May 1-2, 2014

head this SIT? MB Shah, former

judge(Constitution of this SIT was
ordered by the apex court a day
after Centre relented and disclosed
names

of

18

people

it

was

investigating for tax evasion to the

1) The Expert Committee to help

Supreme Court. The Centre had on

develop

growth

30 April disclosed names of 18

strategy for India presented its

persons who had stashed black

report to the Union Govt. on 1 May

money

2014. Who is heading this 26-

Liechtenstein. This was done as per

member

information

low-carbon

committee?

Dr.

Kirit

in

LGT
furnished

Bank
by

in
the

Parikh, former member of Planning

German government to India in

Commission (This committee was

2009)

constituted in January 2010 by

Prime Manmohan Singh to suggest
a

national

low-carbon

growth

strategy for India)

3) A woman was killed and at least

18 others were injured in twin blasts
in an express train stationed at

Page

2 CURRENT AFFAIRS

Chennai Central railway station on

2) The Supreme Court on 1 May

1 May 2014. Which train was this?

2014 reconstituted a panel (Special

Bangalore-Guwahati

Investigation

to

Express (Train No. 12509) The

monitor the Union governments

explosions were reported shortly

probe on black money. Who will

after the train pulled into platform

Team

SIT)

Superfast

no. 9 at the railway station. The

5) Which Afro-Arabian country on 1

blasts damaged three coaches (S3,

May 2014 adopted a landmark new

S4 and S5). A multi-agency probe

electoral law, which requires party

was launched to investigate the

lists for legislative elections to be

source and nature of the bombs.

half women and half men?

Tunisia (The newly adopted law

4) According to the latest data

released by World Bank Groups
International Comparison Program
(ICP),

India

became

the

third

largest economy in the world. This

was a rapid climb for India as it was
ranked at 10th spot in 2005.
However, this ICP study was not
based on evaluation of actual GDPs
of countries. On which basis was

also

allows

members

of

the

authoritarian regime ousted in 2011

to run for office. The law paves the
way for general elections later this
year. Tunisias path to democracy
has been rocky but is seen as a
model for other countries, after
street protests overthrew a dictator
and unleashed uprisings across the
region known as the Arab Spring)

this ranking done by ICP? On

Page

3 CURRENT AFFAIRS

Purchasing

Power

6) Which university is the only

PPP (The GDP of various countries

Indian university from India to have

was evaluated on PPP and it was

been listed among the top 100

evaluated

purchasing

young universities in the world for

power parities -based world GDP

2014 in the recently released study

amounted to $90,647 billion)

by London-based Times Higher

that

the

Parity

Education
Institute

Magazine?
of

Indian

Technology,

Guwahati(The magazine mentions

IIT Guwahati at 87th place, marking

7) Who was recently appointed as

Indias debut on the rankings. It is

the new Vice Chancellor of Delhi-

placed

New

based Jamia Milia Islamia? Prof.

the

Talat Ahmad (Prof. Talat Ahmad

University of Western Sydney. IIT

was appointed by President Pranab

Guwahati campus came up in 1994.

Mukherjee. This post had been

JNU, however, missed the bus by a

vacant since former Jamia vice-

small margin, with IIT Guwahati

chancellor Najeeb Jung was made

beating it on the strength of its

Delhis Lieutenant Governor. Till

citation record. For the third year in

now Ahmad was Vice-Chancellor of

a row, the ranking was headed by

University of Kashmir and had

South Koreas Pohang University of

previously

Science and Technology)

Department of Geology, University

University

alongside
of

the

Lisbon

and

Page

4 CURRENT AFFAIRS

of Delhi)

served

at

the

May 3-5, 2014

1) A

high-level

recommended

committee

recasting

of

least 19 people and injured over 60.

the

This was the second explosion in

Index of Industrial Production and

less than a month to have rocked

(IIP) Wholesale Price Index (WPI)

Abuja. The blast struck the same

with an objective to present a more

Nyanya district that was hit by a car

realistic picture of the economy.

bomb on April 14 which killed at

Who is heading this high-level

least 75 people. Boko Haram,

committee which recently submitted

which means western education is

its report? Saumitra Chaudhuri,

a sin in the Hausa language, has

Member, Planning Commission and

been waging a violent campaign for

Prime Ministers Economic Advisory

the past five years to impose

Council (The committee submitted

Shariah, or Islamic law, in Africas

its report on the IIP and WPI during

biggest economy)

last week of April 2014. The whole

exercise of recasting these indexes
was aimed at making the indices
reflect each other)

3) Which passenger train derailed

in Maharashtras Raigad district on
4 May 2014 killing more than 18

Page

5 CURRENT AFFAIRS

passengers and injuring over 150?

2) Which Islamist militant group

Diva-Sawantwadi

claimed responsibility for the bomb

Passenger (This

explosion attack that rocked the

derailed between Nagothane and

outskirts of the Nigerian capital,

Roha stations in Raigad district.

Abuja on 2 May 2014? Boko

Services on the Konkan Railways

Haram (The

line were suspended until evening

explosion

killed

at

Road
passenger

train

causing a lot of inconvenience to

Apple argued that many of the key

passengers)

functions

and

vital

features

of

Samsung phones were invented by

4) Who was sworn in as the new
Prime Minister of Libya on 3 May
2014?

Ahmed

Matiq (He

was

sworn in by the interim Libyan

Parliament despite a disputed vote.
Initially, only 113 lawmakers voted
for Ahmed Matiq, falling short of the
120 votes necessary to secure his

Apple. Samsung countered that its

phones operate on the Google
Android software system and that
any legal complaint Apple has is
with the search giant. The jury
found that Apple had infringed one
of Samsungs patents in creating
the iPhone 4 and

win)
6) 30 people were killed within 36
5) A California jury on 2 May 2014
awarded Apple $119 million in a
patent battle with Samsung over
alleged copying of smart phone
features. This award was far less
than what Apple had demanded

Page

6 CURRENT AFFAIRS

and the jury made the victory even

smaller

by

finding

that

Apple

illegally used one of Samsungs

patents. How much award was
sought

by

Apple?

$2.2

billion (During the month-long trial,

hours in attack by Bodo militants in

lower districts of Assam on 2 and 3
May 2014. Which were the two
most-affected districts? Kokrajhar
and

Baksa (Four

Kokrajhar,

Baksa,

districts
Udalgiri

and

Chirang come under the proposed

Bodoland region in Assam. The
killings

took

place

mainly

in

Kokrajhar and Baksa districts. After

these killings curfew was imposed
in Kokrajhar, Baksa and Chirang.
The state government accused the

Songbijit faction of the National

(NDFB)

Democratic

killings)

Front

of

Bodoland

of

carrying

out

these

May 6-7, 2014

issued by the RBI, minors above 10
years of age can open and operate
independently

savings

bank

account and use other facilities like

ATM and cheque books)

1) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

on

May

guidelines

2014

allowing

operate

minors

bank

independently
promote

issued

to

accounts

with

financial

the

view

inclusion

to
and

bring uniformity in opening of such

Page

7 CURRENT AFFAIRS

accounts in banks. What is the

prescribed
operate

age
bank

for

minors

accounts,

to
as

announced by the RBI in this

guideline?

Above

10

years(According to the guidelines

2) The Supreme Court on 6 May

2014 held that the government
cannot impose mother tongue on
linguistic

minority

for

imparting

primary education. A bench of the

apex court gave this order while
hearing the government orders of
which state pertaining to this issue?
Karnataka (The bench comprising
of Chief Justice R.M. Lodha and
justices

A.K.

Patnaik,

S.J.

Mukhopadhaya, Dipak Misra and

F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla, was hearing
the issue which had come before

the apex court as two Karnataka

Mumbai-based IB Commercials Pvt

government orders of 1994 making

Ltd.)

mother tongue or regional language

compulsory for imparting education
from class I to IV, had come under
challenge)

4) Who was declared the winner of

Panamas presidential election held
on 4 May 2014? Juan Carlos
Varela,

who

is

countrys

Vice

3) Indias first aircraft carrier INS

President (Varela will assume office

Vikrant, which was headed for the

on 1 July 2014. His win thwarted an

scrap yard, got another breather

attempt by former ally President

from the Supreme Court on 5 May

Ricardo Martinelli to extend his grip

2014 as it blocked the vessels

on power by electing a handpicked

journey to ignominy. This order was

successor)

passed by the apex court on a

petition filed by a petitioner-activist.
Who

is

he?

Paigankar (Through

Kiran
the

Save

Vikrant Committee, Paigankar and

other activists last month moved the
apex court in a bid to save the

Page

8 CURRENT AFFAIRS

vessel which saw action in the 1971

India-Pakistan war. The ship was
due at the scrapyard on 17 May
after it was sold for Rs.60 crore
through

an

e-auction

to

the

5) Who was declared the President

of

the

Rajasthan

Cricket

Association (RCA) on 6 May 2014,

hours

after

indefinitely
BCCI?

which

RCA

suspended
Lalit

by

was
the

Modi (After

suspending RCA the BCCI also

appointed an ad-hoc body to run its
cricket affairs. The election for RCA
was conducted in December last
year but the results were sealed

following

Supreme

Court

to lift a ban on video-sharing

directive. After much deliberation,

website YouTube. YouTube has

the result was finally announced by

been banned in Pakistan for how

a court-appointed observer on 6

many

May. Modi won by a landslide

times (YouTube was first banned in

margin, polling in 24 out of 33

Pakistan on 22 February 2008, by

votes, while his opponent Rampal

the

Sharma earned just five)

Authority (PTA) because of the

times?

Pakistan

Telecommunication

number
6) Who defeated five-time world
snooker

champion

Ronnie

OSullivan to win the World Snooker

Championship on 6 April 2014?
Mark

Selby (Selby

defeated

OSullivan 18-14 to win the World

Championship for the first time.
OSullivan,

bidding

for

third

consecutive victory, crumbled under

pressure and failed to hold on to his
10-7 overnight lead as Selby won

Page

9 CURRENT AFFAIRS

five of the six frames in the third

session)
7) Pakistans National Assembly on
6 May 2014 approved a resolution

Three

of

non-Islamic

objectionable videos. The ban was

lifted on 26 February 2008, after the
website removed the objectionable
content from its servers. YouTube
was banned for the second time in
2010

in

bid

to

contain

blasphemous material, but the

ban was lifted after removal of the
contents

May

27,

2010.

PTA

banned YouTube for the third time

after the website did not remove the
trailer

the

film

Innocence

of

Muslims which ostensibly insulted

Islam)

May 8, 2014
costs needed to enable the required
infrastructure

for

biometric

authentication)

2) Thailand went into a new phase

1) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

of uncertainty on 7 May 2014 as

has put on hold its decision to make

countrys

Aadhaar-based

biometric

ordered Prime Minister Yingluck

transactions

Shinawatra and several cabinet

mandatory. The Supreme Court

ministers to step down. What was

had earlier asked the government

the reason given by the court for

not to link Aadhaar with any social

this

benefit schemes and subsidies.

Shinawatra acted illegally while

What was the main reason for this

transferring her national security

decision of the RBI? Huge time

head (Yingluck had been accused

taken

of abuse of power in improperly

Page

10 CURRENT AFFAIRS

authentication

for

for

Aadhaars

biometric

Constitutional

harsh

order?

Court

Yingluck

authentication and high set up

transferring

costs (In

phase,

national security chief appointed by

biometric authentication took up to

the opposition-led administration, in

30

3G

2011. The court felt that this

transfer benefitted a close relative

the

seconds

connections,

testing
even

as

on

opposed

to

seconds otherwise. Banks were

also worried about huge set-up

Thawil Pliensri,

of Shinawatra)

her

3) What

major

was

that Indias largest warship aircraft

announced by the Reserve Bank of

carrier INS Vikramaditya is now

India (RBI) on 7 May 2014 for

operationally deployed. The 44,500-

takers

and

tonne aircraft carrier procured from

personal loans? It directed all the

Russia at a cost of $2.33 billion had

commercial banks not to levy any

arrived in India in January this year.

penalty on pre-payment of loans

Where is the home-base of this

under floating rate scheme that

aircraft carrier situated? Karwar,

cover housing, auto as well as

Karnataka (The

personal loans (The RBI advised

which does not have air defence

that banks will not be permitted to

guns,

charge foreclosure charges/ pre-

weaponry for protection against

payment penalties on all floating

aerial attacks at its scheduled first

rate

refit)

of

term

individual
immediate
products

relief

housing,

loans

auto

sanctioned

borrowers,
effect.

loan

housing,

corporate, vehicle and personal

loans. Two years ago, RBI had
barred

banks

from

levying

11 CURRENT AFFAIRS

foreclosure charges or pre-payment

Page

expected

to

carrier,
get

its

with

Floating

include

to

is

aircraft

penalties on home loans on floating

interest rate basis)

5) What is the name of the founder

and former director of the scamridden

National Spot

Exchange

Limited (NSEL), who was arrested

by the Mumbai police on 7 May
2014? Jignesh Shah (Shah was
arrested for his connection with the
nearly Rs. 5,600 crore payment
crisis.

The

Economic

Offences

4) Indian Naval Chief Admiral RK

Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police

Dhowan on 7 May 2014 announced

also arrested the Chief Financial

Officer of Financial Technologies

between the Malaysia-based low-

India Ltd. (FTIL), Srikant Javlekar.

cost airline, the Tata Group and

NSEL is owned by FTIL)

investment

firm

Telestra

Tradeplace. Earlier plans to start

6) Which airline became the newest
to have won an operating permit for
airline services in India? AirAsia
India (The Directorate General of
Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued the air
operator permit, the last approval
required to launch an airline, to
AirAsia India on 7 May 2014.
AirAsia India is a three-way venture

the airline in the last quarter of 2013

were delayed, pending DGCAs air
operator permit. India presently has
five operational national carriers
and

one

regional

airline.

Competition had eased after the

grounding
strapped

of

cash-and-debt-

Kingfisher

Airlines

October

in

2012)

May 9-10, 2014

(CBI), who was restrained from
discharging

her

duties

by

the

Page

12 CURRENT AFFAIRS

Supreme Court on 9 May 2014?

Archana Ramasundaram(Archana
Ramasundaram is a senior IPS
1) What is the name of the first-ever
woman Additional Director of the
Central

Bureau

of

Investigation

officer.

On

May

2014,

she

received a letter from the Union

Governments

Department

of

Personnel and Training (DOPT),

asking

her

to

immediately,

take
as

charge
high-level

Peoples War Group (PWG) was

imposed during his tenure)

supervisory rank post in the CBI

could not be kept vacant for long.
Following which, Ramasundaram
took charge as additional director in
CBI without in receipt of state
governments clearance but she
was consequently suspended by
the Tamil Nadu government on
charges of deserting office. The
apex courts order came on a
petition filed by senior journalist
Vineet

Narain,

challenging

her

selection to the CBI)

3) The Supreme Court on 9 May

2014 order a CBI probe into the
Saradha Chit Fund scam case of
West Bengal. This order was seen
as a major set-back for Mamata
Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress
(TMC) government, as many of her
party

colleagues

are

allegedly

involved in the multi-crore scam.

Which TMC MP is being bars and is
awaiting trial in this multi-crore
scam? Kunal Ghosh (Saradha
Group raised money from lakhs of

Page

13 CURRENT AFFAIRS

2) N.

Janardhana

who

small investors through agents over

passed away on 9 May 2014, was a

last several years in West Bengal

former Chief Minister of which

and adjoining states. Later, when

state?

Andhra

the company failed to return the

Pradesh (Janardhana Reddy was

money, the scam came to fore and

Chief Minister of AP between 1990

eventually the company owners and

and 1992. He was also a member

the top politicians were arrested.

of the Lok Sabha for three terms.

Trinamool MP Ghosh is alleged to

He

share

was

senior

Reddy,

member

of

Congress and ban on Naxalite-outfit

cordial

relationship

with

Sudipta Sen, the owner of the

5) African National Congress (ANC)

tainted group)

won the elections held on 7 May

2014 for the National Assembly.

4) The UN Security Council voted

unanimously on 8 May 2014 to
establish

U.N.

medal

for

exceptional courage in the name

of an unarmed U.N. peacekeeper
from Senegal, who lost his life after
saving hundreds of Rwandans from
death in the 1994 genocide. What
was the name of this peacekeeper
from Senegal? Captain Mbaye

Page

14 CURRENT AFFAIRS

Diagne (Mbaye

Diagne

Results

for

the

same

were

announced on 9 May 2014. ANC

won 62.2% votes, which is nearly
the same share it won in 1994, the
year

it

assumed

power

under

Nelson Mandela in the nations first

truly

democratic

victory

election.

is

This
ANCs

.consecutive

win

in

national elections? 5th

went

against orders to save lives during

6) Indias Adani Group got approval

the

The

for a $15.46 billion coal mine

resolution, sponsored by Jordan,

development project in which state

created

The

Captain

of

Diagne

Medal

for

100-day

slaughter.

Mbaye

Australia

recently?

Exceptional

Queensland (This approval would

Courage to be awarded to U.N.

enable Gautam Adani led Adani

military,

and

Group to move to the next stage of

who

project,

associated

police,

civilians

personnel,

the

demonstrate exceptional courage,

approval

in the face of extreme danger)

Government

final
of
of

environmental
the

Federal

Australia.

The

Queensland Government approved

the Adani mining project, worth

and a leading cricket franchise

$15.46 billion, in the Galilee Basin)

came together to launch a cobranded cricket credit card. The

7) IPL franchisee Delhi Daredevils

recently launched a co-branded
cricket credit card in partnership
with which commercial bank? The
Ratnakar Bank Ltd (This was the
first time that a commercial bank

card

brings

to

its

cardholders

exclusive privileges like meeting

and greeting the Delhi Daredevils
team,

personal

and

original

memorabilia, coaching camps, free

match tickets, talk shows, etc.)

May 11-12, 2014

rule, a move deemed illegal by the
Ukrainian

government

and

the

West. According to the results

announced on 12 May, at least 89%
of the voters in Donetsk region cast

15 CURRENT AFFAIRS

1) A referendum for independence

Page

ballots in favour of independence in

regions held referendum for self-

was held in which two pro-Russian

eastern Ukrainian regions on 11
May

2014?

Luhansk(These

Donetsk
two

and

pro-Russian

the referendum. Despite Russian

President Vladimir Putins constant
urging to postpone the referendum,
the activists went ahead with it and
also hinted that they intended to

hold a second round later to join

captain?

Denesh

Russia)

Ramdin (Sammy led West Indies in

30 of his 38 Tests, winning eight,

2) An

important

ceasefire

agreement was reached in warridden African country South Sudan

on 9 May 2014. This agreement
was reached between President
Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek
Machar to end five months of
hostilities. Which countrys Prime
Minister hosted and facilitated these
peace talks? Ethiopia (Ethiopian
Prime

Minister

losing 12 and drawing ten matches,

and was credited for returning
discipline and stability to the team.
However,

West

remained

eighth

Indies

have

in

Test

the

rankings and heavy defeats on the

tours of India and New Zealand last
year, placed Sammys 4-year long
stint

as

captain

under

fresh

won

the

scrutiny)

Hailemariam

Desalegn also signed this ceasefire

4) Caparo

Group

agreement which was signed at

International Business of the Year

Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa)

award 2014 at the Asian Business

Awards Midlands in Birmingham on

Page

16 CURRENT AFFAIRS

3) West Indies all-rounder Darren

Sammy announced his retirement
from Test cricket, in a stunning
development after he was sacked
as the West Indies captain on 9
May 2014. Who replaced Sammy
as the new West Indian cricket

9 May 2014. This group is founded

by which industrialist of Indian
origin? Lord Swaraj Paul (Lord
Paul arrived in London in 1966 in
search of a cure for his fourth child
Ambika, who was suffering from
leukaemia. As he emerged from the
trauma of her death, Lord Paul set

up Caparo, which is today the

largest family-owned business in
Britain)

6) According to the Sunday Times

Rich List published on 11 May
2014, who edged out steel-baron

5) Who won the Spanish F1 Grand

Prix 2014 on 11 May 2014? Lewis
Hamilton of Great Britain (This was
Lewis Hamiltons fourth consecutive
victory in 2014 F1 season for his
team Mercedes. His team-mate
Nico

Rosberg

(Germany)

was

second and third spot was claimed

by French driver Romain Grosjean
of Lotus team. It was also the fourth
consecutive

one-two

finish

Mercedes)

for

Lakshmi Niwas Mittal to emerge the

richest

people

in

the

United

Kingdom?

Hinduja

Brothers (London-based

Srichand

and Gopichand Hindujas fortune

stood at 11.9 billion pounds and
they moved up from third position
last year to top the UKs billionaire
charts

this

brothers

year.

run

The

the

Hinduja

multinational

Hinduja Group conglomerate with

interests across automotive, real
estate and oil sectors)

Page

17 CURRENT AFFAIRS

May 13, 2014

1) What is the aggregate polling
percentage for General Elections of
2014 which concluded on 12 May
2014 with the completion of ninth
and

final

phase

66.38% (The

of

General

voting?

Elections

2014 for the constitution of 16th Lok

Sabha recorded a poll percentage
of 66.38%, which is the highest
ever polling percentage for Lok
Sabha elections. The last highest
record of poll percentage was
64.01%

seen

in

1984

general

elections when Congress leader

Rajiv Gandhi rode a sympathy
wave to come to power after the
assassination of his mother and
then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi)

3) What is the name of Mahatma

Gandhi University Vice-Chancellor,
who was dismissed from service on
12 May 2014 and thus became the
first Vice-Chancellor in Kerala to be
so removed by the Chancellor?
Dr. A.V. George (He was sacked
from service by Governor Sheila
Dixit, who is also the Chancellor of
the university. He was sacked for
allegedly
information

2) Whose name was proposed by

the Union Governmentas the next

misrepresentation

of

regarding

his

qualifications to the selection and

search committee)

chief of the Indian Army on 12 May

2014? Lt. General Dalbir Singh
Suhag (The

Union

Government

proposed name of Lt. Gen. Suhag

Page

18 CURRENT AFFAIRS

after getting the approval of the

Election Commission due to the
Model Code of Conduct being
imposed due to General Elections.
Present Army chief General Bikram
Singh is due to retire on 31 July
2014)

4) Which country was ranked as the

cheapest among the major world
economies in a latest report by
Germanys

Deutsche

Bank?

India(According to this recently

released

report

India

is

the

cheapest major economy on the

basis

of

prices

of

products

comparable across countries. The

report claimed that a weaker rupee

has allowed India to remain the

the retail issuance of debt securities

cheapest major economy despite

or bonds hit a 10-year high of over

the highest inflation. Australia was

Rs. 42,000 crore in 2013-14. This is

ranked as the most expensive

the highest amount of funds raised

major economy while the United

by

States was ranked as the cheapest

issuance of debt securities since

developed

2003-04.

country.

Brazil

was

companies

through

What

was

the

retail
main

again listed as the most expensive

reason for this spurt in fund raising

among developing countries)

through

debt

securities?

On

account of huge amount of tax-free

5) According to a report by Prime
Database, the quantum of funds
raised by Indian companies from

bond

garnered

by

financial

institutions and PSUs (Around 86%

of

total

amount

was

collected

through tax-free bonds)

May 14, 2014

report said that the Government

Page

19 CURRENT AFFAIRS

should reduce the holdings in PSU

lenders to below 50%. Who headed
this

panel?

PJ

Nayak,

ex-

Chairman of Axis Bank (The report

was released on 13 May 2014 and
1) Shares of state-run banks rose

had mainly stated that Government

as much as 5% after an RBI panel

should cut its holding in public

sector

banks

to

below

50%,

Alto (MSI announced on 13 May

criticising the way in which the

2014 that sale of Alto has crossed

lenders are being governed)

25 lakh units and it became the

second car after Maruti 800 to

2) What is the name of Worlds first

ever

electric

successfully

20 CURRENT AFFAIRS

taken

has
4) Mukul Sinha, a Gujarat High

E-Fan (This

Court lawyer who had made a

electric aircraft is the latest creation

name for himself fighting cases on

of Toulouse (France) based Airbus.

behalf of the victims of riots that

The

are

tore through the state in 2002,

powered by electricity provides it a

passed away in Ahmedabad on 12

low-noise, eco-friendly profile. This

May 2014. What is the name of the

successful voyage carves a new

NGO

path for the technologys potential

championed

in aircrafts. The cost amounts to 16

victims and other harassed people

dollars per hour to power providing

of the society? Jan Sangharsh

decent height of 220km/h with a

Manch (Sinha was a very fierce

cruising speed of 160km/h on its

critic of Gujarat Chief Minister and

30kW engines)

BJP

recently?

fact that

its

its

that

maiden

voyage

Page

aircraft

achieve this mark)

engines

founded

Prime

the

by

him

cause

Minister

which
of

riot

candidate

Narendra Modi and his governance

3) Which car belonging to Maruti

model)

Suzuki India (MSI) became the

second to reach the milestone of

5) Only two institutes from India

2.5 million units sale recently?

made it to the prestigious Top 50 in

the QS Asian University rankings

world? Antilia, Mukesh Ambanis

that were released during May

27-story,

2014. Which institutes are these?

skyscraper home in Mumbai (Antilia

IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay (These

named after a mythical island in the

rankings are based on criteria such

Atlantic, tops the Forbes list of the

as

academic

reputation

of

reputation

(30%);

most expensive homes in the world

university

among

for 2014. The house has six stories

employers (10%), student/ faculty

of

ratio (20%); research by faculty

helicopter

(15%), citations per paper (15%)

requires a staff of 600 to keep it

and

international

running. In second place on the list

faculty and students (5%) and

is Villa Leopolda, the home of

exchange

Brazilian philanthropist and social

proportion

of

programme

students

underground

third-most
6) Which residence was ranked as
the most expensive billionaire home
in the world in Forbes list of the

21 CURRENT AFFAIRS

most

parking,

pads,

and

three

reportedly

figure Lily Safra in France. The

(5%))

Page

400,000-square-foot

expensive

homes

in

the

expensive

billionaire

home-and the most expensive in

the United States, is the home of
American

investor

businessman

Ira

and

Rennert

in

Sagaponack, New York)

May 15-19, 2014

1) Who was elected as the first

Chandrasekhara Rao (He is the

Chief Minister of the newly-formed

president

state

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS)

of

Telangana?

and

founder

of

the

and TRS had won 63 of the 119

a blank in the elections and the

Assembly seats in the assembly

party

elections, results for which were

representation in the Legislative

announced on 16 May 2014. The

Assembly

Legislature party of the TRS elected

Pradesh)

would
of

not

even

residuary

have
Andhra

him as the first Chief Minister of

Telangana on 17 May 2014)

3) Navin Patnaik led Biju Janata Dal

(BJD) led Odisha state government
returned to power yet again by
winning the assembly elections of
2014. The results for the elections
were announced on 16 May 2014 in

2) Who would take over as the first

Chief Minister of Seemandhra, the
residual state after carving out of
Telangana from Andhra Pradesh?
N. Chandra Babu Naidu (Naidu led
Telugu Desham Party (TDP) won
103 assembly seats from a total of

Page

22 CURRENT AFFAIRS

175 seats. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) won
67

seats

partner

while
BJP

TDPs
won

alliance

seats.

Congress, which ruled for over four

decades

in

the

57

years

of

existence of Andhra Pradesh, drew

which BJD claimed more than twothird majority by winning 117 of the
total 147 seats. Navin Patnaik
would be Chief Minister of the state
for

.which

term?

Fourth (Patnaik had been the Chief

Minister of Odisha since 5 March
2000. BJD has now won assembly
elections under his helm in 2000,
2004, 2009 and now in 2014. He
was unanimously elected the BJD
legislature party leader on 18 May
2014)

4) Who

was

the

He had in 1987 launched the iconic

Arunachal

Leela Kempinski Hotel in Mumbai,

Pradesh on 18 May 2014?

his first hotel. In a short span of 25

Nabam Tuki (Nabam Tuki is the

years, the Leela Palaces, Hotels

veteran Congress leader from the

and

state

second

properties in New Delhi, Mumbai,

consecutive term. Congress had

Bangalore, Gurgaon, Udaipur, Goa,

won

the

Chennai and Kovalam with new

Assembly elections by winning 42

hotels opening in Noida, Agra,

of the total 60 seats. BJP won 11

Jaipur and Lake Ashtamudi in

seats and was followed by Peoples

Kerala. On 7 February 2014, Nair

Party of Arunachal (PPA) with 5

stepped down as chairman of his

seats.

were

company and his elder son Vivek

shared by independent candidates.

Nair was elevated to the position of

The results for states Assembly

chairman and managing director,

elections were announced on 16

while younger son Dinesh Nair was

May 2014)

appointed

8th Chief

Minister

and
a

sworn

this

clear

in

of

is

his

majority

Remaining

seats

as

in

Resorts

has

eight

co-chairman

luxury

and

managing director)

Page

23 CURRENT AFFAIRS

5) C.P. Krishnan Nair, who passed

away on 17 May 2014, was founder

6) Russi Mody, who passed away

of which famous hotel and resort

on 16 May 2014 at the age of 96,

chain in India? Leela Palaces,

headed which famous corporate

Hotels and Resorts (C.P. Krishnan

company of the country? Tata

Nair started to build the Leela group

Steel Ltd. (Tata Steel Ltd. was then

of hotels at the age of 65 by setting

known as Tata Iron and Steel Co.

up Hotel Leela Venture Ltd in 1983.

(TISCO). Russi Mody joined TISCO

in 1939 and rose through the ranks

Istanbul. The mines were managed

to become its Chairman. He retired

by Soma Holdings. The accident

in 1993 leaving behind a legacy of

took place when an explosion sent

53 years, which won him and the

carbon monoxide gas into the

company international acclaim in

mines tunnels while 787 miners

various fields especially in industrial

were underground. This accident

relations)

resulted in fierce anti-government

protests

7) Which place of Turkey came to

limelight for countrys worst-ever
mine disaster of 13 May 2014 in
which more than 300 mine workers
were killed? Soma (The accident
took place at coal mines of Soma, a
town situated 480 km Southwest of

starting

at

numerous

places of Turkey in which the Prime

Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
was

criticized

for

appearing

insensitive in his reaction to the

disaster. At least 25 people were
arrested by Turkish police till 18
May 2014 for their negligence)

May 20, 2014

1) Who

was

named

as

Indian

Page

24 CURRENT AFFAIRS

captain for Hockey World Cup 2014

to

be

held

in

the

Hague,

Netherlands from 31 May to 15

June 2014? Sardar Singh (The
18-member

India

squad

was

announced by Hockey India (HI) on

14 May 2014. Rupinder Pal Singh

schoolgirls, Muslims and Christians,

was named Indian teams vice

from

captain. The selection trials for

Nigeria in April 2014)

their

hostel

in

northeast

national team were held on May 5-6

at

Delhis

Major

Dhyanchand

National Hockey Stadium. Terry

Walsh is teams Head Coach while
Roelant

Oltmans

is

the

high

performance director)

3) The Supreme Court on 17 May

2014 constituted a new bench
comprising of two judges to hear
the Sahara case. This was done
after Justice J.S. Khehar rescued
himself from hearing the matter

2) Four West African countries on

while the other judge Justice K.S.

17 May 2014 agreed to club

Radhakrishnan retired. Who are the

together to wage war on Nigerias

two judges who constitute this new

Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram.

bench? Justice T.S. Thakur and

The decision was made during a

Justice A.K. Sikri (The previous

summit hosted by French President

bench had upheld its order jailing

Francois Hollande in Paris, in which

Subrata Roy)

the US, France, and the UK vowed

to help Nigeria with intelligence.
Which four West African countries

Page

25 CURRENT AFFAIRS

are

these?

Chad,

Cameroon,

and

Benin (These

Niger,
four

countries vowed to wage war on the

Islamist militant group, which they
say now has links to Al-Qaeda.
Boko

Haram

abducted

223

4) Sir Jack Brabham, who passed

away on 19 May 2014 at the age of
88, was a legend of which sports?
Formula One (F1) car racing(Jack
Brabham, an Australian F1 driver,
won world championships in 1959,
1960 and 1966. During a F1 career
that stretched from 1955 to 1970

Brabham competed in 126 grands

19 May 2014 in a trial that is

prix, winning 14. He is the only man

expected to provide justice for the

to have won the Formula One

victims of a kidnapping in Yemen

drivers title in a car bearing his

more than a decade ago. What is

name)

the name of this convict? Mustafa

Kamel

5) Which

telecom

communications
acquire

DirecTV,

and

company
the

top

is

to

U.S.

satellite TV operator, for $48.5

billion, as announced on 18 May
2014? AT&T (AT&T has planned
this acquisition in a bid for growth
beyond an increasingly competitive
cellular market)

whose fiery sermons before and

after 9/11 attracted extremists to his

Page

26 CURRENT AFFAIRS

London mosque was convicted on

alias

Abu

Hamza (Abu Hamza was found

guilty in federal court in Manhattan.
Attorney

General

championed

that

Eric
verdict

Holder
as

triumph for civil courts. Mustafa was

accused

of

providing

material

support to terrorist organisations by

enabling hostage takers in the
Yemen kidnapping to speak on a
satellite phone, by sending men to
establish

6) An Egyptian Islamic preacher

Mustafa

an

al-Qaeda

training

camp in Bly, Oregon, and by

sending at least one man to training
camps in Afghanistan)

May 21-22, 2014

shifting to their respective blocks
allotted for the two States. On 2
June

2,

the

administrations

two
will

separate
swing

into

action)

Page

27 CURRENT AFFAIRS

1) For the first time, administration

will be standstill in Andhra Pradesh

2) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

for about a week from 25 May to 1

on 21 May 2014 eased gold import

June 2014, during which a Zero

norms which were imposed during

Week would be observed in the

July 2013. This was done following

state. Why is this Zero Week being

representations

observed?

the

bullion dealers, banks, and trade

formation of two states of Andhra

bodies. Whats the main provision

Pradesh

announced

To

facilitate

(Seemandhra)

and

from

under

jewellers,

this?

Select

Telangana on 2 June 2014 (There

trading

would be no transactions of any

already permitted banks, have been

kind at the State secretariat and

allowed to import gold (The RBI in

there would be neither clearance of

July last year had imposed severe

bills

administrative

restrictions on gold imports in order

decisions across the State. The

to check the burgeoning current

salaries of the state-government

account deficit and sliding rupee.

employees in both the regions

Now Star trading houses/premier

would be paid on 24 May itself. In

trading houses (STH/PTH) have

nor

any

the secretariat, employees will be

houses,

in

addition

to

been allowed to import gold under

4) Who was sworn in as the new

20:80 gold import scheme)

Chief Minister of Bihar on 20 May

2014? Jitan Ram Manjhi (Manjhi

3) Chief Minister of which NorthEastern state of India is on the way

to become the longest serving Chief
Minister in the country? Pawan
Kumar Chamling, the Chief Minister
of

Sikkim

(Chamling-led

Sikkim

Democratic Front (SDF) won a

record mandate in the assembly
elections, results for which were

was chosen as the successor of

Nitish Kumar as he had resigned
from his post on 17 May 2014
owning moral responsibility of his
party Janata Dal (United)s debacle
in the Lok Sabha Elections. JD(U)
had won just 2 seats from a total of
40 seats in the state. The combine
led by BJP had won 32 seats)

Page

28 CURRENT AFFAIRS

announced on 16 May 2014. SDF

won 22 out of total 32 assembly

5) Who was selected as the new

seats in the state. Pawan Kumar

Chief Minister of Gujarat on 21 May

Chamling has been states Chief

2014 as Prime Minister (designate)

Minister since 12 December 1994.

Narendra Modi resigned as states

He has won his fifth consecutive

Chief

term

Jyoti

Patel (Anandiben Patel is presently

Basus record of 23 years as Chief

Revenue Minister of Gujarat and

Minister of West Bengal if he

will replace Narendra Modi, who

completes

was

takes over as Indias new Prime

administered the oath of office on

Minister on 26 May. She would thus

21 May 2014 for his fifth term)

become the first woman Chief

and

would

his

surpass

term.

He

Minister?

Anandiben

Minister of Gujarat. Anandiben was

first elected as an MLA from

Mandal constituency in Ahmedabad

occasion

of

Russian

President

district in 1998)

Vladimir Putins two-day state visit

to China)

6) In an important development
Russia and China on 21 May 2014

7) The

signed a 30-year gas deal in which

permitted banks to give exporters

China would purchase natural gas

long-term export advance up to a

of

total

maximum period of 10 years. This

estimated value of this huge deal?

would be subject to exporters with a

$400

deal

minimum of three years satisfactory

Russia Gazprom will supply 38

track record. Banks were currently

billion cubic metres of gas annually

allowed

to China National Petroleum Corp.

exporters for what duration of time?

The

One year

Russia.

What

is

billion (Under

deal

was

the
the

signed

on

the

RBI

to

on

21

provide

May

2014

loans

to

May 23, 2014

1) Indian

womens

badminton

Page

29 CURRENT AFFAIRS

team scripted history on 22 May

2014 by reaching the semifinals of
the Uber Cup tournament for the
first time. Indian team defeated
which

country

quarterfinals
milestone?

by
to

3-0

in

achieve

the
this

Indonesia(Indian

badminton ace Saina Nehwal led

3) Which

south-eastern

Indias charge with a 21-17, 21-10

country witnessed a military coup

win over Lindaweni Fanetri. Before

with an objective of seizing power

that P V won a hard-fought 21-16,

on 22 May 2014? Thailand (Thai

10-21, 25-23 victory over Bellaetrix

military launched the coup in the

Manuputty. Commonwealth Games

country

gold medallist pair of Jwala Gutta

announced by General Prayuth

and Ashwini Ponnappa then sealed

Chanocha, the head of the Thai

the tie in Indias favour with a 21-

Army. The coup came after the

18, 21-18 win over Polii Greysia

introduction of martial law a day

and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari in

before on 21 May and follows the

the first doubles)

long history of military coups in

and

was

Asian

formally

Thailand. All cabinet ministers were

2) Who took over as the new Chief
Information Commissioner in the
Central

Information

Commission

(CIC) on 22 May 2014? Rajiv

Mathur (Rajiv Mathur is a former

asked to report to a military base in

capital Bangkok. The last coup in
Thailand was in 2006 and had been
followed by more than a year of
military rule)

Page

30 CURRENT AFFAIRS

chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB).

He succeeded Sushma Singh, who

4) Anandiben Patel, who took over

retired on 21 May. Mathur, who was

as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat

administered the oath of office by

on

President

at

Chief Minister of the

Rashtrapati Bhavan, is the 6th chief

state? 15th (She also became the

of CIC)

first

Pranab

Mukherjee

21

woman

May

Chief

2014,

Minister

is

of

Gujarat. He was selected after

Narendra Modi resigned from CMs

Philippines (Hundreds

post on 21 May)

government,

business

of
and

academic leaders gathered in the

5) Indias

largest

online

retail

company Flipkart.com on 22 May

2014

announced

acquisition

of

which

fashion

e-retailer?

Myntra.com(Flipkart.com
announced

acquisition

of

Philippines on 22 May to discuss

East Asias economic prospects
amid tensions in the South China
Sea and political instability in some
countries in the region. The summit
was held for the first time in Manila)

Myntra.com in the largest deal in

Page

31 CURRENT AFFAIRS

countrys

e-commerce

space.

7) Which restive region of China

Thought the two Bangalore-based

was targeted with serial explosions

companies did not disclose the

killing 31 people and injuring over

merger

of

100 in a violent terrorist attack on

leading analysts suggest the cash-

22 May 2014? Xinjiang (A busy

and-stock deal to be worth more

marketplace in Urumqi, the capital

than $330 million. This acquisition

of Chinas Muslim-majority Xinjiang

is also being seen as an early

region, was targeted with a series

phase of consolidation in the Rs.

of explosions. Xinjiangs capital was

62,000-crore e-commerce market.

the site of ethnic riots in 2009 that

Flipkart.com was set up in 2007 by

left at least 197 people killed and

two ex-Amazon employees as an

more than a thousand injured as

online book retailing site)

ethnic Uighurs clashed with majority

amount,

estimates

6) The 23rd World Economic Forum

on East Asia summit started on 22
May

2014

at

Manila,

the

Han Chinese. The attacks were

thought to be carried out by Uighur
Islamist groups)

May 24, 2014

while no casualty was reported from
the Indian Consulate. Herat is
situated around 800 km west of
Afghan capital Kabul)

2) Which Lok Sabha constituency

recorded the highest voter turnout
in the General Elections 2014?
Dhubri, Assam (According to the
1) Indian

Consulate

situated

in

which province of Afghanistan was

attacked on 23 May 2014 by heavily
armed gunmen who were later
killed
forces?

in

operation

by

Herat (Four

security
gunmen

armed with machine guns and

Page

32 CURRENT AFFAIRS

rocket-propelled grenades opened

fire on the consulate early in the
morning on 23 May. The retaliatory
operation was conducted by Afghan

data

released

Commission
Assams

by
of

Dhubri

the

Election

India

(ECI),

recorded

the

highest voter turnout of 88.22% in

the elections. Dhubri was followed
by

Nagaland

(87.82%),

Tamlik,

West Bengal (87.59%), Bishnupur,

West

Bengal

Lakshadweep

(86.72%)
(86.61%).

and
The

average voter turnout of the country

was 66.4%)

security forces and the jawans of

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

3) Which Lok Sabha constituency

Later all four gunmen were killed

recorded the lowest voter turnout in

the General Elections 2014?

Coordination

Srinagar,

voter

departments in the Rio government.

turnout stood at just 25.86% while

Rio is expected to take a prominent

states

role in central politics)

J&K (Srinagars

Anantnag

(28.84%)

and

and

other

Baramulla (39.13%) followed it.

Maharashtras Kalyan was at the
fourth place as far as lowest voting
percentage

is

concerned

with

42.88% voting and was followed by

Bihars Patna Sahib constituency
with 45.33% voting)

5) Which

team

ended

Chinas

decade-long Thomas Cup reign on

23 May 2014 by defeating it the
semi-finals and made its maiden
entry into final of this prestigious
tournament? Japan (Japan pulled

Page

33 CURRENT AFFAIRS

off a huge upset with a 3-0 victory

4) Who was appointed as the Chief

in the semi-final of the mens team

Minister of Nagaland following the

event being played at Delhis Siri

resignation of Neiphiu Rio from the

Fort Sports Complex. It will now

post on 22 May 2014? T R

meet Malaysia in its maiden final.

Zeliang (Zeliang is a senior leader

Malaysia comprehensively defeated

of the Naga Peoples Front (NPF)

Indonesia 3-0 to march into the

and had staked claim to form the

finals. Thomas Cup is the most

new government consequent upon

prestigious mens team badminton

the resignation of incumbent Chief

championship)

Minister Rio, who won the lone Lok

Sabha seat in Nagaland on an NPF
ticket with a margin of over 4 lakh
votes. Zeliang had been holding the
charge of Minister for Planning and

6) Which teams on 23 May 2014

entered the finals of Uber Cup 2014
being played at Delhis Siri Fort
Indoor

Stadium?

China

and

Japan(Japan defeating India 3-2 in

92, was a doyen of which sports?

a close tie to make its entry into the

Cricket (Mantri represented India in

finals. Thus India won the bronze

four test matches and played 95

medal in Uber Cup for the first time.

first-class

China on the other hand defeated

wicket-keeper batsman. But more

South Korea by 3-0 to enter finals.

than cricket he was known for his

Uber Cup is the most prestigious

incredible

womens

cricket and was often called a

team

badminton

walking

championship)

matches.

knowledge
compendium

He

of
on

was

Indian
Indian

cricket. He was also a maternal

7) Madhav

Mantri,

who

passed

away on 23 May 2014 at the age of

uncle of Indias batting maestro

Sunil

Gavaskar)

May 25-26, 2014

Mount

Everest?

Poorna(She

Malavath

successfully

scaled

worlds highest peak at 6 am on 25

May. Poorna, a dalit girl coming
Nizamabad

34 CURRENT AFFAIRS

Telanganas

1) What is the name of the 13-year

year

old Indian girl, who on 25 May 2014

Kumar, a Class IX student from the

created history by becoming the

Khammam

Page

from

youngest ever woman to scale the

Pradesh. What makes their feat

district was accompanied by 16old

Sadhanapalli
district

of

Anand
Andhra

extra significant is that both come

3) The name of a famous mango

from

economically

cultivator from the famed mango

backward families, and are students

belt of Malihabad (Uttar Pradesh)

of state-run educational institutions

came

in what will soon be the state of

developed a new variety of mango

Telangana)

and named it Namo aam after

rural

and

to

limelight

after

he

Prime Minister-designate Narendra

2) The iconic Ambassador car of
India is almost on its way to
become

history

as

its

owner

company the C.K. Birla Grouppromoted Hindustan Motors (HM)

on 24 May 2014 suspended work at
its oldest factory near Kolkota.
Where

is

this

famous

factory

situated? Uttarpara (The work was

suspended due to almost negligible
demand for Ambassador car, which
was once the lifeline of whole India.
Around 2,500 workers working in

Modi. What is the name of this

veteran mango cultivator, who is
also

popularly

Mango

known

King?

as

the

Kalimullah

Khan (Kalimullah Khan named a

new hybrid variety of name after
Narendra Modi on 23 May 2014. He
had

earlier

acknowledgement

earned
by

global

developing

300 different variants of the fruit on

one

tree.

He

has

also

been

awarded the Padma Shree, Indias

fourth highest civilian honour)

Page

35 CURRENT AFFAIRS

the Uttarpara plant are facing the

risk

of

losing

their

jobs.

4) Which country won the 2014

Ambassador was the first car to be

edition of badmintons Thomas Cup

completely made in India some 6

on 25 May 2014? Japan (Japan

decades back)

defeated Malaysia 3-2 in the finals

of the championship played at

Delhi. Japan had earlier done a

2014? Nico Rosberg (Germany)

sensational

for

3-0

rout

of

five-

his

Mercedes

team

(His

time defending champions China on

teammate Lewis Hamilton (UK) was

23 May to enter the finals. This was

second and third place in the

Japans maiden Thomas Cup title.

winning

Malaysia, who won the last of their

Australias Daniel Ricciardo for Red

five Thomas Cup titles in 1992,

Bull

had also lost in the final in 1994,

Hulkenberg (Germany) claimed the

1998 and 2002. Thomas Cup is the

fifth place to get 10 points. With this

premier

win Rosberg again took the lead

title

for

mens

team

podium was

team.

Force

taken

Indias

by
Nico

over Hamilton in the 2014 F1

badminton)

season, which has been completely

5) Badmintons Uber Cup 2014 was

dominated by Mercedes team)

won by which country on 25 May

2014? China (China successfully

7) Which team won the 2013-14

defended its title by scoring an

UEFA Champions League title on

emphatic 3-1 win over Japan. It was

24

Chinas 13th Uber Cup title, the most

Madrid (Spains

by any team. Uber Cup is often

club defeated Atletico Madrid by 4-1

known

team

to win its 10th UEFA Champions

womens

League title, which is a record by

as

Page

36 CURRENT AFFAIRS

championship

the

World
for

badminton)

May

2014?
premier

Real
football

any team. This win also ended Real

Madrids driest Champions League

6) Who won the Monaco Formula 1

Grand Prix title for 2014 on 25 May

spell having last won the title in

2001-02)

May 27, 2014

2) Arun Jaitley has been given
charge of the Finance Ministry. He
has been also given additional
charge of which important ministry?
Defence Ministry

1) Narendra Damodardas Modi took

3) Ravi Shankar Prasad was given

oath as 15th Prime Minister of India

charge of the Law and Justice

on 26 May 2014. The swearing-in

Ministry. Which other charge was

ceremony was held in the forecourt

also

of the Rashtrapati Bhawan and

Ministry

President

Pranab

secrecy to Modi and his council of

How

many

cabinet

ministers took oath along with

Narendra Modi? Twenty three (23

Page

37 CURRENT AFFAIRS

cabinet ministers, 10 Ministers of

State

(MoS)

with

to

him?

Telecom

Mukherjee

administered the oath of office and

ministers.

given

independent

charge and 12 MoS took oath. With

4) Who is the youngest Cabinet

Minister

in

Narendra

Modis

cabinet? Smriti Zubin Irani, who is

38 years old and was given the
important charge of Ministry of
Human

Resources

Development

(HRD)

this Narendra Modis council of

ministers presently comprises of 45
ministers)

5) Who
Minister

is
in

the

oldest

Cabinet

Narendra

Modis

cabinet? Dr. Najma A. Heptullah,

council of ministers? Dr. Najma A.

who is 74 years old and was given

Heptullah (She is a Rajya Sabha

the

member of the BJP)

charge

of

the

Ministry

of

Minority Affairs
9) Which is the only Buddhist to be
6) How

many

women

ministers

inducted

into

council

council

Rijuju (He has been elected as a

Uma

Member of Parliament in 16th Lok

Ministers?

Seven (Sushma

Swaraj,

ministers?

Modis

were inducted in Narendra Modis

of

of

Narendra

Bharati, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi,

Sabha

Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Smriti Zubin

constituency of Arunachal Pradesh

Irani, Dr. Najma A. Heptullah and

on BJP ticket)

Nirmala

Sitaramam.

Of

Minister

of

Arunachal

West

these

Nirmala Sitaramam was inducted

as

from

Kiren

State

with

10) Following are the portfolios all

independent charge while other six

23 Cabinet Ministers

were inducted as cabinet ministers)

- Rajnath Singh Home Minster

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38 CURRENT AFFAIRS

- Sushma Swaraj External Affairs

7) What is the average age of

& Overseas Indian Affairs

Narendra

Modis

council

- Arun Jaitley Finance Corporate

ministers

(including

him)?

of
60

years

Affairs & Defence

- M.

Venkaiah

Naidu

Urban

Development Housing and Urban

8) Which is the only Muslim to be
inducted

into

Narendra

Modis

Poverty Alleviation & Parliamentary

Affairs

- Nitin

Jairam

Gadkari

Road

Transport and Highways Shipping

- D.V.

Sadananda

Gowda

- Uma Bharati Water Resources,

Development

and

Ganga

Technology & Law and Justice

Gajapathi

Raju

- Anant Geete Heavy Industries

- Dr. Najma A. Heptullah Minority

- Harsimrat

Affairs

Processing Industries
Munde

Rural

Drinking Water and Sanitation

- Ramvilas

Paswan

Consumer

- Kalraj Mishra Micro, Small and

Medium Enterprises
- Maneka Gandhi Women and
Child Development

Fertilizers

Chemicals

Kaur

Badal

Food

- Narendra Singh Tomar Mines &

Steel Labour and Employment
- Jual Oram Tribal Affairs

Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

- Ananthkumar

Civil

Aviation

and Public Enterprises

Development, Panchayati Raj &

39 CURRENT AFFAIRS

Prasad

Rejuvenation

- Gopinathrao

Page

Shankar

Communications and Information

- Ashok

Railways

River

- Ravi

and

- Radha Mohan Singh Agriculture

- Thaawar Chand Gehlot Social
Justice and Empowerment
- Smriti

Zubin

Irani

Human

Resource Development
- Dr. Harsh Vardhan Health and
Family

Welfare

May 28, 2014

members in the SIT. SIT will
prepare a comprehensive action
plan including creation of necessary
institutional structure

that

could

enable the country to fight the battle

against unaccounted money)
1) In its first major decision the
newly

inducted

government

on

Narendra

Modi

27

2014

May

approved the constitution of Special

Investigating

Team

(SIT)

to

investigate large amounts of money

stashed abroad by evading taxes or
generated

through

unlawful

activities. This SIT was formed to

implement the earlier decision of
the Supreme Court of India. Who

Page

40 CURRENT AFFAIRS

has

been

appointed

as

the

chairman of this SIT? Justice M.B.

Shah, former Judge of the Supreme
Court (Justice Arijit Pasayat, former
Judge of the Supreme Court was
appointed as the Vice-Chairman of
the

SIT.

There

are

11

other

2) Which PSU company accorded

with the Navratna status suffered
losses for the third year in a row
and its Navratna status is in the
danger of being taken back?
Shipping Corporation of India
SCI(SCI is the countrys largest
shipping

company.

The Navratna status,

which

provides

more

the

company

autonomy in capital expenditure,

investments,
ventures

formation

and

other

of

joint

corporate

decisions, was conferred on SCI in

2008. Hit by the bearish freight
market, SCI reported a loss of Rs.
274.66 crore for the year ended

March 31, 2014. This is against the

document for address or identity

loss of Rs. 114 crore in 2012-13

proof. This is being proposed in a

and Rs. 428 crore reported the

bid to increase access to banking

previous

to

services. However, these proposed

the Navratna norms, the company

small accounts would come with

has to report profits for continuous

some limitations. What are these

three years to be eligible for the

limitations?

year.

According

covetous status)

These accounts will have limitations

on credit/debit balances

3) U.S. President Barack Obama on

Will be available only at core

27 May 2014 announced plans for

banking solution-enabled branches

greatly reducing U.S. forces in

Afghanistan by the end of the year.
He also reiterated his commitment
about U.S. militarys complete pull-

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41 CURRENT AFFAIRS

out by the end of which year?

No foreign remittances will be

permitted
Will be available only for 12 months
further extension on application

2016 (Obamas blueprint calls for

for officially valid document

cutting the current U.S. force of

The aggregate of all credits in a

32,000 to 9,800 by the start of next

financial year cannot exceed Rs. 1

year and complete pull-out by 2016)

lakh

4) RBI Deputy Governor R Gandhi

5) What is the name of the the CEO

recently said that the bank is

of Amway India who was arrested

proposing to permit opening of

on 27 May 2014 on the charge of

small bank accounts by merely

cheating and other financial fraud?

filling

William Scott Pinckney (In his

up

form

without

any

capacity, as the CEO of Amway

in response to a complaint by an

India, Pinckney, figured as the

advocate

second accused in a case that was

Amway India however protested

registered at Two Town Police

against his arrest)

Jagannatha

Reddy.

Station in Kurnool city (AP) in 2013

May 29-30, 2014

IBN, CNBC TV18, Colors and
HomeShop18, online news portal
Firstpost.com

and

e-commerce

websites such as Yatra.com and

Bookmyshow.com, as well as print
properties
1) Mukesh

Ambani-led

Industries

Ltd

(RIL)

Reliance
recently

acquired a controlling stake in

which leading media house to

Page

42 CURRENT AFFAIRS

signal the emergence of the group

as a media mogul of the country? -

such

as Forbes

India magazine. The acquisition is

the

latest

move

in

Ambanis

strategy to establish a widespread

presence across media segments
since finalising an alliance with
Network18 group in 2012)

Network18 (Network18 was started

journalist-turned

media

baron

2) Who was elected as the new

Raghav Bahl and it owns a slew of

President of Egypt after a sweeping

news,

victory

entertainment

and

e-

commerce channels such as CNN-

in

presidential

the

recently

elections

in

held
the

country? Abdel Fatah al-Sisi (Al-

from the country, was considered

Sisi is the former Egyptian Army

likely to run for his second and final

Chief and he swept the polls with

term)

over 90% votes polled in his favour.

However, the scale of his victory
came as no surprise after Egypts
top generals, media personalities
and business elite united to present
the former Army Chief as the only
patriotic

choice

and

most

challengers declined to take part in

the election)

4) Al Hilal Bank, one of the fastestgrowing banks in the UAE, has

implemented

Finacle

e-Banking

solution. Finacle e-Banking solution

is a leading banking solution of
which

Indian

Infosys (The

IT

company?

Finacle

e-Banking

solution would enable Al Hilal to

Page

43 CURRENT AFFAIRS

provide a range of Internet banking

3) Who was elected as the fifth

services to its corporate customers

President of Ukraine in Presidential

with highest security. It would also

Elections held on 25 May 2014? -

allow the bank to roll out new

Petro

functionalities on a regular basis

Poroshenko (Poroshenko

won a convincing victory after

and

build

upon

the

existing

winning around 54.7% of the votes

products to provide an enhanced

from 21 candidates on the ballot.

banking experience, all at reduced

His closest competitor was Yulia

costs)

Tymoshenko, who emerged with

12.81% of the votes. Poroshenko
replaced former President Viktor
Yanukovych,

who

prior

to

his

dismissal and subsequent flight

5) Kotak Mahindra Bank shares

slipped after the RBI asked it to
reduce its promoters shareholding.
The bank is to reduce its promoters

shareholding

to

what

level

by

Nripendra Mishra (Mishra is a UP-

September 2014 as directed by the

cadre IAS officer and has held

RBI?

the

several senior positions both in

promoters shareholding in the bank

Uttar Pradesh as well as at the

is

banks

Centre. He is a former Chairman

promoters are required to shed

the Telecom Regulatory Authority of

3.58% of their share. In June 2012,

India TRAI)

40% (Currently,

43.58%.

Hence,

the

the RBI had asked Kotak Mahindra

Bank to reduce the promoters
holding to 20% by 2018 and 10%
by 2020 from the then 45.21%. This
move is to diversify the promoters
shareholding and bring it in sync
with

the

new

banking

licence

regulations and thereby improve

corporate

governance.

Kotak

Mahindra Bank is a private-sector

bank owned by Uday Kotak)

7) What

is

the

name

of

the

President of Infosys who resigned

from his post on 28 May 2014
giving another serious jolt to the
company?

- BG

Srinivas (His

resignation is the fourth Board-level

resignation and he is the 10th senior
management

executive

of

the

company to move out. Given that

he was one of the contenders for
the CEOs post, Srinivas exit has

6) Who

Page

44 CURRENT AFFAIRS

Principal

was

appointed

Secretary

of

as

the

Prime

raised eyebrows and increased

speculation

over

whether

the

Minister Narendra Modi, for which

nominations committee had chosen

an ordinance was promulgated by

to overlook his candidature)

the Union Govt. on 28 May 2014? -

May 31, 2014

biggest

foreign

buyer

of

US

weapons)

2) Who was appointed as the new

National Security Adviser to the
Prime Minister by the Union Govt.
on 30 May 2014? Ajit Kumar
1) The NDA-led Union Govt. on 30

Doval (Ajit Doval is a former chief of

May 2014 cleared the Department

the Intelligence Bureau (IB) during

of Industrial Policy and Promotions

the earlier NDA regime of Atal

(DIPP) draft seeking to hike foreign

Bihari Vajpayee. Doval replaces

direct

Shivshankar Menon)

investment

(FDI)

in

the

Defence sector up to 100%. This

draft

was

45 CURRENT AFFAIRS

by

the

Commerce Ministry and is aimed at

3) Curtains may be down on the UP

minimising defence imports in the

Stock

country

Pradeshs only trading platform, as

and

manufacturing.

Page

released

encouraging
What

is

local
the

the

Exchange
deadline

(UPSE),

issued

by

Uttar
the

maximum FDI limit in the defence

Securities and Exchange Board of

sector presently? 26% (Last year

India (SEBI) expired on 30 May

alone, India imported nearly $1.9

2014.

billion of military equipment from

conditions for UPSE according to

the United States, making it the

which the annual turnover of the

The

SEBI

had

fixed

exchange would have to be around

Rs. 1,000 crore and its net-worth

Charminar and decorated Gateway

should be at-least Rs. 100 crore. In

from

which city is the UPSE situated?

Laxman Aelay(Aelay is a native

Kanpur (Kanpur-based

UPSE

designer from Telangana region

failed to meet any of the two

and he has tried to capture the

conditions prescribed by the SEBI)

essence of India, Telangana culture

the

Kakatiya

dynasty?

and Hyderabadi tehzeeb with local

4) Who resigned from the post of
President

of

Gujarat

Cricket

ethos in pleasing colours in the

logo)

Association on 29 May 2014?

Narendra

Modi (Modi

was

first

6) Names of two Indian-American

elected unopposed as the head of

school

GCA in September 2009, when a

Sriram Hathwar came to limelight

16-year Congress dominance at the

on 30 May 2014 in the U.S.

body ended. He had then replaced

because They jointly won the

Narhari Amin, who had remained at

National Spelling Bee for 2014 and

the helm of GCA since 1993. Amin

thus became the first joint-winners

is a member of the BJP now)

of

this

boys Ansun

coveted

Sujoe

trophy

and

since

Page

46 CURRENT AFFAIRS

1962 (Ansun and Sriram scripted

5) The

logo

Government

for
of

the

upcoming

Telangana

was

released recently. The new state of

Telangana

would

come

into

existence on 2 June 2014. Who

designed this logo which features

history by becoming co-champions

of the famed Scripps National
Spelling Bee after a tense final to
end the duel in a tie for the first time
in

52

years.

Scripps

National

Spelling Bee is the most famous

Page

47 CURRENT AFFAIRS

spelling

competition

for

school

students of the US)

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