IBPS SO Quants Quiz on Numerical Ability

NUMERICAL ABILITY

Q.1 If Ratio of Ages of A and B are in the ratio of 5 :9 respectively and age of A and C are in the ratio 1: 3 yr. 5 years from now, Sum of their ages are 102 year. Then find the present age of A.

(1) 18 yr

(2) 12 yr 

(3) 15 yr 

(4) 17 yr 

(5) None of these

Q.2  Ratio of upstream and downstream is 3 : 5. If a boat travels in upstream 22.5 km in 2:30 hrs, find the speed of boat in still water.

(1) 12 kmph 

(2) 24 kmph 

(3) 18 kmph 

(4) 20 kmph 

(5) none of these

Q.3. A lent `5000 to B for 2 years and `3000 to C for 4 years on simple interest at the same rate of interest and received `2200 in all from both of them as interest. The rate of interest per annum is:

(1) 5% 

(2) 7%

(3) 7*1/8% 

(4) 10% 

(5) 5*3/7 %

Q.4  Sona travels 600 km to his house partly by train and partly by car. He takes 8 hours if he travels 120 km by train and the rest by car. He takes 20 minutes more if he travels 200 km by train and the rest by car. Find the speed of the train in km/h.

(1) 45

(2) 60

(3) 75

(4) 80

(5) None of these

Q.5  In a certain school, 20% of students are below 8 years of age. The number of students above 8 years of age is 23 of the number of students of 8 years of age which is 48. What is the total number of students in the school?

(1) 72 

(2) 80 

(3) 120 

(4) 150 

(5) 100

Q.6  A bag contains 4 red, 5 green and 7 blue balls. Two balls are drawn at random. What is the probability that one is green and second of the balls drawn is blue?

(1)10/11 

(2)11/21 

(3)35/128

(4)5/76

(5)None of these

 Q.7 A boat running downstream covers a distance of 16 km in 2 hours while for covering the same distance upstream, it takes 4 hours. What is the speed of the boat in still water?

(1) 4 km/h

(2) 6 km/h 

(3) 8 km/h 

(4) 10 km/h 

(5) None of these

Q.8  The sum of radius and height of a cylinder is 16. If the total surface area of the cylinder is 704 m2. Then find the volume of the cylinder.

(1) 1386 m2 

(2)1224 m2 

(3) 2466 m2 

(4) 1804 m2 

(5)1454 m2

Q.9  A certain number of men can finish a piece of work in 100 days. If however there were l0 men less, it would take another 10 days to finish the work. How many men were there originally?

(1) 50 

(2) 75 

(3) 82 

(4) 110 

(5) None of these

Q.10 The total salary of A, B and C is Rs. 906. If they spend 80%, 85%, 75% of their salaries respectively, their savings are as 7 :6 :19. Then salary of B is:

(1) Rs 140

(2) Rs 160 

(3) Rs 144 

(4) Rs 225 

(5) Rs. 240

 Directions (11-15):What approximate value should come in place of question mark (?) in the following questions? 

Q.11  29.8% of 260 + 60.01% of 510 – 103.57 =? 

1) 450 

2) 320 

3) 210 

4) 280 

5) 350 

Q.12  (8531 + 6307 + 1093) ÷ (501 + 724 + 396) =?

(1) 12 

(2)10 

(3) 15 

(4)20 

(5) 6

Q.13  (682% of 782) ÷ 856 = ?

(1) 10.65 

(2) 8.75 

(3) 6.25 

(4) 4.50 

(5) 12.56

Q.14  39% of 6200 + 35% of 640 – 1560 = ?

(1) 982 

(2) 1060 

(3) 1172 

(4) 1082 

(5) None of these

Q.15  12 ÷ 2(6 – 7 + 4)×2

(1) 24 

(2) 4 

(3) 36 

(4) 28 

(5) None of the above

Directions(16-20): In the following questions two equations numbered I and II are given. You have to solve both the equations and give answer, If: (1) x>y (2) x <y (3) x= y or the relationship cannot be established. (4) x≤ y (5) x ≥ y 

Q.16. I. 5x2 +3x - 8 = 0 II. 6y2 - 14y + 8 = 0 

Q.17. I. 2x2 + 40 = 18x II. 12 y2 = 22y -8 

Q.18. I. 7x + 5y = 11 II. 7y – 8x = 51 

Q 19. I. x2 = 25 II. 3y2 – 12y - 15 = 0 

Q 20. I. 2x2 + 13x + 21 = 0 II. 2y2 + 27y + 88 = 0 

Directions (21-25):What should come in place of the question mark (?) in the following number series? 

Q.21  12 19 33 61 ? 229 

(1) 46 

(2) 819 

(3) 247 

(4) 588 

(5) 891 

Q.22. 63 31 15 7 3 ? 

(1) 1 

(2) 1.5 

(3) 4 

(4) 5 

(5) None of these 

Q.23.  12 13 28 87 352 ?10596 

(1) 1845 

(2) 1247 

(3) 4578 

(4) 1452 

(5) 1765 

Q.24.  165 195 255 285 345 ?

(1) 375 

(2) 420 

(3) 435 

(4) 390 

(5) None of these 

Q.25.. 15120 ?360 72 18 6 3 

(1) 2240 

(2) 2540 

(3) 2050 

(4) 2160 

(5) 2250

Read more

IBPS Specialist Officer Questions and Answers: IT Quiz

IBPS Specialist Officer Questions and Answers: IT Quiz

1. The UML designation for a public class member is

(1) the symbol @

(2) the symbol #

(3) the minus symbol (-)

(4) the plus symbol (+)

(5) the word public

2. A……………is an acyclic diagraph, which has only node with in-degree 0, and other nodes have indegree 1. 

(1) Dis-joint tree

(2) Direction oriented tree

(3) directed tree

(4) Diagonalised tree

(5) Undirected tree

3. Every host computer on the internet has a(n)

(1) similar IP address

(2) unique 10-digit number

(3) common name and number

(4) unique IP address

(5) unique 15-digit number

4. Built-in functions provided by SQL are?

(1) SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX, NAME

(2) MIN, MAX, MULT, DIV, NAME

(3) SUM, AVG, MULT, DIV, MIN

(4) SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX , MULT

(5) COUNT, SUM, AVT, MAX, MIN

5. Which of the following is true regarding Common Gateway Interface (CGI)?

(1) An interface that accepts and returns data that may be written in SQL.

(2) A small program that excutes within other application and is stored on the server.

(3) A small program that excutes within other application and is stored on the client.

(4) A small program that executes within other application and is stored on the client or the server.

(5) An interface that accepts and returns data that may be written in any language that produces executable file.

6. Which of the following wildcard masks is most useful for matching all IP packets in subnet 10.1.128.0, mask 255.255.255.0?

(1) 0.0.0.0

(2) 0.0.0.255

(3) 0.0.0.240

(4) 0.0.0.31

(5) 0.0.15.0

7. What is the full form of DLCI?

(1) Data Link Circuit Identifier

(2) Data Link Connection Interrupt

(3) Data Link Connection Indicator

(4) Data Link Circuit Indicator

(5) Data Link Connection Identifier

8. Which of the following is used to create and delete views and relations within tables?

(1) SQL Data Identification Language

(2) SQL Data Identification and Manipulation Languages

(3) SQL Data Relational Language

(4) SQL Data Definition Language

(5) SQL Data Manipulation Language

9. What is the result of a SQL SELECT statement called?

(1) report

(2) file

(3) page

(4) table

(5) form

10. Which of the following is true for a CASE SQL statement?

(1) CASE SQL statement a way to establish a data definition in SQL or establish a loop in SQL

(2) CASE SQL statement a way to establish an IF-THEN-ELSE in SQL

(3) CASE SQL statement a way to establish a loop in SQL

(4) CASE SQL statement a way to establish a data definition in SQL

(5) Establish a loop in SQL and establish an IF-THEN-ELSE in SQL

Answers:

1.(4)

2.(3) A directed tree is an acyclic digraph, which has only one node  with indegree 0, and others nodes have indegree 1.

3.(4) An IP address is an identifier for a computer on a network. Thus, every computer on the internet have a unique IP address.

4.(5) COUNT, SUM, AVG, MAX and MIN are the built-in functions provided by SQL. DIV and MULT are not available in SQL.

5.(5) Common Gatway Interface (CGI) is a specification for transferring information between a www server and a CGI program. 
A CGI program is any program designed to accept and return data that conforms to the CGI specification. 
The program could be written in any programming language including, C, Perl, JAVA or Visual Basic.

6.(2) 0.0.0.255 matches all the packets that have the same first three octets. 
This is useful when you want to match a subnet in which the subnet part comprises of the first three octets.

7.(5) The full form of DLCI Data Link Connection Identifier. 
A number of a private or switched virtual circuit in a frame relay network that tells the Frame Relay how to route the data. 
The DLCI field identifies which logical circuit the data travels over.

8.(4) Data Definition Language (DDL) is used to define the datatbase structure or schema. Some of them are CREATE, DROP, ALTER etc.

9.(4)

Read more

BUSINESS NEWS 6th feb :- Low oil, commodity prices helped spur growth pace: FM

Government is on track to meet fiscal deficit target of 3.9 per cent

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said India remained one of the fastest-growing economies in the world despite the global economy remaining uncertain.

There was still potential for India to grow at a faster pace, he added.

“All the major economic organisations, including IMF, have predicted low growth for the world economy in the coming year,” Mr. Jaitley said on Friday. “These developments have implications on India’s economy as our exports are also affected. However, the silver lining is low international commodity and oil prices which, in turn, have helped in a better macroeconomic situation in the country,” he said while making the opening remarks at the first meeting of the consultative committee of the Finance Ministry.

Regarding the fiscal deficit, Mr. Jaitley said that the government was on track to meet the 3.9 per cent of GDP target set for the financial year.

“This was the first time that the real expenditure amount was higher than the budget proposal. This year we have spent more but still we will very well manage our deficit targets,” he said.

Mr. Jaitley said that during 2016-17, the government had to make provision for around Rs. 1.10 lakh crore to meet the liabilities on account of implementation of Seventh Pay Commission recommendations and One Rank One Pension (OROP) Scheme.

One major suggestion by the Committee regarding taxation was to raise the tax exemption limit for middle and salaried class from Rs.2.5 lakh to Rs. 4 lakh. In addition, greater emphasis is to be laid on widening the tax base and punishing tax evaders.

The Committee also suggested that the threshold limit for mandatory PAN card requirement for transaction be raised to Rs.5 lakh and above from the current limit of Rs.2 lakh and above. Further, it was suggested that the service tax exemption limit be raised from Rs.10 lakh to Rs.25 lakh.

Other important suggestions made by the Committee included more allocations for agriculture sector and the setting-up of an Indian Council for Veterinary Research (ICVR) to boost to milk production.

Another suggestion was to bring in more clarity to and awareness about the government’s new crop insurance schemes.

Regarding the environment, the Committee suggested that the forthcoming budget give relief to industries to set-up sewage and effluent treatment plants. Other suggestions included more allocations for drip irrigation systems to save water.

Some members also suggested that greater focus be given on providing employment opportunities in rural areas.

Read more

English Comprehension Exercises 2

Defending the diaspora 

Many people involved in the massive evacuation of Indian expatriates[eks'pa-tree-ut(exile,प्रवासी)] from Kuwait in 1990 are disappointed at the mischaracterisation of the role of the politicians, diplomats and airline officials in Airlift, a new Hindi film based on that incident. While film-makers have dramatic licence to set fiction against facts, diplomats are rightly upset that the story of the biggest ever air evacuation in history, carried out by a resource-strapped government in the throes of political and economic crises, has deliberately painted foreign service officers in negative light.

K.P. Fabian, who headed the Gulf desk at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) during that episode, is quoted in this newspaper as saying “young people who are watching this film are getting a wrong impression of their history”. Nirupama Rao, former Foreign Secretary, criticised the production of falling short on its research. Even the MEA’s official spokesperson stepped in to set the record straight. It is unfortunate that the producers felt the need to reinforce[ree-in'fors(strengthen,मजबूत)] popular prejudices of uncaring bureaucrats in that one area where that prejudice could not be more wrong.

Whatever you might think of the Indian government, when it comes to expatriate citizens in conflict zones, our diplomats go to great extents to ensure their safety. The airlift from Kuwait is only the biggest and the most famous one — more recently Indian diplomats and armed forces coordinated mass evacuations from Lebanon (in 2006), Libya (2011) and Yemen (2015). This is a job our diplomats, armed forces and airline officials do well, and it is unfair and self-defeating to cast them in poor light.

The damage, however, is done. But the public interest arising from the movie and the debate over the accuracy of its portrayal of the government’s role is a good opportunity to focus on the issue of diaspora security.

Indians around the world

According to government figures, as of January 2015, there were 11 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and 17 million Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) around the world. The largest populations were in the Gulf, the United States, United Kingdom, Southeast Asia and Nepal. On the thin end, there were seven Indians in North Korea, two in Nauru and one in Micronesia.

Until the turn of the century, the government’s relationship with overseas Indians has been twofold. Indian citizens (NRIs) were treated differently from ethnic Indians holding other citizenships. While the government concerned itself with the former, the latter were encouraged to be loyal and upstanding citizens of their respective countries.

In the recently released Netaji Files, in 1960, Prithi Singh, India’s envoy to Malaya, reminds headquarters that “our own expressed policy has been to encourage persons of Indian origin, domiciled abroad, to absorb themselves into the life of these countries and I feel that any step which we might take which helps them to maintain rigidly their emotional and/or communal links with India, actually prevents them from giving their whole-hearted loyalty to the countries of their adoption”.

This policy has served India and overseas Indians well. If the Indian diaspora is highly successful and integrated into the societies around the world, it is in part due to the fact that the loyalties of persons of Indian origin are beyond doubt. They might retain Indian customs and faith, but they bat for the interests of the country they are citizens of.

Courting the diaspora

The longstanding policy began to shift in the 1990s, with India looking East and West initially due to economic adversity and subsequently due to opportunity. The Atal Bihari Vajpayee government put the courtship on a formal footing with a high-level committee recommending the long-term visas under a PIO Card Scheme, a grand conference and recognition in the form of awards. The United Progressive Alliance government constituted an entire ministry for overseas Indians which, wisely, the Narendra Modi government has recently decided to merge back into the MEA.

No Prime Minister has gone so far out to court overseas Indians as Narendra Modi. Reaching out to the humble construction worker, the middle-class professional and the wealthy elite has galvanised[gal-vu,nIz(encourage,प्रेरित)] the emotional links NRIs have with their home country. Mr. Modi has reinforced the growing feeling among NRIs since the turn of the century that India is a great country to be from.

Mr. Modi’s highly publicised engagement of overseas Indians changes the tenor of the government’s old policy to downplay their emotional links to India. It is for the Prime Minister to decide what the new policy should be. What we should recognise is that change comes with risks that need to be managed.

First, to the extent that New Delhi is seen to engage NRIs and protect their interests in foreign countries, foreign governments will not consider it an intrusion in their politics. However, if New Delhi begins to speak out on behalf of ethnic Indians who are not Indian citizens, then the interventions are likely to encounter resistance. In 2007, Malaysian politicians reacted viciously[vi-shus-lee(brutally,क्रूरतापूर्वक)] when Indian politicians made comments critical of Kuala Lumpur’s strong-arm tactics against its Indian minorities.

The modern world is constructed on the Westphalian model, where sovereign states relinquished[ri'ling-kwisht(free,त्यागना)] their right to intercede on behalf of their religious and ethnic kin in other sovereign states. To violate this norm risks inviting any number of foreign interventions into our own domestic affairs.

Second, the reputation that PIOs have cultivated over several decades for being loyal citizens of the countries they live in can come under a shadow. In many parts of the non-Western world, countries are still reconciling with their nationhood and identity.

Any suspicion, even at the margin, of PIOs having multiple loyalties can be detrimental[de-tru'men-t(u)(harmful,नुकसानदायक)] to their interests. Notice how the Singapore government insisted that only NRIs attend Mr. Modi’s public event,demarcating[dee,maa'keyt(separate,अलग)] the line between its own citizens of Indian ethnicity and expatriates with Indian citizenship.

Airlifts of the future

Finally, the airlifts and naval evacuations of the future might be more complex in a context where there is a conflation of NRIs, PIO card-holders and other ethnic Indians with foreign citizenships. During crises when time and resources are tight, who should Indian diplomats prioritise? Will they have moral grounds to put non-citizens on a lower priority than citizens? If they do, what impact will it have on the Indian government’s reputation and the expectations it has created? New Delhi ought to review the political and security risks to its diaspora populations and create the capacity to act in their interests should the need arise.

It is unclear if India’s overstretched diplomatic corps has been tasked with paying greater attention to multilateral arrangements, institutions and agreements that pertain to diaspora-related interventions.

Similarly, the external intelligence establishment needs to be reoriented towards gathering and analysing information relating to the threats that diaspora populations might face. The conceptual move from defending the homeland to defending the diaspora needs a concomitant retooling of government machinery.

Diaspora security will require more naval ships, wider patrolling, foreign berthing and outposts. Military heavy lifting capacity apart, it will also require policy measures, like for instance, licence conditions in civil aviation requiring private airlines to put their aircraft and crew at the government’s disposal during emergencies.

The commitments that India makes require the state to have the capacity to redeem them. If we widen the scope of our commitments, we must invest in the capacity to carry out the airlifts of the future.

Courtesy: the hindu

Read more

GK QUIZ 5th FEB

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) will allow online exit of subscribers from National Pension System from – 1 April 2016

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 February 2016 inaugurated the Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) at - Lepetkata, Assam

In Tamil Nadu, lsland Express train from Kanyakumari to Bangalore derailed on 5 February 2016 at - Natrampalli, Vellore District

The 12th South Asian Games began on 5 February 2016 in –Guwahati, Assam

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on 5 February 2016 went on a two day visit to Sri Lanka today to co-chair - the 9th session of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission meeting

The World Health Organisation advised countries against accepting blood donations from people who have travelled to regions affected by - the Zika virus

Vice-President Hamid Ansari on 5 February 2016 left for home after concluding a five-day tour of - Thailand and Brunei

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 February 2016 dedicated India's highest wax producing unit using indigenous technology to the nation in - Numaligarh Refinery Limited

US Senate committee on 4 February 2016 confirmed nomination of Army Lieutenant General as the commander of the NATO forces in Afghanistan - John Nicholson

The State government that on 4 February 2016 lifted the restrictions on visit of foreign tourists to certain tribal areas in the State after three years - Odisha

India on 4 February 2016 submitted its Instrument of Ratification of the Convention of Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC), 1997 to - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at Vienna, Austria

The Tea Board of India (TBI) in January 2016 issued Version 5.0 of the Plant Protection Code (PPC) by adding two new chemicals in the list of pesticides and chemicals that is permitted for use by Indian tea industry, and they are - Emamectin Benzoate 5 SG and Flubendiamide 20 WG

India on 4 February 2016 granted special concession to Pakistani athletes taking part in the 12th South Asian Games by declaring Guwahati and Kolkata as - designated entry points for them

The Union Government decided to set up the National Organic Farming Research Institute in this State – Sikkim

This company announced acquisition of cement business of Reliance Infrastructure for 4800 crore rupees – Birla Corp

This city hosted the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference 2016 to mobilise funds for reconstruction of conflict-hit Syria – London

 He was appointed as a member of newly constituted Anti-Corruption Unit Oversight Group by the ICC – Rahul Dravid

The amount pledged by the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference 2016 towards reconstruction of conflict-hit Syria between 2016 and 2020 – 10.7 billion US dollars

The Indian writer who won Sundance Institute Global Filmmaking Award 2016 on 30 January 2016 -Geetu Mohandas

As per the NASA’s publication on 4 February 2016, The dwarf planet on which NASA’s New Horizons mission spotted the nitrogen ice glaciers - Pluto

Read more

GK UPDATE 5TH FEB

India becomes associate member of EMBO 

• India officially became the Associate Member State of European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO).
• In this regard, Union Ministry of Science and Technology has signed an agreement to acquire the status of Associate Member of EMBO.
•  India is second country outside the European region to be an Associate Member State of EMBO. First one being Singapore which had signed such agreement with European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC) in 2015. 
• EMBO is a professional organization of life scientists in Europe with his its headquarter at Heidelberg, Germany.

India ratifies nuclear liability convention 

• India has ratified Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC), 1997 which sets parameters on a nuclear operator’s financial liability. 
• In this regard, India has submitted the Instrument of Ratification of the CSC to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and shall come into force after 90 days i.e May 2016.
•  It will facilitate and boost India’s nuclear commerce with international partners. Contribute to strengthen an international convention and global nuclear liability regime.

WHO certifies vaccine maker GreenSignal Bio 

• Geneva-based World Health Organisation (WHO) has accorded PQP (Pre-qualification of Medicines Programme) certification to the city-based GreenSignal Bio Pharma Pvt. Ltd., a BCG vaccine-making firm. 
• GreenSignal is the second Indian company to get PQP certification from WHO. 
• PQP certification helps GreenSignal to participate in the global immunisation programme, which is facilitated through international procurement agencies such as UNICEF and others. 
• These global institutions go by the WHO’s list of pre-qualified products while making a decision on procurement for medicines for distribution in resource-limited nations.

 Modi inaugurates petrochemical plant in Dibrugarh 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 February 2016 dedicated the Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) at Lepetkata, Assam to the nation. 
• Modi inaugurates Rs. 10,000-crore petrochemical plant that will make raw material for manufacturing plastic and a wax making unit using indigenous technology in Numaligarh Refinery Limited to the nation.. 
• The Brahamputra Cracker and Polymer Ltd was conceived as part of the Assam peace accord signed during the tenure of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. 
• Mr. Modi said his government’s priority is to develop Northeast as it believes in “all-round development” of the nation.

 Tonga declares Zika outbreak 

• The tiny South Pacific island-nation of Tonga has declared an outbreak of the Zika virus after five cases of the mosquito-borne illness are confirmed and another 265 are suspected of having it. 
• The World Health Organization this week declared the Zika virus a global emergency.
• World pledges $10B for Syrians 
• World leaders pledged more than $10 billion to help fund schools, shelter and jobs for refugees from Syria’s civil war at “Supporting Syria and the Region Conference 2016″, which was held on 4 February 2016 in London. 
• The conference was co-hosted by Germany, Kuwait, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Nations and saw the participation of over 60 countries.

John Nicholson appointed NATO Commander in Afghanistan

•  A US Senate Armed Services Committee has confirmed the nomination of General John Nicholson to the commander of the NATO forces in Afghanistan. 
• He will succeed outgoing commander US General John Campbell. 
• His appointment comes at a time when serious concerns have been raised about the security situation in Afghanistan.

 Govt appoints Aruna Sethi as head of ICoAS 

• Government has appointed Aruna Sethi as head of Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS). Sethi is the first lady ICoAS officer who has achieved this laurel. 
• The appointment comes into effect from February 1.
•  ICoAS is one of the six organised accounting services of the Government of India. 

Kerala’s ‘She-Taxi’ bags CM’s innovation award 

• Kerala’s all-women taxi cab service ‘She-Taxi’, touted as the country’s first 24×7 taxi network by women for women, has bagged the prestigious Chief Minister’s Award for Innovation in Public Policy 2014.
•  Owned and operated by women entrepreneurs, She-Taxi was selected for the recognition in the ‘developmental interventions’ category. 
• The Gender Park, an autonomous institution under the state Social Justice Department, had launched the cab network two years ago with an aim to promote entrepreneurship, self-employment and security among women.

 Geetu Mohandass’ ‘Insha’ Allah’ wins the 2016 Global Filmmaking Award 

• Indian writer Geetu Mohandas won Sundance Institute Global Filmmaking Award 2016 on 30 January 2016 for her script of yet-to-be shot film Insha Allah. 
• The award was presented at 2016 Sundance Film Festival Awards Ceremony held in Park City, Utah. 
• Malayalam actress and film director, Geetu won the award for her wonderful narration about an 11 year old boy, Mullakoya who sets off on a treacherous journey from the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea to Indian mainland in search of his missing older brother and tired of living in the shadow of the colorful, magical-realist folklore.

 Dravid in ICC’s Anti-Corruption Oversight Group 

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board on 3 February 2016 constituted Anti-Corruption Unit Oversight Group. 
• The oversight group will include the Chairman of the Executive Committee (under whose area of responsibility this function rests) and will also include former India captain Rahul Dravid, legal expert Louis Weston and independent anti-corruption advisor John Abbott, who was the Chairman of the Integrity Working Party. 
• The Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Unit, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, and ICC Chief Executive, David Richardson, will also be ex-officio members of the group. 
• The oversight group will meet once a year to review and provide independent input into the strategy adopted by the sport to tackle corruption and its implementation, and to offer its advice and guidance to the Chairman of the ACU where required. ddd 

India Develops World’s First Zika Vaccine 

• Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad based vaccines and bio-therapeutic manufacturer, claimed to have achieved a breakthrough in developing a vaccine to fight the dreaded mosquito-borne Zika virus.

DJ Pandian appointed AIIB Vice-President 

• Former chief secretary of Gujarat DJ Pandian has been appointed vice-president and chief investment officer of the newly-created Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

Read more

QUIZ 5 FEBRUARY 2016

Ques. : 1 The Counter-Terrorism Conference 2016 was held recently in
1) Jaipur
2) Mumbai
3) Amritsar
4) Chennai
5) Hyderabad
Answer:- 1) Jaipur

Ques. : 2 _________ has been appointed as the Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).
1) Jai Shanker Menon
2) Bikram Singh
3) VK Singh
4) Deepak Kapoor
5) Purna Chandra Thapa
Answer:- 1) Jai Shanker Menon

Ques. : 3 The venue of the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2016 of the Indian Navy is
1) Tuticorin
2) Coimbatore
3) Kochi
4) Karwar
5) Visakhapatnam
Answer:- 5) Visakhapatnam

Ques. : 4 The World Cancer Day 2016, with the theme ‘We can,’ was observed on
1) 1 Dec
2) 2 Jan
3) 28 Jan
4) 4 Feb
5) 5 Feb
Answer:- 4) 4 Feb

Ques. : 5 Fed Cup is the premier international team competition in women’s
1) tennis
2) badminton
3) squash
4) table tennis
5) billiards
Answer:- 1) tennis

Ques. : 6 The 12 Pacific Rim countries recently signed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement in Auckland, New Zealand. Which of the following is NOT a member country of TPP as of now?
1) China
2) Canada
3) Japan
4) Vietnam
5) Malaysia
Answer:- 1) China

Ques. : 7 Pandit Ram Narayan has been chosen for the prestigious Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi classical music award for 2015-2016. He is a _________ maestro.
1) Flute
2) Santoor
3) Sarangi
4) Violin
5) Sarod
Answer:- 3) Sarangi

Ques. : 8 India has confirmed its participate in Cobra Gold 2016, a multilateral amphibious exercise, which will take place in
1) Philippines
2) Brunei
3) Thailand
4) Cambodia
5) Singapore
Answer:- 3) Thailand

Ques. : 9 Name the Indian who has been appointed vice-president and chief investment officer of the newly-created Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
1) Chanda Kochhar
2) Arundhati Bhattacharya
3) Aditya Puri
4) DJ Pandian
5) Duvvuri Subbarao
Answer:- 4) DJ Pandian

Ques. : 10 The govt has appointed who among the following as the new Secretary of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department?
1) Parameshwaran Iyer
2) Ravi Kanbur
3) Kaushik Basu
4) Jagdish Bhagwati
5) Syed Akbaruddin
Answer:- 1) Parameshwaran Iyer

Read more

GK UPDATE 4th FEB

World Cancer Day 2016 observes with theme We can. I can. 

• World Cancer Day (WCD) 2016 was observed across the world on 4 February 2016. The day was observed with year’s theme – We can. I can.  
• World Cancer Day unites the world’s population in the fight against cancer. 
• The tagline of the theme reflects on what you can do and asks to make a pledge and takes action and make a difference in fight against cancer. 
• The World Cancer Day 2016-2018 will explore how everyone – as a collective or as individuals – can do their part to reduce the global burden of cancer.

Microsoft acquires SwiftKey 

• Technology giant Microsoft is all set to buy software keyboard and SDK application maker SwiftKey. 
• SwiftKey is a free keyword application that powers more than 300 million Android and iOS devices. 
• With this acquisition, Microsoft intends to integrate SwiftKey technology with their Word Flow technology for Windows.
•  Swiftkey was founded by SwiftKey Jon Reynolds and Ben Medlock.

12 nations sign historic Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement

• All 12 Pacific Rim countries have signed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement in Auckland, New Zealand making it one of the biggest trade deals in history. 
• These 12 countries are: Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Canada, United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Australia and New Zealand. 
• TPP is Free Trade Area and these member countries across the Pacific Rim are home to 800 million people and account for 40% of global trade. 

Objectives of TPP:
(i) Lower trade barriers such as tariffs. 

(ii) Establish a common framework for intellectual property

(iii) Enforce standards for labour law and environmental law 

(iv) Establish an investor-state dispute settlement mechanism.

Sri Lanka celebrates I-Day

• Marked by symbolism of high degree, the 68th Independence Day of Sri Lanka was on 04 Feb 2016 celebrated with an uncommon element – the rendering of the Tamil version of the national anthem at the government’s main event of the day.
• The celebration got off to a colourful start as the Sinhala version of the anthem was played and President Maithripala Sirisena hoisted the national flag. 
• But, what captured the attention of many was that the Tamil version was sung by school students at the end of the event.

Maharashtra announces Babasaheb Ambedkar Special Group Incentives Scheme

•  Maharashtra government has announced Bharatratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Special Collective Incentive Scheme for the economically backward Dalit entrepreneurs. 
• Decision in this regard was taken by state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai.
• Under it, special facilities will be given to Dalit entrepreneurs besides the present Collective Incentive Scheme 2013. 
• 20% plots for small and medium scale industries will be reserved for the Dalits within Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).

 CSIR launches India’s first ayurvedic anti-diabetic drug 

• The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched the country’s first anti-diabetic ayurvedic drug named BGR-34 for type two Diabetes mellitus. 
• BGR-34 stands for Blood Glucost Regulator and offers effective, safe, patient-friendly solution for managing type two Diabetes. 
• The drug BGR-34 is developed jointly by National Botanical ResearchInstitute (NBRI) and Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), the Lucknow-based research units of CSIR.

Pandian appointed AIIB Vice-President

•  Former IAS officer D J Pandian has been appointed vice-president and chief investment officer (CIO) of Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). 
• He is retired IAS officer of Gujarat cadre and had served as chief secretary of the state. 
• He also had worked on deputation with the World Bank. He was also the MD of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC).

 Haryana, Ontario ink pact for cooperation

•  Haryana and the Province of Ontario in Canada signed an MoU aimed at enhancing commercial and cultural ties.
•  The MoU was signed by the Managing Director of Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd, Sudhir Rajpal, and Deputy Minister of Ontario Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade, Helen Angus, in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, and Premier of Prince Edward Island, Wade MacLauchlan.

 TCS becomes world’s most powerful IT Services brand 

• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced that it has been rated as the World’s Most Powerful Brand in IT Services by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation firm.
•  TCS emerged as the IT services industry’s most powerful brand with a score of 78.3 points earning it an AA+ rating. 
• Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation and strategy consultancy. 

Sarangi maestro Pandit Ram Narayan selected for Bhimsen Joshi Award

• Noted sarangi player Pandit Ram Narayan has been selected for the lifetime achievement award, instituted by Maharashtra government in memory of Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, for year 2015-16. 
• The Department of Culture has instituted this award which includes Rs 5 lakh in cash, a citation and a memento.

World Bank Expert Mr. Iyer To Lead Swachh Bharat Mission

• i. The government has appointed World Bank’s water and sanitation specialist, Parameshwaran Iyer, as the new Secretary of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department.
• ii. Ignoring the case of serving bureaucrats, Iyer, World Bank's Practice Manager for Water for the South Asian region , has been given the post by PM Narendra Modi for two years to steer the Swachh Bharat Mission.                                
• iii. 56-year-old Iyer is a key architect of the framework of the $1,500 million proposed loan from World Bank for the Swach Bharat Mission which is pending Cabinet approval.
• iv. Iyer's appointment is expected to create more synergy between the Swachh Bharat Mission and the objectives of the World Bank project . An IAS officer of the UP cadre, who launched Jal Suraj program here, Iyer took voluntary retirement in 2009 and joined the World Bank.
• v. Before that, he worked with the UN World Food Programme (UNWFP) for nearly a decade till 2006 as a Senior Rural Water Sanitation specialist on foreign assignment. He was then served a show-cause notice by the Indian government to return and he quit in 2009. 

 Aruna Sethi appointed as first women head of Indian Cost Accounting Service

• Aruna Sethi, the Principal Adviser (Cost), on 1 February 2016 took over charge as the head of Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS). With this appointment, she became the first woman to occupy the post.

• Prior to the present elevation, Aruna, a 1985 batch ICoAS officer, held important portfolios in Government of India including Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Defence etc.
• indian Cost Accounts Service is one of the six organized accounting services of the Government of India. It is comparatively young accounting service constituted in 1978.
• The ICoAS Officers have the requisite skill by virtue of their professional background and experience gained in managing the multifarious and complex issues relating to financial and cost management matters.
• Office of Chief Adviser Cost is one of the divisions functioning in the Department of Expenditure. It is a professional body staffed by qualified Cost/ Chartered Accountants.
• This Office is responsible for advising the Ministries and Government Undertakings on cost accounts matters and to undertake cost investigation work on their behalf.

India to participate in Cobra Gold 2016 military exercise in Thailand

• The term Cobra Gold was in news on 3 February 2016 as India confirmed its participation in the annual amphibious military exercise in 2016. The decision in this regard was conveyed to Thailand, the host country, during Vice President Hamid Ansari’s visit to the country.
• 
  
• It is the largest Asia-Pacific military exercise and held in Thailand every year. It is among the largest multinational military exercise in which the United States participates.
•  As of 2014, Cobra Gold has three distinct activities, namely, the Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX), Command Post Exercise (CPX) and activity related to assisting the local Thai population.
• It was first held in 1982 to improve coordination between the armed forces of the USA and Thailand in both hostile military and humanitarian efforts. As of 2015, the exercise expanded to include 26 nations - Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and other South Asian and Pacific Ocean countries among others.
• China was admitted to the exercise for the first time in 2015. The exercise was proven effective in improving coordinated military response to natural disasters, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami, and disaster relief provided to the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan struck in November 2013.

DJ Pandian appointed Vice President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

• Former chief secretary of Gujarat DJ Pandian was appointed vice-president and chief investment officer of the newly-created Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on 3 February 2016.
• His appointment as vice-president and chief investment officer was approved by AIIB. The retired 1981-batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre had worked on deputation with the World Bank in Washington. He was also the MD of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC).
• The Beijing-based 100 billion dollar multi-lateral lender, AIIB was set up in Beijing on 25 December 2015. It was established to boost lending for infrastructure projects such as energy, transportation, urban construction and logistics as well as education and healthcare.
• China had nominated its former finance minister Jin Liqun as the first president of AIIB.
• The three largest shareholders of the bank are China (30.34 percent), India (8.52 percent) and Russia (6.66 percent). Their voting shares are calculated at 26.06 percent, 7.5 percent and 5.92 percent, respectively.

Manipuri documentary Phum-Shang won Golden Conch Award at MIFF 2016

• Manipuri documentary film Phum-Shang on 3 February 2016 bagged he prestigious Golden Conch Award for the best documentary film at the 14th Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Animation and Short Films (MIFF 2016).
• The film is directed by Haobam Paban Kumar, an alumnus of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata. The 52-minute film critically examines the serious environmental problems faced by the Loktak lake, the largest freshwater lake in northeast India. The lake is characterised by its unique floating biomass, known as Phumdi, which is the primary source of livelihood for fishermen who live on huts built on the Phumdis.
• Paban Kumar was presented with the Golden Conch Award and a cash prize of 3 lakh rupees by the Governor of Maharashtra Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao and State Cultural Minister Vinod Tawde at a ceremony in Mumbai.
• Swiss film My Name Is Salt and an Indian film Placebo shared the Golden Conch Award for the best feature length documentary film.
• My Name Is Salt is directed by Farida Pacha, It is a film about the journey of thousands of families to the Rann of Kutch to extract the whitest salt in the world. The film also won the award for best cinematography.
• The story of Placebo revolves around the stress and pressure faced by medical students due to intense competition.

Dhirubhai Ambani Centre for Innovation and Research in Bangalore

• Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani announced the establishment of Dhirubhai Ambani Centre for Innovation and Research in Aerospace at Whitefield in Bengaluru.
• According to Ambani, “The centre, the first-ever of its kind in the private sector in India, will be a world class facility for research, development and innovation in aerospace technology.” 
• The centre would also generate more than 1,500 highly skilled jobs and support government’s plan for indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment.

BSE, IFC jointly develop corporate governance scorecard

• BSE and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have partnered to develop a corporate governance scorecard. The scorecard seeks to help companies assay their corporate governance performances against national or international-benchmarked practices.
• Using the scorecard, companies can identify areas of further improvement and track progress over time. It can be used to make board processes more efficient, improve strategy, aid decision-making, and manage risks. Companies can better understand the way in which governance affects their operations.
• Improved governance frameworks result in development of efficient capital markets and increased access to capital enables new investments, improves economic growth, and creates jobs.
• The scorecard can be used by a wide range of stakeholders, including regulators, promoters, and investors. Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, BSE said, “The collaboration with IFC to develop the scorecard is a revolutionary step towards benchmarking companies in India. The scorecard will result in increased transparency and boost investor confidence.
• IFC is implementing a South Asia Regional Corporate Governance Project with donor support from Japan’s Ministry of Finance. This five-year project provides advisory services to individual firms and partners with local institutions, such as the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, to strengthen sector-level work on corporate governance.

Government To Infuse About Rs. 5000 Cr. In PSU Banks This Quarter

•  The government will infuse about Rs.5,000 crore capital in the public sector undertaking (PSU) banks in the current fiscal to strengthen their balancesheet. “As committed, banks will get fund infusion in the fourth quarter. Banks will get about Rs.5,000 crore,” financial services secretary Anjuly Chib Duggal said on the sidelines of an event.
• Funds would be infused after Parliament approves third Supplementary Demand for Grants in the upcoming Budget session. Last year, the Government announced a revamp plan 'Indradhanush' to infuse Rs70,000 crore in state-owned banks over four years, while they will have to raise a further Rs 1.1 lakh crore from the markets to meet their capital requirements in line with global risk norms Basel III.
• As per the blueprint, PSU banks will get Rs.25,000 crore this fiscal and also in the next fiscal. Besides, Rs.10,000 crore each would be infused in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Of the Rs.25,000 crore earmarked for 2015-16, the government has pumped in about Rs.20,088 crore in 13 public sector banks so far.
• The government had arrived at Rs 1.8 lakh crore capitalization needs for PSU banks assuming credit growth rate of 12 per cent for the current year and 12-15 per cent for the next three years depending on the size of the bank and their growth ability. Talking about various initiatives taken by the government to deepen the social security net, Duggal said banks are addressing last mile connectivity issues.
• The department of financial services is having discussions with banks on a regular basis to sort out the issues as soon as possible, she said. Banks like State Bank of India and Andhra Bank are currently addressing issue of Internet connectivity in the 800 identified areas. Besides, steps are being taken to strengthen Internet connectivity in various parts so that direct benefit transfer is made seamless.

SBI, Thomas Cook team up for 'inflation-proof' holidays

• State Bank of India has tied up with Thomas Cook to offer online customers a recurring deposit that helps them save toward an `inflation proof' holiday. Availing the holiday on maturity of the recurring deposit is optional as customers can choose either to travel or redeem their savings. For those who stay on, Thomas Cook will top up the last instalment to pay for their holiday.
• "Customers will be offered an inflation-proof holiday as they pay for a future holiday at today's prices while earning interest on the linked e-recurring deposit," SBI said in a statement. The holidays are all inclusive packages in the domestic and international circuit.
• According to Rajnish Kumar, md, SBI besides helping people save for vacations this scheme would compel them to plan ahead and avail of lower prices. "We find that people don't plan their holidays in advance and end up taking last minute loans to finance the same. Also, they could've have saved on the cost of the holiday had they booked early," he said.
• Madhavan Menon, chairman, Thomas Cook India, said that the tie up with SBI will enable Thomas Cook extend its reach to over 2.5 crore online customers of SBI. "The unbeatable advantage of paying for a future holiday at today's prices, ensures SBI's customers inflation-proof holiday while enjoying attractive interest rates, a zero exit clause and a free top up from Thomas Cook on the 13th month!" Mr Menon added.

Budget session to commence on Feb 23, Union Budget on Feb 29

• The Budget Session of Parliament will commence on February 23 that will focus largely on the financial business of the government, which will present the General Budget on February 29.
• But there will be no curtailment of the session or the recess period on account of Assembly elections in five states due shortly. This was decided at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
• “The Budget Session of Parliament will commence on February 23. The Rail Budget will be presented on February 25, the pre-Budget Economic Survey on February 26 and the General Budget on February 29. “The first part of the Budget session will end on March 16 and the second part will be convened from April 25 to May 13,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu told presspersons after the meeting of the CCPA.
• He said there were suggestions for curtailing the recess period due to Assembly elections in five states but the government as well as political parties wanted a full session.
• “In 2011, the then government had decided not to refer bills to Standing Committees in the Budget Session when states were going to polls and there were demands to curtail the session. “But the government today decided that bills will be referred to standing committees for examination during the recess period,” Naidu said.

It’s billion users for WHATSAPP

• Mobile messaging app WhatsApp said it has crossed the one billion user milestone globally with the addition of 100 million users in last five months. “As of today, one billion people are using WhatsApp.
• That's nearly one in seven people on Earth who use WhatsApp each month to stay in touch with their loved ones, their friends and their family,” WhatsApp said in a blogpost.
• In February 2014, WhatsApp was acquired by social networking site Facebook, its biggest buyout till date, for a whopping $19 billion. In a post on Facebook, WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum said 42 billion messages were sent, 1.6 billion photos and 250 million videos shared everyday on the platform. 

Sarangi maestro Pandit Ram Narayan gets Bhimsen Joshi Award

• Sarangi maestro Pandit Ram Narayan has been chosen for the prestigious Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi classical music award for 2015-2016, Maharashtras Cultural Affairs Minister Vinod Tawde announced on Wednesday.
• The annual award, instituted by the Maharashtra government, is given to individuals who have excelled in classical vocal or instrumental music, the minister said.
• Pandit Ram Narayan, 88, has been playing the sarangi since his childhood, and over the years acquired global acclaim for his music for which he was conferred Indias second higest civilian honour, Padma Vibhushan, in 2005. Pandit Ram Narayan popularized the bowed instrument sarangi as a solo concert instrument in Hindustani classical music and became the first internationally successful sarangi player.
• In 1944, All India Radio, Lahore, hired him as an accompanist for vocalists. He became a concert solo artist in 1956. He recorded solo albums and began to tour America and Europe in the 1960s.

Read more