GK UPDATE: OCTOBER PART-I

1. World Animal Day is observed across the world on ____. A. Oct 2 B. Oct 3 C. Oct 4 D. Oct 5

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

World Animal Day was observed across the world on 4 October 2014. Unofficially also known as World Animal Lover Day is observed to pay tribute to all animals and people who loves animal and respect them. The Day is observed across the world in different ways irrespective of their nationality, faith, religion and political ideology. The World Animal Day is observed with an aim to improve animal welfare standards across the world through support and involvement of individuals, groups and organisations that care about animals. The day is unique in itself as its celebration unites the animal welfare movement around the world, embracing all animals and the unique concerns of each and every country.

World Animal Day
World Animal Day was started in 1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence, Italy as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. 4 October was chosen as a day as it is the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

2. As per NASA’s Earth observatory report, the _____sea has dried completely.

Ans. Aral

BACKGROUND:

NASA’s Earth Observatory in October 2014 claimed that Aral Sea, the world’s fourth-largest lake of its time has dried and is at the verge of vanish. The observatory says that the lake tucked between two former Soviet states in central Asia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is now just a vast toxic desert and its disappearance has also affected the local climate. Now, the summers of the area are getting hotter, whereas, the winters are colder. Recently the Earth Observatory posted some images that show the extent of the lake’s recession over past 14 years. The released image of Aral Sea was taken by NASA’s Terra satellite in August 2014 and was released on 2 October 2014.The damage was recorded the most in 2014, as the eastern lobe of the South Aral Sea that is the center of the original lake has dried completely. The researchers have predicted that Aral Sea will be vanished completely by 2020.

About the Aral Sea
Once the Aral Sea was spread in an area of 68000 square kilometer (26300 square miles) but has steadily shrunk since the 1960s. By 2007, the lake declined to 10 percent of its original size by splitting into four lakes, namely the North Aral Sea, the eastern and western basins of the once far larger South Aral Sea and one smaller lake between the North and South Aral Seas. Further, by 2009, the southeastern lake had disappeared and the southwestern lake had retreated to a thin strip at the extreme west of the former southern sea.

3. ____ has become the first Indian woman boxer to win a Gold medal at the Asian Games. A. MC Mary Kom B. Sarita Kumari C. Kavita Chahal D. Deepika Kumari

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Legendary Indian boxer MC Mary Kom on 1 October 2014 bagged her first ever Asian Games Gold Medal. She defeated Zhaina Shekerbekova of Kazakhstan in the finals of the women’s flyweight category (48-51kg) at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon. She became the first Indian woman boxer to clinch a gold medal at the Asian Games. This is the seventh gold for India at Incheon games.

Mangte Chungneijang (MC) Mary Kom
•    MC Mary Kom is the five-time world champion and the Olympic bronze-medallist.
•    Nicknamed as Magnificent Mary, she is the only Indian woman boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, competing in the flyweight (51 kg) category and winning the bronze medal.
•    She has been ranked at fourth position in the AIBA World Women’s Ranking Flyweight category.
•    She co-wrote an auto-biography called Unbreakable published in 2013 and was portrayed by actress Priyanka Chopra in the film Mary Kom (2014).
•    Mary won the country’s highest sporting award the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2009 followed by the third highest civilian award the Padma Bhushan in 2013.

4. Name the military exercise which was recently conducted between India and the USA. A. Surya Kiran B. Yudh Abhyas C. Indra D. Ajeya Warrior

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

The India-US Combined Military Training Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2014 concluded at Ranikhet in Uttarakhand on 30 September 2014. The Yudh Abhyas 2014 started on 17 September 2014.It was the tenth exercise in the Yudh Abhyas series that started in 2004 under US Army Pacific partnership program. Yudh Abhyas 2014, a part of bilateral defence cooperation, aimed at sharing of ideas, concepts and learning from each other’s experiences. During the 14-day exercise, the troops of Mountain Brigade of Indian Army and Company and Brigade Headquarter of the US Army cooperated to strengthen and broaden inter-operability and cooperation between armies of  the US and India. It also featured training, planning and executing a series of tactical drills by contingents for neutralizing possible threats.  It also focused on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in mountainous terrain and in United Nations mandated operations. The two armies  fielded state-of-the-art equipment for surveillance and tracking, specialist weapons for close quarter battle with terrorists, explosives, IEDs and detectors, as well as latest communication equipment. The defense activity also exhibited ways to peacefully control crowds and minimize civilian casualties during encounters especially in places like Jammu and Kashmir.

5. Which state Government has recently signed an MoU with Google India for a Digitalization project? A. Andhra Pradesh B. Gujarat C. Maharashtra D. Goa

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

The Andhra Pradesh (AP) Government on 29 September 2014 signed the Memorandum of  Understanding (MoU) agreement with Google India for Digital AP project. The agreement was signed at the CEOs’ Conclave of Information Technology (IT) companies in AP. Under the memorandum, Google India will work with the AP government to get women and small and medium businesses online and help them gain from the internet economy. It will launch a series of initiatives to transform the State into digital AP in a record time. By improving accessibility to government websites and scaling the local language web, Google will endeavour to make the Internet more meaningful to the users who do not speak English.

Highlights of the MoU Agreement
•    Google will make websites mobile-ready and accessible in the local language.
•    It will promote Internet Safety amongst children and government officials.
•    Google will improve the online content as well as will get more local language content online.
•    It will collaborate with AP government to scale initiatives to promote digital literacy amongst women.
•    The initiatives will include developing Telugu font, keyboards and content.

Digital AP Project
The Government of Andhra Pradesh intends to develop Andhra Pradesh into a global digital development hub with its Digital AP project. The vision laid out under the Digital AP project is in tandem with the Digital India Initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Important MoUs signed with other companies
•    The event also marked the launch of a Technology Research and Incubation Park at Madhurawada IT Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The AP government signed MoU with Kochi-based company Start-up Village for managing the incubation park.
•    AP government also signed MoU with various IT companies for setting up their facilities in and around Visakhapatnam. These include MoU with Tech Mahindra for its facility over 10 acres of land. It is expected to provide 5000 jobs.
•    Another MoU was signed with Wipro to accord SEZ status to its existing campus in the city. The facility will increase the number of jobs to 7000.
•    Under another agreement, the government allotted 13 acres at Gambheeram IT SEZ to Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) to set up a research and development centre.

6. What was India’s position at the recently concluded Asian Gamesheld at Incheon in South Korea?

Ans. 8^th

BACKGROUND

India’s total medal’s tally stood at 57, comprising 11 Gold, 10 Silver and 36 Bronze. China, Korea, Japan finished 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd with 151, 79 & 47 gold medals respectively.

7. What is the name of the super typhoon which has recently hit Japan? A. Vongfong B. Hudhud C. Phanfone D. Katrina

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Typhoon Vongfong is the strongest typhoon since last year’s Typhoon Haiyan. It has been classified as a Super Typhoon and is heading Okinawa (Japan).

8. Name the defending World Chess champion who has agreed for a rematch against Viswanathan Anand in November 2014.

Ans. Magnus Carlsen

BACKGROUND:

Magnus Carlsen (Norway) became World Champion by defeating Viswanathan Anand in 2013, a Grandmaster of 2004. The Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national chess federations around the world and acts as the governing body of international chess competition. It is usually referred to as FIDE

9. Which country has recently become the no.1 source of foreign direct investment to India? A. Mauritius B. China C. USA D. Singapore

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

Singapore has replaced Mauritius as the No.1 source of FDI to India. Singapore accounted for about 25% of FDI received by India in 2013-14.

10. What does IPTL stands for?A. International Premier Tennis League B. International Professional League for Tennis C. Indian Premier Table-Tennis League D. International Premier Taekwondo League

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

The International Premier Tennis League is a tennis championship league that is set to launch in November 2014, and will be held across four cities: Manila, Dubai, Delhi and Singapore. The tournament was the brainchild of Mahesh Bhupathi and is styled on the Indian Premier League. Participating countries are India, Singapore, Philippines, United Arab Emirates.

Teams are

1. Philippines Manila Mavericks

2. UAE Royals

3. Indian Aces

4. Singapore Slammers

11. Telangana Govt. has recently entered into an agreement with which PSU for construction of new thermal power plants of 6,000 MW aggregate capacity in the next 3 years? A. NTPC B. BHEL C. NHPC D. None of these

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

The Telangana government on Saturday entered into an agreement with BHEL the public sector giant for construction of new thermal power plants of 6,000 MW capacities in the State in the next three years. Of this, at least 1,080 MW will be operational within 24 months, as against the standard 36 months required for erection of a power plant. Highly placed officials from the Telangana State Power Generation Corporation (TSGENCO), however, are optimistic that erection of units totalling 3,380 MW will be completed in the next two years.

12. Who among the following Indian players refused to accept the Bronze Medal to protest against her defeat at the semi-finals in the 2014 Asian Games? A. MC Marykom B. Sarita Devi C. Kunjurani Devi D. PV Sindhu

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

Boxer Sarita Devi rejected the bronze medal at the podium in order to protest against her semifinal loss to South Korean Boxder Jina Park.

13. Who is the author of the book “Not Just an Accountant: The Diary of the Nation’s Conscience Keeper”? A. K V Bansal B. Vikram Seth C. Arvind Adiga D. Vinod Rai

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

Former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai authored a book titled Not Just an Accountant. The book will be released in October 2014. The author has revealed that the UPA government pressurized him to delete certain names from CAG audit reports on Coalgate and Commonwealth Games scams. The book is in line with other books that has criticised Manmohan Singh as a Prime Minister. The other books are:

• One Life is Not Enough: An Autobiography authored by Kunwar Natwar Singh

• Crusader or Conspirator? Coalgate and other Truths authored by PC Parekh

• The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh authored by Dr. Sanjaya Baru

14. What is the name being to the recent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong? A. Crimson Revolution B. Rose Revolution C. Umbrella Revolution D. Jasmine Revolution

Ans. C

15. Name the Indian-American engineering professor who has recently received the US National Medal of Science. A. Thomas Kailath B. Alexi Garewal C. Manoj Shyamalan D. Tathagat Tulsi

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Thomas Kailath, a Pune educated Indian-American engineering professor at Stanford University, is one of the recipients of the US National Medal of Science announced by President Barack Obama. Kailath is also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s high civilian awards and is a member of major science and engineering academies in India

16. ‘HAIDER’, a Bollywood movie directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, is based on which of the following plays written by William Shakespeare?A. Othello B. Macbeth C. Hamlet D. King Lear

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare at an uncertain date between 1599 and 1602. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatises the revenge Prince Hamlet is instructed to enact on his uncle Claudius. Claudius had murdered his own brother, Hamlet’s father King Hamlet, and subsequently seized the throne, marrying his deceased brother’s widow, Hamlet’s mother Gertrude. Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest play and among the most powerful and influential tragedies in English literature, with a story capable of “seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others.” The play seems to have been one of Shakespeare’s most popular works during his lifetime and still ranks among his most-performed, topping the performance list of the Royal Shakespeare Company and its predecessors in Stratford-upon-Avon since 1879. It has inspired writers from Goethe and Dickens to Joyce and Murdoch, and has been described as “the world’s most filmed story after Cinderella”.

About William Shakespeare:

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. His extant works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, the authorship of some of which is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright

17. ______ has become the new President of Afghanistan. A. Hamid Karzai B. Malala Yousafzai C. Ashraf Ghani D. Hassan Rouhani

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

Ashraf Ghani has recently become the President of Afghanistan. He was earlier the finance minister.

18. Who is the winner of Champions league T20 2014, held recently in India? A. Cape Cobras B. Chennai Super Kings C. Kolkata Knight Riders D. Hobart Hurricanes

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

The 2014 Champions League Twenty20 was the sixth edition of Champions League Twenty20, an international Twenty20 cricket tournament. It was held in India from 13 September to 4 October 2014.[2][3] The tournament featured domestic Twenty20 teams from Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies. Mumbai Indians were the defending champions but they failed to qualify for the main tournament. At the finals on 4 October 2014, the Chennai Super Kings defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets to secure their second CLT20 title.

Man of the Series: Suresh Raina

Most runs: Suresh Raina (234)

Most wickets: Sunil Narine (12)

19. Which team did the Indian women’s Kabaddi team defeat in the finals to win gold at the Asian Games 2014? A. Bangladesh B. Afghanistan C. Iran D. Pakistan

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

It was Indian team’s second successive gold medal at Asian Games. Earlier, the team had won a gold medal at the last Asian Games, held at Guangzhou.

20. The World Summit of Nobel Peace laureates, which was to be held in ______, has been cancelled.A. USA B. Brazil C. South Africa D. Argentina

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates is an annual event in the field of peacemaking, attracting Nobel Peace Prize laureates, high-profile leaders and organizations from around the globe. The Summit, created by Vadim Zagladin and the Gorbachev Foundation, is chaired by former Soviet President and Nobel Peace laureate Mikhail Gorbachev and co-chaired by former Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni. The event is organized by Permanent Secretariat of The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, created in 2006: a non-profit organization based in Rome and Moscow. Summits have taken place annually from 1999. The 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates was scheduled to convene in Cape Town, South Africa in October 2014, but was later cancelled following several Nobel Peace laureates pulling out of the event after the South African government failed to issue a visa to the 14th Dalai Lama. It was reported that China had thanked South Africa for not issuing the Dalai Lama a visa. China was reported as being against the independence of Tibet, something that the Dalai Lama supports.

21. Name the Indian cricketer who has been recently conferred the lifetime achievement award at the House of Lords, England. A. Bishen Bedi B. Sunil Gavaskar C. Kapil Dev D. Sachin Tendulkar

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

Kapil Dev was recently awarded with the lifetime achievement award at House of Lords, London. The Award which has been constituted by the Indo-European Business Forum was given to the World Cup winning captain of 1983.

22. Which team did the Indian Men’s Squash team beat to clinch Gold at the 2014 Asian Games?

Ans. Malaysia

BACKGROUND:

The members of this winning team were: Sourav Ghosal, Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu, Kush Kumar and Mahesh Manaonkar.

23. Where has the National Academy for Athletics been set up? A. Pune B. Thiruvananthapuram C. Patiala D. Hyderabad

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has recently inaugurated two Sports Academies National Academy for Athletics and National Academy for Golf at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

24. _____ has been recently chosen for the first ever Mahatma Gandhi Seva Award. A. S. N.Subba Rao B. Muzzafar Ali C. Suresh Prabu D. K.G. Subramanyam

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Well-known Gandhian S.N. Subba Rao has been chosen for the first-ever Mahatma Gandhi Seva Award, instituted this year by the Karnataka Government. Eighty-five-year-old Mr. Rao, who was born in Bangalore, joined the Quit India Movement when he was 13 and went on to dedicate his life to Gandhian ideals. He has been associated with several organisations including the Student Congress and the Rashtra Seva Dal.

25. Where was the 3^rd Global Citizen Festival held recently? A. Paris B. Tokyo C. New York D. Sydney

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

Taking centrestage at the Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a crowd of 60,000 — mostly American students — in English. Besides Modi, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim attended the event.

26. Name the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA SP1) which successfully completed its maiden flight recently and is now ready for induction in Indian Air force. A. Tejas B. Kaveri C. Chetak D. Arjun

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

The first of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas built to series production standard has successfully completed its maiden flight. Overall fund allocation for development and production of Tejas is Rs 25,000 crore.

27. Name the current chairman of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization). A. VS Hegde B. Yash Pal C. K. Radhakrishnan D. G. Madhavan Nair

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

K.Radhakrishnan is the current chairman of ISRO under whose leadership ISRO has successfully launched the Mangalyaan (Mars Orbital Mission). He holds the following positions:

• Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation
• Chairman, Antrix Corporation Limited
• Chairman, Space Commision
• Secretary, Department of Space, Government of India

28. _____ has recently assumed office as the Secretary General of NATO (NATO Chief). A. Jens Stoltenberg B. Dmitry Medvedev C. Ban Ki Moon D. None of these

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Jens Stoltenberg, former Prime Minister of Norway, has become the Secretary General of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He replaces Anders Fogh Rasmussen who was the 12^th Secretary General of NATO.

29. The President has authorised the Vigilance Commissioner to act as CVC. Name the Vigilance Commissioner. A. Nittoor Srinivasa B. Rau Pradeep Kumar C. Nagender Singh D. Rajiv

Ans. D

BACKGROUND:

President Pranab Mukherjee on 30 September 2014 authorised Vigilance Commissioner Rajiv to act as chief of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) until the appointment of the Central Vigilance Commissioner. His appointment came with effect from 29 September 2014. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is headed by a Central Vigilance Commissioner and has two Vigilance Commissioners. The vacancy for the post of Central Vigilance Commissioner had occurred after Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar completed his tenure on 28 September 2014. Pradeep Kumar took oath as the chief of the Central Vigilance Commission on 14 July 2011. The other Vigilance Commissioner JM Garg completed his tenure on 7 September 2014 following which Rajiv was left as the lone Vigilance Commissioner in CVC. According to the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, in the event of any vacancy in the office of the Central Vigilance Commissioner by reason of death, resignation or otherwise, the President may authorise one of the Vigilance Commissioners to act as the Central Vigilance Commissioner until the appointment of a new incumbent.

Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)

•    Nittoor Srinivasa Rau was the first Chief Vigilance Commissioner of India.
•    CVC was set up by the Government of India in February 1964 on the recommendations of the K. Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption.
•    Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is an apex Indian governmental body created to address governmental corruption. It has the status of an autonomous body, free of control from any executive authority.
•    It is charged with the duty to monitor all vigilance activity under the Central Government of India and advise various authorities in central Government organizations in planning, executing, reviewing and reforming their vigilance work.

Supreme Court Judgement on appointment of CVC and VC
Presently, Supreme Court of India is hearing a case related to the lack of transparency in the appointment of the Central Vigilance Commissioner and Vigilance Commissioners. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi on 18 September 2014 assured the apex court that no final decision would be taken on the appointment of the CVC chief and vigilance commissioners during pendency of the case. Supreme Court has fixed 14 October 2014 as the date for the final hearing in the matter.

30. Name the Indian player whose medal got upgraded from bronze to silver after the silver medal winner was tested positive for doping. A. Sunita Devi B. Sardar Singh C. Manju Bala D. PV Sindhu

Ans. C

BACKGROUND:

Indian athlete Manju Bala’s hammer throw bronze won at the Asian Games was recently upgraded to silver after China’s Zhang Wenxiu was stripped of the gold after failing a pre-competition dope test. Japan’s Aya Masumi, who finished fourth with a throw of 59.84m, will be awarded the bronze.

31. _____ has recently started a cardless cash withdrawal service. A. ICICI B. IDBI C. PNB D. Bank of Baroda

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

Customers of ICICI Bank can now withdraw cash from ATMs without their debit card and transfer funds to anyone in India, even if that person doesn’t have an account in any bank. All they need is a mobile number.

32. ______ and Sania Mirza have won the mixed-doubles gold at the Asian Games 2014. A. Rohan Bopanna B. Saketh Myneni C. Mahesh Bhupati D. Vishnu Vardhan

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

Sania Mirza and Saketh Myneni’s successful run at the Asian Games 2014 continued as the pair beat Chinese Taipei’s Hsien Yin Peng and Hao Ching Chan 6-4, 6-3 to win the gold medal at Incheon. This was Sania’s third consecutive Asian Games mixed doubles final appearance. In 2006, she won a gold with Leander Paes. She followed that up with a silver medal in 2010 with Vishnu Vardhan and has now won a gold with Saketh Myneni at Incheon.

33. Name the winner of F1 Japanese Grand Prix 2014, which was held recently in Suzuka, Japan.A. N. Rosberg B. L. Hamilton C. D. Ricciardo D. J. Hamilton

Ans. B

BACKGROUND:

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix which was stopped after 44 laps at the Suzuka International Racing Course in Inoucho, Suzuka, Japan. Suzuka International Racing Course is a motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Mobilityland Corporation, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

34. Who among the following has recently become the head of Quality Council of India? A. Adil Zainulbhai B. AK Khanna C. Mukul Rohatgi D. B. Venkataram

Ans. A

BACKGROUND:

The Prime Minister Narendra Moid has nominated former McKinsey India head Adil Zainulbhai as the Chairman of the Quality Council of India. He will replace Arun Maira, whose term ended with previous Government.

About Quality Council of India

Quality Council of India (QCI) was set up in 1997 by Government of India jointly with Indian Industry as an autonomous body under the administrative control of the Department to establish and operate the National Accreditation Structure for conformity assessment bodies; providing accreditation in the field of education, health and quality promotion. Besides the role of putting in place the accreditation structure, it also promotes the adoption of quality standards relating to Quality Management Systems (ISO 14001 Series), Food Safety Management Systems (ISO 22000 Series) and Product Certification and Inspection Bodies through the accreditation services provided by National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB). Indian industry is represented in QCI by three premier industry associations namely ASSOCHAM; CII; and FICCI. QCI is assigned the task of monitoring and administering the National Quality Campaign a plan scheme of the department, and also to oversee function of the National Information and Enquiry Services. To realize the objective of improving quality competitiveness of Indian products and services, QCI provides strategic direction to the quality movement in the country by establishing conformity assessment system which is recognized at the international level.