March 2014. Britannia Industries is a part of the Wadia Group. Bali had joined Britannia in January 2005 and took over as company MD in 2006. Vinita Bali became the first woman to head a major consumer goods company in India in 2005. During her nine-year stint, Bali marked the revenue growth of Britannia to a 1 billion US dollar. After her retirement Bali would continue to serve on the boards of the other Wadia Group companies like Bombay Dyeing, Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation and Go Airlines. She would also continue to be associated with the Britannia Nutrition Foundation, a social initiative that was started by her. Varun Berry on 25 March 2014 was appointed as Managing Director (MD) of Britannia Industries. He will succeed Vinita Bali.

8. Name the only Pakistani Parsi cricketer who died recently. A. Rusi Dinshaw B. Manav Maria C. Rumi Ranaw D. Rusi Kastav

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

About Rusi Nausherwan Dinshaw

• He was selected in a Pakistan’s first test Squad that first toured India in 1952-53, but didn’t played

• He was a left-handed batsman and left-arm spinner

• He went to Pakistan after partition of post Independent India

• He scored a double hundred in the Ruby Shield schools tournament in Kolkata

9. The third Nuclear Security Summit 2014 was held in A. New York B. Mexico C. The Hague D. Paris

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

The Third Nuclear Security Summit was held in The Hague, Netherlands from 24 to 25 March 2014. The summit was attended by 58 World leaders. At the summit, the leaders reached an agreement to prevent terrorists getting their hands on nuclear material that could be used to make a nuclear weapon. This will further reduce the threat of a nuclear attack.

About NSS summit

The genesis of the Nuclear Security Summit lies in the speech given by the US president Barrack Obama in Prague, the Czech Republic in 2009. In this speech president Obama called for establishment of nuclear security architecture so as to prevent the threat of nuclear terrorism. The first NSS was held in Washington DC in 2010 in order to secure nuclear material and thus prevent nuclear terrorism. The summit was concerned with making political agreements. The Second NSS was held in Seoul in 2010 and focused on the progress made on implementing the first summit agreements.  The United States will host the next summit in 2016.

10. Which of the following has been appointed the new Revenue Secretary? A. Rajiv Takru B. Rajeev Kumar C. Rajeev Khetri D. Rajeev Bansal

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Rajiv Takru, an IAS officer of 1979 batch of Gujarat cadre was appointed as the Revenue Secretary on 25 March 2014. He will succeed Sumit Bose, who will retire on 31 March 2014.  Takru at the time of appoinment was serving the Financial Services Department as its Secretary under the Union Finance Ministry. Apart from this Gurdial Singh Sandhu, a Rajasthan cadre IAS officer of the 1980 batch has been appointed as the Financial Services Secretary. Sandu at the time of appointment was serving as the Minorities Affairs department in the Rajasthan Government and with this appointment he succeeds Takru.

11. GE Healthcare and which of the following has announced to set up 25 cancer detection and treatment centres in India? A. Gangram Hospitals B. CTSI C. AIIMS D. Fortis Healthcare

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

GE Healthcare and US-based Cancer Treatment Services International (CTSI) announced on 25 March 2014 to set up a chain of 25 cancer detection and treatment centres in India. The two companies will be jointly investing 720 crore rupees over the next five years. The partnership was a part of GE’s 1 billion dollar commitment to Research and Development to diagnose cancer. The main focus was to make detection and treatment of cancer timely, affordable and easy to get treated anywhere in the world. As part of the deal, GE would provide equipment while CTSI would take care of treatment, doctors, medical personnel and related services. Also, both the companies will be starting the first few centres in Andhra Pradesh as a hub-and-spoke model, and later try it out in other countries that have similar conditions.

12. Shigeru Ban, a Japanese architect, has won which of the following awards for 2014? A. Pritzker Architecture B. Best Architect Award C. Asian Architect of the year D. Architect Internationale

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban won the Pritzker Architecture Prize 2014. He won the award for his creative and inexpensive designs for disaster relief shelters. The world’s most prestigious architecture award was announced by the Hyatt Foundation on 25 March 2014. The Prize will be awarded to Ban on 13 June 2014 in Amsterdam. The prize has recognized for the first time an architect for his contribution in the area of housing disaster victims.  Ban will be the seventh Japanese architect to receive the prize.

About the Pritzker Architecture Prize

The international prize is awarded annually to living architects who significantly contributed to humanity and for excellence in built work. It was instituted by Hyatt Foundation in 1979. It carries 100000 dollar grant, a citation and a bronze medallion.

13. Who among the following was the head of the RBI Panel on Credit Information which submitted its report recently? A. Prabhat Kumar B. Anand Rathi C. Aditya Puri D. Vijay Rastogi

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

An RBI panel headed by Aditya Puri submitted its report on 22 March 2014. The Report is titled Data Format for Furnishing of Credit Information to Credit Information Companies (CICs). The committee has made wide ranging recommendations on issues relating to credit information, such as, increasing its coverage, format of reports and best practices to be followed by credit institutions, credit information companies (CICs) and the Reserve Bank.

Highlights of the Report

• The Committee has suggested providing customers with a free copy of their Credit Information Report (CIRs). It would help create awareness about the need to have credit discipline and help detect identity theft at an early stage.

• The committee also recommended a common Data Quality Index that could assist credit institutions in determining the gaps in their data and also help move towards improving their performance over a period of time.

• It was also recommended to use a common data format that includes additional information in the formats, such as, dispute codes, consumer comments on dispute, details of collateral and a continuing mechanism for making changes to data formats that could help improve data quality.

• The committee has showed its concern that low usage of credit information by member institutions and other specified users needs to be addressed. It can be addressed by increasing the coverage of credit information in terms of membership (all credit institutions should be members of all CICs) and products and by creating awareness about Credit Information Reports (CIRs).

• CICs should have a common classification of Credit Scores so that it would be easier to understand and interpret them.

• CICs may provide a single CIR for a borrower even if there are multiple addresses, using a unique identification number (PAN/Aadhaar No.).

• CICs may have link with the database of Central Registry of Securitisation Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest of India (CERSAI) which has data on mortgages so that CIRs can also provide information on property mortgages.

14. Ancient caves depicting a 7000-year-old civilisation were discovered recently in A. Andhra Pradesh B. Maharastra C. Gujrat  D. Madhya Pradesh

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Researcher K Ramakrishna Reddy has discovered a group of caves that was inhibited by ancient humans in Akkampalli of Andhra Pradesh. This site is considered to be contemporary to the rock sites that exist at Ketavaram and Chintakunta of the state.

Archeological Importance of the discovery

This discovery of the five caves is important with the perspective of archeology because they have ancient artworks that represent the civilisation and culture of 7000 year ago. Of these five caves three are natural and two are rock cut. The artworks of the caves provide an idea about the culture, belief, life and behavior of that era. The artworks depict the presence of crocodiles in the area because many pictures of crocodiles are drawn but at present there is no existence of water in the area.

15. Poachers killed a Rhino in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. Where is Pobitora located? A. Gujrat B. Mahrastra C. Assam D. West Bengal

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

A gang of poachers on 26 March 2014 killed a rhino in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary near Tuplung forest camp in Morigaon district of Assam. After shooting down the rhino, they sawed off its horn and took it away. In the incident of killing the rhino for taking away its horn, two poachers of the gang were also killed in an encounter with forest guards. This sanctuary of Assam has a dense population of the Great Indian one-horned rhinoceros that numbers about 93 in the 16 square kilometer area of the wildlife reserve. This poaching activity was the first in Pabitora in 2014, but the poachers have already killed 11 rhinos in Kaziranga National Park and one in Manas National Park, since the start of the year. In 2013 over 40 rhinos were killed in Assam by the poachers of which 35 were killed in Kaziranga. The WWF and India has collaborated together, to start a joint programme named Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020. The plan was made in January 2014 with an aim of increasing the population of rhinos in Assam to 3000 by 2020.

16. RBI has announced that it will conduct open market operation (OMOs) shortly. These operations are aimed at adjusting the rupee liquidity conditions in the market by selling or purchasing which of the following? A. Govt. securities B. Public Sector Banks (PSB)’s share C. Shares of blue-chip PSUs D. Gold

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

OMOs are the market operations conducted by the Reserve Bank of India by way of sale/ purchase of Government securities to/ from the market with an objective to adjust the rupee liquidity conditions in the market on a durable basis. When the RBI feels there is excess liquidity in the market, it resorts to sale of securities thereby sucking out the rupee liquidity. Similarly, when the liquidity conditions are tight, the RBI will buy securities from the market, thereby releasing liquidity into the market.

17. The book ‘Destruction of Hyderabad’ has been written by: A. Frank Dikotter B. AG Noorani C. Nilanjana Roy D. Paul Danahar

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

Constitutional expert AG Noorani’s thoroughly researched Destruction of Hyderabad, a revisionist account of the “police action” led by the Indian army against the government of Nizam of Hyderabad in 1948, sheds new light on this debate. To do so, it cites a detailed record of letters, diaries, memoirs and diplomatic exchanges between various players — it also reproduces in full the Sunderlal committee report on the massacre of Hyderabad’s Muslim population. A four-member goodwill mission led by Pandit Sunderlal had spent a month in Hyderabad at the request of Nehru in November 1948.

18. What does the letter ‘P’ denote in the abbreviation FIPB, a term we often read in financial newspapers? A. Preference B. Promotion C. Protection D. Prohibition

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) is a national agency of Government of India, with the remit to consider and recommend foreign direct investment (FDI) which does not come under the automatic route. It provides a single window clearance for proposals on FDI in India

19. The Govt. of India sponsored scheme RAY is associated with which of the following? A. Housing B. Child welfare C. Skill development D. Sanitation

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

To address the concerns of housing for the urban poor, the government plans to launch a scheme in January 2011. The Rajiv Awas Yojana seeks to provide property rights to slum dwellers, in a marked departure from previous schemes. New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS): With around 93.06 million people projected to live in slums across India by 2011, the ambitious Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) meant to provide housing to the urban poor is expected to roll out by January, officials say. Under the ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation, RAY – a scheme to give shelter to the homeless – aims to make the country free of slums.

20. World Trade Organisation (WTO) was earlier known as which of the following? A. G-7 B. UNCTAD C. GATT D. FAO

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on 1 January 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which commenced in 1948. The organization deals with regulation of trade between participating countries; it provides a framework for negotiating and formalizing trade agreements, and a dispute resolution process aimed at enforcing participant’s adherence to WTO agreements, which are signed by representatives of member governments and ratified by their parliaments. Most of the issues that the WTO focuses on derive from previous trade negotiations, especially from the Uruguay Round (1986–1994).

21. According to the population based study by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), which of the following cities in India has the largest number of child cancer cases? A. Pune B. Delhi C. Chennai D. Mumbai

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

Chennai has largest number of child cancer cases, Delhi is second on list. Chennai has the largest number of child cancer cases in the country, with 159 new cases per 10 lakh population reported every year, ahead of second-placed Delhi which recorded 149 cases, a study shows. Pune had the lowest incidence of cancer among children — 47 new cases for the same sample size, according to the population-based study by the Indian Council for Medical Research on prevalence of cancer among children (under the age of 14).

22. Suchitra Sen, who died recently, was a legendary ________actress. A. Marathi B. Bengali C. Kannada D. Telugu

Ans. B

23. YB Datuk Seri Palanivel was the chief guest at the 12^th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas held in New Delhi recently. A person of Indian origin (PIO), he is the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment in: A. Malaysia B. Indonesia C. Fiji D. Trinidad and Tobago

Ans. A

24. Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been named as the most admired person on the planet in a poll conducted by YouGov for The Times in 13 countries. Who among the following Indians stood at fifth place in the same list? A. Arvind Kejriwal B. Anna Hazare C. Sachin Tendulkar D. Narendra Modi

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been named as the most admired person on the planet with cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar fifth on a list of 30 people compiled after a poll in 13 countries, including India. The “World’s most admired people poll” was conducted by YouGov for Times by surveying almost 14,000 people in Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, the US, Australia, Pakistan, Indonesia, India, China, Egypt, Nigeria and Brazil. There were four Indians in the top ten and seven overall in the list of 30 most-admired people. Sachin, 40, was fifth with six other Indians featuring in the list- BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi (7^th), Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan (9^th), former President Abdul Kalam (10^th), social activist Anna Hazare (14^th), Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal (18^th) and business tycoon Ratan Tata (30^th).

25. As announced by the election commission, the first two states to be issued plastic photo identity cards for elections in India are: A. Assam and Nagaland B. Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram C. West Bengal and Sikkim D. Tripura and Nagaland

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Nagaland and Assam became the first two states to be issued with Plastic Photo Identity Card for elections in India. It was announced by the Deputy Election commissioner Sudhir Tripathi in Kohima on 12 March 2014. The voters of Nagaland and Assam will be using the cards for the first time in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Election commission decided to provide plastic Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) instead of laminated paper card to voters in India to avoid duplication and forgery.

26. Which of the following mobile operators in India has recently announced to buy Spanish cable operator Ono for 7.2 bn Euros? A. Bharti Airtel B. Reliance Communication C. Vodafone D. Idea Cellular

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

British telecommunications company Vodafone is doubling down on cable. Vodafone agreed on Monday to buy the Spanish cable company Ono for about $10 billion. The deal values Ono, which owns high-speed data networks across Spain, at about 7.2 billion euros, including debt. Vodafone signed a similar agreement last year to buy the German cable operator Kabel Deutschland for €7.7 billion.

27. Bru or Reang refugees living in relief camps in Tripura, originally belong to which of the following states? A. Mizoram B. Manipur C. Assam D. Arunachal Pradesh

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Despite opposition in Mizoram against allowing tribal refugees in Tripura’s relief camps to cast postal ballots, the Election Commission (EC) is firm on its decision, officials said Sunday. Of the over 36,000 Reang tribal refugees, known as “Bru”, living in the Kanchanpur and Panisagar refugee camps of Tripura for the past 17 years, about 11,500 are listed in Mizoram’s electoral rolls. These refugees have been casting votes for the Mizoram assembly and Lok Sabha elections through postal ballots. “The Election Commission has appointed seven observers to oversee the voting of the tribal refugees from April 1 to April 3 in seven relief camps,” Tripura Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Asutosh Jindal told reporters in Agartala. He said the EC observers have already arrived in Tripura and visited the refugee camps in north Tripura, 190 km north of Agartala. Voting for Mizoram’s lone Lok Sabha seat will be held April 9.

28. Which of the following cities was in news recently for traffic restrictions imposed there allowing vehicles with certain registration numbers only to ply on the roads on a particular day? A. Shanghai B. London C. Paris D. Mumbai

Ans. C

29. The term broad money is known as which among the following? A. M1 B. M2 C. M3 D. M4

Ans. C

30. Which of the following banks has launched its Namma Metro Transit cum Debit Card with which people can travel in Bangalore Metro without waiting for travel tokens? A. ICICI Bank B. HDFC Bank C. Axis Bank D. Federal Bank

Ans. D

31. EPFO has announced that it will provide UAN to its five crore subscribers from October 2014. UAN stands for

Ans. Universal Account Number

BACKGROUND:

Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on 24 March 2014 announced to provide Universal Account Number (UAN) to its five crore subscribers from 1 October 2014. Permanent or Universal Account Number (UAN) will facilitate subscribers to avoid filing Provident Fund (PF) account transfer claims on changing jobs. After getting UAN, a subscriber would not be issued new PF account number on joining new employer. The UAN would be one account number which would be allotted to a subscriber for various schemes run by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for their entire service period with different employers.

About EPFO

The Employees’ Provident Fund came into existence with the promulgation of the Employees’ Provident Funds Ordinance on the 15th November 1951. It was replaced by the Employees’ Provident Funds Act, 1952. It is now referred as the Employees’ Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. The Employees’ Provident Funds Bill aims to provide for the institution of provident funds for employees in factories and other establishments.

32. Which of the following states became the first state to declare No Smoking Area in elections booths? A. Jammu and Kashmir B. Punjab C. Himachal Pradesh D. Uttar Pradesh

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Jammu and Kashmir became the first state in the country to declare all election booths as No Smoking Areas in Lok Sabha elections 2014. Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir, Umang Narula issued a circular on 25 March 2014 to all returning officers and district election officers of the state. Now it is mandatory for all election booths to display the No Smoking Area warning.

33. CERT-In has detected Smartphone Dendroid. What is Dendroid? A. Window based Programme B. Operating Software C. Programming Language D. Virus

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

The CERT-In is the nodal agency to combat hacking, phishing and to fortify security-related defences of the Indian Internet domain. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) on 26 March 2014 detected a Smartphone Virus called Dendroid. It directed the users of Android smartphone to be beware of Dendroid as it can compromise the data stored on the users phone. Virus once activated could change the command and control server of a user’s personal Android phone and intercept private SMSes coming in or going out. Dendroid is the virus of the deadly Trojan family.

34. SEBI has announced the release of FATCA compliance norms for the fiscal year 2014-15. Expand FATCA: A. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act B. Foreign Account Tax Company Act C. Foreign Account Tax Complimentary Act D. None of these

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

SEBI announced on 25 March 2014 to release the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) compliance norms in the fiscal year 2014-15. The FATCA compliance norms will help combat possible tax evasion by Americans through Indian entities. FATCA is a law that aims to check and impose withholding tax on illicit activities of some wealthy individuals who use offshore accounts to evade millions of dollars in taxes. For the implementation of the FATCA, the US government is required to sign IGAs with various countries, including India. At present, the negotiation is going on between the India and US for an Inter- Government Agreement (IGA) to be signed between the two countries under the FATCA. FATCA has emerged as a global standard for detecting offshore tax evasion, as countries from across the world, including India, step up their vigil for details about foreign assets of their own individuals and companies.

35. Bishop Franz-Peter Terbartz-van Elst resigned recently. He belongs to A. Italy B. Germany C. England D. France

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

Germany’s Franz-Peter Terbartz-van Elst also known as bling bishop resigned on 26 March 2014 regarding allegations against his luxurious lifestyle. The resignation formally was accepted by the Pope Francis.

36. Which of the following zones has won Deodhar Trophy 2014? A. West Zone B. East Zone C. North Zone D. South Zone

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

West Zone on 27 March 2014 won the cricket’s Deodhar Trophy 2014. They lifted the trophy after defeating North Zone in the Day Night final at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam by a margin of 133 runs. North Zone, while chasing a score of 282 runs to win, was all out on 148 in 37.1 over.

About Deodhar Trophy

Deodhar Trophy is a 50-over over inter zonal knockout Indian domestic cricket tournament. The one-day zonal championship, established in 1980s has been named after Prof. D. B. Deodhar (Dinkar Balwant Deodhar born on 14 January 1892 in Poona (now Pune), Maharashtra), who is known as the Grand Old Man of Indian cricket. The tournament is annually played among five zonal teams namely North Zone, South Zone, East Zone, West Zone and Central Zone.

37. Which of the following bollywood actors has been named the brand Ambassador of Earth Hour 2014? A. Arjun Kapoor B. Abhishek Bacchan C. Shahrukh Khan D. Amir Khan

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Actor Arjun Kapoor has been named as the brand ambassador of the Earth hour 2014. Earth Hour 2014 will be observed on 29 March 2014 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Earth hour is an initiative under which citizens are advised to switch off all electricity for an hour. Earth Hour is a worldwide movement for the planet organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Earth Hour engages a massive mainstream community on a broad range of environmental issues. It was started in Sydney, Australia in 2007. The event is held towards the end of March annually worldwide. Earth Hour 2013 was celebrated on 23 March 2013.

38. Which of the following has passed a changed draft resolution on Sri Lanka? A. UNHRC B. SLHRC C. UNDP D. US

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed a changed draft resolution on Sri Lanka during the 25th session held in Geneva on 27 March 2014. The resolution seeks to authorize UNHRC to set up an independent international inquiry in Sri Lanka to probe into human rights violations during Sri Lankan civil war against LTTE in 2009. The resolution titled Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka was adopted by the 47-nation UNHRC with 23 members voting in favour of the resolution, while 12 voted against. 12 members abstained from voting including India. The changed draft resolution on Sri Lanka was prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) headed by Navi Pillay and sponsored by the US.

39. Which of the following students of Indian-Origin has won the UK Twitter Prize? A. Gopal Rao B. Harsh Mogle C. Vyom Banerjee D. Ashutosh Nagpal

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Gopal Rao, of Indian-origin, on 27 March 2014 won the UK Twitter Prize. The prize was to meet the British Foreign  Secretary William Hague and to discuss the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI). PSVI was launched on 29 May 2012 by William Hague. PSVI aimed to strengthen and support international efforts to respond to sexual violence in conflict which included enhancing the capacity of countries, institutions, and communities to support survivors and end impunity for perpetrators.

40. Who has recently certified India as a Polio Free country? A. AIIMS B. World Health Organisation C. Ministry of Health D. Indian Health Department

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 27 March 2014 certified India as a Polio Free country. This action of WHO made India one of the 11 countries of South-East Region to be free from polio virus. The official certificate was received by Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Union Health Minister in New Delhi. India’s victory over polio disease paved the way for polio free certification for the South East Asia region of the WHO. For the first time, India introduced the oral polio vaccine in 1985 under the Universal Immunisation Programme. The programme was started in the backdrop of over 200000 cases of polio annually (as per estimates of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics). India’s first national polio immunization campaign to stop polio was launched in 1995.

41. RBI has extended the timeline for full implementation of Basel III norms recently. The new timeline is A. 31 March 2017 B. 31 March 2018 C. 31 March 2019 D. 31 March 2020

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the timeline for full implementation of the Basel III capital regulations by a year. Now the banks are required to comply with the Basel III norms by 31 March 2019 instead of 31 March 2018. Some extended time was necessitated for banks to raise capital within the internationally agreed timeline for full implementation of the Basel III capital regulations.

About Basel III

Basel III is a comprehensive set of reform measures, developed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, to strengthen the regulation, supervision and risk management of the banking sector. In terms of Basel III capital regulations issued by the RBI, the Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB) will be implemented from March-end 2016 (against March-end 2015 earlier). Consequently, the Regulations will be fully implemented as on March-end 2019 (against March-end 2018 earlier).

42. C-130J Super Hercules aircraft of IAF crashed in Rajasthan recently, from which of the following countries has India purchased this aircraft? A. Russia B. Brazil C. France D. US

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF) on 28 March 2014 crashed in Karoli district of Rajasthan. As per the Jaipur’s Defence PRO, five crew members including four officers were killed in the crash.  The aircraft was airborne from Agra for a routine flying training mission.

About of C-130J Super Hercules Aircraft in India

India has inducted six C-130J Super Hercules Aircraft, which were brought from the US at a cost of around 6000 crore rupees (1.1 billion US dollar). This aircraft has been engineered to carry a weigh up to 20 tonnes and has the capability to land and take-off from short runways. For procurement of six more C-130J aircraft, the Union Defence Ministry recently signed a contract with the US government. The proposed aircraft will be deployed in Panagarh in West Bengal.  Earlier, India on 21 March 2014 deployed its two surveillance aircraft in Kuala Lumpur to take part in the international search operation of the Malaysian airline flight MH370 that disappeared from the radars over South China Sea. India also sent its long range maritime surveillance aircraft P-8I of the Navy for surveillance work.

43. Who among the following has been sworn-in as the Defence Minister and Army Chief of Egypt? A. General Sedki Sobhi B. General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi C. General Mahmoud Hegazy D. General Sobhi

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

General Sedki Sobhi on 27 March 2014 was sworn-in as the new Defence Minister and Army Chief of Egypt. He succeeds, Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who resigned from both the posts on 26 March 2014 to contest in the Presidential elections. Sobhi’s appointment was confirmed by Adly Mansour, the Interim President of Egypt at the weekly cabinet meeting in Cairo. Mansour on the same day also issued a presidential decree that promoted Major General Mahmoud Hegazy to a higher rank of lieutenant general. This decree has allowed him to replace Sobhi as the army’s chief-of-the-staff. Hegazy is the father-in-law of Sisi’s son. Sisi resigned from both the posts because as per the newly approved Constitution of Egypt, only civilians can run for the post of the President.

44. Supreme Court has recently directed all States and UTs to implement: A. Manual Scavengers Act B. Manual-Machine Act C. Manual Works Act D. Manual Labor Act

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Supreme Court on 27 March 2014 directed all the States and Union Territories to implement Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The three-judge Bench comprised of Chief Justice P Sathasivam, Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice N V Ramana ordered a series of directions to abolish the practice of manual scavenging and to prevent future generations from this inhuman practice.

45. Military Government of which of the following countries declared that it will hold democratic elections in September 2014? A. Iran B. Iraq C. Mauritius D. Fiji

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

Military Government of Fiji declared in Suva on 28 March 2014 to hold the democratic elections in Fiji on 17 September 2014. This will be the first democratic elections to be held in Fiji since the military coup in 2006. 17 September has been declared as paid holiday in Fiji for the elections. The election decree was signed by the Interim President of Fiji Epeli Nailatikau three weeks after the coup leader Voreqe Bainimarama stepped down as military leader. Bainimarama stepped down so as to contest elections as civilian; however, he will remain the interim Prime Minister until the elections.