December 2015 general_awareness_issue
GyanmCollege
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About This Presentation
December 2015 general_awareness_issue
Slide Content
GYANM’S GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 1
Story of NOBEL PRIZES
ALFRED NOBEL, a famous scientist, inventor, businessman
and founder of the Nobel Prizes was born on October 21,
1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. He died in San Remo, Italy on
December 10, 1896.
In his last will and testament, he wrote that much
of his fortune should be used to give prizes to those who
have done their best for humanity in the field of physics,
chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace.
Not everybody was pleased with this. His will was opposed
by his relatives and questioned by authorities in various
countries. It took four years for his executors to convince
all parties to follow Alfred's wishes.
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901 in Physics,
Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace.
In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden's central bank)
established the Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of
Alfred Nobel.
The prizes are decided by the various Swedish
Academies and announced every year in October and
presented at Stockholm, Sweden on the Nobel’s death
anniversary – December 10. However, the Peace Prize is
presented at Oslo, Norway as the same is decided by an
expert committee of Parliament of Norway.
The Nobel Prize amount for 2014 is set at Swedish
Kronor 8.0 million (USD 1.25 million) for full Nobel Prize.
PRIZE FIELD PRIZE DECIDED BY WINNER OF 2015 SELECTED WORK
Physiology
or Medicine
The Nobel Assembly
at Karolinska
Institute, Stockholm
1) William Campbell
(Ireland) and Satoshi Omura
(Japan),
2) Youyou Tu of China,
1) For discovering a new drug to treat infections caused
by roundworm parasites.
2) For use of traditional herbal medicine to find a new
kind of anti malarial agent
Physics
The Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences
Takaaki Kajita of Japan and
Arthur McDonald of Canada
For discovering that elusive subatomic particles called
neutrinos have mass, opening a new window onto the
fundamental nature of the universe
Chemistry
The Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences
Tomas Lindahl(Sweden),
Paul Modrich(USA) and Aziz
Sancar (Turkey)
For working out how cells repair damaged DNA,
providing new ammunition in the war on cancer
Literature
The Swedish
Academy
Svetlana Alexievich of
Belarus
For her portrayal of life of women in the former Soviet
Union
Peace
The Norwegian
Nobel Committee
Tunisia's National Dialogue
Quartet
For their efforts to establish democracy in the country
after the 2011 Jasmine Revolution, that unleashed the
Arab Spring
Economics
The Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences
Angus Deaton, Britain For his work on consumption, poverty and welfare that
has helped governments to improve policy through
tools such as household surveys and tax changes
INDIAN NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS
Rabindranath Tagore Literature in 1913 For his collection of poems “Geetanjali”.
Sir C.V. Raman Physics in 1930 For his “Raman Effect” related to light.
Mother Teresa Peace in 1979 For her service to people suffering from Leprosy
and to those dying in destitute, through her
Charitable Mission “Nirmal Hriday” at Calcutta
Dr. Subramanian Chandrashekar Physics in 1983 For his theory on white dwarf stars’ limitation
known as ‘Chandrasekhar Limit’.
Dr. Amartya Sen Economics in 1998 For his work in Economic Theory related to
Poverty, Democracy, Development and Social
Welfare.
Kailash Satyarthi (Jointly with Malala
Yousafzai)
Peace Prize in 2014 For his work for the freedom of children working
as labourer in various factories / units.
Story of NOBEL PRIZES
ALFRED NOBEL, a famous scientist, inventor, businessman
and founder of the Nobel Prizes was born on October 21,
1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. He died in San Remo, Italy on
December 10, 1896.
In his last will and testament, he wrote that much
of his fortune should be used to give prizes to those who
have done their best for humanity in the field of physics,
chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace.
Not everybody was pleased with this. His will was opposed
by his relatives and questioned by authorities in various
countries. It took four years for his executors to convince
all parties to follow Alfred's wishes.
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901 in Physics,
Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace.
In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden's central bank)
established the Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of
Alfred Nobel.
The prizes are decided by the various Swedish
Academies and announced every year in October and
presented at Stockholm, Sweden on the Nobel’s death
anniversary – December 10. However, the Peace Prize is
presented at Oslo, Norway as the same is decided by an
expert committee of Parliament of Norway.
The Nobel Prize amount for 2014 is set at Swedish
Kronor 8.0 million (USD 1.25 million) for full Nobel Prize.
PRIZE FIELD PRIZE DECIDED BY WINNER OF 2015 SELECTED WORK
Physiology
or Medicine
The Nobel Assembly
at Karolinska
Institute, Stockholm
1) William Campbell
(Ireland) and Satoshi Omura
(Japan),
2) Youyou Tu of China,
1) For discovering a new drug to treat infections caused
by roundworm parasites.
2) For use of traditional herbal medicine to find a new
kind of anti malarial agent
Physics
The Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences
Takaaki Kajita of Japan and
Arthur McDonald of Canada
For discovering that elusive subatomic particles called
neutrinos have mass, opening a new window onto the
fundamental nature of the universe
Chemistry
The Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences
Tomas Lindahl(Sweden),
Paul Modrich(USA) and Aziz
Sancar (Turkey)
For working out how cells repair damaged DNA,
providing new ammunition in the war on cancer
Literature
The Swedish
Academy
Svetlana Alexievich of
Belarus
For her portrayal of life of women in the former Soviet
Union
Peace
The Norwegian
Nobel Committee
Tunisia's National Dialogue
Quartet
For their efforts to establish democracy in the country
after the 2011 Jasmine Revolution, that unleashed the
Arab Spring
Economics
The Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences
Angus Deaton, Britain For his work on consumption, poverty and welfare that
has helped governments to improve policy through
tools such as household surveys and tax changes
INDIAN NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS
Rabindranath Tagore Literature in 1913 For his collection of poems “Geetanjali”.
Sir C.V. Raman Physics in 1930 For his “Raman Effect” related to light.
Mother Teresa Peace in 1979 For her service to people suffering from Leprosy
and to those dying in destitute, through her
Charitable Mission “Nirmal Hriday” at Calcutta
Dr. Subramanian Chandrashekar Physics in 1983 For his theory on white dwarf stars’ limitation
known as ‘Chandrasekhar Limit’.
Dr. Amartya Sen Economics in 1998 For his work in Economic Theory related to
Poverty, Democracy, Development and Social
Welfare.
Kailash Satyarthi (Jointly with Malala
Yousafzai)
Peace Prize in 2014 For his work for the freedom of children working
as labourer in various factories / units.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 2
GENERAL AWARENESS
DECEMBER 2015
Vol. 4, Issue 06
A PUBLICATION OF GYANM EDUCATION &
TRAINING INSTITUTE PVT. LTD.
SCO 13-14-15, 2
ND FLOOR, SEC 34-A, CHANDIGARH
Contents
CURRENT AFFAIRS
AUGUST TO OCTOBER 2015
01-34
BULLET NEWS
MAY TO JULY 2015
35-52
PUNJAB MUNICIPAL ACT 53-60
SSC CORNER 61-68
LATEST 100 GK MCQs 69-75
6 MONTHS GK BYTES 76-100
FIGURES TO REMEMBER
REPO RATE (29.09.2015) 6.75%
REVERSE REPO RATE 5.75%
MARGINAL STANDING
FACILITY RATE
7.75%
STATUTORY LIQUIDITY RATIO 21.5%
CASH RESERVE RATIO 4.00%
BANK RATE 7.75%
BASE RATE(s)
(of various banks)
9.30 to
9.70%
INDIA’S RANK IN
Ease of Doing Business (World Bank) 130
th
Number of Startups 03
rd
Global Competitiveness Index, WEF 55
th
Protection of Minority Investors 08
th
Global Innovation Index 81
st
Global Competitiveness 44
th
In terms of Peace 143
rd
Motherhood Index 140
th
Environmental Democracy Index 24
th
Human Capital Index 100
th
Global Resilience Index 119
th
Global E-Waste Monitor 5
th
World Happiness Report 117
th
Global Networked Readiness 89
th
Social Progress Index 101
st
Open Government Index 2015 37
th
Press Freedom Index 2015 136
th
Talent Competitiveness 78
th
Travel and Tourism Index 65
th
NATIONAL NEWS
OCTOBER 2015
INDIA TOPS IN GLOBAL ENERGY LISTINGS
India has emerged as the country with the best representation on the
2015 Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings. The top three Indian
companies in the list are Reliance Industries-14
th, ONGC-17
th and Coal India-
38
th.
THE 3RD INDIA-AFRICA FORUM SUMMIT
This summit was held in New Delhi from Oct 26 to 29. Heads of States and
Representatives of all 54 African countries participated in it. India also
announced a $ 10 billion Line of Credit at a concessional rate for Africa for a
period of five years for development related and capacity building projects.
‘DOORDARSHAN’ IS MOST VIEWED CHANNEL
As per the All India viewership data released by the Broadcast Audience
Research Council, public broadcaster Doordarshan has emerged as the most
watched Hindi channel in terms of time spent per viewer, ahead of top General
Entertainment Channels.
INDIA 130
TH IN ‘EASE OF DOING BUSINESS’
India has improved its position to
130 from 142 in 2015 in the World
Bank's 2016 rankings in terms of
ease of doing business.
Improvement in two indicators,
'starting a business and getting
electricity' pushed India up the
ladder. However, it still takes 29
days and over 12 procedures to
begin a new venture in India.
Singapore claimed the top rank.
1.85 LAC MILLIONAIRES IN INDIA
Global Wealth Report by The Credit Suisse Research Institute shows that only
3% of India's adult population falls into the middle class wealth band and the
number of millionaires, persons with surplus of one million dollar or more,
stands at 185,000.
GENERAL AWARENESS
DECEMBER 2015
Vol. 4, Issue 06
A PUBLICATION OF GYANM EDUCATION &
TRAINING INSTITUTE PVT. LTD.
SCO 13-14-15, 2
ND FLOOR, SEC 34-A, CHANDIGARH
Contents
CURRENT AFFAIRS
AUGUST TO OCTOBER 2015
01-34
BULLET NEWS
MAY TO JULY 2015
35-52
PUNJAB MUNICIPAL ACT 53-60
SSC CORNER 61-68
LATEST 100 GK MCQs 69-75
6 MONTHS GK BYTES 76-100
FIGURES TO REMEMBER
REPO RATE (29.09.2015) 6.75%
REVERSE REPO RATE 5.75%
MARGINAL STANDING
FACILITY RATE
7.75%
STATUTORY LIQUIDITY RATIO 21.5%
CASH RESERVE RATIO 4.00%
BANK RATE 7.75%
BASE RATE(s)
(of various banks)
9.30 to
9.70%
INDIA’S RANK IN
Ease of Doing Business (World Bank) 130
th
Number of Startups 03
rd
Global Competitiveness Index, WEF 55
th
Protection of Minority Investors 08
th
Global Innovation Index 81
st
Global Competitiveness 44
th
In terms of Peace 143
rd
Motherhood Index 140
th
Environmental Democracy Index 24
th
Human Capital Index 100
th
Global Resilience Index 119
th
Global E-Waste Monitor 5
th
World Happiness Report 117
th
Global Networked Readiness 89
th
Social Progress Index 101
st
Open Government Index 2015 37
th
Press Freedom Index 2015 136
th
Talent Competitiveness 78
th
Travel and Tourism Index 65
th
NATIONAL NEWS
OCTOBER 2015
INDIA TOPS IN GLOBAL ENERGY LISTINGS
India has emerged as the country with the best representation on the
2015 Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings. The top three Indian
companies in the list are Reliance Industries-14
th, ONGC-17
th and Coal India-
38
th.
THE 3RD INDIA-AFRICA FORUM SUMMIT
This summit was held in New Delhi from Oct 26 to 29. Heads of States and
Representatives of all 54 African countries participated in it. India also
announced a $ 10 billion Line of Credit at a concessional rate for Africa for a
period of five years for development related and capacity building projects.
‘DOORDARSHAN’ IS MOST VIEWED CHANNEL
As per the All India viewership data released by the Broadcast Audience
Research Council, public broadcaster Doordarshan has emerged as the most
watched Hindi channel in terms of time spent per viewer, ahead of top General
Entertainment Channels.
INDIA 130
TH IN ‘EASE OF DOING BUSINESS’
India has improved its position to
130 from 142 in 2015 in the World
Bank's 2016 rankings in terms of
ease of doing business.
Improvement in two indicators,
'starting a business and getting
electricity' pushed India up the
ladder. However, it still takes 29
days and over 12 procedures to
begin a new venture in India.
Singapore claimed the top rank.
1.85 LAC MILLIONAIRES IN INDIA
Global Wealth Report by The Credit Suisse Research Institute shows that only
3% of India's adult population falls into the middle class wealth band and the
number of millionaires, persons with surplus of one million dollar or more,
stands at 185,000.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 3
INDIA RANKS 3
RD IN NUMBER OF STARTUPS
India has emerged as the youngest startup nation in the
world where over 72 per cent of founders are less than
35 years old. With the presence of more than 4,200
startups, the country has also become the third largest
startup base, after the U.S. and the U.K.
PRESIDENT VISITS MIDDLE EAST
President Pranab Mukherjee made a six-day visit to
Jordan, Palestine and Israel from Oct 10 to15. He
became the first Indian President to visit Israel and
address their Parliament Knesset.
In Palestine he met President Mahmoud
Abbas and offered him a cheque for $ 5 million as
budgetary support. India also committed $17.79 million
for five projects in the Palestinian territory.
INDIA TO HOST 2018 G20 SUMMIT
The prestigious annual summit of Heads of G20 nations
for 2018 will be hosted by India in New Delhi. The 2016
summit will be hosted by China and the 2017 summit
will be hosted by Germany.
The G20 operates as a forum and not as an organisation.
Therefore, it does not have any permanent secretariat or
management and administrative structure. One of the
G20 countries is selected to hold the Chair in rotation, also
known as ‘G20 Presidency’.
INDIA RANKS 55
TH IN COMPETITIVENESS
India has moved up 16 positions, from 71
st in 2014 to
55
th place on the Global Competitiveness Index 2015-16
compiled by the World Economic Forum for the world’s
most competitive economies. Switzerland tops the index
for the 7
th year.
INDIA RANKED 8
TH FOR MINORITY INVESTORS
When it comes to protection of minority investors, India
ranks 8
th, ahead of many developed economies including
the US, Germany and Japan, as per a study conducted by
the World Bank. It reflects the reforms carried out by
the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and
the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in Capital market.
S C ALLOWS LIMITED USE OF ‘AADHAAR’
The Supreme Court has allowed the use of Aadhaar
cards for all central and state schemes, including
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act (MNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and
employee provident fund and pension schemes, on
voluntary basis.
NJAC ACT HELD NULL & VOID BY S C
The Supreme Court has rejected the National Judicial
Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act and the 99th
Constitutional Amendment which sought to give
politicians and civil society a final say in the
appointment of judges to the highest courts. It held that
the collegium system, as it existed before the NJAC,
would again become “operative.”
GERMAN CHANCELLOR VISITS INDIA
Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, came to New Delhi
on an official visit to take part in the third Inter-
Governmental Consultations (IGC) between India and
Germany. 18 important MoUs were signed between the
two countries during the visit.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Conference
2016 will be held in New Delhi from 8 to 10 January,
2016.
The 19th International Children's Film Festival, India
is to be held in Hyderabad from November 14-20
India and France signed a MoU to conserve, develop
and publicize written heritage at the National
Library in Kolkata.
The Environment Ministry has approved annual plans
for Kerala, Mizoram, Manipur and Jharkhand under
the National Mission for a Green India (GIM).
Portugal became the first European and 17
th overall
country to sign the MoU on the establishment of
Nalanda University in Bihar.
The Union Cabinet has approved Double Taxation
Avoidance Agreement with Israel and Vietnam.
India signed Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement
with Israel.
INDIA RANKS 3
RD IN NUMBER OF STARTUPS
India has emerged as the youngest startup nation in the
world where over 72 per cent of founders are less than
35 years old. With the presence of more than 4,200
startups, the country has also become the third largest
startup base, after the U.S. and the U.K.
PRESIDENT VISITS MIDDLE EAST
President Pranab Mukherjee made a six-day visit to
Jordan, Palestine and Israel from Oct 10 to15. He
became the first Indian President to visit Israel and
address their Parliament Knesset.
In Palestine he met President Mahmoud
Abbas and offered him a cheque for $ 5 million as
budgetary support. India also committed $17.79 million
for five projects in the Palestinian territory.
INDIA TO HOST 2018 G20 SUMMIT
The prestigious annual summit of Heads of G20 nations
for 2018 will be hosted by India in New Delhi. The 2016
summit will be hosted by China and the 2017 summit
will be hosted by Germany.
The G20 operates as a forum and not as an organisation.
Therefore, it does not have any permanent secretariat or
management and administrative structure. One of the
G20 countries is selected to hold the Chair in rotation, also
known as ‘G20 Presidency’.
INDIA RANKS 55
TH IN COMPETITIVENESS
India has moved up 16 positions, from 71
st in 2014 to
55
th place on the Global Competitiveness Index 2015-16
compiled by the World Economic Forum for the world’s
most competitive economies. Switzerland tops the index
for the 7
th year.
INDIA RANKED 8
TH FOR MINORITY INVESTORS
When it comes to protection of minority investors, India
ranks 8
th, ahead of many developed economies including
the US, Germany and Japan, as per a study conducted by
the World Bank. It reflects the reforms carried out by
the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and
the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in Capital market.
S C ALLOWS LIMITED USE OF ‘AADHAAR’
The Supreme Court has allowed the use of Aadhaar
cards for all central and state schemes, including
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act (MNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and
employee provident fund and pension schemes, on
voluntary basis.
NJAC ACT HELD NULL & VOID BY S C
The Supreme Court has rejected the National Judicial
Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act and the 99th
Constitutional Amendment which sought to give
politicians and civil society a final say in the
appointment of judges to the highest courts. It held that
the collegium system, as it existed before the NJAC,
would again become “operative.”
GERMAN CHANCELLOR VISITS INDIA
Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, came to New Delhi
on an official visit to take part in the third Inter-
Governmental Consultations (IGC) between India and
Germany. 18 important MoUs were signed between the
two countries during the visit.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Conference
2016 will be held in New Delhi from 8 to 10 January,
2016.
The 19th International Children's Film Festival, India
is to be held in Hyderabad from November 14-20
India and France signed a MoU to conserve, develop
and publicize written heritage at the National
Library in Kolkata.
The Environment Ministry has approved annual plans
for Kerala, Mizoram, Manipur and Jharkhand under
the National Mission for a Green India (GIM).
Portugal became the first European and 17
th overall
country to sign the MoU on the establishment of
Nalanda University in Bihar.
The Union Cabinet has approved Double Taxation
Avoidance Agreement with Israel and Vietnam.
India signed Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement
with Israel.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 4
SEPTEMBER 2015
INDIA 11
TH IN TERMS OF ‘SUPERRICH’
The “World Wealth Report 2015”, released by
Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management, showed that
there were 1.98 lakh High Net worth Individuals
(HNWIs) in India in 2014, placing the country at 11
th
rank in the world. The US topped the list with 43.51 lakh
millionaires, followed by Japan-24.52 lakh.
The report defines HNWIs as those having investable
assets of $1 million (Rs 6.5 crore) or more, excluding
primary residence, collectibles, consumables, and
consumer durables.
2 INDIAN UNIVERSITIES IN TOP 200
Only two of the Indian universities, The Indian Institute
of Science, Bangalore and the Indian Institute of
Technology, Delhi (IIT-D) have been placed 147 and 179
respectively in the Quacquarelli Symonds’ list of top 200
universities for 2015-16, which has the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard at the top
two positions.
INDIA RANKS 81
ST IN INNOVATION
India's ranking has slipped further down to 81 in the list
of Global Innovation Index, compared to 76 in 2014, on
account of factors like consistently poor performance in
ease of doing business, slow pace of policy decision-
making and changing political environment. The index
is compiled for 141 countries by Cornell University,
INSEAD France and World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO).
9
TH RPB DIWAS TO BE HELD IN LOS ANGELES
The Government of India will be organizing the 9th
Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (RPBD) at Los
Angeles, California, USA on the 14th and 15th November
2015. This year’s theme will be – “The Indian Diaspora:
Defining a New Paradigm in India-US Relationship”.
JOINT MEET OF INDIA AND BELARUS
The seventh session of India -Belarus Inter-
governmental Commission on Trade, Economic,
Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation was
held on 7 September 2015 in Minsk, capital of Belarus.
The two countries agreed to increase bilateral trade to $
one billion by 2018, from the present level of $ 400
million.
FIRST EVER LEOPARD CENSUS
The first ever count of India's leopards, has put the
spotted cat population at 7,910 in and around tiger
habitats across the country, except the northeast.
Madhya Pradesh leads with around 1,817 leopards,
followed by Karnataka (1,129).
SAARC MEET ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT
A two day Disaster Mitigation conference of SAARC
nations was held in New Delhi on September 3-4 to
chalk out and undertake various joint efforts on various
issues related to disaster mapping and mitigation in the
member nations.
GOVT GETS AMBEDKAR’s HOUSE
Maharashtra govt has acquired the house at 10 King
Henry's Road, in northwest London where Dalit icon
and architect of Indian Constitution Dr B R Ambedkar
lived in 1921-22 when he was studying at London
School of Economics. The house will be turned into an
educational and cultural centre.
UIDAI SHIFTED TO I T MINISTRY
Government has decided to shift the administrative
control of the Unique Identification Authority of India
(UIDAI), which issues Aadhaar cards, from Niti Aayog
(erstwhile Planning Commission) to the Ministry of
Communication and Information Technology with a
view to make it integral part of Ministry’s Digital India
programme.
Prime Minister Modi addressed the Sustainable
Development Summit at the UN Headquarters in New
York on Sep 25.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Dublin,
capital of Ireland on Sep 23 to have bilateral talks
with his Irish P M Endy Kenny.
National award-winning Marathi film, 'Court' has
been selected to officially represent India at the 88th
Oscars next year in the Best Foreign Film category.
Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari had a
four-day visit to the South East Asian countries of
Cambodia and Laos.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
arrived in New Delhi on Sep 14 to have delegation
level talks on various important bilateral issues.
A two day Hindu-Buddhist Conference was held at
Bodhgaya, Bihar on Sep 5-6.
All India Radio released the digital version of the
grand epic Ramcharitmanas as a set of digital CDs
produced by its old recordings.
India and Indonesia have signed a treaty for
repatriation of wanted prisoners and cooperate in all
criminal matters.
The three-day Vishwa Hindi Sammelan (World
Hindi Conference) was held in Bhopal, Madhya
Pradesh, Sept. 10-12.
SEPTEMBER 2015
INDIA 11
TH IN TERMS OF ‘SUPERRICH’
The “World Wealth Report 2015”, released by
Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management, showed that
there were 1.98 lakh High Net worth Individuals
(HNWIs) in India in 2014, placing the country at 11
th
rank in the world. The US topped the list with 43.51 lakh
millionaires, followed by Japan-24.52 lakh.
The report defines HNWIs as those having investable
assets of $1 million (Rs 6.5 crore) or more, excluding
primary residence, collectibles, consumables, and
consumer durables.
2 INDIAN UNIVERSITIES IN TOP 200
Only two of the Indian universities, The Indian Institute
of Science, Bangalore and the Indian Institute of
Technology, Delhi (IIT-D) have been placed 147 and 179
respectively in the Quacquarelli Symonds’ list of top 200
universities for 2015-16, which has the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard at the top
two positions.
INDIA RANKS 81
ST IN INNOVATION
India's ranking has slipped further down to 81 in the list
of Global Innovation Index, compared to 76 in 2014, on
account of factors like consistently poor performance in
ease of doing business, slow pace of policy decision-
making and changing political environment. The index
is compiled for 141 countries by Cornell University,
INSEAD France and World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO).
9
TH RPB DIWAS TO BE HELD IN LOS ANGELES
The Government of India will be organizing the 9th
Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (RPBD) at Los
Angeles, California, USA on the 14th and 15th November
2015. This year’s theme will be – “The Indian Diaspora:
Defining a New Paradigm in India-US Relationship”.
JOINT MEET OF INDIA AND BELARUS
The seventh session of India -Belarus Inter-
governmental Commission on Trade, Economic,
Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation was
held on 7 September 2015 in Minsk, capital of Belarus.
The two countries agreed to increase bilateral trade to $
one billion by 2018, from the present level of $ 400
million.
FIRST EVER LEOPARD CENSUS
The first ever count of India's leopards, has put the
spotted cat population at 7,910 in and around tiger
habitats across the country, except the northeast.
Madhya Pradesh leads with around 1,817 leopards,
followed by Karnataka (1,129).
SAARC MEET ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT
A two day Disaster Mitigation conference of SAARC
nations was held in New Delhi on September 3-4 to
chalk out and undertake various joint efforts on various
issues related to disaster mapping and mitigation in the
member nations.
GOVT GETS AMBEDKAR’s HOUSE
Maharashtra govt has acquired the house at 10 King
Henry's Road, in northwest London where Dalit icon
and architect of Indian Constitution Dr B R Ambedkar
lived in 1921-22 when he was studying at London
School of Economics. The house will be turned into an
educational and cultural centre.
UIDAI SHIFTED TO I T MINISTRY
Government has decided to shift the administrative
control of the Unique Identification Authority of India
(UIDAI), which issues Aadhaar cards, from Niti Aayog
(erstwhile Planning Commission) to the Ministry of
Communication and Information Technology with a
view to make it integral part of Ministry’s Digital India
programme.
Prime Minister Modi addressed the Sustainable
Development Summit at the UN Headquarters in New
York on Sep 25.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Dublin,
capital of Ireland on Sep 23 to have bilateral talks
with his Irish P M Endy Kenny.
National award-winning Marathi film, 'Court' has
been selected to officially represent India at the 88th
Oscars next year in the Best Foreign Film category.
Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari had a
four-day visit to the South East Asian countries of
Cambodia and Laos.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
arrived in New Delhi on Sep 14 to have delegation
level talks on various important bilateral issues.
A two day Hindu-Buddhist Conference was held at
Bodhgaya, Bihar on Sep 5-6.
All India Radio released the digital version of the
grand epic Ramcharitmanas as a set of digital CDs
produced by its old recordings.
India and Indonesia have signed a treaty for
repatriation of wanted prisoners and cooperate in all
criminal matters.
The three-day Vishwa Hindi Sammelan (World
Hindi Conference) was held in Bhopal, Madhya
Pradesh, Sept. 10-12.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 5
AUGUST 2015
CENSUS 2011 RELIGIOUS DATA RELEASED
Census 2011 data released on August 25 shows that the
proportion of Muslim community has registered a
moderate 0.8 per cent growth from 2001 to 2011 to
reach 14.23 per cent, numbering 17.22 crore while
Hindus population share showed a decline by 0.7 per
cent to reach 79.80 per cent at 96.63 crore.
In terms of population growth, the national average
during 2001-11 was 17.7 percent. Growth of Muslim
population was 24.6 per cent while Hindus grew by 16.8
per cent only.
‘PAHAL’ ENTERS GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS
Pahal (Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labh), the scheme to
transfer cooking gas subsidy directly into consumers'
bank account, has made it to the Guinness Book of
World Records as the world's largest cash transfer plan
for households. It is also called as Direct Benefit
Transfer for LPG (DBTL). Some 13.9 crore cooking gas
consumers are enrolled under Pahal.
BENGALURU AND MYSURU ARE THE CLEANEST
Bengaluru has been ranked as the cleanest among
capital cities in India and Mysuru as the most clean city
as per the Swachh Bharat ranking of 476 cities in the
country by the Urban Development Ministry. Two other
Karnataka cities — Hassan and Mandya are there in top
ten. Ranking is done on basis of cleanliness —solid
waste management and eradication of open defecation.
MEETING POINT AT DAULAT BEG OLDIE
India and China opened their fifth border meeting point
on August 1 at Daulat Beg Oldie in northern Ladakh for
local military commanders on either side to sort out
local issues to prevent needless flare-ups. The four other
meeting points are at Kibithoo (Arunachal), Spanngur
Gap at Chusul (Ladakh), Bum-La near Tawang
(Arunachal) and Nathu-La (Sikkim).
BANGLA ENCLAVES MERGE WITH INDIA
On the midnight of July 31, with the execution of Land
Border Agreement between the India and Bangladesh,
51 Bangladeshi enclaves situated on Indian soil in
Coochbehar district of West Bengal amalgamated with
India, while 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladeshi
territory integrated with that country.
NATIONAL HANDLOOM DAY
Govt has declared that
every year 7
th August will
be celebrated as National
Handloom Day to promote
genuine, global quality
handloom products in
international markets. On
August 7, 1905, Swadeshi
Movement was launched
from Kolkata.
WB TO GIVE $ 412 MN FOR CYCLONE RISK
World Bank has agreed to provide $ 412.40 million
assistance for the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation
Project- I & II for mitigating vulnerability to the cyclone
and other oceanic hazards in the coastal India.
4 MORE COMMUNITIES INCLUDED IN OBC
Central govt has approved four communities to be
included in the Central List of OBCs in the two States -
Gujarat and Uttarakhand, on the basis of
recommendations of the National Commission for
Backward Classes (NCBC). The castes/communities are -
Sipai and Patni /Turk Jamat in Gujarat and Kahar and
Tanwar Singhariya in Uttarakhand.
Prime Minister Modi made a two day visit to the
strategically-important UAE on August 16-17. He is
the first Indian PM to visit UAE after 34 years.
James Alix Michel, President of the Seychelles came
to New Delhi on 25 August on a three-day visit to
India.
Filipe J Nyusi, President of Mozambique arrived in
India on August 5 on a five day visit. The two
countries signed MoU on expanding cooperation in
energy sector.
Adam Gilchrist, former Australian cricketer has
been appointed Australia's first education
ambassador to India.
India has started the hotlines between Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama and
their national security advisers.
Govt released a commemorative postal stamp of Rs 5
on August 24 on emperor Ashoka who ruled the
Indian subcontinent from 269 BC to 232 BC.
Latest release from the Census 2011 data shows that
only 6.8 crore Indians (8.15%) have qualification of
graduation and above.
The 18th Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) started
functioning from its temporary campus at Palakkad,
Kerala.
Second summit of Forum for India Pacific Island
Countries (FIPIC) was held in Jaipur on August 21.
India signs tax information exchange agreement with
Seychelles to curb generation of black money.
AUGUST 2015
CENSUS 2011 RELIGIOUS DATA RELEASED
Census 2011 data released on August 25 shows that the
proportion of Muslim community has registered a
moderate 0.8 per cent growth from 2001 to 2011 to
reach 14.23 per cent, numbering 17.22 crore while
Hindus population share showed a decline by 0.7 per
cent to reach 79.80 per cent at 96.63 crore.
In terms of population growth, the national average
during 2001-11 was 17.7 percent. Growth of Muslim
population was 24.6 per cent while Hindus grew by 16.8
per cent only.
‘PAHAL’ ENTERS GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS
Pahal (Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labh), the scheme to
transfer cooking gas subsidy directly into consumers'
bank account, has made it to the Guinness Book of
World Records as the world's largest cash transfer plan
for households. It is also called as Direct Benefit
Transfer for LPG (DBTL). Some 13.9 crore cooking gas
consumers are enrolled under Pahal.
BENGALURU AND MYSURU ARE THE CLEANEST
Bengaluru has been ranked as the cleanest among
capital cities in India and Mysuru as the most clean city
as per the Swachh Bharat ranking of 476 cities in the
country by the Urban Development Ministry. Two other
Karnataka cities — Hassan and Mandya are there in top
ten. Ranking is done on basis of cleanliness —solid
waste management and eradication of open defecation.
MEETING POINT AT DAULAT BEG OLDIE
India and China opened their fifth border meeting point
on August 1 at Daulat Beg Oldie in northern Ladakh for
local military commanders on either side to sort out
local issues to prevent needless flare-ups. The four other
meeting points are at Kibithoo (Arunachal), Spanngur
Gap at Chusul (Ladakh), Bum-La near Tawang
(Arunachal) and Nathu-La (Sikkim).
BANGLA ENCLAVES MERGE WITH INDIA
On the midnight of July 31, with the execution of Land
Border Agreement between the India and Bangladesh,
51 Bangladeshi enclaves situated on Indian soil in
Coochbehar district of West Bengal amalgamated with
India, while 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladeshi
territory integrated with that country.
NATIONAL HANDLOOM DAY
Govt has declared that
every year 7
th August will
be celebrated as National
Handloom Day to promote
genuine, global quality
handloom products in
international markets. On
August 7, 1905, Swadeshi
Movement was launched
from Kolkata.
WB TO GIVE $ 412 MN FOR CYCLONE RISK
World Bank has agreed to provide $ 412.40 million
assistance for the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation
Project- I & II for mitigating vulnerability to the cyclone
and other oceanic hazards in the coastal India.
4 MORE COMMUNITIES INCLUDED IN OBC
Central govt has approved four communities to be
included in the Central List of OBCs in the two States -
Gujarat and Uttarakhand, on the basis of
recommendations of the National Commission for
Backward Classes (NCBC). The castes/communities are -
Sipai and Patni /Turk Jamat in Gujarat and Kahar and
Tanwar Singhariya in Uttarakhand.
Prime Minister Modi made a two day visit to the
strategically-important UAE on August 16-17. He is
the first Indian PM to visit UAE after 34 years.
James Alix Michel, President of the Seychelles came
to New Delhi on 25 August on a three-day visit to
India.
Filipe J Nyusi, President of Mozambique arrived in
India on August 5 on a five day visit. The two
countries signed MoU on expanding cooperation in
energy sector.
Adam Gilchrist, former Australian cricketer has
been appointed Australia's first education
ambassador to India.
India has started the hotlines between Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama and
their national security advisers.
Govt released a commemorative postal stamp of Rs 5
on August 24 on emperor Ashoka who ruled the
Indian subcontinent from 269 BC to 232 BC.
Latest release from the Census 2011 data shows that
only 6.8 crore Indians (8.15%) have qualification of
graduation and above.
The 18th Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) started
functioning from its temporary campus at Palakkad,
Kerala.
Second summit of Forum for India Pacific Island
Countries (FIPIC) was held in Jaipur on August 21.
India signs tax information exchange agreement with
Seychelles to curb generation of black money.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 6
NEWS FROM STATES
OCTOBER 2015
ALL POLICE STATIONS ON-LINE IN ODISHA
In Odisha, all the 531 police stations in the state have
been computerized to allow online filing of FIR from
anywhere in the state under its 'e-FIR' system under the
Centre-sponsored Crime and Criminal Tracking
Network and Systems (CCTNS) project.
Mission ‘Abaas’ launched in Odisha to provide
affordable houses to Economically Weaker Sections
(EWS), Low Income Groups (LIG) and slum dwellers.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has been appointed
Maharashtra’s brand ambassador for Tigers
District Court in Khunti, Jharkhand became county's
first solar powered district court.
SEPTEMBER 2015
GODAVARI AND KRISHNA RIVERS LINKED
Andhra govt has successfully linked two of its major
rivers - Godavari and Krishna towards making the state
"drought-proof". The 'Pattiseema' lift irrigation scheme
on Godavari River at Pattisam village in West Godavari
district will lift the Godavari waters to the Krishna
River. Nearly 1.3 lakh acres in Vizianagaram and
Srikakulam districts will be irrigated with the help of
this project.
GUJARAT IS BEST FOR DOING BUSINESS
A World Bank's report on ease of doing business in
states ranks Gujarat as the best place in the country to
do business, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand
and Chhattisgarh. The ranking of 32 states and union
territories was based on eight specified parameters
which include setting up of business, allotment of land,
labour reforms and procedure for environmental
clearance etc.
ORDER ON SANTHARA STAYED BY THE SC
The Supreme Court on August 31 stayed the August 10
order of Rajasthan High Court which had termed the
Jain religious practice of Santhara, a ritualistic fast unto
death, an act of suicide. The court has called for reply
from the Centre and State.
AUGUST 2015
NAGALAND REMEMBERS RANI GAIDINLIU
Birth centenary celebra-tions of freedom fighter Rani
Gaidinliu were inaugurated in Nagaland on August 24. A
commemo-rative coin of 100 rupees and circulation coin
of 5 rupees was launched on this occasion. She was a
Naga political and spiritual leader who had led a non
violent revolt against British colonial rule in India.
MOB VIOLENCE IN GUJARAT
Gujarat witnessed widespread violent clashes after the
massive rally on August 25 for demanding special job
reservation for Patel community. Curfew was clamped
in several towns as the mob violence claimed over 10
lives. Army was deployed to rein in the violence.
KOCHI IS WORLD’s FIRST SOLAR AIRPORT
Scripting a new chapter, the Cochin International
Airport, Kochi on August 18 became the first airport in
the world to operate completely on solar power. The 12
MWp power plant fully meets the daily requirement of
50 to 60 thousand units of the airport.
ALLAHABAD HC ORDER FOR GOVT SCHOOLS
The Allahabad High Court on 18 August 2015 directed
the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh to ensure that all
government officials, elected representatives, members
of judiciary and all other persons who get any benefit or
salary from state should send their children to primary
schools run by the state Board for Secondary Education.
‘DAHI HANDI’ IS ADVENTURE
SPORTS
In an effort to bring some
discipline during the popular Dahi
Handi festival, the Maharashtra
government has accorded the
status of adventure sport to the art
of forming ‘human pyramids’ –
main feature of this festival.
TWO WAR MUSEUMS OPENED IN RAJASTHAN
Two war memorials - Jaisalmer War Museum and
Longewala War Memorial were inaugurated in
Rajasthan on August 24 in the honour of war heroes of
1965 Indo-Pak war and 1971 Indo Pak war,
respectively. Longewala is on Pakistan border near
Jaisalmer and is remembered for the fierce tanks battle
where 34 Pak tanks and over 500 military vehicles were
destroyed, killing over 200 Pak soldiers while only two
soldiers were killed from Indian side
Telangana govt has signed a MoU with the
Department of Posts for sale of stamp papers at post
offices from September 1 to avoid fraud and forgery.
Kerala would be the first fully digital state in the
country by March 2016 by utilising e-governance to
deliver efficient and transparent services.
NEWS FROM STATES
OCTOBER 2015
ALL POLICE STATIONS ON-LINE IN ODISHA
In Odisha, all the 531 police stations in the state have
been computerized to allow online filing of FIR from
anywhere in the state under its 'e-FIR' system under the
Centre-sponsored Crime and Criminal Tracking
Network and Systems (CCTNS) project.
Mission ‘Abaas’ launched in Odisha to provide
affordable houses to Economically Weaker Sections
(EWS), Low Income Groups (LIG) and slum dwellers.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has been appointed
Maharashtra’s brand ambassador for Tigers
District Court in Khunti, Jharkhand became county's
first solar powered district court.
SEPTEMBER 2015
GODAVARI AND KRISHNA RIVERS LINKED
Andhra govt has successfully linked two of its major
rivers - Godavari and Krishna towards making the state
"drought-proof". The 'Pattiseema' lift irrigation scheme
on Godavari River at Pattisam village in West Godavari
district will lift the Godavari waters to the Krishna
River. Nearly 1.3 lakh acres in Vizianagaram and
Srikakulam districts will be irrigated with the help of
this project.
GUJARAT IS BEST FOR DOING BUSINESS
A World Bank's report on ease of doing business in
states ranks Gujarat as the best place in the country to
do business, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand
and Chhattisgarh. The ranking of 32 states and union
territories was based on eight specified parameters
which include setting up of business, allotment of land,
labour reforms and procedure for environmental
clearance etc.
ORDER ON SANTHARA STAYED BY THE SC
The Supreme Court on August 31 stayed the August 10
order of Rajasthan High Court which had termed the
Jain religious practice of Santhara, a ritualistic fast unto
death, an act of suicide. The court has called for reply
from the Centre and State.
AUGUST 2015
NAGALAND REMEMBERS RANI GAIDINLIU
Birth centenary celebra-tions of freedom fighter Rani
Gaidinliu were inaugurated in Nagaland on August 24. A
commemo-rative coin of 100 rupees and circulation coin
of 5 rupees was launched on this occasion. She was a
Naga political and spiritual leader who had led a non
violent revolt against British colonial rule in India.
MOB VIOLENCE IN GUJARAT
Gujarat witnessed widespread violent clashes after the
massive rally on August 25 for demanding special job
reservation for Patel community. Curfew was clamped
in several towns as the mob violence claimed over 10
lives. Army was deployed to rein in the violence.
KOCHI IS WORLD’s FIRST SOLAR AIRPORT
Scripting a new chapter, the Cochin International
Airport, Kochi on August 18 became the first airport in
the world to operate completely on solar power. The 12
MWp power plant fully meets the daily requirement of
50 to 60 thousand units of the airport.
ALLAHABAD HC ORDER FOR GOVT SCHOOLS
The Allahabad High Court on 18 August 2015 directed
the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh to ensure that all
government officials, elected representatives, members
of judiciary and all other persons who get any benefit or
salary from state should send their children to primary
schools run by the state Board for Secondary Education.
‘DAHI HANDI’ IS ADVENTURE
SPORTS
In an effort to bring some
discipline during the popular Dahi
Handi festival, the Maharashtra
government has accorded the
status of adventure sport to the art
of forming ‘human pyramids’ –
main feature of this festival.
TWO WAR MUSEUMS OPENED IN RAJASTHAN
Two war memorials - Jaisalmer War Museum and
Longewala War Memorial were inaugurated in
Rajasthan on August 24 in the honour of war heroes of
1965 Indo-Pak war and 1971 Indo Pak war,
respectively. Longewala is on Pakistan border near
Jaisalmer and is remembered for the fierce tanks battle
where 34 Pak tanks and over 500 military vehicles were
destroyed, killing over 200 Pak soldiers while only two
soldiers were killed from Indian side
Telangana govt has signed a MoU with the
Department of Posts for sale of stamp papers at post
offices from September 1 to avoid fraud and forgery.
Kerala would be the first fully digital state in the
country by March 2016 by utilising e-governance to
deliver efficient and transparent services.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 7
GOVERNMENT
INITIATIVES
OCTOBER 2015
IITs WAIVE FEE FOR HANDICAPPED
The highest decision-making body of Indian Institutes of
Technology (IITs) – IIT Council has decided to waive full
fee (Rs. 90,000/- at present) for the physically
challenged students from the current academic session
in all the 15 IITs for all the semesters.
E-SAHYOG LAUNCHED FOR TAX PAYERS
Govt has launched an e-Sahyog pilot project of Income-
Tax Department aimed at reducing compliance cost,
especially for small taxpayers and provide an online
mechanism to resolve mismatches in Income-tax
returns of the assesses whose returns have been
selected for scrutiny.
A NEW FUND FOR VARIOUS VICTIMS
Government has launched Central Victim Compensation
Fund with an initial amount of 200 crore rupees to
support the victims of various attacks, such as rape,
acid attacks, human trafficking and women killed or
injured in the cross border firing.
‘CLIMATE CHANGE’ SPECIAL TRAIN LAUNCHED
Government has launched the 'Science Express Climate
Action Special' exhibition train from Delhi, aimed at
spreading awareness about the effects of climate change
and to make the science behind it easier to understand.
The train will run till May 7, 2016, covering 64 stations,
all over India.
TRANSFER OF BLOOD ALLOWED
The Union Health Ministry has permitted transfer of
blood from one blood bank to another, a step that will
help in transferring blood to the hospitals that face
scarcity. Further, an exchange value of Rs 1600 per litre
of plasma has also been fixed to benefit the blood banks
with surplus plasma.
BONUS CEILING RAISED TO Rs 7,000
Govt has decided to raise the wage ceiling for calculating
bonus to Rs 7,000 for factory workers and
establishments with 20 or more workers. Further, all
industrial workers drawing a monthly salary up to Rs
21,000 will be eligible for bonus, as opposed to the
current ceiling of Rs 10,000.
DD TO TELECAST - HUNARBAAZ
National channel of Doordarshan will telecast a ten-
episode Programme on Apprenticeship Training Scheme
- Hunarbaaz, from Oct 18. The programme is aimed at
generating public awareness about Apprenticeship
Training Scheme and its utilities in building skill in the
country, especially for the youth.
‘NEERANCHAL’ LAUNCHED FOR IRRIGATION
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has
approved implementation of the World Bank assisted
National Watershed Management Project Neeranchal
with a total outlay 2142.30 crore rupees for promoting
effective irrigation in nine states.
APP FOR HAILSTORM CROP DAMAGE
To expedite payment of crop insurance claims to
farmers, the govt has launched a pilot programme -
Kisan, which will use satellite and drone-based imaging
and other geospatial technology to get timely and
accurate data on crop yields. Also, to access large-scale
damage to standing crops, it launched an Android-based
app for collection of data of hailstorm.
RULES NOTIFIED FOR MID-DAY MEALS
The Central Government has notified ‘Mid Day Meal
Rules, 2015’under the National Food Security Act, 2013
for improved administration and efficiency of the
scheme. New rules set nutritional standards of 450
calories and 12 gm of protein for primary and 700
calories and 20 gm protein for upper primary students
and provides for payment of food security allowance in
case food is not served due to any reason.
GOVERNMENT
INITIATIVES
OCTOBER 2015
IITs WAIVE FEE FOR HANDICAPPED
The highest decision-making body of Indian Institutes of
Technology (IITs) – IIT Council has decided to waive full
fee (Rs. 90,000/- at present) for the physically
challenged students from the current academic session
in all the 15 IITs for all the semesters.
E-SAHYOG LAUNCHED FOR TAX PAYERS
Govt has launched an e-Sahyog pilot project of Income-
Tax Department aimed at reducing compliance cost,
especially for small taxpayers and provide an online
mechanism to resolve mismatches in Income-tax
returns of the assesses whose returns have been
selected for scrutiny.
A NEW FUND FOR VARIOUS VICTIMS
Government has launched Central Victim Compensation
Fund with an initial amount of 200 crore rupees to
support the victims of various attacks, such as rape,
acid attacks, human trafficking and women killed or
injured in the cross border firing.
‘CLIMATE CHANGE’ SPECIAL TRAIN LAUNCHED
Government has launched the 'Science Express Climate
Action Special' exhibition train from Delhi, aimed at
spreading awareness about the effects of climate change
and to make the science behind it easier to understand.
The train will run till May 7, 2016, covering 64 stations,
all over India.
TRANSFER OF BLOOD ALLOWED
The Union Health Ministry has permitted transfer of
blood from one blood bank to another, a step that will
help in transferring blood to the hospitals that face
scarcity. Further, an exchange value of Rs 1600 per litre
of plasma has also been fixed to benefit the blood banks
with surplus plasma.
BONUS CEILING RAISED TO Rs 7,000
Govt has decided to raise the wage ceiling for calculating
bonus to Rs 7,000 for factory workers and
establishments with 20 or more workers. Further, all
industrial workers drawing a monthly salary up to Rs
21,000 will be eligible for bonus, as opposed to the
current ceiling of Rs 10,000.
DD TO TELECAST - HUNARBAAZ
National channel of Doordarshan will telecast a ten-
episode Programme on Apprenticeship Training Scheme
- Hunarbaaz, from Oct 18. The programme is aimed at
generating public awareness about Apprenticeship
Training Scheme and its utilities in building skill in the
country, especially for the youth.
‘NEERANCHAL’ LAUNCHED FOR IRRIGATION
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has
approved implementation of the World Bank assisted
National Watershed Management Project Neeranchal
with a total outlay 2142.30 crore rupees for promoting
effective irrigation in nine states.
APP FOR HAILSTORM CROP DAMAGE
To expedite payment of crop insurance claims to
farmers, the govt has launched a pilot programme -
Kisan, which will use satellite and drone-based imaging
and other geospatial technology to get timely and
accurate data on crop yields. Also, to access large-scale
damage to standing crops, it launched an Android-based
app for collection of data of hailstorm.
RULES NOTIFIED FOR MID-DAY MEALS
The Central Government has notified ‘Mid Day Meal
Rules, 2015’under the National Food Security Act, 2013
for improved administration and efficiency of the
scheme. New rules set nutritional standards of 450
calories and 12 gm of protein for primary and 700
calories and 20 gm protein for upper primary students
and provides for payment of food security allowance in
case food is not served due to any reason.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 8
HEALTH INSURANCE FOR DISABLED
Govt has signed a MoU with the New India Assurance
Company to provide Swavlamban Health Insurance
Scheme, for the Persons with Disabilities in the age
group of 18 to 65 years with family annual income of
less than Rs. 3,00,000. It provides health insurance
cover up to Rs. 2,00,000 per annum as family floater.
ONLINE SUBMISSION OF FORM 15 G & H
The Central Board of Direct Taxes, CBDT has simplified
the format and procedure for self declaration by
individuals in 15G and 15H forms. These forms are filed
by persons whose incomes are below the taxable
threshold to seek exemption from TDS on interest
income.
GOVT GOES FOR GREENER HIGHWAYS
Government has launched Green Highways policy to
promote greening of Highway corridors with
participation of farmers, private sector and government
institutions for creating clean, green, and pollution free
India. One per cent of the total project cost of all
highways projects will be kept aside for the highway
plantation and its maintenance.
NIRF TO RANK EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Government has unveiled ‘National Institutional
Ranking Framework’ (NIRF) -- a framework for annual
ranking of engineering and management institutes of
the country. It would enable parents, students, teachers,
educational institutions and other stakeholders to rank
institutions on the basis of a set of objective
parameters.
In a bid to reduce harassment of overseas travellers,
the government has eased the penal provisions for
undeclared or mis-declared baggage that will attract
arrest or prosecution, from Rs 5 lac to Rs 20 lac.
To enable Indians living abroad to access old age
income security, RBI has allowed NRIs to subscribe to
the National Pension System (NPS) of PFRDA
India's first community reserve to protect the
endangered Gangetic River Dolphins will come up on
River Hooghly in West Bengal.
Govt has approved setting up of three new AIIMS at
Nagpur in Maharashtra, Manglagiri in Andhra
Pradesh and at Kalyani in West Bengal
Govt has launched Green Highways (Plantation,
Transplantation, Beautification & Maintenance)
Policy-2015 to promote greening of National
Highways.
The Union cabinet has approved construction of a
National War Memorial and Museum near the famed
India Gate in the national capital.
Govt plans to spend around 70,000crore rupees in 12
major ports in the next 5 years under Sagarmala
Project for port-led development in coastal areas.
Govt has formed a Committee headed by Justice RV
Easwar, former Judge of Delhi High Court to suggest
simplifications in the Income Tax Act, 1961.
SEPTEMBER 2015
TWO GOLD SCHEMES ANNOUNCED
With a view to reduce the regular demand for the gold
and to mobilize part of around 22,000 tonne gold lying
in Indian households, govt has approved the Sovereign
Gold Bond and the Gold Monetisation Scheme. India,
along with China, is among top consumers of gold in the
world. (See details on page – 9)
GOVT ANNOUNCES OROP PACKAGE
The government has announced to roll out the welfare
measure under One Rank One Pension-OROP for Armed
Forces personnel from July 1, 2014, with 2013 as the
base year. The annual expenditure for implementing
OROP would be between Rs 8,000 to 10,000 crore.
‘HOUSING FOR ALL’ TO COVER 305 CITIES
The government has identified 305 cities and towns
across nine states for implementation of its ambitious
'Housing for All' scheme, named 'Pradhan Mantri Awaas
Yojana. The scheme provides financial assistance in the
range of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.30 lakh per housing unit. Govt
aims to construct 2 crore houses for urban poor by the
year 2022, coinciding with the 75 year of Independence.
SPECIAL SCHEME FOR MINING AREAS
The Government has launched the Pradhan Mantri
Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) for the
welfare of people and areas affected by mining related
operations, using the funds generated by District
Mineral Foundations.
HEALTH INSURANCE FOR DISABLED
Govt has signed a MoU with the New India Assurance
Company to provide Swavlamban Health Insurance
Scheme, for the Persons with Disabilities in the age
group of 18 to 65 years with family annual income of
less than Rs. 3,00,000. It provides health insurance
cover up to Rs. 2,00,000 per annum as family floater.
ONLINE SUBMISSION OF FORM 15 G & H
The Central Board of Direct Taxes, CBDT has simplified
the format and procedure for self declaration by
individuals in 15G and 15H forms. These forms are filed
by persons whose incomes are below the taxable
threshold to seek exemption from TDS on interest
income.
GOVT GOES FOR GREENER HIGHWAYS
Government has launched Green Highways policy to
promote greening of Highway corridors with
participation of farmers, private sector and government
institutions for creating clean, green, and pollution free
India. One per cent of the total project cost of all
highways projects will be kept aside for the highway
plantation and its maintenance.
NIRF TO RANK EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Government has unveiled ‘National Institutional
Ranking Framework’ (NIRF) -- a framework for annual
ranking of engineering and management institutes of
the country. It would enable parents, students, teachers,
educational institutions and other stakeholders to rank
institutions on the basis of a set of objective
parameters.
In a bid to reduce harassment of overseas travellers,
the government has eased the penal provisions for
undeclared or mis-declared baggage that will attract
arrest or prosecution, from Rs 5 lac to Rs 20 lac.
To enable Indians living abroad to access old age
income security, RBI has allowed NRIs to subscribe to
the National Pension System (NPS) of PFRDA
India's first community reserve to protect the
endangered Gangetic River Dolphins will come up on
River Hooghly in West Bengal.
Govt has approved setting up of three new AIIMS at
Nagpur in Maharashtra, Manglagiri in Andhra
Pradesh and at Kalyani in West Bengal
Govt has launched Green Highways (Plantation,
Transplantation, Beautification & Maintenance)
Policy-2015 to promote greening of National
Highways.
The Union cabinet has approved construction of a
National War Memorial and Museum near the famed
India Gate in the national capital.
Govt plans to spend around 70,000crore rupees in 12
major ports in the next 5 years under Sagarmala
Project for port-led development in coastal areas.
Govt has formed a Committee headed by Justice RV
Easwar, former Judge of Delhi High Court to suggest
simplifications in the Income Tax Act, 1961.
SEPTEMBER 2015
TWO GOLD SCHEMES ANNOUNCED
With a view to reduce the regular demand for the gold
and to mobilize part of around 22,000 tonne gold lying
in Indian households, govt has approved the Sovereign
Gold Bond and the Gold Monetisation Scheme. India,
along with China, is among top consumers of gold in the
world. (See details on page – 9)
GOVT ANNOUNCES OROP PACKAGE
The government has announced to roll out the welfare
measure under One Rank One Pension-OROP for Armed
Forces personnel from July 1, 2014, with 2013 as the
base year. The annual expenditure for implementing
OROP would be between Rs 8,000 to 10,000 crore.
‘HOUSING FOR ALL’ TO COVER 305 CITIES
The government has identified 305 cities and towns
across nine states for implementation of its ambitious
'Housing for All' scheme, named 'Pradhan Mantri Awaas
Yojana. The scheme provides financial assistance in the
range of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.30 lakh per housing unit. Govt
aims to construct 2 crore houses for urban poor by the
year 2022, coinciding with the 75 year of Independence.
SPECIAL SCHEME FOR MINING AREAS
The Government has launched the Pradhan Mantri
Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) for the
welfare of people and areas affected by mining related
operations, using the funds generated by District
Mineral Foundations.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 9
NEW GOLD SCHEMES
GOLD BOND SCHEME
Who will issue gold bonds?
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on behalf of the government.
How to buy these?
Purchases can be made from banks, non-banking financial
companies, post offices, National Saving Certificate agents and
others. They will collect, as well as redeem, these bonds on behalf
of the government.
The Know Your Customer norms?
The same as for buying gold. A permanent account number
(PAN) card required for investments above Rs 50,000.
The units in which they will be available?
5, 10, 50, 100 grams of gold or other denominations. It will be
available both in demat and paper form.
The maximum quantity I can purchase annually?
500 grams
Will I be charged for buying or selling gold bonds?
No. The issuing agency will need to pay distribution costs and a
sales commission to the intermediate channels, to be reimbursed
by the government.
What price of gold will be considered?
The price of gold might be taken from the reference rate, as
decided, and the rupee equivalent amount may be converted at
the Reserve Bank of India reference rate on issue and
redemption. This rate will be used for issuance, redemption and
loan-to-value (LTV) purpose and disbursement of loans.
The rate of interest?
While the rate has not been decided, the government will take a
call on the rates based on the domestic and international market
conditions. Also, the rates could vary from one tranche to
another. It could be a floating or a fixed rate.
What will be the tenure of the bonds?
The tenure of the bond could be for a minimum of five to seven
years to protect investors from medium-term volatility in gold
prices.
Can these be used as collateral?
Yes, they can be used as collateral for loans. The loan-to-value
ratio is to be set equal to ordinary gold loan mandated
by RBI from time to time.
Can I sell the bond in an emergency?
Bonds can be sold or traded on exchanges.
What will be the taxation?
The government will consider exemption for capital gains on
redemption of Sovereign Gold Bonds and indexation benefits in
Budget 2016-17.
GOLD MONETISATION SCHEME
How to start?
Open a gold savings account with any bank. The account will be
denominated in grammes of gold.
How to get gold valued?
Once you have opened the account, go to an assayor. After the
purity testing, the assayor will give a certificate that has to be
given to the bank. The bank will have a tripartite legal agreement
with refiners and collection and purity testing centres.
What will be the fee for getting the gold tested for purity?
No fee from the customer. The bank will pay the fee.
What is the minimum deposit? - 30 gms
What is the tenure?
Three tenures. Short term - one to three years (with a rollout in
multiples of one year); medium term - five to seven years; and
long term - 12-15 years.
Will there be a penalty for withdrawing in the interim?
Yes, much like a fixed deposit, breaking of the lock-in period will
be allowed. However, there would a penalty on premature
redemption, including partial withdrawal.
What will be the rate of interest?
For short term accounts, banks will decide the rate depending on
the international lease rates and market conditions. For medium-
and long-term deposits, the rate of interest will be decided by the
govt., in consultation with RBI from time to time, denominated
and payable in rupees, based on the value of gold deposited.
Will I get physical gold on redemption?
Only for the short-term deposits. The customer will have the
option of redemption, for the principal deposit and interest
earned, either in cash (in equivalent rupees of the weight of
deposited gold at the prices prevailing at the time of redemption)
or in gold (of the same weight of gold as deposited). However,
they have to indicate the option at the time of making the
deposit. In case you want to change the option in the interim, it
will depend on the bank's discretion. Redemption of fractional
quantity (for which a standard gold bar/coin is not available)
would be paid in cash.
For medium- and long-term deposits, redemption will be only in
cash, in equivalent rupees of the weight of the deposited gold at
the prices prevailing at the time of redemption. The interest
earned will, however, be based on the value of gold at the deposit
on the interest rate as decided.
Will there be tax on capital gains or interest income?
When you take the gold and convert to gold savings scheme, there
will be a capital gains tax. But after conversion, there is no tax
on interest (in gold grams) or capital gains in future.
Source: Business Standard, Sept. 14, 2015
NEW GOLD SCHEMES
GOLD BOND SCHEME
Who will issue gold bonds?
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on behalf of the government.
How to buy these?
Purchases can be made from banks, non-banking financial
companies, post offices, National Saving Certificate agents and
others. They will collect, as well as redeem, these bonds on behalf
of the government.
The Know Your Customer norms?
The same as for buying gold. A permanent account number
(PAN) card required for investments above Rs 50,000.
The units in which they will be available?
5, 10, 50, 100 grams of gold or other denominations. It will be
available both in demat and paper form.
The maximum quantity I can purchase annually?
500 grams
Will I be charged for buying or selling gold bonds?
No. The issuing agency will need to pay distribution costs and a
sales commission to the intermediate channels, to be reimbursed
by the government.
What price of gold will be considered?
The price of gold might be taken from the reference rate, as
decided, and the rupee equivalent amount may be converted at
the Reserve Bank of India reference rate on issue and
redemption. This rate will be used for issuance, redemption and
loan-to-value (LTV) purpose and disbursement of loans.
The rate of interest?
While the rate has not been decided, the government will take a
call on the rates based on the domestic and international market
conditions. Also, the rates could vary from one tranche to
another. It could be a floating or a fixed rate.
What will be the tenure of the bonds?
The tenure of the bond could be for a minimum of five to seven
years to protect investors from medium-term volatility in gold
prices.
Can these be used as collateral?
Yes, they can be used as collateral for loans. The loan-to-value
ratio is to be set equal to ordinary gold loan mandated
by RBI from time to time.
Can I sell the bond in an emergency?
Bonds can be sold or traded on exchanges.
What will be the taxation?
The government will consider exemption for capital gains on
redemption of Sovereign Gold Bonds and indexation benefits in
Budget 2016-17.
GOLD MONETISATION SCHEME
How to start?
Open a gold savings account with any bank. The account will be
denominated in grammes of gold.
How to get gold valued?
Once you have opened the account, go to an assayor. After the
purity testing, the assayor will give a certificate that has to be
given to the bank. The bank will have a tripartite legal agreement
with refiners and collection and purity testing centres.
What will be the fee for getting the gold tested for purity?
No fee from the customer. The bank will pay the fee.
What is the minimum deposit? - 30 gms
What is the tenure?
Three tenures. Short term - one to three years (with a rollout in
multiples of one year); medium term - five to seven years; and
long term - 12-15 years.
Will there be a penalty for withdrawing in the interim?
Yes, much like a fixed deposit, breaking of the lock-in period will
be allowed. However, there would a penalty on premature
redemption, including partial withdrawal.
What will be the rate of interest?
For short term accounts, banks will decide the rate depending on
the international lease rates and market conditions. For medium-
and long-term deposits, the rate of interest will be decided by the
govt., in consultation with RBI from time to time, denominated
and payable in rupees, based on the value of gold deposited.
Will I get physical gold on redemption?
Only for the short-term deposits. The customer will have the
option of redemption, for the principal deposit and interest
earned, either in cash (in equivalent rupees of the weight of
deposited gold at the prices prevailing at the time of redemption)
or in gold (of the same weight of gold as deposited). However,
they have to indicate the option at the time of making the
deposit. In case you want to change the option in the interim, it
will depend on the bank's discretion. Redemption of fractional
quantity (for which a standard gold bar/coin is not available)
would be paid in cash.
For medium- and long-term deposits, redemption will be only in
cash, in equivalent rupees of the weight of the deposited gold at
the prices prevailing at the time of redemption. The interest
earned will, however, be based on the value of gold at the deposit
on the interest rate as decided.
Will there be tax on capital gains or interest income?
When you take the gold and convert to gold savings scheme, there
will be a capital gains tax. But after conversion, there is no tax
on interest (in gold grams) or capital gains in future.
Source: Business Standard, Sept. 14, 2015
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 10
SCHEME TO TRANSFORM RURAL CLUSTERS
Govt has approved Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban
Mission to transform rural areas into economically,
socially and physically sustainable spaces by creating
300 Rurban growth clusters over the next 3 years.
The clusters will be geographically contiguous to Gram
Panchayats with a population of about 25000 to 50000 in
plain and coastal areas and a population of 5000 to
15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas.
50 MORE DAYS UNDER NREGA
Government has decided to provide additional 50 work
days in 2015-16 in drought-hit areas under Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA) scheme to provide relief to farmers in view
of deficit monsoon in various parts of the country.
SIMPLE REGISTRATION FOR MSMEs
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Ministry
has come out with a one -page Udyog Aadhaar
Memorandum which must be filled online by all MSMEs,
with a view to simplify registration procedure for
entrepreneurs and promote ease of doing business.
EPFO HIKES INSURANCE COVER TO 6 LAKH
Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has
increased the maximum amount assured under its
Employees' Deposit inked Insurance Scheme (EDLI) to
Rs 6 lakh, from the existing Rs 3.6 lakh. The move will
benefit over 4 crore subscribers.
DIPP FIRST GOVT DEPTT TO GO CASHLESS
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
(DIPP) has implemented an electronic payment system
to become the first government department to have 100
per cent cashless transactions. The move is part of the
government's efforts to encourage use of plastic money.
Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of Indian
Sign Language Research and Training Centre
(ISLRTC) at New Delhi.
Life Insurance Corporation of India has created a
platform where policyholders may avail of electronic
KYC norms linked to the Aadhar card.
Railways has launched a paperless unreserved
ticketing mobile application for the passengers
travelling from New Delhi to Palwal Section.
AUGUST 2015
98 SMART CITIES SELECTED
The Centre declared the names of 98 cities on August 27
for its ambitious smart cities project. The cities were
selected on the parametres set by the Centre. U P leads
by getting 13 cities selected, followed by Tamil Nadu-12
and Maharashtra-10. Centre will release Rs. two crore
for each city for the preparation of the smart city plan.
‘SEHAT’ LAUNCHED WITH APOLLO HOSPITALS
The Government launched a health service called SEHAT
(Social Endeavour for Health And Telemedicine) on
August 25 in collaboration with the Apollo Hospitals,
which will connect 60,000 Common Service Centres
(CSCs) across the country to a common network. This
will provide healthcare access to millions of citizens
irrespective of geographical location or connectivity
through the CSCs.
‘VIDYALAKSHMI’ LAUNCHED FOR EDU LOANS
Government has launched the
web portal "Vidya Lakshmi”
(www.vidyalakshmi.co.in) for
the benefit of students seeking
educational loans. So far 13
banks have registered 22
educational loan schemes on
the portal and five banks -- SBI, IDBI Bank, Bank of
India, Canara Bank and Union Bank of India have
integrated their system with the portal for providing
loan processing status to students.
GLOBAL ID FOR INDIAN SAILORS
India has ratified the International Seafarers’ Identity
Documents Convention, 2003 to provide a globally
recognised identity document to its seafarers. In
addition to facilitating mobility of seafarers, the smart
card will also improve maritime security with a
verifiable identification.
Every year, several hundred Indian sailors are
incarcerated abroad for various reasons, and without
proper internationally recognised identification, they are
unable to seek needed legal remedies.
ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR DISABLED
Government launched an online beneficiary registration
system, ‘On-line On-Site’ on August 17 to ensure
transparency in schemes implemented by the Ministry
of Social Justice and Empowerment to provide assistive
aids to persons with disabilities.
IAS OFFICERS TO START CAREER FROM DELHI
In a first, Union government has decided that from this
year onwards, IAS probationers will start their career
with a three-month stint at the Centre before going to
their respective states of posting as per the cadre
allocation.
SCHEME TO TRANSFORM RURAL CLUSTERS
Govt has approved Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban
Mission to transform rural areas into economically,
socially and physically sustainable spaces by creating
300 Rurban growth clusters over the next 3 years.
The clusters will be geographically contiguous to Gram
Panchayats with a population of about 25000 to 50000 in
plain and coastal areas and a population of 5000 to
15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas.
50 MORE DAYS UNDER NREGA
Government has decided to provide additional 50 work
days in 2015-16 in drought-hit areas under Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA) scheme to provide relief to farmers in view
of deficit monsoon in various parts of the country.
SIMPLE REGISTRATION FOR MSMEs
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Ministry
has come out with a one -page Udyog Aadhaar
Memorandum which must be filled online by all MSMEs,
with a view to simplify registration procedure for
entrepreneurs and promote ease of doing business.
EPFO HIKES INSURANCE COVER TO 6 LAKH
Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has
increased the maximum amount assured under its
Employees' Deposit inked Insurance Scheme (EDLI) to
Rs 6 lakh, from the existing Rs 3.6 lakh. The move will
benefit over 4 crore subscribers.
DIPP FIRST GOVT DEPTT TO GO CASHLESS
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
(DIPP) has implemented an electronic payment system
to become the first government department to have 100
per cent cashless transactions. The move is part of the
government's efforts to encourage use of plastic money.
Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of Indian
Sign Language Research and Training Centre
(ISLRTC) at New Delhi.
Life Insurance Corporation of India has created a
platform where policyholders may avail of electronic
KYC norms linked to the Aadhar card.
Railways has launched a paperless unreserved
ticketing mobile application for the passengers
travelling from New Delhi to Palwal Section.
AUGUST 2015
98 SMART CITIES SELECTED
The Centre declared the names of 98 cities on August 27
for its ambitious smart cities project. The cities were
selected on the parametres set by the Centre. U P leads
by getting 13 cities selected, followed by Tamil Nadu-12
and Maharashtra-10. Centre will release Rs. two crore
for each city for the preparation of the smart city plan.
‘SEHAT’ LAUNCHED WITH APOLLO HOSPITALS
The Government launched a health service called SEHAT
(Social Endeavour for Health And Telemedicine) on
August 25 in collaboration with the Apollo Hospitals,
which will connect 60,000 Common Service Centres
(CSCs) across the country to a common network. This
will provide healthcare access to millions of citizens
irrespective of geographical location or connectivity
through the CSCs.
‘VIDYALAKSHMI’ LAUNCHED FOR EDU LOANS
Government has launched the
web portal "Vidya Lakshmi”
(www.vidyalakshmi.co.in) for
the benefit of students seeking
educational loans. So far 13
banks have registered 22
educational loan schemes on
the portal and five banks -- SBI, IDBI Bank, Bank of
India, Canara Bank and Union Bank of India have
integrated their system with the portal for providing
loan processing status to students.
GLOBAL ID FOR INDIAN SAILORS
India has ratified the International Seafarers’ Identity
Documents Convention, 2003 to provide a globally
recognised identity document to its seafarers. In
addition to facilitating mobility of seafarers, the smart
card will also improve maritime security with a
verifiable identification.
Every year, several hundred Indian sailors are
incarcerated abroad for various reasons, and without
proper internationally recognised identification, they are
unable to seek needed legal remedies.
ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR DISABLED
Government launched an online beneficiary registration
system, ‘On-line On-Site’ on August 17 to ensure
transparency in schemes implemented by the Ministry
of Social Justice and Empowerment to provide assistive
aids to persons with disabilities.
IAS OFFICERS TO START CAREER FROM DELHI
In a first, Union government has decided that from this
year onwards, IAS probationers will start their career
with a three-month stint at the Centre before going to
their respective states of posting as per the cadre
allocation.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 11
‘SURAKSHA BANDHAN’ TO PUSH INSURANCE
Government has launched Suraksha Bandhan Yojna
through participating banks and insurance companies to
facilitate enrolment under two social security schemes -
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Pradhan
Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana. One has to invest Rs
201 and Rs 5,001 which will be kept as a fixed deposit in
banks and the yearly interest generated will be used to
pay the premium for PMSBY and PMJJBY, respectively.
‘NAI MANZIL’ LAUNCHED FOR MINORITIES
Govt launched a new national scheme Nai Manzil from
Patna on August 8 to address educational and livelihood
needs of minority communities in general and Muslims
in particular as they lag behind other minority
communities in terms of educational attainments.
GOVT ADOPTS SENDAI DISASTER FRAMEWORK
Government has announced it plans to implement the
Sendai framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-
2030 to increase preparedness for response and
recovery and strengthen resilience in case of disaster.
This framework was adopted during the third UN World
Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai,
Japan in March 2015.
PEACE ACCORD SIGNED WITH NSCN
Government of India has signed a landmark peace
accord on August 3 with the National Socialist Council of
Nagaland-NSCN (Isak-Muivah group), promising an end
to almost two decades long pending peace talks. The
NSCN has been waging an armed struggle for securing
an independent Naga state foe past several years.
WEB PORTAL FOR ADARSH GRAM YOJANA
Union Ministry of Rural Development has launched
‘SAMANVAY’ web portal to monitor progress of
implementation of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana
(SAGY) for development of Gram Panchayats. Every MP
is expected to adopt three villages for their overall
development.
E-VISA EXTENDED TO CHINA, HK & MACAU
Government has extended e-Tourist Visa facility to
China, Hong Kong and Macau with effect from 30 July
2015. With the inclusion of these countries, the total
number of countries covered under the e-Tourist Visa
scheme becomes 77.
NREGA WAGES TO BE PUT IN ACCOUNT
In an effort to prevent delay in payments to workers
under the rural employment guarantee scheme, the
Union Cabinet has approved direct benefit transfer to
beneficiaries of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). A sum of
Rs 34,000 crore has been allocated for the scheme in the
current fiscal year.
Government has launched the School Nursery Yojana,
to bring students closer to nature by involving them
in raising of saplings in school nurseries.
Govt proposes to rename the present Agriculture
Ministry as 'Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
Ministry’ to focus on the welfare of farmers.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
OCTOBER 2015
INDIA TO GROW BY 7.5% - IMF
The World Economic Outlook Update from the IMF says
that India's growth is expected to strengthen from 7.3
per cent this year and last year to 7.5 per cent next year.
On the other hand, growth in China is expected to
decline to 6.8% this year and 6.3% in 2016.
INDIA TO GROW BY 7.5% - WORLD BANK
A latest report from the World Bank says that India is
expected to overcome the global slowdown and its GDP
growth is projected to increase to 7.5 per cent despite a
weak export recovery. However, the delay in
implementing key reforms on the domestic front, a
weak trade performance and the recent slowdown in
rural wage growth pose risks to growth, it said.
EXPORTS CONTINUE TO SHRINK
Contracting for the tenth month in a row, the country's
merchandise exports plunged 24.3 per cent, year-on-
year, to 21.8 billion dollars in September. Exports
dropped mainly due to a sharp fall in shipments of
petroleum products, iron ore, and engineering goods,
amid tepid global demand. Imports shrank 25.4 per
cent, to 32.3 billion dollars in September leading to a
trade deficit of 10.5 billion dollars.
IIP JUMPS TO 3 YEARS HIGH AT 6.4%
Growth in the country's industrial production rose to a
nearly three-year high of 6.4 per cent in August this
year, on the back of improved manufacturing and
mining activity and better off-take of capital goods.
Factory output had grown 0.5 per cent in August last
year, and 4.1 percent in July.
‘SURAKSHA BANDHAN’ TO PUSH INSURANCE
Government has launched Suraksha Bandhan Yojna
through participating banks and insurance companies to
facilitate enrolment under two social security schemes -
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Pradhan
Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana. One has to invest Rs
201 and Rs 5,001 which will be kept as a fixed deposit in
banks and the yearly interest generated will be used to
pay the premium for PMSBY and PMJJBY, respectively.
‘NAI MANZIL’ LAUNCHED FOR MINORITIES
Govt launched a new national scheme Nai Manzil from
Patna on August 8 to address educational and livelihood
needs of minority communities in general and Muslims
in particular as they lag behind other minority
communities in terms of educational attainments.
GOVT ADOPTS SENDAI DISASTER FRAMEWORK
Government has announced it plans to implement the
Sendai framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-
2030 to increase preparedness for response and
recovery and strengthen resilience in case of disaster.
This framework was adopted during the third UN World
Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai,
Japan in March 2015.
PEACE ACCORD SIGNED WITH NSCN
Government of India has signed a landmark peace
accord on August 3 with the National Socialist Council of
Nagaland-NSCN (Isak-Muivah group), promising an end
to almost two decades long pending peace talks. The
NSCN has been waging an armed struggle for securing
an independent Naga state foe past several years.
WEB PORTAL FOR ADARSH GRAM YOJANA
Union Ministry of Rural Development has launched
‘SAMANVAY’ web portal to monitor progress of
implementation of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana
(SAGY) for development of Gram Panchayats. Every MP
is expected to adopt three villages for their overall
development.
E-VISA EXTENDED TO CHINA, HK & MACAU
Government has extended e-Tourist Visa facility to
China, Hong Kong and Macau with effect from 30 July
2015. With the inclusion of these countries, the total
number of countries covered under the e-Tourist Visa
scheme becomes 77.
NREGA WAGES TO BE PUT IN ACCOUNT
In an effort to prevent delay in payments to workers
under the rural employment guarantee scheme, the
Union Cabinet has approved direct benefit transfer to
beneficiaries of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). A sum of
Rs 34,000 crore has been allocated for the scheme in the
current fiscal year.
Government has launched the School Nursery Yojana,
to bring students closer to nature by involving them
in raising of saplings in school nurseries.
Govt proposes to rename the present Agriculture
Ministry as 'Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
Ministry’ to focus on the welfare of farmers.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
OCTOBER 2015
INDIA TO GROW BY 7.5% - IMF
The World Economic Outlook Update from the IMF says
that India's growth is expected to strengthen from 7.3
per cent this year and last year to 7.5 per cent next year.
On the other hand, growth in China is expected to
decline to 6.8% this year and 6.3% in 2016.
INDIA TO GROW BY 7.5% - WORLD BANK
A latest report from the World Bank says that India is
expected to overcome the global slowdown and its GDP
growth is projected to increase to 7.5 per cent despite a
weak export recovery. However, the delay in
implementing key reforms on the domestic front, a
weak trade performance and the recent slowdown in
rural wage growth pose risks to growth, it said.
EXPORTS CONTINUE TO SHRINK
Contracting for the tenth month in a row, the country's
merchandise exports plunged 24.3 per cent, year-on-
year, to 21.8 billion dollars in September. Exports
dropped mainly due to a sharp fall in shipments of
petroleum products, iron ore, and engineering goods,
amid tepid global demand. Imports shrank 25.4 per
cent, to 32.3 billion dollars in September leading to a
trade deficit of 10.5 billion dollars.
IIP JUMPS TO 3 YEARS HIGH AT 6.4%
Growth in the country's industrial production rose to a
nearly three-year high of 6.4 per cent in August this
year, on the back of improved manufacturing and
mining activity and better off-take of capital goods.
Factory output had grown 0.5 per cent in August last
year, and 4.1 percent in July.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 12
CORE SECTOR LIMPS UP BY 2.6%
The growth of eight core sectors increased to 2.6 per
cent in August after a slower 1.1 per cent in July. The 2.2
per cent cumulative growth in April to August period,
however, still remains less than the corresponding
figure previous year, which was 5.6 per cent.
Global rating agency Fitch has lowered India's GDP
growth rate for 2015-16 to 7.5% from 7.8% projected
earlier, on account of average monsoon.
Moody’s Investors Service says that India will grow by
7-7.5%, best among the G20 nations in 2015-16 as it
is less exposed to external shocks than its peers.
Country’s foreign exchange reserves recorded a rise
of 458 million US Dollars to reach 353.53 billion
dollars in the week ended 16th October.
SEPTEMBER 2015
FIRST QR GDP GROWS BY 7%
Data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO),
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
shows that the GDP at constant prices for April to June
this year rose by 7 percent compared to a growth rate of
7.1 percent for the same period in last fiscal. Under the
present circumstances, the government may not be able
to achieve its target of 8.1-8.5% growth for 2015.
INDIA LIKELY TO GROW BY 7.5%
Finance Ministry has stated that India's growth in the
current fiscal will exceed 7.5 per cent as there are "silver
linings" in the global financial turmoil, with government
committed to ensuring that the country remains a
"bright spot" in the world economy.
EXPORTS SHRINK BY 20 PER CENT
India’s exports shrank more than 20 per cent in August
to $21.27 billion, the ninth straight monthly decline.
Imports fell 9.95 percent from a year earlier to $33.74
billion, on the back of both declining global commodity
prices and weak domestic demand. The trade deficit
marginally narrowed to $12.47 billion.
CORE SECTOR MOVES UP BY 1.1%
Growth in the eight core sectors, which contribute about
38 per cent to the overall industrial production, slowed
to a 3-month low of 1.1 per cent in July, as the output of
crude oil, natural gas and steel contracted.
Driven by good performance of manufacturing and
capital goods sectors, industrial production rose by
4.2 per cent in July, 2015.
The nation’s forex reserves rose by $631.5 million to
$352.02 billion in the week ended September 18 due
to rise in foreign currency assets.
The ADB has cut India’s growth forecast to 7.4% on
concerns of delay in reforms, weak demand, external
slowdown and weak monsoon.
AUGUST 2015
INDIA MAY SLIP TO 7% GROWTH: MOODY’s
Cautioning that slow reforms pace could dent growth,
Moody's Investors Service on August 18 reduced India's
growth forecast for 2015-16 to around 7% from 7.5 %
projected earlier, citing below-normal rainfall.
ECONOMY & INDUSTRY
OCTOBER 2015
INDIA NO. ONE IN ATTRACTING FDI
India has emerged as the top destination for foreign
direct investment (FDI) as compared with China and
United states in the first half of 2015. A report published
in London's Financial Times has mentioned that India
has attracted roughly 31 billion US dollar ahead of 28
billion dollar of china and 27 billion of United States.
INDIA BEST FOR MAKING INVESTMENTS
India has been ranked as the most attractive investment
destination in the world for the next three years,
followed by China, Southeast Asia and Brazil. This was
revealed in a survey released by Global consultancy
firm, Ernst and Young.
NEW GOLD COINS FOR INVESTMENT
Government plans to bring out 5 and 10 gram India Gold
Coins — which are being manufactured by Security
Printing and Minting Corporation of India. They will be
sold through banks, post offices and offices of MMTC at a
rate slightly lesser than the market rate.
PHONE SUBSCRIBER BASE CROSSES 101 CRORE
Data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India shows that the subscriber base has touched 101
crore (or 1,014.70 million) in August this year in the
country, driven by growth in mobile phone users,
increasing by 0.53 per cent over the July figure.
S C IMPOSES ENVIRONMENT CESSS
The Supreme Court has imposed 'Environment
Compensation Charge' of Rs 700 and Rs 1300 on
commercial vehicles entering Delhi from November 1
for 4 months. The money will be collected by toll
operators and handed over to the Delhi govt on every
Friday. The funds will be used to clean up Delhi's air.
CORE SECTOR LIMPS UP BY 2.6%
The growth of eight core sectors increased to 2.6 per
cent in August after a slower 1.1 per cent in July. The 2.2
per cent cumulative growth in April to August period,
however, still remains less than the corresponding
figure previous year, which was 5.6 per cent.
Global rating agency Fitch has lowered India's GDP
growth rate for 2015-16 to 7.5% from 7.8% projected
earlier, on account of average monsoon.
Moody’s Investors Service says that India will grow by
7-7.5%, best among the G20 nations in 2015-16 as it
is less exposed to external shocks than its peers.
Country’s foreign exchange reserves recorded a rise
of 458 million US Dollars to reach 353.53 billion
dollars in the week ended 16th October.
SEPTEMBER 2015
FIRST QR GDP GROWS BY 7%
Data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO),
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
shows that the GDP at constant prices for April to June
this year rose by 7 percent compared to a growth rate of
7.1 percent for the same period in last fiscal. Under the
present circumstances, the government may not be able
to achieve its target of 8.1-8.5% growth for 2015.
INDIA LIKELY TO GROW BY 7.5%
Finance Ministry has stated that India's growth in the
current fiscal will exceed 7.5 per cent as there are "silver
linings" in the global financial turmoil, with government
committed to ensuring that the country remains a
"bright spot" in the world economy.
EXPORTS SHRINK BY 20 PER CENT
India’s exports shrank more than 20 per cent in August
to $21.27 billion, the ninth straight monthly decline.
Imports fell 9.95 percent from a year earlier to $33.74
billion, on the back of both declining global commodity
prices and weak domestic demand. The trade deficit
marginally narrowed to $12.47 billion.
CORE SECTOR MOVES UP BY 1.1%
Growth in the eight core sectors, which contribute about
38 per cent to the overall industrial production, slowed
to a 3-month low of 1.1 per cent in July, as the output of
crude oil, natural gas and steel contracted.
Driven by good performance of manufacturing and
capital goods sectors, industrial production rose by
4.2 per cent in July, 2015.
The nation’s forex reserves rose by $631.5 million to
$352.02 billion in the week ended September 18 due
to rise in foreign currency assets.
The ADB has cut India’s growth forecast to 7.4% on
concerns of delay in reforms, weak demand, external
slowdown and weak monsoon.
AUGUST 2015
INDIA MAY SLIP TO 7% GROWTH: MOODY’s
Cautioning that slow reforms pace could dent growth,
Moody's Investors Service on August 18 reduced India's
growth forecast for 2015-16 to around 7% from 7.5 %
projected earlier, citing below-normal rainfall.
ECONOMY & INDUSTRY
OCTOBER 2015
INDIA NO. ONE IN ATTRACTING FDI
India has emerged as the top destination for foreign
direct investment (FDI) as compared with China and
United states in the first half of 2015. A report published
in London's Financial Times has mentioned that India
has attracted roughly 31 billion US dollar ahead of 28
billion dollar of china and 27 billion of United States.
INDIA BEST FOR MAKING INVESTMENTS
India has been ranked as the most attractive investment
destination in the world for the next three years,
followed by China, Southeast Asia and Brazil. This was
revealed in a survey released by Global consultancy
firm, Ernst and Young.
NEW GOLD COINS FOR INVESTMENT
Government plans to bring out 5 and 10 gram India Gold
Coins — which are being manufactured by Security
Printing and Minting Corporation of India. They will be
sold through banks, post offices and offices of MMTC at a
rate slightly lesser than the market rate.
PHONE SUBSCRIBER BASE CROSSES 101 CRORE
Data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India shows that the subscriber base has touched 101
crore (or 1,014.70 million) in August this year in the
country, driven by growth in mobile phone users,
increasing by 0.53 per cent over the July figure.
S C IMPOSES ENVIRONMENT CESSS
The Supreme Court has imposed 'Environment
Compensation Charge' of Rs 700 and Rs 1300 on
commercial vehicles entering Delhi from November 1
for 4 months. The money will be collected by toll
operators and handed over to the Delhi govt on every
Friday. The funds will be used to clean up Delhi's air.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 13
MUMBAI CHEAPEST CITY FOR BUSINESS
A study by the Savills World Research shows that t
Mumbai has emerged as the world's cheapest city to live
and work in, among 12 top metropolitan cities of the
world. London, Hong Kong and New York are the
world's most expensive cities for companies to
accommodate their employees.
SIN TAX TO BE PART OF GST
Govt plans to include Sin Tax in the proposed Goods and
Services Tax (GST) law that will be effective from 1 April
2016. Sin tax is an excise tax levied on products and
services like alcohol, tobacco and gambling considered
bad for health or society.
GERMANY TO FINANCE GREEN CORRIDORS
India and Germany have signed two loan agreements
worth 125 million Euros for financing Green Energy
Corridor project in Himachal Pradesh and Andhra
Pradesh. The project seeks to facilitate the flow of
renewable energy into the national grid.
Anil Baijal committee submitted its report for
developing suitable methodologies for monitoring CSR
(Corporate Social Responsibility) provisions and
suggested measures for their evaluation.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has made it
mandatory for telecom operators to compensate
consumers by Rs.1 for call drops with effect from 1
January, 2016.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has
offered $ 15 billion long term soft loan along with
technology for starting the Bullet Train between
Ahmadabad and Mumbai.
India left China behind just by 63 tonnes to emerge as
the world’s top gold consumer with a total consumption
of 642 tonnes in first nine months of 2015 as per the
GFMS Gold Survey.
Railways would soon start country's first-ever double
decker Shatabdi Express that would ply between
Mumbai and Goa.
The Ministry of Environment has granted
environment clearance for the greenf ield
international airport at Mopa in Goa.
Railway plans to launch Vikalp scheme from 1st of
November to give passengers the option of journey by
another train if they decide to do so.
National Green Tribunal has directed all trucks etc,
entering Delhi, to pay an environmental
compensation charge in addition to the toll tax.
The Export Import Bank of India has extended a Line
of Creditof $87 million to Zimbabwe for renovation
and up-gradation of Bulawayo Thermal Power Plant.
The World Bank has promised $30 billion financial
assistance to the Railways for its forthcoming
infrastructure projects.
ADB has agreed to give a $123.51 million loan to
upgrade tourism infrastructure and services in
Punjab, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
Bajaj Auto has launched ‘Qute’, the quadricycle RE60
for export to 16 countries in Latin America, Africa,
Europe and Asia at price of around $2000.
Future Group has entered into a partnership with
Baba Ramdev-promoted Patanjali Ayurved to sell the
latter's FMCG products through its Big Bazaar stores.
Real estate developer Tata Housing has tied-up with
social networking firm Facebook to sell its affordable
homes online.
SEPTEMBER 2015
FIIs EXEMPTED FROM MAT
As per the recommendations of the Justice A.P. Shah
Committee, govt has announced that the minimum
alternate tax (MAT) will not be applicable on capital
gains made by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs)
prior to April 1, 2015. The decision is a big relief to FIIs
that pulled out more than Rs. 17,555 crore ($2.65
billion) from India in August. MAT is the minimum tax @
18.5 per cent that a company has to pay on its profits,
even if no tax is payable due to certain eligible deductions.
MANDATORY EXPORT OF SUGAR NOTIFIED
The Food Ministry has notified mandatory export of four
million tonne of sugar for the 2015-16 sugar season
starting October 1. The export quota would be
distributed among all sugar mills based on their average
production in the past three years.
FMC MERGED WITH SEBI
From 28 September 2015, the commodities market
regulator Forward Markets Commission (FMC) has
become part of the Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI). This merger will strengthen the regulation
of commodity futures market by SEBI under Securities
Contracts Regulation Act (SCRA) 1956.
NTPC ACHIEVES RECORD POWER PRODUCTION
NTPC – National Thermal Power Corporation achieved a
record highest single-day electricity generation of
733.12 million units on August 27 from its 33 power
plants of which 18 are coal-based, 7 gas-based and 8 are
solar and hydro power stations.
MUMBAI CHEAPEST CITY FOR BUSINESS
A study by the Savills World Research shows that t
Mumbai has emerged as the world's cheapest city to live
and work in, among 12 top metropolitan cities of the
world. London, Hong Kong and New York are the
world's most expensive cities for companies to
accommodate their employees.
SIN TAX TO BE PART OF GST
Govt plans to include Sin Tax in the proposed Goods and
Services Tax (GST) law that will be effective from 1 April
2016. Sin tax is an excise tax levied on products and
services like alcohol, tobacco and gambling considered
bad for health or society.
GERMANY TO FINANCE GREEN CORRIDORS
India and Germany have signed two loan agreements
worth 125 million Euros for financing Green Energy
Corridor project in Himachal Pradesh and Andhra
Pradesh. The project seeks to facilitate the flow of
renewable energy into the national grid.
Anil Baijal committee submitted its report for
developing suitable methodologies for monitoring CSR
(Corporate Social Responsibility) provisions and
suggested measures for their evaluation.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has made it
mandatory for telecom operators to compensate
consumers by Rs.1 for call drops with effect from 1
January, 2016.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has
offered $ 15 billion long term soft loan along with
technology for starting the Bullet Train between
Ahmadabad and Mumbai.
India left China behind just by 63 tonnes to emerge as
the world’s top gold consumer with a total consumption
of 642 tonnes in first nine months of 2015 as per the
GFMS Gold Survey.
Railways would soon start country's first-ever double
decker Shatabdi Express that would ply between
Mumbai and Goa.
The Ministry of Environment has granted
environment clearance for the greenf ield
international airport at Mopa in Goa.
Railway plans to launch Vikalp scheme from 1st of
November to give passengers the option of journey by
another train if they decide to do so.
National Green Tribunal has directed all trucks etc,
entering Delhi, to pay an environmental
compensation charge in addition to the toll tax.
The Export Import Bank of India has extended a Line
of Creditof $87 million to Zimbabwe for renovation
and up-gradation of Bulawayo Thermal Power Plant.
The World Bank has promised $30 billion financial
assistance to the Railways for its forthcoming
infrastructure projects.
ADB has agreed to give a $123.51 million loan to
upgrade tourism infrastructure and services in
Punjab, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
Bajaj Auto has launched ‘Qute’, the quadricycle RE60
for export to 16 countries in Latin America, Africa,
Europe and Asia at price of around $2000.
Future Group has entered into a partnership with
Baba Ramdev-promoted Patanjali Ayurved to sell the
latter's FMCG products through its Big Bazaar stores.
Real estate developer Tata Housing has tied-up with
social networking firm Facebook to sell its affordable
homes online.
SEPTEMBER 2015
FIIs EXEMPTED FROM MAT
As per the recommendations of the Justice A.P. Shah
Committee, govt has announced that the minimum
alternate tax (MAT) will not be applicable on capital
gains made by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs)
prior to April 1, 2015. The decision is a big relief to FIIs
that pulled out more than Rs. 17,555 crore ($2.65
billion) from India in August. MAT is the minimum tax @
18.5 per cent that a company has to pay on its profits,
even if no tax is payable due to certain eligible deductions.
MANDATORY EXPORT OF SUGAR NOTIFIED
The Food Ministry has notified mandatory export of four
million tonne of sugar for the 2015-16 sugar season
starting October 1. The export quota would be
distributed among all sugar mills based on their average
production in the past three years.
FMC MERGED WITH SEBI
From 28 September 2015, the commodities market
regulator Forward Markets Commission (FMC) has
become part of the Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI). This merger will strengthen the regulation
of commodity futures market by SEBI under Securities
Contracts Regulation Act (SCRA) 1956.
NTPC ACHIEVES RECORD POWER PRODUCTION
NTPC – National Thermal Power Corporation achieved a
record highest single-day electricity generation of
733.12 million units on August 27 from its 33 power
plants of which 18 are coal-based, 7 gas-based and 8 are
solar and hydro power stations.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 14
WOMEN CAN BOOST GDP
According to a new report by McKinsey Global Institute,
if the gender inequality issue in India is resolved and
more women are allowed to join workforce, India's
gross domestic product (GDP) could see a jump of
around 60 per cent by 2025.
SALE OF DICLOFENAC RESTRICTED
Union Ministry of
Health and Family
Welfare has banned
the sale of Diclofenac
drug in multidose
vial. Henceforth, it
will be sold only in
single-dose vial
packaging for human use.
The drug is administered to cattle and is the chief cause of
mass extinction of vultures as the vultures feeding on
cattle having traces of Diclofenac either die from acute
kidney failure within a few days or lose their ability to
reproduce.
CHINESE COMPANY TO INVEST IN HARYANA
In one of the biggest investment in India by a Chinese
company, the real estate major Dalian Wanda Group
plans to invest around Rs. 66,000 crore to acquire 100
square km of land in two parcels in Haryana to develop
an industrial zone and township.
‘SAHAJ’ FOR ONLINE LPG CONNECTIONS
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry launched
SAHAJ scheme on August 30 for online booking of LPG
connections through the websites of all public sector oil
companies and the LPG portal, Pahal.
The West-Central Railway zone, Jabalpur, Madhya
Pradesh has become the first Railway Zone to
eliminate all unmanned level crossings.
The World Federation of Exchanges has confirmed
that the Bombay Stock Exchange has the highest
number of listed companies in the world - 5689.
Asian Development Bank to provide $ 500 million
loan for better management of essential urban
services and financing of water supply in Rajasthan.
ADB to extend a loan of $ 200 million to Jharkhand
for upgrading roads in next four years.
AUGUST 2015
3 INDIAN COs IN INNOVATION LIST
Three Indian companies, Hindustan Unilever, Sun
Pharma Industries and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
have been named among the world’s 100 most
innovative companies list compiled by Forbes magazine
of USA. The list is topped by Tesla Motors of USA.
AGRI PRODUCTION DOWN BY 4.9%
According to the Fourth Advance Estimates of
foodgrains production in 2014-15 in India, it was 252.68
million tonnes, down by 12.36 million tonnes (4.9%)
from the previous year’s record production of 265.04
million tonnes. Production of kharif crops suffered due
to bad monsoon while rabi crops were hit by unseasonal
rains/hailstorm during Feb-March 2015.
INDIA TO BOOST PALM OIL PRODUCTION
India plans to spend $1.5 billion in the next three years
to help farmers grow oil palm trees to make the nation
self-sufficient in edible oils. Country spends $10 billion
on import of edible oils, its third-highest overseas spend
after oil and gold.
‘ACTIVA’ CROSSES ONE CRORE MARK
The country's most popular scooter - the Honda Activa -
has set a new record by crossing the one crore unit sales
landmark. First launched in 2001, the Activa currently
commands 59 per cent share in the Indian scooter
market - and over 2.1 million units of the Activa range
were sold in the last financial year.
RAJESH EXPORTS IS WORLD NO 1 IN JWELLERY
World’s largest gold jewellery manufacturer - Rajesh
Exports Ltd. Bengaluru, has acquired Switzerland based
Valcambi, the world’s largest integrated precious metals
refiner, in an all-cash deal of $400 million (around
Rs.2,560 crore).
NATIONAL INVESTMENT AND INFRA FUND
Union Cabinet has approved setting up of National
Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) to
support new and delayed projects. The fund will have
an initial corpus of Rs. 20000 crore, of which 49% will
be contributed by govt. of India.
The Union Cabinet has approved construction of
petroleum products pipeline from Raxaul (Bihar) in
India to Amlekhgunj in Nepal.
Kolkata Port adjudged as the best ‘Major Port of the
Year’ in the country for the year 2014-15 on basis of
its turnover, efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn to invest $5
billion in Maharashtra to set up large scale research
& development and manufacturing facilities.
The government's 10 per cent stake sale in Indian Oil
Corporation on August 24 fetched around Rs. 9300 cr.
WOMEN CAN BOOST GDP
According to a new report by McKinsey Global Institute,
if the gender inequality issue in India is resolved and
more women are allowed to join workforce, India's
gross domestic product (GDP) could see a jump of
around 60 per cent by 2025.
SALE OF DICLOFENAC RESTRICTED
Union Ministry of
Health and Family
Welfare has banned
the sale of Diclofenac
drug in multidose
vial. Henceforth, it
will be sold only in
single-dose vial
packaging for human use.
The drug is administered to cattle and is the chief cause of
mass extinction of vultures as the vultures feeding on
cattle having traces of Diclofenac either die from acute
kidney failure within a few days or lose their ability to
reproduce.
CHINESE COMPANY TO INVEST IN HARYANA
In one of the biggest investment in India by a Chinese
company, the real estate major Dalian Wanda Group
plans to invest around Rs. 66,000 crore to acquire 100
square km of land in two parcels in Haryana to develop
an industrial zone and township.
‘SAHAJ’ FOR ONLINE LPG CONNECTIONS
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry launched
SAHAJ scheme on August 30 for online booking of LPG
connections through the websites of all public sector oil
companies and the LPG portal, Pahal.
The West-Central Railway zone, Jabalpur, Madhya
Pradesh has become the first Railway Zone to
eliminate all unmanned level crossings.
The World Federation of Exchanges has confirmed
that the Bombay Stock Exchange has the highest
number of listed companies in the world - 5689.
Asian Development Bank to provide $ 500 million
loan for better management of essential urban
services and financing of water supply in Rajasthan.
ADB to extend a loan of $ 200 million to Jharkhand
for upgrading roads in next four years.
AUGUST 2015
3 INDIAN COs IN INNOVATION LIST
Three Indian companies, Hindustan Unilever, Sun
Pharma Industries and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
have been named among the world’s 100 most
innovative companies list compiled by Forbes magazine
of USA. The list is topped by Tesla Motors of USA.
AGRI PRODUCTION DOWN BY 4.9%
According to the Fourth Advance Estimates of
foodgrains production in 2014-15 in India, it was 252.68
million tonnes, down by 12.36 million tonnes (4.9%)
from the previous year’s record production of 265.04
million tonnes. Production of kharif crops suffered due
to bad monsoon while rabi crops were hit by unseasonal
rains/hailstorm during Feb-March 2015.
INDIA TO BOOST PALM OIL PRODUCTION
India plans to spend $1.5 billion in the next three years
to help farmers grow oil palm trees to make the nation
self-sufficient in edible oils. Country spends $10 billion
on import of edible oils, its third-highest overseas spend
after oil and gold.
‘ACTIVA’ CROSSES ONE CRORE MARK
The country's most popular scooter - the Honda Activa -
has set a new record by crossing the one crore unit sales
landmark. First launched in 2001, the Activa currently
commands 59 per cent share in the Indian scooter
market - and over 2.1 million units of the Activa range
were sold in the last financial year.
RAJESH EXPORTS IS WORLD NO 1 IN JWELLERY
World’s largest gold jewellery manufacturer - Rajesh
Exports Ltd. Bengaluru, has acquired Switzerland based
Valcambi, the world’s largest integrated precious metals
refiner, in an all-cash deal of $400 million (around
Rs.2,560 crore).
NATIONAL INVESTMENT AND INFRA FUND
Union Cabinet has approved setting up of National
Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) to
support new and delayed projects. The fund will have
an initial corpus of Rs. 20000 crore, of which 49% will
be contributed by govt. of India.
The Union Cabinet has approved construction of
petroleum products pipeline from Raxaul (Bihar) in
India to Amlekhgunj in Nepal.
Kolkata Port adjudged as the best ‘Major Port of the
Year’ in the country for the year 2014-15 on basis of
its turnover, efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn to invest $5
billion in Maharashtra to set up large scale research
& development and manufacturing facilities.
The government's 10 per cent stake sale in Indian Oil
Corporation on August 24 fetched around Rs. 9300 cr.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 15
BANKING & FINANCE
OCTOBER 2015
RBI CUTS REPO RATE TO 6.75 %
In its 4
th bi-monthly monetary policy review announced
on Sep 29, RBI cut the benchmark repo rate by 50 basis
points, from 7.25 to 6.75 per cent.
Consequently, the reverse repo rate stands
adjusted to 5.75 per cent, and the marginal standing
facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 7.75 per cent.
Apart from boosting demand in economy, the
rate cut may help in accelerating investment and
industrial growth at a time when the global growth
outlook is getting weaker.
It’s a bonanza for households just before the
festival season as home and auto loans are likely to
become cheaper. The flip side is that for those relying
on savings, interest rates across the board on small
savings schemes and fixed deposits are set to come
down.
FINANCIAL INCLUSION FUND BY RBI
The RBI has decided to create a new Financial Inclusion
Fund- FIF with a corpus of 2,000 crore rupees by
merger of two different funds - Financial Inclusion Fund
and Financial Inclusion Technology Fund into a single
Fund to support 'developmental and promotional
activities' of banking services. The new Fund will be
maintained by the National Bank for Agriculture and
Rural Development - NABARD.
CHEAPER LOANS FOR SC COMMUNITY
RBI has advised that the condition of up to only 4 per
cent variance between minimum and maximum interest
rates on loans given by micro finance lenders will not be
applicable on sections belonging to scheduled castes
living below double poverty line (i.e. annual income
below Rs. 40,000/- in rural areas and Rs. 55,000/- in
urban areas)
MOVE TO CURB NPAs
With a view to curb the incidence of non-performing
assets (NPAs) in banks, the government has made it
mandatory for all financial institutions to obtain an
affidavit from auditors who sign balance sheets of
companies applying for loans.
100% FDI ALLOWED IN WLAs
Govt has decided to allow foreign investment up to 100
per cent in White Label ATM operations under the
automatic route to promote financial inclusion.
The Reserve Bank has revised downwards its real GDP
forecast for 2015-16 to 7.4 per cent from earlier
expectation of 7.6 per cent, saying that growth is
expected to pick up in the latter part of the fiscal.
QR CODE BASED PAYMENTS BY ICICI BANK
ICICI Bank has become the first bank in the world to
launch mVisa - a card-less and device-less payment
solution. It has incorporated the mVisa application in its
Pockets app, which allows payments to be made by
scanning a static QR code and entering the amount.
UCO BANK WORSE IN NPAs
Recent RBI data shows that
among public sector banks,
the UCO Bank had highest
ratio of NPAs at 8.5 per cent
of its loans in 2014-15,
followed by Indian Overseas
Bank (IOB) and Bank of
Maharashtra (BoM) with
gross NPA rising to 8.30 per
cent, and 6.18 per cent
respectively.
State Bank of India has received in principle approval
from the RBI to set up a subsidiary to frame and
implement a uniform policy for all the real estate
properties owned or rented by the bank.
Schedule commercial banks' credit increased by
9.54% to Rs 67.8 billion while deposits increased by
11.25% to Rs 91.6 billion in the fortnight ended October
16, according to RBI data.
RBI has said that the banks will be free to set interest
rate on Gold Deposit Schemes and principal and
interest of the deposit will be denominated in gold.
Reserve Bank of India has opened its sub-office in
Imphal in Manipur.
BANKING & FINANCE
OCTOBER 2015
RBI CUTS REPO RATE TO 6.75 %
In its 4
th bi-monthly monetary policy review announced
on Sep 29, RBI cut the benchmark repo rate by 50 basis
points, from 7.25 to 6.75 per cent.
Consequently, the reverse repo rate stands
adjusted to 5.75 per cent, and the marginal standing
facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 7.75 per cent.
Apart from boosting demand in economy, the
rate cut may help in accelerating investment and
industrial growth at a time when the global growth
outlook is getting weaker.
It’s a bonanza for households just before the
festival season as home and auto loans are likely to
become cheaper. The flip side is that for those relying
on savings, interest rates across the board on small
savings schemes and fixed deposits are set to come
down.
FINANCIAL INCLUSION FUND BY RBI
The RBI has decided to create a new Financial Inclusion
Fund- FIF with a corpus of 2,000 crore rupees by
merger of two different funds - Financial Inclusion Fund
and Financial Inclusion Technology Fund into a single
Fund to support 'developmental and promotional
activities' of banking services. The new Fund will be
maintained by the National Bank for Agriculture and
Rural Development - NABARD.
CHEAPER LOANS FOR SC COMMUNITY
RBI has advised that the condition of up to only 4 per
cent variance between minimum and maximum interest
rates on loans given by micro finance lenders will not be
applicable on sections belonging to scheduled castes
living below double poverty line (i.e. annual income
below Rs. 40,000/- in rural areas and Rs. 55,000/- in
urban areas)
MOVE TO CURB NPAs
With a view to curb the incidence of non-performing
assets (NPAs) in banks, the government has made it
mandatory for all financial institutions to obtain an
affidavit from auditors who sign balance sheets of
companies applying for loans.
100% FDI ALLOWED IN WLAs
Govt has decided to allow foreign investment up to 100
per cent in White Label ATM operations under the
automatic route to promote financial inclusion.
The Reserve Bank has revised downwards its real GDP
forecast for 2015-16 to 7.4 per cent from earlier
expectation of 7.6 per cent, saying that growth is
expected to pick up in the latter part of the fiscal.
QR CODE BASED PAYMENTS BY ICICI BANK
ICICI Bank has become the first bank in the world to
launch mVisa - a card-less and device-less payment
solution. It has incorporated the mVisa application in its
Pockets app, which allows payments to be made by
scanning a static QR code and entering the amount.
UCO BANK WORSE IN NPAs
Recent RBI data shows that
among public sector banks,
the UCO Bank had highest
ratio of NPAs at 8.5 per cent
of its loans in 2014-15,
followed by Indian Overseas
Bank (IOB) and Bank of
Maharashtra (BoM) with
gross NPA rising to 8.30 per
cent, and 6.18 per cent
respectively.
State Bank of India has received in principle approval
from the RBI to set up a subsidiary to frame and
implement a uniform policy for all the real estate
properties owned or rented by the bank.
Schedule commercial banks' credit increased by
9.54% to Rs 67.8 billion while deposits increased by
11.25% to Rs 91.6 billion in the fortnight ended October
16, according to RBI data.
RBI has said that the banks will be free to set interest
rate on Gold Deposit Schemes and principal and
interest of the deposit will be denominated in gold.
Reserve Bank of India has opened its sub-office in
Imphal in Manipur.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 16
The RBI has granted permission to the Indian
corporate to issue rupee bonds outside India. These
bonds would be exempted from capital gains tax.
The Reserve Bank has signed a MoU with Bangladesh
Bank for exchange of supervisory information.
The government plans to bring down its stake in the
IDBI Bank to 49 per cent, from 76.5 per cent at
present with a view to make it more efficient.
HDFC Bank has automated its personal loan
approvals through their ATMs that would track the
customer's history and authorize a loan accordingly.
HDFC Bank has been rated 27th safest bank in the
world, according to the Bank Safety Ranking done by
the international financial magazine 'The Banker’.
SEPTEMBER 2015
BANKS TO PROVIDE EASY LOANS UNDER PMMY
Public Sector Banks have been asked to conduct Mega
Credit Campaigns all over the country from Sep 25 to
Oct 2 to generate easy availability of credit to Micro
Enterprises under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana
(PMMY). All state-run banks, regional rural banks and
private banks together have been given a target of 1.22
lakh crore for 2015-16 for disbursement to small and
micro enterprises up to Rs.10 lakh.
Mudra has been established as a subsidiary of SIDBI, with
an initial corpus of Rs 5,000 crore to provide refinance to
all banks seeking refinancing of small business loans
under PMMY.
SBI AND ICICI BANK DECLARED D-SIB
The Reserve Bank has declared State Bank of India and
ICICI Bank as Domestic Systemically Important Banks
(D-SIBs). The D-SIB framework requires the RBI to
disclose the names of banks designated as D-SIBs every
year in August starting from August 2015.
Systemically Important means anything or feature
which is important for entire system. Thus, D-SIBs are
those banks any changes in which may have the effect on
the entire banking system.
LICENSES GRANTED FOR 10 SMALL BANKS
Seeking to promote financial inclusion, the RBI has
granted in principal approval to 10 entities to set up
small finance banks.
These banks can provide basic banking services like
accepting deposits and lending to the unbanked sections
such as small farmers, micro business enterprises, micro
and small industries and unorganised sector entities.
MORE POWERS TO BANKS TO TACKLE NPAs
RBI has allowed banks to change the ownership of an
errant corporate even before the loan account turns
'bad' or non performing asset – NPA. Further, two of the
country's largest lenders — State Bank of India and
ICICI Bank will play a key role in turning around a
company after it defaults. These two measures are
aimed at checking sticky loans and forcing truant
borrowers to fall in line.
BANKS TO BE READY FOR FATCA / CRS
The Reserve Bank has asked all banks and financial
institutions to be prepared for the implementation of
due diligence and reporting standards under FATCA and
CRS meant for international tax compliance. This is in
response to India’s signing an agreement with the US
govt for improving International Tax Compliance and
implementing the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
(FATCA) and agreement for Common Reporting
Standards (CRS).
BANKS TO RECEIVE NPA REPORTS
RBI has asked concurrent auditors of commercial banks
to submit their review of non-performing loans directly
to the banks and discontinue the practice of submitting
it to the statutory auditors who conduct quarterly and
half yearly review of bank accounts.
Concurrent audit means doing the examination of the
financial transactions at the time of happening or parallel
with the transaction. It is regarded as part of a bank's
early warning systems.
RBI SUGGESTS FORMULA FOR BASE RATE
To bring in uniformity among banks for calculation of
base rate and for effective transmission of policy rates,
the Reserve Bank has proposed a formula to calculate
the base rate for lending wef April 1, 2016. The
components of Base Rate will include cost of funds,
negative carry on CRR/SLR, un-allocable overhead costs
and average return on net worth.
NEW HIGH SECURITY NOTES
In its continuing effort to curb the menace of fake notes,
RBI plans to put into circulation banknotes in the
denominations of 500 and 1000 rupees incorporating
three new/revised features - ascending size of numerals
in the number panels, introduction of bleed lines, and
enlarged identification mark.
CONCESSIONAL LOANS TO BANK DIRECTORS
The RBI has permitted banks to offer loans below base
rate to their whole time directors and CEOs. However,
the rate charged should not be lower than the rate that
is charged to their employees.
Base rate is the rate below which banks are not allowed
to lend.
The RBI has granted permission to the Indian
corporate to issue rupee bonds outside India. These
bonds would be exempted from capital gains tax.
The Reserve Bank has signed a MoU with Bangladesh
Bank for exchange of supervisory information.
The government plans to bring down its stake in the
IDBI Bank to 49 per cent, from 76.5 per cent at
present with a view to make it more efficient.
HDFC Bank has automated its personal loan
approvals through their ATMs that would track the
customer's history and authorize a loan accordingly.
HDFC Bank has been rated 27th safest bank in the
world, according to the Bank Safety Ranking done by
the international financial magazine 'The Banker’.
SEPTEMBER 2015
BANKS TO PROVIDE EASY LOANS UNDER PMMY
Public Sector Banks have been asked to conduct Mega
Credit Campaigns all over the country from Sep 25 to
Oct 2 to generate easy availability of credit to Micro
Enterprises under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana
(PMMY). All state-run banks, regional rural banks and
private banks together have been given a target of 1.22
lakh crore for 2015-16 for disbursement to small and
micro enterprises up to Rs.10 lakh.
Mudra has been established as a subsidiary of SIDBI, with
an initial corpus of Rs 5,000 crore to provide refinance to
all banks seeking refinancing of small business loans
under PMMY.
SBI AND ICICI BANK DECLARED D-SIB
The Reserve Bank has declared State Bank of India and
ICICI Bank as Domestic Systemically Important Banks
(D-SIBs). The D-SIB framework requires the RBI to
disclose the names of banks designated as D-SIBs every
year in August starting from August 2015.
Systemically Important means anything or feature
which is important for entire system. Thus, D-SIBs are
those banks any changes in which may have the effect on
the entire banking system.
LICENSES GRANTED FOR 10 SMALL BANKS
Seeking to promote financial inclusion, the RBI has
granted in principal approval to 10 entities to set up
small finance banks.
These banks can provide basic banking services like
accepting deposits and lending to the unbanked sections
such as small farmers, micro business enterprises, micro
and small industries and unorganised sector entities.
MORE POWERS TO BANKS TO TACKLE NPAs
RBI has allowed banks to change the ownership of an
errant corporate even before the loan account turns
'bad' or non performing asset – NPA. Further, two of the
country's largest lenders — State Bank of India and
ICICI Bank will play a key role in turning around a
company after it defaults. These two measures are
aimed at checking sticky loans and forcing truant
borrowers to fall in line.
BANKS TO BE READY FOR FATCA / CRS
The Reserve Bank has asked all banks and financial
institutions to be prepared for the implementation of
due diligence and reporting standards under FATCA and
CRS meant for international tax compliance. This is in
response to India’s signing an agreement with the US
govt for improving International Tax Compliance and
implementing the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
(FATCA) and agreement for Common Reporting
Standards (CRS).
BANKS TO RECEIVE NPA REPORTS
RBI has asked concurrent auditors of commercial banks
to submit their review of non-performing loans directly
to the banks and discontinue the practice of submitting
it to the statutory auditors who conduct quarterly and
half yearly review of bank accounts.
Concurrent audit means doing the examination of the
financial transactions at the time of happening or parallel
with the transaction. It is regarded as part of a bank's
early warning systems.
RBI SUGGESTS FORMULA FOR BASE RATE
To bring in uniformity among banks for calculation of
base rate and for effective transmission of policy rates,
the Reserve Bank has proposed a formula to calculate
the base rate for lending wef April 1, 2016. The
components of Base Rate will include cost of funds,
negative carry on CRR/SLR, un-allocable overhead costs
and average return on net worth.
NEW HIGH SECURITY NOTES
In its continuing effort to curb the menace of fake notes,
RBI plans to put into circulation banknotes in the
denominations of 500 and 1000 rupees incorporating
three new/revised features - ascending size of numerals
in the number panels, introduction of bleed lines, and
enlarged identification mark.
CONCESSIONAL LOANS TO BANK DIRECTORS
The RBI has permitted banks to offer loans below base
rate to their whole time directors and CEOs. However,
the rate charged should not be lower than the rate that
is charged to their employees.
Base rate is the rate below which banks are not allowed
to lend.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 17
INDIA JOINS UN’s PAYMENT ALLIANCE
India is joining the UN-based 'Better Than Cash
Alliance', which promotes transition from cash to digital
payments to reduce poverty and drive inclusive growth.
The alliance is made up of governments, companies, and
international organizations for digitisation of payments
to promote financial inclusion.
RBI has inked a MoU with the Nepal Rastra Bank for
Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange of
Supervisory Information.
Two commemorative coins of Rs 125 and Rs 10 were
released on the eve of Teachers' Day in the memory of
former President Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan.
The Reserve Bank of India will shortly put into
circulation Rs 5 coins to commemorate golden jubilee
of Indo-Pak War 1965.
The RBI has liberalised external commercial
borrowing norms for NBFCs, allowing them to use the
foreign funds to finance domestic equipments.
RBI plans to permit domestic companies to borrow
money from pension funds, sovereign wealth funds
(SWFs) and insurance funds as part of the ECBs.
Axis Bank has rolled out a full-fledged mobile app
‘Lime’ that enables shopping, making payments and
banking, all under one window.
Indian Bank has launched IndPay mobile app service
to enables its customers to operate bank accounts
anytime from anywhere.
AUGUST 2015
RBI GRANTS PAYMENT BANK LICENCES
The Reserve Bank of India gave in principle approval for
11 entities on August 19 to set up payments banks. They
are India Post, Reliance Industries Ltd., Aditya Birla
Nuvo, Tech Mahindra, Sun Pharma, National Securities
Depository Ltd., Airtel M Commerce Services Ltd.,
Vodafone m-pesa Ltd., Cholamandalam Distribution
Services Ltd., Fino Pay Tech Ltd. and Paytm.
Concept of payment banks was proposed by the
Nachiket Mor committee.
They differ from conventional banks as they cannot
give loans nor can they accept time deposits.
Balance in deposit accounts cannot exceed Rs 1 lakh.
They can issue debit cards but not credit cards.
They will need to invest 75 percent of their funds in
government securities
FARM LOAN PERIOD EXTENDED
RBI has allowed banks to extend repayment period of
farm loan upto 5-years in case 50 percent or more of
crop is damaged due to natural calamities like drought
and flood and up to two years if crop damage is 33
percent or more.
GANDHI COMMITTEE ON COOP BANKS
R Gandhi committee on the urban cooperative bank
(UCB) system has recommended to amend the law to
allow UCBs to exit from the ambit of the Multi State Co-
operative Societies Act and come under the Companies
Act. All new banks in the private sector are governed by
the latter law.
INTEREST SUBVENTION FOR FARM LOANS
The RBI has notified that interest subvention of 2 per
cent per annum will be made available to all banks on
short term farm loans upto Rs. 3 lacs provided they
charge only 7 per cent per annum to farmers. Further,
additional subvention of 3 per cent will be available to
farmers who repay such loans in time. Such farmers
thus will pay interest at the rate of 4 per cent only.
GOVT TO PUT 70K CRORE IN BANKS
Government proposes to infuse Rs 70,000 crore in
public sector banks in next four years from budgetary
allocations. The estimate is based on credit growth rate
of 12 per cent for the current year and 12 to 15 per cent
for the next three years.
RBI ALLOWS SHIFTING OF BANK BRANCHES
Reserve Bank of India has allowed banks to shift, merge
or close branches, except in rural areas, at their own
discretion. However, in case of rural branches and a
sole semi urban branch, approval of the District
Consultative Committee or District Level Review
Committee will be required.
IRDAI ALLOWS ALL INS. PRODUCTS TO BANKS
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
of India - IRDAI has allowed banks to tie up with
insurers, to sell three products each from life, non-life
and standalone health insurance segment.
SIDBI LAUNCHES FUNDS FOR ENTERPRENEURS
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
launched two funds on August 18 for financing
entrepreneurs. A 10,000 crore rupees fund named
SIDBI Make In India Loan For Enterprises (SMILE) is for
providing soft loans to MSMEs. The India Aspiration
Fund with corpus of Rs 2,000 crore has been launched
to create 7.5 lakh jobs in five years.
INDIA JOINS UN’s PAYMENT ALLIANCE
India is joining the UN-based 'Better Than Cash
Alliance', which promotes transition from cash to digital
payments to reduce poverty and drive inclusive growth.
The alliance is made up of governments, companies, and
international organizations for digitisation of payments
to promote financial inclusion.
RBI has inked a MoU with the Nepal Rastra Bank for
Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange of
Supervisory Information.
Two commemorative coins of Rs 125 and Rs 10 were
released on the eve of Teachers' Day in the memory of
former President Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan.
The Reserve Bank of India will shortly put into
circulation Rs 5 coins to commemorate golden jubilee
of Indo-Pak War 1965.
The RBI has liberalised external commercial
borrowing norms for NBFCs, allowing them to use the
foreign funds to finance domestic equipments.
RBI plans to permit domestic companies to borrow
money from pension funds, sovereign wealth funds
(SWFs) and insurance funds as part of the ECBs.
Axis Bank has rolled out a full-fledged mobile app
‘Lime’ that enables shopping, making payments and
banking, all under one window.
Indian Bank has launched IndPay mobile app service
to enables its customers to operate bank accounts
anytime from anywhere.
AUGUST 2015
RBI GRANTS PAYMENT BANK LICENCES
The Reserve Bank of India gave in principle approval for
11 entities on August 19 to set up payments banks. They
are India Post, Reliance Industries Ltd., Aditya Birla
Nuvo, Tech Mahindra, Sun Pharma, National Securities
Depository Ltd., Airtel M Commerce Services Ltd.,
Vodafone m-pesa Ltd., Cholamandalam Distribution
Services Ltd., Fino Pay Tech Ltd. and Paytm.
Concept of payment banks was proposed by the
Nachiket Mor committee.
They differ from conventional banks as they cannot
give loans nor can they accept time deposits.
Balance in deposit accounts cannot exceed Rs 1 lakh.
They can issue debit cards but not credit cards.
They will need to invest 75 percent of their funds in
government securities
FARM LOAN PERIOD EXTENDED
RBI has allowed banks to extend repayment period of
farm loan upto 5-years in case 50 percent or more of
crop is damaged due to natural calamities like drought
and flood and up to two years if crop damage is 33
percent or more.
GANDHI COMMITTEE ON COOP BANKS
R Gandhi committee on the urban cooperative bank
(UCB) system has recommended to amend the law to
allow UCBs to exit from the ambit of the Multi State Co-
operative Societies Act and come under the Companies
Act. All new banks in the private sector are governed by
the latter law.
INTEREST SUBVENTION FOR FARM LOANS
The RBI has notified that interest subvention of 2 per
cent per annum will be made available to all banks on
short term farm loans upto Rs. 3 lacs provided they
charge only 7 per cent per annum to farmers. Further,
additional subvention of 3 per cent will be available to
farmers who repay such loans in time. Such farmers
thus will pay interest at the rate of 4 per cent only.
GOVT TO PUT 70K CRORE IN BANKS
Government proposes to infuse Rs 70,000 crore in
public sector banks in next four years from budgetary
allocations. The estimate is based on credit growth rate
of 12 per cent for the current year and 12 to 15 per cent
for the next three years.
RBI ALLOWS SHIFTING OF BANK BRANCHES
Reserve Bank of India has allowed banks to shift, merge
or close branches, except in rural areas, at their own
discretion. However, in case of rural branches and a
sole semi urban branch, approval of the District
Consultative Committee or District Level Review
Committee will be required.
IRDAI ALLOWS ALL INS. PRODUCTS TO BANKS
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
of India - IRDAI has allowed banks to tie up with
insurers, to sell three products each from life, non-life
and standalone health insurance segment.
SIDBI LAUNCHES FUNDS FOR ENTERPRENEURS
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
launched two funds on August 18 for financing
entrepreneurs. A 10,000 crore rupees fund named
SIDBI Make In India Loan For Enterprises (SMILE) is for
providing soft loans to MSMEs. The India Aspiration
Fund with corpus of Rs 2,000 crore has been launched
to create 7.5 lakh jobs in five years.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 18
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 19
BANDHAN BANK JOINS BANKING INDUSTRY
Bandhan Bank began operations on August 23 as a full-
fledged bank with 501 branches and 1.43 crore accounts
across the country, becoming the newest member of the
estimated $2-trillion Indian banking industry.
SBI BUDDY – AN ALL PURPOSE APP FROM SBI
State Bank of India launched a mobile wallet application,
SBI Buddy, in collaboration with Accenture and
Mastercard. The application is available in 13 languages
for both SBI customers and non customers with several
features like cash transfer, bill payment, all types of
ticket bookings payment and booking for movies, hotels
as well as for shopping.
SMART DIGITAL LOCKERS FROM ICICI BANK
ICICI Bank has launched the first of its kind fully
automated digital locker named 'Smart Vault'. The vault
uses robotic technology to access the lockers from the
safe vault and enables customers to access their lockers
at any time of their preference, including weekends and
post banking hours.
‘INDRADHANUSH’ TO REVIVE BANKS
Government has launched project “Indra-dhanush” to
lay down the framework for the revival of public sector
banks. It aims to provide immediate capital support,
create a Bank Board Bureau, link the compensation of
the top management to performance, improve
governance standards and focus on the quality of the
business rather than the quantity. A new framework of
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to be measured for
performance of PSBs is also being put in place, which
will boost efficiency in functioning of these banks.
NON NET BASED APP FROM KOTAK BANK
Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched a mobile banking
app ‘Kotak Bharat’ to provide mobile banking services
to customers in the remotest regions of India as this app
does not require internet support.
RBI to transfer its surplus profit of Rs 65,896 crore to
the Centre, which is about 25% more than the
amount given last year.
RBI to issue 10 rupee coins to commemorate Inter-
national Yoga Day. The coins will have image of lion
capital on one side and logo of Yoga Day on the other.
Govt has notified that the second and fourth Saturday
of every month would be a holiday for banks, with
effect from September 1, 2015.
NABARD has been accredited by the Green Climate
Fund of UNO as an implementing entity for
undertaking climate change related projects in India.
HDFC Bank has launched ‘Dhanchayat’, an
educational film to raise awareness on the dangers of
borrowing money from unorganised sources.
ICICI Bank has announced ‘Saral-Rural Housing
Loan’ up to Rs. 15 lakh with a special interest rate
equal to its base rate which is currently at 9.70 %.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY
OCTOBER 2015
INS KOCHI INDUCTED IN INDIAN NAVY
Indigenously built naval warship INS Kochi, the stealth
guided missile destroyer, was inducted in the Indian
Navy on Sep 30. The ship is one of the few warships of
the world and the second in the Indian Navy to have
Multi-Function Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar to
provide target data to Long Range Surface to Air Missile
system.
INS KALVARI RELEASED FOR SEA TRIALS
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders released the first Scorpene
category submarine INS 'Kalvari' for sea trails at the
Naval Dockyard Mumbai. After successful completion of
all the rigorous trials and tests, it will be formally
inducted in Indian Navy later in 2016.
JOINT NAVAL OPERATION – MALABAR
The navies of India, United States and Japan began a
five-day joint operation-'Malabar exercise' on October
14 on the eastern coast in Bay of Bengal, in which
several warships, aircraft carriers and fast attack
submarine participated.
INDIA SRI LANKA CONDUCT ‘SLINEX’
The Indian and Sri Lankan Navies conducted the 4th
edition of Sri Lanka-India Exercise (SLINEX) in Bay of
Bengal, off the Trincomalee coast in Sri Lanka, from
October 27 to November 1.
‘MITRA SHAKTI’ HELD WITH SRI LANKA
A 14-day joint training exercise 'Mitra Shakti 2015',
involving military contingents from India and Sri Lanka,
was held in Pune from Sep 29 to Oct 12 to secure a
better understanding of the modern day warfare
requirements.
BANDHAN BANK JOINS BANKING INDUSTRY
Bandhan Bank began operations on August 23 as a full-
fledged bank with 501 branches and 1.43 crore accounts
across the country, becoming the newest member of the
estimated $2-trillion Indian banking industry.
SBI BUDDY – AN ALL PURPOSE APP FROM SBI
State Bank of India launched a mobile wallet application,
SBI Buddy, in collaboration with Accenture and
Mastercard. The application is available in 13 languages
for both SBI customers and non customers with several
features like cash transfer, bill payment, all types of
ticket bookings payment and booking for movies, hotels
as well as for shopping.
SMART DIGITAL LOCKERS FROM ICICI BANK
ICICI Bank has launched the first of its kind fully
automated digital locker named 'Smart Vault'. The vault
uses robotic technology to access the lockers from the
safe vault and enables customers to access their lockers
at any time of their preference, including weekends and
post banking hours.
‘INDRADHANUSH’ TO REVIVE BANKS
Government has launched project “Indra-dhanush” to
lay down the framework for the revival of public sector
banks. It aims to provide immediate capital support,
create a Bank Board Bureau, link the compensation of
the top management to performance, improve
governance standards and focus on the quality of the
business rather than the quantity. A new framework of
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to be measured for
performance of PSBs is also being put in place, which
will boost efficiency in functioning of these banks.
NON NET BASED APP FROM KOTAK BANK
Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched a mobile banking
app ‘Kotak Bharat’ to provide mobile banking services
to customers in the remotest regions of India as this app
does not require internet support.
RBI to transfer its surplus profit of Rs 65,896 crore to
the Centre, which is about 25% more than the
amount given last year.
RBI to issue 10 rupee coins to commemorate Inter-
national Yoga Day. The coins will have image of lion
capital on one side and logo of Yoga Day on the other.
Govt has notified that the second and fourth Saturday
of every month would be a holiday for banks, with
effect from September 1, 2015.
NABARD has been accredited by the Green Climate
Fund of UNO as an implementing entity for
undertaking climate change related projects in India.
HDFC Bank has launched ‘Dhanchayat’, an
educational film to raise awareness on the dangers of
borrowing money from unorganised sources.
ICICI Bank has announced ‘Saral-Rural Housing
Loan’ up to Rs. 15 lakh with a special interest rate
equal to its base rate which is currently at 9.70 %.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY
OCTOBER 2015
INS KOCHI INDUCTED IN INDIAN NAVY
Indigenously built naval warship INS Kochi, the stealth
guided missile destroyer, was inducted in the Indian
Navy on Sep 30. The ship is one of the few warships of
the world and the second in the Indian Navy to have
Multi-Function Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar to
provide target data to Long Range Surface to Air Missile
system.
INS KALVARI RELEASED FOR SEA TRIALS
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders released the first Scorpene
category submarine INS 'Kalvari' for sea trails at the
Naval Dockyard Mumbai. After successful completion of
all the rigorous trials and tests, it will be formally
inducted in Indian Navy later in 2016.
JOINT NAVAL OPERATION – MALABAR
The navies of India, United States and Japan began a
five-day joint operation-'Malabar exercise' on October
14 on the eastern coast in Bay of Bengal, in which
several warships, aircraft carriers and fast attack
submarine participated.
INDIA SRI LANKA CONDUCT ‘SLINEX’
The Indian and Sri Lankan Navies conducted the 4th
edition of Sri Lanka-India Exercise (SLINEX) in Bay of
Bengal, off the Trincomalee coast in Sri Lanka, from
October 27 to November 1.
‘MITRA SHAKTI’ HELD WITH SRI LANKA
A 14-day joint training exercise 'Mitra Shakti 2015',
involving military contingents from India and Sri Lanka,
was held in Pune from Sep 29 to Oct 12 to secure a
better understanding of the modern day warfare
requirements.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 20
MICRO-LIGHT AIRCRAFTS FROM SLOVENIA
India has signed a deal with Slovenia for supply of 194
Pipistrel micro-light aircraft to be used by Indian Air
Force, the Navy and the National Cadet Corps (NCC). The
Indian version of the aircraft will be renamed as Garud.
The Defence Ministry has approved the induction of
women officers into the combat stream of IAF,
allowing them for first time, to fly fighter aircrafts.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police, for the first time, has
decided to deploy women in combat duties at its high-
altitude posts along the Indo-China border.
Fast patrol Vessel (FPV) ICGS Anmol was inducted
in the Coast Guard Region (North East) in Kolkata.
India’s first indigenously built torpedo launch and
recovery vessel - INS Astradharini, inducted in Indian
Navy on Oct 6 at Vishakhaptnam.
5
th Indo-China Joint Military Training Exercise-
HAND-IN-HAND conducted at Kunming Military
Academy, Yunnan, China from 12 to 23 October.
A joint maritime exercise of naval patrol vessels -
Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between India and
Indonesia began on 3 Oct in the Andaman Sea.
ISRO PLACES ASTROSAT IN ORBIT
India’s first dedicated astronomy research satellite
Astrosat was successfully launched on Sep 28 by the
Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C30 from Sriharikota. The
satellite weighing 1531 kg was placed in an equatorial
orbit at about 650 kilometre height. With this launch,
India has joined a select league of nations having their
observatories in space.
INDIA SETS NEW CLIMATE TARGETS
In a climate-change policy statement released ahead of a
UN climate summit in Paris in December, 2015, India
has decided to cut the carbon produced per unit of GDP
growth by 33-35 per cent by 2030 from what it was in
2005. It also committed to generate 40 percent of
cumulative installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel
sources by 2030. India is the world's third-largest
emitter of greenhouse gases.
‘CIPS’ LAUNCHED TO PROMOTE YUAN
China has launched the first phase of “China
International Payment System (CIPS)” to promote
Yuan’s global usage and furthering cross-border
clearing of its currency from the Chinese mainland
instead of offshore centres abroad.
‘MAGIC CUBE’ – CHINA’s SUPER OMPUTER
China plans to employ a special $ 14 million "magic
cube" super computer as tall as a two-storey building in
its quest to know the earth's future and calculate the
potential changes to the climate and biological systems.
MICROSOFT AND GOOGLE BURY THE HATCHET
Microsoft Corp and Google Inc have agreed to bury all
patent infringement litigation against each other,
settling 18 cases in the United States and Germany. In
another sign of the winding down of the global smart
phone wars, the companies said the deal puts an end to
court fights involving a variety of technologies, including
mobile phones, wi-fi and patents used in Microsoft's
Xbox game consoles and other Windows products.
NASA scientists claimed to have found the strongest
ever evidence of liquid water on Planet Mars that
could help sustain future manned missions.
SEPTEMBER 2015
INDIA TO GET CHINOOK AND APACHE COPTERS
The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved the
purchase of 15 Chinook helicopters that will lift heavy
loads and 22 AH-64D Apache advanced attack
helicopters at an estimated cost $2.5 billion (around Rs
16,500 crore). Both of them are produced by Boeing
Company of USA.
INDO US NAVIES ISSUE A JOINT COIN
India and the US have created a "joint challenge coin" to
symbolise their unique partnership in creating a next-
generation aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy. One side
of the coin reads "Chale Chale Saath Saath" in Hindi and
the other reads “Forward Together We Go".
CCS CLEARS ‘IACCS’ FOR AIR FORCE
The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved the
proposal to form the ‘Integrated Air Command and
Control System (IACCS)’worth around 8000 crore
rupees for the Indian Air Force. The system aims at
integrating and automating all air and ground sensors
use by the Air Force.
INS VAJRAKOSH STARTS IN KARWAR
Indian Navy has established its largest missile storage
and replenishment facility named INS Vajrakosh at
Karwar base in Karnataka for warships operating in the
western coast. It will store the long-range BrahMos
missiles and armaments.
Indian Coast Guard has commissioned two new ships
named Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Apoorva and Interceptor
Boat C-421.
India to buy 10 Heron TP armed drones capable of firing
missiles, from Israel to enhance our cross-border military
strike capability.
The first bilateral maritime exercise between Australia and
India ‘Ausindex-2015’ began on Sep 12 off the shores of
Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
MICRO-LIGHT AIRCRAFTS FROM SLOVENIA
India has signed a deal with Slovenia for supply of 194
Pipistrel micro-light aircraft to be used by Indian Air
Force, the Navy and the National Cadet Corps (NCC). The
Indian version of the aircraft will be renamed as Garud.
The Defence Ministry has approved the induction of
women officers into the combat stream of IAF,
allowing them for first time, to fly fighter aircrafts.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police, for the first time, has
decided to deploy women in combat duties at its high-
altitude posts along the Indo-China border.
Fast patrol Vessel (FPV) ICGS Anmol was inducted
in the Coast Guard Region (North East) in Kolkata.
India’s first indigenously built torpedo launch and
recovery vessel - INS Astradharini, inducted in Indian
Navy on Oct 6 at Vishakhaptnam.
5
th Indo-China Joint Military Training Exercise-
HAND-IN-HAND conducted at Kunming Military
Academy, Yunnan, China from 12 to 23 October.
A joint maritime exercise of naval patrol vessels -
Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between India and
Indonesia began on 3 Oct in the Andaman Sea.
ISRO PLACES ASTROSAT IN ORBIT
India’s first dedicated astronomy research satellite
Astrosat was successfully launched on Sep 28 by the
Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C30 from Sriharikota. The
satellite weighing 1531 kg was placed in an equatorial
orbit at about 650 kilometre height. With this launch,
India has joined a select league of nations having their
observatories in space.
INDIA SETS NEW CLIMATE TARGETS
In a climate-change policy statement released ahead of a
UN climate summit in Paris in December, 2015, India
has decided to cut the carbon produced per unit of GDP
growth by 33-35 per cent by 2030 from what it was in
2005. It also committed to generate 40 percent of
cumulative installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel
sources by 2030. India is the world's third-largest
emitter of greenhouse gases.
‘CIPS’ LAUNCHED TO PROMOTE YUAN
China has launched the first phase of “China
International Payment System (CIPS)” to promote
Yuan’s global usage and furthering cross-border
clearing of its currency from the Chinese mainland
instead of offshore centres abroad.
‘MAGIC CUBE’ – CHINA’s SUPER OMPUTER
China plans to employ a special $ 14 million "magic
cube" super computer as tall as a two-storey building in
its quest to know the earth's future and calculate the
potential changes to the climate and biological systems.
MICROSOFT AND GOOGLE BURY THE HATCHET
Microsoft Corp and Google Inc have agreed to bury all
patent infringement litigation against each other,
settling 18 cases in the United States and Germany. In
another sign of the winding down of the global smart
phone wars, the companies said the deal puts an end to
court fights involving a variety of technologies, including
mobile phones, wi-fi and patents used in Microsoft's
Xbox game consoles and other Windows products.
NASA scientists claimed to have found the strongest
ever evidence of liquid water on Planet Mars that
could help sustain future manned missions.
SEPTEMBER 2015
INDIA TO GET CHINOOK AND APACHE COPTERS
The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved the
purchase of 15 Chinook helicopters that will lift heavy
loads and 22 AH-64D Apache advanced attack
helicopters at an estimated cost $2.5 billion (around Rs
16,500 crore). Both of them are produced by Boeing
Company of USA.
INDO US NAVIES ISSUE A JOINT COIN
India and the US have created a "joint challenge coin" to
symbolise their unique partnership in creating a next-
generation aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy. One side
of the coin reads "Chale Chale Saath Saath" in Hindi and
the other reads “Forward Together We Go".
CCS CLEARS ‘IACCS’ FOR AIR FORCE
The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved the
proposal to form the ‘Integrated Air Command and
Control System (IACCS)’worth around 8000 crore
rupees for the Indian Air Force. The system aims at
integrating and automating all air and ground sensors
use by the Air Force.
INS VAJRAKOSH STARTS IN KARWAR
Indian Navy has established its largest missile storage
and replenishment facility named INS Vajrakosh at
Karwar base in Karnataka for warships operating in the
western coast. It will store the long-range BrahMos
missiles and armaments.
Indian Coast Guard has commissioned two new ships
named Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Apoorva and Interceptor
Boat C-421.
India to buy 10 Heron TP armed drones capable of firing
missiles, from Israel to enhance our cross-border military
strike capability.
The first bilateral maritime exercise between Australia and
India ‘Ausindex-2015’ began on Sep 12 off the shores of
Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 21
NXT DIGITAL TO OFER 500 TV CHANNELS
Hinduja business group has launched an innovative Hits
(Headend-in-the-Sky) digital broadcasting platform
under the brand name NXT Digital that will provide over
500 TV channels to cable operators. It aims to tap the
transition from analog to digital mode of cable TV
services under the government's digitisation drive.
PRESERVATION OF THE OZONE LAYER
On 16 September, International Day for the
Preservation of the Ozone Layer was observed across
the world. The theme and the slogan for the year 2015
are 30 Years of Healing the Ozone Together and Ozone:
All there is between you and UV, respectively.
CHINA LAUNCHES LONG MARCH -6
China has successfully launched a newly-developed
satellite launch rocket Long March-6 (Chang Zheng-6). It
was launched from the base in the Northern Province of
Shanxi, carrying 20 micro satellites into the space.
GOOGLE TO PROVIDE FREE WI-FI ZONES
Google and Indian Railways are planning to work jointly
on Project Nilgiri to set up free Wi-Fi hotspots across
400 select railway stations throughout the country to
offer seamless connectivity to passengers.
Facebook has decided to rebrand its Internet.org
programme to 'Free Basics' for providing more
services and stronger security measures.
Study by researchers at the Yale University, USA
shows that there are over 3 trillion trees on Earth,
based on ground survey data and satellite pictures.
AUGUST 2015
UK AND INDIA CODUCT ‘INDRADHANUSH’
Ten day bi-lateral air exercise between Indian and
British Air forces named Indradhanush concluded in
Britain. Indian Sukhoi Su-30s fighter jets competed with
British Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon aircrafts
in the exercise.
BSF PLANTS OVER 4 LAKH TREES
As part of the Golden Jubilee Year of Border Security
Force, the sentinels of Indian borders planted more than
4 lakh saplings at its head quarters and units across the
country on August 12 between 10 to 10.30 am. BSF was
raised on Dec 1, 1965.
Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd and Europe’s
Airbus Helicopters set up a joint venture to manu-
facture military helicopters for the first time in India.
India’s first Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence
and Surveillance System was commissioned in Kochi,
Kerala to beef up coastal security.
ISRO LAUNCHES GSAT-6 SUCCESSFULLY
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
launched its twenty-fifth home-made communications
satellite GSAT-6 in space on August 27, using the Geo-
synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D6) that
uses an India made cryogenic engine. The 2,117 kg
Indian-made satellite will help India's defence forces to
communicate with each other on secure lines using
special small hand held devices.
SATELLITE NAMED AFTER KALAM
A global satellite for earth observation and disaster risk
reduction -- GlobalSat for DRR -- proposed under the UN
framework will be named as “UN Kalam GlobalSat” as a
tribute to the vision of the celebrated rocket scientist
and former Indian President, APJ Abdul Kalam.
SCIENCE MUSEUM IN RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN
A new Science and Innovation Museum called
'Navachara Kaksh' was inaugurated at the Rashtrapati
Bhavan on August 5. Promoted by Intel India, it has a
compelling mix of information, scientific know-how and
inspiring innovation designed to encourage young
people on the path to scientific discovery and learning.
INFOSYS OFFERS ‘AIKIDO’ TO ITS CLIENTS
India’s second largest IT services company Infosys has
announced its new business strategy - ‘Aikido’, three
enhanced service offerings in design thinking, platforms
and knowledge-based IT (KBIT). The three services are
Ai in Platforms, Ki in knowledge-based IT and Do in
Design Thinking.
GOOGLE FORMS NEW COMPANY ‘ALPHABET’
Google has reorganized itself into a multiple
company organization under a new umbrella company
called Alphabet. Google will now be the biggest
company in the fold of Alphabet. The new company will
be headed by Google co-founder Sergey Brin as
President and the other co founder Larry Page will serve
as CEO.
GOOGLE LAUNCHES ‘INTERNET SAATHI’
Google India launched in Mumbai, a special programme
named Internet Saathi in collaboration with Tata Trust
on July 3 to bring more women online. The objective of
the programme is to empower rural women and their
communities by enabling them to use Internet in their
daily lives.
NXT DIGITAL TO OFER 500 TV CHANNELS
Hinduja business group has launched an innovative Hits
(Headend-in-the-Sky) digital broadcasting platform
under the brand name NXT Digital that will provide over
500 TV channels to cable operators. It aims to tap the
transition from analog to digital mode of cable TV
services under the government's digitisation drive.
PRESERVATION OF THE OZONE LAYER
On 16 September, International Day for the
Preservation of the Ozone Layer was observed across
the world. The theme and the slogan for the year 2015
are 30 Years of Healing the Ozone Together and Ozone:
All there is between you and UV, respectively.
CHINA LAUNCHES LONG MARCH -6
China has successfully launched a newly-developed
satellite launch rocket Long March-6 (Chang Zheng-6). It
was launched from the base in the Northern Province of
Shanxi, carrying 20 micro satellites into the space.
GOOGLE TO PROVIDE FREE WI-FI ZONES
Google and Indian Railways are planning to work jointly
on Project Nilgiri to set up free Wi-Fi hotspots across
400 select railway stations throughout the country to
offer seamless connectivity to passengers.
Facebook has decided to rebrand its Internet.org
programme to 'Free Basics' for providing more
services and stronger security measures.
Study by researchers at the Yale University, USA
shows that there are over 3 trillion trees on Earth,
based on ground survey data and satellite pictures.
AUGUST 2015
UK AND INDIA CODUCT ‘INDRADHANUSH’
Ten day bi-lateral air exercise between Indian and
British Air forces named Indradhanush concluded in
Britain. Indian Sukhoi Su-30s fighter jets competed with
British Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon aircrafts
in the exercise.
BSF PLANTS OVER 4 LAKH TREES
As part of the Golden Jubilee Year of Border Security
Force, the sentinels of Indian borders planted more than
4 lakh saplings at its head quarters and units across the
country on August 12 between 10 to 10.30 am. BSF was
raised on Dec 1, 1965.
Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd and Europe’s
Airbus Helicopters set up a joint venture to manu-
facture military helicopters for the first time in India.
India’s first Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence
and Surveillance System was commissioned in Kochi,
Kerala to beef up coastal security.
ISRO LAUNCHES GSAT-6 SUCCESSFULLY
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
launched its twenty-fifth home-made communications
satellite GSAT-6 in space on August 27, using the Geo-
synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D6) that
uses an India made cryogenic engine. The 2,117 kg
Indian-made satellite will help India's defence forces to
communicate with each other on secure lines using
special small hand held devices.
SATELLITE NAMED AFTER KALAM
A global satellite for earth observation and disaster risk
reduction -- GlobalSat for DRR -- proposed under the UN
framework will be named as “UN Kalam GlobalSat” as a
tribute to the vision of the celebrated rocket scientist
and former Indian President, APJ Abdul Kalam.
SCIENCE MUSEUM IN RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN
A new Science and Innovation Museum called
'Navachara Kaksh' was inaugurated at the Rashtrapati
Bhavan on August 5. Promoted by Intel India, it has a
compelling mix of information, scientific know-how and
inspiring innovation designed to encourage young
people on the path to scientific discovery and learning.
INFOSYS OFFERS ‘AIKIDO’ TO ITS CLIENTS
India’s second largest IT services company Infosys has
announced its new business strategy - ‘Aikido’, three
enhanced service offerings in design thinking, platforms
and knowledge-based IT (KBIT). The three services are
Ai in Platforms, Ki in knowledge-based IT and Do in
Design Thinking.
GOOGLE FORMS NEW COMPANY ‘ALPHABET’
Google has reorganized itself into a multiple
company organization under a new umbrella company
called Alphabet. Google will now be the biggest
company in the fold of Alphabet. The new company will
be headed by Google co-founder Sergey Brin as
President and the other co founder Larry Page will serve
as CEO.
GOOGLE LAUNCHES ‘INTERNET SAATHI’
Google India launched in Mumbai, a special programme
named Internet Saathi in collaboration with Tata Trust
on July 3 to bring more women online. The objective of
the programme is to empower rural women and their
communities by enabling them to use Internet in their
daily lives.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 22
NEON GAS DETECTED ON MOON
NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment
Explorer (LADEE) has confirmed the presence of
glowing neon gas in the moon’s atmosphere. Neon gas is
commonly used in electric signs on Earth because of its
intense glow. The spacecraft was made to crash on
moon’s surface on April 17, 2014.
VACCINE FOUND TO FIGHT EBOLA
After nearly 30,000 cases and 12,000 deaths, there's
finally some good news for Ebola virus victims. A new
vaccine named ‘rVSV-ZEBOB’, developed by the Public
Health Agency of Canada against the Ebola virus disease
has shown 100 % efficiency in a trial run that was
carried out in Guinea.
EXPERIENCE THE NEW WINDOWS 10
Microsoft Corporation rolled out on July 30th its new
operating system Windows 10 around the world with a
host of new features like Cortana, an Xbox app and
Microsoft Edge. The new version is available as free
down load and will be updated automatically.
UNIQUE SOLAR OBSERVATORY AT UDAIP UR
Asia’s biggest multi-application solar telescope (MAST)
has been started in the Udaipur Solar Observatory
(USO), one of the six GONG (Global Oscillations Network
Group) sites in the world. Unlike other telescopes, MAST
is capable to capture three dimensional aspects of the
solar magnetic fields. The observatory is a part of the
Physical Research Laboratory under Deptt. of Space.
INTERNATIONAL
OCTOBER 2015
POORS’ POPULATION TO BE LESS THAN 10 %
As per the latest World Bank report on global poverty,
the number of people living in extreme poverty is likely
to fall for the first time below 10% of the world’s
population in 2015.
Around 702 million people or 9.6% of the world’s
population will be living in extreme poverty in
2015, down from 902 million or 12.8% in 2012.
India had largest number of poor in 2012, but its
poverty rate at 21.2 per cent is one of the lowest
among developing countries.
The World Bank has revised its benchmark poverty
from living on or below $1.25 a day to $1.90 a day.
V-20 GROUP OF NATIONS FORMED
Finance Ministers of 20 nations vulnerable to climate
change launched the V-20 Group on 8 October 2015 in
Lima, Peru. The Group aims to pool resources for their
fight against the impact of global warming and is a
counterpoint to the G20 group of leading industrialised
and emerging economies.
OPERATION SOPHIA BY EU TO NAB REFUGEES
The European Union has started a new operation
termed Operation Sophia to actively intercept boats
smuggling refugees. Now the EU officials will be able to
board, search, seize and divert vessels suspected of
being used for human smuggling or trafficking on the
high seas, in line with international law.
PAK-AFGHANISTAN HIT BY EARTHQUAKE
A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake killed over 400
persons in Pakistan and Afghanistan and left over 1600
as injured. The epicentre of the earthquake was near
Jurm in northeast Afghanistan, around 250 km from
Kabul, at a depth of 213.5 kms.
UNO CELEBRATES 70
TH ANNIVERSARY
To commemorate the
70
th anniversary of the
United Nations on
October 24, more than
200 landmark monu -
ments in 60 countries
from the Pyramids in
Egypt to the Eiffel Tower
in Paris and the Empire
State Building in New York will be lit up in blue- the
official colour of UNO.
INDIA RECEIVED OVER $70 BILLION IN 2014
A report from the World Bank says that the remittances
to India are projected to increase by 2.5 per cent this
year even as weak economies in Europe, especially
Russia, are slowing the growth of remittance flows. In
2014, India is estimated to have received remittances
worth $70.3 billion.
NATO CONDUCTS ‘TRIDENT JUNCTURE – 2015’
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) forces
conducted their massive field exercise TRIDENT
JUNCTURE 2015 from October 3 to November 6 in 16
locations across Italy, Spain and Portugal to train,
exercise and learn from one another. Over 36.000
troops – from air, land and maritime forces – from more
than 30 Allied and Partner Nations took part.
UNCTAD PUTS WORLD GROWTH RATE @2.5%
The Trade and Development Report 2015 by the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) says that the growth rate for world in 2015 is
expected to remain more or less unchanged from last
year, at 2.5 per cent. However, India’s GDP is expected
to grow at 7.5% in 2015 compared to China’s 6.9%.
NEON GAS DETECTED ON MOON
NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment
Explorer (LADEE) has confirmed the presence of
glowing neon gas in the moon’s atmosphere. Neon gas is
commonly used in electric signs on Earth because of its
intense glow. The spacecraft was made to crash on
moon’s surface on April 17, 2014.
VACCINE FOUND TO FIGHT EBOLA
After nearly 30,000 cases and 12,000 deaths, there's
finally some good news for Ebola virus victims. A new
vaccine named ‘rVSV-ZEBOB’, developed by the Public
Health Agency of Canada against the Ebola virus disease
has shown 100 % efficiency in a trial run that was
carried out in Guinea.
EXPERIENCE THE NEW WINDOWS 10
Microsoft Corporation rolled out on July 30th its new
operating system Windows 10 around the world with a
host of new features like Cortana, an Xbox app and
Microsoft Edge. The new version is available as free
down load and will be updated automatically.
UNIQUE SOLAR OBSERVATORY AT UDAIP UR
Asia’s biggest multi-application solar telescope (MAST)
has been started in the Udaipur Solar Observatory
(USO), one of the six GONG (Global Oscillations Network
Group) sites in the world. Unlike other telescopes, MAST
is capable to capture three dimensional aspects of the
solar magnetic fields. The observatory is a part of the
Physical Research Laboratory under Deptt. of Space.
INTERNATIONAL
OCTOBER 2015
POORS’ POPULATION TO BE LESS THAN 10 %
As per the latest World Bank report on global poverty,
the number of people living in extreme poverty is likely
to fall for the first time below 10% of the world’s
population in 2015.
Around 702 million people or 9.6% of the world’s
population will be living in extreme poverty in
2015, down from 902 million or 12.8% in 2012.
India had largest number of poor in 2012, but its
poverty rate at 21.2 per cent is one of the lowest
among developing countries.
The World Bank has revised its benchmark poverty
from living on or below $1.25 a day to $1.90 a day.
V-20 GROUP OF NATIONS FORMED
Finance Ministers of 20 nations vulnerable to climate
change launched the V-20 Group on 8 October 2015 in
Lima, Peru. The Group aims to pool resources for their
fight against the impact of global warming and is a
counterpoint to the G20 group of leading industrialised
and emerging economies.
OPERATION SOPHIA BY EU TO NAB REFUGEES
The European Union has started a new operation
termed Operation Sophia to actively intercept boats
smuggling refugees. Now the EU officials will be able to
board, search, seize and divert vessels suspected of
being used for human smuggling or trafficking on the
high seas, in line with international law.
PAK-AFGHANISTAN HIT BY EARTHQUAKE
A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake killed over 400
persons in Pakistan and Afghanistan and left over 1600
as injured. The epicentre of the earthquake was near
Jurm in northeast Afghanistan, around 250 km from
Kabul, at a depth of 213.5 kms.
UNO CELEBRATES 70
TH ANNIVERSARY
To commemorate the
70
th anniversary of the
United Nations on
October 24, more than
200 landmark monu -
ments in 60 countries
from the Pyramids in
Egypt to the Eiffel Tower
in Paris and the Empire
State Building in New York will be lit up in blue- the
official colour of UNO.
INDIA RECEIVED OVER $70 BILLION IN 2014
A report from the World Bank says that the remittances
to India are projected to increase by 2.5 per cent this
year even as weak economies in Europe, especially
Russia, are slowing the growth of remittance flows. In
2014, India is estimated to have received remittances
worth $70.3 billion.
NATO CONDUCTS ‘TRIDENT JUNCTURE – 2015’
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) forces
conducted their massive field exercise TRIDENT
JUNCTURE 2015 from October 3 to November 6 in 16
locations across Italy, Spain and Portugal to train,
exercise and learn from one another. Over 36.000
troops – from air, land and maritime forces – from more
than 30 Allied and Partner Nations took part.
UNCTAD PUTS WORLD GROWTH RATE @2.5%
The Trade and Development Report 2015 by the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) says that the growth rate for world in 2015 is
expected to remain more or less unchanged from last
year, at 2.5 per cent. However, India’s GDP is expected
to grow at 7.5% in 2015 compared to China’s 6.9%.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 23
USA SIGNS TRADE DEAL WITH 11 COUNTRIES
11 Pacific Rim nations, including Canada and Chile to
Japan and Australia have agreed to sign with USA, the
largest regional trade accord in history, The Trans-
Pacific Partnership for global commerce and worker
standards, forming over 40 per cent of the world’s
economy.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF OLDER PERSONS
This day was observed on October 1 to raise awareness
about issues affecting the elderly and to appreciate the
contributions that older people make to society. The
theme this year is, 'Sustainability and Age Inclusiveness
in the Urban Environment'.
WORLD’S HIGHEST HYDRO POWER STATION
China has operationalised the world’s highest mega
hydropower station at Zam in Tibet, built on
Brahmaputra River which has raised concerns in India
over the likelihood of disrupting water supplies of River.
China has announced the end of its hugely
controversial 45 years old one-child policy. Now, all
couples would be allowed to have two children.
China's GDP decelerated to 6.9 per cent in the third
quarter of this year, posting its worst growth since
the 2009 global financial crisis
China successfully launched the Tianhui-1C mapping
satellite into its designated orbit from Jiuquan
satellite launch centre
Senior executives of IMF and World Bank Group held
their annual three-day meeting in Lima, Peru to
address current challenges facing the world economy.
The World Trade Organization, WTO, has lowered
2015 global trade forecast to 2.8 percent in the face
of a slowdown in the economies of emerging
countries.
SEPTEMBER 2015
UNGA ADOPTS 17 SDGs
United Nations General Assembly formally adopted on
Sep 25 the new global 17 sustainable development goals
(SDGs) that aim to end poverty, hunger, assure gender
equality, and build a life of dignity for all, over the next
15 years. These goals cover three important aspects -
economic growth, social inclusion and environmental
protection.
UN SECURITY COUNCIL REFORMS
The UN General Assembly has unanimously adopted a
document on reform of the Security Council for
discussions at its 70th session, boosting India's bid for a
permanent seat in the revamped world body. India
termed this as "historic" and "path-breaking"
development for achieving UNSC reforms.
US INDIANS LAUNCH ‘MISSION 2022’
The three million strong Indian diaspora (community)
in the USA has launched "Mission 2022" in partnership
with the Confederation of Indian Industries to promote
and strengthen the business ties between two countries.
NEPAL GETS A NEW CONSTITUTION
Nepal's parliament has overwhelmingly approved a new
constitution, which will come into effect from Sep 20. It
comes after years of political wrangling, while Nepal
was governed by an interim constitution after the
monarchy was abolished in 2008.
NEPAL SAYS ‘NO’ TO HINDU STATE
Nepal’s Constituent Assembly on Sep 14 rejected the
demand for converting the country in to a Hindu state,
sparking violent protests across the nation. Nepal was
Hindu state for centuries when kings ruled, but has been a
secular state since the monarchy was abolished in 2006.
PENTAGON TO HAVE INDIA SPECIAL CELL
The US Defence headquarters Pentagon has established
a first-ever country special cell-India Rapid Reaction
Cell to strengthen its defence ties with India and to
accelerate the process of co-development and co-
production of military equipment in the country.
W20 GROUP LAUNCHED BY G20
The Group of leading economies G-20 at their meet of
Finance Ministers in Ankara, Turkey, launched a new
grouping – W20 (women 20) aimed at boosting the role
of women in global economic growth.
CANADA SLIPS INTO RECESSION
Canada, world's 11th-biggest economy has fallen into a
recession, dragged down by falling energy prices and
economic troubles in China. Canadian economy
retreated @ 0.5 per cent in the quarter ending 30
th June,
after sliding 0.8 percent the previous quarter.
Negative GDP growth in two consecutive quarters is the
technical definition of a recession.
USA SIGNS TRADE DEAL WITH 11 COUNTRIES
11 Pacific Rim nations, including Canada and Chile to
Japan and Australia have agreed to sign with USA, the
largest regional trade accord in history, The Trans-
Pacific Partnership for global commerce and worker
standards, forming over 40 per cent of the world’s
economy.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF OLDER PERSONS
This day was observed on October 1 to raise awareness
about issues affecting the elderly and to appreciate the
contributions that older people make to society. The
theme this year is, 'Sustainability and Age Inclusiveness
in the Urban Environment'.
WORLD’S HIGHEST HYDRO POWER STATION
China has operationalised the world’s highest mega
hydropower station at Zam in Tibet, built on
Brahmaputra River which has raised concerns in India
over the likelihood of disrupting water supplies of River.
China has announced the end of its hugely
controversial 45 years old one-child policy. Now, all
couples would be allowed to have two children.
China's GDP decelerated to 6.9 per cent in the third
quarter of this year, posting its worst growth since
the 2009 global financial crisis
China successfully launched the Tianhui-1C mapping
satellite into its designated orbit from Jiuquan
satellite launch centre
Senior executives of IMF and World Bank Group held
their annual three-day meeting in Lima, Peru to
address current challenges facing the world economy.
The World Trade Organization, WTO, has lowered
2015 global trade forecast to 2.8 percent in the face
of a slowdown in the economies of emerging
countries.
SEPTEMBER 2015
UNGA ADOPTS 17 SDGs
United Nations General Assembly formally adopted on
Sep 25 the new global 17 sustainable development goals
(SDGs) that aim to end poverty, hunger, assure gender
equality, and build a life of dignity for all, over the next
15 years. These goals cover three important aspects -
economic growth, social inclusion and environmental
protection.
UN SECURITY COUNCIL REFORMS
The UN General Assembly has unanimously adopted a
document on reform of the Security Council for
discussions at its 70th session, boosting India's bid for a
permanent seat in the revamped world body. India
termed this as "historic" and "path-breaking"
development for achieving UNSC reforms.
US INDIANS LAUNCH ‘MISSION 2022’
The three million strong Indian diaspora (community)
in the USA has launched "Mission 2022" in partnership
with the Confederation of Indian Industries to promote
and strengthen the business ties between two countries.
NEPAL GETS A NEW CONSTITUTION
Nepal's parliament has overwhelmingly approved a new
constitution, which will come into effect from Sep 20. It
comes after years of political wrangling, while Nepal
was governed by an interim constitution after the
monarchy was abolished in 2008.
NEPAL SAYS ‘NO’ TO HINDU STATE
Nepal’s Constituent Assembly on Sep 14 rejected the
demand for converting the country in to a Hindu state,
sparking violent protests across the nation. Nepal was
Hindu state for centuries when kings ruled, but has been a
secular state since the monarchy was abolished in 2006.
PENTAGON TO HAVE INDIA SPECIAL CELL
The US Defence headquarters Pentagon has established
a first-ever country special cell-India Rapid Reaction
Cell to strengthen its defence ties with India and to
accelerate the process of co-development and co-
production of military equipment in the country.
W20 GROUP LAUNCHED BY G20
The Group of leading economies G-20 at their meet of
Finance Ministers in Ankara, Turkey, launched a new
grouping – W20 (women 20) aimed at boosting the role
of women in global economic growth.
CANADA SLIPS INTO RECESSION
Canada, world's 11th-biggest economy has fallen into a
recession, dragged down by falling energy prices and
economic troubles in China. Canadian economy
retreated @ 0.5 per cent in the quarter ending 30
th June,
after sliding 0.8 percent the previous quarter.
Negative GDP growth in two consecutive quarters is the
technical definition of a recession.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 24
In recently concluded 2015 Singapore General
Elections, People’s Action Party (PAP) led by Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong has emerged victorious.
The highest mountain of North America - Mt
McKinley has been renamed as Denali by the US
President to honour the sacred status of Denali by
Alaska Natives.
Two-day Conference of G-20 Finance Ministers and
Central Bank Governors held in Ankara, Turkey on
September 4 and 5.
As per the new secular constitution of Nepal, Cow has
been declared as the National Animal of Nepal.
AUGUST 2015
INDONESIA SINKS 38 FOREIGN BOATS
In the biggest action of its kind to date, Indonesia sank
38 intruding foreign fishing vessels on August 18 to
demonstrate the country’s seriousness concerning the
protection its territorial integrity.
KAZAKHASTAN TO HAVE URANIUM BANK
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and
Kazakhstan have signed an agreement to create the
world's first internationally-controlled bank of low-
enriched uranium to ensure nuclear fuel supplies for
power stations and preventing its use for weapons.
WORLD BIOFUEL DAY – AUGUST 10
It is observed every year on 10th August. On this day in
1893, Sir Rudalph Diesel (inventor of the diesel engine)
for the first time successfully ran mechanical engine
with Peanut Oil.
UN FUNDS FOR BANGLA SOLAR SYSTEMS
Bangladesh has become the first country to receive
funds from UN for solar home systems. It received $
3.56 million Carbon Credit from UN Framework
Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC). Solar home
systems are helping Bangladesh cut carbon emissions
by reducing use of kerosene in rural areas.
WESTERN US BATTLES MASSIVE WILDFIRES
In United States, nearly 30,000 firefighters and support
staff were battling massive wildfire blazes across ten
western states where millions of acres of forests and
multiple buildings have burned. Over 7.16 million acres
have gone up in flames across the country this year.
ZUCKERBERG IS RICHEST UNDER 35
List of Top 20 Wealthiest People Under 35 compiled by
the global wealth intelligence and prospecting company
Wealth-X ranks Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark
Zuckerberg as the wealthiest individual with a personal
fortune of $ 41.6 billion. No Indian is featured on the list.
ROBERT DOWNEY IS THE RICHEST STAR
The Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr was ranked as
the world's top-earning actor by Forbes, with earnings
of $ 80 million during 12 months ending June 2015. He
was followed by Jackie Chan at $ 50 million. Bollywood
actors Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan were tied at
7
th spot, earning $33.5 million each.
70
TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIROSHIMA TRAGEDY
City of Hiroshima in Japan observed on August 6 the
70th anniversary of the first atomic bomb being
dropped by a US aircraft. The bombing - and a second
one on Nagasaki three days later, brought an end World
War II, but only after claiming over 140,000 lives.
SINGAPORE REVELS 50 YEARS OF FREEDOM
Singapore marked 50 years of independence on August
9 with nationwide celebrations, including a huge
military parade and firework display that paid tribute to
the late founding leader Lee Kuan Yew.
KUDOS FOR GRAMEEN BANK
Bangladesh's Grameen Bank has found a place in
Fortune's inaugural 'Change the World List' for creating
economic opportunities for the poor and bringing
unbanked people under financial services.
Japan’s leading financial media house - Nikkei to buy
the noted European financial paper - Financial Times
from UK’s Pearson in a $1.3 billion deal.
As per the U N report ‘World Population Prospects:
The 2015 Revision’, India is likely to become the most
populous nation by 2022, surpassing China.
After a run of poor economic data, China devalued
the Yuan on August 11, guiding the currency to its
lowest point in past three years.
In recently concluded 2015 Singapore General
Elections, People’s Action Party (PAP) led by Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong has emerged victorious.
The highest mountain of North America - Mt
McKinley has been renamed as Denali by the US
President to honour the sacred status of Denali by
Alaska Natives.
Two-day Conference of G-20 Finance Ministers and
Central Bank Governors held in Ankara, Turkey on
September 4 and 5.
As per the new secular constitution of Nepal, Cow has
been declared as the National Animal of Nepal.
AUGUST 2015
INDONESIA SINKS 38 FOREIGN BOATS
In the biggest action of its kind to date, Indonesia sank
38 intruding foreign fishing vessels on August 18 to
demonstrate the country’s seriousness concerning the
protection its territorial integrity.
KAZAKHASTAN TO HAVE URANIUM BANK
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and
Kazakhstan have signed an agreement to create the
world's first internationally-controlled bank of low-
enriched uranium to ensure nuclear fuel supplies for
power stations and preventing its use for weapons.
WORLD BIOFUEL DAY – AUGUST 10
It is observed every year on 10th August. On this day in
1893, Sir Rudalph Diesel (inventor of the diesel engine)
for the first time successfully ran mechanical engine
with Peanut Oil.
UN FUNDS FOR BANGLA SOLAR SYSTEMS
Bangladesh has become the first country to receive
funds from UN for solar home systems. It received $
3.56 million Carbon Credit from UN Framework
Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC). Solar home
systems are helping Bangladesh cut carbon emissions
by reducing use of kerosene in rural areas.
WESTERN US BATTLES MASSIVE WILDFIRES
In United States, nearly 30,000 firefighters and support
staff were battling massive wildfire blazes across ten
western states where millions of acres of forests and
multiple buildings have burned. Over 7.16 million acres
have gone up in flames across the country this year.
ZUCKERBERG IS RICHEST UNDER 35
List of Top 20 Wealthiest People Under 35 compiled by
the global wealth intelligence and prospecting company
Wealth-X ranks Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark
Zuckerberg as the wealthiest individual with a personal
fortune of $ 41.6 billion. No Indian is featured on the list.
ROBERT DOWNEY IS THE RICHEST STAR
The Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr was ranked as
the world's top-earning actor by Forbes, with earnings
of $ 80 million during 12 months ending June 2015. He
was followed by Jackie Chan at $ 50 million. Bollywood
actors Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan were tied at
7
th spot, earning $33.5 million each.
70
TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIROSHIMA TRAGEDY
City of Hiroshima in Japan observed on August 6 the
70th anniversary of the first atomic bomb being
dropped by a US aircraft. The bombing - and a second
one on Nagasaki three days later, brought an end World
War II, but only after claiming over 140,000 lives.
SINGAPORE REVELS 50 YEARS OF FREEDOM
Singapore marked 50 years of independence on August
9 with nationwide celebrations, including a huge
military parade and firework display that paid tribute to
the late founding leader Lee Kuan Yew.
KUDOS FOR GRAMEEN BANK
Bangladesh's Grameen Bank has found a place in
Fortune's inaugural 'Change the World List' for creating
economic opportunities for the poor and bringing
unbanked people under financial services.
Japan’s leading financial media house - Nikkei to buy
the noted European financial paper - Financial Times
from UK’s Pearson in a $1.3 billion deal.
As per the U N report ‘World Population Prospects:
The 2015 Revision’, India is likely to become the most
populous nation by 2022, surpassing China.
After a run of poor economic data, China devalued
the Yuan on August 11, guiding the currency to its
lowest point in past three years.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 25
PERSONS IN NEWS
OCTOBER 2015
NAYANTARA SAHGAL, ASHOK VAJPAYEE: Several
noted writers returned their Sahitya Akademi Awards in
protest against what they called the “vanishing space”
for diversity. It was with reference to the recent killings
of rationalists and writers M.M. Kalburgi, Narendra
Dabholkar and Govind Pansare and of Dadri resident
Mohammad Akhlaq, who was lynched on suspicion of
consuming beef.
NAINA LAL KIDWAI: Chairperson
of HSBC India since 2009 will retire
by the end of this year, having
completed 58 years of age.
JERRY SEINFELD: He has been named as the world’s
highest paid comedian by Forbes. The 61-year-old
comedian earned $ 36 million between June 1, 2014 and
June 1, 2015.
SEPTEMBER 2015
ARVIND PANAGARIYA: Vice-chairman of Niti Aayog,
has been appointed as the sherpa for G20 negotiations.
A sherpa represents the government or the Prime
Minister at Group of 20 countries meetings and helps
articulate the official position on critical issues.
ANUPAM KHER: Bollywood actor was in news as he
was conferred with the Honoured Guest of Texas award
in Houston, USA for his contribution to the cinema and
the world of art.
CHANDA KOCHHAR and Arundhati Bhattacharya have
been ranked as top two in a list of most powerful
business women in Asia-Pacific, prepared by the global
magazine Fortune. They head ICICI Bank and State Bank
of India, respectively.
INDRA NOOYI: PepsiCo CEO is the sole Indian-origin
executive in Fortune's list of 50 most powerful women
in business (placed 2
ND), which has been topped by
General Motors CEO Mary Barra.
JHUMPA LAHIRI: Noted Indo American novelist was
honoured with the prestigious National Humanities
Medal by the American President in recognition of her
works highlighting human relation-ships.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II: The 89 year old Queen of Great
Britain reached a major milestone on Sep 8 by becoming
the longest-reigning monarch (since Feb 02, 1952) in
Britain’s history, crossing the earlier record of Queen
Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, who was on the
throne for 63 years, 7 months and two days.
GENNADY PADALKA: Russian astronaut was in news
as he created the record for having spent the most time
in space. His latest mission lasted 168 days, bringing his
total to 879 days in space over five trips.
MARTIN WINTERKORN: The embattled CEO of German
auto major - Volkswagen, resigned in the wake of a
massive scandal in which the company was accused of
systematically manipulating data of exhaust emissions
tests in millions of diesel cars sold worldwide.
AUGUST 2015
SUNDAR PICHAI: India-born technocrat has been
named as the new CEO of the technology giant Google at
an reported annual package of $ 50 million. Chennai
born 43 year old Pichai joined the Google in 2004. He
graduated from the IIT Kharagpur and holds an M.S.
from Stanford University and an MBA from the Wharton
School of the University of Pennsylvania, USA.
ANUPAM KHER: Bollywood actor has been named an
advocate for the UN’s campaign on gender equality. The
campaign calls on men and boys to stand up against
injustice against women.
AMOL PALEKAR: Bollywood actor will head the 17-
member Indian Oscar jury to select the country's official
entry in the best foreign film category of the 88th
Academy Awards.
HARDIK PATEL: 21 year old firebrand youth leader
from Gujarat was in news as he engineered a massive
(and violent) state wide agitation in Gujarat demanding
job reservation for Patel community in the OBC quota.
AMITABH BACHCHAN: Bollywood megastar has been
appointed as ambassador for promoting tiger tourism in
Maharashtra.
ADNAN SAMI: Pakistani singer has been allowed to stay
in India for an indefinite period following his appeal to
legalise his stay in India on humanitarian grounds. He
has been exempted from deportation proceedings under
Section 3 of the Foreigners Act, 1948.
ANURADHA ROY: Her latest work on the malaise of
sexual abuse in India -'Sleeping on Jupiter' has been
selected in the 13 books shortlisted for the prestigious
Man Booker Prize 2015.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: World’s top ranked tennis player
appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador of the United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
ABDULLAH AL-THANI: The Prime Minister of Libya’s
internationally recognised government, announced his
resignation in a surprise move live on television, as a
possible solution to the ongoing fracas between the
country’s rival factions restarted.
PERSONS IN NEWS
OCTOBER 2015
NAYANTARA SAHGAL, ASHOK VAJPAYEE: Several
noted writers returned their Sahitya Akademi Awards in
protest against what they called the “vanishing space”
for diversity. It was with reference to the recent killings
of rationalists and writers M.M. Kalburgi, Narendra
Dabholkar and Govind Pansare and of Dadri resident
Mohammad Akhlaq, who was lynched on suspicion of
consuming beef.
NAINA LAL KIDWAI: Chairperson
of HSBC India since 2009 will retire
by the end of this year, having
completed 58 years of age.
JERRY SEINFELD: He has been named as the world’s
highest paid comedian by Forbes. The 61-year-old
comedian earned $ 36 million between June 1, 2014 and
June 1, 2015.
SEPTEMBER 2015
ARVIND PANAGARIYA: Vice-chairman of Niti Aayog,
has been appointed as the sherpa for G20 negotiations.
A sherpa represents the government or the Prime
Minister at Group of 20 countries meetings and helps
articulate the official position on critical issues.
ANUPAM KHER: Bollywood actor was in news as he
was conferred with the Honoured Guest of Texas award
in Houston, USA for his contribution to the cinema and
the world of art.
CHANDA KOCHHAR and Arundhati Bhattacharya have
been ranked as top two in a list of most powerful
business women in Asia-Pacific, prepared by the global
magazine Fortune. They head ICICI Bank and State Bank
of India, respectively.
INDRA NOOYI: PepsiCo CEO is the sole Indian-origin
executive in Fortune's list of 50 most powerful women
in business (placed 2
ND), which has been topped by
General Motors CEO Mary Barra.
JHUMPA LAHIRI: Noted Indo American novelist was
honoured with the prestigious National Humanities
Medal by the American President in recognition of her
works highlighting human relation-ships.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II: The 89 year old Queen of Great
Britain reached a major milestone on Sep 8 by becoming
the longest-reigning monarch (since Feb 02, 1952) in
Britain’s history, crossing the earlier record of Queen
Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, who was on the
throne for 63 years, 7 months and two days.
GENNADY PADALKA: Russian astronaut was in news
as he created the record for having spent the most time
in space. His latest mission lasted 168 days, bringing his
total to 879 days in space over five trips.
MARTIN WINTERKORN: The embattled CEO of German
auto major - Volkswagen, resigned in the wake of a
massive scandal in which the company was accused of
systematically manipulating data of exhaust emissions
tests in millions of diesel cars sold worldwide.
AUGUST 2015
SUNDAR PICHAI: India-born technocrat has been
named as the new CEO of the technology giant Google at
an reported annual package of $ 50 million. Chennai
born 43 year old Pichai joined the Google in 2004. He
graduated from the IIT Kharagpur and holds an M.S.
from Stanford University and an MBA from the Wharton
School of the University of Pennsylvania, USA.
ANUPAM KHER: Bollywood actor has been named an
advocate for the UN’s campaign on gender equality. The
campaign calls on men and boys to stand up against
injustice against women.
AMOL PALEKAR: Bollywood actor will head the 17-
member Indian Oscar jury to select the country's official
entry in the best foreign film category of the 88th
Academy Awards.
HARDIK PATEL: 21 year old firebrand youth leader
from Gujarat was in news as he engineered a massive
(and violent) state wide agitation in Gujarat demanding
job reservation for Patel community in the OBC quota.
AMITABH BACHCHAN: Bollywood megastar has been
appointed as ambassador for promoting tiger tourism in
Maharashtra.
ADNAN SAMI: Pakistani singer has been allowed to stay
in India for an indefinite period following his appeal to
legalise his stay in India on humanitarian grounds. He
has been exempted from deportation proceedings under
Section 3 of the Foreigners Act, 1948.
ANURADHA ROY: Her latest work on the malaise of
sexual abuse in India -'Sleeping on Jupiter' has been
selected in the 13 books shortlisted for the prestigious
Man Booker Prize 2015.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: World’s top ranked tennis player
appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador of the United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
ABDULLAH AL-THANI: The Prime Minister of Libya’s
internationally recognised government, announced his
resignation in a surprise move live on television, as a
possible solution to the ongoing fracas between the
country’s rival factions restarted.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 26
APPOINTMENTS
OCTOBER 2015
ARUN JAITLEY chosen as Finance Minister of the Year,
Asia by London-based publication Emerging Markets.
SHEKHAR BASU: Renowned scientist has been
appointed as the Chairman of Atomic Energy
Commission.
SHASHANK MANOHAR: New President of the Board of
Control for Cricket in India
NAJIB SHAH: Appointed as Chairman of Central Board
of Excise and Customs (CBEC)
VIDYA DEVI BHANDARI: Noted Nepali Communist
leader elected as Nepal’s first woman President by the
Parliament.
K P SHARMA OLI: Veteran Communist party leader
elected as Nepal's new Prime Minister
JIMMY MORALES: elected as the President of
Guatemala
ALPHA CONDE: Re elected as the President of Guinea
JUSTIN TRUDEAU: Newly elected Prime Minister of
Canada from Liberal Party.
ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO: re elected as the President
of Belarus
PEDRO PASSOS COELHO: Newly elected Prime
Minister of Portugal
JIOJI KONROTE: elected as new President of the Pacific
island mini country Fiji.
SEPTEMBER 2015
RATAN P WATAL: New Union Finance Secretary
RAJIV MEHRISHI: Appointed as the new Union Home
secretary.
DEEPAK GUPTA: Appointed as Chairman of Union
Public Service Commission (UPSC).
J MANJULA: Director General, Electronics &
Communication Systems cluster of the DRDO. She is the
first woman DG of a DRDO cluster.
Ms. STUTI NARAIN KACKER: Appointed as the
Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection
of Child Rights (NCPCR).
ALEXIS TSIPRAS: Re-elected as the Prime Minister of
Greece. He had resigned last month.
SHERIF ISMAIL: Elected as the new Prime Minister of
Egypt
MALCOLM TURNBULL: New Prime Minister of
Australia.
AUGUST 2015
OM PRAKASH RAWAT: Appointed as the second
Election Commissioner of India. The Chief Election
Commissioner is supported by two Election
Commissioners. The other being Sh A K Joti.
ACHARYA DEV VRAT: New Governor of Himachal
Pradesh
RAM NATH KOVIND: New Governor of Bihar
ASHWANI LOHANI: Appointed as the Chairman and
Managing Director of Air India.
USHA ANANTHASUBRAMANIAN: New Managing
Director & CEO of Punjab National Bank
KISHOR PIRAJI KHARAT: Managing Director and CEO
of IDBI Bank
MELWYN REGO: Managing Director and CEO of Bank of
India
P S JAYAKUMAR: MD and CEO of Bank of Baroda*
RAKESH SHARMA: MD and CEO of Canara Bank*
*This is for the first time that persons from the private
sector have been given top positions in the public sector
banks.
AJIT KUMAR SETH: Former Cabinet Secretary has been
appointed as the Chairman of the Public Enterprises
Selection Board (PESB)
RANA KAPOOR: YES Bank co-founder has been
approved by RBI for re-appointment as MD and CEO of
the bank for 3 years.
SEBASTIAN COE: President, International Association
of Athletics Federations (IAAF)
RANIL WICKREMESINGHE: Elected as the new Prime
Minister of Sri Lanka as his United National Party won
the general elections.
AWARDS & HONOURS
OCTOBER 2015
SASTRA Ramanujan Prize 2015: Jacob Tsimerman of
the University of Toronto, Canada.
The age limit for the prize has been set at 32 because
Ramanujan achieved so much in his brief life of 32 years.
MAN BOOKER PRIZE FOR LITERATURE 2015: won
by Jamaican author Marlon James for his novel A Brief
History of Seven Killings inspired by the attempted
assassination of famous music icon of Jamaica Bob
Marley in the 1970s.
An Indian short film of 11 minutes, An Old Dog’s Diary
has won prestigious Best Short Film Award at the
2015 London Film Festival.
APPOINTMENTS
OCTOBER 2015
ARUN JAITLEY chosen as Finance Minister of the Year,
Asia by London-based publication Emerging Markets.
SHEKHAR BASU: Renowned scientist has been
appointed as the Chairman of Atomic Energy
Commission.
SHASHANK MANOHAR: New President of the Board of
Control for Cricket in India
NAJIB SHAH: Appointed as Chairman of Central Board
of Excise and Customs (CBEC)
VIDYA DEVI BHANDARI: Noted Nepali Communist
leader elected as Nepal’s first woman President by the
Parliament.
K P SHARMA OLI: Veteran Communist party leader
elected as Nepal's new Prime Minister
JIMMY MORALES: elected as the President of
Guatemala
ALPHA CONDE: Re elected as the President of Guinea
JUSTIN TRUDEAU: Newly elected Prime Minister of
Canada from Liberal Party.
ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO: re elected as the President
of Belarus
PEDRO PASSOS COELHO: Newly elected Prime
Minister of Portugal
JIOJI KONROTE: elected as new President of the Pacific
island mini country Fiji.
SEPTEMBER 2015
RATAN P WATAL: New Union Finance Secretary
RAJIV MEHRISHI: Appointed as the new Union Home
secretary.
DEEPAK GUPTA: Appointed as Chairman of Union
Public Service Commission (UPSC).
J MANJULA: Director General, Electronics &
Communication Systems cluster of the DRDO. She is the
first woman DG of a DRDO cluster.
Ms. STUTI NARAIN KACKER: Appointed as the
Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection
of Child Rights (NCPCR).
ALEXIS TSIPRAS: Re-elected as the Prime Minister of
Greece. He had resigned last month.
SHERIF ISMAIL: Elected as the new Prime Minister of
Egypt
MALCOLM TURNBULL: New Prime Minister of
Australia.
AUGUST 2015
OM PRAKASH RAWAT: Appointed as the second
Election Commissioner of India. The Chief Election
Commissioner is supported by two Election
Commissioners. The other being Sh A K Joti.
ACHARYA DEV VRAT: New Governor of Himachal
Pradesh
RAM NATH KOVIND: New Governor of Bihar
ASHWANI LOHANI: Appointed as the Chairman and
Managing Director of Air India.
USHA ANANTHASUBRAMANIAN: New Managing
Director & CEO of Punjab National Bank
KISHOR PIRAJI KHARAT: Managing Director and CEO
of IDBI Bank
MELWYN REGO: Managing Director and CEO of Bank of
India
P S JAYAKUMAR: MD and CEO of Bank of Baroda*
RAKESH SHARMA: MD and CEO of Canara Bank*
*This is for the first time that persons from the private
sector have been given top positions in the public sector
banks.
AJIT KUMAR SETH: Former Cabinet Secretary has been
appointed as the Chairman of the Public Enterprises
Selection Board (PESB)
RANA KAPOOR: YES Bank co-founder has been
approved by RBI for re-appointment as MD and CEO of
the bank for 3 years.
SEBASTIAN COE: President, International Association
of Athletics Federations (IAAF)
RANIL WICKREMESINGHE: Elected as the new Prime
Minister of Sri Lanka as his United National Party won
the general elections.
AWARDS & HONOURS
OCTOBER 2015
SASTRA Ramanujan Prize 2015: Jacob Tsimerman of
the University of Toronto, Canada.
The age limit for the prize has been set at 32 because
Ramanujan achieved so much in his brief life of 32 years.
MAN BOOKER PRIZE FOR LITERATURE 2015: won
by Jamaican author Marlon James for his novel A Brief
History of Seven Killings inspired by the attempted
assassination of famous music icon of Jamaica Bob
Marley in the 1970s.
An Indian short film of 11 minutes, An Old Dog’s Diary
has won prestigious Best Short Film Award at the
2015 London Film Festival.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 27
CONFUCIUS PEACE PRIZE (China): Robert Mugabe,
the Zimbabwean President, for “injecting fresh energy”
into the global quest for harmony.
HARVARD HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD:
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi has been selected for
the prestigious award given by the Harvard University,
USA annually to an individual whose works and deeds
have served to improve the quality of lives and inspired
people to greater heights.
European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom
of Thought has been awarded to the Saudi blogger Raif
Badawi, whose flogging sentence for causing insult to
Islam invited global criticism.
SEPTEMBER 2015
SKOCH AWARD (India) FOR SMART GOVERNANCE:
Won by Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation
(EPFO) for its initiatives on Universal Account Number
(UAN) Programme.
VYAAS SAMMAN FOR 2014: Noted Hindi writer Dr
Kamal Kishore Goenka for his work 'Premchand ki
Kahaniyon ka Kaal Kramanusaar Adhyayan'
GANDHI PEACE PRIZE-2014: Awarded to ISRO for its
contribution in nation’s development through satellite
based education, health care and connectivity to
community activities.
The Award carries an amount of Rupees one crore in cash,
a plaque and a citation.
UNESCO ‘Award of Excellence’ 2015: Won by India for
the remarkable conservation efforts of the majestic Sree
Vadakkunnathan Temple in Kerala
Indian film Angry Indian Goddesses, a story about a
group of Indian girls in Goa gone wild, was voted as the
first runner-up at the 40th Toronto International Film
Festival in Canada.
AUGUST 2015
CROSS OF ORDER OF THE MERIT, GERMANY: Indian
socio biologist Raghavendra Gadagkar was awarded
with the Germany's highest civilian honour for his
contribution in strengthening research cooperation
between India and Germany.
ICTP RAMANUJAN PRIZE 2015: Mathematician Dr.
Amalendu Krishna; the prize is given to a mathematician
below the age of 45 by the ICTP, Italy.
ICTP: International Centre for Theoretical Physics
STOCKHOLM JUNIOR WATER PRIZE 2015: Perry
Alagappan from USA for inventing a filter through which
toxic heavy metals from electronic waste can be
removed from water.
This prize is given annually to persons in the age group of
15 to 20 for achievement in water related projects.
SOLIDARITY HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD: Awarded to
Zhanna Nemtsova, the journalist daughter of slain
Russian democracy advocate and opposition leader
Boris Nemtsov.
This prize is given by Poland government in the memory
of their ex President Lech Valesa.
SUNHAK PEACE PRIZE (first): Noted Indian
agricultural scientist Modadugu Vijay Gupta. He is joint
winner of the prize along with President of Kiribati
Islands Anote Tong.
The prize has been founded by South Korean religious
leader Hak Ja Han Moon to recognise eminent individuals
who contributed to peace and development of the world.
ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (OBE): Ameetpal
Gill, PM David Cameron's Indian-origin adviser and
speech writer. This is highest civil honour of UK.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
OCTOBER 2015
The Clintons' War on Women by Roger Stone and
Robert Morrow
Mrs Funnybones by Twinkle Khanna
To the Brink and Back: India’s 1991 Story
by Jairam Ramesh.
A Children’s History of India by Subhadra Sen Gupta.
The Country of First Boys by Amartya Sen
Baat Niklegi toh Phir by Sathya Saran
Dreaming Big: My Journey to Connect India – an
autobiography of Sam Pitroda, noted technocrat who
brought telecom revolution in India.
The Chinar Leaves by veteran Congress leader and
close aide of the Gandhi family M L Fotedar
Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of
Pakistan’s Foreign Policy by Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri,
ex Foreign Minister of Pakistan.
The Courage to Act - A Memoir of a Crisis and Its
Aftermath by Ben S. Bernanke. The author is the ex
governor of the Federal Reserve of USA and the book is
about the lessons learnt from the recessions like 2008
Financial Crisis.
SEPTEMBER 2015
The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue, an autobiography of
Frederick Forsyth, noted thriller novelist.
Two Years Eight Months and Twenty Eight Days
by Salman Rushdie.
The Monsoon War: Young Officers Reminisce 1965
India-Pakistan' by Capt Amarinder Singh and Lt. Gen.
Tajindar Shergill
CONFUCIUS PEACE PRIZE (China): Robert Mugabe,
the Zimbabwean President, for “injecting fresh energy”
into the global quest for harmony.
HARVARD HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD:
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi has been selected for
the prestigious award given by the Harvard University,
USA annually to an individual whose works and deeds
have served to improve the quality of lives and inspired
people to greater heights.
European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom
of Thought has been awarded to the Saudi blogger Raif
Badawi, whose flogging sentence for causing insult to
Islam invited global criticism.
SEPTEMBER 2015
SKOCH AWARD (India) FOR SMART GOVERNANCE:
Won by Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation
(EPFO) for its initiatives on Universal Account Number
(UAN) Programme.
VYAAS SAMMAN FOR 2014: Noted Hindi writer Dr
Kamal Kishore Goenka for his work 'Premchand ki
Kahaniyon ka Kaal Kramanusaar Adhyayan'
GANDHI PEACE PRIZE-2014: Awarded to ISRO for its
contribution in nation’s development through satellite
based education, health care and connectivity to
community activities.
The Award carries an amount of Rupees one crore in cash,
a plaque and a citation.
UNESCO ‘Award of Excellence’ 2015: Won by India for
the remarkable conservation efforts of the majestic Sree
Vadakkunnathan Temple in Kerala
Indian film Angry Indian Goddesses, a story about a
group of Indian girls in Goa gone wild, was voted as the
first runner-up at the 40th Toronto International Film
Festival in Canada.
AUGUST 2015
CROSS OF ORDER OF THE MERIT, GERMANY: Indian
socio biologist Raghavendra Gadagkar was awarded
with the Germany's highest civilian honour for his
contribution in strengthening research cooperation
between India and Germany.
ICTP RAMANUJAN PRIZE 2015: Mathematician Dr.
Amalendu Krishna; the prize is given to a mathematician
below the age of 45 by the ICTP, Italy.
ICTP: International Centre for Theoretical Physics
STOCKHOLM JUNIOR WATER PRIZE 2015: Perry
Alagappan from USA for inventing a filter through which
toxic heavy metals from electronic waste can be
removed from water.
This prize is given annually to persons in the age group of
15 to 20 for achievement in water related projects.
SOLIDARITY HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD: Awarded to
Zhanna Nemtsova, the journalist daughter of slain
Russian democracy advocate and opposition leader
Boris Nemtsov.
This prize is given by Poland government in the memory
of their ex President Lech Valesa.
SUNHAK PEACE PRIZE (first): Noted Indian
agricultural scientist Modadugu Vijay Gupta. He is joint
winner of the prize along with President of Kiribati
Islands Anote Tong.
The prize has been founded by South Korean religious
leader Hak Ja Han Moon to recognise eminent individuals
who contributed to peace and development of the world.
ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (OBE): Ameetpal
Gill, PM David Cameron's Indian-origin adviser and
speech writer. This is highest civil honour of UK.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
OCTOBER 2015
The Clintons' War on Women by Roger Stone and
Robert Morrow
Mrs Funnybones by Twinkle Khanna
To the Brink and Back: India’s 1991 Story
by Jairam Ramesh.
A Children’s History of India by Subhadra Sen Gupta.
The Country of First Boys by Amartya Sen
Baat Niklegi toh Phir by Sathya Saran
Dreaming Big: My Journey to Connect India – an
autobiography of Sam Pitroda, noted technocrat who
brought telecom revolution in India.
The Chinar Leaves by veteran Congress leader and
close aide of the Gandhi family M L Fotedar
Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of
Pakistan’s Foreign Policy by Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri,
ex Foreign Minister of Pakistan.
The Courage to Act - A Memoir of a Crisis and Its
Aftermath by Ben S. Bernanke. The author is the ex
governor of the Federal Reserve of USA and the book is
about the lessons learnt from the recessions like 2008
Financial Crisis.
SEPTEMBER 2015
The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue, an autobiography of
Frederick Forsyth, noted thriller novelist.
Two Years Eight Months and Twenty Eight Days
by Salman Rushdie.
The Monsoon War: Young Officers Reminisce 1965
India-Pakistan' by Capt Amarinder Singh and Lt. Gen.
Tajindar Shergill
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 28
The Curse of Surya by Dev Prasad.
Hubris: Why Economists Failed to Predict the Crisis
and How to Avoid the Next One by Meghnad Desai.
The Power of Meow by David Michie
Muslim Cosmopolitanism in the Age of Empire by
Seema Alavi
Portrait of a Serial Killer by Khushwant Singh (edited
by Mala Dayal)
AUGUST 2015
Making India Awesome by Chetan Bhagat
Combating Hunger and Achieving Food Security by
Prof. M. S. Swaminathan
The Country of First Boys by Amartya Sen
The Devil take Love by Sudhir Kakar
OBITUARY
OCTOBER 2015
RAVINDRA JAIN: Veteran music
director-singer-lyricist passed away
in Mumbai. He was 71. Though
blind, he gave music for hit films
like Chor Machaye Shor, Geet Gaata
Chal, Chitchor and Ankhiyon Ke
Jharokhon Se, in the 70s and was
associated with epic TV serials like Ramayana and
Mahabharata.
SYED ZAHOOR QASIM: Renowned marine biologist
considered as the founder of Polar Biology in India,
passed away in New Delhi. He was 88. He was part of
the first Indian expedition to Antarctica in 1981-82.
K S L SWAMY: Renowned Kannada filmmaker,
producer, actor and playback singer passed away in
Bengaluru. He was 77.
ASHWANI KUMAR: Ex DGP of Border security Force
and ex President of the Indian Hockey Federation,
passed away at 95.
LABH JANJUA: Noted Punjabi singer, famous for
chartbusters like “London Thumakda” and “Jee karda bi
jee karda”, died untimely in Mumbai
MANORAMA (Achhi): Legendary Tamil comedian and
actress, who had starred in over 1,000 southern films,
died at 78 in Chennai.
GAJANAN PENDHARKAR: Chairman of world famous
ayurvedic cosmetics company – Vicco Laboratories, died
in Mumbai. He was 81. He is credited with introduction
of Vicco Vajradanti Toothpaste and Vicco Turmeric
ayurvedic cream.
Dr. SYED AHMED: Governor of Manipur passed away
at Mumbai. He was 73. He was a senior Congress leader.
HENNING MANKELL: Best-selling Swedish crime
writer, whose detective character Kurt Wallander
became a worldwide phenomenon, died at 67 after a
battle with cancer.
SEPTEMBER 2015
JAGMOHAN DALMIYA:
President of the Board of
Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI), hailed as the architect
of India's rise as the game's
financial superpower, passed
away in Kolkata on Sep 20. He
was 75. He was a veteran
administrator and master of
marketing. He also served as President of the
International Cricket Council (1997-2000).
AADESH SHRIVASTAVA: Noted Bollywood music
composer passed away at a young age of 51 as he was
suffering from cancer.
M M KALBURGI: 77 year old Kannada scholar and ex
Vice Chancellor of Kannada University was shot dead by
two men at his Dharwad home in Karnataka. Owing to
his iconoclastic views against idol worship, he had
annoyed a section of the Lingayat community and
hardline Hindu groups.
JACKIE COLLINS: Popular British-American romance
novelist passed away in California, United States. She
was 77 and died of breast cancer. She wrote 32 novels,
all of which appeared on The New York Times
bestsellers list. Her books sold more than 500 million
copies in 40 countries.
YOGI BERRA: Legendary Baseball player from USA,
whose humorous quotes made him one of America's
most beloved sports icons, died at the age of 90
CHANDRA BAHADUR DANGI: verified by the Guinness
Book of Records as the world's shortest man - at 21.5
inches (54.6cm) - died of an undisclosed illness in
American Samoa. He was 75 and was ill for long.
AUGUST 2015
SUVRA MUKHERJEE: wife of President Pranab
Mukherjee passed away on August 18. She was an
accomplished dancer, painter and lover of Rabindra
Sangeet.
OM PRAKASH MUNJAL: Co-Chairman of Hero Cycles
Ltd and a leading industrialist passed away in Ludhiana
on August 13. He was 87. Hero cycles is the world’s
largest bi-cycle manufacturing unit.
The Curse of Surya by Dev Prasad.
Hubris: Why Economists Failed to Predict the Crisis
and How to Avoid the Next One by Meghnad Desai.
The Power of Meow by David Michie
Muslim Cosmopolitanism in the Age of Empire by
Seema Alavi
Portrait of a Serial Killer by Khushwant Singh (edited
by Mala Dayal)
AUGUST 2015
Making India Awesome by Chetan Bhagat
Combating Hunger and Achieving Food Security by
Prof. M. S. Swaminathan
The Country of First Boys by Amartya Sen
The Devil take Love by Sudhir Kakar
OBITUARY
OCTOBER 2015
RAVINDRA JAIN: Veteran music
director-singer-lyricist passed away
in Mumbai. He was 71. Though
blind, he gave music for hit films
like Chor Machaye Shor, Geet Gaata
Chal, Chitchor and Ankhiyon Ke
Jharokhon Se, in the 70s and was
associated with epic TV serials like Ramayana and
Mahabharata.
SYED ZAHOOR QASIM: Renowned marine biologist
considered as the founder of Polar Biology in India,
passed away in New Delhi. He was 88. He was part of
the first Indian expedition to Antarctica in 1981-82.
K S L SWAMY: Renowned Kannada filmmaker,
producer, actor and playback singer passed away in
Bengaluru. He was 77.
ASHWANI KUMAR: Ex DGP of Border security Force
and ex President of the Indian Hockey Federation,
passed away at 95.
LABH JANJUA: Noted Punjabi singer, famous for
chartbusters like “London Thumakda” and “Jee karda bi
jee karda”, died untimely in Mumbai
MANORAMA (Achhi): Legendary Tamil comedian and
actress, who had starred in over 1,000 southern films,
died at 78 in Chennai.
GAJANAN PENDHARKAR: Chairman of world famous
ayurvedic cosmetics company – Vicco Laboratories, died
in Mumbai. He was 81. He is credited with introduction
of Vicco Vajradanti Toothpaste and Vicco Turmeric
ayurvedic cream.
Dr. SYED AHMED: Governor of Manipur passed away
at Mumbai. He was 73. He was a senior Congress leader.
HENNING MANKELL: Best-selling Swedish crime
writer, whose detective character Kurt Wallander
became a worldwide phenomenon, died at 67 after a
battle with cancer.
SEPTEMBER 2015
JAGMOHAN DALMIYA:
President of the Board of
Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI), hailed as the architect
of India's rise as the game's
financial superpower, passed
away in Kolkata on Sep 20. He
was 75. He was a veteran
administrator and master of
marketing. He also served as President of the
International Cricket Council (1997-2000).
AADESH SHRIVASTAVA: Noted Bollywood music
composer passed away at a young age of 51 as he was
suffering from cancer.
M M KALBURGI: 77 year old Kannada scholar and ex
Vice Chancellor of Kannada University was shot dead by
two men at his Dharwad home in Karnataka. Owing to
his iconoclastic views against idol worship, he had
annoyed a section of the Lingayat community and
hardline Hindu groups.
JACKIE COLLINS: Popular British-American romance
novelist passed away in California, United States. She
was 77 and died of breast cancer. She wrote 32 novels,
all of which appeared on The New York Times
bestsellers list. Her books sold more than 500 million
copies in 40 countries.
YOGI BERRA: Legendary Baseball player from USA,
whose humorous quotes made him one of America's
most beloved sports icons, died at the age of 90
CHANDRA BAHADUR DANGI: verified by the Guinness
Book of Records as the world's shortest man - at 21.5
inches (54.6cm) - died of an undisclosed illness in
American Samoa. He was 75 and was ill for long.
AUGUST 2015
SUVRA MUKHERJEE: wife of President Pranab
Mukherjee passed away on August 18. She was an
accomplished dancer, painter and lover of Rabindra
Sangeet.
OM PRAKASH MUNJAL: Co-Chairman of Hero Cycles
Ltd and a leading industrialist passed away in Ludhiana
on August 13. He was 87. Hero cycles is the world’s
largest bi-cycle manufacturing unit.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 29
PLACES IN NEWS
OCTOBER 2015
DADRI: Small town in Uttar Pradesh was in news due to
mob lynching of 52-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq Saifi in
village Bisara on Sep 28 on rumors that he killed a cow
for consuming beef. The incident led to strong reactions
all over India as a strong example of surging ideological
intolerance, particularly in context of religion, leading to
return of government honours by several eminent
intellectuals.
KOTKAPURA: Town in district Faridkot, Punjab
witnessed widespread violent protests by Sikhs against
the alleged desecration of a 'bir' of Guru Granth Sahib in
Bargari village. Later, the protests spread to several
other towns, even in certain places in UK and Canada.
CHANG LA: Situated about 80 km east of Leh (J&K), the
place was in news as the world’s highest research
station, established by the DRDO at an altitude of 17,500
ft became functional there. The station would be used
for extreme altitude bio-medical, material and agro-
animal researches and conservation of endangered
species of plants.
BIR BILLING: Place in Kangra district of Himachal
Pradesh was in news as the first Paragliding World Cup
of South East Asia started there from October 16.
SUNPERH: village in district Faridabad of Haryana was
in news as a Dalit family of four was set afire inside their
house, killing two babies, allegedly by members of the
Rajput community to revenge the killing of three
Rajputs by Dalits, last year. The incident led to
widespread agitation by the Dalit families.
HURRICANE PATRICIA, one of the most powerful
storms on record, struck Mexico's Pacific coast on 23
October, carrying destructive winds with a speed of
165mph, forcing thousands to flee homes and beach
front resorts.
TYPHOON KOPPU attacked the northeastern
Philippines on October 18 with fierce winds, displacing
16,000 villagers and knocking out power in entire
provinces.
SANTA CATARINA PINULA : A small town in
Guatemala, a mini country south of Mexico, was in news
s at least 171 persons were killed there in sudden
mudslides that smashed into a nearby village.
BAGHDAD: The heavily fortified Green Zone in the
capital of Iraq has been opened to the public for the first
time in 12 years as a part of a reform drive. The 10 sq.
kms area is home to government buildings and foreign
embassies and was closed in 2003 after American
invasion.
ARCH OF TRIUMPH: A historical monument built about
2,000 years ago in Palmyra, Syria was in news as it was
blown up by the ISIS terrorists.
SEPTEMBER 2015
PETALWAD, JHABUA: Small town in Madhya Pradesh
was in news as around 100 people were killed and many
more injured after a massive blast caused by mining
explosives stored in a building ripped through a
crowded market area.
MINA: Holy place for Muslims, near Mecca was in news
as over 720 people were killed and over 860 others
injured there in a stampede as Haj pilgrims jostled their
way to perform symbolic stoning of the devil, marking
the culmination of the annual Haj pilgrimage.
MECCA: Muslims’ holiest place in Saudi Arabia was in
news as at least 107 persons were killed and over 200
injured in an accident caused by crane collapsed on Sep
11 during the annual hajj pilgrimage.
COQUIMBO, CHILE: Area in Northern Chile was in
news as more than 9,000 people were left homeless
after it was struck by a 8.3-magnitude quake on
September 16.
MOUNT ASO: One of the largest volcanoes on Japan's
main southern island of Kyushu, erupted on Sep 14,
sending a plume of black smoke 2 km high, but there
were no reports of damage or injuries.
AUGUST 2015
KOCHI: has become the first Indian city to become a
member of Beijing-headquartered World Tourism Cities
Federation (WTCF) Council. The council aims at creating
a global platform for promotion of tourism.
HARDA: Over 30 passengers were killed and many
others injured when several coaches of two trains, one
heading to Mumbai and another to Varanasi, derailed
over a railway bridge in Harda district of Madhya
Pradesh and plunged into the swollen Machak River.
PLACES IN NEWS
OCTOBER 2015
DADRI: Small town in Uttar Pradesh was in news due to
mob lynching of 52-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq Saifi in
village Bisara on Sep 28 on rumors that he killed a cow
for consuming beef. The incident led to strong reactions
all over India as a strong example of surging ideological
intolerance, particularly in context of religion, leading to
return of government honours by several eminent
intellectuals.
KOTKAPURA: Town in district Faridkot, Punjab
witnessed widespread violent protests by Sikhs against
the alleged desecration of a 'bir' of Guru Granth Sahib in
Bargari village. Later, the protests spread to several
other towns, even in certain places in UK and Canada.
CHANG LA: Situated about 80 km east of Leh (J&K), the
place was in news as the world’s highest research
station, established by the DRDO at an altitude of 17,500
ft became functional there. The station would be used
for extreme altitude bio-medical, material and agro-
animal researches and conservation of endangered
species of plants.
BIR BILLING: Place in Kangra district of Himachal
Pradesh was in news as the first Paragliding World Cup
of South East Asia started there from October 16.
SUNPERH: village in district Faridabad of Haryana was
in news as a Dalit family of four was set afire inside their
house, killing two babies, allegedly by members of the
Rajput community to revenge the killing of three
Rajputs by Dalits, last year. The incident led to
widespread agitation by the Dalit families.
HURRICANE PATRICIA, one of the most powerful
storms on record, struck Mexico's Pacific coast on 23
October, carrying destructive winds with a speed of
165mph, forcing thousands to flee homes and beach
front resorts.
TYPHOON KOPPU attacked the northeastern
Philippines on October 18 with fierce winds, displacing
16,000 villagers and knocking out power in entire
provinces.
SANTA CATARINA PINULA : A small town in
Guatemala, a mini country south of Mexico, was in news
s at least 171 persons were killed there in sudden
mudslides that smashed into a nearby village.
BAGHDAD: The heavily fortified Green Zone in the
capital of Iraq has been opened to the public for the first
time in 12 years as a part of a reform drive. The 10 sq.
kms area is home to government buildings and foreign
embassies and was closed in 2003 after American
invasion.
ARCH OF TRIUMPH: A historical monument built about
2,000 years ago in Palmyra, Syria was in news as it was
blown up by the ISIS terrorists.
SEPTEMBER 2015
PETALWAD, JHABUA: Small town in Madhya Pradesh
was in news as around 100 people were killed and many
more injured after a massive blast caused by mining
explosives stored in a building ripped through a
crowded market area.
MINA: Holy place for Muslims, near Mecca was in news
as over 720 people were killed and over 860 others
injured there in a stampede as Haj pilgrims jostled their
way to perform symbolic stoning of the devil, marking
the culmination of the annual Haj pilgrimage.
MECCA: Muslims’ holiest place in Saudi Arabia was in
news as at least 107 persons were killed and over 200
injured in an accident caused by crane collapsed on Sep
11 during the annual hajj pilgrimage.
COQUIMBO, CHILE: Area in Northern Chile was in
news as more than 9,000 people were left homeless
after it was struck by a 8.3-magnitude quake on
September 16.
MOUNT ASO: One of the largest volcanoes on Japan's
main southern island of Kyushu, erupted on Sep 14,
sending a plume of black smoke 2 km high, but there
were no reports of damage or injuries.
AUGUST 2015
KOCHI: has become the first Indian city to become a
member of Beijing-headquartered World Tourism Cities
Federation (WTCF) Council. The council aims at creating
a global platform for promotion of tourism.
HARDA: Over 30 passengers were killed and many
others injured when several coaches of two trains, one
heading to Mumbai and another to Varanasi, derailed
over a railway bridge in Harda district of Madhya
Pradesh and plunged into the swollen Machak River.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 30
TIANJIN: Massive explosions hit northern China's busy
port city late night on August 13, leaving at least 141
people dead and hundreds more injured. The blasts, at a
warehouse storing toxic chemicals, destroyed tower
blocks and burned out thousands of cars that were
parked for export. The blasts shattered windows in
buildings and cars and knocked down walls in a 2-km
radius around the site.
TYPHOON SOUDELOR: struck Wenzhou city in eastern
China on August 8-9, causing the heaviest rains in the
century. About 1.58 million people in the city were
affected by the typhoon with wide spread devastation.
SPORTS WORLD
OCTOBER 2015
HIGHER DIET MONEY FOR SPORTSPERSONS
Ministry of Sports has decided to enhance the diet
allowance for national level sports persons. The
athletes competing in the power games under Category
‘A’ (boxing, judo, taekwondo, weightlifting and throw
events in athletics) will receive Rs. 700 per day against
Rs. 320 at present. Athletes under Category ‘B’ (sprint
and team events) will get Rs400 per day, while
sportspersons under Category ‘C’ (golf, shooting and
archery) will be entitled for Rs. 300 per day.
Indian archer Abhishek Verma created history by
winning a silver medal in the Archery World Cup Final
held in Mexico City, becoming the first ever Indian to
bag Archery World Cup Final medal. Deepika Kumari
also bagged a silver medal.
Deborah Herold, 20 year old Indian cyclist became
the first ever Indian to win a gold medal, three silver
and one bronze medal in women's elite section in the in
Taiwan Cup Track International Classic in Taiwan.
Anirban Lahiri won the Hilton Asian Tour Golfer of the
Month award at Singapore
Yuki Bhambri achieved a career-best rank of 99,
becoming the first Indian tennis player to come under
100 since 2010 in the ATP world rankings.
Shweta Rathore became the first Indian female
bodybuilder to win a silver medal in the 49th Asian
championship held in Uzbekistan
Urvashi Rautela won the Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva
2015 title to become India’s representative for the Miss
Universe pageant.
Saketh Myneni, India’s tennis player won the Vietnam
Open trophy in the finals played at Ho Chi Minh City.
Amit Kumar, Indian para-athlete bagged silver in men's
club throw F51 event in the IPC Athletics World
Championships in Doha
Zaheer Khan, one of India's greatest fast bowlers, bid
adieu to international cricket, admitting that he could no
longer handle the rigours of the game.
Ajay Jayaram won the men’s Badminton title at the
Dutch Open Grand Prix at Almere (The Netherlands).
Pankaj Advani won the IBSF World Billiards
Championship in Adelaide, Australia.
Abhinav Bindra clinched gold in the men's 10 metre
Air Rifle event of the Asian Air Gun Championships in
New Delhi.
Heena Sidhu clinched a Gold medal in the 10-metre air
pistol event of the Asian Air Gun Championships in New
Delhi.
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won their seventh
title together on Oct 3 by winning the Wuhan Open
women’s doubles title at Wuhan, China. Earlier, they
also won the Guangzhou Open on Sep 26.
The Indian teams won five out of six team events in the
Commonwealth Youth, Junior & Senior weightlifting
championships held in Pune, Maharashtra.
Virender Sehwag, one of the world’s most destructive
batsmen to have played the game, announced his
retirement from international cricket and the Indian
Premier League, bringing an end to an illustrious career
spanning 14 years.
Vijender Singh, India’s Olympian boxer made a
smashing professional debut by knocking out Britain's
Sonny Whiting in the middleweight category at
Manchester, UK.
The 12th SAF (South Asian Games) games will be held
from February 6 to 16 in 2016 in Guwahati and
Shillong.
VIJAY KUMAR MALHOTRA: Govt of India has
appointed veteran sports administrator as the President
of the All India Council of Sports.
The 16th National Women Boxing Championship
was held at Bongaigaon in Assam
REFUGEES ALLOWED IN OLYMPICS
The International Olympic Committee has announced
that refugee athletes will be allowed, for the first time,
to take part in next year's Olympics. They will compete
under the Olympic flag. Until now, such athletes have
been unable to participate, because they could not
represent their home country.
Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal to win men’s title in
the China Open at Beijing, China.
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza won the women's singles title
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won their eighth title
of the season by lifting the women’s doubles title.
TIANJIN: Massive explosions hit northern China's busy
port city late night on August 13, leaving at least 141
people dead and hundreds more injured. The blasts, at a
warehouse storing toxic chemicals, destroyed tower
blocks and burned out thousands of cars that were
parked for export. The blasts shattered windows in
buildings and cars and knocked down walls in a 2-km
radius around the site.
TYPHOON SOUDELOR: struck Wenzhou city in eastern
China on August 8-9, causing the heaviest rains in the
century. About 1.58 million people in the city were
affected by the typhoon with wide spread devastation.
SPORTS WORLD
OCTOBER 2015
HIGHER DIET MONEY FOR SPORTSPERSONS
Ministry of Sports has decided to enhance the diet
allowance for national level sports persons. The
athletes competing in the power games under Category
‘A’ (boxing, judo, taekwondo, weightlifting and throw
events in athletics) will receive Rs. 700 per day against
Rs. 320 at present. Athletes under Category ‘B’ (sprint
and team events) will get Rs400 per day, while
sportspersons under Category ‘C’ (golf, shooting and
archery) will be entitled for Rs. 300 per day.
Indian archer Abhishek Verma created history by
winning a silver medal in the Archery World Cup Final
held in Mexico City, becoming the first ever Indian to
bag Archery World Cup Final medal. Deepika Kumari
also bagged a silver medal.
Deborah Herold, 20 year old Indian cyclist became
the first ever Indian to win a gold medal, three silver
and one bronze medal in women's elite section in the in
Taiwan Cup Track International Classic in Taiwan.
Anirban Lahiri won the Hilton Asian Tour Golfer of the
Month award at Singapore
Yuki Bhambri achieved a career-best rank of 99,
becoming the first Indian tennis player to come under
100 since 2010 in the ATP world rankings.
Shweta Rathore became the first Indian female
bodybuilder to win a silver medal in the 49th Asian
championship held in Uzbekistan
Urvashi Rautela won the Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva
2015 title to become India’s representative for the Miss
Universe pageant.
Saketh Myneni, India’s tennis player won the Vietnam
Open trophy in the finals played at Ho Chi Minh City.
Amit Kumar, Indian para-athlete bagged silver in men's
club throw F51 event in the IPC Athletics World
Championships in Doha
Zaheer Khan, one of India's greatest fast bowlers, bid
adieu to international cricket, admitting that he could no
longer handle the rigours of the game.
Ajay Jayaram won the men’s Badminton title at the
Dutch Open Grand Prix at Almere (The Netherlands).
Pankaj Advani won the IBSF World Billiards
Championship in Adelaide, Australia.
Abhinav Bindra clinched gold in the men's 10 metre
Air Rifle event of the Asian Air Gun Championships in
New Delhi.
Heena Sidhu clinched a Gold medal in the 10-metre air
pistol event of the Asian Air Gun Championships in New
Delhi.
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won their seventh
title together on Oct 3 by winning the Wuhan Open
women’s doubles title at Wuhan, China. Earlier, they
also won the Guangzhou Open on Sep 26.
The Indian teams won five out of six team events in the
Commonwealth Youth, Junior & Senior weightlifting
championships held in Pune, Maharashtra.
Virender Sehwag, one of the world’s most destructive
batsmen to have played the game, announced his
retirement from international cricket and the Indian
Premier League, bringing an end to an illustrious career
spanning 14 years.
Vijender Singh, India’s Olympian boxer made a
smashing professional debut by knocking out Britain's
Sonny Whiting in the middleweight category at
Manchester, UK.
The 12th SAF (South Asian Games) games will be held
from February 6 to 16 in 2016 in Guwahati and
Shillong.
VIJAY KUMAR MALHOTRA: Govt of India has
appointed veteran sports administrator as the President
of the All India Council of Sports.
The 16th National Women Boxing Championship
was held at Bongaigaon in Assam
REFUGEES ALLOWED IN OLYMPICS
The International Olympic Committee has announced
that refugee athletes will be allowed, for the first time,
to take part in next year's Olympics. They will compete
under the Olympic flag. Until now, such athletes have
been unable to participate, because they could not
represent their home country.
Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal to win men’s title in
the China Open at Beijing, China.
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza won the women's singles title
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won their eighth title
of the season by lifting the women’s doubles title.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 31
Cristiano Ronaldo of The Real Madrid won the record
fourth Golden Boot for scoring highest – 48 goals in the
season.
China’s Xuerui Li won the Denmark Open Badminton
Title in the women’s single category, defeating P V
Sindhu of India at Odense, Denmark.
Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia clinched the French
International Badminton title in Paris.
Sultan of Johor Cup (Hockey): Great Britain defeated
Indian junior men's team to lift the cup in Malaysia.
Sergey Karjakin of Russia won the World Cup Chess
Championship, defeating compatriot Peter Svidler in
Baku, Azerbaijan.
Lewis Hamilton of Britain won the Formula 1 Russian
Grand Prix at Sochi, Russia, Japanese Grand Prix at
Suzuka, Japan and U S Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
Luis Leao Pinto of Portugal won the Asia’s premier
mountain biking race to get the crown of ‘King of the
Himalaya’. He took time of 27:29:22 to complete the
600 km long 7 stages biking race.
Women’s European Volleyball Championship was
won by Russia at Rotterdam, Russia.
China won the International Basketball Federation
(FIBA) Asia Championship by defeating the Philippines
at Changsha, China.
Some 2,000 athletes from many indigenous ethnic
groups from 30 countries took part in the first World
Indigenous Games held in Palmas, Brazil.
SEPTEMBER 2015
YOGA GIVEN SPORTS STATUS
The Sports Ministry has decided to recognize Yoga as a
sports discipline and place it in the Priority category.
Fencing has also been upgraded from Others to General
category, based on the past performance in major
international events.
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award
NAME SPORTS
1. Jot Singh (ITBP) Mountaineering
2. Arunima Sinha Mountaineering
3. Wg. Cdr. Paramveer Singh Aqua sport
4. Col. Satish Chander Sharma Mountaineering
5. Lt. Col Satyendra Verma Sky diving
The Indian wushu team fetched a rich haul of 1 gold, 4
silver and 7 bronze medals at the 5th International Pars
Wushu Cup in Tehran, Iran.
Deepak Lather won a gold in the 62 kg category in
weight lifting in the fifth Youth Commonwealth Games
in Apia, Samoa.
India stood fifth in the final medal tally in the
Commonwealth Youth Games.
Anil won the gold medal in the 50 kg freestyle category
at the Cadet Wrestling World Championships at
Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
OP Jaisha and Sudha Singh finished 18th and 19th
respectively in the women's marathon at the World
Athletics Championships in Beijing.
Jaisha, however, set a new national record by registering
a time of two hours, 34 minutes and 43 seconds.
Manpreet Kaur of Railways created a new national
record in shot-put throwing, claiming a distance of
17.96 meters at the 55th National Open Athletics
Championship at Kolkata.
Apurvi Chandela clinched the silver medal in women’s
10m air rifle event of the ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup
Finals in Munich, Germany.
Ravi Shastri to continue as the Team Director of the
Indian cricket team till the 2016 T20 World Cup to be
held in India.
55th National Open Athletics Championship started
at SAI Complex in Kolkata on Sep16.
The 42nd World Bridge Teams Championships opened
in Chennai on Sep 26.
U.S. OPEN TENNIS ENDS AT NEW YORK
Men’s Singles: Novak Djokovic won the title beating
Roger Federer
Women’s Singles: Flavia Pennetta won the title by
beating Roberta Vinci, both from Italy. Flavia
announced her retirement after winning the title.
Men’s mixed doubles: won by Leander Paes and
Martina Hingis. Paes becomes the player to have won
highest number, of mixed doubles grand slams (Nine).
Women’s doubles: Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis
won the title.
Sebastian Vettel from Germany won 2015 Singapore
Grand Prix of Formula One car race
Lewis Hamilton won the Italian Grand Prix F1
championship at Monza, Italy.
Shane Watson: Australia's veteran all-rounder
announced his retirement from Test cricket on
September 6, playing his last match in Cardiff, UK.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held in
Durban, South Africa, for the first time.
Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang Province in East
China, has been chosen by the Olympic Council of Asia
(OCA) to host the 2022 Asian Games.
Cristiano Ronaldo of The Real Madrid won the record
fourth Golden Boot for scoring highest – 48 goals in the
season.
China’s Xuerui Li won the Denmark Open Badminton
Title in the women’s single category, defeating P V
Sindhu of India at Odense, Denmark.
Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia clinched the French
International Badminton title in Paris.
Sultan of Johor Cup (Hockey): Great Britain defeated
Indian junior men's team to lift the cup in Malaysia.
Sergey Karjakin of Russia won the World Cup Chess
Championship, defeating compatriot Peter Svidler in
Baku, Azerbaijan.
Lewis Hamilton of Britain won the Formula 1 Russian
Grand Prix at Sochi, Russia, Japanese Grand Prix at
Suzuka, Japan and U S Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
Luis Leao Pinto of Portugal won the Asia’s premier
mountain biking race to get the crown of ‘King of the
Himalaya’. He took time of 27:29:22 to complete the
600 km long 7 stages biking race.
Women’s European Volleyball Championship was
won by Russia at Rotterdam, Russia.
China won the International Basketball Federation
(FIBA) Asia Championship by defeating the Philippines
at Changsha, China.
Some 2,000 athletes from many indigenous ethnic
groups from 30 countries took part in the first World
Indigenous Games held in Palmas, Brazil.
SEPTEMBER 2015
YOGA GIVEN SPORTS STATUS
The Sports Ministry has decided to recognize Yoga as a
sports discipline and place it in the Priority category.
Fencing has also been upgraded from Others to General
category, based on the past performance in major
international events.
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award
NAME SPORTS
1. Jot Singh (ITBP) Mountaineering
2. Arunima Sinha Mountaineering
3. Wg. Cdr. Paramveer Singh Aqua sport
4. Col. Satish Chander Sharma Mountaineering
5. Lt. Col Satyendra Verma Sky diving
The Indian wushu team fetched a rich haul of 1 gold, 4
silver and 7 bronze medals at the 5th International Pars
Wushu Cup in Tehran, Iran.
Deepak Lather won a gold in the 62 kg category in
weight lifting in the fifth Youth Commonwealth Games
in Apia, Samoa.
India stood fifth in the final medal tally in the
Commonwealth Youth Games.
Anil won the gold medal in the 50 kg freestyle category
at the Cadet Wrestling World Championships at
Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
OP Jaisha and Sudha Singh finished 18th and 19th
respectively in the women's marathon at the World
Athletics Championships in Beijing.
Jaisha, however, set a new national record by registering
a time of two hours, 34 minutes and 43 seconds.
Manpreet Kaur of Railways created a new national
record in shot-put throwing, claiming a distance of
17.96 meters at the 55th National Open Athletics
Championship at Kolkata.
Apurvi Chandela clinched the silver medal in women’s
10m air rifle event of the ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup
Finals in Munich, Germany.
Ravi Shastri to continue as the Team Director of the
Indian cricket team till the 2016 T20 World Cup to be
held in India.
55th National Open Athletics Championship started
at SAI Complex in Kolkata on Sep16.
The 42nd World Bridge Teams Championships opened
in Chennai on Sep 26.
U.S. OPEN TENNIS ENDS AT NEW YORK
Men’s Singles: Novak Djokovic won the title beating
Roger Federer
Women’s Singles: Flavia Pennetta won the title by
beating Roberta Vinci, both from Italy. Flavia
announced her retirement after winning the title.
Men’s mixed doubles: won by Leander Paes and
Martina Hingis. Paes becomes the player to have won
highest number, of mixed doubles grand slams (Nine).
Women’s doubles: Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis
won the title.
Sebastian Vettel from Germany won 2015 Singapore
Grand Prix of Formula One car race
Lewis Hamilton won the Italian Grand Prix F1
championship at Monza, Italy.
Shane Watson: Australia's veteran all-rounder
announced his retirement from Test cricket on
September 6, playing his last match in Cardiff, UK.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held in
Durban, South Africa, for the first time.
Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang Province in East
China, has been chosen by the Olympic Council of Asia
(OCA) to host the 2022 Asian Games.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 32
AUGUST 2015
SANIA HONOURED WITH KHEL RATNA
Iconic tennis player Sania Mirza has been honoured
with the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for
2015. She is currently ranked world number one in
women's doubles in Tennis. She is only the second
tennis player after Leander Paes to be named for the top
award. The award carries a medal and cash award of Rs.
7.50 lacs.
DRONACHARYA AWARDS announced for excellence in
coaching. Award carries a statue & cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh.
Sr. No. NAME SPORTS
1. Naval Singh Athletics Para-sports
2. Anoop Singh Wrestling
3. Harbans Singh Athletics
4. Swatantar Raj Singh Boxing
5. Nihar Ameen Swimming.
DHYAN CHAND AWARDS (For Lifetime Achievement)
declared. Award carries a statue & cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh.
Sl. No. Name Discipline
1. TPP Nair Volleyball
2. SP Misra Tennis
3. Romeo James Hockey
ARJUNA AWARDS announced. The Award carries a
statue and cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.
S. No. Name of the
sportsperson
Discipline
1. Naib Subedar Sandeep
Kumar
Archery
2. Ms. M.R. Poovamma Athletics
3. Mr. Kidambi Srikanth
Nammalwar
Badminton
4. Mr. Mandeep Jangra Boxing
5. Mr. Rohit Sharma Cricket
6. Ms. Dipa Karmakar Gymnastic
7. Mr. Sreejesh P.R. Hockey
8. Mr. Manjeet Chhillar Kabaddi
9. Ms. Abhilasha S Mhatre Kabaddi
10. Mr. Sawarn Singh Rowing
11. Mr. Anup Kumar Yama Roller Skating
12. Mr. Jitu Rai Shooting
13. Shri S. Sathish Kumar Weightlifting
14. Mr. Bajrang Wrestling
15. Ms. Babita Kumari Wrestling
16. Ms. Yumnam S. Devi Wushu
17. Mr. Sharath M.
Gayakwad
Para-Swimming
SAINA NEHWAL, ace Indian shuttler regained the world
no. 1 rank on August 20, surging 2,180 points ahead of
world champion Carolina Marin. She became the first
Indian to win silver in the World Badminton
Championship.
IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Championship: Pankaj
Advani won the title outplaying Chinese Yan Bingtao at
Karachi, Pakistan on August 11.
Anirban Lahiri finished 5th at the US PGA
championship at Whistling Straits, USA, claiming the
highest position ever won by an Indian at a Golf Major.
Aditi Chauhan, India’s international football goalkeeper
became the country’s first woman to play English league
football when she made her debut for English third tier
club West Ham United Ladies.
Ace Indian golfer Aditi Ashok became first woman and
youngest (17 years) player from India to win the
prestigious Ladies British amateur stroke-play
Championship 2015 at Leeds, United Kingdom.
Ajinkya Rahane became the first fielder in Test history
to take eight catches in a single match, achieving the feat
in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, Sri Lanka.
Abhishek Verma won the gold medal in the men’s
compound individual category in the Archery World
Cup in Wroclaw (Poland).
Dutee Chand won the gold medal in the 200m at the
13th Federation Cup Junior Athletics Championship in
Hyderabad on August 9. It was her first victory since
the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) allowed her to
resume her career after quashing her controversial
hyperandrogenism case two weeks ago.
World Archery Championships, Copenhagen,
Denmark: Indian women's recurve team won the silver
medal on August 2.
Special Olympic World Summer Games 2015
Indian contingent won 173 medals (47gold, 54 silver
and 72 bronze) in the games held in Los Angeles, USA.
Sneha Verma, (21) suffering from Down syndrome,
won gold medal in the 50m freestyle swimming
event.
Prabhroop Sekhon (14) won gold medals in 300
metre and 500 metre Roller Skating event.
KUMARA SANGAKKARA: Sri Lanka’s ace batsman and
wicketkeeper announced his retirement from the
international Cricket. He played his last match at
Colombo, against India.
Lewis Hamilton won the Belgian Grand Prix F1
championship at Spa, Belgium on August 23.
The 15
th World Athletics Championships began in
Beijing, China on August 22.
AUGUST 2015
SANIA HONOURED WITH KHEL RATNA
Iconic tennis player Sania Mirza has been honoured
with the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for
2015. She is currently ranked world number one in
women's doubles in Tennis. She is only the second
tennis player after Leander Paes to be named for the top
award. The award carries a medal and cash award of Rs.
7.50 lacs.
DRONACHARYA AWARDS announced for excellence in
coaching. Award carries a statue & cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh.
Sr. No. NAME SPORTS
1. Naval Singh Athletics Para-sports
2. Anoop Singh Wrestling
3. Harbans Singh Athletics
4. Swatantar Raj Singh Boxing
5. Nihar Ameen Swimming.
DHYAN CHAND AWARDS (For Lifetime Achievement)
declared. Award carries a statue & cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh.
Sl. No. Name Discipline
1. TPP Nair Volleyball
2. SP Misra Tennis
3. Romeo James Hockey
ARJUNA AWARDS announced. The Award carries a
statue and cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.
S. No. Name of the
sportsperson
Discipline
1. Naib Subedar Sandeep
Kumar
Archery
2. Ms. M.R. Poovamma Athletics
3. Mr. Kidambi Srikanth
Nammalwar
Badminton
4. Mr. Mandeep Jangra Boxing
5. Mr. Rohit Sharma Cricket
6. Ms. Dipa Karmakar Gymnastic
7. Mr. Sreejesh P.R. Hockey
8. Mr. Manjeet Chhillar Kabaddi
9. Ms. Abhilasha S Mhatre Kabaddi
10. Mr. Sawarn Singh Rowing
11. Mr. Anup Kumar Yama Roller Skating
12. Mr. Jitu Rai Shooting
13. Shri S. Sathish Kumar Weightlifting
14. Mr. Bajrang Wrestling
15. Ms. Babita Kumari Wrestling
16. Ms. Yumnam S. Devi Wushu
17. Mr. Sharath M.
Gayakwad
Para-Swimming
SAINA NEHWAL, ace Indian shuttler regained the world
no. 1 rank on August 20, surging 2,180 points ahead of
world champion Carolina Marin. She became the first
Indian to win silver in the World Badminton
Championship.
IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Championship: Pankaj
Advani won the title outplaying Chinese Yan Bingtao at
Karachi, Pakistan on August 11.
Anirban Lahiri finished 5th at the US PGA
championship at Whistling Straits, USA, claiming the
highest position ever won by an Indian at a Golf Major.
Aditi Chauhan, India’s international football goalkeeper
became the country’s first woman to play English league
football when she made her debut for English third tier
club West Ham United Ladies.
Ace Indian golfer Aditi Ashok became first woman and
youngest (17 years) player from India to win the
prestigious Ladies British amateur stroke-play
Championship 2015 at Leeds, United Kingdom.
Ajinkya Rahane became the first fielder in Test history
to take eight catches in a single match, achieving the feat
in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, Sri Lanka.
Abhishek Verma won the gold medal in the men’s
compound individual category in the Archery World
Cup in Wroclaw (Poland).
Dutee Chand won the gold medal in the 200m at the
13th Federation Cup Junior Athletics Championship in
Hyderabad on August 9. It was her first victory since
the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) allowed her to
resume her career after quashing her controversial
hyperandrogenism case two weeks ago.
World Archery Championships, Copenhagen,
Denmark: Indian women's recurve team won the silver
medal on August 2.
Special Olympic World Summer Games 2015
Indian contingent won 173 medals (47gold, 54 silver
and 72 bronze) in the games held in Los Angeles, USA.
Sneha Verma, (21) suffering from Down syndrome,
won gold medal in the 50m freestyle swimming
event.
Prabhroop Sekhon (14) won gold medals in 300
metre and 500 metre Roller Skating event.
KUMARA SANGAKKARA: Sri Lanka’s ace batsman and
wicketkeeper announced his retirement from the
international Cricket. He played his last match at
Colombo, against India.
Lewis Hamilton won the Belgian Grand Prix F1
championship at Spa, Belgium on August 23.
The 15
th World Athletics Championships began in
Beijing, China on August 22.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 33
Usain Bolt (Jamaica) once again established his
supremacy in 100 metres sprint as he finished the race
in 9.79 seconds to emerge as world’s number one on
August 23. Shelly-Ann Fraser, also from Jamaica,
retained gold in Women’s 100 meters.
Usain Bolt also claimed his fourth consecutive world 200
metre title by winning the event at the World
Championships in Beijing
CINCINNATI OPEN 2015: Roger Federer beats world
no 1 Novak Djokovic to win the title on August 23 in
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Serena Williams won the
women’s singles title by defeating Simona Halep of
Romania.
ROGERS CUP MASTERS TOURNAMENT, Montreal,
Canada: Andy Murray won the men’s title by beating
world number one Novak Djokovic. Women’s title was
won by 18 year old Belinda Bencic of Switzerland by
beating world number two Simona Halep
The world governing body of athletics, the
International Association of Athletics Federations -
the IAAF, has chosen the British former Olympic
racing champion Sebastian Coe as its new President.
The International Olympic Committee has granted
recognition to the sport of flying disc, commonly
known as "frisbee" as an Olympic sport.
Beijing has become the first city in the world to have
hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics after it
was chosen to stage the 2022 Winter Games. It hosted
the summer Olympics in 2008.
ALL THE NEWS ITEMS IN THIS MAGAZINE HAVE BEEN SOURCED
FROM VARIOUS NEWS PAPERS AND GOVT. PRESS RELEASES
DAYS AND DATES
OCTOBER
International Non- violence Day,
World Vegetarian Day
02
nd October
World Habitat day 03
rd October
World Teacher’s Day 05
th October
Indian Air Force Day 08
th October
World Post Day 09
th October
World Food Day 16
th October
International Day for Eradication of
Poverty
17
th October
National Integration Day (Birth Day of
Sardar Patel & Death anniversary of
Indira Gandhi)
31
st October
NOVEMBER
Formation Day for Andhra Pradesh
Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya
Pradesh, Punjab
01
st Nov
Pneumonia Day 02
nd Nov
World Cancer Day 07
th Nov
Legal Services Day 09
th Nov
National Education Day 11
th Nov
World Diabetes Day, National Children
Day
14
th Nov
UN’s International Day for Tolerance 16
th Nov
National Day for the Deaf 17
th Nov
Territorial Army Day 18
th Nov
National Integration Day 19
th Nov
World Fisheries Day 21
st Nov
Flag Day 25
th Nov
National Law Day 26
th Nov
National Flag Day 30
th Nov
DECEMBER
BSF Raising Day, World AIDS Day 01
st Dec.
International Day for Abolition of Slavery
(UNO)
02
nd Dec.
International Day of Disabled Persons,
World Conservation Day
03
rd Dec.
Navy Day 04
th Dec.
Armed Forces Flag Day 06
th Dec.
International Civil Aviation Day 07
th Dec.
National Immunization Day 09
th Dec.
Human Rights Day 10
th Dec.
UNICEF Day 11
th Dec.
National Energy Conservation Day 14
th Dec.
Vijay Divas (1971 Pak Victory) 16
th Dec.
Minorities Rights Day 18
th Dec.
Mathematics Day 22
nd Dec.
Kisan Day (Birthday of Ch. Charan Singh) 23
rd Dec.
National Consumer Day 24
th Dec.
X-Mas Day 25
th Dec.
International Day for Biological Diversity 29
th Dec.
Usain Bolt (Jamaica) once again established his
supremacy in 100 metres sprint as he finished the race
in 9.79 seconds to emerge as world’s number one on
August 23. Shelly-Ann Fraser, also from Jamaica,
retained gold in Women’s 100 meters.
Usain Bolt also claimed his fourth consecutive world 200
metre title by winning the event at the World
Championships in Beijing
CINCINNATI OPEN 2015: Roger Federer beats world
no 1 Novak Djokovic to win the title on August 23 in
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Serena Williams won the
women’s singles title by defeating Simona Halep of
Romania.
ROGERS CUP MASTERS TOURNAMENT, Montreal,
Canada: Andy Murray won the men’s title by beating
world number one Novak Djokovic. Women’s title was
won by 18 year old Belinda Bencic of Switzerland by
beating world number two Simona Halep
The world governing body of athletics, the
International Association of Athletics Federations -
the IAAF, has chosen the British former Olympic
racing champion Sebastian Coe as its new President.
The International Olympic Committee has granted
recognition to the sport of flying disc, commonly
known as "frisbee" as an Olympic sport.
Beijing has become the first city in the world to have
hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics after it
was chosen to stage the 2022 Winter Games. It hosted
the summer Olympics in 2008.
ALL THE NEWS ITEMS IN THIS MAGAZINE HAVE BEEN SOURCED
FROM VARIOUS NEWS PAPERS AND GOVT. PRESS RELEASES
DAYS AND DATES
OCTOBER
International Non- violence Day,
World Vegetarian Day
02
nd October
World Habitat day 03
rd October
World Teacher’s Day 05
th October
Indian Air Force Day 08
th October
World Post Day 09
th October
World Food Day 16
th October
International Day for Eradication of
Poverty
17
th October
National Integration Day (Birth Day of
Sardar Patel & Death anniversary of
Indira Gandhi)
31
st October
NOVEMBER
Formation Day for Andhra Pradesh
Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya
Pradesh, Punjab
01
st Nov
Pneumonia Day 02
nd Nov
World Cancer Day 07
th Nov
Legal Services Day 09
th Nov
National Education Day 11
th Nov
World Diabetes Day, National Children
Day
14
th Nov
UN’s International Day for Tolerance 16
th Nov
National Day for the Deaf 17
th Nov
Territorial Army Day 18
th Nov
National Integration Day 19
th Nov
World Fisheries Day 21
st Nov
Flag Day 25
th Nov
National Law Day 26
th Nov
National Flag Day 30
th Nov
DECEMBER
BSF Raising Day, World AIDS Day 01
st Dec.
International Day for Abolition of Slavery
(UNO)
02
nd Dec.
International Day of Disabled Persons,
World Conservation Day
03
rd Dec.
Navy Day 04
th Dec.
Armed Forces Flag Day 06
th Dec.
International Civil Aviation Day 07
th Dec.
National Immunization Day 09
th Dec.
Human Rights Day 10
th Dec.
UNICEF Day 11
th Dec.
National Energy Conservation Day 14
th Dec.
Vijay Divas (1971 Pak Victory) 16
th Dec.
Minorities Rights Day 18
th Dec.
Mathematics Day 22
nd Dec.
Kisan Day (Birthday of Ch. Charan Singh) 23
rd Dec.
National Consumer Day 24
th Dec.
X-Mas Day 25
th Dec.
International Day for Biological Diversity 29
th Dec.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 34
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 35
( MAY – JULY 2015 )
For details please visit our website: www.gyanm.in
NATIONAL NEWS
JULY 2015
The World Bank has ranked three social welfare
schemes as the biggest in the world:
MGNREGA as the world's largest public works
programme
Mid-day Meal Scheme as the biggest school feeding
programme covering 10.5 crore beneficiaries.
The Janani Suraksha Yojna, with 7.8 crore
beneficiaries, in the category of social security
programme
The World Bank has agreed to provide $250-million
financial assistance for the Andhra Pradesh Disaster
Recovery Project
Modi visited Russia and five Central Asian countries
from July 6-13, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,
Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The six cities – Guwahati, Jorhat, Kohima, Dimapur,
Itanagar and Agartala will be developed under the
Development of Solar Cities Programme.
Digging work over for the 9-km long Patnitop
tunnel between Chenani and Nashri, the longest in
South Asia.
President has nominated 2 members of Anglo-
Indian Community to Lok Sabha as per the
provisions of Article 331 of Indian Constitution.
They are – Prof. Richard Hay, Economist from
Kerala and George Baker, noted film actor from
West Bengal.
On the World Population Day (July 11), at 5 pm, the
number of Indians hit 127, 42, 39, 769, which is
17.25 per cent of the global population
Yogi Adityanath panel has sought doubling of the
existing Rs 50,000 salary of MPs and increasing
their pension from Rs 20,000 to Rs 35,000.
The Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data
released on July 3 shows that there were total 24.39
crore households in country.
Of this, 17.9 crore – 73% were rural households, of
which 2.37 crore or 13% still live in houses with
only one room, kuccha walls and kuccha roof.
Manual casual labour is the main source of income
for 51% of rural households, followed by
cultivation, pursued by 30% of households.
Govt has sanctioned Rs.1,000 crore for a 15-km
India-Bangladesh railway project from Agartala in
Tripura to Akhaura in Bangladesh.
ADB to give a loan of $ 300 million to India for
improving road connectivity in the North Eastern
Region.
India and Kazakhastan issued a joint statement - Tej
Kadam highlighting the continuation of strategic
partnership between the two nations.
Government has decided to give Cabinet minister’s
rank to the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, Arvind
Panagariya.
Asian Development Bank to provide $ 300 million
loan to support the Government’s flagship program,
the National Urban Health Mission.
The 46
th Session of the Indian Labour Conference
held in New Delhi.
India and Georgia signed an MoU in New Delhi for
cooperation in election management and
administration.
26
th July was celebrated as the Kargil Vijay Diwas as
the 16
th anniversary of the Indian victory in the
1999 Kargil war.
Of the 31 countries which produce power from
nuclear sources, India is 12
th, producing 5308 MWe.
The list is topped by USA producing 98639 MWe.
National Broadcasting Day was observed on 23 July.
It is on this day in 1927, the Indian Broadcasting Co.
started first radio broadcasting from Bombay.
Government has announced that 14 States and
Union Territories have achieved or exceeded the
literacy rate of 80 percent.
( MAY – JULY 2015 )
For details please visit our website: www.gyanm.in
NATIONAL NEWS
JULY 2015
The World Bank has ranked three social welfare
schemes as the biggest in the world:
MGNREGA as the world's largest public works
programme
Mid-day Meal Scheme as the biggest school feeding
programme covering 10.5 crore beneficiaries.
The Janani Suraksha Yojna, with 7.8 crore
beneficiaries, in the category of social security
programme
The World Bank has agreed to provide $250-million
financial assistance for the Andhra Pradesh Disaster
Recovery Project
Modi visited Russia and five Central Asian countries
from July 6-13, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,
Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The six cities – Guwahati, Jorhat, Kohima, Dimapur,
Itanagar and Agartala will be developed under the
Development of Solar Cities Programme.
Digging work over for the 9-km long Patnitop
tunnel between Chenani and Nashri, the longest in
South Asia.
President has nominated 2 members of Anglo-
Indian Community to Lok Sabha as per the
provisions of Article 331 of Indian Constitution.
They are – Prof. Richard Hay, Economist from
Kerala and George Baker, noted film actor from
West Bengal.
On the World Population Day (July 11), at 5 pm, the
number of Indians hit 127, 42, 39, 769, which is
17.25 per cent of the global population
Yogi Adityanath panel has sought doubling of the
existing Rs 50,000 salary of MPs and increasing
their pension from Rs 20,000 to Rs 35,000.
The Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data
released on July 3 shows that there were total 24.39
crore households in country.
Of this, 17.9 crore – 73% were rural households, of
which 2.37 crore or 13% still live in houses with
only one room, kuccha walls and kuccha roof.
Manual casual labour is the main source of income
for 51% of rural households, followed by
cultivation, pursued by 30% of households.
Govt has sanctioned Rs.1,000 crore for a 15-km
India-Bangladesh railway project from Agartala in
Tripura to Akhaura in Bangladesh.
ADB to give a loan of $ 300 million to India for
improving road connectivity in the North Eastern
Region.
India and Kazakhastan issued a joint statement - Tej
Kadam highlighting the continuation of strategic
partnership between the two nations.
Government has decided to give Cabinet minister’s
rank to the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, Arvind
Panagariya.
Asian Development Bank to provide $ 300 million
loan to support the Government’s flagship program,
the National Urban Health Mission.
The 46
th Session of the Indian Labour Conference
held in New Delhi.
India and Georgia signed an MoU in New Delhi for
cooperation in election management and
administration.
26
th July was celebrated as the Kargil Vijay Diwas as
the 16
th anniversary of the Indian victory in the
1999 Kargil war.
Of the 31 countries which produce power from
nuclear sources, India is 12
th, producing 5308 MWe.
The list is topped by USA producing 98639 MWe.
National Broadcasting Day was observed on 23 July.
It is on this day in 1927, the Indian Broadcasting Co.
started first radio broadcasting from Bombay.
Government has announced that 14 States and
Union Territories have achieved or exceeded the
literacy rate of 80 percent.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 36
JUNE 2015
India broke two Guinness records on the occasion of
the International Yoga Day at Rajpath, New Delhi
One for the largest yoga assembly of 35,985 at a
single venue and the other for participation
from 84 nationalities in a single event.
Prime Minister Modi reached Dhaka on June 6 on a
two-day visit to Bangladesh.
The two countries agreed to start Kolkata-
Dhaka-Agartala (466+152 kms) bus service and
Guwahati – Dhaka (496 kms) bus services.
President of India visited Sweden on May 31 on his
five- day visit to the country and Belarus. This is
first ever visit by an Indian President to Sweden.
As per the Baseline Profitability Index (BPI)
compiled in New York, USA, India has been ranked
the best country in terms of attracting foreign
investors.
According to a World Bank report, India figures
among top five emerging economies for the highest
investment commitments in private sector.
Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of Netherland, arrived
in New Delhi on a two-day visit to India, June 5-6.
A new global study reveals that elder abuse in India
is the lowest in Asia with an incidence of 14 per cent
only while it is the highest in China at 36 per cent.
China opened the second land crossing in Tibet via
Nathu La in Sikkim, to allow Indian pilgrims
Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra.
Bhagavad Gita, the sacred ancient Indian scripture,
has made its debut in China after its Chinese version
was released in the country.
The Election Commission suspended the
recognition of National People’s Party because it
failed to submit its poll expenditure statements.
India and USA have signed a series of agreements
for cooperation in health sector in areas like cancer
research, medical infrastructure development etc.
India, Australia and Japan held trilateral talks in
New Delhi to discuss a range of issues including the
security situation in the Asia Pacific
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur will soon
become the first engineering institute in India to
venture into medical education.
India has joined the Multilateral Competent
Authority Agreement (MCAA) on Automatic
Exchange of Financial Account Information by
signing the pact in Paris.
India is home to the highest number of hungry
people in the world, at 194 million, surpassing
China, according to the United Nations annual
hunger report
India ranked among 20 most violent places globally,
standing at 143
rd rank in 2014.
India was ranked 44th in the annual global
competitiveness report by a Switzerland-based
business school
In terms of emissions of climate - damaging
greenhouse gases, India ranks fourth in world,
accounting for roughly 7 per cent of emissions.
The three-day World Bangla Conference organized
by the Vishwa Bangla Sammelan was held in
Nagpur, Madhya Pradesh.
India has emerged as Britain's third biggest job
creator in 2014 as it saw a 65% increase in FDI from
India, leading to 9,350 new jobs in 122 projects.
India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh signed a Motor
Vehicles Agreement for the regulation of passenger
and cargo vehicular traffic.
India emerged the top donor country for Nepal by
pledging $ one billion aid for reconstruction of
earth- quake hit Nepal
World Bank gave a $250 million loan for Jhelum and
Tawi Flood Recovery Project for reconstruction of
flood-affected infrastructure in J&K.
MAY 2015
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a six day (May
14-20) visit to three countries – China, Mongolia
and South Korea.
Indira Gandhi International Airport at New Delhi
adjudged world's best airport for 2014, in 25 to 40
million passengers per year category.
President Pranab Mukherjee visited Russia from
May 7 to 10. He was conferred with honorary
Doctorate by the Russian Diplomatic Academy.
Indian Mountaineering Foundation celebrated 50
years of first climbing by Indian team, of Mt.
Everest, the world’s highest peak, on 20 May 1965.
The Supreme Court banned the use of photographs
of ministers and party leaders in the advertisements
released by government institutions,
India has ranked 24
th in the first Environmental
Democracy Index that evaluates nations' progress in
enacting laws to promote environment.
India ranks at 140
th place in a study of 179
countries to assess risk of maternal death and
under-five mortality rate.
India ranks 100
th on Human Capital Index, which
measures countries on development and
deployment of human capital. Finland topped the
list.
JUNE 2015
India broke two Guinness records on the occasion of
the International Yoga Day at Rajpath, New Delhi
One for the largest yoga assembly of 35,985 at a
single venue and the other for participation
from 84 nationalities in a single event.
Prime Minister Modi reached Dhaka on June 6 on a
two-day visit to Bangladesh.
The two countries agreed to start Kolkata-
Dhaka-Agartala (466+152 kms) bus service and
Guwahati – Dhaka (496 kms) bus services.
President of India visited Sweden on May 31 on his
five- day visit to the country and Belarus. This is
first ever visit by an Indian President to Sweden.
As per the Baseline Profitability Index (BPI)
compiled in New York, USA, India has been ranked
the best country in terms of attracting foreign
investors.
According to a World Bank report, India figures
among top five emerging economies for the highest
investment commitments in private sector.
Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of Netherland, arrived
in New Delhi on a two-day visit to India, June 5-6.
A new global study reveals that elder abuse in India
is the lowest in Asia with an incidence of 14 per cent
only while it is the highest in China at 36 per cent.
China opened the second land crossing in Tibet via
Nathu La in Sikkim, to allow Indian pilgrims
Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra.
Bhagavad Gita, the sacred ancient Indian scripture,
has made its debut in China after its Chinese version
was released in the country.
The Election Commission suspended the
recognition of National People’s Party because it
failed to submit its poll expenditure statements.
India and USA have signed a series of agreements
for cooperation in health sector in areas like cancer
research, medical infrastructure development etc.
India, Australia and Japan held trilateral talks in
New Delhi to discuss a range of issues including the
security situation in the Asia Pacific
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur will soon
become the first engineering institute in India to
venture into medical education.
India has joined the Multilateral Competent
Authority Agreement (MCAA) on Automatic
Exchange of Financial Account Information by
signing the pact in Paris.
India is home to the highest number of hungry
people in the world, at 194 million, surpassing
China, according to the United Nations annual
hunger report
India ranked among 20 most violent places globally,
standing at 143
rd rank in 2014.
India was ranked 44th in the annual global
competitiveness report by a Switzerland-based
business school
In terms of emissions of climate - damaging
greenhouse gases, India ranks fourth in world,
accounting for roughly 7 per cent of emissions.
The three-day World Bangla Conference organized
by the Vishwa Bangla Sammelan was held in
Nagpur, Madhya Pradesh.
India has emerged as Britain's third biggest job
creator in 2014 as it saw a 65% increase in FDI from
India, leading to 9,350 new jobs in 122 projects.
India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh signed a Motor
Vehicles Agreement for the regulation of passenger
and cargo vehicular traffic.
India emerged the top donor country for Nepal by
pledging $ one billion aid for reconstruction of
earth- quake hit Nepal
World Bank gave a $250 million loan for Jhelum and
Tawi Flood Recovery Project for reconstruction of
flood-affected infrastructure in J&K.
MAY 2015
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a six day (May
14-20) visit to three countries – China, Mongolia
and South Korea.
Indira Gandhi International Airport at New Delhi
adjudged world's best airport for 2014, in 25 to 40
million passengers per year category.
President Pranab Mukherjee visited Russia from
May 7 to 10. He was conferred with honorary
Doctorate by the Russian Diplomatic Academy.
Indian Mountaineering Foundation celebrated 50
years of first climbing by Indian team, of Mt.
Everest, the world’s highest peak, on 20 May 1965.
The Supreme Court banned the use of photographs
of ministers and party leaders in the advertisements
released by government institutions,
India has ranked 24
th in the first Environmental
Democracy Index that evaluates nations' progress in
enacting laws to promote environment.
India ranks at 140
th place in a study of 179
countries to assess risk of maternal death and
under-five mortality rate.
India ranks 100
th on Human Capital Index, which
measures countries on development and
deployment of human capital. Finland topped the
list.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 37
A commemorative coin on the birth centenary of
Swami Chinmayananda to honour his work in the
field of education and social reform.
World Bank to offer $ 250 million to Bihar govt to
help improve effectiveness of elementary school
teachers in the state
India and Vietnam signed a Joint Vision Statement
on Defence Cooperation in New Delhi to promote
the mutual cooperation in maritime security.
6th National Conference on Nuclear Energy was
held in New Delhi on 15 May 2015.
The 10th World Hindi Conference will be held
from 10 September to 12 September 2015 in
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
NEWS FROM STATES
JULY 2015
The 5
th Youth Delphic Games for cultural events will
be held in Goa in February 2016.
Bangalore has been ranked 12
th in the list of top 20
technology-rich cities of world, as per a survey by
Jones Lang LaSalle.
The "Abar Souchagar" project in West Bengal's
Nadia district, has won the UN Public Service Award
for becoming the first 'Open Defecation Free'
district
Vadodara in Gujarat and China's Xinjinag province
have signed a MoU to enhance infrastructure
growth and development between the two regions.
U P State Road Transport Corporation has become
the first transport corporation to have a vehicle
tracking system for it’s over 9600 inter-city buses,
A report by NSDC says that Haryana tops in
automobile production, accounting for 50% of total
passenger cars and two-wheelers produced in India.
The Haryana government has launched the ‘Mhara
Gaon Jagmag Gaon’ scheme to ensure 24-hour
power supply to the villages
The Home Ministry has declared Nagaland a
“disturbed area” under section 3 of the Armed
Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958
Kerala Tourism has won Pacific Asia Travel
Association award for its Muziris Heritage
Conservation Project in Heritage & Culture category.
Uttarakhand became the first state in India to
successfully install an Earthquake Warning System
to detect earthquakes and disseminate warnings.
Chennai is 6
th city in India to have the Metro train.
The first train covered an overhead stretch between
Koyambedu and Alandur for 10 km.
The Tripura government has introduced a pension
scheme for transgenders allowing them a pension of
Rs 500 per month.
JUNE 2015
Rajasthan, with an installed capacity of 1147
megawatt for solar power, topped the list of states
commissioning grid connected solar power projects.
Kerala launched the Digital locker system ‘Akshay’,
under which the public can store records and
certificates and downloaded as and when required.
A two-day long annual Hemis festival dedicated to
Guru Padmasambha was held in Ladakh region of
Jammu and Kashmir.
The Govt has decided to include Muzaffarnagar
district of U P and the Jind and Karnal districts of
Haryana as part of the National Capital Region
(NCR).
The 17,500-feet high Lipulekh Pass in Pithoragarh
district of Uttarakhand was opened for this year's
India-China trade and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
Jaipur Metro, touted as one of the fastest built
metro systems in the country, has been thrown
open to public.
India’s first of its kind Tier-I Oil Spill Response
Centre for Mumbai Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru
Port Trust and ONGC near Mumbai was
inaugurated.
Steffi Graf, Tennis legend from Germany, has been
appointed the brand ambassador for Ayurveda by
Kerala.
MAY 2015
For the first time, two Blue Whales (mother-calf
pair) and four Bryde’s whales were found near
Kunkeshwar off the Sindhudurg coast in
Maharashtra.
Punjab becomes first state to issue Soil Health Cards
to all its farmers. The cards will show the details of
the soil composition for every farm.
In Gujarat, the number of Asiatic lions in Gir
sanctuary and its surrounding areas has gone up to
523, registering 27% increase since 2010.
World’s largest solar power plant is to be set up at
Gurh tehsil in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh
to produce 750 MW of electricity.
Govt of Tripura withdrew on May 27 the Armed
Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 from the
remaining areas of the state.
Among Indian states, Maharashtra attracts largest
number of foreign tourists followed by Tamil Nadu.
A commemorative coin on the birth centenary of
Swami Chinmayananda to honour his work in the
field of education and social reform.
World Bank to offer $ 250 million to Bihar govt to
help improve effectiveness of elementary school
teachers in the state
India and Vietnam signed a Joint Vision Statement
on Defence Cooperation in New Delhi to promote
the mutual cooperation in maritime security.
6th National Conference on Nuclear Energy was
held in New Delhi on 15 May 2015.
The 10th World Hindi Conference will be held
from 10 September to 12 September 2015 in
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
NEWS FROM STATES
JULY 2015
The 5
th Youth Delphic Games for cultural events will
be held in Goa in February 2016.
Bangalore has been ranked 12
th in the list of top 20
technology-rich cities of world, as per a survey by
Jones Lang LaSalle.
The "Abar Souchagar" project in West Bengal's
Nadia district, has won the UN Public Service Award
for becoming the first 'Open Defecation Free'
district
Vadodara in Gujarat and China's Xinjinag province
have signed a MoU to enhance infrastructure
growth and development between the two regions.
U P State Road Transport Corporation has become
the first transport corporation to have a vehicle
tracking system for it’s over 9600 inter-city buses,
A report by NSDC says that Haryana tops in
automobile production, accounting for 50% of total
passenger cars and two-wheelers produced in India.
The Haryana government has launched the ‘Mhara
Gaon Jagmag Gaon’ scheme to ensure 24-hour
power supply to the villages
The Home Ministry has declared Nagaland a
“disturbed area” under section 3 of the Armed
Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958
Kerala Tourism has won Pacific Asia Travel
Association award for its Muziris Heritage
Conservation Project in Heritage & Culture category.
Uttarakhand became the first state in India to
successfully install an Earthquake Warning System
to detect earthquakes and disseminate warnings.
Chennai is 6
th city in India to have the Metro train.
The first train covered an overhead stretch between
Koyambedu and Alandur for 10 km.
The Tripura government has introduced a pension
scheme for transgenders allowing them a pension of
Rs 500 per month.
JUNE 2015
Rajasthan, with an installed capacity of 1147
megawatt for solar power, topped the list of states
commissioning grid connected solar power projects.
Kerala launched the Digital locker system ‘Akshay’,
under which the public can store records and
certificates and downloaded as and when required.
A two-day long annual Hemis festival dedicated to
Guru Padmasambha was held in Ladakh region of
Jammu and Kashmir.
The Govt has decided to include Muzaffarnagar
district of U P and the Jind and Karnal districts of
Haryana as part of the National Capital Region
(NCR).
The 17,500-feet high Lipulekh Pass in Pithoragarh
district of Uttarakhand was opened for this year's
India-China trade and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
Jaipur Metro, touted as one of the fastest built
metro systems in the country, has been thrown
open to public.
India’s first of its kind Tier-I Oil Spill Response
Centre for Mumbai Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru
Port Trust and ONGC near Mumbai was
inaugurated.
Steffi Graf, Tennis legend from Germany, has been
appointed the brand ambassador for Ayurveda by
Kerala.
MAY 2015
For the first time, two Blue Whales (mother-calf
pair) and four Bryde’s whales were found near
Kunkeshwar off the Sindhudurg coast in
Maharashtra.
Punjab becomes first state to issue Soil Health Cards
to all its farmers. The cards will show the details of
the soil composition for every farm.
In Gujarat, the number of Asiatic lions in Gir
sanctuary and its surrounding areas has gone up to
523, registering 27% increase since 2010.
World’s largest solar power plant is to be set up at
Gurh tehsil in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh
to produce 750 MW of electricity.
Govt of Tripura withdrew on May 27 the Armed
Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 from the
remaining areas of the state.
Among Indian states, Maharashtra attracts largest
number of foreign tourists followed by Tamil Nadu.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 38
GOVT INITIATIVES
JULY 2015
Govt has launched E-kisan portal to allow the
farmers to showcase their farm produce on the
Internet for wholesalers to bid remotely.
Govt has launched a web portal for online
submission of applications for Environment
Clearance by State Environment Impact Assessment
Authorities
The government has launched the 'Digital India'
initiative for digital delivery of all essential services
online to citizens
The government has launched the National Career
Counseling Portal to coordinate all government-run
employment exchanges.
Govt launched an All India Railway Helpline
number, 1512, to allow passengers to lodge a
complaint in both, running trains and stations in
India.
The National Heritage City Development and
Augmentation Yojana(HRIDAY) launched for
development of 12 historical cities across India.
The National Floor Level Minimum Wage has been
increased to Rs. 160 per day from the existing Rs.
137 effective from July 1 this year.
Govt plans to provide skill development training to
10 crore youth over the next five years under the
National Skill Development Mission.
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana launched
for power sector reforms in rural areas to ensure
round the clock electricity supply
The govt will give national awards with a cash prize
of Rs 1.5 lakh to 3 best rag-pickers and 3 associations
for their contribution to keeping India clean.
The govt has launched the Surakshit Khadya
Abhiyan to create mass awareness and capacity
building for safe and hygienic food.
The govt has decided to start an exhibition train—
Science Express to sensitise the people, especially
children and the youth, about Climate Change.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has
approved the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee
Yojana with an outlay of Rs. 50000 crore.
The retirement fund body Employees’ Provident Fund
Organisation, EPFO, has launched a public outreach
initiative by the name ‘Nidhi Aapke Nikat'.
JUNE 2015
Smart Cities Mission launched for applying smart
solutions to improve infrastructure and service
delivery in the cities.
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation-AMRUT launched for infrastructure
development of 500 cities
Housing For All launched to ensure decent houses
for all the needy, particularly the economically
weaker sections and low income group in all towns.
The government launched the first modernised
Anganwadi centre of India as part of Nand-Ghar
Yojana
BSNL starts wi fi hotspot for free internet service at
Taj Mahal from June 16.
The Women and Child Development Ministry has
launched a new website - www.khoyapaya.gov.in
It will help people to not only report a missing
child but also track the efforts towards his or
her recovery. .
Govt has started a mobile app, Bhuvan Ganga,
where public can upload pictures of pollution
sources of the Ganga River for further action by
authorities.
Jal Kranti Abhiyan started from Jaipur aimed at
turning at least one water stressed village in each
district of the country into a water surplus village.
EPFO has decided to make Universal Account
Number (UAN) mandatory for all employers
covered under the EPF and Miscellaneous
Provisions Act 1952.
Railways have tied up with Spice Jet and Go Air to
enable the wait listed train travellers to cancel the
train ticket and get an air ticket by paying some
extra fare.
Govt has launched an insurance pool of Rs. 1,500
crore, to offset the financial burden on foreign
nuclear suppliers in case of an accident.
Government has launched a mobile application for
easy access of information regarding the nearest
blood bank in the country.
The government has launched a web portal and
weather alert system for the benefit of farmers
called Crop Insurance Portal
www.farmer.gov.in/insurance.
Govt. has decided to increase the number of
workdays under NREGA scheme from 100 days to
150 days, only in drought affected areas.
Individuals having income only from salary /
interest will fill Form ITR-1 (Sahaj) and those
having income from business will fill Form ITR-4S.
The Govt has decided to rename Solar Energy
Corporation of India (SECI) as the Renewable
Energy Corporation of India (RECI).
GOVT INITIATIVES
JULY 2015
Govt has launched E-kisan portal to allow the
farmers to showcase their farm produce on the
Internet for wholesalers to bid remotely.
Govt has launched a web portal for online
submission of applications for Environment
Clearance by State Environment Impact Assessment
Authorities
The government has launched the 'Digital India'
initiative for digital delivery of all essential services
online to citizens
The government has launched the National Career
Counseling Portal to coordinate all government-run
employment exchanges.
Govt launched an All India Railway Helpline
number, 1512, to allow passengers to lodge a
complaint in both, running trains and stations in
India.
The National Heritage City Development and
Augmentation Yojana(HRIDAY) launched for
development of 12 historical cities across India.
The National Floor Level Minimum Wage has been
increased to Rs. 160 per day from the existing Rs.
137 effective from July 1 this year.
Govt plans to provide skill development training to
10 crore youth over the next five years under the
National Skill Development Mission.
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana launched
for power sector reforms in rural areas to ensure
round the clock electricity supply
The govt will give national awards with a cash prize
of Rs 1.5 lakh to 3 best rag-pickers and 3 associations
for their contribution to keeping India clean.
The govt has launched the Surakshit Khadya
Abhiyan to create mass awareness and capacity
building for safe and hygienic food.
The govt has decided to start an exhibition train—
Science Express to sensitise the people, especially
children and the youth, about Climate Change.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has
approved the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee
Yojana with an outlay of Rs. 50000 crore.
The retirement fund body Employees’ Provident Fund
Organisation, EPFO, has launched a public outreach
initiative by the name ‘Nidhi Aapke Nikat'.
JUNE 2015
Smart Cities Mission launched for applying smart
solutions to improve infrastructure and service
delivery in the cities.
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation-AMRUT launched for infrastructure
development of 500 cities
Housing For All launched to ensure decent houses
for all the needy, particularly the economically
weaker sections and low income group in all towns.
The government launched the first modernised
Anganwadi centre of India as part of Nand-Ghar
Yojana
BSNL starts wi fi hotspot for free internet service at
Taj Mahal from June 16.
The Women and Child Development Ministry has
launched a new website - www.khoyapaya.gov.in
It will help people to not only report a missing
child but also track the efforts towards his or
her recovery. .
Govt has started a mobile app, Bhuvan Ganga,
where public can upload pictures of pollution
sources of the Ganga River for further action by
authorities.
Jal Kranti Abhiyan started from Jaipur aimed at
turning at least one water stressed village in each
district of the country into a water surplus village.
EPFO has decided to make Universal Account
Number (UAN) mandatory for all employers
covered under the EPF and Miscellaneous
Provisions Act 1952.
Railways have tied up with Spice Jet and Go Air to
enable the wait listed train travellers to cancel the
train ticket and get an air ticket by paying some
extra fare.
Govt has launched an insurance pool of Rs. 1,500
crore, to offset the financial burden on foreign
nuclear suppliers in case of an accident.
Government has launched a mobile application for
easy access of information regarding the nearest
blood bank in the country.
The government has launched a web portal and
weather alert system for the benefit of farmers
called Crop Insurance Portal
www.farmer.gov.in/insurance.
Govt. has decided to increase the number of
workdays under NREGA scheme from 100 days to
150 days, only in drought affected areas.
Individuals having income only from salary /
interest will fill Form ITR-1 (Sahaj) and those
having income from business will fill Form ITR-4S.
The Govt has decided to rename Solar Energy
Corporation of India (SECI) as the Renewable
Energy Corporation of India (RECI).
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 39
The Government has withdrawn the customs
import duties for drugs and test kits used to treat
HIV and AIDS infections.
The Railway Ministry has decided to run Suvidha
trains from next month with dynamic fares to
address the rush during the peak travel season.
The second border haat (rural market) opened at
Kamalasagar in Sipahijala district of Tripura
bordering Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh.
Indian Renewable Energy and Development
Agency has been awarded the Mini Ratna-I status
by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Indian Railways has named Haridwar Mail running
between Ahmedabad-Haridwar as Yoga Express to
commemorate the International Yoga Day.
The Railways has commenced the SMS alerts to
inform the passengers about the cancelled trains to
enable them to make alternative arrangements.
MAY 2015
A farmer-centric 24 hour TV channel by
Doordarshan named DD Kissan was formally
launched on May 26.
Three social security schemes were launched at
Kolkata on May 9. P M Suraksha Bima Yojana, P M
Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana
Parliament on May 13
th passed the historic
“Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition
of New Tax) Bill, 2015”. It provides for 120 % tax
and penalty in addition to 10-year jail term.
The Goods and Services Tax Bill was passed by the
Lok Sabha on May 6, clearing its way to Rajya Sabha.
The Centre has asked all states to enrol all MNREGA
workers under the three newly-launched social
security schemes and open bank accounts for them.
Union Cabinet on April 29 approved the Smart
Cities Mission for development of 100 smart cities
with an outlay of Rs. 48,000 crore.
Gold Monetisation Scheme launched to allow
Indians to deposit their gold holdings with banks in
return for its money value with interest payment.
In a move to keep highway commuters updated,
government plans to start Highway Advisory Radio
(HAR) system like a radio channel.
USTAAD (Upgrading the Skills and Training in
Ancestral Arts/Crafts for Development) Scheme
launched in Varanasi for Banarasi Saree weavers.
Lok Sabha passed Juvenile Justice (Care and
Protection of Children) Bill, 2014 to allow 16-18
year child offenders in heinous crimes to be tried
like adults.
The Union Cabinet approved a massive Rs 20,000
crore budget for the ‘Namami Gange Programme’
for the next five years.
The Lok Sabha passed the Negotiable Instruments
(Amendment) Bill, 2015. Now cheque bounce cases
can be filed at the place where the cheque was
deposited.
The government has approved a proposal for
allowing children below 14 years of age to work
only in family enterprises or entertainment industry
Govt has enhanced FIPB's powers to recommend
foreign investment proposals of up to Rs. 3,000
crore, against Rs 1,200-crore limit at present.
New amendments to the Companies Act have done
away with the norms of minimum capital
requirement of Rs 1 lakh for pvt ltd co and Rs 5 lakh
for public ltd.
Govt has made quoting of PAN mandatory for
private firms seeking central excise registration to
facilitate efficient online collection of excise duty.
Govt launched “Kayakalp” scheme for awarding
public health facilities to encourage improvement in
keeping the facilities clean and hygienic.
“Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for SC”
launched to finance to the SC entrepre-neurs. The
scheme will be implemented by the IFCI Ltd.
Doordarshan News has launched an app to enable
live streaming of DD news channel by lakhs of smart
phone users in the country.
Govt approves continuation of minimum monthly
pension at not less than Rs 1000 for pensioners
under the Employees' Pension Scheme
Amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act,
1988 approved for enhancing the penalty under it
to a maximum of 7 years imprisonment from 5
years.
A 10-member panel formed under Vijay Kelkar to
revisit and revitalise public private partnership
mode of infrastructure development.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
JULY 2015
Global rating agency Fitch says that India is
expected to grow at 7.8 per cent in 2015.
IMF has retained India's growth forecast for current
year at 7.5%, which is higher than China's 6.8%.
JUNE 2015
According to the data released by the Central
Statistics Office (CSO), the Indian economy grew at
7.3 per cent in 2014-15 (base year 2011-12)
The Government has withdrawn the customs
import duties for drugs and test kits used to treat
HIV and AIDS infections.
The Railway Ministry has decided to run Suvidha
trains from next month with dynamic fares to
address the rush during the peak travel season.
The second border haat (rural market) opened at
Kamalasagar in Sipahijala district of Tripura
bordering Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh.
Indian Renewable Energy and Development
Agency has been awarded the Mini Ratna-I status
by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Indian Railways has named Haridwar Mail running
between Ahmedabad-Haridwar as Yoga Express to
commemorate the International Yoga Day.
The Railways has commenced the SMS alerts to
inform the passengers about the cancelled trains to
enable them to make alternative arrangements.
MAY 2015
A farmer-centric 24 hour TV channel by
Doordarshan named DD Kissan was formally
launched on May 26.
Three social security schemes were launched at
Kolkata on May 9. P M Suraksha Bima Yojana, P M
Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana
Parliament on May 13
th passed the historic
“Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition
of New Tax) Bill, 2015”. It provides for 120 % tax
and penalty in addition to 10-year jail term.
The Goods and Services Tax Bill was passed by the
Lok Sabha on May 6, clearing its way to Rajya Sabha.
The Centre has asked all states to enrol all MNREGA
workers under the three newly-launched social
security schemes and open bank accounts for them.
Union Cabinet on April 29 approved the Smart
Cities Mission for development of 100 smart cities
with an outlay of Rs. 48,000 crore.
Gold Monetisation Scheme launched to allow
Indians to deposit their gold holdings with banks in
return for its money value with interest payment.
In a move to keep highway commuters updated,
government plans to start Highway Advisory Radio
(HAR) system like a radio channel.
USTAAD (Upgrading the Skills and Training in
Ancestral Arts/Crafts for Development) Scheme
launched in Varanasi for Banarasi Saree weavers.
Lok Sabha passed Juvenile Justice (Care and
Protection of Children) Bill, 2014 to allow 16-18
year child offenders in heinous crimes to be tried
like adults.
The Union Cabinet approved a massive Rs 20,000
crore budget for the ‘Namami Gange Programme’
for the next five years.
The Lok Sabha passed the Negotiable Instruments
(Amendment) Bill, 2015. Now cheque bounce cases
can be filed at the place where the cheque was
deposited.
The government has approved a proposal for
allowing children below 14 years of age to work
only in family enterprises or entertainment industry
Govt has enhanced FIPB's powers to recommend
foreign investment proposals of up to Rs. 3,000
crore, against Rs 1,200-crore limit at present.
New amendments to the Companies Act have done
away with the norms of minimum capital
requirement of Rs 1 lakh for pvt ltd co and Rs 5 lakh
for public ltd.
Govt has made quoting of PAN mandatory for
private firms seeking central excise registration to
facilitate efficient online collection of excise duty.
Govt launched “Kayakalp” scheme for awarding
public health facilities to encourage improvement in
keeping the facilities clean and hygienic.
“Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for SC”
launched to finance to the SC entrepre-neurs. The
scheme will be implemented by the IFCI Ltd.
Doordarshan News has launched an app to enable
live streaming of DD news channel by lakhs of smart
phone users in the country.
Govt approves continuation of minimum monthly
pension at not less than Rs 1000 for pensioners
under the Employees' Pension Scheme
Amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act,
1988 approved for enhancing the penalty under it
to a maximum of 7 years imprisonment from 5
years.
A 10-member panel formed under Vijay Kelkar to
revisit and revitalise public private partnership
mode of infrastructure development.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
JULY 2015
Global rating agency Fitch says that India is
expected to grow at 7.8 per cent in 2015.
IMF has retained India's growth forecast for current
year at 7.5%, which is higher than China's 6.8%.
JUNE 2015
According to the data released by the Central
Statistics Office (CSO), the Indian economy grew at
7.3 per cent in 2014-15 (base year 2011-12)
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 40
World Bank says that India is expected to top the
growth chart in world, growing by 7.5 per cent this
year, surpassing China’s expected 7.1 per cent.
RBI has lowered the economic growth forecast for
2015-16 to 7.6 per cent from 7.8 per cent projected
in April.
MAY 2015
A U N report says that Indian economy is likely to
clock 8.1 per cent growth in 2015-16, spurred by
strong consumer spending amid low inflation.
ECONOMY
JULY 2015
Seven Indian companies are among the world's 500
largest companies, according to a list compiled by
Fortune Magazine, USA, lead by IOC at 119
th rank.
The government has decided to cap the subsidy on
kerosene at Rs 12 per litre.
The marine product exports from India crossed all
previous records in quantity, rupee value and dollar
terms in 2014-15
The National Dairy Development Board has
launched a mobile app ‘Pashu Poshan’ to help dairy
farmers in raising milk yield and cutting feed cost.
The Indian Army and Railways are among the
world’s biggest employers, employing 1.4 and 1.3
million, respectively, securing 7
th and 8
th rank.
ICRISAT and Telangana have collaborated to launch
the Green Phablet for farmers in Telangana to
provide online weather alerts.
The World Bank has approved an additional loan of
$650 million for the Eastern Dedicated Freight
Corridor
EPFO has proposed that an employee be allowed to
withdraw only 75% of the overall kitty, instead of
100% as permitted under the existing rules.
The Life Insurance Council has engaged CIBIL to
detect duplication of death claims under the
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojna.
The Electronic Toll Collection system was launched
on the Chennai-Bengaluru corridor on July26,
aiming to help road-users save time and money.
BSNL, along with Andhra Bank and Pyro, has
launched a mobile VISA prepaid card SPEEDPAY to
allow users to do cash transactions up to Rs 1 lakh.
The government plans to import 5,000 tonnes of
Urad dal to improve domestic supply and check
price rise.
India and Thailand signed the Double Taxation
avoidance treaty and the extradition treaty for
seeking extradition of fugitive offenders.
JUNE 2015
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
increased the MSP of paddy by Rs 50 to Rs 1,410 per
quintal for this year.
Commodity Rs./quintalCommodity Rs./quintal
Paddy 1410 Ragi 1650
Paddy 1450 Tuar / Urad 4625
Jowar 1570 Moong 4850
Bajra 1275 Groundnut 4030
Maize 1325 Sunflower Seed 3800
Cotton Med. 3800 Cotton long 4100
The Cabinet has revised solar power capacity target
under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
by 5 times, reaching 1,00,000 MW by 2022.
SEBI has announced relaxed listing norms to
encourage the booming start-up industry to tap the
local market so that local investors can also benefit.
India is home to the fourth largest number (928) of
ultra-high-net-worth households that have more
than 100 million dollars in private wealth.
Investment in all IPOs from 1 January 2016, has
been made cheque-free by SEBI by making ASBA
mandatory for investors.
Further, for listing of new shares, the time
allowed has been reduced from the current 12
days to 6 days from the closure of the issue.
Luanda, capital of Angola has been rated as the
world’s costliest city to live in while Mumbai was
rated as the most expensive city in India.
India’s largest private miner Vedanta, to absorb oil
firm Cairn India to create India’s largest diversified
natural resources company.
Govt has decided to hike the Minimum Import Price
on import of Areca nuts from Rs 110/ kg Rs 162/kg
to protect local growers from cheaper imports.
The 'Jal Marg Vikas' project on River Ganges to start
between Allahabad and Haldia with a $3.5 million
funding from World Bank.
Bangladesh has granted permission to Life
Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India to do
business in the country
India has agreed to be a partner country in Russia’s
major Industrial Fair named INNOPROM-2016 to be
held at Yekaterinburg, Russia in July 2016
World Bank granted a $400-million loan for the
Tamil Nadu Sustainable Urban Development Project
to improve services in urban local bodies.
MAY 2015
The first mega food park of the North East was
inaugurated on May 28 at Nathkuchi in Nalbari
distt. of Assam.
World Bank says that India is expected to top the
growth chart in world, growing by 7.5 per cent this
year, surpassing China’s expected 7.1 per cent.
RBI has lowered the economic growth forecast for
2015-16 to 7.6 per cent from 7.8 per cent projected
in April.
MAY 2015
A U N report says that Indian economy is likely to
clock 8.1 per cent growth in 2015-16, spurred by
strong consumer spending amid low inflation.
ECONOMY
JULY 2015
Seven Indian companies are among the world's 500
largest companies, according to a list compiled by
Fortune Magazine, USA, lead by IOC at 119
th rank.
The government has decided to cap the subsidy on
kerosene at Rs 12 per litre.
The marine product exports from India crossed all
previous records in quantity, rupee value and dollar
terms in 2014-15
The National Dairy Development Board has
launched a mobile app ‘Pashu Poshan’ to help dairy
farmers in raising milk yield and cutting feed cost.
The Indian Army and Railways are among the
world’s biggest employers, employing 1.4 and 1.3
million, respectively, securing 7
th and 8
th rank.
ICRISAT and Telangana have collaborated to launch
the Green Phablet for farmers in Telangana to
provide online weather alerts.
The World Bank has approved an additional loan of
$650 million for the Eastern Dedicated Freight
Corridor
EPFO has proposed that an employee be allowed to
withdraw only 75% of the overall kitty, instead of
100% as permitted under the existing rules.
The Life Insurance Council has engaged CIBIL to
detect duplication of death claims under the
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojna.
The Electronic Toll Collection system was launched
on the Chennai-Bengaluru corridor on July26,
aiming to help road-users save time and money.
BSNL, along with Andhra Bank and Pyro, has
launched a mobile VISA prepaid card SPEEDPAY to
allow users to do cash transactions up to Rs 1 lakh.
The government plans to import 5,000 tonnes of
Urad dal to improve domestic supply and check
price rise.
India and Thailand signed the Double Taxation
avoidance treaty and the extradition treaty for
seeking extradition of fugitive offenders.
JUNE 2015
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
increased the MSP of paddy by Rs 50 to Rs 1,410 per
quintal for this year.
Commodity Rs./quintalCommodity Rs./quintal
Paddy 1410 Ragi 1650
Paddy 1450 Tuar / Urad 4625
Jowar 1570 Moong 4850
Bajra 1275 Groundnut 4030
Maize 1325 Sunflower Seed 3800
Cotton Med. 3800 Cotton long 4100
The Cabinet has revised solar power capacity target
under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
by 5 times, reaching 1,00,000 MW by 2022.
SEBI has announced relaxed listing norms to
encourage the booming start-up industry to tap the
local market so that local investors can also benefit.
India is home to the fourth largest number (928) of
ultra-high-net-worth households that have more
than 100 million dollars in private wealth.
Investment in all IPOs from 1 January 2016, has
been made cheque-free by SEBI by making ASBA
mandatory for investors.
Further, for listing of new shares, the time
allowed has been reduced from the current 12
days to 6 days from the closure of the issue.
Luanda, capital of Angola has been rated as the
world’s costliest city to live in while Mumbai was
rated as the most expensive city in India.
India’s largest private miner Vedanta, to absorb oil
firm Cairn India to create India’s largest diversified
natural resources company.
Govt has decided to hike the Minimum Import Price
on import of Areca nuts from Rs 110/ kg Rs 162/kg
to protect local growers from cheaper imports.
The 'Jal Marg Vikas' project on River Ganges to start
between Allahabad and Haldia with a $3.5 million
funding from World Bank.
Bangladesh has granted permission to Life
Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India to do
business in the country
India has agreed to be a partner country in Russia’s
major Industrial Fair named INNOPROM-2016 to be
held at Yekaterinburg, Russia in July 2016
World Bank granted a $400-million loan for the
Tamil Nadu Sustainable Urban Development Project
to improve services in urban local bodies.
MAY 2015
The first mega food park of the North East was
inaugurated on May 28 at Nathkuchi in Nalbari
distt. of Assam.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 41
India and Iran have signed a MoU for the
development of the strategically important
Chabahar Port in Iran to ship crude oil and urea.
Owners of Big Bazaar retail chain, Future Retail Ltd
have agreed to merge its retail operations with rival
Bharti Retail Ltd
Infosys has become the first Indian company to join
RE100, a global platform for corporates committed
to use 100% renewable power.
SEBI has replaced the three colour risk code with a
'riskometer' to help investors to better understand
the risks involved in mutual funds.
Asian Development Bank signed a 31 million US
dollars loan agreement to boost water availability in
selected river basins in Karnataka.
Govt has cleared bid of Airbus-TATA consortium for
replacing Indian Air Force's ageing fleet of Avro
transport aircraft for Rs 11,930 crore.
P M dedicated the Rs 16,000-crore revamped IISCO
Steel plant at Burnpur, West Bengal to the nation. It
now has largest blast furnace in India.
Govt to sell 10% stake in Indian Oil Corporation and
5% in NTPC to mop up Rs 13,600 crore in this
fiscal’s first disinvestment approval.
Reliance Industries tops the 56 Indian companies
listed in the world's 2000 largest and most powerful
public companies list compiled by the Forbes.
BANKING
JULY 2015
The Reserve Bank has permitted the banks without
ATM network to collaborate with bigger banks to
issue debit cards
The Union Cabinet has agreed to continue the
interest subvention of three per cent on short-term
crop loans of up to Rs. 3 lakh to farmers
RBI has asked banks to use Central Repository of
Information on Large Credits – CRILC data to verify
the credit history of their customers.
HDFC Bank's digital banking offering christened Go
Digital has designed a 30-minute auto loan and 15-
minute two-wheeler loan for loan seekers
The United Bank of India has topped the list of
public sector banks with 21.5% of its loans
classified as NPA.
SBI has launched 'Project Tatkal' to attract home
loan seekers by offering them the loan within 10
days after the receipt of application
SBI has launched an app State Bank Rewardz to give
reward points to all its customers for almost every
banking transaction done with the bank.
RBI has allowed Mass Transit System operators
such as Mumbai Metro, Delhi Metro, Indian
Railways and even local buses to issue their pre-
paid cards.
Axis Bank to get $200 million loan from the Asian
Development Bank for extending customized and
affordable agriculture credit to farmers.
Axis bank has launched 'Touch ID' - a one touch
authentication for doing transactions through its
mobile app using Apple iPhone 5s and above.
The State Bank of India plans to offer up to 3% of its
annual profit to employees as part of a talent
retention and motivation initiative.
RBI has set up a committee headed by Deepak
Mohanty to work out action plan to spread the
reach of financial services to unbanked population.
Corporation Bank has launched the country’s first
MUDRA (Micro Units Development and
Refinance Agency) card based on the RuPay
platform.
The Reserve Bank has signed a currency swap
agreement with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to let
it draw up to $ 1.1 billion for up to 6 months.
HDFC Bank plans to roll out handheld machines that
could work like micro ATMs, in areas where setting
up of full-fledged ATMs is not commercially viable.
The State Bank to open more digital branches like
InTouch and InTouch Light, e-corners at existing
branches to target young, tech-savvy customers.
JUNE 2015
Reserve Bank of India has cut the repo rate by 25
basis points to 7.25 per cent from 7.5% in its first
monetary policy review on June 2.
The new rates are as under: (w.e.f. 02.06.2015)
Repo Rate………………………7.25%
Reverse Repo…………………6.25%
Marginal Standing Facility…8.25%
Bank Rate…………………………8.25%
Statutory Liquidity Ratio…..21.5%
Cash Reserve Ratio……………4.0%
RBI has allowed postpaid mobile service, piped gas
and water supply bills to be submitted as proof of
address for opening bank account of low-risk
persons.
Some other proof of address include Bank/ PO
a/c statement; pension payment orders,letter of
allotment of accommodation from official
bodies.
The RBI has issued Rs 100 denomination bank notes
in Mahatma Gandhi Series - 2005 with new security
features.
Now the numerals in both the number panels of
these bank notes will be in ascending size from
left to right.
India and Iran have signed a MoU for the
development of the strategically important
Chabahar Port in Iran to ship crude oil and urea.
Owners of Big Bazaar retail chain, Future Retail Ltd
have agreed to merge its retail operations with rival
Bharti Retail Ltd
Infosys has become the first Indian company to join
RE100, a global platform for corporates committed
to use 100% renewable power.
SEBI has replaced the three colour risk code with a
'riskometer' to help investors to better understand
the risks involved in mutual funds.
Asian Development Bank signed a 31 million US
dollars loan agreement to boost water availability in
selected river basins in Karnataka.
Govt has cleared bid of Airbus-TATA consortium for
replacing Indian Air Force's ageing fleet of Avro
transport aircraft for Rs 11,930 crore.
P M dedicated the Rs 16,000-crore revamped IISCO
Steel plant at Burnpur, West Bengal to the nation. It
now has largest blast furnace in India.
Govt to sell 10% stake in Indian Oil Corporation and
5% in NTPC to mop up Rs 13,600 crore in this
fiscal’s first disinvestment approval.
Reliance Industries tops the 56 Indian companies
listed in the world's 2000 largest and most powerful
public companies list compiled by the Forbes.
BANKING
JULY 2015
The Reserve Bank has permitted the banks without
ATM network to collaborate with bigger banks to
issue debit cards
The Union Cabinet has agreed to continue the
interest subvention of three per cent on short-term
crop loans of up to Rs. 3 lakh to farmers
RBI has asked banks to use Central Repository of
Information on Large Credits – CRILC data to verify
the credit history of their customers.
HDFC Bank's digital banking offering christened Go
Digital has designed a 30-minute auto loan and 15-
minute two-wheeler loan for loan seekers
The United Bank of India has topped the list of
public sector banks with 21.5% of its loans
classified as NPA.
SBI has launched 'Project Tatkal' to attract home
loan seekers by offering them the loan within 10
days after the receipt of application
SBI has launched an app State Bank Rewardz to give
reward points to all its customers for almost every
banking transaction done with the bank.
RBI has allowed Mass Transit System operators
such as Mumbai Metro, Delhi Metro, Indian
Railways and even local buses to issue their pre-
paid cards.
Axis Bank to get $200 million loan from the Asian
Development Bank for extending customized and
affordable agriculture credit to farmers.
Axis bank has launched 'Touch ID' - a one touch
authentication for doing transactions through its
mobile app using Apple iPhone 5s and above.
The State Bank of India plans to offer up to 3% of its
annual profit to employees as part of a talent
retention and motivation initiative.
RBI has set up a committee headed by Deepak
Mohanty to work out action plan to spread the
reach of financial services to unbanked population.
Corporation Bank has launched the country’s first
MUDRA (Micro Units Development and
Refinance Agency) card based on the RuPay
platform.
The Reserve Bank has signed a currency swap
agreement with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to let
it draw up to $ 1.1 billion for up to 6 months.
HDFC Bank plans to roll out handheld machines that
could work like micro ATMs, in areas where setting
up of full-fledged ATMs is not commercially viable.
The State Bank to open more digital branches like
InTouch and InTouch Light, e-corners at existing
branches to target young, tech-savvy customers.
JUNE 2015
Reserve Bank of India has cut the repo rate by 25
basis points to 7.25 per cent from 7.5% in its first
monetary policy review on June 2.
The new rates are as under: (w.e.f. 02.06.2015)
Repo Rate………………………7.25%
Reverse Repo…………………6.25%
Marginal Standing Facility…8.25%
Bank Rate…………………………8.25%
Statutory Liquidity Ratio…..21.5%
Cash Reserve Ratio……………4.0%
RBI has allowed postpaid mobile service, piped gas
and water supply bills to be submitted as proof of
address for opening bank account of low-risk
persons.
Some other proof of address include Bank/ PO
a/c statement; pension payment orders,letter of
allotment of accommodation from official
bodies.
The RBI has issued Rs 100 denomination bank notes
in Mahatma Gandhi Series - 2005 with new security
features.
Now the numerals in both the number panels of
these bank notes will be in ascending size from
left to right.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 42
The Reserve Bank has allowed the banks to borrow
from global multilateral financial institutions for
general banking business.
RBI has permitted Indian corporates, eligible to
raise external commercial borrowings (ECBs), to
issue rupee- linked bonds overseas.
The RBI has issued the final guidelines for the 6-
year and 13-year cash settled Interest Rate Futures
(IRF) on government securities
RBI has allowed banks to takeover debt-laden
companies by converting loans into equity if
company fails to revive within a stipulated time
frame.
The Reserve Bank has issued the draft guidelines on
the net stable funding ratio (NSFR) under Basel III
framework on liquidity standards for banks
RBI has capped the remuneration of non-executive
director of private banks to Rs 10 lakh
HDFC Bank has launched a mobile phone
application, PayZapp, for online payments and
money transfer.
State Bank of India will install 10 lakh payment card
swipe machines to double the number of places
where card payments are accepted.
The Department of Post (India Post) has signed a
deal with CMS Info Systems to personalise over 15
million debit cards for its savings account holders.
The RBI has extended the date for exchange of pre-
2005 currency notes to December 31, 2015. The
earlier deadline was to expire on June 30.
Reserve Bank of India has allowed non-resident
Indians (NRIs) to invest in chit funds to encourage
flow of capital into the country.
ICICI Bank became the first bank to partner with
Alibaba.com for providing trade finance to their
India-based sellers
SBI has launched an internet-based platform ‘SBI
eforex’, to enable customers to book their foreign
exchange transactions online.
MAY 2015
RBI has asked all public sector banks and large
private and foreign banks to appoint internal
ombudsman for resolution of customer complaints.
The Reserve Bank has relaxed the additional factor
of authentication (AFA) requirement for
transactions by cards up to Rs.2,000 per transaction
RBI will set up a Central Fraud Registry that can be
accessed by all banks to identify borrowers having
committed frauds with any bank in the past.
RBI introduces a new concept of a ‘Red Flagged
Account’ for accounts where a suspicion of
fraudulent activity is indicated.
RBI imposed a penalty of Rs 1.5 crore each on Bank
of Maharashtra, Dena Bank and Oriental Bank of
Commerce for violation of KYC norms.
State Bank of India has launched the contactless
debit and credit cards-SBIinTouch based on the NFC
technology
RBI has asked banks to issue only chip-based and
PIN-enabled debit/credit cards from Sep 1 onwards
to protect customers from frauds.
RBI has advised that the urban coop banks can issue
only general purpose cards to their customers and
not allowed to issue co-branded credit cards.
The RBI has done away with the mandatory
calendar of reviews for boards of banks in order to
make their functioning of more effective.
The RBI has dropped the condition of its prior
permission for distribution of mutual fund products
by NBFCs.
India’s largest private sector bank, ICICI Bank
opened its branch in Shanghai, China. It was
inaugurated by the Prime Minister Modi on May 16.
ICICI Bank launched a service where customers can
make transactions using just their voice, without
using usual passwords.
IDBI Bank to roll out e-huts to provide services to
people in rural areas.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY
JULY 2015
INS Viraat, the oldest aircraft carrier in the world,
will soon be converted into a museum, at the shores
of Kakinada port on Andhra coast
The ingeniously-developed supersonic surface-to-
air missile "Akash" was formally inducted into the
Indian Air Force in Gwalior.
The USA has agreed to provide technological
support to India for building the next aircraft
carrier and the Light Combat Aircraft jet engine.
India and Russia have agreed to jointly manufacture
200 military helicopters in India.
India test-fired its indigenously developed anti-tank
guided missile ‘Helina’ in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. It
can hit a target up to seven km away from a
helicopter.
The indigenously-built Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV)
ICGS Rani Durgavati was commissioned by the
Indian Coast Guard in Vishakhapatnam.
The ISRO successfully test-fired the first indigenous
high-thrust cryogenic rocket engine for more than
its full duration
The Reserve Bank has allowed the banks to borrow
from global multilateral financial institutions for
general banking business.
RBI has permitted Indian corporates, eligible to
raise external commercial borrowings (ECBs), to
issue rupee- linked bonds overseas.
The RBI has issued the final guidelines for the 6-
year and 13-year cash settled Interest Rate Futures
(IRF) on government securities
RBI has allowed banks to takeover debt-laden
companies by converting loans into equity if
company fails to revive within a stipulated time
frame.
The Reserve Bank has issued the draft guidelines on
the net stable funding ratio (NSFR) under Basel III
framework on liquidity standards for banks
RBI has capped the remuneration of non-executive
director of private banks to Rs 10 lakh
HDFC Bank has launched a mobile phone
application, PayZapp, for online payments and
money transfer.
State Bank of India will install 10 lakh payment card
swipe machines to double the number of places
where card payments are accepted.
The Department of Post (India Post) has signed a
deal with CMS Info Systems to personalise over 15
million debit cards for its savings account holders.
The RBI has extended the date for exchange of pre-
2005 currency notes to December 31, 2015. The
earlier deadline was to expire on June 30.
Reserve Bank of India has allowed non-resident
Indians (NRIs) to invest in chit funds to encourage
flow of capital into the country.
ICICI Bank became the first bank to partner with
Alibaba.com for providing trade finance to their
India-based sellers
SBI has launched an internet-based platform ‘SBI
eforex’, to enable customers to book their foreign
exchange transactions online.
MAY 2015
RBI has asked all public sector banks and large
private and foreign banks to appoint internal
ombudsman for resolution of customer complaints.
The Reserve Bank has relaxed the additional factor
of authentication (AFA) requirement for
transactions by cards up to Rs.2,000 per transaction
RBI will set up a Central Fraud Registry that can be
accessed by all banks to identify borrowers having
committed frauds with any bank in the past.
RBI introduces a new concept of a ‘Red Flagged
Account’ for accounts where a suspicion of
fraudulent activity is indicated.
RBI imposed a penalty of Rs 1.5 crore each on Bank
of Maharashtra, Dena Bank and Oriental Bank of
Commerce for violation of KYC norms.
State Bank of India has launched the contactless
debit and credit cards-SBIinTouch based on the NFC
technology
RBI has asked banks to issue only chip-based and
PIN-enabled debit/credit cards from Sep 1 onwards
to protect customers from frauds.
RBI has advised that the urban coop banks can issue
only general purpose cards to their customers and
not allowed to issue co-branded credit cards.
The RBI has done away with the mandatory
calendar of reviews for boards of banks in order to
make their functioning of more effective.
The RBI has dropped the condition of its prior
permission for distribution of mutual fund products
by NBFCs.
India’s largest private sector bank, ICICI Bank
opened its branch in Shanghai, China. It was
inaugurated by the Prime Minister Modi on May 16.
ICICI Bank launched a service where customers can
make transactions using just their voice, without
using usual passwords.
IDBI Bank to roll out e-huts to provide services to
people in rural areas.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY
JULY 2015
INS Viraat, the oldest aircraft carrier in the world,
will soon be converted into a museum, at the shores
of Kakinada port on Andhra coast
The ingeniously-developed supersonic surface-to-
air missile "Akash" was formally inducted into the
Indian Air Force in Gwalior.
The USA has agreed to provide technological
support to India for building the next aircraft
carrier and the Light Combat Aircraft jet engine.
India and Russia have agreed to jointly manufacture
200 military helicopters in India.
India test-fired its indigenously developed anti-tank
guided missile ‘Helina’ in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. It
can hit a target up to seven km away from a
helicopter.
The indigenously-built Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV)
ICGS Rani Durgavati was commissioned by the
Indian Coast Guard in Vishakhapatnam.
The ISRO successfully test-fired the first indigenous
high-thrust cryogenic rocket engine for more than
its full duration
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 43
The PSLV C-28 successfully put into orbit five
British satellites It was ISRO’s biggest and the
heaviest commercial launch till date.
Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan launched to train govt
schools by IITs, IIMs and Universities etc. to
inculcate a spirit of inquiry, creativity and love for
science
China is about to complete construction of the
world's largest single-aperture radio telescope
FAST in 2016.
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has provided the
closest-ever pictures of the Pluto, showing the
details of its geology.
NASA has found a planet which is 'the closest twin
to Earth', named Kepler-452b, located about 1,400
light years away in the constellation Cygnus.
June 30 this year will officially be a bit longer than
usual because an extra second, or 'leap' second, will
be added to the day.
The world's first malaria vaccine Mosquirix has got
a green signal from the European drugs regulators.
eMudhra Ltd of Bengaluru became the first
company in India to launch online electronic
signature service called eSign.
Nearly 2,000 scientists gathered in Paris for a four
day conference to deliberate on curbing the
greenhouse gas emission levels.
A tiny butterfly species has been discovered in the
forests of Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh. It has
been named Banded Tit (Hypolycaena Narada).
Facebook has launched a new version of its app-
Facebook Lite, a lighter version optimised for
slower data connections for Android phones in
India.
JUNE 2015
India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was
undocked on completion of structural work at the
Cochin Shipyard Ltd.
India and US have signed a new 10-year defence
framework agreement for co-development of
defence equipment manufacturing and technology.
AJEYA WARRIOR, joint military exercise of India
and UK held from June 13 to 28 in UK. The exercise
is held biannually in the two countries, alternately.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
has set up a first-of-its-kind in India, Micro Air
Vehicle Aerodynamics Research Tunnel (MART) in
Bengaluru
ISRO has developed an android-based, augmented
reality application named ‘Sakaar’ to highlight its
achievements during the past one year.
US scientists have developed the world's first full-
colour, flexible ultra-thin nano-structured film that
can change colours by applying voltage.
Google has introduced an ‘Undo’ option to cancel
the delivery of misdirected or inappropriate emails
within 30 seconds of hitting the send button.
China has made the world's first electric passenger
aircraft BX1E that could be used in pilot training,
tourism, meteorology and rescue operations.
A computer that operates using the unique physics
of moving water droplets has been developed by an
Indian-origin scientist at Stanford University, USA.
Chinese researchers have successfully developed
the first ATM with facial recognition technology to
reduce the risk of frauds related to ATMs.
MAY 2015
In a first in the history of Indian Air Force, a Mirage
2000 supersonic fighter jet landed successfully on
Yamuna Expressway in U P on May 21.
INS Sindhukirti, the Russia made diesel electric
submarine of Indian Navy, was launched for sea
trials on May 21.
Indian Navy and Singapore Navy conducted the
annual Singapore-Indian Maritime Bilateral
Exercise (SIMBEX) in sea east of Singapore.
The Army inducted Akash surface-to-air missile
system, capable of targeting a multitude of aerial
threats up to a range of 25 km.
INS Sardar Patel, new naval base commissioned in
Porbandar, Gujarat for better coordination of ships,
submarines in coastal regions of Gujarat.
Indian Navy's latest anti-submarine warfare class
stealth corvette, the INS Kavaratti was launched on
May 19 at Kolkata
ISRO and Airports Authority of India have
implemented the GPS Aided Geo Augmented
Navigation-GAGAN project for the Indian Airspace.
The Large Hadron Collider broke the record for
energy levels on May 20 when it successfully
collided protons at energy of 13TeV for first time
Scientists in Japan have discovered a new metal -
‘Jahn-Teller’ that appears to be an insulator,
superconductor, metal and magnet, all rolled into
one.
Astronomers have found the most distant
exceptionally luminous galaxy, EGS-zs8-1, located
some 13.1 billion light-years away from Earth.
NASA's Messenger spacecraft has ended a four-year
mission to Mercury by crashing into the planet after
running out of fuel.
Scientists of National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, USA, discovered the world’s first
fully warm-blooded fish species named Opah.
India has reached to sixth position, up from 10
th last
year, in terms of publishing scientific research
papers in different journals in the world.
The PSLV C-28 successfully put into orbit five
British satellites It was ISRO’s biggest and the
heaviest commercial launch till date.
Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan launched to train govt
schools by IITs, IIMs and Universities etc. to
inculcate a spirit of inquiry, creativity and love for
science
China is about to complete construction of the
world's largest single-aperture radio telescope
FAST in 2016.
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has provided the
closest-ever pictures of the Pluto, showing the
details of its geology.
NASA has found a planet which is 'the closest twin
to Earth', named Kepler-452b, located about 1,400
light years away in the constellation Cygnus.
June 30 this year will officially be a bit longer than
usual because an extra second, or 'leap' second, will
be added to the day.
The world's first malaria vaccine Mosquirix has got
a green signal from the European drugs regulators.
eMudhra Ltd of Bengaluru became the first
company in India to launch online electronic
signature service called eSign.
Nearly 2,000 scientists gathered in Paris for a four
day conference to deliberate on curbing the
greenhouse gas emission levels.
A tiny butterfly species has been discovered in the
forests of Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh. It has
been named Banded Tit (Hypolycaena Narada).
Facebook has launched a new version of its app-
Facebook Lite, a lighter version optimised for
slower data connections for Android phones in
India.
JUNE 2015
India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was
undocked on completion of structural work at the
Cochin Shipyard Ltd.
India and US have signed a new 10-year defence
framework agreement for co-development of
defence equipment manufacturing and technology.
AJEYA WARRIOR, joint military exercise of India
and UK held from June 13 to 28 in UK. The exercise
is held biannually in the two countries, alternately.
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
has set up a first-of-its-kind in India, Micro Air
Vehicle Aerodynamics Research Tunnel (MART) in
Bengaluru
ISRO has developed an android-based, augmented
reality application named ‘Sakaar’ to highlight its
achievements during the past one year.
US scientists have developed the world's first full-
colour, flexible ultra-thin nano-structured film that
can change colours by applying voltage.
Google has introduced an ‘Undo’ option to cancel
the delivery of misdirected or inappropriate emails
within 30 seconds of hitting the send button.
China has made the world's first electric passenger
aircraft BX1E that could be used in pilot training,
tourism, meteorology and rescue operations.
A computer that operates using the unique physics
of moving water droplets has been developed by an
Indian-origin scientist at Stanford University, USA.
Chinese researchers have successfully developed
the first ATM with facial recognition technology to
reduce the risk of frauds related to ATMs.
MAY 2015
In a first in the history of Indian Air Force, a Mirage
2000 supersonic fighter jet landed successfully on
Yamuna Expressway in U P on May 21.
INS Sindhukirti, the Russia made diesel electric
submarine of Indian Navy, was launched for sea
trials on May 21.
Indian Navy and Singapore Navy conducted the
annual Singapore-Indian Maritime Bilateral
Exercise (SIMBEX) in sea east of Singapore.
The Army inducted Akash surface-to-air missile
system, capable of targeting a multitude of aerial
threats up to a range of 25 km.
INS Sardar Patel, new naval base commissioned in
Porbandar, Gujarat for better coordination of ships,
submarines in coastal regions of Gujarat.
Indian Navy's latest anti-submarine warfare class
stealth corvette, the INS Kavaratti was launched on
May 19 at Kolkata
ISRO and Airports Authority of India have
implemented the GPS Aided Geo Augmented
Navigation-GAGAN project for the Indian Airspace.
The Large Hadron Collider broke the record for
energy levels on May 20 when it successfully
collided protons at energy of 13TeV for first time
Scientists in Japan have discovered a new metal -
‘Jahn-Teller’ that appears to be an insulator,
superconductor, metal and magnet, all rolled into
one.
Astronomers have found the most distant
exceptionally luminous galaxy, EGS-zs8-1, located
some 13.1 billion light-years away from Earth.
NASA's Messenger spacecraft has ended a four-year
mission to Mercury by crashing into the planet after
running out of fuel.
Scientists of National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, USA, discovered the world’s first
fully warm-blooded fish species named Opah.
India has reached to sixth position, up from 10
th last
year, in terms of publishing scientific research
papers in different journals in the world.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 44
Microsoft launched Edu-Cloud, a cloud computing-
based offering to enhance digital learning and
teaching in schools / universities.
INTERNATIONAL
JULY 2015
The seventh BRICS summit was held at Ufa in
Russia. The theme of the summit was “BRICS
partnership - a powerful factor for global
development”.
The BRICS group launched its New Development
Bank (NDB) in Shanghai. The bank is seen as an
alternative to the World Bank.
India to contribute $18 billion to the $100 billion
foreign-exchange reserve pool being set up by the
BRICS to help each other.
PM Modi attended the SCO – Shanghai Cooperation
Organization meet at Ufa. The SCO decided to
include India and Pakistan as a full member.
The World Trade Organization on July 24 finalised a
list of 201 information technology products to be
freed from import tariffs.
Trial run of the Egypt's second Suez Canal went off
successfully on July 25. The 72km (44 mile) route
allows two-way traffic
A landmark nuclear agreement was finalized
between Iran and USA in Vienna to allow the UN
inspectors to visit Iranian military sites
The World Population Day was observed on July 11.
This year’s theme was 'vulnerable populations in
emergencies'.
The ministerial conference of The Regional
Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems
(RIMES) nations was held in New Delhi
France’s vineyards in Champagne, famous for
sparkling wine Champagne, have been included in
UNESCO ‘World Heritage’ sites.
The World Trade Organisation has admitted
Kazakhstan as its 162nd member.
JUNE 2015
South Korea struggled to ease growing panic over
an outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome virus that infected 181 persons and
claimed over 31 lives.
57 countries, including India, signed an agreement
in Beijing for the formation of China sponsored
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
On June 15, Britain marked the 800
th anniversary of
the historic charter Magna Carta.
The leaders of G-7 countries held their 41
st summit
at Schloss Elmau, southern Germany.
African leaders have agreed to create the
continent's largest free trade zone, covering 26
countries in an area from Cape Town, South Africa
to Cairo, Egypt.
USA has overtaken Saudi Arabia as the world's
biggest oil producer in 2014 by producing 11.6
million barrels of oil per day.
China launched the world’s longest freight train
route, linking Harbin in northeast China with the
German city of Hamburg, via Russia.
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons has declared that it has destroyed 90 per
cent of the global chemical weapons stockpile.
US Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples can
marry nationwide, establishing a new civil right and
handing gay rights advocates a historic victory.
The movie Jurassic World has become the first film
in world to have collections of more than 500
million dollars in first week.
The 25th African Union summit was held at
Pretoria, South Africa on 7-8.
The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking observed on 26 June with the theme
“Let’s Develop our Lives, our Communities, our
identities without Drugs”.
China plans to form a huge gold investment fund of
about 100 billion Yuan (over $16 billion) aiming to
bolster Beijing's role in global gold trade.
Global wealth intelligence agency Wealth-X in a
survey of self made billionaires has ranked the Bill
Gates at number one, with $86 billion of wealth.
President of Sri Lanka dissolved the Parliament,
paving the way for fresh parliamentary elections in
mid August, eight months ahead of the schedule.
France has put a ban on wearing earphones while
driving a vehicle and riding a cycle, w.e.f. July 1,
2015.
Parliament of Japan has lowered the age of voters
from 20 to 18.
MAY 2015
A study of 61 countries by the Swiss business school
IMD on the parameters of competitiveness shows
that the USA continues to enjoy top position
Japan has announced a $110 billion investment plan
for infrastructure projects in Asia in an apparent
counter to China's Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank.
A painting from Pablo Picasso set a world record for
auction of a work of art, selling for $179.4 million at
an auction by Christie’s at New York.
Microsoft launched Edu-Cloud, a cloud computing-
based offering to enhance digital learning and
teaching in schools / universities.
INTERNATIONAL
JULY 2015
The seventh BRICS summit was held at Ufa in
Russia. The theme of the summit was “BRICS
partnership - a powerful factor for global
development”.
The BRICS group launched its New Development
Bank (NDB) in Shanghai. The bank is seen as an
alternative to the World Bank.
India to contribute $18 billion to the $100 billion
foreign-exchange reserve pool being set up by the
BRICS to help each other.
PM Modi attended the SCO – Shanghai Cooperation
Organization meet at Ufa. The SCO decided to
include India and Pakistan as a full member.
The World Trade Organization on July 24 finalised a
list of 201 information technology products to be
freed from import tariffs.
Trial run of the Egypt's second Suez Canal went off
successfully on July 25. The 72km (44 mile) route
allows two-way traffic
A landmark nuclear agreement was finalized
between Iran and USA in Vienna to allow the UN
inspectors to visit Iranian military sites
The World Population Day was observed on July 11.
This year’s theme was 'vulnerable populations in
emergencies'.
The ministerial conference of The Regional
Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems
(RIMES) nations was held in New Delhi
France’s vineyards in Champagne, famous for
sparkling wine Champagne, have been included in
UNESCO ‘World Heritage’ sites.
The World Trade Organisation has admitted
Kazakhstan as its 162nd member.
JUNE 2015
South Korea struggled to ease growing panic over
an outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome virus that infected 181 persons and
claimed over 31 lives.
57 countries, including India, signed an agreement
in Beijing for the formation of China sponsored
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
On June 15, Britain marked the 800
th anniversary of
the historic charter Magna Carta.
The leaders of G-7 countries held their 41
st summit
at Schloss Elmau, southern Germany.
African leaders have agreed to create the
continent's largest free trade zone, covering 26
countries in an area from Cape Town, South Africa
to Cairo, Egypt.
USA has overtaken Saudi Arabia as the world's
biggest oil producer in 2014 by producing 11.6
million barrels of oil per day.
China launched the world’s longest freight train
route, linking Harbin in northeast China with the
German city of Hamburg, via Russia.
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons has declared that it has destroyed 90 per
cent of the global chemical weapons stockpile.
US Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples can
marry nationwide, establishing a new civil right and
handing gay rights advocates a historic victory.
The movie Jurassic World has become the first film
in world to have collections of more than 500
million dollars in first week.
The 25th African Union summit was held at
Pretoria, South Africa on 7-8.
The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking observed on 26 June with the theme
“Let’s Develop our Lives, our Communities, our
identities without Drugs”.
China plans to form a huge gold investment fund of
about 100 billion Yuan (over $16 billion) aiming to
bolster Beijing's role in global gold trade.
Global wealth intelligence agency Wealth-X in a
survey of self made billionaires has ranked the Bill
Gates at number one, with $86 billion of wealth.
President of Sri Lanka dissolved the Parliament,
paving the way for fresh parliamentary elections in
mid August, eight months ahead of the schedule.
France has put a ban on wearing earphones while
driving a vehicle and riding a cycle, w.e.f. July 1,
2015.
Parliament of Japan has lowered the age of voters
from 20 to 18.
MAY 2015
A study of 61 countries by the Swiss business school
IMD on the parameters of competitiveness shows
that the USA continues to enjoy top position
Japan has announced a $110 billion investment plan
for infrastructure projects in Asia in an apparent
counter to China's Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank.
A painting from Pablo Picasso set a world record for
auction of a work of art, selling for $179.4 million at
an auction by Christie’s at New York.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 45
May 3 is observed every year as the “World Press
Freedom Day” to assert that freedom of the press
and freedom of expression.
China overtook the United States as the world's top
importer of crude oil for the first time in April, and
its purchases are expected to grow further.
The 68th World Health Assembly held in Geneva,
Switzerland from 18 to 27 May, 2015. India was
given the Presidency of the Assembly.
Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands, 1500 kms
east of African mainland, became the 161st member
of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
NATO forces launched the Arctic Challenge
Exercise in the Arctic sea north of Europe on May
26, involving 115 fighter planes & 3600 troops from
nine countries.
The United States economic growth slowed sharply
in the first quarter of the year to just 0.2% due to
the slowdown by unusually foul winter weather.
68
th Cannes Film Festival held at Cannes, France
from 13 to 24 May
World Asthma Day observed on 5 May 2015. This
year’s theme is “You Can Control Your Asthma”
PERSONS IN NEWS
JULY 2015
BENOY BEHL: Noted documentary maker won the Best
Documentary Producer award at Madrid International
Film Festival for his documentary film titled Indian
Roots of Tibetan Buddhism.
MANISH S. SHARMA: A senior IPS officer of the Madhya
Pradesh cadre was in news as the Mayor of San Diego,
California, proclaimed July 20, 2015, as “Manish S.
Sharma Day” in recognition of his contribution towards
enhancing India-U.S. relationship.
MILIND SOMAN: Bollywood actor-model aged 50, has
won the Ironman title at a triathlon held in Zurich in
Switzerland. The triathlon includes a .8-km swim,
180.2-km cycle ride and 42.2-km run, to be completed in
16 hours.
VICTOR PONTA: Romania's Prime Minister resigned as
he battled corruption charges against him.
JUNE 2015
BENO ZEPHINE: The 25-year-old woman from Chennai
became the first ever 100 per cent visually-challenged
person to get selected for the Indian Foreign Service.
NIKESH ARORA: Appointed the President of Japan’s
telecommunications giant SoftBank Corp with a
remuneration of $135 million for the year 2014, making
him the highest paid executive in the world.
CHIRIL GABURICI: Prime Minister of Moldova, a small
state on the border of Ukraine, was in news as he
resigned after the prosecutors questioned the
authenticity of his school-leaving certificate. He became
the PM in February, 2015.
EDWARD SNOWDEN: Former US security contractor
and electronic surveillance whistleblower was in
news as he was awarded a Norwegian prize for
freedom of expression (also called as Bjornson Prize).
SEPP BLATTER: President of world’s top football body
– FIFA was in news as he offered to step down after a US
criminal investigation report levied charges of
corruption against him in the functioning of FIFA.
MAY 2015
ARUNDHATI BHATTACHARYA: SBI Chairperson and
ICICI Bank’s MD Chanda Kochhar figure at 30
th and 35
th
place in the world’s top 100 powerful women list by
Forbes.
ARUNA SHANBAUG: A former nurse who lived in a
vegetative state for the past 42 years after being
brutally sexually assaulted at KEM Hospital, Mumbai
died on May 18. She became the face of the debate on
euthanasia in India.
MANABI BANDOPADHYAY: She became the first
transgender in India to head an educational institute
when she took over as Principal of Krishnagar Women's
College in Nadia district, West Bengal.
MOHAMMED MORSI: Deposed Egyptian President was
in news as he along with his 100 supporters was
sentenced to death by a court in Cairo in connection
with a mass jail break in 2011.
APPOINTMENTS
JULY 2015
R. S. SHARMA: Appointed as the new Chairman of
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for three years.
PRASHANT PATHRABE: Appointed Director, Film and
Television Institute of India (FTII)
SRIRAM KALYANARAMAN: New Managing Director &
Chief Executive Officer (CEO of the National Housing
Bank (NHB), the national regulator for housing finance.
May 3 is observed every year as the “World Press
Freedom Day” to assert that freedom of the press
and freedom of expression.
China overtook the United States as the world's top
importer of crude oil for the first time in April, and
its purchases are expected to grow further.
The 68th World Health Assembly held in Geneva,
Switzerland from 18 to 27 May, 2015. India was
given the Presidency of the Assembly.
Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands, 1500 kms
east of African mainland, became the 161st member
of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
NATO forces launched the Arctic Challenge
Exercise in the Arctic sea north of Europe on May
26, involving 115 fighter planes & 3600 troops from
nine countries.
The United States economic growth slowed sharply
in the first quarter of the year to just 0.2% due to
the slowdown by unusually foul winter weather.
68
th Cannes Film Festival held at Cannes, France
from 13 to 24 May
World Asthma Day observed on 5 May 2015. This
year’s theme is “You Can Control Your Asthma”
PERSONS IN NEWS
JULY 2015
BENOY BEHL: Noted documentary maker won the Best
Documentary Producer award at Madrid International
Film Festival for his documentary film titled Indian
Roots of Tibetan Buddhism.
MANISH S. SHARMA: A senior IPS officer of the Madhya
Pradesh cadre was in news as the Mayor of San Diego,
California, proclaimed July 20, 2015, as “Manish S.
Sharma Day” in recognition of his contribution towards
enhancing India-U.S. relationship.
MILIND SOMAN: Bollywood actor-model aged 50, has
won the Ironman title at a triathlon held in Zurich in
Switzerland. The triathlon includes a .8-km swim,
180.2-km cycle ride and 42.2-km run, to be completed in
16 hours.
VICTOR PONTA: Romania's Prime Minister resigned as
he battled corruption charges against him.
JUNE 2015
BENO ZEPHINE: The 25-year-old woman from Chennai
became the first ever 100 per cent visually-challenged
person to get selected for the Indian Foreign Service.
NIKESH ARORA: Appointed the President of Japan’s
telecommunications giant SoftBank Corp with a
remuneration of $135 million for the year 2014, making
him the highest paid executive in the world.
CHIRIL GABURICI: Prime Minister of Moldova, a small
state on the border of Ukraine, was in news as he
resigned after the prosecutors questioned the
authenticity of his school-leaving certificate. He became
the PM in February, 2015.
EDWARD SNOWDEN: Former US security contractor
and electronic surveillance whistleblower was in
news as he was awarded a Norwegian prize for
freedom of expression (also called as Bjornson Prize).
SEPP BLATTER: President of world’s top football body
– FIFA was in news as he offered to step down after a US
criminal investigation report levied charges of
corruption against him in the functioning of FIFA.
MAY 2015
ARUNDHATI BHATTACHARYA: SBI Chairperson and
ICICI Bank’s MD Chanda Kochhar figure at 30
th and 35
th
place in the world’s top 100 powerful women list by
Forbes.
ARUNA SHANBAUG: A former nurse who lived in a
vegetative state for the past 42 years after being
brutally sexually assaulted at KEM Hospital, Mumbai
died on May 18. She became the face of the debate on
euthanasia in India.
MANABI BANDOPADHYAY: She became the first
transgender in India to head an educational institute
when she took over as Principal of Krishnagar Women's
College in Nadia district, West Bengal.
MOHAMMED MORSI: Deposed Egyptian President was
in news as he along with his 100 supporters was
sentenced to death by a court in Cairo in connection
with a mass jail break in 2011.
APPOINTMENTS
JULY 2015
R. S. SHARMA: Appointed as the new Chairman of
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for three years.
PRASHANT PATHRABE: Appointed Director, Film and
Television Institute of India (FTII)
SRIRAM KALYANARAMAN: New Managing Director &
Chief Executive Officer (CEO of the National Housing
Bank (NHB), the national regulator for housing finance.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 46
JIN LIQUN: Former Finance Minster of China was
nominated the first President of the Beijing-backed
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
JUNE 2015
VIJAI SHARMA: New Chief Information Commissioner
K V CHOWDARY: New Central Vigilance Commissioner
R C TAYAL: Appointed new Director General of the elite
counter-terror force National Security Guards
SYED ASIF IBRAHIM: Appointed Prime Minister’s
Special Envoy on Countering Terrorism and Extremism
GEORGE YEO: Former Foreign Minister of Singapore
has been appointed the new Chancellor of Nalanda
University, Rajgir, Bihar.
M K SHARMA: New non-executive Chairman of the
Board of ICICI Bank
R. SESHASAYEE: Appointed Non-Executive Chairman
of the Board of IT giant Infosys Ltd.
PAWAN MUNJAL: Has taken over as Chairman,
Managing Director and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, world’s
number one two-wheeler company.
MOGENS LYKKETOFT: Elected President for the 70th
session of the United Nations General
AMEENAH GURIB-FAKIM: First woman President of
Mauritius.
MAY 2015
PRADEEP KUMAR SINHA: New Cabinet Secretary.
Usually senior most IAS officer is appointed to this post.
Dr. S CHRISTOPHER: Director General of DRDO. He is
also the Secretary, Department of Defence Research.
G MOHAN KUMAR: Union Defence Secretary
K.V. KAMATH: President of New Development Bank,
Shanghai
ARUN SHRIVASTAVA: Managing Director & CEO of
Syndicate Bank.
M J JOSEPH: Appointed as the Controller General of
Accounts (CGA) in the Union Ministry of Finance.
NEW GOVERNORS APPOINTED
Tathagata Roy: Governor of Tripura
Draupadi Murmu: Governor of Jharkhand, first tribal
women to become Governor
V Shanmuganthan: Governor of Meghalaya
J P Rakkhowa: Governor of Arunachal Pradesh
Lt Gen (retd) Nirbhay Sharma: Governor of Mizoram
Syed Ahmed: Governor of Manipur
K V THOMAS: Re-nominated as Chairman of
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee
ACHAL KUMAR JYOTI: appointed as the new Election
Commissioner
MUKESH KHANNA: Appointed as the Chairperson of
the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI
SURENDER SINGH: Appointed new Director General of
Central Industrial Security Force, CISF.
ANDRZEJ DUDA: New President of Poland
DAVID GRANGER: New President of Guyana
AWARDS & HONOURS
JULY 2015
RAMON MAGSAYSAY AWARD: Whistleblower
bureaucrat Sanjeev Chaturvedi and human rights
activist Anshu Gupta, the founder of NGO Goonj, are
among five persons selected for Asia’s coveted award.
28
th MOORTI DEVI AWARD 2014: The prize was
presented to veteran Writer Vishwanath Tripathi for his
book Vyomkesh Darvesh, a lifetime story of veteran
literateur Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi.
The Prem Bhatia Awards for Journalism: Suhasini
Haider of The Hindu for political reporting and Priyanka
Kakodkar, The Times of India, for excellence in
environmental and development reporting.
G.D. BIRLA AWARD FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH:
Prof. Sanjeev Galande from the Indian Institute of
Science Education and Research, Pune.
NELSON MANDELA PRIZE: awarded for the first time
by UNO to Helena Ndume of Namibia and Jorge Sampaio
of Portugal for their extraordinary service to humanity.
Grand Prix World Press Cartoon Award-2014: Noted
Telugu cartoonist Pamarthy Shankar for his sketch of
Nelson Mandela.
ROYAL SOCIETY’s COPLEY MEDAL: World’s oldest
scientific prize awarded to Nobel Prize winner Peter
Higgs for his pioneering work on the theory of the Higgs
boson (God Particle) which was discovered in 2012.
SAYED HAIDER RAZA: Noted modern Indian artist, has
been conferred with the highest French civilian honour,
the Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur (the Legion of
Honour) for his peerless achievements.
JIN LIQUN: Former Finance Minster of China was
nominated the first President of the Beijing-backed
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
JUNE 2015
VIJAI SHARMA: New Chief Information Commissioner
K V CHOWDARY: New Central Vigilance Commissioner
R C TAYAL: Appointed new Director General of the elite
counter-terror force National Security Guards
SYED ASIF IBRAHIM: Appointed Prime Minister’s
Special Envoy on Countering Terrorism and Extremism
GEORGE YEO: Former Foreign Minister of Singapore
has been appointed the new Chancellor of Nalanda
University, Rajgir, Bihar.
M K SHARMA: New non-executive Chairman of the
Board of ICICI Bank
R. SESHASAYEE: Appointed Non-Executive Chairman
of the Board of IT giant Infosys Ltd.
PAWAN MUNJAL: Has taken over as Chairman,
Managing Director and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, world’s
number one two-wheeler company.
MOGENS LYKKETOFT: Elected President for the 70th
session of the United Nations General
AMEENAH GURIB-FAKIM: First woman President of
Mauritius.
MAY 2015
PRADEEP KUMAR SINHA: New Cabinet Secretary.
Usually senior most IAS officer is appointed to this post.
Dr. S CHRISTOPHER: Director General of DRDO. He is
also the Secretary, Department of Defence Research.
G MOHAN KUMAR: Union Defence Secretary
K.V. KAMATH: President of New Development Bank,
Shanghai
ARUN SHRIVASTAVA: Managing Director & CEO of
Syndicate Bank.
M J JOSEPH: Appointed as the Controller General of
Accounts (CGA) in the Union Ministry of Finance.
NEW GOVERNORS APPOINTED
Tathagata Roy: Governor of Tripura
Draupadi Murmu: Governor of Jharkhand, first tribal
women to become Governor
V Shanmuganthan: Governor of Meghalaya
J P Rakkhowa: Governor of Arunachal Pradesh
Lt Gen (retd) Nirbhay Sharma: Governor of Mizoram
Syed Ahmed: Governor of Manipur
K V THOMAS: Re-nominated as Chairman of
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee
ACHAL KUMAR JYOTI: appointed as the new Election
Commissioner
MUKESH KHANNA: Appointed as the Chairperson of
the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI
SURENDER SINGH: Appointed new Director General of
Central Industrial Security Force, CISF.
ANDRZEJ DUDA: New President of Poland
DAVID GRANGER: New President of Guyana
AWARDS & HONOURS
JULY 2015
RAMON MAGSAYSAY AWARD: Whistleblower
bureaucrat Sanjeev Chaturvedi and human rights
activist Anshu Gupta, the founder of NGO Goonj, are
among five persons selected for Asia’s coveted award.
28
th MOORTI DEVI AWARD 2014: The prize was
presented to veteran Writer Vishwanath Tripathi for his
book Vyomkesh Darvesh, a lifetime story of veteran
literateur Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi.
The Prem Bhatia Awards for Journalism: Suhasini
Haider of The Hindu for political reporting and Priyanka
Kakodkar, The Times of India, for excellence in
environmental and development reporting.
G.D. BIRLA AWARD FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH:
Prof. Sanjeev Galande from the Indian Institute of
Science Education and Research, Pune.
NELSON MANDELA PRIZE: awarded for the first time
by UNO to Helena Ndume of Namibia and Jorge Sampaio
of Portugal for their extraordinary service to humanity.
Grand Prix World Press Cartoon Award-2014: Noted
Telugu cartoonist Pamarthy Shankar for his sketch of
Nelson Mandela.
ROYAL SOCIETY’s COPLEY MEDAL: World’s oldest
scientific prize awarded to Nobel Prize winner Peter
Higgs for his pioneering work on the theory of the Higgs
boson (God Particle) which was discovered in 2012.
SAYED HAIDER RAZA: Noted modern Indian artist, has
been conferred with the highest French civilian honour,
the Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur (the Legion of
Honour) for his peerless achievements.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 47
WORLD FOOD PRIZE: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of Bangla
Desh. It is the most prominent global award given by
the World Food Foundation of the USA for individuals
whose breakthrough achievements help to alleviate
hunger and promote global food security.
Global Confederation for Higher Education
Associations for Agriculture and Life Sciences World
Agriculture Prize: Indian-American professor R Paul
Singh for inventing food-processing equipment for a
manned mission to the Mars.
JUNE 2015
IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) Awards
announced at Kualalumpur, Malaysia
Best Picture: Queen by Vikas Bahl
Best Actress Kangana Ranaut for Queen
Best Actor: Shahid Kapoor for Haider
Best Direction: Rajkumar Hirani for PK
10
th NAVLEKHAN AWARD OF BHARATIYA
JNANPITH: Hindi writers Babusha Kohli and Upasana
for the poem Prem Gilhari Dil Akhrot and
novel Ek Zindagi Ek Script Bhar, respectively.
SANGITA KALANIDHI AWARD: Sanjay Subrahmanyam,
veteran Carnatic music maestro from Tamil Nadu.
SPACE PIONEER AWARD 2015: Awarded to ISRO by
the US National Space Society for its low-cost
Mangalyaan Mars orbiter mission.
BEST WELFARE ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR –
2015: Won by the National Union of Seafarers of India,
NUSI, India's oldest and largest shipping trade union.
SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE CONTEST , USA:
Won by Indian origin American children - Vanya
Shivashankar, 13, and Gokul Venkatachalam, 14.
MAY 2015
THE ORDER OF THE RISING SUN, GOLD AND SILVER
STAR: Japan's highest civilian award was conferred on
eminent scientist CNR Rao for his outstanding
contributions Indo-Japan Science cooperation.
Pt. HARIDUTT SHARMA AWARD: To senior T V
journalist Anuradha Prasad for her contribution in the
field of Journalism
NATIONAL FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE AWARDS:
Given to 35 Nurses selected from all over India on
International Nurses Day – May 12, birthday of Florence
Nightingale, founder of modern nursing.
COMMONWEALTH SHORT STORY PRIZE 2015:
Srinagar-born novelist Siddhartha Gigoo won the prize
for Asia region for his work Umbrella Man.
WHITLEY AWARDS: (also known as Green Oscar)
won by two Indians, Dr Ananda Kumar and Dr Pramod
Patil for their contribution to wildlife conservation.
PALME d'Or: Award for best feature film at the Cannes
Film Festival won by the French thriller – ‘Dheepan’,
directed by Jacques Audiard.
NEERAJ GHAYWAN’S directorial debut “Masaan”, won
two awards at the Cannes Film Festival - International
Jury of Film Critics prize and Promising Future prize
MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2015: Laszlo
Krasznahorkai, Hungarian writer won this life time
achievement award for literature. This prize is given
once in two years in UK.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION COURAGE AWARD: won
by the French satirical weekly ‘Charlie Hebdo’. The
award is given by the PEN American Center.
OBITUARY
JULY 2015
APJ ABDUL KALAM: Former President of India, great
scientist and philosopher, popular as ‘Missile Man’
breathed his last on July 27.
B K Handique: Senior Congress leader, six times Lok
Sabha member from Jorhat, Assam, passed away on 26
July. He was 82.
R.S. GAVAI: Former Governor of Kerala, Sikkim and
Bihar, MP and a veteran associate of Dr Ambedkar
passed away on July 25.
SARDAR ANJUM: Renowned revolutionary poet, Urdu
lyricist and a Padma Bhushan awardee, passed away in
Panchkula, Haryana.
M S VISWANATHAN: One of the most popular music
composers of south Indian cinema, having over 750
movies to his credit, passed away in Chennai.
Y K SABHARWAL: Former Chief Justice of India has
passed away.
BASHAR NAVAAZ: Noted Urdu poet and critic passed
away in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
TOM MOORE: Noted cartoonist who brought to life the
escapades of Riverdale residents in Archie comics,
passed away in his home town El Paso, Texas, USA.
ALEX ROCCO: The US actor best known for his role in
The Godfather, passed away in California, USA.
ALCIDES E GHIGGIA: The Uruguayan soccer legend,
died following a heart attack. He was 88 years old.
OMAR SHARIF: Noted Hollywood film actor from Egypt,
best known for his portrayal of Doctor Zhivago in the hit
1966 film and for his work in “Lawrence of Arabia”, died
in Cairo at the age of 83.
WORLD FOOD PRIZE: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of Bangla
Desh. It is the most prominent global award given by
the World Food Foundation of the USA for individuals
whose breakthrough achievements help to alleviate
hunger and promote global food security.
Global Confederation for Higher Education
Associations for Agriculture and Life Sciences World
Agriculture Prize: Indian-American professor R Paul
Singh for inventing food-processing equipment for a
manned mission to the Mars.
JUNE 2015
IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) Awards
announced at Kualalumpur, Malaysia
Best Picture: Queen by Vikas Bahl
Best Actress Kangana Ranaut for Queen
Best Actor: Shahid Kapoor for Haider
Best Direction: Rajkumar Hirani for PK
10
th NAVLEKHAN AWARD OF BHARATIYA
JNANPITH: Hindi writers Babusha Kohli and Upasana
for the poem Prem Gilhari Dil Akhrot and
novel Ek Zindagi Ek Script Bhar, respectively.
SANGITA KALANIDHI AWARD: Sanjay Subrahmanyam,
veteran Carnatic music maestro from Tamil Nadu.
SPACE PIONEER AWARD 2015: Awarded to ISRO by
the US National Space Society for its low-cost
Mangalyaan Mars orbiter mission.
BEST WELFARE ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR –
2015: Won by the National Union of Seafarers of India,
NUSI, India's oldest and largest shipping trade union.
SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE CONTEST , USA:
Won by Indian origin American children - Vanya
Shivashankar, 13, and Gokul Venkatachalam, 14.
MAY 2015
THE ORDER OF THE RISING SUN, GOLD AND SILVER
STAR: Japan's highest civilian award was conferred on
eminent scientist CNR Rao for his outstanding
contributions Indo-Japan Science cooperation.
Pt. HARIDUTT SHARMA AWARD: To senior T V
journalist Anuradha Prasad for her contribution in the
field of Journalism
NATIONAL FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE AWARDS:
Given to 35 Nurses selected from all over India on
International Nurses Day – May 12, birthday of Florence
Nightingale, founder of modern nursing.
COMMONWEALTH SHORT STORY PRIZE 2015:
Srinagar-born novelist Siddhartha Gigoo won the prize
for Asia region for his work Umbrella Man.
WHITLEY AWARDS: (also known as Green Oscar)
won by two Indians, Dr Ananda Kumar and Dr Pramod
Patil for their contribution to wildlife conservation.
PALME d'Or: Award for best feature film at the Cannes
Film Festival won by the French thriller – ‘Dheepan’,
directed by Jacques Audiard.
NEERAJ GHAYWAN’S directorial debut “Masaan”, won
two awards at the Cannes Film Festival - International
Jury of Film Critics prize and Promising Future prize
MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2015: Laszlo
Krasznahorkai, Hungarian writer won this life time
achievement award for literature. This prize is given
once in two years in UK.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION COURAGE AWARD: won
by the French satirical weekly ‘Charlie Hebdo’. The
award is given by the PEN American Center.
OBITUARY
JULY 2015
APJ ABDUL KALAM: Former President of India, great
scientist and philosopher, popular as ‘Missile Man’
breathed his last on July 27.
B K Handique: Senior Congress leader, six times Lok
Sabha member from Jorhat, Assam, passed away on 26
July. He was 82.
R.S. GAVAI: Former Governor of Kerala, Sikkim and
Bihar, MP and a veteran associate of Dr Ambedkar
passed away on July 25.
SARDAR ANJUM: Renowned revolutionary poet, Urdu
lyricist and a Padma Bhushan awardee, passed away in
Panchkula, Haryana.
M S VISWANATHAN: One of the most popular music
composers of south Indian cinema, having over 750
movies to his credit, passed away in Chennai.
Y K SABHARWAL: Former Chief Justice of India has
passed away.
BASHAR NAVAAZ: Noted Urdu poet and critic passed
away in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
TOM MOORE: Noted cartoonist who brought to life the
escapades of Riverdale residents in Archie comics,
passed away in his home town El Paso, Texas, USA.
ALEX ROCCO: The US actor best known for his role in
The Godfather, passed away in California, USA.
ALCIDES E GHIGGIA: The Uruguayan soccer legend,
died following a heart attack. He was 88 years old.
OMAR SHARIF: Noted Hollywood film actor from Egypt,
best known for his portrayal of Doctor Zhivago in the hit
1966 film and for his work in “Lawrence of Arabia”, died
in Cairo at the age of 83.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 48
MATTI MAKKONEN: The man who invented the idea of
short messaging service (SMS) technology, died in
Finland. He was 63.
JUNE 2015
PRAFUL BIDWAI: A veteran press journalist, author
and anti-nuclear activist, died in the Netherlands while
having dinner. He was 65.
SISTER NIRMALA: The nun who succeeded Mother
Teresa in 1997 as the head of the Missionaries of
Charity in Kolkata, died at the age of 81.
CHARLES CORREA: Noted Indian architect, known for
his unique architectural style, melting 20th-century
Western modernism with Indian traditions, died at 84.
SHEILA KAUL: Former Union Minister, a sister-in-law
of Jawaharlal Nehru and oldest surviving former
parliamentarian, died at ate age of 100.
NEK CHAND SAINI: Padma Sri awardee, creator of the
world famous iconic ‘Rock Garden’ at Chandigarh,
passed away AT the age of 90 years.
SULEYMAN DEMIREL: Turkey’s former President and
Prime Minister, a political giant for over half a century,
heading the nation for over five times, died at 90.
SIR CHRISTOPHER LEE: Legendary English actor,
singer and writer passed away in London, United
Kingdom. He was 93.
IRWIN ROSE: Noted biochemist from America who
shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry passed
away at the age of 88.
MAY 2015
AMITABHA CHOWDHURY: Veteran journalist, writer
and renowned Tagore researcher passed away in
Kolkata on May 2 at the age of 88.
AMALENDU GUHA: Noted historian, social scientist,
academician and author passed away in Guwahati on
May 7 at the age of 91 after a protracted illness.
SUDHA SHIVPURI: Popular Indian stage, film and
television actress died on 20 May at the age of 77. She
was very popular for her role as Baa in the longest
running TV show Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi,
B.B. KING: One of the most famous electric guitar
players of all time, died in Las Vegas, USA at the age of
89. Famous as the King of Blues, he won 15 Grammys.
JOHN FORBES NASH JR: A mathematical genius whose
struggle with schizophrenia was chronicled in the 2001
movie "A Beautiful Mind," died along with his wife in a
car crash in New Jersey, USA.
MICHAEL BLAKE: The Oscar-winning US author passed
away; famous for his novel “Dances with Wolves”
PLACES IN NEWS
JULY 2015
DINANAGAR: Town in Gurdaspur district of Punjab was
in news as it suffered a terrorist attack that killed seven
people including one SP and 3 policemen.
PUDUCHERRY: City’s application for smart city became
the first nomination to be received by the Urban
Development Ministry for the Smart City Mission.
VARANASI: has been selected by the UNESCO as the
"City of Music" under the Creative Cities Network.
MOUNT RAUNG: The volcano in East Java (Indonesia)
suddenly started eruption in the first week of July,
spewing clouds of ash into the air, forcing temporary
closure of six airports.
CONAKRY: The capital of the Republic of Guinea, was
named as the World Book Capital for 2017 by UNESCO.
JUNE 2015
SHRI ANANDPUR SAHIB
Holy city of Punjab celebrated its 350th foundation day
of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib in the city.
ASHOBAA: The cyclonic storm over east-central
Arabian Sea that was expected to hit Maharashtra and
Gujarat coast, moved away westward towards Oman.
MALVANI: Locality in Mumbai was in news as over 100
persons were killed there due to consumption of
spurious liquor.
CHANDEL: District in Manipur was in news it witnessed
one of the worst attacks by insurgents on the Indian
Army in two decades, killing at least 20 army personnel
and injuring 11 others.
KARACHI: Pakistan's port city in south was in news as
about 1200 people, including women and children, were
killed in the city and the surrounding areas due to the
country's worst heat wave in more than a decade.
YANGTZE: The Eastern Star, a cruise ship carrying 456
people, capsized on the Yangtze River in China on the
night of June 1 in high winds and heavy rain. Only 14
persons survived the tragedy, leaving remaining as
missing or dead.
ACCRA: Capital of Ghana was in news as at least 150
people died in a fire at a petrol station. President of
Ghana announced three days of national mourning for
the dead.
MAY 2015
PALMYRA: Ancient city in Syria was in news as the
militants of the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
destroyed several World Heritage monuments there.
MATTI MAKKONEN: The man who invented the idea of
short messaging service (SMS) technology, died in
Finland. He was 63.
JUNE 2015
PRAFUL BIDWAI: A veteran press journalist, author
and anti-nuclear activist, died in the Netherlands while
having dinner. He was 65.
SISTER NIRMALA: The nun who succeeded Mother
Teresa in 1997 as the head of the Missionaries of
Charity in Kolkata, died at the age of 81.
CHARLES CORREA: Noted Indian architect, known for
his unique architectural style, melting 20th-century
Western modernism with Indian traditions, died at 84.
SHEILA KAUL: Former Union Minister, a sister-in-law
of Jawaharlal Nehru and oldest surviving former
parliamentarian, died at ate age of 100.
NEK CHAND SAINI: Padma Sri awardee, creator of the
world famous iconic ‘Rock Garden’ at Chandigarh,
passed away AT the age of 90 years.
SULEYMAN DEMIREL: Turkey’s former President and
Prime Minister, a political giant for over half a century,
heading the nation for over five times, died at 90.
SIR CHRISTOPHER LEE: Legendary English actor,
singer and writer passed away in London, United
Kingdom. He was 93.
IRWIN ROSE: Noted biochemist from America who
shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry passed
away at the age of 88.
MAY 2015
AMITABHA CHOWDHURY: Veteran journalist, writer
and renowned Tagore researcher passed away in
Kolkata on May 2 at the age of 88.
AMALENDU GUHA: Noted historian, social scientist,
academician and author passed away in Guwahati on
May 7 at the age of 91 after a protracted illness.
SUDHA SHIVPURI: Popular Indian stage, film and
television actress died on 20 May at the age of 77. She
was very popular for her role as Baa in the longest
running TV show Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi,
B.B. KING: One of the most famous electric guitar
players of all time, died in Las Vegas, USA at the age of
89. Famous as the King of Blues, he won 15 Grammys.
JOHN FORBES NASH JR: A mathematical genius whose
struggle with schizophrenia was chronicled in the 2001
movie "A Beautiful Mind," died along with his wife in a
car crash in New Jersey, USA.
MICHAEL BLAKE: The Oscar-winning US author passed
away; famous for his novel “Dances with Wolves”
PLACES IN NEWS
JULY 2015
DINANAGAR: Town in Gurdaspur district of Punjab was
in news as it suffered a terrorist attack that killed seven
people including one SP and 3 policemen.
PUDUCHERRY: City’s application for smart city became
the first nomination to be received by the Urban
Development Ministry for the Smart City Mission.
VARANASI: has been selected by the UNESCO as the
"City of Music" under the Creative Cities Network.
MOUNT RAUNG: The volcano in East Java (Indonesia)
suddenly started eruption in the first week of July,
spewing clouds of ash into the air, forcing temporary
closure of six airports.
CONAKRY: The capital of the Republic of Guinea, was
named as the World Book Capital for 2017 by UNESCO.
JUNE 2015
SHRI ANANDPUR SAHIB
Holy city of Punjab celebrated its 350th foundation day
of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib in the city.
ASHOBAA: The cyclonic storm over east-central
Arabian Sea that was expected to hit Maharashtra and
Gujarat coast, moved away westward towards Oman.
MALVANI: Locality in Mumbai was in news as over 100
persons were killed there due to consumption of
spurious liquor.
CHANDEL: District in Manipur was in news it witnessed
one of the worst attacks by insurgents on the Indian
Army in two decades, killing at least 20 army personnel
and injuring 11 others.
KARACHI: Pakistan's port city in south was in news as
about 1200 people, including women and children, were
killed in the city and the surrounding areas due to the
country's worst heat wave in more than a decade.
YANGTZE: The Eastern Star, a cruise ship carrying 456
people, capsized on the Yangtze River in China on the
night of June 1 in high winds and heavy rain. Only 14
persons survived the tragedy, leaving remaining as
missing or dead.
ACCRA: Capital of Ghana was in news as at least 150
people died in a fire at a petrol station. President of
Ghana announced three days of national mourning for
the dead.
MAY 2015
PALMYRA: Ancient city in Syria was in news as the
militants of the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
destroyed several World Heritage monuments there.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 49
MARIA ELENA SOUTH: Place in the Atacama Desert in
Chile has been discovered as the driest place on the
Earth.
BUENOS AIRES: Capital city of Argentina, with over
700 bookstores has more bookstores per capita than
any other major city in the world.
SPORTS WORLD
JULY 2015
NATIONAL
10-year old Indian Golfer Shubham Jaglan scripted
history as he became the first Indian to win the
International Junior Golf Academy's World Stars Junior
Golf Tournament played at Las Vegas, USA.
Sania Mirza has become the first woman tennis player
from India to become top-seeded in a grand slam in the
Wimbledon tournament in London.
Rajat Chauhan created a new national record in
archery by scoring 711 points in the Senior National
Ranking Archery Tournament held at Patiala, Punjab.
Skipper Mithali Raj scripted a new chapter in the
history of Indian women's cricket as she became the
first Indian and the second globally to reach the 5000-
run milestone in one-day internationals.
Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta won the 19th
Commonwealth Chess Championship in Mumbai.
Ajinkya Rahane was captain of the Indian team for the
Zimbabwe tour held in July.
Jwala Gutta and Ashwni Ponappa won the women's
doubles title of the Canada Open Badminton tournament
in Calgary, Canada.
Indian wrestlers secured 16 medals, including three
gold, at the Junior Asian Freestyle, Greco-Roman and
Female Wrestling championship at Nay Pyi Taw,
Myanmar.
India won the three-match One Day International
(ODI) Series against Zimbabwe 3-0 played in Harare,
capital of Zimbabwe.
The finals of the 2016 World Twenty20 cricket
tournament will be held in the iconic Eden Gardens
ground in Kolkata on April 3, 2016.
Considering the declining interest of the fans and
popularity, the BCCI has decided to scrap the Champions
League Twenty 20 (CLT20) with immediate effect.
The BCCI has decided to scrap the Duleep Trophy due to
packed schedule.
TWO IPL TEAMS SUSPENDED FOR TWO YEARS
The Justice R M Lodha Committee appointed by the
Supreme Court to probe the IPL spot fixing and betting
scandal, has submitted its report. It suspended the
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals teams from
the Indian Premier League (IPL) for two years.
Former CSK team official Gurunath Meiyappan and
Royals co-owner Raj Kundra were suspended for life
from any cricketing activity undertaken by the Board of
Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as they were found
guilty of betting.
INTERNATIONAL
WIMBLEDON Finals played in London, 2015
Men’s singles: Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat Roger
Federer of Switzerland
Women’s singles: Serena Williams of United States
beat Garbine Muguruza of Spain
Women’s doubles: Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis
beat Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina
Mixed doubles: Leander Paes and Martina Hingis beat
Timea Babos and Alexander Peya
Boys doubles: Sumit Nagal with Nam Hoang Ly of
Vietnam won the title. He is the sixth Indian to win a
Grand Slam junior title.
CHRIS FROOME of Britain won the three week multiple
stage bicycle race - Tour de France at Champs Elysees
in Paris on July 26.
Veselin Topalov won the Norway Chess 2015 title in
Stavanger, Norway by defeating the Indian grand master
Viswanathan Anand.
Sebastian Vettel, German driver won the Hungarian
Grand Prix at Budapest, Hungary on July 26.
Roelant Oltmans of Netherlands has been appointed
chief coach of the Indian hockey team till the 2016 Rio
Olympics.
Genezebe Dibaba of Ethiopia created a new world
record in the women’s 1500m, clocking a time of
3:50:07, shattering old world record of 3:50:46 set in
1993 by China’s Qu Yunxia.
Amelie Mauresmo, a former number one tennis player
of France, was inducted into the International Tennis
Hall of Fame. She is also the first woman to coach a top
male tennis player – Andy Murray.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER: International boxer was in
news as he was stripped by the World Boxing
Organization (WBO) of the Welterweight World title
which he had won two months ago, as he had failed to
pay $200,000 fee required by the WBO after he won the
richest fight of all time, earning $220 million.
The 9th World Youth Athletics Championship was
held in Cali, Colombia.
MARIA ELENA SOUTH: Place in the Atacama Desert in
Chile has been discovered as the driest place on the
Earth.
BUENOS AIRES: Capital city of Argentina, with over
700 bookstores has more bookstores per capita than
any other major city in the world.
SPORTS WORLD
JULY 2015
NATIONAL
10-year old Indian Golfer Shubham Jaglan scripted
history as he became the first Indian to win the
International Junior Golf Academy's World Stars Junior
Golf Tournament played at Las Vegas, USA.
Sania Mirza has become the first woman tennis player
from India to become top-seeded in a grand slam in the
Wimbledon tournament in London.
Rajat Chauhan created a new national record in
archery by scoring 711 points in the Senior National
Ranking Archery Tournament held at Patiala, Punjab.
Skipper Mithali Raj scripted a new chapter in the
history of Indian women's cricket as she became the
first Indian and the second globally to reach the 5000-
run milestone in one-day internationals.
Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta won the 19th
Commonwealth Chess Championship in Mumbai.
Ajinkya Rahane was captain of the Indian team for the
Zimbabwe tour held in July.
Jwala Gutta and Ashwni Ponappa won the women's
doubles title of the Canada Open Badminton tournament
in Calgary, Canada.
Indian wrestlers secured 16 medals, including three
gold, at the Junior Asian Freestyle, Greco-Roman and
Female Wrestling championship at Nay Pyi Taw,
Myanmar.
India won the three-match One Day International
(ODI) Series against Zimbabwe 3-0 played in Harare,
capital of Zimbabwe.
The finals of the 2016 World Twenty20 cricket
tournament will be held in the iconic Eden Gardens
ground in Kolkata on April 3, 2016.
Considering the declining interest of the fans and
popularity, the BCCI has decided to scrap the Champions
League Twenty 20 (CLT20) with immediate effect.
The BCCI has decided to scrap the Duleep Trophy due to
packed schedule.
TWO IPL TEAMS SUSPENDED FOR TWO YEARS
The Justice R M Lodha Committee appointed by the
Supreme Court to probe the IPL spot fixing and betting
scandal, has submitted its report. It suspended the
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals teams from
the Indian Premier League (IPL) for two years.
Former CSK team official Gurunath Meiyappan and
Royals co-owner Raj Kundra were suspended for life
from any cricketing activity undertaken by the Board of
Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as they were found
guilty of betting.
INTERNATIONAL
WIMBLEDON Finals played in London, 2015
Men’s singles: Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat Roger
Federer of Switzerland
Women’s singles: Serena Williams of United States
beat Garbine Muguruza of Spain
Women’s doubles: Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis
beat Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina
Mixed doubles: Leander Paes and Martina Hingis beat
Timea Babos and Alexander Peya
Boys doubles: Sumit Nagal with Nam Hoang Ly of
Vietnam won the title. He is the sixth Indian to win a
Grand Slam junior title.
CHRIS FROOME of Britain won the three week multiple
stage bicycle race - Tour de France at Champs Elysees
in Paris on July 26.
Veselin Topalov won the Norway Chess 2015 title in
Stavanger, Norway by defeating the Indian grand master
Viswanathan Anand.
Sebastian Vettel, German driver won the Hungarian
Grand Prix at Budapest, Hungary on July 26.
Roelant Oltmans of Netherlands has been appointed
chief coach of the Indian hockey team till the 2016 Rio
Olympics.
Genezebe Dibaba of Ethiopia created a new world
record in the women’s 1500m, clocking a time of
3:50:07, shattering old world record of 3:50:46 set in
1993 by China’s Qu Yunxia.
Amelie Mauresmo, a former number one tennis player
of France, was inducted into the International Tennis
Hall of Fame. She is also the first woman to coach a top
male tennis player – Andy Murray.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER: International boxer was in
news as he was stripped by the World Boxing
Organization (WBO) of the Welterweight World title
which he had won two months ago, as he had failed to
pay $200,000 fee required by the WBO after he won the
richest fight of all time, earning $220 million.
The 9th World Youth Athletics Championship was
held in Cali, Colombia.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 50
FIFA Women's World Cup: United States lifted the cup
for the third time, beating Japan. In the Final played at
Vancouver, Canada.
Copa America Football Tournament: Chile defeated
Argentina on penalties on July 5 to end their 99-year
wait for this prestigious crown. Finals were played in
Santiago, capital of Chile.
British Grand Prix F1 won by the reigning world
champion Lewis Hamilton of UK on July5 at Silverstone
circuit, UK.
South Asian Basketball Championship: India won by
beating Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.
World University Games, Gwangju, South Korea:
Inderjeet Singh won the gold in shot-put event on July 8.
2015 World Police and Fire Games held in Fairfax
County, Virginia, in the United States.
The first day-night test match under lights will be
played in Australia against New Zealand at the Adelaide
Oval in November this year.
Canada Open Badminton Tournament: Lee Chong
Wei of Malaysia and Michelle Li of Canada won the
men's and women’s singles title, respectively in Calgary,
Canada.
To end the undue advantage to batsmen, the ICC has
decided to scrap the batting power–plays and allow five
fielders outside the 30-yard circle in the last ten overs in
one-dayers to be played from July 5.
JUNE 2015
Satnam Singh Bhamra created history by becoming the
first Indian basketball player to be drafted in the
National Basketball Association (NBA)
21st Asian Athletics Championships at Wuhan, China
Inderjeet Singh bagged the gold medal in the men’s shot
put event at this meet. Tintu Luka won the gold in
women’s 800 mt race. Lalita Babar bagged gold in
3000m steeplechase race while Vikas Gowda won the
gold for discuss throw. China topped the medal tally
with 41 medals while India stood third with 13 medals.
Indian wrestlers won nine medals, including eight gold
in Men's Freestyle event in the International Wrestling
tournament in Sassari City, Italy.
Sachin Tendulkar: India’s legendary batsman got the
highest number of votes to emerge on top of the list of
the 100 best Test players since 2000, in a poll conducted
by cricket.com.au. in Australia.
Bangladesh defeated Team India by 6 wickets at Mirpur,
Dhaka to register their first ever series win against
India.
Sunil Chhetri became the first Indian footballer to score
50 international goals in 87 matches. He scored his 50
th
goal in the 2018 World Cup qualifying match against
Guam.
DHONI IS RICHEST INDIAN SPORTSMAN
Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni with earnings of over $
31 million in 2014-15, ranks 23
rd among Forbes
magazine's 100 highest-paid sportspersons in the
world. He is the only Indian sportsman on the list that
has been topped again by American boxer Floyd
Mayweather with earnings of $300 million.
Inderjit Singh and Jinson Johnson of India bagged a
gold in shot put and 800 mt race, respectively, in the
Asian Athletics Grand Prix in Bangkok, Thailand.
Anantjeet Singh Naruka won the gold in the skeet
match in the 7th International junior shotgun cup held
in Orimattila, Finland.
Leander Paes became the first Indian to play with 100
different partners on ATP Circuit.
RAVI SHASTRI: Re-appointed Director of Indian cricket
team.
Former captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed coach
of the India A and Under-19 cricket teams
INDIA THIRD IN DOPING IN SPORTS
According to a report for 2013 by WADA (World Anti
doping Agency), Russia has the maximum number of
dope offenders with 212 testing positive while the
figures for Turkey and India were 155 and 91
respectively.
Zaheer Abbas, Former Pakistan captain has been
selected the new President of the International Cricket
Council (ICC) for a one year term.
Nico Rosberg of Germany won the Austrian Grand Prix
F1 championship at Spielberg, Austria.
Halle Open ATP title won by Roger Federer (Swiss)
defeating Italian Andreas Seppi in Halle, Germany.
Barcelona lifted the UEFA Champions League Football
trophy by beating Juventus at Berlin, Germany.
Lewis Hamilton won the Canadian Grand Prix at
Montreal, Canada beating his rival Nico Rosberg.
FRENCH OPEN CONCLUDES IN PARIS
Men’s title was won by Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland
by beating world champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
Serena Williams of USA won the women’s singles title by
beating Czech Lucie Safarova.
The event is popularly known as Rolland Garros
tournament and is famous for its red clay courts
FIFA Women's World Cup: United States lifted the cup
for the third time, beating Japan. In the Final played at
Vancouver, Canada.
Copa America Football Tournament: Chile defeated
Argentina on penalties on July 5 to end their 99-year
wait for this prestigious crown. Finals were played in
Santiago, capital of Chile.
British Grand Prix F1 won by the reigning world
champion Lewis Hamilton of UK on July5 at Silverstone
circuit, UK.
South Asian Basketball Championship: India won by
beating Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.
World University Games, Gwangju, South Korea:
Inderjeet Singh won the gold in shot-put event on July 8.
2015 World Police and Fire Games held in Fairfax
County, Virginia, in the United States.
The first day-night test match under lights will be
played in Australia against New Zealand at the Adelaide
Oval in November this year.
Canada Open Badminton Tournament: Lee Chong
Wei of Malaysia and Michelle Li of Canada won the
men's and women’s singles title, respectively in Calgary,
Canada.
To end the undue advantage to batsmen, the ICC has
decided to scrap the batting power–plays and allow five
fielders outside the 30-yard circle in the last ten overs in
one-dayers to be played from July 5.
JUNE 2015
Satnam Singh Bhamra created history by becoming the
first Indian basketball player to be drafted in the
National Basketball Association (NBA)
21st Asian Athletics Championships at Wuhan, China
Inderjeet Singh bagged the gold medal in the men’s shot
put event at this meet. Tintu Luka won the gold in
women’s 800 mt race. Lalita Babar bagged gold in
3000m steeplechase race while Vikas Gowda won the
gold for discuss throw. China topped the medal tally
with 41 medals while India stood third with 13 medals.
Indian wrestlers won nine medals, including eight gold
in Men's Freestyle event in the International Wrestling
tournament in Sassari City, Italy.
Sachin Tendulkar: India’s legendary batsman got the
highest number of votes to emerge on top of the list of
the 100 best Test players since 2000, in a poll conducted
by cricket.com.au. in Australia.
Bangladesh defeated Team India by 6 wickets at Mirpur,
Dhaka to register their first ever series win against
India.
Sunil Chhetri became the first Indian footballer to score
50 international goals in 87 matches. He scored his 50
th
goal in the 2018 World Cup qualifying match against
Guam.
DHONI IS RICHEST INDIAN SPORTSMAN
Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni with earnings of over $
31 million in 2014-15, ranks 23
rd among Forbes
magazine's 100 highest-paid sportspersons in the
world. He is the only Indian sportsman on the list that
has been topped again by American boxer Floyd
Mayweather with earnings of $300 million.
Inderjit Singh and Jinson Johnson of India bagged a
gold in shot put and 800 mt race, respectively, in the
Asian Athletics Grand Prix in Bangkok, Thailand.
Anantjeet Singh Naruka won the gold in the skeet
match in the 7th International junior shotgun cup held
in Orimattila, Finland.
Leander Paes became the first Indian to play with 100
different partners on ATP Circuit.
RAVI SHASTRI: Re-appointed Director of Indian cricket
team.
Former captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed coach
of the India A and Under-19 cricket teams
INDIA THIRD IN DOPING IN SPORTS
According to a report for 2013 by WADA (World Anti
doping Agency), Russia has the maximum number of
dope offenders with 212 testing positive while the
figures for Turkey and India were 155 and 91
respectively.
Zaheer Abbas, Former Pakistan captain has been
selected the new President of the International Cricket
Council (ICC) for a one year term.
Nico Rosberg of Germany won the Austrian Grand Prix
F1 championship at Spielberg, Austria.
Halle Open ATP title won by Roger Federer (Swiss)
defeating Italian Andreas Seppi in Halle, Germany.
Barcelona lifted the UEFA Champions League Football
trophy by beating Juventus at Berlin, Germany.
Lewis Hamilton won the Canadian Grand Prix at
Montreal, Canada beating his rival Nico Rosberg.
FRENCH OPEN CONCLUDES IN PARIS
Men’s title was won by Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland
by beating world champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
Serena Williams of USA won the women’s singles title by
beating Czech Lucie Safarova.
The event is popularly known as Rolland Garros
tournament and is famous for its red clay courts
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 51
MAY 2015
19
th FEDERATION CUP National Senior Athletic
Championships held in Mangalore, Karnataka. Men’s
team title won by the Indian Army team and Kerala won
in the women’s category.
5th National women hockey championship:
Railways won the title by beating Jharkhand at Saifai,
Uttar Pradesh
VIKAS GOWDA: Ace Indian discus thrower won gold in
the Jamaican International Invitation meet in Kingston,
Jamaica. He also won a bronze medal in the IAAF
Diamond League series in Shanghai.
JITU RAI: Ace marksman was declared the
‘Sportsperson of the Year' by the Times of India Sports
Awards
Geeta Phogat and Lalita Sherawat, each won a bronze
medal in the women's freestyle category in the Senior
Asian Wrestling Championship held at Doha, UAE.
International Shooting Competition: India's top rifle
shooters have won a rich haul of three gold and two
bronze medals at this competition held in Hannover,
Germany. Chain Singh, Abhinav Bindra and Gagan
Narang won the gold and Apurvi Chandela along with
Gagan Narang won the bronze.
Indian boxers completed a brilliant run at the Doha
International Boxing Tournament, winning four gold,
one silver and two bronze medals in the event.
Gagan Narang won the bronze medal in the 50 metre
Rifle Prone Event of the ISSF World Cup at Fort Benning
in the USA
Tejaswini Sagar, Indian school girl won her maiden
world title by bagging the gold in the under-15 category
of World School Chess Championships held in Pattaya,
Thailand.
Mumbai Indians won their second IPL title defeating
Chennai Super Kings by 41 runs at Eden Gardens in
Kolkata on May 24.
Women’s World Team Chess Championship: won by
Georgia beating China at Chengdu, China. India's D
Harika and K Humpy won the silver and bronze medal
respectively, in individual category.
Kumar Sangakkara, former Sri Lanka captain was
named as the CEAT International Cricketer of the Year
2015
Ajinkya Rahane, Indian batsman was named as the
CEAT Indian Cricketer of the Year 2015.
Nico Rosberg of Germany won the Monaco Grand Prix
Formula 1 World Championship held in Monaco on May
24. He also won the Spanish Grand Prix F1
championship at Barcelona, Spain
‘MONEY’ WINS THE ‘FIGHT OF THE CENTURY’
American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Money) of USA
defeated Manny Pacquiao from Philippines to win the
unified World Welterweight title. The legendary bout
termed as ‘Fight of the Century’ took place on May 2 at
Las Vegas, USA. Mayweather is expected to take home
$180 million and Manny $ 120 million as prize money.
Novak Djokovic won the Rome Masters Tennis title
with beating Roger Federer in Rome, Italy. Women’s
singles title was won by Maria Sharapova by beating
Carla Suarez of Spain.
World Team Chess Championship-Men’s: China won
the championship leaving Ukraine at second place at
Tsaghkadzor, Armenia
Australian Open Badminton Tournament begins in
Sydney from May 26
BOOKS & AUTHORS
JULY 2015
BOOK AUTHOR
R. D. Burman: The Prince of
Music
Khagesh Dev Burman
Locale, Everyday Islam and
Modernity
M. Raisur Rahman
Ghosts of Calcutta Sebastian Ortiz
India former Union
Environment and Forest
Minister, Jairam Ramesh.
Green Signals: Ecology,
Growth, and Democracy in
India Central Asia Relations:
The Economic Dimension
Amiya Chandra
‘Kashmir: The Vajpayee
Years’
A S Dulat. He was the
Chief of Research and
Analysis Wing (RAW) and
Special Advisor on
Kashmir in Vajpayee's
PMO after his retirement.
The Making of Miracles in
Indian States
Arvind Panagariya and M
Govinda Rao
Who Will Cry When You Die Robin S Sharma
Conflict Resolution in
Multicultural Societies —
The Indian Experience
Jhumpa Mukherjee
Chaos of the Senses Ahlem Mosteghanemi
Flood of Fire Amitav Ghosh
Men Explain Things to Me Rebecca Solnit
The Crown Prince, the
Gladiator and the Hope:
Ashutosh
MAY 2015
19
th FEDERATION CUP National Senior Athletic
Championships held in Mangalore, Karnataka. Men’s
team title won by the Indian Army team and Kerala won
in the women’s category.
5th National women hockey championship:
Railways won the title by beating Jharkhand at Saifai,
Uttar Pradesh
VIKAS GOWDA: Ace Indian discus thrower won gold in
the Jamaican International Invitation meet in Kingston,
Jamaica. He also won a bronze medal in the IAAF
Diamond League series in Shanghai.
JITU RAI: Ace marksman was declared the
‘Sportsperson of the Year' by the Times of India Sports
Awards
Geeta Phogat and Lalita Sherawat, each won a bronze
medal in the women's freestyle category in the Senior
Asian Wrestling Championship held at Doha, UAE.
International Shooting Competition: India's top rifle
shooters have won a rich haul of three gold and two
bronze medals at this competition held in Hannover,
Germany. Chain Singh, Abhinav Bindra and Gagan
Narang won the gold and Apurvi Chandela along with
Gagan Narang won the bronze.
Indian boxers completed a brilliant run at the Doha
International Boxing Tournament, winning four gold,
one silver and two bronze medals in the event.
Gagan Narang won the bronze medal in the 50 metre
Rifle Prone Event of the ISSF World Cup at Fort Benning
in the USA
Tejaswini Sagar, Indian school girl won her maiden
world title by bagging the gold in the under-15 category
of World School Chess Championships held in Pattaya,
Thailand.
Mumbai Indians won their second IPL title defeating
Chennai Super Kings by 41 runs at Eden Gardens in
Kolkata on May 24.
Women’s World Team Chess Championship: won by
Georgia beating China at Chengdu, China. India's D
Harika and K Humpy won the silver and bronze medal
respectively, in individual category.
Kumar Sangakkara, former Sri Lanka captain was
named as the CEAT International Cricketer of the Year
2015
Ajinkya Rahane, Indian batsman was named as the
CEAT Indian Cricketer of the Year 2015.
Nico Rosberg of Germany won the Monaco Grand Prix
Formula 1 World Championship held in Monaco on May
24. He also won the Spanish Grand Prix F1
championship at Barcelona, Spain
‘MONEY’ WINS THE ‘FIGHT OF THE CENTURY’
American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Money) of USA
defeated Manny Pacquiao from Philippines to win the
unified World Welterweight title. The legendary bout
termed as ‘Fight of the Century’ took place on May 2 at
Las Vegas, USA. Mayweather is expected to take home
$180 million and Manny $ 120 million as prize money.
Novak Djokovic won the Rome Masters Tennis title
with beating Roger Federer in Rome, Italy. Women’s
singles title was won by Maria Sharapova by beating
Carla Suarez of Spain.
World Team Chess Championship-Men’s: China won
the championship leaving Ukraine at second place at
Tsaghkadzor, Armenia
Australian Open Badminton Tournament begins in
Sydney from May 26
BOOKS & AUTHORS
JULY 2015
BOOK AUTHOR
R. D. Burman: The Prince of
Music
Khagesh Dev Burman
Locale, Everyday Islam and
Modernity
M. Raisur Rahman
Ghosts of Calcutta Sebastian Ortiz
India former Union
Environment and Forest
Minister, Jairam Ramesh.
Green Signals: Ecology,
Growth, and Democracy in
India Central Asia Relations:
The Economic Dimension
Amiya Chandra
‘Kashmir: The Vajpayee
Years’
A S Dulat. He was the
Chief of Research and
Analysis Wing (RAW) and
Special Advisor on
Kashmir in Vajpayee's
PMO after his retirement.
The Making of Miracles in
Indian States
Arvind Panagariya and M
Govinda Rao
Who Will Cry When You Die Robin S Sharma
Conflict Resolution in
Multicultural Societies —
The Indian Experience
Jhumpa Mukherjee
Chaos of the Senses Ahlem Mosteghanemi
Flood of Fire Amitav Ghosh
Men Explain Things to Me Rebecca Solnit
The Crown Prince, the
Gladiator and the Hope:
Ashutosh
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 52
Battle for Change
Super Economies: America,
India, China and the Future
of the World
Raghav Bahl
Green Signals: Ecology,
Growth and Democracy in
India
Jairam Ramesh, ex Union
Minister for environment
At Home in India- The
Muslim Saga
Salman Khurshid
The Past Before Us Romila Thapar
Your Dreams are Mine Now Ravinder Singh
World’s Best Boyfriend Durjoy Datta
Unbelievable – Delhi to
Islamabad
senior Advocate Prof.
Bhim Singh
More Bad Time Tales Humra Quraishi
India–Central Asia Relations Amiya Chandra
Gandhi at First Sight Thomas Weber
Vanessa and Her Sister Priya Parmar
Me Hijra Me Laxmi Laxminarayan Tripathi,
autobiography of a
transgender, a crusader
for rights of LGBT
community
A Practitioner’s Diary Pradip Baijal
Water, Peace, and War—
Confronting the Global
Water Crisis
Brahma Chellaney
No Free Left — The Futures
of Indian Communism
Vijay Prashad
KP: The Autobiography Kevin Pietersen.
India Shastra— Reflections
on the Nation in Our Time
Shashi Tharoor
Secularism, Identity, and
Enchantment
Akeel Bilgrami
At The Helm— A Memoir V. Krishnamurthy
The Girl on the Train Paula Hawkins
Mightier Than the Sword Jeffrey Archer
On Religion Late Khushwant Singh
God's Bankers: A History of
Money and Power at the
Vatican
Gerald Posner
Prince of Gujarat Rajmohan Gandhi
Sahib: the British Soldier in
India
Richard Holmes
Battle for Change
Super Economies: America,
India, China and the Future
of the World
Raghav Bahl
Green Signals: Ecology,
Growth and Democracy in
India
Jairam Ramesh, ex Union
Minister for environment
At Home in India- The
Muslim Saga
Salman Khurshid
The Past Before Us Romila Thapar
Your Dreams are Mine Now Ravinder Singh
World’s Best Boyfriend Durjoy Datta
Unbelievable – Delhi to
Islamabad
senior Advocate Prof.
Bhim Singh
More Bad Time Tales Humra Quraishi
India–Central Asia Relations Amiya Chandra
Gandhi at First Sight Thomas Weber
Vanessa and Her Sister Priya Parmar
Me Hijra Me Laxmi Laxminarayan Tripathi,
autobiography of a
transgender, a crusader
for rights of LGBT
community
A Practitioner’s Diary Pradip Baijal
Water, Peace, and War—
Confronting the Global
Water Crisis
Brahma Chellaney
No Free Left — The Futures
of Indian Communism
Vijay Prashad
KP: The Autobiography Kevin Pietersen.
India Shastra— Reflections
on the Nation in Our Time
Shashi Tharoor
Secularism, Identity, and
Enchantment
Akeel Bilgrami
At The Helm— A Memoir V. Krishnamurthy
The Girl on the Train Paula Hawkins
Mightier Than the Sword Jeffrey Archer
On Religion Late Khushwant Singh
God's Bankers: A History of
Money and Power at the
Vatican
Gerald Posner
Prince of Gujarat Rajmohan Gandhi
Sahib: the British Soldier in
India
Richard Holmes
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 53
P U N J A B
MUNICIPAL ACT – 1911
CONTENT
1. DEFINITIONS
2. COSNTITUTION OF MUNICIPALITY
3. CONSTITUTION OF COMMITETEE
4. FUNCTIONS
5. MUNICIPAL FUND
6. TAXATION
PROCEDURE FOR ASSESSMENT
7. MAJOR FUNCTIONS
a) PREVENTION OF FIRE
b) WATER SUPPLY
c) SANITATION
d) BURIAL AND BURNING PLACES
e) DANGEROUS ANIMALS
f) DANGEROUS BUILDINGS
g) DANGEROUS AND OFFENSIVE TRADES
h) DRAINS AND PRIVIES
i) LAYING & CONNECTING PIPES, SEWERS
j) SCAVENGING
k) SLAUGHTER HOUSES
l) STREETS AND BUILDINGS
8. BYE LAWS
9. POWER OF ENTRY
10. NOTICE AND CONSEQUENCES OF NON
COMPLIANCE
11. PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION
12. CONTROL
PUNJAB MUNICIPAL ACT, 1911
Objective: The British provided for a set of rules for
governance of urban areas and the first such law was
passed for the city of Madras in 1688. After, annexation
of Punjab, the government of Punjab made various acts
to regulate the urban areas and in 1911 passed a
comprehensive law for governing urban areas.
The law provides for definition of the areas to
be demarcated as Municipal Committee, as well as
powers and functions of the committee. The law gives
the residents of the area the power to elect their
representatives for management of the affairs of the
area, they live in. The act is divided into thirteen
chapters and has 240 sections.
1. DEFINITIONS
Under section 3 of the act, the Punjab Municipal
Act has defined different terms which are used in
the act for clarification.
Of these the major terms are :
ANNUAL VALUE
Annual Value : means in the case of land or
building which is in the occupation of a tenant, the
gross annual rent at which the land or building
has actually been let:
Provided that in the event of increase in the rent,
the Committee may make corresponding increase
in the annual value[Section 3(1)]
The law provides for various situations like the
calculation of ‘annual value’ in case of multi-
storey building or group housing buildings, etc.
Industrial building :a building or part thereof
wherein products or material are fabricated,
assembled or processed such as assembly plant,
power plants, refineries, gas plants, mills and
factories.
Non residential building :any building which is
being used for purpose of business, profession,
trade, institution or any other commercial
activities but does not include an industrial
building.
Residential building : means any building which
is being used for exclusively for residential
purposes.
Building : means any shop, house, hut, outhouse,
stable, a factory, an industrial shed and a
temporary structure erected by means tent and
structures raised for entertainment purposes
whether roofed or not and whether used for the
purpose or human habitation or otherwise and
whether masonary, bricks, wood, mud, thatch,
metal or any other material whatever, and
includes a wall and a well.
P U N J A B
MUNICIPAL ACT – 1911
CONTENT
1. DEFINITIONS
2. COSNTITUTION OF MUNICIPALITY
3. CONSTITUTION OF COMMITETEE
4. FUNCTIONS
5. MUNICIPAL FUND
6. TAXATION
PROCEDURE FOR ASSESSMENT
7. MAJOR FUNCTIONS
a) PREVENTION OF FIRE
b) WATER SUPPLY
c) SANITATION
d) BURIAL AND BURNING PLACES
e) DANGEROUS ANIMALS
f) DANGEROUS BUILDINGS
g) DANGEROUS AND OFFENSIVE TRADES
h) DRAINS AND PRIVIES
i) LAYING & CONNECTING PIPES, SEWERS
j) SCAVENGING
k) SLAUGHTER HOUSES
l) STREETS AND BUILDINGS
8. BYE LAWS
9. POWER OF ENTRY
10. NOTICE AND CONSEQUENCES OF NON
COMPLIANCE
11. PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION
12. CONTROL
PUNJAB MUNICIPAL ACT, 1911
Objective: The British provided for a set of rules for
governance of urban areas and the first such law was
passed for the city of Madras in 1688. After, annexation
of Punjab, the government of Punjab made various acts
to regulate the urban areas and in 1911 passed a
comprehensive law for governing urban areas.
The law provides for definition of the areas to
be demarcated as Municipal Committee, as well as
powers and functions of the committee. The law gives
the residents of the area the power to elect their
representatives for management of the affairs of the
area, they live in. The act is divided into thirteen
chapters and has 240 sections.
1. DEFINITIONS
Under section 3 of the act, the Punjab Municipal
Act has defined different terms which are used in
the act for clarification.
Of these the major terms are :
ANNUAL VALUE
Annual Value : means in the case of land or
building which is in the occupation of a tenant, the
gross annual rent at which the land or building
has actually been let:
Provided that in the event of increase in the rent,
the Committee may make corresponding increase
in the annual value[Section 3(1)]
The law provides for various situations like the
calculation of ‘annual value’ in case of multi-
storey building or group housing buildings, etc.
Industrial building :a building or part thereof
wherein products or material are fabricated,
assembled or processed such as assembly plant,
power plants, refineries, gas plants, mills and
factories.
Non residential building :any building which is
being used for purpose of business, profession,
trade, institution or any other commercial
activities but does not include an industrial
building.
Residential building : means any building which
is being used for exclusively for residential
purposes.
Building : means any shop, house, hut, outhouse,
stable, a factory, an industrial shed and a
temporary structure erected by means tent and
structures raised for entertainment purposes
whether roofed or not and whether used for the
purpose or human habitation or otherwise and
whether masonary, bricks, wood, mud, thatch,
metal or any other material whatever, and
includes a wall and a well.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 54
Building line : a line beyond which the outer face
or any part of an external wall of a building may
not project in the direction of any street, existing
or proposed.
Committee : means Municipal council or Nagar
Panchayat
Erect or re-erect :
erect or re-erect any building” includes -
(a) any material alteration or enlargement of any
building,
(b) the conversion by structural alteration into a place
for human habitation of any building not originally
constructed for human habitation,
(c) the conversion of two or more places of human
habitation into a greater number of such places,
(d) the conversion of two or more places of human
habitation into a greater number of such places,
(e) such alterations of a building as effect an alteration of
its drainage or sanitary arrangement, or materially affect
its security,
(f) the addition of any rooms, buildings, out-houses or
other structures to any building, and
(g) the construction in a wall adjoining any street or
land not belonging to the owner of the wall, of a door
opening on to such street or land.
Infectious Disease : means cholera, plague, smallpox,
tuberculosis, or such other disease as the State
government may notify in this behalf.
Inhabitant : includes any person ordinarily residing or
carrying on business or owning or occupying immovable
property in any municipality,
Land : “land” includes benefits to arise out of land,
things attached to the earth or permanently fastened to
anything attached to the earth and rights created by law
over any street.
Municipal Council: means a Municipality constituted
under sub-section (2) of section 4 of this Act for a
smaller urban area; and
Municipal Area : means the territorial area of a
Municipality specified under section 4 of this Act;
Municipality : means an institution of self government
constituted as a Nagar Panchayat or a Municipal Council
under sub-section (2) of section 4 of this Act;
Nagar Panchayat : means a Municipality constituted
under sub-section (2) of section 4 of this Act for a
transitional area;”;
Occupier: includes an owner in actual occupation of his
own land or building, and also any person for the time
being paying or liable to pay to the owner he rent or any
portion of the rent of the land or building in respect of
which the owned is used.
Owner: includes the person for the time being receiving
the rent of land and buildings, or either of them, whether
on his own account or as agent or trustee for any person
or society or for any religious or charitable purpose or
who would so receive the same if the land or building
were let to a tenant.
Population: means the population as ascertained at the
last preceding Census, of which the relevant figures have
been published;
Premises: means any land or building or part of a
building and includes-
(a) the garden, ground and out-houses, of any,
appertaining to a building or part of a building; and
(b) and fitting affixed to a building or part of a building
for the more beneficial enjoyment thereof.
2. COSNTITUTION OF MUNICIPALITY
The law provides for various types of municipal councils.
Which type of council will be constituted for the area is
decided by the state government based on the area,
density of population, revenue generated for local
administration, the percentage of employment in non-
agricultural activities, the economic importance or such
other factors as it may deem fit for that area.
As per Section 4 of the act, no military cantonment or
any other part thereof shall be included in such
transitional area or a smaller urban area.
Nagar Panchayat : is constituted for the area which is
specified as transitional area.
Municipal Council: For smaller urban areas municipal
councils constituted may be categorised as the
municipality of first, second or the third class depending
on the size, population of the area. The state government
after consultation with the committee can change the
classification of a Municipal Council from one class to
another.
Alteration of limits of the Municipality
The power to change the limits of the municipality is
vested with the state government under Section 5. The
government can change the limits after consultation
with the concerned Municipality.
Reservation of Seats
Reservation of seats in the municipal committee or the
nagar panchayat for scheduled castes and the number of
seats reserved for them are decided by the percentage of
their population in the area.
The seats may be allotted by rotation to different
constituencies which are known as wards.
Similarly, the office of Presidents of the municipalities
shall be reserved by rotation in the following manner :
5% for Scheduled Casttes
5% for women including those belonging to SC
2% for Backward Classes
Building line : a line beyond which the outer face
or any part of an external wall of a building may
not project in the direction of any street, existing
or proposed.
Committee : means Municipal council or Nagar
Panchayat
Erect or re-erect :
erect or re-erect any building” includes -
(a) any material alteration or enlargement of any
building,
(b) the conversion by structural alteration into a place
for human habitation of any building not originally
constructed for human habitation,
(c) the conversion of two or more places of human
habitation into a greater number of such places,
(d) the conversion of two or more places of human
habitation into a greater number of such places,
(e) such alterations of a building as effect an alteration of
its drainage or sanitary arrangement, or materially affect
its security,
(f) the addition of any rooms, buildings, out-houses or
other structures to any building, and
(g) the construction in a wall adjoining any street or
land not belonging to the owner of the wall, of a door
opening on to such street or land.
Infectious Disease : means cholera, plague, smallpox,
tuberculosis, or such other disease as the State
government may notify in this behalf.
Inhabitant : includes any person ordinarily residing or
carrying on business or owning or occupying immovable
property in any municipality,
Land : “land” includes benefits to arise out of land,
things attached to the earth or permanently fastened to
anything attached to the earth and rights created by law
over any street.
Municipal Council: means a Municipality constituted
under sub-section (2) of section 4 of this Act for a
smaller urban area; and
Municipal Area : means the territorial area of a
Municipality specified under section 4 of this Act;
Municipality : means an institution of self government
constituted as a Nagar Panchayat or a Municipal Council
under sub-section (2) of section 4 of this Act;
Nagar Panchayat : means a Municipality constituted
under sub-section (2) of section 4 of this Act for a
transitional area;”;
Occupier: includes an owner in actual occupation of his
own land or building, and also any person for the time
being paying or liable to pay to the owner he rent or any
portion of the rent of the land or building in respect of
which the owned is used.
Owner: includes the person for the time being receiving
the rent of land and buildings, or either of them, whether
on his own account or as agent or trustee for any person
or society or for any religious or charitable purpose or
who would so receive the same if the land or building
were let to a tenant.
Population: means the population as ascertained at the
last preceding Census, of which the relevant figures have
been published;
Premises: means any land or building or part of a
building and includes-
(a) the garden, ground and out-houses, of any,
appertaining to a building or part of a building; and
(b) and fitting affixed to a building or part of a building
for the more beneficial enjoyment thereof.
2. COSNTITUTION OF MUNICIPALITY
The law provides for various types of municipal councils.
Which type of council will be constituted for the area is
decided by the state government based on the area,
density of population, revenue generated for local
administration, the percentage of employment in non-
agricultural activities, the economic importance or such
other factors as it may deem fit for that area.
As per Section 4 of the act, no military cantonment or
any other part thereof shall be included in such
transitional area or a smaller urban area.
Nagar Panchayat : is constituted for the area which is
specified as transitional area.
Municipal Council: For smaller urban areas municipal
councils constituted may be categorised as the
municipality of first, second or the third class depending
on the size, population of the area. The state government
after consultation with the committee can change the
classification of a Municipal Council from one class to
another.
Alteration of limits of the Municipality
The power to change the limits of the municipality is
vested with the state government under Section 5. The
government can change the limits after consultation
with the concerned Municipality.
Reservation of Seats
Reservation of seats in the municipal committee or the
nagar panchayat for scheduled castes and the number of
seats reserved for them are decided by the percentage of
their population in the area.
The seats may be allotted by rotation to different
constituencies which are known as wards.
Similarly, the office of Presidents of the municipalities
shall be reserved by rotation in the following manner :
5% for Scheduled Casttes
5% for women including those belonging to SC
2% for Backward Classes
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 55
3. CONSTITUTION OF COMMITETEE
The Municipal Council or Nagar Panchayat consists of a
body of members, having an authority over an area as
specified.
It is a ‘body corporate’ having a perpetual succession and
a common seal with powers subject to provisions of this
act. It also has the power to acquire, hold and dispose of
property and may sue and may be sued.
Number of Members: The number of members of the
Nagar Panchayat or the Municipal Council is determined
by the state government. Further, all members of
Legislative Assembly of the State representing
constituencies wholly or partly in the Municipal Council
are also its members as per Section 12(3)ii of the Act.
Duration Of The Municipalities
The municipality constituted under the law shall
continue for a period of five years from the date
appointed for its first meeting and no longer. The
meaning of the first meeting is that the meeting called
for the purpose of election of its President or Vice
President.
Dissolution
The state government has the power to dissolve a
municipal committee or a nagar palika, if in its opinion, a
municipality is not competent to perform its duties or
persistently makes default in payment of duties imposed
upon it or under any other law for the time being in
force; abuses or exceeds any of its powers.
Election:
The elections to the committee are held before the
expiry of its duration which is five years.
In case a committee is dissolved, the committee is re-
constitute by the state government and election for the
new committee are to be completed before the
expiration of six months from the date of dissolution.
Resignation :
Any member can submit his resignation by submitting
an application to the Deputy Commissioner or the State
Government. The seat shall be declared vacant after the
same is accepted and notified in the gazette. The
member can withdraw his resignation within 15 days of
its receipt by the Deputy Commissioner.
Removal of Member :
The state government under Section 16 has powers to
remove any such member who commits any default, as
specified in the said section.
Every officer or servant employed by the Committee
whether for whole or part of his time and every member
of the committee is deemed to be ‘public servant’ within
the meaning of Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code.
(Section 19 of the Act)
Meetings :
Every meeting is presided over by the President and in
his absence by the Senior Vice President.
The meeting of the committee should be held atleast
once every month, at such time as may from time to time
be fixed by the bye laws.
Requisition : If not less than one fifth of the members of
the committee in writing requisition the meeting, the
President or in his absence a Vice President shall
convene either an ordinary or a special meeting at any
other time. However, the members requisitioning the
meeting must specify the purpose of the meeting.
Quorum :
i. Ordinary Meeting : As may be decided
from time to time but not less than three;
ii. Special Meeting : Minimum of one-half of
the number of committee serving at the
time, but not less than three.
Officers and Servants
The state government can make rules and regulations
for regulating the recruitment and conditions of service
of members of Municipal Services.
The services of the members of the Municipal Services
are charged to the Municipal Fund .
Certain posts in Municipal Services shall be made by the
state government but these members shall not be
deemed to have been appointed in any civil capacity to
any civil service or post under the state.
Recruitment: The recruitment of members of Municipal
Services shall be made by the state government or any
other authority in this behalf. These appointments are
not made under Punjab Public Service Commission Act
1955 and there is no need for any consultation with the
Punjab Public Service Commission in this respect.
Punishment or Dismissal : If in the opinion of the state
government, any servant has been negligent in
performance of his duties, the committee can suspend,
fine or otherwise punish him. If in the opinion of the
state government, he is unfit for his employment, the
committee can dismiss his services.
4. FUNCTIONS
In general, the administration of the smaller urban area
and the Transitional area vests with Municipal Council
and Nagar Panchayat respectively. Their functions
involve:
i. the preparation of plans for economic
development and social justice
ii. the performance of functions and implementation
of the schemes which may be entrusted to them :
a) Urban planning including town planning.
b) Regulation of land-use and construction of
building;
c) Planning for economic and social development;
d) Roads and bridges;
e) Water supply for domestic, industrial and
commercial purposes;
f) Public health, sanitation conservancy and solid
waste management;
3. CONSTITUTION OF COMMITETEE
The Municipal Council or Nagar Panchayat consists of a
body of members, having an authority over an area as
specified.
It is a ‘body corporate’ having a perpetual succession and
a common seal with powers subject to provisions of this
act. It also has the power to acquire, hold and dispose of
property and may sue and may be sued.
Number of Members: The number of members of the
Nagar Panchayat or the Municipal Council is determined
by the state government. Further, all members of
Legislative Assembly of the State representing
constituencies wholly or partly in the Municipal Council
are also its members as per Section 12(3)ii of the Act.
Duration Of The Municipalities
The municipality constituted under the law shall
continue for a period of five years from the date
appointed for its first meeting and no longer. The
meaning of the first meeting is that the meeting called
for the purpose of election of its President or Vice
President.
Dissolution
The state government has the power to dissolve a
municipal committee or a nagar palika, if in its opinion, a
municipality is not competent to perform its duties or
persistently makes default in payment of duties imposed
upon it or under any other law for the time being in
force; abuses or exceeds any of its powers.
Election:
The elections to the committee are held before the
expiry of its duration which is five years.
In case a committee is dissolved, the committee is re-
constitute by the state government and election for the
new committee are to be completed before the
expiration of six months from the date of dissolution.
Resignation :
Any member can submit his resignation by submitting
an application to the Deputy Commissioner or the State
Government. The seat shall be declared vacant after the
same is accepted and notified in the gazette. The
member can withdraw his resignation within 15 days of
its receipt by the Deputy Commissioner.
Removal of Member :
The state government under Section 16 has powers to
remove any such member who commits any default, as
specified in the said section.
Every officer or servant employed by the Committee
whether for whole or part of his time and every member
of the committee is deemed to be ‘public servant’ within
the meaning of Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code.
(Section 19 of the Act)
Meetings :
Every meeting is presided over by the President and in
his absence by the Senior Vice President.
The meeting of the committee should be held atleast
once every month, at such time as may from time to time
be fixed by the bye laws.
Requisition : If not less than one fifth of the members of
the committee in writing requisition the meeting, the
President or in his absence a Vice President shall
convene either an ordinary or a special meeting at any
other time. However, the members requisitioning the
meeting must specify the purpose of the meeting.
Quorum :
i. Ordinary Meeting : As may be decided
from time to time but not less than three;
ii. Special Meeting : Minimum of one-half of
the number of committee serving at the
time, but not less than three.
Officers and Servants
The state government can make rules and regulations
for regulating the recruitment and conditions of service
of members of Municipal Services.
The services of the members of the Municipal Services
are charged to the Municipal Fund .
Certain posts in Municipal Services shall be made by the
state government but these members shall not be
deemed to have been appointed in any civil capacity to
any civil service or post under the state.
Recruitment: The recruitment of members of Municipal
Services shall be made by the state government or any
other authority in this behalf. These appointments are
not made under Punjab Public Service Commission Act
1955 and there is no need for any consultation with the
Punjab Public Service Commission in this respect.
Punishment or Dismissal : If in the opinion of the state
government, any servant has been negligent in
performance of his duties, the committee can suspend,
fine or otherwise punish him. If in the opinion of the
state government, he is unfit for his employment, the
committee can dismiss his services.
4. FUNCTIONS
In general, the administration of the smaller urban area
and the Transitional area vests with Municipal Council
and Nagar Panchayat respectively. Their functions
involve:
i. the preparation of plans for economic
development and social justice
ii. the performance of functions and implementation
of the schemes which may be entrusted to them :
a) Urban planning including town planning.
b) Regulation of land-use and construction of
building;
c) Planning for economic and social development;
d) Roads and bridges;
e) Water supply for domestic, industrial and
commercial purposes;
f) Public health, sanitation conservancy and solid
waste management;
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 56
g) Fire services;
h) Urban forestry, protection of the environment and
promotion of ecological aspects;
i) Safeguarding the interests of weaker sections of
society;
j) Slum improvement and upgradation;
k) Urban poverty alleviation;
l) Provisions of urban amenities and facilities such
as parks, gardens and playgrounds;
m) Promotion of cultural, educational and aesthetic
aspects;
n) Burials and burial/cremation grounds and electric
crematoriums;
o) Cattle ponds and prevention of cruelty to animals;
p) Vital statistics including registration of births and
deaths;
q) Public amenities including street lighting, parking
lots, bus stops and
r) Regulation of slaughter houses and tanneries.
5. MUNICIPAL FUND
Municipal Fund : All sums received by or on behalf of
the committee under this act are to be credited to the
Municipal Fund.
Application of Funds:
I. For payment of any amount falling due on any
loan contracted by it
II. Such sum as may be required by the state
government to contribute towards the cost of
advising, assisting and supervising the work of
Municipal Committee or any other local body,( not
to exceed 1% of the income of the financial year
preceding the year in which it is called upon to
make the payment)
III. Such sum as may be required to meet the charges
of its own establishment, etc
IV. Such sum as may be required to pay expenses
incurred in auditing the accounts of the committee
or such sum as may be prescribed by central/state
government in return for the services rendered by
them,
V. Such sum as may be required for maintenance of
the lunatics, paupers etc,
VI. Such sums as are due to state government for
water works, drainage, sewage etc.,
Further the committee shall apply the funds for the
maintenance and performance of the duties as
applicable in the law.
The salary of the president of the committee is paid out
of the Municipal Fund.
Custody of Municipal Fund : All money c bollected by
the committee should be deposited in the account to be
maintained with the State Bank of India, in a Treasury,
or in a nationalized Bank or any other Bank approved by
the government in this behalf.
Acquisition of land – If the Committee requires any
land, the state government can acquire the same on
payment of compensation as provided under the law for
acquisition of land.
6. TAXATION
The taxes which can be imposed are:
a. Tax by owner of the building and land. In case the
same is occupied by the tenant, it shall be paid by
the tenant.
b. Tax on person practicing any profession or art or
any trade;
c. Tax on vehicles, other than motor vehicles
d. Tax to be paid by the employer on menial
domestic servants
e. Tax payable by occupier of any building for which
the scavenging is done by the committee
f. Application for erection of building etc.
However, no tax can be imposed upon on certain land
and buildings e.g. cremation ground, burial grounds,
land and building used for religious purposes, religious
festivals, gaushalas, etc.
Further, certain categories are exempted from paying
any tax to a certain extent; like widows and handicapped
persons are exempted from paying tax upto 5,000
rupees per year, freedom fighters and persons below
poverty line are fully exempted from paying tax.
The right of the committee to impose taxes is governed
by Section 61 of the Act for the area falling under its
jurisdiction. However, under section 62-A, this right is
subject to the general or special orders of the state
government. The state government may order the
committee to impose a tax mentioned in section 61, not
already imposed or to modify the same if already
imposed. If the committee does not follow the directions
in this regard, the state government may issue such a
notification, either imposing or modifying the tax.
PROCEDURE FOR IMPOSITION OF TAX :
Before imposing any tax as specified in section 61, the
committee should hold a special meeting and pass a
resolution to this effect. If any inhabitant has any
objection, he can submit his objection in writing within
thirty days to the committee. The committee shall take
the objection into consideration.
Procedure for Assessing the Immovable Property:
The committee shall make a list of all land and buildings
falling in its area on which any tax is to be imposed for
assessment with following particulars :
a. Name of street
b. Designation of property
c. Name of occupier
d. Annual value
e. Amount of tax assessed thereon
For the purpose of valuation, the committee shall give
notice to the occupier/owner of the land / building.
POWER TO EXAMINE ARTICLE LIABLE TO OCTROI
The committee has the power and the authority to
impose octroi on goods entering its limits and to inspect
the goods entering its limits for the purpose of
ascertaining its value for the calculation of tax on the
same.
g) Fire services;
h) Urban forestry, protection of the environment and
promotion of ecological aspects;
i) Safeguarding the interests of weaker sections of
society;
j) Slum improvement and upgradation;
k) Urban poverty alleviation;
l) Provisions of urban amenities and facilities such
as parks, gardens and playgrounds;
m) Promotion of cultural, educational and aesthetic
aspects;
n) Burials and burial/cremation grounds and electric
crematoriums;
o) Cattle ponds and prevention of cruelty to animals;
p) Vital statistics including registration of births and
deaths;
q) Public amenities including street lighting, parking
lots, bus stops and
r) Regulation of slaughter houses and tanneries.
5. MUNICIPAL FUND
Municipal Fund : All sums received by or on behalf of
the committee under this act are to be credited to the
Municipal Fund.
Application of Funds:
I. For payment of any amount falling due on any
loan contracted by it
II. Such sum as may be required by the state
government to contribute towards the cost of
advising, assisting and supervising the work of
Municipal Committee or any other local body,( not
to exceed 1% of the income of the financial year
preceding the year in which it is called upon to
make the payment)
III. Such sum as may be required to meet the charges
of its own establishment, etc
IV. Such sum as may be required to pay expenses
incurred in auditing the accounts of the committee
or such sum as may be prescribed by central/state
government in return for the services rendered by
them,
V. Such sum as may be required for maintenance of
the lunatics, paupers etc,
VI. Such sums as are due to state government for
water works, drainage, sewage etc.,
Further the committee shall apply the funds for the
maintenance and performance of the duties as
applicable in the law.
The salary of the president of the committee is paid out
of the Municipal Fund.
Custody of Municipal Fund : All money c bollected by
the committee should be deposited in the account to be
maintained with the State Bank of India, in a Treasury,
or in a nationalized Bank or any other Bank approved by
the government in this behalf.
Acquisition of land – If the Committee requires any
land, the state government can acquire the same on
payment of compensation as provided under the law for
acquisition of land.
6. TAXATION
The taxes which can be imposed are:
a. Tax by owner of the building and land. In case the
same is occupied by the tenant, it shall be paid by
the tenant.
b. Tax on person practicing any profession or art or
any trade;
c. Tax on vehicles, other than motor vehicles
d. Tax to be paid by the employer on menial
domestic servants
e. Tax payable by occupier of any building for which
the scavenging is done by the committee
f. Application for erection of building etc.
However, no tax can be imposed upon on certain land
and buildings e.g. cremation ground, burial grounds,
land and building used for religious purposes, religious
festivals, gaushalas, etc.
Further, certain categories are exempted from paying
any tax to a certain extent; like widows and handicapped
persons are exempted from paying tax upto 5,000
rupees per year, freedom fighters and persons below
poverty line are fully exempted from paying tax.
The right of the committee to impose taxes is governed
by Section 61 of the Act for the area falling under its
jurisdiction. However, under section 62-A, this right is
subject to the general or special orders of the state
government. The state government may order the
committee to impose a tax mentioned in section 61, not
already imposed or to modify the same if already
imposed. If the committee does not follow the directions
in this regard, the state government may issue such a
notification, either imposing or modifying the tax.
PROCEDURE FOR IMPOSITION OF TAX :
Before imposing any tax as specified in section 61, the
committee should hold a special meeting and pass a
resolution to this effect. If any inhabitant has any
objection, he can submit his objection in writing within
thirty days to the committee. The committee shall take
the objection into consideration.
Procedure for Assessing the Immovable Property:
The committee shall make a list of all land and buildings
falling in its area on which any tax is to be imposed for
assessment with following particulars :
a. Name of street
b. Designation of property
c. Name of occupier
d. Annual value
e. Amount of tax assessed thereon
For the purpose of valuation, the committee shall give
notice to the occupier/owner of the land / building.
POWER TO EXAMINE ARTICLE LIABLE TO OCTROI
The committee has the power and the authority to
impose octroi on goods entering its limits and to inspect
the goods entering its limits for the purpose of
ascertaining its value for the calculation of tax on the
same.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 57
Under Article 76 to 78, the committee has also the power
to impose tax on the animals or the articles conveyed out
of its limits.
RECOVERY OF TAXES
The committee can recover the sum due as tax payable
by issuing a notice, restraint on sale of his property,
attachment or sale of immovable property of the
defaulter, seizure of goods and vehicle in case of octroi,
and in case of tax on land and building by attachment of
the rent due in respect of the property.
MUNICIPAL POLICE
The committee can have its own police, though the state
government may relieve the committee from this
responsibility. At present this function has been taken
over by the state government.
MUNICIPAL WATCHMAN
If the watchmen are appointed, they shall be under the
control of the Superintendent of Police subject to general
control of the District Magistrate.
7. MAJOR FUNCTIONS
a. EXTINCTION AND PREVENTION OF FIRE
Fire brigade and implements for prevention and
extinction of fire are managed by the committee. Officers
have been given powers to take decisions in case of
emergency; like removal or order the removal of any
person whose interference can impede the operations,
close any street in or nearby which the fire is burning,
break into or through or pull down or cause to be broke
into or pulled down for passage, cause pipes to be shut
off, call person in charge of fire engine to render
assistance or take any decision which may be necessary
for the preservation of property.
b. WATER SUPPLY
The committee is entrusted with the responsibility to
supply wholesome water sufficient for public and
domestic purposes under Chapter VIII of the Act vide
Sections 96 to 102.
Section 96 provides for responsibility of committee to
supply water under its jurisdiction; while Section 97
provides for arranging the supply of water from nearest
connection to the building.
When required by the medical officer, the committee
shall arrange for examination of the water supplied for
human consumption, to check if the same is fit for
human consumption.
If the water is required for any purpose other than the
domestic, the person must submit an application
specifying the purpose for which the it is required and
the quantity likely to be consumed. The committee has
the power to withdraw supply at any time, to maintain
sufficient supply of water for domestic purposes.
Following activities are not covered under ’domestic
purposes’ for the purpose of water supply :
a. For animals or washing of vehicles, kept for sale,
b. Trade and manufacture,
c. Fountains, swimming baths,
d. For gardens or for purpose of irrigating,
e. Watering roads and paths,
f. Building purpose.
Power to cut off supply : Under Section 101 of the act,the
committee has the authority to cut off the supply of
water, in case he does not pay the water tax or
negligently misuses or causes waste of water.
c. SANITARY AND OTHER PURPOSES
The committee may prescribe the areas for the purpose
of bathing, washing clothes or animals. The fee for usage
is decided by the committee. (section 106 of the act)
d. BURIAL AND BURNING PLACES
No burial or the burning area can be made without the
sanction of the committee. The committee has the
power to close down any such area on the
recommendations of the medical officer. The act also
provides that the committee can prescribe the route
through which the corpse can be taken to the burial or
the burning place.
e. DANGEROUS ANIMALS
The committee is empowered to destroy or cause to be
destroyed or confine mad dogs infected with rabies or
bitten by any dog or animal suffering or suspected to be
suffering from such a disease.
It may also confine the stray dogs wandering in the
streets without collars and cause them to be destroyed.
If any person who being the owner of the dog neglects to
restrain the dog from intimidating the passengers or are
without muzzle can be punished with a fine which may
extend upto twenty rupees.
Any person in-charge of camel, bear or elephant must
remove it as far as possible to a safe distance on
approach of a horse. Anyone who takes an elephant
along a street without permission of the committee shall
be punished with a fine which may extend to twenty
rupees.
f. Dangerous or Insanitary Buildings or Places
Sections 113 to 120 deal with the power of the
committee to secure area under its control from
dangerous or insanitary buildings or places. The
committee has the power and the responsibility to
ensure sanitation, securing the buildings, wells tanks etc;
take decisions about dangerous buildings, cleaning of
filthy land or buildings, paving or draining of cattle
stands, power to require the owner to clear away
noxious vegetation, power to require the owner to trim
the hedges and trees etc. It can also require the owner of
the untenanted building to secure or enclose it to
prevent it from becoming resort of idle and disorderly
persons. Under section 120, the committee can prohibit
the cultivation of such crop, use of such manure or
employment of such methods of irrigation, which are
reported by the Medical Officer to be injurious or may
cause contamination.
Under Article 76 to 78, the committee has also the power
to impose tax on the animals or the articles conveyed out
of its limits.
RECOVERY OF TAXES
The committee can recover the sum due as tax payable
by issuing a notice, restraint on sale of his property,
attachment or sale of immovable property of the
defaulter, seizure of goods and vehicle in case of octroi,
and in case of tax on land and building by attachment of
the rent due in respect of the property.
MUNICIPAL POLICE
The committee can have its own police, though the state
government may relieve the committee from this
responsibility. At present this function has been taken
over by the state government.
MUNICIPAL WATCHMAN
If the watchmen are appointed, they shall be under the
control of the Superintendent of Police subject to general
control of the District Magistrate.
7. MAJOR FUNCTIONS
a. EXTINCTION AND PREVENTION OF FIRE
Fire brigade and implements for prevention and
extinction of fire are managed by the committee. Officers
have been given powers to take decisions in case of
emergency; like removal or order the removal of any
person whose interference can impede the operations,
close any street in or nearby which the fire is burning,
break into or through or pull down or cause to be broke
into or pulled down for passage, cause pipes to be shut
off, call person in charge of fire engine to render
assistance or take any decision which may be necessary
for the preservation of property.
b. WATER SUPPLY
The committee is entrusted with the responsibility to
supply wholesome water sufficient for public and
domestic purposes under Chapter VIII of the Act vide
Sections 96 to 102.
Section 96 provides for responsibility of committee to
supply water under its jurisdiction; while Section 97
provides for arranging the supply of water from nearest
connection to the building.
When required by the medical officer, the committee
shall arrange for examination of the water supplied for
human consumption, to check if the same is fit for
human consumption.
If the water is required for any purpose other than the
domestic, the person must submit an application
specifying the purpose for which the it is required and
the quantity likely to be consumed. The committee has
the power to withdraw supply at any time, to maintain
sufficient supply of water for domestic purposes.
Following activities are not covered under ’domestic
purposes’ for the purpose of water supply :
a. For animals or washing of vehicles, kept for sale,
b. Trade and manufacture,
c. Fountains, swimming baths,
d. For gardens or for purpose of irrigating,
e. Watering roads and paths,
f. Building purpose.
Power to cut off supply : Under Section 101 of the act,the
committee has the authority to cut off the supply of
water, in case he does not pay the water tax or
negligently misuses or causes waste of water.
c. SANITARY AND OTHER PURPOSES
The committee may prescribe the areas for the purpose
of bathing, washing clothes or animals. The fee for usage
is decided by the committee. (section 106 of the act)
d. BURIAL AND BURNING PLACES
No burial or the burning area can be made without the
sanction of the committee. The committee has the
power to close down any such area on the
recommendations of the medical officer. The act also
provides that the committee can prescribe the route
through which the corpse can be taken to the burial or
the burning place.
e. DANGEROUS ANIMALS
The committee is empowered to destroy or cause to be
destroyed or confine mad dogs infected with rabies or
bitten by any dog or animal suffering or suspected to be
suffering from such a disease.
It may also confine the stray dogs wandering in the
streets without collars and cause them to be destroyed.
If any person who being the owner of the dog neglects to
restrain the dog from intimidating the passengers or are
without muzzle can be punished with a fine which may
extend upto twenty rupees.
Any person in-charge of camel, bear or elephant must
remove it as far as possible to a safe distance on
approach of a horse. Anyone who takes an elephant
along a street without permission of the committee shall
be punished with a fine which may extend to twenty
rupees.
f. Dangerous or Insanitary Buildings or Places
Sections 113 to 120 deal with the power of the
committee to secure area under its control from
dangerous or insanitary buildings or places. The
committee has the power and the responsibility to
ensure sanitation, securing the buildings, wells tanks etc;
take decisions about dangerous buildings, cleaning of
filthy land or buildings, paving or draining of cattle
stands, power to require the owner to clear away
noxious vegetation, power to require the owner to trim
the hedges and trees etc. It can also require the owner of
the untenanted building to secure or enclose it to
prevent it from becoming resort of idle and disorderly
persons. Under section 120, the committee can prohibit
the cultivation of such crop, use of such manure or
employment of such methods of irrigation, which are
reported by the Medical Officer to be injurious or may
cause contamination.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 58
g. Dangerous or Offensive Trades
Under Section 121 of the Act, the committee has the
power to regulate the business relating to Offensive or
Dangerous Trade. As such no place in committee can be
used for the purpose of melting tallow, boiling bones,
offal or blood, or be used as a soap house, oil boiling
house, dyeing or tannery house, used as store for hay,
straw or store house for explosive or petroleum or
inflammable oil or spirit, except under license from the
committee.
Any establishment of new factory requires the
permission of the committee under Act 121 A of the act.
Articles 122 to 153 provide the committee with the
authority and power to control and or prohibit such
trades which may be a nuisance to neighbourhood, use
of whistles, provisions of drains, latrines, discharge of
sewerage, troughs and pipes for rain water, disinfection
of buildings, control of begging, house for brothel and
prostitute etc,
h. Drains and Privies (Section 125 to 131)
It is required under the act to manage and maintain the
drains, toilets in a manner as may be prescribed by the
committee. The law prohibits the construction of any
unauthorized building over any sewer, drain etc and pull
down or otherwise deal with it as it may deem fit. The
committee can order removal of any latrine etc, which
falls within fifty feet of any spring, well, tank, reservoir
or source of water from which water is derived for
public use to remove or close the same within one week
of such notice.
i. Laying & Connecting Pipes, Sewers (Section
132 to 153)
The section describes various functions which can be
carried out by the committee and also describes the
procedure to be followed in such cases.
The committee can lay down pipes, drains or sewers
through private land or above the surface of any land or
over the side of any building. In such cases, the
committee shall pay reasonable compensation to the
owner or the occupier for any damage sustained by him.
Rainwater : The committee can direct the owner of any
building or any land to keep in good condition proper
troughs and pipes for rain water, so as not to cause any
inconvenience to persons passing through the street.
Information of Infectious Disease : The act requires that
a person who has the knowledge of infectious disease in
any area must inform the Medical Officer of the existence
of such a disease. The committee can remove such the
patient to any hospital or place at which persons
suffering from such disease are received for medical
treatment.
Disinfection of building and articles : The committee can
direct any owner to cleanse or disinfect the building to
prevent spread of any disease.
The act forbids sale of any article and food or drink for
human consumption by a person infected with
contagious disorder. The said person is not allowed to
touch or take part in business of washing or carrying
soiled clothes.
Similarly, the act gives powers to the committee to
punish or levy fine on keeping animals injurious to
health, feeding animals on deleterious substances.
The committee may prohibit use of wells or other
sources of water to prevent public access to avoid use of
such water which is likely to cause disease. (Section 149)
Section 150 empowers the Committee to impose fine on
a person who sells any article of food or drink which is
not of nature or substance or quality demanded by the
purchaser.
Soliciting alms: Begging for alms or exposing or
exhibiting any offensive sore or wound can attract
imprisonment upto three months or fine not exceeding
fifty rupees or both. (section 151)
The keeping of brothels can also be prohibited by the
act. (sections 152-153)
j. SCAVENGING AND HOUSE SCAVENGING
(Section 154 to 166)
The removal of filth, rubbish, other offensive matter,
latrine, urinal, cesspool or other common receptacle for
such matter in or pertaining to house of building is
called House Scavenging.
Under Section 154 of the Act, the committee may fix
places for deposit of rubbish, refuse or offensive matter
of any kind or disposal of dead bodies of animals in its
area or outside it with the permission of the District
Magistrate.
The act also prohibits the deposit of any refuse, rubbish
etc into the drains or in irrigation channels or public
sewer and penalty on this count is Rs. 500.00.
Spitting in areas except drains or receptacles provided is
prohibited and nuisance by children is also regulated.
The committee may undertake scavenging on
application by the owner or by general notice undertake
the work of house scavenging. If any sweeper
discontinue or does not perform the duties, he can be
punished with a fine which may extend to ten rupees.
k. SLAUGHTER HOUSES(section 167-168)
The committee may fix the areas for the purpose to be
used as slaughter Houses and charge a rent or fee for the
same. No one can slaughter any such animal for sale
within the municipality at any other place than fixed by
the committee. It also has the power to make bye-laws
for inspection and proper regulation of the same.
If any animal dies otherwise than by slaughter, then the
carcass must be removed to a place fixed by the
committee for dead animals or any place one mile
beyond the limits of the municipality.
g. Dangerous or Offensive Trades
Under Section 121 of the Act, the committee has the
power to regulate the business relating to Offensive or
Dangerous Trade. As such no place in committee can be
used for the purpose of melting tallow, boiling bones,
offal or blood, or be used as a soap house, oil boiling
house, dyeing or tannery house, used as store for hay,
straw or store house for explosive or petroleum or
inflammable oil or spirit, except under license from the
committee.
Any establishment of new factory requires the
permission of the committee under Act 121 A of the act.
Articles 122 to 153 provide the committee with the
authority and power to control and or prohibit such
trades which may be a nuisance to neighbourhood, use
of whistles, provisions of drains, latrines, discharge of
sewerage, troughs and pipes for rain water, disinfection
of buildings, control of begging, house for brothel and
prostitute etc,
h. Drains and Privies (Section 125 to 131)
It is required under the act to manage and maintain the
drains, toilets in a manner as may be prescribed by the
committee. The law prohibits the construction of any
unauthorized building over any sewer, drain etc and pull
down or otherwise deal with it as it may deem fit. The
committee can order removal of any latrine etc, which
falls within fifty feet of any spring, well, tank, reservoir
or source of water from which water is derived for
public use to remove or close the same within one week
of such notice.
i. Laying & Connecting Pipes, Sewers (Section
132 to 153)
The section describes various functions which can be
carried out by the committee and also describes the
procedure to be followed in such cases.
The committee can lay down pipes, drains or sewers
through private land or above the surface of any land or
over the side of any building. In such cases, the
committee shall pay reasonable compensation to the
owner or the occupier for any damage sustained by him.
Rainwater : The committee can direct the owner of any
building or any land to keep in good condition proper
troughs and pipes for rain water, so as not to cause any
inconvenience to persons passing through the street.
Information of Infectious Disease : The act requires that
a person who has the knowledge of infectious disease in
any area must inform the Medical Officer of the existence
of such a disease. The committee can remove such the
patient to any hospital or place at which persons
suffering from such disease are received for medical
treatment.
Disinfection of building and articles : The committee can
direct any owner to cleanse or disinfect the building to
prevent spread of any disease.
The act forbids sale of any article and food or drink for
human consumption by a person infected with
contagious disorder. The said person is not allowed to
touch or take part in business of washing or carrying
soiled clothes.
Similarly, the act gives powers to the committee to
punish or levy fine on keeping animals injurious to
health, feeding animals on deleterious substances.
The committee may prohibit use of wells or other
sources of water to prevent public access to avoid use of
such water which is likely to cause disease. (Section 149)
Section 150 empowers the Committee to impose fine on
a person who sells any article of food or drink which is
not of nature or substance or quality demanded by the
purchaser.
Soliciting alms: Begging for alms or exposing or
exhibiting any offensive sore or wound can attract
imprisonment upto three months or fine not exceeding
fifty rupees or both. (section 151)
The keeping of brothels can also be prohibited by the
act. (sections 152-153)
j. SCAVENGING AND HOUSE SCAVENGING
(Section 154 to 166)
The removal of filth, rubbish, other offensive matter,
latrine, urinal, cesspool or other common receptacle for
such matter in or pertaining to house of building is
called House Scavenging.
Under Section 154 of the Act, the committee may fix
places for deposit of rubbish, refuse or offensive matter
of any kind or disposal of dead bodies of animals in its
area or outside it with the permission of the District
Magistrate.
The act also prohibits the deposit of any refuse, rubbish
etc into the drains or in irrigation channels or public
sewer and penalty on this count is Rs. 500.00.
Spitting in areas except drains or receptacles provided is
prohibited and nuisance by children is also regulated.
The committee may undertake scavenging on
application by the owner or by general notice undertake
the work of house scavenging. If any sweeper
discontinue or does not perform the duties, he can be
punished with a fine which may extend to ten rupees.
k. SLAUGHTER HOUSES(section 167-168)
The committee may fix the areas for the purpose to be
used as slaughter Houses and charge a rent or fee for the
same. No one can slaughter any such animal for sale
within the municipality at any other place than fixed by
the committee. It also has the power to make bye-laws
for inspection and proper regulation of the same.
If any animal dies otherwise than by slaughter, then the
carcass must be removed to a place fixed by the
committee for dead animals or any place one mile
beyond the limits of the municipality.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 59
l. STREETS AND BUILDINGS
The committee has the powers to lay out, make new
streets, construct tunnels, widen streets, or close down
the same for any public purpose.
A land which is under the control of the committee for a
period of more than 25 years for use as a public street
shall become the absolute property of the committee.
Section 170 provides that no person can cut any tree or
its branch thereof or erect any building or a part of the
building or repair the outside of the building or demolish
any building, where such action is of nature to cause
obstruction or annoyance to any person using the street,
without the permission of the committee.
Punishment for encroachment upon land, premise or
public place:
The person who is accused of encroachment by raising a
temporary or permanent structure on land which is not
private property shall be punished for a simple
imprisonment of not less than one month but which may
extend to three years and with fine which may extend to
Rs.20,000.00 (twenty thousand only rupees only)
Parking of rehris or making steps to make passage to
house and shops in a street or a drain shall not be
construed as encroachment.
Power to Regulate Line of Building
If any part of the building of projects beyond the regular
line of the buildings of a street, either existing or
determined in future, the committee may require the
same to be rebuilt to fall back in regular line of the
street.
Sticking of Bills without Permission
The fine for sticking the posters without permission of
the committee is Five hundred rupees.
Power to Name Streets And Number Of Buildings:
Section 179 of the act provides the committee with the
powers to give name to streets and give number to the
house.
Driving of Vehicles Without Proper Lights :
The act provides that the anyone who drives any vehicle
half hour after sunset shall be punished with fine which
may extend upto Rs. 500.00(five hundred only).
Beating of Drums Without Permission
Any one beatng drums without permission of the
committee can be punished with fine upto
Rs.500.00(rupees five hundred only).
Other Offences
Similarly any person performing any act like discharge
of fire arms, quarrying, blasting, cutting timber or
building can be punished with fine upto Rs.500
Similarly picketing animals and collecting carts without
permission, or driving or propelling any vehicle without
light in any street during the period half an hour after
sunset to half an hour before sunrise shall be punished
which may extend upto Five hundred rupees.
Driving to the left is also provided under the municipal
laws under Section 183 and it provides that anyone who
fails
a. Fails to keep to the left
b. When passing a vehicle going in the same
direction, to keep to the right of that vehicle
Shall be liable to a fine which may extend upto twenty
rupees. However, this subsection is not applicable in a
municipality wholly or in part situated in a hilly tract.
Power to Levy Fee at Fairs
The committee with the prior permission of the Deputy
Commissioner has the power to impose fee on the
person attending the fair and on the persons exposing
their goods for sale at such fair for defraying the cost of
sanitary arrangements, watch and ward and the like.
Prohibition of Building Without Sanction:
The act provides that no person can erect or commence
to erect or re-erect any building without the sanction of
the building.
Under Section 197, the committee has the power to
regulate the manufacture, preparation, and sale of food
and drink in respect of exposure for sale, time ,hours and
manner of transport, prescribe the route to be followed,
prohibit the sale of milk, butter, etc,; game, fish and
poultry not licensed by committee.
Vide section 197 A, sale of wild birds and animals is
regulated by committee.
The penalty for infringement of byelaws is five hundred
rupees and when the breach is continuing, with a further
fume of five rupees for every day after the the first
during which the breach continues.
8. BYELAWAS
Sections 188 to 202 deal with the authority of the
committee to make bye laws for enforcement of various
powers conferred under the act.
9. POWER OF ENTRY
Sections 203 to 213 provide for power of entry and
inspection of drains, privies and cesspools to the persons
authorised by the committee. Such an inspection should
be carried out between sunrise and sunset. A notice of
three hours is necessary in such cases. However, in case
of inspection of a stable for horses or shed for cows or
other cattle, no notice is required. But in case of
inspection of urinal, latrine or privy, a notice of six hours
in writing has to be given to the occupier or owner of the
building.
The committee is authorised under the act to inspect
places for sale of food or drink and seize unwholesome
articles exposed for sale. (section 206).
Under Article 207, the person authorised by the
committee can inspect weights and measures and seize
false weights.
l. STREETS AND BUILDINGS
The committee has the powers to lay out, make new
streets, construct tunnels, widen streets, or close down
the same for any public purpose.
A land which is under the control of the committee for a
period of more than 25 years for use as a public street
shall become the absolute property of the committee.
Section 170 provides that no person can cut any tree or
its branch thereof or erect any building or a part of the
building or repair the outside of the building or demolish
any building, where such action is of nature to cause
obstruction or annoyance to any person using the street,
without the permission of the committee.
Punishment for encroachment upon land, premise or
public place:
The person who is accused of encroachment by raising a
temporary or permanent structure on land which is not
private property shall be punished for a simple
imprisonment of not less than one month but which may
extend to three years and with fine which may extend to
Rs.20,000.00 (twenty thousand only rupees only)
Parking of rehris or making steps to make passage to
house and shops in a street or a drain shall not be
construed as encroachment.
Power to Regulate Line of Building
If any part of the building of projects beyond the regular
line of the buildings of a street, either existing or
determined in future, the committee may require the
same to be rebuilt to fall back in regular line of the
street.
Sticking of Bills without Permission
The fine for sticking the posters without permission of
the committee is Five hundred rupees.
Power to Name Streets And Number Of Buildings:
Section 179 of the act provides the committee with the
powers to give name to streets and give number to the
house.
Driving of Vehicles Without Proper Lights :
The act provides that the anyone who drives any vehicle
half hour after sunset shall be punished with fine which
may extend upto Rs. 500.00(five hundred only).
Beating of Drums Without Permission
Any one beatng drums without permission of the
committee can be punished with fine upto
Rs.500.00(rupees five hundred only).
Other Offences
Similarly any person performing any act like discharge
of fire arms, quarrying, blasting, cutting timber or
building can be punished with fine upto Rs.500
Similarly picketing animals and collecting carts without
permission, or driving or propelling any vehicle without
light in any street during the period half an hour after
sunset to half an hour before sunrise shall be punished
which may extend upto Five hundred rupees.
Driving to the left is also provided under the municipal
laws under Section 183 and it provides that anyone who
fails
a. Fails to keep to the left
b. When passing a vehicle going in the same
direction, to keep to the right of that vehicle
Shall be liable to a fine which may extend upto twenty
rupees. However, this subsection is not applicable in a
municipality wholly or in part situated in a hilly tract.
Power to Levy Fee at Fairs
The committee with the prior permission of the Deputy
Commissioner has the power to impose fee on the
person attending the fair and on the persons exposing
their goods for sale at such fair for defraying the cost of
sanitary arrangements, watch and ward and the like.
Prohibition of Building Without Sanction:
The act provides that no person can erect or commence
to erect or re-erect any building without the sanction of
the building.
Under Section 197, the committee has the power to
regulate the manufacture, preparation, and sale of food
and drink in respect of exposure for sale, time ,hours and
manner of transport, prescribe the route to be followed,
prohibit the sale of milk, butter, etc,; game, fish and
poultry not licensed by committee.
Vide section 197 A, sale of wild birds and animals is
regulated by committee.
The penalty for infringement of byelaws is five hundred
rupees and when the breach is continuing, with a further
fume of five rupees for every day after the the first
during which the breach continues.
8. BYELAWAS
Sections 188 to 202 deal with the authority of the
committee to make bye laws for enforcement of various
powers conferred under the act.
9. POWER OF ENTRY
Sections 203 to 213 provide for power of entry and
inspection of drains, privies and cesspools to the persons
authorised by the committee. Such an inspection should
be carried out between sunrise and sunset. A notice of
three hours is necessary in such cases. However, in case
of inspection of a stable for horses or shed for cows or
other cattle, no notice is required. But in case of
inspection of urinal, latrine or privy, a notice of six hours
in writing has to be given to the occupier or owner of the
building.
The committee is authorised under the act to inspect
places for sale of food or drink and seize unwholesome
articles exposed for sale. (section 206).
Under Article 207, the person authorised by the
committee can inspect weights and measures and seize
false weights.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 60
10. NOTICE AND CONSEQUENCE OF NON
COMPLIANCE
The law requires that in case no time has been fixed for
ay act to be done then reasonable time for doing so
should be fixed.
Every notice should be in writing and signed by the
person authorised in this behalf and must be served on
the person to whom it is addressed. Further, every
public notice should be published by proclamation as
directed by the state government. Disobedience or
omission shall be punishable with a fine of rupees five
hundred and in case of continuing breach with a further
fine which may extend to five hundred rupees for every
day after the first breach.
11. PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION
In case anyone suffers damage on account of negligence
in exercise of powers, the committee may make
compensation to the person sustaining such damage out
of municipal funds.
Offences and Prosecution: The court can take cognizance
of any offence punishable under the act only when it is
made by a person authorised by the committee.
12. CONTROL
The Deputy Commissioner or any person not below the
rank of Extra Assistant commissioner or any person
authorised by the state government can enter and
inspect any immovable property occupied by the
committee, inspect books and statements, reports etc.
and inquire into the affairs of the committee to ascertain
whether the municipality is being administered
satisfactorily.
The Deputy Commissioner has the extra ordinary
powers in case of emergency and he may order
execution of such a work as is deemed necessary for the
safety of the public. In case, the Deputy Commissioner
makes such an order, he shall forward to state
government a copy of order along with reasons for
making the order with explanation, if any from the
committee.
The state government may confirm, modify or rescind
the order.
The state government has the power of reversing or
modifying any order of any officer, if it considers it to be
not in accordance with the act.
Section 240 of the act empowers the state government to
frame forms and rules with respect to
a. the powers of and duties of the committee,
b. Prescribing qualifications requisite in case of
persons appointed to an office,
c. Priority to be given to several duties of the
committee,
d. Authority on which money may be paid from
municipal fund,
e. Appointment, promotion, suspension, reduction,
fining, and dismissal of watchman,
f. Formation and working of municipal fire-
brigades,
g. Procedure to be observed for employment,
punishment, suspension or removal of officers and
servants of the committee and appeals from such
orders,
h. Manner of constitution of municipal services,
classification, method of recruitment and
conditions of service,
i. Conditions on which property may be acquired by
the committee or may be transferred by sale,
mortgaged, lease, exchange or otherwise,
j. Offices through which the mail between officers
may pass,
k. Preparation of plan and estimates,
l. Regulation of contracts with electric companies
for supply of electricity,
m. Assessment and collection of and compounding
for refund of taxes and for preventing evasion of
same and fixing fees payable for notice of demand.
Many more rules can be framed by the state government
under the act for the purpose of carrying out activities
consistent with the rules.
Control of State Election Commission : The
superintendence, direction and control of preparation of
electoral rolls for the conduct of elections to the
municipalities is vested with the state Election
Commission constituted under Art 243K of the
Constitution.
ONLINE TESTS
MORE THAN 100 TESTS
FOR Rs. 500 ONLY
TEST SERIES FOR
IBPS PO / CLERK FOR PRELIMS
50+ SHORT TESTS OF QUANTS, REASONING
& ENGLISH
PASSWORD WITH ONE YEAR VALIDITY
ACCOUNT DETAILS
NAME: GYANM EDUCATION & TRAINING
INSTITUTE PVT. LTD
BANK : ALLAHABAD BANK
Branch: Sector 34, Chandigarh
ACCOUNT NO.: 502 1311 7700
IFSC CODE: ALLA0211989 OR
CALL @ 9257211740, 09646888377
10. NOTICE AND CONSEQUENCE OF NON
COMPLIANCE
The law requires that in case no time has been fixed for
ay act to be done then reasonable time for doing so
should be fixed.
Every notice should be in writing and signed by the
person authorised in this behalf and must be served on
the person to whom it is addressed. Further, every
public notice should be published by proclamation as
directed by the state government. Disobedience or
omission shall be punishable with a fine of rupees five
hundred and in case of continuing breach with a further
fine which may extend to five hundred rupees for every
day after the first breach.
11. PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION
In case anyone suffers damage on account of negligence
in exercise of powers, the committee may make
compensation to the person sustaining such damage out
of municipal funds.
Offences and Prosecution: The court can take cognizance
of any offence punishable under the act only when it is
made by a person authorised by the committee.
12. CONTROL
The Deputy Commissioner or any person not below the
rank of Extra Assistant commissioner or any person
authorised by the state government can enter and
inspect any immovable property occupied by the
committee, inspect books and statements, reports etc.
and inquire into the affairs of the committee to ascertain
whether the municipality is being administered
satisfactorily.
The Deputy Commissioner has the extra ordinary
powers in case of emergency and he may order
execution of such a work as is deemed necessary for the
safety of the public. In case, the Deputy Commissioner
makes such an order, he shall forward to state
government a copy of order along with reasons for
making the order with explanation, if any from the
committee.
The state government may confirm, modify or rescind
the order.
The state government has the power of reversing or
modifying any order of any officer, if it considers it to be
not in accordance with the act.
Section 240 of the act empowers the state government to
frame forms and rules with respect to
a. the powers of and duties of the committee,
b. Prescribing qualifications requisite in case of
persons appointed to an office,
c. Priority to be given to several duties of the
committee,
d. Authority on which money may be paid from
municipal fund,
e. Appointment, promotion, suspension, reduction,
fining, and dismissal of watchman,
f. Formation and working of municipal fire-
brigades,
g. Procedure to be observed for employment,
punishment, suspension or removal of officers and
servants of the committee and appeals from such
orders,
h. Manner of constitution of municipal services,
classification, method of recruitment and
conditions of service,
i. Conditions on which property may be acquired by
the committee or may be transferred by sale,
mortgaged, lease, exchange or otherwise,
j. Offices through which the mail between officers
may pass,
k. Preparation of plan and estimates,
l. Regulation of contracts with electric companies
for supply of electricity,
m. Assessment and collection of and compounding
for refund of taxes and for preventing evasion of
same and fixing fees payable for notice of demand.
Many more rules can be framed by the state government
under the act for the purpose of carrying out activities
consistent with the rules.
Control of State Election Commission : The
superintendence, direction and control of preparation of
electoral rolls for the conduct of elections to the
municipalities is vested with the state Election
Commission constituted under Art 243K of the
Constitution.
ONLINE TESTS
MORE THAN 100 TESTS
FOR Rs. 500 ONLY
TEST SERIES FOR
IBPS PO / CLERK FOR PRELIMS
50+ SHORT TESTS OF QUANTS, REASONING
& ENGLISH
PASSWORD WITH ONE YEAR VALIDITY
ACCOUNT DETAILS
NAME: GYANM EDUCATION & TRAINING
INSTITUTE PVT. LTD
BANK : ALLAHABAD BANK
Branch: Sector 34, Chandigarh
ACCOUNT NO.: 502 1311 7700
IFSC CODE: ALLA0211989 OR
CALL @ 9257211740, 09646888377
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 61
SSC CORNER
HUMAN DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
In the human digestive system, the process of digestion
starts in the mouth (oral cavity). Digestion involves the
breakdown of food into smaller components, which can
be absorbed and assimilated into the body. The
secretion of saliva helps us swallow so that the food is
passed down the oesophagus and into the stomach.
Saliva contains a catalytic enzyme called Amylase which
starts to act on the food. Another digestive enzyme
called Lipase is secreted by some papillae to enter the
saliva. Digestion is helped by the mastication (chewing)
of food by the teeth and the muscular contractions of
peristalsis. The gastric juice in the stomach is essential
to continue digestion as is the production of mucus in
the stomach.
PERISTALSIS
Peristalsis is the rhythmic muscular contraction which
begins in the oesophagus and continues along the
stomach lining and the rest of the gastrointestinal tract.
This initially creates chime, which when fully broken
down in the small intestine, is absorbed as chyle into
the lymphatic system. Most of the digestion happens in
the small intestine. Water and some minerals are
reabsorbed back into the blood, in the colon of the large
intestine. The waste products of digestion are defecated
from the anus via the rectum.
COMPONENTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
There are several organs involved in digestion of which
the accessory digestive glands are the liver, gall bladder
and pancreas. Other components are the mouth, teeth
and epiglottis.
The largest part of the digestive system is the
gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), which begins at the
mouth and ends at the anus, a distance of about 9
metres. The largest part of the GI tract is the colon or
large intestine, where water is absorbed and the
remaining waste matter is stored prior to defecation.
Most of the digestion happens in the small intestine. A
major digestive organ is the stomach and within its
mucosa are millions of gastric glands. Their secretions
are vital to normal functioning of the organ. There are
many specialised cells in the GI tract ---- gastric glands,
taste cells and pancreatic duct cells.
MOUTH
The mouth is the first part of the GI tract and has many
structures that begin the process of digestion. These
include salivary glands, teeth and the tongue. Most of
the oral cavity is lined with oral mucosa that produces a
lubricating mucus. Mucus mainly contains a
glycoprotein called mucin. Underlying the mucous
membrane is a thin layer of smooth muscle tissue and
the loose connection to the membrane gives it its great
elasticity.
The roof of the mouth is termed the palate, which
separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. The hard
palate allows for the pressure needed in eating food, to
leave the nasal passage clear. Mucus helps in the
mastication of food with its ability to soften and collect
the food.
SALIVA
Saliva functions initially in the digestive system to
moisten and soften the food. The food is further
lubricated by the saliva in its passage from the mouth
into the oesophagus. Also important are the digestive
enzymes in the saliva --- Amylase and Lipase. Amylase
starts working on the starch, breaking it down into
Maltose and Dextrose that can be further broken down
in the small intestine. Saliva in the mouth can account
for 30% of this initial starch digestion. Lipase starts
working on breaking down the fats. Lipase is further
SSC CORNER
HUMAN DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
In the human digestive system, the process of digestion
starts in the mouth (oral cavity). Digestion involves the
breakdown of food into smaller components, which can
be absorbed and assimilated into the body. The
secretion of saliva helps us swallow so that the food is
passed down the oesophagus and into the stomach.
Saliva contains a catalytic enzyme called Amylase which
starts to act on the food. Another digestive enzyme
called Lipase is secreted by some papillae to enter the
saliva. Digestion is helped by the mastication (chewing)
of food by the teeth and the muscular contractions of
peristalsis. The gastric juice in the stomach is essential
to continue digestion as is the production of mucus in
the stomach.
PERISTALSIS
Peristalsis is the rhythmic muscular contraction which
begins in the oesophagus and continues along the
stomach lining and the rest of the gastrointestinal tract.
This initially creates chime, which when fully broken
down in the small intestine, is absorbed as chyle into
the lymphatic system. Most of the digestion happens in
the small intestine. Water and some minerals are
reabsorbed back into the blood, in the colon of the large
intestine. The waste products of digestion are defecated
from the anus via the rectum.
COMPONENTS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
There are several organs involved in digestion of which
the accessory digestive glands are the liver, gall bladder
and pancreas. Other components are the mouth, teeth
and epiglottis.
The largest part of the digestive system is the
gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), which begins at the
mouth and ends at the anus, a distance of about 9
metres. The largest part of the GI tract is the colon or
large intestine, where water is absorbed and the
remaining waste matter is stored prior to defecation.
Most of the digestion happens in the small intestine. A
major digestive organ is the stomach and within its
mucosa are millions of gastric glands. Their secretions
are vital to normal functioning of the organ. There are
many specialised cells in the GI tract ---- gastric glands,
taste cells and pancreatic duct cells.
MOUTH
The mouth is the first part of the GI tract and has many
structures that begin the process of digestion. These
include salivary glands, teeth and the tongue. Most of
the oral cavity is lined with oral mucosa that produces a
lubricating mucus. Mucus mainly contains a
glycoprotein called mucin. Underlying the mucous
membrane is a thin layer of smooth muscle tissue and
the loose connection to the membrane gives it its great
elasticity.
The roof of the mouth is termed the palate, which
separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. The hard
palate allows for the pressure needed in eating food, to
leave the nasal passage clear. Mucus helps in the
mastication of food with its ability to soften and collect
the food.
SALIVA
Saliva functions initially in the digestive system to
moisten and soften the food. The food is further
lubricated by the saliva in its passage from the mouth
into the oesophagus. Also important are the digestive
enzymes in the saliva --- Amylase and Lipase. Amylase
starts working on the starch, breaking it down into
Maltose and Dextrose that can be further broken down
in the small intestine. Saliva in the mouth can account
for 30% of this initial starch digestion. Lipase starts
working on breaking down the fats. Lipase is further
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 62
produced in the pancreas where it continues the
digestion of fats.
Saliva cleanses the teeth and the mouth and supplies
antibodies such as Immunoglobulin, which prevents
infections of the salivary glands.
TONGUE
Food enters the mouth where the first stage in digestion
takes place, with the tongue and the saliva. The liquid
saliva will help soften the food and its enzymes begin to
break down the food. The first food to be broken down
is the starch.
TASTE
Taste is a kind of chemoreception in the specialized
receptors of taste cells, located in the taste buds of the
mouth, mainly on the upper tongue surface. There are
taste buds elsewhere in the mouth also. Taste messages
are sent via cranial nerves to the brain. The brain can
distinguish five basic tastes ---- saltiness, sourness,
bitterness and sweetness, and the savouriness termed
umami. The olfactory (smelling) receptors are located
on cell surfaces in the nose, which bind to chemicals,
thus enabling the detection of smells. The signals from
taste receptors work, together with the signals from the
nose, help us perceive complex food flavours.
TEETH
They are made of dentin, a bone-like material, covered
by the hardest tissue in the body --- enamel. Teeth have
different shapes to deal with mastication employed in
tearing and chewing the food. The teeth are named after
their particular roles — incisors are for cutting or biting
of food, canines are for tearing, premolars and molars
are for chewing and grinding.
EPIGLOTTIS
The epiglottis is a flap of elastic cartilage, attached to the
entrance of the larynx. It prevents the food from going
into the trachea and instead directs it to the oesophagus.
During swallowing, the tongue forces the epiglottis to
prevent any food from entering the larynx, which leads
to the lungs. The stimulation of the larynx by ingested
matter produces a strong cough reflex to protect the
lungs.
OESOPHAGUS
The oesophagus, called the gullet, is a muscular tube
through which the food passes from the pharynx to the
stomach. Once in the oesophagus, the food travels down
to the stomach via rhythmic contraction and relaxation
of muscles known as peristalsis. The oesophagus has a
mucous membrane of epithelium which protects and
provides a smooth surface for the passage of food.
STOMACH
Gastric acid (gastric juice), produced in the stomach
plays a vital role in digestive. This juice mainly contains
hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride. A hormone
called gastrin produced by the gastric glands stimulates
the production of gastric juice, which activates the
digestive enzymes. Pepsinogen is an enzyme produced
by the gastric cells and gastric acid activates it to
convert it into Pepsin which begins the digestion of
proteins. As these two chemicals can damage the
stomach wall, mucus is secreted by innumerable gastric
glands in the stomach, to provide a protective layer
against it. Also, at the same time, mechanical churning
occurs through peristalsis, waves of muscular
contractions that move along the stomach wall. This
allows the food to further mix with the enzymes. The
gastric lipase secreted in the stomach is acidic, in
contrast with the alkaline pancreatic lipase. This
breaks down the fats to some degree.
The pylorus, the lowest section of the stomach, contains
countless glands which secrete digestive enzymes
including gastrin. After an hour or two, a thick, semi-
liquid called chyme is produced. When the pyloric
sphincter opens, chyme enters the duodenum to mix
with digestive enzymes from the pancreas, and then
passes through the small intestine to continue digestion.
When the chyme is fully digested, it is absorbed into the
blood. 95% of the absorption of nutrients occurs in the
small intestine. Water and minerals are re-absorbed
back into the blood in the colon, where the environment
is slightly acidic. Some vitamins, such as vitamin K
produced by bacteria, are also absorbed here.
produced in the pancreas where it continues the
digestion of fats.
Saliva cleanses the teeth and the mouth and supplies
antibodies such as Immunoglobulin, which prevents
infections of the salivary glands.
TONGUE
Food enters the mouth where the first stage in digestion
takes place, with the tongue and the saliva. The liquid
saliva will help soften the food and its enzymes begin to
break down the food. The first food to be broken down
is the starch.
TASTE
Taste is a kind of chemoreception in the specialized
receptors of taste cells, located in the taste buds of the
mouth, mainly on the upper tongue surface. There are
taste buds elsewhere in the mouth also. Taste messages
are sent via cranial nerves to the brain. The brain can
distinguish five basic tastes ---- saltiness, sourness,
bitterness and sweetness, and the savouriness termed
umami. The olfactory (smelling) receptors are located
on cell surfaces in the nose, which bind to chemicals,
thus enabling the detection of smells. The signals from
taste receptors work, together with the signals from the
nose, help us perceive complex food flavours.
TEETH
They are made of dentin, a bone-like material, covered
by the hardest tissue in the body --- enamel. Teeth have
different shapes to deal with mastication employed in
tearing and chewing the food. The teeth are named after
their particular roles — incisors are for cutting or biting
of food, canines are for tearing, premolars and molars
are for chewing and grinding.
EPIGLOTTIS
The epiglottis is a flap of elastic cartilage, attached to the
entrance of the larynx. It prevents the food from going
into the trachea and instead directs it to the oesophagus.
During swallowing, the tongue forces the epiglottis to
prevent any food from entering the larynx, which leads
to the lungs. The stimulation of the larynx by ingested
matter produces a strong cough reflex to protect the
lungs.
OESOPHAGUS
The oesophagus, called the gullet, is a muscular tube
through which the food passes from the pharynx to the
stomach. Once in the oesophagus, the food travels down
to the stomach via rhythmic contraction and relaxation
of muscles known as peristalsis. The oesophagus has a
mucous membrane of epithelium which protects and
provides a smooth surface for the passage of food.
STOMACH
Gastric acid (gastric juice), produced in the stomach
plays a vital role in digestive. This juice mainly contains
hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride. A hormone
called gastrin produced by the gastric glands stimulates
the production of gastric juice, which activates the
digestive enzymes. Pepsinogen is an enzyme produced
by the gastric cells and gastric acid activates it to
convert it into Pepsin which begins the digestion of
proteins. As these two chemicals can damage the
stomach wall, mucus is secreted by innumerable gastric
glands in the stomach, to provide a protective layer
against it. Also, at the same time, mechanical churning
occurs through peristalsis, waves of muscular
contractions that move along the stomach wall. This
allows the food to further mix with the enzymes. The
gastric lipase secreted in the stomach is acidic, in
contrast with the alkaline pancreatic lipase. This
breaks down the fats to some degree.
The pylorus, the lowest section of the stomach, contains
countless glands which secrete digestive enzymes
including gastrin. After an hour or two, a thick, semi-
liquid called chyme is produced. When the pyloric
sphincter opens, chyme enters the duodenum to mix
with digestive enzymes from the pancreas, and then
passes through the small intestine to continue digestion.
When the chyme is fully digested, it is absorbed into the
blood. 95% of the absorption of nutrients occurs in the
small intestine. Water and minerals are re-absorbed
back into the blood in the colon, where the environment
is slightly acidic. Some vitamins, such as vitamin K
produced by bacteria, are also absorbed here.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 63
V O C A B U L A R Y Q U I Z
Directions: Given below are certain words printed in
BOLD letters, followed by four choices in each case.
Find out the choice which best conveys the meaning of
the word in question. You will find the detailed
solution to this exercise in this issue only.
1. LUCID
A. Shining B. Clear
C. Transparent D. Loud
2. EULOGY
A. True meaning B. Study of Europe
C. Long story D. Praise
3. NEOPHYTE
A. Child B. Experienced
C. Immature D. New coin
4. ELABORATE
A. Thorough B. Work hard
C. Summarize D. Controlled
5. BIBLIOPHILE
A. Lover of books
B. Lover of Christianity C. Lover of women
D. Collector of books
6. PENANCE
A. Sermon B. Atonement
C. Punishment D. Explanation
7. MAJESTIC
A. Beautiful B. Rich
C. Like a queen D. Royal
8. CONTINENCE
A. Complication B. Self-control
C. Moderation D. Inclusion
9. MOLLIFY
A. Pacify B. Present a gift
C. Obey D. Violate
10. ETHEREAL
A. Delicious B. Simple
C. Old D. Heavenly
11. DEFER
A. Regard B. Prefer
C. Neglect D. Give
12. RED-TAPISM
A. Favouring relatives
B. Using too much paper C. Misuse of funds
D. Excessive bureaucracy
13. FRAGRANT
A. Pleasant talker B. At present
C. Pleasant-smelling D. Pleasant-looking
14. MAMMARY
A. Retention B. Of tear glands
C. Skin-related
D. Related to milk glands
15. AQUATIC
A. In air B. Solution-like
C. Looking like gold D. In water
KEY AND SOLUTION
1. B 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. A
6. B 7. D 8. B 9.A 10.D
11. A 12. D 13. C 14. D 15. D
MY SCORE RATING
0-3 Get going!
4-7 Work hard!
8-11 Great, you’re almost there!
12-15 Wow!
1. LUCID: adjective: clear, easily to understand
Popular synonyms: pellucid, comprehensible
Derivation: lucidity
Examples: A. The lucid explanation given by the
professor cleared all my doubts.
B. The lucid style of the book explains its
popularity among the students.
2. EULOGY: noun: High praise
Popular synonyms: encomium, paen, adulation
Derivation: eulogize
Examples: A. Speaker after speaker eulogized the
great departed leader, who had dedicated his life
to the society.
B. Most politicians love to hear eulogies about
their work from their sycophants.
V O C A B U L A R Y Q U I Z
Directions: Given below are certain words printed in
BOLD letters, followed by four choices in each case.
Find out the choice which best conveys the meaning of
the word in question. You will find the detailed
solution to this exercise in this issue only.
1. LUCID
A. Shining B. Clear
C. Transparent D. Loud
2. EULOGY
A. True meaning B. Study of Europe
C. Long story D. Praise
3. NEOPHYTE
A. Child B. Experienced
C. Immature D. New coin
4. ELABORATE
A. Thorough B. Work hard
C. Summarize D. Controlled
5. BIBLIOPHILE
A. Lover of books
B. Lover of Christianity C. Lover of women
D. Collector of books
6. PENANCE
A. Sermon B. Atonement
C. Punishment D. Explanation
7. MAJESTIC
A. Beautiful B. Rich
C. Like a queen D. Royal
8. CONTINENCE
A. Complication B. Self-control
C. Moderation D. Inclusion
9. MOLLIFY
A. Pacify B. Present a gift
C. Obey D. Violate
10. ETHEREAL
A. Delicious B. Simple
C. Old D. Heavenly
11. DEFER
A. Regard B. Prefer
C. Neglect D. Give
12. RED-TAPISM
A. Favouring relatives
B. Using too much paper C. Misuse of funds
D. Excessive bureaucracy
13. FRAGRANT
A. Pleasant talker B. At present
C. Pleasant-smelling D. Pleasant-looking
14. MAMMARY
A. Retention B. Of tear glands
C. Skin-related
D. Related to milk glands
15. AQUATIC
A. In air B. Solution-like
C. Looking like gold D. In water
KEY AND SOLUTION
1. B 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. A
6. B 7. D 8. B 9.A 10.D
11. A 12. D 13. C 14. D 15. D
MY SCORE RATING
0-3 Get going!
4-7 Work hard!
8-11 Great, you’re almost there!
12-15 Wow!
1. LUCID: adjective: clear, easily to understand
Popular synonyms: pellucid, comprehensible
Derivation: lucidity
Examples: A. The lucid explanation given by the
professor cleared all my doubts.
B. The lucid style of the book explains its
popularity among the students.
2. EULOGY: noun: High praise
Popular synonyms: encomium, paen, adulation
Derivation: eulogize
Examples: A. Speaker after speaker eulogized the
great departed leader, who had dedicated his life
to the society.
B. Most politicians love to hear eulogies about
their work from their sycophants.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 64
3. NEOPHYTE: noun: newcomer, inexperienced
Popular synonyms: callow, tyro
Examples: A. She, being a neophyte in the field,
was put to intensive training for six months.
B. I know the ins and outs of this field; do not
mistake me for a neophyte.
4. ELABORATE: adjective: detailed,
comprehensive verb: explain
Popular synonyms: Dwell on, explicate, intricate
Derivation: elaboration
Examples: A. Please elaborate further as we
would like to grasp the issue completely.
B. We were served an elaborate, 16-item dinner
at the event.
5. BIBLIOPHILE: noun: book-lover
Examples: The bibliophile had devoured
hundreds of books and his huge home library was
ample proof of his passion.
6. PENANCE: noun: atonement, remorse
Popular synonyms: penitence
Examples: A. Sajjan, the thug, realized his big
mistake and decided to do penance for his wrong
deeds.
B. As a penance for her black past, she became a
saint for life.
7. MAJESTIC: adjective: impressive, royal
Popular synonyms: magnificent, regal
Examples: A. The majestic-looking tower
enchanted the visitors at the first glance.
B. She looked really majestic in a designer
lehenga.
8. CONTINENCE: noun: self-control
(brahmcharya)
Popular synonyms: abstinence
Examples: Practicing continence is an old,
accepted tradition for sanyasis in Hinduism.
9. MOLLIFY: verb: soothe, pacify
Popular synonyms: please, calm
Examples: A. Reenu tried to mollify her angry
boss by offering a lame excuse for not doing the
work in time.
B. The government tried to mollify the angry
protestors by announcing a relief package.
10. ETHEREAL: adjective: heavenly, out of the
world
Popular synonyms: divine
Examples: A. Her ethereal beauty left everyone
spell-bound.
B. Watching the light and sound was an ethereal
experience which gave a huge applause at the
end.
11. DEFER: verb: postpone, regard, respect
Popular synonyms: consider
Derivation: deferral, deferment
Examples: A. The tax deferral scheme is designed
to benefit the businessmen, who are starting an
industry for the first time.
B. The new policy has been cancelled in deference
to the opposition demand.
12. RED-TAPISM: noun: excessive official
formalities or procedures
Examples: A. The growth of Indian industry has
been greatly hampered due to the red-tapism
prevalent in government offices.
B. The more you reduce the red tape, the easier it
gets for someone to get his work done.
13. FRAGRANT: adjective: pleasant- smelling
Popular synonyms: aromatic
Derivation: fragrance
Examples: A. The fragrant whiff of the basmati
rice cooking in the kitchen filled my nostrils.
B. The fragrant flowers added to the overall
experience created by the garden.
14. MAMMARY: adjective: related to milk glands
Popular synonyms: sebaceous
Examples: Human mammary glands start
producing milk immediately after child birth.
15. AQUATIC: adjective: living in water
Examples: A. Many aquatic animals can also
come on the land.
B. The aquatic atmosphere provides enough
dissolved oxygen for sea animals.
3. NEOPHYTE: noun: newcomer, inexperienced
Popular synonyms: callow, tyro
Examples: A. She, being a neophyte in the field,
was put to intensive training for six months.
B. I know the ins and outs of this field; do not
mistake me for a neophyte.
4. ELABORATE: adjective: detailed,
comprehensive verb: explain
Popular synonyms: Dwell on, explicate, intricate
Derivation: elaboration
Examples: A. Please elaborate further as we
would like to grasp the issue completely.
B. We were served an elaborate, 16-item dinner
at the event.
5. BIBLIOPHILE: noun: book-lover
Examples: The bibliophile had devoured
hundreds of books and his huge home library was
ample proof of his passion.
6. PENANCE: noun: atonement, remorse
Popular synonyms: penitence
Examples: A. Sajjan, the thug, realized his big
mistake and decided to do penance for his wrong
deeds.
B. As a penance for her black past, she became a
saint for life.
7. MAJESTIC: adjective: impressive, royal
Popular synonyms: magnificent, regal
Examples: A. The majestic-looking tower
enchanted the visitors at the first glance.
B. She looked really majestic in a designer
lehenga.
8. CONTINENCE: noun: self-control
(brahmcharya)
Popular synonyms: abstinence
Examples: Practicing continence is an old,
accepted tradition for sanyasis in Hinduism.
9. MOLLIFY: verb: soothe, pacify
Popular synonyms: please, calm
Examples: A. Reenu tried to mollify her angry
boss by offering a lame excuse for not doing the
work in time.
B. The government tried to mollify the angry
protestors by announcing a relief package.
10. ETHEREAL: adjective: heavenly, out of the
world
Popular synonyms: divine
Examples: A. Her ethereal beauty left everyone
spell-bound.
B. Watching the light and sound was an ethereal
experience which gave a huge applause at the
end.
11. DEFER: verb: postpone, regard, respect
Popular synonyms: consider
Derivation: deferral, deferment
Examples: A. The tax deferral scheme is designed
to benefit the businessmen, who are starting an
industry for the first time.
B. The new policy has been cancelled in deference
to the opposition demand.
12. RED-TAPISM: noun: excessive official
formalities or procedures
Examples: A. The growth of Indian industry has
been greatly hampered due to the red-tapism
prevalent in government offices.
B. The more you reduce the red tape, the easier it
gets for someone to get his work done.
13. FRAGRANT: adjective: pleasant- smelling
Popular synonyms: aromatic
Derivation: fragrance
Examples: A. The fragrant whiff of the basmati
rice cooking in the kitchen filled my nostrils.
B. The fragrant flowers added to the overall
experience created by the garden.
14. MAMMARY: adjective: related to milk glands
Popular synonyms: sebaceous
Examples: Human mammary glands start
producing milk immediately after child birth.
15. AQUATIC: adjective: living in water
Examples: A. Many aquatic animals can also
come on the land.
B. The aquatic atmosphere provides enough
dissolved oxygen for sea animals.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 65
Profit And Pleasure
ON CULTURE
Profit and Pleasure not only tickles your nerve cells but
also makes you learn interesting facts about the world.
This time around, we are focusing on different elements
of Indian Culture. Here we go!
1. Qawwali singing, to start with, was devotional in
nature and was done as a prayer at a sufi dargah. The
man, who invented it was a gifted musician and poet
too, who gave us the Khari Boli, the mother of today’s
Hindi. Many of his qawallis like Aj rang hai.. are
popular even today. He was a court poet in the
darbar of a well-known medieval king.
Which famous poet are we talking about?
2. Many stories are popular about this gifted classical
singer. Legends are that he could bring down rains
with his rendition of raag Malhaar and even light up
diyas with his raag Deepak. He was a court musician
in the court of a famous medieval king and his
mausoleum is a famous tourist place in Sasaram,
Bihar.
Can you recall which singer is referred to above?
3. Her name is practically synonymous with Pandvani,
a folk tradition in Madhya Pradesh. A Pandvani
performance consists of ancient tales sung in a folk
style. She is singularly responsible for keeping alive
this ancient art.
Which famous folk artist are we talking about?
4. This one is a Panjabi tradition, which is dying a slow
death due to technology and modern lifestyle.
Panjabi women in olden days used to weave
beautiful, multi-coloured patterns with threads on
the clothes they wore.
What is the name given to this trademark art of
traditional weaving?
5. Small wooden sticks are an integral part of this
popular folk dance in the west of India. Over time, it
has acquired a more modern character but the public
enthusiasm for it remains the same. During the
Navratra festival, nobody can stop himself from
shaking a leg.
Does it ring a bell somewhere?
6. In this style of Urdu story-telling, a tale is told in a
lyrical style. Though quite old, it has now assumed a
more modern form, with more contemporary topics.
The craft is being revived by some spirited
performers, who are determined to popularize it
again.
Have you ever heard of it?
7. Boat races and elephant races are an integral part of
this celebration. In the south of India, this is an
annual occurrence which marks the crop harvesting
season.
Can you recall the event we are discussing here?
8. She was the uncrowned Queen of Ghazal in her days.
Renowned poets aspired to have their poems sung
by her as it was a mark of honour. She sang many
memorable thumris too. Her famous thumri Hamri
atriya pe aaja re.. was used in a recent movie too. Her
birth centenary is being celebrated this year by the
Ministry of Culture.
Any idea about this songster?
9. This Indian musical instrument is made of many
strings which vibrate when struck with two sticks.
It was rarely known outside Kashmir until it was
popularized by two of the state’s famous musicians.
One of them is Bhajan Sopori, who has spent a
lifetime trying to make it popular.
Does it bring some memories?
10. This man was most well-known for his painting of
the romantic duo Sohni-Mahiwal but he has made
equally beautiful paintings of all the Sikh gurus. Of
these, the portraits of Guru Nanak Dev and Guru
Gobind Singh are quite commonly found. His works
are preserved at his gallery in Andretta, Kangra.
Do you recall the name of this masterly painter?
SOLUTIONS
1. Amir Khusro (In Allauddin Khilji’s court)
2. Tansen
3. Teejan Bai
4. Phulkaari
5. Garba (Gujarat)
6. Dastaangoi
7. Onam (Kerala)
8. Begham Akhtar
9. Santoor
10. Sobha Singh
Profit And Pleasure
ON CULTURE
Profit and Pleasure not only tickles your nerve cells but
also makes you learn interesting facts about the world.
This time around, we are focusing on different elements
of Indian Culture. Here we go!
1. Qawwali singing, to start with, was devotional in
nature and was done as a prayer at a sufi dargah. The
man, who invented it was a gifted musician and poet
too, who gave us the Khari Boli, the mother of today’s
Hindi. Many of his qawallis like Aj rang hai.. are
popular even today. He was a court poet in the
darbar of a well-known medieval king.
Which famous poet are we talking about?
2. Many stories are popular about this gifted classical
singer. Legends are that he could bring down rains
with his rendition of raag Malhaar and even light up
diyas with his raag Deepak. He was a court musician
in the court of a famous medieval king and his
mausoleum is a famous tourist place in Sasaram,
Bihar.
Can you recall which singer is referred to above?
3. Her name is practically synonymous with Pandvani,
a folk tradition in Madhya Pradesh. A Pandvani
performance consists of ancient tales sung in a folk
style. She is singularly responsible for keeping alive
this ancient art.
Which famous folk artist are we talking about?
4. This one is a Panjabi tradition, which is dying a slow
death due to technology and modern lifestyle.
Panjabi women in olden days used to weave
beautiful, multi-coloured patterns with threads on
the clothes they wore.
What is the name given to this trademark art of
traditional weaving?
5. Small wooden sticks are an integral part of this
popular folk dance in the west of India. Over time, it
has acquired a more modern character but the public
enthusiasm for it remains the same. During the
Navratra festival, nobody can stop himself from
shaking a leg.
Does it ring a bell somewhere?
6. In this style of Urdu story-telling, a tale is told in a
lyrical style. Though quite old, it has now assumed a
more modern form, with more contemporary topics.
The craft is being revived by some spirited
performers, who are determined to popularize it
again.
Have you ever heard of it?
7. Boat races and elephant races are an integral part of
this celebration. In the south of India, this is an
annual occurrence which marks the crop harvesting
season.
Can you recall the event we are discussing here?
8. She was the uncrowned Queen of Ghazal in her days.
Renowned poets aspired to have their poems sung
by her as it was a mark of honour. She sang many
memorable thumris too. Her famous thumri Hamri
atriya pe aaja re.. was used in a recent movie too. Her
birth centenary is being celebrated this year by the
Ministry of Culture.
Any idea about this songster?
9. This Indian musical instrument is made of many
strings which vibrate when struck with two sticks.
It was rarely known outside Kashmir until it was
popularized by two of the state’s famous musicians.
One of them is Bhajan Sopori, who has spent a
lifetime trying to make it popular.
Does it bring some memories?
10. This man was most well-known for his painting of
the romantic duo Sohni-Mahiwal but he has made
equally beautiful paintings of all the Sikh gurus. Of
these, the portraits of Guru Nanak Dev and Guru
Gobind Singh are quite commonly found. His works
are preserved at his gallery in Andretta, Kangra.
Do you recall the name of this masterly painter?
SOLUTIONS
1. Amir Khusro (In Allauddin Khilji’s court)
2. Tansen
3. Teejan Bai
4. Phulkaari
5. Garba (Gujarat)
6. Dastaangoi
7. Onam (Kerala)
8. Begham Akhtar
9. Santoor
10. Sobha Singh
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 66
GYANM QUIZ - 07
How much do you know about the world around you?
Take the quiz below to find out for yourself and WIN
some exciting prizes as rewards.
1. Among the following, the largest religious
minority in India is the
A. Buddhists B. Christians
C. Parsis D. Jains
2. The acid rain contains
A. Acetic Acid B. Carbolic Acid
C. Hydrochloric Acid D. Nitric Acid
3. The maximum bio-diversity is found in
A. The equatorial zone B. Australia
C. The Mediterranean zone
D. The Antarctica
4. Much Ado About Nothing is a famous work
written by
A. Oscar Wild
B. William Shakespeare
C. Dr. Samuel Johnson D. Alexander Pope
5. The Swat valley is a popular tourist
destination in
A. Kashmir B. Ootacommund
C. Pakistan D. Himachal Pradesh
6. One can become a Rajya Sabha member at a
minimum of
A. 25 years B. 30 years
C. 35 years D. 21 years
7. Which of the following is the smallest
independent country?
A. Singapore B. Taiwan
C. Hong Kong D. The Vatican
8. The first census in India was conducted in
A. 1891 B. 1911
C. 1871 D. 1921
9. The car tyres have an uneven surface to
ensure
A. More friction B. Elasticity
C. Streamlined action
D. Lesser gravitational pull
10. Which of the following was set up first of all?
A. Reserve Bank of India
B. Panjab National Bank
C. Oriental Bank of Commerce
D. State Bank of India
Heartiest congratulations to the winners of Gyanm
Quiz-06!
1. Shanti Bushan – Agra
2. Naveen Pal – Mandi
The winners are being informed by post.
Name: ______________________________________
Address: ____________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
PIN: _____________________
Mobile: ___________________________________ _
My answers to Gyanm Quiz - 07 are:
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9.
10.
Signature _______________
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. Please send your responses to the quiz, along with
your COMPLETE ADDRESS and PIN CODE, by 25
th
November, 2015. The responses can be sent
By e-mail to [email protected] OR
On Whatsapp mobile number 09646888377 OR
By post to Gyanm College of Competitions,
SCO 13-15, 2
nd Floor, Above Domino’s, Sector 34-A,
Chandigarh-160034
2. ONLY the residents of India are eligible to
participate.
3. In case of multiple correct entries, a draw will be
held to decide the winner/s.
3. The Prize/s CANNOT be exchanged for cash.
4. The decision of the jury shall be FINAL and
BINDING on all the participants.
5. The winners’ names shall be announced in the
January, 2015 issue.
GYANM QUIZ - 07
How much do you know about the world around you?
Take the quiz below to find out for yourself and WIN
some exciting prizes as rewards.
1. Among the following, the largest religious
minority in India is the
A. Buddhists B. Christians
C. Parsis D. Jains
2. The acid rain contains
A. Acetic Acid B. Carbolic Acid
C. Hydrochloric Acid D. Nitric Acid
3. The maximum bio-diversity is found in
A. The equatorial zone B. Australia
C. The Mediterranean zone
D. The Antarctica
4. Much Ado About Nothing is a famous work
written by
A. Oscar Wild
B. William Shakespeare
C. Dr. Samuel Johnson D. Alexander Pope
5. The Swat valley is a popular tourist
destination in
A. Kashmir B. Ootacommund
C. Pakistan D. Himachal Pradesh
6. One can become a Rajya Sabha member at a
minimum of
A. 25 years B. 30 years
C. 35 years D. 21 years
7. Which of the following is the smallest
independent country?
A. Singapore B. Taiwan
C. Hong Kong D. The Vatican
8. The first census in India was conducted in
A. 1891 B. 1911
C. 1871 D. 1921
9. The car tyres have an uneven surface to
ensure
A. More friction B. Elasticity
C. Streamlined action
D. Lesser gravitational pull
10. Which of the following was set up first of all?
A. Reserve Bank of India
B. Panjab National Bank
C. Oriental Bank of Commerce
D. State Bank of India
Heartiest congratulations to the winners of Gyanm
Quiz-06!
1. Shanti Bushan – Agra
2. Naveen Pal – Mandi
The winners are being informed by post.
Name: ______________________________________
Address: ____________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
PIN: _____________________
Mobile: ___________________________________ _
My answers to Gyanm Quiz - 07 are:
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9.
10.
Signature _______________
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. Please send your responses to the quiz, along with
your COMPLETE ADDRESS and PIN CODE, by 25
th
November, 2015. The responses can be sent
By e-mail to [email protected] OR
On Whatsapp mobile number 09646888377 OR
By post to Gyanm College of Competitions,
SCO 13-15, 2
nd Floor, Above Domino’s, Sector 34-A,
Chandigarh-160034
2. ONLY the residents of India are eligible to
participate.
3. In case of multiple correct entries, a draw will be
held to decide the winner/s.
3. The Prize/s CANNOT be exchanged for cash.
4. The decision of the jury shall be FINAL and
BINDING on all the participants.
5. The winners’ names shall be announced in the
January, 2015 issue.
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 67
Financial
Glossary
…… continued from previous issue
ATAL PENSION YOJANA
This scheme will be launched from 1
st June, 2015 and
will be administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory
and Development Authority. The scheme will focus on
the unorganised sector workers and will replace the
previous Swavalamban - NPS Lite scheme.
Eligibility: The scheme is open to all bank account
holders between 18 years and 40 years, who are not
members of any statutory social security scheme.
Benefit: Pension ranging between Rs.1000 - Rs.
5000 is payable after the age of 60.
Govt Funding: The government would co-contribute
50% of the subscriber’s contribution or Rs. 1000 per
annum, whichever is lower, for a period of 5 years
from 2015-16 to 2019-20, to those who join the
scheme before 31
st Dec, 2015 and are not tax payers.
PRAN: Permanent Retirement Account Number (given
to NPS subscribers)
SOME OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
FINANCIAL STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
A new super regulatory body formed in 2010 to co-
ordinate, oversee and synergize the functions of the four
major financial regulators in India i.e. RBI, SEBI, IRDA
and PFRDA. It is headed by the Finance Minister. All four
regulators are its members and the government is
represented by the Finance Secretary.
CIBIL (Credit Information Bureau of India Ltd.)
Promoted by a group of banks in India, it is a kind of
common database company which maintains the details
of all credit obtained by commercial and consumer
borrowers. By accessing this database, a bank can
immediately know about the credit history of a
prospective borrower and decide on giving a particular
loan. The CIBIL also generates a ‘credit score’ for
prospective borrowers.
WHAT IS A CREDIT INFORMATION REPORT?
A Credit Information Report (CIR) is a factual record of a
borrower's credit payment history compiled from the
information received from different credit grantors. It is
to help the credit grantors make informed lending
decisions - quickly and objectively.
CRISIL (Credit Rating and Information Services of
India Ltd.)
In contrast to CIBIL, CRISIL is a credit rating agency. It
has been promoted by a number of banks. Its job is to
evaluate the strength of various corporate loan products
like debentures, bonds, fix deposits etc. and assign them
a rating like A, AA, AAA, B, B+, BB etc. on the basis of the
company’s ability to repay the principal and interest in
time. Some other credit rating agencies in India are ICRA
and CARE.
WHAT IS CREDIT RATING?
Credit rating is an assessment of the probability of
default on payment of interest and principal on a
debt instrument. In simple words, it ranks the
company or country’s ability to meet their debt
obligations.
CRILC – Central Depository of Information on Large
Credits
RBI set up the CRILC in May 2014 to collect, store and
disseminate data on all borrowers' credit exposures
including Special Mention Accounts having aggregate
fund-based and non-fund based exposure of Rs.50
million and above.
IMPORTANT COMMITTEES
COMMITTEE
HEAD
AREA OF REVIEW
Suresh
Tendulkar
Methodology for fixing the Poverty
Line
Dr. C
Rangarajan
Financial Inclusion Committee
Kirit Parikh Deregulation of Petrol/Diesel/ Gas
Prices
YH Malegham Functioning of Micro Finance
Institutions
M Damodaran Improvement in Customer
Services in Banks
Raghuram
Rajan
Financial Sector Reforms
A K
Khandelwal
H R issues in Public Sector Banks
Saumitra
Chaudhuri
Wholesale Price Index
Financial
Glossary
…… continued from previous issue
ATAL PENSION YOJANA
This scheme will be launched from 1
st June, 2015 and
will be administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory
and Development Authority. The scheme will focus on
the unorganised sector workers and will replace the
previous Swavalamban - NPS Lite scheme.
Eligibility: The scheme is open to all bank account
holders between 18 years and 40 years, who are not
members of any statutory social security scheme.
Benefit: Pension ranging between Rs.1000 - Rs.
5000 is payable after the age of 60.
Govt Funding: The government would co-contribute
50% of the subscriber’s contribution or Rs. 1000 per
annum, whichever is lower, for a period of 5 years
from 2015-16 to 2019-20, to those who join the
scheme before 31
st Dec, 2015 and are not tax payers.
PRAN: Permanent Retirement Account Number (given
to NPS subscribers)
SOME OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
FINANCIAL STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
A new super regulatory body formed in 2010 to co-
ordinate, oversee and synergize the functions of the four
major financial regulators in India i.e. RBI, SEBI, IRDA
and PFRDA. It is headed by the Finance Minister. All four
regulators are its members and the government is
represented by the Finance Secretary.
CIBIL (Credit Information Bureau of India Ltd.)
Promoted by a group of banks in India, it is a kind of
common database company which maintains the details
of all credit obtained by commercial and consumer
borrowers. By accessing this database, a bank can
immediately know about the credit history of a
prospective borrower and decide on giving a particular
loan. The CIBIL also generates a ‘credit score’ for
prospective borrowers.
WHAT IS A CREDIT INFORMATION REPORT?
A Credit Information Report (CIR) is a factual record of a
borrower's credit payment history compiled from the
information received from different credit grantors. It is
to help the credit grantors make informed lending
decisions - quickly and objectively.
CRISIL (Credit Rating and Information Services of
India Ltd.)
In contrast to CIBIL, CRISIL is a credit rating agency. It
has been promoted by a number of banks. Its job is to
evaluate the strength of various corporate loan products
like debentures, bonds, fix deposits etc. and assign them
a rating like A, AA, AAA, B, B+, BB etc. on the basis of the
company’s ability to repay the principal and interest in
time. Some other credit rating agencies in India are ICRA
and CARE.
WHAT IS CREDIT RATING?
Credit rating is an assessment of the probability of
default on payment of interest and principal on a
debt instrument. In simple words, it ranks the
company or country’s ability to meet their debt
obligations.
CRILC – Central Depository of Information on Large
Credits
RBI set up the CRILC in May 2014 to collect, store and
disseminate data on all borrowers' credit exposures
including Special Mention Accounts having aggregate
fund-based and non-fund based exposure of Rs.50
million and above.
IMPORTANT COMMITTEES
COMMITTEE
HEAD
AREA OF REVIEW
Suresh
Tendulkar
Methodology for fixing the Poverty
Line
Dr. C
Rangarajan
Financial Inclusion Committee
Kirit Parikh Deregulation of Petrol/Diesel/ Gas
Prices
YH Malegham Functioning of Micro Finance
Institutions
M Damodaran Improvement in Customer
Services in Banks
Raghuram
Rajan
Financial Sector Reforms
A K
Khandelwal
H R issues in Public Sector Banks
Saumitra
Chaudhuri
Wholesale Price Index
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 68
M V Nair Review of Priority Sector Lending
Norms
Parthasarthi
Shome
Review of implementation of
GAAR
Vijay Kelkar Roadmap for Fiscal Consolidation
Bimal Jalan Scrutiny of Applications for New
Banks
Vijaya Bhaskar Review of Major Financial
Benchmarks
Urjit Patel Formulation of Monetary Policy
P J Nayak Governance of Boards of Banks
Dr. Nachiket
Mor
Comprehensive Financial Services
for Small Businesses and Low-
Income Households
Deepak
Mohanty
Making plan for spread of financial
services to unbanked areas.
BANKING CHANNELS
Banking Channels are the various modes of doing
banking or the ways in which the banks can render their
services. Traditionally, banking was done in one style
only i.e. branch based banking. Any transaction done
outside the branch premises was not considered valid.
This kind of banking is also called brick and mortar
banking, as the branch premises is made up of bricks
and mortar. However, with technological advancements,
the face of banking has undergone a sea change. The
earlier mono channel banking has morphed into multi-
channel banking, offering the customer a wider choice
for doing bank transactions. Some major, new banking
channels also called Alternative Delivery Channels are
as under:
INTERNET BANKING
It is also known by other names like Net Banking, E-
banking, Online Banking and Virtual Banking. This is the
fastest growing banking channel nowadays as it offers
the fastest and cheapest mode of banking. Here, the
customer uses the internet facility to access the intranet
of the bank concerned by using a specific customer ID
and Password. Internet banking has become possible
because of the implementation of Core Banking
Solutions providing 24x7 services.
ONE TIME PASSWORD (OTP)
One Time Password is valid only for one login session or
transaction. The use of OTP helps avoid any frauds
associated with a static password.
CORE BANKING
Commonly called Fully Computerized Banking. In this
system, all the branches of a bank are linked to a core
computer so that the data is accessible anywhere,
anytime. Even at the branch level, all the working
terminals / counter computers are linked to a core
computer, called the SERVER. The branch server, in
turn, is connected with the core server. This type of
banking is also known as Core Banking Solutions
SKIMMING
Skimming is the illegal copying of information/data
from the magnetic strip of a credit/ debit card with the
intention of misusing it. It is a more direct version of
a phishing scam.
PHISHING
Phishing (pronounced "fishing") is an online identity
theft. It uses fraud emails and websites designed to steal
one’s personal information like credit card numbers,
passwords, account data, or other information.
MOBILE PHONE BANKING
Doing actual banking transactions on a mobile phone. A
customer logs in to the internet to access the intranet of
the bank. As per recent RBI guidelines, there is no
financial limit on transactions in a day. Further, it is
mandatory for the banks to use a double password, one
for the customer and one for every transaction.
IMMEDIATE PAYMENTS SERVICE – IMPS
Developed by the National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI), it offers an instant, 24X7 service to
facilitate the use of cell phones to access bank accounts
and execute interbank fund transfers in a secure
manner with immediate confirmation. It also facilitates
the coordination of various other retail payment
systems in the country.
MOBILE VAN BANKING
With technological progress, an entire bank branch can
be compressed into a laptop, which can be carried
anywhere by any means, thereby creating a many
options in mobile banking. Many banks have also
started mobike / bike banking.
TELE BANKING
Telephone based banking, using any mode of telephone
/ mobile, wherein the customers’ queries are addressed
by the answering machines or tele-callers. As opposed
to mobile banking, tele-banking allows no transactions
and only information can be shared about various bank
products / accounts. Basically, it is a call centre-based
banking channel.
LOBBY BANKING
Lobby Banking offers the customer access to an Internet
banking kiosk, phone banking, cheque drop facility and
Automated Teller Machine (ATM), all in a tailor-made
lobby-like premises. Practically, it means machine-
based, staff-less banking wherein all transactions are
executed by self-operated machines.
…………To Be Continued
SOURCE: FINANCIAL GLOSSARY,
A GYANM PUBLICATION
M V Nair Review of Priority Sector Lending
Norms
Parthasarthi
Shome
Review of implementation of
GAAR
Vijay Kelkar Roadmap for Fiscal Consolidation
Bimal Jalan Scrutiny of Applications for New
Banks
Vijaya Bhaskar Review of Major Financial
Benchmarks
Urjit Patel Formulation of Monetary Policy
P J Nayak Governance of Boards of Banks
Dr. Nachiket
Mor
Comprehensive Financial Services
for Small Businesses and Low-
Income Households
Deepak
Mohanty
Making plan for spread of financial
services to unbanked areas.
BANKING CHANNELS
Banking Channels are the various modes of doing
banking or the ways in which the banks can render their
services. Traditionally, banking was done in one style
only i.e. branch based banking. Any transaction done
outside the branch premises was not considered valid.
This kind of banking is also called brick and mortar
banking, as the branch premises is made up of bricks
and mortar. However, with technological advancements,
the face of banking has undergone a sea change. The
earlier mono channel banking has morphed into multi-
channel banking, offering the customer a wider choice
for doing bank transactions. Some major, new banking
channels also called Alternative Delivery Channels are
as under:
INTERNET BANKING
It is also known by other names like Net Banking, E-
banking, Online Banking and Virtual Banking. This is the
fastest growing banking channel nowadays as it offers
the fastest and cheapest mode of banking. Here, the
customer uses the internet facility to access the intranet
of the bank concerned by using a specific customer ID
and Password. Internet banking has become possible
because of the implementation of Core Banking
Solutions providing 24x7 services.
ONE TIME PASSWORD (OTP)
One Time Password is valid only for one login session or
transaction. The use of OTP helps avoid any frauds
associated with a static password.
CORE BANKING
Commonly called Fully Computerized Banking. In this
system, all the branches of a bank are linked to a core
computer so that the data is accessible anywhere,
anytime. Even at the branch level, all the working
terminals / counter computers are linked to a core
computer, called the SERVER. The branch server, in
turn, is connected with the core server. This type of
banking is also known as Core Banking Solutions
SKIMMING
Skimming is the illegal copying of information/data
from the magnetic strip of a credit/ debit card with the
intention of misusing it. It is a more direct version of
a phishing scam.
PHISHING
Phishing (pronounced "fishing") is an online identity
theft. It uses fraud emails and websites designed to steal
one’s personal information like credit card numbers,
passwords, account data, or other information.
MOBILE PHONE BANKING
Doing actual banking transactions on a mobile phone. A
customer logs in to the internet to access the intranet of
the bank. As per recent RBI guidelines, there is no
financial limit on transactions in a day. Further, it is
mandatory for the banks to use a double password, one
for the customer and one for every transaction.
IMMEDIATE PAYMENTS SERVICE – IMPS
Developed by the National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI), it offers an instant, 24X7 service to
facilitate the use of cell phones to access bank accounts
and execute interbank fund transfers in a secure
manner with immediate confirmation. It also facilitates
the coordination of various other retail payment
systems in the country.
MOBILE VAN BANKING
With technological progress, an entire bank branch can
be compressed into a laptop, which can be carried
anywhere by any means, thereby creating a many
options in mobile banking. Many banks have also
started mobike / bike banking.
TELE BANKING
Telephone based banking, using any mode of telephone
/ mobile, wherein the customers’ queries are addressed
by the answering machines or tele-callers. As opposed
to mobile banking, tele-banking allows no transactions
and only information can be shared about various bank
products / accounts. Basically, it is a call centre-based
banking channel.
LOBBY BANKING
Lobby Banking offers the customer access to an Internet
banking kiosk, phone banking, cheque drop facility and
Automated Teller Machine (ATM), all in a tailor-made
lobby-like premises. Practically, it means machine-
based, staff-less banking wherein all transactions are
executed by self-operated machines.
…………To Be Continued
SOURCE: FINANCIAL GLOSSARY,
A GYANM PUBLICATION
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 69
Latest MCQs
ON CURRENT AFFAIRS
OCTOBER GK TEST – 01
1. Which Bollywood actor/actress was
nominated as the Honoured Guest of Texas in
recognition of his/her contributions to art
and cinema?
A. Anupam Kher B. Naseeruddin Shah
C. Om Puri D. Dilip Kumar
E. Shabana Azmi
2. The acronym ECB is related to which of the
following fields?
A. Merchant banking B. Stock markets
C. Telecom D. Insurance
E. Corporate borrowing
3. In which field has the government recently
permitted 100% Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI)?
A. Banking B. Defence production
C. White label ATMs D. Nuclear power
E. Insurance
4. Which global auto company was accused of
fudging its emission test data, leading to the
resignation of its CEO later?
A. BMW B. Volkswagen
C. Mercedes Benz D. Ford Motors
E. Hyundai
5. 1 basis point (bps) in banking terminology
refers to
A. 0.01% B. 0.1%
C. 0.001% D. 10%
E. None of these
6. To tap the unproductive gold lying in
households, the government has come up with
two gold mobilization schemes, which will
benefit the customers too. The two schemes
are
1. Sovereign Gold Bond
2. Gold Monetization Scheme
3. Gold Deposit Bond
4. Gold Coin Scheme
A. 2 and 3 B. 1 and 3
C. 1 and 4 D. 1 and 2
E. None of these
7. The Forward Markets Commission, which
merged with SEBI recently, used to regulate
the
A. Futures markets
B. Spot market in commodities
C. Bullion markets D. Badla trade
E. Unorganized markets in shares
8. Only a retail bank can
A. Give a cheque book B. Give loans
C. Offer remittance services
D. Take deposits E. A and C
9. India plans to buy the Heron drones from
A. Israel B. France
C. France D. The UK
E. The USA
10. In the acronym GSLV-D6, the letter G stands
for
A. Geological B. Gravitational
C. Geo-stationary D. Gravity
E. Geographical
11. What is the other term used to describe Dated
Securities?
A. Ways and Means Advances
B. Secured loans
C. Treasury Bills D. Gilt-edged bonds
E. Debentures
12. Which of the following years has been chosen
as the base year for implementing the One
Rank, One Pension scheme?
A. 2010 B. 2013
C. 2008 D. 2014 E. 2012
13. The Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) in
India were recently givens some relief in
terms of paying tax under the MAT scheme.
Under this system, a tax is
A. Not payable unless the company’s profit
crosses the Rs. 100 crore mark in a financial year
B. Not payable on any profit made by the
company if it invests part of it on Corporate
Social Responsibility initiatives
C. Payable @ 30% on the company’s profits even
if there is no tax payable otherwise due to certain
exemptions
D. Payable @ 18.5% on the company’s profits
even if there is no tax payable otherwise due to
certain exemptions
E. None of the above is correct
Latest MCQs
ON CURRENT AFFAIRS
OCTOBER GK TEST – 01
1. Which Bollywood actor/actress was
nominated as the Honoured Guest of Texas in
recognition of his/her contributions to art
and cinema?
A. Anupam Kher B. Naseeruddin Shah
C. Om Puri D. Dilip Kumar
E. Shabana Azmi
2. The acronym ECB is related to which of the
following fields?
A. Merchant banking B. Stock markets
C. Telecom D. Insurance
E. Corporate borrowing
3. In which field has the government recently
permitted 100% Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI)?
A. Banking B. Defence production
C. White label ATMs D. Nuclear power
E. Insurance
4. Which global auto company was accused of
fudging its emission test data, leading to the
resignation of its CEO later?
A. BMW B. Volkswagen
C. Mercedes Benz D. Ford Motors
E. Hyundai
5. 1 basis point (bps) in banking terminology
refers to
A. 0.01% B. 0.1%
C. 0.001% D. 10%
E. None of these
6. To tap the unproductive gold lying in
households, the government has come up with
two gold mobilization schemes, which will
benefit the customers too. The two schemes
are
1. Sovereign Gold Bond
2. Gold Monetization Scheme
3. Gold Deposit Bond
4. Gold Coin Scheme
A. 2 and 3 B. 1 and 3
C. 1 and 4 D. 1 and 2
E. None of these
7. The Forward Markets Commission, which
merged with SEBI recently, used to regulate
the
A. Futures markets
B. Spot market in commodities
C. Bullion markets D. Badla trade
E. Unorganized markets in shares
8. Only a retail bank can
A. Give a cheque book B. Give loans
C. Offer remittance services
D. Take deposits E. A and C
9. India plans to buy the Heron drones from
A. Israel B. France
C. France D. The UK
E. The USA
10. In the acronym GSLV-D6, the letter G stands
for
A. Geological B. Gravitational
C. Geo-stationary D. Gravity
E. Geographical
11. What is the other term used to describe Dated
Securities?
A. Ways and Means Advances
B. Secured loans
C. Treasury Bills D. Gilt-edged bonds
E. Debentures
12. Which of the following years has been chosen
as the base year for implementing the One
Rank, One Pension scheme?
A. 2010 B. 2013
C. 2008 D. 2014 E. 2012
13. The Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) in
India were recently givens some relief in
terms of paying tax under the MAT scheme.
Under this system, a tax is
A. Not payable unless the company’s profit
crosses the Rs. 100 crore mark in a financial year
B. Not payable on any profit made by the
company if it invests part of it on Corporate
Social Responsibility initiatives
C. Payable @ 30% on the company’s profits even
if there is no tax payable otherwise due to certain
exemptions
D. Payable @ 18.5% on the company’s profits
even if there is no tax payable otherwise due to
certain exemptions
E. None of the above is correct
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 70
14. Which of the following defines economic
recession most appropriately?
A. A significant market fall in shares, forex and
commodities
B. High prices and a fall in purchasing power
C. Two successive quarters of negative growth in
Gross Domestic Product
D. A drastic fall in the value of domestic currency
vis a vis foreign currencies
E. Joblessness and low productivity combined
with high prices
15. Which of the following is NOT true of the
Housing for All scheme planned by the
government?
1. 305 cities and towns across nine states have
been chosen for its implementation.
2. The scheme will provide a financial assistance
of Rs 1 lakh - Rs 2.30 lakh per housing unit.
3. The aim is to construct 2 crore houses for the
urban poor by 2022, coinciding with the 75
th year
of Independence.
4. The scheme will be applicable to only Below
the Poverty Line families in urban areas.
A. 2 and 4 B. 1 only
C. 1, 2 D. 3 and 4
E. 4 only
16. The acronym MAT stands for
A. Maximum Avoidance of Tax (Rules)
B. Manufacturing Applicable Tax
C. Measurement of Advance Tax
D. Maximum Allowable Tax
E. Minimum Alternate Tax
17. The latest RBI data show that among the
public sector banks, the highest gross NPAs
belong to
A. UCO Bank
B. Indian Overseas Bank
C. Bank of Maharashtra D. Dena Bank
E. Corporation Bank
18. Which defence helicopter/s does India plan to
buy from the US company Boeing?
1. Chinook 2. Apache
3. Heron 4. MX Cray
A. 3 only B. 1 and 2
C. 2 only D. 1, 2, 3
E.1, 2, 4
19. Find the WRONGLY matched pair:
A. The Courage to Act - A Memoir of a Crisis and Its
Aftermath: Ben S. Bernanke
B. Hubris: Why Economists Failed to Predict the
Crisis and How to Avoid the Next One: Meghnad
Desai
Bottom of Form
C. The Power of Meow: David Michie
D. Portrait of a Serial Killer: Khushwant Singh
E. Mrs. Funnybones: Bachi Karkaria
20. The 2015 Nobel Prize for Physics has been
awarded to …….. for ……….. .
A. Takaaki Kajita of Japan
B. Arthur McDonald of Canada
C. Takaaki Kajita of Japan and Arthur McDonald
of Canada, experiments showing that neutrinos
change identities
D. Takaaki Kajita of Japan, the discovery of God
particle
E. Arthur McDonald of Canada, the discovery of
super-conductivity
21. Which of the following is NOT a valid means of
money transfer/ remittance used by a bank?
A. Pay Order B. NEFT
C. RTGS D. Demand Draft
E. All of these are valid means used by a bank
22. Which of the following is typically a mortgage
loan?
A. Home loan B. Education loan
C. Cash credit limit D. Four-wheeler loan
E. Credit card
23. In the acronym NDTL used in banking
terminology, the letter L stands for
A. Limited B. Leverage
C. Liabilities D. Loans
E. Level
24. The Dialogue Quartet of Tunisia was in news
recently due to which reason?
A. It is the main opposition party there
B. It won the recent elections there
C. It bagged the Nobel Peace Prize for its work in
restoring and maintaining peace there
D. It is in talks with the government on the issue
of restoration of democracy there
E. None of these
25. In terms of offering locker services to its
customers, the bank’s role can be likened to
that of a
A. Landlord B. Trustee
C. Debtor D. Creditor
E. Shopkeeper
26. The total exemption limit available under
Section 80C of the Income Tax laws, is
A. Rs. 1.5 lakh + Rs. 50000 towards New Pension
System contributions
B.Rs. 1 lakh C. Rs. 2 lakh
D.Rs. 1.1 lakh + Rs. 50000 towards New Pension
System
E.Rs. 2.5 lakh
27. Find the ODD one out.
A. Jagmohan Dalmia B. Sepp Blatter
C. Boria Majumdar D. Shashank Manohar
E. N. Srinivasan
14. Which of the following defines economic
recession most appropriately?
A. A significant market fall in shares, forex and
commodities
B. High prices and a fall in purchasing power
C. Two successive quarters of negative growth in
Gross Domestic Product
D. A drastic fall in the value of domestic currency
vis a vis foreign currencies
E. Joblessness and low productivity combined
with high prices
15. Which of the following is NOT true of the
Housing for All scheme planned by the
government?
1. 305 cities and towns across nine states have
been chosen for its implementation.
2. The scheme will provide a financial assistance
of Rs 1 lakh - Rs 2.30 lakh per housing unit.
3. The aim is to construct 2 crore houses for the
urban poor by 2022, coinciding with the 75
th year
of Independence.
4. The scheme will be applicable to only Below
the Poverty Line families in urban areas.
A. 2 and 4 B. 1 only
C. 1, 2 D. 3 and 4
E. 4 only
16. The acronym MAT stands for
A. Maximum Avoidance of Tax (Rules)
B. Manufacturing Applicable Tax
C. Measurement of Advance Tax
D. Maximum Allowable Tax
E. Minimum Alternate Tax
17. The latest RBI data show that among the
public sector banks, the highest gross NPAs
belong to
A. UCO Bank
B. Indian Overseas Bank
C. Bank of Maharashtra D. Dena Bank
E. Corporation Bank
18. Which defence helicopter/s does India plan to
buy from the US company Boeing?
1. Chinook 2. Apache
3. Heron 4. MX Cray
A. 3 only B. 1 and 2
C. 2 only D. 1, 2, 3
E.1, 2, 4
19. Find the WRONGLY matched pair:
A. The Courage to Act - A Memoir of a Crisis and Its
Aftermath: Ben S. Bernanke
B. Hubris: Why Economists Failed to Predict the
Crisis and How to Avoid the Next One: Meghnad
Desai
Bottom of Form
C. The Power of Meow: David Michie
D. Portrait of a Serial Killer: Khushwant Singh
E. Mrs. Funnybones: Bachi Karkaria
20. The 2015 Nobel Prize for Physics has been
awarded to …….. for ……….. .
A. Takaaki Kajita of Japan
B. Arthur McDonald of Canada
C. Takaaki Kajita of Japan and Arthur McDonald
of Canada, experiments showing that neutrinos
change identities
D. Takaaki Kajita of Japan, the discovery of God
particle
E. Arthur McDonald of Canada, the discovery of
super-conductivity
21. Which of the following is NOT a valid means of
money transfer/ remittance used by a bank?
A. Pay Order B. NEFT
C. RTGS D. Demand Draft
E. All of these are valid means used by a bank
22. Which of the following is typically a mortgage
loan?
A. Home loan B. Education loan
C. Cash credit limit D. Four-wheeler loan
E. Credit card
23. In the acronym NDTL used in banking
terminology, the letter L stands for
A. Limited B. Leverage
C. Liabilities D. Loans
E. Level
24. The Dialogue Quartet of Tunisia was in news
recently due to which reason?
A. It is the main opposition party there
B. It won the recent elections there
C. It bagged the Nobel Peace Prize for its work in
restoring and maintaining peace there
D. It is in talks with the government on the issue
of restoration of democracy there
E. None of these
25. In terms of offering locker services to its
customers, the bank’s role can be likened to
that of a
A. Landlord B. Trustee
C. Debtor D. Creditor
E. Shopkeeper
26. The total exemption limit available under
Section 80C of the Income Tax laws, is
A. Rs. 1.5 lakh + Rs. 50000 towards New Pension
System contributions
B.Rs. 1 lakh C. Rs. 2 lakh
D.Rs. 1.1 lakh + Rs. 50000 towards New Pension
System
E.Rs. 2.5 lakh
27. Find the ODD one out.
A. Jagmohan Dalmia B. Sepp Blatter
C. Boria Majumdar D. Shashank Manohar
E. N. Srinivasan
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 71
28. Dadri in Uttar Pradesh was in news on
account of
A. A stampede at a religious place
B. Communal riots there
C. Demolition of flats after Supreme Court orders
D. Inauguration of a new thermal power plant,
the biggest in India
E. Communal tension and mob violence due to
rumours of beef-eating
29. “Revolving Credit” is a term most commonly
applied to
A. Credit Cards
B. Personal Cash Loans
C. Overdraft Limits D. Home Loans
E. Loan Against Asset
30. Which of the following is NOT a Central Bank,
as is technically understood?
A. Federal Reserve Bank B. Riksbank
C. State Bank of Pakistan D. RBI
E. Central Bank of India
31. Pick out the WRONG Head of the Government-
Country pairing:
A. KP Sharma Oli: Nepal
B. Jioji Konrote: Mauritius
C. Lee Hsien Loong: Singapore
D. Malcolm Turnbull: Australia
E. Alexander Lukashenko: Belarus
32. As per a recent survey, ……. is the cheapest
city for business in the world.
A. Dhaka B. Lahore
C. Gurgaon D. Mumbai
E. Noida
33. Adjustable Rate Loans are also known as
A. To and Fro Loans B. Floaters
C. Undefined Rate Loans D. Floating Rate Loans
E. Flexible Rate Loans
34. Baat Niklegi To Phir authored by Sathya Saran
is a biography of
A. Sudarshan Faaqir B. Nida Fazli
C. Pankaj Udhaas D. Jagjit Singh
E. Mehndi Hassan
35. Which study group had recommended the
licensing of new private banks during the
start of the economic reforms in India?
A. Sivaraman Panel
B. Narsimhan Committee C. Gadgil Group
D. R Gandhi Committee
E. Suresh Tendulkar Committee
36. The government plans to spend around Rs.
70, 000 crore rupees under the Sagarmala
Project, which aims at
A. Port-led development in coastal areas
B. Beefing up security in coastal areas
C. Strengthening the Indian navy’s wartime
capabilities
D. Developing the new Indian Naval Academy
E. None of these
37. Which of the following has been ranked no. 1
in terms of brand value, globally?
A. Google B. Coca Cola
C. Apple D. Samsung
E. Facebook
38. Which country faced the brunt of super-
typhoon Dujuan?
A. Philippines B. Japan
C. China D. Bangladesh
E. Indonesia
39. The International Day of Older Persons is
observed on
A. September 30 B. September 29
C. October 1 D. October 2
E. October 12
40. The Champions of the Earth award is the
highest environmental award given by
A. United Nations B. World Bank
C. International Panel on Climate Change
D. European Union
E. World Meteorological Organization
41. The government is launching a Sugamya
Bharat Abhiyan for
A. Persons of Old Age
B. Persons with Disabilities
C.Visually Impaired Persons
D. Widows and deserted women
D. Orphaned children
42. Which of the following countries witnessed a
coup recently?
A. Zimbabwe B. Burkina Faso
C. Nigeria D. Zaire
E. Ghana
43. Which drug has been banned as it is
responsible for a large scale decline in the
vulture population?
A. Paracetamol B. Codeine
C. Morphine D. Diclofenac
E. Aspirin
44. Patanjli Ayurveda will join hands with ……. to
make a big foray into organized retail.
A. Bharti Retail B. Westside
C. Spencer’s D. Reliance Retail
E. Big Bazaar
45. Which of the following is/are likely to
improve a bank’s profits?
1. Higher Net Interest Margin
2. Lower Statutory Liquidity Ratio
3. Higher Reverse Repo Rate
4. More CASA Funds
A. 1, 3, 4 B.1, 2, 4
C. 1 and 4 D. 1 only
E. 4 only
46. Which among the following writers/
rationalists was/ were killed in the last one
year?
1. M.M. Kalburgi
28. Dadri in Uttar Pradesh was in news on
account of
A. A stampede at a religious place
B. Communal riots there
C. Demolition of flats after Supreme Court orders
D. Inauguration of a new thermal power plant,
the biggest in India
E. Communal tension and mob violence due to
rumours of beef-eating
29. “Revolving Credit” is a term most commonly
applied to
A. Credit Cards
B. Personal Cash Loans
C. Overdraft Limits D. Home Loans
E. Loan Against Asset
30. Which of the following is NOT a Central Bank,
as is technically understood?
A. Federal Reserve Bank B. Riksbank
C. State Bank of Pakistan D. RBI
E. Central Bank of India
31. Pick out the WRONG Head of the Government-
Country pairing:
A. KP Sharma Oli: Nepal
B. Jioji Konrote: Mauritius
C. Lee Hsien Loong: Singapore
D. Malcolm Turnbull: Australia
E. Alexander Lukashenko: Belarus
32. As per a recent survey, ……. is the cheapest
city for business in the world.
A. Dhaka B. Lahore
C. Gurgaon D. Mumbai
E. Noida
33. Adjustable Rate Loans are also known as
A. To and Fro Loans B. Floaters
C. Undefined Rate Loans D. Floating Rate Loans
E. Flexible Rate Loans
34. Baat Niklegi To Phir authored by Sathya Saran
is a biography of
A. Sudarshan Faaqir B. Nida Fazli
C. Pankaj Udhaas D. Jagjit Singh
E. Mehndi Hassan
35. Which study group had recommended the
licensing of new private banks during the
start of the economic reforms in India?
A. Sivaraman Panel
B. Narsimhan Committee C. Gadgil Group
D. R Gandhi Committee
E. Suresh Tendulkar Committee
36. The government plans to spend around Rs.
70, 000 crore rupees under the Sagarmala
Project, which aims at
A. Port-led development in coastal areas
B. Beefing up security in coastal areas
C. Strengthening the Indian navy’s wartime
capabilities
D. Developing the new Indian Naval Academy
E. None of these
37. Which of the following has been ranked no. 1
in terms of brand value, globally?
A. Google B. Coca Cola
C. Apple D. Samsung
E. Facebook
38. Which country faced the brunt of super-
typhoon Dujuan?
A. Philippines B. Japan
C. China D. Bangladesh
E. Indonesia
39. The International Day of Older Persons is
observed on
A. September 30 B. September 29
C. October 1 D. October 2
E. October 12
40. The Champions of the Earth award is the
highest environmental award given by
A. United Nations B. World Bank
C. International Panel on Climate Change
D. European Union
E. World Meteorological Organization
41. The government is launching a Sugamya
Bharat Abhiyan for
A. Persons of Old Age
B. Persons with Disabilities
C.Visually Impaired Persons
D. Widows and deserted women
D. Orphaned children
42. Which of the following countries witnessed a
coup recently?
A. Zimbabwe B. Burkina Faso
C. Nigeria D. Zaire
E. Ghana
43. Which drug has been banned as it is
responsible for a large scale decline in the
vulture population?
A. Paracetamol B. Codeine
C. Morphine D. Diclofenac
E. Aspirin
44. Patanjli Ayurveda will join hands with ……. to
make a big foray into organized retail.
A. Bharti Retail B. Westside
C. Spencer’s D. Reliance Retail
E. Big Bazaar
45. Which of the following is/are likely to
improve a bank’s profits?
1. Higher Net Interest Margin
2. Lower Statutory Liquidity Ratio
3. Higher Reverse Repo Rate
4. More CASA Funds
A. 1, 3, 4 B.1, 2, 4
C. 1 and 4 D. 1 only
E. 4 only
46. Which among the following writers/
rationalists was/ were killed in the last one
year?
1. M.M. Kalburgi
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 72
2. Narendra Dabholkar
3. Govind Pansare
A. 2 Only B. 1 Only
C. 1, 2, 3 D.1, 2
E. None of these
47. As per the latest UNCTAD report, the global
economy is projected to grow by …… this year.
A. 1.25% B. 7.5%
C. 1.5% D. 7% E. 2.5%
48. Brick and mortar banking refers to
A. Retail banking B. Business loans
C. Branch-based banking D. Construction loans
E. Wholesale banking
49. The interest payable on a Savings Bank
account is
A. Always Less than the Repo Rate
B. Calculated on a daily basis
C. Fixed by the reserve Bank
D. Paid at quarterly intervals
E. Both B and D
50. The FATCA and CRS guidelines pertain to
A. Tax compliance and banking regulations
respectively
B. NRI accounts in India and tax exemptions
guidelines respectively
C. Tax compliance and reporting standards
respectively
D. Foreign investment and tax compliance
respectively
E. None of these
ANSWER KEY TEST – 01
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 A 2 E 3 C 4 B 5 A
6 D 7 A 8 E 9 A 10 C
11 D 12 B 13 D 14 C 15 E
16 E 17 A 18 B 19 E 20 C
21 E 22 A 23 c 24 C 25 A
26 A 27 C 28 E 29 A 30 E
31 B 32 D 33 D 34 D 35 B
36 A 37 C 38 C 39 C 40 A
41 B 42 B 43 D 44 E 45 A
46 C 47 E 48 C 49 E 50 E
OCTOBER GK TEST – 02
1. The Reserve Bank has recently awarded the
status of D-SIBs to two prominent banks in
India- SBI and ICICI Bank. What does the letter
S imply in the acronym D-SIB?
A. System B. Systematically
C. Systemically D. Sovereign
E. Statutory
2. The Chang La seed bank, the world’s highest
research and development facility, is located
in
A. Leh B. Musoorie
C. Shimla D. Tibet
E. Khardung La
3. The Nobel Prize for Chemistry has gone to
three scientists for their work on
A. Superconductors B. Cold fusion
C. Wonder materials D. DNA Repair
E. Nano-technology
4. The term market capitalization, abbreviated
as M-cap in financial reporting, refers to
A. The market share of a company
B. The market worth of a company in terms of its
goodwill
C. The total market price of all its shares
D. The total market size for a product/ service
E. The total market for a product/ service
captured by all the players so far
5. Sheila Watt-Cloutier of Canada has won the
2015 Right Livelihood Award for her work on
A. Gay Rights
B. Climate Change C. Press Freedom
D. Children’s Rights
E. Water conservation efforts
6. Which bank has launched the m-Visa mobile
payment solution recently?
A. SBI B. ICICI Bank
C. HDFC Bank D. Axis Bank
E. Punjab National Bank
7. Which Indian cricketer has announced his
retirement recently?
A. Irfaan Pathan B. Unmukt Chand
C. Maithili Raj D. Ajit Chandela
E. Zaheer Khan
8. Pick out the wrong pair.
A. Shagun: Girls’ marriages
B. Shishu, Kishor, Tarun: Small size loans
C. Kaushal Vikas Yojna: Women
D. AMRUT: Urban transformation
E. USTAAD: Skill development
9. The Long March-6 rocket was recently
launched by
A. The USA B. China
C. France D. India
E. Japan
2. Narendra Dabholkar
3. Govind Pansare
A. 2 Only B. 1 Only
C. 1, 2, 3 D.1, 2
E. None of these
47. As per the latest UNCTAD report, the global
economy is projected to grow by …… this year.
A. 1.25% B. 7.5%
C. 1.5% D. 7% E. 2.5%
48. Brick and mortar banking refers to
A. Retail banking B. Business loans
C. Branch-based banking D. Construction loans
E. Wholesale banking
49. The interest payable on a Savings Bank
account is
A. Always Less than the Repo Rate
B. Calculated on a daily basis
C. Fixed by the reserve Bank
D. Paid at quarterly intervals
E. Both B and D
50. The FATCA and CRS guidelines pertain to
A. Tax compliance and banking regulations
respectively
B. NRI accounts in India and tax exemptions
guidelines respectively
C. Tax compliance and reporting standards
respectively
D. Foreign investment and tax compliance
respectively
E. None of these
ANSWER KEY TEST – 01
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 A 2 E 3 C 4 B 5 A
6 D 7 A 8 E 9 A 10 C
11 D 12 B 13 D 14 C 15 E
16 E 17 A 18 B 19 E 20 C
21 E 22 A 23 c 24 C 25 A
26 A 27 C 28 E 29 A 30 E
31 B 32 D 33 D 34 D 35 B
36 A 37 C 38 C 39 C 40 A
41 B 42 B 43 D 44 E 45 A
46 C 47 E 48 C 49 E 50 E
OCTOBER GK TEST – 02
1. The Reserve Bank has recently awarded the
status of D-SIBs to two prominent banks in
India- SBI and ICICI Bank. What does the letter
S imply in the acronym D-SIB?
A. System B. Systematically
C. Systemically D. Sovereign
E. Statutory
2. The Chang La seed bank, the world’s highest
research and development facility, is located
in
A. Leh B. Musoorie
C. Shimla D. Tibet
E. Khardung La
3. The Nobel Prize for Chemistry has gone to
three scientists for their work on
A. Superconductors B. Cold fusion
C. Wonder materials D. DNA Repair
E. Nano-technology
4. The term market capitalization, abbreviated
as M-cap in financial reporting, refers to
A. The market share of a company
B. The market worth of a company in terms of its
goodwill
C. The total market price of all its shares
D. The total market size for a product/ service
E. The total market for a product/ service
captured by all the players so far
5. Sheila Watt-Cloutier of Canada has won the
2015 Right Livelihood Award for her work on
A. Gay Rights
B. Climate Change C. Press Freedom
D. Children’s Rights
E. Water conservation efforts
6. Which bank has launched the m-Visa mobile
payment solution recently?
A. SBI B. ICICI Bank
C. HDFC Bank D. Axis Bank
E. Punjab National Bank
7. Which Indian cricketer has announced his
retirement recently?
A. Irfaan Pathan B. Unmukt Chand
C. Maithili Raj D. Ajit Chandela
E. Zaheer Khan
8. Pick out the wrong pair.
A. Shagun: Girls’ marriages
B. Shishu, Kishor, Tarun: Small size loans
C. Kaushal Vikas Yojna: Women
D. AMRUT: Urban transformation
E. USTAAD: Skill development
9. The Long March-6 rocket was recently
launched by
A. The USA B. China
C. France D. India
E. Japan
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 73
10. Which country had the world’s highest
household broadband penetration in 2015?
A. Qatar B. United States
C. South Korea D. Japan
E. Estonia
11. According to the National Health Profile 2015,
the state with the worst maternal mortality
rate in India is
A. Bihar B. Uttar Pradesh
C. Assam D. West Bengal
E. Madhya Pradesh
12. The government has cleared the purchase of
Apache attack helicopters from
A. Sukhoi B. Boeing
C. Agusta Westland D. Lockheed Martin
E. Bofors
13. The FARC rebels are a terrorist organization
in conflict with the government in
A. Brazil B. Panama
C. Colombia D. Venezuela
E. Ethiopia
14. The Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio
(CRAR) mandated for the banks is essential to
ensure that
A. Bank can absorb reasonable amount of loss &
complies with statutory capital requirements.
B. Enough money for credit is available with bank
C. The bank does not give excessive credit
D. The interest of investors is safe
E. The bank’s profitability is as per norms of RBI
15. Which of these is/was NOT an Indian Naval
Ship?
A. INS Sindhuratan B. INS Vajrakosh
C. INS Kolkata D. INS Mumbai
E. All of the above are naval ships
16. The Supreme Court, in its latest order, has
restored the Collegium system of appointing
the judges to the High Courts and the Supreme
Courts. Which of the following is NOT true of
this system?
A. The Collegium comprises a group of senior-
most Supreme Court Judges, which recommends
judicial appointments, which are binding on the
government.
B. To remove a Judge, the Collegium starts the
process, which is further taken up by the Lok
Sabha.
C. The Collegium has some members drawn from
the Union cabinet to ensure the representation
from the executive side.
D. Both B and C
E. All the above statements are correct
17. The minimum balance to be kept in a savings/
current account is fixed by the
A. Reserve Bank of India
B. Indian Banks Association
C. finance Ministry
D. Credit Appraisal Committee of the respective
banks E. None of these
18. A step-up EMI schedule is suitable for a
person
A. On the verge of retirement
B. Who is unmarried
C. Who expects a regular salary hike
D. Who survives on pension
E. Who runs his own business
19. In the context of core banking operations, a
bank’s income is mainly dependent on its
A. Borrowing rate B. Lending rate
C. Net Interest Margin
D. Quantum of Fixed Deposits
E. CASA funds
20. Which international football legend visited
Kolkata in India recently?
A. Diego Maradonna B. Pele
C. Ronaldo D. Mohammed Ali
E. None of these
21. The first-ever commercial bank in India, as we
understand the term today, was
A. Panjab National Bank
B. Hindustan Commercial Bank
C. State Bank of India D. Imperial BOI
E. Allahabad Bank
22. Which of the following ARE industry
associations?
1. FICCI 2. CII
3. ASSOCHAM 4. NASSCOM
A. 1, 2 B.1, 2, 3
C. All of these D. 2, 4
E. 1, 4
23. Which of the following is/are NOT observed in
December?
A. International Day of the Girl Child
B. International Day of the Elderly
C. International AIDS Day
D. International Human Rights Day
E. Both A and B
24. The geographical region having the maximum
biological diversity on the Earth is the
A. Amazon basin
B. Mediterranean region C. Temperate zone
D. Continental region E. Tropical region
25. Call and Put options are a part of the
A. Stock market
B. Futures contracts market
C. foreign exchange market
D. Commodity markets
E. Interest rate swaps
10. Which country had the world’s highest
household broadband penetration in 2015?
A. Qatar B. United States
C. South Korea D. Japan
E. Estonia
11. According to the National Health Profile 2015,
the state with the worst maternal mortality
rate in India is
A. Bihar B. Uttar Pradesh
C. Assam D. West Bengal
E. Madhya Pradesh
12. The government has cleared the purchase of
Apache attack helicopters from
A. Sukhoi B. Boeing
C. Agusta Westland D. Lockheed Martin
E. Bofors
13. The FARC rebels are a terrorist organization
in conflict with the government in
A. Brazil B. Panama
C. Colombia D. Venezuela
E. Ethiopia
14. The Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio
(CRAR) mandated for the banks is essential to
ensure that
A. Bank can absorb reasonable amount of loss &
complies with statutory capital requirements.
B. Enough money for credit is available with bank
C. The bank does not give excessive credit
D. The interest of investors is safe
E. The bank’s profitability is as per norms of RBI
15. Which of these is/was NOT an Indian Naval
Ship?
A. INS Sindhuratan B. INS Vajrakosh
C. INS Kolkata D. INS Mumbai
E. All of the above are naval ships
16. The Supreme Court, in its latest order, has
restored the Collegium system of appointing
the judges to the High Courts and the Supreme
Courts. Which of the following is NOT true of
this system?
A. The Collegium comprises a group of senior-
most Supreme Court Judges, which recommends
judicial appointments, which are binding on the
government.
B. To remove a Judge, the Collegium starts the
process, which is further taken up by the Lok
Sabha.
C. The Collegium has some members drawn from
the Union cabinet to ensure the representation
from the executive side.
D. Both B and C
E. All the above statements are correct
17. The minimum balance to be kept in a savings/
current account is fixed by the
A. Reserve Bank of India
B. Indian Banks Association
C. finance Ministry
D. Credit Appraisal Committee of the respective
banks E. None of these
18. A step-up EMI schedule is suitable for a
person
A. On the verge of retirement
B. Who is unmarried
C. Who expects a regular salary hike
D. Who survives on pension
E. Who runs his own business
19. In the context of core banking operations, a
bank’s income is mainly dependent on its
A. Borrowing rate B. Lending rate
C. Net Interest Margin
D. Quantum of Fixed Deposits
E. CASA funds
20. Which international football legend visited
Kolkata in India recently?
A. Diego Maradonna B. Pele
C. Ronaldo D. Mohammed Ali
E. None of these
21. The first-ever commercial bank in India, as we
understand the term today, was
A. Panjab National Bank
B. Hindustan Commercial Bank
C. State Bank of India D. Imperial BOI
E. Allahabad Bank
22. Which of the following ARE industry
associations?
1. FICCI 2. CII
3. ASSOCHAM 4. NASSCOM
A. 1, 2 B.1, 2, 3
C. All of these D. 2, 4
E. 1, 4
23. Which of the following is/are NOT observed in
December?
A. International Day of the Girl Child
B. International Day of the Elderly
C. International AIDS Day
D. International Human Rights Day
E. Both A and B
24. The geographical region having the maximum
biological diversity on the Earth is the
A. Amazon basin
B. Mediterranean region C. Temperate zone
D. Continental region E. Tropical region
25. Call and Put options are a part of the
A. Stock market
B. Futures contracts market
C. foreign exchange market
D. Commodity markets
E. Interest rate swaps
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 74
26. To set up a Regional Rural bank, the Central
Government, the State Government and the
Sponsor Bank contribute
A. Equally B. No fixed ratio
C. In the ratio 50:15:35 D. As decided by RBI
E. None of these
27. The cotton farmers in Panjab and Haryana are
currently facing the brunt of the ….. attack.
A. Rinder Pest B. White fly
C. Black fly D. Cotton blight
E. Locust swarm
28. Which of these is TRUE of the Supreme Court’s
latest order with regard to the Common Civil
Code?
A. The Court has asked the government to explore
the issue and move ahead on it.
B. The Court has rejected the government
proposal to enact a Common Civil Code.
C. The Court has asked the Parliament to start the
legislative proceedings for a Common Civil Code.
D. The Court has called the Common Civil Code
unconstitutional and void
E. The Court has suggested some improvements
to the Common Civil Code.
29. The American equivalent of the Base Rate
prevalent in India is
A. Sub-Prime Rate B. Bank Rate
C. Credit Line Rate D. Prime Rate
E. Fed Rate
30. The Vyaas Samman is given for excellence in
A. Tribal welfare B. Ayurveda
C. Classical music D. Journalism
E. Literature
31. The concept of micro-finance covers
1. Small-sized loans
2. Spread of banking services in villages only
3. Informal banking services for disadvantaged
groups
A. 1, 2 B. 1, 3
C. 1 only D. 3 only
E. None of these
32. The Courage to Act – A Memoir of a Crisis and
Its Aftermath is a new book authored by
A. Ben Bernanke B. Meghnath Desai
C. Jairam Ramesh
D. Montek Singh Ahluwalia
E. Dr. Manmohan Singh
33. Which of the following countries had to face
an attack of MERS recently?
A. South Korea B. Hong Kong
C. Sierra Leone D. Liberia E. Zaire
34. Which of the following is a term NOT
connected with core banking operations?
A. Basic Savings Deposit Account
B. Recurring Deposits C. Merchant banking
D. Loans and Advances E. Remittances
35. Which of the following are some of the major
problems faced by the banks in India?
1. Falling interest rates on loans
2. Rising bad debts
3. Narrowing of the banking spread
4. Inadequate capital reserves
A. 1, 3, 4 B. 4 only
C. 2, 3, 4 D. 3 and 4
E. All of these
36. Viren Dangwal, who passed away recently,
was a famous poet who wrote in
A. Hindi B. Marathi
C. Gujarat D. Bengali
E. Urdu
37. The purpose of the India Brand Equity
Foundation established by the Ministry of
Commerce is to
A. Promote international awareness of the Made
in India label in overseas markets
B. Encourage Foreign Direct Investment in India
C.Spread awareness about the superior
agricultural produce in India
D. Raise capital by Global Depository Receipts
E. None of these
38. Which of these is FALSE about the latest TRAI
order on call drops?
A. It will be mandatory for telecom operators to
compensate the consumers @ Rs.1 for each call
drop from January, 2016.
B. The compensation will be limited to three
dropped calls in a particular day.
C. It is mandatory for telecom operators to send a
message to the calling customer within 4 hours of
the call drop along with the details of the amount
credited.
D. Call drop occurs after a voice call is
interrupted/ disconnected before it is completed
after being successfully established.
E. All of the above are correct
39. India’s highest foreign exchange earner is
A. Engineering Exports
B. Gems and Jewellery Exports
C. Petroleum Products Export
D. Tourism E. Tea exports
40. Which Chinese city will host the 2022 Asian
Games?
A. Dongguan B. Guangzhou
C. Hangzhou D. Shanghai
E. Beijing
41. Pick out the wrong pair.
A. SPMRM: Villages
B. AMRUT: Urban areas
C. APY: Social security
D. PMJJBY: Micro-finance E. PMKKY: Mining
26. To set up a Regional Rural bank, the Central
Government, the State Government and the
Sponsor Bank contribute
A. Equally B. No fixed ratio
C. In the ratio 50:15:35 D. As decided by RBI
E. None of these
27. The cotton farmers in Panjab and Haryana are
currently facing the brunt of the ….. attack.
A. Rinder Pest B. White fly
C. Black fly D. Cotton blight
E. Locust swarm
28. Which of these is TRUE of the Supreme Court’s
latest order with regard to the Common Civil
Code?
A. The Court has asked the government to explore
the issue and move ahead on it.
B. The Court has rejected the government
proposal to enact a Common Civil Code.
C. The Court has asked the Parliament to start the
legislative proceedings for a Common Civil Code.
D. The Court has called the Common Civil Code
unconstitutional and void
E. The Court has suggested some improvements
to the Common Civil Code.
29. The American equivalent of the Base Rate
prevalent in India is
A. Sub-Prime Rate B. Bank Rate
C. Credit Line Rate D. Prime Rate
E. Fed Rate
30. The Vyaas Samman is given for excellence in
A. Tribal welfare B. Ayurveda
C. Classical music D. Journalism
E. Literature
31. The concept of micro-finance covers
1. Small-sized loans
2. Spread of banking services in villages only
3. Informal banking services for disadvantaged
groups
A. 1, 2 B. 1, 3
C. 1 only D. 3 only
E. None of these
32. The Courage to Act – A Memoir of a Crisis and
Its Aftermath is a new book authored by
A. Ben Bernanke B. Meghnath Desai
C. Jairam Ramesh
D. Montek Singh Ahluwalia
E. Dr. Manmohan Singh
33. Which of the following countries had to face
an attack of MERS recently?
A. South Korea B. Hong Kong
C. Sierra Leone D. Liberia E. Zaire
34. Which of the following is a term NOT
connected with core banking operations?
A. Basic Savings Deposit Account
B. Recurring Deposits C. Merchant banking
D. Loans and Advances E. Remittances
35. Which of the following are some of the major
problems faced by the banks in India?
1. Falling interest rates on loans
2. Rising bad debts
3. Narrowing of the banking spread
4. Inadequate capital reserves
A. 1, 3, 4 B. 4 only
C. 2, 3, 4 D. 3 and 4
E. All of these
36. Viren Dangwal, who passed away recently,
was a famous poet who wrote in
A. Hindi B. Marathi
C. Gujarat D. Bengali
E. Urdu
37. The purpose of the India Brand Equity
Foundation established by the Ministry of
Commerce is to
A. Promote international awareness of the Made
in India label in overseas markets
B. Encourage Foreign Direct Investment in India
C.Spread awareness about the superior
agricultural produce in India
D. Raise capital by Global Depository Receipts
E. None of these
38. Which of these is FALSE about the latest TRAI
order on call drops?
A. It will be mandatory for telecom operators to
compensate the consumers @ Rs.1 for each call
drop from January, 2016.
B. The compensation will be limited to three
dropped calls in a particular day.
C. It is mandatory for telecom operators to send a
message to the calling customer within 4 hours of
the call drop along with the details of the amount
credited.
D. Call drop occurs after a voice call is
interrupted/ disconnected before it is completed
after being successfully established.
E. All of the above are correct
39. India’s highest foreign exchange earner is
A. Engineering Exports
B. Gems and Jewellery Exports
C. Petroleum Products Export
D. Tourism E. Tea exports
40. Which Chinese city will host the 2022 Asian
Games?
A. Dongguan B. Guangzhou
C. Hangzhou D. Shanghai
E. Beijing
41. Pick out the wrong pair.
A. SPMRM: Villages
B. AMRUT: Urban areas
C. APY: Social security
D. PMJJBY: Micro-finance E. PMKKY: Mining
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 75
42. A Letter of Credit (LoC) is most commonly
used in
A. Corporate debt
B. The context of disbursing a loan
C. International Trade
D. The context of Fixed Deposits only
E. None of these
43. Which doubles tournaments have been won
by the Leander Paes-Martina Hingis pair in
2015?
1. US Open 2. Australian Open
3. Wimbledon
Select the correct option from the codes below:
A. 1, 2 B. 2, 3
C. 1, 3 D. 1, 2, 3
E. None of these
44. As per SEBI norms, the minimum investment
an investor needs to make through book-
building process to be called an “anchor
investor” has been fixed at
A. Rs. 10 Crore B. Rs. 20 Crore
C. Rs. 50 Crore D. Rs. 1 Crore
E. Rs. 10 Crore
45. The “Ease of Doing Business Index” is
prepared by the
A. World Trade Organisation
B. World Bank
C. United Nations D. European Union
E. United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development
46. The National Judicial Appointments
Commission Act (NJAC) was ratified by means
of the
A. 122
nd Constitutional Amendment
B. 99
th Constitutional Amendment
C. 85
th Constitutional Amendment
D. 89
th Constitutional Amendment
E. 119
th Constitutional Amendment
47. “Born Again On The Mountain” describes the
life story of
A. Edmond Hillary B. Arunima Sinha
C. Tenzing Norgay D. Col. JP Dalvi
E. Bachendri Pal
48. The maximum period for which a Fixed
Deposit can be made is
A. 12 Years B. 15 Years
C. 14 Years D. 7 Years
E. 10 Years
49. The type of planning practiced in India after
independence is appropriately labeled as
A. Prescriptive planning
B. Centralized planning
C. Command type planning
D. Perspective planning
E. Indicative Planning
50. The Ghana Bird sanctuary, which was in news
recently, is situated in
A. Tamil Nadu B. Maharashtra
C. Uttar Pradesh D. Madhya Pradesh
E. Rajasthan
ANSWER KEY TEST – 02
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 C 2 A 3 D 4 C 5 B
6 B 7 E 8 C 9 B 10 C
11 A 12 B 13 C 14 A 15 D
16 D 17 E 18 C 19 C 20 B
21 B 22 C 23 E 24 A 25 B
26 C 27 B 28 A 29 E 30 E
31 B 32 A 33 A 34 C 35 C
36 A 37 A 38 E 39 A 40 C
41 D 42 C 43 D 44 E 45 B
46 B 47 B 48 E 49 E 50 E
ONLINE TESTS
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PASSWORD WITH ONE YEAR VALIDITY
ACCOUNT DETAILS
NAME: GYANM EDUCATION & TRAINING
INSTITUTE PVT. LTD
BANK : ALLAHABAD BANK
Branch: Sector 34, Chandigarh
ACCOUNT NO.: 502 1311 7700
IFSC CODE: ALLA0211989
OR
CALL @ 9257211740, 09646888377
42. A Letter of Credit (LoC) is most commonly
used in
A. Corporate debt
B. The context of disbursing a loan
C. International Trade
D. The context of Fixed Deposits only
E. None of these
43. Which doubles tournaments have been won
by the Leander Paes-Martina Hingis pair in
2015?
1. US Open 2. Australian Open
3. Wimbledon
Select the correct option from the codes below:
A. 1, 2 B. 2, 3
C. 1, 3 D. 1, 2, 3
E. None of these
44. As per SEBI norms, the minimum investment
an investor needs to make through book-
building process to be called an “anchor
investor” has been fixed at
A. Rs. 10 Crore B. Rs. 20 Crore
C. Rs. 50 Crore D. Rs. 1 Crore
E. Rs. 10 Crore
45. The “Ease of Doing Business Index” is
prepared by the
A. World Trade Organisation
B. World Bank
C. United Nations D. European Union
E. United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development
46. The National Judicial Appointments
Commission Act (NJAC) was ratified by means
of the
A. 122
nd Constitutional Amendment
B. 99
th Constitutional Amendment
C. 85
th Constitutional Amendment
D. 89
th Constitutional Amendment
E. 119
th Constitutional Amendment
47. “Born Again On The Mountain” describes the
life story of
A. Edmond Hillary B. Arunima Sinha
C. Tenzing Norgay D. Col. JP Dalvi
E. Bachendri Pal
48. The maximum period for which a Fixed
Deposit can be made is
A. 12 Years B. 15 Years
C. 14 Years D. 7 Years
E. 10 Years
49. The type of planning practiced in India after
independence is appropriately labeled as
A. Prescriptive planning
B. Centralized planning
C. Command type planning
D. Perspective planning
E. Indicative Planning
50. The Ghana Bird sanctuary, which was in news
recently, is situated in
A. Tamil Nadu B. Maharashtra
C. Uttar Pradesh D. Madhya Pradesh
E. Rajasthan
ANSWER KEY TEST – 02
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 C 2 A 3 D 4 C 5 B
6 B 7 E 8 C 9 B 10 C
11 A 12 B 13 C 14 A 15 D
16 D 17 E 18 C 19 C 20 B
21 B 22 C 23 E 24 A 25 B
26 C 27 B 28 A 29 E 30 E
31 B 32 A 33 A 34 C 35 C
36 A 37 A 38 E 39 A 40 C
41 D 42 C 43 D 44 E 45 B
46 B 47 B 48 E 49 E 50 E
ONLINE TESTS
MORE THAN 100 TESTS
FOR Rs. 500 ONLY
TEST SERIES FOR
IBPS PO / CLERK FOR PRELIMS
50+ SHORT TESTS OF QUANTS,
REASONING & ENGLISH
PASSWORD WITH ONE YEAR VALIDITY
ACCOUNT DETAILS
NAME: GYANM EDUCATION & TRAINING
INSTITUTE PVT. LTD
BANK : ALLAHABAD BANK
Branch: Sector 34, Chandigarh
ACCOUNT NO.: 502 1311 7700
IFSC CODE: ALLA0211989
OR
CALL @ 9257211740, 09646888377
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 76
Latest G.K. Bytes
OCTOBER – 2015
1) What is the name of the India’s first dedicated
astronomy research satellite recently launched by
ISRO: Astrosat
2) Astronomy research satellite Astrosat has been
placed in which orbit: Equatorial
3) Senior congress leader, Dr. Syed Ahmed passed away
recently. He was governor of which State: Manipur
4) The Japanese Grand Prix F1 race at Suzuka, Japan
was won by _________: Lewis Hamilton
5) Name the Indian who won the IBSF World Billiards
Championship in Adelaide, Australia: Pankaj
Advani
6) Abhinav Bindra clinched gold in the men's 10 metre
Air Rifle event of which championship: Asian Air
Gun Championship, New Delhi
7) What is the name of the stealth guided missile
destroyer which was inducted in the Indian Navy on
Sep 30: INS Kochi
8) Naval warship INS Kochi is the stealth guided missile
destroyer. What is meant by Stealth: Ability to
avoid detection by Radars
9) Government has unveiled ‘National Institutional
Ranking Framework’ (NIRF) for what purpose: For
annual ranking of engineering and management
institutes of the country
10) Government has launched Green Highways policy
for what purpose: To promote plantation of more
trees along Highways
11) With USD 31 billion of foreign capital inflows in the
first half of 2015, India ranks at which place in world
in attracting FDI: First
12) In its 4
th bi-monthly monetary policy review
announced on Sep 29, RBI cut the benchmark repo
rate by how many basis points: 50
13) The repo rate from Sept 29 stands at which value:
6.75 per cent
14) The recent cut in Repo Rate may have what impact
on investment and industrial growth in the country:
It may go up
15) The recent cut in Repo Rate may have what impact
on the rate of interest of bank loans: It is likely to
come down
16) The recent cut in Repo Rate may have what impact
on EMIs of housing / car loans: It is likely to come
down
17) The recent cut in Repo Rate may have what impact
on Interest rate of bank deposits: It is likely to
come down
18) The recent cut in Repo Rate may have what impact
on volume of bank loans in general: It is likely to go
up
19) NASA scientists claimed recent that they have found
the strongest ever evidence of liquid water on which
Planet : Mars
20) “The Country of ________” is the title of the recent
book authored by Amartya Sen: First Boys
21) “Baat Niklegi toh Phir”, a book written by Sathya
Saran is about which celebrity: Jagjit Singh
22) SASTRA Ramanujan Prize is given for excellence in
which field: Mathematics
23) SASTRA Ramanujan Prize 2015 has been won by
Jacob Tsimerman. He is from which country: Canada
24) International day of Older Persons is observed on
which date: October 1
25) Microsoft Corp has agreed to bury all patent
infringement litigation against which major IT giant:
Google Inc.
26) The Central Board of Direct Taxes, CBDT has
simplified the format and procedure of which forms
for claiming exemption from TDS: 15G and 15 H
27) ___________ clinched a Gold medal in the 10-metre air
pistol event of the Asian Air Gun Championships in
New Delhi: Heena Sidhu
28) Name the German Chancellor who came to New
Delhi on an official visit to take part in the third
Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) between
India and Germany: Angela Merkel
29) Which city of Iraq the heavily fortified Green Zone
was opened to the public for the first time in 12
years as a part of a reform drive: Baghdad
30) Pedro Passos Coelho has been elected Prime
Minister of which country: Portugal
31) Arch of Triumph, a historical monument built about
2,000 years ago in Palmyra, Syria was in news for
what reasons: It was blown up by the ISIS
terrorists
32) Which global organization has lowered 2015 world
trade forecast to 2.8 percent in the face of a
slowdown in the economies of emerging countries:
World Trade Organization (WTO)
33) Who has been elected as the new President of the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
Shashank Manohar
34) Luis Leao Pinto of Portugal won which Asian sports
Latest G.K. Bytes
OCTOBER – 2015
1) What is the name of the India’s first dedicated
astronomy research satellite recently launched by
ISRO: Astrosat
2) Astronomy research satellite Astrosat has been
placed in which orbit: Equatorial
3) Senior congress leader, Dr. Syed Ahmed passed away
recently. He was governor of which State: Manipur
4) The Japanese Grand Prix F1 race at Suzuka, Japan
was won by _________: Lewis Hamilton
5) Name the Indian who won the IBSF World Billiards
Championship in Adelaide, Australia: Pankaj
Advani
6) Abhinav Bindra clinched gold in the men's 10 metre
Air Rifle event of which championship: Asian Air
Gun Championship, New Delhi
7) What is the name of the stealth guided missile
destroyer which was inducted in the Indian Navy on
Sep 30: INS Kochi
8) Naval warship INS Kochi is the stealth guided missile
destroyer. What is meant by Stealth: Ability to
avoid detection by Radars
9) Government has unveiled ‘National Institutional
Ranking Framework’ (NIRF) for what purpose: For
annual ranking of engineering and management
institutes of the country
10) Government has launched Green Highways policy
for what purpose: To promote plantation of more
trees along Highways
11) With USD 31 billion of foreign capital inflows in the
first half of 2015, India ranks at which place in world
in attracting FDI: First
12) In its 4
th bi-monthly monetary policy review
announced on Sep 29, RBI cut the benchmark repo
rate by how many basis points: 50
13) The repo rate from Sept 29 stands at which value:
6.75 per cent
14) The recent cut in Repo Rate may have what impact
on investment and industrial growth in the country:
It may go up
15) The recent cut in Repo Rate may have what impact
on the rate of interest of bank loans: It is likely to
come down
16) The recent cut in Repo Rate may have what impact
on EMIs of housing / car loans: It is likely to come
down
17) The recent cut in Repo Rate may have what impact
on Interest rate of bank deposits: It is likely to
come down
18) The recent cut in Repo Rate may have what impact
on volume of bank loans in general: It is likely to go
up
19) NASA scientists claimed recent that they have found
the strongest ever evidence of liquid water on which
Planet : Mars
20) “The Country of ________” is the title of the recent
book authored by Amartya Sen: First Boys
21) “Baat Niklegi toh Phir”, a book written by Sathya
Saran is about which celebrity: Jagjit Singh
22) SASTRA Ramanujan Prize is given for excellence in
which field: Mathematics
23) SASTRA Ramanujan Prize 2015 has been won by
Jacob Tsimerman. He is from which country: Canada
24) International day of Older Persons is observed on
which date: October 1
25) Microsoft Corp has agreed to bury all patent
infringement litigation against which major IT giant:
Google Inc.
26) The Central Board of Direct Taxes, CBDT has
simplified the format and procedure of which forms
for claiming exemption from TDS: 15G and 15 H
27) ___________ clinched a Gold medal in the 10-metre air
pistol event of the Asian Air Gun Championships in
New Delhi: Heena Sidhu
28) Name the German Chancellor who came to New
Delhi on an official visit to take part in the third
Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) between
India and Germany: Angela Merkel
29) Which city of Iraq the heavily fortified Green Zone
was opened to the public for the first time in 12
years as a part of a reform drive: Baghdad
30) Pedro Passos Coelho has been elected Prime
Minister of which country: Portugal
31) Arch of Triumph, a historical monument built about
2,000 years ago in Palmyra, Syria was in news for
what reasons: It was blown up by the ISIS
terrorists
32) Which global organization has lowered 2015 world
trade forecast to 2.8 percent in the face of a
slowdown in the economies of emerging countries:
World Trade Organization (WTO)
33) Who has been elected as the new President of the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
Shashank Manohar
34) Luis Leao Pinto of Portugal won which Asian sports
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 77
event to get the crown of ‘King of the Himalaya’:
Mountain Biking Race
35) “Mrs Funnybones” is a recent _________ by Twinkle
Khanna: Book
36) Which Indian organization has started the world’s
highest research station at an altitude of 17,500 ft at
Chang La: DRDO
37) In which country at least 171 persons were killed in
sudden mudslides that smashed into a village:
Guatemala
38) The 2016 G-20 summit will be hosted by which
country: China
39) _________ will host the 2017 G-20 summit: Germany
40) Which country will host 2018 summit of G-20
nations: India
41) In the Global Competitiveness Index 2015-16
compiled by the World Economic Forum for the
world’s most competitive economies, what is the
rank of India: 55
th
42) In the Global Competitiveness Index 2015-16
compiled by the World Economic Forum, which is
the best country: Switzerland
43) What is the name of the quadricycle RE60 launched
for export to 16 countries by Bajaj Auto: Qute
44) A 14-day joint training exercise 'Mitra Shakti 2015',
involving military contingents from India and________,
was held in Pune from Sep 29 to Oct 12: Sri Lanka
45) ADB has agreed to give a $123.51 million loan to
Punjab, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh for what
purpose: To upgrade tourism infrastructure
46) District Court in Khunti has become county's first
solar powered district court. It is in which State:
Jharkhand
47) Which Indian State has computerized all its 531
police stations to allow online filing of FIR from
anywhere: Odisha
48) Which Indian Bank has become the first bank in the
world to launch mVisa - a card-less and device-less
payment solution: ICICI Bank
49) A joint maritime exercise of naval patrol vessels -
Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between India and
__________ began on 3 October 2015 in the Andaman
Sea: Indonesia
50) Nobel Prize (half) for medicine for 2015 has been
won by William Campbell (Ireland) and Satoshi
Omura (Japan) for which achievement: For
discovering a new drug to treat infections caused
by roundworm parasites
51) Govt plans to spend around 70 thousand crore
rupees in 12 major ports in the next five years under
_______Project, aimed at port-led development in
coastal areas: Sagarmala
52) Henning Mankell, a noted crime writer, whose
detective character Kurt Wallander became a
worldwide phenomenon, died at 67. She was from
which country: Sweden
53) The Trans-Pacific Partnership for global commerce
and worker standards has been formed by 11 Pacific
Rim nations with which country: USA
54) Govt has signed a MoU with the New India
Assurance Company to provide Swavlamban Health
Insurance Scheme, for which category of persons:
Persons with Disabilities
55) As per the latest World Bank report on global
poverty, the number of people living in extreme
poverty line is likely to fall for the first time below
_____ % of the world’s population in 2015: 10
56) The World Bank has revised its benchmark poverty
from living on or below $1.25 a day to $_____ a day:
1.90
57) The Central Government has notified ‘Mid Day Meal
Rules, 2015’ under which Act for improved
administration and efficiency of the scheme: The
National Food Security Act, 2013
58) The new mid day meal rules prescribe ___calories
and ____ gm of protein for primary class students:
450, 12
59) The new mid day meal rules prescribe ___calories
and ____ gm of protein for upper primary class
students: 700, 20
60) Which country won the International Basketball
Federation (FIBA) Asia Championship by defeating
the Philippines at Changsha, China: China
61) Nobel Prize of Physics for 2015 has been given to
scientists for discovering which elusive subatomic
particles, opening a new window onto the
fundamental nature of the universe: Neutrinos
62) Govt has decided to allow foreign investment up to
______ per cent in White Label ATM operations under
the automatic route to promote financial inclusion:
100
63) India has decided to cut the carbon produced per
unit of ________ by 33-35 per cent by 2030 from what
it was in 2005: GDP growth
64) Recent RBI data shows that among public sector
banks, the _____ Bank had highest ratio of NPAs at 8.5
per cent of its loans in 2014-15: UCO
65) Naina Lal Kidwai, noted Indian banker will retire by
the end of this year from the headship of which
international bank in India: Hongkong Shanghai
Banking Corporation (HSBC)
66) The government plans to bring down its stake in
which bank to 49 per cent, from 76.5 per cent at
present with a view to make it more efficient: IDBI
Bank
67) Sergey Karjakin, who won the World Cup Chess
Championship in Baku, Azerbaijan, is from which
country: Russia
68) Nayantara Sahgal, Ashok Vajpayee, noted writers
returned the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award as
a protest on which issue: Recent killings of
rationalists and writers
event to get the crown of ‘King of the Himalaya’:
Mountain Biking Race
35) “Mrs Funnybones” is a recent _________ by Twinkle
Khanna: Book
36) Which Indian organization has started the world’s
highest research station at an altitude of 17,500 ft at
Chang La: DRDO
37) In which country at least 171 persons were killed in
sudden mudslides that smashed into a village:
Guatemala
38) The 2016 G-20 summit will be hosted by which
country: China
39) _________ will host the 2017 G-20 summit: Germany
40) Which country will host 2018 summit of G-20
nations: India
41) In the Global Competitiveness Index 2015-16
compiled by the World Economic Forum for the
world’s most competitive economies, what is the
rank of India: 55
th
42) In the Global Competitiveness Index 2015-16
compiled by the World Economic Forum, which is
the best country: Switzerland
43) What is the name of the quadricycle RE60 launched
for export to 16 countries by Bajaj Auto: Qute
44) A 14-day joint training exercise 'Mitra Shakti 2015',
involving military contingents from India and________,
was held in Pune from Sep 29 to Oct 12: Sri Lanka
45) ADB has agreed to give a $123.51 million loan to
Punjab, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh for what
purpose: To upgrade tourism infrastructure
46) District Court in Khunti has become county's first
solar powered district court. It is in which State:
Jharkhand
47) Which Indian State has computerized all its 531
police stations to allow online filing of FIR from
anywhere: Odisha
48) Which Indian Bank has become the first bank in the
world to launch mVisa - a card-less and device-less
payment solution: ICICI Bank
49) A joint maritime exercise of naval patrol vessels -
Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between India and
__________ began on 3 October 2015 in the Andaman
Sea: Indonesia
50) Nobel Prize (half) for medicine for 2015 has been
won by William Campbell (Ireland) and Satoshi
Omura (Japan) for which achievement: For
discovering a new drug to treat infections caused
by roundworm parasites
51) Govt plans to spend around 70 thousand crore
rupees in 12 major ports in the next five years under
_______Project, aimed at port-led development in
coastal areas: Sagarmala
52) Henning Mankell, a noted crime writer, whose
detective character Kurt Wallander became a
worldwide phenomenon, died at 67. She was from
which country: Sweden
53) The Trans-Pacific Partnership for global commerce
and worker standards has been formed by 11 Pacific
Rim nations with which country: USA
54) Govt has signed a MoU with the New India
Assurance Company to provide Swavlamban Health
Insurance Scheme, for which category of persons:
Persons with Disabilities
55) As per the latest World Bank report on global
poverty, the number of people living in extreme
poverty line is likely to fall for the first time below
_____ % of the world’s population in 2015: 10
56) The World Bank has revised its benchmark poverty
from living on or below $1.25 a day to $_____ a day:
1.90
57) The Central Government has notified ‘Mid Day Meal
Rules, 2015’ under which Act for improved
administration and efficiency of the scheme: The
National Food Security Act, 2013
58) The new mid day meal rules prescribe ___calories
and ____ gm of protein for primary class students:
450, 12
59) The new mid day meal rules prescribe ___calories
and ____ gm of protein for upper primary class
students: 700, 20
60) Which country won the International Basketball
Federation (FIBA) Asia Championship by defeating
the Philippines at Changsha, China: China
61) Nobel Prize of Physics for 2015 has been given to
scientists for discovering which elusive subatomic
particles, opening a new window onto the
fundamental nature of the universe: Neutrinos
62) Govt has decided to allow foreign investment up to
______ per cent in White Label ATM operations under
the automatic route to promote financial inclusion:
100
63) India has decided to cut the carbon produced per
unit of ________ by 33-35 per cent by 2030 from what
it was in 2005: GDP growth
64) Recent RBI data shows that among public sector
banks, the _____ Bank had highest ratio of NPAs at 8.5
per cent of its loans in 2014-15: UCO
65) Naina Lal Kidwai, noted Indian banker will retire by
the end of this year from the headship of which
international bank in India: Hongkong Shanghai
Banking Corporation (HSBC)
66) The government plans to bring down its stake in
which bank to 49 per cent, from 76.5 per cent at
present with a view to make it more efficient: IDBI
Bank
67) Sergey Karjakin, who won the World Cup Chess
Championship in Baku, Azerbaijan, is from which
country: Russia
68) Nayantara Sahgal, Ashok Vajpayee, noted writers
returned the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award as
a protest on which issue: Recent killings of
rationalists and writers
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 78
69) Name the India’s first totally indigenously designed
and built torpedo launch and recovery vessel (TLRV)
that has been inducted in Indian Navy: INS
Astradharini
70) The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Conference 2016
will be held in _____ from 8 January to 10 January
2016 to mark the contribution of the overseas
Indian community to the development of India: New
Delhi
71) The Clintons' War on Women is a book written by:
Roger Stone and Robert Morrow
72) The Union cabinet has approved construction of a
National War Memorial and Museum near which
historical monument in New Delhi: India Gate
73) IIT Council has decided to waive full fee for which
category of students in all the 15 IITs for all the
semesters: Physically Challenged Students
74) Three scientists have won the Nobel Prize 2015 in
which field for working out how cells repair
damaged DNA, providing new ammunition in the
war on cancer: Chemistry
75) Which celebrity has been appointed Maharashtra’s
brand ambassador for Tigers: Amitabh Bachchan
76) The Courage to Act - A Memoir of a Crisis and Its
Aftermath is a book written by Ben S. Bernanke on
which mega event of financial world: 2008
Financial Crisis in USA
77) A report by UNCTAD says that the growth rate for
world in 2015 is expected to be around 2.5 per cent.
What is Full form of UNCTAD: United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development
78) NGT has directed all commercial vehicles, including
trucks, entering Delhi to pay an environmental
compensation charge in addition to the toll tax. What
is NGT: National Green Tribunal
79) Which country won the Women’s European
Volleyball Championship: Russia
80) India signed two loan agreements worth 125 million
Euros with which country for financing Green
Energy Corridor project in Himachal Pradesh and
Andhra Pradesh: Germany
81) Govt has approved setting up of three new AIIMS In
which cities at a cost of 4949 crore rupees: Nagpur,
Manglagiri and Kalyani
82) Name the Indian cyclist who became the first ever
Indian to win a gold medal, three silver and one
bronze medal in women's section in the in Taiwan
Cup Track International Classic in Taiwan: Deborah
Herold
83) Senior executives of IMF and World Bank Group held
their annual three-day meeting in _____, Peru to
address current challenges facing the world
economy: Lima
84) Svetlana Alexievich of Belarus has won the Nobel
Prize for literature for 2015 for her portrayal of life
of women in which country: The former Soviet
Union
85) India's first community reserve to protect the
endangered Gangetic River Dolphins will come up on
River ______ in West Bengal: Hooghly
86) Gajanan Pendharkar, Chairman of world famous
ayurvedic cosmetics company passed away recently.
Name his company: Vicco Laboratories
87) Baba Ramdev-promoted Patanjali Ayurved has
entered into a partnership with which chain of mega
retail store to sale its product: Big Bazaar
88) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has
approved implementation of the World Bank
assisted Neeranchal project for promoting effective
irrigation in nine states. What is its formal name:
National Watershed Management Project
89) Name the veteran blind music director-singer-
lyricist who passed away in Mumbai: Ravindra Jain
90) President Pranab Mukherjee made a six-day visit to
which three countries from Oct 10 to 15: Jordan,
Palestine and Israel
91) Mr. Mukherjee became first Indian President to visit
Israel and address their Parliament. What is the
name of their parliament: Knesset
92) Shekhar Basu, renowned scientist has been
appointed as the Chairman of which national
organization: Atomic Energy Commission
93) Finance Ministers of 20 nations vulnerable to
climate change launched which group on 8 October
2015 in Lima, Peru: V20
94) The European Union has started a new operation
termed Operation Sophia to actively intercept boats
smuggling of_________: Refugees
95) Which committee has submitted its
recommendations for developing suitable
methodologies for monitoring CSR (Corporate Social
Responsibility) provisions: Anil Baijal
96) What is the name of 5
th Indo-China Joint Military
Training Exercise 2015 that was conducted at
Kunming Military Academy of Yunnan province in
China from 12 to 23 October: Hand in Hand
97) China has launched the first phase of “China
International Payment System (CIPS)” to promote
which item: Yuan
98) Which city in India has emerged as the world's
cheapest city to live and work in, among 12 top
metropolitan cities of the world: Mumbai
99) _______ defeated Rafael Nadal to win men’s title in the
China Open at Beijing, China: Novak Djokovic
100) Spain’s Garbine Muguruza won the women's singles
title in which international tennis event: China
Open
101) Name the legendary Tamil comedian and actress,
who had starred in over 1,000 southern films, died
at 78 in Chennai: Manorama (Achhi)
102) Name the veteran communist party leader elected as
Nepal's new Prime Minister: K P Sharma Oli
69) Name the India’s first totally indigenously designed
and built torpedo launch and recovery vessel (TLRV)
that has been inducted in Indian Navy: INS
Astradharini
70) The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Conference 2016
will be held in _____ from 8 January to 10 January
2016 to mark the contribution of the overseas
Indian community to the development of India: New
Delhi
71) The Clintons' War on Women is a book written by:
Roger Stone and Robert Morrow
72) The Union cabinet has approved construction of a
National War Memorial and Museum near which
historical monument in New Delhi: India Gate
73) IIT Council has decided to waive full fee for which
category of students in all the 15 IITs for all the
semesters: Physically Challenged Students
74) Three scientists have won the Nobel Prize 2015 in
which field for working out how cells repair
damaged DNA, providing new ammunition in the
war on cancer: Chemistry
75) Which celebrity has been appointed Maharashtra’s
brand ambassador for Tigers: Amitabh Bachchan
76) The Courage to Act - A Memoir of a Crisis and Its
Aftermath is a book written by Ben S. Bernanke on
which mega event of financial world: 2008
Financial Crisis in USA
77) A report by UNCTAD says that the growth rate for
world in 2015 is expected to be around 2.5 per cent.
What is Full form of UNCTAD: United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development
78) NGT has directed all commercial vehicles, including
trucks, entering Delhi to pay an environmental
compensation charge in addition to the toll tax. What
is NGT: National Green Tribunal
79) Which country won the Women’s European
Volleyball Championship: Russia
80) India signed two loan agreements worth 125 million
Euros with which country for financing Green
Energy Corridor project in Himachal Pradesh and
Andhra Pradesh: Germany
81) Govt has approved setting up of three new AIIMS In
which cities at a cost of 4949 crore rupees: Nagpur,
Manglagiri and Kalyani
82) Name the Indian cyclist who became the first ever
Indian to win a gold medal, three silver and one
bronze medal in women's section in the in Taiwan
Cup Track International Classic in Taiwan: Deborah
Herold
83) Senior executives of IMF and World Bank Group held
their annual three-day meeting in _____, Peru to
address current challenges facing the world
economy: Lima
84) Svetlana Alexievich of Belarus has won the Nobel
Prize for literature for 2015 for her portrayal of life
of women in which country: The former Soviet
Union
85) India's first community reserve to protect the
endangered Gangetic River Dolphins will come up on
River ______ in West Bengal: Hooghly
86) Gajanan Pendharkar, Chairman of world famous
ayurvedic cosmetics company passed away recently.
Name his company: Vicco Laboratories
87) Baba Ramdev-promoted Patanjali Ayurved has
entered into a partnership with which chain of mega
retail store to sale its product: Big Bazaar
88) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has
approved implementation of the World Bank
assisted Neeranchal project for promoting effective
irrigation in nine states. What is its formal name:
National Watershed Management Project
89) Name the veteran blind music director-singer-
lyricist who passed away in Mumbai: Ravindra Jain
90) President Pranab Mukherjee made a six-day visit to
which three countries from Oct 10 to 15: Jordan,
Palestine and Israel
91) Mr. Mukherjee became first Indian President to visit
Israel and address their Parliament. What is the
name of their parliament: Knesset
92) Shekhar Basu, renowned scientist has been
appointed as the Chairman of which national
organization: Atomic Energy Commission
93) Finance Ministers of 20 nations vulnerable to
climate change launched which group on 8 October
2015 in Lima, Peru: V20
94) The European Union has started a new operation
termed Operation Sophia to actively intercept boats
smuggling of_________: Refugees
95) Which committee has submitted its
recommendations for developing suitable
methodologies for monitoring CSR (Corporate Social
Responsibility) provisions: Anil Baijal
96) What is the name of 5
th Indo-China Joint Military
Training Exercise 2015 that was conducted at
Kunming Military Academy of Yunnan province in
China from 12 to 23 October: Hand in Hand
97) China has launched the first phase of “China
International Payment System (CIPS)” to promote
which item: Yuan
98) Which city in India has emerged as the world's
cheapest city to live and work in, among 12 top
metropolitan cities of the world: Mumbai
99) _______ defeated Rafael Nadal to win men’s title in the
China Open at Beijing, China: Novak Djokovic
100) Spain’s Garbine Muguruza won the women's singles
title in which international tennis event: China
Open
101) Name the legendary Tamil comedian and actress,
who had starred in over 1,000 southern films, died
at 78 in Chennai: Manorama (Achhi)
102) Name the veteran communist party leader elected as
Nepal's new Prime Minister: K P Sharma Oli
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 79
103) Dutch Open Grand Prix Badminton singles titles in
men’s category was won by which Indian player:
Ajay Jayaram
104) Neither a Hawk nor a Dove is a book written by
Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri. Who is he: Ex Foreign
Minister of Pakistan
105) Which state has launched Mission ‘Abaas’ to provide
affordable houses to Economically Weaker Sections
(EWS), Low Income Groups (LIG) and slum dwellers:
Odisha
106) Jioji Konrote has been elected as new President of
which Pacific island mini country: Fiji
107) Alexander Lukashenko has been re elected as the
President of which country: Belarus
108) 2015 Nobel Prize for Economics has been won by
Angus Deaton for his work on which topic:
Consumption, poverty and welfare
109) 2015 Nobel Prize for Economics has been won by
Angus Deaton. He is from which country: UK
110) India has signed a deal with which country for
supply of 194 Pipistrel micro-light aircraft to be
used by Indian Air Force: Slovenia
111) To which country India offered a cheque for $ 5
million as budgetary support: Palestine
112) The Supreme Court has imposed 'Environment
Compensation Charge' of Rs 700 and Rs 1300 on
commercial vehicles entering which metro city:
Delhi
113) Man Booker Prize For Literature 2015, won by
Jamaican author ______ for his novel A Brief History of
Seven Killings: Marlon James
114) Shweta Rathore became the first Indian female
_______ to win a silver medal in the 49th Asian
championship held in Uzbekistan: Bodybuilder
115) With the presence of more than 4,200 startups, India
has also become the ______largest startup base in
world: 03
rd
116) The navies of which countries began a five-day joint
operation-'Malabar exercise' on October 14 on the
eastern coast in Bay of Bengal: India, USA and
Japan
117) National channel of Doordarshan will telecast a ten-
episode Programme on Apprenticeship Training
Scheme. What is its name: Hunarbaaz
118) Harvard Humanitarian Of The Year Award – 2015
has been won by which Indian: Kailash Satyarthi
119) Name one of India's greatest fast bowlers who bid
adieu to international cricket: Zahir Khan
120) Name the star player of The Real Madrid who won
the record fourth Golden Boot for scoring highest –
48 goals in the season: Cristiano Ronaldo
121) China has operationalised the world’s highest mega
hydropower station at Zam in Tibet, built on which
river: Brahmaputra
122) Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICGS Anmol was inducted in
which paramilitary force of India: Indian Coast
Guard
123) Data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority
of India shows that the subscriber base has crossed
_______ crore by the end of Sept. 2015: 101
124) The RBI has decided to create a new Fund with a
corpus of 2,000 crore rupees for promotion of
financial inclusion. What is its name: Financial
Inclusion Fund
125) Real estate developer Tata Housing has tied-up with
which social networking firm to sell its affordable
homes online: Facebook
126) Which bank has automated its personal loan
approvals by deploying an analytics engine on their
ATMs that would track the customer's history and
based on that, automatically authorize a loan: HDFC
Bank
127) Which bank has received in principle approval from
the RBI to set up a subsidiary to frame and
implement a uniform policy for all the real estate
properties owned or rented by the bank: State Bank
of India
128) As per a new notification by the Union Health
Ministry, what has been now allowed to the blood
banks: Transfer of blood from one blood bank to
another blood bank
129) Govt has decided to raise the wage ceiling for
calculating bonus to Rs. _______ for factory workers
and establishments with 20 or more workers: 7,000
130) The Supreme Court has given what decision with
regards to the National Judicial Appointments
Commission (NJAC) Act: It has rejected formation
of NJAC
131) After rejection of NJAC, what system will be adopted
for selection of High Court / Supreme Court judges:
Through collegium system
132) As per recent RBI guidelines, interest rate on Gold
Deposit Schemes will be decided by which authority:
Banks themselves
133) Which country has offered $15 billion long term soft
loan along with technology for starting the Bullet
Train between Ahmadabad and Mumbai: Japan
134) First World Indigenous Games were held in Palmas
in which country: Brazil
135) Name the noted Punjabi singer, famous for
chartbusters like “London Thumakda” and “Jee
karda bi jee karda”, who died untimely in Mumbai:
Labh Janjua
136) Who is M L Fotedar, author of the book The Chinar
Leaves: Veteran Congress leader and close aide of
the Gandhi family
137) Name the ex DGP of Border security Force and ex
President of the Indian Hockey Federation who
passed away at 95: Ashwini Kumar
138) ____ has been elected as the new Prime Minister of
Canada from Liberal Party: Justin Trudeau
139) Name the Indian golfer who won the Hilton Asian
103) Dutch Open Grand Prix Badminton singles titles in
men’s category was won by which Indian player:
Ajay Jayaram
104) Neither a Hawk nor a Dove is a book written by
Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri. Who is he: Ex Foreign
Minister of Pakistan
105) Which state has launched Mission ‘Abaas’ to provide
affordable houses to Economically Weaker Sections
(EWS), Low Income Groups (LIG) and slum dwellers:
Odisha
106) Jioji Konrote has been elected as new President of
which Pacific island mini country: Fiji
107) Alexander Lukashenko has been re elected as the
President of which country: Belarus
108) 2015 Nobel Prize for Economics has been won by
Angus Deaton for his work on which topic:
Consumption, poverty and welfare
109) 2015 Nobel Prize for Economics has been won by
Angus Deaton. He is from which country: UK
110) India has signed a deal with which country for
supply of 194 Pipistrel micro-light aircraft to be
used by Indian Air Force: Slovenia
111) To which country India offered a cheque for $ 5
million as budgetary support: Palestine
112) The Supreme Court has imposed 'Environment
Compensation Charge' of Rs 700 and Rs 1300 on
commercial vehicles entering which metro city:
Delhi
113) Man Booker Prize For Literature 2015, won by
Jamaican author ______ for his novel A Brief History of
Seven Killings: Marlon James
114) Shweta Rathore became the first Indian female
_______ to win a silver medal in the 49th Asian
championship held in Uzbekistan: Bodybuilder
115) With the presence of more than 4,200 startups, India
has also become the ______largest startup base in
world: 03
rd
116) The navies of which countries began a five-day joint
operation-'Malabar exercise' on October 14 on the
eastern coast in Bay of Bengal: India, USA and
Japan
117) National channel of Doordarshan will telecast a ten-
episode Programme on Apprenticeship Training
Scheme. What is its name: Hunarbaaz
118) Harvard Humanitarian Of The Year Award – 2015
has been won by which Indian: Kailash Satyarthi
119) Name one of India's greatest fast bowlers who bid
adieu to international cricket: Zahir Khan
120) Name the star player of The Real Madrid who won
the record fourth Golden Boot for scoring highest –
48 goals in the season: Cristiano Ronaldo
121) China has operationalised the world’s highest mega
hydropower station at Zam in Tibet, built on which
river: Brahmaputra
122) Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICGS Anmol was inducted in
which paramilitary force of India: Indian Coast
Guard
123) Data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority
of India shows that the subscriber base has crossed
_______ crore by the end of Sept. 2015: 101
124) The RBI has decided to create a new Fund with a
corpus of 2,000 crore rupees for promotion of
financial inclusion. What is its name: Financial
Inclusion Fund
125) Real estate developer Tata Housing has tied-up with
which social networking firm to sell its affordable
homes online: Facebook
126) Which bank has automated its personal loan
approvals by deploying an analytics engine on their
ATMs that would track the customer's history and
based on that, automatically authorize a loan: HDFC
Bank
127) Which bank has received in principle approval from
the RBI to set up a subsidiary to frame and
implement a uniform policy for all the real estate
properties owned or rented by the bank: State Bank
of India
128) As per a new notification by the Union Health
Ministry, what has been now allowed to the blood
banks: Transfer of blood from one blood bank to
another blood bank
129) Govt has decided to raise the wage ceiling for
calculating bonus to Rs. _______ for factory workers
and establishments with 20 or more workers: 7,000
130) The Supreme Court has given what decision with
regards to the National Judicial Appointments
Commission (NJAC) Act: It has rejected formation
of NJAC
131) After rejection of NJAC, what system will be adopted
for selection of High Court / Supreme Court judges:
Through collegium system
132) As per recent RBI guidelines, interest rate on Gold
Deposit Schemes will be decided by which authority:
Banks themselves
133) Which country has offered $15 billion long term soft
loan along with technology for starting the Bullet
Train between Ahmadabad and Mumbai: Japan
134) First World Indigenous Games were held in Palmas
in which country: Brazil
135) Name the noted Punjabi singer, famous for
chartbusters like “London Thumakda” and “Jee
karda bi jee karda”, who died untimely in Mumbai:
Labh Janjua
136) Who is M L Fotedar, author of the book The Chinar
Leaves: Veteran Congress leader and close aide of
the Gandhi family
137) Name the ex DGP of Border security Force and ex
President of the Indian Hockey Federation who
passed away at 95: Ashwini Kumar
138) ____ has been elected as the new Prime Minister of
Canada from Liberal Party: Justin Trudeau
139) Name the Indian golfer who won the Hilton Asian
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 80
Tour Golfer of the Month award at Singapore:
Anirban Lahiri
140) Name the India’s ace batsman who announced his
retirement from international cricket and the Indian
Premier League: Virender Sehwag
141) Jerry Seinfeld has been named as the world’s highest
paid ____ by the Forbes Magazine: Comedian
142) Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean President has been
awarded which global honour for “injecting fresh
energy” into the global quest for harmony:
Confucius Peace Prize
143) _____ village in district Faridabad of Haryana was in
news as a Dalit family of four was set afire inside
their house, killing two babies: Sunperh
144) Typhoon Koppu attacked the northeastern part of
which country on October 18 with fierce winds,
displacing 16,000 villagers: Philippines
145) ‘Science Express Climate Action Special’ train has
been started from______ , as part of its initiative to
sensitize the masses, especially children and the
youth about climate change: Delhi
146) Name the new fund started to support the victims
of various attacks, such as rape, acid attacks, human
trafficking and women killed or injured in the cross
border firing: Central Victim Compensation Fund
147) An Indian short film of 11 minutes, An Old Dog’s
Diary has won prestigious Best Short Film Award at
the 2015 ______ Film Festival: London
148) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has made it
mandatory for telecom operators to compensate
consumers by Rs._____ for call drops with effect from
1 January 2016: One
149) India was placed at which position in the Sulan of
Johor Cup (Hockey): Second
150) Name the winner Sultan of Johor Cup: Great Britain
151) __________ was the host country for Sultan of Johor
Cup: Malaysia
152) Saketh Myneni, India’s ace _______ player won the
Vietnam Open trophy in the finals played at Ho Chi
Minh city, Vietnam: Tennis
153) P. V. Sandhu, Indian badminton star was placed at
which rank in the Denmark Open Badminton Title:
Second
154) ______ of China won the Denmark Open Badminton
Title: Xuerui Li
155) ____________ won the Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva 2015
title to become India’s representative for the Miss
Universe pageant: Urvashi Rautela
156) Govt of India has appointed _____, veteran sports
administrator as the President of the All India
Council of Sports: Vijay Kumar Malhotra
157) NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) forces
conducted their massive field exercise from October
3 to November 6. What was its name: Trident
juncture 2015
158) K S L Swamy, renowned _______ filmmaker, producer,
actor and playback singer passed away in Bengaluru:
Kannada
159) Name the sportsperson who became the first Indian
tennis player to come under 100 since 2010 in the
ATP world rankings: Yuki Bhambri
160) Alpha Conde has been reelected as the President of
which country: Guinea
161) Bir Billing, place in Kangra district of Himachal
Pradesh was in news for what reasons: First
Paragliding World Cup of South East Asia started
there
162) Name the town in district Faridkot, Punjab that
witnessed widespread violent protests by Sikhs
against the alleged desecration of a 'bir' of Guru
Granth Sahib: Kotkapura
163) The Commonwealth Youth, Junior & Senior
weightlifting championships were held in which city
in India: Pune, Maharashtra
164) Reserve Bank of India has opened its sub-office
recently in which city in North East India: Imphal in
Manipur
165) Government plans to bring out __ and __ gram India
Gold Coins with lion emblem, for sale to public: 5
and 10
166) Which apex global organization celebrated its 70
th
anniversary on October 24: United Nations of
India - UNO
167) What special event was organized to commemorate
the 70
th anniversary of the United Nations on
October 24: More than 200 landmark monuments
in 60 countries were lit up in blue light
168) The Defence Ministry has approved, for the first time
in the history of Indian Air Force what role for its
women officers: They will be allow to fly fighter
aircraft
169) Dreaming Big: My Journey to Connect India is the
autobiography of which noted telecom icon of India:
Sam Pitroda
170) Hurricane Patricia, one of the most powerful storms
on record stuck which country recently: Mexico’s
Pacific coast
171) Jimmy Morales has been elected as the _____ of
Guatemala: President
172) The 3rd India-Africa forum summit was held in
which place from Oct 26 to 29: New Delhi
173) __________ won the United States Grand Prix Formula
1 Championship in Austin, Texas: Lewis Hamilton
174) Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia clinched which men’s
singles international badminton title recently:
French International
175) Government has hiked the limit for penal provisions
for undeclared or mis-declared baggage that will
attract arrest or prosecution, to Rs. ______ from Rs 5
lac at present: Rs 20 lac
176) The 19th International Children's Film Festival, India
is to be held in __________ from November 14-20:
Tour Golfer of the Month award at Singapore:
Anirban Lahiri
140) Name the India’s ace batsman who announced his
retirement from international cricket and the Indian
Premier League: Virender Sehwag
141) Jerry Seinfeld has been named as the world’s highest
paid ____ by the Forbes Magazine: Comedian
142) Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean President has been
awarded which global honour for “injecting fresh
energy” into the global quest for harmony:
Confucius Peace Prize
143) _____ village in district Faridabad of Haryana was in
news as a Dalit family of four was set afire inside
their house, killing two babies: Sunperh
144) Typhoon Koppu attacked the northeastern part of
which country on October 18 with fierce winds,
displacing 16,000 villagers: Philippines
145) ‘Science Express Climate Action Special’ train has
been started from______ , as part of its initiative to
sensitize the masses, especially children and the
youth about climate change: Delhi
146) Name the new fund started to support the victims
of various attacks, such as rape, acid attacks, human
trafficking and women killed or injured in the cross
border firing: Central Victim Compensation Fund
147) An Indian short film of 11 minutes, An Old Dog’s
Diary has won prestigious Best Short Film Award at
the 2015 ______ Film Festival: London
148) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has made it
mandatory for telecom operators to compensate
consumers by Rs._____ for call drops with effect from
1 January 2016: One
149) India was placed at which position in the Sulan of
Johor Cup (Hockey): Second
150) Name the winner Sultan of Johor Cup: Great Britain
151) __________ was the host country for Sultan of Johor
Cup: Malaysia
152) Saketh Myneni, India’s ace _______ player won the
Vietnam Open trophy in the finals played at Ho Chi
Minh city, Vietnam: Tennis
153) P. V. Sandhu, Indian badminton star was placed at
which rank in the Denmark Open Badminton Title:
Second
154) ______ of China won the Denmark Open Badminton
Title: Xuerui Li
155) ____________ won the Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva 2015
title to become India’s representative for the Miss
Universe pageant: Urvashi Rautela
156) Govt of India has appointed _____, veteran sports
administrator as the President of the All India
Council of Sports: Vijay Kumar Malhotra
157) NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) forces
conducted their massive field exercise from October
3 to November 6. What was its name: Trident
juncture 2015
158) K S L Swamy, renowned _______ filmmaker, producer,
actor and playback singer passed away in Bengaluru:
Kannada
159) Name the sportsperson who became the first Indian
tennis player to come under 100 since 2010 in the
ATP world rankings: Yuki Bhambri
160) Alpha Conde has been reelected as the President of
which country: Guinea
161) Bir Billing, place in Kangra district of Himachal
Pradesh was in news for what reasons: First
Paragliding World Cup of South East Asia started
there
162) Name the town in district Faridkot, Punjab that
witnessed widespread violent protests by Sikhs
against the alleged desecration of a 'bir' of Guru
Granth Sahib: Kotkapura
163) The Commonwealth Youth, Junior & Senior
weightlifting championships were held in which city
in India: Pune, Maharashtra
164) Reserve Bank of India has opened its sub-office
recently in which city in North East India: Imphal in
Manipur
165) Government plans to bring out __ and __ gram India
Gold Coins with lion emblem, for sale to public: 5
and 10
166) Which apex global organization celebrated its 70
th
anniversary on October 24: United Nations of
India - UNO
167) What special event was organized to commemorate
the 70
th anniversary of the United Nations on
October 24: More than 200 landmark monuments
in 60 countries were lit up in blue light
168) The Defence Ministry has approved, for the first time
in the history of Indian Air Force what role for its
women officers: They will be allow to fly fighter
aircraft
169) Dreaming Big: My Journey to Connect India is the
autobiography of which noted telecom icon of India:
Sam Pitroda
170) Hurricane Patricia, one of the most powerful storms
on record stuck which country recently: Mexico’s
Pacific coast
171) Jimmy Morales has been elected as the _____ of
Guatemala: President
172) The 3rd India-Africa forum summit was held in
which place from Oct 26 to 29: New Delhi
173) __________ won the United States Grand Prix Formula
1 Championship in Austin, Texas: Lewis Hamilton
174) Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia clinched which men’s
singles international badminton title recently:
French International
175) Government has hiked the limit for penal provisions
for undeclared or mis-declared baggage that will
attract arrest or prosecution, to Rs. ______ from Rs 5
lac at present: Rs 20 lac
176) The 19th International Children's Film Festival, India
is to be held in __________ from November 14-20:
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 81
Hyderabad
177) Govt has launched an e-Sahyog pilot project of
Income-Tax Department for what purpose: To
reduce compliance cost, especially for small
taxpayers
178) India has improved its position to ______ from 134 in
2015 in the World Bank's 2016 rankings in terms of
ease of doing business: 130
179) Which state hosted the 16th National Women Boxing
Championship: Assam
180) The International Olympic Committee has
announced that _______ athletes will be allowed, for
the first time, to take part in next year's Olympics:
Refugee
181) The Indian and Sri Lankan Navies conducted the 4th
edition of SLINEX in Bay of Bengal, off the
Trincomalee coast in Sri Lanka. What is form of
SLINEX: Sri Lanka-India Exercise
182) Which Paramilitary Force has decided to deploy
women personnel in combat duties at its high-
altitude posts along the Indo-China border: Indo
Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
183) As per the All India viewership data which TV
channel has emerged as the most watched Hindi
channel in terms of time spent per viewer:
Doordarshan
184) Railways plans to start country's first-ever double
decker Shatabdi Express between which two
stations: Mumbai and Goa
185) What do we call the excise tax levied on products
and services like alcohol, tobacco and gambling
considered bad for health or society: Sin Tax
186) Name the Indian who created history by winning a
silver medal for the first time in the Archery World
Cup Final held in Mexico City: Abhishek Verma
187) With which country RBI has signed a MoU for
exchange of supervisory information: Bangladesh
188) Which country has launched the Tianhui -1C
mapping satellite: China
189) Railway plans to launch Vikalp scheme from 1st of
November to give passengers which new option:
Choice to travel by an alternate train
190) The 12th SAF (South Asian Games) games will be
held from February 6 to 16 in 2016 in which place:
Guwahati and Shillong
191) Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders released the first
Scorpene category ________ INS 'Kalvari' for sea trails
at the Naval Dockyard Mumbai: Submarine
192) Name the noted Nepali Communist leader who has
been elected as Nepal’s first woman President by the
Parliament: Vidya Devi Bhandari
193) Govt has formed a Committee headed by Justice RV
Easwar (Retd.), former Judge of Delhi High Court for
what purpose: To suggest simplifications in the
provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961
194) ________ has been appointed as Chairman of Central
Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC): Najib Shah
195) With which country India signed a MoU to conserve,
develop and publicize written heritage at the
National Library in Kolkata: France
196) In the 2015 Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company
Rankings, which are the top 3 Indian companies:
Reliance Industries-14
th, ONGC-17
th and Coal
India-38
th
197) Which country has announced an end to its 45 years
old policy of allowing only one child per family:
China
198) The Ministry of Environment has granted
environment clearance for the greenfield
international airport at Mopa in which state: Goa
199) In terms of protection of minority investors, India
ranks______ , ahead of many developed economies:
8
th
200) As per the GFMS Gold Survey 2015, ______ is the
largest consumer of gold in world: India
201) Exim Bank has extended a Line of Credit of $87
million to which country: Zimbabwe
202) __________ has been ranked as the safest bank of India,
and 27
th in world by the ‘The Banker’ magazine:
HDFC Bank
203) RBI has allowed which new category of persons to
subscribe to the National Pension System (NPS) of
PFRDA: Non Resident Indians (NRIs)
204) Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded
annually by which international body: European
Parliament
SEPTEMBER – 2015
205) Name the public sector power producing giant
that achieved a record highest single-day
electricity generation of 733.12 million units on
August 27 from its 33 power plants: NTPC
206) The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry has
launched SAHAJ scheme for what purpose: Online
booking of LPG connections
207) Maharashtra govt recently acquired the house
where Dr. B. R. Ambedkar lived in 1921-22. It is in
which city: London
208) Anil won the gold me dal at the world
championship of which sport: Wrestling
209) OP Jaisha finished 18
th in which sports in the
world athletics championship, creating a new
national record: Women’s Marathon
210) Who has been appointed as the new Union Home
secretary: Rajiv Mehrishi
211) All India Radio released the digital version of
which grand epic as a set of digital CDs produced
by its old recordings: Ramcharitmanas
212) As per the data released by the Central Statistics
Office, what was the GDP growth rate for the 2015
April – June quarter: 7%
213) M M Kalburgi, 77 year old Kannada scholar and ex
Hyderabad
177) Govt has launched an e-Sahyog pilot project of
Income-Tax Department for what purpose: To
reduce compliance cost, especially for small
taxpayers
178) India has improved its position to ______ from 134 in
2015 in the World Bank's 2016 rankings in terms of
ease of doing business: 130
179) Which state hosted the 16th National Women Boxing
Championship: Assam
180) The International Olympic Committee has
announced that _______ athletes will be allowed, for
the first time, to take part in next year's Olympics:
Refugee
181) The Indian and Sri Lankan Navies conducted the 4th
edition of SLINEX in Bay of Bengal, off the
Trincomalee coast in Sri Lanka. What is form of
SLINEX: Sri Lanka-India Exercise
182) Which Paramilitary Force has decided to deploy
women personnel in combat duties at its high-
altitude posts along the Indo-China border: Indo
Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
183) As per the All India viewership data which TV
channel has emerged as the most watched Hindi
channel in terms of time spent per viewer:
Doordarshan
184) Railways plans to start country's first-ever double
decker Shatabdi Express between which two
stations: Mumbai and Goa
185) What do we call the excise tax levied on products
and services like alcohol, tobacco and gambling
considered bad for health or society: Sin Tax
186) Name the Indian who created history by winning a
silver medal for the first time in the Archery World
Cup Final held in Mexico City: Abhishek Verma
187) With which country RBI has signed a MoU for
exchange of supervisory information: Bangladesh
188) Which country has launched the Tianhui -1C
mapping satellite: China
189) Railway plans to launch Vikalp scheme from 1st of
November to give passengers which new option:
Choice to travel by an alternate train
190) The 12th SAF (South Asian Games) games will be
held from February 6 to 16 in 2016 in which place:
Guwahati and Shillong
191) Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders released the first
Scorpene category ________ INS 'Kalvari' for sea trails
at the Naval Dockyard Mumbai: Submarine
192) Name the noted Nepali Communist leader who has
been elected as Nepal’s first woman President by the
Parliament: Vidya Devi Bhandari
193) Govt has formed a Committee headed by Justice RV
Easwar (Retd.), former Judge of Delhi High Court for
what purpose: To suggest simplifications in the
provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961
194) ________ has been appointed as Chairman of Central
Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC): Najib Shah
195) With which country India signed a MoU to conserve,
develop and publicize written heritage at the
National Library in Kolkata: France
196) In the 2015 Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company
Rankings, which are the top 3 Indian companies:
Reliance Industries-14
th, ONGC-17
th and Coal
India-38
th
197) Which country has announced an end to its 45 years
old policy of allowing only one child per family:
China
198) The Ministry of Environment has granted
environment clearance for the greenfield
international airport at Mopa in which state: Goa
199) In terms of protection of minority investors, India
ranks______ , ahead of many developed economies:
8
th
200) As per the GFMS Gold Survey 2015, ______ is the
largest consumer of gold in world: India
201) Exim Bank has extended a Line of Credit of $87
million to which country: Zimbabwe
202) __________ has been ranked as the safest bank of India,
and 27
th in world by the ‘The Banker’ magazine:
HDFC Bank
203) RBI has allowed which new category of persons to
subscribe to the National Pension System (NPS) of
PFRDA: Non Resident Indians (NRIs)
204) Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded
annually by which international body: European
Parliament
SEPTEMBER – 2015
205) Name the public sector power producing giant
that achieved a record highest single-day
electricity generation of 733.12 million units on
August 27 from its 33 power plants: NTPC
206) The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry has
launched SAHAJ scheme for what purpose: Online
booking of LPG connections
207) Maharashtra govt recently acquired the house
where Dr. B. R. Ambedkar lived in 1921-22. It is in
which city: London
208) Anil won the gold me dal at the world
championship of which sport: Wrestling
209) OP Jaisha finished 18
th in which sports in the
world athletics championship, creating a new
national record: Women’s Marathon
210) Who has been appointed as the new Union Home
secretary: Rajiv Mehrishi
211) All India Radio released the digital version of
which grand epic as a set of digital CDs produced
by its old recordings: Ramcharitmanas
212) As per the data released by the Central Statistics
Office, what was the GDP growth rate for the 2015
April – June quarter: 7%
213) M M Kalburgi, 77 year old Kannada scholar and ex
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 82
Vice Chancellor of Kannada University was in
news for what reasons: He was shot dead in
Dharwad, Karnataka
214) ‘Portrait of a Serial Killer’ is a book written by
which famous author: Khushwant Singh
215) The Reserve Bank declared which two banks, for
the first time, as D-SIBs: SBI and ICICI Bank
216) What is the full form of D-SIBs: Domestic
Systemically Important Banks
217) What is the meaning of Systemically Important:
Any thing or feature which is important for
entire system
218) Tenzing Norgay National Sports awards are given
in which field: Adventure Sports
219) Which bank has launched IndPay mobile app
service to enables its customers to operate bank
accounts anytime from anywhere: Indian Bank
220) The government has identified how many cities
and towns across nine states for implementation
of its ambitious 'Housing for All' scheme: 305
221) What is the formal official name of the ‘Housing for
All’ scheme: Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana
222) The Reserve Bank has asked all banks to be
prepared for the implementation of due diligence
and reporting standards under FATCA. What is the
full form of FATCA: Foreign Account Tax
Compliance Act
223) World's 11th-biggest economy has fallen into a
recession, dragged down by falling energy prices
and economic troubles in China. Name this
country: Canada
224) The Sports Ministry has decided to recognize ______
as a sports discipline and place it in the Priority
category: Yoga
225) Name the govt. department which has
implemented an electronic payment system to
become the first government department to have
100 per cent cashless transactions: Department
of Industrial Policy and Promotion
226) India is joining the UN-based 'Better Than Cash
Alliance' for what purpose: For promotion of
transition from cash to digital payments
227) __________ has been appointed as the new Union
Finance Secretary: Ratan P Watal
228) The Reserve Bank has proposed a new formula to
calculate the base rate for lending wef April 1,
2016. What is Base Rate: The interest rate below
which a bank is not allowed to lend
229) Govt has announced that the MAT will not be
applicable on capital gains made by Foreign
Institutional Investors prior to April 1, 2015. What
is MAT: Minimum Alternate Tax
230) Jhumpa Lahiri, noted Indo American author has
been honoured with National Humanities Medal
by which country: USA
231) The Reserve Bank of India will shortly put into
circulation Rs. 5 coins to commemorate golden
jubilee of which important national event: Indo-
Pak War 1965
232) Two-day Conference of G-20 Finance Ministers
and Central Bank Governors was held at which
place on September 4 and 5: Ankara (Turkey)
233) Which historical monument in Kerala has won the
prestigious UNESCO Award of Excellence 2015:
Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple
234) The highest mountain of North America - Mt
McKinley has been renamed as _________ by the US
President: Denali
235) The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held at
which place in South Africa: Durban
236) Name the noted Bollywood music composer who
passed away at a young age of 51 as he was
suffering from cancer: Aadesh Shrivastava
237) Name the first Railway Zone in Indian Railways,
which has eliminated all un-manned level
crossings in its area: West Central Railway Zone
238) Name the erstwhile commodities market regulator
which has been merged with SEBI: Forward
Markets Commission
239) A two day Disaster Mitigation conference of
SAARC nations was held at which place: New
Delhi
240) Two commemorative coins of Rs 125 and Rs 10
were released recently on which important
occasion: Teachers’ Day
241) Name the Australia's veteran all-rounder who
announced his retirement from Test cricket on
September 6, playing his last match in Cardiff, UK:
Shane Watson
242) Name the sportsman, who won the Italian Grand
Prix F1 championship at Monza, Italy: Lewis
Hamilton
243) A two day Hindu-Buddhist Conference was held at
_______, Bihar: Bodhgaya
244) The government has announced to roll out the
welfare measure under OROP for Armed Forces.
What is OROP: One Rank One Pension
245) Name the new group launched by G-20 nations for
boosting the role of women in global economic
growth: W20 (Women – 20)
246) As per the first ever count of India’s leopards,
which state is at rank No. 1 with around 1817
leopards: Madhya Pradesh
247) Name the 89 year old Queen of Great Britain, who
reached a major milestone on Sep 8 by becoming
the longest-reigning monarch (since Feb 02, 1952)
in Britain’s history: Elizabeth II
248) Apurvi Chandela won the silver medal at the
international championship in which sports: 10 m
air rifle shooting
249) Deepak Lather won a gold in which sports in the
fifth Youth Commonwealth Games in Apia, Samoa:
Vice Chancellor of Kannada University was in
news for what reasons: He was shot dead in
Dharwad, Karnataka
214) ‘Portrait of a Serial Killer’ is a book written by
which famous author: Khushwant Singh
215) The Reserve Bank declared which two banks, for
the first time, as D-SIBs: SBI and ICICI Bank
216) What is the full form of D-SIBs: Domestic
Systemically Important Banks
217) What is the meaning of Systemically Important:
Any thing or feature which is important for
entire system
218) Tenzing Norgay National Sports awards are given
in which field: Adventure Sports
219) Which bank has launched IndPay mobile app
service to enables its customers to operate bank
accounts anytime from anywhere: Indian Bank
220) The government has identified how many cities
and towns across nine states for implementation
of its ambitious 'Housing for All' scheme: 305
221) What is the formal official name of the ‘Housing for
All’ scheme: Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana
222) The Reserve Bank has asked all banks to be
prepared for the implementation of due diligence
and reporting standards under FATCA. What is the
full form of FATCA: Foreign Account Tax
Compliance Act
223) World's 11th-biggest economy has fallen into a
recession, dragged down by falling energy prices
and economic troubles in China. Name this
country: Canada
224) The Sports Ministry has decided to recognize ______
as a sports discipline and place it in the Priority
category: Yoga
225) Name the govt. department which has
implemented an electronic payment system to
become the first government department to have
100 per cent cashless transactions: Department
of Industrial Policy and Promotion
226) India is joining the UN-based 'Better Than Cash
Alliance' for what purpose: For promotion of
transition from cash to digital payments
227) __________ has been appointed as the new Union
Finance Secretary: Ratan P Watal
228) The Reserve Bank has proposed a new formula to
calculate the base rate for lending wef April 1,
2016. What is Base Rate: The interest rate below
which a bank is not allowed to lend
229) Govt has announced that the MAT will not be
applicable on capital gains made by Foreign
Institutional Investors prior to April 1, 2015. What
is MAT: Minimum Alternate Tax
230) Jhumpa Lahiri, noted Indo American author has
been honoured with National Humanities Medal
by which country: USA
231) The Reserve Bank of India will shortly put into
circulation Rs. 5 coins to commemorate golden
jubilee of which important national event: Indo-
Pak War 1965
232) Two-day Conference of G-20 Finance Ministers
and Central Bank Governors was held at which
place on September 4 and 5: Ankara (Turkey)
233) Which historical monument in Kerala has won the
prestigious UNESCO Award of Excellence 2015:
Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple
234) The highest mountain of North America - Mt
McKinley has been renamed as _________ by the US
President: Denali
235) The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held at
which place in South Africa: Durban
236) Name the noted Bollywood music composer who
passed away at a young age of 51 as he was
suffering from cancer: Aadesh Shrivastava
237) Name the first Railway Zone in Indian Railways,
which has eliminated all un-manned level
crossings in its area: West Central Railway Zone
238) Name the erstwhile commodities market regulator
which has been merged with SEBI: Forward
Markets Commission
239) A two day Disaster Mitigation conference of
SAARC nations was held at which place: New
Delhi
240) Two commemorative coins of Rs 125 and Rs 10
were released recently on which important
occasion: Teachers’ Day
241) Name the Australia's veteran all-rounder who
announced his retirement from Test cricket on
September 6, playing his last match in Cardiff, UK:
Shane Watson
242) Name the sportsman, who won the Italian Grand
Prix F1 championship at Monza, Italy: Lewis
Hamilton
243) A two day Hindu-Buddhist Conference was held at
_______, Bihar: Bodhgaya
244) The government has announced to roll out the
welfare measure under OROP for Armed Forces.
What is OROP: One Rank One Pension
245) Name the new group launched by G-20 nations for
boosting the role of women in global economic
growth: W20 (Women – 20)
246) As per the first ever count of India’s leopards,
which state is at rank No. 1 with around 1817
leopards: Madhya Pradesh
247) Name the 89 year old Queen of Great Britain, who
reached a major milestone on Sep 8 by becoming
the longest-reigning monarch (since Feb 02, 1952)
in Britain’s history: Elizabeth II
248) Apurvi Chandela won the silver medal at the
international championship in which sports: 10 m
air rifle shooting
249) Deepak Lather won a gold in which sports in the
fifth Youth Commonwealth Games in Apia, Samoa:
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 83
Weight lifting
250) ‘The Power of Meow’ is a famous book written by
which author: David Michie
251) Name the new gold scheme launched by govt. with
a view to reduce the regular demand for the gold,
usually for investment purpose: Sovereign Gold
Bond Scheme
252) Name the new gold scheme launched by govt. with
a view to mobilize part of around 22,000 tonne
gold lying in Indian households: Gold
Monetisation Scheme
253) The Union Cabinet has allowed 100% foreign
direct investment (FDI) under the automatic route
for installing which type of ATMs: White Label
ATMs
254) The three-day Vishwa Hindi Sammelan (World
Hindi Conference) was held at which place:
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
255) Name the lady scientist who has been made the
first women Director General in the DRDO: J
Manjula
256) Which Indian stock exchange has the highest
number of listed companies in the world,
numbering 5689: Bombay Stock Exchange
257) Men’s singles title at the US Open Tennis was won
by __________: Novak Djokovic
258) Women’s singles title at the US Open Tennis was
won by __________: Flavia Pennetta (Italy)
259) Name the Indian tennis player who won the men’s
mixed doubles title at the US open: Leander Paes
260) Name the Indian tennis player who won the
women’s doubles title at the US open: Sania Mirza
261) Indian Navy has established its largest missile
storage and replenishment facility named _______ at
Karwar base in Karnataka for warships operating
in the western coast: INS Vajrakosh
262) Name the prestigious national award recently won
by ISRO for its contribution to nation’s
development through satellite based education:
Gandhi Peace Prize
263) Name the small town in Madhya Pradesh that was
in news as around 100 people were killed and
many more injured in a massive blast: Petalwad
264) Name the Muslims’ holiest place in Saudi Arabia
where at least 107 persons were killed and over
200 injured in a crane collapsed accident: Mecca
265) ___________ to continue as the Team Director of the
Indian cricket team till the 2016 T20 World Cup to
be held in India: Ravi Shastri
266) Name the first bilateral maritime exercise held
between Australia and India off the shores of
Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: Ausindex–
2015
267) With which country India recently signed a treaty
for repatriation of wanted prisoners and
cooperate in all criminal matters: Indonesia
268) Name the Chinese company that proposes to
invest around Rs. 66,000 crores to develop
industrial zone and township in Haryana: Dalian
Wanda Group
269) Who is Mary Barra, declared as the most powerful
business women in the world by the Fortune
magazine: CEO of General Motors, USA
270) Name the writer of the popular book ‘The Curse of
Surya’: Dev Prasad
271) As per the World Bank's ranking on ease of doing
business in Indian states, _______ ranks at no. 1:
Gujarat
272) Name the two Indian universities which have been
placed 147 and 179 respectively in the
Quacquarelli Symonds’ list of top 200 universities
for 2015-16: The Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore and the Indian Institute of
Technology, Delhi
273) Parliament of which erstwhile Hindu country has
rejected the proposal for declaring the country a
Hindu state: Nepal
274) Gennady Padalka who created the new record for
having spent the most time in space, totaling into
879 days in over five trips, is from which country:
Russia
275) Which political party won the recently concluded
general elections in Singapore: Peoples Action
Party
276) Which business women has been ranked no. 1 in
India in a list compiled by the global business
magazine Fortune: Chanda Kochhar, CEO ICICI
Bank
277) Name the Sri Lankan Prime Minister who visited
India on Sept 14: Ranil Wickremesinghe
278) Name the two south east Asian countries which
were visited by our Vice – President, Hamid
Ansari: Cambodia and Laos
279) _________ has been elected as the new Prime
Minister of Australia: Malcolm Turnbull
280) Which international IT company plans to work
with Indian Railways on Project Nilgiri to set up
free Wi-Fi hotspots across 400 select railway
stations: Google
281) In terms of no. of High Net Worth Individuals
(HNWIs), India has been placed at _______ rank in
the World Wealth Report – 2015: 11
th
282) Name the US Defence headquarters which has
established a first-ever country special cell-India
Rapid Reaction Cell to strengthen its defence ties
with India: Pentagon
283) Government has approved the purchase of 10
Heron TP armed drones capable of firing missiles,
from which country: Israel
284) 55th National Open Athletics Championship
started at SAI Complex in which city: Kolkata
285) The RBI has granted in principal approval to how
Weight lifting
250) ‘The Power of Meow’ is a famous book written by
which author: David Michie
251) Name the new gold scheme launched by govt. with
a view to reduce the regular demand for the gold,
usually for investment purpose: Sovereign Gold
Bond Scheme
252) Name the new gold scheme launched by govt. with
a view to mobilize part of around 22,000 tonne
gold lying in Indian households: Gold
Monetisation Scheme
253) The Union Cabinet has allowed 100% foreign
direct investment (FDI) under the automatic route
for installing which type of ATMs: White Label
ATMs
254) The three-day Vishwa Hindi Sammelan (World
Hindi Conference) was held at which place:
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
255) Name the lady scientist who has been made the
first women Director General in the DRDO: J
Manjula
256) Which Indian stock exchange has the highest
number of listed companies in the world,
numbering 5689: Bombay Stock Exchange
257) Men’s singles title at the US Open Tennis was won
by __________: Novak Djokovic
258) Women’s singles title at the US Open Tennis was
won by __________: Flavia Pennetta (Italy)
259) Name the Indian tennis player who won the men’s
mixed doubles title at the US open: Leander Paes
260) Name the Indian tennis player who won the
women’s doubles title at the US open: Sania Mirza
261) Indian Navy has established its largest missile
storage and replenishment facility named _______ at
Karwar base in Karnataka for warships operating
in the western coast: INS Vajrakosh
262) Name the prestigious national award recently won
by ISRO for its contribution to nation’s
development through satellite based education:
Gandhi Peace Prize
263) Name the small town in Madhya Pradesh that was
in news as around 100 people were killed and
many more injured in a massive blast: Petalwad
264) Name the Muslims’ holiest place in Saudi Arabia
where at least 107 persons were killed and over
200 injured in a crane collapsed accident: Mecca
265) ___________ to continue as the Team Director of the
Indian cricket team till the 2016 T20 World Cup to
be held in India: Ravi Shastri
266) Name the first bilateral maritime exercise held
between Australia and India off the shores of
Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: Ausindex–
2015
267) With which country India recently signed a treaty
for repatriation of wanted prisoners and
cooperate in all criminal matters: Indonesia
268) Name the Chinese company that proposes to
invest around Rs. 66,000 crores to develop
industrial zone and township in Haryana: Dalian
Wanda Group
269) Who is Mary Barra, declared as the most powerful
business women in the world by the Fortune
magazine: CEO of General Motors, USA
270) Name the writer of the popular book ‘The Curse of
Surya’: Dev Prasad
271) As per the World Bank's ranking on ease of doing
business in Indian states, _______ ranks at no. 1:
Gujarat
272) Name the two Indian universities which have been
placed 147 and 179 respectively in the
Quacquarelli Symonds’ list of top 200 universities
for 2015-16: The Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore and the Indian Institute of
Technology, Delhi
273) Parliament of which erstwhile Hindu country has
rejected the proposal for declaring the country a
Hindu state: Nepal
274) Gennady Padalka who created the new record for
having spent the most time in space, totaling into
879 days in over five trips, is from which country:
Russia
275) Which political party won the recently concluded
general elections in Singapore: Peoples Action
Party
276) Which business women has been ranked no. 1 in
India in a list compiled by the global business
magazine Fortune: Chanda Kochhar, CEO ICICI
Bank
277) Name the Sri Lankan Prime Minister who visited
India on Sept 14: Ranil Wickremesinghe
278) Name the two south east Asian countries which
were visited by our Vice – President, Hamid
Ansari: Cambodia and Laos
279) _________ has been elected as the new Prime
Minister of Australia: Malcolm Turnbull
280) Which international IT company plans to work
with Indian Railways on Project Nilgiri to set up
free Wi-Fi hotspots across 400 select railway
stations: Google
281) In terms of no. of High Net Worth Individuals
(HNWIs), India has been placed at _______ rank in
the World Wealth Report – 2015: 11
th
282) Name the US Defence headquarters which has
established a first-ever country special cell-India
Rapid Reaction Cell to strengthen its defence ties
with India: Pentagon
283) Government has approved the purchase of 10
Heron TP armed drones capable of firing missiles,
from which country: Israel
284) 55th National Open Athletics Championship
started at SAI Complex in which city: Kolkata
285) The RBI has granted in principal approval to how
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 84
many entities to set up small finance banks: 10
286) The Small Banks will focus on financing of which
category of borrowers: Small farmers and micro
business enterprises
287) Andhra govt. has successfully linked which two of
its major rivers towards making the state
"drought-proof": Godavari and Krishna
288) International Day for the Preservation of the
Ozone Layer was observed on __ across the world:
16 Sept.
289) Govt has approved which scheme to transform
rural areas into economically, socially and
physically sustainable spaces: Shyama Prasad
Mukherji Rurban Mission
290) Government has decided to provide additional 50
work days in 2015-16 under NREGA in which
specific areas: Drought Hit Areas
291) The 2022 Asian Games will be hosted by which
city of China: Hangzhou
292) Manpreet Kaur of Railways created a new national
record in which game, claiming a distance of 17.96
meters at the 55th National Open Athletics
Championship at Kolkata: Shot-put throwing
293) Which neighbouring country of India recently
adopted a new constitution, after years of political
wrangling: Nepal
294) Hinduja business group plans to launch a digital
broadcasting platform under the brand name NXT
Digital for what purpose: For providing over 500
TV digital channels to cable operators
295) Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)
has increased the maximum amount assured
under its insurance scheme to Rs. _______: 6 lac
296) The Government has launched which scheme for
the welfare of people and areas affected by mining
related operations: Pradhan Mantri Khanij
Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY)
297) In the Global Innovation Index 2014 compile for
141 countries, India has been placed at which
rank: 81
st
298) India and the US have created a "joint challenge
coin" to symbolise their unique partnership in
which field: Creating a next-generation aircraft
carrier for the Indian Navy
299) Government has decided to shift the
administrative control of Unique Identification
Authority of India (UIDAI) to which ministry:
Ministry of Communication and Information
Technology
300) The Food Ministry has notified mandatory export
of four million tonne of which food item for the
2015-16 season: Sugar
301) The RBI has permitted banks to offer loans below
which rate to their whole time directors and CEOs:
Base Rate
302) Name the President of BCCI, hailed as the architect
of India's rise as the game's financial superpower,
who passed away in Kolkata on Sep 20: Jagmohan
Dalmiya
303) Name the country in South America which
recently suffered a massive 8.3 magnitude
earthquake: Chile
304) What is the title of the recent book written by
Salman Rushdie: Two Years Eight Months and
Twenty Eight Days
305) What is the topic of the book ‘The Monsoon War’
written by Capt Amarinder Singh and Lt. Gen.
Tajindar Shergill: 1965 Indo-Pak war
306) The Singapore Grand Prix 2015 of Formula One
car race was won by which sports person:
Sebastian Vettel
307) Jackie Collins, popular British-American novelist
passed away in California, United States. She was
known as queen of ________ novels: Romantic
308) Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has
banned the sale of Diclofenac drug in multi-dose
vial for what reasons: Its traces in dead animals
are harmful for vultures
309) Sherif Ismail has been elected as the new Prime
Minister of which country: Egypt
310) Which country has successfully launched a newly-
developed satellite launch rocket Long March-6
(Chang Zheng-6): China
311) Deepak Gupta has been appointed as the head of
which important national organization: UPSC –
Union Public Service Commission
312) As per the new secular constitution of Nepal, ______
has been declared as the National Animal of Nepal:
Cow
313) RBI plans to put into circulation banknotes in the
denominations of _____ and _____ rupees
incorporating three new security features: 500,
1000
314) The Government of India will be organizing the
9th Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (RPBD) on
14
th – 15
th November, 2015 in which city of USA:
Los Angeles
315) Name the two advanced military helicopters for
purchase of which India has recently confirmed a
deal with USA: Chinook and Apache
316) What type of helicopter is Chinook: A heavy load
carrier
317) What type of helicopter is Apache: Advanced
Attack helicopter
318) India's first AAI Paragliding World Cup 2015 will
be held in October at which place in Himachal
Pradesh: Bir Billing
319) Which bank has rolled out a full-fledged mobile
app ‘Lime’ that enables shopping, making
payments and banking, all under one window:
Axis Bank
320) Which Indian film has been selected to officially
many entities to set up small finance banks: 10
286) The Small Banks will focus on financing of which
category of borrowers: Small farmers and micro
business enterprises
287) Andhra govt. has successfully linked which two of
its major rivers towards making the state
"drought-proof": Godavari and Krishna
288) International Day for the Preservation of the
Ozone Layer was observed on __ across the world:
16 Sept.
289) Govt has approved which scheme to transform
rural areas into economically, socially and
physically sustainable spaces: Shyama Prasad
Mukherji Rurban Mission
290) Government has decided to provide additional 50
work days in 2015-16 under NREGA in which
specific areas: Drought Hit Areas
291) The 2022 Asian Games will be hosted by which
city of China: Hangzhou
292) Manpreet Kaur of Railways created a new national
record in which game, claiming a distance of 17.96
meters at the 55th National Open Athletics
Championship at Kolkata: Shot-put throwing
293) Which neighbouring country of India recently
adopted a new constitution, after years of political
wrangling: Nepal
294) Hinduja business group plans to launch a digital
broadcasting platform under the brand name NXT
Digital for what purpose: For providing over 500
TV digital channels to cable operators
295) Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)
has increased the maximum amount assured
under its insurance scheme to Rs. _______: 6 lac
296) The Government has launched which scheme for
the welfare of people and areas affected by mining
related operations: Pradhan Mantri Khanij
Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY)
297) In the Global Innovation Index 2014 compile for
141 countries, India has been placed at which
rank: 81
st
298) India and the US have created a "joint challenge
coin" to symbolise their unique partnership in
which field: Creating a next-generation aircraft
carrier for the Indian Navy
299) Government has decided to shift the
administrative control of Unique Identification
Authority of India (UIDAI) to which ministry:
Ministry of Communication and Information
Technology
300) The Food Ministry has notified mandatory export
of four million tonne of which food item for the
2015-16 season: Sugar
301) The RBI has permitted banks to offer loans below
which rate to their whole time directors and CEOs:
Base Rate
302) Name the President of BCCI, hailed as the architect
of India's rise as the game's financial superpower,
who passed away in Kolkata on Sep 20: Jagmohan
Dalmiya
303) Name the country in South America which
recently suffered a massive 8.3 magnitude
earthquake: Chile
304) What is the title of the recent book written by
Salman Rushdie: Two Years Eight Months and
Twenty Eight Days
305) What is the topic of the book ‘The Monsoon War’
written by Capt Amarinder Singh and Lt. Gen.
Tajindar Shergill: 1965 Indo-Pak war
306) The Singapore Grand Prix 2015 of Formula One
car race was won by which sports person:
Sebastian Vettel
307) Jackie Collins, popular British-American novelist
passed away in California, United States. She was
known as queen of ________ novels: Romantic
308) Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has
banned the sale of Diclofenac drug in multi-dose
vial for what reasons: Its traces in dead animals
are harmful for vultures
309) Sherif Ismail has been elected as the new Prime
Minister of which country: Egypt
310) Which country has successfully launched a newly-
developed satellite launch rocket Long March-6
(Chang Zheng-6): China
311) Deepak Gupta has been appointed as the head of
which important national organization: UPSC –
Union Public Service Commission
312) As per the new secular constitution of Nepal, ______
has been declared as the National Animal of Nepal:
Cow
313) RBI plans to put into circulation banknotes in the
denominations of _____ and _____ rupees
incorporating three new security features: 500,
1000
314) The Government of India will be organizing the
9th Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (RPBD) on
14
th – 15
th November, 2015 in which city of USA:
Los Angeles
315) Name the two advanced military helicopters for
purchase of which India has recently confirmed a
deal with USA: Chinook and Apache
316) What type of helicopter is Chinook: A heavy load
carrier
317) What type of helicopter is Apache: Advanced
Attack helicopter
318) India's first AAI Paragliding World Cup 2015 will
be held in October at which place in Himachal
Pradesh: Bir Billing
319) Which bank has rolled out a full-fledged mobile
app ‘Lime’ that enables shopping, making
payments and banking, all under one window:
Axis Bank
320) Which Indian film has been selected to officially
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 85
represent India at the 88th Oscars next year in the
Best Foreign Film category: Court
321) Name the Legendary Baseball player from USA
who passed away recently at the age of 90: Yogi
Berra
322) ‘The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue’ is the
autobiography of which popular thriller novelist:
Frederick Forsyth
323) Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of
Indian Sign Language Research and Training
Centre (ISLRTC) at which place: New Delhi
324) The three million strong Indian diaspora
(community) in the USA has launched "Mission
2022" in partnership with the Confederation of
Indian Industries for what purpose: To promote
and strengthen the business ties between two
countries
325) During his recent visit to Ireland, which city was
visited by PM Modi: Dublin
326) Vyaas Samman is given for excellence in which
field: Hindi Literature
327) Who is the winner of 2014 Vyaas Samman: Dr.
Kamal Kishore Goenka
328) _________ has been re-elected as the Prime Minister
of Greece, a position that he quit just 8 months
back: Alexis Tsipras
329) The Indian ‘wushu’ team won 12 medals at the 5th
International Pars Wushu Cup in Tehran, Iran.
What type of sports is wushu: Chinese Martial
Arts
330) Public Sector Banks have been asked to conduct
Mega Credit Campaigns all over the Country from
Sep 25 to Oct 2 for what purpose: To generate
easy availability of credit to MSMEs
331) Name the holy place for Muslims, near Mecca
which was in news as over 720 people were killed
and over 860 others injured there in a stampede:
Mina
332) CEO of which major global auto giant resigned in
the wake of a massive scandal of manipulating
data of exhaust emissions tests in millions of
diesel cars: Volkswagen
333) Who has been appointed as the sherpa for the
forthcoming G20 negotiations: Arvind
Panagariya
334) RBI has allowed domestic companies to borrow
funds from overseas SWFs. What is the full form of
SWFs: Sovereign Wealth Funds
335) Name the recently approved security system for
the Air Force which aims at integrating and
automating all air and ground sensors use by the
Air Force: Integrated Air Command and Control
System
336) Ms.Stuti Narain Kacker has been appointed as the
Chairperson of which important national body:
National Commission for Protection of Child
Rights
337) The RBI has asked concurrent auditors of
commercial banks to submit their review of non-
performing loans directly to _______, instead of to
statutory auditors: Banks
338) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
Ministry has come out with a one-page Udyog
Aadhaar Memorandum for what purpose: To
simplify registration procedure for
entrepreneurs
339) RBI has asked two banks, ______________ and
_____________ to guide other banks in turning around
of the companies which may default in repayment
loans: State Bank of India and ICICI Bank
340) United Nations General Assembly formally
adopted on Sep 25 which new global 17 goals that
aim to end poverty, hunger, assure gender
equality, and build a life of dignity for all, over the
next 15 years: Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs)
341) The 42
nd World Bridge Teams Championships
were held at which city in India: Chennai
342) Which Indian film, was voted as the first runner-
up at the 40th Toronto International Film Festival
in Canada: Angry Indian Goddesses
343) Prime Minister Modi addressed which Summit at
the UN Headquarters in New York on Sep 25:
Sustainable Development Summit
344) What is the new name for the internet.org
programme of the Facebook: Free Basics
AUGUST – 2015
345) What is the name of the new operating system
rolled out by Microsoft on July 30
th: Windows 10
346) Union Cabinet has approved setting up of National
Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) for
what propose: To support new and delayed
projects
347) Name the India’s neighbour that has been granted
e-tourist visa facility w.e.f. 30 July, 2015: China
348) National Handloom Day is observed on which
date: 7
th August
349) Reserve Bank to issue ______ rupee denomination
coins to commemorate International Yoga Day: 10
350) Which Bank has launched a mobile banking app
that provides banking services without support of
internet: Kotak Mahindra Bank
351) 'Sleeping on Jupiter' is a book written by which
author: Anuradha Roy
352) What is the name of the agreement as per which
India and Bangladesh have agreed to exchange
some disputed land pockets: Land Border
Agreement
353) On the midnight of July 31, 51 Bangladeshi
enclaves situated on Indian soil in _________ district
of West Bengal amalgamated with India:
represent India at the 88th Oscars next year in the
Best Foreign Film category: Court
321) Name the Legendary Baseball player from USA
who passed away recently at the age of 90: Yogi
Berra
322) ‘The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue’ is the
autobiography of which popular thriller novelist:
Frederick Forsyth
323) Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of
Indian Sign Language Research and Training
Centre (ISLRTC) at which place: New Delhi
324) The three million strong Indian diaspora
(community) in the USA has launched "Mission
2022" in partnership with the Confederation of
Indian Industries for what purpose: To promote
and strengthen the business ties between two
countries
325) During his recent visit to Ireland, which city was
visited by PM Modi: Dublin
326) Vyaas Samman is given for excellence in which
field: Hindi Literature
327) Who is the winner of 2014 Vyaas Samman: Dr.
Kamal Kishore Goenka
328) _________ has been re-elected as the Prime Minister
of Greece, a position that he quit just 8 months
back: Alexis Tsipras
329) The Indian ‘wushu’ team won 12 medals at the 5th
International Pars Wushu Cup in Tehran, Iran.
What type of sports is wushu: Chinese Martial
Arts
330) Public Sector Banks have been asked to conduct
Mega Credit Campaigns all over the Country from
Sep 25 to Oct 2 for what purpose: To generate
easy availability of credit to MSMEs
331) Name the holy place for Muslims, near Mecca
which was in news as over 720 people were killed
and over 860 others injured there in a stampede:
Mina
332) CEO of which major global auto giant resigned in
the wake of a massive scandal of manipulating
data of exhaust emissions tests in millions of
diesel cars: Volkswagen
333) Who has been appointed as the sherpa for the
forthcoming G20 negotiations: Arvind
Panagariya
334) RBI has allowed domestic companies to borrow
funds from overseas SWFs. What is the full form of
SWFs: Sovereign Wealth Funds
335) Name the recently approved security system for
the Air Force which aims at integrating and
automating all air and ground sensors use by the
Air Force: Integrated Air Command and Control
System
336) Ms.Stuti Narain Kacker has been appointed as the
Chairperson of which important national body:
National Commission for Protection of Child
Rights
337) The RBI has asked concurrent auditors of
commercial banks to submit their review of non-
performing loans directly to _______, instead of to
statutory auditors: Banks
338) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
Ministry has come out with a one-page Udyog
Aadhaar Memorandum for what purpose: To
simplify registration procedure for
entrepreneurs
339) RBI has asked two banks, ______________ and
_____________ to guide other banks in turning around
of the companies which may default in repayment
loans: State Bank of India and ICICI Bank
340) United Nations General Assembly formally
adopted on Sep 25 which new global 17 goals that
aim to end poverty, hunger, assure gender
equality, and build a life of dignity for all, over the
next 15 years: Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs)
341) The 42
nd World Bridge Teams Championships
were held at which city in India: Chennai
342) Which Indian film, was voted as the first runner-
up at the 40th Toronto International Film Festival
in Canada: Angry Indian Goddesses
343) Prime Minister Modi addressed which Summit at
the UN Headquarters in New York on Sep 25:
Sustainable Development Summit
344) What is the new name for the internet.org
programme of the Facebook: Free Basics
AUGUST – 2015
345) What is the name of the new operating system
rolled out by Microsoft on July 30
th: Windows 10
346) Union Cabinet has approved setting up of National
Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) for
what propose: To support new and delayed
projects
347) Name the India’s neighbour that has been granted
e-tourist visa facility w.e.f. 30 July, 2015: China
348) National Handloom Day is observed on which
date: 7
th August
349) Reserve Bank to issue ______ rupee denomination
coins to commemorate International Yoga Day: 10
350) Which Bank has launched a mobile banking app
that provides banking services without support of
internet: Kotak Mahindra Bank
351) 'Sleeping on Jupiter' is a book written by which
author: Anuradha Roy
352) What is the name of the agreement as per which
India and Bangladesh have agreed to exchange
some disputed land pockets: Land Border
Agreement
353) On the midnight of July 31, 51 Bangladeshi
enclaves situated on Indian soil in _________ district
of West Bengal amalgamated with India:
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 86
Coochbehar
354) _________ has become the first city to have hosted
both the Summer and Winter Olympics after it was
chosen to stage the 2022 Winter Games: Beijing
355) A new vaccine named ‘rVSV-ZEBOB’, developed by
the Public Health Agency of Canada has proved
effective to fight which dreaded virus: Ebola virus
356) Name the ten day bi-lateral air exercise that took
place between Indian and British Air forces in UK:
Indradhanush
357) Special Olympics World Summer Games were held
at which place: Los Angeles, USA
358) What type of sports persons take part in the
Special Olympics World Summer Games: Persons
suffering from some mental disability
359) Name the Indian who won gold medals in 300
metre and 500 metre Roller Skating at the Special
Olympics World Summer Games: Prabhroop
Sekhon
360) The World Archery Championships were held in
_________, Denmark: Copenhagen
361) India and China opened their fifth border meeting
point on August 1 at Daulat Beg Oldie in which
State: Jammu & Kashmir
362) The International Olympic Committee has granted
recognition to which new game as an Olympic
sport: Frisbee (Flying Disc)
363) Which bank has launched ‘Dhanchayat’, an
educational film to raise awareness on the dangers
of borrowing money from unorganised sources:
HDFC Bank
364) India’s first Integrated Underwater Harbour
Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) has
been commissioned at which place: Kochhi,
Kerala
365) With which militant group of Nagaland, Govt. of
India has signed a landmark peace accord on
August 3: National Socialist Council of
Nagaland-NSCN (Isak-Muivah group)
366) UN General Assembly has adopted what number of
non-binding goals that will succeed the eight
Millennium Development Goals: 17
367) The 18th Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
started functioning from its temporary campus at
which place: Palakkad, Kerala
368) Google India launched in Mumbai, a special
programme named ____________ in collaboration
with Tata Trust on July 3 to bring more women
online: Internet Saathi
369) What is the name of the new Science and
Innovation Museum that was inaugurated at the
Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 5: Navachara
Kaksh
370) Asia’s biggest multi-application solar telescope
(MAST) has been started in which place in India:
Udaipur
371) World’s most prestigious award in the field of
human rights – Solidarity Human Rights Award is
given in which country: Poland
372) Which Pakistani singer has been allowed to stay in
India for an indefinite period following his appeal
to legalise his stay in India on humanitarian
grounds: Adnan Sami
373) In which state over 30 passengers were killed and
many others injured when two trains derailed
over a river bridge in Harda district: Madhya
Pradesh
374) Latest release from the Census 2011 data shows
that only ___________ per cent Indians have
qualification of graduation and above: 8.15%
375) ICTP Ramanujan Prize 2015 is given for excellence
in which field: Mathematics
376) ICTP Ramanujan Prize 2015 is given for excellence
in Mathematics to person below which age: 45
years
377) Which Union Ministry has launched ‘SAMANVAY’
web portal to monitor progress of implementation
of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana: Union
Ministry of Rural Development
378) India signed a MoU with Mozambique on August 5
for cooperation in new and renewable energy
sector. It lies in which continent: Africa
379) Which Indian company has signed an agreement
with Europe’s Airbus Helicopters to manufacture
military helicopters for the first time in India:
Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd
380) What action has been taken by the govt. to prevent
delay in payments to workers under the rural
employment guarantee scheme- MGNREGA:
Wages will be transferred direct in the account
of beneficiary
381) RBI has allowed banks to shift, merge or close
branches, except in ________ areas, at their own
discretion: Rural
382) The RBI released its _______ bi-monthly monetary
policy review on August 4: Third
383) Out of repo rate, SLR and CRR, which rate was
changed by the RBI in its third bi-monthly
monetary policy review on August 4: No change
384) _________ is the world’s largest gold jewellery
manufacturer in India: Rajesh Exports Ltd.
385) Which state has signed a MoU with the
Department of Posts for sale of stamp papers at
post offices from September 1: Telangana
386) A report says that banks in India need an
additional core capital of Rs 2.5 trillion under
________ guidelines. Basel-III
387) Government has launched which initiative through
banks and insurance companies to facilitate
enrolment under two new insurance schemes:
Suraksha Bandhan
388) Suraksha Bandhan scheme aims at paying the
Coochbehar
354) _________ has become the first city to have hosted
both the Summer and Winter Olympics after it was
chosen to stage the 2022 Winter Games: Beijing
355) A new vaccine named ‘rVSV-ZEBOB’, developed by
the Public Health Agency of Canada has proved
effective to fight which dreaded virus: Ebola virus
356) Name the ten day bi-lateral air exercise that took
place between Indian and British Air forces in UK:
Indradhanush
357) Special Olympics World Summer Games were held
at which place: Los Angeles, USA
358) What type of sports persons take part in the
Special Olympics World Summer Games: Persons
suffering from some mental disability
359) Name the Indian who won gold medals in 300
metre and 500 metre Roller Skating at the Special
Olympics World Summer Games: Prabhroop
Sekhon
360) The World Archery Championships were held in
_________, Denmark: Copenhagen
361) India and China opened their fifth border meeting
point on August 1 at Daulat Beg Oldie in which
State: Jammu & Kashmir
362) The International Olympic Committee has granted
recognition to which new game as an Olympic
sport: Frisbee (Flying Disc)
363) Which bank has launched ‘Dhanchayat’, an
educational film to raise awareness on the dangers
of borrowing money from unorganised sources:
HDFC Bank
364) India’s first Integrated Underwater Harbour
Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) has
been commissioned at which place: Kochhi,
Kerala
365) With which militant group of Nagaland, Govt. of
India has signed a landmark peace accord on
August 3: National Socialist Council of
Nagaland-NSCN (Isak-Muivah group)
366) UN General Assembly has adopted what number of
non-binding goals that will succeed the eight
Millennium Development Goals: 17
367) The 18th Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
started functioning from its temporary campus at
which place: Palakkad, Kerala
368) Google India launched in Mumbai, a special
programme named ____________ in collaboration
with Tata Trust on July 3 to bring more women
online: Internet Saathi
369) What is the name of the new Science and
Innovation Museum that was inaugurated at the
Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 5: Navachara
Kaksh
370) Asia’s biggest multi-application solar telescope
(MAST) has been started in which place in India:
Udaipur
371) World’s most prestigious award in the field of
human rights – Solidarity Human Rights Award is
given in which country: Poland
372) Which Pakistani singer has been allowed to stay in
India for an indefinite period following his appeal
to legalise his stay in India on humanitarian
grounds: Adnan Sami
373) In which state over 30 passengers were killed and
many others injured when two trains derailed
over a river bridge in Harda district: Madhya
Pradesh
374) Latest release from the Census 2011 data shows
that only ___________ per cent Indians have
qualification of graduation and above: 8.15%
375) ICTP Ramanujan Prize 2015 is given for excellence
in which field: Mathematics
376) ICTP Ramanujan Prize 2015 is given for excellence
in Mathematics to person below which age: 45
years
377) Which Union Ministry has launched ‘SAMANVAY’
web portal to monitor progress of implementation
of the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana: Union
Ministry of Rural Development
378) India signed a MoU with Mozambique on August 5
for cooperation in new and renewable energy
sector. It lies in which continent: Africa
379) Which Indian company has signed an agreement
with Europe’s Airbus Helicopters to manufacture
military helicopters for the first time in India:
Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd
380) What action has been taken by the govt. to prevent
delay in payments to workers under the rural
employment guarantee scheme- MGNREGA:
Wages will be transferred direct in the account
of beneficiary
381) RBI has allowed banks to shift, merge or close
branches, except in ________ areas, at their own
discretion: Rural
382) The RBI released its _______ bi-monthly monetary
policy review on August 4: Third
383) Out of repo rate, SLR and CRR, which rate was
changed by the RBI in its third bi-monthly
monetary policy review on August 4: No change
384) _________ is the world’s largest gold jewellery
manufacturer in India: Rajesh Exports Ltd.
385) Which state has signed a MoU with the
Department of Posts for sale of stamp papers at
post offices from September 1: Telangana
386) A report says that banks in India need an
additional core capital of Rs 2.5 trillion under
________ guidelines. Basel-III
387) Government has launched which initiative through
banks and insurance companies to facilitate
enrolment under two new insurance schemes:
Suraksha Bandhan
388) Suraksha Bandhan scheme aims at paying the
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 87
premium for which two social security schemes:
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
389) Government has launched the School Nursery
Yojana, to bring students closer to nature by
involving them in which activity: Raising the
saplings in school nurseries
390) Which country marked 50 years of its
independence on August 9 with nationwide
celebrations: Singapore
391) Acharya Dev Vrat has been appointed new
Governor of which state: Himachal Pradesh
392) ___________ has been appointed as the new Governor
of Bihar: Ram Nath Kovind
393) A global satellite for earth observation and
disaster risk reduction under the UN framework is
to be named after which great Indian statesman:
APJ Abdul Kalam
394) Govt launched a new national scheme Nai Manzil
from Patna on August 8 to address educational
and livelihood needs of which segment of society:
Minority Communities, particularly Muslims
395) Which capital city has been ranked as the cleanest
under a survey done by the Urban Development
Ministry: Bengaluru
396) ___________ has been ranked as the cleanest city in
India in a recent govt. survey of 476 cities:
Mysuru
397) What are the two parameter of cleanliness on the
basis of which Urban Development Ministry
selected the cleanest city from the top 476 cities in
India: Solid waste management and eradication
of open defecation
398) Which city in Japan observed on August 6 the 70th
anniversary of the first atomic bomb being
dropped by a US aircraft: Hiroshima
399) Which major economic power recently devalued
its currency on August 11: China
400) Name the India-born technocrat who has been
named as the new CEO of the technology giant
Google: Sundar Pichai
401) Dutee Chand won the gold medal in the 200m at
the 13th Federation Cup Junior Athletics
Championship held at which place: Hyderabad
402) Which Bank has announced ‘Saral-Rural Housing
Loan’ up to Rs. 15 lakh with a special interest rate
equal to its base rate: ICICI Bank
403) Which Indian film was screened at the National
Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan to mark its
20th anniversary: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
(DDLJ)
404) Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has
committed to invest $5 billion in which state to set
up research & development and manufacturing
facilities: Maharashtra
405) Filipe J Nyusi, President of ________ arrived in India
on August 5 on a five day visit: Mozambique
406) Indian socio biologist Raghavendra Gadagkar was
awarded with which country’s highest civilian
honour – Cross of Order of the Merit recently:
Germany
407) World Biofuel Day is observed every year on 10th
August in the memory of which great scientist: Sir
Rudalph Diesel
408) ___________ has become the first Indian city to
become a member of Beijing-headquartered
World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) Council:
Kochi
409) For what purpose Government proposes to infuse
Rs 70,000 crore in public sector banks in next four
years: For capital infusion to meet Basel III
requirements
410) Which Indian organization has been accredited by
the Green Climate Fund of UNO as an
implementing entity for undertaking climate
change related projects in India: NABARD
411) Which Indian organization planted more than 4
lakh saplings at its head quarters and units across
the country on August 12 between 10 to 10.30 am:
Border Security Force (BSF)
412) IT giant Google has reorganized itself into a
multiple company organization under a new
umbrella company. Name this company: Alphabet
413) Name the popular festival of Maharashtra
where art of forming human pyramids
has been given status of adventure
sports: Dahi Handi
414) Name the Indian who won the IBSF World
6-Red Snooker Championship in Karachi, Pakistan:
Pankaj Advani
415) For which Indian states World Bank has agreed to
provide $ 412.40 million assistance for the
National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project: All
coastal states
416) Which actor was ranked as the world's top-
earning actor by Forbes, with earnings of $
80million during 12 months ending June 2015:
Robert Downey Jr.
417) Gas subsidy scheme PAHAL has entered Guinness
Book as the largest cash transfer plan in world.
What is full form of PAHAL: Pratyaksh
Hanstantrit Labh
418) The official name for PAHAL initiative is DBTL.
What is full form of DBTL: Direct Benefit
Transfer for LPG
419) RBI has announced interest subvention of
__________ per cent on short term farm loans (crop
loans): Two
420) Short term farm loans upto what amount are
eligible for subvention of 2%: Rs. 3 lacs
421) Farmers who repay their loan in time (upto Rs. 3
lacs) are eligible for additional interest subvention
premium for which two social security schemes:
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
389) Government has launched the School Nursery
Yojana, to bring students closer to nature by
involving them in which activity: Raising the
saplings in school nurseries
390) Which country marked 50 years of its
independence on August 9 with nationwide
celebrations: Singapore
391) Acharya Dev Vrat has been appointed new
Governor of which state: Himachal Pradesh
392) ___________ has been appointed as the new Governor
of Bihar: Ram Nath Kovind
393) A global satellite for earth observation and
disaster risk reduction under the UN framework is
to be named after which great Indian statesman:
APJ Abdul Kalam
394) Govt launched a new national scheme Nai Manzil
from Patna on August 8 to address educational
and livelihood needs of which segment of society:
Minority Communities, particularly Muslims
395) Which capital city has been ranked as the cleanest
under a survey done by the Urban Development
Ministry: Bengaluru
396) ___________ has been ranked as the cleanest city in
India in a recent govt. survey of 476 cities:
Mysuru
397) What are the two parameter of cleanliness on the
basis of which Urban Development Ministry
selected the cleanest city from the top 476 cities in
India: Solid waste management and eradication
of open defecation
398) Which city in Japan observed on August 6 the 70th
anniversary of the first atomic bomb being
dropped by a US aircraft: Hiroshima
399) Which major economic power recently devalued
its currency on August 11: China
400) Name the India-born technocrat who has been
named as the new CEO of the technology giant
Google: Sundar Pichai
401) Dutee Chand won the gold medal in the 200m at
the 13th Federation Cup Junior Athletics
Championship held at which place: Hyderabad
402) Which Bank has announced ‘Saral-Rural Housing
Loan’ up to Rs. 15 lakh with a special interest rate
equal to its base rate: ICICI Bank
403) Which Indian film was screened at the National
Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan to mark its
20th anniversary: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
(DDLJ)
404) Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has
committed to invest $5 billion in which state to set
up research & development and manufacturing
facilities: Maharashtra
405) Filipe J Nyusi, President of ________ arrived in India
on August 5 on a five day visit: Mozambique
406) Indian socio biologist Raghavendra Gadagkar was
awarded with which country’s highest civilian
honour – Cross of Order of the Merit recently:
Germany
407) World Biofuel Day is observed every year on 10th
August in the memory of which great scientist: Sir
Rudalph Diesel
408) ___________ has become the first Indian city to
become a member of Beijing-headquartered
World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) Council:
Kochi
409) For what purpose Government proposes to infuse
Rs 70,000 crore in public sector banks in next four
years: For capital infusion to meet Basel III
requirements
410) Which Indian organization has been accredited by
the Green Climate Fund of UNO as an
implementing entity for undertaking climate
change related projects in India: NABARD
411) Which Indian organization planted more than 4
lakh saplings at its head quarters and units across
the country on August 12 between 10 to 10.30 am:
Border Security Force (BSF)
412) IT giant Google has reorganized itself into a
multiple company organization under a new
umbrella company. Name this company: Alphabet
413) Name the popular festival of Maharashtra
where art of forming human pyramids
has been given status of adventure
sports: Dahi Handi
414) Name the Indian who won the IBSF World
6-Red Snooker Championship in Karachi, Pakistan:
Pankaj Advani
415) For which Indian states World Bank has agreed to
provide $ 412.40 million assistance for the
National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project: All
coastal states
416) Which actor was ranked as the world's top-
earning actor by Forbes, with earnings of $
80million during 12 months ending June 2015:
Robert Downey Jr.
417) Gas subsidy scheme PAHAL has entered Guinness
Book as the largest cash transfer plan in world.
What is full form of PAHAL: Pratyaksh
Hanstantrit Labh
418) The official name for PAHAL initiative is DBTL.
What is full form of DBTL: Direct Benefit
Transfer for LPG
419) RBI has announced interest subvention of
__________ per cent on short term farm loans (crop
loans): Two
420) Short term farm loans upto what amount are
eligible for subvention of 2%: Rs. 3 lacs
421) Farmers who repay their loan in time (upto Rs. 3
lacs) are eligible for additional interest subvention
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 88
of ______ per cent: Three
422) Name the Co-Chairman of Hero Cycles Ltd and a
leading industrialist who passed away in Ludhiana
on August 13: Om Prakash Munjal
423) Name the Chinese city which suffered massive
explosions in the port, killing 121 persons and
causing huge loss of property: Tianjin
424) The Union Cabinet has approved construction of
pipeline from Raxaul (Bihar) in India to
Amlekhgunj in Nepal to transport which item:
Petroleum Products
425) Sh. Om Prakash Rawat has been appointed to
which important constitutional office of India:
Election Commissioner
426) Prime Minister of which country announced his
resignation in a surprise move, live on television
on August 12: Libya
427) What is the recent direction given by the central
govt. in contest of services of newly recruited IAS
officers: They have to serve for first three
months in Delhi in central govt. offices
428) Name the project that has been launched by the
govt. to lay down the framework for the revival of
public sector banks: Indradhanush
429) According to the Fourth Advance Estimates of
production of foodgrains in 2014-15, the total
quantity was less by ________ per cent from the
previous year: 4.9
430) Prime Minister Modi visited which middle east
country on August 16-17: United Arab Emirates -
UAE
431) For the first time, govt. has appointed executives
from private sector as MD and CEO of how many
public sector banks: Two
432) Name the two public sector banks whose MD and
CEO has been appointed from private sector:
Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda
433) Rogers Cup Masters Tournament is related to
which sports: Lawn Tennis
434) Rogers Cup Masters Tournament was held at
which place: Montreal, Canada
435) Men’s singles title at the Rogers Cup Masters
Tournament was won by ________: Andy Murray
436) Women’s singles title at the Rogers Cup Masters
Tournament was won by ________: Belinda Bencic
437) Name the Indian who finished 5th at the US PGA
championship at Whistling Straits, USA, claiming
the highest position ever won by an Indian at a
Golf Major: Anirban Lahiri
438) Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal became the first Indian
to win silver medal on August 17 in which
international competition: World Badminton
Championship
439) World Badminton Championship was held in
________ Indonesia: Jakarta
440) Abhishek Verma won the gold medal in the men’s
compound individual category in the __________
World Cup in Wroclaw (Poland): Archery
441) Who has been appointed as the Chairman of the
Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB): Ajit
Kumar Seth
442) Ajinkya Rahane became the first fielder in Test
history to achieve which feat: Taking eight
catches in a single match
443) Which ministry has launched an online beneficiary
registration system - ‘On-line On-Site’ for persons
with disabilities: Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment
444) Name the multipurpose mobile wallet application
launched by SBI recently: SBI Buddy
445) Which bank has launched the first of its kind fully
automated digital locker named 'Smart Vault':
ICICI Bank
446) Name the scooter that set a new record in India by
crossing the one crore unit sales landmark: Honda
Activa
447) India plans to spend $1.5 billion in the next three
years to help farmers grow_____________ to make
the nation self-sufficient in edible oils: Oil Palm
Trees
448) The India Aspiration Fund with corpus of Rs 2,000
crore has been launched by which financial
institution to create 7.5 lakh jobs in five years:
SIDBI
449) A 10,000 crore rupees fund named SIDBI Make In
India Loan For Enterprises (SMILE) has been
launched for providing soft loans to which sector:
MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises)
450) High Court in which state has directed that
children of all public servants should go to govt.
schools only: Uttar Pradesh
451) Usha Ananthasubramanian has been appointed
new Managing Director & CEO of which bank:
Punjab National Bank
452) What is the new name proposed by the Prime
Minister for the Agriculture Ministry: Agriculture
and Farmers' Welfare Ministry
453) Which international credit rating agency on
August 18 reduced India's growth forecast for
2015-16 to around 7 per cent from 7.5 per cent
projected earlier, citing below-normal rainfall:
Moody’s Investors Service
454) Name the wife of President Pranab Mukherjee
who passed away on August 18: Suvra Mukherjee
455) Ranil Wickremesinghe has been elected as the new
prime minister of which country: Sri Lanka
456) Name the political party that won the recently
held General Elections in Sri Lanka: United
National Party
457) Which country sank 38 intruding foreign fishing
vessels on August 18 to demonstrate the country’s
seriousness concerning the protection its
of ______ per cent: Three
422) Name the Co-Chairman of Hero Cycles Ltd and a
leading industrialist who passed away in Ludhiana
on August 13: Om Prakash Munjal
423) Name the Chinese city which suffered massive
explosions in the port, killing 121 persons and
causing huge loss of property: Tianjin
424) The Union Cabinet has approved construction of
pipeline from Raxaul (Bihar) in India to
Amlekhgunj in Nepal to transport which item:
Petroleum Products
425) Sh. Om Prakash Rawat has been appointed to
which important constitutional office of India:
Election Commissioner
426) Prime Minister of which country announced his
resignation in a surprise move, live on television
on August 12: Libya
427) What is the recent direction given by the central
govt. in contest of services of newly recruited IAS
officers: They have to serve for first three
months in Delhi in central govt. offices
428) Name the project that has been launched by the
govt. to lay down the framework for the revival of
public sector banks: Indradhanush
429) According to the Fourth Advance Estimates of
production of foodgrains in 2014-15, the total
quantity was less by ________ per cent from the
previous year: 4.9
430) Prime Minister Modi visited which middle east
country on August 16-17: United Arab Emirates -
UAE
431) For the first time, govt. has appointed executives
from private sector as MD and CEO of how many
public sector banks: Two
432) Name the two public sector banks whose MD and
CEO has been appointed from private sector:
Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda
433) Rogers Cup Masters Tournament is related to
which sports: Lawn Tennis
434) Rogers Cup Masters Tournament was held at
which place: Montreal, Canada
435) Men’s singles title at the Rogers Cup Masters
Tournament was won by ________: Andy Murray
436) Women’s singles title at the Rogers Cup Masters
Tournament was won by ________: Belinda Bencic
437) Name the Indian who finished 5th at the US PGA
championship at Whistling Straits, USA, claiming
the highest position ever won by an Indian at a
Golf Major: Anirban Lahiri
438) Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal became the first Indian
to win silver medal on August 17 in which
international competition: World Badminton
Championship
439) World Badminton Championship was held in
________ Indonesia: Jakarta
440) Abhishek Verma won the gold medal in the men’s
compound individual category in the __________
World Cup in Wroclaw (Poland): Archery
441) Who has been appointed as the Chairman of the
Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB): Ajit
Kumar Seth
442) Ajinkya Rahane became the first fielder in Test
history to achieve which feat: Taking eight
catches in a single match
443) Which ministry has launched an online beneficiary
registration system - ‘On-line On-Site’ for persons
with disabilities: Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment
444) Name the multipurpose mobile wallet application
launched by SBI recently: SBI Buddy
445) Which bank has launched the first of its kind fully
automated digital locker named 'Smart Vault':
ICICI Bank
446) Name the scooter that set a new record in India by
crossing the one crore unit sales landmark: Honda
Activa
447) India plans to spend $1.5 billion in the next three
years to help farmers grow_____________ to make
the nation self-sufficient in edible oils: Oil Palm
Trees
448) The India Aspiration Fund with corpus of Rs 2,000
crore has been launched by which financial
institution to create 7.5 lakh jobs in five years:
SIDBI
449) A 10,000 crore rupees fund named SIDBI Make In
India Loan For Enterprises (SMILE) has been
launched for providing soft loans to which sector:
MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises)
450) High Court in which state has directed that
children of all public servants should go to govt.
schools only: Uttar Pradesh
451) Usha Ananthasubramanian has been appointed
new Managing Director & CEO of which bank:
Punjab National Bank
452) What is the new name proposed by the Prime
Minister for the Agriculture Ministry: Agriculture
and Farmers' Welfare Ministry
453) Which international credit rating agency on
August 18 reduced India's growth forecast for
2015-16 to around 7 per cent from 7.5 per cent
projected earlier, citing below-normal rainfall:
Moody’s Investors Service
454) Name the wife of President Pranab Mukherjee
who passed away on August 18: Suvra Mukherjee
455) Ranil Wickremesinghe has been elected as the new
prime minister of which country: Sri Lanka
456) Name the political party that won the recently
held General Elections in Sri Lanka: United
National Party
457) Which country sank 38 intruding foreign fishing
vessels on August 18 to demonstrate the country’s
seriousness concerning the protection its
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 89
territorial integrity: Indonesia
458) The Reserve Bank of India gave in principle
approval for_____ entities on August 19 to set up
payments banks: 11
459) Concept of payment banks was proposed by which
committee: Nachiket Mor committee
460) Payment banks can accept only demand deposits
and are not allowed to accept which deposit: Time
deposits
461) Which major bank activity cannot be undertaken
payment banks: Lending
462) Balance in demand deposits accounts opened by
payment banks cannot exceed what limit: Rs. 1 lac
463) Which company tops the world’s 100 most
innovative companies list compiled by Forbes
magazine of USA: Tesla Motors
464) How many sports persons has been given Arjun
Awards in the year 2015: 17
465) Sebastian Coe has been elected as the new
President of the International Association of
Athletics Federations. He is from which sports:
Athletics (Runner)
466) Name the Bollywood actor who has been named
an advocate for the UN’s campaign on gender
equality: Anupam Kher
467) ‘Making India Awesome’ is a book written by
which author: Chetan Bhagat
468) Sneha Verma, a 21-year-old girl suffering from
Down syndrome, won gold medal in which sports
at the Special Olympics World Summer Games:
Swimming
469) Aditi Chauhan, India’s international football
goalkeeper became the country’s first woman in
what way: To play English league football
470) __________, former Australian cricketer has been
appointed Australia's first education ambassador
to India: Adam Gilchrist
471) What is the main recommendation of R Gandhi
committee on urban cooperative banks: They
should be allowed function as regular banks
472) Name the web portal launched by the govt. for the
benefit of students seeking educational loan:
www.vidyalakshmi.co.in
473) Which Indian international airport became the
first airport in the world to operate completely on
solar power: Kochi
474) _________ has become the first country to receive
funds from UN for solar home systems:
Bangladesh
475) Solar home systems are helping Bangladesh cut
carbon emissions by reducing use of ________ in
rural areas: Kerosene
476) RBI has allowed banks to extend repayment
period of farm loan upto 5-years in case
_________percent or more of crop is damaged due to
natural calamities like drought and flood: 50
477) The World Athletics Championships were held in
end of August in which place: Beijing, China
478) Which city hosted the second summit of Forum for
India Pacific Island Countries: Jaipur
479) India has recently started the hotlines between
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and which
important international statesman: Barack
Obama
480) From September 1 2015, which two days will be
observed as public holiday every month: Second
and Fourth Saturday
481) Dhyan Chand awards in sports are given by the
govt. for what purpose: Life time achievement
awards
482) NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment
Explorer has confirmed the presence of which
glowing gas in the moon’s atmosphere: Neon
483) Name the new bank that began operations on
August 23 as a full-fledged bank with 501
branches and 1.43 crore accounts across the
country: Bandhan Bank
484) James Alix Michel, President of the ____________
came to New Delhi on 25 August on a three-day
visit to India: Seychelles
485) _____________ confirmed his position as fastest man
on earth by winning the 100 m sprint in 15th IAAF
World Championships: Usain Bolt
486) Lewis Hamilton won the Belgian Grand Prix
championship in which sports: F1 racing
487) Cincinnati Open 2015 tournament belongs to
which sports: Lawn Tennis
488) Cincinnati Open 2015 tournament was held at
which place: Cincinnati, USA
489) The government's 10 per cent stake sale in which
public sector company on August 24 fetched
around 9,300 crore rupees: Indian Oil
Corporation
490) Name the Sri Lanka’s ace batsman and
wicketkeeper who announced his retirement from
the international Cricket: Kumara Sangakkara
491) Aditi Ashok became first woman and youngest (17
years) player from India to win the prestigious
Ladies British amateur stroke-play Championship
of which sports: Golf
492) Name the Indian shuttler who regained the world
no. 1 rank on August 20: Saina Nehwal
493) A commemorative postal stamp of rupees five was
released on August 24, on which great Indian
king.: Ashoka
494) Which Indian actor has been selected to head the
Indian Oscar jury to select the country’s official
entry for the 88
th Academy Awards: Amol Palekar
495) According to 4
th Advance Estimates, the food grain
production for the year 2014-15 in India is
expected to be: 252.68 million tonnes
496) As per 2011 census data, which religious
territorial integrity: Indonesia
458) The Reserve Bank of India gave in principle
approval for_____ entities on August 19 to set up
payments banks: 11
459) Concept of payment banks was proposed by which
committee: Nachiket Mor committee
460) Payment banks can accept only demand deposits
and are not allowed to accept which deposit: Time
deposits
461) Which major bank activity cannot be undertaken
payment banks: Lending
462) Balance in demand deposits accounts opened by
payment banks cannot exceed what limit: Rs. 1 lac
463) Which company tops the world’s 100 most
innovative companies list compiled by Forbes
magazine of USA: Tesla Motors
464) How many sports persons has been given Arjun
Awards in the year 2015: 17
465) Sebastian Coe has been elected as the new
President of the International Association of
Athletics Federations. He is from which sports:
Athletics (Runner)
466) Name the Bollywood actor who has been named
an advocate for the UN’s campaign on gender
equality: Anupam Kher
467) ‘Making India Awesome’ is a book written by
which author: Chetan Bhagat
468) Sneha Verma, a 21-year-old girl suffering from
Down syndrome, won gold medal in which sports
at the Special Olympics World Summer Games:
Swimming
469) Aditi Chauhan, India’s international football
goalkeeper became the country’s first woman in
what way: To play English league football
470) __________, former Australian cricketer has been
appointed Australia's first education ambassador
to India: Adam Gilchrist
471) What is the main recommendation of R Gandhi
committee on urban cooperative banks: They
should be allowed function as regular banks
472) Name the web portal launched by the govt. for the
benefit of students seeking educational loan:
www.vidyalakshmi.co.in
473) Which Indian international airport became the
first airport in the world to operate completely on
solar power: Kochi
474) _________ has become the first country to receive
funds from UN for solar home systems:
Bangladesh
475) Solar home systems are helping Bangladesh cut
carbon emissions by reducing use of ________ in
rural areas: Kerosene
476) RBI has allowed banks to extend repayment
period of farm loan upto 5-years in case
_________percent or more of crop is damaged due to
natural calamities like drought and flood: 50
477) The World Athletics Championships were held in
end of August in which place: Beijing, China
478) Which city hosted the second summit of Forum for
India Pacific Island Countries: Jaipur
479) India has recently started the hotlines between
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and which
important international statesman: Barack
Obama
480) From September 1 2015, which two days will be
observed as public holiday every month: Second
and Fourth Saturday
481) Dhyan Chand awards in sports are given by the
govt. for what purpose: Life time achievement
awards
482) NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment
Explorer has confirmed the presence of which
glowing gas in the moon’s atmosphere: Neon
483) Name the new bank that began operations on
August 23 as a full-fledged bank with 501
branches and 1.43 crore accounts across the
country: Bandhan Bank
484) James Alix Michel, President of the ____________
came to New Delhi on 25 August on a three-day
visit to India: Seychelles
485) _____________ confirmed his position as fastest man
on earth by winning the 100 m sprint in 15th IAAF
World Championships: Usain Bolt
486) Lewis Hamilton won the Belgian Grand Prix
championship in which sports: F1 racing
487) Cincinnati Open 2015 tournament belongs to
which sports: Lawn Tennis
488) Cincinnati Open 2015 tournament was held at
which place: Cincinnati, USA
489) The government's 10 per cent stake sale in which
public sector company on August 24 fetched
around 9,300 crore rupees: Indian Oil
Corporation
490) Name the Sri Lanka’s ace batsman and
wicketkeeper who announced his retirement from
the international Cricket: Kumara Sangakkara
491) Aditi Ashok became first woman and youngest (17
years) player from India to win the prestigious
Ladies British amateur stroke-play Championship
of which sports: Golf
492) Name the Indian shuttler who regained the world
no. 1 rank on August 20: Saina Nehwal
493) A commemorative postal stamp of rupees five was
released on August 24, on which great Indian
king.: Ashoka
494) Which Indian actor has been selected to head the
Indian Oscar jury to select the country’s official
entry for the 88
th Academy Awards: Amol Palekar
495) According to 4
th Advance Estimates, the food grain
production for the year 2014-15 in India is
expected to be: 252.68 million tonnes
496) As per 2011 census data, which religious
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 90
community has recorded highest growth rate of
24.6% during 2001-11: Muslims
497) The Government launched a health service called
SEHAT in collaboration with the Apollo Hospitals:
SEHAT stands for: Social Endeavour for Health
And Telemedicine
498) RBI has approved Rana Kapoor’s appointment as
MD and CEO of the bank that was founded by him.
Name this bank: Yes Bank
499) Which Bangladeshi bank has found a place in
Fortune's inaugural 'Change the World List' for
creating economic opportunities for the poor:
Grameen Bank
500) Name the firebrand youth leader from Gujarat
who was in news due to his massive rallies
demanding OBC quota for patel community:
Hardik Patel
501) Which State has secured maximum 13 cities for
the ambitious smart cities project: Uttar Pradesh
502) On August 27, ISRO launched which satellite
successfully: GSAT-6
503) What is the purpose of launching GSAT-6 satellite:
To provide Special secure lines of
communication to India’s defence forces
504) Global financial giant Wealth-X has ranked which
person as the richest “Under 35” person in the
world: Mark Zuckerberg
505) Name the tennis player who has been appointed as
the Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF): Novak Djokovic
506) Central govt. has approved four communities to be
included in the Central List of OBCs in which two
states: Gujarat and Uttarakhand
507) Which Indian port has been declared as the best
major port of 2014-15: Kolkata
508) Birth centenary celebrations of freedom fighter
Rani Gaidinliu were inaugurated on August 24 in
which State: Nagaland
509) Government has announced its plan to implement
the Sendai Framework for what purpose: For
Disaster Risk Reduction
510) Recently two war museums were opened at which
stations in Rajasthan: Jaisalmer and Longewala
511) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
has decided to create the w orld's first
internationally-controlled bank of low-enriched
uranium in which country: Kazakhstan
JULY – 2015
512) One extra second was added this year on June 30
th
due to slowing of earth’s rotation. This extra
second is given what name: Leap second
513) The "Abar Souchagar" (toilet for all) project in
Nadia district, has won the prestigious United
Nations Public Service Award for making Nadia
first ‘Open Defecation Free’ district in the country.
It is in which State: West Bengal
514) Jwala Gutta and Ashwni Ponappa won the
women's doubles title at an international
championship of which sports: Badminton
515) The Wimbledon Tennis Championships, famous
for its grass courts, began in which city on June 28:
London
516) Canada open badminton tournament was held at
which city of Canada: Calgary
517) With a view to end undue advantage to batsmen,
the ICC has decided to scrap which feature in the
ODIs: Batting power plays
518) Name the player who captained the Indian Cricket
Team for its Zimbabwe tour: Ajinkya Rahane
519) The Moorti Devi Award is given for excellence in
which field: for books on Indian philosophy and
literature
520) ___________ became the 6
th city in India to start the
Metro train services on June 29: Chennai
521) India and Thailand signed the extradition treaty
for what purpose: For seeking extradition of
fugitive offenders
522) __________ won the Norway Chess 2015 title in
Stavanger, Norway defeating Indian grand master
Viswanathan Anand: Veselin Topalov
523) The first day -night Test match under lights will be
played in which city of Australia in November this
year: Adelaide
524) Rajat Chauhan created a new national record on
June 29 in which sports: Archery
525) In 2014-15, the marine product exports from India
broke all previous records. What is common name
for marine products: Sea food
526) Government has given ________ months time to
people to declare their undisclosed foreign income
and assets to escape prosecution under the new
Black Money Law: Three
527) Name the oldest aircraft carrier in the world,
presently with Indian Navy that will soon be
converted into a museum: INS Viraat
528) The controversial book ‘Kashmir: The Vajpayee
Years’ has been written by which author: A S
Dulat
529) A panel, headed by BJP MP_____ , has sought
doubling of the existing Rs 50,000 salary of MPs:
Yogi Adityanath
530) Which is the only Indian city that has been
included in the list of top 20 technology-rich cities
in the world: Bengaluru
531) According to latest World Bank data, India’s GDP
crossed USD _______ trillion mark in 2014: Two
532) During his visit to Central Asian countries, PM
Modi attended which two important summits:
BRICS and CSO
533) Which agency has been assigned the work of
detecting duplication of death claims under the
community has recorded highest growth rate of
24.6% during 2001-11: Muslims
497) The Government launched a health service called
SEHAT in collaboration with the Apollo Hospitals:
SEHAT stands for: Social Endeavour for Health
And Telemedicine
498) RBI has approved Rana Kapoor’s appointment as
MD and CEO of the bank that was founded by him.
Name this bank: Yes Bank
499) Which Bangladeshi bank has found a place in
Fortune's inaugural 'Change the World List' for
creating economic opportunities for the poor:
Grameen Bank
500) Name the firebrand youth leader from Gujarat
who was in news due to his massive rallies
demanding OBC quota for patel community:
Hardik Patel
501) Which State has secured maximum 13 cities for
the ambitious smart cities project: Uttar Pradesh
502) On August 27, ISRO launched which satellite
successfully: GSAT-6
503) What is the purpose of launching GSAT-6 satellite:
To provide Special secure lines of
communication to India’s defence forces
504) Global financial giant Wealth-X has ranked which
person as the richest “Under 35” person in the
world: Mark Zuckerberg
505) Name the tennis player who has been appointed as
the Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF): Novak Djokovic
506) Central govt. has approved four communities to be
included in the Central List of OBCs in which two
states: Gujarat and Uttarakhand
507) Which Indian port has been declared as the best
major port of 2014-15: Kolkata
508) Birth centenary celebrations of freedom fighter
Rani Gaidinliu were inaugurated on August 24 in
which State: Nagaland
509) Government has announced its plan to implement
the Sendai Framework for what purpose: For
Disaster Risk Reduction
510) Recently two war museums were opened at which
stations in Rajasthan: Jaisalmer and Longewala
511) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
has decided to create the w orld's first
internationally-controlled bank of low-enriched
uranium in which country: Kazakhstan
JULY – 2015
512) One extra second was added this year on June 30
th
due to slowing of earth’s rotation. This extra
second is given what name: Leap second
513) The "Abar Souchagar" (toilet for all) project in
Nadia district, has won the prestigious United
Nations Public Service Award for making Nadia
first ‘Open Defecation Free’ district in the country.
It is in which State: West Bengal
514) Jwala Gutta and Ashwni Ponappa won the
women's doubles title at an international
championship of which sports: Badminton
515) The Wimbledon Tennis Championships, famous
for its grass courts, began in which city on June 28:
London
516) Canada open badminton tournament was held at
which city of Canada: Calgary
517) With a view to end undue advantage to batsmen,
the ICC has decided to scrap which feature in the
ODIs: Batting power plays
518) Name the player who captained the Indian Cricket
Team for its Zimbabwe tour: Ajinkya Rahane
519) The Moorti Devi Award is given for excellence in
which field: for books on Indian philosophy and
literature
520) ___________ became the 6
th city in India to start the
Metro train services on June 29: Chennai
521) India and Thailand signed the extradition treaty
for what purpose: For seeking extradition of
fugitive offenders
522) __________ won the Norway Chess 2015 title in
Stavanger, Norway defeating Indian grand master
Viswanathan Anand: Veselin Topalov
523) The first day -night Test match under lights will be
played in which city of Australia in November this
year: Adelaide
524) Rajat Chauhan created a new national record on
June 29 in which sports: Archery
525) In 2014-15, the marine product exports from India
broke all previous records. What is common name
for marine products: Sea food
526) Government has given ________ months time to
people to declare their undisclosed foreign income
and assets to escape prosecution under the new
Black Money Law: Three
527) Name the oldest aircraft carrier in the world,
presently with Indian Navy that will soon be
converted into a museum: INS Viraat
528) The controversial book ‘Kashmir: The Vajpayee
Years’ has been written by which author: A S
Dulat
529) A panel, headed by BJP MP_____ , has sought
doubling of the existing Rs 50,000 salary of MPs:
Yogi Adityanath
530) Which is the only Indian city that has been
included in the list of top 20 technology-rich cities
in the world: Bengaluru
531) According to latest World Bank data, India’s GDP
crossed USD _______ trillion mark in 2014: Two
532) During his visit to Central Asian countries, PM
Modi attended which two important summits:
BRICS and CSO
533) Which agency has been assigned the work of
detecting duplication of death claims under the
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 91
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojna: Credit
Information Bureau India Ltd (CIBIL)
534) FIFA Women's World Cup was held at which place:
Vancouver, Canada
535) Name the country that won the FIFA Women's
World Cup for the third time, beating Japan: USA
536) Government has decided to give __________ rank to
the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, Arvind
Panagariya: Cabinet Minister
537) Champagne vineyards where the world’s famous
sparkling wine Champagne is produced have been
included in UNESCO ‘World Heritage’ sites. They
are in which country: France
538) Copa America Football Tournament was held in
__________ capital of Chile: Santiago
539) Which country won the popular Copa America
Football Tournament after a wait of 99 years:
Chile
540) British Grand Prix F1 was won by the reigning
world champion Lewis Hamilton. He is from which
country: Britain
541) ________ has become the first woman tennis player
from India to be ranked as top-seeded in any
grand slam, by reaching this spot in the ongoing
Wimbledon at London: Sania Mirza
542) World Food Foundation of USA gives which
prestigious prize to individuals whose
breakthrough achievements alleviate hunger and
promote global food security: World Food Prize
543) The World Food Prize 2015 has been awarded to
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. He is from which country:
Bangladesh
544) The World Bank has approved an additional loan
of $650 million for EDFC for faster delivery of
goods between the northern and eastern parts of
the country. What is the full form of EDFC:
Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor
545) Eastern Dedicated Freight corridor runs between
which two places: Ludhiana to Kolkata
546) The Union Urban Development Ministry organized
a six day competition "Mera Shahar Mera Sapna"
from June 15 to20 at New Delhi what purpose: To
encourage citizens to contribute their ideas for
improving Indian cities
547) Name the web portal that Ministry of Agriculture
plans to launch to allow farmers to showcase their
farm produce on the Internet for wholesalers for
online bidding: E-Kissan
548) Reserve Bank provides relevant data for all big
borrowers on CRILC for use by various banks for
better credit appraisal. What is full form of CRILC:
Central Repository of Information on Large
Credits
549) Which bank has started Rewardz scheme to give
reward points to all its customers for almost every
banking transaction done with the bank: State
Bank of India
550) World Bank has ranked which Indian social
welfare scheme as the world's largest public
works programme, providing social security net to
almost 15 per cent of the country's population:
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Gurantee Act (MGNREGA)
551) Which Indian scheme has been classified as the
biggest school feeding programme by the World
Bank, covering 105 million beneficiaries: Mid- day
meal
552) As per a recent UN report, India has achieved the
goals for reducing poverty and hunger by half,
under MDGs. What is MDGs: Millennium
Development Goals
553) ICRISAT- and Govt of Telangana have collaborated
to launch the Green Phablet for farmers to provide
online information and weather alerts to farmers.
What is ICRISAT: International Crops Research
Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics
554) The International Crops Research Institute for
Semi-Arid Tropics is situated in which Indian city:
Hyderabad
555) Which union ministry has launched on July 2 a
web portal for online submission of applications
for Environment Clearance for Category ‘B’
projects: Ministry of Environment and Forests
556) Name the govt initiative launched on July 1 to
digitally deliver all the essential services online to
citizens and transform India into a digitally
empowered society and knowledge economy by
leveraging IT: Digital India
557) Govt plans to provide Aadhaar card based online
facility wherein one can store all documents
issued by the government, such as birth/death
certificates, various permissions, registrations etc.
Name this facility: Digital Locker
558) As per a study by the World Economic Forum _____
and ______ are among the world’s biggest
employers, employing 1.4 and 1.3 million,
respectively, securing 7
th and 8
th rank :Indian
Army and Indian Railways
559) Which bank has created a dedicated payments
gateway for the mobile banking transaction which
will enable much faster transactions for its
customers: ICICI Bank
560) Name the indigenously built Inshore Patrol Vessel
(IPV) commissioned by the Indian Coast Guard on
July 6 at Vishakhapatnam: ICGS Rani Durgavati
561) The National Floor Level
Minimum Wage (NFLMW) has been increased to
Rs. _______per day from the existing Rs. 137
effective from July 1 this year: 160
562) Which State has launched the ‘Mhara Gaon Jagmag
Gaon’ scheme to ensure 24-hour power supply to
the villages which fulfill all parameters,
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojna: Credit
Information Bureau India Ltd (CIBIL)
534) FIFA Women's World Cup was held at which place:
Vancouver, Canada
535) Name the country that won the FIFA Women's
World Cup for the third time, beating Japan: USA
536) Government has decided to give __________ rank to
the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, Arvind
Panagariya: Cabinet Minister
537) Champagne vineyards where the world’s famous
sparkling wine Champagne is produced have been
included in UNESCO ‘World Heritage’ sites. They
are in which country: France
538) Copa America Football Tournament was held in
__________ capital of Chile: Santiago
539) Which country won the popular Copa America
Football Tournament after a wait of 99 years:
Chile
540) British Grand Prix F1 was won by the reigning
world champion Lewis Hamilton. He is from which
country: Britain
541) ________ has become the first woman tennis player
from India to be ranked as top-seeded in any
grand slam, by reaching this spot in the ongoing
Wimbledon at London: Sania Mirza
542) World Food Foundation of USA gives which
prestigious prize to individuals whose
breakthrough achievements alleviate hunger and
promote global food security: World Food Prize
543) The World Food Prize 2015 has been awarded to
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. He is from which country:
Bangladesh
544) The World Bank has approved an additional loan
of $650 million for EDFC for faster delivery of
goods between the northern and eastern parts of
the country. What is the full form of EDFC:
Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor
545) Eastern Dedicated Freight corridor runs between
which two places: Ludhiana to Kolkata
546) The Union Urban Development Ministry organized
a six day competition "Mera Shahar Mera Sapna"
from June 15 to20 at New Delhi what purpose: To
encourage citizens to contribute their ideas for
improving Indian cities
547) Name the web portal that Ministry of Agriculture
plans to launch to allow farmers to showcase their
farm produce on the Internet for wholesalers for
online bidding: E-Kissan
548) Reserve Bank provides relevant data for all big
borrowers on CRILC for use by various banks for
better credit appraisal. What is full form of CRILC:
Central Repository of Information on Large
Credits
549) Which bank has started Rewardz scheme to give
reward points to all its customers for almost every
banking transaction done with the bank: State
Bank of India
550) World Bank has ranked which Indian social
welfare scheme as the world's largest public
works programme, providing social security net to
almost 15 per cent of the country's population:
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Gurantee Act (MGNREGA)
551) Which Indian scheme has been classified as the
biggest school feeding programme by the World
Bank, covering 105 million beneficiaries: Mid- day
meal
552) As per a recent UN report, India has achieved the
goals for reducing poverty and hunger by half,
under MDGs. What is MDGs: Millennium
Development Goals
553) ICRISAT- and Govt of Telangana have collaborated
to launch the Green Phablet for farmers to provide
online information and weather alerts to farmers.
What is ICRISAT: International Crops Research
Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics
554) The International Crops Research Institute for
Semi-Arid Tropics is situated in which Indian city:
Hyderabad
555) Which union ministry has launched on July 2 a
web portal for online submission of applications
for Environment Clearance for Category ‘B’
projects: Ministry of Environment and Forests
556) Name the govt initiative launched on July 1 to
digitally deliver all the essential services online to
citizens and transform India into a digitally
empowered society and knowledge economy by
leveraging IT: Digital India
557) Govt plans to provide Aadhaar card based online
facility wherein one can store all documents
issued by the government, such as birth/death
certificates, various permissions, registrations etc.
Name this facility: Digital Locker
558) As per a study by the World Economic Forum _____
and ______ are among the world’s biggest
employers, employing 1.4 and 1.3 million,
respectively, securing 7
th and 8
th rank :Indian
Army and Indian Railways
559) Which bank has created a dedicated payments
gateway for the mobile banking transaction which
will enable much faster transactions for its
customers: ICICI Bank
560) Name the indigenously built Inshore Patrol Vessel
(IPV) commissioned by the Indian Coast Guard on
July 6 at Vishakhapatnam: ICGS Rani Durgavati
561) The National Floor Level
Minimum Wage (NFLMW) has been increased to
Rs. _______per day from the existing Rs. 137
effective from July 1 this year: 160
562) Which State has launched the ‘Mhara Gaon Jagmag
Gaon’ scheme to ensure 24-hour power supply to
the villages which fulfill all parameters,
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 92
particularly avoiding theft of electricity: Haryana
563) State Bank of India has launched 'Project Tatkal' to
attract which category of borrowers, offering them
the loan within 10 days: Home Loan seekers
564) Which state in India accounts for 50% of total
passenger cars and two-wheelers produced in
India: Haryana
565) Abhijeet Gupta won the 19th Commonwealth
__________ Championship held at Mumbai: Chess
566) __________ has been nominated by China to be the
first President of the Beijing-backed Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank: JIN LIQUN
567) Which bank has launched Go Digital scheme
offering the 30-minute auto loan and 15-minute
two-wheeler loan: HDFC Bank
568) Which public sector bank has the highest
proportion of bad loans at 21.5% of its total loss:
United Bank of India
569) President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated
'Nakshatra Vatika' on July 6 in which city:
Hyderabad
570) Name the cricketer who became the first women
from the country and second in world to reach the
5000-run milestone in one-day internationals:
Mithali Raj
571) BSNL along with _________ Bank and Pyro has
launched a prepaid card SPEEDPAY to allow users
to transfer cash, pay for services as well as
withdraw cash up to Rs 1 lakh: Andhra
572) Name the solar aeroplane which created new
world records for longest distance covered and
time spent in air in its flight from Nagoya, Japan to
Hawaii- 7,200km in 118 hours: Solar Impulse
573) The Home Ministry has recently declared which
state as a “disturbed area” under section 3 of the
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958:
Nagaland
574) 5
th Youth Delphic Games will be held in _____ in
February 2016: Goa
575) RBI has allowed MTS operators such as Mumbai
Metro, Delhi Metro, Indian Railways to issue their
pre-paid cards to provide ease to the commuters.
What is full form of MTS: Mass Transit System
576) Matti Makkonen, who died recently, was
associated with development of which very
important feature of present day mobile phones:
SMS
577) Which city in Gujarat has signed a MoU with
China's Xinjinag province to enhance
infrastructure growth and development between
the two regions: Vadodara
578) Sriram Kalyanaraman has been appointed as the
new Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer
of which national bank: National Housing Bank
579) World University Games were held at which place
in South Korea: Gwangju
580) Gennady Padalka, Russian cosmonaut entered
Guinness World Records for which achievement:
for spending most number of days in the space-
804
581) India issued a joint statement titled Tej Kadam
with which country highlighting the continuation
of strategic partnership between the two
nations since 2009: Kazakhastan
582) The National Dairy Development Board has
launched a mobile application named _________ to
help dairy farmers in boosting their income by
raising milk yield and cutting feed cost: Pashu
Poshan
583) Who is the author of the book - India Central Asia
Relations: The Economic Dimension: Amiya
Chandra
584) Which Bank launched country’s first MUDRA
(Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency)
card based on the RuPay platform: Corporation
Bank
585) South Asian Basketball Championship was held at
which place: Bengaluru, Karanataka
586) Name the country that won the South Asian
Basketball Championship: India
587) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has
approved the PMKSY with an outlay of Rs. 50000
crore rupees over a period of next five years. Write
full form of PMKSY: Pradhan Mantri Krishi
Sinchayee Yojana
588) Name the country that hosted 2015 World
Police and Fire Games: USA
589) Name the Bengaluru firm that became first
company in India to launch online electronic
signature service called eSign: eMudhra Ltd
590) _____________ became the first state in India to
successfully install an Earthquake Warning System
to detect earthquakes and disseminate warnings:
Uttarakhand
591) Bashar Navaaz, noted ______ poet and critic passed
away on 9 July in Aurangabad, Maharashtra; Urdu
592) Government plans to start an all India exhibition
train to sensitise people, especially children and
the youth, about the Climate Change. What is its
name: Science Express
593) The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV C-28
successfully put into orbit five satellites of which
country on 10
th July: Britain
594) In the abbreviation PSLV C-28, the digits 28
denote what: 28
th successful launch
595) What was the special feature of the July 10 launch
of PSLV C-28: It was the ISRO’s biggest and
heaviest commercial launch till date
596) What is the theme of the this year’s World
Population Day observed on July 11: Vulnerable
populations in emergencies
particularly avoiding theft of electricity: Haryana
563) State Bank of India has launched 'Project Tatkal' to
attract which category of borrowers, offering them
the loan within 10 days: Home Loan seekers
564) Which state in India accounts for 50% of total
passenger cars and two-wheelers produced in
India: Haryana
565) Abhijeet Gupta won the 19th Commonwealth
__________ Championship held at Mumbai: Chess
566) __________ has been nominated by China to be the
first President of the Beijing-backed Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank: JIN LIQUN
567) Which bank has launched Go Digital scheme
offering the 30-minute auto loan and 15-minute
two-wheeler loan: HDFC Bank
568) Which public sector bank has the highest
proportion of bad loans at 21.5% of its total loss:
United Bank of India
569) President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated
'Nakshatra Vatika' on July 6 in which city:
Hyderabad
570) Name the cricketer who became the first women
from the country and second in world to reach the
5000-run milestone in one-day internationals:
Mithali Raj
571) BSNL along with _________ Bank and Pyro has
launched a prepaid card SPEEDPAY to allow users
to transfer cash, pay for services as well as
withdraw cash up to Rs 1 lakh: Andhra
572) Name the solar aeroplane which created new
world records for longest distance covered and
time spent in air in its flight from Nagoya, Japan to
Hawaii- 7,200km in 118 hours: Solar Impulse
573) The Home Ministry has recently declared which
state as a “disturbed area” under section 3 of the
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958:
Nagaland
574) 5
th Youth Delphic Games will be held in _____ in
February 2016: Goa
575) RBI has allowed MTS operators such as Mumbai
Metro, Delhi Metro, Indian Railways to issue their
pre-paid cards to provide ease to the commuters.
What is full form of MTS: Mass Transit System
576) Matti Makkonen, who died recently, was
associated with development of which very
important feature of present day mobile phones:
SMS
577) Which city in Gujarat has signed a MoU with
China's Xinjinag province to enhance
infrastructure growth and development between
the two regions: Vadodara
578) Sriram Kalyanaraman has been appointed as the
new Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer
of which national bank: National Housing Bank
579) World University Games were held at which place
in South Korea: Gwangju
580) Gennady Padalka, Russian cosmonaut entered
Guinness World Records for which achievement:
for spending most number of days in the space-
804
581) India issued a joint statement titled Tej Kadam
with which country highlighting the continuation
of strategic partnership between the two
nations since 2009: Kazakhastan
582) The National Dairy Development Board has
launched a mobile application named _________ to
help dairy farmers in boosting their income by
raising milk yield and cutting feed cost: Pashu
Poshan
583) Who is the author of the book - India Central Asia
Relations: The Economic Dimension: Amiya
Chandra
584) Which Bank launched country’s first MUDRA
(Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency)
card based on the RuPay platform: Corporation
Bank
585) South Asian Basketball Championship was held at
which place: Bengaluru, Karanataka
586) Name the country that won the South Asian
Basketball Championship: India
587) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has
approved the PMKSY with an outlay of Rs. 50000
crore rupees over a period of next five years. Write
full form of PMKSY: Pradhan Mantri Krishi
Sinchayee Yojana
588) Name the country that hosted 2015 World
Police and Fire Games: USA
589) Name the Bengaluru firm that became first
company in India to launch online electronic
signature service called eSign: eMudhra Ltd
590) _____________ became the first state in India to
successfully install an Earthquake Warning System
to detect earthquakes and disseminate warnings:
Uttarakhand
591) Bashar Navaaz, noted ______ poet and critic passed
away on 9 July in Aurangabad, Maharashtra; Urdu
592) Government plans to start an all India exhibition
train to sensitise people, especially children and
the youth, about the Climate Change. What is its
name: Science Express
593) The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV C-28
successfully put into orbit five satellites of which
country on 10
th July: Britain
594) In the abbreviation PSLV C-28, the digits 28
denote what: 28
th successful launch
595) What was the special feature of the July 10 launch
of PSLV C-28: It was the ISRO’s biggest and
heaviest commercial launch till date
596) What is the theme of the this year’s World
Population Day observed on July 11: Vulnerable
populations in emergencies
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 93
597) Ministerial conference of The Regional Integrated
Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems (RIMES)
nations was held in _________ on July 10: New Delhi
598) The ingeniously-developed supersonic surface-to-
air missile _________ was formally inducted in the
Indian Air Force at Gwalior on July 10: Akash
599) Ministry of HRD has launched Rashtriya Avishkar
Abhiyan for what purpose: To inculcate a spirit
of inquiry, creativity and love for science and
mathematics in school children
600) Name the national organization that launched on
July10 a public outreach initiative in New Delhi by
the name ‘Nidhi Aapke Nikat’: Employees’
Provident Fund Organisation, EPFO
601) Name the noted Hollywood film actor from Egypt,
best known for his portrayal of Doctor Zhivago,
who died on July 10: Omar Sharif
602) Sardar Anjum, renowned revolutionary poet, Urdu
lyricist and Padma Bhushan awardee passed away
on July 9. He hailed from which State: Haryana
603) A tiny butterfly species has been discovered for
the first time in the science in the forests of
Changlang in which State: Arunachal Pradesh
604) Finals of the grand slam of tennis – Wimbledon
were played at which place: London
605) ___________ won the Men’s singles title in the
Wimbledon 2015: Novak Djokovic
606) Women’s singles title in the Wimbledon 2015 was
won by which player: Serena Williams
607) Sania Mirza won the Wimbledon 2015 women’s
doubles title. Who was her partner: Martina
Hingis
608) Name the Indian boy who became the sixth Indian
to win a Grand Slam junior title in tennis: Sumit
Nagal
609) In which State construction of the longest tunnel
in South Asia, running 9 kms is in the final stage: J
& K
610) Total users of which public utility crossed the
record 1 billion mark in May, reaching 1,002.05
million: Telephone Connections
611) India test-fired it’s indigenously developed anti-
tank guided missile named ________ in Jaisalmer,
Rajasthan: ‘Helina’ (Nag)
612) Prime Minister of which country resigned on July
12 as he battled corruption charges that
compelled him to quit: Romania
613) N ame the N ASA’s spacecraft which has
provided the closest-ever pictures of Pluto,
showing details of its geology: New Horizons
614) Name the former Union Environment and Forest
Minister who wrote the book Green Signals:
Ecology, Growth, and Democracy in India: Jairam
Ramesh
615) The 12 day Godavari Maha Pushkaralu festival is
celebrated in which State: Telangana and Andhra
Pradesh
616) Under which mission the government has set a
target to provide skill development training to 102
million youth over the next five years: National
Skill Development Mission
617) M S Viswanathan, a prominent film personality of
South Indian cinema, passed away recently. He
was master of which field: Film Music
618) Simhastha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest
religious congregations on the earth, began in July
in which city: Nashik
619) The Junior Asian Freestyle, Greco-Roman and
Female Wrestling championship was held at
_____________, Myanmar: Nay Pyi Taw
620) With which country India recently signed an MoU
in New Delhi for cooperation in election
management and administration: Georgia
621) HRIDAY was launched from Amritsar in Punjab for
development of 12 historical cities in the country.
What is the full form of HRIDAY: National
Heritage City Development and Augmentation
Yojana
622) A committee headed by ____________ suspended the
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals teams
from the Indian Premier League (IPL) for two
years: Justice R M Lodha
623) Considering the declining interest of the fans and
popularity, the BCCI has decided to scrap which T-
20 tournament: Champions League Twenty 20
624) The government has decided to cap the subsidy on
kerosene at Rs. _____ per litre: 12
625) The Reserve Bank has set up a committee headed
by ______________ to work out a five-year action plan
to spread the reach of financial services to
unbanked population: Deepak Mohanty
626) Against which country India won the three-match
One Day International (ODI) Series in July:
Zimbabwe
627) The Prem Bhatia awards are given for excellence
in which field: Journalism
628) The 9th World Youth Athletics Championship was
held in which place: Cali, Colombia
629) Which bank plans to offer up to 3% of its annual
profit to employees as part of a talent retention
and motivation initiative: State Bank of India
630) Who has been appointed as the new Director of
Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune:
Prashant Pathrabe
631) What is the four digit All India Railway Helpline
number recently launched by the govt.: 1512
632) Which Indian city has been selected by the
UNESCO as the "City of Music" under the Creative
Cities Network: Varanasi
633) The Union Cabinet has formed an expert group
597) Ministerial conference of The Regional Integrated
Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems (RIMES)
nations was held in _________ on July 10: New Delhi
598) The ingeniously-developed supersonic surface-to-
air missile _________ was formally inducted in the
Indian Air Force at Gwalior on July 10: Akash
599) Ministry of HRD has launched Rashtriya Avishkar
Abhiyan for what purpose: To inculcate a spirit
of inquiry, creativity and love for science and
mathematics in school children
600) Name the national organization that launched on
July10 a public outreach initiative in New Delhi by
the name ‘Nidhi Aapke Nikat’: Employees’
Provident Fund Organisation, EPFO
601) Name the noted Hollywood film actor from Egypt,
best known for his portrayal of Doctor Zhivago,
who died on July 10: Omar Sharif
602) Sardar Anjum, renowned revolutionary poet, Urdu
lyricist and Padma Bhushan awardee passed away
on July 9. He hailed from which State: Haryana
603) A tiny butterfly species has been discovered for
the first time in the science in the forests of
Changlang in which State: Arunachal Pradesh
604) Finals of the grand slam of tennis – Wimbledon
were played at which place: London
605) ___________ won the Men’s singles title in the
Wimbledon 2015: Novak Djokovic
606) Women’s singles title in the Wimbledon 2015 was
won by which player: Serena Williams
607) Sania Mirza won the Wimbledon 2015 women’s
doubles title. Who was her partner: Martina
Hingis
608) Name the Indian boy who became the sixth Indian
to win a Grand Slam junior title in tennis: Sumit
Nagal
609) In which State construction of the longest tunnel
in South Asia, running 9 kms is in the final stage: J
& K
610) Total users of which public utility crossed the
record 1 billion mark in May, reaching 1,002.05
million: Telephone Connections
611) India test-fired it’s indigenously developed anti-
tank guided missile named ________ in Jaisalmer,
Rajasthan: ‘Helina’ (Nag)
612) Prime Minister of which country resigned on July
12 as he battled corruption charges that
compelled him to quit: Romania
613) N ame the N ASA’s spacecraft which has
provided the closest-ever pictures of Pluto,
showing details of its geology: New Horizons
614) Name the former Union Environment and Forest
Minister who wrote the book Green Signals:
Ecology, Growth, and Democracy in India: Jairam
Ramesh
615) The 12 day Godavari Maha Pushkaralu festival is
celebrated in which State: Telangana and Andhra
Pradesh
616) Under which mission the government has set a
target to provide skill development training to 102
million youth over the next five years: National
Skill Development Mission
617) M S Viswanathan, a prominent film personality of
South Indian cinema, passed away recently. He
was master of which field: Film Music
618) Simhastha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest
religious congregations on the earth, began in July
in which city: Nashik
619) The Junior Asian Freestyle, Greco-Roman and
Female Wrestling championship was held at
_____________, Myanmar: Nay Pyi Taw
620) With which country India recently signed an MoU
in New Delhi for cooperation in election
management and administration: Georgia
621) HRIDAY was launched from Amritsar in Punjab for
development of 12 historical cities in the country.
What is the full form of HRIDAY: National
Heritage City Development and Augmentation
Yojana
622) A committee headed by ____________ suspended the
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals teams
from the Indian Premier League (IPL) for two
years: Justice R M Lodha
623) Considering the declining interest of the fans and
popularity, the BCCI has decided to scrap which T-
20 tournament: Champions League Twenty 20
624) The government has decided to cap the subsidy on
kerosene at Rs. _____ per litre: 12
625) The Reserve Bank has set up a committee headed
by ______________ to work out a five-year action plan
to spread the reach of financial services to
unbanked population: Deepak Mohanty
626) Against which country India won the three-match
One Day International (ODI) Series in July:
Zimbabwe
627) The Prem Bhatia awards are given for excellence
in which field: Journalism
628) The 9th World Youth Athletics Championship was
held in which place: Cali, Colombia
629) Which bank plans to offer up to 3% of its annual
profit to employees as part of a talent retention
and motivation initiative: State Bank of India
630) Who has been appointed as the new Director of
Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune:
Prashant Pathrabe
631) What is the four digit All India Railway Helpline
number recently launched by the govt.: 1512
632) Which Indian city has been selected by the
UNESCO as the "City of Music" under the Creative
Cities Network: Varanasi
633) The Union Cabinet has formed an expert group
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 94
chaired by ___________ to classify the Caste names
returned in the Socio Economic and Caste Census
(SECC), 2011: Arvind Panagariya
634) Name the noted modern Indian artist who has
been conferred with the highest French civilian
honour, the Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur
(the Legion of Honour) for his peerless
achievements: Sayed Haider Raza
635) Which city hosted the 46
th Session of the Indian
Labour Conference: New Delhi
636) Which country has agreed to jointly manufacture
200 military helicopters in India: Russia
637) Which country has agreed to provide technological
support to India for building the next aircraft
carrier and the Light Combat Aircraft jet engine:
USA
638) Genezebe Dibaba created a new world record in
the women’s 1500m, clocking a time of 3:50:07.
She is from which country: Ethiopia
639) Which Indian organization has signed a currency
swap agreement with the Central Bank of Sri
Lanka to let it draw up to 1.1 billion dollars for a
maximum period of 6 months: Reserve Bank of
India
640) For which of its project, the Kerala Tourism has
bagged 2015's Pacific Asia Travel Association
award: Muziris Heritage Conservation Project
641) Name the type of the first indigenous high-thrust
rocket engine recently successfully test fired by
ISRO at its Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri in
southern Tamil Nadu: Cryogenic
642) The BCCI has decided to scrap which Trophy due
to packed schedule: Duleep
643) What is the name of the new bank launched by
BRICS group of nations to promote infrastructure
financing: New Development Bank
644) Headquarters of New Development Bank is
located in which city: Shanghai
645) The Union Cabinet has agreed to continue the
interest subvention of __________ per cent on short-
term crop loans of up to Rs. 3 lakh to farmers:
Three
646) The government has launched the National Career
Counseling Portal for what purpose: To
coordinate all government-run employment
exchanges
647) Which international financial body has agreed to
provide $250-million financial assistance for the
Andhra Pradesh Disaster Recovery Project: The
World Bank
648) Which Indian city will host the 2016 World
Twenty 20 cricket tournament: Kolkata
649) Name the Bollywood actor-model aged 50 who
won the Ironman title at a triathlon held in Zurich
in Switzerland: Milind Soman
650) The government has launched the Surakshit
Khadya Abhiyan, a countrywide campaign to
create mass awareness about which issue: Safe
and hygienic food
651) What is the name of the world's first malaria
vaccine which has got a green signal from the
European drugs regulators: Mosquirix
652) In a list of 500 largest companies of the world
compiled by the Fortune magazine, USA, which is
the largest Indian corporate: Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC)
653) Name the 10-year old Indian Golfer who scripted
history as he became the first Indian to win the
International Junior Golf Academy's World Stars
Junior Golf Tournament played at Las Vegas, USA:
Shubham Jaglan
654) Name the two members of Anglo Indian
Community recently nominated by the President
to Lok Sabha: Prof. Richard Hay and George
Baker
655) As per which article of the Indian Constitution,
President can nominate two members of Anglo
Indian Community to Lok Sabha: 331
656) Under the Development of Solar Cities Programme
of the union ministry of new and renewable
energy, in which part of India six solar cities have
to be developed: North East
657) The World Trade Organization on July 24 finalised
a list of 201 products of which category products
to be freed from import tariffs resulting in
reduction in their prices: Information
Technology
658) Which country is about to complete construction
of the world's largest single-aperture radio
telescope FAST in 2016: China
659) Trial run of the Egypt's second Suez Canal went off
successfully on July 25. Name the two seas linked
by this canal: Mediterranean Sea with the Red
Sea
660) Name the former Governor of Kerala, Sikkim and
Bihar, MP and a veteran associate of Dr Ambedkar
who passed away recently: R. S. Gavai
661) Name the cyclist from Britain who won the three
week multiple stage bicycle race - Tour de France
at Champs Elysees in Paris on July 26: Chris
Froome
662) Name the German driver who won the Hungarian
Grand Prix at Budapest, Hungary on July 26:
Sebastian Vettel
663) ____________of Netherlands has been appointed chief
coach of the Indian hockey team till the 2016 Rio
Olympics: Roelant Oltmans
664) Name the world’s first malaria vaccine that has
recently been approved by European drugs
regulators: Mosquirix
665) The Indian women's wrestling team finished at
which rank in the fifth Senior International
chaired by ___________ to classify the Caste names
returned in the Socio Economic and Caste Census
(SECC), 2011: Arvind Panagariya
634) Name the noted modern Indian artist who has
been conferred with the highest French civilian
honour, the Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur
(the Legion of Honour) for his peerless
achievements: Sayed Haider Raza
635) Which city hosted the 46
th Session of the Indian
Labour Conference: New Delhi
636) Which country has agreed to jointly manufacture
200 military helicopters in India: Russia
637) Which country has agreed to provide technological
support to India for building the next aircraft
carrier and the Light Combat Aircraft jet engine:
USA
638) Genezebe Dibaba created a new world record in
the women’s 1500m, clocking a time of 3:50:07.
She is from which country: Ethiopia
639) Which Indian organization has signed a currency
swap agreement with the Central Bank of Sri
Lanka to let it draw up to 1.1 billion dollars for a
maximum period of 6 months: Reserve Bank of
India
640) For which of its project, the Kerala Tourism has
bagged 2015's Pacific Asia Travel Association
award: Muziris Heritage Conservation Project
641) Name the type of the first indigenous high-thrust
rocket engine recently successfully test fired by
ISRO at its Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri in
southern Tamil Nadu: Cryogenic
642) The BCCI has decided to scrap which Trophy due
to packed schedule: Duleep
643) What is the name of the new bank launched by
BRICS group of nations to promote infrastructure
financing: New Development Bank
644) Headquarters of New Development Bank is
located in which city: Shanghai
645) The Union Cabinet has agreed to continue the
interest subvention of __________ per cent on short-
term crop loans of up to Rs. 3 lakh to farmers:
Three
646) The government has launched the National Career
Counseling Portal for what purpose: To
coordinate all government-run employment
exchanges
647) Which international financial body has agreed to
provide $250-million financial assistance for the
Andhra Pradesh Disaster Recovery Project: The
World Bank
648) Which Indian city will host the 2016 World
Twenty 20 cricket tournament: Kolkata
649) Name the Bollywood actor-model aged 50 who
won the Ironman title at a triathlon held in Zurich
in Switzerland: Milind Soman
650) The government has launched the Surakshit
Khadya Abhiyan, a countrywide campaign to
create mass awareness about which issue: Safe
and hygienic food
651) What is the name of the world's first malaria
vaccine which has got a green signal from the
European drugs regulators: Mosquirix
652) In a list of 500 largest companies of the world
compiled by the Fortune magazine, USA, which is
the largest Indian corporate: Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC)
653) Name the 10-year old Indian Golfer who scripted
history as he became the first Indian to win the
International Junior Golf Academy's World Stars
Junior Golf Tournament played at Las Vegas, USA:
Shubham Jaglan
654) Name the two members of Anglo Indian
Community recently nominated by the President
to Lok Sabha: Prof. Richard Hay and George
Baker
655) As per which article of the Indian Constitution,
President can nominate two members of Anglo
Indian Community to Lok Sabha: 331
656) Under the Development of Solar Cities Programme
of the union ministry of new and renewable
energy, in which part of India six solar cities have
to be developed: North East
657) The World Trade Organization on July 24 finalised
a list of 201 products of which category products
to be freed from import tariffs resulting in
reduction in their prices: Information
Technology
658) Which country is about to complete construction
of the world's largest single-aperture radio
telescope FAST in 2016: China
659) Trial run of the Egypt's second Suez Canal went off
successfully on July 25. Name the two seas linked
by this canal: Mediterranean Sea with the Red
Sea
660) Name the former Governor of Kerala, Sikkim and
Bihar, MP and a veteran associate of Dr Ambedkar
who passed away recently: R. S. Gavai
661) Name the cyclist from Britain who won the three
week multiple stage bicycle race - Tour de France
at Champs Elysees in Paris on July 26: Chris
Froome
662) Name the German driver who won the Hungarian
Grand Prix at Budapest, Hungary on July 26:
Sebastian Vettel
663) ____________of Netherlands has been appointed chief
coach of the Indian hockey team till the 2016 Rio
Olympics: Roelant Oltmans
664) Name the world’s first malaria vaccine that has
recently been approved by European drugs
regulators: Mosquirix
665) The Indian women's wrestling team finished at
which rank in the fifth Senior International
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 95
Wrestling Tournament -- Cup of the President of
Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana: Second
666) Name the bank that plans to roll out handheld
machines across rural India that could work just
like micro ATMs: HDFC Bank
667) Royal Society’s Copley Medal, world’s oldest
scientific prize has been awarded to which
scientist: Peter Higgs
668) What is the name of the newly found planet which
is 'the closest twin to Earth' ever seen: Kepler-
452b
669) __________ became the first nomination to be
received by the Urban Development Ministry for
the Smart City Mission: Puducherry
670) The first radio broadcasting was done from
_____________ on 23 July, 1927: Mumbai
671) 23
rd July is observed as which national day:
National Broadcasting Day
672) Tom Moore, noted cartoonist from USA passed
away recently. He was associated with which
cartoon character: Archie
673) Name the capital of the Republic of Guinea which
was named as the World Book Capital for 2017 by
UNESCO: Conakry
674) UNO has started the Nelson Mandela Prize for
honouring people in which field: extraordinary
service to humanity
675) Name the Indian cartoonist who won the Grand
Prix World Press Cartoon Award-2014: Pamarthy
Shankar
676) Benoy Behl, noted documentary maker won the
Best Documentary Producer award at Madrid
International Film Festival for which film: Indian
Roots of Tibetan Buddhism
677) Bijoy Krishna Handique, senior Congress leader,
who died recently, was six times Lok Sabha
member from which seat: Jorhat, Assam
678) Of 31 countries which produce power from
nuclear sources, India is ranked __________ in the
world producing 5308 MWe: 12th
679) The ‘Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana’ for
power sector reforms in rural areas to ensure
round the clock electricity supply was formally
launched on July 25 in which city: Patna
680) ____________has been appointed as the new
Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India (TRAI) for three years: R. S. Sharma
681) __________ July was celebrated as the Kargil Vijay
Diwas: 26
th
682) Which bank has signed a $200 million loan deal
with the Asian Development Bank for extending
customized and affordable agriculture credit to
farmers: Axis Bank
683) Name the town in Gurdaspur district of Punjab
that was in news as it suffered a terrorist attack
that killed seven people: Dinanagar
684) Ramon Magsaysay Award are given for excellence
in which filed: Social Work & Service to
Humanity
685) Ramon Magsaysay Awards are given in which
country: Philippines
686) Name the two Indians who won the Ramon
Magsaysay Award 2015: Sanjeev Chaturvedi and
Anshu Gupta
687) Asian Development Bank has agreed to provide $
300 million loan to support which flagship
program of Indian govt.: National Urban Health
Mission
688) Which Indian state has introduced a pension
scheme for transgenders allowing them a pension
of Rs 500 per month: Tripura
689) The Asian Development Bank has agreed to give a
loan of $ 300 million to India for development of
which region: North East
690) Government has sanctioned around Rs.1,000 crore
for a 15-km India-Bangladesh railway project from
which place to which place: Agartala in Tripura
to Akhaura in Chitagong, Bangladesh
691) Which country has been admitted as the 162
nd
member of World Trade Organ ization:
Kazakhstan
692) The ETC system was launched on the Chennai-
Bengaluru corridor on July26, aiming to help road-
users save time and money. What is ETC:
Electronic Toll Collection
JUNE – 2015
693) According to the data released by the Central
Statistics Office (CSO) on May 29, the Indian
economy grew at __________ per cent in 2014-15:
7.3
694) Union Finance Ministry has introduced two new
ITR forms for what purpose: For Income Tax
Returns
695) According to United Nations annual hunger report
- 'The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015'
by FAO, which country accounts for over 24 per
cent of the total 795 million hungry people in the
world: India
696) Which ministry has launched a new website -
www.khoyapaya.gov.in: Women and Child
Development Ministry
697) What is the objective of the recently launched
khoyapaya.gov.in website: To report about a
missing child and to track the efforts towards
his or her recovery
698) OPCW is the global chemical weapons watchdog.
What is its full form: Organization for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
699) In which recent international sports event, Indian
participants captured eight gold medals:
International Wrestling Tournament, Italy
Wrestling Tournament -- Cup of the President of
Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana: Second
666) Name the bank that plans to roll out handheld
machines across rural India that could work just
like micro ATMs: HDFC Bank
667) Royal Society’s Copley Medal, world’s oldest
scientific prize has been awarded to which
scientist: Peter Higgs
668) What is the name of the newly found planet which
is 'the closest twin to Earth' ever seen: Kepler-
452b
669) __________ became the first nomination to be
received by the Urban Development Ministry for
the Smart City Mission: Puducherry
670) The first radio broadcasting was done from
_____________ on 23 July, 1927: Mumbai
671) 23
rd July is observed as which national day:
National Broadcasting Day
672) Tom Moore, noted cartoonist from USA passed
away recently. He was associated with which
cartoon character: Archie
673) Name the capital of the Republic of Guinea which
was named as the World Book Capital for 2017 by
UNESCO: Conakry
674) UNO has started the Nelson Mandela Prize for
honouring people in which field: extraordinary
service to humanity
675) Name the Indian cartoonist who won the Grand
Prix World Press Cartoon Award-2014: Pamarthy
Shankar
676) Benoy Behl, noted documentary maker won the
Best Documentary Producer award at Madrid
International Film Festival for which film: Indian
Roots of Tibetan Buddhism
677) Bijoy Krishna Handique, senior Congress leader,
who died recently, was six times Lok Sabha
member from which seat: Jorhat, Assam
678) Of 31 countries which produce power from
nuclear sources, India is ranked __________ in the
world producing 5308 MWe: 12th
679) The ‘Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana’ for
power sector reforms in rural areas to ensure
round the clock electricity supply was formally
launched on July 25 in which city: Patna
680) ____________has been appointed as the new
Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India (TRAI) for three years: R. S. Sharma
681) __________ July was celebrated as the Kargil Vijay
Diwas: 26
th
682) Which bank has signed a $200 million loan deal
with the Asian Development Bank for extending
customized and affordable agriculture credit to
farmers: Axis Bank
683) Name the town in Gurdaspur district of Punjab
that was in news as it suffered a terrorist attack
that killed seven people: Dinanagar
684) Ramon Magsaysay Award are given for excellence
in which filed: Social Work & Service to
Humanity
685) Ramon Magsaysay Awards are given in which
country: Philippines
686) Name the two Indians who won the Ramon
Magsaysay Award 2015: Sanjeev Chaturvedi and
Anshu Gupta
687) Asian Development Bank has agreed to provide $
300 million loan to support which flagship
program of Indian govt.: National Urban Health
Mission
688) Which Indian state has introduced a pension
scheme for transgenders allowing them a pension
of Rs 500 per month: Tripura
689) The Asian Development Bank has agreed to give a
loan of $ 300 million to India for development of
which region: North East
690) Government has sanctioned around Rs.1,000 crore
for a 15-km India-Bangladesh railway project from
which place to which place: Agartala in Tripura
to Akhaura in Chitagong, Bangladesh
691) Which country has been admitted as the 162
nd
member of World Trade Organ ization:
Kazakhstan
692) The ETC system was launched on the Chennai-
Bengaluru corridor on July26, aiming to help road-
users save time and money. What is ETC:
Electronic Toll Collection
JUNE – 2015
693) According to the data released by the Central
Statistics Office (CSO) on May 29, the Indian
economy grew at __________ per cent in 2014-15:
7.3
694) Union Finance Ministry has introduced two new
ITR forms for what purpose: For Income Tax
Returns
695) According to United Nations annual hunger report
- 'The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015'
by FAO, which country accounts for over 24 per
cent of the total 795 million hungry people in the
world: India
696) Which ministry has launched a new website -
www.khoyapaya.gov.in: Women and Child
Development Ministry
697) What is the objective of the recently launched
khoyapaya.gov.in website: To report about a
missing child and to track the efforts towards
his or her recovery
698) OPCW is the global chemical weapons watchdog.
What is its full form: Organization for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
699) In which recent international sports event, Indian
participants captured eight gold medals:
International Wrestling Tournament, Italy
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 96
700) Deepika Kumari won a bronze medal in the
women's individual Recurve event of the World
Cup at Antalya, Turkey. She participated in which
game: Archery
701) Name the prestigious spelling contest of USA
which was won by Indian origin American
children - Vanya Shivashankar, 13, and Gokul
Venkatachalam, 14: Scripps National Spelling
Bee Contest
702) Name the three star cricketers who joined the
BCCI in a newly-constituted advisory panel to
guide the board in all matters related to the game:
Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and V V S
Laxman
703) Which country has successfully developed the first
ATM with facial recognition technology to reduce
the risk of frauds related to ATMs: China
704) George Yeo, Former Foreign Minister of Singapore
has been appointed as the new Chancellor of
which prestigious university of India: Nalanda
University, Rajgir, Bihar
705) Ameenah Gurib-Fakim has been elected as the first
woman President of which country: Mauritius
706) _________ has taken over as Chairman, Managing
Director and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, world’s no
one two wheeler company: Pawan Munjal
707) Vijai Sharma has been appointed to which top
constitutional post: Chief Information
Commissioner
708) __________ has been appointed as the new Central
Vigilance Commissioner: K V Chowdary
709) The book “Men Explain Things to Me” has been
written by which author: Rebecca Solnit
710) Name the book written on Indian political scenario
recently by the noted journalist Ashutosh: The
Crown Prince, the Gladiator and the Hope:
Battle for Change
711) On May 2 RBI reduced the repo rate by ______ basis
points to 7.25%: 25
712) After the recent cut in repo rate, what is the new
bank rate: 8.25%
713) RBI lowered the GDP growth rate for 2015-16 to
7.6% on what grounds: Lower than average
monsoon and higher food inflation
714) The Reserve Bank has capped the remuneration of
non-executive director of private banks to Rs.
______lakhs per annum: 10
715) RBI has issued the draft guidelines on the NSFR
under Basel III framework on liquidity standards
for banks. What is the full form of NSFR: Net
Stable Funding Ratio
716) The 'Jal Marg Vikas' (National Waterway-1)
project has been launched on which river: Ganga
717) The 1620 kms long National Waterway–1 is
proposed to be launched between which two
cities: Allahabad and Haldia
718) Global brokerage firm Nomura has projected that
India will grow by 8% in 2015-16. This firm is
based in which country: Japan
719) India was ranked at ______ rank in the annual global
competitiveness report by a Switzerland-based
business school: 44th
720) In terms of competitiveness, which country has
been ranked at the top in a recent Swiss study:
USA
721) On June 3 India joined the Multilateral Competent
Authority Agreement for what purpose: For
Automatic Exchange of Financial Account
Information
722) Name the 17,500 feet high mountain pass in
Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand that was
opened on June 1 for this year's India-China trade
and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra: Lipulekh Pass
723) World Bank has approved $250 million loan for
reconstruction of flood-affected public
infrastructure of which State: Jammu and
Kashmir
724) In collaboration with which ministry Indian
Academy of Pediatrics has started the world's
largest digital mass education programme to
address malnutrition in women and children:
Ministry of Women and Child Development
725) Edward Snowden, former US security contractor
and electronic surveillance whistleblower was
honoured with which international prize
recently: Norwegian prize for freedom of
expression
726) Bangladesh has granted permission to which
Indian insurance company to book business in
Bangladesh: Life Insurance Corporation (LIC)
of India
727) World Bank granted a $400-million loan to which
state to improve services in urban local bodies:
Tamil Nadu
728) The 21st Asian Athletics Championships were held
at which place in China: Wuhan
729) Name the star athlete who bagged the gold medal
in the men’s shot put event at the 21st Asian
Athletics Championships: Inderjeet Singh
730) Tintu Luka won the gold medal in which event at
the Asian Athletics Championship: 800 m race
731) Ace Indian athlete Vikas Gowda won the gold
medal at the 21
st Asian Athletics Championship in
which event: Discuss throw
732) Name the country that won the highest medals in
the recently held Asian Athletics Championship:
China
733) In which Indian city local metro was started on
June 3, 2015: Jaipur
734) Name the veteran cricketer who has been
appointed as the Director of the Indian cricket
team: Ravi Shastri
700) Deepika Kumari won a bronze medal in the
women's individual Recurve event of the World
Cup at Antalya, Turkey. She participated in which
game: Archery
701) Name the prestigious spelling contest of USA
which was won by Indian origin American
children - Vanya Shivashankar, 13, and Gokul
Venkatachalam, 14: Scripps National Spelling
Bee Contest
702) Name the three star cricketers who joined the
BCCI in a newly-constituted advisory panel to
guide the board in all matters related to the game:
Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and V V S
Laxman
703) Which country has successfully developed the first
ATM with facial recognition technology to reduce
the risk of frauds related to ATMs: China
704) George Yeo, Former Foreign Minister of Singapore
has been appointed as the new Chancellor of
which prestigious university of India: Nalanda
University, Rajgir, Bihar
705) Ameenah Gurib-Fakim has been elected as the first
woman President of which country: Mauritius
706) _________ has taken over as Chairman, Managing
Director and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, world’s no
one two wheeler company: Pawan Munjal
707) Vijai Sharma has been appointed to which top
constitutional post: Chief Information
Commissioner
708) __________ has been appointed as the new Central
Vigilance Commissioner: K V Chowdary
709) The book “Men Explain Things to Me” has been
written by which author: Rebecca Solnit
710) Name the book written on Indian political scenario
recently by the noted journalist Ashutosh: The
Crown Prince, the Gladiator and the Hope:
Battle for Change
711) On May 2 RBI reduced the repo rate by ______ basis
points to 7.25%: 25
712) After the recent cut in repo rate, what is the new
bank rate: 8.25%
713) RBI lowered the GDP growth rate for 2015-16 to
7.6% on what grounds: Lower than average
monsoon and higher food inflation
714) The Reserve Bank has capped the remuneration of
non-executive director of private banks to Rs.
______lakhs per annum: 10
715) RBI has issued the draft guidelines on the NSFR
under Basel III framework on liquidity standards
for banks. What is the full form of NSFR: Net
Stable Funding Ratio
716) The 'Jal Marg Vikas' (National Waterway-1)
project has been launched on which river: Ganga
717) The 1620 kms long National Waterway–1 is
proposed to be launched between which two
cities: Allahabad and Haldia
718) Global brokerage firm Nomura has projected that
India will grow by 8% in 2015-16. This firm is
based in which country: Japan
719) India was ranked at ______ rank in the annual global
competitiveness report by a Switzerland-based
business school: 44th
720) In terms of competitiveness, which country has
been ranked at the top in a recent Swiss study:
USA
721) On June 3 India joined the Multilateral Competent
Authority Agreement for what purpose: For
Automatic Exchange of Financial Account
Information
722) Name the 17,500 feet high mountain pass in
Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand that was
opened on June 1 for this year's India-China trade
and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra: Lipulekh Pass
723) World Bank has approved $250 million loan for
reconstruction of flood-affected public
infrastructure of which State: Jammu and
Kashmir
724) In collaboration with which ministry Indian
Academy of Pediatrics has started the world's
largest digital mass education programme to
address malnutrition in women and children:
Ministry of Women and Child Development
725) Edward Snowden, former US security contractor
and electronic surveillance whistleblower was
honoured with which international prize
recently: Norwegian prize for freedom of
expression
726) Bangladesh has granted permission to which
Indian insurance company to book business in
Bangladesh: Life Insurance Corporation (LIC)
of India
727) World Bank granted a $400-million loan to which
state to improve services in urban local bodies:
Tamil Nadu
728) The 21st Asian Athletics Championships were held
at which place in China: Wuhan
729) Name the star athlete who bagged the gold medal
in the men’s shot put event at the 21st Asian
Athletics Championships: Inderjeet Singh
730) Tintu Luka won the gold medal in which event at
the Asian Athletics Championship: 800 m race
731) Ace Indian athlete Vikas Gowda won the gold
medal at the 21
st Asian Athletics Championship in
which event: Discuss throw
732) Name the country that won the highest medals in
the recently held Asian Athletics Championship:
China
733) In which Indian city local metro was started on
June 3, 2015: Jaipur
734) Name the veteran cricketer who has been
appointed as the Director of the Indian cricket
team: Ravi Shastri
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 97
735) World Milk Day is observed on which date: June 1
736) Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of ______arrived in New
Delhi on a two-day (June 5-6) visit to India:
Netherland
737) The government has decided to increase the
Minimum Import Price of which item to protect
local growers from the cheaper imports: Areca
Nuts
738) The leaders of G-7 countries held their 41
st
summit on June 7-8 in which country: Germany
739) The G-7 group includes as member an
international union of states also. Which is that:
European Union
740) Name the honour that was conferred on Sri Atal
Bihari Vajpayee by the Bangladesh Govt.:
Bangladesh Liberation War Honour
741) Name the three Indian cities which now have
direct bus service with Dhaka, Bangladesh:
Kolkata, Agartala and Guwahati
742) Which country recently suffered an outbreak of
deadly virus disease MERS: South Korea
743) What is the full form of MERS: Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome
744) The virus of MERS is suspected to have come from
which animal: Camel
745) French Open 2015 Men’s title was won by Stan
Wawrinka. He is from which country: Switzerland
746) _____________ won the women’s title in the French
Open 2015: Serena Williams, USA
747) French Open tournament is popularly known by
which other name: Rolland Garros
748) The Department of Post (India Post) has signed a
deal with which IT company to personalise over
15 million debit cards for its savings account
holders: CMS Info Systems
749) R. Seshasayee has been appointed Non-Executive
Chairman of the Board of which Indian IT major:
Infosys Ltd.
750) International Indian Film Academy – IIFA award
ceremony was recently held at which place:
Kualalumpur, Malaysia
751) ______________ film was declared as the best feature
film for 2014 at IIFA awards: Queen
752) IIFA award for best actor and best actress was
won by: Shahid Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut
753) Name the cricketer who has been appointed coach
of the India A and Under-19 cricket teams: Rahul
Dravid
754) The Canadian Grand Prix held at Montreal, Canada
was won by this person: Lewis Hamilton
755) Name the programme launched from Jaipur on
June 6 aimed at turning at least one water stressed
village in each district of the country into a water
surplus village: Jal Kranti Abhiyan
756) Which bank has selected 100 highly qualified
candidates for its 13-month fellowship
programme `Youth for India' to work in rural
areas: State Bank of India
757) The book titled ‘Flood of Fire’ has been written by
which author: Amitav Ghosh
758) The 25th African Union summit was held
at_________, South Africa on June 7-8: Pretoria
759) Railways have tied up with which airlines to
enable its wait-listed passengers to book airline
tickets at some extra cost: Spice Jet and Go Air
760) Ashobaa is the name of the cyclonic storm that
developed over __________ sea recently: Arabian
761) In a relief to the bankers, RBI has allowed banks to
take what action against the defaulting borrowers:
Banks have been allowed to take over the
control of defaulting company
762) R C Tayal has been appointed as the new Director
General of which elite counter-terror force:
National Security Guard
763) __________ has been appointed as the new non-
executive Chairman of the Board of ICICI Bank: M
K Sharma
764) Which Indian organization has been awarded
Space Pioneer Award – 2015 by the US National
Space Society: ISRO
765) ISRO has won Space Pioneer Award – 2015 for
which achievement: For Mars Orbiter Mission
766) Anantjeet Singh Naruka won the gold in which
event in the 7th International junior shotgun cup
held in Orimattila, Finland: Skeet
767) India’s first of its kind Tier-I Oil Spill Response
Centre has been started near which city: Mumbai
768) Govt. has decided to include _______ district of Uttar
Pradesh and the ___________and __________ districts of
Haryana as part of the urban conurbation of
National Capital Region (NCR): Muzaffarnagar,
Jind and Karnal
769) IREDA has been awarded the Mini Ratna
(Category-I) status by the Govt. of India. What is
the full form of IREDA: Indian Renewable Energy
and Development Agency
770) Name the free trade agreement signed by 26
African countries down from South Africa upto
Egypt: The Tripartite Free Trade Area
771) As per latest data, which are the top 3 crude oil
producing countries of the world: USA, Saudi
Arabia and Russia
772) Name the India’s first indigenous aircraft
carrier that was brought out from the Cochin
Shipyard Ltd. on June 10: INS Vikrant
773) HDFC Bank Ltd has launched a multipurpose
banking mobile app named ___________: PayZapp
774) In a one of the first-of-its-kind cross-border
operation, about 50 militants of groups namely
NSCN (K) and KYKL were killed by Indian army on
June 9. What specific name is given to such
operations: Surgical Operation
735) World Milk Day is observed on which date: June 1
736) Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of ______arrived in New
Delhi on a two-day (June 5-6) visit to India:
Netherland
737) The government has decided to increase the
Minimum Import Price of which item to protect
local growers from the cheaper imports: Areca
Nuts
738) The leaders of G-7 countries held their 41
st
summit on June 7-8 in which country: Germany
739) The G-7 group includes as member an
international union of states also. Which is that:
European Union
740) Name the honour that was conferred on Sri Atal
Bihari Vajpayee by the Bangladesh Govt.:
Bangladesh Liberation War Honour
741) Name the three Indian cities which now have
direct bus service with Dhaka, Bangladesh:
Kolkata, Agartala and Guwahati
742) Which country recently suffered an outbreak of
deadly virus disease MERS: South Korea
743) What is the full form of MERS: Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome
744) The virus of MERS is suspected to have come from
which animal: Camel
745) French Open 2015 Men’s title was won by Stan
Wawrinka. He is from which country: Switzerland
746) _____________ won the women’s title in the French
Open 2015: Serena Williams, USA
747) French Open tournament is popularly known by
which other name: Rolland Garros
748) The Department of Post (India Post) has signed a
deal with which IT company to personalise over
15 million debit cards for its savings account
holders: CMS Info Systems
749) R. Seshasayee has been appointed Non-Executive
Chairman of the Board of which Indian IT major:
Infosys Ltd.
750) International Indian Film Academy – IIFA award
ceremony was recently held at which place:
Kualalumpur, Malaysia
751) ______________ film was declared as the best feature
film for 2014 at IIFA awards: Queen
752) IIFA award for best actor and best actress was
won by: Shahid Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut
753) Name the cricketer who has been appointed coach
of the India A and Under-19 cricket teams: Rahul
Dravid
754) The Canadian Grand Prix held at Montreal, Canada
was won by this person: Lewis Hamilton
755) Name the programme launched from Jaipur on
June 6 aimed at turning at least one water stressed
village in each district of the country into a water
surplus village: Jal Kranti Abhiyan
756) Which bank has selected 100 highly qualified
candidates for its 13-month fellowship
programme `Youth for India' to work in rural
areas: State Bank of India
757) The book titled ‘Flood of Fire’ has been written by
which author: Amitav Ghosh
758) The 25th African Union summit was held
at_________, South Africa on June 7-8: Pretoria
759) Railways have tied up with which airlines to
enable its wait-listed passengers to book airline
tickets at some extra cost: Spice Jet and Go Air
760) Ashobaa is the name of the cyclonic storm that
developed over __________ sea recently: Arabian
761) In a relief to the bankers, RBI has allowed banks to
take what action against the defaulting borrowers:
Banks have been allowed to take over the
control of defaulting company
762) R C Tayal has been appointed as the new Director
General of which elite counter-terror force:
National Security Guard
763) __________ has been appointed as the new non-
executive Chairman of the Board of ICICI Bank: M
K Sharma
764) Which Indian organization has been awarded
Space Pioneer Award – 2015 by the US National
Space Society: ISRO
765) ISRO has won Space Pioneer Award – 2015 for
which achievement: For Mars Orbiter Mission
766) Anantjeet Singh Naruka won the gold in which
event in the 7th International junior shotgun cup
held in Orimattila, Finland: Skeet
767) India’s first of its kind Tier-I Oil Spill Response
Centre has been started near which city: Mumbai
768) Govt. has decided to include _______ district of Uttar
Pradesh and the ___________and __________ districts of
Haryana as part of the urban conurbation of
National Capital Region (NCR): Muzaffarnagar,
Jind and Karnal
769) IREDA has been awarded the Mini Ratna
(Category-I) status by the Govt. of India. What is
the full form of IREDA: Indian Renewable Energy
and Development Agency
770) Name the free trade agreement signed by 26
African countries down from South Africa upto
Egypt: The Tripartite Free Trade Area
771) As per latest data, which are the top 3 crude oil
producing countries of the world: USA, Saudi
Arabia and Russia
772) Name the India’s first indigenous aircraft
carrier that was brought out from the Cochin
Shipyard Ltd. on June 10: INS Vikrant
773) HDFC Bank Ltd has launched a multipurpose
banking mobile app named ___________: PayZapp
774) In a one of the first-of-its-kind cross-border
operation, about 50 militants of groups namely
NSCN (K) and KYKL were killed by Indian army on
June 9. What specific name is given to such
operations: Surgical Operation
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 98
775) RBI has allowed bills of postpaid mobile service,
piped gas and water supply as OVDs for proof of
address for opening bank account. What is OVD:
Officially Valid Document
776) As per Forbes magazine's 100 highest-paid
sportsperson in the world, __________ is the richest
sportsperson of the India: MS Dhoni
777) Name the Padma Sri awardee, creator of world
famous iconic ‘Rock Garden’ at Chandigarh, who
passed away on June 12 at the age of 90 years:
Nek Chand Saini
778) Union Cabinet has approved the signing of BBIN
Motor Vehicle Agreement. The term BBIN stands
for what: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal
779) Railway Ministry has decided to run ________ trains
from next month with dynamic fares to address
the rush during peak travel seasons: Suvidha
780) RBI has allowed non-resident Indians (NRIs) to
invest in __________ to encourage flow of capital into
the country: Chit Funds
781) Name the legendary English actor, singer and
writer famous for his charismatic negative roles in
movies such as Dracula, The Wicker Man, James
Bond, Lord of the Rings etc, who passed away
recently: Sir Christopher Lee
782) Government has given exemption from which levy
on import of drugs and test kits used to treat HIV
and AIDS infections: Import Duty
783) National Blood Transfusion Council has launched a
mobile app that covers all the 2760 licensed blood
banks of the country, for what purpose: To know
location of nearest blood bank
784) Name the movie that has become the first film to
have collections of more than 500 million dollars
at the box office on its opening weekend: Jurassic
World
785) On June 15, Britain observed the 800
th anniversary
of which historic event: Signing of Magna Carta
786) The historic charter Magna Carta is hailed as the
cornerstone of which type of democracy:
Parliamentary
787) The European space probe Philae that woke up on
June 13 after seven months-long sleep, is stationed
on which celestial body: Comet 67P
788) Govt. has launched an insurance pool of Rs. 1,500
crore to offset the financial burden on foreign
________________ in case of an accident: Nuclear
Suppliers
789) Name the India’s largest private miner company
that acquired the oil firm Cairn India in a $2.3-
billion all-share deal to create India’s largest
diversified natural resources company: Vedanta
Ltd.
790) China launched the world’s longest freight train
route on June 13 linking city of Harbin in
northeast China with which German city:
Hamburg
791) ISRO has developed an android based augmented
reality application named ___________ to highlight
the achievements of the Department of Space
during past one year: Sakaar
792) India is home to the ________ largest number (928)
of ultra-high-net-worth households that have
more than 100 million dollars in private wealth:
Fourth
793) Name the former Union Minister, a sister-in-law of
Jawaharlal Nehru and oldest surviving former
parliamentarian who died recently: Sheila Kaul
794) Govt. has decided to increase the number of
workdays under NREGA scheme from 100 days to
150 days in which areas: Only in drought
affected areas
795) Govt. has launched Crop Insurance Portal
www.farmer.gov.in to give information on what
issue to the farmers through SMS: Adverse
Weather Conditions
796) The CCEA on June 17 increased the minimum
support price of paddy by Rs 50 to Rs 1,410 per
quintal for this year. What is full form of CCEA:
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
797) In terms of MSP which is the costliest daal (pulse):
Moong (Green Lentils)
798) The Cabinet has approved stepping up of India’s
solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal
Nehru National Solar Mission by five times,
reaching __________ Mega Watt by 2022: One Lac
799) According to a report for 2013 by WADA, India has
third largest number of dope offenders in sports.
What is Wada: World Anti-doping Agency
800) Which country has made the world's first electric
passenger aircraft: China
801) State Bank of India has launched SBI eforex, an
internet- based platform to enable customers to
do what type of transactions online: Foreign
exchange transactions
802) _____________ became the first Indian footballer to
score 50 international goals in 87 matches: Sunil
Chhetri
803) As per Global HR firm Mercer’s "Cost of Living
Survey 2015”, __________was rated as the most
expensive city in India: Mumbai
804) A new global study reveals that incidence
of elder abuse is highest in ___________
among Asian countries: China
805) Which major industrial country has lowered
the age of voters from 20 to 18: Japan
806) The Navlekhan award of Bharatiya Jnanpith is
given to which category of persons: Upcoming
Hindi Writers
807) Bangladesh defeated Team India by 6 wickets on
June 21 to register their first ever series win
against India. The match was played at which
775) RBI has allowed bills of postpaid mobile service,
piped gas and water supply as OVDs for proof of
address for opening bank account. What is OVD:
Officially Valid Document
776) As per Forbes magazine's 100 highest-paid
sportsperson in the world, __________ is the richest
sportsperson of the India: MS Dhoni
777) Name the Padma Sri awardee, creator of world
famous iconic ‘Rock Garden’ at Chandigarh, who
passed away on June 12 at the age of 90 years:
Nek Chand Saini
778) Union Cabinet has approved the signing of BBIN
Motor Vehicle Agreement. The term BBIN stands
for what: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal
779) Railway Ministry has decided to run ________ trains
from next month with dynamic fares to address
the rush during peak travel seasons: Suvidha
780) RBI has allowed non-resident Indians (NRIs) to
invest in __________ to encourage flow of capital into
the country: Chit Funds
781) Name the legendary English actor, singer and
writer famous for his charismatic negative roles in
movies such as Dracula, The Wicker Man, James
Bond, Lord of the Rings etc, who passed away
recently: Sir Christopher Lee
782) Government has given exemption from which levy
on import of drugs and test kits used to treat HIV
and AIDS infections: Import Duty
783) National Blood Transfusion Council has launched a
mobile app that covers all the 2760 licensed blood
banks of the country, for what purpose: To know
location of nearest blood bank
784) Name the movie that has become the first film to
have collections of more than 500 million dollars
at the box office on its opening weekend: Jurassic
World
785) On June 15, Britain observed the 800
th anniversary
of which historic event: Signing of Magna Carta
786) The historic charter Magna Carta is hailed as the
cornerstone of which type of democracy:
Parliamentary
787) The European space probe Philae that woke up on
June 13 after seven months-long sleep, is stationed
on which celestial body: Comet 67P
788) Govt. has launched an insurance pool of Rs. 1,500
crore to offset the financial burden on foreign
________________ in case of an accident: Nuclear
Suppliers
789) Name the India’s largest private miner company
that acquired the oil firm Cairn India in a $2.3-
billion all-share deal to create India’s largest
diversified natural resources company: Vedanta
Ltd.
790) China launched the world’s longest freight train
route on June 13 linking city of Harbin in
northeast China with which German city:
Hamburg
791) ISRO has developed an android based augmented
reality application named ___________ to highlight
the achievements of the Department of Space
during past one year: Sakaar
792) India is home to the ________ largest number (928)
of ultra-high-net-worth households that have
more than 100 million dollars in private wealth:
Fourth
793) Name the former Union Minister, a sister-in-law of
Jawaharlal Nehru and oldest surviving former
parliamentarian who died recently: Sheila Kaul
794) Govt. has decided to increase the number of
workdays under NREGA scheme from 100 days to
150 days in which areas: Only in drought
affected areas
795) Govt. has launched Crop Insurance Portal
www.farmer.gov.in to give information on what
issue to the farmers through SMS: Adverse
Weather Conditions
796) The CCEA on June 17 increased the minimum
support price of paddy by Rs 50 to Rs 1,410 per
quintal for this year. What is full form of CCEA:
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
797) In terms of MSP which is the costliest daal (pulse):
Moong (Green Lentils)
798) The Cabinet has approved stepping up of India’s
solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal
Nehru National Solar Mission by five times,
reaching __________ Mega Watt by 2022: One Lac
799) According to a report for 2013 by WADA, India has
third largest number of dope offenders in sports.
What is Wada: World Anti-doping Agency
800) Which country has made the world's first electric
passenger aircraft: China
801) State Bank of India has launched SBI eforex, an
internet- based platform to enable customers to
do what type of transactions online: Foreign
exchange transactions
802) _____________ became the first Indian footballer to
score 50 international goals in 87 matches: Sunil
Chhetri
803) As per Global HR firm Mercer’s "Cost of Living
Survey 2015”, __________was rated as the most
expensive city in India: Mumbai
804) A new global study reveals that incidence
of elder abuse is highest in ___________
among Asian countries: China
805) Which major industrial country has lowered
the age of voters from 20 to 18: Japan
806) The Navlekhan award of Bharatiya Jnanpith is
given to which category of persons: Upcoming
Hindi Writers
807) Bangladesh defeated Team India by 6 wickets on
June 21 to register their first ever series win
against India. The match was played at which
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 99
place: Mirpur, Dhaka
808) EPFO has decided to make UAN mandatory for all
employers covered under the EPF and
Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952. Write full form
of UAN: Universal Account Number
809) At the G-20 sherpa meeting in Turkey on June 16,
India was represented by which minister: Suresh
Prabhu
810) Name the noted America trained Mumbai based
Indian architect, known for his unique indigenous
architectural style, who passed away recently:
Charles Correa
811) __________ became the first bank in India to partner
with Alibaba.com to provide easier trade finance
to India-based sellers on the portal: ICICI Bank
812) ____________ is the author of the book titled ‘World’s
Best Boyfriend’: Durjoy Dutta
813) Name the IIT that will soon become the first
engineering institute in India to venture into
medical education: IIT Kharagpur
814) India broke which two Guinness world records in
the Yoga event organized at Rajpath in New Delhi
on June 21: Largest Yoga assembly and
participation by largest number of
nationalities in a single event
815) Finance Ministry released coins of the
denomination of Rs _____ and Rs ______ on the
occasion of International Yoga Day: 10 and 100
816) India has moved down to _______ place in terms of
foreigners' money in Swiss banks, having a share
of just 0.123 per cent: 61
st
817) European scientists have discovered the brightest
galaxy and have nick named it CR-7 after which
popular football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
818) The Election Commission suspended the
recognition of which Party on June 16 because it
failed to submit its poll expenditure statement in
time: National People’s Party
819) Which Pakistani city was in news as hundreds of
persons died their due to severe heat wave
conditions: Karachi
820) China opened which mountain pass on Sikkim
border to facilitate Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra:
Nathu La
821) Nico Rosberg won the Austrian Grand Prix F1
championship for the second year in a row at
Spielberg, Austria on June 21. He is from which
country: Germany
822) From June 21, the Railways commenced the SMS
alerts to inform the passengers about which issue:
About the cancelled trains
823) Sangita Kalanidhi Award is given every year in
Chennai for excellence in which field of music:
Carnatic Music
MAY – 2015
824) Union Cabinet on April 29 approved the Smart
Cities Mission for development of ________ smart
cities with an outlay of Rs. 48,000 crore: 100
825) The Union cabinet has decided that the minimum
monthly pension under the Employees Pension
Schemes will not be less than Rs. ________: 1000
826) ___________ has been appointed as the Chairperson
of the Children's Film Society of India: Mukesh
Khanna
827) Mukesh Khanna, a renowned TV / Film artist is
known for his role of which Super Hero:
Shaktimaan
828) Name the book for which Siddhartha Gigoo won
the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2015 for
Asia region: Umbrella Man
829) As per recent RBI guidelines, urban co-operative
banks are not allowed to issue ________ credit cards:
Co branded
830) Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Money) recently won
the $180 million prize money by securing World
Welterweight title. He is from which country: USA
831) Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge from
UK Royalty gave birth to a baby girl who is
_________in line to the throne. 4
th
832) What is the name of the over all trophy for the
national senior athletics championships held in
Mangaluru, Karnataka: The Federation Cup
833) Recently, two Indians, Dr Ananda Kumar and Dr
Pramod Patil won the Whitley Award for their
contribution to wildlife conservation. What is its
popular name: Green Oscar
834) Which country won the World Team Chess
Championship (Men’s) leaving Ukraine at second
place at Tsaghkadzor, Armenia: China
835) Indian chess players __________ and _________ won the
silver and bronze medal respectively, in individual
category at World Chess Championship: D Harika
and K Humpy
836) Which country conferred its highest civil award
“The Order of The Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star’
recently on an Indian scientist: Japan
837) Name the Indian scientist honoured recently by
the Japan Govt. with its highest civilian award:
CNR Rao
838) Surender Singh has been appointed new Director
General of which paramilitary force: Central
Industrial Security Force, CISF
839) 5th National women hockey championship was
held at which place: Saifai, Uttar Pradesh
840) Who won the 5th National women hockey
championship: Railways
place: Mirpur, Dhaka
808) EPFO has decided to make UAN mandatory for all
employers covered under the EPF and
Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952. Write full form
of UAN: Universal Account Number
809) At the G-20 sherpa meeting in Turkey on June 16,
India was represented by which minister: Suresh
Prabhu
810) Name the noted America trained Mumbai based
Indian architect, known for his unique indigenous
architectural style, who passed away recently:
Charles Correa
811) __________ became the first bank in India to partner
with Alibaba.com to provide easier trade finance
to India-based sellers on the portal: ICICI Bank
812) ____________ is the author of the book titled ‘World’s
Best Boyfriend’: Durjoy Dutta
813) Name the IIT that will soon become the first
engineering institute in India to venture into
medical education: IIT Kharagpur
814) India broke which two Guinness world records in
the Yoga event organized at Rajpath in New Delhi
on June 21: Largest Yoga assembly and
participation by largest number of
nationalities in a single event
815) Finance Ministry released coins of the
denomination of Rs _____ and Rs ______ on the
occasion of International Yoga Day: 10 and 100
816) India has moved down to _______ place in terms of
foreigners' money in Swiss banks, having a share
of just 0.123 per cent: 61
st
817) European scientists have discovered the brightest
galaxy and have nick named it CR-7 after which
popular football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
818) The Election Commission suspended the
recognition of which Party on June 16 because it
failed to submit its poll expenditure statement in
time: National People’s Party
819) Which Pakistani city was in news as hundreds of
persons died their due to severe heat wave
conditions: Karachi
820) China opened which mountain pass on Sikkim
border to facilitate Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra:
Nathu La
821) Nico Rosberg won the Austrian Grand Prix F1
championship for the second year in a row at
Spielberg, Austria on June 21. He is from which
country: Germany
822) From June 21, the Railways commenced the SMS
alerts to inform the passengers about which issue:
About the cancelled trains
823) Sangita Kalanidhi Award is given every year in
Chennai for excellence in which field of music:
Carnatic Music
MAY – 2015
824) Union Cabinet on April 29 approved the Smart
Cities Mission for development of ________ smart
cities with an outlay of Rs. 48,000 crore: 100
825) The Union cabinet has decided that the minimum
monthly pension under the Employees Pension
Schemes will not be less than Rs. ________: 1000
826) ___________ has been appointed as the Chairperson
of the Children's Film Society of India: Mukesh
Khanna
827) Mukesh Khanna, a renowned TV / Film artist is
known for his role of which Super Hero:
Shaktimaan
828) Name the book for which Siddhartha Gigoo won
the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2015 for
Asia region: Umbrella Man
829) As per recent RBI guidelines, urban co-operative
banks are not allowed to issue ________ credit cards:
Co branded
830) Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Money) recently won
the $180 million prize money by securing World
Welterweight title. He is from which country: USA
831) Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge from
UK Royalty gave birth to a baby girl who is
_________in line to the throne. 4
th
832) What is the name of the over all trophy for the
national senior athletics championships held in
Mangaluru, Karnataka: The Federation Cup
833) Recently, two Indians, Dr Ananda Kumar and Dr
Pramod Patil won the Whitley Award for their
contribution to wildlife conservation. What is its
popular name: Green Oscar
834) Which country won the World Team Chess
Championship (Men’s) leaving Ukraine at second
place at Tsaghkadzor, Armenia: China
835) Indian chess players __________ and _________ won the
silver and bronze medal respectively, in individual
category at World Chess Championship: D Harika
and K Humpy
836) Which country conferred its highest civil award
“The Order of The Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star’
recently on an Indian scientist: Japan
837) Name the Indian scientist honoured recently by
the Japan Govt. with its highest civilian award:
CNR Rao
838) Surender Singh has been appointed new Director
General of which paramilitary force: Central
Industrial Security Force, CISF
839) 5th National women hockey championship was
held at which place: Saifai, Uttar Pradesh
840) Who won the 5th National women hockey
championship: Railways
GENERAL AWARENESS – DECEMBER 2015 100
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FORM
SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD: ONLY 12 MONTHS
FROM (MONTH) …………………..TO…………….(MONTH)
AMOUNT:
Name: Mr./Ms……………………………………………….………
Address:…………………………………………………………… .…
………………………………………………………………………
City:…………………………… District:……………………….
State: ………………..…………………..PIN:
Email: …………………………………………………………………..
Ph./Mob…………………………………………………..…………
The subscription amount can be
remitted to our following account:
GYANM EDUCATION & TRAINING INSTITUTE PVT. LTD
BANK : ALLAHABAD BANK Branch: Sector 34, Chandigarh
ACCOUNT NO.: 502 1311 7700 IFSC CODE: ALLA0211989
……………………………………………………………………………………………
PARTICULARS OF REMITTANCE:
Amount remitted: Rs………… Date:…./…./……
Bank………………………………..Branch……………
Transaction no…………………………..
DATE:_________ Signature
(Magazine will be sent by Ordinary Post)
GYANM: SCO 13-15, 2
nd
FLOOR, SEC 34-A, CHANDIGARH
PH: 0172-4052124, 09257211740,
OR SMS <MAGAZINE> TO 09646888377
841) Among Indian states, ______________ attracts largest
number of foreign tourists followed by Tamil
Nadu: Maharashtra
842) Which city has a unique distinction of having more
bookstores per capita than any other major city in
the world: Buenos Aires, Argentina
843) Which country became the 161
st member of the
World Trade Organization (WTO): Seychelles
844) May 3 is observed every year as the “World Press
Freedom Day”. What is the theme for this year: Let
Journalism Thrive
845) World’s largest solar power plant is proposed to
be set up at Gurh tehsil in Rewa district of which
state to produce 750 megawatt (MW) of
electricity: Madhya Pradesh
846) The Reserve Bank has imposed a penalty of Rs 1.5
crore each on Bank of Maharashtra, Dena Bank
and Oriental Bank of Commerce for violation of
which rules: KYC norms
847) India and Iran have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding for the development of which
strategically important port in Iran: Chabahar
848) Name the indigenously-developed missile whose
first regiment was inducted in the Indian army on
May 5: Akash
849) Akash is which category of missile and what is its
range: Surface to air, 25 Kms
850) Name the ex Union Minister for environment who
wrote the book Green Signals: Ecology, Growth
and Democracy in India: Jairam Ramesh
851) What is the name of the cloud computing-based
offering by Microsoft that will enhance digital
learning and teaching in schools and higher
education institutions, in India: Edu-Cloud
852) Name the Oscar – winning US author, famous for
his novel “Dances with Wolves”, who died
recently: Michael Blake
853) The Lok Sabha passed on May 7 the Juvenile Justice
(Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014 which
allows _____ to _______ year old child offenders in
heinous crimes to be tried like adults: 16 to 18
854) Achal Kumar Jyoti, a retired IAS officer from Gujarat
has recently been appointed to which important
national level post: Election Commissioner
855) Geeta Phogat and Lalita Sherawat, each won a
bronze medal in women's category of which sports:
Wrestling
856) Name the satirical French weekly that won the
Freedom of Expression Courage Award by the PEN
American Center: Charlie Hebdo
857) The Union Cabinet has approved the renewal of the
existing double taxation avoidance agreement
(DTAA) with which country: South Korea
Edited, Printed and Published by Varinder Mohan Singh Grover for
Gyanm Education and Training Institute Pvt. Ltd., SCO 13-14-15, 2
nd
Floor, Sector 34-A, Chandigarh – 160022 and printed by him at All
tech Print Pack, 182/4, Industrial Area – I, Chandigarh
Rs. 600/-
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FORM
SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD: ONLY 12 MONTHS
FROM (MONTH) …………………..TO…………….(MONTH)
AMOUNT:
Name: Mr./Ms……………………………………………….………
Address:…………………………………………………………… .…
………………………………………………………………………
City:…………………………… District:……………………….
State: ………………..…………………..PIN:
Email: …………………………………………………………………..
Ph./Mob…………………………………………………..…………
The subscription amount can be
remitted to our following account:
GYANM EDUCATION & TRAINING INSTITUTE PVT. LTD
BANK : ALLAHABAD BANK Branch: Sector 34, Chandigarh
ACCOUNT NO.: 502 1311 7700 IFSC CODE: ALLA0211989
……………………………………………………………………………………………
PARTICULARS OF REMITTANCE:
Amount remitted: Rs………… Date:…./…./……
Bank………………………………..Branch……………
Transaction no…………………………..
DATE:_________ Signature
(Magazine will be sent by Ordinary Post)
GYANM: SCO 13-15, 2
nd
FLOOR, SEC 34-A, CHANDIGARH
PH: 0172-4052124, 09257211740,
OR SMS <MAGAZINE> TO 09646888377
841) Among Indian states, ______________ attracts largest
number of foreign tourists followed by Tamil
Nadu: Maharashtra
842) Which city has a unique distinction of having more
bookstores per capita than any other major city in
the world: Buenos Aires, Argentina
843) Which country became the 161
st member of the
World Trade Organization (WTO): Seychelles
844) May 3 is observed every year as the “World Press
Freedom Day”. What is the theme for this year: Let
Journalism Thrive
845) World’s largest solar power plant is proposed to
be set up at Gurh tehsil in Rewa district of which
state to produce 750 megawatt (MW) of
electricity: Madhya Pradesh
846) The Reserve Bank has imposed a penalty of Rs 1.5
crore each on Bank of Maharashtra, Dena Bank
and Oriental Bank of Commerce for violation of
which rules: KYC norms
847) India and Iran have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding for the development of which
strategically important port in Iran: Chabahar
848) Name the indigenously-developed missile whose
first regiment was inducted in the Indian army on
May 5: Akash
849) Akash is which category of missile and what is its
range: Surface to air, 25 Kms
850) Name the ex Union Minister for environment who
wrote the book Green Signals: Ecology, Growth
and Democracy in India: Jairam Ramesh
851) What is the name of the cloud computing-based
offering by Microsoft that will enhance digital
learning and teaching in schools and higher
education institutions, in India: Edu-Cloud
852) Name the Oscar – winning US author, famous for
his novel “Dances with Wolves”, who died
recently: Michael Blake
853) The Lok Sabha passed on May 7 the Juvenile Justice
(Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014 which
allows _____ to _______ year old child offenders in
heinous crimes to be tried like adults: 16 to 18
854) Achal Kumar Jyoti, a retired IAS officer from Gujarat
has recently been appointed to which important
national level post: Election Commissioner
855) Geeta Phogat and Lalita Sherawat, each won a
bronze medal in women's category of which sports:
Wrestling
856) Name the satirical French weekly that won the
Freedom of Expression Courage Award by the PEN
American Center: Charlie Hebdo
857) The Union Cabinet has approved the renewal of the
existing double taxation avoidance agreement
(DTAA) with which country: South Korea
Edited, Printed and Published by Varinder Mohan Singh Grover for
Gyanm Education and Training Institute Pvt. Ltd., SCO 13-14-15, 2
nd
Floor, Sector 34-A, Chandigarh – 160022 and printed by him at All
tech Print Pack, 182/4, Industrial Area – I, Chandigarh
Rs. 600/-
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