Daily GK Update - 3rd January 2015

1. ICICI Launches Digital Village Project in Gujarat

i. Joining Digital India programme, top lender ICICI Bank has launched its own 'digital village' project while adopting an entire village in Gujarat to provide services ranging from cashless banking to digitised school teaching.



ii. Digital village has three themes -- cashless, comprehensive and connected. 
iii. Village, named Akodara, in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat incidentally happens to be the same place where Modi started Gujarat's first animal hostel in 2011 when he was the Chief Minister of the state.
iv. One of the key points is providing cashless banking services to every villager. 
v. The villagers are getting SMSs in Gujarati for their transactions and other digital services.
vi. the bank has set up e-health, e-milk producer group, Wi-Fi connectivity and schools with digital black boards in the village, along with a host of other digital facilities.

2. Gyan Sangam: Government on its way to overhaul public sector banks

i.  Government has embarked on a mission to overhaul public sector banks, beginning with a twoday, high-profile retreat in Pune.
ii. The main objective is to search for "out-of-the-box" ideas to reorient them to support the country's bid to move back to a high-growth trajectory. 
iii. the government wants to draw up an urgent reform road map that could include the revamp of priority sector lending, consolidation and effective use of technology for lending besides greater financial inclusion. 
iv. The event is being held at the National Institute of Bank Management on the outskirts of Pune.


3. Bengal Global Business Summit

i. Projecting itself as an ideal investment destination, the Government of West Bengal is organising Bengal Global Business Summit — Bengal Leads.
ii. The State is seeking investment in sectors such as urban infrastructure and housing, IT software and hardware, food processing, horticulture and floriculture, MSME and textiles.
iii.Other Sectors such as health care, education and skills development, manufacturing, energy and infrastructure, hospitality and tourism and business of entertainment and financial services are given the nod of the state as special sectors to look for. 

4. Kumar Sangakkara fastest to 12,000 runs in Tests

i. Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan Wicket Keeper batsman became the fastest player to reach 12,000 Test runs.
ii. Sangakkara had entered the game needing five runs to become the fifth man to surpass 12,000 test runs.
iii. Sangakkara has accumulated his runs in 224 innings, compared to India's Sachin Tendulkar and Australia's Ricky Ponting, who both needed 247 innings to surpass the mark.

5. Intel invests $24.8 million to speed up launch of Google Glass rival

i. Vuzix Corporation said that Intel Corp invested $24.8 million in the company to speed up the launch of internet-connected eyewear.
ii. Rochester, New York-based Vuzix develops computerized, internet-connected glasses and other video eyewear aimed at consumers, businesses and entertainment.
iii. Intel, which was slow to launch chips for smartphones and tablets, is striving to be at the forefront of future trends in mobile computing and expand into new markets.

 6. RBI relaxed KYC rules for Non-Banking Financial Companies

i. Know-Your-Customers (KYC) rules for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) were relaxed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
ii. The KYC rules were amended for NBFC’s due to practical difficulties and constraints being faced by them in getting KYC documents at frequent intervals.
iii. As per RBI notification, the KYC exercise will be required to be done in three ways and they are

• For high-risk individuals and entities – in at least every 2 years
• For medium risk individuals and entities - in at least every 8 years
• For low risk individuals and entities – in at least every 10 years

7. India lost 66 wild tigers in 2014

i. Sixty-six wild tiger deaths were reported in the country in 2014.Two tiger deaths occurred on the last day of the year. 
ii.  It was the only day in 2014 when two wild tiger deaths were reported. One was at Bandipur in Karnataka and the other at Tadoba Andhari in Maharashtra.
iii. As per statistics provided by Tigernet, the official database of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the highest number of wild tiger deaths was reported from the forests of Tamil Nadu —15, followed by Madhya Pradesh —14. Six of the deaths in Tamil Nadu were from the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
iv. The majority of wild tiger deaths was caused by poaching, It is estimated that about 50 tigers could have been killed in this manner.

21:55 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 2nd January 2015

1. K.K. Paul to be Uttarakhand Governor

i. Krishan Kant Paul will be sworn in as the sixth Governor of Uttarakhand on January 8.
ii. A presidential communiqué said Mr. Paul, Meghalaya Governor, would continue to hold the office of the Governor of Manipur.
iii. The current Uttarakhand Governor, Aziz Qureshi, would be transferred to Mizoram.

iv. Challenging the move of the Narendra Modi government to seek resignations of Governors appointed during the UPA regime.

2. Uttarakhand governor Aziz Qureshi transferred to Mizoram

i. Dr Aziz Qureshi was shunted out and appointed Mizoram governor. 
ii. A statement issued by the President's office said that Qureshi had been given charge of Mizoram for the remainder of his term. He has almost three years of tenure left. 
iii. West Bengal governor K N Tripathi meanwhile has been asked to take additional charge of Meghalaya. 

3. Pakistani fishing boat carrying explosives sets itself on fire after being chased by Indian Coast Guard

i. A suspicious fishing boat carrying explosives from Pakistan was intercepted by Indian Coast Guard in Arabian Sea near Indo-Pak maritime boundary but it sank after the crew on board set it on fire. The incident came a month after sixth anniversary of the Mumbai terror attack.
ii. The boat carrying some four people blew up some 365 kms off Porbander coast after a hot chase.
iii. As per the intelligence inputs received on 31st December, a fishing boat from Keti Bunder near Karachi was planning some illicit transaction in Arabian Sea.
iv. Coast Guard Dornier aircraft undertook sea – air coordinated search and located the suspect fishing boat.


4. BHEL bags first key power project in Telangana

i. BHEL will set up first Supercritical Thermal Power Plant in newly formed state of Telangana. The company has bagged contract worth Rs. 3,810 crore.
ii. The order is for setting up the 1x800 MW Supercritical Thermal Power Plant on EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction) basis at Kothagudem in Khammam District of Telangana. 
iii. To this effect, an advance cheque of Rs. 350 crore was handed over by the Chief Minister of Telangana, K. Chandrasekhar Rao to Chairman & Managing Director.
iv. The project is targeted to be commissioned in 36 months on fast track basis with both BHEL and TSGENCO setting up teams to expedite clearances and execution of the project.

5. LIC International launches co-branded credit card with UAE's First Gulf Bank

i. India's LIC International and Abu Dhabi -based First Gulf Bank are planning to introduce a unique co-branded credit card in the United Arab Emirates to address concerns of insurance policy holders.
ii. It is first of its kind payment solution. This is the first time that an insurance firm has entered into a strategic alliance with a bank in the gulf country.
iii. LIC International, established in Bahrain in 1989 by LIC of India to facilitate residents in the gulf region, has over 350 million policyholders worldwide.

6. Government to prioritise drugs, states to revive Jan Aushadhi Pharmacies 

i. To infuse a fresh lease of life into the struggling Jan Aushadhi chain of pharmacy outlets, set up to make affordable generic drugs available to people.
ii. The government plans to focus on select drugs and states, spruce up supply chain and encourage doctors to use generic names of drugs.
iii. Government is considering a proposal to trim the list of drugs being distributed through Jan Aushadhi outlets to 40-50 mass consumption ones from the 320 medicines enlisted to be part of stock at present.

7. R Koteeswaran takes over as new Indian Overseas Bank CMD 

i. R Koteeswaran has taken over as the Chairman and Managing Director of public sector Indian Overseas Bank.
ii. Prior to this, Koteeswaran was serving Bank of India as its Executive Director
Koteeswaran began his career in 1976 in Bank of Baroda and later joined Bank of India as its Executive Director.
iii. He replaces M Narendra who has superannuated

02:09 - By Unknown 0

Planning Commission renamed "Niti Ayog"

India's Planning Commission will be renamed "Niti Ayog" (National Institution for Transforming India) as part of a plan to restructure the institution that the government believes has run its course.

The name, replacing "Yojana (planning)" with "Niti (policy)" will be announced in an amended resolution for the new plan body today, sources said.


Earlier this month, PM Modi held discussions with chief ministers on replacing the Soviet-style body with a 'Team India' concept that would give states a greater role in developing Asia's third largest economy.

The Planning Commission had suggested to a group chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that its replacement body should be structured to meet the need of changing economic paradigm and comprise sectoral experts and states' representative. The restructured plan panel could be a combination of three or four divisions.

In his first Independence Day speech in August 2014, PM Modi had indicated that the 64-year-old Commission had lost its relevance. Later, he tweeted asking for public feedback on what shape the institution should take.

It was India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, a socialist who admired Joseph Stalin's drive to industrialize the Soviet Union, who in 1950 set up - and chaired - the Planning Commission to map out a development path for India's agrarian economy.

A government-backed report suggested replacing the Planning Commission with a think tank more in line with a US-style Council of Economic Advisors.

However, the opposition Congress has criticised the plan, calling it "shortsighted and dangerous".

Some Tit - Bits on Planning Commission: 
The Planning Commission is an institution in the Government of India, which formulates India's Five-Year Plans, among other functions. It is located at Yojana Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi. It was established in accordance with article 39 of the constitution which is a part of directive principles of state policy.
The composition of the Commission has undergone considerable changes since its inception. With the Prime Minister as the ex officio Chairman, the committee has a nominated Deputy Chairman, who is given the rank of a full Cabinet Minister. Presently the post of Deputy Chairman of the Commission is vacant, after the new Government in the Center.

Present ex officio members of the Commission, are the Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister, Home Minister, Health Minister, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister, Information Technology Minister, Law Minister, HRD Minister and Minister of State for Planning.
The Planning Commission's functions as outlined by the Government's 1950 resolution are following:

00:10 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 1st Jan 2015

1. Isro chairperson K Radhakrishnan retires

i. Spearheading Indian Space Research Organisation triumphantly through several milestones, its chairperson K Radhakrishnan retired on Wednesday carrying the crowning glory of the much-hailed India's mission to Mars.
ii. Indian space scientists bid a 'sombre' farewell describing Radhakrishnan an "iconic leader" as his exit left the space agency at what ISRO on its Facebook called "at its most glorified pedestal ever."
iii. Radhakrishnan, a recipient of Padma- Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, was recently chosen as one of the top ten scientific personalities in 2014 by Nature Science Journal.

India's Mars Orbiter, currently orbiting the red planet, tweeted it's farewell.

2. Planning Commission renamed "Neeti Ayog"

i. India's Planning Commission will be renamed "Neeti Ayog" as part of a plan to restructure the institution that the government believes has run its course.
ii. The name, replacing "Yojana (planning)" with "Neeti (policy)" will be announced in an amended resolution for the new plan body today, sources said.
iii. The Planning Commission had suggested to a group chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that its replacement body should be structured to meet the need of changing economic paradigm and comprise sectoral experts and states' representative.

It was India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, a socialist who admired Joseph Stalin's drive to industrialize the Soviet Union, who in 1950 set up - and chaired - the Planning Commission to map out a development path for India's agrarian economy.

3. Tropical storm Jangmi struck Philippines

i. Jangmi, a tropical storm made landfall in northeastern Mindanao Island of Philippines on 28 December 2014. The storm that caused heavy rains and triggered flash floods and landslides in the country killed at least 30 people.
ii. Tropical storm Jangmi, known in the Philippines as Seniang carried winds of 65 kilometers (40 miles) per hour destroying several bridges and highway and lead to evacuation of thousands of residents. 
iii. Apart from Philippines, the storm has affected several parts of other countries like Malaysia and southern Thailand.

4. NASA's SMAP instrument to measure Earth's soil

i. The U.S. space agency NASA's Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) instrument is ready to measure the amount of moisture in Earth's soils with an unparalleled precision and resolution.
ii. The instrument comprises of three main parts namely radar, a radiometer as well as the biggest rotating mesh antenna ever used in space.
The new instrument is expected to be launched on January 29.

5. A K Mittal appointed railway board chairman

i. Mittal, who was member (staff), has succeeded Arunendra Kumar, whose appointment as well as entire tenure was mired in lot of controversies. 
ii. Mittal's position as member (staff) has been taken by Pradeep Kumar, who was general manager, North-Central Railway with additional charge as GM, Northern Railway. 
iii. Navin Tandon had been appointed as new member (electrical), a post which was lying vacant for last six months. Tandon was GM, South Eastern Central Railway. Gupta, member (engineering), has been given additional responsibility of member (mechanical), the post which is likely to be filled within a week. 

6. Noted journalist Boobli George Verghese died

i. Eminent journalist Boobli George Verghese died on 30 December 2014 following a brief illness. He was 87.
ii. He was an information adviser to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from 1966 to 1969. In 1975, Verghese was given the Ramon Magsaysay award for his contribution to journalism.
iii. In October 2010, he published his autobiography First Draft: Witness to Making of Modern India.
His last work was Post Haste: Quintessential India, a book that was released in May 2014.

7. Govt splits CMD post in Public Sector Banks

i. The government of India decided to split the post of chairman and managing director at public sector banks (PSBs).The finance ministry has appointed chief executive officers (CEOs) of four banks, while confirmed that non-executive chairman would be declared shortly.
ii. The appointment of the CEOs would be for a fixed tenure, in this case for three years or when the candidate retires, whichever is earlier. 
iii. The four banks for which new MD & CEOs were announced on Wednesday were Oriental Bank of Commerce, Indian Overseas Bank, United Bank of India and Vijaya Bank

8. Rajnath Singh launches women safety mobile app 'Himmat'

i. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on 1st Jan 2015 launched India's first integrated mobile application for women safety called 'Himmat', in the presence of Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi and Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.
ii. Who-so-ever will download this smart phone-based application can alert the police in the hour of need by either shaking the phone or pressing the power button twice," said Bassi.
iii. "It is directly linked to the Police Control Room and they will get an indication immediately. After that the location can be traced and will be updated every ten seconds," he added.

9. PM Narendra Modi greets nation on New Year

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted the nation on New Year, wishing that it brings immense happiness, peace and prosperity to everyone.

00:04 - By Unknown 0

IBPS PO IV: Download Interview Call Letter

IBPS has uploaded the details of interview schedule for the candidates who have cleared written test of IBPS PO IV conducted in October/Nov 2014.

Click here to download the schedule for IBPS PO IV Interview

Please share your location, date and time of the interview. It will help each of you in guaging, what kind of questions are being asked a particular panel.

23:52 - By Unknown 0

Computer Quiz

1. When you save to _______, your data will remain intact even when the computer is turned off.
a. RAM
b. motherboard
c. secondary storage device
d. primary storage device
e. None of these


2. The motherboard is the
a. circuit board that houses peripheral devices
b. same as the CPU chip
c. the first chip that is accessed when the computer is turned on
d. circuit board that contains a CPU and other chips
e. None of these

3. A computer-intensive problem runs on a _______.
1) server
2) mainframe
3) supercomputer
4) super PC
5) None of these

4. A(n) _______ converts and executes one statement at a time.
1) compiler
2) interpreter
3) converter
4) instructions
5) None of these

5. The term _______ designates equipment that might be added to a computer system to enhance its functionality.
1) digital device
2) system add-on
3) disk pack
4) peripheral device
5) None of these

6. Approximately how many bytes make one Megabyte?
1) One Thousand
2) Ten Thousand
3) One Hundred
4) One Million
5) None of these

7. What is MP3?
1) A mouse
2) A printer
3) A sound format
4) A scanner
5) None of these

8. All the deleted files go to
1) Recycle Bin
2) Task Bar
3) Tool Bar
4) My Computer
5) None of these

9. _______ is the act of copying or downloading a program from a network and making multiple copies of it.
1) Network piracy
2) Plagiarism
3) Software piracy
4) Site-license piracy
5) None of these

10. A directory within a directory is called a _______.
1) Mini Directory
2) Junior Directory
3) Part Directory
4) Sub Directory
5) None of these

11. Which is the best definition of a software package?
a. An add-on for your computer such as additional memory
b. A set of computer programs used for a certain function such as word processing
c. A protection you can buy for a computer
d. The box, manual and licence agreement that accompany commercial software
e. None of these

12. In MICR, C stands for
1) Code
2) Colour
3) Computer
4) Character
5) None of these

13. Fax machines and imaging systems are examples of
1) bar-code readers
2) imaging systems
3) scanning devices
4) pen-based systems
5) None of these

14. When writing a document, you can use the _______ feature to find an appropriate word or an alternative word if you find yourself stuck for the right word.
1) dictionary
2) word finder
3) encyclopedia
4) thesaurus
5) None of these

15. Which key is used in combination with another key to perform a specific task?
1) Function
2) Control
3) Arrow
4) Space bar
5) None of these

16. A disk’s content that is recorded at the time of manufacture and that cannot be changed or erased by the user is
1) read-only
2) memory-only
3) run-only
4) write-only
5) None of these

17. In an information system, alphanumeric data normally takes the form of
a. Sentences and paragraphs
b. Numbers and alphabetical characters
c. Graphic shapes and figures
d. Human voice and other sounds
e. None of these

18. A Web site’s main page is called its _______
1) home page
2) browser page
3) search place
4) bookmark
5) None of these

19. When installing _______, the user must copy and usually decompress program files from a CD-ROM or other medium to the hard disk.
1) programming software
2) system hardware
3) applications hardware
4) applications software
5) None of these

20. A collection of interrelated files in a computer is a _______.
1) file manager
2) field
3) record
4) database
5) None of these



ANSWERS
ANSWERS
1. c
2. d
3. 3
4. 2
5. 4
6. 4
7. 3
8. 1
9. 3
10. 4
11. b
12. 4
13. 3
14. 4
15. 2
16. 1
17. b
18. 1
19. 4
20.  4

06:30 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 31th December 2014

1. Palestinian statehood resolution fails at UNSC

i. The UN Security Council has failed to adopt a Palestinian statehood resolution that set a deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian territories by 2017.

ii. The long-anticipated draft tabled on Tuesday night drew the support of eight countries -- Argentina, Chad, Chile, China, France, Jordan, Luxembourg, Russia -- just one shy of the nine needed to pass a resolution in the absence of a veto by any of the Council’s five permanent members.

iii. The United States and Australia opposed the resolution while the United Kingdom, Nigeria, South Korea, Rwanda and Lithuania abstained.


2. Kudankulam commercial power: SEBs to pay more per unit

i. The significance of commercial generation of power from the first unit at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project is that the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) will start charging money from the State Electricity Boards (SEBs) to which it sells the electricity.
ii. Kudankulam-1 has been declared a commercial unit from the midnight of December 31, 2014. “We are working out the tariff per unit that we will be charging from the SEBs,” a top NPCIL official said.
iii. R.S. Sundar, Site Director, Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, said Kudankulam-1 had been generating its full power of 1,000 MWe from December 10, 2014.

3. Ronaldo voted Europe’s top footballer

i. The results of the survey showed 89 of the 144 reporters queried named the Real Madrid forward as the region’s top player,

ii. Portuguese football phenomenon Cristiano Ronaldo was voted by European sports reporters Europe’s best football player for the second year in a row.
iii. The results of the survey, carried out by Uruguay’s El Pais daily, showed 89 of the 144 reporters queried named the Real Madrid forward as the region’s top player.
iv. German goalie Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) and Argentina’s Lionel Messi (Barcelona) came in distant second and third places, with 19 and 16 votes, respectively.

4. Gmail blocked in China, Great Firewall suspected

i. Inc’s Gmail was blocked in China after months of disruptions to the world’s biggest e-mail service, with an anti-censorship advocate suggesting the Great Firewall was to blame.
ii. Almost all of Google’s services have been heavily disrupted in China since June this year, but until last week Gmail users could still access e-mails downloaded via protocols like IMAP, SMTP and POP3. These had let people communicate using Gmail on apps like the Apple iPhone’s Mail and Microsoft Outlook.
iii. The Google disruption began in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the government’s bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989.

5. Lupin’s HIV drug gets USFDA nod

i. Drug firm Lupin has received tentative approval from the U.S. health regulator to market a generic version of Prezista tablets, used in treating HIV infection.
ii. The company has received tentative approval from the United States Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to market its Darunavir Ethanolate tablets in multiple strengths in the American market, Lupin said in a statement.
iii. Last week, the company had received USFDA approval to market a generic version of ViiV Healthcare’s Epivir Tablets, used in treating HIV infection, in the American market.

6. IRDA renamed to Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India

i. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) was renamed as Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India on 30 December 2014.

ii. The change in name came in to effect after the promulgation of Insurance Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, by the President of India on 26 December 2014.
iii. The amendment was done to the Insurance Regulation and Development Act, 1999 by inserting the words India after Development Authority in Section 105 of the Ordinance amends section 2 (1)(b) of the IRDA Act.

7. Union Government signed 75 million dollar loan deal with ADB for KIUWMIP

i. Union Government on 30 December 2014 signed a loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for 75 million dollar and 1.8 million dollar grant for Karnataka Integrated Urban Water Management Investment Program (KIUWMIP).
ii. The funds will be used to improve water resource management in three towns of Karnataka, namely Byadagi, Davanagere and Harihar in the Upper Tungabhadra sub-basin. 
iii. This project will help increase water treatment capacity by 15000 cubic meters per day.

06:27 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 30th December 2014

1. Dhoni retires from Test cricket

i. Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday retired from Test cricket with immediate effect, citing strain of playing all formats, after his team lost the Border - Gavaskar Trophy to Australia.
ii. “One of India’s greatest Test Captains under whose leadership India became the No. 1 team in the Test Rankings M.S. Dhoni, has decided to retire from Test Cricket citing the strain of playing all formats of Cricket,” the BCCI said in a statement.
iii. “Virat Kohli will be the captain of the Indian Team for the Fourth and Final Test against Australia to be played in Sydney from the 6th of January 2015”.
iv. The wicketkeeper-batsman remains one of the most successful captains ever for India, having led the side to the top of ICC rankings in Tests and ODIs.
   
2. Virat Kohli named captain

i. Virat Kohli is named the new captain of the Indian Test team.

ii. Kohli will be the 32nd Indian Test captain and will take the reign in the full time manner from the Sydney Test.
iii. Kohli first captained India as a stand in captain in the first test of the series at Adelaide. 

3. 8 FDI proposals worth Rs 35 crore cleared

i. Government has cleared eight foreign investment proposals worth about Rs 34.77 crore, including that of CSC Computer Sciences International Operations and Life Positive Pvt Ltd.
ii. CSC has sought permission for setting up a proposed LLP with an investment of about Rs 30 crore.
iii. While, Life Positive seeks to increase foreign equity participation from existing 96 per cent to 99 per cent and induction of further FDI of about Rs 4.61 crore by foreign collaborators.
iv. Among others, government cleared proposals of Mahanagar Gas Limited, Medicamen Biotech Ltd, TutorVista Global Private Ltd, Ventura (India) Pvt Ltd, Syssmart Services LLP and Mahindra CIE Automotive Ltd.

4. Super 30 among top 3 pioneering education initiatives

i. A Japanese media group has selected Mathematician Anand Kumar’s Super 30 among three pioneering initiatives in the field of education.
ii. Apart from Anand Kumar’s Super 30, two others academic institutions, namely Japan’s educational club, which works for education to children from lower and middle classes, and France’s reading and writing club, working with a mission to arrest declining educational standards in the country, find berth as initiatives across the world by Japanese media group Asahi Shinbun.
iii. Anand Kumar himself could not go to Cambridge University to pursue higher education despite getting admission due to acute financial constraints, but the pangs of poverty intrigued him and resulted in the birth of Super 30 for children from underprivileged sections.
iv. Earlier, media from Japan, France, UK, Canada and various other countries had made films on Anand’s Super 30.

5. Union Cabinet approved hike of government stake in IFCI to 51 percent

i. The increase in government stake will be through infusion of 60 crore rupees by way of acquisition of preference shares from existing share holders. 
ii. As a result, India’s oldest financial institution IFCI will now become a government owned company.
iii. The current shareholding of Union government in IFCI after inclusion of the preference share capital was 47.93 percent. Therefore, IFCI was not a Government Company under section 2(45) of the Companies Act, 2013.
iv. IFCI was set up in 1948 and it is a statutory corporation under the Industrial Finance Corporation Act, 1948. 

6. RBI liberalised norms for Overseas Direct Investment by Indian companies

i. The liberalization of norms was part of series of amendment done by RBI from time to time in the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of any Foreign Security) (Amendment) Regulations, 2004.

ii. Liberalised norms - 
• Bank may permit creation of charge on the shares of the Joint Venture/Wholly Owned Subsidiary/Step down Subsidiary (JV/WOS/SDS) of an Indian party in favour of a domestic or overseas lender for securing funded and/or non-funded facility.

• The loan availed by the JV/WOS/SDS from the domestic/overseas lender shall be utilized only for its core business activities overseas and not for investing back in India in any manner whatsoever.
• Bank may permit creation of charge on the domestic assets of an Indian party in favour of an overseas lender for securing the funded and/or non-funded facility.
• Bank may permit creation of charge on the overseas assets (excluding the shares) of the JV/WOS/SDS of an Indian party in favour of a domestic lender for securing the funded and/or non-funded facility.

08:23 - By Unknown 0

Dhoni retires from Test cricket

Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday retired from Test cricket with immediate effect, citing strain of playing all formats, after his team lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia.

“One of India’s greatest Test Captains under whose leadership India became the No. 1 team in the Test Rankings M.S. Dhoni, has decided to retire from Test Cricket citing the strain of playing all formats of Cricket,” the BCCI said in a statement.

“M.S. Dhoni has chosen to retire from Test Cricket with immediate effect in order to concentrate on ODI and T20 formats. BCCI while respecting the decision of M S Dhoni to retire from Test Cricket, wishes to thank him for his enormous contribution to Test Cricket and the laurels that he has brought to India,” it added.

India, trailing 0-2 in the four-match series after today’s draw, would be led by Virat Kohli in the fourth and final match in Sydney.

“Virat Kohli will be the captain of the Indian Team for the Fourth and Final Test against Australia to be played in Sydney from the 6th of January 2015,” the BCCI stated.

The 33-year-old, who led India to an unprecedented two World Cup titles (2007 Twenty20 World Championships and the 2011 ODI World Cup), had been drawing flak for India’s poor run in overseas Tests.

The team had been whitewashed 0—4 in England (2011) and Australia (2011—12) under his leadership. Besides the team also suffered defeats in South Africa and New Zealand and had been beaten by England yet again this summer.

The wicketkeeper-batsman remains one of the most successful captains ever for India, having led the side to the top of ICC rankings in Tests and ODIs.

05:10 - By Unknown 0

General Awareness Quiz

1. The RBI started issuing its bi-monthly credit policy on the recommendation of..?
a)    Swaraj committee
b) Raghavan committee    
c) Bimal jalan committee  
d) Urjit patel committee    
e) K.C. Chakravarti committee


2. India's 1st Post Office Savings Bank ATM facility has been opened in which of the following places?
a) Mumbai  
b) Bangalore    
c) Delhi  
d) Kolkata    
e) Chennai

3. Which of the following Terms is not associated with banking sector ?
a) KYC  
b) RTGS  
c) NET
d) TRAI  
e) CTS

4. The oldest stock exchange of India is _______ Stock Exchange?
a) Bombay  
b)National      
c)Bangalore  
d) Hyderabad      
e) None

5. Which institution is known as 'soft loan window' of World Bank?
a) IFC  
b) IDA  
c) IMF
d) IBRD  
e) ICSID

6. "Rupay" has been developed by which organization?
a) Central Govt    
b) Central Bank
c) National payment corporation of India
d) Indian bank association
e) Indian & foreign bank association

7. What is scheduled bank?
a) Included in the 2nd schedule of banking regulation act-1934
b) Included in the 2nd schedule of banking regulation act-1949
c) Included in the 2nd schedule of RBI act-1934
d) Included in the 2nd schedule of RBI act-1949
e) Included in the 2nd schedule of Central govt act - 1952

8. In which city canara bank has opened its 7th overseas office recently ?
a) New York  
b) Tokyo    
c) Dubai
d) Beijing      
e) London

9. Non-Resident Ordinary Rupee Account (NRO Account) must be .........
1) Savings account only
2) Current account only
3) Recurring Deposit account only
4) Fixed Deposit account only
5) All above type of accounts can be opened in NRO account

10. Which of the following cities is the capital of Mali?
1) Kayes  
2) Timbuktu
3) Bamako
4) Mopti  
5) Segou

11. Which of the following is/are NOT called the types of Inflation?
(1) Cost push      
(2) Real wages      
(3) Demand pull

a. Only 1      
b. Only 2        
c.Only 3  
d.Only 1 and 2      
e. Only 2 and 3

12. Which of the following is not included in the core sectors of Indian economy?
1) Transport
2) Coal  
3) Steel
4) Cement  
5) Electricity

13. Which of the following is NOT a direct tax?
1) Income Tax
2) Sales Tax  
3) Value Added Tax
4) Excise Duty
5) Education Cess

14. 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana' (PMJDY) is the dream project of the central Government provides ......
1) At least one bank account to every house hold
2) Bank account with locker facility to keep the valuables of people
3) One bank account to every house hold and ask the bank to enroll the minor names to open the account in future
4) None of above
5) All of above

15. Vistara is the joint venture airlines of ......
1) Tata-Malaysian Airlines (SIA)
2) Tata-Singapore Airlines (SIA)
3) Tata-Australia Airlines (SIA)
4) Tata-Jet Airlines (SIA)
5) None

16. Which of the following is the name of a country?
1) Kwanza  
2) Chad
3) Krone
4) Ruble  
5) Rula


ANSWERS
1. d
2. e
3. d
4. a
5. b

6. c
7. c
8. a
9. 5
10. 3
11. b
12. 1
13. 2
14. 1
15. 2
16. 2

02:48 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 29th December 2014

1. Congress marks 130th Foundation Day

i. The Congress celebrated its 130th Foundation Day on Sunday as the party marked the occasion in a low-key manner.
ii. Party president Sonia Gandhi unfurled the party flag at its 24, Akbar Road headquarters in the presence of many senior leaders.
iii. Established in 1885, the Congress has seen its political fortunes slide this year. After facing a rout in the Lok Sabha elections, the party has lost a string of assembly elections.


2. US marks end of war in Afghanistan

i. The longest war in American history has come to a “responsible conclusion” with the withdrawal US and NATO combat forces from Afghanistan.
ii. NATO’s war in Afghanistan, fought for 13 years, came to a formal end on Sunday with a flag-lowering ceremony in Kabul that marked the transition of the fighting from US-led combat troops to the country’s own security forces.
iii. In the 13 years since US forces landed in Kabul post 9/11 to throw out Taliban out of power, some 2,200 US troops lost their lives in the war against terror in Afghanistan.
iv. From January 1, the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat mission, will be replaced by a NATO “training and support” mission.

3. Tata Coffee names Sanjiv Sarin as CEO designate

i. The board of directors of Tata Coffee Ltd. has informed Bombay Stock Exchange that it has approved the appointment of Sanjiv Sarin as the ‘CEO designate’.
ii. Tata Coffee said Mr. Sanjiv Sarin will assume charge as Managing Director and CEO of Tata Coffee Ltd. after the retirement of Hameed Huq, the current MD and CEO.
iii. Hameed Huq will retireretired on March 31, 2015 and has been with Tata Coffee for over 15 years and held the position of Managing Director since 2010.

4. AirAsia QZ8501: Indonesia plane 'at bottom of sea'

i. The missing AirAsia Indonesia flight QZ8501 is likely to be at the bottom of the sea, the head of Indonesia's search-and-rescue agency has said.

ii. The search is continuing for the aircraft, a day after it disappeared with 162 people on board, but no trace has been found so far.
iii. Based on the co-ordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea, the hypothesis is the plane is at the bottom of the sea.

5. L&T Hydrocarbon bags Rs 894 cr offshore contract from ONGC

i. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) today said it has bagged an offshore contract worth Rs 894 crore from Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for additional development of the Vasai East project.
ii. The Rs 2,500 crore project will result in incremental oil production of 1.83 million metric tonne (MMT) and incremental gas production of 1.971 billion cubic metres (BCM) by 2030.
iii.  L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering (LTHE) has bagged the contract from ONGC to improve recovery factor of Vasai East field where production started in 2008, and it is scheduled to be completed by April 2016.

6. PM chairs high-level meeting on 'Smart City' initiative

i. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has on Monday chaired a high-level meeting with Government officials on the Smart City initiative.
ii. The Prime Minister has asked the Ministry of Urban Development to convene a workshop of all central and state Urban Development Authorities at the earliest.
iii. He said one of the aims of the smart city initiative should be to improve the quality of urban governance, thereby lending greater strength to the overall governance processes of the country.

7. Black money: Over 1,000 entities under Sebi scanner


i. At least 1,000 individuals and companies have come under the Securities and Exchange Board of India's (Sebi) scanner for allegedly using stock markets to evade taxes and launder money through companies mostly existing on paper.
ii. A large number of over 1,000 entities currently under scanner - which include individuals and 'shell' companies created by them - are actually related to those already facing action by Sebi or other regulators including in some major scams that have come to the fore in the recent past.

02:32 - By Unknown 0

Delhi student tops CAT, first girl since 2009 to score 100 percentile

Delhi girl tops Common Admission test 2014 becoming the first girl since 2009 to score a 100 percentile. Neha Manglik is also the only girl among the 16 candidates who scored 100 percentile in the entrance exam for admission to India's premier Indian Institutes of Management and 70 other top B-schools in the Country.

Three boys from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay are among the 16 candidates who scored a 100 percentile in the recent Common Admission Test.

Neha, a student of chemical engineering from BITS, Pilani has completed her schooling from Ahlcon Public School, Mayur Vihar, Delhi before joining engineering. "I had worked hard for this but 100 percentile is something one can never be sure of."

Speaking about her preparation, Neha said: "I had been doing mathematics and logical puzzle thanks to my father since my school days and so my basic preparation has been done there. For the final test I have been preparing for a year."

Last year eight students had managed to score 100 percentile.

The Logical Indian community congratulates Neha and other achievers of CAT 2014

20:13 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 28th December 2014

International Affairs

1: Air Asia‬ flight with 162 people on board from Indonesia to Singapore goes missing.


2: The NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) formally ended its war in Afghanistan today, holding a low-key ceremony in Kabul after 13 years of conflict that have left the country in the grip of worsening insurgent violence.

3: US General ‎John Campbell‬, who is the commander of US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led the ceremony

4: Taliban in Pakistan has accused its Army of using them for blood game and proxy war in Jammu & Kashmir in the name of so-called freedom and also in Afghanistan.

5: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in a new video, listed the atrocities committed by the Pakistani forces including killing of millions & raping of women during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.

6: The plane, an Airbus A320-200, disappeared midway into the flight of more than two hours from the city of Surabaya. No distress call was made.

7: Croatia, European Union's newest member, held Presidential election today.

8: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is in  a three day visit to South Korea to co-chair the 8th Joint Commission meeting on Monday with her South Korean counterpart Yun Byung-se which will take stock of an entire gamut of the bilateral relationship besides focusing on ways to enhance ties in a range of areas.

9: Today she held talks with South Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Yoon Sang-jick, and discussed collaboration in vital areas like co-production of LNG tankers while making a strong pitch for the ‘Make in India’ campaign.


National Affairs

1: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has expressed concern over the increasing incidence of acid attacks on women and said a system for online monitoring of sale of acid will soon be put in place.

The system would be first launched in Delhi.
Delhi today recorded the lowest temperature in past five years with the mercury dipping to 2.6 degrees celsius, five notches below normal and dense fog affecting 55 flights and about 70 trains.

New Appointments 

BJP leader Raghubar Das was today sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Jharkhand
              

          Nilkanth Singh Munda, Chandreswar Prasad Singh, Chandraprakash Choudhary and                   Louis Marandi sworn-in as cabinet ministers in Jharkhand
           Jharkhand has a maximum limit of 12 ministers, including the Chief Minister. 

Sports

1. The BCCI has today banned discarded India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha from bowling in competitive matches due to suspect action as he will be heading to Chennai for taking corrective measures.

20:05 - By Unknown 0