14 Jun
1. Who has received the IIFA Most Popular All Time International Star award held in Florida recently? a. John Travolta b. Arnold c. Tom Cruise d. Jacky Chan
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Hollywood star John Travolta received a special honour, the Most Popular All Time International Star in India at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards. The 15th IIFA awards were held in Tampa Bay, Florida from 23 to 26 April 2014.
About IIFA awards
IIFA awards were first held in London in 2000. The awards are presented annually by the International Indian Film Academy to both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood. The awards have categories like popular awards, technical awards and special awards. In 2013, the IIFA awards were held in Macau.
2. Which of the following companies on 29 April, 2014 won contracts to supply over 1.17 lakh tonnes of rails for two global tenders floated by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL)? a. SAIL b. Tata Steel c. Bokaro Steel d. Jindal Steel
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) on 29 April 2014 won contracts to supply over 1.17 lakh tonnes of rails for two global tenders floated by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). The contracts have been given for major upcoming passenger rail line projects in the country. An estimated value of the two contracts is over 650 crore rupees.
3. Recently DGCA has decided to allow PEDs in flights. What does PED stands for?
Ans. Portable Electronic Devices
BACKGROUND:
The Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) decided to allow the use of Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) including cell phones during flights. DGCA amended CAR Section 5 Series X Part I relating to air safety.PEDs can now be used freely on flight mode, allowing passengers to play games, watch movies or even catch up with work on their smart phones in all phases of a flight.The use of PEDs shall be in the non-transmitting mode commonly called flight/airplane mode.
4. Who was the Chairman of Government Internal Revenue Order (GIRO) Advisory Group (GAG) which submitted its reports on 23 April, 2014 to Reserve Bank of India (RBI)? a. Umesh Bellur b. Ramesh Thakkar c. Vijaya Malhotra d. Amol Prabhakar
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Government Internal Revenue Order (GIRO) Advisory Group (GAG) under the chairmanship of Prof. Umesh Bellur on 23 April, 2014 has submitted its report to Reserve Bank of India (RBI).The Reserve Bank of India constituted the GIRO Advisory Group (GAG) in October 2013 to implement a national GIRO-based Indian Bill Payment System. It is a centralized process that allows payments for utility bills, educational fees and insurance premium by just visiting the bank branch.
5. Where was Bihar Mahotsav held recently? a. New Delhi b. Patna c. Kolkata d. Hazaribagh
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
The Bihar Mahotsav began in Delhi on 26 April 2014. It started amid strains of thumri, colorful folk performances and aroma of traditional cuisine. The festival will be celebrated for three days from 26 to 28 April 2014. The festival was jointly organized by the Department of Art, Culture and Youth, Government of Bihar, Sangeet Natak Akademi and Bihar Lalit Kala Akademi. In Rabindra Bhawan, a giant cut-out of world-famous Yakshi statue, sights of Madhubani paintings, Sikki art and photographs of the famous monuments of state like Gol Ghar and tomb of Maner Sherif are the special attraction to the festival.
6. Which among the following organizations has banned Alphonso mangoes from India? a. EU b. ASEAN c. WTO d. US Food Department
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
The 28-member European Union (EU) on 28 April 2014 imposed a temporary ban on import of Alphonso mangoes and four vegetables from India. The ban will come into effect from 1 May 2014.The ban was imposed following the decision of the grouping’s Standing Committee on Plant Health, who in 2013 found 207 consignments of vegetables and fruits imported from India to EU were contaminated. Those consignments were contaminated by pests like fruit flies and quarantine pests.
7. The only Gorilla in an Indian Zoo died on 26 April 2014 in Mysore Zoo. What was its name? a. Polo b. Jolo c. Montu d. Chintu
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Polo, the only Gorilla in Indian Zoo died on 26 April 2014 in Mysore Zoo. It died due to respiratory infection and age related ailments after being treated for about a month. Till few years back, 43-year-old male Western Lowland Polo was the Asia’s lone Gorilla. It was gifted to the Mysore zoo by Ireland’s Dublin Zoo on 12 August 1995.
8. Which of the following campaigns was launched recently on International Mother Earth Day? a. Neighborhood Trees Campaign b. Community Tree Campaign c. Society Tree campaign d. National Tree Campaign
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Neighborhood Trees Campaign was launched on International Mother Earth Day by the India Biodiversity Portal on 22 April 2014. The Campaign will be organized from 22 April to 27 April 2014. It is a unique citizen science project that aims to document tree species across the country through crowd sourcing. The Crowd sourcing is the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of online community. Neighborhood Trees campaign is probably the first Crowd sourcing project in India.
9. Who has won the Goldman Environmental Prize for the year 2014? a. Ramesh Gupta b. Ramesh Agrawal c. Ramesh Bhandari d. Ramesh Gupte
Ans. B
BACKGROUND:
Environmental activist Ramesh Agrawal, on 28 April 2014 won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for the year 2014. The prize is commonly called as the Green Nobel. The prize honors the heroic grassroot environmentalists around the world for their achievements.
About Goldman Environmental Prize
The first Goldman Environmental Prize was given in 1990 on Earth Day, that is 22 April. Since then, the prize is announced in April to coincide with Earth Day and the winners are selected by an international jury.It is the largest award given to grassroots environmental activists annually by Goldman Environmental Foundation based in San Francisco.It annually awards environmental heroes of six inhabited continental regions – Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America.Each winner of the award receives 150000 US dollar as a prize. These awards are given to recognise the individual leaders and inspire other ordinary people to take extraordinary actions to protect the natural world.
10. From which of the following countries have scientists developed silver-nanowire-based nanoscale fingerprints recently? a. South Korea b. China c. Japan d. Australia
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Scientists from South Korea had developed Silver nanowires-based nanoscale fingerprints. This nanoscale fingerprint would help protect the credit cards and other gadgets. The research was published in March 2014 in the journal Nanotechnology. Lead author of the research was Professor Hitcher from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and the Institute for Basic Science. Silver nano wires based Nano fingerprints are made by randomly placing 20 to 30 individual nano wires, each with an average length of 10 to 50 micro metre. The nanowire pattern would be based on a thin plastic film. The wire would be embedded into credit card to make it impossible to counterfeit the object.
11. Who has been appointed the third arbitrator by the Supreme Court of India to resolve the dispute between the Central government and Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on KG basin? a. Michael Hudson McHugh b. KG Bhasin c. Justice Bharucha d. Justice Khare
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
The Supreme Court of India on 29 April 2014 appointed former judge of the High Court of Australia, Michael Hudson McHugh as the third arbitrator to resolve the dispute between the Central government and Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on KG basin. The other two members of the tribunal are former Chief Justices of India, SP Bharucha and VN Khare.
• Former Justice Bharucha was nominated by Reliance as its arbitrator
• Former Justice Khare nomination was chosen by Centre as its arbitrator
12. Who among the following has been sworn in as the 41st Chief Justice of India? a. Justice Khare b. Justice Lodha c. Justice Mukherjee d. Justice Lal
Ans. B
BACKGROUND:
Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha on 27 April 2014 was sworn-in as the 41st Chief Justice of India. The oath was administered by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. Justice Lodha will have a brief tenure of five months as the Chief Justice as he will retire on 27 September 2014.The 64-year-old Justice Lodha took over the office from Justice P. Sathasivam, who retired from his office on 26 April 2014 after serving tenure of nine months. Justice P Sathasivam assumed the office of Chief Justice of India in July 2013.
Forms of Oath or Affirmation
Article 124 (6) of the Constitution of India provides for administering of oath or affirmation of the Chief Justice of India or any other Supreme Court judge before the President of India or some other person appointed in that behalf by him. The Schedule Three of the Indian Constitution provides for the Form of Oath or Affirmations for Union Ministers [Art.\ 75(4)], Candidate for election to Parliament[Art. 80(a.], Member of Parliament [Art. 99], Chief Justice of India & Supreme Court Judges [Art. 124(6)], Comptroller & Auditor General of India [Art. 148(2)], State Ministers[Art. 164(3)], Candidates for election to Legislative Assembly[Art. 173(a.], Member of Legislative Assembly[Art. 188], and Chief Justice of High Courts & Judges of High Courts [Art. 219]
13. Which of the following exo-atmospheric interceptor missiles was test fired from Balasore, Odisha recently? a. Prithvi b. Nag c. Trishul d. Pinaca
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
India on 27 April 2014 test-fired an exo-atmospheric interceptor missile, called Prithvi Defence Vehicle with capability to neutralise any long-range missile at higher altitude. This interceptor was test-fired for the first time from launch pad IV of Integrated Test Range at Wheeler Island, about 100 km from Balasore in Odisha into the sky to hit its target.
14. Who has won silver medal at the Asian Continental Chess Championship held in Sharjah on 26 April 2014? a. Adhiban b. Yu Yangyi c. Rustam Kasimdzhanov d. Kharisma Sukandar
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Grand Master Adhiban won silver medal at the Asian Continental Chess Championship held in Sharjah on 26 April 2014. With this silver he got an entry in the World Chess Cup 2015 that will be held at Baku, Azerbaijan. Adhiban ended up with 6.5 points whereas Yu Yangyi of China won the gold medal ending with 7 points. Ni Hua of China won bronze medal with 6.5 points. Rustam Kasimdzhanov stood at the fourth place (6 points) and Weng Yan of China at the fifth place (6.5 points). In the women’s championship, Irine Kharisma Sukandar of Indonesia won the gold medal. Atousa Pourkashiyan of Iran won the silver and Tan Zhongyi of China got bronze. The 13th Asian Continental Chess Championship and Women’s Chess Championships 2014 was held from 16 April to 26 April 2014 in Sharjah, UAE. The top five of Asian Continental Championship 2014 will qualify for the World Cup Championship 2015.
15. Wimbledon has recently announced an increase in its prize amount. How much does it stand now? a. 20 million pound b. 22 million pound c. 24 million pound d. 25 million pound
Ans. D
BACKGROUND:
Wimbledon on 29 April 2014 announced an increase of 10.8 percent (to 25 million Pound) in the total prize amount for 2014 Wimbledon. It is an increase of 2.4 million Pound over 2013. Apart from this, the All England Club on the same day announced an increase of 12.5 percent in prize money for each singles player in the first three rounds.As per the declaration, the champion will receive a cheque of 1.76 million pound a 10 per cent (160000 pound) increase from 1.6 million pound in 2013. Doubles prize money for The Championships, which runs from 23 June to 6 July, increases by 8.7 percent, while there is a 6.1 per cent increase for the mixed doubles.
16. With which of the following sports/games is Sharath Gayakwad associated? a. Badminton b. Tennis c. Athletics d. Paralympics
Ans. D
BACKGROUND:
Paralympics swimmer Sharath Gayakwad won two Bronze and one Silver at the IDM Berlin 2014. He won Bronze Medals in the 200m Individual Medley (2:44.06 seconds) and the 100m Butterfly (1:09.67 seconds) and won the Silver Medal in the 100m Breaststroke. Niels Korfitz Mortensen of Denmark won the Gold Medal and Oliver Hynd of Britain won the Silver Medal respectively in the 100m Butterfly, S8 category.
17. With which of the following sports/games is Anirban Lahiri associated? a. Horse riding b. Golf c. Polo d. Water Polo
Ans. B
BACKGROUND:
Indian Golfer Anirban Lahiri was ranked 67 in World Golf Ranking which was released on 28 April 2014. Lahiri jumped 35 places from his last standing of 102. Currently, Lahiri is the second-highest Asian player in the world after Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, who is ranked 49.
18. The Uruguayan striker of Liverpool was named the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year at an award ceremony on 28 April 2014 in London. Name the player. a. Luis Suarez b. Eden Hazard c. Branislav Ivanovic d. Lucy Bronze
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Luis Suarez, the Uruguayan striker of Liverpool was named as the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year at an award ceremony on 28 April 2014 in London. Suarez is the first non-European to be awarded with the prize.Eden Hazard of Chelsea was voted as the Young Player of the Year.
19. Scientists on 29 April 2014, for the first time, developed a Solar Jet Fuel using Sunlight, water and carbon dioxide (Co2). The project called SOLAR-JET is funded by a. European Union (EU) b. US c. Russia d. France
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Scientists on 29 April 2014 for the first time developed Solar Jet Fuel using Sunlight, water and carbon dioxide (Co2). The project called SOLAR-JET was funded by European Union (EU).Solar-Jet project partners include the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), ETH Zürich, Bauhaus Luft fahrt and Shell. Researchers have for the first time successfully demonstrated the entire production chain for renewable kerosene, using concentrated light as a high-temperature energy source.
20. Who was awarded the 2014 Canada India Foundation Chachalani Global Indian Award in Toronto recently? a. NR Narayana Murthy b. OP Jindal c. N Pandu d. Sunil Bharti Mittal
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
NR Narayana Murthy, the founder and executive Chairman of Infosys was honoured with the 2014 Canada India Foundation Chachalani Global Indian Award in Toronto, Canada on 26 April 2014. Murthy is the fifth recipient of the award and was awarded for his remarkable vision and leadership in the IT sector.
About Canada India Foundation (CIF)
Canada India Foundation is a national, non-profit, non-partisan organization established in 2007 with an aim to foster support for stronger relations between Canada and India. It was also established to educate Canadians on the changing face of India and to increase the participation of Indo-Canadians in the public policy process in Canada.
21. Why was Arturo Licata in news recently?
Ans. Arturo Licata was the World’s oldest man.
BACKGROUND:
Arturo Licata, the World’s oldest man died in Italy on 24 April 2014 at the age of 111. He was awarded the Guinness World Records title of oldest living man on 28 February 2014 at the age of 111 years and 302 days.He was named as the oldest living man after the death of previous holder of the record Salustiano Sanchez. Salustiano Sanchez died in September 2013 at the age of 112 years and 97 days.Licata was born into a family of four brothers and two sisters in Sicily. He had seven children, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. He joined army in 1921 and served it as a soldier in East Africa during invasion of Ethiopia as ordered by the Italian fascist regime. Currently 115-year-old female, Misao Okawa of Japan, is recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living person.
22. In which of the following countries has Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY) been launched? a. UAE b. Sri Lanka c. Nepal D. Canada
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY) was launched in the UAE in the fourth week of April 2014. A leading Indian financial and health care service player has tied up with the UAE Exchange to offer Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana Scheme in the Gulf country.The announcement of the launch was made in Abu Dhabi in the presence of T P Seetharam, the Indian Ambassador to UAE and other senior officials from the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi.The implementation of the MGPSY scheme will be facilitated by UAE Exchange that is offered by the India’s Ministry of Overseas in association with Alankit Assignments. It’s expected that the services of the scheme would be rolled out into all 17 ECR countries that include the GCC Countries and Malaysia. GCC is a group of countries and includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
About Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY)
Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY) Scheme is a pension and life insurance scheme and is recognised by the Indian government.Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY) is a special social security scheme for overseas Indian workers on temporary work permit in 17 Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries. The MGPSY is aimed at helping the workers to save money for their retirement, their return to India and resettlement and provides life insurance cover against natural death during the period of coverage. It provides home and a life insurance cover for 1 lakh rupees during their work abroad. The Government of India will contribute up to 2000 rupees every year for male workers and 3000 rupees every year to women workers for up to either five years or until the worker returns home, whichever is earlier. It will be added to the Pension and Life Insurance (PLIF) account of each eligible subscriber. The workers have to contribute between 1000 rupees and 12000 rupees per annum towards the pension fund and 4000 rupees towards the return and resettlement fund. They will derive corresponding benefits when they go back home and during their old age. Indian Workers Resource Centre or IWRC is the support center for Indian workers in the UAE while Bank of Baroda is the official banking partner of the scheme to enroll the workers.
23. Which of the following has recently allowed building the first Gurudwara in the city? a. Johannesburg b. Paris c. Tokyo d. Newyork
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Johannesburg on 1 May 2014 agreed to allow construction of a place of worship in form of a full-fledged Gurudwara in the city. With this agreement, this Gurudwara will be the first one in Johannesburg. The Gurudwara will be constructed on a land that was donated by African-born Sikh businessman Harbinder Singh Sethi. This decision was made following an eight-year long battle with mainly white South African residents of an upmarket suburb.
24. In which state is Rohtang Pass situated? a. Punjab b. Himachal Pradesh c. J&K d. Uttarakhand
Ans. B.
BACKGROUND:
Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner Bir Singh Thakur said Border Road organisation (BRO), maintaining the Manali Rohtang-Leh National Highway, has informed that the Pass has been opened to vehicular traffic. The GREF (Ground Reserve Engineering Force), a wing of BRO, has opened the Pass about one month in advance and met the deadline of opening it before the polling in four Lok Sabha seats in the state slated for May 7 next.
25. Who was the winner of Women’s Champions Challenge 1? a. USA b. India c. South Korea D. China
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
USA Women Hockey Team beat India. The Indian women’s hockey team put up a tough fight but eventually ran out of steam, losing 0-1 to USA in the quarterfinal of the Champions Challenge 1 here on 2 May, 2014. In the first half, Katie O’Donnell was the driving force behind the USA team, but all too often her teammates were sloppy with the final ball, and the young India side took full advantage.
26. Which Bank plans to open 600 branches in the near future? a. Bandhan b. AXIS Bank c. ICICI d. HDFC
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Bandhan Financial Services Ltd., which got a banking licence from the Reserve Bank of India on April 9, is planning to open around 600 branches, its Chairman and Managing Director Chandra Sekhar Ghosh said. An estimated 600 branches may have to be opened to cater to Bandhan’s 55 lakh clients — all women. In response to a question as to how he proposed to take on competition from big banks, Mr. Ghosh said “Bandhan can get one crore active accounts”.
27. What is the score of India on the latest Freedom of the press 2014? a. 78 b. 76 c. 77 d.75
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
India dropped to 78 in the latest Freedom of the press 2014. Press freedom score of India declined by a point to 39 and dropped it in the list of countries with partially free media. In 2013 Index, the rank of India was 20 with 38 points. Sweden topped the list and belongs to the world’s most independent press. The world’s eight worst-rated countries remain Belarus, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
About Freedom of the press 2014
Total 197 countries were assessed for the index 2014. Each country received a numerical score from 0 (the most free) to 100 (the least free) on the basis of combined scores from three subcategories: the legal environment, political environment and the economic environment.
28. Which project has the Union Cabinet approved recently? a. Polavaram project b. Narmda project c. Visakhapatnam project d. Krishna project
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
The Union Cabinet on 1 May 2014 approved the proposal for setting up of the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA.. It will be set up for the execution of the Polavaram irrigation project. The constitution of the Centrally-funded PPA and its governing body was in accordance with the section 90 of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. The project cost originally estimated at 10151 crore rupees rose to 16010 crore rupees. It will generate 960 mw of power and supply 23.4 tmc drinking water to Visakhapatnam city and also to Vizag steel plant.
29. Manavjit Sandhu is associated with which sport/games? a. Trap shooting b. Archery c. Swimmimg d. Polo
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Manavjit Singh Sandhu, the Indian veteran trap shooter on 2 May 2014 jumped to the third spot in the world rankings. He achieved the rank after winning gold at the ISSF World Cup in Tucson, USA, in March 2014. He jumped thirteen positions in the ISSF ranking from his previous rank 16 in men’s trap category.
30. Which Indian-American has been appointed to OCC, Department of Treasury by US Government? a. Jawahar Kaliani b. Anup Goyal c. Mukul Goswami d. Jawahar Pandey
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
US Government on 2 May 2014 appointed Indian-American Jawahar Kaliani to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Department of Treasury. Jawahar Kaliani will serve as Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) for Application Services Delivery (ASD) at the office of OCC. He takes the charge on 5 May 2014. He will lead the development and implementation of complex applications to deliver secure business solutions that meet organisational priorities and support the agency’s mission of ensuring the safety and soundness of national banks and federal savings associations.
31. At which place have Archaeologists recently discovered a granary? a. Rakhigarhi b. Chautang c. Sarasvati d. Kalibangan
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
Archaeologists have discovered a granary with walls of mud-bricks during just-concluded excavation at Rakhigarhi village a Harappa civilisation site, in Haryana. The discovered granary that has rectangular and squares chambers is in a remarkably good condition. The excavation work was done from January to April 2014. The Rakhigarhi site belongs to the mature Harappa phase, which lasted from 2600 BCE to 2000 BCE and is located in Hisar district of Haryana. It is the largest Harappa site ever found. The village was discovered to be a part of the Indus Valley Civilisation including early Harappa settlements, in the year 1963. It’s considered that the village spans over the dry bed of Sarasvati River (believed to be disappeared by drying up by 2000 BC)
32. RBI has permitted some non-bank entities to set up white label ATMs in India. Which of the following are among them? a. Tata Communications Payment Solutions b. Vakrangee c. Muthoot Finance d. All the above
Ans. D
BACKGROUND:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted four non-bank entities to set up white label ATMs in India. The RBI has issued Certificate of Authorisation to Tata Communications Payment Solutions Ltd., Prizm Payment Services Pvt. Ltd., Muthoot Finance Ltd., and Vakrangee Ltd. for setting up and operating white label ATMs. Of these, three have already launched their services. Vakrangee is likely to commence its service shortly. In June 2012, the RBI issued policy guidelines permitting non-bank entities to set up and operate white label ATMs in the country after seeking the Reserve Bank’s authorisation under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. Hitherto, only banks were permitted to set up and operate ATMs in India. The objective of permitting non-banks to operate white label ATMs was to enhance the spread of ATMs in semi-urban and rural areas,where bank owned ATM penetration has not been growing.
33. Who among the following has recently become the Prime Minister of Nepal? a. KP Sharma Oli b. Ram Chandra Poudyal c. Jhala Nath Khanal d. Sushil Koirala
Ans. D
BACKGROUND:
More than two months after general elections, Nepal finally has a new prime minister. Sushil Koirala is head of the centrist Nepali Congress party, which secured the most seats in the country’s Constituent Assembly after the November poll. With the support of the communist UML party, he managed to secure 405 votes while 148 lawmakers opposed his candidacy. The incoming prime minister has promised to present a new constitution within his first year in office.
34. ‘Project Arrow’ is associated with which of the following Govt. departments? A. India Post B. Indian Railways C. National Highway Authority of India D. National Sample Survey Organisation
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
India Post has undertaken a Quality Improvement Project called ‘Project Arrow’ to transform India Post into a vibrant and responsive organization. This was launched in April, 2008. In specific terms, Project Arrow entails comprehensive improvement of the Core Operations of Post Offices (set the core right) as well as the ambience (Look and Feel) in which postal transactions are undertaken. Enhancing the quality of services in ‘core areas’ envisages focus on Mail Delivery, Money Remittances, Savings Bank and Office Service Levels. This is helping the Department to emerge as a one-stop shop for retail products and offer a single window facility for banking, money remittances and other financial products and services including social and civic initiatives. The monitoring of ‘core areas’ of operations has been extended to more than 15,500 computerized post offices and ‘Look & Feel’ has been improved in 1,736 post offices across the country.
35. Which of the following countries was in news regarding its alleged role in operation Blue Star which was carried out to evacuate Sikh militants from the famous Golden Temple? a. USA b. Russia c. UK d. Japan
Ans. C
BACKGROUND:
Operation Blue Star was an Indian military operation which took place 3–8 June 1984, ordered by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in order to establish control over the Harmandir Sahib Complex in Amritsar,Punjab and remove Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his armed followers from the complex buildings. Bhindranwale had earlier taken residence in Harmandir Sahib and made it his headquarters in April 1980. Bhindranwale was accused of amassing weapons in the gurudwara in order to start a major armed uprising. The operation had two components: Operation Metal, confined to the Harmandir Sahib complex, and Operation Shop, which raided the Punjabi countryside to capture any suspects. Following it, Operation Woodrose was launched to thoroughly scan the Punjab countryside. The operation was carried out by Indian Army troops with tanks, artillery, helicopters, and armored vehicles.
36. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the United Nations’ eight officially established targets to be achieved by 2015. Which of the following is NOT an MDG? a. Ensure environmental sustainability b. Improve Computer Literacy c. Reduce child mortality d. Achieve universal primary education
Ans. B
BACKGROUND:
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international developmentgoals that were established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration. All 189United Nations member states at the time (there are 193 currently) and at least 23international organizations committed to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, the goals follow:
- To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- To achieve universal primary education
- To promote gender equality and empowering women
- To reduce child mortality rates
- To improve maternal health
- To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
- To ensure environmental sustainability
- To develop a global partnership for development
37. RBI is gearing up to introduce about one billion plastic notes of which of the following denominations in five cities: Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur, Shimla and Bhubaneswar on a trial basis in the second half of 2014? a. Rs. 10 b. Rs. 20 c. Rs. 50 d. Rs. 100
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
A proposed introduction of plastic or polymer currency notes, depending on the success of a trial pilot project, is expected to tackle this problem to a large extent because of a much longer shelf-life of the plastic bills. Pioneered by Australia, the plastic currency notes are already in use across a number of other countries, including Singapore, Canada, New Zealand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Fiji, Brunei, Papua New Guinea and Romania, while the UK is also said to be toying with the idea. In India, RBI is planning to introduce one billion pieces of Rs 10 notes in polymer or plastic on a trial basis in Kochi, Mysore, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar and Shimla. According to RBI data, the total value of all currency notes in circulation stood at over Rs 10.5 lakh crore.
38. Who among the following has been elected president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), clearing the decks for India’s return to the Olympic fold after a 14-month suspension? a. Lalit Bhanot b. Abhay Singh Chautala c. Anil Khanna d. N Ramachandran
Ans. D
BACKGROUND:
The suspended Indian Olympic Association (IOA) amended its constitution and successfully held its elections here on Sunday, taking the first steps to returning to the international fold. World Squash Federation president N. Ramachandran was unanimously named the new president of the IOA in the elections held in the presence of three observers from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) — Pere Miró, IOC Director of NOC Relations, Jérôme Poivey, Head of Institutional Relations in the NOC Relations Department, and Robin Mitchell, head of the IOC delegation.
39. Which of the following countries has launched a new observation satellite “Ofek 10” into orbit recently? a. USA b. UK c. Israel d. Saudi Arabia
Ans. C
BACKGROUND:
Ofek-10, also known as Ofeq 10, is part of the Ofeq family of reconnaissance satellites designed and built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Ofek-10 is an upgraded variant of Ofek-8, which employs a high resolution synthetic aperture radar that is capable of observation at night and through clouds. A reconnaissance satellite (commonly referred to as a spy satellite) is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. Ofeq-10 was launched from Palmachim Airbase in Israel, four years after Ofek-9 launch. It was delivered using the Shavit launcher.
40. Name the Indian industrialist who has been inducted as a member of the Board of Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), a rare distinction for an Indian in the Chinese Govt. backed influential body? a. Ratan Tata b. Mukesh Ambani c. Anand Mahindra d. Sunil Mittal
Ans. A
BACKGROUND:
The 15-member Board of BFA included former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, former Malaysian prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badwai, former Singapore prime minister Goh Chok Tong and former prime minister of France Jean-Pierre Raffarin besides former US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. BFA was formed in 2001 on the lines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Every year top world’s political and business leaders gather at Boao to brain storm on global politics.
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