4 February 2014 – Current Affairs

1) 101^st Indian Science Congress (ISC), which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on 3 February 2014, is being organized at – Jammu University, Jammu (The theme of ISC 2014 is “Innovations in Science and Technology for Inclusive Development”. The Congress would conclude on 7 February 2014)

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2) Price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) are expected to be reduced by around Rs. 15 and Rs. 5 per kg respectively following a rejig in the domestic gas supplies announced by the Union Government on 3 February 2014. What was done under this rejig? – Government raised domestic gas supplies to raise allocations to fuel retailers (Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas decided to raise the share of domestic gas to 100 % of the requirement for CNG (transport) and PNG (domestic). This would lead to reduction in price of CNG (transport) and PNG (domestic) across the country (except in those City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities which are already getting 100% domestic gas))

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3) President Pranab Mukherjee on 3 February 2014 launched the National Mission on Libraries (NML) to modernise and digitally link public libraries across the country. Creation of a National Virtual Library of India is one of the major component schemes of NML. NML is an initiative of which Ministry? – Union Ministry of Culture (Kolkata-based Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF) is the nodal agency for the implementation of NML. NML is a 10-member body headed by Prof. Deepak Pental, former Vice Chancellor of Delhi University. Approved by the government in November last year, NML was set up in pursuance of a report of the National Knowledge Commission, which recommended a total revamp of the Library and Information Service sector to serve the changing needs and expectations of the users and give a fillip to the library movement in the country)

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4) Social networking site Facebook completed how many years of its establishment on 4 February 2014? – 10 years (The site was launched by Mark Zuckerberg on 4 February 2004, from Harvard University. The site was conceived as a way to connect students, and let them build an online identity for themselves. The social networking site has since expanded to cover a large swath of the world, with more than 1.2 billion people using its site on a monthly basis)

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5) Who took over as Asian Development Bank’s new Country Director for India on 3 February 2014? - Teresa Kho (She was heading the Bangladesh Resident Mission of ADB and replaced Hun Kim, who is now Deputy Director General of ADB's South Asia Department in Manila)

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6) Who was appointed as the new CEO and Managing Director of MCX Stock Exchange (MCX-SX), the country's newest full-fledged stock exchange on 2 January 2014? – Saurabh Sarkar (He was appointed following a formal approval from market regulator SEBI. Sarkar, previously MD and CEO of United Stock Exchange of India Ltd, has also worked with global financial services giants like Credit Agricole, Standard Chartered and Calyon, and ANZ Grindlays Bank in the past)

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3 February 2014 – Current Affairs

1) India’s first monorail – Mumbai Monorail was opened for the general public on 2 February 2014 after being inaugurated on 1 February. Which authority owns and operates this monorail project? - Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) - The Rs. 3,000-crore Mumbai Monorail project is being implemented in two phases. The MMRDA has already spent Rs. 1,900 crore of Rs. 3,000 crore allocated for the project, including the civil work for the second phase. Commercial operations of the 8.9-km first phase connecting Wadala-Chembur stations on the northeastern fringe of Mumbai metropolis commenced on 2 February with the first train leaving the Wadala station at 7am. The Mumbai Monorail is not just the first in the country, but across the subcontinent. Monorails are in operation in China, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Dubai, Europe, and the Americas

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2) Indian Museum, Kolkata, which is the largest museum in India, completed how many years of its establishment on 2 February 2014? – 200 years (Indian Museum was founded on 2 February 1814 by the Asiatic Society of Bengal. It is known to be the oldest museum in Asia. Museum’s founder-curator was Dr. Nathaniel Wallich, a Dutch botanist. A special commemorative stamp was released by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on this occasion)

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3) Mount Sinabung, which started erupting again on 1 February 2014, is in which country? – Indonesia (16 persons died due to this eruption. Mount Sinabung erupted again on 1 February just a day after authorities allowed thousands of villagers who had been evacuated to return to its slopes, saying volcanic activity was decreasing. Sinabung in western Sumatra (Indonesia) has been erupting for four months)

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4) India completed a 5-0 rout of Chinese Taipei in the first round of their Asia/Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie at MPTA Complex, in Indore on 2 February 2014. India would now face which team in April 2014 to fight for a place in the World Group play-offs? – South Korea

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5) Which team won the Ranji Trophy for 2014 on 2 February 2014? – Karnataka (Karnataka defeated Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy finals at Hyderabad to claim their 7^th Ranji title. Chasing a modest victory target of 157 in little over two sessions, Karnataka batsmen reached the destination with ease as they knocked off the runs in 40.5 overs)

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6) Who took over as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of MCX on 1 February 2014? - Dr. Manoj Vaish (Prior to joining MCX, Vaish was the Managing Director & CEO of NSDL Database Management. His appointment was approved for a period of 3 years by the FMC)

2 February 2014 – Current Affairs

1) Asia’s first Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) was commissioned into the Indian Navy recently with which India joined the select league of just two countries – the United States and Ukraine. Where this SBTF has been established? - at INS Hansa in Panaji (Goa) – The SBTF is primarily used for flight testing of Naval aircraft that operate from aircraft carriers. The SBTF has two parts including the Take-off Area with a ski-jump facility and the Landing Area with arresting wire facility, both of which are a replica of INS Vikramaditya)

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2) Who was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on 1 February 2014? – Harish Rawat (Rawat was the Union Water Resources Minister in Union Government and he succeeded Vijay Bahuguna who was asked by the Congress high command to step down in a bid to boost the party’s prospects ahead of the April-May Lok Sabha polls. Bahuguna relinquished his post on 31 January 2014. Rawat became the 8^th Chief Minister of the state)

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3) Which Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) was on 31 January 2014 elevated to the status of ISRO’s Propulsion Complex giving more autonomy to this centre? – Mahendragiri centre, at Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli (The Mahendragiri centre, which was functioning under LPSC in Valiyamala near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, would henceforth directly report to the ISRO chairman. The Mahendragiri centre has been instrumental in assembling and testing as many as 125 engines made by ISRO so far. The elevation would be a challenge to the scientists working in the centre)

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4) In the first-ever move that would adversely affect flight operations to the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 31 January 2014 downgraded India’s aviation safety ranking, bringing it below Pakistan and at par with countries like Ghana, Barbados and Bangladesh. Air passengers to and from the US may have to face the brunt as Indian airplanes would have to go through more engineering and other safety checks on the American soil. What would be the main effect of this downgrade on Indian airline companies?

• This downgrade would effectively bar Air India and Jet Airways from increasing flights to the US from the current level
• They would also not be able to enter into any new code-share relationships with any US airline

(The downgrade does not mean that these airlines are unsafe but shows that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA’s) safety oversight is not enough to properly monitor safety performance of Indian carriers. As per the FAA, the downgrade means that the DGCA does not meet the safety standards set by UN agency International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO))

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5) Which British nuclear power site came to news on 31 January 2014 after an alert was declared after discovering higher than usual levels of radioactivity, but later called it off, saying naturally occurring radon gas had triggered the alarm? – Sellafield (Sellafield is the largest nuclear site in Europe and is situated in northwest England. It is the site of Britain's worst nuclear accident in 1957 and once the producer of plutonium for nuclear bombs. The plant's operating company said there was nothing wrong with its operations, but for several hours the cause of the higher reading at an air monitor near a perimeter fence was unclear, raising fears of a radioactive leak)

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6) The Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie between India and Chinese Taipei started on 1 February 2014. This is the first time that a tie of the tennis’ prestigious Davis Cup was organized at a city of Madhya Pradesh (MP). Which centre is this? – Indore (The tie was held at Madhya Pradesh Tennis Association’s (MPTA’s) tennis facility at Indore. India won the tie on the first day itself by taking unassailable 3-0 lead. MPTA is one of the very few state associations which has its own tennis complex consisting of six synthetic flood courts, gym, swimming pool and medical facilities)

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30 January 2014 – Current Affairs

by Ravindra Agnihotri

1) A study conducted by Nielsen and commissioned by Oil Ministry's Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC), in its report has found that cheaper fuel is finding usage by unintended beneficiaries. According to this study what proportion of diesel is being consumed by high-end cars and SUVs (sports utility vehicles)? – 13.15% (This study found that 70% of the diesel was being used in the transport sector. Private cars and SUVs consumed 13.15% of the 69.08 million tonne diesel consumed in the country in 2012-13. Commercial vehicles such as trucks however constituted the largest user base of diesel at 28.25%. Other commercial vehicles used another 8.94% and three-wheelers, a further 6.39%. Agriculture tractors and pumps used 13% of the diesel. Industries and electricity generators consumed almost 9% diesel, while mobile towers used 1.54%. The study found that 99.6% of petrol is consumed in the transport sector alone. Of this, majority consumption of 61.42% is accounted for by two-wheelers while cars use 34.33%, followed by 3-wheelers at 2.34%)

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2) According to the recently released Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2013-14, India has the largest population of illiterate adults in the world and it comprises of about 37% of the global total. What is the total number of illiterate adults in India according to this report? – 287 million or 28.7 crore (The report mentions that India’s literacy rate rose from 48% in 1991 to 63% in 2006, the latest year it has available data, but population growth cancelled the gains so there was no change in the number of illiterate adults)

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3) In a first of its kind venture, six public sector undertakings (PSUs) including state-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) on 29 January 2014 announced joining hands to set up world’s largest 4,000 MW ultra mega solar power project in Rajasthan. Where in Rajasthan this solar plant spread across 19,000 acres is going to be established? – Sambhar (The project will be the largest single location solar plant spread across 19,000 acres at Sambhar in Rajasthan. It entails an investment of Rs. 7,500 crore in the first phase. The JV will have equity of 26% from BHEL, 23% from SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India), 16% from SSL (Sambhar Salt Ltd), 16% from PGCIL, 16% from SJVNL (Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam) and 3% from REIL (Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited))

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4) What is the name of the heritage building in Shimla which houses the office of the Accountant General of Himachal Pradesh and was gutted in a major fire on 28 January 2014? - Gorton Castle (A major fire reduced two floors of this magnificent heritage building to ashes. Deriving its name from the former estate upon which it was built, this was the Government of India Secretariat Building from where the affairs of this vast country were administered during the summer months in the colonial times. Crores of rupees had been spent on renovation of this heritage building which was built in 1904. Renovation work was on when the fire broke out in the building)

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5) Which Hindi women novelist’s name was suggested by the Delhi Government as the new chief of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) to Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung on 29 January 2014 amidst speculations of removing Barkha Singh? - Maitreyi Pushpa (Pushpa is renowned for her feminist writings and strong feminist leanings. The suggestion has come in the backdrop of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government accusing the present DCW chairperson Barkha Singh of politicising the role of her office while dealing with the midnight raid episode allegedly involving Law Minister Somnath Bharti)

28 January 2014 – Current Affairs

by Ravindra Agnihotri

1) India’s Civil Aviation Ministry on 27 January 2014 approved the operations of Airbus A-380s in India at four airports currently equipped to handle these super jumbos. Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Lufthansa have been pressing the government for several years to allow them fly these super jumbos into India. Which four airports were allowed to handle this huge aircraft? - Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore (Presently these four are equipped to handle huge A-380s. The restrictions on the fully double-decker planes were lifted after weeks of consultation between Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Air India and Airports Authority of India (AAI).  An A-380 aircraft can seat 850 passengers in an all-economy configuration, but those having a three-class configuration can accommodate between 550-600 passengers)

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2) What is the name of a new fund announced on 27 January 2014 by the National Innovation Council (NInC) and the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to combine innovation and the dynamism of enterprise to solve the problems of citizens at the bottom of the economic pyramid in India? - India Inclusive Innovation Fund – IIIF (The fund, launched by Sam Pitroda, head of the NInC, is an autonomous Rs. 500-crore fund, with the Union Government contributing 20%. The balance will come from public sector banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, multilateral/bilateral development agencies, Indian & global corporates)

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3) The North-African country whose people overthrew their dictator in 2011 in a popular uprising that inspired the so-called Arab Spring across the region, approved the country’s landmark democratic constitution on 26 January 2014. Which country is this? – Tunisia (Tunisia’s National Constitutional Assembly on 26 January approved the country’s landmark post-revolutionary Constitution its members have spent the last two years writing, by 200 out of 216 votes. The new document guarantees basic freedoms and gender equality. It has been called one of the most progressive Constitutions in the Arab world and involved lengthy negotiations between an Islamist-dominated Government and the largely secular Opposition)

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4) Which organisation was chosen for the National Communal Harmony Award 2013 in the organisations category? - The Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) – The award was announced on 25 January 2014 by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony. Mohinder Singh of Delhi and Dr. N Radhakrishnan of Kerala have been selected for the award in the individual category. Established in 1996, CSSS is a Mumbai-based organisation working to promote peace, secularism and communal harmony in the country. Mohinder Singh, 72, is a scholar and member of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions. Dr. N. Radhakrishnan, 69, is a well-known academic, Gandhian scholar and peace worker. The National Communal Harmony Awards were instituted in 1996 by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony, an autonomous organisation under the Union Home Ministry)

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5) "Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo", the patriotic song sung by Lata Mangeshkar to commemorate the martyrdom of Indian soldiers in the Sino-Indian War of 1962, completed 51 years of its public performance on 27 January 2014. The song written by Kavi Pradeep was performed live at Delhi’s historic Ramleela Maidan on 27 January 1963 by Lata Mangeshkar, just two months after the end of the war. Who composed this legendary song? – C. Ramchandra (A special function was held at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse to commemorate this occasion)

24 January 2014 – Current Affairs

by Ravindra Agnihotri

1) The term ‘Euromaidan’ came to news recently, which stands for a huge spat of civil unrest and anti-government protests in a country. Which country is associated with these protests? – Ukraine (‘Euromaidan’ mean ‘Eurosquare’. It stands for the ongoing protests and civil unrest undertaken by a large section of Ukrainian populace demanding country’s closer integration with Europe. The protests started on 21 November 2013 from Ukraine’s capital Kiev and since then have grown into a strong movement against President Viktor Yanukovych and his government. The protests against Yanukovych started after his apparent move to incline towards Russian Govt. and moving away from European influence. ‘Euromaidan’ is the largest ever pro-European movement in the history. The protest took an ugly and violent form on 19 January and became more violent on 23 January)

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2) President Pranab Mukherjee on 23 January 2014 gave seven more days to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly to discuss and debate the draft Telangana bill in the House before returning it to the Centre. What was the deadline given by the President while sending the bill to the state Assembly? – 23 January 2014 (The decision has been taken by the President following a request of the Andhra Pradesh government which sought four weeks extension of the 23 January deadline. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill now has to be returned by the state Assembly by 30 January 2014 with or without its view)

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3) A 60-day state of emergency was imposed in which South-East country’s capital on 21 January 2014? – Thailand (A 60-day state of emergency was imposed in Thailand’s capital Bangkok to suppress the anti-government protests that has blocked the parts of the capital and to take care of the situation and to enforce the law. This emergency came into effect from 22 January and it bans public gatherings, brings into effect censoring of news reports and imposition of curfew for next 60 days)

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4) Tata Chemicals on 23 January 2014 celebrated its platinum jubilee (75^th year) and on this occasion company’s Managing Director R. Mukundan rang the opening bell on the Bombay Stock Exchange. At which place 75 years back Tata Chemicals established its first centre of salt and soda ash production? – Mithapur – Gujarat (Tata Group was associated with Mithapur in 1939 when it took over the Okha Salt Works at Mithapur near Okha. Mithapur, situated between Okha and Dwarka, is a small colony supported by Tata Chemicals Limited, which is one of the flagship companies of the Tata Group)

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5) What is the name of the Indian-American professor who was recently appointed as the Dean of Harvard College in the United States? – Prof. Rakesh Khurana (He will assume his new charge from 1 July 2014. Harvard College is the school within Harvard University that grants undergraduate degrees. Rakesh will thus become the latest addition to a long list of Indian-origin academicians assuming leadership roles at renowned global universities. Before this India-born Prof. Nitin Nohria had also assumed his responsibility as Dean of the Harvard Business School)

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6) Which Telugu film became the first to be released on DTH along with its theatrical release on 24 January 2014? - Minukumanna Minugurulu (This film was released on Airtel Digital TV at 00.30 hours on 24 January (the day of its release) and would be available on this DTH platform for 5 days. Directed by Ayodhyakumar Krishnamsetty, the film’s cast includes national award winning actors Ashish Vidyarthi and Suhasini Maniratnam along with internationally acclaimed actor Raghubir Yadav)

23 January 2014 – Current Affairs

by Ravindra Agnihotri

1) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on 22 January 2014, warned that it would withdraw from circulation all old banknotes and announced 31 March 2014 as the deadline for exchanging these notes. Notes issued before which year will be withdrawn by the RBI? – 2005 (According to an RBI advisory, anybody who had such currency notes would have to approach a bank in order to exchange them before 1 April 2014. The RBI would start withdrawing the notes after 31 March 2014. This step will apparently hit currency hoarders and counterfeiters. However, the currency notes issued before 2005 would remain legal tender. But from 1 July 2014 those wanting to exchange more than 10 pieces of 500 and 1000 rupee notes in a bank where they do not have an account will have to provide proof of residence and identity)

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2) Who will be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day Celebrations 2014 to be celebrated on 26 January 2014? - Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan (Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will pay an official visit to New Delhi from January 25-27 and will be the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day celebrations)

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3) Who was the head of RBI’s committee on strengthening monetary policy framework, which in its recommendations has suggested that the target for inflation should be set at 4% with a band of +/- 2% around it? – Urjit Patel, Deputy Governor of the RBI (This inflation target is in view of vulnerability of the Indian economy to supply/external shocks and the relatively large weight of food in Consumer Price Index (CPI))

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4) Who was selected to head the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), who will become the first ever person from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) to hold the position of NDDB Chairman? – T. Nanda Kumar (Nanda Kumar, currently Member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), is slated to take over from 1 March 2014. He will replace Amrita Patel who has been holding the post since 1998. Both Patel and her illustrious predecessor Verghese Kurien, who was chairman from 1965 to 1998, had dairy professional backgrounds. NDDB’s heydays were in 1970-95, when it implemented the Operation Flood programme that made India self-sufficient in milk production and end reliance on imports of milk powder and butter oil)

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5) Legendary Telugu actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao (lovingly called ANR) passed away at a private hospital in Hyderabad on 22 January 2014 at the age of 91 years. Father of Telugu superstar Nagarjuna, he founded which famous studios in Hyderabad, which helped in establishing Telugu film industry in this city? – Annapurna Studios (He always wished to stay in Andhra Pradesh as this is where his audience was. With the support of the government, he bought land and developed Annapurna Studio primarily to encourage the migration of the Telugu film industry from Chennai. ANR was awarded Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1991 and Padma Vibhushan in 2011, which is second highest civilian award of the country)

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6) Which bank came to highlight recently for declaring an interim dividend of 9000%, which is said to be the highest in India’s banking industry? - Tamilnad Mercantile Bank – TMB (Tuticorin-based TMB took a decision to this effect at a meeting held on 18 January 2014. This dividend stands at Rs. 900 per share of Rs 10 each, for the fiscal ending March 2014. This is the second year in a row that the bank has declared such a high dividend. The bank’s board had approved a dividend of Rs 750 per share for 2008-09 and Rs 1,000 per share the following year)

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22 January 2014 – Current Affairs

by Ravindra Agnihotri

1) In a major overhaul of foreign investment regime, the government is considering splitting overseas inflows into two categories - Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) - with a minimum composite cap of 49%. The proposal envisages an aggregate automatic limit of 24% of FPI, which may be raised up to the extent of FDI permitted under the automatic route. Constituting two categories for foreign investments is considered by which panel? – Mayaram Panel (The government had set up a four-member committee headed by Economic Affairs Secretary Mayaram to define FDI and FII and remove the ambiguity between them. The Committee is expected to finalise its report by end of January 2014)

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2) The Supreme Court on 21 January 2014 commuted the death sentence of four aides of forest brigand Veerappan to life term on ground of delay in deciding their mercy plea by the Government. The four convicts - Simon, Gnanaprakash, Madaiah and Bilavendran - were convicted for killing 22 people in a landmine blast in Palar, Tamil Nadu. In which year this crime was committed by them? - 1993

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3) Who was chosen as the new Director of National Police Academy (NPA), Hyderabad and with this she becomes the first woman head of the country’s premier training institute for IPS officers? – Aruna Bahuguna (She will be the first woman to head the country’s premier training institute for IPS officers selected by the Union Public Service Commission since its inception in 1948. Ms. Bahuguna, who belongs to the 1979 batch of IPS, is an officer of the rank of Director General of Police from Andhra Pradesh cadre. She is presently the Special Director General of Central Reserve Police Force, the country’s largest para-military force with a strength of three lakh)

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4) Who retired as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 20 January 2014? – Anand Sinha (With Anand Sinha relinquishing his charge as Deputy Governor, the RBI re-allocated his portfolios among the remaining three Deputy Governors — K.C. Chakrabarty, H.R. Khan and Urjit Patel. Sinha was in-charge of eight departments, including Departments of Banking Operations and Development, Risk Management, Information Technology and Expenditure and Budgetary Control)

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5) The Union Government on 20 January 2014 allowed the establishment of an ad hoc authority to recommend the pricing of the passenger and cargo segments. What is the name of this authority? – Rail Tariff Authority (Rail Tariff Authority will have a Chairman and four members. The decision to have an ad hoc arrangement through a government resolution was taken because establishing it through an executive order, as had been desired by the Cabinet, was not feasible given that under the Railway Act only the Railway Board can decide on the prices of rail services. For constitution of the RTA, an amendment to the Railway Act, 1989, is also necessary)

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6) The pilot project of Amul’s first “Any Time Milk” (ATM) vending machine to dispense milk on 24X7 basis was on 19 January 2014 installed at – Anand, Gujarat (The pilot project of this 24x7 ATM began with the installation of a vending machine at the gate of Amul Dairy in Anand town of Gujarat. For a Rs 10-currency note, which this machine will read through a sensor, the ATM would dispense a 300 ml pouch of Amul Taaza milk. The ATM, fitted with refrigeration facility, has a capacity to hold 150 pouches at a time. To start with, Amul plans to set up these ATMs at each of the 1,100 ‘mandalis’ (village-level milk collection centres) in Kheda and Anand districts of Gujarat)

CURRENT AFFAIRS – 21 JANUARY 2014

21 जनवरी 2014 – आज का करेण्ट अफेयर्स कैप्स्यूल ( by Ravindra Agnihotri

1) भारतीय रिज़र्व बैंक (RBI) ने हाल ही भारत में बैंकों के बोर्डों के कामकाज की समीक्षा करने के लिए एक आठ-सदस्यीय समिति का गठन किया है। यह समिति अन्य विषयों के अलावा बैंकों के स्वामित्व के ढांचे तथा वेतन ढांचे की समीक्षा भी करेगी। इस उच्च स्तरीय विशेषज्ञ समिति का अध्यक्ष किसे बनाया गया है? - पी.जे. नाइक – PJ Naik (पी.जे. नाइक एक्सिस बैंक के पूर्व अध्यक्ष तथा मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकारी (Chairman & CEO) हैं। यह समिति मुख्य रूप से बैंकों के बोर्ड के नियामक अनुपालन सम्बन्धी मुद्दों, बैंक बोर्ड की कार्यप्रणाली तथा जोखिम प्रबन्धन में भूमिका का विस्तृत आकलन व समीक्षा करेगी)

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2) भारत में महिला उद्यमिता को बढ़ावा देने के उद्देश्य से भारत के पहले महिला बैंक - भारतीय महिला बैंक (BMB) ने बिना किसी गिरवी सुरक्षा (collateral) के महिलाओं को 1 करोड़ रुपए तक का ऋण प्रदान करने की घोषणा की है। बिना किसी गिरवी सुरक्षा के ऐसे ऋणों का जोखिम किस संस्था/संगठन द्वारा वहन किया जायेगा? - सूक्ष्म एवं लघु उद्यम क्रेडिट गारंटी निधि ट्रस्ट द्वारा - Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises - CGTMSE (उल्लेखनीय है कि CGTMSE लघु अथवा पिद्दी उद्यमों के लिए 80% तक ऋण प्रदान करता है । इस ऋण गारंटी योजना के तहत लिए गए ॠण के एवज में प्रीमियम का भुगतान ऋण लेने वाले व्यक्ति अथवा आवेदक द्वारा किया जाता है। भारतीय महिला बैंक ने यह भी स्पष्ट किया है कि 20,000 रुपए तक के ऋण के लिए किसी भी प्रकार की गिरवी सुरक्षा की जरूरत नहीं होगी)

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3) 20 जनवरी 2014 को भारत सरकार ने किस समुदाय को अल्पसंख्यक दर्जा प्रदान करने के प्रस्ताव को अपनी मंजूरी प्रदान कर दी? - जैन समुदाय (केन्द्रीय कैबिनेट ने अपनी बैठक में इस विषय से सम्बन्धित प्रस्ताव को अपनी मंजूरी प्रदान कर दी। लगभग 50 लाख की संख्या वाले जैन समुदाय को यह दर्जा प्रदान करने के मुद्दे पर कांग्रेस उपाध्यक्ष राहुल गांधी ने एक दिन पहले प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह से बातचीत की थी। जैन समुदाय को अल्पसंख्यक दर्जा मिलने से इस समुदाय के लोगों को अल्पसंख्यकों के लिए आवंटित किए जाने वाली केन्द्रीय सहायता तथा छात्रवृत्ति में से हिस्सा मिल सकेगा। इसके अलावा वे अपने शिक्षण संस्थानों का प्रबंधन तथा प्रशासन भी देख सकेंगे। उल्लेखनीय है कि जैन समुदाय को वर्तमान में उत्तर प्रदेश, मध्य प्रदेश, छत्तीसगढ़ और राजस्थान जैसे राज्यों में अल्पसंख्यक दर्जा पहले से प्राप्त है)

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4) भारत की राष्ट्रीय एयरलाइन सेवा एयर इंडिया (Air India) को हाल ही में किस सुप्रसिद्ध वैश्विक एयरलाइन नेटवर्क ने अपने में शामिल होने का न्यौता दिया है? - स्टार एलायंस – Star Alliance (स्टार एलायंस की स्थापना 1997 में अंतर्राष्ट्रीय फ्रिक्वेन्ट ट्रेवलर्स (अधिक यात्रा करने वाले यात्रियों) की आवश्यकताओं को देखते हुए किया गया था। आज इस नेटवर्क से विश्व के 1,300 से अधिक एयरपोर्ट जुड़े हुए हैं तथा नेटवर्क से जुड़ी सदस्य एयरलाइनों द्वारा लगभग 4,700 विमानों का संचालन किया जाता है। स्टार एलायंस की अपने सदस्य एयरलाइन्स के माध्यम से विश्व के 195 से अधिक देशो में पहुँच है। दिसम्बर 2007 में एयर इंडिया को स्टार एयरलाइन्स में शामिल करने की घोषणा की गई थी। लेकिन अगस्त 2011 में एयरलाइन के सदस्यता वाले प्रार्थनापत्र को उसके द्वारा कुछ शर्तों को पूरा न किए जाने के चलते खारिज कर दिया गया था, जिन्हें मानने की बात एयर इंडिया ने 2007 के दौरान की थी)

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5) 19 जनवरी 2014 को किस देश ने मलेशिया के विपक्षी नेता अनवर इब्राहीम को उनको कथित तौर पर एक पूर्व मामले में दोषी ठहराए जाने के चलते अपने देश में प्रवेश करने से प्रतिबन्धित कर दिया? - जापान (जापान के आव्रजन अधिकारियों ने 19 जनवरी को अनवर इब्राहीम को नरीता अंतर्राष्ट्रीय हवाई अड्डे में रोक कर उन्हें अगले ही जहाज से कुआलालम्पुर जाने का निर्देश दे दिया। इब्राहीम के अनुसार जापानी अधिकारियों ने स्पष्ट रूप से उन्हें 1999 के एक मामले के लिए देश में प्रवेश करने से रोका है, जबकि यह मामला काफी पुराना है)

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6) चीन की अर्थव्यवस्था ने वर्ष 2013 के दौरान 7.7% की वृद्धि दर हासिल की जोकि उसके हिसाब से काफी कम मानी जाती है। यह विकास दर किस साल के बाद की चीन की सबसे कम विकास दर है? - 1999 (उल्लेखनीय है कि यह विकास दर चीन की पिछले 14 साल की सबसे कम विकास दर है। इससे पहले उसकी सबसे कम विकास दर 7.6% थी जोकि 1999 के दौरान दर्ज की गई थी। पिछले दशक में चीन की विकास दर दो अंकों में रही थी तथा 2010 में इसने अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मंदी को धता बताते हुए इस साल में 10.4 की विकास दर दर्ज की थी। इसका कारण चीन की सरकार द्वारा 586 अरब डालर का भारी-भरकम विकास पैकेज उपलब्ध कराना था। लेकिन अब यह कम होती विकास दर चीन द्वारा अर्थव्यवस्था के क्षेत्र में झेली जा रही चुनौतियों और इसका सामना करने की उसकी तैयारियों को प्रकाश में ले आई है)

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7) उस इस्लामिक आतंकी समूह का क्या नाम है जिसने दिसम्बर 2013 के दौरान रूस के दक्षिणी शहर वोल्गोग्राड (Volgograd) में हुए दोहरे बम विस्फोट की घटना की जिम्मेदारी ली है जिसमें 34 लोग मारे गए थे? - विलायत दागेस्तान - Vilayat Dagestan (यह इस्लामिक आतंकी संगठन रूस के उत्तरी काकेशस क्षेत्र से सम्बद्ध है। संगठन द्वारा वोल्गाग्राड में किए गए दोहरे धमाके से फरवरी 2014 के दौरान रूस के सोची (Sochi) में आयोजित होने वाले शीतकालीन ऑलम्पिक खेलों की सुरक्षा को लेकर भी चिंताएं पेश कर दी थीं। इस आतंकी संगठन ने इस खेलों के आयोजन को भी निशाना बनाने की धमकी दी है)

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20 January 2014 – Current Affairs

by Ravindra Agnihotri

1) Which stock exchange retained its position as the world’s largest bourse in terms of equity trades for the second consecutive year in 2013? – India’s National Stock Exchange (NSE) - NSE recorded almost 145 crore equity trades on its platform last year, a gain of 3% from 2012, making it the biggest among 51 global peers, according to data with the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE). Rival exchange BSE slipped one place to eighth position. Although it has more than 4,000 listed companies, the BSE recorded 34.46 crore trades last year, a drop of 3% compared to 2012. China's Shenzhen Stock Exchange recorded 129 crore trades, climbing three places to become the second-largest bourse in the world. Trades on the Shenzhen SE, which pushed NYSE Euronext to third place, rose 38% from 2012

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2) The inaugural Hero Hockey World League 2014, which was held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, was won by – the Netherlands (In the final played on 18 January 2014 the Netherlands thrashed New Zealand 7-2 to claim the title. Third place was claimed by England which defeated Australia by 2-1 in the bronze medal match. India earlier finished sixth in the tournament after losing 1-2 to Belgium. Robbert Kempermann of the Netherlands was declared Player of the Tournament)

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3) Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the first Indian wicketkeeper and the fourth overall to effect 300 dismissals in One Day Internationals (ODIs) when he caught a Ross Taylor nick in the opening ODI against New Zealand in Napier on 19 January 2014. Which are the three players who have more catches against their names in ODIs? - Australia’s Adam Gilchrist (472), Sri Lankan’s Kumar Sangakkara (443) and South Africa’s Mark Boucher (425)

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4) 3^rd Lusofonia Games started on 18 January 2013 at Goa. These games are held for community of which countries? - Portuguese-speaking countries (Athletes from 12 countries are participating in these games, which are - Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Goa (India), Macau (China), Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome & Principe and Sri Lanka)

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5) Top-seeded Serena Williams was ousted from the Australian Open 2014 after she lost in the fourth round. With this loss Williams’ winning streak since August 2013 was broken. Who defeated her? - Ana Ivanovic (Ivanovic defeated her by 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to move into quarter-finals)

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6) At least 22 security personnel were killed and 38 others injured in a terrorist attack on a military convoy in Pakistan’s restive northwest on 19 January 2014. The attack took place near Aamandi Chowk in Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu. This attack was committed by which group? - Pakistani Taliban (Bannu, which stands at the gateway to the semi-autonomous Waziristan tribal region, is 150 kilometres southwest of Peshawar)

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7) Global retail giant Wal-Mart on 15 January 2014 registered a new company in India as it prepares to enter the country’s lucrative multi-brand retail market with a new partner. What is the name of this new registered company? - ‘Wal-Mart India Private Ltd’ (The American retail major Wal-Mart and Bharti Enterprises decided to part ways in October last year, bringing an end to their six-year long partnership)

18-19 January 2014 – Current Affairs

by Ravindra Agnihotri

1) In a path-breaking development India and Pakistan on 18 January 2014 agreed upon numerous measures to smoothen trade between the two countries. Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and his Pakistani counterpart Khurram Dastgir Khan in their meeting held at New Delhi decided to re-start the trade liberalisation process stalled for 16 months and work towards non-discriminatory market access on a reciprocal basis. What are important agreements achieved at this meeting?

• India and Pakistan decided to open the Wagah-Attari border for trade 24X7
• The two countries allowed containers from two countries to be moved right up to Amritsar and Lahore instead of being unloaded at the check-post and re-loaded on the other side
• It was decided to expedite the process of giving banking licences so that Indian and Pakistani banks can operate in the other country

(India and Pakistan had started negotiations to normalise trade ties in January 2011 and had made several concessions for each other before the talks came to an abrupt halt due to violence across the Line of Control)

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2) Legendary Bengali actress Suchitra Sen passed away on 17 January 2014 at a private hospital in Kolkata. She was admitted to the hospital with a with chest infection on 23 December. Sen acted in over 50 movies between 1952 and 1978 of which six were in Hindi. She went into recluse after her last film was released. Over the past three decades she withdrew herself from public life and did not meet people except her family members. She was considered for Dada Saheb Phalke Award in which year, which she reportedly refused in order to remain away from public life? – 2005 (The award that year was conferred upon Shyam Benegal. Capturing the public’s imagination for three decades through her ethereal beauty and intense celluloid performance, Suchitra Sen symbolised the golden age of Bengali cinema with memorable films like ‘Agnipariksha’, ‘Devdas’ and ‘Saat Paake Bandha’. Gulzar’s ‘Aandhi’ was one of her foremost Hindi films)

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3) Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin passed away on 17 January 2014 at Mumbai. 102-year old Dr. Burhanuddin was a spiritual leader of which sect of Muslims? - Dawoodi Bohra community (Dawoodi Bohra is a sect of Shia Muslims spread all over the world. The word Bohra means trader and traditionally, most members of the sect have been entrepreneurs. Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin was credited with transforming Dawoodi Bohras into a vibrant community. Bohras thronged to Syedna’s sermons in thousands. He was cremated on 18 January 2014. However at least 18 persons died in the early hours of 18 January due to a stampede outside his south Mumbai residence where innumerable of his followers had assembled to have a last glimpse of this great preacher)

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4) According to the recently released report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Pakistan is the only polio-endemic country in the world where polio cases rose from 2012 to 2013. Which Pakistani city is now the largest reservoir of endemic polio virus in the world, as stated by the WHO on 17 January 2014? – Peshawar (Peshawar is the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to the latest genomic sequencing results of the Regional Reference Laboratory for Poliovirus, 83 out of 91 polio cases in the country during the last year are genetically linked to the polio virus circulating actively in Peshawar. Moreover, 12 out of the total 13 cases reported during the previous year from Afghanistan are also directly linked to Peshawar)

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5) The 108 National Ambulance service was launched in the state of Uttar Pradesh on 17 January 2014. Which enterprise has been given charge to operate this ambulance service? - GVK EMRI (GVK EMRI is currently operating 988 Ambulances under 108 Scheme in Uttar Pradesh. They have also bagged the project of operating 2,000 more ambulances under 102 Scheme which is meant for the transportation of pregnant women and neonates to the hospital and also back to home after delivery. Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) was set up in 2005 with the objective of delivering comprehensive, speedy, reliable and quality Emergency Care Services)

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6) Sunanda Pushkar, who was found dead in a New Delhi hotel late on 17 January 2014, was the wife of which union minister? - Shashi Tharoor, the Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development (Her last rites were performed on 18 January at New Delhi)

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7) What was position of hosts India in the Hero Hockey World League Final, in which it played its last classification match on 18 January 2014? – Sixth (India finished at sixth position after it was defeated 2-1 by Belgium in the fifth-sixth place classification game. The sixth place finish in this League is certain to give a major boost to India’s world rankings. India are presently lying 10^th in the world rankings)