Daily GK update 21st November 2014

1.  Obama to be chief guest at 2015 Republic Day

i. Prime Minister Modi has invited President Obama to be the chief guest at the Republic Day ceremony next year.

Ii. Prime Minister Modi posted a message on Twitter to say, “This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over…invited President Obama to be the 1st US President to grace the occasion as Chief Guest.”


2. Deutsche Bank won Custodian of the Year 2014 award

i. The bank was awarded the ‘Channel Islands Custodian of the Year 2014’ title, with the award being presented to Lisa Haggarty, Head of Custody and Fund Solutions for Deutsche Bank Channel Islands.
ii. The Custody Risk European Awards are organised by the Incisive Media Group. The award aims to identify the best companies in custody, fund administration and technology across Europe.

3. Former Delhi Speaker Maninder Singh Dhir quits AAP, joins BJP

i. Dhir, who had successfully contested the last assembly elections from Jangpura constituency, said the country was "progressing" under the leadership of Modi.
ii. Rohit Rajpal, a former captain of Indian Davis Cup team, also joined BJP.

4. SEBI de-recognised Delhi Stock Exchange

i. Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on announced to de-recognise Delhi Stock Exchange (DSE) on the allegations of serious irregularities in its functioning.
ii. SEBI observed that the activities of DSE were carried out in a manner contrary to the interest of the investors.
iii. SEBI acclaimed that for completing the demutualisation process the erstwhile board of DSE had overlooked the due transfer of shares in the demat accounts and receipt of the funds by the appointed date.

5. Go green: Railways to set up 26 MW windmill

i. Railways, one of the biggest consumers of energy, is moving towards harnessing green power with a 26 MW windmill proposed to be built in Rajasthan.
ii. The project, the biggest renewable energy initiative by the national transporter, is to be set up in Jaisalmer at a cost of Rs 150 crore and targeted to be completed in about nine months.


6. HRD planning 'Think in India' drive to up innovation

i. n line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' campaign, the HRD ministry is planning to come up with a 'Think in India' drive to encourage students and researchers to come up with innovations and new ideas and to keep the talent back home from leaving abroad.
ii. "We all know the prime minister has spoken about the 'Make in India' project and we in the ministry of Human Resource Development want to complement it by 'Think in India' campaign through the 'Rashtriya Avishkaar Yojana'," Ms. Irani said.

7. Game 10: Carlsen closes in on title

i. The resultant draw in Game 10 of the World chess championship match in Sochi, Russia, brought the Norwegian within one point of retaining the World title.

ii. Carlsen leads 5.5-4.5 in the race to 6.5 points. With both players getting to play white once each, Anand needs to stay undefeated in Game 11 to keep the match alive.
iii. Should he win and equalise the match-score, he will hold a slight advantage going into the final game with white pieces.

20:32 - By Unknown 0

IBPS PO-IV Score card out

IBPS PO-IV Score card out

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SCORES 

20:28 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 20th Nov 2014

1.    Kotak Mahindra acquire ING Vysya Bank

i. Kotak Mahindra Bank, on Thursday, announced its decision to acquire ING Vysya Bank in an all-share deal.
ii. Kotak Mahindra Bank informed the BSE after market hours that the board of directors of the company had
considered and granted its approval for the amalgamation of ING Vysya Bank with Kotak Mahindra Bank.

iii. The Board has approved the share swap ratio of 725 equity share of Rs. 5 each of Kotak Mahindra Bank for every 1,000 equity shares of Rs. 10 each held in ING Vysya Bank. Post-amalgamations, shareholders of ING Vysya Bank will receive shares of Kotak Mahindra Bank in the aforementioned ratio, resulting in change in shareholding of Kotak Mahindra Bank.’
Note: The last merger to happen in the private sector banking space was in 2010 when Bank of Rajasthan was acquired by ICICI Bank.

2.    SBI to lend $ 1 billion to Adani Group to build Australian coal mine

i. The infrastructure conglomerate, whose founder, Gautam Adani, has signed a memorandum of understanding for a loan of up to $1 billion from the SBI for the mine, rail and port project, which it aims to build by end-2017.
ii. The loan, which would be one of the largest extended by an Indian bank for an overseas project, was announced as Mr. Adani was in Brisbane with a business delegation for the G20 summit, which Mr. Modi attended over the weekend.

3.    RBI allows FIIs to buy equity in Yes Bank

i. The Reserve Bank today said FIIs can buy equity shares in private lender Yes Bank as shareholding by foreign investors has gone below the prescribed limit.
ii. The RBI has removed Yes Bank from its caution list of monitoring foreign investment following the dip in shareholding by foreign investors below the prescribed limit.
iii. Equity shares of Yes Bank can now be purchased through primary market and stock exchanges,” it added.
iv. As per the data available on the BSE, FIIs held 46.30 per cent in Yes Bank as of quarter ended September 2014.

4.    Exim Bank to set up Rs1,500-cr fund to assist ship-building industry

i. To give a boost to ship building in the country, the Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) is planning to set up a dedicated Rs1,500-crore fund with Government support.
ii. This proposal comes in the backdrop of the slump in global demand for ships and boats in 2012 and 2013 and foreign vessels accounting for a lion’s share (almost 90 per cent) in overseas cargo traffic handled at Indian ports.
iii. According to an Exim Bank study, the development of a successful ship building sector has been pivotal to the rapid and robust economic development in most countries in the world with long coastal boundaries.
iv.  Ship building industry has the potential to significantly contribute to national GDP.

5.    Tech Mahindra acquires US based LCC for $240 million

i. Tech Mahindra Ltd., India’s fifth largest software services exporter, has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire US-based Lightbridge Communications Corporation (LCC) for $240 million.
ii. LCC is a global network services leader. The transaction is expected to close by fourth quarter of Tech Mahindra’s fiscal year 2015.
iii. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, LCC is one-of-the world’s largest independent global providers of network engineering services to the telecommunications industry, with more than 5,000 employees in over 50 countries, said a statement by Tech Mahindra in Hyderabad on Thursday.
iv. With this acquisition, Tech Mahindra will also be addressing a rapidly growing market opportunity as telecommunications companies and enterprises accelerate the network upgrade cycle.

6.    Mozilla Firefox replaces default Google search engine with Yahoo

i. Yahoo will supplant Google’s search engine on Firefox’s Web browser in the U.S., signalling Yahoo’s resolve to regain some of the ground that it has lost in the most lucrative part of the Internet’s ad market.
ii. The five-year alliance announced on Wednesday will end a decade-old partnership in the U.S. between Google Inc. and the Mozilla Foundation, which oversees the Firefox browser.
iii. Even though Chrome is now more widely used, Firefox still has a loyal audience that makes more than 100 billion worldwide search requests annually.

7.    China and Australia signed a MoU on bilateral Antarctic cooperation

i. China and Australia on 18 November 2014 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral Antarctic cooperation.
ii. The MoU was signed in the presence of the President of China Xi Jinping and Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott in Hobart, Australia’s gateway to Antarctica.
iii. President of China Xi Jinping is on three nation tour to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji with Australia being the first leg of his visit.

8.    45th International Film Festival of India begins in Goa

i. 45th International Film Festival of India began at Panaji in Goa a short while ago. Mega Star of Indian Cinema Amitabh Bachchan is the chief guest of opening function. 
ii. The Festival will be opened with screening of a film of renowned Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Indian Panorama will be inaugurated tomorrow with the screening of Elizabeth Ekadashi directed by Paresh Mokashi.

9.    Assam Zoo set to become the first zoo in world to have the critically endangered Pygmy Hog

i. Assam State Zoo in Guwahati in the third week of November 2014 decided to have the critically endangered pig Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvania). Pygmy Hog is the rarest and smallest wild pig in the world. 
ii. With this decision, Assam State Zoo is set to become the first and only zoo of the world to have this critically endangered species of pigs. 
iii. The Zoo took the decision to have the Pigmy Hogs as they are on the brink of extinction, and they want to make the zoo a captive breeding centre for the critically endangered mammals.
iv. The Pygmy Hog Research and Breeding Centre at Basistha, Assam will provide the pigs to the Assam zoo.

About Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvania)
Pygmy hog is the smallest and rarest of wild pigs available in Assam. At present number of this critically endangered mammal are around 200 only. The species measures about 65 cm in length and 25 cm in height. It weighs around 8 to 9 kilograms. 

10.  Rampal Singh Jatin arrested by Haryana Police from his ashram in Hisar

i. Rampal Singh Jatin was in news because he was arrested by Haryana Police on 19 November 2014 from his fortified Satlok Ashram in Hisar of Haryana. He is famous as Sant Rampal and is a self-styled Godman.
ii. He was arrested after two weeks of intense attempts by police to arrest him that involved rioting in which scores of persons were injured and around 5 persons were killed.
iii. He was arrested under fresh cases of sedition, criminal conspiracy and rioting. Rampal will be produced in the Haryana and Punjab High Court on 20 November 2014.

Problem that led to Court order and his arrest
Rampal in 2006 criticised Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj his criticism led to violent clashes at Karontha ashram between the followers of two sects, in which an Arya Samaj follower was killed. Following the death of the follower of Arya Samaj, Rampal was charged with murder, and was arrested but was released in 2008 after spending several months in jail.

11.  Airbus to sign deal with Delta for 50 planes

i. European aerospace giant Airbus is poised to sign a deal to deliver 50 long-haul carriers to US Delta Airlines in a contract worth $14 billion at catalogue prices.s
ii. Under the terms of the deal, Airbus will deliver 25 A350-900s, the company’s new long-haul carrier that this month received certification from the US Federal Aviation Authority, a source close to the negotiations said on condition of anonymity, sources told AFP today.
iii. The other 25 planes will be A330-neos, an updated version of its wide-body medium-haul jet with fuel saving engines which is slated to enter into service at the end of 2017.

12.  World Tour Golf Championship gets underway in Dubai

i. World Tour Golf Championship gets underway at Jumeirah Golf states in Dubai today.
ii. Top Golfers including the defending champion Henrik Stenson - the man in form this season - Rory Mcllroy, Justine Rose, Jamie Donaldson along with Stephen Gallacher are among the big names participating in the tournament.

13.  Indian-origin hotel doorman Kottarapattu Chattu died

i. Kottarapattu Chattu Kuttan of the venerable Galle Face Hotel in Colombo died on 18 November 2014 after a brief illness. He was 94.
ii. He was Sri Lanka's oldest hotel doorman, who served world leaders like Lord Mountbatten, Princess Elizabeth, Emperor Hirohito, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Richard Nixon at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo for 72 years
iii. The Galle Face Hotel, founded in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1864, is the oldest hotel east of Suez.

14.  Srikanth breaks into top 10 in badminton ranking

i. Owing to his recent title victory at the China Open in Fuzhou, K. Srikanth climbed up six places to achieve a career-best 10th in the men’s singles category of the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings released on Thursday.
ii. Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal also jumped up a place to move up the ladder to number 4 in the women’s singles rankings, even as P.V. Sindhu managed to maintain her 10th position in the list.

20:37 - By Unknown 0

IBPS PO - 4 Result Out

Dear students,

IBPS has declared the result of written exam of Probationary officer - IV. Please click below link to view your result.

CLICK HERE TO SHOW RESULT

20:21 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 19th Nov 2014

1.    ISRO chosen for Indira Gandhi prize for peace, disarmament

i. Indian space agency ISRO will be conferred the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2014 in recognition of its contribution in strengthening international cooperation in peaceful use of outer space.
ii. The award jury, chaired by Vice President Hamid Ansari, made the announcement today.

iii. “The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in recognition of its path-breaking achievement, culminating in the Mars orbiter mission, its significant contribution in strengthening international cooperation in peaceful use of outer space,” a statement said.
iv. The jury also noted the pioneering role played by it in the application of advanced technologies in promoting broadbased and sustainable social and economic development and addressing basic needs of the people particularly in remote and rural areas of the country.
v. ISRO has shown how Indian scientists and talents can be harnessed to international level, catching up with more advanced nations in a highly technical and sophisticated field, it said.
vi. ISRO has demonstrated that in space technology, India stands shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world, it said.

2.    Japan slips into recession

i. Japan's economy shrank for the second consecutive quarter, marking a technical recession in the world's third largest economy.
ii.  Gross domestic product fell at annualized 1.6 per cent from July to September, compared to forecasts of a 2.1 per cent rise. That followed a revised 7.3 per cent in the second quarter, which was the biggest fall since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
iii. The economy shrank 0.4 per cent in the third quarter from the previous one. Economists said the disappointing figures are likely to lead to a delay to the proposed increase of the country's sale tax.

3.    World Toilet Day is observed globally

i. World Toilet Day is a United Nations (UN) observance, on November 19, that highlights a serious problem – 2.5 billion people in the world do not have access to proper sanitation.
ii. Each year thousands of people join in on promoting World Toilet Day via social media campaigns, online petitions, and by getting involved in a range of events held in different countries worldwide.
iii. The provision of proper toilets could save the lives of more than 200,000 children in the world, according to the UN.
iv. The countries where open defecation is most widely practiced are the same countries with the highest numbers of under-five child deaths, high levels of under-nutrition and poverty, and large wealth disparities. Moreover, over one billion people defecate in the open due to lack of proper toilet facilities.
v. International organizations, particularly the World Toilet Organization, have promoted World Toilet Day for years.
vi. In 2013, the UN officially recognized November 19 as World Toilet Day in a bid to make sanitation for all a global development priority. It deemed the practice of open-air defecation as “extremely harmful” to public health.

4.    India extends $75-mn line of credit to Fiji
i. India today announced a $75-million line of credit for Fiji for a co-generation power plant and upgrading the sugar industry and also a $5-million fund to develop its villages even as the two countries agreed to expand their defence and security cooperation.
ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who made these announcements after talks with his Fijian counterpart Frank Bainimarama shortly after his arrival, also announced a visa on arrival for Fijians and assistance projects that included a parliament library and doubling the scholarships and training slots in India for people from this country.
iii. The lines of credit were part of three agreements signed between the two countries in the presence of the two leaders.
iv. Modi also addressed the Fijian Parliament, the first by a foreign leader, after parliamentary elections, during which he said that India was prepared to work with Fiji to build a “Digital Fiji’’.
v. The line of credit included $70-million for a co-generation power plant at Rarav sugar mill and $5 million to strengthen and modernise Fiji’s village, small and medium-scale industries.

Note: PM of Fiji - Frank Bainimarama, Capital of Fiji – Suva, Currency - Dollar

5.    India to replace “BIPA” with a new pact to protect investments
i. The government plans to replace bilateral investment protection treaties with a new pact that seeks to plug loopholes and enhance legal protection of foreign investors in India as well as Indian investments abroad.
ii. Finance Ministry is moving Cabinet with a draft of a new agreement called the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) saying there is a need to revisit existing BIPAs as they do not take into account the socio economic objectives of government policy.
iii. With respect to systemic issues, the new model introduces rules on conflict of interest regarding arbitrations and transparency. The model excludes taxation matters, sources said.
iv. India has so far signed 83 Bilateral Trade and Promotion Agreements (BIPA), of which 72 are in force, the Finance Ministry said in its website.
v. Under the new model of BIT, investor who have substantial business activities in the home State would be protected by the treaty. The proposed BIT would remain in force for a period of 10 years.

6.    International Buddhist Conference 2014 held in Nepal
i. The International Buddhist Conference 2014 was held from 15 November to 18 November 2014 in Lumbini, Nepal. It was held with an objective of preserving Buddhist culture and heritage.
ii. The conference was held with a joint initiative of Nepal Theravada Buddhist Academy and Myanmar Sitagu International Buddhist Academy.
iii. The conference was attended by some 400 Buddhist experts and intellectuals and issued a 23 point declaration.  

7.    Axis Bank launches smart self-service terminal

i. Axis Bank, India’s third largest private sector bank, has launched a smart self-service terminal that enables customers to deposit as well as withdraw cash from the same machine.
ii. “Customers can initiate a deposit transaction through the smart self-service terminal even without using a debit card and will receive instant credit for the deposited amount.
iii. There is no cap on the amount of cash deposited by the customer through these terminals, provided his/her PAN details are available with the bank,” Axis Bank said in a statement.

8.    Government needs to infuse nearly Rs 2.4 lakh crore in state-run banks by March 2019: RBI
i. Government needs to infuse as much as Rs 2.4 lakh crore ($38.78 billion) into state-owned banks by end-March 2019 to meet different kinds of capital requirements including Basel III, provisioning for asset quality, and additional risks, said a central bank Deputy Governor SS Mundra
ii. Banks should start looking for ways to generate more internal capital as the leeway to get additional funds from the government would be limited due to the ongoing fiscal consolidation process, Mundra said.
iii. Indian government's holding in state-run banks ranges from 56.26 per cent to 88.63 per cent, and one of the options to generate capital is to lower stakes in banks, Mundra said. According to the Banking Regulation act, government holding in state-run banks cannot fall below 51 per cent.
iv. Banks should start looking for ways to generate more internal capital as the leeway to get additional funds from the government would be limited due to the ongoing fiscal consolidation process, Mundra said.

9.    9th East Asia Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
i. 9th East Asia Summit was held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar on 13 November 2014. The summit was held on the sidelines of the 25th ASEAN Summit
ii. The leaders of the forum discussed cooperation in areas of common concern, particularly the non-traditional security issues such as wildlife trafficking, trafficking in persons, pandemics, climate change and disaster management.  

About East Asia Summit 
i. The East Asia Summit is an annual meeting of national leaders from the East Asian region and adjoining countries. The first summit was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in December 2005.  
ii. 18 member countries participated in the summit.  EAS meetings are held after annual ASEAN leaders’ meetings.

10.  Andhra Bank launches saving schemes for children, teenagers 'AB Little Stars'
i. Andhra Bank, Kakinada zonal manager S Seshagiri Rao said that 'AB Little Stars' scheme has been launched for children in age group of 10-15 years and their parents stands as guardians while 'AB Teens' is targeted for teenagers between 15-18 years.
ii. Internet banking, ATM card, mobile banking and cash transfer will be provided to the young customers, Rao added.

11.  IBM launches new e-mail service ‘Verse’

i. Tech giant IBM has launched a new e-mail application ‘Verse’ for enterprises that integrates social media, file sharing and analytics to help increase productivity.
ii. The service stems from IBM’s $100 million investment in design innovation and adds layers of analytics, social media and security to the application as employees can access e-mails, calendars, file sharing, instant messaging, social updates and video chats through a single platform.
iii. It is the first messaging system to feature ‘faceted search’, which enables users to pinpoint and retrieve specific information they are seeking across all the various types of content within their email.
iv. IBM Verse uses built-in analytics to provide an ‘at-a-glance’ view that intelligently surfaces an individual’s most critical actions for the day.
v. IBM Verse will compete with Microsoft Window’s popular Outlook email service and Google’s Inbox.

12.  Rubber Board wins Indira Gandhi Rajbhasha Award
i. The Department of Official Language under Ministry of Home Affairs has selected Rubber Board for the Indira Gandhi Rajbhasha Award (First Prize) for excellence in the implementation of the official language policy for the year 2013-14.
ii. A Jayathilak, Chairman, Rubber Board, received the award from the President of India Pranab Mukherjee in a function held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
iii. The award is instituted for excellence in implementing Hindi as official language among Boards, Trusts and Societies under Central Government in States where Hindi is not used as the mother tongue.

13.  Indian-American Neha Gupta won International Children’s Peace Prize 2014
i. Neha Gupta on 18 November 2014 was awarded with the prestigious International Children’s Peace Prize 2014.
ii. Neha, an 18-year-old Indian American from Philadelphia was awarded for her work to help orphans in India and other vulnerable children. 
iii. Neha became the first ever American to be awarded with the prize.
iv. She was awarded the prize by Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu the patron of the Dutch children’s rights organization in The Hague, Netherlands.
v. In 2013, the award was conferred on Malala Yousufzai, who went on to win this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

14.  Jan Dhan scheme: Finmin asks LIC to sign MoU with Indian Banks' Association
i. The Finance Ministry has directed Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) to immediately operationalise the benefit of life cover under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY).
ii. LIC has been asked to expeditiously enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Banks Association (IBA) for providing this facility, official sources said.
iii. Contrary to earlier stance, the Finance Ministry has now said that National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) would not be required to enter into MoU with LIC and IBA for providing this life cover benefit.
iv. During the launch of PMJDY scheme on August 28 in the capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a life cover of Rs 30,000 with the RuPay card.
v. This benefit would be made available for all those who subscribe to a bank account for the first time during the period August 15 to January 26 next year, it was announced.
vi. Under the recently framed guidelines for the facility of life cover, the Finance Ministry had specified that a four-partite agreement – LIC, IBA, NPCI and Department of Financial Services—will have to be executed for running the scheme.

FUNDING
i. LIC will create a fund for life coverage under PMJDY with an initial corpus of ₹ 100 crore from the social security fund of Government of India under Aam Admi Bima Yojana (AABY) being managed by LIC of India.
ii. This will be recouped through budgetary provision by the Government, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) has said.
iii. The fund will be replenished by Government from time-to-time within the stipulated premium amount to meet the outgo and administrative expenses.

15.  ADB approves $350 mn for upgradation of roads in MP
i.  Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide $350-million loan assistance for upgradation of district roads in Madhya Pradesh.
ii. “The Asian Development Bank has approved a $350-million loan to upgrade district roads in Madhya Pradesh for a project which will tackle an important link in road improvements,” ADB said in a statement.
iii. The project will upgrade 1,600 km of major district roads in the State through lane widening, surface improvements, and strengthening of culverts and bridges.
iv. This is to help cut travel time, improve traffic flow and road safety, and provide better access to markets and social services for poor and remote communities, the statement added.

16.  Oxford Dictionary names 'vape' as 2014 word of year
i. The Oxford English Dictionary named "vape" the word used for the act of drawing on an electronic cigarette instead of a burning stick of tobacco as its 2014 word of the year.
ii. The 2013 word of the year was selfie, describing the decidedly less controversial self-portrait usually taken with a smart phone.
iii. The word appeared to peak in the United States in April, when New York City banned vaping indoors. The United Kingdom opened its first vape cafe called The Vape Lab in March.

17.  Mumbai top investment destinations among UAE based Indians
i. Despite high property prices, India's commercial capital Mumbai has once again emerged as the most popular and attractive property investment hotspot among the UAE-based Indian expats.
ii. As many as 35 per cent UAE-based Indian expats voted for the city as their favourite property destination in India, in a recently conducted survey.
iii. In the report, published by Sumansa Exhibitions, who also organise the Indian Property Show to be held in Dubai in December.
iv. Bangalore grabbed the 2nd spot with 24.13 per cent votes going for it as the most favorite city for NRI property investments.
v. Bangalore catches the fancy of NRI investors due to its multi-directional growth in recent years plus potential of giving significant return on investment.
vi. Mumbai and Bangalore are on the 20th and 23rd positions respectively, in the list of investment destinations covered by the 'Emerging Trends in Real Estate Asia Pacific 2014', published jointly by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

18.  Amul to set up Rs 200 crore unit in West Bengal
i. Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the maker of Amul dairy products, is setting up a unit in West Bengal for an investment of around ₹200 crore.
ii. According to Krishna Gupta, Managing Director of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, GCMMF is taking up 16 acres of land at the Sankrail Food Park in Howrah district in the State.
iii. “Amul project would be the anchor investment in the 34 acre phase three of the food park,” Gupta. The State arm WBIDC is developing and extending the park.

19.  Trade deficit narrows to $13 bn in Oct
i. Due to decline in oil import, India's trade deficit for the month October has narrowed to 13 billion dollars as compare to the previous month of 14.25 billion dollars. Trade deficit in October last year had stood at 10.5 billion dollars. 
ii. Export data today released by Commerce Ministry said that the gold imports jumped to 4.17 billion dollars from 1.09 billion dollars a year ago.
iii. Silver imports were reported at 686 million dollars. Meanwhile, the exports in October also hit lowest level since March 2014. It reduced by 5.04 per cent to 26 billion dollars in October as compare to same month of last year.

20.  Tamil film director Rudraiya Chockalingam passed away
i. Veteran Tamil film director Rudraiya Chockalingam died on 19 November 2014 in Chennai following a brief illness. He was 67.
ii. Rudraiya Chockalingam is most famous for his critically acclaimed 1978 film Aval Appadithaan, a movie surrounding the trials and tribulations of a female protagonist.

21.  Indian Hockey coach Terry Walsh quits 

i. India's hockey coach Terry Walsh today quit from his position after his contractual talks with Hockey India and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) broke down.
ii.  However, a fresh proposal is still being worked out for the Australian's consideration.
iii. Walsh, whose contract was to come to an end tomorrow, had already submitted his resignation last month after his demands for a greater say in team decisions and hand-picked support staff were turned down by Hockey India and Sports Authority of India. 
iv. Walsh had been negotiating to stay on board and met Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal this morning but the talks ended inconclusively. This prompted the 60-year-old to head back to Australia without withdrawing his resignation. 

22.  First Ebola case surfaces in India, patient quarantined
i. In the first case of Ebola in the country, a national returning from Liberia has tested positive and has been isolated at a special facility at Delhi airport.
ii. The health ministry said the 26-year-old man, who reached here last Monday, was already treated for the disease in the African country and had no symptoms. But the ministry said his semen samples tested positive, prompting authorities to isolate him.
iii. The situation is under control and there is no need for any alarm. All precautions are being taken," the ministry said.
iv. It said during recovery, people continued to shed virus in body fluids for variable periods.
v. But the virus in his semen samples may transmit the disease through sex up to 90 days from the time of clinical cure, it said.
vi. He will remain in isolation in the facility till his body fluids test negative and he is found medically fit to be discharged, it said. The ministry insisted the man was a treated and cured case.

20:57 - By Unknown 0

SBI clerk result has been declared

SBI clerk result has been declared 

click here to view the result

20:45 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 18th Nov 2014

1.    Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) relaunched; money to double in 100 months

i. In view of popular demand, the government relaunched saving instrument Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), wherein the invested money will get doubled in 8 years and 4 months. 

ii. The KVP, relaunched by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, will be available in the denomination of Rs 1,000; 5,000; 10,000 and 50,000. There will be no upper ceiling on investment. 
iii. Under the scheme Investors will be able to double their money in 100 months. During the launch, Finance Minister said it will help poor, gullible investors to channelise their savings towards trusted government schemes instead of some ponzi schemes.
iv. The certificates, will be transferable and initially issued by post offices and later they will also be made available through nationalised banks.
v. Earlier, it was launched by the Government on April 1, 1988. 

Note: No PAN requirement for investment in Kisan Vikas Patra
i. The Finance Ministry has said that there will not be requirement of Permanent Account Number or PAN in puttig money in relaunched Kisan Vikas Patra.
ii. There will also not be any upper limit on investment.
iii. It will be available to the investors in the denomination of Rs. 1000, Rs. 5,000, Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 50,000, with no upper ceiling on investment.
iv. The certificates can be issued in single or joint names and can be transferred from one person to any other person / persons, multiple times.
v. The facility of transfer from one post office to another anywhere in India and of nomination will be available.
vi. With a maturity period of 8 years 4 months, the collections under the scheme will be available with the Government for a fairly long period to be utilized in financing developmental plans of the Centre and State Governments and will also help in enhancing domestic household financial savings.

2.    India and Australia signed five pacts and agreed on early closure of Civil Nuclear Deal
i. India and Australia on 18 November 2014 signed five pacts on social security, transfer of sentenced prisoners, combating narcotics trade, tourism, and Arts and Culture. 
ii. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his Indian Counterpart Narendra Modi agreed to have a Free Trade deal by 2015 end. 
iii.  India will organise a Make in India show in Australia in 2015 while Australia would hold a business week in India in January 2015. 
iv. Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders need not present themselves at police stations while visiting India from now onwards. The people who have a Persons of Indian Origin (PIO)  card will now get a lifetime visa to India.
v. Modi, who arrived on Friday for the G20 economic summit in Australia, where about 300,000 Indians live, urged Indians to boost investment at home.

five pacts are:
i. The Social Security Agreement 
ii. Agreement concerning Transfer of Sentenced Prisoners:
iii. MoU on Combating Narcotics Trafficking and Developing Police Cooperation:
iv. MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Arts and Culture:
iv. MoU in the Field of Tourism:

3.    Pandit Jasraj conferred with Sumitra Charat Ram Award 2014 for Lifetime Achievement

i. Veteran classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj was on 17 November 2014 conferred with the Sumitra Charat Ram Award 2014 for Lifetime Achievement. 
ii. Pandit Jasraj joined the list of eminent personalities who were honoured with the award earlier including Pt Birju Maharaj, Kishori Amonkar and Mayadhar Raut. 
iii. The award function marked the beginning of a year-long celebrations to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Ram who was born on 17 November 1914 in Meerut.

Sumitra Charat Ram Award
The award was instituted in 2011 to honour stalwarts in art and was named after Sumitra Charat Ram who founded the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in 1952. 

4.    Vengsarkar to receive BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award

i. Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar will receive the C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for 2014, a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) statement said on Tuesday.
ii. He will be handed a citation, trophy and cheque for Rs. 25 lakh at the eighth annual BCCI Awards Ceremony to be held here on Friday to recognise and reward India’s top performers in the 2013-14 season.
iii. Vengsarkar was nominated for the award by a committee comprising interim BCCI president Shivlal Yadav, secretary Sanjay Patel and senior journalist Shekhar Gupta. Former India skipper Kapil Dev received the award in 2013.
iv. Vengsarkar, regarded as one of India’s best batsmen, is also known by the nickname ‘Colonel’. The 58-year-old made his international debut against New Zealand at Auckland in 1975-76.

5.    Economy may expand at 5.6% in FY15: Fitch

i. India's economic growth is expected to pick up to 5.6 per cent in the current fiscal on account of structural reforms being rolled-out by the government, Fitch Ratings said today.
ii. However, factors such as pace of fiscal consolidation and structural reforms, investment and inflation environment as well as banking sector's asset quality form downside risks to the economy, the global ratings agency said in a release.
iii. Fitch expects real GDP growth to pick up to 5.6 per cent in FY15 and 6.5 per cent in FY16 from 4.7 per cent in FY14," it said.

6.    Burkina Faso chooses Michel Kafando as interim president
i. Veteran diplomat Michel Kafando has been chosen as Burkina Faso's interim president, officials in the west African country announced on Monday and will head the country until 2015. 
ii. The 72-year-old described the appointment as "more than a honour". "It is an awesome responsibility that falls to me, I already foresee the pitfalls and the immensity of the task," he told reporters. 
iii. Kafando previously served as the country's ambassador to the United Nations from 1998 to 2011. He was also Burkina Faso's foreign affairs minister between 1981 and 1982. 

Note: Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa around 274,200 square kilometres (105,900 sq mi) in size. Capital is Ouagadougou
ii. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north; Niger to the east; Benin to the southeast; Togo and Ghana to the south; and Ivory Coast to the southwest. Its capital is Ouagadougou. As of 2014, its population is estimated at just over 17.3 million.
iii. Formerly called the Republic of Upper Volta, the country was renamed "Burkina Faso" on 4 August 1984 by then-President Thomas Sankara. Residents of Burkina Faso are known as Burkinabè . French is an official language of government and business.

7.    India has world’s largest youth population: UN report
i. With 356 million 10-24-year-olds, India has the world’s largest youth population despite having a smaller population than China, a latest UN report said today.
ii. China is second with 269 million young people, followed by Indonesia (67 million), the US (65 million) and Pakistan (59 million), Nigeria with 57 million, Brazil with 51 million, and Bangladesh with 48 million, the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) State of the World’s Population report said.
iii. It said developing countries with large youth populations could see their economies soar, provided they invest heavily in young people’s education and health and protect their rights.
iv. The report titled ‘The power of 1.8 billion’, said 28 per cent of India’s population is 10- to 24-year-olds, adding that the youth population is growing fastest in the poorest nations. Global number of youths is highest ever.

8.    New director nominated on RBI board
i. The Government has nominated Hasmukh Adhia, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, as the Director of Central Board of Directors of the RBI.
ii. “The Central Government has nominated Dr. Hasmukh Adhia, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, New Delhi as a director on the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India vice Gurdial Singh Sandhu,” RBI said in a statement

9.    Book titled Truth Always Prevails written by Sadruddin Hashwani released
i. Penguin Books on 17 November 2014 released the Book titled Truth Always Prevails. The book has been written by Sadruddin Hashwani.
ii. The book Truth Always Prevails is a self-narrated account of personal and entrepreneurial experiences by one of the most successful businessmen of Pakistan with a global footprint. This is a story of Pakistan and the Pakistani Dream. The book was released in Pakistan. 

10.  Myntra.com named Kangana Ranaut as its brand ambassador
i. Leading online fashion store Myntra.com in the month of July 2014 named Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut as its brand ambassador.
ii. As part of her new assignment, Kangana will feature in some of the promotional initiatives by the brand.

11.  Assam government presented 1st state bravery award to Gunjan Sarma
i. The Assam government on 17 November 2014 presented the first state bravery award to Gunjan Sarma in Guwahati. 
ii. 15 year old Gunjan, a resident of Sivsagar district was awarded with Assam’s first ever bravery award for saving lives of 10 school children who were taken hostage by a gunman on 4 December 2013.
iii. Gunjan Sarma, a student of Nazira Central School in Sivasagar district of Assam volunteered to accompany the gunman who hijacked their school van carrying students.

12.  Nanavati Commission submits final report on 2002 Gujarat riots to CM
i. Justice Nanavati Commission has handed over its final report on 2002 Gujarat riots to Chief Minister Anandiben Patel at Gandhinagar today. Though, the findings of final report have not been officially disclosed, according to sources, it has given clean chit to then Chief Minister Narendra Modi. 
ii. Earlier, the Commission had already handed over its interim report to then Chief Minister Narendra Modi in September 2008, which was later tabled in the state assembly.
iii. The earlier interim report was related to introduction, proceedings, evidence and findings that led to setting on fire some coaches of Sabarmati Express Train near Godhra Railway Station, while the final reports is covering the violence incidents that took place after Godhra train carnage. 
iv. The Commission comprises retired judges G.T.Nanavati and Justice Akshay Mehta. The panel had been constituted by Gujarat Government on 3rd March 2002 under the Commission of Inquiry Act comprising Justice K.G.Shah. 

13.  IREDA, US-Exim Bank sign MoU on clean energy investment
i. Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, IREDA and US-Exim Bank today signed a Memorandum of Understanding,MoU on cooperation on clean energy investment.
ii. US Exim Bank will provide USD one billion for medium and long-term loans to finance US technologies, products and services utilized during commercial development activities within the clean energy sector by IREDA.
iii. The MoU will establish a framework for cooperation in the financing of credit worthy entities for renewable energy projects. It will also facilitate export of goods and services of US origin in India. 
iv. The MoU was signed by Mr KS Popli, Chairman and Managing Director IREDA, and Mr Fred P Hochberg, Chairman and President, Export-Import Bank of the United States in Delhi today.

14.  TSR Subramaniam Committee submits report on environment law
i. The TSR Subramaniam Committee which was constituted to review the processes, laws and Acts of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change today submitted its report.
ii. It was submitted to Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi today.
iii. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Javadekar said that the report is a historical achievement which will strengthen processes to balance developmental commitments and environment protection. He said, the recommendations of the report will enhance Ministry's efforts to avoid undue delays and ensure transparency in clearances and implementation of projects. 

15.  International students in US at record high, China tops list, India on 2nd
i. The number of international students studying in the United States is at a record high with nearly one-third of them coming from China, followed by India that sent over over lakh students to the country in 2013-14. 
ii. A report released by the Institute of International Education (IIE) said yesterday that a record number of 8,86,052 international students came to the US in the academic year 2013-14 to pursue studies in various academic courses, an increase of 8.1 per cent over the previous year. Topping the list is China from where 2,74,439 students came to study in the US - an increase of 16.5 per cent than the previous year. 
iii. China, in fact accounted for more than 30 per cent of the total international students. China is followed by India, which sent 102,673 students in the year 2013-2014, an increase of 6.1 per cent than the previous year, reversing a three-year trend of declining numbers of Indian students at the US universities. 

16.  Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to get Polly Umrigar Award

i. Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar will get the Polly Umrigar Award for the 2013-14 season.
ii. The award is given to India’s best international cricketer of the year. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced this on Twitter today as part of its annual award ceremony. The award comprises a trophy and a cheque for 5 lakh rupees.
iii. BCCI's announcement came ahead of Team India's visit to Australia early next month.

17.  India, China joint military exercise “Hand-in-Hand” begins in Pune
i. The Fourth India-China Joint Training Exercise Hand-in-Hand 2014 began at Pune in Maharashtra yesterday.
ii. The aim of the joint exercise is to acquaint both the Armies with each other’s operating procedures in the backdrop of counter terrorism environment.
iii.  Exercise Hand-in-Hand 2014 is expected to develop mutual understanding and respect for each other’s military.
iv. The basic objective of the training is enhancing confidence and trust between the two armies which may be called upon to grapple with anti terrorism operations even under the UN mandate.

22:14 - By Unknown 0

IBPS Specialist Officers 2014 Apply Online

Students, the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has released the notification of IBPS Specialist Officers IV. The online exam for the recruitment of Specialist Officers will be held in February 2015. You
can apply online from 18th November 2014 to 9th December 2014. Check complete details below. All the Best.
Name of the Exam : IBPS Specialist Officers CWE IV 2014

Post Details :

• I.T. Officer (Scale-I) 
• Agricultural Field Officer (Scale I) 
• Rajbhasha Adhikari (Scale I) 
• Law Officer (Scale I) 
• HR/Personnel Officer (Scale I) 
• Marketing Officer (Scale I) 

Important Dates :

• Online Registration Starts from : 18th November 2014 to 9th December 2014
• Payment of Application Fee (Online) : 18th November 2014 to 9th December 2014
• Download of Call Letters for Examination : after 3rd February 2015
• Tentative Dates for the Online Examination : 14th February 2015 and 15th February 2015
• Declaration of Results : Last week of February 2015
• Interview Call Letter Download : March 2015
• Conduct of Interviews : March 2015
• Provisional Allotment : April 2015

CLICK HERE TO

22:02 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 16- 17th Nov 2014

1.    Turkey to host G20 Summit in 2015 & China in 2016

i. China will play host to the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit of the emerging economies in 2016. The decision was announced by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on 16 November 2014 in Brisbane.

ii. Turkey took over the presidency from Australia and will host the event in Antalya in 2015. In 2014, G20 Summit was hosted by Australia.
iii. With China being selected for the 2016 presidency, the G20 troika would now consist of Turkey, Australia and China.
iv. The leaders of the Group of 20 also announced a plan to boost global growth by more than 2 trillion US dollars over five years.

Note: i. To ensure continuity, the presidency is supported by a “troika” made up of the current, immediate past and next host countries. During Australia’s presidency, the members of the G20 troika are Australia, Russia and Turkey.
ii. Previous hosts of the G20 Leaders' Summit were the United States (in 2008 and 2009), the United Kingdom (2009), Canada (2010), the Republic of Korea (2010), France (2011), Mexico (2012) and Russia (2013).

2.    Klaus Werner Iohannis elected new President of Romania

i. Klaus Iohannis won Romanian Presidential elections and for the first time in its history, Romania has one president of foreign (German) origin. Iohannis will replace the incumbent Traian Basescu.
ii. Having a German president, might actually help this poor Balkan nation to form some sort of political alliances with Europe’s mightiest economical power: Germany.
iii. Romania is one of the poorest nations in Europe alongside with the likes of Bulgaria, Albania and Moldova, competing with some of the world’s poorest nations from Asia and Africa.
iv. Shortly after the fall of communism in 1989, Romania has been haunted by limitless political corruption with dozens of years passing by and with only little been done throughout the years, however all of this might soon change.

3.    PM addresses Indian diaspora at Sydney 
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that it was his good fortune to be the first Indian prime minister to be born post-Independence.
ii. It is my good fortune that I'm the first prime minister of India to be born post-1947," Modi said at a massive gathering of the Indian diaspora at the Allphones Arena.
iii. At the gathering, which was attended by over 16,000 members of the Indian Australian community, Modi dedicated the respect and ovation that he was getting in Australia to the Indian people.
iv. The last Indian prime minister to visit Australia was Rajiv Gandhi.

4.    India and Republic of Korea signed MoU on Technical Cooperation in the Railway sector
i. India and Republic of Korea signed an a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate technical cooperation in Railway sector between the two countries.
ii. The MoU was signed between the Union Ministry of Railways of India and the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) of Republic of Korea (South Korea).
iii. The MoU will facilitate technical assistance and cooperation between the Railways of the two countries on areas such as High Speed Rail, Modernisation of Rolling Stock, Railway Operations, Modernisation of Signalling, Construction & Maintenance technologies and in development of Logistics Parks/Terminals.

5.    Centre to include GST compensation in Constitutional Bill
i. The Centre has agreed to include compensation to be paid to states for GST rollout as part of the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
ii. "The compensation structure would form part of the Bill. It will be paid in tranches to the states," an official said.
iii. A consensus on this crucial issue will make it easier of the Centre to introduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the ensuing Winter session of Parliament beginning November 24.
iv. The GST will subsume indirect taxes like excise duty and service tax at the central level and VAT on the states front, besides local levies.
v. The GST Constitutional Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2011, had lapsed and the NDA government will be required to come up with a fresh bill.

6.    SAIL Chairman CS Verma received IIM- JRD Tata Award for Excellence in Corporate leadership
i. Steel Authority of India (SAIL) Chairman CS Verma  was on 14 November 2014 conferred with the IIM- JRD Tata Award for Excellence in Corporate leadership in Metallurgical Industries for the year 2014. 
ii. Verma was presented with a scroll of honour along with a cash prize of 5 lakh rupees by Union Minister of Mines & Steel Narendra Singh Tomar.
iii. He is the first Chairman from SAIL to receive this honour and is among those who have been conferred with this award earlier including Ratan N Tata and Dr. E Sreedharan.

7.    CRY launches project to end child labour 
i. With an aim to end child labour and encourage children to go to school, Child Rights and You has launched 'Project Unlearn' on the eve of Children's Day.
ii. The campaign will help 28,588 children in labour across CRY supported projects in the country to be able to free themselves from shackles of labour, go back to school and be hopeful of a bright future, an official statement said. 
iii. With Project Unlearn we aim to spread awareness about this issue and shake people out of their indifference towards this grim reality that India faces.
iv. We are hopeful the people will extend their support to us in ensuring that these children get out of the clutches of child labour and unlearn the skills that rob them of their childhood," said Puja Marwaha, CEO, CRY. 

8.    Senior Indian National Congress leader of Odisha Mohan Nag passed away
i. Senior Indian National Congress leader and former Odisha Minister of Health & Family Planning Mohan Nag died on 15 November 2014 at Bhubaneswar. He was 89.

9.    Mudgal panel gives clean chit to Srinivasan

i. In a major relief to the stepped down BCCI president N. Srinivasan, the Justice Mukul Mudgal panel has given a clean chit to him in the betting and match fixing probe saying he was not involved with any of these activities.
ii. In its report, the copies of which were released on Monday, the panel said “this individual (Mr. Srinivasan) is not involved with match fixing activity. He was not found to be involved in scuttling the investigations into match fixing.”

10.  India consolidates its no.1 ranking in ICC ODI list
i. World champions India consolidated its top rank on the ICC ODI Team Rankings after sweeping the series against Sri Lanka, which concluded in Ranchi.
ii. India had started the series at third position on 113 points and finished on 117 points - two ratings points clear of South Africa, which is involved in a five-ODI series against Australia.
iii. Sri Lanka retained their fourth position but slipped to 108 points. It now hosts England in a seven-ODI series, leading Alastair Cook’s side by one ratings point.

11.  Novak Djokovic wins ATP Finals after Roger Federer pulls out due to injury

i. World number one Novak Djokovic was crowned champion of this year's ATP World Tour finals last night after Roger Federer withdrew from the title clash due to a back injury. 
ii. The 33-year old Swiss apologized in person to the crowd at the O2 Arena in London and said that he was not match fit to play the match.
iii. This was Djokovic's fourth season ending title and he also became the first man to win three World Tour Finals titles on the trot since Ivan Lendl in the 1980s.

12.  Ace shuttlers Saina Nehwal, K Srikanth win China open singles tiltles
i. In a historic day for Indian Badminton, top shuttlers Saina Nehwal and K Srikanth on Sunday clinched the women's and men's singles title of the China Open Super Series Premier in Fuzhou, China.
ii. While Olympic bronze-medallist Saina defeated Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, Srikanth notched up a stunning straight-game victory over two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China to register his maiden Super Series title.

13.  India cricket team won the 5-match ODI series against Sri Lanka by 5-0
i. Indian cricket team on 16 November 2014 won 5-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, 5-0. In the fifth and final match of the series played at JSCA Stadium Complex in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India defeated Sri Lanka by 3 wickets. 
ii. Starting the innings, Sri Lanka posted 286 for 8 with skipper Angelo Mathews superb innings of 139 not out.
iii. In reply, Indian captain Virat Kohli became the fastest to hit 21 ODI centuries as the hosts overhauled the target with 8 balls to spare. He made a blistering 139 not out.

09:44 - By Unknown 0

IBPS Clerk - IV - Call Letter Download

Dear Students,

IBPS activated the download link of IBPS Clerk Online Exam 2014 call letters. You are required to fill on your Registration Number and Date of Birth or Password.

23:40 - By Unknown 0