19/11/2019

Important Bullet Points for XAT 2020

QS Best Student Cities Ranking 2019

QS Best Student Cities Ranking is compiled by Global Education Consultancy ‘QS Quacquarelli
Symonds’.
Top cities for students are: -
1. London, 2.Tokyo, 3. Melbourne

World’s first negative interest home loan rate

Jyske Bank of Denmark has launched the world’s first negative interest home loan rate where the
interest charge is minus 0.5% a year.
Negative interest rates effectively mean that a bank pays a borrower to take money off their
hands, so they pay back less than they have been loaned.

Order of Zayed to PM Modi

United Arab Emirates will honour Prime Minister Modi with the ‘Order of Zayed’.
The Order of Zayed is the United Arab Emirates’ highest civil decoration.

Indonesia’s New Capital

Indonesian President JokoWidodo has formally proposed to parliament a plan to move the
country’s capital from Jakarta to Borneo.

RuPay in Bhutan

Prime Minister Modi has launched RuPay Card in Bhutan by making a purchase at SimtokhaDzong.

Reserve Bank of India and Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan would integrate the financial
switches of the two countries in order to simplify cross border transactions.
RuPay card scheme was conceived and launched by National Payments Corporation of India on 26
March 2012.

It was created to fulfil the Reserve Bank of India’s vision to have a domestic, open and multilateral
system of payments. RuPay facilitates electronic payment at all Indian banks and financial
institutions.

Amazon’s Largest-ever Campus

Amazon has opened its largest-ever campus in Hyderabad which can accommodate 15000
employees.
Amazon is an American multinational technology company based in Seattle, Washington that
focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It is
considered one of the Big Four technology companies along with Google, Apple, and Facebook.

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Time’s list of world’s Greatest Places 2019

The Statue of Unity in Gujarat and Soho House in Mumbai were featured in Time’s list of world’s
Greatest Places 2019.
Soho House is an 11-storey building that comprises a library, a movie theatre with 34 seats and a
rooftop bar and swimming pool, overlooking the Arabian Sea.

World’s first Floating Nuclear Reactor

AkademikLomonosov is the world’s first floating nuclear power plant is currently being built at the
BaltiyskyZavod shipyard in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Floating nuclear power stations are vessels designed by Rosatom.

They are self-contained, low-capacity, floating nuclear power plants. The stations are to be mass-
produced at shipbuilding facilities and then towed to the destination ports of the cities and towns
experiencing deficit of power due to industrialization.

The King Hamad Order of the Renaissance

PM Modi was conferred ‘The King Hamad Order of the Renaissance’ by the King of Bahrain.

NarendraModi launches RuPay card in UAE

Prime Minister of India NarendraModi has launched the RuPay card, making the UAE the first
country in the Middle East to initiate the Indian indigenous system of electronic payment. RuPay
card scheme was launched in 2012 to fulfil the Reserve Bank of India's vision to have a domestic,
open and multilateral system of payments.
RuPay facilitates electronic payment at all Indian banks and financial institutions. India has already
launched the RuPay card in Singapore and Bhutan.

45th G7 Summit begins in Biarritz, France

The Group of 7 or the G7 Summit has begun in Biarritz, France. It is an informal meeting
between France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada as well
as the European Union. These world powers, which represent 50% of the global economy, also
share the values of freedom and democracy, as well as a collective ambition to deal with the
world’s major issues.

India has been invited as a special guest in the summit. PM NarendraModi will address sessions on
the environment, climate, oceans and digital transformation at the G7 Summit.

State-run oil refiner Indian Oil Corporation Ltd will set up a 1 Giga Watt (GW) plant to make
batteries used for running electric vehicles (EVs) in partnership with an overseas start-up using a
non-lithium ion raw material. The move fits well with the government's strategy to facilitate the
adoption of EVs in the country's energy basket, and cut the fuel import bill. It also supports a key
element of the EVs’ industry batteries and their recharge.

Anshula Kant of India has been appointed as MD and CFO of World Bank.

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The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides interest-free loans and grants
to the governments of poorer countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.
Headquarters: Washington DC.

Boris Johnson appointed as Britain’s next prime minister

Boris Johnson replaced Theresa May as Britain’s next Prime Minister.

Boris Johnson, who was the face of the 2016 Brexit referendum, won the votes of
92,153members of the Conservative party. Queen Elizabeth will formally appoint Johnson before
he will enter Downing Street.

Economic Survey of India 2019

Chief Economic Adviser Krishnamurthy Subramanian presented Economic Survey 2018-19 which
was guided by ‘Blue Sky Thinking’.
India’s GDP to grow at 7.0% in 2019-20.
Fiscal Deficit: - 3.40%
Theme: ‘To enable Shifting Gears to accelerate and sustain a real GDP growth rate of 8% and
thereby achieve the vision of $5 trillion economy’.
Blue-sky thinking (uncountable) (idiomatic): Thinking that is not grounded or in touch with the
realities of the present. Open-minded thinking.

Apple’s New Acquisition

Apple Inc. has acquired Intel’s Smartphone Modem Business for $1 billion.
Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company
headquartered in Santa Clara, California, in the Silicon Valley.

Fortune Global 500 list

1. Walmart: USA Retail Giant

2. Sinopec Group: Chinese state-owned Oil and Gas Company
3. Royal Dutch Shell: Dutch Company

Reliance Industries Ltd has become highest-ranked Indian company on Fortune Global 500 list at
106th position.
The Fortune Global 500, also known as Global 500, is an annual ranking of the top 500 corporations
worldwide as measured by revenue and the list is compiled and published annually by Fortune
magazine.

Reebok’s New Brand Ambassador

Reebok has signed Katrina Kaif and VarunDhawan as its new brand ambassadors in India.
Reebok is an English footwear and apparel company, subsidiary of German sports giant Adidas
since 2005.

Henley Passport Index 2019

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The Indian Passport was ranked 86th with a mobility score of 58.
1. Japan and Singapore
2. South Korea, Germany and Finland
3. Denmark, Italy and Luxembourg

First Indian firm to be granted USA patent

Quick Heal Technologies has become First Indian firm to be granted USA patent for an anti-
ransomware technology.
Quick Heal Technologies Ltd is an IT security solutions provider headquartered in Pune, India. The
company was formerly known as CAT Computer Services Ltd and was started as a computer service
center in 1995. The company was renamed as Quick Heal Technologies Pvt. Ltd. in 2007.

India’s 100 Most Valuable Brand 2019 List

Brand Finance has released India’s 100 Most Valuable Brand 2019 List.
1. Tata, 2. LIC, 3.Infosys, 4.SBI, 5. Mahindra Group, 6. HDFC

Asian Development Bank’s GDP Prediction for India

ADB has cut India’s GDP Growth Rate from 7.2% to 7.0% for FY20.
The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966,
which is headquartered in the OrtigasCenter located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila,
Philippines.

Ebix acquires Yatra Online

USA based Ebix has acquired travel portal Yatra Online for $337.8 million.
Yatra.com is an Indian online travel agency and travel search engine. It is based in Gurugram,
Haryana. It was founded by DhruvShringi, Manish Amin and Sabina Chopra in August 2006.

Internet Saathi’ Programme

‘Internet Saathi’ is an initiative of Google India and Tata Trusts which is aimed at facilitating digital
literacy among women in rural India.
It will be expanded to villages in Punjab and Odisha.
Chief of ‘Internet Saathi’ Google India: NehaBarjatya.

Aditya Birla Payments Bank

Aditya Birla Payments Bank has announced the shutting down of its operation. Aditya Birla
Payments Bank is a joint venture between Grasim and Vodafone Idea.

India’s Growth Forecast by IMF

According to IMF, India’s GDP growth is expected to grow by 7% in 2019-20 and 7.2% in 2020-21.
The International Monetary Fund, also known as the Fund, is an international organization
headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 189 countries working to foster global monetary

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cooperation.

Google’s New Acquisition

Google has acquired Israeli-US cloud storage start up ‘Elastifile’ for around $200 million.
StartupElastifile will join Google Cloud post-acquisition.

IBM acquired American software company Red Hat Inc

International Business Machines Corp acquired a software company Red Hat Inc in $34 billion for
the ramp-up its cloud computing business. This is the company’s biggest acquisition in its more
than 100-year.

GST rate on electric vehicles

GST Council has decided to reduce GST rate on Electric Vehicles to 5% from August 1.
This follows government announcing ₹1.5-lakh income tax deduction on loan interest for
purchasing Electric Vehicles.

Microsoft acquires data privacy & governance startupBlueTalon

Microsoft has acquired data privacy, governance service firm BlueTalon. BlueTalon helps
enterprises set policies for how their employees can access their data. BlueTalon works with
leading Fortune 100 companies to eliminate data security blind spots and gain visibility and control
of data.

Deposits in Jan DhanYojana accounts crosses Rs 1 lakh crore

Deposits in bank accounts opened under Jan Dhan scheme have crossed the Rs 1 lakh crore mark.
As per the latest finance ministry data, the total balance in over 36.06 crorePradhanMantri Jan
DhanYojana accounts was at Rs 1,00,495.94crore as on July 3.
The PMJDY was launched on August 28, 2014, with an aim to provide universal access to banking
facilities to the people in the country.

UJALA scheme

Over 35 crore LED bulbs will be distributed under UJALA scheme.

UJALA: - UnnatJeevan by Affordable LEDs and Appliances for All.
RK Singh has been appointed as Minister of Power in Prime Minister NarendraModi’s cabinet.
UnnatJyoti by Affordable LEDs and Appliances for All, also known as UnnatJyoti by Affordable LEDs
for All, was launched by Prime Minister of India NarendraModi on 1 May 2015, replacing the
“Bachat Lamp Yojana”. The project is spearheaded by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited.

Tiger Census 2018

Total number of tigers in India: 2967

Top 3 states: Madhya Pradesh (526), Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand (442)
States covered: 20
Tiger reserves where no tigers were sighted: Buxa, Palamu and Dampa

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RTI Amendment Bill 2019

Important amendments to Right to Information Act, 2005

Term of the Information Commissioners: The term of the Chief Information Commissioner and
Information Commissioners at the Central and State level was 5 years as per the act. After the
amendment, the Central Govt will notify the term of the office for CIC and IC.

Salary: The salary of the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners at the
Central and State level was equivalent to the Chief Election Commissioner and Election
Commissioners. After the amendment, the Central Govt will determine the salaries, allowances
and other terms and conditions of service of CIC and IC.

PM NarendraModi with ‘Man vs Wild’

PM Modi featured in an episode of ‘Man vs Wild’ along with show’s host Bear Grylls.
Michael Grylls OBE, better known as Bear Grylls, is a British former SAS serviceman, survival
instructor, and honorary lieutenant-colonel, and, outside his military career, an adventurer, writer,
television presenter and businessman. Host Bear Grylls tackles extreme challenges and navigates
through remote locations around the world, sharing invaluable survival strategies along the way.

Launch of Chandrayaan-2

Launch date and time: 22 July 2019 1443 hours

Launched from: SatishDhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota
Launch vehicle: GSLV MkIII-M1

Points to remember:
Chandrayaan-2 injected into space after 16 minutes 14 seconds after lift-off Weight of
Chandrayaan-2 is 3840 kg.

The spacecraft has an elliptical orbit with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 169.7 km and an
apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 45,475 km.

Chandrayaan-2 is India's second mission to the moon. The first was launched in 2008.

Chandrayaan-2 comprises a fully indigenous Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan). The
Rover Pragyan is housed inside Vikram lander.

It is expected to soft land in the South polar region of the Moon on September 7, 2019.

The life of Orbiter is one year, while the Rover will carry out experiments for 1 lunar day (14 earth
days).

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India will become the 4th country to make a soft landing on the moon.
STRIDE Scheme

University Grants Commission has approved a ‘Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India’s
Developing Economy’ to boost research culture.
Chairman of Advisory Committee: - BhushanPatwardhan.
Aim: - Identification of young talent, strengthen research culture, build capacity, promote
innovation and support trans disciplinary research.

Jaipur City as UNESCO World Heritage Site

Jaipur City has been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site.
With this, India now has 38 World Heritage Sites that include 30 Cultural Sites, 7 Natural and 1
mixed site.
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area which is selected by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as having cultural, historical, scientific or other form
of significance, and is legally protected by international treaties.

PradhanMantriLaghuVyapariMaan-DhanYojana
PradhanMantriLaghuVyapariMaan-DhanYojana was launched by the Union labour and
Employment ministry for retailers and small traders.
A minimum monthly pension of Rs 3000/month to small shopkeepers, retail traders, and the self-
employed people aged between 18-40 years after they attain 60 years of age.
It is an extension of PradhanMantriShram Yogi Maan-dhan.

Kaiga Atomic Energy station

Kaiga Atomic Energy station, Karnataka set a World Record in continuous operation of 962 days by
Unit-1 of Kaiga Generating Station.
Kaiga Generating Station is a nuclear power generating station situated at Kaiga, near the river Kali,
in Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka, India.
The plant has been in operation since March 2000 and is operated by the Nuclear Power
Corporation of India. It has four units.

Rooftop Solar Installation

Gujarat ranked on top in installation of rooftop solar projects with an installed capacity of 261.97
megawatts.
2. Maharashtra, 3. Tamil Nadu

India’s Targets to be achieved

To generate Renewable Energy: 175 GW by: 2022

To generate Solar Power: 100 GW by: 2022
Doubling Income of Farmers: 2022
Housing for All: 2022
Eradication of Malaria: 2030
Eradication of TB: 2025
NalJal Scheme: Piped water to every house: 2024

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Longest electrified railway tunnel in India

South Central Railway has commissioned the longest electrified tunnel in India.
It is between Cherlopalli (Andhra Pradesh) and Rapuru (Andhra Pradesh) stations is 6.6 km long

COP-14 of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

India will be hosting 14th session of Conference of Parties of United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification for the first time.
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious
Drought and/or Desertification,
Particularly in Africa (UNCCD) is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of
drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies supported by
international cooperation and partnership arrangements.
COP 14: New Delhi (India), 2 to 13 September 2019.

Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting

The Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting was held in Caracas, Venezuela.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin represented India in
the meeting.
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is an international organization (group of countries) who do
not want to be officially aligned (friends) with or against any major power bloc (group of
countries).
In 2018, the movement had 125 members and 25 observer countries. The group was started in
Belgrade in 1961.

Sri Lanka eliminates measles

Sri Lanka has become the fifth country in the World Health Organisation (WHO) Southeast Asia
region to eliminate measles.
The other countries in the region which have achieved this feat are Bhutan, Maldives, DPR Korea
and Timor-Leste.