Banking Awareness: RBI Changed Key Rates

Since July 2014, inflationary pressures (measured by changes in the consumer price index) have been easing. The path of inflation, while below the expected trajectory, has been consistent with the assessment of the balance of risks in the Reserve Bank’s bi-monthly monetary policy statements.

To some extent, lower than expected inflation has been enabled by the sharper than expected decline in prices of vegetables and fruits since September, ebbing price pressures in respect of cereals and the large fall in international commodity prices, particularly crude oil. Crude prices, barring geo-political shocks, are expected to remain low over the year. Weak demand conditions have also moderated inflation excluding food and fuel, especially in the reading for December. Finally, the government has reiterated its commitment to adhering to its fiscal deficit target.

These developments have provided headroom for a shift in the monetary policy stance. It may be recalled that the fifth bi-monthly monetary policy statement of December had stated that “if the current inflation momentum and changes in inflation expectations continue, and fiscal developments are encouraging, a change in the monetary policy stance is likely early next year, including outside the policy review cycle”. In its public interactions, the RBI had committed to initiate the process of monetary easing as soon as data indicated that medium term inflationary targets would be met. Keeping this commitment in mind, it has been decided to:

• Reduce the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 8.0 per cent to 7.75 per cent with immediate effect;
• Keep the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4.0 per cent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL);
• Continue to provide liquidity under overnight repos at 0.25 per cent of bank-wise NDTL at the LAF repo rate and liquidity under 7-day and 14-day term repos of up to 0.75 per cent of NDTL of the banking system through auctions; and continue with daily variable rate repos and reverse repos to smooth liquidity.
• Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 6.75 per cent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 8.75 per cent with immediate effect
• 
  

19:56 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 16th January 2015

1. Haryana picks Ramdev as brand ambassador

i. The Haryana government plans to promote yoga and ayurveda in a big way, and has appointed yoga guru Ramdev as its brand ambassador. 

ii.  Haryana's minister of sports and health Anil Vij said a herbal forest would be developed over thousands of acres of land in the state where plants of 25 thousand species of ayurvedic herbs would be grown under the supervision of the yoga guru and his close aide Balkrishna.
iii. An ayush wing was being established in all the hospitals of Haryana for which 550 doctors would have to do a refresher course under the supervision of the yoga guru.
iv. Haryana would be developed into an Ayurvedic University whereas a yogic centre of international standards would be built in Panchkula.

2. Censor Board chief Leela Samson decides to quit

i. Citing "interference, coercion and corruption of panel members and officers" appointed in the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) by the Union Information & Broadcasting Ministry, Bharatnatyam danseuse Leela Samson has quit as Censor Board chief.
ii. She put in her papers on Thursday amid reports that the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) had cleared the release of the film MSG – The Messenger of God featuring Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the lead role. 



3. Siddhartha Chatterjee appointed as CTO of Persistent Systems Ltd 

 i. Siddhartha Chatterjee was appointed as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Persistent Systems Ltd with effect will be based at the United States branch of the company.

 ii. Chatterjee is a graduate in Electronics and Electrical Communications Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. 
iii. Chatterjee has served as an Assistant and Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill from 1994 to 2001.
iv. He had also served as a post-doctoral scientist at the Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS) at Moffett Field, California from 1991 to 1994.

4. Noted RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal conferred with Giraffe Hero award 2015

i. Renowned Indian RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal was conferred with the Giraffe Hero award 2015 by a US-based NGO The Giraffe Heroes Project. ii. The award will be presented to him on 22 January 2015.

iii. Agrawal was awarded for his bravery in utilising the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 for public good despite innumerable challenges. Agrawal also holds the Guinness record of filing highest number of published letters to the editors.

5. China Food and Drug Administration approved new vaccine to treat Poliomyelitis

i.  Chinese drug regulator China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) approved a new vaccine S-IPV to treat the Poliomyelitis.
ii.  The vaccine S-IPV is known as Ai Bi Wei in China. It is manufactured by the Institute of Medical Biology of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences located in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan province.
iii. The vaccine will be given to Chinese children as part of routine disease prevention and will help the global fight against the polio virus. The World Health Organization is also considering use of this new vaccine in its global polio treatment program.

6.  RBI issued final guidelines for banks to act as Insurance brokers

i . Reserve Bank of India issued final guidelines for banks to act as insurance brokers.  Earlier, the banks were allowed to undertake insurance business as agents of insurance companies on fee basis with an aim to increase insurance penetration in the country. 
ii. The banks were allowed to look forward for participation in insurance business in accordance to Union Government’s notification in which it allowed banks to do business of insurance under Section 6(1)(o) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

7. Trade deficit of India declined to ten month low in December 2014

i. Trade deficit of India declined to ten month low of 9.43 billion US dollars in December 2014. The data was released by the Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
ii. The trade deficit in December 2014 was narrowed by 44 percent from November 2014 due to fall down of global oil prices and fall of demand for gold.
iii. Imports of India declined by 4.8 percent to 34.8 billion US dollars in December 2014 as compared to 36.6 billion US dollars in December 2013.
iii. Exports of India fell by 3.8 percent to 25.4 billion US dollars and outbound shipments were valued at 26.4 billion US dollars in December 2014.

19:51 - By Unknown 0

IBPS Calender for 2015 Out: IBPS PO and Clerical Exams in two Tiers

Hello students, IBPS calender 2015  is out. As a  big surprise, IBPS has decided to hold two-tier examinations for recruitment of PO/MTs and Clerks from CWE-V 2015 onwards.

As per the notification on IBPS website, it has been decided by the competent authority to hold two-tier examinations for recruitment of PO/MT and Clerks from CWE-V onwards. All the candidates who successfully register themselves under CWE PO/MT-V and CWE CLERK-V will be called for Preliminary Examinations. Based on the performance in the preliminary examination, certain number of candidates will be shortlisted for each of these examinations. The short listed candidates will then be called for Main Examinations.

There will be fewer number of questions in the Preliminary Examination with shorter duration. The details with regard to both the Preliminary and Main examinations will be made available on IBPS website through the detailed notifications in due course.

The marks obtained in the Preliminary examination will not be considered for preparing the final merit list and the marks obtained in the Main Examination will only be considered for short listing for
interview.

The tentative dates for CWE PO/MT-V are as follows -

Preliminary Examination 03.10.2015, 04.10.2015, 10.10.2015 &11.10.2015

Also, IBPS RRB exam will be held in September 2015 and IBPS Clerk V will be held in December 2015.

19:44 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 15th January 2015

1. PM Narendra Modi to launch 'Beti Bachao' scheme 

i. the Modi government's big bang flagship scheme will be `Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' (BBBP), which will help address the country's low child sex ratio. 
ii. The scheme will be launched by PM Narendra Modi on January 22 and will focus on a multi-sectoral approach to tackling the problem of the vanishing girl child. 
iii. The Rs 100-crore scheme is expected to be monitored by the Maneka Gandhi-headed ministry of women and child development (WCD) in coordination with the ministries of health and HRD.
iv. The Objectives - 

• To prevent genderbiased sex selection by stringent enforcement of laws, especially by strengthening the implementation of PreConception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Pro hibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 (PC&PNDT Act) with strict punishments for violations. 
• BBBP will also ensure access and availability of essential requirements related to nutrition, healthcare, education and protection and elimination of discrimination against a girl child which can lead to low self-esteem, lifelong deprivation and exclusion from the mainstream. 
• Initiatives will be taken to encourage girls to express their views and to be heard, to help them participate actively , effectively and equally at all levels of social, economic, and political leadership. 

v. Targets of the Scheme - 

• A toilet in every girls' school in 100 vulnerable districts.
• An innovation fund at state-level to encourage best practices in improving child sex ratio (CSR) and gender inequities.
• District-level awards to schools strengthening girl child education.

2. RBI Changed Key Rates 

i. In a move that brought huge cheer to the markets, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the reverse repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.75%. 
ii. The central bank kept the Cash Reserve Ratio ( CRR) unchanged at 4.0%.

iii. Reasons for the Repo Cut :

• Plunging Oil prices in the Global arena and hence in India keeping the Inflation levels in the check.
• WPI increased at the rate of a mere 0.11% as against the expected increase of 0.6%.
• Retail inflation is at 5% as against an expected 5.4%.
• Fiscal deficit target is well in reach at 4.1%. 

3. Pakistan to ban JuD and Haqqani network

i.  Pakistan plans to ban 10 terror outfits, including 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the dreaded Afghan-based Haqqani Network, a move seen by experts as a "paradigm shift" in the country's security policy in the wake of Peshawar school massacre. 
ii. The move came a day after the US declared the fugitive chief of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Mullah Fazlullah as a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist'.
iii. The UN security council designated the JuD a front for the LeT after the Mumbai attacks. Since then, the UN and US have sanctioned several JuD leaders. 

4. Naqvi gets 1-year jail term

i. Union Minister of State for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was sentenced to a one-year jail term.
ii. Naqvi and 19 others were convicted by a Rampur court for breaching prohibitory orders in the run-up to the 2009 Lok Sabha election.
iii. Judicial magistrate Manish Kumar pronounced Mr. Naqvi guilty under Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code, Section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act and Section 144 of the Cr.PC.
iv. In 2009, Section 144 was imposed in Rampur when local BJP workers staged a protest after the arrest of the BJP district president. Over 200 people were named in the charge sheet. 

5. Centre to implement biometric attendance system soon 

i. The Centre is set to implement Aadhaar-based biometric system for attendance in all government departments and state-owned entities spread across Delhi.
ii. Department of electronics & information technology (DeitY) has so far implemented Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) in 54 government locations in Delhi that requires fingerprint-based attendance for employees entering into the office premise. 
iii. We are rolling out biometrics attendance system in 394 government organizations and agencies within the Delhi region while 300 of them have actually started working on implementing it.

6. Army Day celebrated on 15 January 

i. India on 15 January 2015 observed the 67th Army Day. The day is celebrated to commemorate the day, when Lieutenant General (later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa on 15 January 1949 became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army post Independence. He had succeeded General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India.
ii. To mark the day, all three service chiefs, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Robin K Dhowan and Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha paid tributes at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate by laying floral wreath and remembering the martyred soldiers.

7. Anupam Shrivastava appointed as CMD of BSNL

i. Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved appointment of Anupam Shrivastava as CMD of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited.
ii. BSNL's Director Enterprises A N Rai is currently handling the additional charge of CMD.
iii. As Zonal Director for North Zone he is responsible for monitoring growth and maintenance of Telecom Network in 8 Circles.

8. Brett Lee retires from all forms of cricket

i. Australian pace bowler Brett Lee on Thursday announced he is to retire from all forms of cricket after a 20-year career.
ii. The 38-year-old called time on his international commitments in July 2012, but continued to play Twenty20 in both the Australian Big Bash League and the Indian Premier League.
iii. Lee played 76 Tests for Australia, taking 310 wickets, and 221 one-dayers with 380 dismissals.

19:39 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 14th January 2015

1. H.S.Brahma to be the next chief Election Commissioner of India.

i. Shri H.S. Brahma is all set to assume charge as the new Chief Election Commissioner of India.
ii. VS Sampath, Chief Election Commissioner, demits office on 15th January 2015, capping less than six years of an eventful tenure.


iii. Veeravalli Sundaram Sampath, turns 65 tomorrow, the upper age limit under the Constitution for holding the post.
iv. H.S.Brahma will be the 19th Chief Election Commissioner of India, He was the other election Commissioner along with Ahmed Zaidi in the outgoing Sampath regime.
v. H.S. Brahma, retired Indian Administrative Service officer of Andhra Pradesh State cadre (1975 Batch) assumed charge as Election Commissioner of India on 25th August, 2010. 

2. DRDO chief Avinash Chander removed

i.  The Modi government removed Avinash Chander, chief of top defence research organisation DRDO, 15 months before his contract was supposed to end.
ii. Chander was also the scientific advisor to the defence minister.
iii. Chander joined DRDO in 1972 after completing graduation in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. Chander is the chief architect of Agni series of ballistic missile systems.
iv. The action could have been taken against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment that the 'laid back' attitude in the DRDO will not be tolerated. 

3. PVR set to acquire movie exhibition company SPI Cinemas

i. The Ajay Bijli led PVR group is set to acquire Chennai's premier movie exhibition company SPI Cinemas, popularly known as Sathyam Cinemas. 
ii. This could end up to be the biggest deal in India's multiplex sector. the deal may close for a rather steep valuation of approximately Rs 750-1,000 crore for just 40 odd screens, located predominantly in the Southern metro.
iii. last month Carnival Cinemas paid a little over Rs 700 crore to buy out Anil Ambani's Big Cinemas that has 242 screens across the country. 

4. Union Ministry of Health proposed COTPA (Amendment) Bill 2015

i. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 13 January 2015 proposed the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Amendment) Bill 2015 (COTPA).
ii. The bill seeks to amend some provisions of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003.
iii. Provisions of the COTPA (Amendment) Bill 2015
• The bill proposes to ban on-site advertising of tobacco products and shops selling cigarettes and other tobacco products will no longer be able to display the brand names.
• It proposed scrapping of designated smoking areas from hotels, restaurants and airports making an exception only for international airports to prevent exposure of non-smokers to harmful emissions.
• The penalty for smoking in restricted areas has been raised from 200 to 1000 rupees.

5. Bharatiya Mahila Bank inks pact with Lakme Salons to fund franchisees 

i. Bharatiya Mahila Bank today inked an agreement with HUL arm Lakme Salons to bring easy financing options to fuel women entrepreneurship. 
ii. This partnership would help encourage more women to become Lakme Salon's business partners. 
iii. Mahila Bank has opened the 40th branch and will close the fiscal with 40 more. 
iv. The loan book of the bank currently stands at Rs 400 crore and has plans to close the fiscal with Rs 800 crore and deposit books to Rs 1,000 crore from the present Rs 600 crore. 

6. Canara Bank bags 3 MSME awards 

i. Canara Bank has bagged three awards at the annual flagship event "MSME Banking Excellence Awards-2014" organised by Chamber of Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (CIMSME). 
ii. Canara Bank has been adjudged as the "Best Bank Award-Winner" among other awards.
iii. The awards were presented by Union Minister for MSME Kalraj Mishra on the occasion.

7. Infosys CEO dedicates $250 million to innovate in India

i. Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and disclosed that his company will spend USD 250 million (over Rs 1,500 crore) to fund innovations in software and services in India.
ii. Infosys will develop software for managing the kumbh mela scheduled in Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) in 2016.

iii. The chief of India’s second largest IT services firm also discussed with Modi ways in which the company can participate in the Prime Minister’s vision of smart and digitally empowered India.
iv. Infosys formed USD 500 million Innovation Fund. Of this, Rs. 1,500 crore, will be dedicated to just innovation in India. 

8. India will catch up with China’s growth rate in 2016-17: World Bank

i.  The World Bank has said that India would catch up with China’s growth in the year 2016-17.
ii. The World Bank in its report also forecast a growth rate of seven per cent each in the fiscal year 2016 and 2017 as against China’s 7 per cent and 6. 9 per cent respectively.
iii. Regional growth is projected to rise to 6.8 per cent by 2017, as reforms ease supply constraints in India, political tensions subside in Pakistan, remittances remain robust in Bangladesh and Nepal, and demand for the region’s exports firms

19:32 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 13th January 2015

1. AS Kiran Kumar appointed as new ISRO chief

i. AS Kiran Kumar on Monday was appointed as the new Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief.
ii. He was the director of Satellite Application Centre and joined ISRO in 1975.He was also behind the success of India's Mars Orbiter Mission which entered the Martian orbit on September 24.

iii. Kumar has contributed to the design and development of Electro-Optical Imaging Sensors for Airborne, LEO and GEO platform based imaging sensors starting from Bhaskara TV payload to the latest TMC adHySI payloads for Chandrayaan-1 missions.

2. Raghuram Rajan named Governor of the Year in Central Banking Awards 2015

i. Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan has won "Governor of the Year" in the Central Banking Awards for 2015 on Monday. 
ii. Jacques de Larosiere winning the Lifetime Achievement Award after a lengthy struggle for monetary order while Claudio Borio, head of the monetary and economic department at the Bank for International Settlements, was handed the inaugural award for Economics in Central Banking, designed to recognise significant contributions to the field. 
iii. This is a recognition of the part the Reserve Bank of India and its staff have been playing in bringing macroeconomic stability to the Indian economy.

3. Retail inflation up at 5% in Dec on higher food prices

i. Retail inflation moved up marginally to 5 percent in December as prices of some food items, including fruits and vegetables, increased.
ii. In November, retail inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was at 4.38 percent, the lowest level since government started computing the new series of data in January 2012.
iii. The consumer inflation rose to 5.32 percent in urban India and 4.71 percent in rural area during December.
iv. RBI was planning to ease the interest rates in the next revision riding on a lower inflation rate.
v. RBI is scheduled to announce its sixth bi-monthly monetary policy on 3rd February. 

4. India’s Mars Orbiter team wins US award

i. India’s Mars Orbiter programme team has won the 2015 Space Pioneer Award in the science and engineering category from the US based National Space Society (NSS).
ii. This award will be presented to an ISRO representative during the National Space Society’s 2015 International Space Development Conference, the 34th ISDC, to be held in Toronto, Canada.

iii. Note - India’s Mars Orbiter launched on Nov 5, 2013 that went into Mars orbit on Sep 24, 2014 achieved two significant mission firsts in terms of an Indian spacecraft that has gone into orbit around Mars on the very first try and that no other country has ever done this. Secondly, the spacecraft is in an elliptical orbit with a high apoapsis, and has a high resolution camera which is taking full-disk colour imagery of Mars.
iv. The Mars Orbiter programme team located in Bangalore is headed by Mylswamy Annadurai.

5. Zomato acquires U.S. firm

i. Indian restaurant search services provider Zomato acquired U.S.-based rival Urbanspoon for about $50 million in one of the biggest overseas deals by an Indian startup.
ii. Company is said to be in talks to raise about $100 million in fresh funding.
iii. The acquisition of Urbanspoon, which marks Zomato's entry into the United States, Canada and Australia, will result in its presence in 22 countries, covering more than one million restaurants.
iv. Founded in 2008, Zomato is currently valued at around $660 million.

6. Deepak Parekh appointed as Chairman of BAE Systems India (Services) Private Limited

i. Deepak Parekh appointed as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of BAE Systems India (Services) Private Limited with effect from 1 January 2015.
ii. Parekh was appointed as a member of the BAE Systems’s Independent Advisory Board for India association in 2010.
iii. Indian Government honoured Parekh’s performance with the Padma Bhushan in 2006.

7. Australia launched Online Visa Pilot Programme for Indian business and tourism visitors

i. Australia launched Online Visa Pilot Programme to make it easier for Indian business and tourism visitors to apply online visa for travelling Australia.
ii. It covers online lodgement of subclass 600 visas for Indian business and tourism visitors. It will be rolled out through selected travel agents across India.
iii.  India has the potential to contribute between 1.9 billion US dollars and 2.3 billion US dollars annually to tourism industry by 2020. 

8. Cristiano Ronaldo retains the Ballon d’Or

i. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the second year in a row and the third time in his career, ahead of Argentinean Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer of Germany.

ii. Joachim Low’s feat in guiding Germany to the 2014 FIFA World Cup earned him the Coach-of-the-Year award.
iii. Colombian James Rodriguez won the Puskas Award for the goal of the year.
iv. Contributing to Ronaldo’s win were 37.66% of the votes coming from 181 of the national team coaches, 182 of the national team captains, and 181 of the media representatives who voted. 
v. Messi was second with 15.76% and Neuer, third with 15.72%. 

08:46 - By Unknown 0

Banking Awareness: A summary on NEFT, RTGS & IMPS

National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT)

• Meaning – It is way in which you can transfer fund from any bank account to any other bank account holder in India. NEFT is based on batch processing system.
• Minimum amount – Rs. 1
• Maximum amount – There is no upper ceiling for transferring money through NEFT, but generally RTGS is used for transfer of Rs 2,00,000 or above
• Time limit – The transactions are processed in hourly batches. There are twelve settlements from 8 A.M. to 7 P.M. on the weekdays (Monday – Friday) and six settlements from 8 A.M. to 1 P.M. on Saturday. The maximum time consumed is 2 hours from the submitting of the transaction in a batch.
• Availability – NEFT is not available on the bank holidays, RBI holiday and Sunday.

Note - For transferring funds to Nepal, the limit is of Rs. 50, 000.


Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)

• Meaning – It is way in which you can transfer fund from any bank account to any other bank account holder in India in real time.
• Minimum amount – Rs 2,00,000
• Maximum amount – No limit
• Time limit – The transactions are processed on order basis i.e. Real time. The RTGS service is available from 8 A.M to 8 P.M. on the weekdays (Monday – Friday) and from 8 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. on Saturday. The transfer is instant but the bank is allowed to take up to 2 hours for crediting the amount to the depositor account.
• Availability – RTGS is not available on the bank holidays, RBI holiday and Sunday.

Inter Mobile Payment Service (IMPS)

• Meaning – It is way in which you can transfer fund from any bank account to any other bank account holder in India anytime.
• Minimum amount – Rs 1
• Maximum amount – Banks are allowed to set their own limit for IMPS.
• Time limit – It is real time. The depositor account is credited in less than 1 minute from the submission of transaction.
• Availability – IMPS can be done 24X7 even on bank holidays, RBI holiday and Sunday

08:39 - By Unknown 0

Current Affairs Quiz

1. India and which of the following countries have called for freedom of navigation in the South China
Sea recently?
1) China
2) Japan
3) Vietnam
4) Laos
5) Philippines


2. The Prime Minister launched 'Swavalamban Abhiyan', a new pro-poor initiative of the Government of?
1) Maharashtra
2) Gujarat
3) Rajasthan
4) Madhya Pradesh
5) Chhattisgarh

3. Who inaugurated the Nalanda University in Bihar in September 2014?
1) Sushma Swaraj
2) Narendra Modi
3) Smriti Irani
4) Pranab Mukherjee
5) Hamid Ansari

4. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2014. He is the?
1) President of Israel
2) Prime Minister of Israel
3) President of Syria
4) Prime Minister of Syria
5) None of these

5. Yudh Abhyas 2014 is a combined military training exercise of India and?
1) Nepal
2) Singapore
3) Malaysia
4) USA
5) France

6. Which of the following declared 2014 as the Year of the Commando?
1) CRPF
2) NSG
3) BSF
4) ITBP
5) RAF

7. The Maulana Azad National Academy for Skills (MANAS) is being set up with its headquarters in?
1) New Delhi
2) Mumbai
3) Hyderabad
4) Pune
5) Lucknow

8. Nadir Patel has been appointed as which country's new High Commissioner to India?
1) UK
2) New Zealand
3) Canada
4) South Africa
5) None of these

9. Who replaced Arvind Mayaram as the new Finance Secretary?
1) Shaktikanta Das
2) G.S. Sandhu
3) Arvind Ranjan
4) Rajiv Mehrishi
5) None of these

10. Which of the following general insurance companies will provide an accident insurance cover of up to Rs. 1 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana?
1) Bajaj Allianz
2) ICICI Lombard
3) IFFCO-Tokio
4) Reliance
5) HDFC Ergo



ANSWERS
1. 3
2. 2
3. 1
4. 2
5. 4

6. 2
7. 1
8. 3
9. 4
10. 5

08:31 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 12th January 2015

1. NRIs can vote through postal ballots

i. Centre gave their nod to the proposal prepared by a 12-member committee led by Vinod Zutshi, Deputy Election Commissioner, for ‘Exploring Feasibility of Alternative Options for Voting by Overseas Electors’.


ii. The Centre told the Supreme Court that the EC’s recommendation to extend voting rights to NRIs through postal ballots have been accepted in letter and spirit.
iii. Chief Justice H L Dattu and A K Sikri asked the Centre to inform it about “further steps taken to implement the suggestions.”
iv. The poll panel had contended that the move to allow NRIs to use proxy voting on the lines of defence personnel and e-ballot facility will require changes in the law and a legislative framework.

2. Golden Globe Awards announced 

i. the 72nd Golden Globe Awards announced in Beverly Hills, California 
ii. Coming of age tale "Boyhood" won the coveted Golden Globe for best drama on Sunday.
iii. while the quirky period caper "The Grand Budapest Hotel" was the surprise winner for best comedy or musical, in a big upset to awards season front-runner "Birdman."

List of award winners - 

• Best Motion Picture-Drama: Boyhood
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture- Drama: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
• Best Actress in a Motion Picture-Drama: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
• Best Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical: The Grand Budapest Hotel 
• Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical: Amy Adams, Big Eyes
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical: Michael Keaton, Birdman
• Best Animated Film: How To Train Your Dragon 2
• Best Foreign Language Film: Leviathan (Russia)
• Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
• Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
• Best Director-Motion Picture: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
• Best Screenplay: Birdman
• Best Original Score - Motion Picture: Johann Johannsson, The Theory of Everything
• Best Original Song - Motion Picture: John Legend and Common, "Glory," Selma

3. Govt to sell stake in PSUs

i. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the divestment programme would be pursued on priority and involve more than one PSU during this period.
ii. There are reports that the government is looking to sell 10 per cent stake in Coal India to raise Rs 24,000 crore.
iii. The government has realised Rs 1,715 crore from disinvestment proceeds so far in the current fiscal 2014-15.
iv. Government have set a target of Rs 43,425 crore from sale of its shares in listed companies.

4. Microsoft ties up with Idea for paid apps, games

i. Handset maker Microsoft Devices has partnered with Idea Cellular to help subscribers of the telecom services firm pay for apps as part of monthly bills. 

ii. Idea users will be able to purchase premium apps and games from the Windows Store on Microsoft Lumia as well as other Windows-based smartphones and pay for them through integrated billing. 
iii. The smartphone market in India is poised to grow over 70 per cent this fiscal and the app ecosystem is also booming. 
iv. The Windows Store, competes with Google's Play Store and Apple's App store besides other smaller platforms. 

5. National Youth Day observed across India on 12 January

i. The day is observed annually to mark the birth anniversary of social reformer, philosopher and thinker Swami Vivekananda.
ii. This is the 152nd birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
iii. The Union Government in 1984 had declared that 12 January, the birthday of Swami Vivekananda will be observed as the National Youth Day. 

iv. Swami Vivekananda's lectures and writings are a source of inspiration for youth and have motivated numerous youth organisation.
v. His writings derive their inspiration from Indian spiritual tradition and the broad outlook of his Master Sri Ramakrishna.
vi. All his teachings can be found in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, in nine volumes, published by Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata.
vii. He is best known for his inspiring speech at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893 in which he introduced Hinduism, his words began with words, Sisters and brothers of America.

6. SDSC-SHAR director MYS Prasad chosen for Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Award 2015

i. The director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota Range (SHAR) MYS Prasad was on 10 January 2015 selected for the Vikram Sarabhai memorial award 2015. 
ii. The award will be presented to MYS Prasad by the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA).
iii. Prasad was selected for his outstanding contribution to Research and Development in the field of space science in his long career at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).  
iv. The Vikram Sarabhai memorial award was instituted by the Indian Science Congress Association in 1997-98. The award carries a Gold Medal and is given in every alternate years. 

7. EC announces Delhi Assembly poll dates; voting on Feb 7, counting on Feb 10

i. Voting for Delhi Assembly Elections 2015 would be held in a single phase on February 7 with the counting of votes scheduled for February 10,Delhi has 70 Assembly seats.
ii. The total electorate of Delhi is 1.3 crore and the total number of total stations are 11763. Model Code of Conduct has come into force from today.

iii. Last time Arvind Kejriwal challenged Modi - in the Lok Sabha polls - the people of Varanasi had left him humbled.
iv. The Congress forms the third axis of politics in Delhi but given the party's weak performance in successive Assembly polls after the Lok Sabha poll defeat, the battle is essentially between the BJP and the AAP.
v. The EC appears to have taken care while finalising the dates so as to ensure that it does not come in the way of school annual examinations, including those conducted by the CBSE that usually start early March.
vi. In 2013, the BJP had emerged as the single largest party with 31 MLAs, followed by AAP which got 28 MLAs.

8. Stan Wawrinka wins Chennai Open

i. Stan Wawrinka's notched a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory over Slovenian qualifier Aljaz Bedene to win the Chennai Open.
ii. It was the second consecutive title victory at Chennai and third overall for the top-seeded player, who did not drop a set in the tournament.
iii. It was the third time the two players met at the Chennai Open with Bedene winning their quarterfinal match in 2013 and Wawrinka prevailing at the same stage last year.

08:29 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 11th January 2015

1. Vibrant Gujarat: PM Narendra Modi promises to make India easiest place to do business 
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today promised to make India the "easiest" destination to do business with a stable tax regime and a predictable, transparent and fair policy environment. 

ii. he said a single window clearance for projects is being set up at both central and state level. 
iii. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), India would be the only country among world's top economies which would increase its pace of growth this year.
iv. Recent initiatives towards a favourable enviornment is - 
FDI in construction has been liberalised, 100 per cent foreign investment has been allowed in railways, the defence sector has been opened for FDI up to 49 per cent and a similar level in the insurance sector. 

2. Investers Boom in Gujrat

i. Reliance will invest Rs.1,00,000 crore in Gujarat across its businesses, including the Gujarat petrochemical complex, in the next 18 months.
ii. As part of the investment programme, RIL will partner with thousands of small businesses and Gujarati entrepreneurs to create virtuous cycle of prosperity, Mr. Ambani said.
iii. Kumarmangalam Birla said the diversified Aditya Birla Group will invest Rs. 20,000 crore over a period of time in the state to ramp up capacities across various existing facilities.
iv. On the anvil are brownfield expansions at our cement plant in Sevagram, the VSF plants in Vilayat and Bharuch, and along with that, expansion in metal plants (among others) here.

3. World Bank projects 6.4% economic growth in India in 2015

i. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said that the Indian economy is likely to grow at 6.4 per cent in 2015 and accelerate further in the next year.
ii. After slowing to sub-five per cent growth in the previous two financial years, the economy has started showing signs of pick-up as it expanded by 5.7 per cent and 5.3 per cent in the second and third quarter of 2015.
iii. Mr. Jim said, he was “very encouraged” by the recent proposal of a Constitution amendment bill for Goods and Services Tax.
iv. GST will create one common market and substantial saving for companies on logistics, especially if the structure of the GST is uniform.

4. Facebook is the leader of social media

i. The findings of a survey by a US-based global think tank Pew Research Centre that involved 1,597 internet users revealed that 71 per cent of US adults were hooked to Facebook in 2014.
ii. The figure up significantly from 63 percent in 2013, Forbes magazine reported.
iii. For micro-blogging site Twitter, the percentage of users logging in daily decreased from 46 percent in 2013 to 36 percent last year.

5. SunEdison inks pact with Omnigrid

i. SunEdison and Omnigrid Micropower Company (OMC), which is engaged in building small-scale power plants with renewable sources have entered into an agreement to develop 5,000 rural projects, representing 250 MW of electricity, throughout India over the next three to five years.
ii. SunEdison and OMC have an offering that can help telecommunication organisations meet their regulatory requirements and provide energy to local communities.
iii. SunEdison is currently building 60 mini grids across India - this initiative will further accelerate our efforts towards the Prime Minister's Energy Vision of making electricity available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

6. Federer notches 1,000th match win, claims Brisbane title

i. Roger Federer notched his 1,000th career victory and collected his 83rd title with a seesawing 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-4 win over third-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada in the Brisbane International final.

ii. The 17-time major winner broke Raonic’s serve in the third game and again in the opening game of the second set before Raonic broke back for 2-2 and then dominated the tiebreaker.
iii. Only retired greats Jimmy Connors (1,253) and Ivan Lendl (1,071) have won more than 1,000 matches on the men’s tour.

08:20 - By Unknown 0

NICL Assistants Recruitment 2015 Online Application Link Activated

NICL Assistants Recruitment 2015 Online Application Link Activated

Friends, the National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL) has activated the Online Application link for its Assistants recruitment for the year 2015. As you know, on 2nd January 2015 the NICL has

released a recruitment notification for 1000 Assistants posts. Today it has activated the online application link for the same. Graduation pass or Pass in HSC/Equivalent (XII pass) is minimum qualification to apply.  You can apply online from today (i.e., 12th January 2015 to 31st January 2015. Check complete details below. All the Best.

Name of the Organization : National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL)

Name of the Post : Assistants

Total Posts :1000 (you can check the state wise and category wise vacancy details in Page No. 6 of the Recruitment Notification)


Important Dates :

• Online Registration Starts from : 12th January 2015 
• Last date of Online Registration : 31st January 2015  
• Payment of Application Fees - Online 12th January 2015 to 31st January 2015 
• Online Examination (Tentative) : April 2015 (Various dates) 
• Download of Call Letters for Examination : 10 days prior to the date of examination

Eligibility Criteria :

• Age (as on 30.11.2014) : 
• Minimum Age : 18 years
• Maximum Age : 28 years

Education Qualifications :

1. Graduate from a recognized University OR 
2. Pass in HSC/Equivalent (XII pass) examination with 60% marks

Application Fee :

• Rs. 50/- for SC/ST/PWD/EX-SER
• Rs.500/- Other than SC/ST/PWD/EX-SER 

Click Here To Apply Online

23:01 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 10th January 2015

1. John Kerry Heads for India to Attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit

i. US Secretary of State John Kerry headed for India to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit during which he will address investors to boost economic ties and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss a broad range of bilateral and global issues, including climate change.
ii. "The Secretary would be emphasising the importance and future potential of our economic partnership with India, State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told PTI.


2. Sindhushree Khullar appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog

i. Senior bureaucrat Sindhushree Khullar appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog with effect from 1 January 2015. She will serve the position for one year.
ii. She is 1975-batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service’s (IAS) Union Territories cadre. In March 2013, she was appointed as Secretary of the Planning Commission on contract basis for two years. 
iii. Noted Economist Arvind Panagariya was appointed as the Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog. Economist Bibek Debroy and former DRDO chief V K Saraswat were appointed as full-time members of NITI Aayog.

3. Rajiv Mehta appointed new DGP of Meghalaya

i. Senior IPS officer Rajiv Mehta has been appointed as the new Director General of Police in Meghalaya.
ii. He is currently serving as the Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Delhi.
iii. Mr. Mehta replaces P.J.P. Hanaman who retired on December 31 and will take charge from acting DGP S.K. Jain.

4. Sirisena's first overseas visit will be to India

i. Sri Lanka's newly-elected President Maithripala Sirisena will make his first State visit overseas to India.
ii. 'Mr. Modi invited our President to come to India first. He proposes to go next month," said Rajitha Senaratne, senior politician and spokesman of Mr. Sirisena.

5. UN to Host New Libya Peace Talks in Geneva Next Week

i. The United Nations said that it would host a new round of peace talks between Libya's warring factions in Geneva next week.
ii. The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement that its head "Bernardino Leon" had proposed a freeze in military operations for a few days "in order to create a conducive environment for the dialogue".

6. Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari presented Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2015

i. Mohammad Hamid Ansari on 9 January 2015 presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2015 to sixteen personalities. The awards were presented during the occasion of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
ii. Apart from fifteen awardees, Senator Liza Singh from Australia also received the award as he could not accept the award in 2014

NOTE: About the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards
a. The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award was constituted by the Union Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to honour the contributions of Non-Resident Indians in their respective profession. The award is given by the President of India.
b. Organized annually since 2003, the award is presented to a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Person of Indian Origin or an organization established and run by the NRIs.

7. SpaceX Launches for NASA, Aims for Rocket Landing at Sea

i. A SpaceX rocket has blasted off with supplies for the International Space Station.
ii. The unmanned Falcon rocket soared into a clear pre-dawn sky at Cape Canaveral, Florid
iii. The primary mission for SpaceX is delivering more than 5,000 pounds (2,300 kilograms) of food, experiments and other items ordered up by NASA.

08:34 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 9th January 2015

1. Mahinda Rajapaksa concedes defeat to opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena 

i. Sri Lanka's long-time leader Mahinda Rajapaksa has been defeated in the presidential election.
ii. Official results showed Maithripala Sirisena, a former ally of the incumbent, had won 51.3% of the vote.
iii. Sirisena met the next Prime Minister Ranil Vickramaisnghe at the Independence Square, Colombo to discuss the future course of action.
iv. Less than two months ago, when the president called snap elections, this outcome was unimaginable. There was no big opposition candidate in sight.
v. Then suddenly Mr Sirisena, then the health minister, switched sides, propped up by heavyweight politicians and later supported by many minority groups.

2. SEBI proposes e-IPO norms(Electronic-Initial public offer)

i. Investors can bid for shares through Internet and eventually on mobiles, while already listed PSUs will be provided a 'fast-track' route for share sales to meet the disinvestment targets.
ii. For already listed companies ,Sebi has proposed a fast-track route for raising of funds through FPOs (Follow-on Public Offers) or Rights Offers (where funds can be raised from existing shareholders).

iii. The fast-track route of raising capital has been proposed for companies having public shareholding market valuation of as low as Rs 250 crore, as against Rs 3,000 crore currently.
iv. Currently, applications for IPOs can be uploaded on a real-time basis only through ASBA (Application Supported by Blocked Amount). Only self-certified syndicate banks are authorised to manage it.
v. With regard to fast-track issuances of Follow on Public Offer (FPO) and rights issue, Sebi proposed that route can be extended to companies having an average market capitalisation of between Rs 250 crore to Rs 3,000 crore.

3. Qantas rated as ‘World’s Safest Airline for 2015′

i. AirlineRatings.com, safety and product rating website, has announced its top ten safest airlines and top ten safest low cost airlines for 2015 from the 449 it monitors.
ii. Top of the list again is Qantas which has a fatality free record in the jet era.
iii. Making up the remainder of the top ten in alphabetical order are: Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific Airways, British Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Finnair, Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines.
iv. Over its 94-year history Qantas has amassed an extraordinary record of firsts in safety and operations and is now accepted as the world’s most experienced airline.

4. Google CEO Larry Page emerges as 'business person of the year' for 2014

i. Larry Page, Google's CEO has emerged as the 'business person of the year' for 2014, edging past the likes of Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, according to Fortune magazine.
ii. Amazon's Jeff Bezos, who led Fortune list in 2012, failed to make in to the top 20 list.
iii. The list is based on various parameters like financial results of the company including 12-month and three year growth in profits and revenues, company's stock performance and total shareholder returns over the same periods.

5. KKR partners GIC to set up India real estate lending company

i. KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co), American multinational private equity firm, had set up a non-banking financial company in the country for lending to the real estate sector, with an investment from Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC.

ii. Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, which has shown interest in the realty segment in the recent past, will also invest in the newly formed company.

6. Governor’s rule imposed in Jammu and Kashmir

i. Centre has imposed Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir on 9 January 2015, accepting the state's Governor N.N. Vohra's recommendations.


ii. Mr. Vohra sent a report to the President after Omar Abdullah asked him to relieve him as caretaker Chief Minister.
iii. More than a fortnight after the results of the Assembly elections have been out, neither PDP which emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats nor BJP with 25 could get the magic figure of 44 to stake claim to form a government in the 87-member House. NC has 15 MLAs while the Congress 12.

7. Vaccine Raksha Blu for bluetongue disease launched

i. To counter the deadly bluetongue disease, Raksha Blu vaccine was launched on 8 January 2015 by Gachibowli facility of Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) in Hyderabad, Telangana.
ii. The vaccine was launched with an aim to minimise the economic loss of the animal farming community that occurs due to bluetongue disease.
iii. The vaccine has been developed to protect the animals against five strains of the ‘bluetongue’ virus prevalent in the country. Per dose of the vaccine will be available for farmers at an expense of 5 rupees.
NOTE: The vaccine is the result of collaborative efforts of IIL, TANUVAS (Tamil Nadu University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences) and ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research). The vaccine was developed in three years.

8. Tatas’ Vistara starts flying
i. Marking Tatas’ re-entry into the Indian aviation space after over six decades, new airline Vistara on Friday flew its first flight, and said its aim will be to “do it right” without making a big splash.
ii. Tatas hold a majority 51 per cent stake in Vistara — a joint venture with Singapore Airlines, which holds the remaining 49 per cent.

iii. The first Vistara flight flew from Delhi to Mumbai today — over six decades after Tata Airlines was rechristened as Air India, and eventually nationalised in 1950s.

08:29 - By Unknown 0

Daily GK Update - 8th January 2015

1. 12 dead in shooting at French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in Paris 

i. Twelve people, 10 journalists and two policemen, have been killed, and 10 others wounded in the shooting massacre at the Paris headquarters of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
ii. Hollande confirmed the deaths, and said that at least 40 were “saved.” 
iii. The numbers of victims is likely to rise, the French president added. Flags across France have been lowered in mourning for victims of the attack.
iv. Charlie Hebdo (Charlie Weekly) is a controversial French satirical newspaper that came under attack over the publication of caricatures of Muslim leaders and the Prophet Mohammed in 2011.
v.  The attack in the newspaper offices is the worst militant attack in recent decades in France, which has a five-million-strong Muslim population.

2. PM inaugurates 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Sammelan

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
ii. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Dandi Kutir- a unique exhibition on father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi depicting various stages of his life and work at Salt mount near Mahatma Mandir. 

iii. India will be building a monument in Guyana dedicated to the arrival of Indian indentured labourers in the country, Guyanese president Donald Ramotar is the chief guest at the event.
iv.About Bhartiya Pravasi Divas - India has been holding PBD for 12 years now to coincide with the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi back to India from South Africa in order to acknowledge the contribution of the Indian diaspora to the development of the country. 
v. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the young barrister Gandhi, who eventually went on to lead the country to independence. 

3. PIO, OCI schemes merged,Coins and stamps released at PBD.

i. The Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) schemes have been merged to ensure one type of facilities and also grant exemption from weekly police reporting.
ii. Mr. Modi said the visa-on-arrival facility has been made available to NRIs in 43 countries. In addition, the facility of Electronic Travel Authorization (e-Visa) has also been introduced to save time.
iii. In order to spread knowledge about India among young NRIs, Mr. Modi proposed that an online quiz contest as part of future PBDs.
iv. At the occasion, two stamps of Rs. 25 and Rs. 5 and two coins of Rs. 100 and Rs. 10 denominations were released in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi.

4. ICCI Bank launched Contactless credit and Debit cards

i. ICICI Bank on 7 January 2015 launched contactless credit cards and debits cards called Coral Contactless Credit Card and Expressions Wave Debit Card respectively.
ii. These cards will enable customers to make electronic payments by waving the cards near a merchant terminal instead of dipping or swiping the cards.

iii. These cards are powered by MasterCard contactless and Visa payWave technologies.
iv. The key advantage of these two cards is speed and security. 
The speed of transactions will add momentum to high value payments and the level of security is higher since the card doesn’t leave the customer during the transaction process.

5. Atul Khare appointed as the UN Under-Secretary-General

i. Atul Khare was on 7 January 2015 appointed as the United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General, Department of Field Support (DFS). He will succeed Ameerah Haq of Bangladesh.
ii. His appointed was announced by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Khare is currently providing charitable medical advice in India.
iii. Khare joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1984 and has served Indian diplomatic missions in France, Mauritius, Senegal, Thailand and the United Kingdom. 

6. New Jersey to host international conference on Hindi in April

i. The International Hindi Conference with the theme of "Expanding World of Hindi: Possibilities and Challenges," would be held in New Jersey in April.
ii. To be attended by Hindi scholars from various parts of the world, in particular from the US and India between April 3-5, participants of the International Hindi Conference would discuss the current status of the teaching and learning of Hindi among other things. 
iii. This conference will provide a forum for community members and leaders, language experts, policy makers, education administrators, advocates and other stakeholders from different parts of the US, Canada, South America and Caribbean countries, such as, Trinidad and Tobago along with experts from India to get together and share their views and research, examine a wide spectrum of opportunities, make plans for the future.

7. Gujarat govt announces industrial policy for 2015

i. The Gujarat government on Thursday announced its new industrial policy for 2015 aimed at making the state a global manufacturing hub, ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit set to begin from 11th January.
ii.  it would play a pivotal role in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' dream and make Gujarat a global manufacturing hub, said an official release issued in Ahmedabad.
iii. Key focus areas of this policy include infrastructure development, simplification of labour laws and motivation of new innovations through technology transfer. 
iv. Industries like auto components, engineering, drugs, cement and chemicals are flourish in Gujarat. Now, we wish to boost value addition in these existing resources.

08:24 - By Unknown 0