The Chinese Crash

The Chinese stock market was an envy of the investors.

It grew at an extraordinary rate of 150% in last one year
racing to a high of 5166 on June 12 this year. However,
on August 24, 2015, the Shanghai Composite (Stock
Market Index of China) crashed to 3000 dipping by
around 40% in two months, causing a loss of around $ 4
trillion dollars to the investors (which amounts to
around Rs.260 lac crores). Just think, what this means;
even the total GDP of India is around half of it; i.e.
around $ 2 trillion dollars. The richest man in China,
Wang Jianlin is said to have lost more than US $ 13
billion (around Rs. 85000) in the process.
The steep fall in Chinese share market had its ripple
effect. The Indian share market also suffered heavy loss
of more than 7 lac crore rupees in just one day. The Dow
Jones, the American share market index also lost more
than 1000 points, its worst fall since 2011 in one week.
Reasons:
The main reasons behind this landslide are :
1. Slowing economy: The Chinese economy constitutes
around 15% of the world economy and any slowdown in
their economy not only effects only them but also the
manufacturing and the trading world that is dependent
on their economy. The slowdown will mean that China
will buy less of gold, silver, or other products it sources
from across the world, thus affecting other economies as
well.
2. Exuberance of the investors: People borrowed money
to invest in the share market expecting high returns,
which did not materialise. The same kind of enthusiasm
in real estate market had led to the 2008 crisis, when the
losses exceeded US$7 trillion. The people were borrowing
money to buy property with the expectation of selling the
same later at a higher rate. But when there were no
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

buyers, the market crashed like a house of nine pins,

singeing the entire financial system. The process of
making investments with the borrowed money is known
as leverage and in China it had reached a ratio of 40:1,
meaning even a loss of 2.5% will wipe out the capital of
the investor.
Initially, the government reacted by restricting the
trading and banning short selling. But later, when the
things did not stabilize, Chinese government reacted by
devaluing its currency, yuan which had its own effects
on the currency markets around the world. Many world
currencies have came under stress, some losing 50% of
their value vis. a vis. US dollar, with Indian rupee
weakening from Rs. 64 to Rs 66.50 per US dollar. This
devaluation has raised concern as other countries may
also be forced to devalue their currency to compete with
the Chinese goods which have now become cheaper to
buy. Many Asian countries had been trading in Chinese
currency and it is said that the devaluation of yuan has
increased their debt by around US$16 billion. Already,
some economists are terming the step as currency war,
which had caused the great depression of 1929.
The whole world is watching China with abated breath.
Till now, it was considered a safe bet for investment;
having one party government with no unrest and no
opposition. What happens next is any bodys guess, for
the number of investors in the share market is said to be
more than 90 million which is more than the total
membership of the ruling Communist Party and it is they,
who have suffered the losses. If a fraction of them come
out in the street, whats will happen next, is difficult to
say.
The words spoken by Bill Clinton in 1992 still ring
loud; Its economy, stupid.

GENERAL AWARENESS
OCTOBER 2015
Vol. 4, Issue 04

A PUBLICATION OF GYANM EDUCATION &

TRAINING INSTITUTE PVT. LTD.
SCO 13-14-15, 2ND FLOOR, SEC 34-A, CHANDIGARH

Contents

NATIONAL NEWS
AUGUST 2015

CURRENT AFFAIRS
JUNE TO AUGUST 2015
BULLET NEWS
MARCH TO MAY 2015

01-43

CENSUS 2011 RELIGIOUS DATA RELEASED

44-59

PUNJAB GK BYTES

60-68

SSC CORNER

69-74

LATEST 100 GK MCQs

75-84

6 MONTHS GK BYTES

85-108

FIGURES TO REMEMBER
REPO RATE (02.06.2015)

7. 25%

REVERSE REPO RATE

6.25%

MARGINAL STANDING
FACILITY RATE
STATUTORY LIQUIDITY RATIO

8.25%

CASH RESERVE RATIO

BANK RATE

4.00%
8.25%

BASE RATE(s)
(of various banks)

9.70 to
10 %

21.5%

PAHAL ENTERS GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS

INDIAS RANK IN
Global Competitiveness

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.

44th

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.

In terms of Peace

143rd

Motherhood Index

140th

Environmental Democracy Index

24th

Human Capital Index

100th

BENGALURU AND MYSURU ARE THE CLEANEST

Global Resilience Index

119th

Global E-Waste Monitor

5th

World Happiness Report

117th

Global Networked Readiness

Social Progress Index
Open Government Index 2015

89th
101st
37th

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 two parameters of
cleanliness solid waste management and eradication of open defecation.

Press Freedom Index 2015

136th

Talent Competitiveness

78th

Travel and Tourism Index

65th

Corruption Perceptions Index

The Web Index 2014
Global Terrorism Index 2014
Global Slavery Index 2014
Gender Gap Index

85th
48th
6th
1st
114th

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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

Filipe J Nyusi, President of Mozambique arrived in

Govt has declared that every year 7th 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.

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.

JULY 2015
INDIA TOPS IN 3 SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES
The World Bank has ranked the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
as the world's largest public works programme,
providing social security net to almost 15 per cent of the
country's population. India's Mid-day Meal Scheme has
been classified as the biggest school feeding programme
covering 10.5 crore beneficiaries. The Janani Suraksha
Yojna, with 7.8 crore beneficiaries, has topped the
category of social security programme with conditional
cash transfers.

SANTHARA DECLARED VOID BY RAJ HC

The Rajasthan High Court on August 10 declared the
practice of 'Santhara' or 'Sullekhana' practiced by Jain
community as illegal.
The court called the practice punishable under section
309 of the IPC as an attempt to commit suicide. Even any
support to Santhara by any person is punishable as
abetment under section 306 of the IPC. Santhara means a
fast unto death. A person after taking a vow of 'Santhara'
stops eating and even drinking water and awaits death.

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.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

INDIA MAKES PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING MDGs

INDIA FORMS 17.25 % OF WORLD POPULATION

As per a UN report on the progress made under the

UNOs Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), India has
already achieved the target for reducing poverty by half
and is set to achieve reducing hunger also by half. But
India lags behind in meeting goals like universal
primary school education and universal youth literacy
and lags in empowering women through wage
employment and political participation.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were set by
the United Nations in the year 2000 and were to be
achieved by December 2015.

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, as per the National
Population Stabilization Fund (NPSF), an autonomous
body under the Union Health Ministry.

MODI VISITS 5 COUNTRIES

NAKSHATRA VATIKA LAID OUT IN HYDERABAD

Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook 8 day trip to

five Central Asian countries and Russia on from July 6 to
13. He visited Uzbekistan (July 6-7), Kazakhstan (July 78), Russia (Ufa) (July 8-10), Turkmenistan (July 10-11),
Kyrgyzstan (July 11-12) and Tajikistan (July 12-13) for
the summits of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China and
South Africa) and the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO).

NSSO 71ST ROUND DATA RELEASED

National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) released the
survey data of the 71st round related to key indicators of
Social Consumption: Education, showing prime
indicators on education as on 31 March 2014.

SIX SOLAR CITIES IN NORTHEAST

The six cities - Guwahati and Jorhat in Assam, Kohima
and Dimapur in Nagaland, Itanagar in Arunachal
Pradesh and Agartala in Tripura - will be developed
under the Development of Solar Cities Programme of the
union ministry of new and renewable energy.

President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated a 'Nakshatra

Vatika' in the Rashtrapati Nilayam gardens in
Hyderabad.
The layout of the garden has been
developed in various geometrical combinations
corresponding to the Sree Chakra of Vedic astrology.

LONGEST TUNNEL TO START NEXT YEAR

PANEL FOR HIKE IN MPs SALARY

The last wall between the 9-km long Patnitop tunnel

between Chenani and Nashri, the longest in South Asia,
was broken, thereby reducing the road distance
between Jammu and Srinagar by 30 km. The tunnel is
likely to be operational in the next ten months.

A panel, headed by BJP MP Yogi Adityanath, has sought

doubling of the existing Rs 50,000 salary of MPs and
favoured increasing their pension from Rs 20,000 to Rs
35,000. It has also recommended doubling of the daily
allowance of MPs for attending the Parliament sessions,
from Rs 2,000 at present to Rs 4,000.

2ANGLOINDIANS NOMINATED TO LOK SABHA

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.

WORLD BANK HELP FOR ANDHRA

The World Bank has agreed to provide $250-million

financial assistance for the Andhra Pradesh Disaster
Recovery Project which will help the state enhance its
capacity to respond promptly in times of crisis.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

CASTE CENSUS SHOWS DEPRIVED RURAL INDIA

The Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data
released on July 3 shows that of the total 17.9 crore
rural households across the country, 2.37 crore or 13%
still live in houses with only one room, kuccha walls and
kuccha roof.
This is the first such survey in more than 8 decades.The
country has a total of 24.39 crore households, putting
73% of them in rural areas. Manual casual labour is the
main source of income for rural households, with nearly
51% engaged in such jobs, followed by cultivation,
which provides employment to 30% of households.
About a fourth of the rural households don't have a
literate adult above the age of 25 and only 64 per cent of
the rural Indian population is literate,
The Union Cabinet has formed an expert group chaired by
Arvind Panagariya, Vice-Chairperson of NITI Aayog, to
classify the Caste names returned in the Socio Economic
and Caste Census (SECC), 2011.

RAIL LINK WITH BANGLADESH

Government has sanctioned around Rs.1,000 crore for a
15-km India-Bangladesh railway project from Agartala
in Tripura to Akhaura in Chitagong, Bangladesh. The
link will reduce distance between Kolkata and Agartala
by over 1100 kms.

ADB LOAN FOR NORTHEAST

The Asian Development Bank to give a loan of $ 300
million to India for improving road connectivity and
increasing the domestic and regional trade along the
North BengalNorth Eastern Region (NER).

IDEAS INVITED FOR INDIAN CITIES

The Union Urban Development Ministry organized a six

day competition "Mera Shahar Mera Sapna" in New
Delhi to encourage the citizens to contribute their ideas
and solutions for addressing the challenges faced by
Indian cities.

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 ministers
rank to the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, Arvind
Panagariya.
Asian Development Bank to provide $ 300 million
loan to support the Governments flagship program,
the National Urban Health Mission.
The 46th 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.
26th July was celebrated as the Kargil Vijay Diwas as
the 16th anniversary of the Indian victory in the 1999
Kargil war.
Of the 31 countries which produce power from
nuclear sources, India is 12th, 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
Company 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 OCTOBER 2015

JUNE 2015
INDIA BREAKS TWO GUINNESS RECORDS
Led by the Prime Minister himself, India broke two
Guinness records 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 on the occasion of
the International Yoga Day at Rajpath, New Delhi.
The Department of Posts released a special stamp on
yoga and the Finance Ministry released coins of the
denomination of Rs 10 and Rs 100 on the occasion.

MODI VISITS BANGLADESH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Dhaka on June 6
on a two-day visit to Bangladesh. 22 agreements were
signed between two countries during the visit and a
credit line of $2 billion was announced for the
neighbouring country.
Mr Modi also received the Bangladesh
Liberation War Honour on behalf of former Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in recognition of his role
in the Bangladesh Liberation War.
The two countries agreed to start KolkataDhaka-Agartala (466+152 kms) bus service and
Guwahati Dhaka (496 kms) bus services.

PRESIDENT VISITS SWEDEN

President of India visited Sweden on May 31 on his fiveday visit to the country and Belarus. This is first ever
visit by an Indian President to Sweden. Several
agreements were signed with Sweden to boost ties and
to find ways for investment in Indias defence sector
under the ambitious Make in India initiative.

INDIA, BELARUS SIGN SIX AGREEMENTS

During the visit of Indian President, the Belarus
Goernment signed six agreements in fields like
textiles, double taxation, media etc. Besides, the State
University of Belarus conferred the Professor Honoris
Causa degree on the President. India has extended a
USD 100 million line of credit to Belarus.

INDIA BEST CHOICE FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENT

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, in a study of 110
countries. China has secured the 65th position and the
U.S. is at the 50th place.

INDIA GOOD FOR INVESTMENTS

E C SUSPENDS NATIONAL PEOPLEs PARTY

According to a World Bank report, India figures among

top five emerging economies for the highest investment
commitments in private sector, infrastructure sectors energy, transport and water. The top five countries are
Brazil, Turkey, Peru, Colombia and India.

The Election Commission has suspended the recognition

of former Lok Sabha speaker P.A. Sangmas National
Peoples Party because it failed to submit its poll
expenditure statement within the specified time frame
of 90 days since the general election last year.

DUTCH PRIME MINISTER VISITS INDIA

HEALTH AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH USA

India and USA have signed a series of agreements for
cooperation in health sector in areas like cancer
research, medical infrastructure development and
application of new diagnostic technologies etc.

TALKS HELD WITH JAPAN, AUSTRALIA

Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of Netherland, arrived in
New Delhi on a two-day visit to India. The two
countries announced a joint working group on counter
terrorism and working closely in areas such as
extremism, defence, maritime and cyber security while
the Dutch expressed interest in supporting the Make in
India and Clean India campaign.

India, Australia and Japan held trilateral talks in New

Delhi to discuss a range of issues including the security
situation in the Asia Pacific as also infrastructure and
developmental projects.

IIT TO VENTURE INTO MEDICAL SCIENCE

MINIMAL ELDER ABUSE IN INDIA

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. In other
countries, it varied from 2 percent in Ireland to 61
percent in Croatia.
Elder abuse includes psychological, physical and sexual
abuse, neglect and financial exploitation.

NATHU LA ROUTE OPENED BY CHINA

China opened the second land crossing in Tibet via
Nathu La in Sikkim, 4,000 metres above the sea level to
allow the first batch of Indian pilgrims undertaking the
arduous Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra. The route was
closed after the 1962 clash with China.

PRABHU ATTENDS G 20 MEET AT ISTANBUL

At the G-20 sherpa meeting in Turkey, India pressed for
petroleum pricing reforms globally to ensure stability in
the energy sector. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu
represented India at the meet.
'Sherpa' is a senior official responsible for preparing the
agenda for top leaders for a big meet.

GITA MARKS ITS DEBUT IN CHINA

Bhagavad Gita, the sacred
ancient Indian scripture, has
made its debut in China after its
Chinese version was released
during an international yoga
conference held in Dujiangyan
in the south-western Sichuan,
China.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur will soon

become the first engineering institute in India to
venture into medical education. The super-specialty
hospital named Dr BC Roy Institute of Medical Science &
Research is to become operational by 2017.

INDIA SIGNS GLOBAL TAX TREATY

India has joined the Multilateral Competent Authority
Agreement (MCAA) on Automatic Exchange of Financial
Account Information by signing the pact in Paris. This
will enable India to access the data related to bank
accounts from across the world, including tax havens
that had refused to cooperate earlier.
54 countries have already joined the MCAA. India is
among the six countries that signed the pact, taking the
number to 60. The target is to reach 94 countries by 2017.

INDIA HOME TO 24% OF WORLDS HUNGRY

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 - 'The State of
Food Insecurity in the World 2015' by FAO. India
accounts for over 24 per cent of the total 795 million
hungry people in the world.

INDIA RANKED 143RD IN TERMS OF PEACE

India emerged the top donor country for Nepal by

pledging $ one billion aid for reconstruction of earthquake 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.

NEWS FROM STATES

AUGUST 2015
According to research by Australia-based Institute for
Economics and Peace (IEP), India ranked among 20
most violent places globally, standing at 143rd rank in
2014. Syria and Afghanistan were rated the least
peaceful countries in the world while Iceland held its
position as most peaceful, followed by Denmark.

INDIA STILL LOW IN COMPETITIVENESS

India was ranked 44th in the annual global
competitiveness report by a Switzerland-based business
school, which cited problems like high corporate taxes
and a parallel economy for the low ranking. The USA
ranked number one in the study.

INDIA RANKS HIGH IN CARBON EMISSIONS

Data released by the US based World Resources
Institute shows that in terms of emissions of climate damaging greenhouse gases, India ranks fourth in
world, accounting for roughly 7 per cent of emissions.

NAGALAND REMEMBERS RANI GAIDINLIU

Birth centenary celebrations of freedom fighter Rani
Gaidinliu were inaugurated in Nagaland on August 24. A
commemorative 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 WORLDs 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.
The top three are China, USA and European Union.
However, in terms of per capita emissions, India ranks far
below at the 10th place.

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.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

TWO WAR MUSEUMS OPENED IN RAJASTHAN

NADIA WINS UN PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

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

The "Abar Souchagar" (toilet for all) project in West

Bengal's Nadia district, aimed at making the district free
from open defecation, has won the prestigious United
Nations Public Service Award for making Nadia the first
'Open Defecation Free' district in the country.

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.

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.

JULY 2015
GOA TO HOLD YOUTH DELPHIC GAMES 2016
The 5th Youth Delphic Games for cultural events will be
held in Goa in February 2016. Started in ancient Greece
in Delphy, the games are hosted every four years for
participants in the age group 15-25 years.
They are being hosted in India for the first time. The
motto of the 2016 Games is Celebrating Arts and
Cultures. It will include competitions in six categories
musical arts & sounds, performing arts, language arts,
visual arts, social arts and ecological arts & architecture.

BANGALORE RANKS 12TH IN WORLD AS IT CITY

XINJIANG TO AID GROWTH OF VADODARA

Vadodara in Gujarat and China's Xinjinag province have
signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to
enhance infrastructure growth and development
between the two regions.

U P TO HAVE GPS IN ALL STATE BUSES

Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation
(UPSRTC) has become the first State transport
corporation to have a vehicle tracking system for its
over 9600 inter-city buses, which has led to a reduction
in accidents and deaths as drivers are wary of crossing
the speed limits.

HARYANA TOPS IN SKILL DEVELOPMENT

A report brought out by National Skill Development
Corporation (NSDC) states that Haryana is number one
state in India in automobile production, accounting for
50% of total passenger cars and two-wheelers produced
in India.

HARYANA TO GIVE 24 HR ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

The Haryana government has launched the Mhara
Gaon Jagmag Gaon scheme from Dyalpur village of
Kurukshetra district to ensure 24-hour power supply to
the villages which fulfill all parameters, particularly
avoiding power theft.

NAGALAND DECLARED DISTURBED AREA

The Home Ministry has declared Nagaland a disturbed
area under section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special
Powers) Act 1958, as it finds that a dangerous
condition prevails in the State and the armed forces
should assist the civil administration in maintaining law
and order.

The Kerala Tourism has won Pacific Asia Travel

Bangalore has been ranked 12th in the list of top 20

technology-rich cities in the world, according to a
survey conducted by global property consultant Jones
Lang LaSalle. Good economic growth, investments in
infrastructure, presence of startups and significant
supply of prime office space are some of the factors that
contributed in Bangalore's strong performance in the
survey. London, San Jose (California) and Beijing are top
three cities on the list.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

Association award for its Muziris Heritage

Conservation Project in the '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 6th 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 TOPS IN SOLAR POWER

GOVERNMENT
INITIATIVES
AUGUST 2015
98 SMART CITIES SELECTED

Data released by the Union Ministry of New and

Renewable Energy shows that Rajasthan, with an
installed capacity of 1147 megawatt for solar power,
topped the list of states commissioning grid connected
solar power projects in the country, followed by Gujarat
(1,000 mw).

KERALA STARTS PUBLIC DIGITAL LOCKERS

Kerala Government launched the Digital locker system
Akshay, under which the public can store important
records and certificates such as birth and marriage
certificates, pan card, school/ college transfer certificate,
passport etc. in the digital format. The records can be
downloaded as and when required.

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

HEMIS FESTIVAL HELD AT LADAK

A two-day long annual Hemis festival dedicated to Guru
Padmasambha was held in Ladakh region of Jammu and
Kashmir the largest monastery of Ladakh - Hemis
monastery.

3 MORE DISTRICTS COME UNDER NCR

The Government has decided to include Muzaffarnagar
district of Uttar Pradesh and the Jind and Karnal
districts of Haryana as part of the urban conglomerate
of National Capital Region (NCR).

LIPULEKH PASS OPENED FOR BUSINESS

The 17,500-feet high Lipulekh Pass in Pithoragarh
district of Uttarakhand was opened for this year's IndiaChina trade and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The route
will remain open till October 31.

Jaipur Metro, touted as one of the fastest built metro

systems in the country, has been thrown open to
public.
Indias 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.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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

PEACE ACCORD SIGNED WITH NSCN

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.

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

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.

Government has launched the School Nursery Yojana,

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.

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.

GOVT ADOPTS SENDAI DISASTER FRAMEWORK

Government has announced it plans to implement the
Sendai framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 20152030 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.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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.

JULY 2015
E-KISSAN TO START ONLINE MANDIS
The Ministry of Agriculture plans to launch E-kisan, a
portal that will go online on July 27, to allow the farmers
to showcase their farm produce on the Internet for
wholesalers to bid remotely before the crop is harvested
and sent to the buyer. Now the farmer need not bring
produce to the mandi and play in the hands of
commission agents for right price. Apart from ensuring
remunerative prices to farmers, the portal will be an
attractive alternative for wholesale buyers as they will
not have to pay any mandi tax.

PORTAL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has launched a
web portal for online submission of applications for
Environment Clearance by State Environment Impact
Assessment Authorities for Category B projects. This
facility is already there for projects cleared directly by
the Ministry.

10

WEB PORTAL LAUNCHED FOR EMPLOYMENT

The government has launched the National Career
Counseling Portal under the National Career Service
(NCS) project to coordinate all government-run
employment exchanges. The web portal will act as a
one-stop platform for both job seekers and job
providers where registration can be done online.

DIGITAL INDIA

DIGITAL INDIA INITIATIVE LAUNCHED

The government has launched the 'Digital India'
initiative for digital delivery of all essential services
online to citizens and transform India into a digitally
empowered society and a knowledge economy by
leveraging IT. It plans to cover all the 2, 50, 000 village
panchayats with broad band connectivity. It aims to
reduce corruption in government services by making
them available online. It plans to provide Aadhaar cardbased digital lockers, wherein one can store all
documents like birth/death certificates, various
permissions, registrations etc.

ALL INDIA NUMBER PORTABILITY

The nationwide mobile number portability, MNP which
will allow customers to keep their existing mobile
phone numbers while shifting between States and
circles, is now operational. Until recently the users
could change their operator while retaining the same
number only in the same State or telecom circle.

HELPLINE LAUNCHED FOR RAILWAYS

15 SALIENT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PM

NARENDRA MODI'S PROJECT
Moving ahead on yet another pet project, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi launched the 'Digital India' campaign,
aimed at creating a digitally empowered society and
knowledge economy.
The programme comprises of various initiatives, each
targeted to prepare India for becoming a knowledge
economy and for bringing good governance to citizens
through synchronized and co-ordinated engagement of
the entire government.
The vision of Digital India programme also aims at
inclusive growth in areas of electronic services,
products, manufacturing and job opportunities etc. The
vision of Digital India is centred on three key areas
(i)
(ii)
(iii)

Digital Infrastructure as a utility to every citizen

Governance & services on demand
Digital Empowerment of citizens

9 PILLARS OF DIGITAL INDIA

The government has launched an All India Railway

Helpline number, 1512, using which the passengers can
lodge a complaint in the event of falling prey to a crime
on both, running trains and stations in India.

The Digital India programme aims to provide

Broadband highways; Universal access to mobile
connectivity; Public internet access programme; Egovernance eKranti - Electronic delivery of services;
Information for all; Electronics manufacturing: Targeted
at net zero imports; IT for jobs & early harvest
programmes aimed at wifi in universities, e-books etc.

HRIDAY SCHEME LAUNCHED FROM AMRITSAR

The National Heritage City Development and
Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) was launched from
Amritsar in Punjab for development of 12 historical
cities in the country. The central government has
sanctioned Rs. 69.31 crore as 100% grant for Amritsar.

OVER 100 MILLION YOUTH TO BE SKILLED

The government has set a target to provide skill
development training to 102 million youth over the next
five years under the National Skill Development Mission.
A skill loan initiative will also be started, under which
loans from Rs 5000 to Rs 1.5 lakh will be given to more
than 34 lakh youth.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

11

In line with these objectives, the government has

launched several initiatives. We take a look at them:
1.
Digital Locker System aims to minimize the usage
of physical documents and enable sharing of edocuments across agencies. The sharing of the edocuments will be done through registered
repositories thereby ensuring the authenticity of
the documents online, says the government.
2.
MyGov.in has been implemented as a platform for
citizen engagement in governance, through a
"Discuss", "Do" and "Disseminate" approach. The
mobile app for MyGov would bring these features
to users on a mobile phone.
3.
Swahh Bharat Mission (SBM) Mobile app would
be used by people and Government organizations
for achieving the goals of Swachh Bharat Mission.
4.
eSign framework to allow citizens to digitally sign
a document online using Aadhaar authentication.
5.
The Online Registration System (ORS) under the
eHospital application has been introduced. This
application provides important services such as
online registration, payment of fees and
appointment, online diagnostic reports, enquiring
availability of blood online etc.
6.
National Scholarships Portal is said to be a one
stop solution for end to end scholarship process
right from submission of student application,
verification, sanction and disbursal to end
beneficiary for all the scholarships provided by
the Government of India.
7.
DeitY has undertaken an initiative namely
Digitize India Platform (DIP) for large scale
digitization of records in the country that would
facilitate efficient delivery of services.
8.
The Government of India has undertaken an
initiative namely Bharat Net, a high speed digital
highway to connect all 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats
of country. This would be the world's largest
rural broadband connectivity project.
9.
Policy initiatives have also been undertaken by
DeitY in the e-Governance domain like e-Kranti
Framework, Policy on Adoption of Open Source
Software for Government of India, Framework for
Adoption of Open Source Software in eGovernance Systems, Policy on Open Application
Programming Interfaces (APIs) for Government
of India, E-mail Policy of Government of India,
Policy on Use of IT Resources of Government of
India, Policy on Collaborative Application
Development by Opening the Source Code of
Government
Applications,
Application
Development & Re-Engineering Guidelines for
Cloud Ready Applications.
10. BSNL has introduced Next Generation Network
(NGN), to replace 30 year old exchanges, which is
an IP based technology to manage all types of
services like voice, data, multimedia/ video and
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

11.

12.
13.

14.

15.

other types of packet switched communication

services.
BSNL has undertaken large scale deployment of
Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the country. The user
can latch on the BSNL Wi-Fi network through
their mobile devices.
BPO Policy has been approved to create BPO
centres in different North Eastern states and also
in smaller / mofussil towns of other states.
Electronics Development Fund (EDF) Policy aims
to promote Innovation, R&D, and Product
Development and to create a resource pool of IP
within the country to create a self-sustaining ecosystem of Venture Funds.
National Centre for Flexible Electronics
(NCFlexE) is an initiative of Government of India
to promote research and innovation in the
emerging area of Flexible Electronics.
Centre of Excellence on Internet on Things is a
joint initiative of Department of Electronics &
Information Technology and NASSCOM.

Success of this programme will make India Digitally

empowered and the leader in usage of IT in delivery of
services related to various domains such as health,
education, agriculture, banking, etc.
Source Economic Times: July 1, 2015

************************************************
MINIMUM WAGE HIKED TO Rs 160

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. It is expected from the
state governments that they do not pay less than this
rate as it is mandatory.

GOVT TO CONDUCT SOCIAL AUDITS

With a view to focus on safety and health aspects of
workers, govt plans to prescribe norms for the quality of
air and water within the factory premises, along with
the extent of exposure of employees to particulate
matters within the factory. Social audits of workers will
be conducted to check implementation of these norms.
Over 93% of the country's workforce is still in the
unorganised sector, where most workers are deprived of
protection measures and are often exposed to hazardous
air and water.

12

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana

JUNE 2015
3 SCHEMES LAUNCHED FOR URBAN INDIA
Prime Minister launched three schemes to rejuvenate
the urban infrastructure in India.
i) Smart Cities Mission for applying smart solutions to
improve infrastructure and service delivery in the cities.
The Rs 48,000 crore mission aims to develop the overall
quality of life for citizens in 100 selected cities and make
them
role
models
for
others
to
follow.

For power sector reforms in rural areas to ensure round

the clock electricity supply to farmers and rural
households, was formally launched in Patna on July 25.
The earlier scheme Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran
Yojana has been subsumed in the new scheme.

RULES NOTIFIED FOR FOREIGN ASSETS

The government has notified the rules for calculating
overseas income and assets under the Black Money
(Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and
Imposition of Tax Act, 2015. The rules notified by
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) say that the value
of overseas assets, including immovable property,
jewellery, archaeological collections and paintings,
shares and securities and shares in unlisted firms
abroad will be calculated at their fair market value.

ii) Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban

Transformation-AMRUT: A Rs 50,000 crore project
for infrastructure development of 500 cities with
population of over one lakh, covering basic
infrastructure like sanitation, drinking water, solid and
waste management and transport.
iii) Housing For All: To ensure decent houses for all the
needy, particularly the economically weaker sections
and low income group in all the 4041 notified towns
across the country. The scheme aims to construct 2
crores house for urban poor with central assistance of
Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.3 lakh to promote slum-free cities.

BLACK MONEY WINDOW TILL 30th SEPTEMBER

The government has given three months time till 30th
September for people to declare their undisclosed
foreign income and assets to escape prosecution under
the new Black Money Law. Those making the disclosure
during this period will have a further three-month
period till 31st December this year to pay the taxes and
the penalty on their foreign income and assets. Those
availing of the one-time compliance window would have
to pay a tax of 30% and a penalty of a similar amount.

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'.

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

NAND-GHAR YOJANA LAUNCHED

The government launched the first modernised
Anganwadi centre of India at Hasanpur village of
Sonepat in Haryana.. The centre has been set up as part
of Nand-Ghar Yojana of Union Government which aims
to transform the anganwadi centres.

FREE WI-FI HOT SPOT AT TAJ MAHAL

Visitors to Taj Mahal will soon be able to access internet
through wi-fi hotspots with launched by the BSNL from
June 16. The service will be free of cost for 30 minutes
in 24 hours and shall be charged subsequently. BSNL
plans to set up 40,000 such Wi-Fi hotspots across the
country in three years at a cost of Rs. 6,000 crore.

HEALTH PHONE PROGRAMME LAUNCHED

Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) in collaboration
with Ministry of Women and Child Development
launched the IAP Health Phone programme, the
world's largest digital mass education programme to
address malnutrition in women and children.

13

WEBSITE LAUNCHED FOR MISSING CHILDREN

APP LAUNCHED FOR BLOOD BANK LOCATION

The Women and Child Development Ministry has

launched a new website - www.khoyapaya.gov.in to
serve as a platform for people to not only report a
missing child but also track the efforts towards his or
her recovery. The website will answer all queries as to
what action is to be taken when a child goes missing.

APP LAUNCHED TO CLEAN GANGA

The Centre has started a mobile application, Bhuvan
Ganga, where the public can upload pictures of pollution
sources of the Ganga River for further action by the
authorities concerned. The app will be supported by the
National Remote Sensing Centre and ISRO.

JAL KRANTI ABHIYAN LAUNCHED

Government has launched a mobile application for easy

access of information regarding the nearest blood bank
in the country. Prepared by the National Blood
Transfusion Council, it covers all the 2760 licensed
blood banks of the country.

SMS WEATHER ALERTS FOR FARMERS

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, which
will give information on adverse weather condition to
farmers through SMS. So far, one crore farmers have
registered with the portal for receiving SMS alerts.
Ministry for water resources launched a Jal Kranti
Abhiyan 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.

EPFO MAKES UAN MANDATORY

Employees Provident Funds Organisation-EPFO has
decided to make Universal Account Number (UAN)
mandatory for all employers covered under the EPF and
Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952.

BILL TO REPLACE BIS ACT 1986

The government approved a new bill to replace the
existing Bureau of Indian Standards, BIS Act 1986 to
ensure supply of quality products and services to the
consumers. Currently, only products and systems come
under the ambit of standards and the bill proposes to
include services under the standardisation regime.

RAILWAY TIES UP WITH AIRLINES

Railways have entered in to a tie-up with Spice Jet and
Go Air airlines to enable the train travellers whose ticket
is wait-listed to cancel the train ticket and instead get on
to a flight of either airline by paying some extra fare.

INSURANCE POOL FOR NUCLEAR RISKS

The Union government has launched an insurance pool
of Rs. 1,500 crore, mandatory under the Civil Liability
for Nuclear Damage Act to offset the financial burden on
foreign nuclear suppliers in case of an accident. Under
the pool, nuclear operators liability and suppliers
special contingency insurance policies will be offered.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

WORKDAYS UNDER NREGA INCREASED TO 150

Govt. has decided to increase the number of workdays
under NREGA scheme from 100 days to 150 days, only
in drought affected areas. The scheme will be
applicable only to those households which complete 100
days of work.

NEW INCOME TAX RETURN FORMS

Union Finance Ministry has introduced two new forms
for filing income tax returns (ITR) for the year 2014-15 ITR-2 and ITR-2A. Form ITR-2 is for individuals and
Hindu Undivided Families (HUF) having income from
more than one house property and capital gains. Form
ITR-2A is for individuals who have income from more
than one residence.

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).
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.

14

 Indian Renewable Energy and Development

INDIA TO GROW BY 7.8% - FITCH

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.

Global rating agency Fitch says that India is expected to

grow at 7.8 per cent in 2015. Its Global Growth Outlook
report says that the Indian Government's strong drive to
implement structural reforms should lead to
improvements in the business environment and, over
the time, to an increase in investments.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS
AUGUST 2015
INDIA MAY SLIP TO 7% GROWTH: MOODYs

INDIA SET TO GROW BY 7.5% - IMF

In its World Economic Outlook Update, the IMF has
retained India's growth forecast for current year at 7.5
percent, which is higher than China's 6.8 per cent. The
report projects current year global economy growth
forecast at 3.3 per cent.

GDP CROSSES $2 TRILLION MARK W B

According to latest World Bank data, Indias GDP
reached the $2.06 trillion mark in 2014. After taking 60
years to reach the $1-trillion mark, India added the next
trillion in just seven years. Indias gross national
income per person rose to $1,610 (around Rs. 1 lakh) a
year during 2014. Indias growth rate, at 7.4 per cent in
2014, makes it the fastest growing major economy.

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.

EXPORTS CONTINUE TO SHRINK IN JULY

With global demand not showing any signs of a pickup,
India's merchandise exports contracted for the eighth
month running in July to $ 23.1 billion, registering a 10.3
per cent drop over last year. Imports fell 10.3 per cent to
$35.9 billion, leading to a trade deficit of $12.8 billion.
Indian Forex reserves gained $1.08 billion in the week
ended August 14, rising to $354.43 billion.
On the back of rising consumer goods production,
Index of Industrial Production showed a growth of
3.8 per cent in June.
Core sector output grew at a slower pace of 3% in
June. Sectors like coal and steel turned weak while oil
and gas production fell.

JUNE 2015
GDP GROWS BY 7.3% IN 2014-15
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) due to improvement in
the performance of both services as well as
manufacturing sectors. It was 6.9 per cent in 2013-14.
The fourth quarter (January-March) of last fiscal saw the
economy grow at 7.5 per cent.

INDIA MAY GROW BY 8 %: NOMURA

Global brokerage firm Nomura said in a research note
that lower inflation, easier financial conditions, policy
efforts and rising profit margins are expected to back up
a cyclical recovery in Indian economy that may grow by
8 per cent this fiscal.

JULY 2015
ADB PUTS INDIAs GROWTH AT 7.8%

The Asian Development Bank has projected that Indian

economy is likely to grow at 7.8 per cent in the year
2014-15, making it the fastest growing economy, but
cautioned that delay in land and taxation reforms could
hinder growth.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

15

INDIA TO TOP IN GROWTH WORLD BANK

RAJESH EXPORTS IS WORLD NO 1 IN JWELLERY

The latest Global Economic Prospects report from the

World Bank says that India is expected to top the
growth chart in world, growing by 7.5 per cent this year,
surpassing China which is projected to grow at 7.1 per
cent this year.

OECD PUTS INDIAs GROWTH AT 7.3%

Paris-based think tank Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) has said that
Indias economic growth is projected to remain strong
and stable at 7.3% in 2015 on the back of revival in
investments even as more reforms are needed to reduce
uncertainties over taxation norms.

RBI LOWERS GDP GROWTH TO 7.6%

The Reserve Bank has lowered the economic growth
forecast for the year 2015-16 to 7.6 per cent from 7.8
per cent projected in April, citing various risks,
including poor monsoon and rising crude oil prices.
Both lower than average monsoon and higher food
inflation would lead to reduction in demand.

ECONOMY & INDUSTRY

AUGUST 2015
3 INDIAN COs IN INNOVATION LIST

Worlds largest gold jewellery manufacturer - Rajesh

Exports Ltd. Bengaluru, has acquired Switzerland based
Valcambi, the worlds 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.

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 years 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.

The Union Cabinet has approved construction of

Three Indian companies, Hindustan Unilever, Sun

Pharma Industries and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
have been named among the worlds 100 most
innovative companies list compiled by Forbes magazine
of USA. The list is topped by Tesla Motors of USA.

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.

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.

JULY 2015
IOC IS TOP CORPORATE OF INDIA

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.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

Seven Indian companies are among the world's 500

largest companies, according to a list compiled by
Fortune Magazine, USA. The list is topped by retail giant
Walmart. The 7 Indian companies are Indian Oil
(119th), followed by Reliance Industries, Tata Motors,
State Bank of India, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan
Petroleum, and ONGC.

16

SUBSIDY ON KEROSENE FIXED AT Rs 12/LTR

WORLD BANK FUNDING FOR EDFC

The World Bank has approved an additional loan of
$650 million for the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor
(EDFC), which is aimed at faster delivery of goods
between the northern and eastern parts of the country,
from Ludhiana to Kolkata.

LIMIT ON EPF WITHDRAWAL

The government has decided to cap the subsidy on

kerosene at Rs 12 per litre. Currently, it is being sold
through the public distribution system at Rs 14.96 per
litre against the actual cost of Rs 33.47.

TELE CONNECTIONS CROSS 1 BILLION MARK

The total number of telephone connections in India
crossed the 1 billion mark in May, reaching 1,002.05
million, of which 975.78 million connections were
wireless or mobile, the data released by TRAI shows.

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)

has proposed that an employee be allowed to withdraw
only 75% of the overall kitty, instead of 100% as
permitted under the existing Employees' Provident
Funds Scheme, 1952, in case of resignation from a job or
for any other use before retirement.

CIBIL TO CHECK BIMA CLAIMS

The Life
Insurance
Council has
engaged Credit
Information Bureau India Ltd (CIBIL) to detect
duplication of death claims under the Pradhan Mantri
Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojna. There is a possibility that
several customers bought policies from many banks and
therefore the need to check duplicate claims arise.

MILLIONAIRES GROWING IN INDIA

The Electronic Toll Collection system was launched

A report by the Wealth X and UBS bank, Switzerland

says that the number of dollar millionaires in India in
2014 rose to 2.5 lakh from 1.96 lakh in 2013, an
increase of 27 per cent.

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.

RECORD MARINE EXPORTS IN 2014-15

The marine product exports from India crossed all
previous records in quantity, rupee value and dollar
terms in 2014-15, touching an all time high of Rs 33,441
crore. Frozen shrimps continued to be the flagship
product among Indian seafood exports by earning 67
per cent of the total value.

MOBILE APP FOR DAIRY FARMERS

JUNE 2015
MSP FOR PADDY AND PULSES HIKED

The National Dairy Development Board has launched a

mobile application named Pashu Poshan that will help
dairy farmers in boosting their income by raising milk
yield and cutting feed cost.

INDIAN ARMY/RLYs AMONG TOP EMPLOYERS

As per the World Economic Forum, the Indian Army and
the Indian Railways are among the worlds biggest
employers, employing 1.4 and 1.3 million, respectively,
securing 7th and 8th rank. The US Department of Defence
is at number one, employing over 3.2 million persons,
followed by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army with 2.3
million employees.

ICRISAT LAUNCHES GREEN PHABLET

Scientists at the Hyderabad based ICRISATInternational Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid
Tropics and the Government of Telangana have
collaborated to launch the Green Phablet for farmers in
Telangana to provide online weather alerts.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has

increased the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy
by Rs 50 to Rs 1,410 per quintal for this year, as per the
recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural
Costs and Prices (CACP).
Commodity
Paddy
Paddy
Jowar
Bajra
Maize
Cotton Med.

Rs./quintal
1410
1450
1570
1275
1325
3800

Commodity
Ragi
Tuar / Urad
Moong
Groundnut
Sunflower Seed
Cotton long

Rs./quintal
1650
4625
4850
4030
3800
4100

17

LITTLE INDIAN MONEY IN SWISS BANKS

As per the latest data released by Switzerland's central

banking authority SNB (Swiss National Bank), Indians'
money in Swiss banks declined by over 10 per cent to
about 1.8 billion Swiss francs (USD 1.98 billion or Rs
12,615 crore) in 2014. India has moved down to the
61st place in terms of foreigners' money in Swiss banks,
having a share of just 0.123 per cent.

TARGET FOR SOLAR ENERGY UP BY 5 TIMES

The Cabinet has approved stepping up of Indias solar
power capacity target under the Jawaharlal Nehru
National Solar Mission by five times, reaching 1,00,000
Mega Watt by 2022. The target will principally comprise
of 40,000 mega watt Rooftop and 60,000 mega watt
through Large and Medium Scale Grid Connected Solar
Power Projects.

TWO COMMITTEES FOR GST IMPLEMENTATION

Finance Ministry has set up two committees for
facilitating the implementation of Goods and Services
Tax from 1st of April next year. The first committee will
suggest tax rates and look into IT preparedness for the
new indirect tax regime. The second committee would
monitor the progress of IT preparedness of
GSTN/CBEC/Tax authorities.

IPO NORMS REVISED BY SEBI

Investment in all IPOs (Initial Public Offering) opening
on or after 1 January 2016, has been made cheque-free
by SEBI by making ASBA (Application Supported by
Blocked Amount) mandatory for investors. Further, in a
bid to reduce the time period between the closure of an
IPO to its listing, the time allowed has been reduced
from the current 12 days to 6 days.
In the ASBA facility, the required amount is blocked in the
investors bank account and is debited only when the
shares are allotted to the investor. This helps in doing
away with the entire refund process that normally takes a
couple of days.

MUMBAI MOST EXPENSIVE IN INDIA

Luanda, capital of Angola has been rated as the worlds
costliest city to live in, as per Global HR firm Mercers
"Cost of Living Survey 2015". Mumbai was rated as the
most expensive city in India.

VEDANTA TAKES OVER CAIRN INDIA

Indias largest private miner Vedanta, headed by
billionaire Anil Agarwal, decided to absorb oil firm Cairn
India in a $2.3-billion all-share deal to create Indias
largest diversified natural resources company.

IMPORT PRICE HIKED FOR ARECA NUTS

The government has decided to increase the Minimum
Import Price, MIP on import of Areca nuts from existing
Rs 110 per kilogram to Rs 162 with immediate effect in
order to protect local growers from cheaper imports.

PROJECT LAUNCHED FOR WATERWAYS

MEP HIKED FOR ONIONS

The government has hiked the Minimum Export Price
(MEP) of onion by 175 dollar per tonne to 425 dollar
per tonne to discourage exports and ensure adequate
supply in the domestic market and contain price rise of
the commodity

LISTING NORMS RELAXED FOR STARTUPS

The Securities & Exchange Board of India has
announced relaxed listing norms and liberalized several
other terms to encourage the booming start-up industry
to tap the local market so that local investors can also
access to the dramatic growth opportunities offered by
such firms.

INDIA HAS GOOD NUMBER OF SUPER RICH

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, according to the
Boston Consulting Group's 'Global Wealth 2015 report.
USA stands at number one (5201), followed by China
(1037) and UK (1019).
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

The 'Jal Marg Vikas' (National Waterway-1) project on

River Ganges, which envisages developing a 1620 kms
water way between Allahabad and Haldia stretch, has
taken off 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 Russias
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.

18

BANKING & FINANCE

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
(See article on Page No. 20)

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.

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.

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 Cooperative Societies Act and come under the Companies
Act. All new banks in the private sector are governed by
the latter law.

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.

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.

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.

BANDHAN BANK JOINS BANKING INDUSTRY

Bandhan Bank began operations on August 23 as a fullfledged 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.

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.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

19

PAYMENT BANKS
RBI has recently granted in principle approval to 11
entities for setting up Payment Banks.
Key features of the Payments Banks guidelines are:
i)
OBJECTIVES:
The objectives of setting up of payments banks will be to
further financial inclusion by providing (i) small savings
accounts and (ii) payments/remittance services to
migrant labour workforce, low income households,
small businesses, other unorganised sector entities and
other users.
ii)
ELIGIBLE PROMOTERS :
a. Existing non-bank Pre-paid Payment Instrument
(PPI) issuers; and other entities such as individuals /
professionals; Non-Banking Finance Companies
(NBFCs), corporate Business Correspondents(BCs),
mobile telephone companies, super-market chains,
companies, real sector cooperatives; that are owned and
controlled by residents; and public sector entities can
apply to set up payments banks.
b. A promoter/promoter group can have a joint
venture with an existing scheduled commercial bank to
set up a payments bank. However, scheduled
commercial bank can take equity stake in a payments
bank to the extent permitted under Section 19 (2) of the
Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
c. Promoter/promoter groups should be fit and
proper with a sound track record of professional
experience or running their businesses for at least a
period of five years in order to be eligible to promote
payments banks.
iii)
SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES:
a. Acceptance of demand deposits. Payments bank
will initially be restricted to holding a maximum balance
of Rs. 100,000 per individual customer.
b. Issuance of ATM/debit cards. Payments banks,
however, cannot issue credit cards.
c. Payments and remittance services through various
channels.
d. BC of another bank, subject to the Reserve Bank
guidelines on BCs.
e. Distribution of non-risk sharing simple financial
products like mutual fund units and insurance products,
etc.
iv)
DEPLOYMENT OF FUNDS:
a. The payments bank cannot undertake lending
activities.
b. Apart from amounts maintained as Cash Reserve
Ratio (CRR) with the Reserve Bank on its outside
demand and time liabilities, it will be required to invest
minimum 75 per cent of its "demand deposit balances"
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

in Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) eligible Government

securities/treasury bills with maturity up to one year
and hold maximum 25 per cent in current and
time/fixed deposits with other scheduled commercial
banks for operational purposes and liquidity
management.
v)
CAPITAL REQUIREMENT :
The minimum paid-up equity capital for payments
banks shall be Rs. 100 crore.
a. The payments bank should have a leverage ratio of
not less than 3 per cent, i.e., its outside liabilities should
not exceed 33.33 times its net worth (paid-up capital
and reserves).
vi)
PROMOTER'S CONTRIBUTION:
The promoter's minimum initial contribution to the
paid-up equity capital of such payments bank shall at
least be 40 per cent for the first five years from the
commencement of its business.
vii)
FOREIGN SHAREHOLDING:
The foreign shareholding in the payments bank would
be as per the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy for
private sector banks as amended from time to time.
viii)
OTHER CONDITIONS:
a. The operations of the bank should be fully
networked and technology driven from the beginning,
conforming to generally accepted standards and norms.
b. The bank should have a high powered Customer
Grievances Cell to handle customer complaints.
The concept of Payment Banks is based on the
recommendations made by Nachiket Mor committee
appointed by RBI to improve financial inclusion. It had
proposed the concept of differentiated banking,
proposing Small Banks and Wholesale Banks to cater to
the needs of different strata of society. Now, RBI has
selected entities with experience in different sectors,
with different capabilities so that different models could
be tried. As payments banks cannot undertake lending,
these would not be subject to the same risks as a full
service bank. However, while selecting them, it did
ensure that all the selected applicants have the reach
and the technological and financial strength to service
hitherto excluded customers across the country. These
applications were screened for financial soundness, i.e.,
five year track record of the promoter and the key
entities of the promoter group.
Reserve Bank intends to use the learning from this
licensing round to appropriately revise the Guidelines
and move to giving licences more regularly, that is,
virtually on tap.

***

***

20

INDRADHANUSH TO REVIVE BANKS

INTT SUBVENTION OF 3% ON FARM LOANS

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.
(See Article on Page No. 23)

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 to enable public sector banks,
private sector commercial banks, regional rural banks,
cooperative banks and NABARD to provide these loans
at 7 per cent per anum during 2015-16.

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 International Yoga Day. The coins will have image of lion
capital on one side and logo of Yoga Day on the other.
The Central Government 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.
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.
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 per
cent.

JULY 2015
BANK ACCOUNTS SWELL UNDER PMJDY
Latest data on the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana
website shows that 16.9 crore accounts were opened as
of July 15, across public, private and rural regional
banks with a combined balance of Rs 20,288 crore. The
share of zero-balance accounts has come down to
50.6%, suggesting that the usage of accounts is
increasing.

RBI ASKS BANKS TO MAKE USE OF CRILC DATA

With a view to improving credit discipline and reducing
the NPA levels, the Reserve Bank has asked the banks to
use the credit information available with Central
Repository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC), a
database for all big borrowers launched by it, for
verifying the credit history of the applicant before the
opening their current accounts.

QUICK AUTO LOANS FROM HDFC BANK

HDFC Bank's digital banking offering christened Go
Digital has designed a 30-minute auto loan and 15minute two-wheeler loan for loan seekers, based on
their Aadhaar card and finger prints.

NPAs IN PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS JUMP TO 5.4%

Bad loans in public sector banks have increased to Rs
2.67 lakh crore at the end of March 2015 from Rs 2.16
lakh crore in the last year. Gross NPA Ratio of these
banks increased to 5.43 per cent at the end of March
2015 as compared to 4.72 per cent last year.

UNITED BANK DOWN WITH NPAs

The United Bank of India has topped the list of public
sector banks with the maximum bad loans including
restructured assets as a percentage of total advances;
with 21.5 per cent of its loans classified as NPA or have
been restructured to save them from turning NPA.

FASTER HOME LOANS FROM SBI

The State Bank of India has launched 'Project Tatkal' to
attract home loan seekers by offering them the loan
within 10 days after the receipt of application form and
the relevant supporting documents.

ICICI BANK GOES FOR FASTER TRANSACTIONS

ICICI Bank has created a dedicated payments gateway
for much faster transactions for its customers. Over 60
per cent of the banks transactions are happening
through mobile and internet banking channels.

SBI TO REWARD ITS CUSTOMERS

SMALL BANKS MAY ISSUE DEBIT CARDS
The Reserve Bank has permitted the banks without ATM
network to collaborate with bigger banks that have their
ATM network to issue debit cards in tie-up to promote
cashless transactions. Co-op banks will also be allowed
to issue debit cards with a bigger bank as a sponsor.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

The State Bank of India has launched a mobile banking

app State Bank Rewardz to give reward points to all its
customers for almost every banking transaction done
with the bank. The customers can view and redeem
their reward points by shopping through this mobile
app or at merchant establishments. Every 4 points
earned by a customer would get a reward of Rs 1.

21

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

22

INDRADHANUSH
NEW LIFE FOR BANKS
The government of India in a bid to improve the
functioning of the Public Sector Banks has announced a
comprehensive seven step programme aptly named
Indradhanush. The objective of the programme is
capital efficiency rather than business growth. This
seven step approach can be categorised as A to G
approach involving following agenda :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Appointments
Bank Board Bureau
Capitalisation
De-stressing PSBs
Empowerment
Framework of Accountability
Governance Reforms.

1. Appointments: It has been decided to separate the

post of Chairman and Managing Director by
prescribing that in the subsequent vacancies to be
filled up the CEO will get the designation of MD &
CEO and there would be another person who would
be appointed as non-Executive Chairman of PSBs.
The entire process of selection for MD & CEO has
been revamped. Private sector candidates can also
apply for these vacancies. Already position of MD &
CEO of the five top banks i.e. Punjab National Bank,
Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, IDBI Bank and Canara
Bank have been filled with candidates from private
sector banks.

3. Capitalisation: The PSBs are adequately capitalised

and meeting all the Basel III and RBI norms. However,
the Government of India wants to adequately
capitalise all the banks to keep a safe buffer over and
above the minimum norms of Basel III.
The capital requirement of public sector banks for the
next four years up to FY 2019 is likely to be about
Rs.1,80,000 crore. Out of the total requirement, the
Government of India has proposed to make available
Rs.70,000 crores out of budgetary allocations for as
per the figures given below:
(i)
Financial Year 2015 -16 - Rs. 25,000 crore
(ii)
(ii) Financial Year 2016-17 - Rs. 25,000 crore
(iii)
(iii) Financial Year 2017-18 - Rs. 10,000 crore
(iv)
(iv) Financial Year 2018-19 - Rs. 10,000 crore
Total - Rs. 70,000 crore
The government expects that the valuations of the
banks will improve with proper implementation of
these steps and it will help PSBs to raise the remaining
Rs. 1,10,000 crore from the market.
4. De-stressing PSBs: The public sector banks have
been the major lenders to the infrastructure sector but
due to several factors, projects are increasingly
stalled/stressed thus leading to NPA burden on banks.
The govt. has initiated a number of steps to remove the
bottlenecks being faced by infrastructure companies to
improve their viability.

2. Bank Board Bureau: The government has decided

that the BBB will be a body of eminent professionals
and officials, which will replace the Appointments
Board for appointment of Whole-time Directors as
well as non-Executive Chairman of PSBs. They will
also constantly engage with the Board of Directors of
all the PSBs to formulate appropriate strategies for
their growth and development.
The structure of the BBB is going to be as follows:
i) Chairman ii) Six members of which three will be
officials and three experts (of which two would
necessarily be from the banking sector).
The Search Committee for members of the BBB
would comprise of the Governor, RBI and Secretary
(FS) and Secretary (DoPT) as members.
The members will be selected in the next six months
and the BBB will start functioning from the 1st April,
2016.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

23

5.

6.

i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.

Empowerment: The Government has issued a

circular that there will be no interference from
Government and Banks will be encouraged to
take their decision independently keeping the
commercial interest of the organisation in
mind.
A cleaner distinction between
interference and intervention has been made.
Banks have been asked to build a robust
Grievances
Redressal
Mechanism
for
customers as well as staff so that concerns of
the affected are addressed effectively in time
bound manner. The Government intends to
provide greater flexibility to banks in hiring
manpower.
Framework of Accountability: Instead of
fixing the targets, the performance of the
executives will be judged on basis of a new
framework of Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs) which can be quantitatively measured.
These KPIs are :
Efficiency of capital use
Diversification of business/processes
NPA management
Financial inclusion
Strategic initiatives to improve asset quality
and efforts made to conserve capital, HR
initiatives and improvement of credit rating.

7. Governance Reforms: The government has initiated

the governance reforms by engaging all the stake
holders when it organised Gyan Sangam - a conclave
of PSBs and FIs held in Pune last year. This conclave
was attended by Prime Minister, Finance
Minister,Governor, RBI and CMDs of all PSBs and FIs.
This will remain the regular feature and the next such
conclave is scheduled to be held in 2016.
It will provide a valuable platform for all the
executives and the stakeholders to engage in
meaningful discussion and make valuable feedback
and proposals to the government / RBI.
According to analysts and credit rating
agencies, the concept of Indradhanush has addressed
almost all the issues confronting the Public Sector
Banks. It has also implemented almost all the
recommendations of P.J. Nayak Committee, except
relating to the majority stake of the government. It is
expected that these measures will boost the working
and hence profitability of public sector banks. The
malaise in the banking sector runs deeper than it seems.
They are burdened with the welfare functions of the
state and are expected to meet the expectations of the
government like implementing Jan Dhan Yojna Scheme
etc.; while the private sector banks are spared this extra
load. Similarly, the Bank Board Bureau is in no way
different from the existing system and a real structural
change can only be effected by creating an autonomous
Holding Company, which is still elusive in the scheme
of things.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

.....continued

JULY 2015

MTS OPERATORS TO ISSUE PRE PAID CARDS

The 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 to
provide ease to the commuters. The balance in these
cards should not exceed Rs 2000 at any point of time.
The card will have a minimum validity of six months and
the amount will be non-refundable

Axis Bank has signed a $200 million loan deal with

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 a five-year action plan to
spread the reach of financial services to unbanked
population.
Corporation Bank has launched the countrys 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
RBI LOWERS REPO RATE TO 7.25%
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 Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)
was kept unchanged at 4%.
This is the third reduction in rates during this
year aimed at boosting investment and growth. It is
expected that now the banks may lower the interest rate
on loans, leading to reduction in the amount of EMIs.
The new rates are as under: (w.e.f. 02.06.2015)
Repo Rate7.25%
Reverse Repo6.25%
Marginal Standing Facility8.25%
Bank Rate8.25%
Statutory Liquidity Ratio..21.5%
Cash Reserve Ratio4.0%

24

NEW DOCUMENTS FOR ADDRESS PROOF

BANKS TO TAKEOVER LOANEE COMPANIES

The Reserve Bank has allowed the banks to take control
of debt-laden companies by converting loans into equity
if a debt restructuring fails to revive them within a
stipulated time frame. Allowing loan conversion will
now be a pre-condition for all debt restructuring deals.
In a first such case, IDFC has replaced the promoters of
SV Power and brought in a new equity investor to revive
the company that missed payment schedules.

Reserve Bank of India has allowed postpaid mobile

service, piped gas and water supply bills to be submitted
as proof of address (not more than 2 months old) for
opening bank account of low-risk persons. The
government has amended the Prevention of Money
Laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005 for
providing these relaxations.
Some other documents approved as officially
valid documents (OVDs) for proof of address include
Bank/ post office account statement; pension or family
pension payment orders (PPOs), letter of allotment of
accommodation from official bodies.

NEW SAFER 100 RUPEE NOTE

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, while the first three alpha0numeric characters
(prefix) will remain constant in size.

BANKS ALLOWED BORROWING FROM ABROAD

The Reserve Bank has allowed the banks to borrow
from global multilateral financial institutions for general
banking business. They can do so without seeking the
central banks approval. The objective is to make the
funding process easier.

RBI ALLOWS RUPEE LINKED BONDS OVERSEAS

RBI has permitted Indian corporates, eligible to raise
external commercial borrowings (ECBs), to issue rupeelinked bonds overseas. The RBI has proposed that the
subscription, coupon payments and redemption might
be settled in foreign currency.

NEW RBI RULES FOR GOVT SECURITIES

The RBI has issued the final guidelines for the 6-year
and 13-year cash settled Interest Rate Futures (IRF) on
government securities with residual maturity of 4-8
years and 11-15 years, respectively, under the Interest
Rate Futures (RBI) Directions, 2015.

SBI TO PROMOTE YOUTH FOR INDIA

State Bank of India has selected 100 highly qualified
candidates for its 13-month fellowship programme
`Youth for India'. These candidates will work with one
of the seven NGOs that have a partnership with the bank
to work in rural areas.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

NSFR GUIDELINES ISSUED BY RBI

The Reserve Bank has issued the draft guidelines on the
net stable funding ratio (NSFR) under Basel III
framework on liquidity standards for banks and sought
comments from all stakeholders by June 26.
The NSFR is defined as the amount of available stable
funding relative to the amount of required stable funding.

PURI IS HIGHEST PAID CEO IN INDIAN BANKS

Aditya Puri, the Managing
Director of HDFC Bank, has
again become the highest
paid bank chief in the
country, earning a salary of
Rs 7.39 crore compared to
Rs 6.07 crore last year, up
21.74%. The next in line is
Chanda Kochhar, CEO ICICI
Bank at Rs 5.85 crore,
followed by Shikha Sharma,
CEO, Axis Bank at Rs 4.17 crore.

PAYMENT NORMS FOR BANK DIRECTORS

The Reserve Bank has capped the remuneration of nonexecutive director of private banks to Rs 10 lakh per
annum while the compensation of non-executive parttime chairman will require a prior approval from the
RBI. Banks will have to disclose the remuneration paid
to the directors on an annual basis in their annual
financial statements.

CARD FREE PAYMENT APP FROM HDFC BANK

HDFC Bank has launched a mobile phone application,
PayZapp, for online payments and money transfer.
Customers would be able to make money transfers, eshopping, buy tickets, pay utility bills and recharge their
mobile and DTH connections with just one click and a
single PIN entry, without using debit / credit cards.

10 LAKH CARD SWIPE MACHINES FROM SBI

State Bank of India will install 10 lakh payment card
swipe machines (point of sales terminals) across the
country, which will double the number of places where
card payments are accepted. The bank will also launch a
huge campaign to make public aware about the cash
withdrawal of up to Rs 1,000 at these terminals to
reduce pressure on ATMs.

25

 The Department of Post (India Post) has signed a deal

Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd and Europes

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 pre2005 currency notes by six months 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.

Airbus Helicopters set up a joint venture to manufacture military helicopters for the first time in India.
Indias first Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence
and Surveillance System was commissioned in Kochi,
Kerala to beef up coastal security.

DEFENCE, SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY
AUGUST 2015
UK AND INDIA CODUCT INDRADHANUSH

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

Indias 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.

UNIQUE SOLAR OBSERVATORY AT UDAIPUR

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 Forces Eurofighter Typhoon aircrafts
in the exercise.

Asias 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.

GOOGLE FORMS NEW COMPANY ALPHABET

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.

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 Geosynchronous 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.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

G oog le ha s reorga ni zed 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.

26

GOOGLE LAUNCHES INTERNET SAATHI

The USA has agreed to provide technological support

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.

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.

NEON GAS DETECTED ON MOON

NASAs Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment
Explorer (LADEE) has confirmed the presence of
glowing neon gas in the moons atmosphere. Neon gas is
commonly used in electric signs on Earth because of its
intense glow. The spacecraft was made to crash on
moons 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.

JULY 2015
INS VIRAAT TO BECOME A MUSEUM

ISRO TESTS ITS CRYOGENIC ENGINE

The ISRO successfully test-fired the first indigenous
high-thrust cryogenic rocket engine for more than its
full duration at its Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri
in southern Tamil Nadu. The engine was run for 800
seconds, which is 25 per cent more than the burn
duration of the engine during flight. This test will boost
Indias Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLVMark III project aimed at carrying four-tonne payloads.

ISRO LAUNCHES ITS HEAVIEST EVER PAYLOAD

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV C-28
successfully put into orbit five British satellites within
20 minutes of its lift off from Satish Dhawan Space
Centre, Sriharikotta, Andhra Pradesh. It was Indian
Space Research Organisations biggest and the heaviest
commercial launch till date. The overall liftoff mass of
the five satellites added up to 1,440 kg that was placed
at a height of about 653 km above the earth.

RASHTRIYA AVISHKAR ABHIYAN

The HRD Ministry has launched a Rashtriya Avishkar
Abhiyan under which the government schools will be
mentored by top-level higher education institutes like
IITs, IIMs, Universities etc. to inculcate a spirit of
inquiry, creativity and love for science and mathematics
among school children. The govt. has decided to name
this programme after late Sh. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

INS Viraat, the oldest aircraft carrier in the world, will

soon be converted into a museum. It will be docked at
the shores of Kakinada port on Andhra coast and is to be
decommissioned in 2016. It was first commissioned in
1959 in the British Royal Navy as HMS Hermes and was
transferred to India in 1987.

AKASH INDUCTED INTO AIR FORCE

The ingeniously-developed supersonic surface-to-air
missile "Akash" was formally inducted into the Indian
Air Force in Gwalior. It has a speed three times faster
than that of sound and can hit eight targets at a time. It
has already been inducted into the Indian Army.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

27

NEW HORIZONS PASSES BY PLUTO

CLIMATE SCIENTISTS MEET IN PARIS

NASAs New Horizons spacecraft has provi-ded the

closest-ever pictures of the Pluto, showing the details of
its geology. It was launched nine years ago, and is still
going on at a speed of 50,000 kmph.

Nearly 2,000 climate scientists gathered in Paris for a

four day international science conference to deliberate
on curbing the greenhouse gas emission levels. The
meet was in preparation for the forthcoming UN climate
conference to be held in December 2015, at which 195
nations will finalize a new global climate pact.

ONLINE SIGNING SERVICE LAUNCHED

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 appFacebook Lite, a lighter version optimised for slower
data connections for Android phones in India.
eMudhra Ltd of Bengaluru became the first company in
India to launch online electronic signature service
called eSign. Based on the Aadhaar number, these
signatures are legally valid under the Information
Technology Act, 2000.

JUNE 2015
INS VIKRANT COMPLETES FIRST PHASE

EARTH LIKE PLANET DISCOVERED

Astronomers at NASA have found a planet which is 'the
closest twin to Earth' ever seen. Named Kepler-452b, it
is the smallest world discovered orbiting in the
habitable zone of a star. It is located about 1,400 light
years away in the constellation Cygnus.

FIRST EVER VACCINE AGAINST MALARIA

The world's first malaria vaccine Mosquirix has got a
green signal from the European drugs regulators. It has
been licensed for use on babies in Africa to contain the
risk of the mosquito-borne disease.

WORLDS LARGEST RADIO TELESCOPE

China is about to complete construction of the world's
largest single-aperture radio telescope FAST in 2016.
Built in the deep mountains of Chinas Guizhou province,
the diameter of the telescopes reflector will be 500
meters and will be made up of 4,450 panels. Each panel
is an equilateral triangle with a side length of 11 metres.

SOLAR PLANE CREATES NEW RECORDS

Solar Impulse, the solar-powered airplane, created two
new world records when it landed in Hawaii after
making a historic 7,200 km flight across the Pacific in
118 hours from Nagoya, Japan. The distance covered
and the times spent in the air are the new records by a
manned, solar-powered flight.

India crossed a major milestone in defence shipbuilding

when its first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was
undocked on completion of structural work at the Cochin
Shipyard Ltd. The ship will undergo a series of fitment and
trial processes before it is ready for induction in the Navy.

ARMY KILLS 50 MILITANTS IN MYANMAR

Indian Army, in coordination with the Air Force, carried
out surgical operations (cross-border operation) inside
Myanmar to target the militant groups responsible for
killing of 18 Indian soldiers. In this first-of-its-kind
cross-border operation, about 50 militants of groups
namely NSCN (K) and KYKL were killed.

DEFENCE AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH USA

India and US have signed a new strategically important
10-year defence framework agreement setting the stage
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.

JUNE 30 TO HAVE LEAP SECOND

CSIR SETS UP MAV TEST TUNNEL

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. According to NASA, the earth's rotation is
gradually slowing down a bit, so leap seconds are a way
to account for this change.

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 to
test the fixed-wing, flapping-wing and rotary-wing
MAVs (Micro Air Vehicle).

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

28

ANDROID APP SAKAAR LAUNCHED BY ISRO

ISRO has developed an android-based, augmented
reality application named Sakaar to highlight the
achievements of the Department of Space during the
past one year.
Augmented Reality is a live, direct view of a physical,
real-world environment whose elements are augmented
(or supplemented) by computer-generated 3D models,
animations, videos etc.

COLOUR CHANGING SKIN INVENTED

Scientists led by an Indian-origin researcher in USA
have developed the world's first full-colour, flexible
ultra-thin nano-structured film that can change colours
by applying voltage. Traditional displays like those on a
mobile phone require a light source, filters and glass
plates but this new method doesn't need its own light
source. Rather, it reflects the ambient light around it,
just like colour changing by octopus and chameleons.

OPTION TO UNDO SENT MAIL

Technology giant Google has now introduced an Undo
option that will help its users to cancel the delivery of
misdirected or inappropriate emails within 30 seconds
of hitting the send button.

GALAXY NAMED AFTER RONALDO

A team of European scientists has discovered the
brightest galaxy in the early universe CR-7 that
contains the first generation of stars, and have
nicknamed it after popular Portuguese foot-ball player
Cristiano Ronaldo.

INTERNATIONAL
AUGUST 2015
UN TO ADOPT 17 POINT DEV AGENDA
The United Nations has finalised a 17 point new
development agenda for the next 15 years. It will
succeed the eight Millennium Development Goals
adopted by world leaders 15 years ago. It calls for
eradicating poverty and hunger, achieving gender
equality, improving living standards and taking urgent
action to combat climate change.
The document called "Transforming our World: The 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development" will be adopted at
a U N summit in late September, 2015.

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

CHINA MAKES WORLDs FIRST ELECTRIC PLANE

China has made the world's first electric passenger
aircraft that could be used in pilot training, tourism,
meteorology and rescue operations. Named BX1E, it can
carry a payload of up to 230 kgs. at an altitude of 3,000
meters. Its charging is completed within two hours,
allowing a flight time of 45 minutes to one hour, at a
maximum speed of 160 km per hour.

PHILAE WAKES UP TO SAY HELLO EARTH

The European space probe Philae woke up overnight on
June 13 after seven months-long sleep as it hurtled
towards the Sun on the back of a comet. "Hello Earth!
Can you hear me?" the tiny robot lab tweeted under the
hashtag #WakeUpPhilae.
The 100-kilogramme robot lab touched down on the
comet "67P /Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 12,
2014, after a 10-year piggybacking on space ship Rosetta.

WATER BASED COMPUTER DEVELOPED

A computer that operates using the unique physics of
moving water droplets has been developed by Manu
Prakash, an Indian-origin scientist and his team at
Stanford University, California, USA.

Chinese researchers have successfully developed the first

ATM with facial recognition technology to reduce the risk
of frauds related to ATMs.

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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.

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 lowenriched uranium to ensure nuclear fuel supplies for
power stations and preventing its use for weapons.

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 countrys seriousness concerning the
protection its territorial integrity.

29

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 cofounder 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 7th spot, earning $33.5 million each.

JULY 2015
BRICS SUMMIT HELD IN UFA
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 meet was
attended by Indian prime minister.
Mr Modi suggested Dus Kadam" or 10 steps for
boosting cooperation among the BRICS nations. These
are A trade fair, a railway research centre, cooperation
among supreme audit institutions, a digital initiative, an
agricultural research centre, a forum of state/local
governments among the BRICS nations, cooperation
among cities in the field of urbanization, an annual
sports meet, first major project of the New Development
Bank to be in the field of clean energy and a film festival.

BRICS LAUNCHES NEW DEV BANK

The BRICS group of emerging economies has launched
its New Development Bank (NDB) in Shanghai. The NDB
will lend money to developing countries to help finance
infrastructure projects. The bank is seen as an
alternative to the World Bank.

WORLD BIOFUEL DAY AUGUST 10

BRICS TO START FX POOL

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.

India will contri-bute $18 billion to the $100 billion

foreign-exchange reserve pool being set up by the BRICS
grouping to help each other "in case of any problems
with dollar liquidity". Brazil and Russia will also
contribute the same amount while China and South
Africa will contribute $41 billion and $ 5 billion,
respectively.

70TH 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.

INDIA INDUCTED INTO SCO

PM Modi also attended the SCO Shanghai Cooperation
Organization meet at Ufa. The SCO decided to include
India and Pakistan as a full member to enhance
connectivity, combat terror and create an environment
for boosting trade by easing barriers. Currently, both
India and Pakistan enjoy an observer status.

WTO TO CUT PRICES OF IT PRODUCTS

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.

Japans leading financial media house - Nikkei to buy

the noted European financial paper - Financial Times
from UKs 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 OCTOBER 2015

The World Trade Organization on July 24 finalised a list

of 201 information technology products to be freed from
import tariffs. It is the first global tariff-cutting deal in
18 years which will result in reduction of prices for
products such as computers, touch-screen devices,
games consoles and hi-fi systems causing a boost in
international trade.

30

SUEZ CANAL-II OPENED FOR TEST RUN

Trial run of the Egypt's second Suez Canal went off
successfully on July 25. The 72km (44 mile) route allows
two-way traffic and can accommodate larger vessels.
The original Suez Canal opened almost 150 years
ago and links the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea.

NUCLEAR DEAL FINALIZED WITH IRAN

A landmark nuclear agreement was finalized between
Iran and USA in Vienna to allow the UN inspectors to
visit Iranian military sites as part of their monitoring
duties. Under the deal, Iran would have the right to
challenge the UN request and an arbitration board
composed of Iran and the six world powers that
negotiated with it, would have to decide on the issue.

GREECE AGREES TO EUROZONE TERMS

In a referendum on July 5 to determine whether Greece
should accept the lenders-proposed bailout plan that
envisages serious spending cuts and tax increases,
voters resoundingly gave a no verdict, backing Prime
Minister Alexis Tsipras.
However, on July 13, Euro zone leaders led by Germany
clinched a deal with Greece to negotiate a third bailout
package of $86 billion to keep the near-bankrupt country
in the euro zone.
On July 15 the Greek Parliament approved the austerity
bill as demanded by its bailout creditors. The bill
imposing sweeping tax hikes and spending cuts will clear
the way for availing the bailout package.

WORLD POPULATION DAY OBSERVED

The World Population Day
was observed on July 11.
This years theme was
'vulnerable populations in
emergencies', which has
been
set
against
the
backdrop of the growing
number of displaced people.
The United Nations Development Programme had, in
1989, recommended July 11 as World Population Day to
draw attention to the importance of population issues.

JUNE 2015
S KOREA SUFFERS ATTACK OF MERS
Hundreds of schools were closed in South Korea as
officials struggled to ease growing panic over an
outbreak of the MERS (Middle East Respir-atory
Syndrome) virus that had infected 181 persons and
claimed over 31 lives.
MERS has now infected 1,161 people globally, with 436
deaths in more than 20 countries, with most cases in
Saudi Arabia. The virus found in Arabian Dromedary
camels, has no known cure or vaccine and, thus, is
considered a deadly disease.

AGREEMENT SIGNED FOR FORMING AIIB

57 countries, including India, signed an agreement in
Beijing for the formation of China sponsored Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The bank will
have an authorised capital of $100 billion. The bank is
expected to be operational by the end of this year.

800 YEARS OF MAGNA CARTA

On June 15, Britain marked the 800th anniversary of the
historic charter Magna Carta.
The Magna Carta, Latin for 'Great Charter' that was also
an inspiration for the US Constitution, is hailed as the
cornerstone of parliamentary democracy. On June 15,
1215, King John had met disgruntled barons and agreed
to a list of basic rights under which the foundations of
parliamentary democracy, human rights and the
supremacy of the law over the crown were first enshrined.

G-7 SUMMIT HELD IN GERMANY

The leaders of G-7 countries held their 41st summit at
Schloss Elmau, southern Germany. Russia is no more a
member of this elite group as it has been accused of
forced annexation of Crimea.
G-7 is a group of seven most industrialized nations of the
world and includes the European Union also.

RIMES TO DEVELOP EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS

The ministerial conference of The Regional Integrated
Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems (RIMES) nations
was held in New Delhi to jointly develop advanced
warning systems for cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes
and floods in Asia and Africa.
FRENCH VINEYARDS IN WORLD HERITAGE LIST
Frances vineyards in Champagne, where the worlds
famous sparkling wine Champagne is produced have
been included in UNESCO World Heritage sites, joining
the likes of Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China.

The World Trade Organisation has admitted

Kazakhstan as its 162nd member.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

31

26 AFRICAN STATES SIGN TRADE AGREEMENT

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. The deal
named as The Tripartite Free Trade Area, aims to ease
the movement of goods across member countries which
represent more than half the continent's GDP.

US TOPS IN OIL PRODUCTION

The United States has overtaken Saudi Arabia as the
world's biggest oil producer in 2014 by producing 11.6
million barrels of oil per day to topple Saudi Arabia's
11.5 million bpd production. Russia with 10.8 million
bpd oil production was placed third.

The 25th African Union summit was held at Pretoria,

South Africa on 7-8. The summit is being held with the
theme,
"Year
of
Women
Empowerment
and Development towards Africa's Agenda 2063."
The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking observed globally on 26 June, 2015 with the
theme Lets Develop our Lives, our Communities, our
identities without Drugs.

China plans to form a huge gold investment fund of

WORLDs LONGEST FREIGHT TRAIN LAUNCHED

China launched the worlds longest freight train route,

linking the city of Harbin in northeast China with the
German city of Hamburg, via Russias Trans-Siberian
line, covering a distance of 9820 km passing through
Mongolia, Russia, Belarus and Poland in 15 days.

OPCW DESTROYS 90% CHEMICAL WEAPONS

The world's chemical weapons watchdog Organisation
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has declared
that it has succeeded in destroying 90 per cent of the
global chemical weapons stockpile, calling it a "major
milestone". The stockpiles included chemicals needed to
make deadly nerve agents like Sarin.

USA SANCTIONS SAME SEX MARRIAGES

In a landmark judgment, the US Supreme Court ruled
that same-sex couples can marry nationwide,
establishing a new civil right and handing gay rights
advocates a historic victory.

USA FREEDOM ACT PASSED BY US SENATE

The US Senate passed the USA Freedom Act, making it
the first time in over thirty years that both houses of
Congress have approved a bill placing real restrictions
and oversight on the National Security Agencys
surveillance powers.

JURASSIC WORLD CREATES RECORD

The fourth installment in the Jurassic Park seriesJurassic World has become the first film to have
collections of more than 500 million dollars at the box
office in its opening weekend. It was the most popular
screening in all 66 countries where it was released.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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.

PERSONS IN NEWS
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 UNs 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 17member 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.

32

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: Worlds top ranked tennis player
appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador of the United
Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)
ALEXIS TSIPRAS: Greek Prime Minister announced his
resignation on August 20 and called for snap elections
as he went on the offensive to defend the country's
massive bailout after it triggered a rebellion within his
own party.
ABDULLAH AL-THANI: The Prime Minister of Libyas
internationally recognised government, announced his
resignation in a surprise move live on television, as a
possible solution to the ongoing fracas between the
countrys rival factions restarted.

JULY 2015
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.

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 Presidenvt of Japans
telecommunications giant SoftBank Corp with a
remuneration of $135 million for the year 2014, making
him the highest paid executive in the world.
Dr BIMAL K ROY: Director of Indian Statistical Institute
(ISI) was in news as he was removed from office by the
Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation on charges of indiscipline just one-anda-half months before the end of his term.
OMARAL-BASHIR: Sudanese President flew out of
South Africa today, defying a court order for him to stay
as judges weighed up whether he should be arrested for
alleged war crimes and genocide.
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 worlds 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.

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.
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.
GENNADY PADALKA: Russian cosmonaut entered
Guinness World Records for spending most number of
days in the space. He achieved the feat by spending 804
days on the International Space Station (ISS). He is
scheduled to return to earth in September 2015,
spending a total of 877 days in space by then.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

33

APPOINTMENTS
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:
Pradesh

New Governor of Himachal

RAM NATH KOVIND: New Governor of Bihar

ASHWANI LOHANI: Appointed as the Chairman and
Managing Director of Air India.
USHA ANANTHASUBRAMANIAN: New
Director & CEO of Punjab National Bank

Managing

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.

JULY 2015

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 Ministers
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, worlds number one
two-wheeler company.
MOGENS LYKKETOFT: Elected President for the 70th
session of the United Nations General Assembly in
September 2015.
AMEENAH GURIB-FAKIM: First woman President of
Mauritius.

AWARDS & HONOURS

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.

R. S. SHARMA: Appointed as the new Chairman of

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for three years.

ICTP RAMANUJAN PRIZE 2015: Mathematician Dr.

Amalendu Krishna; the prize is given to a mathematician
below the age of 45 by the ICTP, Italy.

PRASHANT PATHRABE: Appointed Director, Film and

Television Institute of India (FTII)

ICTP: International Centre for Theoretical Physics

SRIRAM KALYANARAMAN: New Managing Director &

Chief Executive Officer (CEO of the National Housing
Bank (NHB), the national regulator for housing finance.

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.

JIN LIQUN: Former Finance Minster of China was

nominated the first President of the Beijing-backed
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

This prize is given annually to persons in the age group of

15 to 20 for achievement in water related projects.

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

34

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.

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.
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

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 Asias coveted award.
The other three awardees are Kommaly Chanthavong,
from Laos, Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa from the
Philippines and Kyaw Thu from Myanmar.
28th 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.

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
10th NAVLEKHAN
AWARD
OF BHARATIYA
JNANPITH: Hindi writers Babusha Kohli and Upasana
for the poem Prem Gilhari Dil Akhrot and novel
Ek Zindagi Ek 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: The
prestigious spelling contest in the USA was won by
Indian origin American children - Vanya Shivashankar,
13, and Gokul Venkatachalam, 14.

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 SOCIETYs COPLEY MEDAL: Worlds 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.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

35

BOOKS & AUTHORS

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

OBITUARY
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.

JULY 2015

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 worlds
largest bi-cycle manufacturing unit.

R. D. Burman: The Prince of Music by Khagesh Dev

Burman

JULY 2015

The Devil take Love by Sudhir Kakar

Locale, Everyday Islam and Modernity by M. Raisur

Rahman
Ghosts of Calcutta by Sebastian Ortiz

APJ ABDUL KALAM: Former President of India, great

scientist and philosopher, popular as Missile Man
breathed his last on July 27.

Green Signals: Ecology, Growth, and Democracy in

India by former Union Environment and Forest
Minister, Jairam Ramesh.

B K Handique: Senior Congress leader, six times Lok

Sabha member from Jorhat, Assam, passed away on 26
July. He was 82.

India Central Asia Relations: The Economic Dimension

by Amiya Chandra

R.S. GAVAI: Former Governor of Kerala, Sikkim and

Bihar, MP and a veteran associate of Dr Ambedkar
passed away on July 25.

Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years by 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.

JUNE 2015
The Making of Miracles in Indian States: by Arvind
Panagariya and M Govinda Rao

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.

Who Will Cry When You Die -by Robin S Sharma

Y K SABHARWAL: Former Chief Justice of India has

passed away.

Conflict Resolution in Multicultural Societies The

Indian Experience by Jhumpa Mukherjee

BASHAR NAVAAZ: Noted Urdu poet and critic passed

away in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.

Chaos of the Senses by Ahlem Mosteghanemi

Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh
Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit
The Crown Prince, the Gladiator and the Hope:
Battle for Change by Ashutosh.
Super Economies: America, India, China and the
Future of the World by Raghav Bahl

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.
MATTI MAKKONEN: The man who invented the idea of
short messaging service (SMS) technology, died in
Finland. He was 63.

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

36

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, after serving at
the top for 12 years. She was honoured with Padma
Vibhushan in 2009.
CHARLES
CORREA:
Noted
America trained Mumbai based
Indian architect, known for his
unique indigenous architectural
style, melding 20th-century
Western modernism with Indian
traditions, died at age of 84.

PLACES IN NEWS
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.

SHEILA KAUL: Former Union Minister, a sister-in-law

of Jawaharlal Nehru and oldest surviving former
parliamentarian, died after A brief illness in Ghaziabad,
UP. She was 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. He was an art
wizard who used waste like broken crockery, ceramic
tiles, sanitary waste, electrical fittings, glass bangles and
other waste items to make mosaic sculptures of men,
women, animals etc.
SULEYMAN DEMIREL: Turkeys 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. He is remembered for his
charismatic negative roles in movies such as Dracula,
The Wicker Man, James Bond, Lord of the Rings etc.
IRWIN ROSE: Noted biochemist from America who
shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry passed
away at the age of 88.

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.

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: Citys 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.

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

37

JUNE 2015
SHRI ANANDPUR SAHIB

SPORTS WORLD
AUGUST 2015

Holy city of Punjab celebrated its 350th foundation day

of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib in the city. The city was
founded by the 9th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Tegh
Bahadur in 1665 and here only, the foundation of
Khalsa Panth was laid by the 10th Guru Sri Guru Gobind
Singh on Baisakhi day in 1699.
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
on one of the worst attacks by insurgents on the Indian
Army in two decades, when they ambushed a military
convoy near Tengnoupal in the Moltuk valley, killing at
least 20 army personnel and injuring 11 others.
CHARLESTON: The historic black church in South
Carolina was in news as a 21 year old white gunman
Dylann Roof opened sudden fire, killing nine Afro
American devotees in one of the worst racial hate
crimes in USA.
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,
forcing the government to call in the Army to deal with
the crippling crisis.
KABUL: Capital of Afghanistan was in news as the
Parliament there was attacked by six Taliban gunmen
on June 22. All six were killed after a gun battle lasting
nearly two hours.
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.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

SANIA NOMINATED FOR KHEL RATNA

Iconic tennis player Sania Mirza has been recommended
for 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.
1.
2.
3.

Name
TPP Nair
SP Misra
Romeo James

Discipline
Volleyball
Tennis
Hockey

ARJUNA AWARDS announced. The Award carries a

statue and cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.
Sl.
No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.

Name of the
sportsperson
Naib Subedar Sandeep
Kumar
Ms. M.R. Poovamma
Mr. Kidambi Srikanth
Nammalwar
Mr. Mandeep Jangra
Mr. Rohit Sharma
Ms. Dipa Karmakar
Mr. Sreejesh P.R.
Mr. Manjeet Chhillar
Ms. Abhilasha S Mhatre
Mr. Sawarn Singh
Mr. Anup Kumar Yama
Mr. Jitu Rai
Shri S. Sathish Kumar
Mr. Bajrang
Ms. Babita Kumari
Ms. Yumnam S. Devi
Mr. Sharath M. Gayakwad

Discipline
Archery
Athletics
Badminton
Boxing
Cricket
Gymnastic
Hockey
Kabaddi
Kabaddi
Rowing
Roller Skating
Shooting
Weightlifting
Wrestling
Wrestling
Wushu
Para-Swimming

38

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, Indias international football goalkeeper
became the countrys 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 mens
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.

THE 15TH WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

began in Beijing, China on August 22.
Usain Bolt (Jamaica) once
again
established
his
supremacy in 100 metres
sprint as he finished the
race in 9.79 seconds to
emerge as worlds number
one on August 23. ShellyAnn Fraser, also from
Jamaica, retained gold in
Womens 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
womens singles title by defeating Simona Halep of
Romania.
ROGERS CUP MASTERS TOURNAMENT, Montreal,
Canada: Andy Murray won the mens title by beating
world number one Novak Djokovic. Womens 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.

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.

INTERNATIONAL
KUMARA SANGAKKARA: Sri Lankas 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.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

39

JULY 2015

NATIONAL
SHUBHAM CREATES HISTORY IN GOLF
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. This was his
second Junior Golf Title in a span of 2 weeks as he also
won the Junior World Golf Championships played in San
Diego, 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 5000run milestone in one-day internationals. She crossed the
milestone by scoring unbeaten 81while playing against
New Zealand at Bengaluru.
Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta won the
Commonwealth Chess Championship in Mumbai.

19th

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.
The Indian women's wrestling team finished second in
the fifth Senior International Wrestling Tournament -Cup of the President of Republic of Kazakhstan in
Astana.
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.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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
Mens singles: Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat Roger
Federer of Switzerland
Womens singles: Serena Williams of United States
beat Garbine Muguruza of Spain
Womens 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 womens 1500m, clocking a time of
3:50:07, shattering old world record of 3:50:46 set in
1993 by Chinas 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.

40

FIFA Women's World Cup: United States lifted the cup

for the third time, beating Japan. In the Final played at
Vancouver, Canada.

Indian wrestlers won nine medals, including eight gold

in Men's Freestyle event in the International Wrestling
tournament in Sassari City, Italy.

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.

Ace Indian archer Deepika Kumari clinched the bronze

medal in the women's individual Recurve event of the
World Cup at Antalya, Turkey

British Grand Prix F1 won by the reigning world

champion Lewis Hamilton of UK on July5 at Silverstone
circuit, UK.

Sachin Tendulkar: Indias 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.

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 womens singles title, respectively in Calgary,
Canada.
To end the undue advantage to batsmen, the ICC has
decided to scrap the batting powerplays 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
BHAMRA FIRST INDIAN TO JOIN NBA, USA
Satnam Singh Bhamra created history by becoming the
first Indian basketball player to be drafted in the
National Basketball Association (NBA) after being
picked by Dallas Mavericks in New York. The 19-yearold, who hails from a remote village near Ludhiana in
Punjab, stands 7 feet 2 inches tall.
21st Asian Athletics Championships at Wuhan, China
Star athlete Inderjeet Singh bagged the gold medal in
the mens shot put event at this meet. Tintu Luka won
the gold in womens 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.
Star cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and V
V S Laxman joined the BCCI in a newly-constituted
advisory panel to guide the board in all matters related
to the game.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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 50th
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 23rd 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 missed a chance to take part in the 2018 FIFA
World Cup as it lost to Oman in a qualifier match played
in Bengaluru.

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.

41

Nico Rosberg of Germany won the Austrian Grand Prix

F1 championship for the second year in a row at
Spielberg, Austria.

DAYS AND DATES

Halle Open ATP title won by Roger Federer (Swiss)

defeating Italian Andreas Seppi in Halle, Germany.
Barcelona lifted the UEFA Champions League Football
trophy for the fifth time by beating Juventus at Berlin,
Germany.
Defending world champion Lewis Hamilton won the
Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal, Canada beating his
rival Nico Rosberg.

FRENCH OPEN CONCLUDES IN PARIS

Mens title was won by Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland
by beating world champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

AUGUST

Serena Williams of USA won the womens singles title by

beating Czech Lucie Safarova.

World Breast Feeding Week

Friendship Day

01-07 August

The event is popularly known as Rolland Garros

tournament and is famous for its red clay courts

Hiroshima Day
August Kranti Divas / Nagasaki Day

06th August
09th August

Dengue Prevention Day

International Youth Day

10th August
12th August

National Independence Day

World Photography Day

15th August
19th August

Sanskrit Day
Womens Equality Day

24th August
26th August

National Sports Day (Bday of

Dhyan Chand)

29th August

1ST

Sunday August

SEPTEMBER
Teachers Day (Birth Day of S.
Radhakrishnan)
World Literacy Day
Raj Bhasha Divas (Hindi Divas)
World Deaf Day
World Tourism Day
World Heart Day
OCTOBER
International Non- violence Day,
World Vegetarian Day
World Habitat day
World Teachers Day
Indian Air Force Day
World Post Day
World Food Day
International Day for Eradication of
Poverty
National Integration Day (Birth Day of
Sardar Patel)

05th Sept.
08th Sept.
14th Sept.
23rd Sept.
27th Sept.
29th Sept.

02nd October
03rd October
05th October
08th October
09th October
16th October
17th October
31st October

ALL THE NEWS ITEMS IN THIS MAGAZINE HAVE BEEN SOURCED

FROM VARIOUS NEWS PAPERS AND GOVT. PRESS RELEASES
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

42

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

43

( MARCH MAY 2015 )

For details please visit our website: www.gyanm.in

NATIONAL NEWS

APRIL 2015
A massive earthquake struck Nepal with a

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 worlds 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 24th in the first Environmental
Democracy Index that evaluates nations' progress in
enacting laws to promote environment.
India ranks at 140th place in a study of 179
countries to assess risk of maternal death and
under-five mortality rate.
India ranks 100th on Human Capital Index, which
measures countries on development and
deployment of human capital. Finland topped the
list.
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.

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

devastating impact, killing over 5000 persons and

injuring double this number.
India responded quickly, under its Operation
Maitri by dispatching several National Disaster
Response Force (NDRF) teams
During PM Modis 3-day visit to France, an
agreement was signed for the supply of 36 Rafale
fighter jets in flyaway condition.
French company Areva, in collaboration with
Larsen and Toubro to set up six nuclear reactors in
Jaitapur, Maharashtra.
During his three Germany visit, PM Modi
inaugurated the worlds largest industrial
technology fair - Hannover Fair in Hannover.
The Prime Minister during his three-day visit to
Canada inked 13 agreements on skill development
with the host country.
The Indian Navy conducted Operation Rahat to
evacuate over 5600 Indians and several other
persons from war-torn Yemen.
U.S. President Barack Obama, addressed Mr Modi as
the Indias Reformer-in-Chief in an article in the
Time magazine.
The President has appointed Election Commissioner
Dr. Nasim Zaidi as the new Chief Election
Commissioner of India.
The Rajya Sabha passed the Rights of Transgender
Persons Bill, 2014, making it the first Private
Members Bill to be cleared by the House in 46 years
India has been elected to four key subsidiary bodies
of the United Nations' Economic and Social Council
including the United Nations Children's Fund.
The Supreme Court has asked all private hospitals
in India to provide full free treatment to acid attack
victims, including medicines and surgeries.
India has been ranked 119th out of 130 countries on
the 2015 FM Global Resilience Index which
measures business resilience
The Global E-Waste Monitor 2014 report by the
United Nations University says that India is the fifth
biggest producer of e-waste in the world.

44

 As per the 2015 World Happiness Report, India

The Delhi High Court has ruled that the Attorney

comes at the 117th spot out of 158 countries, faring

below even Pakistan (81) and Bangladesh (109).
India has slipped six places to rank 89th in Global
Networked Readiness Index compiled by the World
Economic Forum.
Out of the 133 countries rated in the Social Progress
Index on indicators of well-being, India ranks at the
101st place.
The government has frozen the bank accounts of the
international environment campaign groupGreenpeace India for six months.
India Post released special commemorative stamps
to mark 50 years of Indo-French co-operation in
space research at a function held in Puducherry.
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistan President
arrived in New Delhi on April 27 on a 3 day visit.
The 5th meeting of the Health Ministers of SAARC
countries held in New Delhi in April 8.

General is a constitutional authority and thus falls

under the ambit of the RTI Act.
The worlds largest and tallest Indian national flag
was unfurled in Faridabad, Haryana.
Solar Impulse, claimed to be the worlds only solarpowered aircraft, made a stopover in Ahmadabad
on its maiden global journey.
The 58th All India Ayurvedic Congress was held at
Panjab University, Chandigarh March 14-15.
The 5th National Community Radio Sammelan held
in New Delhi March 16.
A three-day conference for strengthening maritime
trade and security among Indian Ocean Rim
countries held at Bhubaneshwar March 20-22.
The government has announced that India's first
National Skill Development University will be
established in Chhattisgarh.
In the World Justice Project's Open Government
Index 2015 report, India was ranked 37th amongst
102 countries. Sweden was placed at first position.

MARCH 2015
P M Modi visited Seychelles on March 11 and signed

four agreements for cooperation in hydrography,

renewable energy, infrastructure development
Prime Minister visited Mauritius on March 12 and
inked five MoUs with Mauritius to give new impetus
to bilateral co-operation.
India and Sri Lanka signed four agreements during
Mr. Modi's maiden visit to the island nation on
March 13-14.
The agreements are on visa, customs, youth
development and building Rabindranath Tagore
memorial in Sri Lanka.
Facility of Tourist Visa on Arrival and Electronic
Travel Authorization Scheme to Sri Lankan citizens
to start from April 14, 2015.
India to cooperate in developing a Ramayana Trail
in Sri Lanka and a Buddhist Circuit in India.
PM Modi (5th) and Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi
(28th) have been named among the 50 greatest
leaders in the world by Fortune magazine
Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of Qatar visited
India and inked six pacts for cooperation in energy
sector and boosting trade and investment.
The Supreme Court of India has nullified the Central
Government's decision to include Jats in the Other
Backward Classes (OBC) category.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the Aadhaar card
is not compulsory for availing of various
government subsidies and any other benefits.
A 3-day International Conference on Counter
Terrorism 2015 was held at Jaipur in March.
The Supreme Court has struck down the section 66
a of Information Technology Act as it was
unconstitutional and a restriction on freedom of
speech.

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

NEWS FROM STATES

MAY 2015
For the first time, two Blue Whales (mother-calf

pair) and four Brydes 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.
Worlds 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.

APRIL 2015
The Kerala government, supported by UNICEF, has
launched a major campaign Subodham, to wean
people away from liquor addiction.
The Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, GIFT
City was inaugurated near Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Thane, a city in Maharashtra has been declared as
the Indias National Earth Hour Capital as it won

45

the Earth Hour City Challenge held in Seoul, South

Korea.
20 labourers engaged in illegal felling of red sanders
wood were shot dead by the Andhra police in the
Seshachalam forests in district Chitoor.
The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to
name its new capital as Amravati, considering its
historic, mythological and spiritual significance.
Punjab has launched Padho Punjab-Khedo Punjab
Mission to provide school students a separate
period 40-50 minute period exclusively for playing
games.
The Kudermukh National Park, Karnataka and Rajaji
National Park, Uttarkhand declared tiger reserves
by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
Assam to erect bio-fences with thickets of thorny
bamboos to replace the electric fences, to ward off
straying elephants.

MARCH 2015

The Centre has asked all states to enrol all MNREGA

In March, the Delhi high court became the first court

in India to set up dedicated commercial divisions

within it,
'Aapki Beti Humari Beti' scheme launched in
Haryana to provide cash assistance of Rs 21,000 to
first-born girl child of SC and BPL families.
The mass nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles, an
endangered species, started in March near
river Rushikulya mouth in Odisha's Ganjam district.
The Haryana Legislative Assembly passed
the Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvar-dhan
Bill, 2015, which bans cow slaughter, sale of beef
Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland have been
excluded from the Protected Area Permit (PAP)
regime for foreign tourists till December 31.

GOVT INITIATIVES
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 13th 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.

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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.

46

 A 10-member panel formed under Vijay Kelkar to

The Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan

revisit and revitalise public private partnership

mode of infrastructure development.

Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) with an

outlay of Rs 1,500 crore to provide skills training to
youth
The Central government has announced 33 per cent
reservation for women in police forces of union
territories, including Delhi
Railways Ministry has constituted the Kaya Kalp
council headed by Ratan Tata for the improvement,
betterment and transformation of the Railways.
Pharma Jan Samadhaan scheme launched for
redressal of consumers grievances related to drug
pricing and availability of medicines.
Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry has
launched a new web portal, www.inampro.nic.in to
monitor the supply of cement at all India level.
Amitabh Bachchan appointed as brand ambassador
governments campaign against Hepatitis B.
Bharat-Nepal Maitri Bus Seva started between
Varanasi and Kathmandu from March 5 as per
Motor Vehicle Agreement signed with Nepal.
The first Kisan Call Centre in N-E India was opened
in Agartala, Tripura to give information to farmers
for agriculture, fisheries and plantations etc.

APRIL 2015

India's first Air Quality Index launched to provide

information on the quality of air / air pollution in 10

major cities in the country on a daily basis.
The Railways has launched a new web portal ESamiksha to focus on Budget Review, Board
Meetings, Zonal Railway Review, Infrastructure
Targets etc.
The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana of the Labour
and Employment Ministry will now be implemented
by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The government has asked the states to introduce a
"gender" field for land owners in their property
records.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to change
the name of the scheme 'Tourist Visa on ArrivalElectronic Travel Authorization' to 'e-Tourist Visa'
(eTV).
Union Government has launched Faster Adoption
and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles
(FAME) India Scheme to promote eco-friendly
vehicles
The IAS and IPS officers now will have to take prior
permission from the Central Government before
accepting gifts worth more than Rs 5,000.
The Railway launched the UTS on mobile
(unreserved ticket system) app to relieve suburban
train passengers from the serpentine queues for
getting tickets
From April 1, 2015, the transport allowance
exemption for employees has been raised to Rs
1600 per month for the purpose of Income tax.
The Govt. has set up a task force chaired by B N
Navalawala to examine relevant issues to expedite
the work on the interlinking of rivers in the country.

MARCH 2015
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana launched to
provide Rs 2 lakh cover in case of death by accident
to persons in the age group of 18-70 years at annual
premium of Rs 12 only.
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana to offer
life insurance to persons in the age of 18 to 50 at an
annual premium of Rs 330.
Atal Pension Yojana where persons in the age group
of 18-40 years can open pension account to receive
pension from Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 after 60 years of
age.
The controversial Land Acquisition (Amendment)
Bill was approved by the Lok Sabha in March
despite a walkout by all opposition parties.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

The Lok Sabha has passed the Motor Vehicles

(Amendment) Bill, 2015 to bring e-rickshaws into
the ambit of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS
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.

APRIL 2015
Morgan Stanley says that India's economy will grow
at 7.9 per cent this fiscal due to government's
determined efforts to implement policy actions.
The IMF says that India will overtake China as the
fastest growing emerging economy in 2015-16 by
clocking a growth rate of 7.5 per cent.

MARCH 2015
Asian Development Bank says that Indias growth
rate is expected to surpass China and improve to 7.8
per cent in next fiscal.
As per a reply submitted in Parliament, India's per
capita annual income rose by 37.6 per cent in the
last four years to Rs 88,533 in 2014-15.

47

ECONOMY
MAY 2015

The Paris based IT giant Capgemini has acquired the

The first mega food park of the North East was

inaugurated on May 28 at Nathkuchi in Nalbari

distt. of Assam.
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
fiscals 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.

APRIL 2015

MARCH 2015
Programme Pragati (Pro-active Governance and

The government has announced its Foreign Trade

Policy (FTP) for the period 2015-20.

It aims to increase exports to $900 billion by 201920, from $466 billion in 2013-14 and raise India's
share in world exports from 2% to 3.5%.
The companies without a woman director will face a
penalty of a minimum Rs 50,000 for noncompliance beyond September, 2015.
India and USA have agreed to cooperate in the field
of transportation for projects like development of
waterways and multi-modal hubs.
The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation an
expansion and modernization project worth Rs
12,000 crore at Rourkela Steel Plant, Odisha.
The conference of Power, Renewable Energy and
Mines ministers of all states and union territories of
India was held in Guwahati.

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

New Jersey-based IT company I-GATE, for $4 billion

in cash.
The govt. has decided to keep the rate of interest on
General Provident Fund and Public Provident Fund
unchanged at 8.7 per cent for 2015-16.
Starting May, mobile calls made during roaming will
be cheaper by up to 23% and a local SMS will cost
only 25 paise, against Re 1 at present.
India has been ranked 83rd on a new index compiled
by the UN trade body UNCTAD for assessing the
readiness of countries for electronic commerce.
Snapdeal.com has picked up a majority stake in
digital financial products platform, RupeePower to
enter Rs 4,500 crore online financial services
market.
As per a World Bank report, India tops in receiving
remittances from its global migrant workforce,
receiving around $ 70 billion in 2014.

Timely Implementation) launched to ensure timely

execution of mega projects across the country.
At least 12 smart cities at ports and several coastal
economic zones will come up under the ambitious
Sagarmala project approved by the Union Cabinet.
The Central Statistics Office released the new
Consumer Price Index with revised base year as
2012.
The number of items in the CPI basket has been
increased to 448 from 437 in rural areas and to 460
from 450 in urban areas.
The government has fetched about 1.10 lakh crore
rupees after rigorous bidding in the auctioning of
telecom spectrum.
The National Green Tribunal has announced a fine
of Rs 5,000 on individuals spotted littering or
throwing waste on the railway platforms and tracks.
As per the second advance estimates for 2014-15,
the foodgrain output in the country is estimated at
257.07 million tonnes
The World Bank has sanctioned 100 crore rupees
for all round development of Sagar Island in South
24 Parganas District of West Bengal.
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) committed
Rs 1.5 lakh crore for development of various
railway projects over the next five years.
The RBI has prohibited Macau and Hong Kong
citizens from acquiring or transferring immovable
property in India.
As per Corporate Affairs Ministry data, Reliance
Industries Ltd is the largest corporate in India with
assets of Rs3.68 trillion

48

 Income Tax Department has slapped a Rs. 20,495crore tax demand notice on Cairn India for failing to
deduct withholding tax on alleged capital gains
Govt to merge the National Mission for a Green
India (GIM) with MGNREGA to facilitate
afforestation on 10 million hectares of land over the
next decade.
India and Kyrgyzstan signed a MoU to strengthen
bilateral cooperation in textiles and clothing.

BANKING
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.
Indias 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.

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

APRIL 2015
The RBI has revised the Priority Sector Lending

norms and has asked the banks to give 8% of their

total credit to small and marginal farmers.
Further, new segments like medium enterprises,
social infrastructure and renewable energy firms
have been brought under the priority sector
lending.
Housing loans to individuals, up to Rs. 28 lakh in
metros and up to Rs. 20 lakh in other centres will be
covered under priority sector lending
The RBI has allowed the banks to offer differential
interest rates for term deposits of above Rs.15 lakh
These deposits can be made without the option of
premature withdrawal as well.
The RBI has allowed sole proprietor firms to open
accounts in co-operative banks by submitting a
single proof of their business.
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana launched with a
corpus of Rs 20,000 crore to give easy credit to
small businesses and regulate micro-finance
institutions
The bank will have three main loan schemes
Shishu for loans up to Rs 50,000;
Kishor for loans above Rs 50,000,up to Rs 5 lakh
Tarun for loans above Rs 5 lakh, up to Rs 10 lakh.
MUDRA: Micro Units Development and Refinance
Agency
The ICICI Bank has launched Tap& Pay, a
contactless payment service based on the Near Field
Communications (NFC) technology.
To facilitate bank account opening by the
transgenders, RBI has directed banks to include a
column 'third gender' in their forms/ applications.

MARCH 2015
Citing better fiscal consolidation, the RBI cut its

main lending rate known as repo rate by 0.25

percentage points to 7.5% w.e.f. 04.03.2015.
The RBI has decided that priority sector loans to
persons with disabilities will now be eligible for
classification under weaker sections category
After a gap of over 20 years, Re 1 note has been
released in the country and it bears the signature
of Finance Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi.
RBI has allowed banks to include stamp duty and
registration charges in the cost of a house for home
loans for up to Rs 10 lakh
Govt and RBI have signed an agreement whereby
the govt has set a target for RBI to bring down
inflation below six per cent by Jan. 2016.
The Reserve Bank has removed the lending
restriction on United Bank of India as the bank
demonstrated an ability to arrest bad loans

49

 The National Payments Corporation of India

Scientists of National Oceanic and Atmospheric

reached a major milestone of successfully linking 15

crore bank accounts with the Aadhaar number.
The Reserve Bank has directed all NBFCs to get
themselves rated by March 2016 and only
investment grade rate NBFCs will be allowed to
accept deposits.
The Reserve Bank will issue Rs 5 coins to
commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of
Jawaharlal Nehru that fell on Nov 14, 2014.
RBI and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka signed a
Currency Swap Agreement of 1.5 billion dollar to
help keep the Sri Lankan rupee stable.

Administration, USA, discovered the worlds first

fully warm-blooded fish species named Opah.
India has reached to sixth position, up from 10th last
year, in terms of publishing scientific research
papers in different journals in the world.
Microsoft launched Edu-Cloud, a cloud computingbased offering to enhance digital learning and
teaching in schools / universities.

DEFENCE, SCIENCE &

TECHNOLOGY
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.

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

APRIL 2015
The

14th

Indo-French Naval Exercise named

VARUNA-15 commenced off the coast of Goa.
INS Visakhapatnam, the Indian Navy's most
powerful indigenously built stealth destroyer was
launched into water at Mazagaon Dock in Mumbai.
INS Tarangini, the sail training ship of the Indian
Navy to participate in the annual Tall Ships Races
Two Russian-made Mi-17 V5 military helicopters,
were inducted into the Border Security Force.
The first of the six India-France joint venture
Scorpene stealth submarines was launched for sea
trials from the Mazagon Docks Limited in Mumbai.
India test-fired its nuclear-capable surface-tosurface Agni-III ballistic missile, with a range of
over 3,000 km, from the ITR near Chandipur in
Odisha.
India successfully test-fired the nuclear-weapon
capable Dhanush missile for its full range of 350
kms, off the Odisha coast.
An integrated Indian Army-Air Force operational
war exercise code named Bramhshira was
conducted in the Suratgarh area in Rajasthan in last
week of April.
Japan's state-of-the-art Maglev train clocked a new
world speed record in a test run, smashing through
the 600 kilometre per hour mark it had made
earlier.

MARCH 2015
The indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range

(BVR) air-to-air missile, Astra, was successfully

launched from a Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft
Indian Navys Theatre Level Readiness and
Operational Exercise (TROPEX) exercise concluded
on 27 February in the Arabian Sea.
Three Immediate Support Vessels (ISVs), armed
with heavy machine guns, were commissioned by
the Indian Navy at Vishakhapatnam.
INS Alleppey, the coastal minesweeper purchased
from Russia in the 1970s, was decommissioned in
March, after nearly 35 years of service
Pakistan tested its Shaheen-III Surface to Surface
Ballistic Missile, having a strike range of 2750 kms.

50

 On March 29, India placed in orbit IRNSS-1D (Indian

Regional Navigation Satellite System), the fourth

one in the navigation satellite network.
India's first Polar Remotely Operated Vehicle
(PROVe), was made operati-onal for research in
Marchin "Priyadarshini lake" in North Antarctica.
Indias first indigenously developed and manufactured rotavirus vaccine, Rotavac, was launched in
New Delhi.
In a breakthrough, Japanese researchers have
success- fully transmitted electric power wirelessly
to a pinpointed target using microwaves
NASA's Opportunity Rover on Mars has become the
first human-made vehicle that has completed 11
years marathon in a record time.

APRIL 2015
The World Bank launched Pollution Management

INTERNATIONAL

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 Christies at New York.
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.
68th Cannes Film Festival held at Cannes, France
from 13 to 24 May
World Asthma Day observed on 5 May 2015. This
years theme is You Can Control Your Asthma

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

and Environmental Health program on Global

Citizen Earth Day (April 18)
A World Trade Organization forecast says that the
global goods trade will grow by 3.3 percent in the
year 2015 and by 4.0 percent in 2016
World Haemophilia Day was observed globally on
17th April, 2015 with the theme Building a Family of
Support.
Air Canada to resume direct flights between
Toronto and Delhi from the coming winter season.
The flights were discontinued in 2005.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was honoured with
the Nishan-e-Pakistan, highest Pak civilian award,
during his recent official visit to Pakistan.
Around 900 illegal migrants trying to reach Europe
were feared killed after their boat capsized in the
Mediterranean sea, off the Libyan coast.
Official data released by China shows that the
countrys GDP grew at its slowest pace in six years
in the first quarter of 2015, at just 7 per cent.

Palestine formally joined the International Criminal

Court (ICC), raising hopes of a possible prosecution
of Israelis for alleged war crimes.

MARCH 2015
Flight 4U 9525 of Germanwings went crashing into

a mountainside in French Alps on March 24, killing

all 150 persons aboard
France, Germany and Italy have followed the UK in
joining the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank
A report by Stockholm International Peace Research
Institute (SIPRI) reveals that India is the worlds
largest buyer of weapons and military equipment
In a historic development, a bronze statue of
Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled in March at
Parliament Square in London.
World reputation ranking of the 100 most
prestigious universities by Times Higher Education
of UK has placed Harvard University, USA at the top
International Womens Day was observed across
the world on 8 March 2015. United Nations
declared this years theme as Make it Happen
Food and Agriculture Organisation observed March
21 as the International Day of Forests, with the
theme Forests and Climate Change.

51

PERSONS IN NEWS
MAY 2015

M. C. MARY KOM: Veteran boxer from Manipur has

been appointed a brand ambassador for north-east
India to promote the region in the rest of the country
and abroad.

ARUNDHATI BHATTACHARYA: SBI Chairperson and

ICICI Banks MD Chanda Kochhar figure at 30th and 35th
place in the worlds top 100 powerful women list by
Forbes.

SAIF ALI KHAN: Visit Britain, the national tourism

agency for Britain, has announced the appointment of
the Nawab of Pataudi, Saif Ali Khan, as the spokesperson
for the Bollywood Britain tourism campaign in India.

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.

AZIZ QUERESHI: Governor of Mizoram was sacked By

the President without assigning any specific reasons.

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.

APRIL 2015
VISWANATHAN ANAND, the Chess Grand Master of
India now has a planet named after him, called '4538
Vishyanand'.
MALALA YOUSAFZAI: Pakistan's teenage education
activist was in news as an asteroid-316201, orbiting the
sun between the Mars and the Jupiter has been named
after her.
MOHAMMED MORSY: Ousted President of Egypt was in
news as an Egyptian criminal court sentenced him 20
years in prison over the killing of protesters in 2012.
MUSTAFA KAMAL: He resigned from the post of
President of the International Cricket Council. He is also
the President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
ANA JARA: Prime Minister of Peru was sacked after she
lost the vote of confidence in Congress. She was
censured for alleged spying of several key personalities.

MARCH 2015

TIM COOK: CEO of the IT giant Apple Inc has announced

to donate his entire wealth totalling to $ 785 million to
charity.
CHRISTINE LAGARDE: Managing Director of the
International Monetary Fund was in news as she visited
India in March.
MOHAMED NASHEED: Former Maldivian President was
sentenced to 13-year imprisonment by a criminal court
of Maldive over the detention of a judge in 2012.
MARK LIPPERT: The US ambassador to South Korea
was in news as he suffered a knife attack by a pro-North
Korean activist.
BILL GATES: stands atop Forbes magazine's annual list
of the world's richest people, with a net worth of 79.2
billion dollars.

APPOINTMENTS
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

VENKATRAMAN RAMAKRISHNAN: The IndianAmerican scientist, whose pioneering work in molecular

biology won him the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has
been elected to head Britain's prestigious Royal Society,
an association of the world's most distinguished
scientists.

ARUN SHRIVASTAVA: Managing Director & CEO of

Syndicate Bank.

SMRITI IRANI: Union HRD Minister has been named the

Young Global Leader from India by the World Economic
Forum (WEF), Switzerland

Tathagata Roy: Governor of Tripura

Draupadi Murmu: Governor of Jharkhand, first tribal
women to become Governor

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

M J JOSEPH: Appointed as the Controller General of

Accounts (CGA) in the Union Ministry of Finance.

NEW GOVERNORS APPOINTED

52

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
Parliaments 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

APRIL 2015
H L DATTU: Chairman, National Judicial Appointments
Commission. He is the Chief Justice of India.
Dr. NASIM ZAIDI: New Chief Election Commissioner of
India
SITARAM YECHURY: Elected General Secretary of the
Communist Party (Marxist) of India
MOHAN KUMAR: Appointed the next Ambassador of
India to France.
SUMIT MAZUMDER: President of CII (Confederation of
Indian Industries) for 2015-16. He is the CMD of
Tractors India Ltd.
BVR MOHAN REDDY: Elected Chairman of NASSCOM The National Association of Software and Services
Companies for 2015-16. He is the Chairman, Cyient Ltd.
VIRAT KOHLI: Goodwill Ambassador of Uttarakhand.
PEDRO CATERIANO BELLIDO: Prime Minister of Peru
OMAR AL-BASHIR: Re-elected as President of Sudan
NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV: Re-elected as President of
Kazakhstan
MUHAMMADU BUHARI: Elected President of Nigeria.
A former military ruler, he is the first opposition
candidate to win a presidential election in Nigeria.

MARCH 2015
KSHATRAPATI SHIVAJI: Chairman and Managing
Director of Small Industries Development Bank of India.
ARUN KUMAR SINGH: Indias next Ambassador to the
USA, An Indian Foreign Service officer, currently
Ambassador to France.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

JAGMOHAN DALMIYA: President of the BCCI

VIKAS SWARUP: The new spokesperson for the
External Affairs Ministry.
K M MANI: Kerala Finance Minister has been appointed
Chairman of the Empowered Committee of State
Finance Ministers on Goods and Services Tax
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Re-elected Prime Minister of
Israel.

AWARDS & HONOURS

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 GHAYWANS 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.

APRIL 2015
FBB FEMINA MISS INDIA WORLD 2015 RESULTS
The finals were held in Mumbai in March, 2015
Miss World:
Aditi Arya
First Runner-up:
Aafreen Rachel Vaz
Second runner-up: Vartika Singh

53

GOLDEN PEACOCK NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD:

Delhi International Airport for corporate excellence
Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award:
Balbir Singh Senior, legendary hockey player.
The Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015: won by
the Bharatiya Mahila Bank at Hong Kong
HEINZ AWARD IN TECHNOLOGY: Sangeeta Bhatia, an
Indian-origin scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), USA.
INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
AWARD: Dr
Subadhra Devi Rai, an Indian-origin nurse in Singapore.
'Margarita with a Straw' directed by Sonali Bose won
the best feature film honour at the Washington DC
International Film festival in USA

MARCH 2015
62nd NATIONAL FILM AWARDS, 2014
Best Feature Film: Court (multilingual) by Chaitanya
Tamhane
Best
Popular
Film
providing
Wholesome
Entertainment: Mary Kom by Omung Kumar
Best Hindi Film: Queen by Vikas Bahl
Best Director: Srijit Mukherjee for Shotushkone
Best Actor: Vijay for Nanu Avanalla Avalu (Kannada)
Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut for Queen
DADA SAHEB PHALKE AWARD: Actor-filmmaker
Shashi Kapoor (77), who has starred in over 100 Hindi
films and best known for his powerful portrayals in hits
like Namak Halaal, Deewar and Kabhie Kabhie.
The Award consists of a Swarn Kamal (Golden Lotus), a
cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs and a shawl.
INTERNATIONAL GANDHI PEACE PRIZE 2014:
awarded to ISRO for their contribution in bringing space
to the service of the common man and in the service of
the nation.
SARASWATI SAMMAN 2014: M. Veerappa Moily,
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader for
his Kannada poem Ramayana Mahanveshanam.
FOLIO PRIZE 2015: Novelist Akhil Sharma for his
novel Family Life. The prize is given by the Folio
Academy of UK.

STOCKHOLM WATER PRIZE: Rajendra Singh, eminent

environment activist from Rajasthan for his innovative
water restoration efforts and extraordinary courage to
empower communities in Indian villages.
ABEL PRIZE for 2015: US mathematician John F Nash
Jr and Canada-born American national Louis Nirenberg,
for their contributions to mathematical sciences.
GLOBAL TEACHER PRIZE: Nancie Atwell, a teacher
from the USA. It is the worlds first $1 million prize set
up by the Varkey Foundation of USA to recognise one
exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding
contribution to the profession.
MO IBRAHIM PRIZE: Hifikepunye Pohamba, ex
President of Namibia for excellent leadership.

OBITUARY
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

APRIL 2015

GOLDEN GATE AWARD: Kerala Tourism at the

Internationale Tourismus-Borse Berlin (ITB-Berlin)
2015, Germany for its global multimedia campaign to
promote its backwaters.

JANAKI BALLABH PATNAIK: Senior Congress leader,

former 3-time Odisha Chief Minister and ex-Assam
Governor passed away at the age of 89.

KNIGHT OF THE ORDER OF ARTS AND LETTERS:

Artist Bharti Kher of India was conferred the Chevalier
dans lOrdre des Arts et des Lettres in French, the
highest cultural award of France.

MALLI MASTAN BABU: World famous ace mountaineer

from Hyderabad, who had gone missing in the Andes
Mountains ranges in Chile, South America during a
climbing mission, was found dead.

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

54

KAILASH VAJPEYI: Renowned Hindi poet passed away

at the age of 79. He was editor of the popular Hindi
magazine Dharmyug.

NIMRUD: Historical city of Syria was in news as the

Islamic State militants have been destroying rare
ancient relics there, dating back to the 13th century BC.

JAYAKANTHAN: Tamil novelist and short story writer

(81), Gyanpith awardee, died in Chennai.

GARISSA: The town in Kenya was in news as at least

150 students were massacred there when Somalia's Al Shabaab Islamist militant group raided the Garissa
University campus.

HRUSHIKESH MOOLGAONKAR: Retired Air Chief

Marshal, recipient of Param Vishisht Seva medal and
Mahaveer Chakra, passed away in Pune at the age of 95.
GUENTER GRASS: German novelist, the Nobel Prizewinning author of The Tin Drum, an epic treatment of
the Nazi era, died at the age of 87.
RICHIE BENAUD: Former Australian captain and
legendary cricket commentator
CHRISTOPHER ALAN BAYLY: An eminent historian
and teacher, known for his work on colonial and postcolonial India, died in Chicago.

MARCH 2015

CALBUCO VOLCANO of Chile erupted twice on 22 April

and 23 April 2015 after 42 years, leading to declaration
of state of emergency by the govt.
TURRIALBA VOLCANO in Costa Rica, South America,
erupted, forcing the closure of the airport in the capital
city San Jose.

MARCH 2015
BACHHRAWAN: The town near Rae Bareli, UP was in
news as two coaches of the Dehradun-Varanasi Janta
Express derailed there, killing around 40 persons and
injuring over 150 others.

VINOD MEHTA: Distinguished editor and commentator

who successfully launched a number of newspapers and
magazines, including the Outlook. He wrote his
autobiography Lucknow Boy: A Memoir.

HYDERABAD: According to the Mercer Quality of Living

Rankings 2015, Austrian capital Vienna is the city with
the best quality of living in the world, while Hyderabad,
ranked 138th, was the best Indian city to live in.

LEE KUAN YEW: Great statesman and founding father

of modern Singapore passed away in March, after
dominating the politics of Singapore for over 50 years.

DIMAPUR: The city in Nagaland was in news as

thousands of protesters stormed the central jail there
and dragged out Syed Sarifuddin Khan, accused of
raping a 20-year-old Naga student, and lynched him to
death, after brutally thrashing him.

TERRY PRATCHETT: Famous British author, creator of

the science fantasy Discworld novels which narrate a
flat, parallel universe balanced on the back of four
elephants which stand on the shell of a giant turtle.

PLACES IN NEWS
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.
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.

APRIL 2015
PURNIA: The city in Bihar was in news as around 70
persons were killed there and in surrounding areas due
to a sudden cyclone that left over 2,000 people injured.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

ZOKHAWTHAR: The small town in Champhai district of

Mizoram was in news as a land customs station was
inaugurated there at the Indo-Myanmar border.
SANAA: The capital of Yemen was in news as over 150
persons, mainly Shia muslims were killed there in the
bomb attacks by the Sunny militants of the IS group.
TUNIS: The capital of Tunisia was in news as Islamic
militants stormed its Bardo National Museum killing 17
foreign tourists and three Tunisians.
CYCLONE PAM: A super cyclone slammed the south
Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, east of Australia, leaving
complete devastation in its wake.

SPORTS WORLD
MAY 2015
19th FEDERATION CUP National Senior Athletic
Championships held in Mangalore, Karnataka. Mens
team title won by the Indian Army team and Kerala won
in the womens category.

55

5th National women hockey championship:

Railways won the title by beating Jharkhand at Saifai,
Uttar Pradesh

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.

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.

Novak Djokovic won the Rome Masters Tennis title

with beating Roger Federer in Rome, Italy. Womens
singles title was won by Maria Sharapova by beating
Carla Suarez of Spain.

JITU RAI: Ace marksman was declared the

Sportsperson of the Year' by the Times of India Sports
Awards

World Team Chess Championship-Mens: China won

the championship leaving Ukraine at second place at
Tsaghkadzor, Armenia

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.

Australian Open Badminton Tournament begins in

Sydney from May 26

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.

Sania Mirza created history by becoming the first

Indian female tennis player to achieve the world
number one rank in doubles, following her stupendous
title win at the WTA Family Circle Cup with partner
Martina Hingis, at Charleston in the USA.

Indian boxers completed a brilliant run at the Doha

International Boxing Tournament, winning four gold,
one silver and two bronze medals in the event.

APRIL 2015

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (Hockey): India won the bronze

in tournament at Ipoh in Malaysia by beating Korea.
The tournament was won by New Zealand

Gagan Narang won the bronze medal in the 50 metre

Rifle Prone Event of the ISSF World Cup at Fort Benning
in the USA

Jitu Rai of India won the bronze medal in the men's 10metre air pistol event at the ISSF Shooting World Cup at
Changwon, S Korea. Apurvi Chandela won the bronze
in womens 10-metre air pistol event.

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.

Rakesh Kumar and Harpal Singh won gold in mens

category and S Sarjubala and Pinki Jangra clinched
gold in womens category at the 22nd President's Cup
Open International Boxing Tournament in Indonesia.

Mumbai Indians won their second IPL title defeating

Chennai Super Kings by 41 runs at Eden Gardens in
Kolkata on May 24.

Dronavalli Harika, Indian Grandmaster won the

bronze medal in the World Women's chess
championships in Sochi, Russia.

Womens 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.

India won Gold and a Bronze at the Asian Indoor

Rowing Championship held in Pattaya, Thailand.

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
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

5th Senior Mens National Hockey Championship won

by Railways team beating Uttar Pradesh in Pune,
Maharashtra.
SACHIN TENDULKAR: Indian batting legend was
inducted into the prestigious Laureus Sports Academy
in a glittering ceremony at Shanghai.
Three Indian race walkers, Khushbir Kaur, Manish
Rawat and Sandeep Kumar have qualified for 2016 Rio
Olympics.
The 8th edition of the grand cricket extravaganza IPL
2015 began with a grand opening ceremony at the Salt
Lake Stadium, Kolkata in April.
The Chinnaswamy cricket stadium in Bengaluru has
become the first cricket venue in the country to have a
roof top solar power plant.

56

Sim Bhullar has become the first player of Indian

descent to play in the high-profile National Basketball
Association (NBA) league in the USA, making his debut
for Sacramento Kings. The 22 years old 7-foot-5-inch
Sim was born in Toronto, Canada.
Laureus Sportsman of the Year, 2015: Serbian tennis
star Novak Djokovic
Laureus Sportswoman of the Year, 2015: Ethiopian
sprinter Genzebe Dibaba.
Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine successfully defended
his world heavyweight boxing title for the 18th time in a
row by defeating his American challenger Bryant Jenn
ings in New York.
MIAMI MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIP, Florida, USA
Mens singles: Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beats Andy
Murray (Britain)
Womens singles: Serena Williams (USA) beats Carla
Suarez Navarro (Spain)
Womens doubles: Sania Mirza and her Swiss teammate Martina Hingis beat Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina
Makarova, both of Russia.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the Monte-Carlo Masters
title of Tennis by beating Tomas Berdych in Monaco.
Daniel Vettori: New Zealand left-arm spinner has
announced his retirement from international cricket.
Badminton Asia Championship: Lin Dan of China won
the cup by beating compatriot Tian Houwei at Wuhan,
China.
Shamkir Chess Tournament: Magnus Carlsen of
Norway won the tournament by defeating Rauf
Mamedov in Shamkir city of Azerbaijan on 26 April
2015.
Lewis Hamilton: Formula One world champion won
the Bahrain Grand Prix for the second year in a row.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes Formula 1 driver from
Britain won the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, China.

MARCH 2015
TH

AUSTRALIA LIFTS WORLD CUP FOR 5 TIME

Lead by Captain Michael Clark Australia beat New
Zealand by seven wickets to lift their fifth World Cup
trophy on Final played on March 29 at Melbourne,
Australia.

TOP ACHIEVERS
Man of the Tournament: Mitchell Starc, bowler from
Australia.
Man of the Match (final): James Faulkner,Australia
Top scorer Martin Guptil (New Zealand) 547
Best strike rate: B Mc Cullum (NZ) 188.5
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

Top Wicket taker Trent Boult (NZ) and Mitchell Starc

(Aus), both 22 each
Best economy rate: Mitchell Starc (Aus) 3.5

HIGHLIGHTS OF WORLD CUP 2015

M S DHONI: By beating Bangladesh in Melbourne, he
became the first Indian captain and third in the world
history to win 100 ODI matches. He reached this
milestone in 178th ODI. The other two achievers are
Australian pair of Ricky Ponting (165 wins) and Allan
Border (107 wins).
MARTIN GUPTILL of New Zealand made the highest
score in the World Cup history with 237 not out against
West Indies in the match played at Wellington,
Australia.
KUMAR SANGAKKARA of Sri Lanka became the first
cricketer to score four successive one-day international
centuries as he scored 124 against Scotland at a World
Cup match played at Hobart, Australia. Also, he is the
only batsman having scored 4 centuries in one world
cup tournament.
Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara of Sri
Lanka have announced their retirement from the One
Day International (ODI) format of Cricket.
Pakistan cricketers Misbah-ul-Haq and Shaid Afridi
have also bid adieu to One Day International cricket.
The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup will be hosted by
England and Wales in June 2019.

SAINA INDIAs FIRST WORLD NO 1

Saina Nehwal created history on March 28 as she
became the first Indian woman shuttler to attain the
world number one ranking after her closest challenger
for the spot, Spain's Carolina Marin, lost in the India
Open Super Series semifinal played in Delhi.
Later on March 29, she won the prestigious India Open
Badminton Championship at New Delhi beating
former world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand.
KIDAMBI SRIKANTH became the first Indian to win
the Swiss Grand Prix Gold badminton championship
beating Viktor Axelsen in Basel, Switzerland. He again
defeated Axelsen to win the India Open at New Delhi
RANJI TROPHY: Defending champions Karnataka
clinched their eighth title as they thrashed Tamil Nadu
in the final played at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
Karnataka lifted the Irani Cup after beating the Rest of
India team in the finals played in Bengaluru.
The 69th National Football Tournament for Santosh
Trophy held at Ludhiana. The Services team won the
trophy beating the Punjab team.
The Indian team won the Women's Hockey World
League Round Two competition title by beating Poland
in New Delhi.

57

WONDER KID CREATES ARCHERY RECORD

Two-year-old girl Cherukuli Dalli Shivani from
Vijaywada has achieved a stunning feat by scoring 200
points over five and seven-metre distances, setting a
new record in Archery.
VIV BEATS SACHIN TO RANK NO 1 ODI PLAYER
West Indian star batsman Viv Richards has been voted
as the greatest ODI player in the history of cricket,
ahead of Sachin Tendulkar (second) in an online poll
conducted by ESPN cricinfos magazine Cricket
Monthly and a jury of 50 eminent cricketers.
Roger Federer defeated Novak Djokovic to win the
Dubai Championship title for Tennis at Dubai.
Rafael Nadal won the Argentina Open title for Tennis
defeating Juan Monaco of Argentina at Buenos Aires,
Argentina.
BNP PARIBAS OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP:
Novak Djokovic won the Men's Singles at Indian Wells,
Californea (USA) beating Roger Federer.
Womens singles title was won by Simona Halep
beating Jelena Jankovic.
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won the womens
doubles title.
LEWIS HAMILTON of Britain won the Australian Grand
Prix Formula 1 race held in Melbourne, Australia.
SEBESTIAN VETTEL of Germany won the Malaysian
Grand Prix on March 29 at Sepang, Malaysia, beating
World Champion Lewis Hamilton of Britain.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

BOOK

AUTHOR

Green Signals: Ecology, Jairam Ramesh, ex Union

Growth and Democracy in Minister for environment
India
At Home in India- The
Salman Khurshid
Muslim Saga
The Past Before Us
Romila Thapar
Your Dreams are Mine Now
Ravinder Singh
Worlds Best Boyfriend
Durjoy Datta
Unbelievable Delhi to
senior Advocate Prof.
Islamabad
Bhim Singh
More Bad Time Tales
Humra Quraishi
IndiaCentral Asia Relations
Amiya Chandra
Gandhi at First Sight
Thomas Weber
Vanessa and Her Sister
Priya Parmar
Me Hijra Me Laxmi
Laxminarayan Tripathi,
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

autobiography of a
transgender, a crusader
for rights of LGBT
community
Pradip Baijal
Brahma Chellaney

A Practitioners Diary
Water, Peace, and War
Confronting
the
Global
Water Crisis
No Free Left The Futures
Vijay Prashad
of Indian Communism
KP: The Autobiography
Kevin Pietersen.
India Shastra Reflections
Shashi Tharoor
on the Nation in Our Time
Secularism, Identity, and
Akeel Bilgrami
Enchantment
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
Gerald Posner
Money and Power at the
Vatican
Prince of Gujarat
Rajmohan Gandhi
Sahib: the British Soldier in
Richard Holmes
India
Amish Tripathi. He is the
Scion of Ikshvaku
author of the immensely
popular Shiva Trilogy.
His next series is on Lord
Rama and this one is the
first in the new series.
Indian Parliamentary
Smt. Meira Kumar, former
Diplomacy- Speaker's PerspSpeaker, Lok Sabha
ective
'The Modi Effect: Inside
Lance Price
Narendra Modi's Campaign
to Transform India'
Editor Unplugged: Media,
Vinod Mehta
Magnates, Netas and Me
The Ever After of Ashwin
Padma Viswanathan
Rao
The Bookmans Tale
Charlie Lovett
Go Set a Watchman
Harper Lee, author of
world famous novel To
Kill a Mockingbird
Recasting India: How
Hindol Sengupta
Entrepreneurship is
Revolutionizing the Worlds
Largest Democracy

58

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

59

SPECIAL BYTES

PUNJAB GK
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

6)
7)
8)
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10)

11)
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15)

16)
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18)
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_____ % of Punjab population lives in urban

areas : 37.5%
______ % of its population lives in Majha area of
Punjab : 21.30
_______ % of population in Punjab lives in rural
area : 62.51%
________ is also known as Hind Di Chaddar:
Guru Teg Bahadur Ji
___________ was sent by Guru Gobind Singh to
Punjab to seek revenge from enemies of khalsa:
Banda Bahadur
_______was capital of first Sikh state under Banda
Singh Bahadur from years 1710-1715: Lohgarh
Banda Singh Bahadur belonged to: Rajori
Area (Jammu)
Asa Di Var is composed by:Guru Nanak Dev ji
Khader areas are known by the name of ______
in Punjab : Baet
According to 2011 census what is the ratio of
Punjab population as compared with the total
population of India : 2.3%
According to World Bank _______ is the easiest
city to do business: Ludhiana
Adi Granth also known as: Pothi Sahib
Adi Granth contained Vani of how many Sikh
Gurus: Five
After the 2nd Anlgo Sikh war, Punjab was made:
Province of British Indian Empire
After the first Anglo Sikh war, who was
appointed as the ruler of Punjab: Maharani
Jindan
Ahluwalia Misl was founded by: Jassa Singh
Ahluwalia
Ahmadaia Movement also known as Qadiani
Movement was founded by: Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad
Alexander defeated the Indian king ________:
King Porus
Amritsar falls in which doab area of Punjab.
Bari Doab

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

20)
21)

22)
23)
24)

25)
26)

27)
28)
29)
30)
31)

32)
33)

34)
35)
36)
37)

Amritsar Sahib was established by which Sikh

Guru: Guru Ram Das
An International airport is being inaugurated by
the Prime Minister at which place in Punjab on
Sept. 11, 2015: Ajitgarh (Mohali)
Anandpur Sahib is situated in which district :
Roop Nagar ( Ropar)
Another fort by the name of Lohgarh was built
near Sadhaura in Haryana by: Banda Bahadur
Apart from Gurus and Bhagats, Guru Granth
Sahib contains compositions of _________
Bhattas: Eleven
Apart from Taran-Taran Sahib which other city
was establish by Guru Arjan Dev Ji: Kiratpur
Apart from the vani of six gurus, Guru Granth
Sahib contains compositions of how many
Bhagats: Fifteen
Apart from Zafarnama, Guru Gobind Singh also
composed: Dasam Granth
Arya Samaj movement was founded by whom:
Swami Dayanand Saraswati
As per 2011 census percentage of Scheduled
caste population in Punjab is : 31.9%
As per 2011 census what is the population of
Punjab: 2.77 crores
As per 2011 census, Punjab accounts for ____ of
the total scheduled castes population in India :
4.4%
As per census 2011, Scheduled Castes in India
constitute ____ % of Indian population : 16.6%
At the time of independence in 1947, Punjab
was divided into: West Punjab (Pakistan) and
East Punjab (India)
At the time of second Anglo Sikh war, Punjab
was governed by: Maharaja Dalip Singh
At what age Baba Budha Ji passed away: 125
years in 1631
At which place Beas river merge with Satluj :
Hari ke Pattan
At which place Guru Gobind Singh Ji breathed

60

38)
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40)
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his last: Hazoor Sahib (Maharashtra)

At which place in Delhi was Guru Tegh Bahadur
martyred: Chandani Chowk
At which place in Punjab is the central
university situated: Bathinda
At which place in Punjab, is largest Railway
Junction situated : Bhatinda
At which place is fertilizer producing plant is
situated in Punjab:Nangal
At which place river Beas merges with river
Satluj : Harike Pattan
At which place was Guru Hargobind Ji
imprisoned: Gwalior Fort
At which place was Guru Tegh Bahadur born:
Amritsar
Baba Ram Singh was disciple of whom: Baba
Balak Singh
Banda Bahadur conquered Sirhind defeating
the mughal forces led by: Wazir Khan,
Governor of Sirhind
Banda Bahadur defeated which Mughal Subedar
at the battle of Chappar Chiri: Wazir Khan
Banda Bahadur established his headquarter at
which place: Mukhlisar (presently in
Haryana near Sadaura in Distt Jagadhari)
Banda Bahadur was baptised by Guru Gobind
Singh Ji and was given the name __________:
Gurubaksh Singh
Banda Bahadur was defeated in the battle of:
Gurdas Nangal (Gurdaspur)
Banda Bahadur was executed during the reign
of which Mughal rular: Farukh Siyyar
Banda Bahadur was tortured and executed in
the year: 1716 AD
Bandi Chhor Diwas is coincides with which
Hindu festival: Dipawali
Beas River originates from_______ : Beas Kund
near Rohtang Pass in HP
Beating The Retreat is held at the international
border between India and Pakistan at: Wagha
Border (Attari, Amritsar)
Bhagat Kabir belonged to which cast: Julaha
Bhai Guru Das was son of younger brother of
which Sikh Guru: Guru Amardas
Bhakhra Canal originates from which river :
Satluj
Bhakra Dam is situated in which district: Roop
Nagar District
By which other name is Hazoor Sahib known as:
Nanded
Central University of Punjab is situated _____

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

62)

63)
64)
65)
66)
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68)

69)

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district : Bathinda
Chappar Chiri memorial has been built to
commemorate the victory of forces led by
________ over Mughals: Banda Bahadur
Dal Khalsa was organized into two sections:
Budha Dal and Taruna Dal
District Fazilka was created in which year : July
2011
Dr. Gopi Chand Bhargava belonged to which
party: Indian National Congress
During a Pre-Aryan period Punjab was known
by the name of: Panchnad
During the Mahabharata period Punjab was
known as: Panchnada
During the reign of Banda Bahadur, The Sikhs
got divided into: Tat Khalsa (sZs ykb;k) and
Bandai The Sikhs
During the Vedic period Punjab was known as
Sapt Sindhu. What is the meaning of Sapt
Sindhu: Land of Seven Rivers
During the Vedic period Punjab was known by
the name of: Sapt Sindhu
Fazilka is ____ district of Punjab : 21st
From which district Sarhand Canal originates?
Roop Nagar
Geographically Punjab ranks_____in population
Census (2011) of India : 15th
Govt. of India has decided to establish Indian
Institute of Management in Punjab at: Amritsar
Gurmukhi script was standardized by : 2nd
Guru Angad Dev ji
Guru Amar Das Ji directed the mughal emperor
to ________ before paying his obeisance: sit in
the langar and partake food with
commoners
Guru Amardas was born at: Village Basarke
Guru Arjan Dev was born at: Gobindwal Sahib
Guru Gobind Oil Refinery is situated in which
district:Bhatinda
Guru Gobind Singh addressed a letter to Mughal
King Aurangzeb. It is known as: Zafarnama
Guru Gobind Singh Ji had __________ sons: Four
Guru Harbogind was born at: Guru ki Wadali
(Amritsar)
Guru Hargobind Ji was imprisoned by which
Mughal king: Jahangir
Guru Harkrishan was son of: Guru Har Rai Ji
Guru Nanak Dev had two sons. Their names are:
Baba Sri Chand and Lakhmi Chand
Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in year: 1469 AD
Guru Nanak Dev was born at which place:

61

88)
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109)
110)
111)
112)

Talwandi (Nankana Sahib) presently in

Pakistan
Guru Nanak Dev was married to Mata Sulakhni.
The marriage took place in _________ city: Batala
Guru Ram Das, before he was anointed the
fourth Guru of The Sikhs was known by the
name: Bhai Jetha Ji
Guru Ramdas born at: Lahore (Chuna Mandi)
Guru Tegh Bahadur purchased land from ruler
of __________ to establish a new city: Bilaspur
(presently in Himachal Pradesh)
Guru Tegh Bahadur purchased land in the
village ______ to establish a new city: Makhowa
Guru Tegh Bahadur was son of: Guru
Hargobind Ji (6th Guru of The Sikhs)
Gurudwarra Damadama Sahib is situated at:
Talwandi Sabo
Harrike Pattan falls in which district of Punjab?
Tarantaran
Hazoor Sahib is situated at the banks of which
river: Godavari
How many cities are two million plus cities in
Punjab : Two ( Amritsar and Ludhiana )
How many districts are in Majha area of Punjab
: Four
How many districts are in the state of Punjab:
22
How many districts were in East Punjab? 21
How many districts were in Punjab on 1st Nov
1966 after bifurcation of Punjab? 11
How many Gurus did Baba Budha Ji serve: six
How many Hymns in Guru Granth Sahib are
contributed by Fifteen Bhagats: 922
How many Hymns of Bhagat Kabir are included
in Guru Granth Sahib: 541
How many journeys were undertaken by Guru
Nanak Devi Ji: Four
How many members of Parliament to Lok
Sabha are elected from the state of Punjab: 13
How many MLAs are elected to Vidhan Sabha of
Punjab: 117
How many national highways pass through
Punjab : 12
How many pages does Guru Granth Sahib
contained: 1430 pages
How many princely states were merged to
create PEPSU? 8
How many states have border adjoining with
Punjab : Four
How much area of Punjab is good for
cultivation: 83%

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

113) How much of Indian population lives in rural

areas : 68.8%
114) How much of Punjab population lives in rural
areas of Punjab : 62.5%
115) How much of the population lives in Malwa
region of Punjab : 59.93%
116) How was Guru Har Rai related to Guru
Hargobind: Guru Har Rai was grandson of
Guru Hargobind Ji
117) How was Guru Hargobind related to Guru Arjan
Dev Ji: Guru Hargobind was son of Guru
Arjan Dev Ji
118) How was the Guru Ram Das Ji related to Guru
Amar Das Ji: Guru Ram Das Ji was son in law
of Guru Amar Das Ji
119) Hydespus is the other name of river: Jhelum
120) Ibrahim Lodhi was defeated by Babar in the
first battle of: Panipat
121) In prior to Partition of Punjab in 1945. How
many districts were in the state of Punjab? 29
122) In the 13th century Mohd. Ghori defeated
________ to establish his regime in India: Prithvi
Raj Chauhan
123) In the 16th century forces led by Babar defeated
whom to establish Mughal empire: Ibrahim
Lodhi
124) In the 2nd Holocaust The Sikhs were defeated
by: Ahmed Shah Abdali
125) In the battle of Anandpur Sahib, a disciple
supplied water to all soldiers irrespective of the
fact whether they belonged to forces led by
Guru Gobind Singh Ji or Mughals. His name was:
Bhai Kanhaiya
126) In the Greek literature Punjab finds its mention
as: Panta Potamia
127) In the operation Blue Star Army forces were
led by ___________ who was attacked recently in
London (UK): Lt. General K.S. Brar
128) In which language is Zaffarnamah written:
Persian
129) In which year Zakariya Khan became governor
of Punjab: 1726 AD
130) In which year Bhakhara Dam was constructed:
22 October 1963
131) In which year construction of Harmandir Sahib
completed: 1589 AD
132) In which year did Guru Nanak Dev Ji breathed
his last: 1539 AD
133) In which year Guru Arjan Dev Ji attained
Martyrdom: 1606 AD
134) In which year Guru Gobind Singh Ji breathed his
last: 1708 AD

62

135) In which year Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji attained

Martyrdom:11th November, 1675
136) In which year Maharaja Ranjit Singh annexed
Lahore: 1799 AD
137) In which year Nadir Shah attacked Punjab:
1738 AD
138) In which year Swami Dayanand founded the
movement of Arya Samaj: 1875 AD
139) In which year was agreement signed between
Akali Dal and Government of India to resolve
the Punjab issue: 1985
140) In which year was Guru Gobind Singh Ji born:
1666 AD
141) In which year was Guru Harkrishan Ji born:
1656 AD
142) In which year was operation Blue Star
conducted by Indian Army to flush out terrorist
from Golden Temple: June, 1984
143) In which year was PEPSU merged with Punjab?
1956
144) In which year was Punjab divided to create
another state of Haryana: 1966
145) In which year was Punjabi declared as the
official language of the Punjab: 1966
146) In which year was Shiromani Gurudwara
Prabandhak Committee formed: 1920
147) Japji Sahib is the vani of which Sikh Guru: Guru
Nanak Dev Ji
148) Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was given the title of
______ by Nawab Kapur Singh: Sultan-ul-quam
149) Kailash Parbat is also known as: Sumer Parbat
150) Kashmir became part of Lahore Durbar
(Kingdom of Maharaja Ranjit Singh) in the year:
1819 AD
151) Lachman Das after renouncing the world
acquired the name Madho Das and settled at:
Panchvati (Nasik)
152) Lachman Das who later on was known as Banda
Bahadur renounced the world and acquired the
name: Madho Das
153) Lala Lajpat Rai was known as: Sher-e-Punjab
154) Le Corbusier, the architect of Chandigarh was
citizen of: France
155) Longowal institute of engineering and
technology is situated in: Distt Sangrur
(Longowal)
156) Madho Das met Guru Gobind Singh at ______ and
acquired the new name Banda Bahadur:
Nanded
157) Maharaja Ranjit Singh Annexed Amritsar in:
1802 AD
158) Maharaja Ranjit Singh belonged to ______ Misl:
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

159)
160)
161)
162)
163)
164)
165)

166)

167)
168)
169)
170)
171)
172)

173)

174)

175)

176)

177)

178)

Sukerchakia
Maharaja Ranjit Singh belongs to _______ sikh
clan: Sandhwalia
Maharaja Ranjit Singh got ________ gold plated:
Shri Harminder Sahib
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was crowned by: Shri
Sahib Singh Bedi
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was crowned on: April
12, 1801 AD
Major Gen. Rajinder Singh is also known as:
Sparrow
Makkhu canal originates from Harrike barrage
and irrigates which part of Punjab- Moga
Masand system was established by Guru Arjan
Dev Ji. This system was abolished by: Guru
Gobind Singh Ji
Mian Mir led the foundation stone of
Harminder Sahib. The design of Harminder was
conceived by: Guru Ramdas Ji
Mir Manu became governor of Punjab in which
year: 1748 AD
Mohd. Gajini is said to have invaded India: 17
times
Mukhlisar was renamed by Banda Bahadur as:
Lohgarh
Name the army general who led operation
Blue Star: Lt. General K. Sundarji
Name the contemporary rulers during the times
of Guru Arjan Dev Ji: Akbar and Jahangir
Name the emperor who got the 9th Guru of The
Sikhs Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji executed:
Aurangzeb
Name the five takhats: i) Akal Takhat
(Amritsar) ii) Damdama Sahib (Talwandi
Sabo) iii) Keshgarh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib)
iv) Patna Sahib (Bihar) v) Hazoor Sahib
(Nanded)
Name the four states with which Punjab shares
its borders: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J &
K & Rajasthan
Name the Gurudwara situated at the place
where body of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji was
cremated: Gurudwara Rakab Ganj
Name the Gurudwara which stand at the place
where Guru Arjan Dev Ji was Martyred:
Gurudwara Dehra Sahib (Lahore, in 1606)
Name the Gurudwara which stands at the place
where two younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh
Ji were bricked alive: Gurudwara Fatehgarh
Sahib
Name the institution started by the 6th Guru
Hargobind Ji: Akal Takhat

63

179) Name the Muslim accomplice of Guru Nanak Ji

who carried Rabab with him: Bhai Mardana
180) Name the person who got the Gurudwara at
Nanded (Hazoor Sahib) built: Maharaja Ranjit
Singh
181) Name the person who is known as Bearded
Mother Teresa: Bhagat Puran Singh
182) Name the person who united Tat khalsa (sZs
ykb;k) and Bandai The Sikhs: Bhai Mani Singh
183) Name the place and the Gurudwara where Guru
Nanak Dev Ji mollified Vali Kandhari: Panja
Sahib
184) Name the spiritual leader who got Harmandir
Sahib built: Guru Arjan Dev Ji
185) Name the three persons who were martyred
along with Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib: Bhai
Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Dayala
186) Name the wife of Guru Angad Dev Ji, whose
name also appears in Guru Granth Sahib: Mata
Khivi
187) Name the wife of Guru Nanak Dev Ji: Mata
Sulakhni
188) National Institute of Sports is situated in which
city of Punjab: Patiala
189) Nirankari Movement was founded by: Baba
Dayal Das
190) Number of alphabets in Gurumukhi are: 35
191) On which date was Punjab divided to create the
new state of Haryana: November 1, 1966
192) On which day of 1699 Guru Gobind Singh Ji
created Panth Khalsa: Vaisakhi (13th April
1699)
193) On which river has Pong Dam been constructed
: Beas
194) Pathankot was given the status of district in
2011. Out of which district was this district
carved out : Gurdaspur
195) PEPSU was created by the merger of seven
Indian princely states in the year: 1950
196) PEPSU was merged in the state of Punjab in the
year: 1956
197) Population of Sikhs as per 2011 in the state of
Punjab census is : 160.05 lacs
198) Porus was defeated by Alexander in the battle
of: Hydespus
199) Prithi Chand was brother of which Sikh Guru:
Guru Arjan Dev
200) Punjab is divided into how many divisions: 5
201) Punjab produces ____ % of total cotton crop
produced in India: 10.26%
202) Punjab produces ________percent of wheat of the
total production of India: 4%
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

203) Punjab produces ______percent of total rice

produced in the world in the year 2012-13: 1%
204) Punjab ranks 15th in terms of population and
accounts for ____ of the total population of India
: 2.3%
205) Punjabi University was established at Patiala in
the year: 1960
206) Puspa Gujral Museum is situated in __________:
Kapurthala
207) Rail Coach Factory is situated in which district :
Kapurthala
208) Rajiv Gandhi Law University is situated at:
Patiala
209) Ranjit Sagar Dam is constructed on which river:
Ravi
210) Recently a famous industrialist founder of Hero
group of industries passed away: OP Munjal
211) River Satluj originates from which place :
Mansrover Lake in Tibet
212) Rivers of Punjab flows from_____ to______.:
North East to South West
213) Ropar Thermal Plant is situated on banks of
which river: Satluj
214) Satluj River flows from which two states of
India : HP and Punjab
215) Savaiye Sahib is a composition by which Sikh
Guru: Guru Gobind Singh Ji
216) Seven Indian princely states which were
merged to constitute PEPSU: Patiala, Nabha,
Jind, Kapurthala, Malerkotla, Faridkot,
Kalsian and Nalagrah
217) Shivallik ranges are situated on which side of
Punjab : North East
218) Shri Sahib Singh Bedi was a descendent of: Shri
Guru Nanak Dev Ji
219) Sikh heritage complex has been developed at:
Anandpur Sahib
220) Singh Sabha movement started in the year:
October 1, 1873 AD
221) Singhpuria Misl was founded by: Nawab Kapur
Singh
222) Small Holocaust took place in the year: 1746
AD at Kahnuwan (Gurdaspur)
223) Sukherchakia Misl was founded by: Sardar
Charat Singh (Grandfather of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh)
224) Sukhmani Sahib is composition of which Guru:
Guru Arjan Dev Ji
225) Takhat Shri Patna Sahib and Takhat Shri Hajoor
Sahib was got built by: Maharaja Ranjit Singh
226) Takshila at present is located in: Pakistan

64

227) Taran-Taran was established by: Guru Arjan

Dev Ji
228) The Travels by Guru Nanak Dev Ji are known
as: Udasis
229) The Takhat at Anandpur Sahib is known as:
Gurudwara Keshgarh Sahib
230) The 2nd battle of Panipat was fought between
forces led by Babur and Ibrahim Lodhi in the
year: 1556 AD
231) The 2nd battle of Panipat was fought between
forces of Akbar and __________: Hemu
232) The 2nd Holocaust is known as: Wadda
Khalughara (tZvk xZb{xkok)
233) The 2nd Holocaust took place at a place near
Ahmedgarh called: Village Kup
234) The 2nd Holocaust took place in the year: 1762
AD
235) The agreement to resolve the Punjab issue
signed in the year 1985 is known as: Rajiv
Longowal Agreement
236) The Anandpur Sahib Resolution was adopted by
Akali Dal in the year: 1973
237) The area between rivers Ravi and Chenab is
called _______ : Rachna Doab
238) The area between Satluj and Beas rivers is
called _______ : Bist Doab.
239) The autobiography of Guru Gobind Singh Ji is
called: Bachitra Natak
240) The belongings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji were
lost in the _________ river while he left Anandpur
Sahib: Siswan
241) The birth place of Khalsa is located in Anandpur
Sahib and is known as: Takhat Sri Darbar
Sahib Keshgarh Sahib
242) The borders of Punjab are contagious with how
many Indian states: Four
243) The city Chak Nanki was established by Guru
Tegh Bahadur after the name of his: Mother
244) The city established by Guru Tegh Bahadur at
Makhowa was named as: Chak Nanki
245) The concept of MIRI-PIRI was established by:
Guru Hargobind Ji
246) The concept of Panj Pyare was conceived by
which Sikh Guru: Guru Gobind Singh Ji
247) The earliest known invasion of Punjab was by:
Alexander of Macedonia
248) The erstwhile name of Amritsar was: Guru ka
Chak
249) The famous center of learning in ancient Punjab
was known by the name of: Takshila
250) The first Anglo Sikh war was fought in: 1845
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

251) The first battle of Panipat was fought in the

year: 1526 AD
252) The first president of Singh Sabha Movement
was: Thakur Singh Sandhwalia
253) The first Punjabi novelist to get Jananpith
Award: Gurdial Singh
254) The first Sikh Guru to be martyred was: Guru
Arjan Dev Ji
255) The first Sikh Guru to wear a Kalgi on his
turban: Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji
256) The fort built by Guru Hargobind Ji at Amritsar
was known by the name of: Lohgarh
257) The founded of Kuka Movement was: Baba
Balak Singh
258) The geographical location of Punjab is______ 29o.
30, 32o.32,73o.55, 76o.50
259) The Guru Granth Sahib contains vani of how
many Sikh gurus: Six (First Five and The
Ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji)
260) The Guru Granth Sahib in the present format
was composed by Guru Gobind Singh at which
place: Damdama Sahib
261) The international airport situated at Raja Sansi
Amritsar is known as: Guru Ram Das
International Airport
262) The latest division constituted is: Roopnagar
263) The most famous city of Punjab is: Amritsar
264) The most polluted city in Punjab is: Ludhiana
265) The name of mother of Guru Gobind Singh was:
Mata Gujri
266) The name of sons of Guru Gobind Singh who
were martyred in the battle of Chamkaur Sahib
were: Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh
267) The name of two younger sons of Guru Gobind
Singh Ji who were bricked alive at Sirhind were:
Baba Fateh Singh and Zoravar Singh
268) The no. of districts in Doaba region of Punjab
are : Four
269) The no. of districts in Malwa region of Punjab
are : 14
270) The old name of Punjab was: Sapta Sindhu
271) The original name of Nankana Sahib was:
Talwandi Rai Bhoe
272) The other name for Singhpuria Misl was:
Faizalpuria
273) The place where forty followers of Guru Gobind
Singh attained martyrdom while fighting to
save Guru Gobind Singh Ji: Muktsar
274) The population of Hindus in Punjab as per 2011
census is : 106.78 lacs
275) The present day Fazilka was part of which

65

276)
277)

278)
279)

280)
281)
282)
283)
284)

285)
286)
287)
288)
289)
290)

291)
292)
293)
294)
295)
296)
297)
298)
299)
300)

district of Punjab : Ferozpure

The present day Muktsar was earlier known by
the name of: Khidrana-Di-Dhab
The present day Punjab constitutes _______
percent of total geographical area of India.
1.54%
The present name of Chak Nanki is: Anandpur
Sahib
The rank of Punjab in terms of percentage of
population with scheduled caste population is :
First
The regime of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was also
known as: Lahore Durbar
The second Anglo Sikh was fought between:
1848 -1849
The Sikh flag is known as: Nishan Sahib
The word Punjab has been taken from which
language: Persian
The younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh were
bricked alive at which place: Sirhind
(Fatehgarh Sahib)
Timur Lang invaded India in the year: 1398 AD
To whom was the Zaffarnamah addressed:
Aurangzeb
Treaty of Amritsar was signed in year: 1809 AD
Two elder sons of Guru Gobind Singh were
martyred in the battle of: Chamkaur Sahib
Tyagmal was the original name of which Sikh
Guru: Guru Tegh Bahadur
Under which Act was SGPC recognized and
constituted under it: Sikh Gurudwara Act,
1925
Upper Bari Doab Canal originates from which
river: Ravi
Upper Bari Doab Hydel power station is
situated at which place: Malikpur (Pathankot)
Virasat-e-Khalsa museum is situated at________ :
Anandpur Sahib
Wazir Khan was defeated by Banda Bahadur at
the battle of: Chapar Chiri (ugZV fuVh)
What is rank of Punjab in terms of urbanization
among states/ UTs : 13th
What is share of population that lives in Doaba
area of Punjab : 18.77%
What is the full form of PEPSU: Patiala and
Eastern Punjab States Union
What is the height of Bhakhara Dam? 225.55
meters
What is the length of Bhakhara Dam? 518.25
meters
What is the length of national highway no. NH-1

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

301)
302)

303)

304)
305)
306)

307)

308)
309)
310)
311)
312)

313)
314)
315)
316)
317)
318)

319)

320)

321)
322)

: 456km
What is the meaning of Zaffarnamah: Epistle of
Victory
What is the name of the area which falls
between Chenab and Jhelam rivers: Chhaj
Doab
What is the name of the composition that
records the dialogue between Guru Nanak Dev
Ji and Sidhas: Sidh Ghosht
What is the name of the place where Guru
Nanak Dev Ji met Sidhas: Kailash Parbat
What is the name of the Punjabi Poetess to get
the Jananpith Award: Amrita Pritam
What is the name of the two accomplices of
Guru Nanak Dev Ji: Bhai Mardana Ji and Bhai
Bala Ji
What is the percentage of cotton production of
Punjab as compared to cotton produced in the
Whole world in the year 2012-13: 2%
What is the previous name of Roopnagar:
Ropar
What is the total length of national highways
passing through Punjab : 1749Km
What is the total no. of districts in the present
day Punjab : 22
What was the hereditary occupation of Bhagat
Kabir: Weaver
What was the name given to the region of
Punjab which became part of India after
partition? East Punjab
What was the name of father of Guru Arjan Dev
Ji: Guru Ram Das Ji
What was the name of father of Guru Har Rai:
Bhai Gurditta Ji
What was the name of Father of Guru Nanak
Dev Ji: Mehta Kalyan Das
What was the name of father of Maharaja Ranjit
Singh: Sardar Maha Singh
What was the name of mother of Guru Nanak
Dev Ji: Mata Tripta Ji
What was the name of the demon Guru Nanak
Dev Ji met while passing through Assam: Kauda
Rakshash
What was the name of the leader of delegation
of Kashmiri Brahamans that came to seek help
from Guru Tegh Bahadur: Pandit Kirpa Ram
What was the name of the new Indian state
constituted by merging eight Indian princely
states of Punjab region: PEPSU
What was the name of wife of Guru Arjan Dev Ji:
Mata Ganga Ji
What was the name of wife of Guru Ram Das Ji:

66

323)
324)
325)
326)
327)
328)
329)
330)
331)
332)
333)

334)
335)
336)
337)

338)
339)
340)
341)
342)

343)
344)
345)
346)

Bibi Bhani
What was the original name of Banda Singh
Bahadur: Lachman Das
What was the original name of Guru Angad Dev
Ji: Bhai Lehna Ji
What was the original name of Guru Arjan Dev
Ji: Arjan Mal
What was the original name of Guru Gobind
Singh Ji: Gobind Rai
What was the original name of Guru Ramdas Ji,
4th Sikh guru: Bhai Jetha Ji
When was Dal Khalsa found: 1748 AD
When was Guru Granth Sahib anointed as
eternal guru of The Sikhs: 6th October, 1708
Where was Guru Nanak imprisoned by Babar
forces: Sayyadpur, In Pakistan
Which Salokas by Guru Nanak referred to
invasion by Babar: Babarvani
Which area is called heart of Punjab : Majha
Which basketball player from Punjab has been
selected for NBA (USA): Satnam Singh
Bhamara, Barnala, Punjab
Which Bein flow between Satluj and Beas river :
Kali and Chitti
Which Bhagat has contributed maximum
Hymns in Guru Granth Sahib: Bhagat Kabir
Which canal originate from Harrike barrageMakkhu
Which canal was constructed in 1980s to
supply water to Haryana but is not in use?
Satluj Yamuna Link Canal (SYL Canal)
Which city has celebrated 350 years of its
foundation: Anandpur Sahib
Which city was established by Guru Nanak Dev
Ji: Kartarpur
Which city was founded by Guru Angad Dev Ji,
the 2nd guru: Khadoor Sahib
Which city was founded by the 3rd guru of The
Sikhs Guru Amardas Ji: Gobindwal Sahib
Which committee was appointed by the
government of India to settle the territorial
boundaries between Punjab and Haryana:
Justice J. C. Shah Commission
Which distirct has been carved out of Ferozepur
in 2011 : Fazilka
Which district of Punjab does not have
contagious boundary : Kapurthala
Which district of Punjab has the highest literacy
rate? Hoshiarpur
Which grain market is known as the largest in
the whole Asia : Khanna

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

347) Which Guru built a fort at Amritsar: Guru

Hargobind Sahib
348) Which guru established Amritsar: Guru
Ramdas Ji
349) Which guru got the tank in Amritsar excavated:
Guru Ramdas Ji
350) Which Guru is known as Shahidaan De Sartaj:
Guru Arjan Dev Ji
351) Which guru was made to sit on hot iron plate
and burning sand was put on his body: Guru
Arjan Dev Ji
352) Which Gurudwara is situated at Chandani
Chowk in memory of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji:
Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib
353) Which is the first state in India to have issued
Soil Health Cards to its farmers: Punjab
354) Which is the largest international airport in
Punjab: Raja Sansi, Amritsar
355) Which is the longest canal of Punjab : Sirhind
Canal
356) Which is the Longest River in Punjab :Satluj
357) Which is the northern most district of Punjab:
Pathankot
358) Which is the smallest river flowing in Punjab :
Beas
359) Which major Industrial town is situated on
banks of river Satluj : Ludhiana
360) Which movement was founded by Baba Ram
Singh: Namdari
361) Which movement was founded by Shiv Naryan
Agnihotri in the year 1887: Dev Samaj
Movement
362) Which movement was started to reform Islam
and defend it against Christian missionaries
and Arya Samajists: Ahmadaia Movement
363) Which Mughal emperor visited and paid
obeisance to Guru Amar Das Ji: Akbar
364) Which Mughal king was instrumental in
execution of Banda Bahadur: Farukh Siyar
365) Which Mughal ruler got guru Arjan Dev Ji
executed: Emperor Jahanagir
366) Which National Highway connects Delhi with
Wagah Border : NH1
367) Which of the following Dam in India has
celebrated its 50 year of establishment:
Bhakhra Dam
368) Which part of the Punjab is called Bangar
Pradesh : Area falling between Ghaggar and
Yamuna
369) Which person is said to have betrayed Mata
Gujri Ji and two younger sons of Guru Gobind
Singh Ji: Gangu Brahamin

67

370) Which place in Punjab is famous for its

furniture : Kartarpur
371) Which place was the capital of Punjab from
1947-53? Shimla
372) Which river is used to flow in Punjab but now
vanished. Saraswati
373) Which rivers crisscrosses border between India
and Pakistan : Ravi
374) Which Sikh Guru introduced the system of
Masand: Guru Arjan Dev Ji
375) Which Sikh Guru passed on the Guruship to
Guru Granth Sahib: Guru Gobind Singh Ji
376) Which Sikh Guru was born in the city of Patna:
Guru Gobind Singh Ji
377) Which state is on the eastern border of Punjab :
Himachal Pradesh
378) Which state lies to the North of Punjab : Jammu
and Kashmir
379) Which was the largest princely state among the
8 princely states merged in 1948 to create
PEPSU? Patiala
380) Who became the first Chief Minister of Punjab
at the time of partition in 1947: Dr. Gopi Chand
Bhargava
381) Who built the Gurudwaras Rakab Ganj and Sis
Ganj built: Sardar Baghel Singh in 1790
382) Who carried the head of Guru Tegh Bahadur
from Delhi to Anandpur Sahib: Bhai Jaita Ji
383) Who compiled Adi Granth: Guru Arjan Dev Ji
384) Who composed Anand Sahib: Guru Amardas
385) Who emerged victorious in the 3rd battle of
Panipat: Ahmed Shah Abdali
386) Who has been appointed as the Chief Secretary
of SGPC: S. Harcharan Singh
387) Who is known as Flying Sikh of India: Milkha
Singh
388) Who laid the foundation of Harmandir Sahib
(Amritsar): Mian Mir
389) Who was appointed Subedar of Sirhind by
Ahmed Shah Abadli: Ala Singh of Patiala
390) Who was the 9th Guru of The Sikhs: Guru Tegh
Bahadur Sahib Ji
391) Who was the first Akali Chief Minister of
Punjab: Justice Gurnam Singh
392) Who was the first governor of the state of
Punjab: Chandulal Trivedi
393) Who was the first head granthi of Harminder
Sahib: Baba Budha Ji
394) Who was the first President of Shriomani
Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee: Baba
Kharak Singh
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

395) Who was the first Rajpramukh of PEPSU:

Maharaja Yadavindra Singh of Patiala
396) Who was the leader of the Sikh organizations,
who died while fighting against Indian Army in
the operation Blue Star: Jarnail Singh
Bhinderanwale
397) Who was the scribe of Adi Granth: Bhai Gurdas
Ji
398) Who was the scribe of Guru Granth Sahib when
it was dictated by Guru Gobind Singh Ji: Bhai
Mani Singh
399) Who was the Up-Rajpramukh of PEPSU:
Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala
400) Who were the contemporary rulers of India
during the times of Guru Nanak Dev Ji: Lodhis,
Babur, Himayun

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68

SSC CORNER
THE LIVING WORLD
The Earth is home to a great variety of living beings,
which make up the biological world. There are millions
of such unique varieties of plants and animals. All living
beings are distinguished by their ability to move,
respire, grow and reproduce, all of which are absent in
non-living things.
CLASSIFICATION
Studying these millions of varieties would be a
herculean task for any scientist. To simplify it, therefore,
the scientists group together similar types of plants /
animals to study them. By studying a representative of
each group, we can know fairly well the unique features
of the group as a whole. Such a system of grouping
together living beings is known as classification.

CLASSIFICATION LEVELS IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

(In Descending Order)

LIFE
DOMAIN
KINDGOM
PHYLUM
CLASS
ORDER
FAMILY
GENUS
SPECIES

SCIENTIFIC NOMENCLATURE
Scientists in different parts of the world call the same
animal / plant by different names. It may create a lot of
problems in communication. To get rid of this problem,
a uniform system of naming called biological
nomenclature was proposed by Carl Von Linnaeus.
According to this system, every organism has been
assigned two names i.e.
1. a generic name called genus and
2. a special name known as species.
Common Name
Wheat
Rice
Onion
Pea
Cat
Man
Frog

Scientific Name
Triticum
Oryza sativa
Allium cepa
Lathyrus odoratus
Felis domesticus
Homo sapiens
Rana tigrina

For instance, both the common cat and the lion have a
common genus Felis, but since there is a considerable
difference in their characters, each has a separate
species name. Obviously, having a common genus name
means great similarity in their basic biological features.
The common names and the corresponding scientific
names of some common living beings can be found
elsewhere in this discussion.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

(Bacteria and viruses have been excluded from this

discussion as they possess the features of both plants
and animals. For instance, some bacteria can make their
own food, which brings them closer to plants. Viruses,
on the other hand, can multiply only on a living host, can
survive extreme environmental conditions and possess
features of both living and non-lining beings. Like living
beings, they can multiply. And like non-living things,
they can crystallize themselves under appropriate
environmental conditions. Many bacteria and viruses
are responsible for some major human diseases.)
Of these, the Chordates are the most advanced group in
the way their bodies are organized. They are
distinguished by the presence of a notochord or
vertebral column. They are further divided into many
types:

69

A. Pisces (The Swimming Fishes)

B. Amphibia
C. Reptilia (The Crawling Reptiles)
D. Aves (The Flying Birds)
E. Mammalia (The Child-Bearing Mammals)
Each animal group has certain features unique to it
e.g.
1.

All fish have gills for respiration in the adult

stage, fins all over the body and internal
fertilization. Therefore, swimming doesnt
define a fish nor does the tag of fish attached to
the name of an animal. For example, the
commonly known animal Silver Fish is not fish
at all (in reality, it is an insect), as it lacks gills,
fins and other features exclusive to fish.

2.

Amphibians are animals that can live on both

land and in water. A typical example is a frog
which normally lives in water ponds, but can
also come to the earth, if the need be.

3.

Reptiles have scales found all over the body.

Since they live in dry places, it helps them in
conserving body water to a large extent.

4.

From birds onwards, a true four-chambered

heart is found in all animals, which means that
pure and impure blood are actually separated
in different chambers of the heart. Birds have
wings (which are actually modified fore-limbs)
and a constant body temperature, apart from a
four-chambered heart. Of course, they can fly,
but the ability to fly does not make an animal a
bird. For instance, many insects can fly with
wings, which are actually the extensions of their
skin. So technically speaking, they cannot be
called birds.

5.

Mammals are the most advanced animal group

of all. Many features distinguish them other
groups like
A. Hair all over the body.
B. Internal fertilization (in other groups,
fertilization takes place outside the body, i.e. is
external)
C. Ability to give birth to young ones directly
(birds and fish lay eggs)

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

D. A constant body temperature which does not

change in response to changes in the
temperature
outside.
Such
constanttemperature animals are called warm-blooded
while those whose body temperature changes
with outside changes are called cold-blooded
e.g. fish, reptiles.
E. A constant internal temperature is a great
advantage for an animal because it allows its
body to work without any hindrance (Most
body functions need a suitable range of
temperature). Its importance can be easily
supported by citing the example of a frog, which
is a cold-blooded animal. In winters, when the
temperature dips very low, the frogs bury
themselves in the bed of the ponds
(hibernation) to avoid the low temperature,
which hinders their body functions. On the
other hand, most mammals have internal
biological mechanisms which adjust their
temperature to avoid excessive heat or cold,
thus creating a constant internal environment
for the body reactions (homeostasis).
Extreme care of the young is a special feature of this
group. Generally speaking, the more advanced the
animal on the scale, the more the degree of parental
care. A highly developed Central Nervous System, which
allows them to think, plan and reason, is a special aspect
of their intelligence.
Of course, no animal apart from humans can speak but
some remarkable research shows that chimpanzees can
definitely communicate with special sign languages.

HEAD OFFICE: SCO 13-15, 2ND FLOOR,

SECTOR 34-A, CHANDIGARH,

PH: 0172-4052124, 09257211740

70

VOCABULARY QUIZ
How much well-equipped are you with vocabulary to
express yourself in different situations? Take the quiz
below to find out for yourself and also learn some
new words as a BONUS!

10.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

DILIGENT
A. Hardworking
C. Sensible

B. Lazy
D. Urgent

SPRIGHTLY
A. Swaying
C. Likely

B. Confused
D. Lively

REFLECTIVE
A. Shining
C. Thoughtful

B. Praiseworthy
D. Reckless

ASSIDUOUS
A. Persistent
C. Interesting

B. Dirty
D. Worthy of hatred

GERMANE
A. Smooth
C. Handsome

B. Relevant
D. From Germany

VOCIFEROUS
A. Through voice
C. In disagreement

B. Critical
D. Loud

MUTE
A. Stay at a place
B. Silent
C. Closed
D. Change dramatically
GARRULOUS
A. Aged
C. Excessive talker

B. Abusive
D. Fond of writing

RETICENT
A. Speaking little
C. Connected

B. Decent
D. Related to eyes

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

B. Roundabout way
D. Pungent

11.

TERRIFIC
A. Horrible
B. Looking like a terrorist
C. Enjoyable
D. Highly commendable

12.

DELUGE
A. Going deep into a river
B. A bunch of some objects
C. Flexibility
D. Flood

13.

PACIFIC
A. Broker
C. Peace-loving

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.

BELLIGERENT
A. Trigger-happy
C. Peace-loving

B. Full of love
D. Related to oceans

14.

APOCRYPHAL
A. Related to mythology B. Historical
C. Of heights
D. Unproven

15.

SUAVE
A. Sophisticated
C. Well-educated
MY SCORE
0-3
4-7
8-11
12-15

B. Having holes
D. Practical

RATING
Get going!
Work hard!
Great, youre almost there!
Wow!

SOLUTION
1.

2.

Diligent: adjective: persevering, hardworking

Popular synonyms: industrious, sedulous
Derivation: Diligence
Examples: A. Her diligent managerial work was
finally recognized by her boss with a
promotion.
B. One may be extremely intelligent, but
without diligent application of mind, one cannot
hope to get success.
Sprightly: adjective: joyful, joyous, lively
Popular synonyms: gay, vivacious, animated
Examples: A. The flowers swayed in a sprightly
dance as the breeze swept the landscape.

71

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

B. Her sprightly manners had the potential to

turn every party into a super hit event.
Reflective: adjective: serious, in a thinking
mood
Popular synonyms: thoughtful, pondering,
cogitative
Derivation: Reflection
Examples: A. Newton was sitting under a tree
in a reflective mood as an apple fell into his lap.
B. As opposed to her reflective husband, who
mostly wore a serious look, she was an
outgoing friendly person.
Assiduous: adjective: hardworking, persistent
Popular synonyms: sedulous, persevering
Examples: A. Every new business requires
assiduous planning and thorough execution of
projects.
B. The mantra of success in life is getting up
after every failure and doing assiduous hard
work to overcome weaknesses.
Germane: adjective: related, relevant, to the
point
Popular synonyms: pertinent
Examples: A. Your ideas were rejected as they
were not germane to the discussions going on.
B. All the issues germane to better Indo-Pak
relations will be taken up at the summit-level
talks.
Vociferous: adjective: loud, vocal, forceful
Popular synonyms: voluble, strident
Examples: A. The opposition MPs made a
vociferous demand for the Prime Ministers
resignation over the corruption scandal.
B. There is a vociferous opposition to the
government proposal to make the Aadhar card
compulsory.
Mute: verb, adjective: silent, to silence
Popular synonyms: dumb
Derivation: Muted
Examples: A. We cannot become mute
spectators to this murder of democracy by the
state.
B. The Ghadar leaders had come to gather the
Punjabis support but the peoples response to
the appeal was muted.
C. I put my TV set on the mute mode as the
jarring sound gave me a headache.
Garrulous: adjective: excessive talker (esp. an
old man)
Popular synonyms: vocal, voluble
Examples: A. We failed to make any sense of
the garrulous speech made by the man in his
80s.
B. The garrulous address of the politician could
be safely cut down to half by a good editor.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Reticent: adjective: silent, speaking very little

Popular synonym: taciturn
Derivation: Reticence
Examples: A. Many people are recent at social
gatherings but you will find them very vocal
with their friends.
B. To become a public speaker, you need to get
rid of your reticence.
Belligerent: adjective: fighting, contentious
Popular synonyms: bellicose, pugnacious
Derivation: Belligerence
Examples: A. Belligerent nations like North
Korea always keep global tensions alive with
their nuclear threats.
B. The belligerent attitude she carried to the
meeting did not let reach a compromise with
others.
Terrific: adjective: great, highly commendable
Popular synonyms: superlative, first-rate
Examples: A. Nawazuddin Siddiquis terrific
acting helped the movie become a super hit.
B. The smartphone specifications look terrific
on paper but the users will reveal the truth
about it.
Deluge: noun: great excess, abundance
Popular synonym: flood
Examples: A. The reputed college has received
a deluge of applications for admissions.
B. The deluge of 600+ TV channels gives the
viewers an unlimited choice to suit their tastes
and preferences.
Pacific: adjective: related to peace, peace-loving
Popular synonyms: serene, tranquil, pacifist
Derivation: Pacifism
Examples: A. The pacific global environment of
todays world has a lot to do with the formation
of UNO.
B. She was known to have a pacific nature and
often made peace between the warring parties
in her college.
Apocryphal: adjective: of doubtful origin, unhistorical
Popular synonym: legendary, unsubstantiated
Examples: A. Several apocryphal stories about
the freedom struggle are quite popular but
most historians do not accept them.
B. The great storyteller often narrates many
apocryphal incidents, which are often taken to
be true by lay people.
Suave: adjective: sophisticated, well-bred
Popular synonym: debonair
Examples: A. A diplomat needs to display suave
manners at all times while dealing with his
foreign counterparts.
B. The girls suave nature greatly helped her bag
the job of an airhostess.

** * **
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

72

Profit And Pleasure

ON ECONOMY
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
some economic phenomena and what they are all about.
Here we go!
1. Several countries are extremely efficient producers of
industrial goods and constantly look for markets to sell
their produce. In this search, they often succeed in
exporting their products but at times, they may have to
sell them in other countries at less-than-cost prices. It
may also be done deliberately to harm the importing
countrys industries and is banned according to the
guidelines of the World Trade Organization.
Can you tell us the term used to describe this
phenomenon?
2. Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru was a great champion of fiveyear plans and was assisted by PC Mahalanobis, who
advised him during the formulation of the 2nd Five Year
Plan, which focused on basic, heavy and key industries.
Several large public sector industries were set up during
this plan as they were necessary to give a push to other
industries. It was believed that such large industries will
automatically lead to a situation of fast economic
growth, which would benefit even the lowest strata of
the society. A widely popular term was used in those
days and after to describe this economic thinking.
Can you recall what we are talking about?
3. In the census history of India, there has been a
particular decade (1911-1921) during which its
population came. It had never happened before nor did
it happen thereafter.
What is the popular name given to this phenomenon by
population experts?
4. Economists often talk of the great advantage which
India enjoys in terms of having a young population. As
per estimates, close to 55% of the Indian population is
in the age group 18-35 years, which is economically the
most productive segment. This is in contrast to the
problem of an older population faced by Japan and the
USA.
Can you recall the name given to this phenomenon given
by the economists?
5. Certain types of industries can be set up anywhere, as
they are not tied to the source of raw material. For
example, industries in sectors like electronics,
nanotechnology and biotechnology. It can happen
because the raw material is light, easily transportable or
is of little significance.
What is the name given to such industries?
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

6. To import certain commodities, one would require a

proper import license. But there are certain
commodities e.g. newsprint, metals etc which are
imported only by authorized government agencies like
State Trading Corporation and Minerals and Metals Corp
of India for further use by industries.
Can you recall the special name given to these imports?
7. In general, the prices of goods follow the law of
demand i.e. if the price of a commodity goes up, its
demand falls and vice versa. But there are certain
exceptional cases wherein the demand for a commodity
rises with a rise in its price e.g. luxury goods like
diamonds, yachts and other goods of conspicuous
consumption.
What is the name given by economists to such goods?
8. The population of India has multiplied significantly in
the decades after Independence mainly due to a drastic
fall in the prevailing death rate. Such a phenomenon is
typical of developing countries, which are passing
through a change in the composition of their population.
What is the name given to such a stage in the population
growth of a country?
9. Certain companies offer voluntary retirement to their
workers to save costs. But while offering such plans, the
companies often make substantial payments to them in
proportion to the length of their service to enable them
to support themselves after retirement.
What is the popular name given to such retirement plans?
10. Without it, one cannot even think of having any kind
of economic growth. For instance, if you do not have
roads, you cannot have efficient transportation and in
the absence of airports, one cannot have any exports.
The roads or the airports themselves do not ensure
economic growth by themselves but they are essential
to all economic activities.
What is the name used to describe this particular sector of
the economy?
KEY PROFIT AND PLEASURE
1. Dumping
2. Trickle Down Theory
3. The Year of Great Divide
4. Demographic Dividend
5. Footloose Industries
6. Canalized Imports
7. Veblen Goods
8. Population Boom or
Population Bomb or
Demographic Bomb
9. Golden Handshake
Scheme
10. Infrastructure

73

GYANM QUIZ - 05
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.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing --- This

is a famous quote written by
A. Alexander Pope
B. William Shakespeare
C. John Keats
D. TS Eliot
Which of the following acids is present in the
human digestive system?
A. Acetic Acid
B. Carbolic Acid
C. Hydrochloric Acid
D. Sulphuric Acid
The ozone hole was discovered first in
A. The equatorial zone
B. Australia
C. America
D. The Antarctica
One can become the Prime Minister of India at
a minimum of
A. 25 years
B. 30 years
C. 35 years
D. 21 years
The title Paradise on Earth was given to ..
by the Mughal emperor Shahjehan.
A. Kashmir
B. Ootacommund
C. Swat valley
D. Himachal Pradesh
All aircraft are made in a fish-like shape to
ensure
A. More friction
B. Elasticity
C. Streamlined action
D. Lesser gravitational pull
Which of the following countries is NOT a city
state?
A. Singapore
B. Taiwan
C. Hong Kong
D. The Vatican
The population of India declined during the
decade
A. 1891-1901
B. 1911-1921
C. 1931-1941
D. 1921-1931
Which of the following was known as the
Imperial Bank of India before its
nationalization?
A. Panjab National Bank
B. Reserve Bank of India
C. Allahabad Bank
D. State Bank of India
The smallest religious minority in India,
which is at the risk of extinction, is the
A. Buddhists
B. Christains
C. Parsis
D. Jains

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

Heartiest congratulations to the winners of Gyanm

Quiz-04!
1.
Rakesh Kumar, Jaipur
2.
Karuna Kapoor, Pune
The winners are being informed by post.
Name: ______________________________________
Address: ____________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
PIN: _____________________
Mobile: ___________________________________ _
My answers to Gyanm Quiz - 05 are:
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.
Signature _______________
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1.

2.
3.
3.
4.
5.

Please send your responses to the quiz, along with

your COMPLETE ADDRESS and PIN CODE, by 25th
September, 2015. The responses can be sent
By e-mail to gynam.college@gmail.com OR
On Whatsapp mobile number 09646888377 OR
By post to Gyanm College of Competitions,
SCO 13-15, 2nd Floor, Above Dominos, Sector 34-A,
Chandigarh-160034
ONLY the residents of India are eligible to
participate.
In case of multiple correct entries, a draw will be
held to decide the winner/s.
The Prize/s CANNOT be exchanged for cash.
The decision of the jury shall be FINAL and
BINDING on all the participants.
The winners names shall be announced in the
November, 2015 issue.

74

Latest MCQs
ON CURRENT AFFAIRS
AUGUST GK TEST 01
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

The Ramon Magasasay Awards are conferred

by
A. The Philippines government
B. The United Nations Organization
C. The South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation
D. The Asian Nobel Committee
E. Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
The Goods and Services Tax bill, if passed by
Parliament, will
A. will require Supreme Court approval
B. become the 121st Constitutional Amendment
Act
C. is an ordinary amendment bill
D. does not require approval of President
E. will become the 101st Constitutional
Amendment Act
The cyclone Komen had hit . recently,
causing widespread damage.
A. The USA
B. Bangladesh
C. West Bengal
D. Andhra Pradesh
E. Bihar
The 2022 Winter Olympics will be hosted by
A. Moscow
B. Beijing
C. Shanghai
D. Dublin
E. Rio de Janeiro
Pick the odd man out.
A. The Secrets of the Nagas
B. The Oath of Vayuputras
C. The Scion of Ikshvaku
D. The Immortals of Meluha
E. Hanuman Is Still Alive
The government has signed a historic peace
accord after 17 years of talks with the
A. Gorkhaland Hill Peoples Organization
B. Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (IM)
C. Manipur Sangram Parishad
D. Assam Gansangram Parishad
E. Bodo Liberation Organisation
_________ has become the first country in the
world to receive funds from UN for Solar
Home Systems.
A. Bangladesh
B Pakistan
C. Myanmar
D. Sri Lanka

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

E. Bhutan
As per the latest UNO report, India is likely to
equal China in terms of population by
A. 2030
B. 2040
C. 2050
D. 2025
E. 2022
Select the wrong pairing.
A. USTAD: Skill development
B. NIIF: Infrastructure development
C. APY: Pension plan
D.AMRUT: Urban renewal
E. All these pairs are correct
Which of the following is NOT a retail
commercial bank in India?
A. Bhartiya Mahila Bank
B. National Housing Bank
C. Citi Bank
D. Central Bank of India
E. Axis Bank
All cricket matches played by India till 2019
will be sponsored by
A. Both B and E
B. Snapdeal.com
C. Amazon.com
D. Paytm.com
E. Flipkart.com
Yakub Memon, the man convicted in the
Mumbai bomb blasts case, was tried under
which of the following laws?
A. Indian Penal Code
B. Maharshtra Control of Organized Crime Act
(MCOCA)
C. National Security Act (NSA)
D.
Terrorist
and
Disruptive
Activities
(Prevention) Act (TADA)
E. Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA)
Which of the following laws is NOT awaiting
Parliamentary approval?
A. Real Estate Regulatory Authority Bill
B. Goods and Services Tax Bill
C. Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill
D. Whistleblowers Protection Bill
E. One Rank One Pension Bill
Consider the following diseases:
1. Ebola
2. SARS
3. H1N1
4. Malaria
Out of these, the disease/s spread by a virus is/
are
A. 2, 3
B. All of them

75

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

C. 1, 2, 3
D. 1, 3
E. 1, 4
Pick the odd one out.
A. Lalu Yadav: Janata Dal (U)
B. Asadudin Owaisi: All India Majlis-i-IttehadeMusalmin
C. Mayawati: Bahujan Samaj Party
D. Shard Pawar: Nationalist Congress Party
E. Mamta Banerjee: Trinamool Congress
The movie Mountain Man directed by Ketan
Mehta is based on the real-life story of
A. Arunima Sinha
B. Dasrath Maanjhi
C. Edmond Hillary
D. Phu Dorjee
E. Mahavir Prasad
Which of the following terms is NOT related to
core banking functions?
A. Primary security
B. Doubtful assets
C. Foreclosure charges
D. Merchant banking
E. Amortization
Which of the following places in Madhya
Pradesh witnessed a serious rail accident due
to flash floods?
A. Mhow
B. Harda
C. Aboojhmar
D. Guna
E. Datia
Which two places in India bore the brunt of
recent Pak-sponsored terrorist activities?
A. Amritsar, Poonch
B. Gurdaspur, Sopore
C. Amritsar, Udhampur
D. Gurdaspur, Srinagar
E. Gurdaspur, Udhampur
Select the wrong pair.
A. SECC: Census
B. IIP: Factory output
C. ECB: Borrowings
D. NIIF: Innovation
E. CPI: Retail inflation
The Reserve Bank has recently come up with a
subvention scheme for farm loans in India.
Which of the following describers the concept
of subvention most appropriately?
A. An interest rate subsidy scheme wherein the
concession is given by the bank but the bill is
footed by the government.
B. A loan waiver scheme to help out the farmers
who are in distress
C. An interest rate subsidy scheme wherein the
concession is given by the bank itself.
D. A loan waiver scheme for cases involving
farmers suicides.
E. A liberal loan policy involving relaxation of
lending norms including creditworthiness
If I approach a bank for a personal cash loan,
which of the following thing will the bank NOT
consider while processing my case?
A. Stability of my income flow
B. My total assets and liabilities
C. Ownership of my residence
D. Any loan repayments running currently
E. My employers recommendation letter

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

Which of the following currencies was

devalued recently, leading to turbulence in
the forex markets?
A. Yen
B. Drachma
C. Yuan
D. Euro
E. Australian Dollar
Which of the following makes the most
appropriate
distinction
between
the
devaluation of currency and depreciation of
currency?
A. Depreciation refers to a reduction in the worth
of a currency in the domestic market while
devaluation refers to a fall in a currencys worth
against other foreign currencies.
B. Devaluation refers to a reduction in the worth
of a currency in the domestic markets while
depreciation refers to a fall in a currencys worth
against other foreign currencies.
C. Depreciation is an officially administered
reduction in the exchange value of a countrys
currency while devaluation refers to a fall in a
currencys worth triggered by market forces.
D. Devaluation is an officially administered
reduction in the exchange value of a countrys
currency while depreciation refers to a fall in a
currencys worth triggered by market forces.
E. None of the above statements is correct
Hamid Gul, who passed away recently, was the
former chief of
A. Lashkar-i-Toiba
B. The Pakistan Army
C. Taliban
D. Jamaat-ud-Dawa
E. Inter Services Intelligence of Pakistan
Suraksha Bandhan, a scheme recently
announced by the government, seeks to
A. Provide quality maternity care in villages
B. Ensure supplementary nutrition and
vaccination for young children in villages
C. Train young college girls in self-defence
techniques
D. Promote social security schemes in India
E. Provide community policing services for the
elderly living alone.
Jelly Bean, Lollipop, Icecream, Sandwich,
Marshmallow --- In the world of technology,
all these names refer to
A. Software programmes used in high-end
computing
B. Different versions of the Android platform
C. The names of different generations of
Supercomputers
D. Different generations of computers
E. None of these
Which among the following Indians is/ was
NOT the CEO/ top manager of a global
corporate house?
A. Rajat Gupta
B. Rana Kapoor

76

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

C. Sundar Pichai
D. Ajit Jain
E. Satya Nadella
Which of the following landmark movies
completed 40 years of its release in India?
A. Pakeezah
B. Zanjeer
C. Mughal-e-Azam
D. Deewar
E. Sholay
A massive bomb explosion in several
people dead and injured.
A. Tsango
B. Tianjan
C. Huan
D. Dispur
E. Sukma
Technology gaint Google has reorganized
itself into a new company called
A. Omega
B. Yeah!
C. Alphabet
D. Alpha
E. Pronto
The Liquid Adjustment Facility (LAF) of the
Reserve Bank is designed to
A. Make available short-term funds to the banks
quickly to help them tide over liquidity problems
B. Help the banks lend to and borrow from other
banks for long-term needs
C. Curb inflation whenever there is an excess of
liquidity in the economy
D. Stabilize the value of the rupee vis a vis other
currencies
E. Manage the total volume of currency notes
circulating in the economy
The Ramanujan Prize is given in the field of
A. Agriculture
B. Economics
C. Technology
D. Physics
E. Mathematics
PAHAL is an acronym for the name of a
scheme related to
A. School sports
B. Children
C. Financial inclusion
D. Girls education
E. Subsidies LPG
In the acronym DBTL, the letter B stands for
A. Business
B. Benefit
C. Battery
D. Bank
E. None of these
The capitalization of a bank implies
A. Its gross profits + Value of all its assets
B. Injecting capital to improve its capital base
C. Concentrating all its branches in a small area.
D. Its gross profits only
E. The total value of all its shares
Which of the following terms is NOT related to
the world of banking?
A. Branchless banking
B. Universal banking
C. Wholesale banking
D. Organ banking
E. Retail banking
Which of the following is a refinance
institution?
A. Regional Rural Banks B. State Bank of India
C. Reserve Bank of India D. HDFC bank

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

39.

40.

41.

42.

43.

44.

45.

E. MUDRA
Which of the following was the first truly
Indian bank in India i.e. financed entirely with
native capital and managed by Indians?
A. Canara Bank
B. Panjab National Bank
C. State Bank of India
D. Hindustan Commercial Bank
E. Allahabad Bank
Santhara, which was in news recently, refers
to a/an
A. Practice of starving unto death followed by Jain
community
B. Annual Buddhist ceremony led by the Dalai
Lama
C. Folk dance form
D. A new movie on Gautam Buddha
E. Religious festival of the Jains
Who among the following is known as the
Father of Cycle Industry in India?
A. OP Munjal
B. Jamna Lal Bajaj
C. Anand Mahindra
D. Brij Mohan Munjal
E. None of these
Which of the following female players was
involved in a dispute in the Court of
Arbitration for Sports (CAS) over her medical
condition called hyperandrogenism?
A. Mithali Raj
B. Sandhya Sharma
C. Deepika Pallikal
D. Dutee Chand
E. Promita Chaterjee
The US Food and Drug Administration has
approved the first-ever pill for female sexual
dysfunction (similar to Viagra), with strict
conditions. The pill has been branded as
A. Lovo
B. Figra
C. VX
D. Wogrex
E. Addyi
The Reserve Bank of India recently awarded
11 new banking licenses for setting up
Payment Banks in India. Which of the
following is/ are NOT true of the functions
that such banks can perform?
1. The Payment Banks can accept deposits with
the condition that the balance must not exceed
Rs. 1 lakh at any time.
2. The Payment Banks are mainly set up to
facilitate rural banking.
3. The Payment Banks can give small loans to
farmers, traders and unemployed youth.
4. The Payment Banks can issue Debit Cards but
not Credit Cards.
A. 3, 4
B. 2, 3
C. 2, 4
D. 3 Only
E. 1, 2, 4
Micro-credit players in India mostly work
with the help of
A. Primary Credit Societies B. Cooperative banks

77

46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

C. Zila Parishad
D. Self Help Groups
E. Village panchayats
Project Indradhanush has been launched by
the government to
A. Revive the public sector banks with capital
support, a Bank Board Bureau, better governance
and a focus on quality
B. Ensure that the Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and
Transgenders (LGBT) are given due protection
and rights in the society
C. Bring about a cultural revival in classical Indian
arts like music, painting and dance
D. Revive the public sector units (PSUs) with
capital support, better governance and a focus on
quality.
E. None of these
In the popular acronym PPP, the second letter
P stands for
A. Profit
B. People
C. Partnership
D. Public
E. Private
The ... has directed that all government
officials, MLAs, MPs, MLCs, judges and all
other persons who get any benefit/ salary
from the state should send their children to
primary schools run by the state government.
A. Allahabad High Court B. Central Government
C. Education Department D. Delhi High Court
E. Supreme Court
Which of the following countries faced
numerous forest fires recently, which
destroyed millions of acres of forests there?
A. Russia
B. The UK
C. The USA
D. Canada
E. Australia
Pick out the WRONG pair.
A. Turning Points of My Life: APJ Abdul Kalam
B. Scion of Ikshvaku: Ravinder Singh
C. Kashmir - The Vajpayee Years: AS Dulat
D. Sleeping on Jupiter: Anuradha Roy
E. Making India Awesome: Chetan Bhagat

Education is the most

powerful weapon
which you can use to
change the world.
AUGUST GK TEST 02
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Which of the following is an example of a

footloose industry?
A. Iron and Steel
B. Coal
C. Cement
D. Copper
E. Nanotechnology
In the acronym IIP, the second letter I stands
for
A. Industrial
B. Indian
C. Internal
D. International
E. Investment
Which of the following is the highest-selling
scooter brand in India?
A. Hero Honda
B. Activa
C. Pleasure
D. Suzuki
E. Wego
The acronym ASBA is related to the field of
A. Business management
B. Retail banking
C. Insurance
D. Accounting
E. Stock markets
Match the following:
1. Wall Street
P. Mumbai
2. Dalal Street
Q. Beijing
3. Mint Street
R. New York
4. Tianneman Square
S. London
5. Fleet Street
T. Mumbai
Select your answer from the following codes:
1
2
3
4
5
A.
R
P
T
Q
S
B.
R
P
Q
T
S
C.
S
P
T
Q
R
D.
R
T
P
Q
S
E.
P
T
Q
S
R
Which of the following is NOT a terrorist
group?
A. ISIS
B. Jaish-e-Mohammed
C. Lashkar-i-Toiba
D. Dukhtran-i-Millat
E. Boko Haram
Disinvestment by the government in Public
Sector Units DOES NOT lead to which of the
following consequences?
A. Better management
B. Dilution of government equity in PSUs
C. Plugging the fiscal deficit
D. More accountability
E. All these statements are correct
Which among the following terms is NOT
related to retail banking?
A. Amortization Schedule B. Term Deposit
C. Asset-Liability Mismatch
D. Sinking Fund
E. Recurring Deposit
Pick out the correct pair/s.
1. Chairman, TRAI: RS Sharma
2. National Security Advisor: Ajit Doval
3. US Ambassador to India: Richard Verma
4. CEO, NITI Aayog: Arvind Panigrahi

78

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

A. 1, 3
B. 2, 4
C. 1, 3, 4
D. 1, 2, 3, 4
E. 1, 2, 3
Which of the following is WRONGLY matched?
A. NASDAQ: UK
B. Nikkei: Japan
C. Bolsa: Mexico
D. Mid Dax: Germany
E. Dow Jones: USA
Which of the following states has made voting
compulsory in elections to local bodies?
A. Kerala
B. Gujarat
C. Nagaland
D. Madhya Pradesh
E. Goa
Sartaj Aziz, who was to supposed to visit India
for Indo-Pak talks, is the
A. Special Nominee of the Prime Minister of
Pakistan
B. Home Minister, Pakistan
C. National Security Advisor, Pakistan
D. Defence Minister
E. Foreign Secretary, Pakistan
Gilt-edged securities refer to
A. Currency notes issued by the RBI
B. Dated government securities
C.
Collateral
securities
without
any
encumbrances
D. Securities with printing done on it in gold ink
E. Gold
The first charge on the assets/ income of a
public limited company, which is being
liquidated, belongs to
A. The workers
B. The shareholders
C. The management
D. The banks
E. The Debenture-holders
The new car brand Ciaz has been launched by
A. Honda Motors
B. Hyundai India
C. Suzuki Motors
D. Mahindra Rise
E. General Motors
Find the odd man out from among the
following.
A. Make In India
B. Kaushal Vikas Karyakram
C. Stand Up India
D. Skill India
E. Suraksha Bandhan
Which of the following best describes the
purpose behind the Basel norms, to which
India is a signatory?
A. Improving the internal risk control mechanism
in the banks worldwide.
B. Improving the liquidity position of the banks
worldwide.
C. Ensuring uniformity in banking procedures
followed globally
D. Curbing the flow of black money on an
international basis
E. Enhancing global trade based on new, liberal
policies adopted by the WTO

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

Which of the following Indian movies won the

top honours at the Cannes Film Festival?
A. Anne Ghode Daa Daan
B. Maanjhi- The Mountain Man
C. Pagdi The Honour
D. Masaan
E. Dheepan
The Beating the Retreat ceremony is
conducted
A. Daily at Indo-Pak border
B. On the Independence Day at Rashtrapati
Bhawan
C. On Vijay Diwas at India gate
D. In the memory of all those soldiers who have
been killed in war
E. On Republic Day
The United Nations member countries have
agreed on a new development agenda for the
next 15 years, which calls for
1. Eradicating poverty and hunger
2. Gender equality
3. Abolition of child labour
4. Action to combat climate change
Select the correct statements using the following
codes.
A. 1, 4
B. 1, 2, 4
C. 1, 2
D. 1, 2, 3
E. 1, 2, 3, 4
defeated in a surprise
development to become the Prime Minister of
...
A. Ang San Su Kyi, the military junta-led
candidate, Myanmar
B. Yingluck Shinawatra, Ang San Su Kyi, Thailand
C. Mahendra Rajapkse, Ranil Wickremsinghe, Sri
Lanka
D. Ranil Wickremsinghe, Mahendra Rajapkse, Sri
Lanka
E. None of these is a correct combination
Which country is the latest one to join the
World Trade Organization as its 162nd
member?
A. Lithuania
B. Estonia
C. Kazakhstan
D. Azerbaijan
E. Latvia
India hosted the 2nd FIPIC meeting in August
2015 in Jaipur. The acronym FIPIC can be
expanded as
A. Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation B.
Federation for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation
C.
Forum
for
Indo-Pakistan
Industrial
Cooperation
D. Forum for India-Pakistan-Indonesia-China
E. None of these
The worlds first-ever completely solarpowered airport was commissioned in

79

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

A. Gwalior
B. Kochi
C. Jaipur
D. Palakkad
E. Jodhpur
The Rupay Card network is run and managed
by
A. State Bank of India
B. Reserve Bank of India
C. Clearing Corp of India
D. All Public Sector Banks jointly
E. National Payments Corp of India
Which among the following is NOT an honour
related to sports in India?
A. Shaurya Puraskar
B. Khel Ratna
C. Dronacharya Award
D. Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Trophy
E. Arjuna Award
A Venture Capital fund is basically designed to
A. Help out business enterprises which are facing
financial crises
B. Provide risk capital for new, unproven
business ideas with future potential
C. Help new businesses with capital at low
interest rates
D. Buy shares of as-yet-unlisted businesses
E. None of these
This product, when introduced in the early
80s, revolutionized the way people lived,
listened to music and enjoyed life. So popular
did it become that its brand name became a
synonym for the product itself. But the
onslaught of technology made it outdated and
recently, the company decided to shut down
its plant as there was little market demand.
Most likely, the brand referred to above is
A. Casios Musical Keyboard
B. Sonys Video Cassette Player
C. Apples i-Pod
D. Sonys CD Player
E. Sonys Walkman
Who among the following is NOT a badminton
player?
A. Gopi Chand Pulela
B. Saina Nehwal
C. PV Sindhu
D. Deepika Pallikal
E. All of them are badminton players
Which of the following countries has PM
Narendra Modi NOT visited in the past 15
months?
A. Singapore
B. Japan
C. Australia
D. China
E. Tazakhistan
As per the latest reports, which country
receives the most foreign remittances each
year at a global level?
A. Pakistan
B. India
C. UAE
D. China
E. The USA
A Digital Locker is best described as

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

A. A link to access ones sensitive documents

lying in a safe, online storage space
B. An online storage space for ones valuables,
which allows online transactions also
C. An online link to provide access to ones
physical locker and its contents
D. An online way to access ones bank account
transactions without contacting the bank branch
E. None of these
Saral, Sahaj, Sugam- All these refer to
A. The guiding slogan given for the Make In India
campaign
B. The mantra given by the government to all its
departments for their public dealings
C. The forms for filing Income Tax returns for
different categories
D. The forms for filing Service Tax returns for
different categories
E. None of these
Recently, the newspapers featured this frontpage headline.
The . witnessed bloodbath with its
bellwether. crashing by 1600 points or 4.17
per cent on global market sell-off following fears
of a slowdown in the Chinese economy and due to
falling crude oil prices.
In all probability, the two blanks given above
should contain
A. Indian stock markets, the Sensex
B. Indian stock markets, the wholesale Price
Index
C. Global currency markets, MSCI
D. US stock markets, the Dow Jones
E. Gold markets, LIMEX
The Central Government has okayed a Rs. 1.25
lakh crore special package for the state of
A. Madhya Pradesh
B. Bihar
C. Uttar Pradesh
D. Jammu & Kashmir
E. Punjab
Pick out the wrong pair.
A. State Bank of India: 1955
B. Punjab National Bank: 1895
C. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development: 1984
D. Industrial Development Bank of India: 1964
E. Reserve Bank of India: 1935
The Ufa Declaration pertains to the
A. Setting up of a Global Climate Change Fund
B. Resolution of outstanding Indo-Pak issues
through negotiations
C. Pledge taken by all BRICS nations against
global terrorism
D. Decision taken by all WTO members on further
liberalization of the trade in services
E. Reduction in greenhouse emission levels
The global price of crude oil is indicated by
which of the following indices?

80

39.

40.

41.

42.

43.

44.

45.

A. MIBOR
B. LIBOR
C. NASDAQ
D. NYMEX
E. LIMAX
Which of these is a government-owned bank
in India?
A. Axis Bank
B. HDFC Bank
C. IDFC Bank
D. IDBI Bank
E. ICICI Bank
Palymra was a city in news recently on
account of attacks by the ISIS. It is a part of
A. Iran
B. Syria
C. Algeria
D. Iraq
E. Jordan
Recently, a major economic event led to
newspapers headlines, one of which is
presented below:
It was a 'Black Monday' again that marked the
worst-ever carnage in the market and history
shows that seven of the ten biggest have taken
place on a Monday! It got triggered as a rout in
the Chinese markets led to a global sell-off.
The word market referred to in the above news
item is in respect of
A. Gold
B. Forex
C. Bonds
D. Crude Oil
E. Stocks
In the acronym FPO, the letter F stands for
A. Financial
B. Fiduciary
C. Follow on
D. Fungibility
E. Follow up
A fiduciary note issue refers to an issue of
currency by the Reserve Bank
A. To replace the old and worn out currency notes
B. Without an equivalent amount of gold kept as
reserves
C. To plug the fiscal deficit
D. To stabilize the value of the rupee vis a vis
other currencies
E. None of these
Which of the following is NOT a social security
scheme launched by the Modi government?
A. Jan Dhan Yojana
B. Suraksha Bandhan
C. Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
D. Suraksha Bima Yojana E. Atal Pension Yojana
A dormant bank account
A. Can be made operative upon a request to the
bank in writing
B. Is as good as a closed account and cannot be
made operative again
C. Must be made operative within two years of
dormancy otherwise the account is closed forever
D. Cannot be made operative and the amount
lying therein goes to the Reserve Bank of India
E. Can be made operative only after paying a
penalty as decided by the bank

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

Who among the following has won the 100

metre race at the World Athletics
Championship?
A. Carl Lewis
B. Lance Armstrong
C. Michael Phelps
D. Trampon Jones
E. Usain Bolt
Which of the following is NOT a way to raise
debt finance?
A. Fixed Deposit
B. Commercial Paper
C. Debenture
D. Certificate of Deposit E. Private Equity
The Electronic Clearing System of the National
Payments Corp of India (NPCI) is meant to
A. Act as a clearing house for local cheque
payments
B. Facilitate bulk and recurring credits/ debits
C. Facilitate the transfer of government subsidies
into the users accounts
D. Speed up online banking
E. Ease the payments made over mobile phones
The term plastic money refers to
A. Credit Cards
B. Debit Cards
C. Discount Cards
D. Both A and B
E. Neither A nor B
Which of the following states has begun a
pension scheme for trans-genders in the
state?
A. Meghalaya
B. Kerala
C. Tripura
D. Chhatisgarh
E. zGoa
ANSWER KEY AUGUST GK TEST 01

Q.
1
6
11
16
21
26
31
36
41
46

A.
E
B
D
B
A
D
C
B
A
A

Q.
2
7
12
17
22
27
32
37
42
47

A.
E
A
D
D
E
B
A
D
D
E

Q.
3
8
13
18
23
28
33
38
43
48

A.
C
E
E
B
C
B
E
E
E
A

Q.
4
9
14
19
24
29
34
39
44
49

A.
B
E
C
E
D
E
E
B
B
C

Q.
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50

A.
E
B
A
D
E
B
B
A
A
B

Q.
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50

A.
A
A
C
B
E
A
B
B
A
C

ANSWER KEY AUGUST GK TEST 02

Q.
1
6
11
16
21
26
31
36
41
46

A.
E
D
B
C
D
A
B
C
E
E

Q.
2
7
12
17
22
27
32
37
42
47

A.
A
A
C
A
C
B
A
B
C
E

Q.
3
8
13
18
23
28
33
38
43
48

A.
B
D
B
D
A
E
C
D
B
B

Q.
4
9
14
19
24
29
34
39
44
49

A.
E
E
E
A
B
D
A
D
A
D

81

Financial
Glossary
continued from previous issue
IMPORTANT COMMITTEES
COMMITTEE
HEAD
Suresh
Tendulkar
Dr. C Rangarajan
Kirit Parikh
YH Malegham
M Damodaran
Raghuram Rajan
A K Khandelwal
Saumitra
Chaudhuri
M V Nair
Parthasarthi
Shome
Vijay Kelkar
Bimal Jalan
Vijaya Bhaskar
Urjit Patel
P J Nayak
Dr. Nachiket Mor

AREA OF REVIEW
Methodology for fixing the
Poverty Line
Financial Inclusion Committee
Deregulation of Petrol/Diesel/
Gas Prices
Functioning of Micro Finance
Institutions
Improvement
in
Customer
Services in Banks
Financial Sector Reforms
H R issues in Public Sector Banks
Wholesale Price Index
Review of Priority Sector Lending
Norms
Review of implementation of
GAAR
Roadmap for Fiscal Consolidation
Scrutiny of Applications for New
Banks
Review of Major Financial
Benchmarks
Formulation of Monetary Policy
Governance of Boards of Banks
Comprehensive
Financial
Services for Small Businesses and
Low-Income Households

MONETARY & CREDIT POLICY

The monetary policy aims to regulate the level of money
supply in the country to ensure the best possible
economic growth and keep inflation under control.
Credit here means the creation of loans by the banks,
which forms a major portion of the money supply.
RBI is responsible for maintaining optimum
level of money supply in the country. Any excess in
money supply may lead to inflationary conditions while
its shortage may dry up the funds for businesses and
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

industry, leading to an economic slowdown. Neither

situation is good for the economy and it throws a big
challenge before the RBI---how to maintain the
optimum level of money supply which neither leads to
inflation nor does it adversely affect the industry.
The RBI meets this challenge with six policy
rates also known as quantitative measures to regulate
the money supply. From the year 2014-15, the RBI has
begun the practice of announcing the monetary policy
after every two months.

QUANTITATIVE MEASURES
These measures aim to control the money supply
directly as they affect the banking system as a whole.
Two of them, the CRR and the SLR are also called
Statutory Measures as they are provided in two separate
laws. Both of them are kept as a proportion of the total
deposits of the banks. In banking parlance, the total
deposits are called Demand and Time Liabilities (DTL)
or Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL).
The other four key policy measures include Repo rate,
Reverse Repo rate, Marginal Standing Facility and Bank
Rate. These are voluntary options offered by the RBI to
banks only. Banks may use them or may not use them
as per their funds position from time to time.

STATUTORY MEASURES
STATUTORY LIQUIDITY RATIO-SLR, 21.5% (Feb
7, 2015)
Under section 24(2A) of the Banking Regulation Act,
1949, all banks have to maintain a certain portion of
their total deposits, as decided by the RBI from time to
time, as approved securities, gold or cash. However, in
practice, most banks block their SLR funds in
government securities approved by the RBI.

CASH RESERVE RATIO (CRR) - 4.00% w.e.f. 0901-2013

As per the section 42(1) of the RBI Act, 1934, all banks
are required to maintain a certain portion of their total
deposits, as decided by the RBI from time to time, in the
form of cash only, which is to be kept with the RBI.

82

VOLUNTARY MEASURES
REPO RATE 7.25% w.e.f. 02-06-2015
The term Repo stands for Repurchase Agreement. It is
the rate of interest charged by the RBI from Banks on
short term loans offered against SLR securities. It is also
known as the repo rate facility.

REVERSE REPO RATE 6.25% w.e.f. 02-06-2015

It is the rate of interest the RBI pays to the Banks for
accepting short term deposits. It is also known as the
Reverse Repo Facility. At present, the Reverse Repo Rate
is calibrated at one per cent (100 basis points) below
the Repo Rate.
One per cent point = 100 basis points (BPS)

MARGINAL STANDING FACILITY MSF 8.25%

(02-06-2015)
It is another facility available to the banks to borrow
money from the RBI for short period against the
security of SLR securities. This facility is available only
after the closure of the repo window, from 7 pm to 7.30
pm. Interest rate for the MSF is calibrated at one per
cent (100 basis points) above the Repo Rate.

LIQUIDITY ADJUSTMENT FACILITY (LAF)

Liquidity refers to the availability of funds with the
banks. Whenever the banks need short-term funds, they
can borrow from the RBI under the repo facility and in
case they have surplus funds, they can deposit these
with the RBI under the reverse repo facility.
The three facilities - Repo, Reverse Repo and MSF put
together form the Liquidity Adjustment Facility.
LAF Corridor: It is the gap between Repo rate and
Reverse Repo rate. At present it is one per cent.

LINKAGE OF RATES WITH MONEY SUPPLY

All the policy rates are inversely linked to the level of
money supply. This means that as and when any one or
more of these rates are increased, it will lead to a
decrease in the money supply and vice versa. In other
words, if RBI plans to suck/absorb liquidity, i.e. reduce the
money supply to control the inflation, it may hike any one
or more policy rates and vice versa.
Remember whenever there is a hike in any rate, it will
have following effects:
Fall in level of money supply
Fall in levels of inflation
Fall in availability of funds with banks
Fall in amount of loans given by banks
Fall in growth of business / economy
It may also result in increase of two things:
Higher rate of interest on bank loans
Higher amount of EMIs for bank loans
All the above will move in reverse direction if any of the
rates are lowered by the RBI.

MARKET STABLISATION SCHEME (MSS)

To protect the domestic money supply levels from the
impact of heavy FDI and FII inflows, the RBI resorts to
MSS by offloading its govt. securities, thereby sucking
liquidity from the market.

QUALITATIVE MEASURES
These are selective measures regulate credit for specific
purposes. These measures may include changing the
margin requirements for various loans, selective credit
control, directives to curb or encourage particular loan
or simply moral persuasion to the banks.

BANK RATE 8.25% (02-06-2015)

CLEAN NOTE POLICY

The rate of interest at which the RBI is ready to give

loan to the banks is called the Bank Rate. Here the loan
is given against the rediscounting of bills and can be
given for a longer period, say for a few months. The
Bank Rate is aligned to the MSF rate i.e. it is same as the
MSF rate.

RBI follows a Clean Note Policy to ensure adequate

supply of good quality notes to the general public. All
bank branches are expected to accept mutilated / torn /
soiled / cut notes from the public and exchange them
with good quality notes. Such non issuable notes are
surrendered by the banks to the RBI to receive good
quality notes. RBI directs banks to issue only good
quality notes to the public.

IMPORTANT: Please note that whenever there is a

change in the Repo rate, the other three rates, reverse
repo, MSF and bank rate shall change automatically. RBI
treats the Repo Rate as the key rate and announces
changes, if any, in this rate only and other three rates
stand changed accordingly.

OPEN MARKET OPERATIONS (OMO)

Under this system, the RBI buys or sells securities in the
open market to increase or decrease the money supply
respectively. To suck or absorb the liquidity, the RBI
sells the securities and to inject or augment the liquidity,
it buys them to release money in market.
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

CURRENCY CHEST
These are the bank branches authorized by the RBI to
stock currency on its behalf. The RBI maintains currency
chests at all important centres to facilitate the
distribution, exchange and remittance of notes,
including one rupee notes and rupee coins and small
coins. They report daily the details of the currency held
to the RBI
To Be Continued

SOURCE: FINANCIAL GLOSSARY,

A GYANM PUBLICATION

83

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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What is the name of the new operating system rolled

out by Microsoft on July 30th: Windows 10
Union Cabinet has approved setting up of National
Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) for what
propose: To support new and delayed projects
Name the Indias neighbour that has been granted etourist visa facility w.e.f. 30 July, 2015: China
National Handloom Day is observed on which date:
7th August
Reserve Bank to issue ______ rupee denomination
coins to commemorate International Yoga Day: 10
Which Bank has launched a mobile banking app that
provides banking services without support of
internet: Kotak Mahindra Bank
'Sleeping on Jupiter' is a book written by which
author: Anuradha Roy
What is the name of the agreement as per which
India and Bangladesh have agreed to exchange some
disputed land pockets: Land Border Agreement
On the midnight of July 31, 51 Bangladeshi enclaves
situated on Indian soil in _________ district of West
Bengal amalgamated with India: Coochbehar
_________ 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
A new vaccine named rVSV-ZEBOB, developed by
the Public Health Agency of Canada has proved
effective to fight which dreaded virus: Ebola virus
Name the ten day bi-lateral air exercise that took
place between Indian and British Air forces in UK:
Indradhanush
Special Olympics World Summer Games were held at
which place: Los Angeles, USA
What type of sports persons take part in the Special
Olympics World Summer Games: Persons suffering
from some mental disability
Name the Indian who won gold medals in 300 metre
and 500 metre Roller Skating at the Special Olympics
World Summer Games: Prabhroop Sekhon
The World Archery Championships were held in
_________, Denmark: Copenhagen
India and China opened their fifth border meeting
point on August 1 at Daulat Beg Oldie in which State:
Jammu & Kashmir
The International Olympic Committee has granted
recognition to which new game as an Olympic sport:

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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Frisbee (Flying Disc)

Which bank has launched Dhanchayat, an
educational film to raise awareness on the dangers
of borrowing money from unorganised sources:
HDFC Bank
Indias first Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence
and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) has been
commissioned at which place: Kochhi, Kerala
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)
UN General Assembly has adopted what number of
non-binding goals that will succeed the eight
Millennium Development Goals: 17
The 18th Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) started
functioning from its temporary campus at which
place: Palakkad, Kerala
Google India launched in Mumbai, a special
programme named ____________ in collaboration with
Tata Trust on July 3 to bring more women online:
Internet Saathi
What is the name of the new Science and Innovation
Museum that was inaugurated at the Rashtrapati
Bhavan on August 5: Navachara Kaksh
Asias biggest multi-application solar telescope
(MAST) has been started in which place in India:
Udaipur
Worlds most prestigious award in the field of
human rights Solidarity Human Rights Award is
given in which country: Poland
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
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
Latest release from the Census 2011 data shows that
only ___________ per cent Indians have qualification of
graduation and above: 8.15%
ICTP Ramanujan Prize 2015 is given for excellence
in which field: Mathematics
ICTP Ramanujan Prize 2015 is given for excellence
in Mathematics to person below which age: 45 years
Which Union Ministry has launched SAMANVAY
web portal to monitor progress of implementation of
the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana: Union Ministry of

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Rural Development
India signed a MoU with Mozambique on August 5
for cooperation in new and renewable energy sector.
It lies in which continent: Africa
Which Indian company has signed an agreement
with Europes Airbus Helicopters to manufacture
military helicopters for the first time in India:
Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd
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
RBI has allowed banks to shift, merge or close
branches, except in ________ areas, at their own
discretion: Rural
The RBI released its _______ bi-monthly monetary
policy review on August 4: Third
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
_________ is the worlds largest gold jewellery
manufacturer in India: Rajesh Exports Ltd.
Which state has signed a MoU with the Department
of Posts for sale of stamp papers at post offices from
September 1: Telangana
A report says that banks in India need an additional
core capital of Rs 2.5 trillion under ________
guidelines. Basel-III
Government has launched which initiative through
banks and insurance companies to facilitate
enrolment under two new insurance schemes:
Suraksha Bandhan
Suraksha Bandhan scheme aims at paying the
premium for which two social security schemes:
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana
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
Typhoon Soudelor struck Wenzhou city in which
country on August 8-9, causing the heaviest rains in
the century: China
Which country marked 50 years of its independence
on August 9 with nationwide celebrations:
Singapore
Acharya Dev Vrat has been appointed new Governor
of which state: Himachal Pradesh
___________ has been appointed as the new Governor
of Bihar: Ram Nath Kovind
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
Govt launched a new national scheme Nai Manzil

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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from Patna on August 8 to address educational and

livelihood needs of which segment of society:
Minority Communities, particularly Muslims
Which capital city has been ranked as the cleanest
under a survey done by the Urban Development
Ministry: Bengaluru
___________ has been ranked as the cleanest city in
India in a recent govt. survey of 476 cities: Mysuru
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
Which city in Japan observed on August 6 the 70th
anniversary of the first atomic bomb being dropped
by a US aircraft: Hiroshima
Which major economic power recently devalued its
currency on August 11: China
Name the India-born technocrat who has been
named as the new CEO of the technology giant
Google: Sundar Pichai
Dutee Chand won the gold medal in the 200m at the
13th Federation Cup Junior Athletics Championship
held at which place: Hyderabad
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
Which Indian film was screened at the National
Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan to mark its
20th anniversary: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
(DDLJ)
Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has committed
to invest $5 billion in which state to set up research
& development and manufacturing facilities:
Maharashtra
Filipe J Nyusi, President of ________ arrived in India
on August 5 on a five day visit: Mozambique
Indian socio biologist Raghavendra Gadagkar was
awarded with which countrys highest civilian
honour Cross of Order of the Merit recently:
Germany
World Biofuel Day is observed every year on 10th
August in the memory of which great scientist: Sir
Rudalph Diesel
___________ has become the first Indian city to become
a member of Beijing-headquartered World Tourism
Cities Federation (WTCF) Council: Kochi
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
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
Which Indian organization planted more than 4 lakh

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saplings at its head quarters and units across the

country on August 12 between 10 to 10.30 am:
Border Security Force (BSF)
69) The Rajasthan High Court on August 10 declared the
practice of 'Santhara' or 'Sullekhana' as illegal.
Which community follows this practice: Jains
70) Recently practice of Santhara among Jain community
was declared illegal by Rajasthan High Court. What
is Santhara: Religious practice of fast unto death
71) Name the iconic tennis player who has been
recommended for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel
Ratna Award for 2015: Sania Mirza
72) I T g ia nt G oog le ha s reorga ni zed itself into a
multiple company organization under a new
umbrella company. Name this company: Alphabet
73) N ame the popula r f esti va l of Ma ha ra shtra
w here a rt of f ormi ng huma n pyrami ds ha s
been g i ven sta tus of a dventure sports:
D ahi Handi
74) N ame the I ndia n w ho w on the IBSF World 6Red Snooker Championship in Karachi, Pakistan:
Pankaj Advani
75) For which Indian states World Bank has agreed to
provide $ 412.40 million assistance for the National
Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project: All coastal states
76) 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.
77) 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
78) The official name for PAHAL initiative is DBTL. What
is full form of DBTL: Direct Benefit Transfer for
LPG
79) RBI has announced interest subvention of __________
per cent on short term farm loans (crop loans): Two
80) Short term farm loans upto what amount are eligible
for subvention of 2%: Rs. 3 lacs
81) Farmers who repay their loan in time (upto Rs. 3
lacs) are eligible for additional interest subvention
of ______ per cent: Three
82) Name the Co-Chairman of Hero Cycles Ltd and a
leading industrialist who passed away in Ludhiana
on August 13: Om Prakash Munjal
83) Name the Chinese city which suffered massive
explosions in the port, killing 121 persons an
causing huge loss of property: Tianjin
84) The Union Cabinet has approved construction of
pipeline from Raxaul (Bihar) in India to Amlekhgunj
in Nepal to transport which item: Petroleum
Products
85) Sh. Om Prakash Rawat has been appointed to which
important constitutional office of India: Election
Commissioner
86) Prime Minister of which country announced his
resignation in a surprise move, live on television on
GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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August 12: Libya

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
Name the project that has been launched by the govt.
to lay down the framework for the revival of public
sector banks: Indradhanush
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
Prime Minister Modi visited which middle east
country on August 16-17: United Arab Emirates UAE
For the first time, govt. has appointed executives
from private sector as MD and CEO of how many
public sector banks: Two
Name the two public sector banks whose MD and
CEO has been appointed from private sector: Canara
Bank, Bank of Baroda
Rogers Cup Masters Tournament is related to which
sports: Lawn Tennis
Rogers Cup Masters Tournament was held at which
place: Montreal, Canada
Mens singles title at the Rogers Cup Masters
Tournament was won by ________: Andy Murray
Womens singles title at the Rogers Cup Masters
Tournament was won by ________: Belinda Bencic
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
Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal became the first Indian to
win silver medal on August 17 in which
international competition: World Badminton
Championship
World Badminton Championship was held in ________
Indonesia: Jakarta
Abhishek Verma won the gold medal in the mens
compound individual category in the __________ World
Cup in Wroclaw (Poland): Archery
Who has been appointed as the Chairman of the
Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB): Ajit
Kumar Seth
Ajinkya Rahane became the first fielder in Test
history to achieve which feat: Taking eight catches
in a single match
Which ministry has launched an online beneficiary
registration system - On-line On-Site for persons
with disabilities: Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment
Name the multipurpose mobile wallet application
launched by SBI recently: SBI Buddy
Which bank has launched the first of its kind fully
automated digital locker named 'Smart Vault': ICICI

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Bank
106) Name the scooter that set a new record in India by

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crossing the one crore unit sales landmark: Honda

Activa
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
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
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)
High Court in which state has directed that children
of all public servants should go to govt. schools only:
Uttar Pradesh
Usha Ananthasubramanian has been appointed new
Managing Director & CEO of which bank: Punjab
National Bank
What is the new name proposed by the Prime
Minister for the Agriculture Ministry: Agriculture
and Farmers' Welfare Ministry
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: Moodys
Investors Service
Name the wife of President Pranab Mukherjee who
passed away on August 18: Suvra Mukherjee
Ranil Wickremesinghe has been elected as the new
prime minister of which country: Sri Lanka
Name the political party that won the recently held
General Elections in Sri Lanka: United National
Party
Which country sank 38 intruding foreign fishing
vessels on August 18 to demonstrate the countrys
seriousness concerning the protection its territorial
integrity: Indonesia
The Reserve Bank of India gave in principle approval
for_____ entities on August 19 to set up payments
banks: 11
Concept of payment banks was proposed by which
committee: Nachiket Mor committee
Payment banks can accept only demand deposits
and are not allowed to accept which deposit: Time
deposits
Which major bank activity cannot be undertaken
payment banks: Lending
Balance in demand deposits accounts opened by
payment banks cannot exceed what limit: Rs. 1 lac
In which part of USA nearly 30,000 firefighters and
support staff were battling massive wildfire blazes
across ten states: Western USA
Which company tops the worlds 100 most
innovative companies list compiled by Forbes

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

magazine of USA: Tesla Motors

125) How many sports persons has been given Arjun

Awards in the year 2015: 17

126) Sebastian Coe has been elected as the new President

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of the International Association of Athletics

Federations. He is from which sports: Athletics
(Runner)
Name the Bollywood actor who has been named an
advocate for the UNs campaign on gender equality:
Anupam Kher
Making India Awesome is a book written by which
author: Chetan Bhagat
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
Aditi Chauhan, Indias international football
goalkeeper became the countrys first woman in
what way: To play English league football
__________, former Australian cricketer has been
appointed Australia's first education ambassador to
India: Adam Gilchrist
What is the main recommendation of R Gandhi
committee on urban cooperative banks: They
should be allowed function as regular banks
Name the web portal launched by the govt. for the
benefit of students seeking educational loan:
www.vidyalakshmi.co.in
Which Indian international airport became the first
airport in the world to operate completely on solar
power: Kochi
_________ has become the first country to receive
funds from UN for solar home systems: Bangladesh
Solar home systems are helping Bangladesh cut
carbon emissions by reducing use of ________ in rural
areas: Kerosene
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
The World Athletics Championships were held in
end of August in which place: Beijing, China
Which city hosted the second summit of Forum for
India Pacific Island Countries: Jaipur
India has recently started the hotlines between
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and which important
international statesman: Barack Obama
Name the Greek Prime Minister who announced his
resignation on August 20 and called for snap
elections: Alexis Tsipras
From September 1 2015, which two days will be
observed as public holiday every month: Second
and Fourth Saturday
Dhyan Chand awards in sports are given by the govt.
for what purpose: Life time achievement awards
NASAs Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment
Explorer has confirmed the presence of which

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glowing gas in the moons atmosphere: Neon

164) On August 27, ISRO launched which satellite

successfully: GSAT-6

145) Name the new bank that began operations on August

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23 as a full-fledged bank with 501 branches and 1.43

crore accounts across the country: Bandhan Bank
James Alix Michel, President of the ____________ came
to New Delhi on 25 August on a three-day visit to
India: Seychelles
_____________ confirmed his position as fastest man on
earth by winning the 100 m sprint in 15th IAAF
World Championships: Usain Bolt
Lewis Hamilton won the Belgian Grand Prix
championship in which sports: F1 racing
Cincinnati Open 2015 tournament belongs to which
sports: Lawn Tennis
Cincinnati Open 2015 tournament was held at which
place: Cincinnati, USA
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
Name the Sri Lankas ace batsman and wicketkeeper
who announced his retirement from the
international Cricket: Kumara Sangakkara
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
Name the Indian shuttler who regained the world
no. 1 rank on August 20: Saina Nehwal
A commemorative postal stamp of rupees five was
released on August 24, on which great Indian king.:
Ashoka
Which Indian actor has been selected to head the
Indian Oscar jury to select the countrys official entry
for the 88th Academy Awards: Amol Palekar
According to 4th Advance Estimates, the food grain
production for the year 2014-15 in India is expected
to be: 252.68 million tonnes
As per 2011 census data, which religious community
has recorded highest growth rate of 24.6% during
2001-11: Muslims
The Government launched a health service called
SEHAT in collaboration with the Apollo Hospitals:
SEHAT stands for: Social Endeavour for Health
And Telemedicine
RBI has approved Rana Kapoors appointment as MD
and CEO of the bank that was founded by him. Name
this bank: Yes Bank
Which Bangladeshi bank has found a place in
Fortune's inaugural 'Change the World List' for
creating economic opportunities for the poor:
Grameen Bank
Name the firebrand youth leader from Gujarat who
was in news due to his massive rallies demanding
OBC quota for patel community: Hardik Patel
Which State has secured maximum 13 cities for the
ambitious smart cities project: Uttar Pradesh

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

165) What is the purpose of launching GSAT-6 satellite:

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To
provide
Special
secure
lines
of
communication to Indias defence forces
Global financial giant Wealth-X has ranked which
person as the richest Under 35 person in the
world: Mark Zuckerberg
Name the tennis player who has been appointed as
the Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations
Childrens Fund (UNICEF): Novak Djokovic
Central govt. has approved four communities to be
included in the Central List of OBCs in which two
states: Gujarat and Uttarakhand
Which Indian port has been declared as the best
major port of 2014-15: Kolkata
Birth centenary celebrations of freedom fighter Rani
Gaidinliu were inaugurated on August 24 in which
State: Nagaland
Government has announced its plan to implement
the Sendai Framework for what purpose: For
Disaster Risk Reduction
Recently two war museums were opened at which
stations in Rajasthan: Jaisalmer and Longewala
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has
decided to create the world's first internationallycontrolled bank of low-enriched uranium in which
country: Kazakhstan

JULY 2015
174)

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One extra second was added this year on June 30th

due to slowing of earths rotation. This extra second
is given what name: Leap second
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
The financial crisis in Greece has been given the
name, Grexit. What does it mean: Exit of Greece
from the Euro Zone
Jwala Gutta and Ashwni Ponappa won the women's
doubles title at an international championship of
which sports: Badminton
The Wimbledon Tennis Championships, famous for
its grass courts, began in which city on June 28:
London
Canada open badminton tournament was held at
which city of Canada: Calgary
With a view to end undue advantage to batsmen,
the ICC has decided to scrap which feature in the
ODIs: Batting power plays
Name the player who captained the Indian Cricket
Team for its Zimbabwe tour: Ajinkya Rahane
The Moorti Devi Award is given for excellence in
which field: for books on Indian philosophy and

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literature
Name the book that has been selected for the 2014
Moorti Devi Award: Vyomkesh Darvesh
___________ became the 6th city in India to start the
Metro train services on June 29: Chennai
India and Thailand signed the extradition treaty for
what purpose: For seeking extradition of fugitive
offenders
__________ won the Norway Chess 2015 title in
Stavanger, Norway defeating Indian grand master
Viswanathan Anand: Veselin Topalov
The first day -night Test match under lights will be
played in which city of Australia in November this
year: Adelaide
Rajat Chauhan created a new national record on
June 29 in which sports: Archery
In 2014-15, the marine product exports from India
broke all previous records. What is common name
for marine products: Sea food
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
Name the oldest aircraft carrier in the world,
presently with Indian Navy that will soon be
converted into a museum: INS Viraat
The controversial book Kashmir: The Vajpayee
Years has been written by which author: A S Dulat
A panel, headed by BJP MP_____ , has sought
doubling of the existing Rs 50,000 salary of MPs:
Yogi Adityanath
Which is the only Indian city that has been included
in the list of top 20 technology-rich cities in the
world: Bengaluru
According to latest World Bank data, Indias GDP
crossed USD _______ trillion mark in 2014: Two
During his visit to Central Asian countries, PM Modi
attended which two important summits: BRICS
and CSO
Which agency has been assigned the work of
detecting duplication of death claims under the
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojna: Credit
Information Bureau India Ltd (CIBIL)
FIFA Women's World Cup was held at which place:
Vancouver, Canada
Name the country that won the FIFA Women's
World Cup for the third time, beating Japan: USA
Government has decided to give __________ rank to
the Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, Arvind
Panagariya: Cabinet Minister
Champagne vineyards where the worlds famous
sparkling wine Champagne is produced have been
included in UNESCO World Heritage sites. They
are in which country: France
Copa America Football Tournament was held in
__________ capital of Chile: Santiago

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

203)
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Which country won the popular Copa America

Football Tournament after a wait of 99 years: Chile
British Grand Prix F1 was won by the reigning
world champion Lewis Hamilton. He is from which
country: Britain
________ 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
World Food Foundation of USA gives which
prestigious
prize
to
individuals
whose
breakthrough achievements alleviate hunger and
promote global food security: World Food Prize
The World Food Prize 2015 has been awarded to
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. He is from which country:
Bangladesh
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
Eastern Dedicated Freight corridor runs between
which two places: Ludhiana to Kolkata
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
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
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
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
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)
Which Indian scheme has been classified as the
biggest school feeding programme by the World
Bank, covering 105 million beneficiaries: Mid- day
meal
Nearly 2,000 climate scientists gathered in _____ on
July 8 to deliberate on ways and means to curb the
current greenhouse gas emission levels: Paris
As per a recent UN report, India has achieved the
goals for reducing poverty and hunger by half,

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under MDGs. What is MDGs: Millennium

Development Goals
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
The International Crops Research Institute for
Semi-Arid Tropics is situated in which Indian city:
Hyderabad
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
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
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
As per a study by the World Economic Forum _____
and ______ are among the worlds biggest employers,
employing 1.4 and 1.3 million, respectively,
securing 7th and 8th rank :Indian Army and Indian
Railways
Which bank has created a dedicated payments
gateway for the mobile banking transaction which
will enable much faster transactions for its
customers: ICICI Bank
Name the indigenously built Inshore Patrol Vessel
(IPV) commissioned by the Indian Coast Guard on
July 6 at Vishakhapatnam: ICGS Rani Durgavati
State Bank of India plans to open more digital
branches like InTouch and InTouch Light branches
for targeting which particular category of
customers: Young tech savvy customers
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
Which State has launched the Mhara Gaon Jagmag
Gaon scheme to ensure 24-hour power supply to
the villages which fulfill all parameters, particularly
avoiding theft of electricity: Haryana
State Bank of India has launched 'Project Tatkal' to
attract which category of borrowers, offering them
the loan within 10 days: Home Loan seekers
Which state in India accounts for 50% of total
passenger cars and two-wheelers produced in
India: Haryana
Abhijeet Gupta won the 19th Commonwealth
__________ Championship held at Mumbai: Chess
__________ has been nominated by China to be the

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first President of the Beijing-backed Asian

Infrastructure Investment Bank: JIN LIQUN
Which bank has launched Go Digital scheme
offering the 30-minute auto loan and 15-minute
two-wheeler loan: HDFC Bank
Which public sector bank has the highest
proportion of bad loans at 21.5% of its total loss:
United Bank of India
President
Pranab
Mukherjee
inaugurated
'Nakshatra Vatika' on July 6 in which city:
Hyderabad
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
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
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 Hawaii7,200km in 118 hours: Solar Impulse
The Home Ministry has recently declared which
state as a disturbed area under section 3 of the
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958:
Nagaland
5th Youth Delphic Games will be held in _____ in
February 2016: Goa
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
Matti Makkonen, who died recently, was associated
with development of which very important feature
of present day mobile phones: SMS
Which city in Gujarat has signed a MoU with China's
Xinjinag province to enhance infrastructure growth
and development between the two regions:
Vadodara
Sriram Kalyanaraman has been appointed as the
new Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of
which national bank: National Housing Bank
World University Games were held at which place
in South Korea: Gwangju
Gennady Padalka, Russian cosmonaut entered
Guinness World Records for which achievement:
for spending most number of days in the space804
India issued a joint statement titled Tej Kadam with
which country highlighting the continuation of
strategic
partnership
between
the
two
nations since 2009: Kazakhastan
The National Dairy Development Board has
launched a mobile application named _________ to
help dairy farmers in boosting their income by

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raising milk yield and cutting feed cost: Pashu

Poshan
Who is the author of the book - India Central Asia
Relations: The Economic Dimension: Amiya
Chandra
Which Bank launched countrys first MUDRA (Micro
Units Development and Refinance Agency) card
based on the RuPay platform: Corporation Bank
South Asian Basketball Championship was held at
which place: Bengaluru, Karanataka
Name the country that won the South Asian
Basketball Championship: India
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
Name the country that hosted 2015 World
Police and Fire Games: USA
Name the Bengaluru firm that became first
company in India to launch online electronic
signature service called eSign: eMudhra Ltd
_____________ became the first state in India to
successfully install an Earthquake Warning System
to detect earthquakes and disseminate warnings:
Uttarakhand
Bashar Navaaz, noted ______ poet and critic passed
away on 9 July in Aurangabad, Maharashtra; Urdu
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
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV C-28
successfully put into orbit five satellites of which
country on 10th July: Britain
In the abbreviation PSLV C-28, the digits 28 denote
what: 28th successful launch
What was the special feature of the July 10 launch
of PSLV C-28: It was the ISROs biggest and
heaviest commercial launch till date
What is the theme of the this years World
Population Day observed on July 11: Vulnerable
populations in emergencies
Ministerial conference of The Regional Integrated
Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems (RIMES)
nations was held in _________ on July 10: New Delhi
The ingeniously-developed supersonic surface-toair missile _________ was formally inducted in the
Indian Air Force at Gwalior on July 10: Akash
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

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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
Name the noted Hollywood film actor from Egypt,
best known for his portrayal of Doctor Zhivago,
who died on July 10: Omar Sharif
In which country Mount Raung volcano suddenly
started eruption in first week of July, spewing
clouds of ash into the air forcing temporary closure
of six airports: Indonesia
Sardar Anjum, renowned revolutionary poet, Urdu
lyricist and Padma Bhushan awardee passed away
on July 9. He hailed from which State: Haryana
A tiny butterfly species has been discovered for the
first time in the science in the forests of Changlang
in which State: Arunachal Pradesh
Finals of the grand slam of tennis Wimbledon
were played at which place: London

___________ won the Mens singles title in the

Wimbledon 2015: Novak Djokovic
273) Womens singles title in the Wimbledon 2015 was
won by which player: Serena Williams
274) Sania Mirza won the Wimbledon 2015 womens
doubles title. Who was her partner: Martina Hingis
275) Name the Indian boy who became the sixth Indian
to win a Grand Slam junior title in tennis: Sumit
Nagal
276) In which State construction of the longest tunnel in
South Asia, running 9 kms is in the final stage: J & K
277) Total users of which public utility crossed the
record 1 billion mark in May, reaching 1,002.05
million: Telephone Connections
278) India test-fired its indigenously developed antitank guided missile named ________ in Jaisalmer,
Rajasthan: Helina (Nag)
279) Prime Minister of which country resigned on July
12 as he battled corruption charges that compelled
him to quit: Romania
280) N a m e t h e N A S A s spacecraft which has provided
the closest-ever pictures of Pluto, showing details
of its geology: New Horizons
2 8 1 ) Name the former Union Environment and Forest
Minister who
wrote the book Green Signals:
Ecology, Growth, and Democracy in India: Jairam
Ramesh
282) The 12 day Godavari Maha Pushkaralu festival is
celebrated in which State: Telangana and Andhra
Pradesh
283) 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
284) M S Viswanathan, a prominent film personality of
272)

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South Indian cinema, passed away recently. He was

master of which field: Film Music
Simhastha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious
congregations on the earth, began in July in which
city: Nashik
The Junior Asian Freestyle, Greco-Roman and
Female Wrestling championship was held at
_____________, Myanmar: Nay Pyi Taw
With which country India recently signed an MoU
in New Delhi for cooperation in election
management and administration: Georgia
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
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
Considering the declining interest of the fans and
popularity, the BCCI has decided to scrap which T20 tournament: Champions League Twenty 20
The government has decided to cap the subsidy on
kerosene at Rs. _____ per litre: 12
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
Against which country India won the three-match
One Day International (ODI) Series in July:
Zimbabwe
The Prem Bhatia awards are given for excellence in
which field: Journalism
The 9th World Youth Athletics Championship was
held in which place: Cali, Colombia
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
Who has been appointed as the new Director of
Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune:
Prashant Pathrabe
What is the four digit All India Railway Helpline
number recently launched by the govt.: 1512
Which Indian city has been selected by the UNESCO
as the "City of Music" under the Creative Cities
Network: Varanasi
The Union Cabinet has formed an expert group
chaired by ___________ to classify the Caste names
returned in the Socio Economic and Caste Census
(SECC), 2011: Arvind Panagariya
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
Which city hosted the 46th Session of the Indian

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Labour Conference: New Delhi

Which country has agreed to jointly manufacture
200 military helicopters in India: Russia
Which country has agreed to provide technological
support to India for building the next aircraft
carrier and the Light Combat Aircraft jet engine:
USA
Genezebe Dibaba created a new world record in the
womens 1500m, clocking a time of 3:50:07. She is
from which country: Ethiopia
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
For which of its project, the Kerala Tourism has
bagged 2015's Pacific Asia Travel Association
award: Muziris Heritage Conservation Project
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
The BCCI has decided to scrap which Trophy due to
packed schedule: Duleep
What is the name of the new bank launched by
BRICS group of nations to promote infrastructure
financing: New Development Bank
Headquarters of New Development Bank is located
in which city: Shanghai
The Union Cabinet has agreed to continue the
interest subvention of __________ per cent on shortterm crop loans of up to Rs. 3 lakh to farmers:
Three
The government has launched the National Career
Counseling Portal for what purpose: To coordinate
all government-run employment exchanges
Which international financial body has agreed to
provide $250-million financial assistance for the
Andhra Pradesh Disaster Recovery Project: The
World Bank
Which Indian city will host the 2016 World Twenty
20 cricket tournament: Kolkata
Name the Bollywood actor-model aged 50 who won
the Ironman title at a triathlon held in Zurich in
Switzerland: Milind Soman
The government has launched the Surakshit
Khadya Abhiyan, a countrywide campaign to create
mass awareness about which issue: Safe and
hygienic food
What is the name of the world's first malaria
vaccine which has got a green signal from the
European drugs regulators: Mosquirix
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)

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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
Name the two members of Anglo Indian
Community recently nominated by the President to
Lok Sabha: Prof. Richard Hay and George Baker
As per which article of the Indian Constitution,
President can nominate two members of Anglo
Indian Community to Lok Sabha: 331
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
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
Which country is about to complete construction of
the world's largest single-aperture radio telescope
FAST in 2016: China
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
Name the former Governor of Kerala, Sikkim and
Bihar, MP and a veteran associate of Dr Ambedkar
who passed away recently: R. S. Gavai
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
Name the German driver who won the Hungarian
Grand Prix at Budapest, Hungary on July 26:
Sebastian Vettel
____________of Netherlands has been appointed chief
coach of the Indian hockey team till the 2016 Rio
Olympics: Roelant Oltmans
Name the worlds first malaria vaccine that has
recently been approved by European drugs
regulators: Mosquirix
The Indian women's wrestling team finished at
which rank in the fifth Senior International
Wrestling Tournament -- Cup of the President of
Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana: Second
Name the bank that plans to roll out handheld
machines across rural India that could work just
like micro ATMs: HDFC Bank
Royal Societys Copley Medal, worlds oldest
scientific prize has been awarded to which
scientist: Peter Higgs
What is the name of the newly found planet which
is 'the closest twin to Earth' ever seen: Kepler452b
__________ became the first nomination to be

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received by the Urban Development Ministry for

the Smart City Mission: Puducherry
The first radio broadcasting was done from
_____________ on 23 July, 1927: Mumbai
23rd July is observed as which national day:
National Broadcasting Day
Tom Moore, noted cartoonist from USA passed
away recently. He was associated with which
cartoon character: Archie
Name the capital of the Republic of Guinea which
was named as the World Book Capital for 2017 by
UNESCO: Conakry
UNO has started the Nelson Mandela Prize for
honouring people in which field: extraordinary
service to humanity
Name the Indian cartoonist who won the Grand
Prix World Press Cartoon Award-2014: Pamarthy
Shankar
Benoy Behl, noted documentary maker won the
Best Documentary Producer award at Madrid
International Film Festival for which film: Indian
Roots of Tibetan Buddhism
Bijoy Krishna Handique, senior Congress leader,
who died recently, was six times Lok Sabha
member from which seat: Jorhat, Assam
Of 31 countries which produce power from nuclear
sources, India is ranked __________ in the world
producing 5308 MWe: 12th
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
____________has been appointed as the new Chairman
of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for
three years: R. S. Sharma
__________ July was celebrated as the Kargil Vijay
Diwas: 26th
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
Name the town in Gurdaspur district of Punjab that
was in news as it suffered a terrorist attack that
killed seven people: Dinanagar
Ramon Magsaysay Award are given for excellence
in which filed: Social Work & Service to
Humanity
Ramon Magsaysay Awards are given in which
country: Philippines
Name the two Indians who won the Ramon
Magsaysay Award 2015: Sanjeev Chaturvedi and
Anshu Gupta
Asian Development Bank has agreed to provide $
300 million loan to support which flagship program
of Indian govt.: National Urban Health Mission
Which Indian state has introduced a pension

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scheme for transgenders allowing them a pension

of Rs 500 per month: Tripura
The Asian Development Bank has agreed to give a
loan of $ 300 million to India for development of
which region: North East
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
Which country has been admitted as the 162nd
member of World Trade Organization: Kazakhstan
The ETC system was launched on the ChennaiBengaluru corridor on July26, aiming to help roadusers save time and money. What is ETC:
Electronic Toll Collection

JUNE 2015
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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
Union Finance Ministry has introduced two new
ITR forms for what purpose: For Income Tax
Returns
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
Which ministry has launched a new website www.khoyapaya.gov.in:
Women and Child
Development Ministry
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
OPCW is the global chemical weapons watchdog.
What is its full form: Organization for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Name the two countries that were visited by the
President of India in the first week of June: Sweden
and Belarus
Which country has plans to form a huge gold
investment fund of over $16 billion to play a bigger
role in the global gold trade: China
In which recent international sports event, Indian
participants captured eight gold medals:
International Wrestling Tournament, Italy
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
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
Name the three star cricketers who joined the BCCI

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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
Which country has successfully developed the first
ATM with facial recognition technology to reduce
the risk of frauds related to ATMs: China
George Yeo, Former Foreign Minister of Singapore
has been appointed as the new Chancellor of which
prestigious university of India: Nalanda
University, Rajgir, Bihar
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim has been elected as the first
woman President of which country: Mauritius
_________ has taken over as Chairman, Managing
Director and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, worlds no one
two wheeler company: Pawan Munjal
Vijai Sharma has been appointed to which top
constitutional
post:
Chief
Information
Commissioner
__________ has been appointed as the new Central
Vigilance Commissioner: K V Chowdary
The book Men Explain Things to Me has been
written by which author: Rebecca Solnit
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
On May 2 RBI reduced the repo rate by ______ basis
points to 7.25%: 25
After the recent cut in repo rate, what is the new
bank rate: 8.25%
RBI lowered the GDP growth rate for 2015-16 to
7.6% on what grounds: Lower than average
monsoon and higher food inflation
The Reserve Bank has capped the remuneration of
non-executive director of private banks to Rs.
______lakhs per annum: 10
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
The 'Jal Marg Vikas' (National Waterway-1) project
has been launched on which river: Ganga
The 1620 kms long National Waterway1 is
proposed to be launched between which two cities:
Allahabad and Haldia
Global brokerage firm Nomura has projected that
India will grow by 8% in 2015-16. This firm is
based in which country: Japan
India was ranked at ______ rank in the annual global
competitiveness report by a Switzerland-based
business school: 44th
In terms of competitiveness, which country has
been ranked at the top in a recent Swiss study: USA
On June 3 India joined the Multilateral Competent
Authority Agreement for what purpose: For
Automatic Exchange of Financial Account

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Information
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
With which country India signed a 10-year defence
framework agreement for co-development of
defence equipment manufacturing: USA
World Bank has approved $250 million loan for
reconstruction
of
flood-affected
public
infrastructure of which State: Jammu and Kashmir
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
Edward Snowden, former US security contractor
and electronic surveillance whistleblower was
honoured with which international prize
recently: Norwegian prize for freedom of
expression
Bangladesh has granted permission to which
Indian insurance company to book business in
Bangladesh: Life Insurance Corporation (LIC)
of India
World Bank granted a $400-million loan to which
state to improve services in urban local bodies:
Tamil Nadu
The 21st Asian Athletics Championships were held
at which place in China: Wuhan
Name the star athlete who bagged the gold medal in
the mens shot put event at the 21st Asian Athletics
Championships: Inderjeet Singh
Tintu Luka won the gold medal in which event at
the Asian Athletics Championship: 800 m race
Ace Indian athlete Vikas Gowda won the gold medal
at the 21st Asian Athletics Championship in which
event: Discuss throw
Name the country that won the highest medals in
the recently held Asian Athletics Championship:
China
In which Indian city local metro was started on June
3, 2015: Jaipur
Name the veteran cricketer who has been
appointed as the Director of the Indian cricket
team: Ravi Shastri
World Milk Day is observed on which date: June 1
Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of ______arrived in New
Delhi on a two-day (June 5-6) visit to India:
Netherland
The government has decided to increase the
Minimum Import Price of which item to protect
local growers from the cheaper imports: Areca
Nuts
The leaders of G-7 countries held their 41st summit
on June 7-8 in which country: Germany

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The G-7 group includes as member an international

union of states also. Which is that: European
Union
Name the honour that was conferred on Sri Atal
Bihari Vajpayee by the Bangladesh Govt.:
Bangladesh Liberation War Honour
Name the three Indian cities which now have direct
bus service with Dhaka, Bangladesh: Kolkata,
Agartala and Guwahati
Which country recently suffered an outbreak of
deadly virus disease MERS: South Korea
What is the full form of MERS: Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome
The virus of MERS is suspected to have come from
which animal: Camel
French Open 2015 Mens title was won by Stan
Wawrinka. He is from which country: Switzerland
_____________ won the womens title in the French
Open 2015: Serena Williams, USA
French Open tournament is popularly known by
which other name: Rolland Garros
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
R. Seshasayee has been appointed Non-Executive
Chairman of the Board of which Indian IT major:
Infosys Ltd.
International Indian Film Academy IIFA award
ceremony was recently held at which place:
Kualalumpur, Malaysia
______________ film was declared as the best feature
film for 2014 at IIFA awards: Queen
IIFA award for best actor and best actress was won
by: Shahid Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut
Name the cricketer who has been appointed coach
of the India A and Under-19 cricket teams: Rahul
Dravid
The Canadian Grand Prix held at Montreal, Canada
was won by this person: Lewis Hamilton
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
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
The book titled Flood of Fire has been written by
which author: Amitav Ghosh
The 25th African Union summit was held at_________,
South Africa on June 7-8: Pretoria
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
Ashobaa is the name of the cyclonic storm that

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developed over __________ sea recently: Arabian

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
R C Tayal has been appointed as the new Director
General of which elite counter-terror force:
National Security Guard
__________ has been appointed as the new nonexecutive Chairman of the Board of ICICI Bank: M K
Sharma
Which Indian organization has been awarded Space
Pioneer Award 2015 by the US National Space
Society: ISRO
ISRO has won Space Pioneer Award 2015 for
which achievement: For Mars Orbiter Mission
Anantjeet Singh Naruka won the gold in which
event in the 7th International junior shotgun cup
held in Orimattila, Finland: Skeet
Indias first of its kind Tier-I Oil Spill Response
Centre has been started near which city: Mumbai
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
IREDA has been awarded the Mini Ratna (CategoryI) status by the Govt. of India. What is the full form
of IREDA: Indian Renewable Energy and
Development Agency
Name the free trade agreement signed by 26
African countries down from South Africa upto
Egypt: The Tripartite Free Trade Area
As per latest data, which are the top 3 crude oil
producing countries of the world: USA, Saudi
Arabia and Russia
Name the Indias first indigenous aircraft
carrier that was brought out from the Cochin
Shipyard Ltd. on June 10: INS Vikrant
HDFC Bank Ltd has launched a multipurpose
banking mobile app named ___________: PayZapp
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
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
As per Forbes magazine's 100 highest-paid
sportsperson in the world, __________ is the richest
sportsperson of the India: MS Dhoni
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

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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Chand Saini
Union Cabinet has approved the signing of BBIN
Motor Vehicle Agreement. The term BBIN stands
for what: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal
Railway Ministry has decided to run ________ trains
from next month with dynamic fares to address the
rush during peak travel seasons: Suvidha
RBI has allowed non-resident Indians (NRIs) to
invest in __________ to encourage flow of capital into
the country: Chit Funds
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
Government has given exemption from which levy
on import of drugs and test kits used to treat HIV
and AIDS infections: Import Duty
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
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
On June 15, Britain observed the 800th anniversary
of which historic event: Signing of Magna Carta
The historic charter Magna Carta is hailed as the
cornerstone of
which type of democracy:
Parliamentary
The European space probe Philae that woke up on
June 13 after seven months-long sleep, is stationed
on which celestial body: Comet 67P
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
Name the Indias largest private miner company
that acquired the oil firm Cairn India in a $2.3billion all-share deal to create Indias largest
diversified natural resources company: Vedanta
Ltd.
China launched the worlds longest freight train
route on June 13 linking city of Harbin in northeast
China with which German city: Hamburg
ISRO has developed an android based augmented
reality application named ___________ to highlight the
achievements of the Department of Space during
past one year: Sakaar
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
Name the former Union Minister, a sister-in-law of
Jawaharlal Nehru and oldest surviving former
parliamentarian who died recently: Sheila Kaul

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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
465) Govt. has launched Crop Insurance Portal
www.farmer.gov.in to give information on what
issue to the farmers through SMS: Adverse
Weather Conditions
466) 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
467) In terms of MSP which is the costliest daal (pulse):
Moong (Green Lentils)
468) The Cabinet has approved stepping up of Indias
solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal
Nehru National Solar Mission by five times,
reaching __________ Mega Watt by 2022: One Lac
469) Name the govt. project launched to focus on
rehabilitation of slum dwellers in the urban areas:
Housing for all
470) 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
471) Which country has made the world's first electric
passenger aircraft: China
472) 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
473) _____________ became the first Indian footballer to
score 50 international goals in 87 matches: Sunil
Chhetri
474) As per Global HR firm Mercers "Cost of Living
Survey 2015, __________was rated as the most
expensive city in India: Mumbai
475) A new global study reveals that incidence of
elder abuse is highest in ___________ among
Asian countries: China
476) Which major industrial country has lowered
the age of voters from 20 to 18: Japan
477) The Navlekhan award of Bharatiya Jnanpith is given
to which category of persons: Upcoming Hindi
Writers
478) 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 place:
Mirpur, Dhaka
479) 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
480) At the G-20 sherpa meeting in Turkey on June 16,
India was represented by which minister: Suresh
Prabhu
481) Name the noted America trained Mumbai based
464)

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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Indian architect, known for his unique indigenous

architectural style, who passed away recently:
Charles Correa
__________ 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
____________ is the author of the book titled Worlds
Best Boyfriend: Durjoy Dutta
Name the IIT that will soon become the first
engineering institute in India to venture into
medical education: IIT Kharagpur
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
Finance Ministry released coins of the
denomination of Rs _____ and Rs ______ on the
occasion of International Yoga Day: 10 and 100
India has moved down to _______ place in terms of
foreigners' money in Swiss banks, having a share of
just 0.123 per cent: 61st
European scientists have discovered the brightest
galaxy and have nick named it CR-7 after which
popular football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
The Election Commission suspended the
recognition of which Party on June 16 because it
failed to submit its poll expenditure statement in
time: National Peoples Party
Which Pakistani city was in news as hundreds of
persons died their due to severe heat wave
conditions: Karachi
China opened which mountain pass on Sikkim
border to facilitate Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra:
Nathu La
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
From June 21, the Railways commenced the SMS
alerts to inform the passengers about which issue:
About the cancelled trains
Which city in South Carolina, USA was in news due
to killing of nine AfroAmerican devotees in one of
the worst racial hate crimes in USA: Charleston
Turkeys former President and five times Prime
Minister was in news as he expired recently. What
was his name: Suleyman Demirel
Sangita Kalanidhi Award is given every year in
Chennai for excellence in which field of music:
Carnatic Music
Name the lady who became the first ever 100 per
cent visually-challenged person to get selected for
the prestigious Indian Foreign Service: Beno
Zephine
India has agreed to be a partner country in the

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Russias major Industrial Fair named __________ to be

held at Yekaterinburg, Russia in July 2016:
INNOPROM-2016
For what reasons the holy city of Punjab Shri
Anandpur Sahib was in news recently: Celebrating
its 350th foundation day
Name the joint exercise held between the armies of
India and UK, from June 13 to 28 in UK: Ajeya
Warrior
Which country has put a ban on wearing earphones
while driving a vehicle and riding a cycle, w.e.f. July
1, 2015: France
Name the nun who succeeded Mother Teresa in
1997 as the head of the Missionaries of Charity in
Kolkata and died recently at the age of 81: Sister
Nirmala
Govt. has started a mobile application
named___________, where the public can upload
pictures of pollution sources of the Ganga River for
further action by the authorities concerned:
Bhuvan Ganga
Steffi Graf, tennis legend from Germany has been
appointed the brand ambassador for Ayurveda by
which state: Kerala
Former Pakistan captain _______ has been selected as
the new President of the International Cricket
Council (ICC) for a one year term: Zaheer Abbas
Name the three schemes that have been launched
on June 25 for rejuvenation of urban infrastructure
in India: i) Smart Cities Mission ii) Atal Mission
for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation iii)
Housing for All
Name the Rs. 48000 cr. scheme launched for
developing 100 smart cities in India: Smart Cities
Mission
Govt. has launched which scheme for improvement
of basic infrastructure in 500 cities with population
of over 1 lac.: Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and
Urban Transformation-AMRUT
Name the govt. scheme that has been launched to
promote slum free cities: Housing for all
Housing for All scheme aims at constructing
_____________ crore houses for the urban poor in all
the 4041 towns of India: Two
Indias first Nand-ghar has been opened in which
state: Haryana
Govt. has launched a scheme for modernization of
Anganwadi centres by which name: Nand-ghar
Yojana
Name the Indian cricketer who has been rated as
the best test player of the world in a recent survey:
Sachin Tendulkar
Inderjit Singh and Jinson Johnson of India bagged
gold in shot put and 800 mts race, respectively, in
the Asian Athletics Grand Prix. It was held at which
place: Bangkok, Thailand

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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What is the new name for the Solar Energy

Corporation of India (SECI): Renewable Energy
Corporation of India (RECI)
Bhagavad Gita, the sacred ancient Indian scripture,
has made its debut recently in which country:
China
__________________, MD of HDFC Bank has been ranked
as the highest paid banker of India in 2014: Aditya
Puri
In a recent study, India ranked among 20 most
violent places in the world. Which is the most
peaceful country of the world: Iceland
The Reserve Bank has recently allowed banks to
borrow from global multilateral financial
institutions for what purpose: General Banking
Business
SEBI has announced relaxed listing norms and
liberalized several other terms to encourage which
particular category of business: Startups
SEBI has made investment in all IPOs cheque free
by making subscription through ASBA mandatory.
What is the full form of IPO and ASBA: Initial
Public Offering & Application Supported by
Blocked Amount)
Name the Indian basketball player who became
first Indian to be drafted by the National Basketball
Association (NBA) of USA: Satnam Singh Bhamara
Google has now introduced an ___________ option
that will help its users to cancel the delivery of the
misdirected or inappropriate emails within 30
seconds of hitting the send button: Undo
The RBI has extended the date for exchange of pre2005 currency notes by ____ months to December
31, 2015: Six
_____________ has emerged as the top donor country
by pledging one billion dollars aid to earth quake
hit Nepal for reconstruction work: India
World Bangla Conference organized by the Vishwa
Bangla Sammelan was held in _________, Madhya
Pradesh: Nagpur
The International Day Against Drug Abuse and
Illicit Trafficking observed globally on which date:
26 June
________ became the first Indian to play with 100
different partners on ATP Circuit: Leander Paes
The validity of which controversial law passed by
the President Barack Obama has been upheld by
the Supreme Court of USA: Obamacare
As per the Baseline Profitability Index (BPI)
compiled in New York, USA ___________ has been
ranked as the best country in terms of attracting
foreign investment: India
Scientist in which country have developed the
world's first full-colour, flexible ultra-thin nanostructured film that can change colours by applying
voltage: USA

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Data released by the US based World Resources

Institute, ______________ is the country which
produces highest amount of climate damaging
greenhouse gases: China
Which Indian State has launched the Digital locker
system Akshay on June 27 under which public can
store important records and certificates: Kerala
Which Indian bank plans to install 10 lakh payment
card swipe machines (point of sales terminals)
across the country: State Bank of India
RBI has issued Rs 100 denomination banknotes in
Mahatma Gandhi Series - 2005 with which new
security feature: Both the number panels of these
banknotes will be in ascending size from left to
right
With which country India has signed a series of
agreements for cooperation in health sector: USA
Supreme Court of which country has allowed
marriage of same gender couples across the
country: USA
The government has hiked the Minimum Export
Price (MEP) of ____________ by 175 dollar per tonne
to 425 dollar per tonne to discourage its exports:
Onion
In which of our neighbouring country, the President
dissolved the Parliament on June 27, paving the
way for fresh parliamentary elections in mid
August: Sri Lanka

MAY 2015
540)

541)

542)

543)

544)

545)

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547)

Union Cabinet on April 29 approved the Smart

Cities Mission for development of ________ smart
cities with an outlay of Rs. 48,000 crore: 100
The Union cabinet has decided that the minimum
monthly pension under the Employees Pension
Schemes will not be less than Rs. ________: 1000
___________ has been appointed as the Chairperson of
the Children's Film Society of India: Mukesh
Khanna
Mukesh Khanna, a renowned TV / Film artist is
known for his role of which Super Hero:
Shaktimaan
Name the book for which Siddhartha Gigoo won the
Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2015 for Asia
region: Umbrella Man
As per recent RBI guidelines, urban co-operative
banks are not allowed to issue ________ credit cards:
Co branded
Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Money) recently won
the $180 million prize money by securing World
Welterweight title. He is from which country: USA
Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge from UK
Royalty gave birth to a baby girl who is _________in
line to the throne. 4th

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GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

What is the name of the over all trophy for the

national senior athletics championships held in
Mangaluru, Karnataka: The Federation Cup
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
Which country won the World Team Chess
Championship (Mens) leaving Ukraine at second
place at Tsaghkadzor, Armenia: China
Indian chess players __________ and _________ won the
silver and bronze medal respectively, in individual
category at World Chess Championship: D Harika
and K Humpy
Which country conferred its highest civil award
The Order of The Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star
recently on an Indian scientist: Japan
Name the Indian scientist honoured recently by the
Japan Govt. with its highest civilian award: CNR
Rao
Surender Singh has been appointed new Director
General of which paramilitary force: Central
Industrial Security Force, CISF
5th National women hockey championship was
held at which place: Saifai, Uttar Pradesh
Who won the 5th National women hockey
championship: Railways
Among Indian states, ______________ attracts largest
number of foreign tourists followed by Tamil Nadu:
Maharashtra
Which city has a unique distinction of having more
bookstores per capita than any other major city in
the world: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Which country became the 161st member of the
World Trade Organization (WTO): Seychelles
May 3 is observed every year as the World Press
Freedom Day. What is the theme for this year: Let
Journalism Thrive
Worlds 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
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
India and Iran have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding for the development of which
strategically important port in Iran: Chabahar
Name the indigenously-developed missile whose
first regiment was inducted in the Indian army on
May 5: Akash
Akash is which category of missile and what is its
range: Surface to air, 25 Kms
Name the ex Union Minister for environment who

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wrote the book Green Signals: Ecology, Growth and

Democracy in India: Jairam Ramesh
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
Name the Oscar winning US author, famous for his
novel Dances with Wolves, who died recently:
Michael Blake
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
Achal Kumar Jyoti, a retired IAS officer from Gujarat
has recently been appointed to which important
national level post: Election Commissioner
Geeta Phogat and Lalita Sherawat, each won a
bronze medal in women's category of which sports:
Wrestling
Name the satirical French weekly that won the
Freedom of Expression Courage Award by the PEN
American Center: Charlie Hebdo
The Union Cabinet has approved the renewal of the
existing double taxation avoidance agreement
(DTAA) with which country: South Korea
World Asthma Day is observed on which date: 5th
May
What is the theme of this years World Asthma Day:
You can control your Asthma
Name the Indian politician who has written the
Book At Home in India- The Muslim Saga: Salman
Khurshid
Name the politician who has been re-elected as the
Prime Minister of UK: David Cameroon
Which particular party regained power in the
recent general elections held in Britain:
Conservative Party
Which major political party of Britain is popularly
known as Tories: Conservative Party
What is the name of the lower house of the British
parliament to which MPs are elected: House of
Commons
As per the 'State of the World's Mothers' report for
2015, which country tops the list: Norway
India has been placed at which rank in the 'State of
the World's Mothers' report for 2015: 140th
The Reserve Bank has recently issued a set of early
warning signals to monitor the performance of
which banking product: Loans
With an aim to expedite FDI clearance process, the
FIPB's powers to recommend foreign investment
proposals have been hiked to Rs. _____ crore, against
Rs 1,200-crore limit at present: 3000
The abbreviation FIPB stands for: Foreign
Investment Promotion Board
Asian Development Bank signed a 31 million US

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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dollars loan agreement to boost water availability

in selected river basins of which State: Karnataka
Which Indian state is home to the largest gathering
of Asiatic lions: Gujarat
Name the tennis star who won the Madrid Masters
Men's Singles Title: Andy Murray
68th Cannes Film Festival was held at which place:
Cannes, France
Name the MP who has been re-nominated as
Chairman of Parliaments Public Accounts
Committee: K V Thomas
INS Sardar Patel is the name of a new _____________
of the Indian navy: Operational Base
The new naval base INS Sardar Patel is located at
which city: Porbandar
Name the noted historian, social scientist,
academician and author who passed away in
Guwahati on May 7 at the age of 91: Amalendu
Guha
__________________, ace marksman was declared the
Sportsperson of the Year' by the Times of India
Sports Awards: Jitu Rai
Who is the author of the book, Unbelievable Delhi
to Islamabad : Prof. Bhim Singh
President of India recently honoured 35 persons
from which field with the National Florence
Nightingale Awards: Nursing
Name the eminent banker who was appointed as
head of the 50 billion dollars New Development
Bank: K V Kamath
The New Development Bank has been setup by
which international organization: BRICS
Headquarters of the New Development Bank are to
be located in which city: Shanghai
In a recent global study, __________ overtook the
United States as the world's top importer of crude
oil for the first time in April 2015: China
Nico Rosberg won which international sports event
held at Barcelona, Spain: Grand Prix F1
championship
Formula 1 car racing champion Nico Roseberg is
from which country: Germany
Name the Ace Indian discus thrower who won gold
and a bronze medal recently at two international
meets: Vikas Gowda
As per the law, children up to ________ years of age
are not to be allowed to work in the hazardous
industries: 18
With reference to the office of the Ombudsman,
what are the recent directions of the RBI: Banks
asked to appoint their internal Ombudsman
Which Indian state recently got its 1st tribal women
governor: Jharkhand, Draupadi Murmu
Tathagata Roy has been appointed as governor of
which State: Tripura
Name the city of China which was the first stop over

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of Prime Ministers recent visit to China: Xian city

Xian city of China is famous in the world for which
monument: Terracotta Warriors Museum
Prime Minister Modi met the Chinese Premier
_________ in Beijing: Le Keqiang
Tejaswini Sagar, Indian school girl won her maiden
world title by bagging the gold in the under-15
category in which sports: Chess
The Union Cabinet approved a massive Rs. ________
crore budget for the Namami Gange Programme
for the next five years: 20,000
Union government recently launched USTAAD
scheme in which city of Uttar Pradesh: Varanasi
The acronym USTAAD stands for what: Upgrading
the Skills and Training in Ancestral Arts / Crafts
for Development
Recently launched USTAAD schemes focuses on the
problems of which particular category of artisans:
Banarasi Saari weavers
PM Modi visited ____________, the capital of Mongolia
on May 16: Ulaan Baator
Pandit Haridutt Sharma Award for excellence in
journalism has been won this year by which
person: Anuradha Prasad
B.B. King, one of the most famous electric guitar
players of all time, winner of 15 Grammy Awards
died recently. He was from which country: USA
________ has become the first state in India to issue
Soil Health Cards (SHCs), to its all farmers: Punjab
In the recently compiled 124 nation Human Capital
Index India has been placed at which rank: 100th
Central govt plans to start Highway Advisory Radio
for what purpose: To keep highway commuters
updated about road conditions
Aruna Shanbaug, a nurse by profession, who died at
the age of 67, was in news for what reasons: She
lived in a vegetative state for the past 42 years
During his visit to South Korea, Prime Minister
Modi met the President of South Korea. What is her
name: Park Geun-hye
Which artificial line forms the international border
between South Korea and North Korea: 38th North
Latitude
Arun Shrivastava has been appointed Managing
Director & CEO of which bank: Syndicate Bank
6th National Conference on Nuclear Energy was
held in which city: New Delhi
Scientists have discovered the worlds first fully
warm-blooded fish species. What is its name: Opah
Which private sector bank recently opened its first
branch in Shanghai, China, that was inaugurated by
the Prime Minister Modi on May 16: ICICI Bank
As per the 70 countries Environmental Democracy
Index, India has been placed at which rank: 24th
Which city will host the 10th World Hindi
Conference in Sept. 2015: Bhopal

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

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The 68th World Health Assembly held in which city

of Switzerland: Geneva
Name the Indian Navy's latest anti-submarine
warfare class stealth corvette, that was launched on
May 19 at Kolkata: INS Kavaratti
Which Bank plans to roll out e-huts to provide
services to people in rural areas: IDBI Bank
World Bank will offer a credit of 250 million US
Dollar to Bihar government for what purpose: To
promote primary school teachers
What type of vessel is INS Sindhukirti which was
launched for sea trials on May 21: Submarine
Which is the first Indian company to join RE100, a
global platform for corporates committed to use
100% renewable power: Infosys Ltd.
Name the supersonic fighter jet of Indian Air Force
that landed successfully on Yamuna Expressway in
U P on May 21as part of developing road runway
for emergency landing: Mirage 2000
Name the world leader who entered Guinness Book
of World Record for reaching a million followers in
a span of mere 5 hours after going live on Twitter,
@POTUS account: Barack Obama
Which famous big fish specie has been spotted for
the first time of the Maharashtra Coast: Blue
Whale
Which Asian country has announced a $110 billion
investment plan for infrastructure projects in Asia:
Japan
What is the minimum amount of gold that can be
deposited under the recently announced Gold
Monetisation Scheme: 30gm
Gold deposited under the Gold Monetisation
Scheme has to be kept in the bank at least for a
period of _____________: One year
Which country has become the first country in the
world to legalise same-sex marriage: Republic of
Ireland
Which award is given for the best feature film at the
Cannes Film Festival: Palme d'Or
Which film won the Palme dOr award for the best
feature film at the Cannes film festival: Dheepan
Indian boxers completed a brilliant run at which
international event, winning four gold, one silver
and two bronze medals: The Doha International
Boxing Tournament
Name the film from India that won two awards at
the Cannes Film Festival: Masaan
Name the naval exercise conducted jointly by
Indian Navy along with Singapore Navy:
SIMBEX 2015
What is the full form of SIMBEX: SingaporeIndian Maritime Bilateral Exercise
Which bank has launched a service where
customers can make transactions using just their
voice, without using other means of authentication

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like a password: ICICI Bank

G Mohan Kumar has been appointed to which
important national level govt. office: Union
Defence Secretary
Andrzej Duda has been elected as the new
_________________ of Poland: President
The book More Bad Time Tales has been written
by which person: Humra Quraishi
Laxminarayan Tripathi, author of the book Me Hijra
Me Laxmi is known for which activity: He is a
crusader for rights of LGBT community
David Granger has been elected as the new
President of which South American country:
Guyana
Central Govt. has taken what steps recently to
enhance the social security of MNREGA workers:
They are to be enrolled for three recently
launched social security schemes
ISRO launched its own GPS system by the name
GAGAN. What is the full form of GAGAN: GPS Aided
Geo Augmented Navigation
Which organization is the first user of the recently
launched GAGAN project: Airports Authority of
India
The first mega food park of the North East was
inaugurated on May 28 in which state: Assam
Which Indian Business women has been ranked as
no. 1 in India and 30th in world by the Forbes list of
most powerful women in world: Arundhati
Bhattacharya
What is the name of the new TV channel launched
by the doordarshan to focus on promoting
development of agriculture sector and rural India:
DD Kissan
Manabi Bandopadhyay, a transgender educationist
was in news recently for what reasons: She
became the first transgender in India to head a
college
With which country India signed a Joint Vision
Statement on Defence Cooperation for 2015-2020
in New Delhi on May 25 to promote the mutual
cooperation in maritime security: Vietnam
Australian Open Badminton tournament was held
at which place: Sydney
Who is the author of the book A Practitioners
Diary: Pradip Baijal
Name the former Sri Lanka captain who was named
as the CEAT International Cricketer of the Year
2015: Kumar Sangakkara
Which Indian batsman was named as the CEAT
Indian Cricketer of the Year 2015: Ajinkya Rahane
Which state has decided to withdraw the Armed
Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 from
the remaining areas of the state with immediate
effect: Tripura
Dr. S Christopher has been appointed to which

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

important national office: Director General of

DRDO

APRIL 2015
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__________ has been crowned as the FBB Femina Miss

World: Aditi Arya
Name the legendary hockey players honoured with
Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award:
Balbir Singh Senior
India has been ranked a lowly ______ on a new index
compiled by the UN trade body UNCTAD for
assessing the readiness of countries for electronic
commerce: 83rd
Prime Minister dedicated to the nation an
expansion and modernisation project worth Rs
12,000 crore for which steel plant: Rourkela Steel
Plant
Muhammadu Buhari has recently been elected as
President of which African country: Nigeria
Who is the author of the book God's Bankers: A
History of Money and Power at the Vatican: Gerald
Posner
What is the name of the book written by Rajmohan
Gandhi about a famous prince of Gujarat: Prince of
Gujarat
What is Indias rank the 2015 FM Global Resilience
Index: 119th
Recently the government announced its Foreign
Trade Policy (FTP)for which period: 2015-20
FTP policy 2015-20 aims to Increase exports to USD
_______billion by 2019-20, from USD 466 billion in
2013-14: 900
FTP policy 2015-20 aims to raise India's share in
world exports from 2 percent to ____ percent: 3.5
What is the proposed name for new capital of
Andhra Pradesh: Amaravati
Which Indian naval ship played a critical role in the
Operation Rahat: INS Sumitra
The book Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish Tripathi has
been written about which famous Hindu god: Lord
Rama
Which apex financial institution of India celebrated
its 80th anniversary on April 1: RBI
Dr. Subadhra Devi Rai was honoured with
international achievement award for excellence in
which field: Nursing
What is the name of the index that has been
launched to provide information on the quality of
air / level of air pollution in 10 major cities in the
country on daily basis: Air Quality Index
_____ is the most polluted city in India: New Delhi
_____ is the most polluted city in the world : Beijing
The Reserve Bank has relaxed the Know Your
Customer norms for which type of firms to allow
them opening of account by submitting a single
proof of their business: Sole proprietor firms

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Miami Masters Tennis Championship were held in

which state of USA: Florida
The World Women's chess championship was held
at which place: Sochi, Russia
What is the name of the first Scorpene Submarine
launched for sea trial in India on April, 6: INS
Kalvari
Scorpene Class Submarines are being built in India
in collaboration with which country: France
Pedro Cateriano Bellido has been elected as the
new Prime Minister of which south American
country: Peru
Golden Peacock National Quality Award is given for
excellence in which field: Corporate governance
Union Government on 1 April 2015 launched Faster
Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric
vehicles (FAME) India Scheme for what purpose:
To boost eco-friendly vehicles sales in the
country
What is the amount of corpus with which MUDRA
Yojana has been started: Rs. 20,000 crore
What is the objective of starting the Pradhan Mantri
Mudra Yojana: To extend credit to small
businesses
and
regulate
micro-finance
institutions
The proposed MUDRA bank will have three main
loan schemes, named as _______: Shishu, Kishore
and Tarun
The proposed MUDRA bank can give loans upto a
maximum amount of Rs. _________ : 10 lac
Which index has ranked India at 101st place in
terms of indicators of well-being such as health,
water and sanitation, personal safety, personal
freedom: Social Progress Index
_________ has been elected as the President of CII
(Confederation of Indian Industries) for 2015-16:
Sumit Mazumder
B V R Mohan Reddy has been elected as Chairman
of which national level business body: NASSCOM
As per SEBI guidelines, it is mandatory for every
listed company to have at least __________ woman
director on their board: One
Who is the appointing authority for the Chief
Election Commissioner of India: President of India
Chief Election Commissioner of India can hold the
office up to the age of maximum ___________ years: 65
Status of the Chief Election Commissioner is
equivalent to that of which official: Judge of the
Supreme Court
The CEC has tenure of __________ years, or up to the
age of 65 years, whichever is earlier : Six
Hi-Tech Mi-17 V5 military combat helicopter have
been sourced from which country: Russia
India successfully test-fired the nuclear-weapon
capable Dhanush missile recently. What is its full
range: 350 km

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

711)

712)

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715)

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719)

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729)

The 20th Law Commission in its report on Leprosy

has recommended removal of which word from
various statutes as it was considered derogatory:
Leper
Which Indian city won the Earth Hour City
Challenge held in Seoul, South Korea for best
champion of renewable energy: Thane
With which country India signed a Memorandum of
Cooperation on development of waterways and
multi-modal hubs in India: USA
The Supreme Court has asked all private hospitals
in India to provide full treatment free to _____________
victims, including medicines and expensive
reconstruction surgeries: Acid attack
Which French company has agreed to restart the
work in the nuclear power project at Jaitapur,
Maharashtra: Areva
France has agreed to supply 36 __________ fighter jets
to India in a flyaway condition: Rafale
Indias first hi-tech financial city GIFT has been
launched in which state: Gujarat
What is the full form of acronym GIFT: Gujarat
International Finance Tec-City
Govt. has allowed banks to open for the first time in
India, IFSC as offshore banking units. What is IFSC:
International Financial Services Central
_____________ created history by becoming the first
Indian female tennis player to achieve the world
number one rank in womens doubles: Sania Mirza
Sultan Azlan shah cup of hockey was held at which
place in Malaysia: Ipoh
In which sea around 900 illegal migrants trying to
reach Europe were feared killed after their boat
capsized: Mediterranean Sea
Guenter Grass, ______ novelist, the Nobel Prizewinning author of The Tin Drum, died recently:
German
In terms of usage of Information Communications
Technologies (ICT), India stands at _____ rank as per
an index compiled by the World Economic Forum:
89th
A World Trade Organization (WTO) forecast says
that the global goods trade will grow by ____percent
in the year 2015 and by ____percent in 2016: 3.3,
4.0
________ has been declared as the Laureus
Sportsman of the Year, 2015: Novak Djokovic
Genzebe Dibaba has been declared as the Laureus
Sportswoman of the Year, 2015. She is from which
field and country: Sprinter, Ethiopia
An interest subvention of ___% is available for
short-term crop loans up to Rs. ___ lakh per farmer,
subject to conditions. 2, 3
Indian batting legend_______, was inducted recently
into the prestigious Laureus Sports Academy:
Sachin Tendulkar

104

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In a article written by Mr. Barack Obama in Time

Magazine, he described Prime Minister Modi as
_______ of India: Reformer in Chief
RBI has allowed banks to offer differential interest
rates on term deposits of above what amount:
Rs.15 lakh
Mohan Kumar has been appointed the next
Ambassador of India to which country: France
What is the short name of a book written by India
by the Indian Parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor:
India Shastra
Mightier Than the Sword is a popular novel written
by _________: Jeffrey Archer
Total exports of India during 2014-15 fell short by
$29.5 billion of its annual target of $ ________ billion:
340
The government has asked the states to introduce a
new field for indicating _______ of the land owners in
their property records: Gender
World Haemophilia Day is observed globally on
which date: 17th April
As per a global study on financial inclusion, roughly
_______ per cent of world population has a bank
account: 62
The Kerala government, supported by UNICEF, has
launched a major campaign Subodham to wean
people away from which addiction: Alcohol
As per new rules, IAS and IPS officers have to take
prior permission from govt. before accepting gifts
worth more than Rs. _______: 5,000
IAS / IPS officers need to inform the government, if
they accept gifts of over Rs. ______from their
relatives or friends on customary occasions like
weddings, anniversaries, birthdays etc: 25,000
In terms of production of e-waste, India ranks _____
in the world: 5th
____ is the largest producer of the e-waste in the
world, followed by China and Japan: USA
Name the Indian Navy's most powerful
indigenously built stealth destroyer was launched
into water at Mazgaon Dock in Mumbai: INS
Visakhapatnam
Which bank has launched a contactless payment
service based on the Near Field Communications
(NFC) technology: ICICI Bank
What is the name of the new contactless payment
service launched by the ICICI bank: Tap-N-Pay
KP, the Autobiography is the life story of which
famous cricketer: Kevin Pietersen
Sukanya Samriddhi Account for the girl child will
earn interest @ _____per cent, w.e.f. April, 2015: 9.2
________ train clocked a new world speed record in a
test run, smashing through the 600 kilometre per
hour: Maglev, Japan
______________ has been appointed as the Chairman of
National Judicial Appointments Commission: H. L.

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

751)

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Dattu
The New York Times won this years Pulitzer Prize
for journalism for its courageous coverage of which
international event: Ebola outbreak in West
Africa
With effect from April 1, 2015, the transport
allowance exemption for employees has been
raised to Rs. _______ per month from Rs 800 for the
purpose of Income tax: 1600
As per revised Priority Sector Lending norms banks
have to give _____ per cent of their total credit to
small and marginal farmers: 8
Housing loans to individuals, up to Rs. ___ lakh in
metros and up to Rs. ____ lakh in other centres are
now covered under priority sector lending: 28, 20
As per revised Priority Sector Lending norms, the
foreign banks will have to make ______ per cent of
their total loans under priority sector in the near
future: 40
The Rajya Sabha, for the first time in 46 years
passed a private members bill to protect the rights
of which particular community: Transgender
As per the 2015 World Happiness Report, India has
been placed at ___ spot out of 158 countries
surveyed for level of happiness among the citizens:
117th
The 14th Indo-French Naval Exercise named ______
commenced off the coast of Goa: VARUNA-15
The Chetak Corps of the Army held its major battle
exercise named _________
in the deserts of
Rajasthan: Akraman-II
Indian women's hockey team lifted the Hero
Hockey World League Round Cup defeating which
country at New Delhi: Poland
Name the Indian origin scientist who recently won
the prestigious Heinz Award in Technology:
Sangeeta Bhatia
___________ of Ukraine successfully defended his
world heavyweight boxing title for the 18th time in
a row: Wladimir Klitschko
Who is the author of the book Water, Peace, and
War Confronting the Global Water Crisis:
Brahma Chellaney
Omar Al-Bashir has been re-elected as President of
which country: Sudan
Bhartiya Mahila Bank has won which prestigious
award recently at Hong Kong: The Asian Banker
Achievement Award 2015
India won Gold and a Bronze at the Asian Indoor
Rowing Championship which was held at
____________: Pattaya, Thailand
Name the Chinese player who won the Badminton
Asia Championship held at Wuhan, China: Lin Dan
Indian navys ship INS Tarangini which is going to
take part in the annual Tall Ships Races is what
type of ship: Sail training ship

105

MARCH 2015
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787)

788)

Mo Ibrahim Prize is given for what achievement:

for excellence in public governance
Who has been elected as the new President of the
BCCI: Jagmohan Dalmiya
The government has, for the first time, fixed a
inflation target for the RBI, at what level: 6% by
January 2016
RBI has been given inflation target as per the
recommendation of which committee: Dr. Urjit
Patel Committee
As per the Forbes magazine's annual list of the
world's richest people, ___________ has topped the list
for the 8th year: Bill Gates
Growth of core sector was lowest in January in past
13 months at 1.8 per cent. How many industries are
there in the core sector: Eight
As per recent data the per capita annual income in
India has been recorded at Rs. __________in 2013-14:
Rs. 80,388
Write the full form of the abbreviation TROPEX:
Theatre Level Readiness and Operational
Exercise
Indian navy recently conducted TROPEX 2015
exercise in which area: Arabian Sea
The Lok Sabha has passed the Motor Vehicles
(Amendment) Bill, 2015 to bring which category of
vehicles into the ambit of the Motor Vehicles Act
1988: e-rickshaws and e-carts
What is the name of the autobiography of Vinod
Mehta: Lucknow Boy
Name the new scheme that will be offered by all
Public Sector General Insurance Companies for
giving insurance cover against death by accident:
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)
The PMSBY is available to all persons in age
group_________ years, having a bank account: 18 to
70
What is the annual premium amount payable for
joining PMSBY: Rs. 12
What is the amount of cover available under PMSBY
in case of accidental death: Rs. 2 lac
What is the annual premium amount payable for
joining PMJJBY: Rs. 330
What is the amount of cover available under
PMJJBY in case of death by any reason: Rs. 2 lac
The APY is available to all persons in age
group_________ years, having a bank account: 18 to
40
According to the Mercer Quality of Living Rankings
2015, which Indian city has been selected as the
Best Indian City to live in: Hyderabad
Name the three states that have recently been
excluded from the Protected Area Permit (PAP)
regime for foreign tourists till December 31:

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

789)

790)

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792)

793)
794)
795)

796)

797)

798)

799)

800)

801)

802)

803)

804)
805)

806)
807)

Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland

United Nations declared this years theme for
womens day as _________ to encourage effective
action for advancing and recognizing women: Make
it Happen
Name the special bus service that has been started
between Varanasi and Kathmandu from March 5:
Bharat-Nepal Maitri Bus Seva
Name the Indias first indigenously developed and
manufactured rotavirus vaccine which was
launched in New Delhi: Rotavac
Rotavirus is the most common cause of
severe ________ among infants and young children:
Diarrhea
Saraswati Samman is given for excellence in which
field: Literature
Saraswati Samman for 2014 has been awarded to
which eminent author: M. Veerappa Moily
Which state tourism won the silver prize of Golden
Gate award at the Internationale Tourismus-Borse
Berlin (ITB-Berlin) 2015, Germany. Kerala
Which country tested its Shaheen-III Surface to
Surface Ballistic Missile, having a strike range of
2750 kms: Pakistan
Which is the largest public sector corporate entity
in India in terms of its assets: Indian Oil
Corporation
A recent Delhi High Court has clarified about which
high public office that it is covered under the RTI
Act: Attorney General of India
National tourism agency of which country has
appointed film star Sai Ali Khan as its brand
ambassador in India: Britain
Name the Sri Lankan Cricket Star who became the
first cricketer to score four successive one-day
international centuries: Kumar Sangakkara
Which Indian organization has committed Rs 1.5
lakh crore for development of various railway
projects over the next five years: Life Insurance
Company of India
Which cricketer has been voted as the greatest ODI
player in the history of cricket by recent survey: Viv
Richards
The new Consumer Price Index released by the
Central Statistics Office, number of items in the CPI
basket has been increased to _____ from 450 in
urban areas: 460
The base year for the Consumer Price Index has
been revised from 2004-05 to ________: 2011-12
Name the university that has topped the list of the
100 most prestigious universities compiled by
Times Higher Education of UK: Harvard
University, USA
Which team won the prestigious Ranji Trophy on
March 12: Karnataka by beating Tamil Nadu
Name the new scheme that has been launched for

106

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redressal of grievances of consumers related to

drug pricing and availability of medicines: Pharma
Jan Samadhaan Scheme
Which Indian ministry has launched the Pharma Jan
Samadhaan Scheme: Chemicals and Fertilizers
In which country India has agreed to build a
Rabindranath Tagore memorial: Sri Lanka
On which corporate the Income Tax Department
recently slapped a tax demand notice of Rs. 20,495
crore: Cairn India
Santosh Trophy is awarded for winning which
national tournament: Football
Name the winner of the 2014 Santosh Trophy:
Services Team
A historic bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi was
unveiled on March 14 at Parliament Square in
which international city: London
Priority sector lending target for all banks in India
is fixed at ____ per cent of their total loans: 40
___________ is known as the currency of IMF: SDR
Name the team that won the Women's Hockey
World League Round Two competition title: India
Final match of the Women's Hockey World League
Round Two competition was held in which city:
New Delhi
The worlds first $1 million prize Global Teacher
Prize is given in which country: USA
Which State has passed The Gauvansh Sanrakshan
and Gausamvardhan Bill, 2015 to ban cow
slaughter and sale of beef: Haryana
Supreme Court has reversed central government
decision to include Jats in the ____________ category:
Other Backward Classes (OBC)
Union cabinet recently approved the Undisclosed
Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of New Tax)
Bill, 2015 for which objective: To unearth black
money and illicit assets stashed abroad
Which Indian State is famous for mass nesting by
Olive Ridley: Odisha
Olive Ridley, known for their mass nesting practices
are which type of animal: Sea Turtle
Name the indigenously developed Beyond Visual
Range (BVR) air-to-air missile that
was
successfully tested recently: Astra
_________ has been re-elected as the Prime Minister
of Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu
A three-day conference for strengthening maritime
trade and security among Indian Ocean Rim
countries was held at which place: Bhubaneshwar
Name the Nobel Laureate who has been elected to
head Britain's prestigious Royal Society:
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
Ministry of Railways has constituted the________
council to recommend innovative methods and
processes for the improvement, betterment and
transformation of the Railways: Kaya Kalp

GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

829)

830)

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Name the prominent industrialist who has been

asked by the government to head the Kaya Kalp
council of railways: Ratan Tata
M S Dhoni became the first Indian captain to score
victory in 100 ODI matches. He achieved this fete in
the match played against which country:
Bangladesh
The Central government has announced ___ per cent
reservation for women in police forces of union
territories, including Delhi: 33
Name the team that won the Irani Cup after beating
Rest of India in the finals played in Bengaluru:
Karnataka
Name the scheme that aims to provide skills
training to youth, including Class 10 and 12 drop
outs: Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana
The government has roped in _______ _________as
brand ambassador for its campaign against
Hepatitis B: Amitabh Bachchan
Name the author of the book Indian Parliamentary
Diplomacy- Speaker's Perspective: Smt. Meira
Kumar, former Speaker, Lok Sabha
_________ of New Zealand made the highest score in
the World Cup history with 237 not out against
West Indies: Martin Guptill
Which UN organization is associated with
observing March 21 as the International Day of
Forests: Food and Agriculture Organization
What is the theme of this years International Day
of Forests: Forests and Climate Change
Which country is associated with the awarding of
Stockholm Water Prize: Sweden
Name the eminent Indian environment activist who
has been selected for Stockholm Water Prize:
Rajendra Singh
Prime Minister has launched Pragati programme to
give impetus to stalled projects and ensure their
timely execution across the country. What is the full
form of Pragati: Pro-active Governance and
Timely Implementation
The Supreme Court on March 24 struck down the
controversial section 66A of which Act:
Information Technology Act
Name the film that won the National Award for Best
Feature Film: Court
The Hindi film Mary Kom was honoured with Best
Film in which category of National Film Awards:
Best Popular Film providing Wholesome
Entertainment
Which film won the National Award for Best Hindi
Film: Queen
Name the male actor who won the National Award
for Best Actor: Vijay
Name the female actor who won the National
Award for Best Actor: Kangana Ranaut

107

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GENERAL AWARENESS OCTOBER 2015

865)

Veteran actor-filmmaker Shashi Kapoor (77), who

has starred in over 100 Hindi films has been
honoured recently with which National Award:
Dada Saheb Phalke Award
What is the amount of cash prize given in Dada
Saheb Phalke Award: Rs. 10 lacs
India's first National Skill Development University
will be established in which State: Chhattisgarh
For the development of which popular pilgrimage
centre, world bank has sanctioned a fund of Rs. 100
crore: Ganga Sagar Tirath, West Bengal
After a rigorous bidding in the auctioning of which
item the government recently fetched about Rs.
1.10 lac crore: Telecom spectrum
Which international prize given in the field of
Mathematics is popular as the Nobel of Maths: Abel
Prize
Who has been appointed as the new spokesperson
for the External Affairs Ministry: Vikas Swarup
By which country Indian artist Bharti Kher has
been honoured with Knight of the Order of Arts
and Letters: France
Which high court became the first court in India to
set up dedicated commercial divisions within it, in
line with recommendation of the Law Commission:
Delhi
India's first Polar Remotely Operated Vehicle
(PROVe), was made operational at which place in
North Antarctica: Priyadarshini Lake
Name the ambitious project that aims to develop 12
smart cities at ports and several coastal economic
zones to promote tourism and economic growth:
Sagarmala
International Gandhi Peace Prize 2014 is given for
what purpose: For promoting peace and
harmony in public life
What is the amount of cash award in the
International Gandhi Peace Prize: Rs. 1 cr
Which organization has been selected for the
international Gandhi peace prize 2014: ISRO
Name the space vehicle that became the first
human-made vehicle that has completed 11 years
marathon on a planet: Opportunity Rover of NASA
Name the cricketer who scored highest runs in the
Cricket World Cup 2015: Martin Guptil (NZ) - 547
_______________ was declared as the Man of the
Match in the final match of Cricket World Cup
2015: James Faulkner (Aus)
Saina
Nehwal defeated world champion
_______________ to win the womens singles title in the
India Open Badminton Championship: Ratchanok
Intanon

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