Insurance Study Notes on

ULIP Plan
D

Posted in LIC AAO, Study Material On February 24, 2016

Dear Aspirants,
LIC AAO Exam is scheduled to take place in the month of March. For which
the preparation has to be done at appropriate time. Considering this, for the
upcoming LIC AAO exam, we are providing Study notes for Insurance. We
hope that will help you.

What is a ULIP?
ULIP is an abbreviation for Unit Linked Insurance Policy. A ULIP is a life
insurance policy which provides a combination of risk cover and investment. The
dynamics of the capital market have a direct bearing on the performance of the
ULIPs. In a ULIP policy, the investment risk is generally borne by the
investor.
What types of funds do ULIP offer?
Most insurers offer a wide range of funds to suit ones investment objectives,
risk profile and time horizons. Different funds have different risk profiles. The
potential for returns also varies from fund to fund. The following are some of

the common types of funds available along with an indication of their risk
characteristics.
1) Equity Funds (Medium to High risk) Primarily invested in company
stocks with the general aim of capital appreciation
2) Income, Fixed Interest and Bond Funds (Medium risk) Invested
in corporate bonds, government securities and other fixed income instruments
3) Cash Funds (Low risk) Sometimes known as Money Market Funds
invested in cash, bank deposits and money market instruments
4) Balanced Funds (Medium risk) Combining equity investment with
fixed interest instruments
What are the charges, fees and deductions in a ULIP?
ULIPs offered by different insurers have varying charge structures. Broadly, the
different types of fees and charges are given below. However insurers have the
right to revise fees and charges over a period of time.
1) Premium Allocation Charge This is a percentage of the premium
appropriated towards charges before allocating the units under the policy. This
charge normally includes initial and renewal expenses apart from commission
expenses.
2) Mortality Charges These are charges to provide for the cost of
insurance coverage under the plan. Mortality charges depend on number of
factors such as age, amount of coverage, state of health etc
3) Fund Management Fees These are fees levied for management of the
fund(s) and are deducted before arriving at the Net Asset Value (NAV) .
4) Policy/ Administration Charges These are the fees for administration
of the plan and levied by cancellation of units. This could be flat throughout the
policy term or vary at a pre-determined rate.

5) Surrender Charges A surrender charge may be deducted for premature

partial or full encashment of units wherever applicable, as mentioned in the
policy conditions.
6) Fund Switching Charge Generally a limited number of fund switches
may be allowed each year without charge, with subsequent switches, subject to
a charge.
7) Service Tax Deductions Before allotment of the units the applicable
service tax is deducted from the risk portion of the premium.
The portion of the premium after deducting for all charges and premium for risk
cover is utilized for purchasing units
What is a Unit Fund?
The allocated (invested) portions of the premiums after deducting for all
the charges and premium for risk cover under all policies in a particular fund
as chosen by the policy holders are pooled together to form a Unit fund.
What is Fund Value?
The total value of the units in all the funds invested in by policy
holder at the valuation date. The value of the units in each fund on the
valuation date is calculated as
(Number of units held by you in that fund) X (Corresponding unit price of that
fund at the valuation date)
The fund value is the sum of the value of the units in all the funds that
policy holder have invested in, as on the valuation date.

aily GK Update: 25th December, 2015

1. Modi inaugurates new Afghan Parliament built by India in Kabul
i. Prime Minister Modi received a warm embrace and welcome by Afghan president Ashraf Ghani in
Kabul where he arrived on Friday for delegation-level bilateral talks and for inaugurating the new
Afghan Parliament building. Calling India and Afghanistans friendship antiquated and bound by a

thousand ties, Ghani thanked India for its valuable assistance as Afghanistan weathers hard
times.

ii. Pleased to welcome PM Modi to Kabul. Though, India & Afghanistan need no introduction, we are
bound by a thousand ties We have stood by each other in the best and worst of times, Ghani
tweeted.
iii. Delegation-level bilateral talks between the two countries were held at Dilkosha Palace, the Afghan
presidential office. Modi later inaugurated the Afghan parliament building that was constructed by
India at a cost of USD 90 million. The Prime Minister also addressed the two houses.
iv. Ghani and Modi toured the parliament building and arrived at the main session hall in the presence
of the guests, including member of the Afghan parliament, Khaama press reported.

2. IndianOil, Oil India sign MoU with Rosneft

i. Indian Oil Corporation and Oil India Ltd have signed a memorandum of understanding with Russian
national oil company Rosneft for cooperation in geologic survey, exploration and production of
hydrocarbons in select onshore areas in Russia.

ii. The MoU document was signed during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia. In all,
16 agreements were signed between Indian and Russian firms in the field of nuclear energy,
hydrocarbon, defence and other sectors.
iii. The MoU document lays the foundation for a long-term partnership between IndianOil, OIL and
Rosneft. As a first step, the parties have agreed to examine the possibility of cooperation in respect of
the Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha LLC asset, an official statement from IndianOil stated.
iv. Implementation of the terms of the agreement signed will give additional impetus to the
development of one of the largest oil assets in East Siberia, the statement added.

3. Veteran actress Sadhana passes away in Mumbai

i. Yesteryear Hindi film actress Sadhana, known for popularising the fashionable Sadhana cut (fringe
haircut), passed away in Mumbai at the age of 74, according to reports.

ii. Known for memorable films, such as Love in Shimla, Parakh,

Waqt, Woh Kaun Thi, Mera Saaya, Geeta Mera Naam among others, Sadhana was known for her onscreen simple looks as well glamour quotient, and is closely associated with some of the most
memorable Hindi film songs during the 1960s.
iii. Sadhana was said to be ailing for some time and had been operated for a lesion in her mouth last
year.
iv. RIP Sadhana aunty...Your legacy of beauty, poise and utmost grace....will live on forever...,
tweeted Karan Johar, well-known Hindi film producer and director.

4. Reliance Defence signs $6 billion pact with Russian arms firm as Modi visits Moscow
i. Reliance Defence said on Thursday it had signed a manufacturing and maintenance deal potentially
worth $6 billion with Russia's Almaz-Antey, the maker of an air defence system that sources said the
Indian military was poised to buy.
ii. The partnership between the Indian firm controlled by billionaire Anil Ambani and the Russian firm
was announced as Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a trip to Moscow aimed at strengthening
defence ties.

iii. Earlier this week, Indian defence ministry sources said the
government had cleared the purchase of five S-400 air defence systems that are estimated to cost
about $4.5 billion in a bid to modernise the country's defences against airborne attacks.
iv. India is forecast to spend $250 billion over the next decade to upgrade its military and Modi's
government wants a greater role for Indian state and defence firms. Reliance is forging close ties with
Russia to jumpstart its ambitions to develop a defence business from scratch. It said it had also
discussed joint implementation of modernisation, repair and overhaul of Almaz-Antey systems already
in service in India.
v. The company also plans to bid for contracts for local manufacture of helicopters, submarines and
ships. Earlier this month, Ambani's Reliance Infrastructure took sole management control of Pipavav
Defence and Offshore Engineering Co which has built patrol vessels for the Indian navy.

5. Reserve Bank of India Invites Applications for Innovative Payment Solutions

i. Indias central bank The Reserve Bank of India has invited applications for Payment System
Innovation Awards to encourage innovative solutions in the field of Payment and Settlement System.

With this initiative, the RBI is hoping to transform the way transactions are processed in the worlds
fastest growing emerging economy.
ii. Some broad areas which the contest will hope to cover are:

Payment security including fraud prevention

Customer convenience and cost reduction

Mobile payments

Acceptance/electronic payment infrastructure

Use of emerging technologies for payments

iii. The Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), which is the
technology arm of the RBI, will organize the competition. A panel of experts will shortlist the most
innovative applications, and the best three will be rewarded with citations/prizes. The winners may
also be given a chance to present their ideas/ technologies to the industry representatives.
iv. Among the most revolutionary technologies that are disrupting the payments sector is the
blockchain technology, which is the technology underpinning the cryptocurrency bitcoin. The
blockchain is able to serve the crucial purpose of cutting down transaction costs while facilitating fast,
reliable, and secure payments. The initiative by the central bank will also lend confidence to the
cryptocurrency businesses in India as the regulator has often maintained a cautious stance on the
digital currencies.
v. RBI has already issued new licenses to 10 small banks and 11 payment banks that would use
technology to disrupt banking. India has been lagging behind in the fintech race, but similar initiatives
may catapult the nation to a higher spot.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2015/12/daily-gk-update-25th-december-2015.html#ixzz3y2FSoxML

Daily GK Update: 26th December, 2015

1.PM goes to Lahore, makes a Christmas date with history

i. With two unannounced stops, in Kabul and Lahore on Christmas

day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi rewrote the recent history of geopolitics in the region on Friday.
ii. Officials in Delhi and Islamabad told that Mr. Modi had telephoned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
from Kabul to wish him on his birthday, and during the call, made plans to travel to Lahore to wish
him personally a few hours later.
iii. Mr. Modi meet PM Nawaz Sharif in Lahore on 25th December.
2.Bangladesh signs $12.65 billion deal with Russia for nuclear power plants
i. Bangladesh's state-run Atomic Energy Commission signed a deal with Russia to set up two nuclear
power plants, each with 1,200 MW capacity, an investment totalling $12.65 billion.

ii. The Work will begin early next year at Ruppur in Iswardi, 160km (100 miles) from Dhaka, said
Kamrul Islam Bhyian, spokesman for the ministry of science and technology.
iii. "Russia will finance up to 90 per cent of the total cost as credit with an interest rate of Libor
plus
1.75
per
cent,"
Bhyian
told
Reuters.
iv. Bangladesh will clear the total loan within 28 years with a 10-year grace period.Bangladesh
finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said it would be the country's biggest power project.

3.Former Wicket-Keeper Syed Kirmani nominated for 2015 Col.

CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award
i. Former Indian Wicket-Keeper nominated for the 2015 Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement
Award. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Col. CK Nayudu Awards Committee.
The
meeting
was
held
at
the
BCCIs
headquarters
in
Mumbai.
ii. Kirmani represented India at the international level between 1976 and 1986. His record includes
160 catches and 38 stumpings in tests and 27 catches and 9 stumpings in ODIs.
iii. The award was instituted by the BCCI in 1994 to celebrate the birth centenary of Col. Cottari
Kanakaiya Nayudu, the countrys first test captain.

4.India, Russia signed 16 pacts to deepen bilateral cooperation

i. India and Russia signed 16 Agreements/Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) to deepen

bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, security, technology, etc. The pacts were signed after
the
conclusion
of
the
16th
India-Russia
Annual
Summit
in
Moscow.
ii. After the summit, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President
Vladimir Putin, both the leaders issued a joint statement with the theme Shared Trust,New
Horizons.
Some Agreements/MoUs signed were:
(1) Protocol amending the agreement on simplification of requirements for mutual travels of
certain categories of citizens of the two countries.
(2) Protocol amending agreement between India and Russia on mutual travel regime for holders of
Diplomatic & Official Passports.
(3) Cooperation in the field of Helicopter Engineering
(4) Plan for Cooperation between the Federal Customs Service of the Central Board of Excise and
Customs, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, India and the Russian Federation for
combating Customs violations in 2015 2017.

5.Indian-origin software engineer wins UK award

i. An Indian-origin software engineer named Nandagopal Lakshminarayanan has won a prestigious
award in the UK for creating an innovative electronic smart key system which enables the creation
and management of keys and locks that cannot be copied or picked.
ii. He has been working as a knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) associate at Lincoln Security Ltd
for the past two years, won the Business Leader of the Future award at Innovate UK's 'KTP Best of
the Best Awards 2015' at a ceremony in London.
6.World Bank to give $35mn to Pakistan for Indus River Basin

i. The World Bank has approved an additional financial assistance

to Pakistan of $35 million to support improved management, planning and development of water
resources in the Indus River Basin in Pakistan.
ii.This $35 million is in addition to the $38 million given earlier towards improvement of water
resources management in the Indus River system, the Bank said.
7.Kusal Perera faces 4-year ban

i. Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kusal Perera is facing the prospect of a four-year ban after his B sample
tested
positive
for
a
banned
substance.

ii. "The ICC has informed that he faces a four-year ban, as his
urine sample was tested positive in Qatar after the ICC had originally found it contained banned
substance.
iii. Consequently Perera had to drop out of Sri Lanka's current tour of New Zealand. Sri Lanka lost
the series 0-2. Perera is Sri Lanka's second player to flunk a dope test. Left-hander batsman Upul
Tharanga was suspended for three months after testing positive for a banned substance during the
2011 World Cup.

8.Good Governance Day 25 December

i. Good Governance Day was observed on 25 December 2015 across the country. The day was
observed to mark the birth anniversary of former-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
ii. To mark the occasion, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare J P Nadda announced four new
IT-based
initiatives
for
providing
citizen-centric
health
services.
iii.Good Governance Day was established in 2014 to honor former-Prime Minister Vajpayee by
fostering awareness among the Indian people of accountability in governance.

9.Reliance, AlmazAntey to jointly develop air defence missile system

i. Reliance Defence Limited and Russian AlmazAntey, have decided

to work jointly on the entire range of AD Missile and Radar Systems that are required for Indian
defence forces. The development comes alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modis ongoing visit to
Moscow.
ii. According to the release, vice chairman of AlmazAntey VF Medovnikov said that Working with
Reliance Defence will help us develop new directions for both companies to address future
requirements of the Indian Armed Forces.

10.Direct-selling FMCG firm Amway India announced Bollywood

actor Farhan Akhtar as its brand ambassador to promote Nutrilite range of the products
i. Amway India CEO Anshu Budhraja in her statement said that they needed a strong and credible
face who could help people understand the role of supplementation in addition to balanced diet
and exercise as part of leading a healthy lifestyle, that's why Farhan Akhtar was an obvious choice.
ii.Nutrilite is a leading brand of vitamins and dietary supplements. The brand contributes more
than 50 per cent of Amway Indias turnover.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2015/12/daily-gk-update-26th-december-2015.html#ixzz3y2FZOaQ9

Daily GK Update: 27th December, 2015

Action plan for Start up India to be unveiled on Jan. 16

i. Seeking to boost entrepreneurship at the grassroots level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the
action plan for Start up India, Stand up India will be unveiled on January 16.
ii. Mr. Modi said the programme will focus on ensuring benefits reach the youth from the lowest strata
of the society.
iii. He said the Start up India, Stand up India campaign has brought in new opportunities for the
youth.
Indian Oil Corp tops in 2015 Fortune 500 companies in India list
i. State-run Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has emerged as the countrys biggest company in terms of
annual revenue as per an annual list of 2015 Fortune 500 companies in India.
ii. IOC topped the list for consecutive sixth year with annual revenue of Rs. 4,51,911 crore. IOC was
followed by Mukesh Ambani-led private sector Reliance Industries at the second place with a revenue
of Rs. 3,82,565 crore.
iii. Top ten companies

Indian Oil Corp (IOC)

Reliance Industries

Tata Motors

State Bank of India (SBI)

Bharat Petroleum (BPCL)

Hindustan Petroleum

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)

Tata Steel

Hindalco Industries

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

Tech Mahindra launches contactless wallet MoboMoney

i. IT major Tech Mahindra has launched first of its kind Tap N Pay contactless digital payment wallet
MoboMoney for the Indian masses.
ii. MoboMoney has been billed as Indias first commercial NFC ecosystem rollout that would allow
consumers to convert cash into e-cash for making payments.
iii. MoboMoney is a prepaid wallet issued in the form of a Near Field Communication (NFC)
contactless tag that could be used to Tap N Pay for goods and services.

Union Govt brings 376 drugs under the NLEM

i. The Union Government has added 106 drugs including that of HIV/AIDS, Cancer and Hepatitis C to
the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).
ii. In this regard, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfares core committee has revised the
NLEM. The committee was headed by V.M. Katoch, former secretary of Department of Health
Research.
iii. The revision includes addition of 106 essential medicines and deletion of 70 medicines.
iv. With this total number of essential medicines in the list has gone up to 376 from earlier 348
medicines. This move will ensure their availability across the country at affordable prices.
v. The new list takes cues from the World Health Organisation (WHOs) 2015 list of essential drugs
and medicines that satisfies the priority healthcare needs of people and ensure affordability.
Veteran Bollywood actress Sadhna passes away
i. Veteran Bollywood actress Sadhna Shivdasani (mononymously known as Sadhana) passed away in
Mumbai, Maharashtra. She was 74.
ii. She was renowned for his style statement and acting prowess in Bollywood in the 1960s and 70s.

PM NaMo inaugurates new building of Afghanistan Parliament in Kabul

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new building of Afghanistan Parliament in the capital
city Kabul built by India.
ii. It was inaugurated during Narendra Modis first official visit to Afghanistan after becoming Prime
Minister.
iii. He also named one block of Parliament as Atal Block after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee.
iv. Prime Minister also handed over 4 Mi-25 attack helicopters to Afghanistan Air Force symbolising a
shift in Indias position on supplying offensive equipment.

Seychelles Govt allows India to build Naval Base on its Assumption Island
i. Seychelles government allowed India to build its first Naval Base on the Assumption Island in the
Indian Ocean region (IOR) as a joint project between both countries.
ii. In this regard, Seychelles government has allocated a plot of land on in its Assumption Island which
will help to enhance mutual security along our western seaboard in IOR.
iii. Indias first Naval Base project has acquired significance following China acquiring its first African
naval base in Djibouti (near Horn of Africa) in November 2014.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2015/12/daily-gk-update-27th-december-2015.html#ixzz3y2FkaQGu

Daily GK Update: 28th December, 2015

1. Reliance Jio launched 4G telecom service
i. Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (RJIL) or Reliance Jio on 27 December 2015 launched 4G telecom
service. The service was launched at the Reliance Corporate Park in Navy Mumbai to mark the birth
anniversary of Dhirubhai Ambani, founder of the Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).
ii. However, at present, it is limited to 85000 employees and their families of the company, while the
commercial services are expected to begin by April 2016.

iii. It has three-pronged focus on broadband networks, affordable smart phones and the availability of
rich content and applications. It offers a unique combination of telecom, high speed data, digital
commerce, media and payment services.
iv. It provides data services with a speed up to 1 gigabyte per second. Under the project, around 2.5
lakh kilometers of fibre optic cables were laid to connect 18000 towns and around 1 lakh villages
across the country.
v. It will offer broad band services to 10 crore mobile users and 2 crore households. Users will have
the option to switch over to 5G services in future.

2. AP Government signed MoU with Microsoft India on technology initiatives

i. Government of Andhra Pradesh on 28 December 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Microsoft India on a range of technology initiatives. The MoU was signed after a meeting
between the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Microsofts CEO Satya Nadella in Hyderabad.

ii. The purpose of the MoU is to improve use of information and

communication technologies, drive digital inclusion and provide IT-based decentralised citizen
services. The initiatives will help in checking school dropouts, improving agricultural productivity and
providing better citizen services.
iii. By applying Microsoft Azure Machine Learning and Advanced Visualization method, the company
will provide technical knowledge to the AP Government and support building three proof-of-concept
(PoC) solutions. The three PoC solutions are related to the fields of education, agriculture and
eCitizen services.
iv. The PoC solutions will be built and deployed to address specific problems within each of the fields
to achieve better outcomes for the State. For data gathering, analysis, predictive analysis and policy
planning, the lab method will used by the Microsoft India.
v. State Governments key IT executives will be trained on Microsoft technologies such as Cloud,
Mobility and appropriate Microsoft Technology stack. The company will set up a Centre for Excellence
(CoE) in Visakhapatnam.

3. Union Government announced 4 new IT-based initiatives for citizen-centric health services
i. Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda on 25 December 2015 announced 4 new
Information Technology-based initiatives to provide citizen-centric health services. The initiatives
include three applications, namely, Kilkari, Mobile Academy and M-Cessation and a dedicated toll free
number 1800-116666 which will provide round the clock counselling and treatment support services
for TB patients.

ii. The initiatives were announced on the occasion of the Good Governance Day which is being
celebrated annually to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
iii. Kilkari is an audio-based mobile service that delivers weekly audio messages to families about
pregnancy, child birth and child care. Each pregnant woman and infants mother would receive weekly
voice messages relevant to the stage of pregnancy or age of the infant. Those who are registered in
Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS), a web- enabled name-based system to monitor and
ensure delivery of full spectrum of services to all pregnant women and children, will be benefitted from
the service.
iv. Mobile Academy is a mobile-based application aimed at providing training services to 9 million
ASHAs. This will aid in enhancing their inter-personal skills. Once registered, ASHAs can access the
240-minute course via their mobile phones. They can then complete the standardized course at their

convenience. Digital bookmarking technology enables ASHAs to complete the course at their own
pace.
v. M-Cessation will be an IT-enabled tool to help tobacco users to quit tobacco. Built on a helpline
concept, it will register beneficiaries on the basis of a missed call. The counselling would be done
through a two-way SMS process, the Minister informed.

4. Former CJ of Karnataka & Kerala High Courts Justice VS Malimath died

i. Former Chief Justice of Karnataka and Kerala High Courts Justice V S Malimath died on 22
December 2015 at Manipal hospital in Bengaluru. He was 86-years old and survived by wife Prema
Devi V Malimath, a son and four daughters.

ii. He was born on 12 June 12 1929, secured first rank in LL.B. and
had a post Graduate Diploma in Public International Law from University of London in 1952. He
commenced practicing in the High Court of Bombay in 1952 and later shifted to Bengaluru in late
1956.
iii. He was appointed as a Judge in the Karnataka High Court in March 1970. Subsequently, he was
appointed as Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court in 1984.
iv. Post retirement, he was appointed as Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). He
served as a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). He headed the Committee
on Reform of Criminal Justice System in India. He was the United Nations Representative to monitor
human rights enforcement in Nigeria and Sri Lanka.
v. He served as an International Observer to oversee the Referendum in Sri Lanka. In June 2015, he
was appointed as the Chairman of the Karnataka Border Protection Force by the Karnataka
government.

5. Indigenously developed Air-to-Air missile Astra successfully test fired

i. Indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile, Astra, was on 25 December
2015 successfully test fired. The test was conducted by the Indian Air Force off the coast of Odisha
near the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Balasore.
ii. In addition to this air trial, the missile underwent successful ground based trials in early December
2015 near Pune. The tests were aimed at validating the ECCM (electronic counter-counter measure)
features of the missile to overcome any jamming.

iii. After carrying out some more trials, including air launch trial with
a warhead, the missile is expected to be inducted into the Air Force in 2016. Astra is Indias first
beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) that is capable of engaging its target at ranges of 37

km or beyond. It has operational range of 60km. The all-weather missile has been indigeniously
designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
iv. It is a state-of-the-art missile in the sense that it travels at supersonic speed (4780 km/h),
possesses Single Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) with active radar terminal guidance, uses smokeless
propulsion system to evade enemy radars and has the capacity to engage in multi-target scenario.
v. It can reach up to 110 km when fired from an altitude of 15 km, 44 km when launched from an
altitude of eight km and 21 km when fired from sea level. Apart from integrating the missile with Su-30,
the missile will be mounted on other fighter aircrafts including Tejas (Light Combat Aircraft), Mirage2000 and MIG-29.

6. Make in India Week to start from Feb 13

i. Taking a cue from the biennial investor congregation - Vibrant Gujarat Summit - held every alternate
year in Gujarat the Central Government is organising Make in India Week in Mumbai during
February 13-18, 2016.

ii. The week-long event, being organised by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
(DIPP), Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, will have investors meet for the manufacturing
sector under Make in India.
iii. Following the ambitious initiative of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage investments in
the manufacturing sector in the country, the government will conduct the 'Make in India Week' on the
lines of three-day Vibrant Gujarat Summit. The event will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on
February 13.
iv. The meet will also discuss issues related to SMEs and start-ups. "We have interacted with
entrepreneurs and they have raised valid issues faced by them. These include infrastructure, tax
related issues, and demand to reduce compliance burden for small industries. They have given
suggestions on how to resolve these issues," said Amitabh Kant, secretary, DIPP during a road-show
for the event in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
v. He stated that the 'Make in India' initiative is aimed at increasing the share of manufacturing sector
in the GDP from the current 15-16 per cent to 25 per cent by 2022. "This is a flagship event for forging
global engagement with Indian industry in the form of partnerships and investments."

7. Karan Adani new CEO of APSEZ

i. Karan Adani, son of Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, has been appointed as the CEO of
Adani Ports and SEZ (APSEZ) with effect from January 1, 2016. He will take over the top job from
outgoing CEO Sudipta Bhattacharya, who is moving to the US as the CEO for North America, APSEZ
said in a regulatory filing.

ii. The Board has accepted the resignation of Bhattacharya as the CEO of
APSEZ with effect from December 31, 2015, it added. It also approved the appointment of Karan,
Executive Director (nonboard position) as CEO of the company with effect from January 1, 2016,
the filing said.
iii. Karan, who looks after strategic development of Adani ports across India, has been involved in
managing various port operations for the firm since 2009. He aims to build the Groups identity
around an integrated logistics business model, backed by his sound understanding of new processes,
systems and macroeconomic issues, the filing said.
iv. He is an economics graduate from Purdue University, the USA. Bhattacharya, in his new role, will
be responsible for driving the significant emerging opportunities between India and the US, it said.
Shares of APSEZ were up 1.10 per cent to Rs. 261.35 apiece in the afternoon trade at the BSE.

8. China amended One Couple, One Child Policy

i. Chinas National People's Congress Standing Committee, countrys top law making body, on 27
December 2015 gave its approval to amending One Couple, One Child Policy. The amended policy,
which will come into force on 1 January 2016, will lift the restrictions on couples from having only one
child.

ii. The amended policy is aimed at balancing the country's

population structure by allowing all couples to have two children. The amendment came after the
Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on 29 October 2015 issued a communiqu in
this regard.
iii. The overhaul of the policy is in continuation of gradual relaxation of the policy in recent years. In
2013, couples were allowed to have a second child if either parent was an only child.
iv. As per an estimate, China has 140 million women of child-bearing age who have already raised a
child. After the new law is adopted, about 90 million of them are expected to have a second child.
v. Further, the policy will mean total population with a peak around 1.45 billion in 2029 and is expected
to result over 30 million more people in the labor force by 2050.

9. CRI Pumps bags export quality excellence award

i. Pump manufacturing major CRI Pumps has bagged 'Export Quality Excellence' award for the 11th
time in a row.

ii. The Joint Managing Director of CRI Pumps, G Selvaraj, received

the EEPC award given in recognition of the company's high quality and innovative pumping solutions
from the Governor of Karnataka, Vajubhai Vala, at an award ceremony held in Bengaluru last week.
iii. The company has, according to a release, retained its position of being the largest exporter of
pumping equipment among Indian pump exporters. The company's has emerged as a turnkey
solution provider across segments, including residential, industrial, agricultural, mining, and water
treatment.

10. Wicked Ride launches utility bike rental service

i. Wicked Ride, a start-up founded in 2014 by Vivekananda H.R., Anil G and Varun Agni, has launched
its brand Apna Ride for utility bike rentals, targeted primarily at budget conscious bike enthusiasts.
ii. The service would be initially available at Bengaluru, Mysore and Jaipur and bookings can be done
through www.apnaride.com.
iii. While Wicked Ride would focus on renting high-end luxury bikes like Harley-Davidson, Triumph,
Ducati and Royal Enfield, Apna Ride would focus on utility motorcycles, electric bikes and scooters.
iv. After successfully establishing Wicked Ride as a leader and pioneer in the luxury bike rental
segment, we wanted to enter the utility bike rental segment and thats how Apna Ride was born,
said said Vivekananda H R, Co-founder, Wicked Ride.

11. Shiva Keshavan clinched silver at Asian Luge Championship

i. Shiva Keshavan on 27 December 2015 grabbed a silver medal in the 18th edition of the Asian Luge
Championship held in Nagano, Japan. The first place was claimed by defending champion Hidenari
Kanayama of Japan. On the other hand, South Korea's Kim Dong-hyeon grabbed the third place.
ii. Born on 25 August 1981, Keshavan is the posterboy of Indian winter sports. He is a five time
Olympian and the first Indian representative to compete in luge at the Winter Olympic Games. He set
a new Asian speed record at 134.3 km/h after beating the previous record of 131.9 km/h.
iii. In Asia Cup 2011, he grabbed the gold medal. In 2012, he set a new Asian track record at 49.590
seconds. He was offered to represent Italy in 2002, but refused.
iv. He holds the world record for youngest ever Olympian. He studied humanities and political science
at the University of Florence and obtained a Master's degree in International relations from the
University of Florence.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2015/12/daily-gk-update-28th-december-2015.html#ixzz3y2FrYfk1

Daily GK Update: 29th December, 2015

1. Union Government links LPG subsidy to income
i. Union Government has announced to link LPG subsidy to income of consumers in order to ensure
that the subsidy benefits go to the targeted group. Henceforth, the LPG subsidy will not be available to
LPG consumers if the consumer or his/her spouse has taxable income of more than ten lakh rupees.
ii. This income would be as per the previous financial year computed under Income Tax Act, 1961.
This decision will be given effect to initially on self-declaration basis of LPG consumers while booking
cylinders January 2016.

iii. This move will affect at least 60 lakh LPG consumers of the total 16.5 crore LPG consumers in the
country and Government will save upto Rs. 113 crore from this decision.
iv. Earlier under the Give it Up campaign many LPG consumers had given up their subsidy voluntarily
but Government felt that consumers in the higher income bracket should get LPG cylinders at the
market price. So far, 57.50 lakh LPG consumers have opted out of LPG subsidy voluntarily under the
campaign that aims to ensure that the subsidy benefits go to the targeted group.
2. Ministry of Women and Child Development launches e-office
i. Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has introduced e-office, an initiative which
will help provide efficient services to the people by digitizing more than 12,000 files. It was formally
launched by WCD Minister Maneka Sanjay Gandhi in New Delhi on the lines with the spirit of Good
Governance initiative of Union Government.

ii. The e-office project of the Ministry was initiated in July, 2015 and more than 12,000 files of the
Ministry have been digitized. Various modules of this e-office are Knowledge Management System,
File Management System, Leave Management System and Tour Management System.
iii. Personnel Information Management System module of this e-office is likely to start from the 1
January, 2016. All the attached offices of the ministry are also going to come under the e-office
platform.
iv. The e-office will result in substantial decrease of processing time which will directly affect the
delivery mechanism of the WCD Ministry. It would also result in better accountability and transparency
and will ultimately result in higher manpower efficiency.
3. 18th India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting held in New Delhi
i. The 18th Session of the India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was held on 28 December
2015 in New Delhi. The session was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister of India (EAM) Sushma
Swaraj and Ali Tayebnia, Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance of Iran.

ii. Both the leaders reviewed the progress in trade and economic
cooperation and a number of related matters. They also discussed the possibilities in cooperation in
railways, including by supply of rails, rolling stock and signaling.
iii. India stressed that connectivity afforded by Indian participation in Chahbahar Port will facilitate
linking Afghanistan and Central Asia with India. The Iranian side suggested participation of Indias
public and private sectors in development of Chahbahar Port and Chahbahar Free Trade Zone (FTZ)
and in setting up industrial units in the FTZ.
iv. India emphasized the need for early completion of all necessary procedures for Indias participation
in Farzad-B field and pointed out Indias desire to participate in other oil and gas explorations in Iran
as well. They reviewed works related to Indias participation in Chahbahar Zahedan -Mashhad
railway line.
v. This is the first JCM since the conclusion of the Vienna Agreement. The agreement was reached
between P5+1 countries and Iran on 14 July 2015 and paves the way for peaceful resolution of
outstanding issues related to Irans nuclear programme.
4. Oscar-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler passed away
i. Oscar-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler died peacefully in his sleep on 27 December 2015
in California, US. He was 93. He was one of the Americas most influential cinematographers. He was
best known for his work in films like One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and American Graffiti.

ii. He was born on 6 February 1922 in Chicago, US. He was known

for his work on films like Coming Home and In the Heat of the Night. He had worked as director of
photography on films including The Best Man and Mulholland Falls. He also produced and directed
1969s Medium Cool.
iii. He was also recognised for his documentary work on the Emmy-winning Paul Jacobs and the
Nuclear Gang and Interviews with My Lai Veterans for which he won Academy Award.
iv. He won Oscar Awards for his films including Whos Afraid of Virginia Wolf? (1966) and Bound for
Glory (1976). He was first cinematographer to receive star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1996.

5. Report of Vijay Kelkar Committee on Revisiting & Revitalizing PPP Model released
i. The Union Ministry of Finance on 28 December 2015 released the report of the Committee on
Revisiting and Revitalising Public Private Partnership (PPP) Model. The 9-member committee was
headed by former Finance Secretary Vijay Kelkar and submitted its report on 19 November 2015.
ii. The committee was constituted on 26 May 2015 to review the experience of PPP Policy and
suggest measures to improve capacity building in Government for their effective implementation.
More importantly, the committee recognized the PPP Model in infrastructure as a valuable instrument
to speed up infrastructure development in India.

iii. Hence, it called for PPP contracts need to focus more on service
delivery instead of fiscal benefits alone. The recommendations of the committee are of relevance to
the overall growth of the economy as PPP projects have become the preferred mode to develop large
scale infrastructure projects.
iv. At present, over 12007 PPP projects are under implementation across the country, involving about
7.2 lakh crore rupees worth of investment.
v. The committee recommended the Government may take early action to amend the Prevention of
Corruption Act, 1988 which does not distinguish between genuine errors in decision-making and acts.
This is necessary to make only malafide action by public servants punishable and not errors.
vi. The Committee strongly endorsed setting up of the 3PI which can, in addition to functioning as a
centre of excellence in PPPs, enable research, review and roll out activities to build capacity, etc.
vii. The committee advised against adopting PPP structures for very small projects, since the benefits
of delivering small PPP projects may not be commensurate with the resulting costs and the
complexity of managing such partnerships over a long period.
6. RBI released report of Deepak Mohanty Committee on Medium-term Path on Financial
Inclusion
i. The Reserve Bank of India on 28 December 2015 released the Report of the Committee on
Medium-term Path on Financial Inclusion. The committee was constituted on 15 July 2015 by the RBI
with the objective of working out a medium-term (five year) measurable action plan for financial
inclusion. The 14-member committee was headed by RBI Executive Director Deepak Mohanty.
ii. Banks have to make special efforts to step up account opening for females, and the Government
may consider a deposit scheme for the girl child Sukanya Shiksha - as a welfare measure. Given
the predominance of individual account holdings (94 per cent of total credit accounts), a unique
biometric identifier such as Aadhaar should be linked to each individual credit account.

iii. Account lined Aadhaar and the credit information should be shared with companies to enhance the
stability of the credit system and improve access. To improve last mile service delivery and to
translate financial access into enhanced convenience and usage, a low-cost solution should be
developed by utilisation of the mobile banking facility for maximum possible G2P payments.
iv. In order to increase formal credit supply to all agrarian segments, digitisation of land records is the
way forward. This should be backed by an Aadhaar-linked mechanism for Credit Eligibility Certificates
to facilitate credit flow to actual cultivators.
v. A scheme of Gold KCC (kisan credit card) with higher flexibility for borrowers with prompt
repayment records, which could be dovetailed with a government-sponsored personal insurance, and
digitisation of KCC to track expenditure pattern. Encourage multiple guarantee agencies to provide

credit guarantees in niche areas for micro and small enterprises (MSEs), and explore possibilities for
counter guarantee and re-insurance.
vi. State Level Bankers Committees (SLBCs) are advised to focus more on inter-institutional issues,
livelihood models, social cash transfer, gender inclusion, Aadhaar seeding, universal account opening,
and less on credit deposit ratio which is a by-product. As a part of second generation reforms, the
government can replace the current agricultural input subsidies on fertilisers, power and irrigation by a
direct income transfer scheme.
7. Amitabh Kant got additional charge of CEO of NITI Aayog
i. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 28
December 2015 gave Amitabh Kant the additional responsibility of being Chief Executive Officer of
NITI Aayog, effective 31 December 2015.

ii. Kant will replace the incumbent NITI Aayog CEO Sindhushree Khullar whose extended tenure will
end on 31 December 2015. The IAS officer of 1980 Batch of Kerala Cadre, Kant is currently serving
as Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). He is set to superannuate on 28
February 2016.
iii. The National Institution for Transforming India Aayog (NITI Aayog) is a Government of India policy
think-tank. It was formed on 1 January 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to replace the Planning
Commission.
iv. The Aayog aims at fostering involvement and participation in the economic policy-making process
by the State Governments of India. One of the important mandates of NITI Aayog is to bring
cooperative competitive federalism.
8. Renowned science-fiction writer George Clayton Johnson died

i. Popular science-fiction writer George Clayton Johnson, who penned the script
for the first Star Trek episode, The Man Trap, passed away on 25 December 2015 due to cancer in
Los Angeles, California. He was 86.
ii. Born on 10 July 1929 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Johnson debuted into the entertainment business in
1959 when he wrote the Ill Take Care of You episode for Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
iii. The renowned writer is also known for co-writing the novel Logan's Run with William F. Nolan, the
basis for the MGM 1976 film. Besides, his television scripts for The Twilight Zone including Nothing in
the Dark, Kick the Can, A Game of Pool, and A Penny for Your Thoughts earned him immense fame.
iv. Johnson was also the proprietor of Cafe Frankenstein, and co-created the comic book series
Deepest Dimension Terror Anthology with cartoonist and author Jay Allen Sanford for Revolutionary
Comics.
9. Globe Soccer Awards 2015 conferred
i. The Globe Soccer on 27 December 2015 presented the sixth edition of Globe Soccer Awards 2015
to the winners at a ceremony held in Dubai, UAE. Awarded for excellences in the field of football,

Globe Soccer Awards are the first and only awards for the Best Club Director and the Best Agent of
the Year.
ii. The awards conferred were based on the performance of the players and football clubs in 2015.
Globe Soccer was created and built by BC Bendoni Consulting to facilitate intercontinental dialogue
among the main players in the football world, with opportunities to meet and discuss for the games
institutions, clubs, leagues and transfer market operators.

Best Player of the Year - Lionel Messi

Best President of the Year - Josep Maria Bartomeu

Best Club of the Year - F.C. Barcelona

Best Media Attraction in Football - F.C. Barcelona

Best Coach of the Year - Marc Wilmots

Best Agent of the Year - Jorge Mendes

Best Referee of the Year - Ravshan Irmatov

Best Academy of the Year - Benfica

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2015/12/daily-gk-update-29th-december-2015.html#ixzz3y2FyiM3t

Daily GK Update: 30th December, 2015

1. Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik's Santa Claus sculpture featured in Limca Book of Records
i. Well-known sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaiks Santa Claus sculpture on 29 December 2015 found a
place in Limca Book of World Records. Pattnaik claimed that he had created a 45 feet high sand
Santa Claus at Puri beach on 24 December 2015, which was recognised as the largest sand Santa
Claus as of today by the Limca Book of World Records.
ii. Pattnaik was assisted by 20 of his students from the Sudarsan Sand Art Institute of Puri to build the
giant structure. It took him 22 hours to build the structure which will be on display till 1 January 2016.

iii. The artist had also created sculptures of Jesus and Mother Mary near Santa Claus. Pattnaik had
already created eight world records registered with the Limca Book of World Records.
iv. Sudarsan Pattnaik is a world-renowned Indian sand artist from Odisha. Born on 15 April 1977, he
self-taught himself the art of sand sculpture. He established The Golden Sand Art Institute which is
first of its nature in India.
v. His sculptures include environmental crisis, famous festivals, national integrity and religious
tolerance. He has represented India in 50 international Sand Sculpture championship and festivals all
around the world and won 27 championship prizes for the country.
vi. In 2013, he won gold medal at Saint Peters Burg in 12th International sand sculpture competition at
Russia. His sand sculpture on Black Taj Mahal earned him accolades all over the world. In 2014, he
was awarded the Padma Shri by Government of India.

2. Cabinet clears formation of JVs between Indian Railways and states

i. The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the formation of joint venture companies with various state
governments to mobilise resources for undertaking rail infrastructure projects.

ii. The initial paid-up capital of the Ministry of

Railways will be limited to Rs. 50 crore for each state. The joint venture companies would be formed
with equity participation from the Ministry of Railways and the state governments concerned. Each
joint venture will have an initial paid-up capital of Rs. 100 crore and based on the projects to be
undertaken, further fund infusion would be done on approval of the project.
iii. The joint ventures will be allowed to form project-specific special purpose vehicles with equity
holding from other stakeholders such as banks, ports, public sector undertakings, mining companies,
and others.
iv. This would ensure greater participation of state governments in implementation of railway projects,
both in terms of financial participation as well as the decision-making process. This will also facilitate
faster statutory approvals and land acquisition, an official statement added.

v. Meanwhile, the Cabinet also approved signing of various memorandums of understandings in the
field of urban development. One such MoU is between SITNEF, Norway, and Central Public Works
Department for cooperation in development of human resource capacity building and scientific
research in recycling of construction and demolition waste in India.

3. WHO officially declared Guinea Ebola-free

i. The World Health Organization (WHO) on 29 December 2015 declared the end of Ebola virus
transmission in the Republic of Guinea. The organization took the decision after observing that 42
days have passed since the last person confirmed to have Ebola virus disease and tested negative
now.

ii. Guinea now enters a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to ensure that any new cases are
identified quickly before they can spread to other people. The decision came after more than 2500
people died from the virus in the West African nation. With this, Liberia becomes the only country still
counting down for an end to this ruinous epidemic.
iii. The end of Ebola transmission in Guinea marks an important milestone in the Ebola outbreak in
West Africa. The original chain of transmission started two years ago in Gueckedou, Guinea in late
December 2013.
iv. The outbreak later spread to neighbouring countries Liberia and Sierra Leone and ultimately
travelled to seven other countries. The total number of people infected with Ebola eventually totalled
more than 28000. And the number of people who died from the disease reached more than 11200.
v. In addition to the original chain of transmission, there have been 10 new small Ebola outbreaks
between March and November 2015. These appear to have been due to the re-emergence of a
persistent virus from the survivor population. This is for the first time that all three countries Guinea,
Liberia and Sierra Leone have stopped the original chains of transmission that were responsible for
starting this devastating outbreak.

4. Online virtual science lab for school students

i. Students who have opted for the Science stream at the high school level, but have no access to
physical labs now have the option to perform experiments in a virtual science-lab. Thanks to the
educational technology initiative - Online Labs - developed by Amrita CREATE (Centre of Research
in Advanced Technologies for Education) in association with CDAC (Centre for Development of
Advanced Computing).

ii. OLabs or Online virtual Science Labs allows

students to repeat the experiments as many times as they wish; it includes simulators, videos,
animation, theory and quiz. It is based on the premise that lab experiments can be taught over the Net
in a cost effective and efficient manner.

iii. According to Venkat Rangan, Vice Chancellor, Amrita University the initiative is aimed at helping
students understand complex science concepts and build scientific temper. Ravi Shankar Prasad,
Minister of Communications and Information Technology launched this elearning programme on
Tuesday. Under this nationwide initiative, Amrita has set a target of preparing around 30,000 science
teachers from across the country on how to use OLabs, so they can in turn help students perform
experiments in a virtual lab.
iv. OLabs has been officially endorsed by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) as a
teaching aid for all its schools. It is expected to be available in Hindi, Malayalam and Marathi and
offered in both urban and rural schools.
v. Online Labs technology has an offline tablet-based component as well, which ultimately would allow
the trained faculty to take the labs to remote pockets, where connectivity is still an issue. Amrita is
hoping that in a span of three years at least 10000 schools across the country would be provided free
access to OLabs. The Online Labs is said to have over 80,000 registered users already.

5. Ian Fraser Lemmy Kilmister, founding member of metal band Motorhead, died
i. Ian Fraser Lemmy Kilmister, founding member and singer in the British heavy metal band
Motorhead, passed away on 28 December 2015 after battling cancer. He was 70. Popularly known as
Lemmy, he played furiously on platinum-selling Motorhead albums like Ace of Spades , Overkill and
Iron Fist.

ii. He was born in December 1945 in Staffordshire, England. He

joined the English psych-rock band Hawkwind in 1971, but got kicked out several years later for
abusing amphetamines drug. In response, he formed Motorhead in 1975.
iii. Motorhead has released 22 studio albums with Lemmy as its only constant member. His last album
was Bad Magic in 2015. He was regarded as the godfather for rock n roll endurance and genres like
thrash and speed metal.

6. Noted Gujarati writer Raghuveer Chaudhary selected for 51st Jnanpith award
i. Eminent Gujarati litterateur Raghuveer Chaudhary was on 29 December 2015 selected for the 51st
Jnanpith award for his contribution to the Indian literature.
ii. The decision was taken in a meeting of the Jnanpith Selection Board chaired by noted scholar
Namwar Singh. Other members of the selection board are Shamim Hanfi, Harish Trivedi, Suranjan
Das, Ramakant Rath, Chandrakant Patil, Alok Rai, Dinesh Misra and Leeladhar Mandloi.

iii. Chaudhary is the fourth Gujarati litterateur to bag this prestigious

award after Uma Shankar Joshi (1967), Pannalal Patel (1985) and Rajendra Shah (2001).

iv. Born in 1938 in Gujarat, Raghuveer Chaudhary is a novelist, poet, critic, a prominent figure on
contemporary Gujarati literary scene and a Gandhian. His talent has been influenced by works of
Govardhanram Tripathi, Kaka Kalelkar, Suresh Joshi, Prof Ramdarash Mishra and Prof GN Dickey.
v. He authored more than 80 books and some of his notable novels include Amrita, Venu Vatsala,
Purvarang and Laagni Samjyaa Vinaa Chuuta Padvanu. He also had worked as a columnist for
numerous newspapers such as Sandesh, Janmabhumi, Nirikshaka and Divya Bhaskar.
vi. He was a teacher at the Gujarat University until his retirement in 1998. He has received numerous
awards including Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel Trilogy Uparvaas in 1977.

7. China launched Gaofen-4 dual-use geostationary satellite

i. China on 29 December 2015 successfully launched Gaofen-4 Earth observation satellite toward a
geostationary orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the south-western province of
Sichuan. The Satellite was launched aboard a Long March-3B carrier rocket.

ii. Launched as a part of the China High-resolution Earth

Observation System (CHEOS), Gaofen-4 is located at the orbit 36000 kilometres away from the earth
and moves synchronously with the earth.
iii. It can see an oil tanker on the sea with a huge CMOS camera, reaching the best imaging level
among global high-orbit remote sensing satellites. It will be used for disaster prevention and relief,
surveillance of geological disasters and forest disasters, and meteorologic forecast. It will offer optical
spatial resolution of better than 50 metres and infrared sensing capabilities from geostationary orbit.
iv. It is designed to operate for eight years at an altitude of almost 36000 km above the Earth. The
satellite was launched as a part of Gaofen project that aims to launch seven high-definition
observation satellites before 2020. Gaofen-1, the first satellite of the project, was launched in April
2013.

8. Veteran singer Subir Sen passed away

i. Veteran singer Subir Sen passed away on 29 December 2015 due

to lung cancer in Kolkata. He was 81. He is survived by his wife and a daughter. Sen was condemned
to be clone of senior and talented Hemant Kumar. From the 1950s till the 1980s, the melodious singer
had sung a number of hit songs. He had also sung duets with Asha Bhonsle and Lata Mangeshkar.
ii. A hit film Aas ka Panchhi marked the peak of Sens popularity. Similarly, Chhoti Bahen had several
duets by him and Lata Mangeshkar which dominated the charts of the time.

iii. Some of Sens well-known songs include Aa ja re nain dware from the Dev Anand-Waheeda
Rehman starrer Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja and Main rangeela pyar ka raahi in Chhoti Bahen.
iv. He was also known for his Bengali songs like Dhoronir pathey pathey, Monalisa tumi ki bolona and
Saradin tomay cheye.

9. Ex Chief of Indian Army General Om Prakash Malhotra passed away

i. General Om Prakash Malhotra, former Punjab Governor and ex-Chief of Army, passed away on 29
December 2015 due to old age. He was 93. He is survived by his wife and two children. General Om
Prakash Malhotra was the 13th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1978 1981.

ii. He was born in Srinagar, Kashmir, in August 1922 and attended Government College in Lahore
before being selected to join the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He was commissioned into the
Regiment of Artillery. He commanded different Artillery Regiments between November 1950 and July
1961.
iii. He was the Military Attache at the Indian Embassy in Moscow for over three years from June 1962.
He served as the Ambassador of India to Indonesia from 1981 - 1984. He was appointed as the
Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh from 1990 - 1991.
iv. He was also the President of the Equestrian Federation of India for nearly nine years. For his
outstanding services to the nation and the Indian Army, he was honoured with Param Vishsist Seva
Medal in 1976. In 1994, he was conferred with the Degree of Doctor of Letters (Honours Causa) by
the University of Jammu.

10. Indian Navy successfully test fires Barak-8 long range missile from INS Kolkata
i. In a boost to Indias maritime prowess, the Navy today successfully test-fired the nearly 70 KM
range Surface to Air Missile Barak 8 from INS Kolkata, paving the way for installation of the system,
developed jointly by India and Israel, on board countrys frontline warships. The Navy described the
maiden firing of its newly developed Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LR SAM) as a significant
milestone in enhancing its anti-air warfare capability.

ii. The firing was undertaken on the Western Seaboard by INS

Kolkata, wherein the missile successfully intercepted an aerial target at extended ranges, a statement

by Navy said. Two missiles were fired yesterday and today on high speed targets, during naval
exercises being undertaken in the Arabian Sea.
iii. Apart from the missile, the system includes a Multi Functional Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar
(MF STAR) for detection, tracking and guidance of the missile. The firing trial of the LR-SAM has been
jointly carried out by the Indian Navy, DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries.
iv. Israel made MF-STAR radar system is capable of simultaneously tracking hundreds of airborne
targets to a range of more than 250 KM. DRDL, Hyderabad, a DRDO Lab, has jointly developed this
missile in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries. The LR-SAM has been manufactured by M/s
Bharat Dynamics Limited.
v. With the successful proving of these systems, the Indian Navy has become part of a select group of
Navies that have this niche capability, which would provide a fillip to Indias maritime operations. The
firing trial of the LR SAM has been jointly carried out by the Indian Navy, DRDO and Israel Aerospace
Industries. It is expected that India and Israel are likely to win orders worth billions of dollars for the
multi-purpose Barak-8 missile system.
vi. A Barak-8 battery, including the Adir radar system made by IAI subsidiary Elta Systems, a
command and control system, and the missile launchers, is already installed on the deck of Israeli
Navy ship Lahav, from which the new interceptor was fired last week as part of a complete trial of the
system.

11. HAL ties up with Russian firm Rostech to build 200 Kamov helicopters
i. Under the "Make in India" initiative, Russian firm Rostech State Corporation has tied up with India's
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to manufacture 200 Kamov 226T light helicopters. The new fleet
of Kamovs will replace the ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.
ii. The deal is estimated to be worth $1 billion, according to Press Trust of India report. It is believed
Rostech will organise the production of the Kamov helicopters for at least 200 units.

iii. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President
Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The two leaders signed a deal for Russian Kamovs to be manufactured in
India under the "Make in India" initiative. The agreement also proiveded for maintenance, operation
and repair facility of the helicopters in India.
iv. Of the 181 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters held by Indian Army, 51 were approximately 40 years
old and 78 were between 30-40 years old, Press Trust of India quoted a CAG report as saying.
"Rostech's competitive advantage lies in the fact that we are ready to deal with not only the
localisation of helicopters in India, but also offer our partners the localisation of production
technology," Rostech's CEO said in an official statement.
v. The Kamov 226T helicopters have a unique capability of operating in dense urban areas to
mountainous regions such as Siachen, a Hindustan Times report stated. Prime Minister Narendra
Modi will inaugurate a helicopter production facility at Tumakuru in Karnataka on Sunday, Press Trust
of India reported.

12. Rakhi Haldar, Kavita Devi bagged gold at National Weightlifting Championship
i. Rakhi Haldar and Kavita Devi on 29 December 2015 bagged gold in their respective weight
categories in the Senior National Weightlifting Championships held in Patiala, Punjab.

ii. Haldar lifted 94 kilograms in the snatch and 119 kilograms in

clean and jerk to come up with a total lift of 213 kilograms in Women's 69 kilograms to grab the gold
medal. Lalchhanhimi bagged the silver with a total lift of 210 kilograms, while Rajwant Kaur finished
with a bronze with an overall effort of 201 kilograms.
iii. In Women's 75 kilograms category, Devi lifted 95 kilograms in snatch and 122 kilograms in clean
and jerk for a total of 217 kilograms to win the top medal. Sushila Panwar and Daljit Kaur bagged the
second and third positions with lifts of 213 kilograms and 198 kilograms, respectively.
iv. On the other hand, V A Christopher clinched the gold medal in Men's 105 kilograms with an overall
lift of 329 kilograms, while Laljit Singh accumulated 317 kilograms to settle for silver. Rashpal Singh,
who also came up with a total lift of 317 kilograms, had to settle on a bronze.

13. Gujarat clinched maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy

i. Gujarat on 28 December 2015 clinched the Vijay Hazare Cricket Trophy. It is the first time that
Gujarat won the trophy. In the final of the limited overs tournament, Gujarat defeated Delhi by 139
runs at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. The 201516 Vijay Hazare Trophy was the 14th season
of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
ii. The Vijay Hazare Trophy is also known as the Ranji One Day Trophy.
iii. It was started in 200203 as a limited-overs cricket domestic competition involving state teams
from the Ranji Trophy plates.
iv. From the tournament's inaugural edition during the 199394 season through to the 200102
season, no finals were held, and teams consequently played only within their zones, with no overall
winner named.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2015/12/daily-gk-update-30th-december-2015.html#ixzz3y2G63EWy

Daily GK Update: 31st December, 2015

Union Cabinet approves Raptor MoU for conservation of migratory birds of prey
i. The Union Cabinet has given its approval to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) on the
Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia.
ii. This MoU is also called as the Raptor MoU under the Convention on Conservation of Migratory
Species (CMS). With signing it, India will become the 54th signatory to the MoU.
iii. About Raptor MoU

It is an agreement under Article IV paragraph 4 of the Conservation of Migratory Species

(CMS) and is not legally binding on signatory parties.

The MoU seeks willingness of the signatory states for working for conservation of the raptor
species and their habitats.

The Raptors MoU extends its coverage to 76 species of birds of prey out and an action plan
has been formulated that envisages the conservation action for Raptor species.

Union Cabinet gives nod for India-Australia Civil Nuclear

Cooperation deal
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the India-Australia Civil
Nuclear Cooperation deal that came into force on November 13, 2015.
ii. The deal along with the administrative arrangement for implementing the accord will bolster Indias
energy security by supporting the expansion of nuclear power in the country.
Background

India and Australia had started talks on the Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement in 2012 after
Australia had lifted the long-standing ban on selling uranium to energy-starved India.

The cooperation agreement was signed between two countries in September 2014 to sell
uranium as a nuclear fuel for peaceful power generation.

India-Australia Nuclear Cooperation deal follows similar agreements signed by India with the
US and France after western sanctions were lifted in 2008.

CCEA approves Amended Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme for textile sector
i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved introduction of Amended
Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS) for technology upgradation of the textiles industry.
ii. Decision in this regard was taken by CCEA meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in
New Delhi.
iii. The ATUFS replaces existing Revised Restructured Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (RRTUFS) to give a boost to textile sector under Make in India campaign.
Union Govt approves constitution of 69 bridges on Trilateral Highway in Myanmar
i. The Union Cabinet has approved the construction of 69 Bridges including Approach Roads on the
Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa (TKK) road section of the Trilateral Highway in Myanmar.
ii. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in New Delhi. These bridges will be constructed at a cost of Rs.371.58 crore and shall impart all
weather usability to the TKK road section.

Union Govt unveils National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-2020

i. Union Government has unveiled National Biotechnology Development Strategy (NBDS) 2015-2020
to establish India as a world-class bio-manufacturing hub.
ii. It was unveiled by the Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi.

BHEL commissions Prayagraj power project unit in UP

i. State-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned a 660 MW unit of Prayagraj
Super Thermal Power Project at Bara town in Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh.
ii. This is the first supercritical thermal unit to be commissioned in the state to achieve capacity
addition on attaining full load.
iii. It is Greenfield thermal power project is owned by Prayagraj Power Generation Company Limited
(PPGCL), a subsidiary company of Jaiprakash Power Ventures Limited.
iv. Super-critical units are generally eco-friendly and more efficient thermal power plants as they
consume less coal as fuel.

Dr Gyanendra D Bandgaiyan appointed DG of National Centre for Good Governance

i. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on 30 December 2015 approved the
appointment of Dr Gyanendra D Bandgaiyan as the Director General of the National Centre for Good
Governance.
ii. He will be in the office for a period of three years which is extendable by another two years or up to
60
years
of
age,
whichever
is
earlier.
iii. The 54-year-old Bandgaiyan is a former IAS officer of the Union Territories cadre. He hails from
Madhya
Pradesh.
Japan and South Korea reached Agreement on Issue of Comfort Women
i. Japan and South Korea on 28 December 2015 reached an Agreement on Issue of Comfort Women.
ii. The agreement was reached after a meeting between Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs of
Japan and Yun Byung-se, Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea in Seoul.
iii. It aims to resolve a decades-old dispute over Korean women who were used as sex slaves by
Japanese
soldiers
during
World
War
II.
iv. The agreement is considered as historic as the issue had been a bone of contention between the
countries for decades.

Bjorn Isberg named as Tournament Director of 2016 Hockey India League

i. Sweden's Bjorn Isberg on 30 December 2015 was appointed as the Tournament Director of Coal
India Hockey India League (HIL), the premier league for hockey in India.
ii. On the other hand, Muthukumar Balakrisnan from Malaysia was given the role of the Assistant
Tournament Director in the 4th edition of the Coal India Hockey India League.
iii. Andy Mair from Scotland was named as the umpire's manager for the league.

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Daily GK Update: 1st January 2016

Union government and the World Bank signed a $50-million

credit agreement
i. The Union government and the World Bank signed a $50-million credit agreement for a project
aimed at helping young people from minority communities complete their education and improve
their employment opportunities named Nai Manzil Scheme.
ii. The Nai Manzil Scheme is designed as an integrated education and training programme that
provides youth from minority communities skills needed for different tasks in a rapidly changing
world.
iii. The agreement was signed by Mr. Kumar and Michael Haney, the World Banks Operations Adviser
in India.
Ambitious odd-even scheme of Delhi government started off in New Delhi

i. The ambitious odd-even scheme of Delhi government, a first such intervention in the country to
combat spiralling air pollution, got off to a decent start on new year with volume of cars on the
city roads coming down significantly amid deployment of thousands of policemen and and
moderately augmented public transport.
ii. As the clock struck eight, the vehicular restriction policy came into effect with thousands of
volunteers carrying roses also taking to the streets to assist traffic police in enforcing the pilot plan
that will stay in force till January 15.
iii. Under the scheme, cars bearing odd-numbered registration plates shall ply on city roads while
those with even number plates, if taken out, will attract a penalty of Rs 2,000 under relevant
sections of the Motor Vehicles Act. It will be vice-versa on Saturday. Also, 25 categories of people
are being given exemptions including the VIPs.

LRSAM test-fired from INS Kolkata

i. Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM),

the missile co-developed by India and Israel, was successfully test-fired on the Western Sea Board.
The missile was fired from INS Kolkata and it successfully intercepted an aerial target at extended
ranges.
ii. The test-fire was jointly carried out by the Indian Navy, Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries.
iii. This was the first test for LRSAM or BARAK 8 missile in India. Earlier, on 11 November 2015, it
was successfully test-fired from a range in Israel.
iv. The missile was developed by the DRDL, Hyderabad in collaboration with Israel Aerospace
Industries. It has been manufactured by M/s Bharat Dynamics Limited, India.
Irans leading banks will soon open branches in India
i. Irans leading banks will open branches in India to energise commercial ties between New Delhi
and Tehran. The decision was amongst a slew of commercial measures taken by the India-Iran Joint
Commission that met for the first time.
ii. After the meeting led by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Iranian Finance Minister Ali
Tayebnia, India decided to allow the Pasargan Bank and Parsian Bank of Iran to set up branches in
New Delhi and Mumbai.
iii. A major beneficiary of normalisation of banking channels between two sides will be India which
has just begun settling more than $6.5 billion energy-related pending payment, with Iran.
Pakistan's Singer Adnan Sami gets Indian Citizenship

i. The Union Home Ministry cleared the proposal to grant Adnan

Sami the citizenship of India. Mr Sami, who has been staying in India since 2011, will now have to
fill a citizenship form at the Home Ministrys office in Delhi and pay Rs 13,700.
ii. He will be given citizenship under Section 6 (I) of the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955 under the
category citizenship by naturalisation.
iii. Lahore-born Sami first arrived in India on March 13, 2001 on a visitors visa with a validity of one
year. It was issued by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
RBI asked the banks to open banks in villages with a population of more than 5000.

i. Indias central bank has asked the lenders to open more

brick and mortar branches in villages with no banking facilities and with a population of more than
5,000. The banking regulator has asked banks to submit a roadmap on how many branches they will
be opening by 31 March 2017. Banks have to submit the roadmap by end of January 2016.
ii. RBI observed that coverage of banking services in unbanked villages is skewed towards the BC
model and the ratio of branches to BC is very low. Therefore, it has been decided to focus on
villages with population above 5,000 without a bank branch of a scheduled commercial bank.
iii. This will also enable banks to provide quality financial services and timely support to BC outlets
that would help in sustaining and strengthening the services provided through BCs and also ensure
close supervision of BC operations.
D.K.Hota to be the new CMD of defence PSU BEML Ltd
The Public Enterprises Selection Board has recommended D.K.Hota to be the new CMD of defence
PSU BEML Ltd. He is currently Director (HR) of the Bengaluru-based BEML. He has been on
deputation at BEML from oil marketing major HPCL for the past two years.
Harpal Singh Kumar received Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II

i. An Indian-origin cancer research expert

Harpal Singh Kumar received a Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his influential work on
prevention and treatment of cancer. His name appeared in the annual New Years Honours list that
includes several other Indian-origin individuals.
ii. Samir Desai, founder-CEO of Funding Circle, received a Commander of the Most Excellent Order
of the British Empire (CBE) for his work in the field of financial inclusion. Chairman of Sun Mark Ltd,
Raminder Singh Ranger, was awarded a CBE for services to business and community cohesion.
iii. Among the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) list were Kala Patel,
managing director of Kiddycare Ltd Nurseries, for services to childcare business and Daljit Lally,
deputy chief executive of Northumberland Country Council, for services to integrated care.
Ashwin becomes the no.1 Test Bowler

i. Star India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin ended 2015 as the

No. 1 Test bowler in the ICC rankings issued on the back of his strong showing against South Africa
in the recent home series.
ii. Ashwin, who took 62 wickets in nine Tests this year including 31 scalps in the four matches
against South Africa, became the first India bowler since Bishen Bedi in 1973 to achieve the
milestone of finishing the year on top.
iii. Ashwin achieved the number-one spot for first time in his career after injury prevented South
African Dale Steyn from bowling more than 3.5 overs in Englands second innings in the Durban Test.
Indian Test captain Virat Kohli named BCCI Cricketer of the Year

i. Indian Test captain Virat Kohli was named

Cricketer of the Year, while Mithali Raj was picked for the M.A. Chidambaram Trophy for the best
womens cricketer.
ii. Under Kohli, the Indian team ended a 22-year wait for a series win on Sri Lankan soil before
battering world No.1 South Africa to give them their first overseas loss in nine years. Mithali, on the
other hand, became the first Indian woman and second overall to complete 5,000 runs in ODI
format this year.iii. In other awards, former wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani will be presented the Col.
C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. Karnataka all-rounder Robin Uthappa has been picked for
the Madhavrao Scindia Award for being the highest run-scorer in Ranji Trophy.

Magnus Carlsen won the Qatar Masters Open chess tournament

i. World champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the Qatar Masters Open chess tournament, billed
as the strongest Open in history. The top seed had finished with seven points, the same as Yu

Yangyi of China, seeded 11th. He drew his 10th and final round encounter with former World
champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, while Yu defeated Wesley So of the United States.
ii. Surya Shekhar Ganguly was the best-placed Indian, at 10th.
Laxmi Ratan Shukla announced his retirement

i. Former India player and Bengal captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla

announced his retirement from cricket. Shukla, who failed to make it to the Bengal Ranji squad for
most of the current season after making a comeback from injury, was included in the team that
played its last league match against Assam earlier this month. But the player choose to call it quits
as he was not getting enough motivation to continue.
ii. The feisty all-rounder played 137 First Class matches and accumulated 6217 runs and 144
wickets.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2016/01/daily-gk-update-1st-january-2016.html#ixzz3y2Cgi4BW

Daily GK Update: 2nd January 2016

1. DAVA project bags 2015 eASIA award for trade facilitation
i. The Drug Authentication and Verification Application (DAVA) project of The Department of
Commerce has won the 2015 eASIA Award under Trade Facilitation category. The award was
announced by Asia Pacific Council for Trade Facilitation (APCTF) and Tehran based (Iran) Electronic
Business.
ii. The eASIA award is administered by AFACT which aims to development and promotion of trade
facilitation, electronic business policies and activities in the Asia Pacific region.

iii. DAVA project was launched by Union Government in June 2015. It seeks to create an integrated
platform for implementation of the Track and Trace system for exporters and domestic markets of
Drugs and Pharmaceuticals. The project aims to cover all the drugs manufactured in India and
contribute considerably in enhancing the brand image of our pharmaceutical exporters.
iv. It will also provide simpler platform for the regulatory agencies and consumer for establishing drug
authentication. Under this project, the DAVA application has been incorporated with value-added
features like availability of stocks for a drug in an area/retailers/ wholesalers at a point of time.
v. Using it drugs can easily be identified and recalled due to traceability of stocks which in turn helps
in prevention of black marketing which especially arises during epidemics.

2. Vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyam conferred 2015 Sangita Kalanidhi award

i. Foremost south Indian classical vocalists Sanjay Subrahmanyam has conferred with prestigious
2015 Sangita Kalanidhi award. The prestigious award was bestowed upon him by renowned
mathematician Manjul Bhargava at 89th annual conference of the Madras Music Academy in Chennai,
Tamil Nadu.

ii. With this, he became seventh artistes to be conferred with this award before completing 50 years of
age. Others are Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Musiri Subramania Iyer, Maharajapuram Viswanatha
Iyer, Semmangudi R. Srinivasa Iyer, G.N. Balasubramaniam, M.L. Vasanthakumari and M.
Balamuralikrishna
iii. By profession he is Charted Accountant but in 2000 became full-time musician. He had started
performing Carnatic music from 1987. Gaana Padhmam (2013), Vani Kala Sudhakara (2010) and the
title Kalaimamani by Tamil Nadu Government (2006) etc.
iv. It is a prestigious award bestowed annually upon an expert of Carnatic Music by the Madras Music
Academy. The awards name has been derived from Sanskrit which means treasure of Music and art
in English. This honour is considered one of the highest awards in Carnatic music.
3. Government constitute Kamlesh Chandra Committee to study wage structure of Gramin Dak
Sevaks
i. The Union Government has constituted a committee to examine the wage structure, service
conditions of the Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) in the Department of Posts (DoP). It is one member
committee comprising of Kamlesh Chandra, Retired Member of Postal Services Board.

ii. The Committee will be assisted by Senior Administrative Grade

Officer T.Q. Mohammad who will act as Secretary to the GDS Committee. The Committee will go into
the service conditions of GDS and suggest changes as considered necessary. Examine the present
system of Branch Post Offices, engagement conditions and existing structure of wage and enrolments
paid to the GDS and recommend necessary changes.
iii. Review the existing Services Discharge Benefits Scheme and also other social security benefits for
the GDS and suggest necessary changes. Review the existing facilities as well as welfare measures
provided to the GDS and suggest necessary changes.
iv. Examine and suggest any changes in the
(a) method of minimum qualification for engagement as GDS.
(b) Conduct and disciplinary rules of GDS, particularly keeping in view the proposed induction of
technology in the Rural Post Offices.
4. Indian-origin cancer expert Harpal Singh Kumar knighted
i. An Indian-origin cancer research expert Harpal Singh Kumar was honoured with a Knighthood from
Queen Elizabeth II for his influential work on prevention and treatment of cancer. Mr. Singhs name
has appeared in the 2015 New Years Honours list that includes several other Indian-origin
individuals.

ii. Harpal Singh Kumar was born in India in 1965. He had founded
Nexan Group, a venture capital-backed medical devices company in 1997. Later he had joined
Cancer Research Technology Limited (CRTL) as chief executive in 2002 and was promoted as COO
of Cancer Research UK in 2004.
iii. He is the chairman of the Board at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) and also
chairman of the Cancer Outcomes Strategy Advisory Group (COSAG) in England. He has won the
Mobil Prize, Metal Box Prize, and Hughes Prize.
iv. Knighthood is one of the highest honours bestowed upon an individual in the UK and it doesnt
carry any military obligations to the sovereign. The knighthoods are conferred by the Queen or a
member of the Royal Family acting on her behalf in Britain. Queen usually presents insignia at the
ceremony.
5. CMPDI Chairman assumes charge

i. Shekhar Saran has taken over as Chairman-cum-Managing

Director of Ranchi-based Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Ltd (CMPDI) from this month. Prior
to this, he served as the Director (Technical) of CMPDI.
ii. A mining engineer and MBA, he started his career in the coal industry from Sohagpur area of South
Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) in 1981.
6. Eight states to implement DBT in kerosene from April 1
i. Eight states have agreed to implement direct benefit of transfer in kerosene in 26 districts, the
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said on Friday. The scheme will be implemented from April 1,
2016 and till then state governments will be consulted in the run up to the scheme.
ii The scheme will be implemented in three districts of Chhattisgarh, two in Haryana, three in
Himachal Pradesh, six in Jharkhand, four in Madhya Pradesh, two in Maharashtra, three in Punjab
and three in Rajasthan.

iii. In these districts, the consumer will pay the un-subsidised price of kerosene at the time of purchase
and subsequently the subsidy amount will be directly transferred to the bank account of the
beneficiary, an official statement said.
iv. Calculations of the savings will be based on the net savings in kerosene consumption at the state
level from the baseline which would be 90 per cent of the 2015-16 allocation. The implementing states
will be advised to take all necessary steps to ensure that eligible and genuine beneficiaries particularly
in rural areas are able to access the full entitlement of kerosene.
v. Kerosene subsidy outgo for the financial year 2014-15 was 24,799 crore. The government
expects DBT in kerosene to ensure that genuine beneficiaries get the subsidy benefit while preventing
illegal diversion.

7. Telangana become first state to accept e-motor insurance policies

i. Electronic motor insurance policies are legally accepted by the police and transport authorities in
Telangana from today, making it the first state in the country to do so. The e-Vahan Bima, an
electronic motor insurance policy issued in digital form with Quick Response (QR) code, has been
formally launched here by the Minister for IT, K T Ramarao.

ii. As these policies can be stored and accessed on smart phones,

the process of verification will become easier for commuters as well as police. There are 84 lakh
vehicles in the state and 50 per cent of them do not have insurance.
iii. Driving a vehicle without a motor third party insurance is an offence under Motor Vehicle Act 1988
as it pays for legal liability in case of any injury or damage to any third party life or property caused by
the use of vehicle in a public place.
iv. "The launch of e-Vahan Bima and digital acceptance will help the poor accident victims in the state
and also ensure better compliance, Ramarao said after formally launch of the initiative here on
Saturday.
v. Going forward, registration certificates of vehicles and driving licences should be verified
electronically, he added. The initiative was a joint effort by the Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority (IRDA) of India, Department of Information Technology, police and transport departments of
the state.
8. Film-maker Shyam Benegal to head panel on Censor Board revamp
i. To put an end to recent controversies surrounding the Censor Board, the Centre has set up a
Committee headed by noted film-maker Shyam Benegal to work out a revamp plan and submit its
report within two months.
ii. Noting that film certification has to ensure that in doing so (giving certification), artistic creativity
and freedom do not get stifled/curtailed and the people tasked with the work of certification
understand these nuances, the committee is expected to provide a holistic framework and enable
those tasked with the work of certification of films to discharge their responsibilities keeping in view
this framework, a statement from Information & Broadcasting Ministry said.
iii. The other members of the Committee are Hindi film director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, adman
Piyush Pandey, film critic Bhawana Somaaya, Nina Lath Gupta of National Film Development
Corporation and Joint Secretary (Films).
iv. Among other things, the committee would be expected to take note of the best practices in various
parts of the world, especially where the film industry is given sufficient and adequate space for
creative and aesthetic expression.
v. It has been tasked with recommending broad guidelines/procedures under the provisions of the
Cinematograph Act/Rules for the benefit of the chairperson and other members of the Screening
Committee.
vi. The committee will also look into the staffing pattern of Central Board of Film Certification, known
as the Censor Board, and recommend a framework to provide efficient/transparent user-friendly
services.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2016/01/daily-gk-update-2nd-january-2016.html#ixzz3y2CppaGu

Daily GK Update: 3rd and 4th January 2016

1. India successfully test-fired indigenously developed MBRL Pinaka II at Pokhran
i. Amament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in the last week of December 2015
successfully test-fired Pinaka II multi barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) System. The three-day long user
assisted trials were conducted at Pokhran in Rajasthan.
ii. Pinaka is an unguided rocket system and capable of neutralising large areas with rapid salvos.
Range of Pinaka II is 20 km more than the Pinaka I version, which has a 40 km range and has already
been inducted into the forces.

iii. The system acts as a force-multiplier while supplementing the artillery guns of the armed forces. It
is capable to incorporate several types of warheads, which make the weapon deadly for the enemy as
it can even destroy solid structures and bunkers.
iv. The system proved its mettle during Kargil war while neutralising the mountain peaks off the
enemy. They are developed at a very low cost vis-a-vis other such rocket systems in the world
bestowed with shoot and scoot capabilities. The Pinaka MBRL System has been indigenously
developed by the ARDE, Pune.
2. 15 states have joined UDAY scheme: Piyush Goyal
i. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Bihar have agreed to join the central governments
electricity distribution utility (Discom) financial turnaround scheme to take the total number up to 15.

ii. Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy
Minister said on Monday that within two months of getting Cabinet approval, more than half the states
have voluntarily agreed to join the scheme called the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY).
iii. Under UDAY, states shall take over 75 per cent of Discom debt as on 30 September 2015 over two
years where 50 per cent of Discom debt shall be taken over in 2015-16 and 25 per cent in 2016-17.
Discoms will also issue bonds for the remaining 25 per cent of their debt which will be guaranteed by
the state governments.
iv. Further, states will issue non-SLR including SDL bonds in the market or directly to the respective
banks and financial institutions holding the Discom debt to the appropriate extent.
v. The states which have agreed to join the scheme are Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand,
Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Gujarat,
Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and Maharashtra.
3. Lodha panel proposes drastic reforms for BCCI, IPL CEO given clean chit
i. The Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee today recommended sweeping reforms for the
controversy-ridden BCCI, suggesting a bar on ministers from occupying positions, putting a cap on
the age and tenure of the office-bearers and legalising betting.

ii. In a series of drastic reforms, the three-member panel, headed by

Justice (Retd) R M Lodha, also suggested one unit should represent one state, while taking away the
voting rights of institutional and city-based units. The committee also suggested the restructuring of
the BCCIs administrative set-up, proposing the position of a CEO accountable to a nine-member
apex council.
iii. Among the most sensational recommendations by the Lodha panel was the suggestion to legalise
betting. The panel felt that the move would help curb corruption in the game and recommended that
except for players and officials, people should be allowed to place bets on registered sites.
iv. Regarding the IPL, the recommendation is that the chief governing body will be known as the
Governing Council, which will comprise nine members. The Secretary and the Treasurer of the BCCI
will be ex-officio members of this IPL governing council, Justice Lodha said.
v. The Governing Council of IPL will be entitled to take all decisions concerning IPL, which includes
decisions relating to financial matters. However, the Governing Council will be answerable to the
general body of the BCCI. So limited autonomy is proposed for the IPL GC, he added.
4. Wipro management changes, T K Kurien elevated as Vice Chairman, COO becomes CEO
i. Indias third largest IT services exporter Wipro has announced major management changes with
the elevation of the chief executive officer (CEO) T K Kurien as the executive vice-chairman and chief
operating officer Abidali Neemuchwala as the new CEO and member of the board.

ii. In a notice to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Monday

afternoon, Wipro announced that both these changes will be effective February 1, 2016. Kurien who
took over the role of CEO in February, 2011 will hold the executive vice chairman position until March
31, 2017.
iii. Commenting on the appointment, Wipro Chairman Azim Premji said, Over the past five years,
Wipro has been transforming into a next generation technology and consulting company with defining
differentiators in the marketplace. As Executive Chairman TK will enable Abid by leveraging his deep
relationships with customers and chart out a new technology roadmap for Wipro.
iv. Neemuchwala, who was appointed as COO in April, 2015 will be the new CEO for a period of five
year. He previously spent 23 years at TCS and is the second outsider to head Wipros IT business
after Vivek Paul.
v. Kurien on the appointment of Neemuchwala said, Abid had demonstrated a deep understanding of
technology, business vision, sound judgement and innate ability to bring people together. I have no
doubt that Abid is the right leader to lead Wipro in its next phase of growth.
vi. Neemuchwala taking over as the CEO comes at a time when Wipro is struggling to get into double
digit growth rate and has fallen behind its peers like TCS, Cognizant and Infosys.
5. Paytm acquires Shifu for $8mn to enrich customer experience
i. Paytm has acquired Shifu for $8 million (about Rs 53.2 crore), a move that will enable the digital
payments company to offer more personalised user experience. Shifu, a context-aware personal
assistant application, mines the smartphone usage patterns of users and makes personalised and
highly relevant recommendations to them.

ii. By predicting user behaviour based on past usage, location and

other data points, Paytms platform will be able to offer relevant recommendations to our users, he
added.
iii. Shifu, created by Delhi-based The Signals, is a free task-managing app. Once the app is installed,
it analyses the usage patterns of the device owner and give various suggestions based on a
predictive algorithm.
iv. While the app will continue to be available in its original form after the acquisition, the technology
behind it will be used by Paytm.
Paytm has a user base of more than 100 million people.
v. In November, Paytm acquired home service marketplace Near.in for an undisclosed amount to
boost online-to-offline (O2O) play.
6. NABARD, NRSC signed MoU for monitoring Watershed Projects

i. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development

(NABARD) on 1 January 2016 signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National
Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) for web-based monitoring of Indo-German Watershed Development
projects.
ii. The web-based monitoring of Indo-German Watershed Development projects will happen in three
states- Gujarat, Rajasthan and Telangana.
iii. Under the MoU, NRSC will create a separate page for NABARD on Bhuvan web-portal.
iv. NRSC will develop customised software tool and mobile application for real time monitoring, online
comparison and visualisation with respect to activities implemented in the projects.
7. Atul Sobti took charge as CMD of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
i. Atul Sobti on 1 January 2016 took charge as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of stateowned power equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for a period of five years.

ii. His appointment as CMD of BHEL was approved by the Union

Government in September 2015. Prior to this appointment, Sobti was the Director on the board of
BHEL, where he headed two crucial portfolios of Power and Finance.
iii. He also held Additional Charge of the post of Director (Engineering, Research and Development).
iv. Before his elevation to the Board of BHEL in December 2013, Sobti was Executive Director
(Power) at BHEL and was holding concurrent charge of Industrial Systems Group, a Bengaluru based
unit of BHEL.
8. LIC offers longer cover under Jeevan Labh
i. LIC is offering a New Year gift to the public in the form of a limited-premium, non-linked and withprofit endowment assurance plan Jeevan Labh from Monday. The highlight of the plan is that
premium is payable for a limited period while risk is covered for the whole policy term.

ii. The plan is available from ages 8 to 59 years with a choice of

policy term of 16, 21 and 25 years and premium-paying terms of 10,15 and 16 years respectively. The
maximum age at maturity is 75 years, said Shaji M Shankar, Senior Divisional Manager, LIC,
Thiruvananthapuram Division.
iii. The plan is suitable for those who want premium commitment for a short duration while life
coverage and benefits are assured for a longer period. Minimum basic sum assured is 2 lakh with
maximum basic sum assured having no limit, Shankar added.

iv. LICs accidental death and disability benefit rider is available as an optional rider by payment of
additional premium. New term assurance rider is also available at the inception of the policy on
payment of additional premium.
9. Arunima Sinha scaled Mount Aconcagua in Argentina
i. Arunima Sinha, the amputee mountaineer who set a record by climbing the Mount Everest on 25
December 2015, conquered Mount Aconcagua in Argentina. Arunima started her mission on the
morning of 12 December 2015 and hoisted the Indian tricolour on 25 December 2015.

ii. With this, Arunima has successfully completed the 5th summit of the Mission 7 Summits and also
became the first female amputee to climb 5 Mountains of the World. The four other peaks conquered
by her include Everest in Asia, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus in Europe, and Kosizko, Australia, as the
world's four highest peaks.
iii. Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside Asia, at 6960.8 metres and by extension, the highest
point in both the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.
iv. Arunima who lost her left leg in a train accident in 2011 surprised the world by climbing Mt. Everest
on 21 May 2013. She was awarded the Padmashree for her achievement.
10. India won the 2015 SAFF championships
i. India on 3 January 2016 won of the South Asian Football Federation Cup (SAFF) championships. In
the title clash played at Trivandrum International Stadium of Kerala, India defeated defending
champions Afghanistan 2-1.
ii. Half time saw both the teams goal-less. At the end of a breathless normal second half, both India
and Afghanistan were 1-1.
iii. For India, the first goal was scored by Jeje Lalpehlua. In the ongoing extra time, Indian captain
Sunil Chhetri scored a goal to help India lead 2-1.
iv. India has been the most successful side in the tournaments history by winning the title in seven of
the 11 editions. Afghans won their first title in 2013.

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Daily GK Update: 5th January 2016

1. Jharkhand Government inaugurated land bank web portal jharbhoom.nic.in
i. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on 4 January 2016 inaugurated the state's land bank web
portal, jharbhoom.nic.in, that will help investors know land-related information.
ii. With this, one would be able to get information about the land which is available at the district and
the circle area level with a click of a mouse. This land bank will help investors get information through
district-wise nodal officers.

iii. For this purpose, district wise nodal officers have been appointed whose mobile numbers and
email ids will also be available on the website.
iv. The state government also issued directions to make land available through the land bank to the
industrialists allotted with coal blocks.
2. Former Chief Justice of India Sarosh Homi Kapadia died
i. Ex-Chief Justice of India Sarosh Homi Kapadia passed away on 4 January 2016 in Mumbai. He was
68. Kapadia is survived by wife and a son and a daughter.

ii. Born on 29 September 1947, Kapadia graduated from Government Law College, Mumbai. He was
enrolled as an advocate at the Bombay High Court in 1974. In 1991, he was elevated to the Bench as
an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court, and in 1993, he was appointed as a Permanent
Judge.
iii. In 2003, he was transferred to the Uttarakhand High Court, where he served a short stint as Chief
Justice. On 18 December 2003, he was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court. On 12 May 2010,
he was sworn in as the 38th Chief Justice of India by the President Pratibha Patil.
iv. He retired on 29 September 2012. During his tenure as CJI, he served as the Chairman of the
General Council of the Gujarat National Law University and the Visitor of the National Law School of
India University.
3. LinkedIn names Akshay Kothari as India Country Manager
i. Professional networking platform LinkedIn today appointed Akshay Kothari as Country Manager for
India, with immediate effect. India has one of the largest userbase for LinkedIn, which has more than
400 million members globally.

ii. Kothari replaces Nishant Rao, who quit the company in October last year to join cloud-based
customer support software firm Freshdesk as its Chief Operating Officer. Kothari will report to Olivier
Legrand, LinkedIn's Managing Director for the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, and join the company's
APAC senior management team, LinkedIn said in a statement.
iii. He joined LinkedIn in 2013 when Pulse, the company he co-founded and was CEO for almost 3
years, was acquired by LinkedIn. Since then, based out of LinkedIn's global headquarters in Mountain
View, California, he has led several major product and content initiatives, including Pulse. Kothari also
played an important role in boosting the number of members publishing on LinkedIn from 1,000 to
nearly 2 million in the last two years.
iv. India has the second largest base of LinkedIn members globally, after the US. Over the past six
years, the member base in India saw a ten-fold increase (which translates to a compound annual
growth rate of 46 per cent) to more than 33 million.
4. SC directed Gujarat government to make Gujarat State Cooperative Tribunal functional
i. The Supreme Court (SC) on 4 January 2016 directed the Gujarat government to make functional the
Gujarat State Cooperative Tribunal by filling up the vacant posts including that of judicial members,
which is the bone of contention.
ii. Further, the court directed that the tribunal cannot be allowed to be non-functional. The ruling was
made by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur.

iii. The dispute has its origin in 2011, when the Gujarat Co-operative
Bar Association moved the High Court challenging the Gujarat Co-operative Societies Act, 1961 and
the Rules made there under with respect to the appointment of members of the State Co-operative
Tribunal and members of Board of Nominees.
iv. They had contended that the Act confers excessive power upon the State in the appointment
process. It was also their contention that the process of appointment does not comply with the
provisions of Part IV, Chapter 6 of the Constitution dealing with the Directive Principles of State Policy.
v. However, on 11 September 2015, the HC rendered Rule 40A (C) the Co-operative Societies Rules,
which allows appointment of persons with just a law degree invalid. It ruled that only members with a
minimum of five years experience as a judicial officer will be eligible to be appointed to the tribunal.
5. Nokia completed acquisition of Alca-Lucent for 15.6 billion euro
i. Nokia Corporation on 5 January 2015 announced that it completed the regulatory formalities for
acquiring the French telecom equipment company Alca-Lucent. The deal, worth 15.6 billion euro, was
signed in 2014 and later approved by the European Commission.

ii. With this acquisition, Nokia holds 79.32 percent of outstanding Alcatel-Lucent shares and at least
78.97 percent of the French company's voting rights. Further, the deal is expected to help the
company in competing globally with the likes of Ericsson and Huawei in the telecommunications field.
iii. It is a Finland based multinational communications and information technology company. It was
founded in 1865 and operates across 120 countries.
iv. In April 2014, its mobile phone business unit was acquired by the Microsoft in a deal worth 5.44
billion euro. At present, Rajeev Suri, an Indian, is the President and CEO of the company.
6. Mary Barra elected as Chairman of General Motors Board of Directors

i. Mary Barra was on 4 January 2016 elected as Chairman of General Motors (GM) Board of Directors
with immediate effect. Barra succeeds Theodore Solso, who will continue serving as the Lead
Independent Director of the Board.

ii. Earlier, Barra was serving as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of

GM since January 2014.
iii. Barra began her career with GM in 1980 as a General Motors Institute (Kettering University) Co-Op
Student at the Pontiac Motor Division. Barra served the company in various capacities including GM
Vice President of Global Human Resources; Vice President, Global Manufacturing Engineering; Plant
Manager, Detroit Hamtramck Assembly and Executive Director of Competitive Operations
Engineering.
iv. In August 2013, Barra was named as Executive Vice President, Global Product Development,
Purchasing & Supply Chain.
7. Kate Atkinson won 2015 Costa Novel Prize for A God in Ruins
i. British writer Kate Atkinson on 4 January 2016 won the novel-of-the-year prize at Britain's Costa
Book Awards 2015 for the second time in three years. She fetched the award for A God in Ruins, a
story of war and its aftermath.

ii. With this, Atkinson became the first author to receive the Costa novel prize three times: for A God in
Ruins in 2016, Life After Life in 2013 and Behind the Scenes at the Museum in 1995.
iii. Kate Atkinson was born in 1951 in York, England. She studied English literature at the University of
Dundee and obtained her master's degree in 1974. She subsequently studied for a doctorate in
American literature, entitled The post-modern American short story in its historical context.
iv. Her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the 1995 Whitbread Book of the Year
ahead of Salman Rushdie's The Moor's Last Sigh. Since then, she has published another eight
novels, one play, and one collection of short stories.
v. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 Birthday
Honours for services to literature.
vi. The Costa Book Awards is one of the United Kingdoms most prestigious and popular literary
prizes. It recognises some of the most enjoyable books of the year, written by authors based in the UK
and Ireland. The award was launched in 1971.
8. Toilets made mandatory to contest Panchayat polls in Bihar
i. State election commissioner (SEC) Ashok Kumar Chauhan on 4 January 2016 announced that
toilets will be mandatory requirement for eligibility to contest panchayat elections. This declaration
means that no one can contest the Bihar panchayat elections scheduled in 2016 without having a
toilet at their home.

ii. SEC said that candidates have to give an undertaking regarding

status of toilet by 1 January 2016 in their home. He also said to ensure free and fair polling the
elections will be held in 10 phases. The notification of the elections and dates will be issued on 15
February 2016.
iii. Election will be held for the posts of 8397 Mukhiyas (Village head), 8397 Kutcheri Sarpanchs
besides Panchayat Samiti members, Kutchehri panchs, and Zila Parishad members.
iv. The decision is based on the legislation - the Bihar Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2015, which
was passed by the Bihar Legislative Assembly on 5 August 2015. The legislation brought some new
provisions including making it mandatory for candidates contesting all level of panchayat raj elections
to have toilets at their individual home by 31 January 2016.
9. Union Government to launch River Information System for Inland Waterways
i. The term River Information System (RIS) was in news in the first week of January 2016 as the
Union Ministry of Shipping is set to launch the system for Inland Waterways in the country. The
system is expected to improve navigation in Indland Waterways as the government is set to expand
the network across the country through the National Waterways Bill, 2015.

ii. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on 21 December 2015 and is pending with the Rajya Sabha.
It will be utilized for real time monitoring of ships plying on the inland waterways network. It will
provide remote communication with vessels and real time meteorological data which will be available
online.
iii. To operationalise the system, Radars and sensors will be installed along the route and there will be
major base stations to monitor the movement. By using the system, vessels will be tracked and
advised about nearby vessels, waterway information, meteorological information and river safety for
ensuring efficient and collision free navigation.
iv. In the initial phase, it will be made operational on the 500 km long Haldia-Farakka National
Waterways 1. With the implementation of the project, India will join a select league of countries in
Europe and the USA which have similar systems in place already.
10. India-Nepal Bus Service resumed after 27 years
i. India-Nepal Bus Service on 4 January 2016 resumed after a gap of 27 years. The service was
suspended 27 years ago in the wake of the Indo-Nepal Trade and Transit Treaty. The service runs
between Kanchanpur in Nepal, which is close to Banbasa border in Champavat district of
Uttarakhand, and Anand Vihar ISBT in Delhi.

ii. To travel in these buses, no special documents are required as both the countries share open
border.
iii. The service is expected to benefit people living along the border areas as they have family as well
as trade relations with each other.

iv. And, it is also expected to benefit around 10000 Nepalis who travel from Kanchanpur district,
Dandel Dhura, Voti, Sapen, Acham, Kalali, Jagbuddha and Siddhartha Nagar areas in Nepal.
11. Sterlite Grid commissioned first power project under TBCB incentive regime
i. Sterlite Grid on 2 January 2016 set a new benchmark by commissioning the Transmission Project to
Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (RAPP) ahead of schedule under the Tariff Based Competitive
Bidding (TBCB) incentive regime.

ii. RAPP is the first power transmission line to be been commissioned ahead of schedule since the
implementation of TBCB scheme.
iii. As per Sterlite Grid, the construction work on transmission project to RAPP, which was awarded to
the company in 2013, was completed within 12 months from the start of construction.
iv. With the commissioning of the RAPP Transmission Project, Sterlite Grid so far has commissioned
four out of a portfolio of seven projects and operates ~2900 Circuit Km of projects in eight Indian
states.
v. The project includes laying a 200-km, 400-kilovolt double-circuit transmission line passing through
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. It will connect Kota in Rajasthan to Shujalpur in Madhya Pradesh to
provide the path for the evacuation of electricity generated at RAPP-7 and 8.
vi. Under the TBCB norms, developers quoting the lowest average electricity tariffs from a proposed
project get to set it up, as against the erstwhile cost-plus model, where projects were set up through
pacts with distribution utilities and were entitled to assured returns.
12. IUPAC announced addition of Four Elements to complete Seventh row of Periodic Table
i. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on 30 December 2015 announced
discovery and assignment of elements with atomic numbers 113, 115, 117 and 118.
The decision was taken by the IUPAC as the four elements met the discovery of elements of the
IUPAP/IUPAC Transfermium Working Group (TWG) 1991 Discovery Criteria.

ii. All these four elements are synthetic in nature. They were
discovered by scientists belonging to the USA, Russian and Japan and complete the 7th row of the
periodic table of the elements.
iii. Also, these four elements are the first to be added to the table since 2011, when elements 114
(Flerovium, FI) and 116 (Livermorium, LV) were added. Naming of elements: After officially
recognizing the elements, the IUPAC also invited suggestions related to permanent names and
symbols from the scientists who discovered them. New elements can be named after a mythological
concept, a mineral, a place or country, a property or a scientist.
iv. Element 113 - Temporary working name and symbol are ununtrium and Uut respectively. It was
discovered by the scientists belonging to RIKEN research laboratory in Japan.
v. 115: ununpentium, Uup are the temporary working name and symbol respectively.
vi. 117: ununseptium, Uus are the temporary working name and symbol respectively. They were
discovered by scientists belonging to Russia and the USA in collaboration
vii. Element 118 - It has ununoctium and Uuo as the temporary working name and symbol
respectively.
viii. They were discovered by slamming lighter nuclei into each other and tracking the following decay
of the radioactive superheavy elements. Like other superheavy elements that populate the end of the
periodic table, they only exist for fractions of a second before decaying into other elements.

13. Department of Posts formed Kamlesh Chandra Panel on Gramin Dak Sevaks

i. Department of Posts on 1 January 2016 formed a one-man

committee to study issues related to Gramin Dak Sevaks including wage structure and service
conditions. The panel will be headed by Kamlesh Chandra, a retired member of the Postal Services
Board, which will be assisted by T Q Mohammad, a senior administrative grade officer, as the
secretary.
ii. It will examine the system of branch post offices, engagement conditions and the existing structure
of wage and emoluments paid to gramin sevaks and recommend necessary changes. It will review
the existing facilities for 2.6 lakh employees spread across the country, the service discharge benefit
scheme and other social security benefits.
14. PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Indian Science Congress in Mysuru
i. rime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the annual Indian Science Congress (ISC) at University
of Mysore campus in Karnataka on Sunday. Theme of this edition (103rd) of the ISC is "Science &
Technology for Indigenous Development in India". The Congress will continue till January 7.

ii. After inaugural of the Congress by Modi, eminent scientist CNR

Rao will deliver the Bharat Ratna M Visvesvaraya Lecture on 'Doing Science in India' on the opening
day on January 3.
iii. Over 100 eminent scientists from different universities and research institutions will deliver plenary
talks on subjects like Nano Science, Space Science, Technology & Applications, Diabetes, Evolution:
The Frontiers, Atomic Energy, Safe water and sanitation, Diseases and drug development, PublicPrivate partnership for the Swachh Bharat Mission initiative during the five-day meet.
iv. As part of Indian Science Congress, the Children Science Congress will be inaugurated by Nobel
Laureate John B Gurdon (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012) on January 4 at the
amphitheatre, Manasagangothri inside the University campus.
15. Filippo Grandi takes helm as UN High Commissioner for Refugees
i. Filippo Grandi, a UN official who has worked in refugee and political affairs in the Middle East,
Africa, and Asia, began his five-year term as UN High Commissioner for Refugees on January 1,
succeeding Antnio Guterres whose more than 10 years in office ended last week.

ii. High Commissioner Grandi, who arrived at UNHCR's

headquarters office in Geneva earlier on Monday (January 4), takes up the position at a time of
unprecedented displacement challenges. Record numbers of people globally are forced to flee war
and persecution, including more than one million refugees and migrants who crossed the
Mediterranean to Europe during the past year.
iii. Other challenges include critical shortfalls in humanitarian funding, fewer voluntary returns than at
any time in more than three decades, people staying in exile for longer periods of time and the
increased politicization of refugee issues in many countries.
iv. Grandi, 58, who is from Italy, has worked in international affairs for over 30 years, 27 of them with
the United Nations. Formerly head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the

Near East (UNRWA), he worked prior to that for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
as Deputy Special Representative, following a long career first with NGOs and later with UNHCR in
Africa, Asia, the Middle East and at the organization's Geneva headquarters.
16. ONGC won 26th Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey tournament
i. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on 3 January 2015 won the 26th Lal Bahadur Shastri
Hockey tournament.

ii. To win the title, the ONGC defeated Indian Railways 3-0 on penalties in the final match held at the
Shivaji Stadium in New Delhi.
iii. At the end of the stipulated time both the teams stood at 2 points each. In the shootout, Sumit
Kumar, Gurjant Singh and Vikramjit Singh scored for ONGC while the Railways players could not
score a single goal.
iv. It will examine and suggest any change in the method of engagement, minimum qualification for
engagement for gramin dak sevaks. It will examine their conduct and disciplinary rules, particularly
keeping in view the proposed induction of technology in rural post offices.
17. Sachin is brand ambassador for Novo Nordisk's diabetes campaign
i. Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk today announced Indian cricket star Sachin
Tendulkar as brand ambassador for the disease awareness campaign 'Changing Diabetes' initiated by
it in India.
ii. Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Sachin Tendulkar advised people to hit the gym or
go for a long walk to keep away from diabetes. In India 69.2 million people have diabetes and by
2035, it is estimated that 123.5 million people will have diabetes. The alarming fact is that almost half
of the existing diabetes patients are unaware that they have diabetes, according to the company.
iii. Novo Nordisk Corporate Vice President Mads Bo Larsen said about 2 per cent of the gross national
product (GDP) gets impacted by diabetes disease. The company, which is the leading global insulin
maker, is providing free diabetes treatment and education to 4,000 children, who have been suffering
from Type-2 diabetes, in India.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2016/01/daily-gk-update-5th-january-2016.html#ixzz3y2D51zzP

Daily GK Update: 6th January 2016

1. Cabinet okays India-Singapore MoU on civil aviation
i. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its ex-post facto approval for a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) that was signed with Singapore in the field of civil aviation.
ii. This MoU was signed in November 2015 between the Airports Authority of India (on behalf of the
Government of India) and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (on behalf of the Government of
Singapore) during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Singapore.

iii. The objective of this MoU is to establish mutual cooperation in the field of civil aviation, which will
cover, to begin with, the airports of Jaipur and Ahmedabad. This cooperation will be extended to other
airports with mutual consent.

iv. The Union Cabinet also gave its nod for post-facto approval to the Memoranda of Understanding
(MOUs) between the Corporate Affairs Ministry, Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Indian
Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) with foreign countries/organisations.
v. The Union Cabinet has been apprised of the protocol signed earlier between India and Czech
Republic in the field of heavy industry, especially in industrial cooperation and facilities construction.
vi. The protocol includes the intent for modernisation of the existing facilities in India by the Czech
companies, including modernisation of three plants of Heavy Engineering Corporation, a Central
Public Sector Enterprises under the Department of Heavy Industries at Ranchi, set up with Czech
support
2. Forbes released 2016 30 Under 30 List; 45 Indian-origin people figured
i. Forbes on 4 January 2016 released the 2016 30 Under 30 List featuring 600 men and women who
achieved remarkable professional success before attaining 30 years of age. They were chosen from
an initial screening list of more than 15000 representing a gamut of 20 segments that include art &
style, finance, sports, education, etc.
ii. The list includes John Boyega (Hollywood & Entertainment category), Shawn Mendes (Music),
Emerson Spartz (Media) among others.
iii. Further, 45 Indians and Indian-origin people figured in the annual compilation for their
entrepreneurial spirit and breakout talents.

iv. Indian-origin people figured in the list are,

Ritesh Agarwal, OYO Rooms CEO
Karishma Shah, Alphabets Google X
Divya Nettimi, Viking Global Investors
Nisha Chittal, MSNBC
Ashish Patel, NowThis Media
Saagar Govil, CEO of Cemtrex
3. Union Cabinet approved Stand Up India Scheme
i. The Union Cabinet on 6 January 2016 approved the Stand Up India Scheme to promote
entrepreneurship among Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes and Women entrepreneurs.

ii. The Scheme is intended to facilitate at least two projects per bank
branch, on an average one for each category of entrepreneur. It is expected to benefit at least 2.5 lakh

borrowers. The expected date of reaching the target of at least 2.5 lakh approvals is 36 months from
the launch of the Scheme.
iii. It provides for refinance window through Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) with
an initial amount of 10000 crore rupees. It will create credit guarantee mechanism through the
National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC). It will provide support for borrowers both at
the pre loan stage and during operations.
iv. It will provide support for borrowers both at the pre loan stage and during operations. Its focus is on
handholding support for both SC/ST and Women borrowers.
v. The aim is to leverage institutional credit structure to reach out under-served sectors of the
population by facilitating bank loans repayable up to 7 years and between 10 lakh rupees- 100 lakh
rupees for greenfield enterprises in nonfarm sector set up by such SC, ST and Women borrowers.
vi. The National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Ltd (NCGTC) will be the operating agency for the
loan. Margin money of the composite loan would be up to 25 percent. The Start up India Stand up
India initiative was announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech on 15 August 2015.
4. Andhra Bank launched Immediate Payment Service
i. Andhra Bank on 6 January 2016 launched Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) across all its
branches in association with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The service makes
payments possible within fraction of seconds with all the standards and integrity maintained for
security.
ii. The IMPS was enabled across all branches to provide inter-bank electronic fund transfer service
capable of processing person to account remittances.

iii. Unlike National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), IMPS will be

available round-the-clock under which a real-time instant fund transfer system for inter-bank
remittances is possible. The maximum cap of transaction will be 2 lakh rupees and charged at the rate
of five rupees per transaction.
iv. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is an umbrella organization for all retail payments
system in India. It was set up with the guidance and support of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and
Indian Banks Association (IBA).
v. Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) is one of the electronic funds transfer systems of India. It was
started in November 2010. The service enables an instant, 24X7, interbank electronic fund transfer
through mobile, internet and ATM.
5. World's largest blue star sapphire discovered in Sri Lanka
i. The world's largest blue star sapphire that weighs 1404.49 carats was discovered in a mine in Sri
Lanka. The sapphire was found in August 2015 near Ratnapura city in the South of Sri Lanka.
ii. The stone is worth at an estimated cost of 100 million US dollars but could be valued up to 165
million US dollars.

iii. The sapphire has been named as The Star of Adam by its current owner. The name came from a
Muslim belief that Adam arrived in Sri Lanka after being sent away from the Garden of Eden. As per
the myth, Adam lived on the slopes of a mountain now known as Adams Peak, about 15 miles from
Ratnapura.
iv. The Star of Adam Sapphire has also been certified by the Gemology Institute of Columbo, Sri
Lanka.
v. A star sapphire is a type of sapphire that has a star in the middle due to a light reflection
phenomenon known as asterism. The value of a star sapphire depends on the weight of the stone and
also on the body color, visibility, and intensity of the asterism.
6. CCI cleared Reliance Capital-Goldman Sachs deal

i. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 5 January 2016 gave its approval to Reliance
Capital Asset Management's proposed acquisition of Goldman Sachs' mutual fund business in India
for 243 crore rupees. CCI approved the acquisition as the deal may not have an adverse impact on
competition in the country.

ii. After CCIs nod, Reliance Capital Asset Management (RCAM) will seek the final nod of the
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to complete the takeover.
iii. RCAM had announced the acquisition in October 2015. Under the deal, the company will acquire
all 12 onshore mutual fund schemes of Goldman Sachs Asset Management India with total asset
under management of 7132 crore rupees.
iv. The deal will also make Reliance MF the exclusive fund manager for the government's ambitious
Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) Exchange.
v. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational investment banking firm. It engages
in global investment banking, securities, investment management and other financial services
primarily with institutional clients.
vi. The firm provides mergers and acquisitions advice, underwriting services, asset management, and
prime brokerage to its clients. The firm also engages in market making and private equity deals, and
is a primary dealer in the United States Treasury security market.
7. Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman topped 2015 US Bestseller List
i. The book Go Set a Watchman written by Harper Lee was in news in the first week of January 2016
as it topped the 2015 US bestseller list. Around 1.6 million copies of the book were sold in the USA
since it was published in July 2015. The figures were based on US print unit sales reported to Nielsen.

ii. Go Set a Watchman was published more than half a century after Harpers Pulitzer-winning first
book, To Kill a Mockingbird, was published.
iii. The spike in the sales of Go Set a Watchman can be attributed to the fact that 89-year-old Harper
Lee is now confined to a nursing home and may not publish a word in future.
iv. The second and third bestseller in the list was Jeff Kinneys Diary of Wimpy Kid series (1.48 million
copies) and British author EL James Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian (1.4 million)
respectively.
8. Australia pulled out of U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh due to safety concerns
i. Australia on 5 January 2016 withdrew from the Under-19 World Cup Tournament in Bangladesh. It
pulled-out citing security reasons. The decision was announced by Cricket Australia CEO James
Sutherland who said the decision was taken after monitoring the security situation in Bangladesh.
ii. The tournament is scheduled to happen from 22 January to 14 February 2016. ICC announced that
Australia will be replaced by Ireland team the runners-up in the qualifying tournament in Kuala
Lumpur in October 2015.

iii. The first matches of the event will start on 27 January 2016 in
which England will play against Fiji and Bangladesh will play against South Africa. It will be the
eleventh edition of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, and the second to be held in Bangladesh, after
the 2004 event.
iv. Earlier in October 2015, Cricket Australia had cancelled senior men's Test tour of Bangladesh for
similar reasons. It seems that the decision was made after a series of militant violent attacks in the
country since September 2015, including the shooting of three foreigners, two of whom died.
9. Union Government launched Ganga Gram Yojana in Uttar Pradesh
i. The Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti
on 5 January 2016 launched Ganga Gram Yojana at Village Puth in Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh
(UP). Under the scheme, 1600 villages of UP situated along the banks of river Ganga will be
developed.

ii. In the first phase of the progamme, 200 villages have been
selected initially. In these villages, open drains falling into river Ganga will be diverted and alternative
arrangements for sewage treatment will be made. The villages will have toilets in every house hold.
iii. It is proposed to incur the expenditure of 1 crore rupees on every village. These villages will be
developed under the Sichewal model. Sichewal is situated in Punjab, where cooperation of the
villagers has been solicited for the water management and waste disposal.
iv. The Ministry also deployed first company of Ganga Task force Battalion at Garhmukteshwar as a
major initiative towards fast track implementation of Namami Gange Programme. Moreover, three
such companies will be soon deployed at Kanpur, Varanasi and Allahabad.
10. India keen to promote operational oceanography: Minister
i. Government is keen to promote operational oceanography since it plays an important role in
translating the benefits of science for the common public, Y S Chowdary, Minister of State for Science,
Technology & Earth Sciences said here today.

ii. A few examples being potential fishing zones advisories to

fishermen, ocean state forecasts for mariners, tsunami and storm surge early warnings among others,
the minister was quoted as saying by an official release.
iii. Chowdary performed 'bhoomipujan' or ground breaking ceremony for setting up the international
training centre for operational oceanography (ITCO-Ocean) which is coming up on the campus of
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services ( INCOIS) here.
11. Wayne Rooney named 2015 England Player of the Year
i. Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been voted 2015 England Player of the Year for the
fourth time after breaking his country's scoring record, the Football Association announced on
Tuesday, January 5.

ii. The 30-year-old took his England tally to 51 goals, breaking Bobby Charlton's longstanding record
of 49, and top-scored with 7 goals as Roy Hodgson's side qualified for Euro 2016 with a perfect
record of 10 wins.
iii. Rooney, England's captain, received 37 percent of the votes in a poll of England Supporters Club
members. He previously won the award in 2008, 2009 and 2014. "To win this award is always a huge
honour and to win it for a fourth time is something I'm very proud of," Rooney said on his personal
website.
iv. "The fact it's voted for by the fans is what makes it very special for me. It's been a great year for the
team and for me personally. "I would like to thank all the fans for their continued support and hopefully
2016 will be an even better year!"
v. Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland, who has produced some impressive performances this
season, was elected the Under-21s Player of the Year. Rooney and Butland, 22, will be presented
with their awards prior to England's friendly against Germany in Berlin on March 26.
12. Apurvi Chandela sets a world record to win gold at Swedish Grand Prix
i. Indian shooter Apurvi Chandela broke the world record on way to winning gold in the women's 10
metre air rifle event at the Swedish Cup Grand Prix. Chandela shot 211.2 in the event held on
Tuesday to surpass the feat of Chinese Olympic gold medallist Yi Siling, who held the record with 211.
ii. The result marked a positive start for Chandela, who has already won an Olympic quota place for
the Rio Olympics. The silver and bronze went to Swedish shooters Astrid Steffensen (207.6) and
Stine Nielsen (185.0).
iii. An elated Chandela said: "This gold at Sweden has further strengthened my resolve to bag a
medal at the Rio Olympics this year. The support, encouragement and wishes received from my well
wishers from Rajasthan has stood me in good stead in various international tournaments."
iv. Chandela had won the gold at the National Championships in the Capital last month. She had won
an Olympic quota place for India after winning a bronze at the ISSF World Cup in Changwon, South
Korea, in April.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2016/01/daily-gk-update-6th-january-2016.html#ixzz3y2DCmFho

Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 7th January 2016

1. Mufti Sayeed passes away, Mehbooba likely to succeed as CM
i. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, a crafty politician who took on the
powerful Abdullah family and rose to become the countrys first Muslim Home Minister, died today at
AIIMS here after his platelets dropped dangerously.
ii. Sayeed, 79, who took charge of the State on March 1 last year heading a PDPBJP alliance,
breathed his last this morning after remaining on ventilator for the past few days. He was flown from
Srinagar in a special plane on December 24 and admitted to the AIIMS where he was diagnosed with
sepsis (life threatening complication of an infection) and pneumonia. During hospitalisation his
platelets had dropped dangerously, doctors said.

iii. He is the second J&K Chief Minister to die in office, the first one being Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah
who died on September 8, 1982. Sayeeds daughter 56-year-old Mehbooba is expected to take over
as the first woman Chief Minister of the state with PDP leaders throwing their weight behind her. But
this will require the approval of BJP.
iv. Sayeed is survived by his wife, three daughters and a son. Jammu and Kashmir government has
declared a seven-day mourning and holiday today. Flags will be flown at half mast.
v. The mortal remains of the Chief Minister would be flown to Srinagar where the body will be kept for
people to pay homage. He is likely be buried in his ancestral village Bijbehera in South Kashmir, about
48 km from Srinagar.
vi. Sayeed took over as chief minister of PDP-BJP coalition on March 1 last year. In the 87-member J
and K Assembly PDP won 28 seats and BJP 25 while opposition National Conference got 15 and
Congress 12.
2. Wattan Ko Jano initiative: A programme that aims to expose youth from J&K to rest of India
i. Wattan Ko Jano, an initiative being carried out by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in coordination
with the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Government, was in news on 6 January 2016. The initiative came
in news after more than 240 youth in the age-group of 15 to 24 from J&K met with Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

ii. Watan Ko Jano initiative was conceived by the J&K State Rehabilitation Council in 2011. It
essentially is a Youth Exchange Programme under which the children of militancy-hit victims,
orphanages, and weaker sections of society are identified by Jammu and Kashmir State
Rehabilitation Council as beneficiaries under the programme in the state.
iii. The initiative aims at exposing youth from the state to the vibrant development and vitality of
culture of people residing in other states of the country.
iv. Earlier on 29 December 2015, a group of 250 such youngsters participated in the Watan Ko Jano
tour and met Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
3. Paramilitary forces to have 33% reservation for women in constable level position
i. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has approved 33% reservation for women in Central Armed
Police Forces (CAPFs) at constable-level positions.

ii. There will be 33% reservation for women at constable-level posts in Central Reserve Police Force
and Central Industrial Security Force, and 14-15% reservation at the constable level in border

guarding forces i.e. Border Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal and Indo Tibetan Border Police,
starting immediately, according to an official statement released by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
iii. The Committee on Empowerment of Women in its Sixth Report had advocated elevating
representation of women in paramilitary forces. The reservation is, however, limited to only constablelevel position.
iv. There are 9 lakh troops in all these forces combined, of which women constitute a mere 20,000. In
2015, 33% positions in the Delhi Police were reserved for women; six other Union Territories also
passed this proposal and women were also allowed for combat roles in the Indian Air Force.
v. The Delhi Police employed only 9.27% women when the regulation was passed.
4. IAMAI appoints Freecharge founder Kunal Shah as chairman
i. Industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), which counts companies such as
Facebook, Microsoft and Google as members, named Kunal Shah, co-founder FreeCharge as its new
chairman.

ii. Shah succeeds Nishant Rao, the ex-managing director of

LinkedIn, who recently moved to Freshdesk as the global Chief Operating Officer, the association said
in a statement.
iii. IAMAI also named Vishwas Patel, chief executive officer, CCAvenue as the new treasurer.
iv. Shah co-founded FreeCharge in August 2010 with an aim to build a business that turned recharges
in to rewarding experiences for its consumers. In April 2015, FreeCharge was acquired by Snapdeal.
v. Vishwas, the founderand CEO of Avenues India Private Limited, launched the company's first
initiative, CCAvenue in September 2001. CCAvenue provides payment gateway services to
thousands of eMerchants across the world.
5. Gadkari launches India's first River Information System
i. Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday inaugurated the River Information System
(RIS) - the first of its kind in India - to facilitate safe and accurate navigation on National Waterway-1
(the Ganga River).

ii. "While it remains a challenge how to develop the waterways of the country, the River Information
System is a major step in realising the dream of waterways," said Gadkari, according to an official
statement statement.
iii. Phase-II of the system from Farakka to Patna and Phase-III from Patna to Varanasi will be
undertaken on priority, the statement said.
iv. "River Information Systems are combination of modern tracking equipment related hardware and
software designed to optimise traffic and transport processes in inland navigation," the statement
added.
6. International media conference in Mysuru
i. The Global Communication Association (GCA), a not-for-profit professional organisation, to host the
11th international conference of media experts and communication specialists from around the world
at Mysuru on January 28-29.

ii. The meet has University of Mysore, which is celebrating its

Centenary year, as its academic partner for hosting the conference. The 2016 India conference
focusing on Ombudsman: Media and social responsibility, has aroused keen interest amongst many
participants coming from different academic and industry backgrounds, said Krishna B Mariyanka,
Curator and Organising Secretary, 11th GCA Conference, Mysuru.
iii. At a time when there is a massive explosion of the media across the globe, be it of the traditional
variety or the new media, it is increasingly being looked upon as a powerful instrument of social
change, he added.
iv. On the flip side, as with any instrument that can influence vast sections of a society, there are also
other powerful forces that will misuse the media for vested interests.
v. Established in the year 2007, the GCA objectives are the promotion of academic research in global
communication studies among major universities worldwide; facilitation of joint project and research
opportunities among scholars and students.
vi. More importantly, GCA provides an eclectic international platform for corporate executives,
communication specialists, policy makers, academicians, bureaucrats, political leaders, public
relations practitioners and co-related industry professionals to meet, interact and generate new ideas
for growth.
7. Mysuru to get Cauvery river gallery
i. Karnatakas Tourism and the National Academy of Sciences of India (NASI) have signed a
memorandum of understanding to set up a Cauvery river gallery in Mysuru.

ii. The gallery, to be built at a cost of Rs. 3.5 crore, is expected to

showcase the life, culture and biodiversity along the river from its birth in Kodagu till it reaches the Bay
of Bengal. The exhibits at the gallery would also include multimedia features and electronic display to
provide the visitors an immersive experience of life and culture along the river.
iii. Tourism Department officials and NASI executives signed the MoU for establishing the gallery at
the Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA) complex in Mysuru. The project will be completed in 6-9
months and it is expected to become a tourist attraction.
iv. NASI former president Manju Sharma said, The Cauvery gallery in Mysuru will be third in the
country. So far we have completed the Brahmaputra river gallery project in Guwahati and the Ganga
river gallery in Allahabad.
v. RV Deshpande, Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries and Tourism, said NSAI
would execute the project and run it for three years before handing it over to the State government.
vi. The Karnataka Knowledge Commission (Jnana Ayoga) headed by K Kasturirangan had
recommended the establishment of the gallery and is providing input to the National Council of
Science Museums (NCSM) for the implementation of the project.
8. Cabinet okays Sampoorna Arogya Keralam medical care project
i. The State Cabinet has decided to implement the Sampoorna Arogya Keralam project announced in
the 2015-16 State budget. The project aims to bring all major government health services under one
umbrella. With this, people will not be required to visit multiple offices or agencies for medical care.

ii. Instead, they can go to enlisted public and private hospitals and
get the services through a smart health card. A Sampoorna Arogya Keralam Trust would be set up to
implement the initiative. All families with annual income below Rs. 3 lakh will be brought under the
project, an official release said here. At least 42 lakh such families are expected to benefit.
iii. The Chief Minister will head the Sampoorna Arogya Kerala Trust, which will monitor and implement
the project. A corpus fund of Rs. 20 crore would be set up and a separate head of account formed.
Various financial assistance schemes under sundry departments will be consolidated under the
project and up to 2 lakh made available to beneficiaries through means of the smart card.
iv. The IT platform of a similar project implemented in Telangana by Arogyasri Trust will be customised
for use to roll out the project, the release said. Assistance for medical care in Kerala is currently made
available through Rashtriya Swayam Bima Yojana (RSBY), Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme
(Chis), Chis-Plus, Arogyakiranam, Karunya Benevolent Fund, Thalolam, cancer protection scheme
and similar schemes of various welfare fund boards.
v. Beneficiary families, except the 32 lakh enrolled under the RSBY, Chis and Chis-Plus schemes,
need to produce an income certificate from the revenue department as a one-time requirement. They
would be issued smart cards in due course. A technical committee will be set up to decide on
treatment protocols and the various procedures required to be adopted in accordance with the
guidelines of the project.
9. India to skip BS-V, leapfrog to BS-VI norms from April 1, 2020
i. In a bid to curb vehicular pollution, the Centre today decided to implement stricter emission norms of
Bharat Stage (BS) VI from April 1, 2020, by skipping BS-V altogether. The decision was taken at an
inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, which was
attended by Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete and
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.
ii. Government has decided to leapfrog from BS-IV to BS-VI directly by April 1, 2020. We have
decided to skip BS-VI emission norms. It is a bold decision and a commitment to the environment,
Gadkari told PTI here after the meeting.

iii. All the other ministries have assured cooperation to make the
implementation successful, he added. At the end of December, Pradhan had stated that India would
go straight from Euro-IV compliant petrol and diesel to Euro-VI fuel by 2020. Earlier, a meeting of an
inter-ministerial group, including representatives of the Ministries of Road Transport and Highways,
Petroleum, Heavy Industries and Environment and Forests, was unable to reach a consensus.
iv. The Road Transport and Highways Ministry was of the view the roll-out of BS-V norms must start
from 2019 but the Petroleum Ministry expressed its inability to comply with the deadline. Earlier in
November, a draft notification by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoEF), had advanced
dates for implementation of BS-V norms to April 1, 2019, and BS-VI norms to April 1, 2021.
v. At present, BS-IV auto fuels are being supplied in the whole of northern India covering J&K, Punjab,
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, parts of Rajasthan and western UP. The rest of the
country has BS-III grade fuel.
10. Uber launches uberEXCHANGE, start-up mentorship programme

i. Taxi-hailing app Uber today announced a new start-up mentorship programme in the country in
partnership with Invest India called uberEXCHANGE. Over the next years, Uber will host a series of
six leadership talks by senior Uber executives, including from their headquarters in San Francisco, the
company said in a statement.

ii. The programme will address issues that entrepreneurs face, like
fund-raising, product design, engineering and how to scale up a business. At the end of the
programme, the top 10 start-ups will travel to San Francisco, where they will be introduced to global
investors, fellow entrepreneurs and the team at Uber, it said.
iii. This public-private initiative will enable students, entrepreneurs and industry leaders to learn from
each other, helping to create a culture that celebrates risk-taking and views failure as an opportunity
to learn. It will also support Prime Ministers vision to make India a global startup hub.
iv. Today, more and more people aspire to be entrepreneurs and build something themselves. Thats
why Prime Minister Narendra Modis start-up India initiative is so important, and that is why were
excited to share our experience with hundreds of startups and entrepreneurs as they begin their
journey, Ubers chief executive Travis Kalanick said.
v. Kalanick is expected to give the inaugural speech at the Startup India Initiative on January 16,
speaking about his own journey as an entrepreneur. This mentorship programme will be immensely
valuable to Indian entrepreneurs and I am excited about the exchange of knowledge and ideas
between the startup culture in India and the Silicon Valley, DIPP Secretary Amitabh Kant said.
11. AB Khare appointed CMD of Madras Fertilizers
i. The Centre has appointed AB Khare as the Chairman and Managing Director of the state-run
Madras Fertilzers for a five-year term. In August last year, the government headhunter Public
Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) had recommended the name of Khare for the post of CMD at
Madras Fertilizers Ltd (MFL).

ii. Khare will succeed I Vijay Kumar. His name

was finalised after interviewing 7 shortlisted candidates. Khare was previously working with state
owned fertiliser firm Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers as Chief General Manager (Commercial).
iii. The President is pleased to appoint of A B Khare to the post of CMD, MFL in the pay scale of Rs.
75,000-90,000 for a period of five years with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post
or till the date of his superannuation, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest, the Fertiliser
Ministry said in an notification.
iv. MFL was incorporated in 1966 as a joint venture between the Government of India and Amoco
India, a subsidiary of Standard Oil Company of the USA. It is under the administrative control of the
Fertiliser Ministry.
12. Achyuta Samanta elected as General President of 105th Indian Science Congress
i. Dr Achyuta Samanta was on 6 January 2016 elected as the General President of the 105th Indian
Science Congress Association (ISCA) that is scheduled for 2017-18. Samanta is also currently
serving as member of Executive Council of Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA).

ii. With this, Samanta becomes the second person from Odisha to be elected as President of the ISC
in its 102 years history. On last occasion, Prof Prana Krushna Parija, eminent Odia scientist, was
elected as President of the 47th Session of the ISCA in 1960.

iii. He has been the member of Executive Council of ISCA since 2011. He has also been the member
of many prestigious educational and other national level apex bodies, including UGC (2008-2014),
AICTE, National Coir Board, CAPART and NCTE.
iv. He was the only person from Odisha to be the member of both UGC and AICTE. Samanta has set
up institutions like Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University and Kalinga Institute of
Social Sciences (KISS), Bhubaneshwar.
13. Noted Gujarati writer Labshankar Thakar passed away
i. Noted Gujarati writer and poet Labhshankar Thakar passed away on 6 January 2016 following
prolonged illness in Ahmedabad. He was 80. He was a modernist author of Gujarati literature with
influence of existentialism challenging traditional literature styles.

ii. He was born on 14 January 1935 in Sedla village near Surendranagar in Gujarat. Some of his
famous poems are Vahi Jati Pachhal Ramya Ghosha (1965), Manasni Vaat (1968), Mara Namne
Darwaje (1972), Boom Kagalma Kora (1974), Pravahan (1986), Kalagranthi (1987). He wrote many
plays including Asatyakumar Ekagrani Dharpakad, Make Believe (1967), Mari Jawani Maza (1973),
Bathtub ma Machhali (1982) etc.
iii. He is also known for his novels Akasmat (1968) and Kon? (1968). Apart from being Gujarati poet,
playwright and story writer he was also an Ayurvedic Practitioner. He also wrote several books on
Ayurveda and also had published several magazines including Kriti and Unmoolan.
iv. He had also been awarded several times for his works including Sahitya Akadami Award (1991) for
his poetry, Sahitya Gaurav Puraskar (2002) of Gujarati Sahitya Parishad, Kumar Chandrak (1962),
Narmad Chandrak and Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak (1981).
14. Sam Pitroda appointed as Odisha Governments Technical Advisor
i. Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, popularly known as Sam Pitroda, on 6 January 2016 was
appointed Technology Advisor to the Odisha Government. Pitroda was appointed as the technology
adviser for development of telecom, electronics, IT, ITES sectors of the state.

ii. Pitroda will have a key role in Vision 2036 for Odisha@100, as the state government is making a
vision document for 2036 to celebrate the 100 years of states formation. Born on 4 May 1942 in
Titilagarh, Odisha, Sam Pitroda is a telecom engineer, inventor, entrepreneur and policymaker. In
1964, he travelled to Chicago to study electrical engineering.
iii. He is a director of the Young Indian Company co-owned by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. He
also served as Advisor to the Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on Technology Missions related to water,
literacy, immunization, oil seeds, telecom, and dairy.
iv. He is the founding Chairman of Indias Telecom Commission. He has also served as an advisor to
the United Nations.
15. Pavan Kapoor To Be India's Ambassador To Israel
i. Senior diplomat Pavan Kapoor has been appointed India's ambassador to strategically important
Israel, where he will succeed Jaideep Sarkar. Mr Kapoor, a 1990 batch Indian Foreign Service Officer,
is currently India's High Commissioner in Mozambique capital Maputo. "He is expected to take up his
assignment shortly," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
ii. The appointment assumes significance as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to
visit India this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi may also pay a return visit to Tel Aviv. India's
relations with Israel are on an upswing. President Pranab Mukherjee had visited Tel Aviv in October
last year, becoming the first Indian Head of State to visit the Jewish nation.
iii. India is Israel's largest buyer of military hardware. Israel has supplied various weapons systems,
missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles over the last few years but the transactions have largely

remained behind the curtains. Mr Kapoor, an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad,
also a has a Master's degree in International Political Economy from the London School of
Economics.
iv. In his diplomatic career of two decades, he has served in different capacities in the Indian
Missions in Moscow, London, Geneva and Kiev apart from serving in the Ministry of External Affairs
and the Prime Minister's Office. He has also done a stint at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London
as Political Adviser on Asia and Europe.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2016/01/daily-gk-update-current-affairs.html#ixzz3y2DLH74d

Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 8th January 2016

1. Rajan is The Banker's central banker of the year
i. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan was named The Banker magazine's Global
and Asia-Pacific Central Bank Governor of the Year 2015, for stabilising the Indian rupee, initiating key
reforms to attract much needed foreign capital in the country and reining in a runaway price
appreciation. The Banker is a prestigious monthly magazine of the Financial Times Group.
ii. "India is the one global economy that arguably weathered the capital outflow and currency storms in
emerging markets that were fuelled by uncertainty over the US Federal Reserve interest rate hike in
2015," the magazine said in its article on Rajan.

iii. The RBI governor has been named central bank governor of the year several times by other
international magazines. In October 2014, Euromoney and in January 2015, Central Banking awarded
him the best central banker award for his contribution in stabilising the Indian economy.
iv. After he took over in September 2013, the first priority for the RBI governor was to stabilise the
local currency, which hit a record low of 68.87 a dollar on August 28. Through a series of innovative
measures, including attracting dollars from non-resident Indians by offering higher interest rate on
deposits, Rajan stabilised the rupee. The local currency soon moved back below the psychological
level of 60 a dollar.
v. Steps like offshore rupee bonds, nicknamed Masala Bonds, and RBI's efforts in pushing green
bonds were two other key achievements of Rajan, the magazine noted. The magazine also noted

Rajan's efforts in cleaning banks' balance sheets from bad debts and introducing 23 new sets of
banks in 2015.
2. Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry, MEA merged
i. In order to avoid duplication of work and to improve efficiency, the government on Thursday merged
the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) with the Ministry of External Affairs. Announcing the
merger, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Thursday, As Minister of External Affairs
and Overseas Indian Affairs, I realised that a substantial work of MOIA is done through our missions
abroad. Therefore, I proposed to Honble Prime Minister that MOIA should be merged with the
Ministry of External Affairs.

ii. Sources, however, indicated that the decision to merge MOIA with
MEA was taken as senior diplomats wanted officials dealing with foreign workers-related issues and
emergencies to have better diplomatic back-up and coordination.
iii. Explaining the official line, a spokesperson of MEA said the merger of MOIA was to avoid
duplication as most of the work of MOIA was done by Indian missions abroad. Even the information
for answering the questions related to MOIA in Parliament used to be provided by the Indian
missions, said the spokesperson.
iv. But reportedly, the MEA, which has been short of staff, wanted greater number of officials with
diplomatic experience in key positions in MOIA to deal with emergencies involving Indians in various
crisis-prone countries in West Asia. The merger is expected to increase efficiency in MEAs
emergency work abroad.
v. The post of Protector General of Emigrants is responsible for issuing registration certificates to
recruitment agents who send workers abroad, especially to the Gulf region.
3. Indo-French military exercise Shakti-2016 started
i. India and France on 8 January 2016 started their eight-day counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency joint exercise Shakti-2016 in Rajasthan. This is the third edition in the series of bilateral
exercises under this banner and is being held in Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan's Bikaner.
ii. The exercise will be focused on counter terrorism operations in backdrop of semi-urban terrain
under United Nations Mandate. It is an important step for the armies to train together and gain from
each other's rich operational experience.

iii. French contingent comprising 56 personnel of 35th Infantry Regiment of 7th Armoured Brigade,
which had taken part in the Afghan war, will participate in the Shakti-2016. The contingent led by
Major Thibaut De Lacoste Lareymondie arrived Jodhpur on 6 January 2016.
iv. On the other hand, the Indian contingent to participate in the exercise will be the 2nd Battalion of
Garhwal Rifles, part of the Sapta Shakti Command. Both countries have troops deployed in counterinsurgency and counter-terrorist operations and therefore sharing each other's military experiences
will pay meaningful dividends.
v. The French 35th Infantry Regiment was raised in 1604 by a member of the gentry from Lorraine
whose surname was Nemond. It has at least 12 battle honours to its credit. The battalion has varied
combat experiences, having served in Algeria, Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan, amongst other places.
4. First Company of Ganga Task Force deployed Ganga Gram Yojana launched
i. As a major initiative towards fast track implementation of Namami Gange Programme the first
company of Ganga Task force Battalion was deployed at Garhmukteshwar yesterday. Speaking on

the occasion Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri
Uma Bharti said that three such companies will be deployed soon at Kanpur, Varanasi and Allahabad.
ii. The Minister said the Jawans of the Ganga Task force will be deployed on the banks of the river
Ganga to ensure that industry and civilians do not pollute the river. She said that keeping Ganga clean
is not the responsibility of our Jawans only but it is the duty of every Indian living near the river to keep
it clean.

iii. In the first phase of the progamme 200 villages have been
selected. In these villages open drains falling into river Ganga will be diverted and alternative
arrangements for sewage treatment will be made. The villages will have toilets in every house hold. It
is proposed to incur and expenditure of Rs. One crore on every village.
iv. These villages will be developed under the Sichewal model. It may be noted that Sichewal is
situated in Punjab, where cooperation of the villagers has been solicited for the water management
and waste disposal in a meticulous way.
v. Earlier the Minister inspected two under construction sewage treatment plants at Garhmukteshwar.
These STPs are expected to be operational by June this year. The Minister also inaugurated Namami
Gange Photo exhibition at Garhmukteshwar and administered the pledge to the people to keep
Ganga clean. The Minister also reviewed the progress of Namami Gange progamme at
Garhmukteshwar with local officials.

5. Sailesh appointed new Registrar General, Census

Commissioner
i. Senior IAS officer Sailesh was today appointed as Registrar General and Census Commissioner.
ii. Sailesh, a 1985 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is presently Additional Secretary in
Home Ministry.
iii. He has been appointed in place of C Chandramouli, who completed his tenure today.
iv. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the appointment of Sailesh as Registrar
General and Census Commissioner for a period till July 28, 2017, an order issued by Department of
Personnel and Training said.
6. Tata Steel bags PMs trophy
i. Tata Steel has been declared as the winner of Prime Ministers Trophy for being the Best
Performing Integrated Steel Plant in the country for the performance year 2013 2014. This Award
has been conferred on the Company for the eighth time. In addition it has also received Certificate for
Excellence twice and Steel Ministers Trophy once, since this trophy was instituted in 1992-93.

ii. The Company went through three rounds of rigorous assessment,

adjudged by a panel of distinguished judges. The enthusiasm and involvement of its employees
including the Union Leadership team was highly appreciated by the panel of judges for the Prime
Ministers Trophy, reaffirming the core strength of Tata Steel its skilled and motivated workforce that
has a will to excel.
iii. Tata Steel has always strived to set the benchmark of excellence in efficiency, quality and
sustainability in all its operations. The Prime Ministers trophy, instituted in 1992-93 on the suggestion
of the then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, recognizes the outstanding performance of the
integrated steel plants.
iv. The award is intended to spur steel plants to achieve international standards of efficiency, quality
and economy in their operations. The primary objective of the scheme is to generate a sense of
competition among the steel plants so that they continuously benchmark themselves with the best and
improve their performances.
7. Amitabh Kant appointed as CEO of NITI Aayog
i. Amitabh Kant was on 7 January 2016 appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI
Aayog. His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). Kant
will take over the office of CEO in March 2016, when he retires from service.

ii. On 1 January 2016, Kant was given the additional charge of the
CEO of NITI Aayog following the completion of tenure of previous CEO Sindhushree Khullar on 31
December 2015.
iii. He is a 1980 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre. Kant is currently serving as the Secretary in the
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion in the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
iv. He has also served as the CEO of Indias largest industrial infrastructure project the Delhi-Mumbai
Industrial Corridor Development Corporation. He has also been steering the Union Governments two
major campaigns to attract investments and create jobs Make In India and Start Up India.
8. Devender Kumar Sikri appointed as Chairman of Competition Commission of India
i. Devender Kumar Sikri was on 7 January 2016 appointed as Chairman of fair-trade regulator
Competition Commission of India (CCI). He succeeds Ashok Chawla, whose tenure as the Chairman
of CCI ended on 7 January 2016 itself.
ii. Sikri will have a tenure of about two and half years, i.e. till he attains the age of 65 years.

iii. Sikri is a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of

Gujarat cadre. He has held various positions in Centre as well as in his cadre state Gujarat. He
superannuated as Secretary, Department of Justice on 31 July 2013.
iv. He had also been Secretary in the Union Ministry of women and child development, Registrar
General of Census. He also served as the Collector of Rajkot and Jamnagar.

9. Indigenously Built ASW Corvette INS Kadmatt commissioned in Visakhapatnam

i. Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) corvette INS Kadmatt was on 7 January 2016 commissioned in the
Indian Navy at naval dockyard in Visakhapatnam by Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral R K Dhowan.
INS Kadmatt is the second ship of Project 28 (P28) class ASW corvettes and is the latest ship after
Shivalik class, Kolkata class and INS Kamorta. In all these ships, an excessive amount of weapons
and sensors had been integrated to provide a Common Operational Picture (COP).

ii. The ship was manned by 13 officers and 180 sailors with
Commander Mahesh Chandra Moudgil as the first Commanding Officer. The ship is an integral part of
the Eastern Fleet under the Eastern Naval Command to safeguard the Eastern Seaboard of India.
iii. It was designed 90 per cent indigenously by the Directorate of Naval Design (DND) and
constructed by M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. Directorate of Naval Design
(DND) is the Navys Design Organisation undertaking indigenous design of all surface combatants.
iv. INS Kadmatt is named after one of the large islands amongst the Lakshadweep group of Islands off
the west coast of India. The ship had been constructed using high grade steel (DMR 249A) produced
in India. With a displacement of 3500 tonnes, the sleek and magnificent ship spans 109 meters in
length and 14 meters at the beam.
10. Operation Green Hunt to hunt Maoists
i. Operation Green Hunt, an all-out offensive by Indias paramilitary forces and the state's forces
against the Naxalites came in news on 8 January 2016. The operation which is believed to start in
November 2009 along five states in the "Red Corridor came in news after Maoists called a two-day
bandh opposing it in Nuapada, Malkangiri and Kalahandi districts of Odisha.
ii. The bandh call was given by the Mainpur-Nuapada Divisional Committee of the CPI (Maoist). The
Committee is protesting against the Operation by security forces against the ultras in the southwestern part of the State.

iii. The term Operation Green Hunt was coined by the Chhattisgarh
police officials to describe one successful drive against the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in the
state. Later, the term was erroneously used by media to describe the wider anti-Naxalite operations.
iv. On the other hand, Union Government do not use the term Operation Green Hunt to describe its
anti-Naxalite offensive. Earlier, the operation also came in news in December 2014 when the
outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) claimed that the Sukma ambush was answer to
Operation Green Hunt. Maoists killed at least 14 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in
Sukma district of south Chhattisgarh on 1 December 2014.
11. Union Government allowed traditional bull-taming sports Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu
i. The Union Government on 8 January 2016 allowed the conduct of the traditional bull-taming sports,
Jallikattu, in Tamil Nadu. The ban on the sports was lifted few days before the traditional harvest
festival will begin in Tamil Nadu. Jallikattu is celebrated around pongal in southern state of Tamil
Nadu.

ii. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

issued a gazette notification with regard to holding traditional sports that use bulls as performing
animals including Jallikattu across India.
iii. The notification said that bulls can be exhibited and trained as performing animal at different events
of different states as per the customs or tradition of any community.
iv. The events that use bulls as performing animals are Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu and bullock cart races
in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Kerala and Gujarat. But these events are allowed only
in those districts where it is being traditionally held annually but with the permission of district collector
or the district magistrate.
v. The notification also specifies that bullock cart race shall be organised on a proper track, which
shall not exceed two kilometers. On the other hand, in case of Jallikattu, the moment the bull leaves
the enclosure it shall be tamed within a radial distance of 15 metre.
12. Quikr acquired online real estate portal Commonfloor.com
i. Quikr on 7 January 2016 announced acquisition of the property search website Commonfloor.com
for an undisclosed amount in a majority stock-swap transaction. Quikr bought the website in a distress
sale orchestrated by Tiger Global Management Llc.

ii. After the deal, Quikr will be valued at about 1.5 billion US dollars based on the share-swap ratio.
The merger is expected to be completed over the next two to three months. It will also give
Commonfloor access to Quikrs 30 million consumers and harness the potential of the cross-category
nature of the platform. QuikrHomes will benefit from CommonFloors structured data and domain
expert.
iii. Quikr is an Indian classified advertising platform. It was founded by Pranay Chulet in 2008. It is
headquartered in Bangalore. It has listings in over 1000 cities in India in categories such as mobile
phones, household goods, cars, real estate, jobs, services and education.
iv. CommonFloor.com is an Indian real estate portal founded in 2007 by three computer science
graduates from IIT Roorkee and JSSATE. On 8 January 2015, CommonFloor received funding from
Google Capital.
13. Miguel Tabuena won Hilton Asian Tour Golfer of the Month
i. The Philippines' Miguel Tabuena on 7 January 2016 was voted as the Hilton Asian Tour Golfer of
Month for December 2015. Tabuena won the award ahead of Thailand's Phachara Khongwatmai and
India's Himmat Rai. The trio were nominated by a selection panel before going into a voting process.
ii. Born on 13 October 1994, Miguel Tabuena is a Filipino professional golfer. As an amateur golfer, he
won the events in Malaysia and Singapore and won the silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games in the
men's individual event.
iii. He turned professional in 2011. He has played on the Asian Tour since 2011 and picked up his first
win at the 2015 Philippine Open.
iv. He became the first Filipino to win his National Open since 2008.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2016/01/daily-gk-update-current-affairs-8th.html#ixzz3y2DTlCcn

Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 9th January 2016

i. French soldiers to march down Rajpath on Republic Day 2016 along with Indian troops
i. The French soldiers will march down the Rajpath on Republic Day along with Indian troops in the
presence of President Francois Hollande. Hollande is the Chief Guest for 26 January 2016
celebrations. This is the first time that a foreign army will participate in the 26th January Parade, since
1950.
ii. A French contingent, comprising 56 personnel of 35th Infantry Regiment of 7th Armoured Brigade,
is already in the country to take part in a joint exercise, Shakti 2016, which began in Rajasthan on 8
January 2016. Some soldiers will also fly down from France to form a proper marching contingent.

iii. Earlier similar event occurred in France when Indian troops drawn from the three services (Indian
Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force) marched down the Champs Elysees in Paris along with
French Army on the Bastille Day. The event was held on 14 July 2009 and saw participation of the
Maratha light infantry, which is one of the oldest regiments of Indian Army.
iv. Bastille Day (French National Day) is celebrated on 14 July each year. The French National Day
commemorates the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, an important event in Paris that was the
symbolic start of French revolution.
ii. Modi to be chief guest at sustainable agriculture meet in Gangtok
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest at the National Conference on Sustainable
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare being held in Gangtok on January 17-18, the Agriculture Ministry
said in a statement.

ii. The conference is being held in Sikkim, which has taken the lead on organic farming, Agriculture
Minister Radha Mohan Singh, said, adding that the conference will be attended by State government
representatives, scientists, academics, bankers, experts and practitioners.
iii. Jitendra Singh, Minister for Development of North East (Independent charge), said the greenfield
airport at Pakyong near Gangtok is expected to be complete and become functional by 2017.
iv. He said there are also plans to connect Sikkim with the countrys rail network, which would be the
third North-Eastern State after Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh to be brought on the rail map of
India.
v. Singh also referred to the plan for constructing alternative road highway to Gangtok in Sikkim via
West Bengal and two ropeways that will serve the purpose of both tourism as well as transport.
iii. Smriti Irani inaugurates 43rd New Delhi World Book Fair
i. Human Resource Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday inaugurated the 43rd edition of the New Delhi
World Book Fair which commenced here with China as the guest of honour country and a theme
presentation of the cultural heritage of India.

ii. The nine-day fair, touted as the largest in Asia, is hosting about 30 countries in which a series of
programmes including panel discussions, dramas, classical and folk dances, workshops, discussions,
authors meets, conferences, seminars and cultural programmes will be held.
iii. Talking about the Chinese participation, Irani said, I believe that 50 publishing houses and 9
eminent authors bring with them to this World Book Fair around 5,000 titles so that through this
exchange our people across both nations can be enriched.
iv. China was invited to be the guest country after the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping here last
year where he signed a memorandum of understanding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
v. This year the fair has introduced a special Navlekhan programme which seeks to promote and
publish young authors under the age of 40 writing in Indian languages. Referring to the same Irani
said, while this year they are being published in 6 regional languages by next year she assured that
books in 22 languages recognised by the Constitution of India will be published.
iv. Oil Ministry launches e-initiative to improve LPG customer service
i. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has launched an online initiative to seek suggestions
from LPG consumers across the country, which will help in providing efficient and friendly service.
ii. Two online discussion forums - Citizen-Friendly Services and Increasing LPG Coverage in the
Country - have been launched and are available on myGov.in and mylpg.in, an official press
statement said.

iii. The initiative is part of steps being taken to observe 2016 as the 'Year of LPG Consumers'.
iv. "LPG consumers/ citizens are requested to participate and share their thoughts on the respective
forums online. Valuable suggestions/ comments are welcome and will be considered for improving the
customer oriented services related to LPG coverage and delivery," it said.
v. President promulgated Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Ordinance, 2016
i. President Pranab Mukherjee on 7 January 2016 promulgated the Enemy Property (Amendment and
Validation) Ordinance, 2016 to make amendments to the Enemy Property Act, 1968.

ii. These amendments will help is dealing with the loopholes of the
Enemy Property Act, 1968 and ensure that the enemy properties that have been vested in the
Custodian remain so and they do not revert back to the enemy subject or enemy firm.
iii. Once an enemy property is vested in the Custodian, it shall continue to be vested in him as enemy
property irrespective of whether the enemy, enemy subject or enemy firm has ceased to be an enemy
due to reasons such as death and others.
iv. The law of succession does not apply to enemy property. There cannot be transfer of any property
vested in the Custodian by an enemy or enemy subject or enemy firm and that the Custodian shall
preserve the enemy property till it is disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
v. The Union Government enacted the Enemy Property Act in the year 1968 that provided for the
continuous vesting of enemy property in the custodian. The Union Government through the Custodian
of Enemy Property for India is in possession of enemy properties spread across many states in the
country. In addition, there are also movable properties categorized as enemy properties.
vi. Bhanumurthy is new COO of Wipro
i. A couple of days after naming Abidali Neemuchawala its new chief executive, Wipro, India's third
largest information technology company, has made a few changes to its organisation structure.
ii. The Bengaluru-headquartered company has elevated company veteran Bhanumurthy B M as its
chief operating officer (COO) and president apart from handing over a new role to G K Prasanna, who
is presently heading Global Infrastructure Services as president and chief executive.

iii. Bhanumurthy, who joined Wipro in 1992, is presently the president and chief executive of business
application services (BAS), the largest business line in the company which accounts for almost a half
of its overall revenues. In his new role, all the services lines including BAS, global infrastructure
services, product engineering services, analytics, application management services and business
process services would report to Bhanumurthy.
iv. Under the new structure, Prasanna would head a newly created business unit, marketing,
innovations and technology (MIT) as the president. MIT will comprise of the offices of the chief
technology officer, chief information officer, marketing, strategic engagements (Advisor Relations and
sales enablement functions) among others.
v. This new unit would focus on non-linear growth engines, products and platform-based services,
integrated solutions, research, and new technologies, the company said confirming the developments.
vii. Sri Lankan parliament begins process to adopt new Constitution
i. Sri Lankan parliament today began a process to formulate a new constitution with Prime Minister
Ranil Wickremesinghe presenting a resolution to set up Constitutional Assembly of all members for
the purpose.
ii. In a special session today, Wickremesinghe moved the resolution in parliament to set up
Constitutional Assembly (CA) of all members and a steering committee of 17 members to draft the
new constitution.

iii. We will have the whole parliament formulating the constitution

unlike the previous instances when the constitutions were drafted outside parliament, he said. The
new constitution will replace the current executive president headed constitution adopted in 1978.
iv. The resolution noted that there shall be a Committee of Parliament referred to as the
Constitutional Assembly which shall consist of all MPs, for the purpose of deliberating on, and
seeking the views and advice of the people, on a new constitution for Sri Lanka, and preparing a draft
of a Constitution Bill for the consideration of Parliament in the exercise of its powers under Article 75
of the Constitution.
v. A Steering Committee consisting of the Prime Minister (Chairman), Leader of the Opposition,
Leader of the House, the Minister of Justice, and not more than 11 other Members of the
Constitutional Assembly will be appointed by the Constitutional Assembly.
vi. President Maithripala Sirisena in his address said the time has come to formulae a new constitution
in keeping with the demands of the 21st century. He warned that extremist elements both in the south
and the north may try to scuttle the process.
v. He denied oppositions accusations that the new constitution is being drafted to please the
international community based on their advise. Sirisena, since coming to power, has reduced his
presidential powers and strengthened key areas of governance by setting up independent
commissions on police, judiciary elections and public service.
viii. Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis clinch Brisbane International title
i. Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis carried the dominance of 2015 into the new season, winning their
sixth consecutive title by lifting the WTA Brisbane trophy, here on Saturday. The top seeds quelled the
challenge of German wildcards Angelique Kerber and Andrea Petkovic 7-5, 6-1 in mere 69 minutes.
ii. Sania and Martina, the world number one team, have now stitched a 26-match winning streak
together, which has brought them six titles in a row at the US Open, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Beijing,
WTA Finals and now here.
iii. It is the longest winning streak since Italians Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci's 25 in a row in 2012.
Sara and Roberta had won five titles in a row, at Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, the French Open and 'sHertogenbosch.
iv. The Indo-Swiss pair drew the first blood by breaking the rivals in the second game but the joy was
short-lived as Kerber and Petkovic reeled off four straight games to take a 4-2 lead in the opening set.
v. The top seeds controlled the game better in the second set, racing to a 3-0 lead by breaking their
rivals in the second game. It was a cakewalk for them from there, losing only one game before closing
the match in their favour.

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Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 10th and 11th January

2016
1. Urjit Patel re-appointed as RBI Deputy Governor for Three Years
i. Union Government on 8 Janury 2016 re-appointed Dr Urjit R Patel, as Deputy Governor of Reserve
Bank of India (RBI), for a second three-year term.

ii. Patel who joined RBI on 11 January 11, 2013 had headed a committee that paved the way for the
proposed monetary policy committee. Patel, a doctorate from Yale University, also had a stint at IMF.
iii. Patel is the fourth deputy governor and the other three are HR Khan, R Gandhi and SS Mundra.
The re-appointment of Patel assumes significance as in recent past, none of the deputy governors got
a second term.
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2. 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas held in New Delhi

i. The 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) was held in New Delhi.
The event was inaugurated by the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and attended by Priti
Patel, MoS for Employment, United Kingdom.
ii. Apart from the main event in New Delhi, the day was celebrated by the MEA, across the world,
through its missions/posts abroad.
iii. On this occasion, Sushma Swaraj announced that the government is considering Aadhaar cards to
non-resident Indians (NRIs) and allowing women workers to Gulf countries only through the
government agencies to ensure they were not duped by recruiting agents or firms.
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3. President of India inaugurates 88th Annual Conference of Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya
Sammelan
i. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the three day long 88th annual
conference of Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan today (January 10, 2016) at Ranchi,
Jharkhand.

ii. Speaking on the occasion, the President said

he had been closely involved with the organization for the last three decades. He said the great
traditions of Bengali literature, language and culture originated from the period of 'Charyapada' a
Bengali compilation that was discovered by the noted scholar, Haraprasad Shastri in Nepal in 1907.
Click Here To Read More

4. Book titled MARU BHARAT SARU BHARAT authored by Jain Acharya Maharaj released
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 10 January 2016 released a book titled MARU BHARAT SARU
BHARAT (My India Noble India) written by Jain Acharya Ratnasundersuriswarji Maharaj.

ii. This is the 300th book of Ratnasundersuriswarji Maharaj. The

book release function was organized by Sahitya Satkar Samiti of Ratnatrayee Trust in Mumbai.
iii. The book, My India, Nobel India, will be available in four languages - English, Hindi, Gujarati and
Marathi.
iv. The author through his book has highlighted various social evils, deficiencies prevailing at
individual level, and also expressed his anger about those evils.
5. Nepal elected as UNICEFs executive board member for 2016-2018

i. Nepal on 9 January 2016 was elected to the UNICEF executive

board, representing the group of Asia-Pacific countries for the term 2016-2018. Nepal's Permanent
Representative to the United Nations (UN), Durga Prasad Bhattarai, was also unanimously elected
vice-president to the Bureau of the Executive Board of the UNICEF for 2016.
ii. Nepal recently completed its terms as a member of the UN Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) for 2013-2015 and as vice-president from Asia-Pacific region at the executive board of
United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Population Fund/United Nations Office for
Project Services for the year 2015.
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6. International Kite festival started in Ahmedabad
i. Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on 10 January 2016 inaugurated the 28th edition of
International Kite Festival at Sabarmati River front in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The Kite festival of Gujarat
marks Uttarayan, the day when winter begins to turn into summer, according to the Indian calendar.
ii. The five-day annual event saw participation of about 98 foreign kite flyers from 28 different nations
and 55 participants from 8 different states and 28 kite flyers from Gujarat.
iii. While inaugurating the festival, Chief Minister Patel claimed that the festival has boosted the kitemaking industry along with attracting foreign tourists in Gujarat. She also said that in last one decade
the business of kite making has grown from 100 crore rupees to 700 crore rupees.
iv. The international kite festival is simultaneously organized in other cities of the state including Surat,
Vadodara, Rajkot, Porbandar, Mandvi, Botad, Surendranagar, and Modhera.
vi. Uttarayan is the sign for farmers that the sun is back and that harvest season is approaching which
is called Makara Sankranti. This day is considered to be one of the most important harvest days in
India.
7. 11th World Hindi Day observed on 10 January

i. The 11th World Hindi Day was celebrated on 10 January 2016. To

mark the occasion, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) through its missions/posts abroad and the

Department of Official Language (Rajbhasha) conducted special events to spread the greatness of
the language.
ii. The day was first observed on 10 January 2006. And, it is in addition to the National Hindi Divas
that is being celebrated annually on 14 September. National Hindi Divas is celebrated to mark the day,
14 September 1949, on which the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as
the Official Language of the Union.
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8. Noted Hindi writer Ravindra Kalia passed away
i. Noted Hindi writer and journalist Ravindra Kalia passed away on 9 January 2016 in New Delhi. He
was 78. Kalia had been suffering from liver cirrhosis. The writer is known for his works like Nau Saal
Chotti Patni and Ghalib Chutti Sharab.

ii. The former Bharatiya Jnanpith director, Kalia was also the editor
of several literary magazines, including Naya Gyanodaya. Born on 11 November 1938 in Jalandhar,
Punjab, Kalia was mainly famous for writing stories, novels, memoirs and satires.
iii. The writer had been honoured with Uttar Pradesh (UP) Premchand Memorail Award, UP Sahitya
Bhushan Award, UP Lohia Award, Punjab Governments Shiromani award and Pdumlal Bakshi Award
of Madhya Pradesh Government.

9. 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards announced in California

i. The 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards were announced on 11 January 2015 at Beverly Hilton Hotel
in Beverly Hills, California, the US. These annual awards honour the best in Motion Pictures and
Television for the year 2015.
ii. The Revenant won the Best Motion Picture Drama while best Actor and best Director Awards
were conferred to Leonardo DiCaprio and Alejandro Inarritu for the same movie. Brie Larson won the
best actress award for The Martian Movie.
10. Stand-up India drive in the offing: Arun Jaitley
i. The Centre is planning to launch a "Stand-up India" drive to promote entrepreneurship among
women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, according to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

ii. He was speaking here on Sunday at the inaugural of the threeday Partnership Summit jointly hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the State
Government. He said the Start-up India drive launched by the Centre had received tremendous
response and "now we are planning a Stand-up India drive."
iii. He explained to the audience that the programme envisaged special assistance to women,
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to promote entrepreneurship. He said each bank branch in
the country would have to give at least one loan to a woman, SC and ST entrepreneur to set up units.
iv. "There are 1.5 lakh branches in the country and we are sure the programme will make a big impact
as the Mudra loan scheme did," he said.

11. British singer Singer David Bowie dies at 69

i. British singer-songwriter David Bowie has died at the age of 69 after battling cancer for 18 months.
ii. David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle
with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the familys privacy
during their time of grief, read a statement posted on the singers official social media accounts.

iii. Bowie had turned 69 just two days ago. He is survived by two
children Duncan Jones and Alexandria Lexi Zahra Jones and wife Iman.
iv. One of the most influence musical artistes of his generation, Bowie is known for his camelion-like
qualities as a performer that often blurred the lines between genders in an illustrious career that
spanned four decades.
v. The musician, whose full name was David Robert Jones, was born in Brixton, UK on January 8,
1947.
12. ICC announces MoneyGram as Event Partner; signs 8-year deal
i. The ICC and MoneyGram International, a leading global provider of money transfer services, today
announced an eight-year deal which confirms MoneyGram as an event partner for ICC events from
2016-2023.

ii. A media release by ICC stated, The ICC and MoneyGram

recently completed a successful five-year partnership, which began with the ICC World Twenty20
West Indies 2010, concluding with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
iii. In the current eight-year cycle, the alliance promises to reach greater heights, as the ICC will
stage an impressive 17 tournaments, including six majors two ICC World Twenty20 tournaments,
two editions of the ICC Champions Trophy and two ICC Cricket World Cups.
iv. Commenting on the partnership, ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said:I am delighted that
MoneyGram International has decided to continue to support cricket by extending its partnership with
the ICC.
v. The extension says much about the value of our events at which we continue to strive to create an
unforgettable experience for fans from all around the world. Sponsors are the lifeline for any sport and
on behalf of the ICC, I thank MoneyGram for their continued support.
13. Maria Teresa de Filippis, first female Formula One driver, died
i. Maria Teresa de Filippis, the first woman to compete in a world championship Formula One grand
prix, passed away on 8 January 2016 in Italy. She was 89.

ii. De Filippis participated in five World Championship Grands Prix; however, she scored no
championship points. Although she remained largely unsuccessful in her Formula One racing career,
she is remembered as a pioneer in motor racing, a sport dominated by men.
iii. Born on 11 November 1926 in Naples, Italy, de Filippis began her racing career at the age of 22.
She won her first race, driving a Fiat 500 on a 10 km drive between Salerno and Cava de' Tirreni.

iv. She took part in various motor racing events, including hill climbing and endurance racing, before
being given the chance to drive in Formula One. She finished second in a sportscar race supporting
the 1956 Naples Grand Prix, driving a Maserati 200S.
v. On 18 May 1958, she was given the opportunity to enter the Monaco Grand Prix, the second round
of the 1958 Formula One season, in one of the 250Fs.
14. Stanislas Wawrinka won third consecutive Chennai Open title
i. Stanislas Wawrinka on 10 January 2016 won his Chennai Open title. In the summit clash at the
Nungambakkam tennis stadium of Chennai, he defeated Croatian Borna Coric 6-3, 7-5. This is the
fourth Chennai Open title for the Swiss player and the third consecutive win, who first won it in 2011.
ii. He extended his run of dominance in Chennai to a 12-match win streak, including 24 consecutive
sets won.
iii. The Swiss completed the first three-peat in tournament history, becoming the ninth different active
player to do so at an ATP World Tour event.
iv. The 30 year old notched his 12th tour-level crown overall and eighth on hard courts.With this win,
Wawrinka lifted the cup and got the award money of 75700 US dollars and got away with 250 ATP
ranking points.

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Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 12th January 2016

1. Union Railway Ministry inaugurated Implementation of E-enabled Track Management System
i. Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on 11 January 2016 inaugurated implementation
of E-enabled Track Management System (TMS) and Mobile Application of TMS on Indian Railway at
Rail Bhawan in New Delhi.
ii. Indian Railways brought in these initiatives to bring efficiency and effectiveness in management
practices which involve handling of huge volumes of data statistics as well as dynamic analysis of
various measurement and defects and planning, deployment of large resources.

iii. Along with these two initiatives, the minister also inaugurated pilot implementation of Track
Inventory Management System on Northern Railway to track materials inventory, construction and
track machines organization in entire 225 units of Northern Railway.

iv. It is an important milestone in promoting e-working in civil engineering department of Indian

Railways. It is implemented on all the 68 divisions of Indian Railways. With the implementation of this
system, various activities of Track Inspection, Monitoring and Maintenance came on IT platform. It is
the first of its kind Organization Wide Asset Management IT Application.
v. It is designed for decentralization of data capturing and speedy information dissemination along
with centralized data keeping and analysis. It will eliminate more than 100000 manual record keeping
registers and make the area of working almost paperless. It provides alerts in the form of Short
Message Services (SMS) and E-mails to all concerned officials right from Junior Engineer in field upto
the Railway Board.
vi. Database and application servers are established in CRIS Data Center at Delhi. Required
infrastructure like Netbooks/mini laptops along with requisite Internet connectivity/mobile data cards
provided to all Junior and Senior Engineers.
2. ADB to fund $840-m corridor between Vizag, Chennai
i. The Asian Development Bank will extend a $625 million loan to the proposed $840 million
Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor, according to Teresa Kho, Country Director India, ADB.
She said the industrial corridor, meant to boost manufacturing activity and help economic growth of
the hinterland, will have four nodes: Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Gannavaram-Kankipadu, and
Yerpedu-Srikalahasti.

ii. The building blocks of the corridor would be node-centred

development and trade and transport. The VCIC, she said, was anchored on nearly 800 km of
National Highway 16, which was highly congested. Arterial roads would have to be developed. The
VCIC would be part of the proposed East Coast Economic Corridor, from Kolkata in West Bengal to
Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, Kho said, addressing a plenary session, Sunrise Andhra Pradesh: turning
aspirations into reality, at the CII Partnership Summit now underway here.
iii. M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister, said the Housing and
Urban Development Corporation would help build Andhra Pradeshs capital at Amaravati with an
assistance of Rs. 7,500 crore. Naidu said a metro rail was under consideration for Visakhapatnam,
while tenders would be invited for one in Vijayawada.
iv. He and Union Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha emphasised that the Centre would
provide assistance to Andhra Pradesh. They pointed out that like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the
State had an able and decisive leader in Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. Thanks to this, Andhra
Pradesh would be at the forefront of Indias economic growth, he said.
v. Outlining his vision for Andhra Pradeshs development, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said this
time around his strategy would be to go in for inclusive growth.
3. Constro 2016 to focus on 'Smart City' concept

i. The 2016 edition of the Constro exhibition will be held in Pune

from January 14-17 and will focus on the Smart City concept. Organised by the Pune Construction
Engineering Research Foundation (PCERF), this is the 14th edition of the bi-annual event which is
one of the biggest international fairs on construction machinery, materials, methods and projects.

ii. Shrikant Nivasarkar, President, PCERF, said, In view of Governments mission of creating 100
smart cities, Constro 2016 will focus on two themes: 'Emerging Technologies for Smart City and Skill
Development'.
iii. The exhibition will provide an insight of the current state of the modern city and the measures that
need to be taken to create a smart city. It will consist of six pavilions, and 250 stalls with a special
focus on featuring the tools and materials connected with skill development.
iv. The other highlights include a seminar series and a display and demonstration of wall & floor tiling
and bricklaying by Parshuram Naik, a bronze medallist who won the Bricklaying Medallion of
Excellence in Brazil.
4. Telangana became first State to make gender education compulsory at graduate level
i. Telangana became the first State in India to introduce compulsory gender education at the graduate
level. In this regard, the state in second week of January 2016 introduced a bilingual textbook titled,
Towards a World of Equals. The book was introduced on a pilot basis in engineering colleges affiliated
to the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU-Hyderabad).

ii. The book discusses gender in its composite form without limiting
itself to crime against women. The book attempts to cover information on unacknowledged women
writers of Telangana to problems of sex selection and womens work in politics and economics.
iii. It also touches upon complex subjects like female-centric history and male-female relationships.
The book is structured in simple language and form to suit under-graduates. The book discusses
different strands of womens movements across the world, introducing students to political
movements of Afro-American, Caribbean, African, Dalit and minority women.
iv. The book is coupled with a collection of visual teaching tools which include documentary films. The
book is being taught over 14 weeks in a semester at the rate of two classes per week.
5. Ashish Saraf appointed as Airbus Groups vice president
i. Airbus Group on 11 January 2016 announced the appointment of Ashish Saraf as Vice-President Industry Development, Strategic Partnerships and Offsets.

ii. Saraf will look over the Group's existing Make in India initiatives and conceive new ones for all the
businesses of Airbus Group India with the aim to increase their industrial footprint in the country. The
move comes close on the heels of Airbus Group uniting its Divisions in India under a single company.
iii. Ashish Saraf holds an extensive experience in offsets, industrial relations, greenfield start-up
development and strategic partnerships. Prior to joining Airbus Group, he was the India head of the
Tata Sikorsky joint venture since 2010. He led Sikorsky's industrialisation and strategic partnerships in
India.
iv. He started his career with Dassault Systems and Deloitte Consulting. He is an alumnus of the
Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune and the National Institute of Technology
(NIT), Nagpur.
6. RINL inked MoU with Andhra Pradesh Government for investment of 38500 crore rupees
i. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, on 11
January 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Andhra Pradesh government.

ii. The MoU envisages investment of around 38500 crore rupees to

take up various projects at Visakhapatnam. The deal was signed during the 22nd CII Partnership
Summit & 1st Sunrise AP Investment Meet, which is being held in Visakhapatnam.
iii. The investments by RINL will include expansion capacity of Vizag Steel to 7.3 million tonnes per
annum (MTPA) with a modernisation that may cost approximately 3600 crore rupees. At an
investment of 3400 crore rupees, construction of Coke Oven Battery and other projects are also
expected to be modernised.
iv. The overall investment figure of 38500 crore rupees also includes further total expansion capacity
of RINL to around 11.5 MTPA to 12 MTPA. The company will also spend 6100 crore rupees on a slurry
pipeline and pellet plant in a joint venture with NMDC & others.
v. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, also known as Vizag Steel, is an Indian government-owned steel
producer. The company is based in Visakhapatnam. It has been awarded the Navaratna status, with
accompanying autonomy of operations, due to its strong financial performance.
vi. The plans for a steel plant in Visakhapatnam were announced in 1971 by then Prime Minister of
India, Indira Gandhi. Originally, intended as a plant of the state-owned Steel Authority of India Limited,
RINL was established as a separate company in 1982.
7. Illumina, Bill Gates & Jeff Bezos launched startup GRAIL to develop blood-based cancer
tests
i. Illumina, the worlds largest DNA sequencing company, on 10 January 2015 announced the launch
of the startup named GRAIL to develop blood-based cancer tests. The company was launched in
association with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos venture fund Bezos
Expeditions and Arch Venture Partners.

ii. The company will develop blood tests that cost 1000 US dollars
or less for detecting many types of cancer before symptoms arise. The test, which is also called as
liquid biopsy, will use high-speed DNA sequencing machines to scour a persons blood for fragments
of DNA released by cancer cells.
iii. All the partners in the startup raised around 100 million US dollars among themselves, in which
Illumina will have the majority stake holder. The newly developed tests are expected to reach the
market by 2019. GRAIL will operate from San Diego in California, the USA.
8. Binny Bansal appointed as CEO of Flipkart
i. India's biggest e-commerce company, Flipkart, on 11 January 2016 announced the promotion of
current Chief Operating Officer Binny Bansal to the post of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). On the
other hand, Sachin Bansal, who has been the CEO since inception, will now take on the newlycreated role of Executive Chairman.

ii. The major restructuring of its top management will see Mukesh
Bansal report to Binny. Mukesh will continue to be chairman of Myntra, which he co-founded, and
head Flipkart's commerce platform. He has also been given additional responsibility of the overall ads
business.
iii. The current ads business head Ravi Garikipati will report to Mukesh. Binny Bansal is an Indian
Software engineer and Internet entrepreneur. In 2007, he co-founded the e-commerce platform
Flipkart with Sachin Bansal.
iv. Before co-founding Flipkart, Binny was previously employed with Amazon for 9 months. Prior to
joining Amazon, he was rejected by Google twice. He graduated from the Indian Institute of
Technology Delhi with a degree in Computer Science and Engineering.
9. Kullu Folk Dance Finds Place in Guinness Book of World Records
i. The colourful Kullu folk dance (Nati), which saw participation of 20,000 dancers during Kullu
Dussehra festival on October 26 last year, has entered the Guinness book of world records. In the
Nati, 10,000 men and women attired in traditional Kullu dress performed at Dhalpur Ground during
Kullu Dussehra festival on October 26 last year.

ii. The jamboree of over 20,000 people danced to spread the

message of 'Beti Hai Anmol' (Girl child is precious). The Guinness Book authorities were informed
about the show and the entire programme which lasted about an hour was monitored.
iii. The intimation regarding recording the event in Guinness Book was received today by Kullu Deputy
Commissioner, Rakesh Kumar, the man behind the show.
iv. Kanwar confirmed the information and said that it was possible due to initiative and enthusiasm of
the people who participated enthusiastically in the programme, rehearsed for days and made it
successful.
v. Similar folk dance was performed last year (2014) also in which 8,600 dancers participated and it
was recorded in Limca book of World records.
10. Balkrishna Garg conferred with 2015 Harikrishna Devsare Baalsahitya Award
i. Veteran hindi poet Balkrishna Garg was on 8 January 2016 conferred with the 2015 Harikrishna
Devsare Baalsahitya Award in New Delhi. He received the award for his Baa Geet, which is a
collection of poems for children.

ii. The award was presented by Sahitya Akademi President Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari and National
Book Trust (NBT) Chairman Baldeo Bhai Sharma.

iii. It was the second award to be conferred since its inception in 2014 and consists of a cash prize of
75000 rupees, a shawl and a citation.
iv. The award was instituted in the memory of Harikrishna Devsare, a renowned Hindi writer known for
his work in the field of childrens literature, who passed away in 2013.
11. Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi wins Ballon d'Or award for world's best player for fifth
time
i. The Barcelona and Argentina forward finished ahead of Ronaldo and Brazil forward Neymar as he
scooped the award for the fifth time overall, having previously won it four years in a row from 2009 to
2012. Messi helped Barcelona to a Spanish league, domestic cup and Champions League treble plus
the Club World Cup and also led Argentina to the Copa America final, where they lost to Germany.
ii. "It's incredible, much more than anything I dreamed of as a kid," said Messi as he received the
award. "I want to thank my team-mates, without them none of this would have been possible."
Barcelona's Luis Enrique was voted coach of the year.
iii. United States World Cup winner Carli Lloyd, who scored a hat-trick in the final against Japan, was
named women's player of the year. Ronaldo ended last season trophyless with Real Madrid, although
he helped Portugal qualify for Euro 2016.
iv. Neymar won a treble alongside Messi at Barcelona but had a less happy time with Brazil, receiving
a four-match international ban after he was sent off during the Copa America. Brazilian footballer
Wendell Lira received the Puskas Award for best goal of the year, for his bicycle kick goal for
Goianesia against Atletico-GO in March 2015.

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Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 13th January 2016

1. Kerala Declared First State to Attain Total Primary Education
i. Vice President Hamid Ansari today declared Kerala as the first state in the country to attain 'Total
Primary Education', and described the achievement as 'historic.' "I believe that the date today is as
historic for Kerala as April 18, 1991, the day Kerala was declared to be a fully literate state," he said.
ii. "Kerala has set a model for the rest of the country to follow," the Vice President said. Noting that the
achievement was another feather to the state's educational cap, he said the state was marking the
successful culmination of its 'Athulyam' programme aimed at ensuring Total Primary Education in
Kerala -- equivalent to Standard IV of formal education.

iii. "This is the fructification of the continuing efforts under the Total Literacy Campaign through the
well-planned and executed post-literacy activities and the Continuing Education Programme by the
Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority (KSLMA) under the Government of Kerala," he said.
iv. Ansari also said this remarkable educational achievement was a result of the enlightened political
leadership of Kerala, the dedication of its public functionaries and the people of state who have come
to value the importance of education. The declaration marks the culmination of the second phase of
the 'Athulyam' Class 4 equivalency programme - for people aged between 15 and 50 - run by
KSLMA.
v. Ansari said Kerala achieved progress in social and other sectors mainly due to the importance it
gave for education. The impressive march of Kerala on the education and various other socioeconomic fronts has been due to what Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has called "the constructive and
combative roots of its historical background", he said.
vi. He lauded the contribution of religious reformers such as Sree Narayana Guru and other social
organisations such as Nair Service Society, Muslim Educational Society (MES) and Christian
missionaries, saying they also helped in inculcating and sustaining spread of education as a social
movement.
2. Book titled Jawaharlal Nehru and The Indian Polity in Perspective released by Hamid Ansari

i. The book titled Jawaharlal Nehru and The Indian Polity in

Perspective was released by Hamid Ansari on 12 January 2016 by the Vice President of India Hamid
Ansari at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.
ii. The focus of the book is on the role of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indias first Prime Minister, on shaping the
polity of modern India.
iii. The book was edited by Prof Alexander and with contributions from eminent persons like Justice K
T Thomas, Dr Rajan Kurukkal, Dr B Vivekanandan, M G Radhakrishnan and others.
iv. It was published by T M Varghese Foundation.
3. CII Partnership Summit 2016 concluded in Vishakhapatnam
i. The 22nd edition of Confederate of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit -cum-Sunrise Andhra
Pradesh Investment Summit was concluded on 12 January 2016 at Vishakhapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh.
ii. The summit was held in cooperation with the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Department
of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India. The summit, which commenced on 10
January 2016, was organised to showcase investment opportunities in Sunrise Andhra Pradesh.

iii. Medical devices manufacturing park will be established in Andhra

Pradesh with a potential investment of 20000 crore rupees. Andhra Pradesh became first state to
release retail policy. Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Andhra Pradesh to set up naval facility in Vishakhapatnam.
iv. Union government announced the sanction of greenfield petrochemical complex and National
Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) in Visakhapatnam and a Central
Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET) in Vijayawada.
4. Lenovo to launch new smartphone under Googles Project Tango
i. The term Project Tango was in news in the second week of January 2016 as Lenovo, a Chinese
multinational computer technology company, announced that it entered into a partnership with Google
for the project.

es
ii. As part of the partnership, Lenovo will launch a new smartphone that can see and map out
surroundings without external signals like satellite-based global positioning system (GPS).
Features of Googles Project Tango.
iii. It gives a mobile device the ability to navigate the physical world, similar to how we do as humans,
without using GPS or other external signals. The project was unveiled by Google in June 2014 and
has features like motion tracking, depth perception, area learning that are based on 3D technology.
iv. It brings a new kind of spatial perception to mobiles and tablets by adding advanced computer
vision, image processing, and special vision sensors. The project works on various Android device
platforms that run C, Java, and Unity.
v. It is an open project in the sense that it allows technology partners and developers community to
develop to create new user experiences.
5. Employees Provident Fund Organization won the National Award on e-Governance 2015-16
i. The Employees Provident Fund Organization won the National Award on e-Governance 2015-16 for
launching the Universal Account Number (UAN). The Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances
and Pensions will present the award in the 19th National Conference on e-governance to be held in
Nagpur on 22 January 2016.
ii. The EPFO bagged the national award in the innovative use of technology in e-governance
category and the retirement body will get a cash prize of 200000 rupees.

iii. UAN is an e-initiative of EPFO, launched in

July 2014. In this initiative, all active employees are provided a universal number which can be linked
to various provident fund account numbers provided to them while working in different organisations
iv. Statistically, 5.65 crore employees in 457000 organisations were allocated with UAN till November
2015. A single account number can be used through all of workers employments with various
organisations. It enables the employees to switch their provident fund deposits automatically, when
they change their job, just by providing UAN to the new employer.
v. It also allows employees to have access to their provident fund account to view their balance and
deposits on the portal, without going through the Employer. National Awards for e-Governance are
presented every year to recognize and promote excellence in implementation of e-Governance
initiatives.

6. Conference of QCG on Afghan Peace & Reconciliation held in Islamabad

i. Conference of Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) on Afghan Peace and Reconciliation
process was held in Islamabad on 11 January 2016. The purpose of the conference was to explore
ways to create consensus for talks between the Taliban and Afghanistan's government.
ii. The conference was participated representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the US.
The group will again meet in Kabul on 18 January 2016 to hold discussions on a roadmap.
iii. The joint statement released after the discussions emphasised the immediate need for direct talks
between the representatives of the Afghanistan government and representatives from Taliban groups.
The talks for peace process aims at preserving Afghanistans unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
iv. The four-nation group was set up in 2015 to expedite the process of reconciliation in the war-torn
country after decades of bloodshed. The first round was held in July 2015 but the process was
suspended in the same month after news of Taliban Chief Mullah Omar's death was announced.
v. The group also reiterated their commitment to the realization of objectives expressed in their
statement from the quadrilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia Conference in
Islamabad on 9 December 2015.
7. Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group signed MoU to set up naval facility in Vishakhapatnam
i. Reliance Defence Ltd, a unit of Anil Ambani led Reliance Infrastructure Ltd led on 10 January 2016
signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Andhra Pradesh Government to set up a world
class naval facility in the state.

ii. The announcement regarding the MoU was made at Andhra Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam.
iii. The proposed facility will be established with an initial investment of 5000 crore rupees. And, it will
be setup on the East Coast of India at Rambilli, which is 70 kilometers south of Visakhapatnam.
iv. Earlier, in March 2015, Reliance acquired the Pipavav shipyard on West Coast in Gujarat. These
two facilities will build submarines and aircraft carriers and also provide services including
maintenance and refitting of ships.
8. Amitabh Bachchan made honorary life member of Mohammedan Sporting
i. Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan on 12 January 2016 was bestowed honorary life membership of
Kolkatas soccer outfit Mohammedan Sporting. Sporting president Sultan Ahmed handed over the
clubs life membership to Bachchan.

ii. Bachchan was also invited to be the chief guest of the clubs 125th anniversary gala event to be
held later in 2016. Mohammedan Sporting Club was founded in 1891 at Kolkata. It is one of the oldest
and leading football clubs in India. At present, the club plays in the I-League 2nd Division and premier
division of Calcutta Football League(CFL).
iii. It was the first Indian club to win CFL in 1934 and continued their run till 1938 season. Before
Independence, numerous triumphs against British teams earned the club huge support from every
section of Indian society.
iv. The club also became the first Indian club to win the Durand Cup in 1940. After Independence, the
club also became the first Indian club to win on foreign soil by lifting the Aga Khan Gold Cup in 1960.
Mohammedan Sporting along with Mohun Bagan A.C. and East Bengal F.C. are tagged as the Big
Three.
9. 20th National Youth Festival inaugurated in Naya Raipur

i. The 20th National Youth Festival was on 12 January 2016 inaugurated by Union Road Transport
and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari at Rajyostav Sthal in Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh to mark the
National Youth Day.

ii. The five day long annual festival is celebrated by the Union Government in partnership with a state
government on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. For the 20th National
Youth Festival, Chhattisgarh was chosen as the partner state with the theme India Youth for Skill,
Development and Harmony.
iii. It is an annual gathering of students being jointly organised by Chhattisgarh Sports and Youth
Welfare Department, Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangthan and
National Service Scheme. The festival will see the participation of over 6000 youths from across the
country except West Bengal.
iv. It will see contests in 18 different disciplines, including folk dance, folk song, drama, classical
music, classical dance, extempore etc. For the first time in the youth festival, para-trooping would be
displayed by the Indian Army along with weapons and explosives used during war.
v. It comprises a Youth Parliament where representatives of student unions and Universities would
discuss key issues of the country particularly on the theme-India Youth for Skill, Development and
Harmony.
vi. The conclave, which is held annually during the festival, saw the participation of various ministries
and companies. In the conclave, the participants discussed issues related to skill development such
as public private participation, reforms in skills for industrial development and improving livelihood in
rural India through Skill India.
10. Indra Nooyi becomes most generous graduate of Yale School of Management
i. The prestigious Yale School of Management will name its deanship in honour of PepsiCos Indiaborn CEO Indra Nooyi as she gifted an undisclosed amount to her alma mater, becoming the schools
biggest alumni donor and the first woman to endow a deanship at a top b-school.
ii. Yale did not disclose the amount gifted by Nooyi but said her landmark gift to endow the deanship
of the school and inaugurate an innovation fund has made her the most generous graduate of Yale
School of Management in terms of lifetime giving to the school. She is also the first woman to endow
the deanship at a top business school, the school said in a statement yesterday.

iii. The PepsiCo chairman, who graduated from the school in 1980,
credited her experience at the school for forever altering the course of my life and said her gift
pales in comparison with the gift that Yale gave me the fundamental understanding that leadership
requires an expansive worldview and a deep appreciation of the many points of intersection between
business and society.
iv. Business issues are never just business issues, and my most ardent hope is that this endowment
will teach future generations of leaders that the most successful companies of tomorrow will do more
than make money, she said in a statement.
v. They will make a difference and create shareholder value by improving the quality of life in every
market in which they operate, she said. Nooyi joins several prominent persons of Indian-origin who
have donated generously to US universities.
vi. In October last year, Nooyis sister and Grammy-nominated musician Chandrika Tandon and her
husband Ranjan had made a 100 million dollar gift to the New York Universitys School of
Engineering, one of the largest philanthropic gifts by a member of the Indian-American community. In
2010, Harvard Business School had received a gift of USD 50 million from Tata Companies.

vii. Industrialist Ratan Tata had attended the Schools Advanced Management Programme in 1975.
The gift will also be used to inaugurate the Fifth Decade Innovation Fund, which is named in
recognition of the fact that the school is entering its fifth decade; the first class entered the Yale
School of Management in 1976.
viii. The fund is an ambitious initiative designed to advance the schools aim of developing leaders
with the broad global mindset and multi-disciplinary approach to business that is needed to succeed in
21st-century capitalism. It will be open to additional substantial contributions that can help the school
develop the technology and other infrastructure to support these and future initiatives.
11. PMO sets up panel to fast-track bullet trains
i. The Prime Ministers Office has constituted a committee under Arvind Panagariya, vice-chairman of
the NITI Aayog, to hasten the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, meant for bullet trains
between the two cities.
ii. The panel will interact with the Japanese counterpart for taking the next step in implementation. The
Railway Board chairman, secretary in the department of expenditure, foreign secretary and secretary
(industrial policy) will be part of the panel.
iii. Officials said the Railway Board head will look after all issues related to overall operation and
technical issues. The economic affairs secretary will look after all issues related to the financial outlay
and his industrial policy counterpart the Make in India component of the trains.
iv. The Cabinets approval for the high-speed line was based on the recommendations of a committee
headed by Panagariya. Also approved was a suggestion to consider allowing private operators on the
508-km line.
v. The Panagariya panel had favoured Japan over China due to the low-cost funding up to 80 per cent
of the cost proposed by Japan International Cooperation Agency, at a 0.1 per cent interest rate (50year repayment), apart from a commitment for technology transfer and local manufacturing for a
specified period.
vi. It had suggested Indian Railways run the corridor for an initial five years, after which private
operators could be allowed. Bullet trains are run by state-owned agencies in France and Germany.
The Japanese system was handed to private companies after two decades of operation.

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Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 14th January 2016

1. Cabinet approves crop insurance scheme PMFBY
i. The union cabinet on Wednesday approved the crop insurance scheme Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima
Yojana (PMFBY) to boost the farming sector and ensure farmers' welfare. "The new Crop Insurance
Scheme is in line with One Nation - One Scheme theme. It incorporates the best features of all
previous schemes and at the same time, all previous shortcomings/weaknesses have been removed,"
said a ministry of agriculture statement.

ii. Under PMFBY, the farmers are required to pay a uniform premium of two percent for all Kharif crops
and 1.5 percent for all Rabi crops while it is five percent for annual commercial and horticultural crops.
iii. "The premium rates to be paid by farmers are very low and balance premium will be paid by the
government to provide full insured amount to the farmers against crop loss on account of natural
calamities," the statement said.
iv. With no upper cap on government subsidy, even if the balance premium is 90 percent, the
government will bear it. The earlier practice of capping the premium rate has been done away with as
it resulted in low claims being paid to farmers, the statement said.
v. "This capping (premium rate) has now been removed and farmers will get claim against full sum
insured without any reduction," the statement added.
vi. To enable faster claims payment, the government intends to encourage use of technology and
smartphones to capture and upload data on crop harvesting and also deploy remote sensing to
reduce crop cutting experiments.
2. WHO declares worlds worst ever Ebola outbreak over
i. The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced today that the Ebola epidemic that has ravaged
west Africa for two years was over after Liberia, the last affected country, received the all-clear. Today
the World Health Organisation declares the end of the most recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease in
Liberia and says all known chains of transmission have been stopped in West Africa, the UN health
agency said.

ii. WHO stressed though that the job is not over, warning more flare-ups are expected. We need to
remain engaged, Peter Graaff, WHO director responsible for Ebola response, told reporters. One of
the most feared diseases in the world, Ebola killed more than 11,000 people across west Africa after it
surfaced in southern Guinea in December 2013.
iii. At its peak, the tropical haemorrhagic virus devastated Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, scything
lives and dealing a hammer blow to weak economies and fragile health systems. The announcement
came 42 days the equivalent of two incubation periods of the virus after the last Ebola cases in
Liberia were tested negative. Liberia, the country worst hit by the outbreak with 4,800 deaths,
discharged its last two patients from hospital the father and younger brother of a 15-year-old victim
on December 3, 2015.
iv. The outbreak infected almost 29,000 people and claimed 11,315 lives, according to official data.
But the real toll is suspected to be much higher, with many Ebola deaths believed to have gone
unreported. Fighting stigma and resistance to containment measures were among the many
challenges facing Ebola workers on the front line.
v. Today marked the third time that Liberia has been given the all-clear. The country was the first of
the three to be declared free of human-to-human Ebola transmission in May, only to see the virus
resurface six weeks later. Liberia was officially credited with beating the epidemic for a second time in
September before another small cluster of cases emerged.

vi. The WHO came under fire for its sluggish response to the epidemic, which local healthcare
systems were woefully underequipped to handle. Over 500 healthcare workers died in three west
African countries in the eye of the outbreak.
3. Sikkim Becomes India's First Fully Organic State
i. Sikkim has become India's first fully organic state by converting around 75,000 hectares of
agricultural land into sustainable cultivation. "We have achieved fully-organic status in the end of
December. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally announce this at a sustainable agriculture
conference in Gangtok on January 18," said Sikkim Organic Mission's executive director Dr
Anbalagan.

ii. He said around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land was gradually converted to certified organic
land by implementing organic practices and principles as per guidelines laid down in National
Programme for Organic Production.
iii. It was 12 years ago in 2003 when the Pawan Chamling-led government decided to make Sikkim an
organic farming state through a declaration in the legislative assembly. Later the entry of chemical
inputs for farmland was restricted and their sale banned. Farmers therefore had no option but to go
organic. Organic cultivation is free of chemical pesticides and chemical fertilisers as it tries to strike a
harmonious balance with a complex series of ecosystems.
iv. In the long term, organic farming leads in subsistence of agriculture, bio-diversity conservation and
environmental protection, agriculture secretary Khorlo Bhutia said. Sustainable farming will also help
in building the soil health resulting in sustainable increased crop production, he said.
v. Besides it will also boost the tourism industry in the tiny landlocked Himalayan state. Resorts have
already been marketing themselves as completely organic where tourists can pluck, cook and relish
fresh organic food from their kitchen gardens.
4. SBI launches dedicated branch for start-ups in Bengaluru
i. State Bank of India launched its wealth management offering and inaugurated a dedicated branch
for start-ups here today. While the wealth management service 'Exclusif' is targeted at the fastgrowing affluent segment in the country, 'SBI InCube' -the branch for start-ups - would offer advisory
services to the budding entrepreneurs under one roof, SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya told
reporters here.

ii. Initially, SBI InCube would not be providing loans, but give start-ups financial management services,
she said. However, the bank would love to give them loans when they turn more mature than,
Bhattacharya said. "Actually funding could be done when they become a little more mature or they
have sufficient number of orders for scaling the companies. Surely, then they can become good
candidates for funding," she said.
iii. Asked whether SBI would help start-ups to raise funds from equity market, she said, as of now, it is
not the bank's part of the mandate. 'SBI InCube' would be useful tostart-ups because they need
financial management advice apartfrom providing financial help. "We still believe we will be useful to
the start-upsthough we are not giving them financial help, becausefinancing is not the only thing that
start-ups need. What theyreally need is a lot of financial management advice. So, wehope this kind of
service will help them a lot," she said.
iv. To a query, SBI Managing Director (National Banking Group) Rajnish Kumar said after Bengaluru,
the bank isthinking of launching the project in Pune and NCR, as much of start-up activities are taking
place in these three centres. Talking about the partnerships, Bhattacharya said the bank has been in

touch with its mentors including former Infosysians Mohandas Pai and Nandan Nilekani who are
guiding iton needs of start-up companies.
v. On SBI Exclusif, Bhattacharya said it proposes tobring to customers a completely different and new
approach tointeracting with the Bank. The customers will have access to a dedicated Relationship
Manager to take care of all theirbanking and investment needs. Further, customers will have access to
the best products across categories from market leading institutions as the bank has introduced an
open platform, Bhattacharya said.
5. Pilot project on DBT for kerosene to start soon: Pradhan
i. In order to cover more households under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme, the union minister
of state (Independent charge) for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday
informed that soon kerosene consumers would be able to get their subsidy directly into their bank
accounts. The Centre will rollout a pilot project in 33 districts across the country, he said.

ii. "We are especially working to further the reach of LPG connections in tribal and rural areas. In the
coming days, all needy people who buy kerosene will get subsidy amount directly in their bank. We
will start pilot scheme in 33 districts across the country including seven districts in Gujarat," Pradhan
informed here after meeting the State Government officials.
iii. In order to chalk out a plan for seamless implementation, Pradhan met state minister for civil
supplies Bhupendrasinh Chudasama along with secretaries of the concerned departments and 7
district collectors from Gujarat.
iv. Pradhan maintained that Government of India's Petroleum and Natural Gas Department has the
biggest Public Distribution System (PDS). "Daily 3 crore people in India visit petrol pumps, kerosene
retailers, and LPG distributors to buy petroleum products. Government of India and various state
governments are working on a detailed scheme to ensure smooth reach of petroleum products," he
added.
v. The Ministry is currently focusing on increasing the reach of LPG connections in tribal and rural
areas. In Gujarat, the pilot project of DBT scheme for kerosene will be taken up in seven districts
having large tribal population. These districts will be Banaskantha, Chhota Udepur, Ahmedabad rural,
Bharuch, Dang, Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka.

6. R Shivakumar appointed Chairman of Assocham Karnataka

i. R Shivakumar, Chairman of Kumar Group of companies, Bengaluru, has been appointed as the
Chairman of Assocham Karnataka Regional Council, the new regional outfit of Assocham, New Delhi.
ii. S Babu, Chairman of Ashwin Precision Products, has been appointed as Co-Chairman of
Assocham Karnataka Regional Council.
iii. The new revamped regional council of Assocham in Karnataka is expected to play a significant role
in the development of industry and trade in the state.

7. Subhashini Vasanth honoured with Neerja Bhanot Award

i. Bengaluru-based activist Subhashini Vasanth on 13 January 2016 was honoured with Neerja
Bhanot Award. She was presented the award for her endeavour to help people in distress and for
empowering widows of martyrs and their families across the country. Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor
presented the award to Vasanth at a ceremony held in Chandigarh.

ii. Subhashini Vasanth lost her husband Col Vasanth V, who was
posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra in 2008 for his selfless, supreme sacrifice while fighting
terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Since the death of her husband, she has been helping the families
of martyrs.
iii. She started the Vasantharatna Foundation in memory of her husband. The foundation provides
education scholarships, conducted empowerment programmes and outbound learning programmes
for women and children. Subhashini is also a Bharatnatyam exponent known for her intense abhinaya
and immaculate footwork. She and Veena Prasad have co-authored the biography of Col Vasanth,
titled Forever Forty.
iv. The Neerja Bhanot Award is an award of recognition conferred once a year by the The Neerja
Bhanot Pan Am Trust in India. It is awarded to an Indian woman, subjected to social injustice, who
faces the situation with grit and determination and extends help to other women in similar distress.
v. The annual Neerja Bhanot Award was instituted in 1990 and named in honour of Senior Flight
Purser, Neerja Bhanot, who saved hundreds of lives while sacrificing her own, during a Pan Am Flight
73 hijack at Karachi Airport in September 1986.
8. Sachin opens railway police safety drive
i. Master blaster and former captain of the Indian cricket team Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday
launched two safety and awareness initiatives by the Mumbai Railway Police. Speaking on the
occasion, Mr Tendulkar expressed concern over the number of fatalities on railway tracks each year
and recalled an incident in his teenage years after which he had resolved never to cross railway
tracks again.

ii. The two initiatives, SAMEEP (Safety Alert Messages Exclusively For Passengers) and B-SAFE,
were launched at the Railway Police headquarters in Wadi Bunder by Mr Tendulkar and Railway
Police Commissioner Madhukar Pandey.
iii. SAMEEP is an effort towards instant communication with railway passengers in case of any
eventualities. As part of this initiative, we aim to send out text messages to passengers about
important developments or disruptions, safety advisories, updates about womens security and
accurate information about developments to dispel any rumours.
iv. B-SAFE is a prolonged multimedia awareness campaign to educate the public about various
precautions they should take for safe commuting. The campaign will consist of putting up theme
based posters across railway station platforms, distribution of pamphlets and awareness meetings of
commuter associations, educational institutions, etc, Mr Pandey said.

v. Mr Tendulkar said the number of deaths on the tracks was worrying. The general feeling is that
crossing railway tracks will save us five minutes. But this also means that we are breaking the law and
risking our lives for the sake of five minutes, he said.
9. UNICEF presented David Beckham with Danny Kaye Humanitarian Leadership Award
i. David Beckham on 12 January 2016 was presented with the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Leadership
Award at the sixth biennial UNICEF Ball in Los Angeles. Sir Elton John and David Furnish presented
the award to Beckham at the event, honouring him for his tireless work to save and improve the lives
of children around the world.
ii. Beckham has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005. In 2015, the footballer launched 7:
The David Beckham UNICEF Fund, making a personal commitment to use his voice, influence and
connections to raise vital funds and rally for lasting change for children.
iii. The Danny Kaye Humanitarian Leadership Award is named after Danny Kaye, star of Hans
Christian Andersen and White Christmas. Kaye was one of the worlds most beloved entertainers. He
was the first ever celebrity representative for UNICEF, and was a Goodwill Ambassador from 1954
until his death in 1987.

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Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 15th January 2016

1. DRDO successfully test-fired anti-tank missile Nag in Rajasthan
i. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the second week of January
2016 successfully test-fired Nag anti-tank missile at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.
ii. The test was conducted during a night trial to validate the enhanced 4-km range capability of
Imaging-Infrared seeker, which guides the missile to the target after its launch.
iii. During the test, the Thermal Target System (TTS) was used as target for the missile. The TTS
simulated a target similar to an operational tank as thermal mapping from tank to TTS was carried out
for generating thermal signature.

iv. It is a third generation fire-and-forget and can be fired anti-tank missile. It can be fired during night
and day as well. It is equipped with top attack capability to nullify the explosive reactive armour (ERA)
of a battle tank. It weighs 42kg having 1.90m length and can be fired against both moving and fixed
targets.
v. Besides HeliNa, a helicopter versrion, it has land, air-launched and man portable (weighing 14 kg)
versions. To carry the land version, DRDO developed the NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier) for the army.
vi. Once inducted in the Armed Forces, the HeliNa missile will be integrated with the weaponised
version of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, the light combat helicopter produced by
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
2. Sahayog Kaijin 2016: India and Japan joint Coast Guard exercise
i. The 15th edition of bilateral exercise by the Indian Coast Guard and its Japanese counterpart titled
Sahayog-Kaijin 2016 has begun off the coast of Chennai, Tamil Nadu in the Bay of Bengal.

ii. Anti-piracy procedures, search and rescue operations and

interoperability between the two forces and other areas of common professional interest. Japanese
Coast Guard ship Echigo along with its integral helicopter is participating.
iii. It will also involve Indian coast guard ships like Samudra Pahredar, Rajkamal, Vishwast, Rajtarang,
Hovercraft, C-415, C-417, one Dornier and one Chetak helicopter.
iv. Sahayog-Kaijin bilateral exercise is a part of the cooperative arrangements between two Coast
Guards for the last 15 years. It is also as part of the memorandum on cooperation (MoC) signed
between the two countries in 2006.
v. It is biennial bilateral exercise held once in two years and the venue would shift in both countries on
alternate occasions.
3. Indias Grid-linked solar generation capacity crosses 5,000 MW mark

i. Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has announced

that Indias grid-connected solar power generation capacity has crossed the 5,000 Mega Watt (MW)
mark. ii. Presently, Government has set an ambitious plan to achieve 175 Giga Watt (GW) of power
generation capacity from renewable sources by 2022. It includes 100 GW from solar and 60 GW from
wind.
iii. Under the National Solar Mission (NSM), Union Government increased the solar power generation
capacity addition target by five times from 20,000 MW to 100 GW by 2022.
4. Union Government signed a loan agreement with World Bank for Neeranchal National
Watershed Project
i. Union Government on 14 January 2016 signed a loan agreement with World Bank in New Delhi for
the Neeranchal National Watershed Project.
ii. All 28 states which implement the watershed projects will benefit from this project. However, the
nine states, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujrat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana will benefit more from the project as they are implementation of
large number of watershed schemes in their states.

iii. The project was approved by the Union Cabinet in October 2015
with a total budget of 2142 crore rupees in which India would bear 1071 crore rupees and the rest 50
percent cost will be borne by the World Bank. It will be implemented by the Ministry of Rural
Development over a six-year period (2016-21).
iv. It will support the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana in hydrology and water management,
agricultural production systems, capacity building and monitoring and evaluation.

v. Around 12 percent of the area of wasteland will be targeted through this project to make about 336
lakh hectares of land arable. The Minister said that the effective implementation of the scheme will go
a long way in strengthening the economic conditions of the farming community.
5. Lagaan actor Rajesh Vivek Upadhyay died
i. Bollywood actor Rajesh Vivek Upadhyay died on 14 January 2016 due to a heart attack in
Hyderabad. He was 66. Rajesh was mainly known for his roles in films like Lagaan and Swades.

ii. Born on 31 January 1949, Rajesh Vivek was best known for his
role of the astrologer Guran in Lagaan and as the Postman/Postmaster in Swades. He was first
introduced in film Junoon, which was directed by Shyam Benegal.
iii. He had also played role of Veda Vyasa, author of the Mahabharata in the popular TV series
Mahabharat. He made his mark as a villain in the beginning with films like Veerana and Joshilay.
iv. He is also noted for his roles in the historic TV series Bharat Ek Khoj. His best acting was seen in
the TV Serial Aghori which is his horror best.
6. Harry Potter actor Alan Rickman passed away
i. Actor Alan Rickman, known for films including Harry Potter, Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of
Thieves, died of cancer on 14 January 2016 in London, England. He was 69.
ii. One of the best-loved and most warmly admired British actors of the past three decades, Rickman
gained wider notice for his film performances as Hans Gruber in Die Hard and Severus Snape in the
Harry Potter film series.

iii. Born on 21 February 1946 in Acton, London, Rickman was

known for playing a variety of roles on stage and screen. His first big break was as the Vicomte de
Valmont in the stage production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses in 1985, for which he was nominated for
a Tony Award.
iv. He played romantic leads like Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility and Jamie in Truly, Madly,
Deeply. However, he often was praised for playing roles of numerous villains in Hollywood big-budget
films, like German terrorist Hans Gruber in Die Hard and the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood:
Prince of Thieves.
v. In 1995, he earned a Golden Globe Award, an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for
his portrayal of the title character in Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny.
7. Madhya Pradesh Government signed four MoUs with Singapore
i. Madhya Pradesh (MP) Government on 14 January 2016 signed four MOUs with Singapore to
collaborate in urban planning, skill development, clean energy and food processing.
ii. The MoUs were signed in Singapore in the presence of MP Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan, who
was on four day visit from 12 January 2016

iii. The MoU on setting up 1000 megawatt wind energy plant in

western part of the state was signed between the Department of New & Renewable Energy and
Singapore corporation unit, Sembcorp Green Infra Ltd. It was the biggest of the investment
proposals.
iv. The MoU covering urban planning was signed between the Directorate of Town & Country Planning
and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise. The MoU on capacity building and skill training was signed
between the Department of Technical Education and Skill Development and ITE Education Services
of Singapore
v. The MoU covering food processing was signed between Indias LT Food Ltd and Singapore-based
DSM Nutritional Products.
vi. Earlier, Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan was awarded with Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship for
his contribution in development and international harmony. It was by awarded Fellowship Chairman
Mr. Eddie Teo in Singapore on 13 January 2016.
vii. He is the fourth Indian to receive this fellowship. Previously, former vice-chairman of Planning
Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former union minister for investments Arun Shourie and chief
minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh Chandra Babu Naidu had received this fellowship.
8. First 'Mahila Squad' Commissioned For High-Altitute Posts Of India-China Border
i. A freshly-trained contingent of 500 women personnel will become the first 'mahila' squad to be
deployed in high-altitude posts along the India-China border. The squad was commissioned into the
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) today in Panchkula.

0
ii. The women, in the rank of constable, were inducted in the border-guarding force after 44-weeks of
training in battle craft and mountain survival and will now be sent to frontier areas for final
acclimatisation before being deployed at ITBP posts along the 3,488-km Sino-India Line of Actual
Control (LAC).
iii. These 'mahila' contingents are expected to be posted by March this year at about 20 forward
locations of the ITBP situated at heights of between 8,000-14,000 feet, including at the 'Mana pass'
border post, the last village on the Indian side in Uttarakhand.
iv. ITBP Director General Krishna Chaudhary, after reviewing the 'passing out parade' of the new
personnel, asked them to exhibit the best skills that they have learnt during training to discharge their
duties in some of the most difficult locations in the Himalayan ranges.
v. This is the first time that India is deploying women troops right at the front, one which is considered
to be the most arduous and tricky given the harsh climatic conditions and extreme mountainous
terrain along the India-China border.
vi. ITBP, raised in the aftermath of the 1962 Chinese aggression, has also begun creating logistical
and residential facilities for its women personnel at these posts and it is expected to be completed by
early March. The force plans to have women personnel make up at least 40 per cent of its strength at
these forward posts.
9. Marat Safin inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame

i. The Russian Tennis Federation on 14 January 2016 announced that former World No.1 tennis
player Marat Safin joined the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The official ceremony to induct Safin has been scheduled for 16 July 2016.

ii. The Russian tennis player was announced as a candidate for the induction into the Hall of Fame in
October 2015 together with Belgium's Justine Henin, a former women's singles No.1 and seven-time
major champion, and Helena Sukova from the Czech Republic, who won 14 major titles in doubles
and mixed doubles.
iii. Marat Safin began his professional career in 1997. He held the No. 1 world ranking for a total of 9
weeks between November 2000 and April 2001. He won his first Grand Slam title at the 2000 US
Open after defeating Pete Sampras.
iv. He became the first Russian man to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon at the 2008 Wimbledon
Championships.
v. The International Tennis Hall of Fame honours players and contributors to the sport of tennis.
Martina Hingis became the first Global Ambassador for the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2015.
10. Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis juggernaut continues, win Sydney International title
i. Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis awe-inspiring run continued unabated as they lifted their second
trophy of the season with the WTA Apia International title after clinching their 30th win a row, in
Sydney on Friday.
ii. The triumph over Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic though was not without initial hiccups as
the top seeds lost the first set meekly before eking out a 1-6 7-5 10-5 win in one hour and 13 minutes.
iii. The world number one team trailed 1-6 2-5 at one stage but they yet again came out unscathed,
levelling the second set 5-5 and then sealed it to stretch it to a Super tie-breaker.
iv. The US open and Wimbledon champions raced to a 8-3 lead in the decider and clinched the issue
comfortably to stretch their unbeaten run to an incredible 30 matches.
v. It was the 11th title together for the Indo-Swiss pair as continuing the good show from 2015 when
they won 9 titles including the year-end WTA finale.

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Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 16th January 2016

1. Start up India: This is the beginning of big bang start up boom in India, says Softbank CEO
i. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday kick-started Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious
Start-Up India mission at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. The Start Up India mission to be unveiled on
Saturday envisages technology business incubators and research parks.
ii. The Human Resource Development Ministry and the Department of Science and Technology have
agreed to partner in an initiative to set up over 75 such startup support hubs in the National Institutes
of Technology (NITs), the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), the Indian Institutes of

Science Education and Research (IISERs) and NIPERs or National Institutes of Pharmaceutical
Education and Research.

iii. Organised by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), along with other key Indian
startup ecosystem players, the Startup India, Standup India initiative aims to celebrate the country's
entrepreneurial spirit, and create a strong ecosystem for fostering innovation and startups in India.
iv. The event was inaugurated by finance minister Arun Jaitley, and was attended by the Minister of
State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman, and the Minister of State for Finance Jayant
Sinha. Around 40 top CEOs and startup founders and investors from Silicon Valley attended the event
as special guests, and take part question and answer sessions at the event.
2. Narendra Modi initiative has Kochis Startup Village plotting more success
i. Four years ago, an idea took root in Keralas business capital of Kochi in the hope of attracting the
best entrepreneurial minds among youngsters and creating successful start-ups. Startup Village (SV),
as it was called, was a nascent idea then that drew not much attention.

ii. But today, on the cusp of the launch of a nationwide campaign that aims to spawn startups across
the country, Startup Village in Kochi sits pretty with a list of grand accomplishments and a grander
vision.
iii. In April 2012, Startup Village commenced operations as Indias first public-private technological
business incubator with the aim of creating at least 48 startup companies in five years. However,
within three and a half years, it achieved its targets, becoming home to over 70 startups in typical
incubation mode.
iv. After its successful first phase, officials at SV are now excited about their next phase of expansion
in which they aim for complete digitization of the incubation process right from filing applications to
mentoring, resource allocation and final graduation. The target is to support 10,000 startup teams in
the next five years.
v. The Startup India campaign that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches on Saturday will be an
added boost, top officials at SV told IndianExpress. Incubators like Startup Village have found favour
among the administration at a time when startup companies like Flipkart, Snapdeal and Ola have
made it big and entered the billion dollar club. With a young and aspiring demographic, many believe
India can very well be the hotbed for enterprising startups that can contribute to national GDP as well
as provide labour.
3. Chinese President Xi launches Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
i. China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), in which India and 56 countries have
joined as founding members, was formally opened here today by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
ii. This is a historical moment, Xi said addressing the ceremony of the bank, which along with the
BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) is expected to expand infrastructure financing, rivalling the
World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

iii. An Indian delegation headed by Dinesh Sharma, additional Secretary in the Ministry of Finance,
attended the opening ceremony. In all 57 countries have joined as founding members, while the US
and Japan have stayed out. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will address the founding conference of the
AIIB council later today.
iv. The bank was formally established in Beijing on December 25, 2015. Chinese Finance Minister,
Lou Jiwei, was elected as the first Chairman of the AIIB council. Chinas former Finance Minister, Jin
Liqun, was elected the first AIIB president.
v. With authorised capital of $100 billion and subscribed capital of $50 billion, Beijing-based AIIB will
invest in sectors including energy, transportation, urban construction, and logistics as well as
education and healthcare.
vi. China, India and Russia are the three largest shareholders, taking a 30.34 per cent, 8.52 per cent,
6.66 per cent stake respectively in the newly formed bank. The opening of the AIIB marked a
milestone in the reform of the global economic governance system, Lou said in an interview earlier.
vii. The AIIB will work together with multilateral development banks, including the World Bank and the
Asian Development Bank, to facilitate Asian infrastructure construction and sustainable development,
Lou said.
4. World Bank to be anchor investor in Rail Development Fund: Prabhu
i. The World Bank would be the anchor investor in the new Railway Development Fund, which would
be used to fund the modernisation of Indian Railways, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has said.

ii. We have decided to work with the World Bank on creating a Railway Development Fund. This was
already initiated. But now, we have taken it forward, Prabhu said here yesterday after his meeting
with World Bank officials. Noting that the World Bank would be anchor investors in this new fund,
along with other co-investors, Prabhu said, This fund would be kick-started soon as there is
unanimity in the World Bank leadership.
iii. He also said the World Bank leadership has realised that based on the performance in the past one
year, Indian Railways is in the right direction. However, Prabhu did not divulge the size of the fund,
but indicated that it would be the largest ever provided by the World Bank to the Indian Railways.
Prabhu is here to attend a World Bank meeting on transportation. During his stay in the US capital, he
also met officials of the International Finance Corporation, the US Transportation Secretary Anthony
Renard Foxx, and some of the think-tanks.
iv. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) would look into the possibility of revenue generation
through non-railway operations, he said. To help us in monetisation issues, bringing in the global best
practices. Globally, railways get 30-40 per cent of their income from non-railway operations. In India it
is not even two per cent. So this is going to be a challenging time, particularly when Indian Railways
would have to bear the additional burden of the Pay Commission, he said.
v. During his meeting with Secretary Foxx, the two leaders decided to create an umbrella agreement
with the Department of Transportation about the transportation sector in general. Today we also
agreed to make a Railways-specific umbrella agreement with the Transport Department, which would
help to work on many things, Prabhu said.

5. Flipkart ties-up with Mahindra for KUV100 online bookings

i. Online marketplace Flipkart has tied up with auto major Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd to exclusively
launch the latter's newest SUV- KUV100. Consumers can book the SUV on Flipkart from January
18th, 2016.
ii. Anil Goteti, Vice President - Business, Flipkart said, "Online today is a must have strategy for all
players to respond to the growing demand of their customers who are spread across different cities
and towns in the country. First time in the automobile category, this exclusive tie-up will allow
Mahindra access Flipkarts extensive reach and network to connect with their customers and provide
them the ease to book Mahindra KUV100 online.

iii. Flipkart launched Automobiles as a category last month with a

vision to change the way vehicles are bought in India. The association with Mahindra is another step
in that direction. The two entities have come together to deliver superior customer experience with
assured in-a-month delivery. Flipkart currently also offers a wide range of automotive accessories as
part of its endeavour to become a destination for all automotive needs.
iv. Designed in-house and engineered at Mahindra's world class research and development facility,
the Mahindra Research Valley at Chennai, KUV100 is targeted at the youth and first time car buyers.
v. An indigenously developed monocoque SUV, the KUV100 will have many firsts to its credit including
the first ground up petrol engine offering from Mahindra. In fact, all research & development activities
for this compact SUV were aligned with global standards of quality, technology, testing norms,
regulations and emissions from the very start.
6. World Bank released report titled World Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends
i. The World Bank on 14 January 2016 released a report titled World Development Report 2016:
Digital Dividends in Washington DC, the USA. The report explored the impact of the internet, mobile
phones, and related technologies on economic development across the world including India.
ii. Further, it concluded that potential gains from digital technologies are high, but often remain
unrealized and proposed policies to expand connectivity, accelerate complementary reforms in
sectors beyond information and communication technology (ICT), and address global coordination
problems.

iii. In relation to India, the authors of the report that included

Kaushik Basu, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of World Bank appreciated the Aadhaar
scheme as it saved 1 billion US dollars by bringing down corruption.
iv. The worlds offline population is mainly in India and China, but more than 120 million people are still
offline in North America and the digital divide within countries can be as high as that between
countries. Worldwide, nearly 21 percent of households in the bottom 40 percent of their countries
income distribution dont have access to a mobile phone, and 71 percent dont have access to the
internet.
v. The increased connectivity has had limited effect in reducing information inequality. For example,
there are more contributions to Wikipedia from Hong Kong, China, than from all of Africa combined,
despite the fact that Africa has 50 times more internet users. Digital technologies, apart from resulting
in economic benefits, influenced the participation of women in the labor force, the ease of
communication for people with disabilities, and the way people spend their leisure.
vi. By overcoming information barriers, augmenting factors, and transforming products, digital
technologies can make development more inclusive, efficient, and innovative.
7. Delhi-based writer Ankita Anand won the Lorenzo Natali Media Prize for work on Khap
panchayats
i. An independent Delhi-based writer Ankita Anand on 14 January 2016 won the European
Commission's prestigious Lorenzo Natali Media Prize for 2015 in Asia and the Pacific amateur
category.

ii. She earned the award for her sensitive portrayal of life for young women facing the threat of the
diktat of khap panchayats in Haryana with the title Stirrings beneath the peepul published in the
journal The Equator Linel.

iii. Arison Tamfu, an editor for the Cameroon Journal, won the
Lorenzo Natali Grand Prize for a critical investigative report on how UN Climate change negotiations
that are calling on nations to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy are going to affect the
development of African communities living where the resources are found with the title Africas billions
might be buried forever.
iv. It is organized by the European Commissions Directorate-General for International Cooperation
and Development since 1992. It is awarded to journalists for outstanding reporting on development
and poverty eradication. The Prize is divided into two distinct categories: amateur and professional
journalism. An independent jury will identify one winner per category and per region.
v. The Regions are Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and
the Caribbean and Europe. Each winner of the prize will be granted 5000 Euros. The Lorenzo Natali
Grand Prize of an additional 5000 Euros will be awarded to one of the winners.
8. Dr Jancy James selected for Prof MV Pylee Award for the Distinguished Academician of
India
i. Dr Jancy James, the first woman Vice Chancellor of Kerala, was on 15 January 2016 selected for
the Prof MV Pylee Award for the Distinguished Academician of India. The award was instituted by
Cochin University of Science and Technology in the name of MV Pylee. He is an Indian scholar,
educationist and management guru and widely regarded as the father of management education in
Kerala.
ii. The award is given for excellence in teaching and research and contribution to academic
community. It carries an amount of 1 lakh rupees and a citation.
iii. Dr Jancy James is an established author, literary critic, researcher and translator. She is the former
Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University and founder Vice Chancellor of Central University of
Kerala.
iv. She served as member of Kendra Sahitya Akademi and as the National President of the
Comparative Literature Association of India. She is a post-doctoral Commonwealth Fellow in
University of Warwick, UK and also worked as a Faculty Research Fellow in Toronto University,
Canada.
v. She was a member of the Indian delegation at the Indo-US Higher Education Summit at
Washington under the Obama-Singh Initiative in 2011.

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Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 17th and 18th January

2016
1. India's Dinesh Sharma elected to Board of Directors of AIIB
i. Indias Dinesh Sharma on 17 January 2016 was elected to the 12-member board of directors of the
China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). A secret ballot for the post was held on
16 January 2016.
ii. It is the first Board of Directors of AIIB in which 57 nations are founding members including India.
The inaugural meeting of the board of the governors of the AIIB was held in Beijing after its formal
launch. The meeting approved by-laws, rules and codes of conduct for the bank.
iii. Union Finance Minister of India Arun Jaitley is the designated governor of the AIIB from the country.
However, he was represented by Sharma at the meeting. Sharma is currently serving as the
Additional Secretary of Ministry of Finance.

iv. AIIB holds authorised capital of 100 billion US dollars and subscribed capital of 50 billion US
dollars. It will invest in sectors including energy, transportation, urban construction and logistics as
well as education and healthcare.
v. China is the largest shareholder with 26.06 percent voting shares. India is the second largest
shareholder with 7.5 percent followed by Russia with 5.93 percent and Germany with 4.5 percent. On
16 January 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched AIIB, which is seen as a rival to the US-led
World Bank, in Beijing.
vi. Despite opposition from Washington, US allies including Australia, Britain, German, Italy, the
Philippines and South Korea have agreed to join the AIIB in recognition of China's growing economic
influence.
2. NITI Aayog collaborated with IDFC for Enterprise Survey of Manufacturing Firms
i. The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog on 17 January 2016 announced that it
collaborated with the IDFC Bank Ltd to conduct an enterprise survey of manufacturing firms.
ii. The primary objective of this Survey is to assess the business regulatory environment in each State
and Union Territories (UTs) and identify policy and regulatory hurdles faced by businesses in the
States/UTs.

iii. It will include start-ups across all States and UTs. It will bring out
a comprehensive analysis and report on State-level performance.
iv. It will complement the governments Make in India initiative by taking stock of issues faced and
providing impetus for State-level reforms that will make it easier to do business in India. It will suggest
measures needed to foster competitive and cooperative federalism.
3. Taiwan elected Tsai Ing-wen as first female President
i. Opposition candidate of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Tsai Ing-wen on 16 January 2016 won
a landslide victory in Taiwan's presidential election, making her the island's first female president.

ii. Tsai's commanding victory brings to power DPP, which supports Taiwan's formal independence from
China, a red line for Beijing, which claims the island as its territory. Her victory brings the biggest
mandate ever won by a DPP president. It is the second-ever victory for the DPP since Taiwan split
with China in 1949.

iii. In the 2016 general elections, DPP led by Tsai emerged

victorious with 56 percent of the total vote share. She defeated Eric Chu of the ruling Kuomintang
(KMT) Party that secured 31 percent vote share. Chu also made the announcement of quitting as
KMT head. Taiwan's Premier Mao Chi-kuo also resigned.
iv. Born on 31 August 1956 in Taipei, Taiwan, Tsai graduated from the College of Law, National Taiwan
University in 1978. She obtained a Master of Laws at Cornell University Law School in 1980 and then
a Ph.D. in law at the London School of Economics in 1984. Upon her return to Taiwan, she taught law
at Soochow University School of Law and National Chengchi University both in Taipei, Taiwan.
v. She served as consultant for the Mainland Affairs Council and the National Security Council. She
also led the drafting team on the Statute Governing Relations with Hong Kong and Macau. In 2000,
she was given the high-profile appointment of chairperson of the Mainland Affairs Council.
4. NASA launched SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket with Jason-3 Ocean-monitoring satellite
i. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on 17 January 2016 successfully
launched SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Californias Vandenberg Air Force Base in the USA.
ii. The rocket carried the ocean monitoring satellite Jason-3 on board. The satellite will examine the
topography of the ocean floor to help study effects of climate change or human-induced changes on
the ocean.

iii. It is the fourth mission in U.S.-European series of satellite

missions that measure the height of the ocean surface. It is also expected to help the USA in better
forecasting of hurricane forecasting and marine navigation.
iv. It will extend the time series of ocean surface topography measurements (the hills and valleys of
the ocean surface) begun by the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite mission in 1992 and continuing through
the currently operating Jason-1 and Jason-2 missions. The Jason-1 and OSTM/Jason-2 missions
were launched in 2001 and 2008 respectively. These measurements provide scientists with critical
information about circulation patterns in the ocean and about both global and regional changes in sea
level and the climate implications of a warming world.
v. The primary instrument on Jason-3 is a radar altimeter. The altimeter will measure sea-level
variations over the global ocean with very high accuracy (as 1.3 inches or 3.3 centimeters, with a goal
of achieving 1 inch or 2.5 centimeters).
5. Former Sikkim Governor Ventrapragada Rama Rao passed away
i. Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Sikkim Governor Ventrapragada Rama Rao
passed away on 17 January 2016 in Hyderabad after prolonged illness. He was 80. Rao, who was
suffering from severe lung infection, is survived by his wife, son and daughter-in-law.

ii. Born on 12 December 1935, Rao was a lawyer by profession and

practised at the Andhra Pradesh High Court. He also played a pivotal role in trade union litigations
and served as President, Employees and Workers Unions of several State and Central Public Sector
Undertakings and Corporations, such as AP State Finance Corporation, South Central Railways
Employee Union and more.
iii. In 1965, he joined Jana Sangh as a member and went on to serve as a Member of the National
Executive of Bharatiya Jana Sangh for many years. Moving into Bharatiya Janata Party from erstwhile
Jana Sangh, he went on to serve as State Unit President for Andhra Pradesh for two consecutive
terms.
iv. He was elected to Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Council from Hyderabad Graduates'
Constituency for four consecutive times in 1966, 1972, 1978 and 1984. In October 2002, he was
appointed by President of India as the Governor of Sikkim. He served as Governor of Sikkim from
2002 to 2007.
6. SBT launches online platform for KSEB bill payments
i. State Bank of Travancore (SBT) has teamed up with the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to
provide customers of the state utility online facility for remittance of electricity charges. Jeevandas
Narayan, Managing Director, SBT, and M Shivasankar, Chairman, KSEB, jointly announced the
launch of the facility at a function here.

ii. Present on the occasion were E.K. Harikumar and S. Adikesavan, Chief General Managers, SBT,
and B Nina, Director (Transmission), KSEB.
iii. The online system facilitates immediate credit of remittance through the SBT internet banking
platform free of any additional charges, a spokesman for SBT said.
iv. This will enable consumers to pay their monthly bills without going to the KSEB offices. They will
get confirmation of the remittance from the bank as well as KSEB.
v. The facility will be helpful for NRIs abroad who need not entertain worries of disconnection due to
default of bill payment, the spokesman added.
7. Mindtree appoints Ravanan as CEO, Natarajan as executive chairman
i. ndtree has appointed Rostow Ravanan as the CEO and managing director, and Krishnakumar
Natarajan as the executive chairman of the company. Subroto Bagchi has stepped down as executive
chairman but will continue on the Board as a non-executive director. All the changes will be effective
April 1.
ii. Apurva Purohit, independent director and chairperson of the nomination and remuneration
committee of the Board said, "This is the culmination of a year-long succession planning exercise that
the Board had undertaken after carefully considering several candidates. We are very happy with the
process and the outcome.

iii. We believe that Mindtree with a stellar management team is fully

ready for the opportunities and the challenges ahead. The Board recognizes and thanks Subroto for
his invaluable contributions and inspirational leadership".
iv. Ravanan, 44, is a member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Institute of Company
Secretaries of India and alumni of Harvard Business School. In April 2014, he stepped out of his role

as chief financial officer and took over as head for Europe, service lines and key accounts. "I am very
honored and humbled at being named to lead one of the most valuable and respected IT services
companies.
v. Natarajan incoming executive chairman said, "Mindtree is on a strong footing today to explore
newer opportunities that take us to a different orbit in the years ahead. I would be focusing my
energies towards making Mindtree a significant global player by the year 2020."
8. Exim Bank inks MoU with AP Govt for promoting exports
i. Exim Bank of India and the Government of Andhra Pradesh have entered into a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) for promotion of exports from the state.

ii. The MoU was signed by Yaduvendra Mathur, Chairman and Managing Director of the bank, and
Shamsher Singh Rawat, Secretary and Commissioner for Industrial Promotion, Government of
Andhra Pradesh.
iii. Exim Bank seeks to support exporters having operations in Andhra Pradesh in achieving higher
exports by facilitation of market linkages through its market advisory services, which will assist in
identifying suitable partners.
iv. Besides, it will help develop skills through capacity building workshops, help exporters participation
in select trade fairs and exhibitions, and through research activities.
v. Exim Bank would also use its strong institutional linkages that it has developed over the years with
institutions in advanced markets like the US, Singapore, Japan, Australia, EU, etc, and facilitate
technology transfer to the technology-seeking enterprises in Andhra Pradesh.
vi. "With its presence through a Regional Office in Hyderabad, the bank is desirous of further
extending funding facilities to exporters from the State so as to provide them opportunity to access the
global market, it said in a release issued here on Monday.
9. Somnath Temple to invest in Gold Monetisation Scheme
i. The Somnath Temple is all set to become Gujarats first temple to deposit its idle gold in the Gold
Monetisation Scheme as its trustees including Prime Minister Narendra Modi have given their nod to
invest the yellow metal reserves in the scheme.

ii. The trust has around 35 kg of gold and will deposit the gold which
is not in day-to-day use of the temple. The decision was taken during the recently held meeting of
trustees at Modis residence in Delhi on January 12, said the trust secretary P K Lahiri, who is also
one of the trustees of the Somnath Temple, situated in the Gir-Somnath district.
iii. During the meeting, all the trustees have agreed to the proposal of depositing the gold, which is
not in day-to-day use of the temple, in the Gold Monetisation Scheme, said Lahiri. According to him,
the trust is having around 35 kg of gold, which is either in the form of pure gold or ornaments.
iv. Now, the management will segregate the pure gold from the whole lot to finalise the quantum of
gold which can be deposited. We dont have a huge amount of gold. Majority of the gold is used for
decoration on day-to-day basis in the temple. Thus out of that 35 kg of gold, we will separate pure
gold which can be deposited under the scheme, said Lahiri.

v. Other trustees of the Somnath Temple trust include former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel,
who is also the chairman of the trust, veteran BJP leader L K Advani, Harshvardhan Neotia and JD
Parmar. All these six trustees were present during the meet.
10. French President declares economic emergency

i. French President Francois Hollande has declared what he called

a state of economic emergency and says its time to redefine Frances economic and social model.
ii. The first measures he proposed are relatively modest, and he said they would not put into
question the 35-hour workweek. He did not seek to assume any new emergency powers.
iii. The measures included a loosening of some worker-friendly measures to encourage companies to
hire, and new training for half a million workers.
11. Delhi Acers defeated Mumbai Rockets to clinch Premier Badminton League title
i. Delhi Acers on 17 January 2016 emerged victorious over Mumbai Rockets by 4-3 in the summit
clash to clinch the Premier Badminton League (PBL) title. The match was held at the Siri Fort Sports
Complex in New Delhi.
ii. Tommy Sugiarto, men's doubles pair of Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong, and Rajiv Ouseph
won their respective matches as Delhi grabbed the trophy and a winner's cheque of 3 crores rupees.
iii. Premier Badminton League is a franchise league, managed and commercially owned by the
Badminton Association of India. PBL was earlier named Indian Badminton League (IBL) when it was
founded in 2013.
iv. IBL was later rechristened to Premier Badminton League before the start of 2nd Season in 2016.
The objective of the tournament is to bring top Indian players along with International players on the
same platform.
v. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is the brand ambassador of the league.

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Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 19th January 2016

1. UNWTO released World Tourism Barometer
i. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on 18 January 2016 released the World Tourism
Barometer, which reviewed trends in tourism at the regional and global level for 2015 and enumerated
prospects for 2016.

ii. As per the publication, international tourist arrivals grew by 4.4 percent in 2015 to reach a total of
1184 million in 2015. In numbers, around 50 million more travelers were recorded in 2015 compared
to that 2014.
iii. 2015 marks the 6th consecutive year of above-average growth, with international arrivals
increasing by 4 percent or more every year since the post-crisis year of 2010. The tourist arrivals, in
2015, were largely influenced by exchange rates, oil prices and natural and manmade crises in many
parts of the world.

iv. Growth in advanced economy destinations (5 percent growth) exceeded that of emerging
economies (4 percent), boosted by the solid results of Europe (5 percent). By region, Europe, the
Americas and Asia and the Pacific all recorded around 5 percent growth in 2015.
v. Arrivals to the Middle East increased by 3 percent, while in Africa points to an estimated 3 percent
decrease mostly due to weak results in North Africa, which accounts for over one third of arrivals in
the region.
vi. Based on the current trend and this outlook, UNWTO projects international tourist arrivals to grow
by 4 percent worldwide in 2016. Among the worlds top source markets, China, with double-digit
growth in expenditure every year since 2004, continues to lead global outbound travel.
2. Draft report of R V Easwar Committee to simplify Income-tax Act, 1961 released
i. Union Ministry of Finance on 18 January 2016 released the draft report of Justice R V Easwar
(Retd) Committee to simplify the provisions of Income-tax Act, 1961.
ii. The draft recommendations of the 10-member committee contain 27 suggestions for amendments
under the Income-tax Act, 1961 and 8 recommendations for reform through administrative
instructions.

iii. Amendment to Section 255(3) to enhance the monetary limit for Single Member Bench (SMC)
cases before the Tribunal to rupees one crore from the present rupees 15 lakhs. Amendment to
Section 254(2) to reduce the time-limit for rectification of orders of the Tribunal from the present four
years to 120 days. Deletion of section 143(1D) Avoiding undesirable delay in issue of refunds
iv. Tax deduction at source (TDS) rates for individuals and Hindu undivided families (HUFs) to be
reduced to 5 percent as against the present 10 percent. Proposal for certain amendments in rule 30
and 31 in relation to time and mode of payment of TDS and filing of statement of TDS under the
provisions of section 200
v. The RV Easwar Committee was constituted on 27 October 2015 to study and identify the
provisions/phrases in the Income-tax Act, 1961. The committee was also mandated to suggest
measures to improve the ease of doing business, reduce litigation and accelerate the resolution of tax
disputes.
3. Renowned film-maker Lakshman Rao Mohite alias Geethapriya died
i. Renowned Kannada lyricist and film-maker Geethapriya died of cardiac arrest on 17 January 2016
in Bengaluru. He was 84 and survived by wife, son and two daughters.
ii. Lakshman Rao Mohite was born on 15 June 1931 and became famous his pen-name Geethapriya.
He penned lyrics for over 250 songs in Kannada and directed 40 films including one Hindi film.

iii. He wrote his first song for Sri Rama Pooja film in 1954 and
became director through Mannina Maga, starring Rajkumar in 1968. The movie bagged National Film
Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada and State awards.
iv. The Karnataka government honoured him with the Puttanna Kanagal Award in 1986 in recognition
to his contribution to the Kannada film industry. He was also received the Dr. B. Saroja Devi National
Award and Sandesha Awards in 2012.
4. World Bank to fund 20 million US dollar for reconstructing Indira Gandhi Zoological Park
i. In a global first, the World Bank in third week of January 2016 decided to extend an assistance of 20
million US dollar to help reconstruct the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP), which got devastated
during cyclone Hudhud in October 2014, in Visakhapatnam.

ii. It is the very first time in the history of the World Bank that it is directly involved in a zoo. The
decision is a new addition in the portfolio of the bank as part of its ever-expanding work on urban
regeneration.
iii. The funding is a part of the 370 million US dollar Andhra Pradesh Disaster Recovery Project for
which the bank is extending assistance of 250 million US dollars from 2015-2020.
iv. The four coastal districts of Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari are
expected to get 20 million US dollar for forest restoration and disaster prevention measures.
v. Indira Gandhi Zoological Park is situated amidst Kambalakonda Reserve Forest in Visakhapatnam,
Andhra Pradesh. The park is named after the former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. It was
declared open to the public on 19 May 1977.
5. SBI offers loans for women entrepreneurs under MUDRA scheme
i. The MUDRA' loan for women entrepreneurs or Boutique Finance for Women Entrepreneurs a
special loan scheme under Prime Minister MUDRA Yojana has been launched for catering to the
financial needs of women entrepreneurs.

ii. Under the scheme, State Bank of India too has come forward to participate and provide loans to
help women entrepreneurs in West Bengal who are engaged in various handicraft activities. One such
camp was organised by the bank, earlier this month., according to a release issued by the bank.
iii. Around 80 women entrepreneurs received sanctioned letters for loan, SBI said.
iv. Loans are being provided at a concessional rate of interest. Loans up to Rs. 10 lakh will be
provided under the scheme without any collateral security. A maximum loan amount of Rs. 50 lakh
can be availed under the scheme.
6. Jayalalithaa launches Amma Call Centre
i. In an initiative aimed at quick delivery of government services, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J
Jayalalithaa today launched a round-the-clock call centre for ensuring fast response to grievances.
The Amma Call Centre, which will work all through the year, was launched by the Chief Minister here
through video-conferencing.

ii. Jayalalithaa is fondly addressed as Amma (mother) by her

supporters and her government is already running many initiatives named after her, including the
hugely popular Amma Canteens which provide subsidised food, and Amma Mineral Water, among
others.
iii. The latest initiative was aimed at ensuring quick response to peoples grievances where in they can
dial toll-free number 1100 at any point of time in the day, a government release here said. The Chief
Ministers Special Cell is already involved in addressing peoples issues by referring petitions and
letters to departments concerned and this is an effort to further quicken the process, it said.
iv. The details of the callers and the issues reported by them would be registered on computer and
referred to the relevant department for action through e-mail, SMS and telephone, it said, adding, the
callers will also be informed of the details through SMS like which department and official their issue
had been referred to. The action taken on the grievance will also be shared with the caller through
SMS, it said.
v. Equipped with latest technology like Computer Telephony Integration and Voice Logger System, the
centre will initially handle up to 15,000 calls a day, with 138 operators recruited for the purpose. Their
numbers will be expanded based on the requirement, the release added.
7. International Kolkata Book Fair on Jan 27
i. The 40th edition of the International Kolkata Book Fair the worlds largest non-trade fair is all set
to bring to life a slice of history. The history of: Kolkatas love affair with books. In a first of its kind, the
Publishers and Booksellers Guild organisers of the International Kolkata Book Fair will organise a
heritage walk that takes the person through the 39-year-old journey of the fair.
ii. According to Sudhangshu Dey, Director, Publishers & Booksellers Guild, the walk will see
installations depicting the landmark achievements of the book-fair including the inception of the Guild
at the iconic (India) Coffee House of Kolkata a favourite haunt of intellectuals and book lovers in the
city.

iii. The heritage walk will be organised within the fair grounds. The
idea is to connect the younger generation with the fair. This is our first year with such an experiment.
Based on the response, we might look at different variations in the coming years, Dey told
BusinessLine.
iv. Incidentally, the fair is also expected to go hi-tech this year. An application (mobile app) that can be
downloaded on smart-phones to locate the book stalls. Around 600 (book) stalls and 200 little
magazines will be there in the 40th edition of the fair. This apart, special shuttle buses will ply to and
from the fair grounds to the nearest point in central Kolkata.
v. Special arrangements have also been made with taxi-aggregrator, Ola. The taxi aggregrator will be
given space to park its vehicles at the fair car parking lot.
8. HaloSource appoints Tamal Chaudhuri as India head
i. HaloSource Inc., a clean water technology solutions company trading on Londons Alternative
Investment Market, has appointed Tamal Chaudhuri as General Manager, heading up the companys
India operations.

ii. He will be responsible for driving all aspects of the companys

business in the region. India is a key geographic region for the company, where it has a long-standing
relationship with Eureka Forbes and most recently signed a supply agreement with Panasonic India
Pvt Ltd.
iii. Chaudhuri has 29 years experience in senior roles in the consumer durables industry and joins
HaloSource from water heater and purifier company A.O. Smith India Water Products Pvt Ltd. He
holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics from Presidency College, Kolkata. He has also
completed the Executive Program in Leadership at Stanford Graduate Business School, USA.
iv. In a statement, Martin Coles, CEO and President of HaloSource, said, This is an exciting time for
HaloSource in the rapidly growing water purification market in India, a key market for HaloSource. We
continue to build our base of strong industry partners, such as Eureka Forbes and Panasonic,
together with a number of other partners who deploy our industry-leading HaloPure technology in their
devices and make a difference to the lives of millions every day.
v. We are pleased to welcome Tamal as head of our operations in India. His deep knowledge,
extensive sector expertise, established network and proven track record in delivering value in the
region will be invaluable to continue to drive the rapid growth of our business in India.
9. Worlds oldest man dies at 112 in Japan
i. The worlds oldest man, Yasutaro Koide, died today at the age of 112 in central Japan, a local official
said. Koide, born just months before the Wright brothers made their first successful flight, died in
hospital in the central Japanese city of Nagoya, where he had lived for many years, said the city
official.

ii. The super-centenarian, recognised as the worlds oldest male at

112 last year, died of heart failure and pneumonia, the official added. Koide, a former tailor who was
born on March 13, 1903 in Fukui prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, received a certificate from Guinness
World Records confirming the achievement after another Japanese man who was just a month older
died in July.
iii. Asked about the key to longevity, Koide had reportedly said: The best thing to do is avoid overwork
and live with joy. Japan is known for the longevity of its people and around a quarter of its population
of 127 million is aged 65 or older.
iv. It was not immediately clear who would succeed Koide as the worlds oldest male. Currently, the
worlds oldest person is American Susannah Mushatt Jones who is 116 and was born on July 6, 1899,
according to the Guinness World Records website.
10. The Eagles' guitarist Glenn Frey passed away
i. Glenn Frey, a founding member and guitarist of the Eagles, one of the most popular and
commercially successful artists of the 1970s, passed away on 18 January 2016 in New York, the USA.
He was 67. Frey succumbed to complications from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Acute Ulcerative Colitis and
Pneumonia.

ii. Glenn Lewis Frey was best known as a founder member of rock
band the Eagles. During the 1970s, he played guitar with the band, as well as piano and keyboards.

He was also one of the primary singers of the Eagles. He sang lead vocals on songs such as Take It
Easy, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Tequila Sunrise, Already Gone, Heartache Tonight, and so on.
iii. The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley,
Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner. The band holds five number-one singles, six Grammy Awards,
five American Music Awards, and six number one albums.
iv. At the end of the 20th century, two of their albums, Their Greatest Hits and Hotel California, were
ranked among the 20 best-selling albums in the United States. Hotel California is ranked 37th in
Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The band was ranked number 75 on the
magazine's 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
11. Guenter Butschek appointed as CEO and MD of Tata Motors
i. Guenter Butschek was on 18 January 2016 appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Managing
Director of India's biggest auto maker Tata Motors' Group.
ii. He was appointed after post of Managing Director of Tata Motors was vacant for two years since
the death of Karl Slym on 26 January 2014 after falling from a hotel building in Bangkok. He is
expected to join the company by 15 February 2016.

iii. Butschek will lead all operations of Tata Motors in India and in
international markets including South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and South Africa. However, Jaguar
Land Rover would continue to be managed by its Chief Executive Officer and Director, Ralf Speth,
who is also on the Board of Tata Motors.
iv. He joins Tata Motors after his stint as the Chief Operating Officer at Airbus and Member of the
Group Executive Committee. Prior to Airbus, He worked at Daimler AG in international automotive
management for more than 25 years.
v. He handled the sections like production, industrialization and procurement. He held position of
President and Chief Executive Officer of Beijing Benz Automotive, a joint venture between Daimler AG
and Beijing Automotive Industrial Holding in Beijing, China as his last role in the company.
12. Ronnie O'Sullivan defeated Barry Hawkins to win sixth Snooker Masters title
i. Ronnie O'Sullivan on 17 January 2016 won his sixth Snooker Masters title after defeating Barry
Hawkins 10-1 in the final at the Alexandra Palace in London. O'Sullivan had previously won the event
in 1995, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2014, equalling the record set by Stephen Hendry.
ii. Ronald Antonio O'Sullivan is an English professional snooker player. He is one of the most
successful players in the sport's modern era. He is regarded by many commentators as the most
naturally gifted player in snooker history, and is frequently described as a genius. He is also noted for
his mercurial temperament and for his ambivalent relationship with the sport, from which he has
repeatedly threatened to retire.
iii. He made his first century break at the age of 10. His first maximum break came at age 15. He
turned professional in 1992 and soon earned the nickname The Rocket because of his rapid playing
style.
iv. He achieved his first major professional success when he won the 1993 UK Championship at the
age of 17 years and 358 days, making him the youngest player ever to win a ranking title. He is also
the youngest player to have won the Masters.
v. He holds the record for the most competitive century breaks, with 807. He also holds the record for
the most ratified maximum breaks in professional competition and for the three fastest competitive
maximum breaks, the quickest in 5 minutes and 20 seconds.
vi. The Masters is a professional invitational snooker tournament. The tournament is held every year
since 1975. It is the second longest running tournament behind the World Championship. It is one of
the Triple Crown events. It is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit.

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Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 20th January 2016

1. PSLV-C31 successfully launched IRNSS-1E satellite
i. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 20 January 2016 successfully launched the
Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) 1-E satellite. The satellite will provide
navigation, tracking and mapping services to the Indian sub continent.
ii. The satellite is the fifth of the IRNSS constellation. It was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space
Centre (SHAR), Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on-board the PSLV-C31. The Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle (PSLV)-C31 was the 32nd consecutively successful mission of the PSLV. The 'XL'
configuration of PSLV was used for this mission.

iii. This is the eleventh time XL configuration was flown, earlier ten being PSLV-C11/Chandrayaan-1,
PSLV-C17/GSAT-12, PSLV-C19/RISAT-1, PSLV-C22/IRNSS-1A, PSLV-C25/Mars Orbiter Spacecraft,
PSLV-C24/IRNSS-1B, PSLV-C26/IRNSS-1C, PSLV-C27/IRNSS-1D, PSLV-C28/DMC-3 and PSLVC30/ASTROSAT missions.
iv. IRNSS-1E, weighing 1425 kg, is the fifth of the seven satellites constituting the IRNSS. IRNSS-1A,
1B and 1C and 1D, the first four satellites of the constellation, were successfully launched by PSLV in
July 2013, April 2014, October 2014 and March 2015 respectively.
v. The navigation payload of IRNSS-1E will transmit navigation service signals to the users. This
payload will be operating in L5-band and S-band. A highly accurate Rubidium atomic clock is part of
the navigation payload of the satellite.
vi. It is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position information in
the Indian region and 1500 km around the Indian mainland. It would provide two types of services,
namely, Standard Positioning Services (SPS), which will be provided to all users, and Restricted
Services (RS) that will be provided to authorised users only.
2. Andhra Pradesh Government reconstituted the Commission for Backward Classes

i. Andhra Pradesh Government on 18 January 2016 reconstituted the

Commission for Backward Classes with immediate effect. AP Commission for Backward Classes
(APCBC) will be a two member commission with Justice KL Manjunath, (Retd.) as its chairman and
Member Secretary, APCBC as the other member.
ii. The Chairman of APCBC shall hold office for a term of three years from the date of assumption of
office. The Commission was not constituted since, 24 September 2011, when the previous
commission term expired.
iii. In compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court in Mandal Case (Indra Sawhney Vs Union
of India 1992) to set up permanent B.C. Commissions, the Andhra Pradesh Commission for Backward
Classes was constituted under the A.P. Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993 and started
functioning from 31 March 1994.
3. Veteran journalist Aroon Tikekar passed away
i. Senior journalist and scholar Aroon Tikekar passed away on 19 January 2016 in Mumbai. He was
72. Tikekar, who has written over 20 books, passed away due to breathing-related complications.

ii. Aroon Tikekar worked as a college teacher for some years. Then, he became the Language and
Literature Expert and Acquisitions Specialist at the US Library of Congress Office in New Delhi.
iii. His career in newspapers started with a job as Reference Chief with the Times of India. As Archival
Research Chief at the Times of India, he was responsible for writing the official history of the 150
years old newspaper.
iv. From 1991 to 2002, he worked as an editor of the Marathi newspaper Loksatta. He is also the
recipient of several literary and journalism awards.
v. In June 2010, as President of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, he inaugurated the Observer
Research Foundation's Maharashtra@50 Study Centre. In October 2010, he lashed out against the
University of Mumbai's decision to drop Rohinton Mistry's controversial book Such a Long Journey
from its syllabus.
4. BSE launches algorithm trading test
i. Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Ltd has launched a new service for algorithm trading test facility for
investors on its derivatives and equity platform. The new service has been launched in partnership
with Mumbai based Symphony Fintech Solutions Pvt Ltd and is free-of-cost for market participant.

ii. Enable all market participants to test their trading algorithms in

different trading segments including equity, equity derivatives and currency derivatives segments.

Help members to test their trading strategies based on the live market data feed during market hours
and also from historical market data.
iii. Algorithmic trading in financial markets refers to transaction orders generated by using advanced
mathematical models that involve automated execution of trade. It uses mathematical models and
software codes to make transaction decisions on exchanges and execute them at high speed.
iv. This technology-driven trading enables traders to take advantage of any profit making opportunities
arising in the market much before a human trader can even spot them.
5. Maharashtra government inks MoU with Tata Trust for skill training of youth

i. Maharashtra Government has signed a memorandum of

understanding (MoU) with Tata Trust for a skill training programme for the youth in the state. This
programme has been undertaken under the state governments ambitious Kushal Maharashtra,
Rojgaryukt Maharashtra initiative.
ii. Tata Trust will train around one lakh youths in the state in order to make them employable. It will set
up skill development and vocational training centres in 10 districts across the state.
iii. The Trust will also set up virtual classrooms in 100 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in
Maharashtra. It will improve infrastructure these of ITIs.
6. India slips to 89th rank in global talent competitiveness: Report
i. Reflecting an acute shortage of skilled labour force and difficult business conditions, India has
slipped 11 places to rank 89th on a global index of talent competitiveness, a list which has been
topped by Switzerland.

ii. Switzerland is followed by Singapore, Luxembourg, the US and

Denmark in the top five positions on the annual Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTC) released
today by INSEAD business school in partnership with Adecco Group and the Human Capital
Leadership Institute of Singapore.
iii. ndias ranking is worst among the five BRICS countries, with China leading the pack with a global
rank of 48. Last year, India was ranked 78th on the index that measures a nations competitiveness
based on the quality of talent it can produce, attract and retain. It is released every year on the first
day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting here.
iv. The improvement of India would have the greatest impact in terms of the pool of talent not only in
the region but also globally
7. Union Government sanctioned 33000 crore rupees for infrastructure projects in Tamilnadu
i. Union Government on 19 January 2016 sanctioned 33000 crore rupees for the development of
infrastructure projects in Tamilnadu.
ii. Union Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the sanctioned
amount and at his discretion, he announced additional 17000 crore rupees. With this, the total amount
sanctioned was raised to 50000 crore rupees.

iii. The infrastructure projects include construction of Rail-OverBridges, upgradation of state highways into National Highways and major bridges in the state.
iv. Four-laning of 3 National Highways (NH) accounting a length of 105 kilometers and two flyovers in
Marthandam and Parvathipuram, at an estimated cost of 2766 crore rupees. 39 NH projects for a
length of 1974 kilometers at an estimated cost of 12000 crore rupees, which already are under
progress.
v. 9 new NH projects for a length of 1300 kilometers at an estimated cost of 12500 crore rupees. 4
flyovers in Kanyakumari district in Ozhiginaseri, Vadaseri, Thuckalay and Chettikulam at a cost of 300
crore rupees.
8. Light combat aircraft, Tejas to fly at Bahrain Air Show
i. Countrys own fighter aircraft light combat aircraft (LCA), Tejas, will take part in the three-day
Bahrain International Airshow starting from Thursday (January 21 to 23).
ii. Two limited series production (LSP) aircraft will take part in the Bahrain International Air Show to
enthral the visitors from various countries during the flying display through a series of aerobatic
manoeuvres such as 8-g pull, vertical loop, slow fly past, barrel roll, said T Suvarna Raju, CMD, HAL.

iii. It is important that indigenous aircraft fly outside India in

international air-shows. HAL is proud to be associated with design, development and production of
Tejas. We have set-up state of the art, environmentally controlled dedicated Division at Bengaluru for
production of LCAs, he added.
iv. Tejas is a single engine, light weight, highly agile, multi-role supersonic fighter. The Tejas light
combat aircraft is a 4.5 generation aircraft with supersonic capability at all altitudes. It has the fly by
wire, state of the art open architecture computer for avionics and better weapon and combat
capability. With the advanced avionics, the pilot load is also reduced.
9. Cabinet approves new power tariff policy
i. The Cabinet today approved a new power tariff policy that aims at promoting clean energy, better
regulation of discoms, and faster roll-out of investments.
ii. The Union Cabinet today approved a new power tariff policy which will promote clean energy,
support the Swachh Bharat programme, better regulation for discoms, and encourage faster roll-out of
investments in the sector, said a source after the Cabinet meeting here. Besides encouraging faster
roll-out of investment, the new policy will reflect a concern for the environment and encourage
renewable energy.

iii. It will also look to strengthen the regulatory mechanism so that

discoms become more efficient and conscious towards their duties to consumers. In 2006, the Centre
had approved the National Tariff Policy under the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003.
iv. Indicating that the policy will focus on clean energy, Power Minister Piyush Goyal had recently said:
Now that we have a challenge to add 1.75 lakh MW of renewable energy, we are also bringing in
certain more elements in the tariff policy which will promote renewable energy.
v. Under the policy, the power plants will have to use processed municipal waste water available in
their vicinity (in 100 km radius). The proposed policy will bring in several unique aspects which have

not been touched in the past. It will allow distribution companies to buy any amount of power
produced from the waste.
10. Mamta Binani elected President of ICSI
i. Mamta Binani has been elected President of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) for
2016. She took charge on January 19. A commerce and law graduate and a fellow member of the
Institute of Company Secretaries of India, Binani was the all-India topper in the Intermediate
examinations of The Institute of Company Secretaries of India, amongst all the lady candidates in
India and had ranked 14th on an all-India basis.

ii. In the final examinations, she stood all-India

first in the subject 'Company Law'. She has been practising as a Company Secretary for over 19
years now. Binani has been an empanelled trainer with ICICI Bank, and also with the mutual fund
industry. She is also associated with the financial sector, the education sector, and is an experienced
mentor and counsellor to young professionals and students. She also serves as an independent
director on a few of the boards.
iii. She has been the Chairperson of the Eastern India Regional Council of The Institute of Company
Secretaries of India in 2010.
iv. Binani was also the first CS to be conferred the 'Bharat Nirman Awards' in 2010.
11. Indian driver Jehan Daruvala won Lady Wigram Trophy motor race
i. Sahara Force India Academy racer Jehan Daruvala on 16 January 2016 won one of New Zealand's
most prestigious events, the Lady Wigram Trophy. It was Daruvalas maiden victory in Formula cars
since making the switch from karting in 2015.
ii. In August 2015, Daruvala won Rookie of the Year at the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC series
championships in the Netherlands.
iii. The Lady Wigram Trophy is a New Zealand motorsport race trophy formerly awarded to the winner
of the Wigram Airfield race.
iv. It made up part of the Tasman Series and classes like Formula Holden, Formula 5000, Formula
Pacific and Formula Three.
v. Formula 1 greats like Jackie Stewart, Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, Jim Clark and Bruce McLaren
were all former winners of the Lady Wigram Trophy.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2016/01/daily-gk-update-current-affairs-20th.html#ixzz3y2Ex3Jyc

Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 21st January 2016

1. Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra replace Aamir Khan as 'Incredible India' brand
ambassadors
i. The selection of the two actors follows the Centre's decision to discontinue the contract of actor
Aamir Khan, who had angered the BJP-led government with his remarks on perceived intolerance in
the country. Khan had promoted Indian tourism for a decade as the brand ambassador.

ii. A number of multi-disciplinary icons, including famous sports personalities, were shortlisted by the
tourism ministry to be the face of the 'Incredible India' campaign.

Other suggestions being considered include choosing a female personality as the mascot for the
'Atithi Devo Bhava' series which is part of the 'Incredible India' campaign to attract foreign tourists.
iii. Khan had late last year stirred a controversy after he expressed "alarm and despondency" over
rising instances of intolerance in the country in the past few months and said that his wife (Kiran Rao)
even asked if they should move out of India as she feared for the safety of their children.
iv. Defending Khan's exit from the campaign, senior bureaucrat Amitabh Kant had said the actor, by
terming India an 'intolerant country', worked against his role as that of a brand ambassador.
2. RBI asks banks to stop Rs 1,000 notes without security thread
i. The RBI today said it has received complaints about notes of Rs 1,000 denomination without the
security thread being in circulation and has asked banks not to issue them in case these are found.
ii. We have received complaints regarding banknotes in the denomination of Rs 1,000 printed by
Currency Note Press, Nashik, on the paper (without security thread) supplied by Security Paper Mill
(Hoshangabad), an RBI spokesperson said.

iii. The Reserve Bank has informed all the banks in Mumbai region not to issue such notes if found in
stock and to provide exchange value to the customer who approaches with such a note, if it is
otherwise genuine.
iv. We have also escalated the matter to the government, the spokesperson said. The total number
of such notes with public may not be more than 500 pieces, the spokesperson added.
So, in value terms these would be worth Rs 5,00,000.
v. Currency Note Press, Nashik is a Unit of Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited
(SPMCIL) under administrative control of the Finance Ministry.
3. Oscar for Indian-origin actor, producer Rahul Thakkar in technical category
i. ke every year, the world is excitedly awaiting the Oscar Awards this year. But before the Academy
Awards are announced on February 28, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present
10 scientific and technical achievements during its annual Scientific and Technical Awards
Presentation on February 13.

ii. These awards will specially interest Indian audiences this year
because one of the awardees is of Indian origin. Rahul Thakkar will be presented with the Technical
Achievement Award for his contribution to cinema through "groundbreaking design", as announced on
the official Oscar Awards website.
iii. The award goes to "Richard Chuang and Rahul Thakkar for the groundbreaking design, and to
Andrew Pilgrim, Stewart Birnam and Mark Kirk for the review workflows and advanced playback
features, of the DreamWorks Animation Media Review System," the Academy said.
iv. "Over its nearly two decades of development, this pioneering system enabled desktop and digital
theater review. It continues to provide artist-driven, integrated, consistent and highly scalable studiowide playback and interactive reviews," the statement added.
4. PM Narendra Modi released book titled The Z Factor written by Subhash Chandra

i. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 January 2016 released a

book titled The Z Factor: My Journey as the Wrong Man at the Right Time in New Delhi.
ii. The book is the autobiography of the promoter of Essel/ Zee Group Subhash Chandra.
iii. It is a candid memoir of a truly desi self-made businessman who came to Delhi at age twenty with
seventeen rupees in his pocket.
iv. Now, Subhash Chandra has a net worth of 6.3 billion US dollars and annual group revenues of
about 3 billion US dollars.
5. Union Cabinet approved MoU between India & UK on cooperation in governance reforms
i. The Union Cabinet on 20 January 2016 gave its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between India and United Kingdom on cooperation in governance reforms. The
MoU, which was signed in November 2015, seeks to extend bilateral cooperation in public
administration and governance reforms.

ii. It covers areas of cooperation such as sharing good governance

practices in public administration, user led service design, reducing bureaucracy in service delivery
and government process re-engineering. It will also cover reforms towards strengthening of social
security, collaboration between Government and Industry on staff management, crisis and disaster
Management and digital transformation of government among others.
iii. It will help in understanding the system of customer oriented public service delivery in UK with
reference to rapidly changing environments in the area of public service management and enable in
adapting some of the best practices in the Indian Public Service Delivery System, A Joint Working
Group on Public Administration and Governance will be responsible for implementation of the MoU.

iv. The MoU facilitates India to learn best administrative practices from the UK which is renowned for
its Right to Information Act, Ombudsmen and Citizen Charter initiatives in the field of public
administration. The MoU is part of Indias efforts in seeking international collaboration for initiatives in
good governance and administrative reforms.
6. CCEA approved setting up of over 5000 MW of Grid-connected Solar PV Power Projects
i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 20 January 2016 gave its approval for
setting up over 5000 MW of Grid-Connected Solar PV Power Projects on build, own and operate
basis.

ii. The work will be implemented by Solar Power Developers (SPDs)

with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under Batch-lV of Phase-ll of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar
Mission (JNNSM). The total investments expected under the scheme is about 30000 crore rupees.
iii. This would help in creating additional 5000 MW capacity of Grid-connected solar PV power
generation projects in four trenches of each 1250 MW capacity during four financial years - 2015-16,
2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19. It will also help in employment generation of about 30000 people in
rural and urban areas with reduction of about 8.525 Million T of CO2 emissions into environment
every year.
iv. Installation of 5000 MW Solar PV plants will generate about 8300 Million units per year, which
caters power to almost 2.5 Million households. The Scheme will be implemented by Solar Energy
Corporation of India (SECI) as per the guidelines of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
v. SECI will prepare necessary bidding documents for inviting the proposals for setting up of projects
on a competitive bidding through e-bidding. SECI will enter into Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)
with the selected developers and the Power Sale Agreement (PSA) with the buying entities.
vi. Requisite funds for provision of the VGF support will be made available to MNRE from the National
Clean Energy Fund (NCEF), operated by Ministry of Finance. Out of 5000 MW, some capacity in each
tranche, will be developed with mandatory condition of solar PV cells and Modules made in India. This
will be called the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) category and remaining will be in open
category.
7. ISRO, Kuwait Institute signed MoU on cooperation in space exploration
i. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR)
on 20 January 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the exploration
and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.

ii. It will allow use of data from Indian Remote Sensing (IRS)
satellites by KISR for initiating a few research and application projects. It will also enable Training and
Building and launching of remote sensing and communication satellites on commercial terms.
iii. It will provide impetus to explore newer research activities and application possibilities in the field of
remote sensing; satellite communication; satellite navigation and exploration of outer space.
iv. It will lead to developing a joint activity in the field of application of space technology for the benefit
of humanity.
v. It will lead to setting up of a Joint Working Group from ISRO and KISR which will work out the plan
of action including the time-frame and the means of implementing this MoU.

8. SEBI released report of Narayan Murthy-panel on Alternative Investment Policy

i. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 20 January 2016 released the first report of
the Alternative Investment Policy Advisory Committee (AIPAC) for comments from the stakeholders.
ii. The 21-member committee was constituted by the SEBI in March 2015, under the chairmanship of
N R Narayan Murthy, to suggest measures for development of the alternative investment funds (AIFs)
and startup eco-system in the country.

iii. For creating a favourable tax environment the panel

recommended that exempted income of AIFs should not suffer tax withholding of 10 percent.
iv. Overseas investors in India-centric fund vehicles should not be subject to the indirect transfer
provisions of the IT Act when they transfer their investments in an India-centric vehicle to another
investor.
v. Provisions relating to investor diversification, control or management of portfolio companies, tax
residence, arms length remuneration of fund managers and annual reporting requirements under
the Section 9A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 should be amended.
vi. Make foreign direct investment in AIFs work efficiently by clarifying the rules for investment by nonresident Indian investors in AIFs on a non-repatriation basis.
9. World Economic Forum meeting starts in Davos, Switzerland
i. The annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting has started in Swiss resort of Davos,
Switzerland with participation of political leaders and business from around the world. In this edition of
WEF meeting, the agenda includes the outlook of the global economy and measures to fight
terrorism.

ii. Leaders from about 40 countries and more than 2,500 business
people are attending the meeting. The 4-day conference will cover the discussions on tumbling oil
prices and Chinas uncertain economic prospects.
iii. It will be also discussing the issue of growing terror threats in the wake of the November 2015
terrorist attacks in Paris (France) and influx of migrants and refugees in Europe. Participants will also
discuss environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions. They will also review the latest
efforts to improve industrial production with robotics, artificial intelligence and information technology.
iv. WEF is an international institution founded by Klaus Schwab that works to improve the state of the
world through public-private cooperation. It was established in 1971 and is headquartered in Geneva,
Switzerland.
10. Eminent dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai passes away
i. Eminent danseuse Mrinalini Sarabhai, wife of the late Dr Vikram Sarabhai, father of Indias space
programme, passed away here on Thursday following age-related health complications. She was 97.
ii. Popularly known as Amma, the choreography legend is survived by her environmentalist son
Kartikeya and daughter Mallika, well-known dancer and social activist. The former President, late Dr.
APJ Abdul Kalam, protg of Dr Sarabhai, was a close family friend.

iii. Ms Sarabhai, a Padma Bhushan awardee for her contributions to

Bharatanatyam and other classical dance forms, was hospitalised here on Wednesday, Kartikeya,
said. Her last rites will be performed at village Pethapur in Gandhinagar, which she used to visit
frequently due to her keen interest in handicrafts, for which the village is well-known.
iv. Born on May 11, 1918, in Kerala, she was married to Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. Daughter of a former
Member of Parliament, Ammu Swamimanathan, she spent her childhood in Switzerland, where she
learnt her first lessons in western dance forms.
v. Subsequently, Mrinalini joined Santi Niketan, founded by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. She
also had a stint at the American Academy of Dramatic Acts in the USA. She later founded the
Ahmedabad-based Darpana Academy of Performing Arts for training youth in dance, drama, music
and puppetry. She was also a poet, writer and naturalist. She was active at the academy until a few
years ago.
vi. Mrinalini Sarabhai was decorated with many awards and citations in recognition of her contribution
to the arts. She was credited with training hundreds of students in Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam and
Kathakali.
11. Indian Mi-25 helicopters set to join Afghan Air Force
i. Three Mi-25 gunship helicopters supplied by India are to officially join the Afghan Air Force today.
The gunships, delivered at the end of December last year, have been in the assembly process. The
decision for the delivery of Mi-25 gunship helicopters was concluded during the recent visit of Afghan
National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar to New Delhi.

ii. The attack helicopters are designed to take on fortified enemy

positions and counter heavy ground fire. The Afghanistan Air Force (AAF) already operates three
Indian Cheetal helicopters. The Cheetal helicopters were manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd
(HAL). Subsequently, Afghan pilots and technicians were trained to operate them.
iii. Sources indicated that the Afghan government has stepped up efforts to build the capabilities of the
AAF to combat the Taliban-led insurgency across the country. India is set to replace its Mi-25 chopper
fleet with the new generation Apache choppers that have been contracted from the US under a
government-to-government deal.
iv. The US Air Force is to deliver the light attack turboprops to Afghanistan under the Light Air Support
(LAS) programme to bolster its fighting capabilities. Up to 30 Afghan pilots are to be trained by the US
Air Force over the next three years.
12. DMRC inks interim consultancy pact for light metro projects in Kerala
i. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has signed an interim consultancy agreement with Kerala
Rapid Transit Ltd (KRTL) for the Rs. 6,728-crore 'light metro' in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.
ii. KRTL is a special purpose vehicle set up by the state government to execute the mass rapid
transport system for the two cities. S.D. Sharma, Director, Business Development, DMRC, and P.L.
Sheikh Pareeth, Managing Director, KRTL, signed the interim consultancy agreement in the presence
of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, his cabinet colleagues, and E Sreedharan, principal adviser,
DMRC.

iii. In the coming days, DMRC will prepare the tender documents for
procurement of rolling stock, land acquisition survey, estimates for the flyovers, identification of major
utilities and utility shifting plans.
iv. DMRC had sought the interim consultancy to save time and cost escalation as the Ministry of
Urban Development had not yet granted in-principle approval for or cleared the participation of the
Centre and its 20 per cent equity contribution in the project.
v. The 21.82-km light metro in Thiruvananthapuram will be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs.
4,219 crore, while the 13.33-km project in Kozhikode is estimated to cost Rs. 2,509 crore. The
Thiruvananthapuram project will be completed in five years and that in Kozhikode in four years, the
Chief Minister said.
vi. He said despite the 'light metro' tag, the proposed projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode
will more or less match the amenities and conveniences of the Kochi metro.
13. Uttar Pradesh won 2014-2015 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
i. Uttar Pradesh on 20 January 2016 won its maiden Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy with a 38-run win over
two- time champions Baroda in the final played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It was Uttar
Pradeshs ninth straight win in the tournament, including five in the preliminary league phase and
three more in the super league stage.
ii. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a Twenty20 cricket domestic championship, named after a famous
Indian cricketer, Syed Mushtaq Ali. It is organized by Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI), among the
teams from Ranji Trophy.
iii. The 2008-09 season was the inaugural season for this trophy.
iv. BCCI had launched its own state structure in 2006-07 season with 27 Ranji teams divided in 5
Zones with the name of Inter-State T20 Championship, which was renamed and re-launched as the
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
v. Gujarat was the winner of 2014-15 season of the tournament.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2016/01/daily-gk-update-current-affairs-21st.html#ixzz3y2F4gEaA

Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 22nd January 2016

1. 19th National Conference on e-Governance begins in Nagpur

i. The nineteenth edition of National Conference on e-Governance has begun on 21 January 2016 in
Nagpur, Maharashtra. It was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin
Gadkari and the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh.
ii. This edition of conference has been organised by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public
Grievances (DARPG) in in association with the Government of Maharashtra.

iii. The two day conference aims at discussing various aspects of e-Governance ranging from
Technology Enabled Services to Cyber Security framework. More than 600 delegates have
participated in the conference including 150 delegates from Maharashtra and 250 from other States
and 50 participants from the Private Sector.
iv. The Conference also included an exhibition and brainstorming sessions on-Governance by subject
experts. Four books on e-Governance were also released at the inaugural session. National Awards
for e-Governance for the Year 2015-16 in eighteen categories including 10 Gold and 8 Silver under
various categories were presented during the Valedictory Session.

2. Moldovan parliament appointed Pavel Filip as Prime Minister

i. Moldovan parliament on 20 January 2016 appointed Pavel Filip as the Prime Minister. He would be
the third prime minister of Moldova in less than a year.

ii. The appointment follows the rise and fall of two prime ministers in 2015, namely Chiril Gaburici
( June 2015) and Valeriu Strelet (October 2015). The small ex-Soviet state and Europe's poorest
country was in a political turmoil after the fraudulent disappearance of 1 billion US dollars from the
banking system and then government was brought down in a no-confidence vote in October 2015.
iii. Pavel Filip, a member of the main pro-European coalition and a former IT and communications
minister in the last government, followed the rejection of two previous candidates. His Candidature as
a compromise figure was resisted by opposition as he was close aide of Vladimir Plahotniuc.
iv. Plahotniuc is one of Moldova's richest but most unpopular men, who was believed to be behind the
banking scandal. and the subsequent political crisis.

3. Ravi Chellam took charge as Executive Director of Greenpeace India

i. Noted environmentalist Ravi Chellam on 20 January 2016 took charge as the Executive Director of
Greenpeace India, a Non-Government Organisation (NGO). Chellam succeeds former Executive

Director Samit Aich, who had resigned in June 2015 following an internal review of the organisation's
handling of two sexual harassment cases.

ii. Chellam is a wildlife biologist and conservation scientist by

training. He has undertaken governance roles in various conservation organisations. Prior to joining
Greenpeace, he has worked with the Wildlife Institute of India and United Nations Development
Programme.
iii. He has also worked with Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Wildlife
Conservation Society (India Program) and Madras Crocodile Bank Trust. Greenpeace, which has
been in India for 15 years, has been embroiled in legal battles with the Union Government led by
Narendra Modi over its funding and local operations.
iv. Earlier in 2015, the government suspended Greenpeaces foreign funding licence and froze its
domestic bank accounts for alleged rule violations.
v. However, the group later succeeded in removing those legal blocks. In the most recent case, the
Madras high court in November 2015 temporarily halted a government order cancelling the groups
licence in the country, allowing it to continue operating.

4. Nai Manzil Scheme launched in Jammu and Kashmir

i. The Nai Manzil scheme was on 20 January 2016 launched for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir.
The scheme was launched for girls in Srinagar in three institutions- Skill Development Centre,
University of Kashmir and two Madarsas.
ii. The two Madarsas are Madarsa Shahi-i-Hamdan in Pampore and Madarsa Imam Sadique in
Shadipur, Bandipora.

iii. Under the scheme, girls from minority communities will be

imparted three month skill development training in seven identified sectors relevant to the region.
These include training in saffron processing, food processing, embroidery, computers IT (both
software and hardware), Tourism/hospitality, electronics and plumbing. Trainees will also be given
stipend of 4500 rupees for the course.
iv. Nai Manzil Scheme is an integrated Education and Livelihood Initiative for the Minority
Communities. It was announced by the Union Budget 2015-16. The scheme aims to benefit the
minority youths who are school-dropouts or educated in the community education institutions like
Madrasas.

5. IRS officer Atulesh Jindal appointed as Chairman of CBDT

i. Senior revenue service officer Atulesh Jindal on 21 January 2016 was appointed chairman of
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Jindal will succeed A K Jain, who completes his term at the
end of January 2016.
ii. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Jindal as chairman
of the apex policy-making body of the income tax department.

iii. Jindal is a 1978 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer. He is

currently working as member (revenue) in the CBDT. He will have a tenure of six-months until he
retires in July 2016.
iv. The Central Board of Direct Taxes is a statutory authority functioning under the Central Board of
Revenue Act, 1963. The officials of the Board in their ex-officio capacity also function as a Division of
the Ministry dealing with matters relating to levy and collection of direct taxes.
v. The Chairperson of CBDT is the senior-most IRS civil servant in the Government of India. The
Chairperson of CBDT is the ex officio Special Secretary to the Government of India and also cadre
controlling authority of the Indian Revenue Service.

6. Italian film director Ettore Scola died

i. Italian director Ettore Scola passed away on 19 January 2016 following a prolonged illness in Rome.
He was 84. As a filmmaker, he was considered to be among the last of a generation of Italian greats
with a keen eye for the issues facing his country.

ii. Born in Southern Italy, he directed some of the world's greatest

actors including Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Fanny Ardant and Jack Lemmon. Scola started
work as a screenwriter in 1953 and directed his first big film Let's Talk About Women in 1964.
iii. One of his most acclaimed films was the 1977 A Special Day that was nominated for an Oscar for
best foreign film. A Special Day won the Golden Globe for best foreign film in 1977. His several Oscarnominated films chronicled the growing pains, class divisions and frustrated idealisms of 20th century
Italy.
iv. While none of his films ever clinched an Oscar, however they won many awards at European film
festivals such as Cannes and Berlin. He directed 41 films over nearly 40 years and finally took
retirement in 2011.

7. Jodhpur's Umaid Bhawan Palace named the world's best hotel of 2016
i. Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, on 21 January 2016 won the award of the world's
best hotel at the Travellers' Choice award organised by TripAdvisor. The winners of Travellers' Choice
Award, which entered its 14th year, were determined on the basis of the reviews and opinions
collected in a single year from TripAdvisor travellers worldwide.

ii. Named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of the present owner Gaj Singh of the palace,
Umaid Bhawan Palace has 347 rooms. The palace serves as the principal residence of the erstwhile
Jodhpur royal family. Umaid Bhawan Palace was called Chittar Palace during its construction due to
use of stones drawn from the Chittar hill where it is located.

iii. Henry Vaughan Lanchester was commissioned as the architect

to prepare the plans for the palace. Ground for the foundations of the building was broken on 18
November 1929 by Maharaja Umaid Singh and the construction work was completed in 1943. The
Palace was built to provide employment to thousands of people during the time of famine.
iv. The palace was designed as an extraordinary blend of western technology, and many Indian
architectural features. The estimated cost of building the palace was 11 million rupees. When it
opened its gilded doors in 1943, it was considered as one of the largest royal residences in the world.
v. The palace was built with dun-coloured (golden yellow) sandstone with two wings. Makrana
marble has also been used and Burmese teak wood has been used for the interior wood work.
vi. The Palace is divided into three functional parts: the residence of the royal family, a luxury Taj
Palace Hotel, and a Museum focusing on the 20th century history of the Jodhpur Royal Family.

8. EPFO wins award for e-governance

i. The Employees Provident Fund Organisation has won the National Award for e-Governance 201516 for its Universal Account Number programme.
ii. Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya noted that more than six crore
UAN have been allotted to EPF members of which nearly 2.25 crore UAN have also been activated by
the subscribers.
iii. Meanwhile, Central Provident Fund Commissioner KK Jalan said that other e-initiatives of the
EPFO include SMS service, inoperative account helpline desk, automatic updation of accounts and a
mobile app for subscribers.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2016/01/daily-gk-update-current-affairs-22nd.html#ixzz3yERVT1Kc

Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 23rd January 2016

1. Jan Dhan accounts deposits cross Rs. 30,000 cr

i. Deposits in accounts opened under the governments flagship financial inclusion programme
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) have crossed the Rs. 30,000 crore mark. As many as
20.38 crore bank accounts were opened under the PMJDY as on the January 20, as per the latest
data available. These bank accounts had deposits of Rs. 30,638.29 crore (about $4.5 billion).
ii. The accounts that can be opened under PMJDY are Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts
(BSBDA) which can be of zero balance, as per RBI guidelines. As per the trends available, the
percentage of accounts with Zero Balance have actually shown a significant decline.

iii. Accounts with no balance in them were as high as 76.81 per cent of the total opened under the
scheme as on September 30, 2015. They have come down to just about 32 per cent at the end of
December.
iv. The Finance Ministry data further showed that 8.74 crore of the accounts were seeded with
Aadhaar and 17.14 crore account holders were issued RuPay cards. The data further revealed that as
on January 15, banks had offered 53.54 lakh account holders overdraft facility of which the sanction
was issued for 27.56 lakh cases and 12.32 lakh account holders availed it. The total amount availed
was Rs. 166.7 crore.
v. The OD is granted to an earning member of the family, with a condition that the account has been
operated satisfactorily for at least 6 months.

2. PM declassifies 100 files relating to Netaji

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today made public digital copies of 100 secret files relating to Subhas
Chandra Bose on his 119th birth anniversary, which could throw some light on the controversy over
his death.
ii. The files were declassified and put on digital display at the National Archives of India (NAI) here by
the Prime Minister, who pressed a button in the presence of Bose family members and Union
Ministers Mahesh Sharma and Babul Supriyo.

iii. Later, Modi and his ministerial colleagues went around glancing
at the declassified files, spending over half an hour at the National Archives. He also spoke to the
members of the Bose family. The NAI also plans to release digital copies of 25 declassified files on
Bose in the public domain every month.
iv. The first lot of 33 files were declassified by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) and handed over to
the NAI on December 4, last year. Subsequently, the Ministries of Home Affairs and External Affairs

too initiated the process of declassification of files relating to Bose in their respective collection which
were then transferred over to the NAI, it added.
v. An official said the National Archives placed 100 files relating to Bose in public domain after
preliminary conservation treatment and digitization. The digital copies of these files coming out in
public domain meets a longstanding public demand which would facilitate scholars to carry out
further research on Bose, the official said.
vi. Besides the controversy over whether Netaji died in the 1945 aircrash or not, those who believe he
was alive after that have different theories about what happened to the leader after that. While one of
them says Bose fled to the former Soviet Union to continue to fight for Indias independence but was
later killed there, the other says that Netaji returned to India as an ascetic, named Gumnami Baba,
and continued to live in Uttar Pradeshs Faizabad till 1985.

3. Google, Railtel launches free public Wi-Fi service at Mumbai Central Station
i. Google India and Indian Railways telecom arm RailTel has launched free Rail Wire Public Wi-Fi
service for railway passengers at the Mumbai Central Station. This service was launched by Union
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. With this, Mumbai Central has become the first railway station in
India to have free high-speed Wi-Fi Internet facility.

ii. Railwire Wi-Fi Service will be available to any user (passenger)

having Wi-Fi enabled smart phones. Users can easily stream research their destination, surf high
definition video while theyre waiting or save some videos for offline viewing download e books for the
journey.
iii. Users can use this facility after authenticating their cell phone number by entering a four digit OTP
(One Time Password) sent to their smart phone via SMS.
iv. The public Wi-Fi project for Indian Railways was announced in September 2015 by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi during his visit to Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. In the initial
phase, this free will be made available at 100 of the busiest railway stations and later on extended to
400 stations across the country.

4. Former Deputy Speaker of Gujarat Assembly Nirmala Gajwani died

i. Former Deputy Speaker of Gujarat Assembly and Social Activist Nirmala Gajwani passed away on
21 January 2016 in Rajkot, Gujarat. She was 87. Gajwani was a reputed social worker and one of the
leading lights of the Sindhi community in the state.

ii. Gajwani was the first lady Deputy Speaker of Gujarat legislative
Assembly.

iii. She was first woman MLA from Kutch district in Gujarat Assembly and also served as deputy
speaker of the house.
iv. She was Chairperson of Sindhu Resettlement Corporation (SRC) which is responsible for all the
land development in the Gandhidham-Adipur metropolitan area.
v. She also had worked in education field and was responsible for starting many educational
institutions in the state.

5. MSDE, DoT signed MoU to develop National Action Plan for Skill Development in Telecom
Sector
i. The Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Department of
Telecommunication (DoT) on 22 January 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
develop and implement National Action Plan for Skill Development in Telecom Sector.
ii. The MoU was signed by Secretaries of the Union Ministry of Communications and Information and
Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
iii. MSDE and DoT together have agreed to make concerted joint efforts towards skill development by
facilitating mobilization of financial support under the National Ecosystem for Development of Telecom
Skills. They will suggest PSUs under DOT to utilize at least 20 percent of their CSR funds for skilling
purposes.

iv. The two ministries will also to make coordinated efforts to utilize
old telephone exchanges which are no longer in use for skill development initiatives and upgrade the
same on need basis. National Institute for Policy Research Innovation and Training (NTIPRT) will be
developed for training and skill up gradation in Telecom Sector by leveraging the infrastructure and
facilities.
v. Indian Telecommunications Sector is a fast growing technological sector having manpower needs
right from high school to graduates and post graduates and people with different areas of
Telecommunications and Information Technology Skills.

6. BEPS guidelines of OECD to be implemented in India from 1 April 2016

i. The term BEPS is an acronym of Base Erosion and Profit Shifting and it was in news in the third
week of January 2016 as India decided to implement these guidelines.
ii. BEPS refers to tax planning strategies that would exploit the gaps and mismatches in tax rules to
artificially shift profits to low or no-tax locations where there is little or no economic activity, resulting in
little or no overall corporate tax being paid.
iii. These norms were announced by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) in October 2015 to close tax loopholes that it estimated cost countries upwards of 100 billion
US dollars a year.
iv. With the implementation of these guidelines, it will become mandatory for Indian multinationals to
make country-by-country reporting to follow guidelines from the financial year that begins on 1 April
2016.
v. It will impact all Indian companies with significant cross-border operations and with annual
consolidated global revenue of more than 5500 crore rupees.

BEPS will be major significance for developing countries like India, as they strongly rely on corporate
income tax and in particular from multinational enterprises (MNEs).

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2016/01/daily-gk-update-current-affairs-23rd.html#ixzz3yERe62Ar

Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 24rd January, 2016

Amit Shah re-elected BJP president

i. BJP chief Amit Shah became the party President again today. Top party leaders led by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, a bevy of Union ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states proposed
his name for the party presidents post during the nomination process.
ii. Among others who have proposed Mr. Shahs name are Union minister Rajnath Singh, Anant
Kumar and J.P. Nadda, M. Venkaiah Naidu, besides BJP chief ministers Vasundhara Raje, Raghubar
Das, Shivraj Singh Chauhan and others.

India's largest and tallest tricolour hoisted at Ranchi

i. Indias largest tricolour was hoisted atop the tallest pole at Pahari Mandir in Ranchi, by Defence
Minister Manohar Parrikar.
ii. This flag will remain hoisted for 24 hours and shall be illuminated with the help of twenty sodium
vapour lights at night.
iii. It is worlds largest and the highest hoisted Indian flag.
iv. Dimensions of flag: It measures 66 feet in height and 99 feet in width in the proper ratio 2:3. It was
hoisted on pole with height of 293 feet. It weighs 80 kg.

TranServ launches India's first social mobile wallet Udio

i. Indias digital payment startup company TranServ has launched countrys first Social Mobile Wallet
named Udio.
ii. The digital wallet seeks to address the gap between real and virtual modes of payment as it has
more social experience.

Key features of Udio Wallet

It integrates a social, community-driven aspect with anytime, anywhere accessibility to digital

P2P (peer-to-peer) transactions.

These transactions take place via seamless and secure payment structure that creates a
ubiquitous ecosystem for both consumers and brands.

It is relatively easy to use and is a more casual approach for making cashless payments
similar to mobile banking.

It enables users to do squaring of dues, sharing dinner bills or a cab ride and also to pay
electricity and gas bills and make DTH & mobile recharges.

India submits first Biennial Update Report to UNFCCC

i. India has submitted its first Biennial Update Report (BUR) to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) towards fulfillment of the reporting obligation.
ii. The BUR has been submitted as per the provisions of the UNFCCC Convention which is obligatory
on countries to periodically provide national information.

Key highlights of BUR

BUR has been prepared by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(UNFCC) under its NATCOM project funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Contains national inventory of Green House Gases (GHG) for 2010 and has been prepared in
accordance with the guidelines of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

6 GHGs in Inventory: Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs),

Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) and Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

Five categories: It covers agriculture, waste and Land-use, Land-use, Change and Forestry
(LULUCF), energy, industrial processes and product use (IPPU).

Indias emissions: India has emitted around 2,137 million tonnes (mt) of CO2 equivalent
GHGs in 2010.

India to be fastest growing economy in 216: UN Report

i. As per recently released United Nations (UN) World Economic Situation and Prospects 2016
Report, India will be the fastest growing big economy in the world in 2016.
ii. The report has projected Indias growth rate by 7.3 % in the year 2016 and 7.5 % in 2017 slightly up
from an earlier estimated 7.2 % rate in 2015.

Report Highlights

The highest growth rate in India has been attributed to improvement in the macroeconomic
environment with the help of sharp decline in the prices of oil, food and metals. Even the
investor and consumer confidence has risen even after Indian government facing difficulties in
implementing its wide-ranging economic reform agenda.

However, some of the economic indicators such as industrial production will remain volatile. In
2016 and 2017, South Asia region is expected to be the worlds fastest-growing region
despite challenging global conditions.

In the South Asia region, Indias economy will account for over 70% of regions GDP.

Mosquito-borne Zinka virus creates panic over birth defects in Latin America
i. Mosquito-borne Zika virus has created a panic over thousands birth defects in the Latin America
countries.
ii. New case of child born with the virus has been reported in these countries. However, Brazil is
experiencing the largest known outbreak of Zika with most cases in the north-east region.

iii. In this region, babies have been born a with abnormal condition called microcephaly i.e. with
abnormally smaller heads which can cause brain damage.
iv. To avoid the spread of Zika virus some Latin American countries viz. Colombia, Ecuador, El
Salvador and Jamaica have warned women to avoid getting pregnant.
v. The virus also has been reported in the United States (US) after three cases were detected in
Florida in people who had recently travelled to Latin America.

Sri Lanka tops in 2015 HDI in South Asia Region

i. Sri Lanka has maintained its high ranking in 2015 human development index (HDI) in the South Asia
Region.
ii. In the 2015 Global Human Development Report (HDR) released by UN Development Programme
(UNDP) Sri Lanka was ranked 73rd with an HDI value of 0.757.

Sindhu wins Malaysia Masters title

i. Two-time World Championship bronze-medallist, Indias P.V. Sindhu made a rousing start to the new
season as she clinched the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold title after defeating Scotlands Kristy
Gilmour in straight games in the final in Penang on Sunday.
ii. The third seeded Indian had lost to Gilmour in 2013 French Open in their only meeting but today
she showed why she is considered to be one of Indias most revered womens singles shuttler as she
avenged her loss with a dominating 21-15 21-9 win in a 32-minute clash to clinch her fifth Grand Prix
Gold title.
iii. This is her second Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold title, having won it in 2013 as well. She also
completed a hattrick at the Macau Open Grand Prix Gold in November last year.

Read more: http://www.bankersadda.com/2016/01/daily-gk-update-current-affairs-24rd.html#ixzz3yERla5rq

Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 25th January 2016

1. Padma Vibhushan for Rajinikanth, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
i. Actor Rajinikanth, media baron Ramoji Rao, former J&K Governor Jagmohan and spiritual guru Sri
Sri Ravi Shankar awarded Padma Vibhushan.

ii. Former CAG Vinod Rai, Bollywood actor Anupam Kher and singer Udit Narayan awarded Padma
Bhushan.

iii. Former US Ambassador to India Robert D Blackwill, sportspersons Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza
and Indu Jain of Bennett, Coleman & Co get Padma Bhushan.
iv. Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, actors Ajay Devgn and Priyanka Chopra get Padma Shri.
v. Reliance Industries founder late Dhirubhai Ambani awarded Padma Vibhushan.

2. 6th National Voters Day observed with theme Inclusive and Qualitative Participation
i. 6th National Voters Day (NVD) was observed across the country on 25 January 2016 by the
Election Commission of India. The theme for the 6th National Voters Day is Inclusive and Qualitative
Participation.
ii. The Commissions objective through NVD is to increase enrolment of voters, especially of the newly
eligible ones. The National function of the NVD was held in New Delhi and presided over by President
of India, Pranab Mukherjee.

iii. On the occasion, the Chief Election Commissioner Dr. Nasim

Zaidi also released a book titled, Belief in the Ballot and presented its the first copy to the President.
iv. To celebrate and recognise the contribution of Government department/Agencies to the efforts of
ECI for enhancing electoral participation, the election commission has introduced awards. Six newly
eligible electors were given their EPICs by President of India.
v. 25 January is the foundation day of the Commission, which came into being on this day in 1950.
The National Voters Day is also utilised to spread awareness among voters regarding effective
participation in the electoral process.
vi. After the completion of the NVD National function, the Commission inaugurated the construction of
India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) campus at sector-22
Dwarka, New Delhi.
vii. Election Commission of India will be presenting a Tableau with the theme Inclusive and Qualitative
Participation at the Republic Day parade on 26 January at Rajpath, New Delhi.

3. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa won Presidential Election of Portugal

i. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on 24 January 2016 won the Presidential election of Portugal. Sousa, a
centre-right Social Democrats candidate and a former journalist, won the election by securing 52
percent of votes.

ii. The outcome is likely to help maintain political balance after the
inconclusive parliamentary ballot in October 2015. His closest rival, Socialist Antonio Sampaio da
Novoa, conceded defeat after picking up around 23 percent of the vote. Left Bloc candidate Marisa
Matias had 10 percent.
iii. Sousa, popularly known as Professor Marcelo and aged 67 is the one-time leader of the centerright Social democrats. He will succeed President Anibal Cavaco Silva.
iv. Earlier in October 2015 presidential election, a centre-right coalition won the most votes but lost its
overall majority in November 2015. It was replaced by an alliance of left-wing parties that rejected its
austerity programme in parliament.

4. AP Government launched Giriputrika Kalyana Pathakam Scheme for tribal people

i. The Andhra Pradesh Government on 22 January 2016 launched

Giriputrika Kalyana Pathakam Scheme to support the tribal women in their quest for livelihood. The
scheme was launched by Andhra Pradesh Minister for Social Welfare Ravela Kishore Babu.
ii. The scheme seeks to reduce rampant infant mortality and child marriages among tribal people. It is
designed to provide a onetime financial assistance of 50000 rupees to each tribal woman who gets
married.
iii. The amount will be directly disbursed to the bank accounts of the beneficiary through District Tribal
Welfare Office. To avail the benefits of this scheme, each beneficiary would have to fulfil some
mandatory conditions like submission of marriage certificate, income certificate, etc.
iv. The scheme is envisaged to provide nutritional food to infants till the age of seven years.

5. Eminent Tabla player Shankar Ghosh passed away

i. Eminent Tabla player Pandit Shankar Ghosh passed away on 22 January 2016 in Kolkata following
a prolonged illness. He was 80. He is survived by his wife Sanjukta Ghosh, a classical vocalist of
Patiala gharana, a son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons.

ii. Ghosh was trained by legendary Pandit Gyan Prakash Ghosh,

Ustad Feroz Khan, Pandit Anath Nath Bose and Pandit Sudarshan Adhikari. He followed the
Farukhabad gharana of Hindustani classical music.
iii. He also performed with vocalists such as Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Pandit Omkarnath Thakur,
Pandit Vinayakrao Patwardhan, Girija Devi and Akhtari Bai. He also collaborated with foreign artists
like Greg Ellis, Pete Lockett and John Bergamo.
iv. He had also done jugalbandi with celebrated classical musician sitarists Pandit Ravi Shankar and
Ustad Vilayat Khan. He was awarded the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in the year 2000.
v. He also received the ITC Sangeet Research Academy award and the Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan award.

6. India-France inked 16 pacts including chopper venture

i. India and France on 24 January 2016 inked 16 agreements at the

India-France Business Summit in Chandigarh. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) covered a
wide range of sectors like urban development, urban transport, water and waste treatment and solar
energy.
ii. The agreements were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French
President Francois Hollande, who began his three-day visit to India.
iii. Hollande is the Chief Guest at the 67th Indias Republic Day (26 January 2016) celebrations. He is
the fifth French leader to be a chief guest at Indias Republic Day celebrations, maximum number
from any country so far.

MoU between AFD and Maharashtra on technical cooperation in the field of sustainable urban
development for development of smart city in Nagpur.

MoU between AFD and the Union Territory of Chandigarh on technical cooperation in the field
of sustainable urban development for development of smart city in Chandigarh.

MoU between AFD and the Union Territory of Puducherry on technical cooperation in the field
of sustainable development for development of smart city in Puducherry.

Wind Power Development Agreement between EDF JV with SITAC RE India to jointly explore
opportunities for development of wind based power project in India.

MOU between EPI ltd Dassault Systmes in urban sector development.

MOU between EPI-Egis - urban sector development.

MOU between EPI- Schneider Electric - urban sector development.

MOU between EPI-Thales - urban sector development.

MOU between EPI-EDF - urban sector development.

MOU between EPI-Alstom - urban sector development.

MOU between EPI-SA CAN - urban sector development.

MOU between EPI-Lumiplan ITS India Pvt Ltd - urban sector development.

MOU between EPI-POMA - urban sector development.

Agreement between CEA (the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
and Green Ventures Solar photo voltaic projects in the Indian rural areas (Varanasi, U.P.).

Agreement between CEA (the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
and Crompton Greaves - To explore opportunities in Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) System with
storage function for Indian Airports.

Mahindra-Airbus cooperation to create the new private strategic partner for helicopters within
the Make in India initiative.

7. Malayalam actor Kalpana passes away in Hyderabad

i. National award-winning actress Kalpana, who appeared in 300 films including recent superhit
Charlie, died this morning in Hyderabad due to a heart attack. She was 51. Kalpana Ranjani was in
Hyderabad to shoot a Telugu film and was scheduled to leave for Kerala later today.

ii. She was declared brought dead at a hospital around 7 am,

sources told PTI. Kalpana had received the National award for best supporting actress for her
performance in Thanichala Njan (2012).
iii. Sister of actors Urvashi and Kalaranjini, Kalpana forayed into Malayalam films as a child actor in
Vidarunne Mottukul in 1977. Among her other Malayalam hits are Ennum Eppuzhum, Karnavar,
Dolfins, Bangalore Days and Spirit. Kakki Sattai, Idhaya Thiruda, Sathi Leelavathi and
Chinna Veedu are among her Tamil films.
iv. The actress body is expected to be brought to Kerala later today. She is survived by her daughter.
Malayalam actors K P A C Lalitha, Kaviyoor Ponnamma and Innocent, MP, expressed shock at the
demise of the actress, who was best known for her comic roles in South Indian films.

8. Alice Vaidyan, new CMD of GIC Re

i. Alice Vaidyan has been appointed Chairman and Managing Director of General Insurance
Corporation of India (GIC Re), the National Reinsurer. She will hold office till July 31, 2019.

ii. GIC Re is the 14th largest reinsurer globally and is presently the
only reinsurance company in India.
iii. Vaidyan belongs to the 1983 batch of direct recruit officers of general insurance industry.
iv. She has been the General Manager and CFO of GIC Re from October 2012.
v. A post-graduate in English literature and a Fellow of the Insurance Institute of India, Vaidyan began
her career with public sector general insurer The New India Assurance Company Ltd in 1983. She
moved to GIC Re in 2008 as DGM (Reinsurance).

9. Now, you can pay online for LPG refills

i. Now, LPG users can pay online for their cylinder refills on the website www.mylpg.in soon after
booking their refill for delivery. This is the latest part of the online refill booking facilities that the three
public sector oil marketing companies have introduced in the past two years.

ii. The facility was launched here on Sunday by Dharmendra

Pradhan, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas. Pradhan said his mi
nistry is also considering creating an EMI payment model for new gas connections bought by non-bpl
customers.
iii. The ministry is already running a pilot programme that gives a 50 per cent government rebate to
below poverty line families when they buy their first gas connection.
iv. In addition, to improve the supply chain, the government is working towards adding ten thousand
more LPG distributing agencies, Pradhan added. Customers who buy domestic LPG cylinders from
Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum can use the unified web portal to
book cylinder refills, track delivery status, port the gas connection and receive the government
subsidy by linking their bank accounts.
v. The digitisation of the supply chain is also intended to increase the efficiency of LPG distributors.

10. Izumo Takuto and Zhu Chengzhu won ITTF World Junior Circuit Finals
i. Japan's Izumo Takuto and Hong Kong's Zhu Chengzhu on 24 January 2016 became champions in
the boys' and girls' categories, respectively, in the 11Even Sports 2015 ITTF World Junior Circuit
Finals at the Abhay Prashal Stadium, Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

ii. The three-day event came to its conclusion when Takuto hardly
dropped a sweat beating Carlos Vedriel from Spain 4-0 in a one-sided final while Zhu overcame stiff
resistance to beat Park Seri of Korea 4-2. Each winner took home 3800 US dollars while the runnersup received 2100 US dollars each.
iii. The International Table Tennis Federation is the governing body for all international table tennis
associations. The role of the ITTF includes overseeing rules and regulations and seeking
technological improvement for the sport of table tennis.
iv. The ITTF is responsible for the organization of numerous international competitions, including the
World Junior Circuit and the World Table Tennis Championships that has continued since 1926.

11. India won Blind T20 Asia Cup

i. India on 24 January 2016 won the first T20 Asia cup cricket for Blind. In the final clash played at
Jawaharlal Nehru stadium of Kochi, India defeated Pakistan by 44 runs.
ii. Batting first, India scored 208 runs in 20 over whereas Pakistan was restricted to 164 runs in 18.2
over.
iii. So far, Pakistan was unbeaten in this tournament and had defeated India by 19 runs in the group
stages.

Daily GK Update - Current Affairs - 26th and 27th January

2016
1. 67th Indias Republic Day celebrated
i. Republic Day 2016 was celebrated on 26 January 2016 across the nation. This was the 67th
Republic Day of India. President of France Francois Hollande was the Chief Guest at 67th Republic
Day parade.
ii. First Republic Day was celebrated on 26 January 1950 when India became a Republic with
Constitution of India coming into force on this day replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as the
governing document of India.

iii. For the first time since 1950, a foreign army contingent marched down the Rajpath during the
Republic Day parade. The 76-member French Army contingent was the participant of the parade. The
parade witnessed participation of some of Indias most highly trained dogs from the armys Veterinary
Corps, after 26 years.
iv. The celebration was curtailed by 25 minute. The duration was brought down to 90 minutes from
115 minutes, but the format will remain the same. For the first time, an all-women stunt contingent
named Women Daredevils CRPF comprising of 120 soldiers will performed stunts on bikes. Apart
from this women officers were also 2nd in command to the contingents of Air Force, Coast Guard and
Navy.
v. For the first time, the tableau of ex-servicemen of Army veterans was also showcased in the
parade. The VVIP enclosure had a motorised glass roof so as to protect them from rain and cold
weather, as in 2015 Chief guest Barack Obama and Michelle Obama held umbrellas to protect
themselves from the drizzle at the Republic Day parade event.

2. India-France signed 14 Agreements including 36 Rafale Aircraft deal

i. India and France inked 14 Agreements/MoUs in Delhi. The

agreements including MoU on purchase of 36 Rafale Aircrafts were signed during the State Visit of
President Francois Hollande of France to India.
ii. Hollande was the Chief Guest at the 67th Indias Republic Day (26 January 2016) celebrations. He
was the fifth French leader to be a chief guest at Indias Republic Day celebrations, maximum number
from any country so far.

MoU on purchase of 36 Rafale Aircrafts

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Centre National D'tudes Spatiales (CNES)
Implementation Arrangement on hosting Argos-4 Payload onboard Indias Oceansat-3
satellite

ISRO and CNES Implementation Arrangement on a future joint Thermal Infrared earth
observation mission

Letter of Intent on CNES, France participation in ISROs next Mars Mission

Shareholding Agreement on JV between Alstom and Indian Railways for production of 800
electric locomotives in Madhepura Bihar

Agreement between Indian Railways and SNCF, French Railways for joint feasibility study for
the renovation of Ludhiana and Ambala railway stations

MOU between Food Safety & Standards Authority of India and Agence nationale de scurit
sanitaire de l'alimentation (ANSES) in food safety

Partnership Agreement on Cooperation in Public Administration between Ministry of

Personnel & Public Grievances and French

Declaration of Intent for conducting next round of Namaste France (Indian festival) in 2016
and Bonjour India (French festival) 2017

Cultural Exchange Programme for the period 2016-2018

Arrangement for establishment of an Indo- French Ministerial level Joint Committee on

Science & Technology

MoU for Industry Sponsored PhD Fellowship between IIT Mumbai and Thales Systemes
Aeroportes

Cooperation Agreement between IISER, Pune and ENS de Lyon (France) for joint research,
teaching, exchange of personnel etc.

Agreement of Cooperation between CNRS, TB, UBO, UBS, ENSTA Bretagne, ENIB (French
Universities) and IIT Mumbai in the field of Higher Education & Research.

iii. These 14 agreements were inked a day after the two nations exchanged 16 agreements at the
India-France Business Summit in Chandigarh on 24 January 2016.

3. Manipal Hospitals becomes Karnataka's first centre for MRCP (UK) PACES examination

i. Manipal Hospitals Bangalore becomes the first centre in

Karnataka for conducting the MRCP practical assessment of examination skills (PACES) mock exam
in collaboration with UK-based Royal College of Physicians Federation. This is the final qualifying
exam for getting MRCP UK degree thus providing an opportunity for students to directly practice in the
UK, the company said in a statement.

ii. The exam will be conducted from January 27-30 and provides a platform for students of Bangalore
to participate in the overseas exam and also a convenient option for students of neighbouring states.
The successful candidates would receive MRCP(UK) Specialist Physician certification and would be
eligible to practice medicine in major countries worldwide, the statement added.
iii. Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman, Manipal Hospitals Bangalore said that with this initiative, people will
save on travel and stay cost and the hassles of travelling abroad. Manipal becomes the fourth centre
in India apart from centres in Chennai, Cochin, and Kolkata.

4. International Solar Alliance headquartered in India with United Nations as Strategic Partner
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the President of France Franois Hollande, on 25 January
2016 laid the foundation stone of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) headquarters in National
Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) in Gwalpahari, Gurgaon. They also inaugurated the interim
Secretariat of the ISA at the same place.

ii. India dedicated 5 acre land at NISE to ISA for hosting its Secretariat and also contributed 175 crore
rupees for ISA corpus fund for an initial period of five years. Thereafter it is expected to generate its
own resources and become self-financing.
iii. It was jointly launched in Paris by India and France on 30 November 2015 during the United
Nations climate change conference (COP21). It is the Indias first international and inter-governmental
organization of 121 Countries to have headquarters in India with United Nations as Strategic Partner.
iv. It creates a collaborative platform for increased deployment of solar energy technologies to
enhance energy security and sustainable development. It improves access to energy and
opportunities for better livelihoods in rural and remote areas and to increase the standard of living.
v. It will work with partner countries to formulate projects and programmes to accelerate development
and deployment of existing clean solar energy technologies, the potential for which largely remaining
untapped. It develops innovative financial mechanisms to reduce cost of capital and builds a common
knowledge e-Portal.
vi. It will encourage multilateral bodies like IRENA, REEEP, IEA, REN21, UN bodies, bilateral
organizations, corporates, industry, and other stakeholders to contribute towards the goal of
increasing utilization of solar energy in the member countries.

5. Marvin Minsky, the pioneer of Artificial Intelligence, died

i. Marvin Minsky, the pioneer of artificial intelligence, died at Bostons Brigham and Womens Hospital
due to cerebral hemorrhage. The mathematician and the computer scientist died at the age of 88.

ii. Minsky, a professor emeritus at the MIT Media Lab, helped in work that helped inspired the creation
of the personal computer and the Internet.
iii. In 1959, he co-founded the MIT Artificial Intelligence Project (AIT) with John McCarthy, who is
credited with coining the term artificial intelligence. Now AIT is known as Artificial Intelligence
Laboratory. Minsky, a native New Yorker entered Harvard University after returning from service in the
U.S. Navy during World War II.
iv. He was an American cognitive scientist in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) created robotic
hands that can manipulate objects, developed new programming frameworks and wrote several texts
on AI and philosophy.
v. Minsky won the AM Turing Award - the highest honor in computer science - in 1969

6. Rekha honoured with 3rd National Yash Chopra Memorial Award

i. Veteran Bollywood actress Rekha on 25 January 2016 was honoured with the third Yash Chopra
Memorial Award in Mumbai.

ii. Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao presented the award to the actress in recognition of her
talent and contribution to the film industry.
iii. The actress was born on 10 October 1954 as Bhanu Rekha Ganesan in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She
started her career in 1966 as a child actress in the Telugu film Rangula Ratnam. Her film debut as a
lead happened with Sawan Bhadon in 1970.
iv. She has won three Filmfare Awards, two for Best Actress and one for Best Supporting Actress, for
her roles in Khubsoorat, Khoon Bhari Maang and Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, respectively. Her portrayal of
a classical courtesan in Umrao Jaan won her the National Film Award for Best Actress. In 2010, she
was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India.
v. The National Yash Chopra Memorial Award was instituted by the TSR Foundation of T Subbarami
Reddy in the memory of the producer-director Yash Chopra, who died in 2012.

7. Kerala dentist Sajeev Koshy honoured with Order of Australia

i. A Kerala dentist Sajeev Koshy settled in Melbourne on 26 January 2016 was honoured with the
highest civilian honour, the Order of Australia. Koshy was given the award for his service to dentistry
in Victoria, Australia. He was honoured on the Australia Day Awards 2016, by the Governor General of
Australia.

ii. Koshy has served as the president of the Kerala Dental Council and president of the Indian Dental
Association.
iii. He is currently the head of the endodontics at the Royal Melbourne Dental Hospital, which is the
teaching hospital for the University of Melbourne.
iv. The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II,
Queen of Australia.
v. It is awarded to recognise Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or meritorious
service.
vi. Before the establishment of the order, Australian citizens would receive British honours.

8. Hollywood actor Abe Vigoda passed away

i. Actor Abe Vigoda, known for his work in The Godfather and on the television series Barney Miller,
passed away on 26 January 2016 in New Jersey following natural causes. He was 94. He was best
known for his roles as mobster Tessio in the movie The Godfather.

ii. Born in New York, Vigoda made appearances in very early television episodes of Suspense and
Studio One in Hollywood in 1949. He made his debut in the cinema through Marcel Carnes 1965
effort Three Rooms in Manhattan, but he got his fame when he was cast in The Godfather in 1972.
iii. On the big screen, he appeared in the 1973 mob drama The Don Is Dead and 1974 crime drama
Newmans Law and he reprised his role as Tessio in a flashback in The Godfather: Part II.
iv. In 1974, he was cast as the aged, malady-laden and slow-moving cop Phil Fish in TV series
Barney Miller. His character was so popular that the network launched a spinoff, simply titled Fish in
1977. He also appeared as a guest on series including Hawaii Five-O, Kojak, The Bionic Woman, The
Rockford Files and Eight Is Enough.
v. He also remained a popular character actor in films including Cannonball Run II, Look Who's
Talking, Joe Versus the Volcano and North.

9. President Rule imposed in Arunachal Pradesh

i. President Pranab Mukherjee on 26 January 2016 approved the Union Cabinets recommendation
for the imposition of Presidents rule on Arunachal Pradesh.

ii. He gave the assent after hosting the traditional At Home or reception at Rastrapati Bhavan for
French President Francois Hollande as part of the Republic Day celebrations.
iii. The Union Cabinet approved the imposition of President Rule on the state after expiration of six
month deadline under which the Assembly was supposed to meet. The six month deadline for the
meet expired on 21 January 2016.
iv. Other reasons for the decision on imposition of the President Rule included multiple reports by the
Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa that there was no law and order in the state and even the Raj
Bhawan was not safe as it was seized by Congress MLAs.
v. Besides, the Ministry of Home Affairs also appointed two retired civil servants, GS Patnaik and YS
Dadwal as advisers to the Governor.

10. FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2015 announced

i. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on 26 January 2016 announced the winners of its
Hockey Stars awards for 2015. The Netherlands' Robert Van der Horst and Lidewij Welten won the
men's and women's FIH Player of the Year awards, respectively, for their performances in 2015.

Goalkeeper of the year (Women) - Joyce Sombroek (The Netherlands)

Goalkeeper of the year (Men) - David Harte (Ireland)

Rising Star of the Year (Women) - Lily Owsley (Great Britain)

Rising Star of the Year (Men) - Chrisopher Rhr (Germany)

ii. The FIH Player of the Year Awards are awarded annually by the International Hockey Federation to
the male and female field hockey players adjudged to be the best in the world.
iii. The awards were established in 1998 and have been awarded annually ever since.
iv. In 2001, the FIH Young Player of the Year award was created, to be awarded to the best young
field hockey player of the year.

11. West Indies Shivnarine Chanderpaul retired from international cricket

i. The West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 22 January 2016 announced his retirement
from international cricket almost 22 years after making his debut.

ii. Chanderpaul had not played for West Indies since May 2015. The West Indies selectors dropped
him after a weak performance during the three-Test series at home against England.
iii. Shivnarine Chanderpaul is the first Indo-Caribbean to play 100 Tests for the West Indies. He
captained West Indies cricket team in 14 Tests and 16 One Day Internationals.
iv. His debut match for West Indies was against England in March 1994, in his native Guyana, where
he made a half-century on debut. A left-handed batsman, he is well known for his unorthodox batting
stance, which has been described as crab-like. He has scored 20000 runs in international cricket.
v. In 2008, he was named as one of the five Cricketers of the Year by the Wisden Cricketers'
Almanack, and as the Player of the Year by the International Cricket Council.
vi. His highest score in Tests was 203 not out and he finished with an average of 51.37, and he also
posted a top score of 150 in ODIs, finishing with an average of 41.60.

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Daily GK Update: 28th January, 2016

150th birth anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai

i. 150th birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai, also known as Punjab Kesri is
being celebrated 28th January 2016.
ii. To celebrate this occasion a state level function has been organised in Punjab and special event
will be held at village Dhudi Ke, the birth place of Lala Lajpat Rai in Moga district.

iii. State government also has organised various seminars and symposia at many places in Punjab to
remember Lala Lajpat Rai.

International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust observed

i. International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust was observed on 27
January 2016 across the world. The day was proclaimed so by the United Nations General Assembly.
ii. The theme for the Holocaust remembrance and education activities in the year 2016 including the
Holocaust Memorial Ceremony is The Holocaust and Human Dignity.
iii. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) celebrate the day
every year.
iv. The day marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German Concentration and
Extermination Camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau by the Soviet troops in 1945.

Union Government launched National Job Portal for Persons with Disabilities
i. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot on 27 January 2016
launched the National level Job portal www.disabilityjobs.gov.in for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
ii. The Ministry aims to carry out skill training programme for 5 lakh Persons with Disabilities in next 3
years.

Union Cabinet approves raising of 17 Indian Reserve Battalions

i. The Union Cabinet has approved proposal of raising of 17 Indian Reserve Battalions (IRBs) in
Jammu & Kashmir and 4 Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected states.
ii. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in New Delhi.

Key facts

17 IRBs includes 5 battalions in J&K, 4 in Chhattisgarh, 3 each in Jharkhand and Odisha and
2 in Maharashtra.

The major thrust in raising these IRBs will be by recruiting local youths. State Government
can relax age and educational criteria if required.

In case of 5 IRBs of J&K, 60% of the vacancies for the posts of constables and class IV will
be filled from the states border districts.

In case of LWE states, 75% of the vacancies of constables will be filled up from 27 core
districts under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme.

CERT-In inks cyber security agreements with 3 nations

i. Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has signed cybersecurity agreement with
its counterparts in Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.
ii. In this regard, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has apprised the
Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) signed between CERT-In and 3 nations.

Rajasthan Govt inks MoU to join UDAY Scheme

i. Rajasthan Government along with its power distribution companies (DISCOMS) has signed a MoU
to join UDAY (Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana) Scheme.
ii. State DISCOMS part of this MoU are Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (JVNL), Jodhpur Vidyut
Vitran Nigam Limited (JVVNL) and Ajmer Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (AVNL).

India and Armenia sign Protocol amending the Double Taxation Avoidance Convention
i. India and Armenia has signed a Protocol to amend the existing Double Taxation Avoidance
Convention (DTAC) to curb instances of tax evasion.
ii. The Protocol amends the Article on Exchange of Information for tax in the bilateral DTAC signed
between India and Armenia and has been in existence since September 2004.
iii. It has been amended to bring it in line with the updated provisions in the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Model.

India overtakes Thailand as World's largest rice exporter

i. India has overtaken Thailand as the worlds largest rice exporter in the year 2015 by shipping
(exporting) 10.23 million tonnes of rice.
ii. It was announced by the Bangkok based Thai Rice Exporters Association Chairman Charoen
Laodhammatas.

Cognizant acquires KBACE Technologies

i. United States (US) based software services exporter Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS) has
acquired cloud-based computing firm KBACE Technologies.
ii. This acquisition will help Cognizant to strength and expands its digital capabilities from its critical
business applications to cloud-based IT infrastructures.
iii. The terms and amount of the acquisition deal were not disclosed by the company. This acquisition
was part of Cognizants strategy to diversify businesses into newer geographies.
iv. As part of the acquisition, KBACE Technologies 400 consultants and implementation experts will
become part of Cognizant.

India successfully test fired Akash missile at Chandipur

i. India on 28 January 2016 test fired its indigenously-built surface-to-air Akash missile from complex3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR).at Chandipuri in Odisha. It was as part of a user trial mission.
ii. Three rounds of test were carried out by Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel aiming at para-barrel
targets.

IPS officer Aparna Kumar became India's first civil servant to scale Mount Vinson Massif
i. Aparna Kumar, IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, became India's first civil servant to scale Mount
Vinson Massif, the highest peak in the Antarctica.
ii. She hoisted the Tricolour and the flag of the Uttar Pradesh Police Service on Mount Vinson Massif.
iii. She set out on the Antarctic expedition on 5 January 2016, accompanied by a 10-member team of
mountaineers from various countries.

Chennupati Jagadish, Jay Chandra honoured with Order of Australia

i. Chennupati Jagadish and Jay Chandra, Indian-origin persons, were on 26 January 2016 honoured
with the Order of Australia, highest civilian honour of Australia on the occasion of the Australia Day.
They were awarded for their contribution in the fields of physics, engineering and medicine.
ii. Chennupati Jagadish is an eminent professor at Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.
He was conferred with the award for his eminent service to physics and engineering, particularly in the
field of nanotechnology.

Indian activist Henri Tiphagne selected for Amnesty International Human Rights Award 2016
i. Indian lawyer and human rights defender Henri Tiphagne on 26 January 2016 was selected for the
8th Human Rights Award by Amnesty International Germany.
ii. The award is a recognition of Tiphagnes exceptional commitment to human rights. He will be
conferred with the award at an official ceremony on 25 April 2016 at the Maxim Gorki Theatre in
Berlin, Germany.
iii. Henri Tiphagne is the founder of the organization Peoples Watch, one of the most notable human
rights organizations in India.

Australian batsman David Warner won Allan Border Medal 2016

i. Australian batsman David Warner on 27 January 2016 defeated captain Steve Smith for the
prestigious Allan Border Medal for 2016.

ii. Warner polled 240 votes from players, umpires and media representatives to beat 2015 winner and
skipper Steve Smith on 219. Pace bowler Mitchell Starc was third on 183 votes.
iii. Warner also won the Test Player of the Year Award with 30 votes ahead of Smith on 24.

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Directions (Q. 1-6): For the two given equations I and II.
Give answer:
(1) If p is greater than q.
(2) If p is smaller than q.
(3) If p is equal to q.
(4) If p is either equal to or greater than q.
(5) If p is either equal to or smaller than q.
1.
I. 6p^2+5p+1=0
II. 20q^2+9q=-1
Ans:(2);
I. 6p^2+5p+1=0
(3p+1)(2p+1)=0
p=-1/3,-1/2
II. 20q^2+9q+1=0
(4q+1)(5q+1)=0
q=-1/4,-1/5
p<q

2.
I. 3p^2+2p-1=0

II. 2q^2+7q+6=0
Ans:(1)I. 3p^2+2p-1=0
(3p-1)(p+1)=0
p=1/3,-1
II. 2q^2+7q+6=0
(2q+3)(q+2)=0
q=-3/2,-2

3.
I. 3p^2+15p=-18
II. q^2+7q+12=0
Ans:(4)
I. 3p^2+15p+18=0
(3p+6)(p+3)=0
p=-2,-3
II. q^2+7q+12=0
(q+4)(q+3)=0
q=-3,-4
pq

4.
I. p=4/9
II. 9q^2-12q+4=0
Ans:(3)
I. p=4/9=2/3
II. 9q^2-12q+4=0
(3q-2)^2=0
q=2/3
p=q

5.
I. p^2+13p+42=0
II. q^2=36

Ans:(5)I. p^2+13p+42=0
(p+7)(p+6)=0
p=-6,-7
II. q^2=36
q=6
pq

6.
I. p=10
II. q=100
Ans:(3)
I. p=10
II. q=10
p=q

Directions (Q. 7-10): Study following graph carefully and answer the questions given below:
Income and Expenditure of various Companies during a year (Profit=Income-Expenditure)

7. What is the average income earned by all the companies together?

(1) Rs. 34,50,00,000/(2) Rs. 33,50,00,000/(3) Rs. 33,50,000/(4) Rs. 3,45,00,00/(5)
None
of
these
Ans:(4); Required average income=(3.5+3.25+2.5+4.25+3.75)/5=17.25/5=Rs.3.45 crore =Rs.3,45,00,000/-

8. Expenditure incurred by Company C is approximately what per cent to the expenditure incurred by
company B?

(1) 41%
(2) 57%
(3) 62%
(4) 51%
(5)
Ans:(2); Required percentage=2/3.510057%

65%

9. What is the approximate difference between the percent profit earned by Company A and that by
Company D?
(1) 5%
(2) 20%
(3) 35%
(4) 15%
(5)
Ans:(3);
=55.55-21.4235%

Required

25%
difference=(3.5-2.25)/2.25100-(4.25-3.5)/3.5100

10. What is the total expenditure incurred by all the companies together?
(1) Rs. 1,37,50,000/(2) Rs. 1,37,50,00,000/(3) Rs. 13,75,00,00,000/(4) Rs. 13,75,000/(5) None of these
Ans:(5); Total expenditure=2.25+3.5+2+3.5+2.5=Rs. 13.75 crore=Rs. 13,75,00,000/-

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Reasoning Quiz: For SO, Syndicate, AAO

Directions (Q. 1-5): Study the following information carefully and answer the
questions which follow

There is a family of six persons L, M, N, O, P and Q. They are professor, businessman,

advocate, manager, engineer and shopkeeper not necessary in that order. There are two
married couples in the family.
The businessman is married to an advocate and P is unmarried. Q, the shopkeeper is the son
of M and brother of P. O, the manager is married to the lady professor. N, an advocate is
daughter-in-law of L, who is grandmother of Q.

1. How is P related to O?
(a) Daughter
(b) Grandson
(c) Granddaughter
(d) Son
(e) Cannot be determined

2. Which of the following is the profession of L?

(a) Professor
(b) Advocate
(c) Engineer
(d) Businessman
(e) Cannot be determined

3. Which of the following is one of the couples?

(a) Q and O
(b) O and M
(c) M and L
(d) L and O
(e) None of these

4. How is O related to N?
(a) Father
(b) Grandfather
(c) Uncle
(d) Father-in-law

(e) Cannot be determined

5. Which of the following is the profession of M?

(a) Professor
(b) Businessman
(c) Advocate
(d) Shopkeeper
(d) Cannot be determined

Directions (Q. 6-10): Study the following information carefully and answer the
questions which follow
In a family of eight members A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H, there are three married couples and two
bachelors. F is mother-in-law of A. G is son of B. H is paternal grandfather of D. C is son of F
but not father of D. E is mother of D. H is father of C.

6. Who of the two are bachelors in the family?

(a) C and D
(b) D and G
(c) C and G
(d) Cannot be determined
(e) None of these

7. How is E related to H?
(a) Sister
(b) Daughter
(c) Daughter-in-law
(d) Wife
(e) Cannot be determined

8. Which of the following statement is true?

(a) A is mother of G
(b) F is mother of E
(c) B is father of D
(d) C is father of G
(e) None of these

9. How is B related to F?
(a) Husband
(b) Son
(c) Brother
(d) Son-in-law
(e) Grandson

10. How many females are there in the family?

(a) Three
(b) Four
(c) Five
(d) Cannot be determined
(e) None of these

Answers

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

6.b
7.c
8.c
9.b
10.d

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Directions (Q. 1-5): Study the following graph carefully and answer the questions given below:

1. Population of state F in 1995 was approximately what per cent of its population in 1996?
1) 60
2) 67
3) 75
4) 55
5) Data inadequate
2. If the population of state B in the year 1994 was 5 lakh, what was approximately its population in the
year 1996?
1) 9.50 lakh
2) 8 lakh
3) 10.50 lakh
4) 14.50 lakh
5) 11 lakh
3. If the population of states C and D in 1995 are in the ratio of 2 : 3 respectively and the population of
state C in 1994 was 2.5 lakh, what was the population of state D in 1995?
1) 5.25 lakh
2) 4.75 lakh
3) 3.50 lakh
4) 6 lakh
5) None of these
4. If 1994 the population of states B and D are equal and the population of state B in 1996 is 4 lakh; what
approximately was the population of state D in 1996?
1) 3 lakh
2) 3.50 lakh
3) 6 lakh
4) 5 lakh
5) 4.50 lakh
5. Population of state E in 1994 was what fraction of its population in 1996?
1) 4/5
2) 3/2
3) 5/8
4) 3/4
5) 2/3

Directions (Q. 6-10): Study the information carefully to answer the questions that follow:
In a ship there are 1200 passengers. 18 per cent of the total number of passengers are from Britain. Twofifths of the total number of passengers are from South Africa. 6 per cent of the total number of
passengers are from Madagascar. The remaining number of passengers are from India. 25 per cent of the
number of passengers from Britain are females. Half the number of passengers from South Africa are

males. There is no female passenger from Madagascar. Two-thirds of the number of passengers from
India are females.
6. What is the ratio of the number of passengers from Madagascar, the number of female passengers
from South Africa and the total number of passengers from India?
1) 2 : 5 : 18
2) 3 : 10 : 18
3) 3 : 11 : 18
4) 2 : 18 : 5
5) None of these
7. The number of male passengers from South Africa is approximately what percentage of the total
number of passengers from Britain?
1) 111
2) 115
3) 120
4) 125
5) 131
8. What is the average number of male passengers from all the four countries?
1) 154.5
2) 164.5
3) 145
4) 164
5) None of these
9. What is the difference between the number of male passengers from Madagascar and the number of
male passengers from India?
1) 64
2) 82
3) 74
4) 72
5) None of these
10. What is the total number of male passengers from Britain and female passengers from India
together?
1) 340
2) 420
3) 350
4) 460
5) None of these

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1. The government has extended the usage criterion of the RuPay debit cards in order to avail of the inbuilt insurance cover. Earlier, cardholders had to use the card within 45 days prior to claim the insurance
claim. This has now been extended to how many days?
1) 180 days
2) 60 days
3) 90 days
4) 80 days
5)

None

of

these

2. NPCI Stands for?

1) National Payment Corporation of India
2) Net Payment Corporation of India
3) National Payment Corporate of India
4) Net Payment Corporate Income
5) None of these

3.The Israeli military has conducted another successful test of which of the following missile, jointly
developed with India, as it intercepted a small drone simulating an enemy target?
1) Barak-10
2) Barak-20
3) Barak-40
4) Barak-8
5) None of these

4.Which Bank has tied up with the Navodhan Charitable Foundation in its efforts for timely detection of
cancer as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) drive?
1) SBI Bank
2) HDFC Bank
3) Canara Bank
4) Vijaya Bank
5) None of these

5. A digitising tablet can be used for?

(1) Tracing diagrams
(2) Printing letters
(3) Reading barcodes
(4) Playing
(5) None of these

6. A daisy wheel is a type of...?

(1) None of these
(2) Storage device
(3) Pointing device
(4) All of the above
(5) Printer

7. The digital system usually operated on.........system.

(1) decimal
(2) binary
(3) octal
(4) hexadecimal
(5) None of thes

8. Multiplexer means.................
(1) One in to many
(2) All of these
(3) many in to many
(4) many in to one
(5) None of these

Directions (Q. 9-12): These questions are based on the following information.
Five people P, Q, R, S, T are sitting on a straight line facing South. Another group V, W, X, Y, Z is sitting
facing North. The two groups are facing each other.
S is facing V and second to the right of T, who is sitting on a corner. Y is second to the left of Z. R is third
to the right of P. W is sitting on left corner.

9. Which of the following pairs is facing towards each other?

1) PV
2) TW
3) RV
4) YQ
5) ZQ

10. Which of the following pairs is sitting on the corner of the line facing North?
1) XY

2) VX
3) WV
4) ZW
5) XW

11. What is the position of Y with reference to X?

1) fourth right
2) third left
3) third right
4) second right
5) None of these

12.Which of the following is sitting exactly in the middle of the line facing South?
1) S
2) Q
3) T
4) P
5) R

Direction (13-16): Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error, if
any will be in one part of the sentence, the number of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the
answer is (5).

13.The ship has been built (1)/ with meticulous care (2)/ and the quality control authority has (3)/ given its nod to
sail in water. (4)/ No error (5).

14.She is very rich and (1)/ hence she puts on airs. (2)/ This attitude on (3)/ her part is disliked by her colleagues.
(4)/ No error (5).

15.The organisation does not (1)/ hold any responsibility (2)/ for the loss of (3)/ baggages and personal effect of
the trainees. (4)/ No error (5).

16. The Archaelogical department could not (1)/ discover the true (2)/ circumstances (3)/ of the origin of the race.
(4)/ No error (5).

Directions (17-20): Study the following table carefully to answer these questions.

Percentage of Students Studying Various disciplines in University

Total number of students = 4800

Ratio of Male and Female Candidates for each Discipline

Discipline M:F
Economics 3:4
Computers 5:3
Commerce 5:7
Arts
Science

1:2
3:5

Engineering 5:4
Management 6:3

17. How many male students are studying Science?

(1) 691
(2) 720
(3) 432
(4) 240
(5) None of these

18. What is the ratio between the number of students studying Computers and Commerce respectively?
(1) 4 : 11
(2) 9 : 11
(3) 11 : 9
(4) 11 : 12
(5) None of these

19. What is the total number of male students studying Commerce and Economics?

(1) 516
(2) 640
(3) 584
(4) 560
(5) None of these

20. What is the difference between the male and female students studying Arts?
(1) 118
(2) 256
(3) 128
(4) 192
(5)

None

of

Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20. 3

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these.

3
1
4
3
1
5
1
4
4
5
2
1
4
5
4
5
3
2
3

The National Green Tribunals decision to bar the registration of new and old diesel vehicles in Delhi
till its next hearing on January 6 comes as a blow though a temporary one for now to
passenger vehicle manufacturers. Automobile-makers have, in recent years, been building (from
scratch, in a few cases) and scaling up their production capacities for diesel cars, driven by
the surge in demand for diesel-powered vehicles as the fuel was subsidised and far cheaper than
petrol. The differential between petrol and diesel prices has narrowed substantially since the
government commenced the deregulation of diesel pricing in 2013, and diesel now is only 22 per
cent cheaper than petrol. But diesel vehicles, including the sport utility vehicles, or SUVs, that are
ubiquitous status symbols in the National Capital Region and beyond, now constitute 50 per cent of
the auto industrys passenger car sales. That vehicular exhaust from diesel cars, SUVs and freight
trucks has been identified as one of the major contributors to the alarming levels of particulate
matter in Delhis atmosphere is well-established. The tribunal has asked the Delhi and Central
governments to decide whether a more permanent injunction prohibiting the registration of diesel
vehicles in the NCR would be advisable, given the serious contribution of vehicular pollution to
the citys air quality. Separately, the Supreme Court is set to hear on December 15 an independent
plea to ban diesel vehicles in Delhi. Industry has reacted predictably, terming the move as unfair
and discriminatory, and calling for a more holistic solution, while questioning the overall policy
approach to diesel. With most of them investing to upgrade their technology to meet the
more stringent BS-V (Bharat Stage-V) standards due in 2019, they suggest fleet modernisation to
replace the older commercial transport vehicles, considered an equally major source of polluting
exhaust emissions. Rating agency ICRA expects the share of diesel vehicles in annual auto sales to
decline to 30-35 per cent by 2017 as the price difference between diesel and petrol narrows
further. That may not help much in Delhi, the nations largest urban market for cars and SUVs. By
way of comparison, the U.S. has decided to curb emissions from vehicles by moving towards
higher fuel efficiency standards for new cars, though economists say it may only encourage people
to drive even more. India is pursuing similar goals, but as Volkswagens defeat device to rig
emission tests for diesel vehicles shows, governments arent capable of enforcing such norms
efficiently. In the backdrop of the latest climate change commitments and the toxic air that hangs
over Delhi, it could be an opportune moment for Indian policymakers to use the tools of
behavioural economics to alter peoples commuting preferences. Tax and other fiscal incentives to
shift both freight haulage and public road transportation to cleaner CNG- and LPG-based
technologies is one thing. But its perhaps time to take a bolder step and levy a hefty green tax
on diesel-fuelled private vehicles and SUVs.
Source:The Hindu
1. What was the reason behind the deregulation of disel prices in 2013?
a. diesel vehicles have ubiquitous status symbol.
b. NGT has advised the Delhi and central governments to prohibit the registration of diesel
vehicles.
c. diesel vehicles produce more pollution than petrol
d. both a and b
e. None of these

2. Why Indian policy makers using the tools of behavioural economics?

a. To decrease the level of pollution.
b. To change people's commuting choices.
c. To shift to more clear LPG and CNG technologies.
d.To reduce diesel cars, SUVs and fright trucks.
e. None of the above

3. Which of the following would be the suitable title?

a. Pollution free delhi

b. Get smart on diesel cars
c. Powered vehicles
d. Reducing diesel demand.
e. NGT decision: A big relief

4. According to the passage Which of the following is true?

a. ICRA expects increase in diesel vehicles by 2017.
b. CNG and LPG are contributing in reducing Pollution.
c. Diesel is 22 per cent heaper than petrol.
d. All the above
e. None of the above

5.According to the passage, Which of the following is not true?

a. Industry is investing to upgrade their technology to meet the more stringent BS-V standards by
2017.
b. SUVs are one of the major contributor to particulate matter in delhi's atmosphere.
c. The U.S is moving towards higher fuel efficiency standards for new cars.
d.Both A and C
e. None of these

Directions (6 to 8): Choose the word which is most similar in meaning of the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.

6. Surge
a. decrease
b. alleviate
c. growth
d. assugae
e. decline

7. Exhaust
a. weaken
b. strengthen
c. enable
d. feeble
e. aid

8. Opportune
a. unhappy
b. unsuitable
c. convenient
d. untimely
e.disadvantage

Directions (9 to 10): Choose the word which is most OPPOSITE in meaning of the word
printed in bold as used in the passage.

9. Curb
a. deterrent
b. hindrance
c. freedom
d. stop
e. ledge

10. Stringent
a. amenable
b. infexible
c. acrimonious
d. callous
e.

stiff

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

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e
b
b
c
a
c
a
c
c