Monthly GK Digest: January 2017 - Banking & Financial Awareness, Exams of Industrial management

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Monthly GK Digest

January 2017

Dear readers, This Monthly GK Digest is a complete docket of important news and events that occurred in a month of January 2017. We have compiled important & expected questions, which can be asked in upcoming exams like Syndicate Bank , Indian bank, Banking interviews and all upcoming Banking & Insurance exams.

Banking & Financial Awareness

1. The government's online payments app has become the most popular Android app in the country_____ Bharat Interface for Mobile (BHIM). Note:  The app is topping the charts on Google's Play Store in India and downloaded in 3 million times.  Soon, the app will be available on iOS platform and Over 5 lakhs transactions took place since the launch of BHIM App.  Aadhaar-based payments are expected to be added to the app in the coming weeks. 2. The company has launched “Digital Unlocked” the training program for Indian small businesses ____ Google. Note:  The purpose of the program is to empower upcoming and existing Indian SMBs with essential digital skills which will help them to get online and use internet so as to grow their business. 3. Who has launched a chatbot service “HDFC OnChat” to allow users to make payments through Facebook Messenger____ HDFC Bank. Note:  The chatbot will allow users to recharge their phones, pay electricity, water, gas and landline and DTH bills and even a cab from Ola or Uber from the app itself.  The service is available to non-HDFC bank users as well. 4. As per 2016 HSBC Expat Explorer Survey India’s rank in offering highest salaries to expats____ 3rd. 5. Who has announced that it would launch a new one-pound coin at the end of March this year and scrap the current one pound coin by October___ British government. 6. Who has launched a month-long campaign to promote a group personal accident insurance scheme for savings bank account-holders____ Karnataka Bank. Note:  KBL Suraksha provides coverage against all types of accidental deaths.  All savings bank account holders of the bank in the age group of 18-70 years can subscribe to this scheme by paying an annual premium of Rs. 100 for Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 50 for Rs. 5 lakh coverage. 7. As per a directive of the Ministry of External Affairs, NRIs can deposit old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes till ____ 30th June 2017. 8. India’s first international stock exchange “India International Exchange” has been launched in the city____ Gandhinagar (Gujrat). Note:  The new international exchange will provide electronic trading platform for companies that are going multinational.  The new stock exchange will trade in all the products like the other exchanges in the world such as Singapore, Hong Kong, London, New York in currency, equities, commodities derivatives. 9. The 2017 World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting will be held in the country_____ Switzerland. Note:

Note:  The Indian passport has been ranked 78th with a visa-free score of 46 in a list of the world’s strongest passports.

22. As per updated “World Economic Outlook (WEO)” report of Ianternational Monetary Fund (IMF) India’s GDP growth forecast rate for FY 17____ 6.6%. Note:  Earlier, the IMF has expected India’s growth rate at 7.2% in 2017-18 and 7.7% in 2018-19.  India’s GDP growth forecast downgraded due to the temporary negative consumption shock induced by cash shortages and payment disruptions associated with the recent currency note withdrawal and exchange initiative. 23. Who has imposed Rs. 75 lakh penalty on Bombay Mercantile Cooperative Bank ___ Reserve Bank of India(RBI). Note:  Penalty imposed due to violations of norms related to KYC and anti-money laundering 24. The union government has clarified the banks are not authorized to accept deposits under the “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme” (PMGKDS)___ Co-operative Bank. Note:  The scheme was launched on 17th of Dec and will remain open for declarations up to 31st March this year.  The PMGKDS permits voluntary declarations of previously undisclosed income with an effective tax rate of 50% and requires assessees to deposit a further 25% of such wealth into a four-year interest-free deposit. 25. Indian Navy’s largest warship has become the first warship to be equipped with its own dedicated ATM ____ INS Vikramditya. Note:  The ATM will be provided by India’s largest public sector bank State Bank of India (SBI).  The services will be on the satellite link and will cater to over two thousand naval personnel deployed on the aircraft carrier. 26. Contactless card ‘Wave N Pay’ has been launched by the banks_____ Punjab National Bank (PNB). Note:  This contactless credit card has been launched on Visa Platinum platform and no need to enter any PIN for transactions up to Rs. 2,000. 27. The Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY) - 2017 will be implemented through the insurance company___ Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). 28. The Committee of Chief Ministers was formed to prepare the road map for rapid adoption of digital payment methods______ Chandrababu Naidu committee. Note:  The committee has recommended Rs 1,000 subsidy for purchase of smartphones by non-tax assesses and small merchants and abolishment of the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) to make digital payments cheaper than cash.  Levy Banking Cash Transaction Tax (BCTT) on transactions of Rs. 50,000 and above to curb use of cash for large transactions. 29. As per the Economic Survery, the agriculture sector is set to grow at this per cent during 2016-17 ____ 4.1%. 30. The Union Government expects the real Gross Domestic Products (GDP) to be in fiscal year 2018. 6.75% to ___ 7.5%. 31. The survey pegs GDP growth rate at constant market prices for the current year 2016-17 is placed at ____ 7.1%. 32. Future Generali India Insurance Company Ltd (FGIL) has announced an agency tie-up for its products with_____ Bank of Maharashtra. Note:  Now, customers of BOM's will be able to avail of motor, home, shopkeeper and rural insurance products at any of the 1,896 branches of the bank. 33. India’s rank in the 2016 Corruption Perception Index (CPI)_____ 79 th. Note:

 The list is topped by two nations “ Denmark and New Zealand ” and is followed by Finland, Sweden and Switzerland.

34. Who has become the India’s first cashless island ____ Karang (Manipur). Note:  Karang Island is located in the middle of Loktak Lake , the largest freshwater lake in the North-Eastern part of India.

Important Date

1. The World Braille Day (WBD) is observed on _____ 4th January. Note:  The Day create importance of braille for those who are blind and to commemorate the birth anniversary of Louis Braille.  The French educator who invented Braille script or Braille code in 1821. 2. The United Nations has designated the year 2017 as _____ The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. 3. The World Hindi Day (WHD) is observed every year on ____ 10th January. Note :  The day will promote Hindi across the world and to mark the anniversary of first World Hindi Conference (WHD)which was held in 1975. 4. National Youth Day is celebrated in India on ____ 12th January. Note:  The Union Government had declared to observe the birthday of Swami Vivekananda as a National Youth Day every year from 1985 onwards.  The theme of this year’s Festival is ‘Youth for Digital India’. 5. The National Girl Child Day is celebrated on ______ 24 th^ January. Note:  The day raise the awareness among people about all the inequalities faced by the girl child in the society.  The government, in 2008 declared 24th of January every year to be celebrated as the National Girl Child Day with the objective of raising the consciousness of the society towards the girl child so that she can be valued and respected. 6. The National Tourism Day is celebrated on the day in India_____ 25th January. Note:  The National Tourism Day is celebrated every year in India on January 25 to raise awareness of the importance of tourism for the country’s economy.

7. The Republic Day is celebrated on the day in India _____ 26 th^ January.

Note:  Republic Day honors the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950 replacing the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of India.

8. The 2017 National Immunization Day (NID) is celebrated on _____ 29 th^ January. Note:  The programme will cover around 17 crore children aged under five years in an effort to maintain the country’s polio-free status.

9. World Leprosy Eradication Day is celebrated on ___ 31 st^ January.

Note:

 World Leprosy Day is observed internationally on January 30 or its nearest Sunday to increase the

public awareness of the Leprosy or Hansen's Disease.

15. The Indian-origin Saudi-based entrepreneur who has been appointed as the Major General of Kyrgyzstan ____ Shaikh Rafik Mohammed. 16. Who has been appointed as the new Vice Chief of Army Staff ____ Lieutenant General Sarath Chand. 17. The former Prime Minister of Portugal who recently took over as the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations is _____ Antonio Guterres. 18. Who has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tata Consultancy Services(TCS)___ Rajesh Gopinathan. 19. Who has been appointed as the chief executive officer of Flipkart___ Kalyan Krishnamurthy. 20. Who has been sworn as the new President of Nicaragua___ Daniel Ortega. Note:  He has been sworn-in for a 3rd term as President of Nicaragua with his wife Rosario Murillo as the new Vice President. 21. Who has been appointed as the new chairman of Tata Sons _____ Natarajan Chandrasekaran. Note:  The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of TCS Chandrasekaran has been appointed as the new chairman of Tata Sons.  Tata Sons Limited is the holding company of the Tata Group and holds the bulk of shareholding in these companies.  It was established as a trading enterprise by Group founder Jamsetji Tata in 1868. 22. Who has been appointed as Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president____ Ashish Shelar Note:  He takes over from the former ICC president Sharad Pawar.  Earlier,he was elected as Vice President of Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) in 17th June, 2015. 23. Pakistan's former Chief of Army Staff has been appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Military Alliance is ____ Raheel Sharif. 24. The new interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prasar Bharti ______ Rajeev Singh. Note: He will become the new interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prasar Bharti after S C Panda retires on February 2017. 25. Who has been elected the new President of European Parliament______ Antonio Tajani. Note :  He defeated his centre-left compatriot Gianni Pittella by 351 votes to 282.  Mr. Tajani is a former spokesman for Italy's Silvio Berlusconi and an ex-European commissioner. 26. Who has been selected as the new chief of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)____ Alok Kumar. Note:  The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of India, which simultaneously serves as the nation's prime federal law enforcement agency.  3 - member committee headed by PM Narendra Modi has selected him. 27. Who has been sworn-in as the new President of Gambia ____ Adama Barrow. 28. Who has been appointed as the MD & CEO of Bharti AXA General _____ Sanjeev Srinivasan. Note:  Bharti AXA General is the joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and AXA.  Srinivasan joined Bharti AXA General Insurance in August 2016 as Chief Commercial and Principal Officer. 29. Who has become the new Prime Minister of Mauritius________ Pravind Jugnauth. Note:  He is the leader of the Mouvement Socialiste Militant (MSM), which is the largest party in the National Assembly since December 2014. 30. As per Boston consulting Group(BCG)-2016 analysis, the company has been named as the most innovative company of 2016 ___ Apple. Note:

 Google has been ranked second, followed by Tesla Motors, Microsoft, Amazon, Netflix, Samsung, Toyota, Facebook and IBM.

31. The new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC)____ Anshu Sinha. Note:  She will be appointed for a period of two year.  KVIC is a statutory body established by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act, 1995 under the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises. Presently, Arun Kumar Jha is the CEO of KVIC. 32. Who has been appointed the United Nations(UN) in India Goodwill Ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)___ Ashok Amritraj. Note:  Amritraj is the Chairman and CEO of the Hyde Park Entertainment Group. 33. Who has been appointed as the interim head of India Post Payments Bank ___ A P Singh. Note:  IPPB has launched in Ranchi and Raipur with the objective of being present in all corners of India by the end of the year.  The bank will offer an interest rate on deposits up to Rs. 25,000 (4.5%), Rs. 25,000-50,000 (5%) and Rs. 50,000- 1,00,000 (5.5%).  IPPB can accept deposits up to Rs.1 lakh per account from individuals. 34. The African Union has elected Chadi’s foreign minister as the new African Union (AU) commission chairman___ Moussa Faki Mahamat. Note:  He has replaced South Africa’s Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who was elected to the post in 2012. 35. Online cab Ola has appointed former PepsiCo executive as the new chief operating officer (COO)____ Vishal Kaul. Note:  He succeeds Ola's first employee Pranay Jivrajka.  Kaul has worked with PepsiCo for 18 years and holds a Bachelors in Engineering from Punjab Engineering College and an MBA from Symbiosis Centre for Management & HRD. 36. The Senate of USA has confirmed South Carolina Governor as the next Ambassador to the United Nations___ Nikki Haley. Note:  Haley was approved by the Senate on a 96-4 vote.  She will replace Samantha Power at the UN,

37. The Meghalaya Governor has resigned after a controversy was triggered by reports in local media accused

him of sexual misconduct___ V Shanmuganathan.

38. Who has sworn in as new Lokayukta of Karnataka ____ Justice Vishwanath Shetty. Note:  He succeeds N Bhaskar Rao who resigned the post in 2015 following his alleged involvement in his son's corruption case that involved using the Lokayukta office and residence for extortion. 39. Who has been appointed as the new vice-chancellor of Nalanda University____ Dr. Vijay Bhatka. Note:  He will succeed former foreign Minister of Singapore George Yeo, who resigned.  Dr. Bhatkar is the architect of India’s first supercomputer the Param series.

Important News – India

1. The 104th Indian Science Congress (ISC) has started in the state ____ Andhra Pradesh. Note:  The focal theme of 5-day annual ISC is “Science and Technology for National Development”. 2. India’s first laser technology-based advanced Automatic Vechime Monitoring System (AVMS) RTO check post has set up at_____ Gujarat.

 The SLNP is the world’s largest street light replacement programme, implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).  Presently, the SLNP programme is running in more than 14 states.  This programme save energy of over 20 crore kWh, avoiding capacity of nearly 51 MW and reducing around 1. lakh tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per annum.

18. Who has inaugurated the 8th Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit 2017 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar ____ Narendra Modi. Note:  The purpose of the summit is to provide a platform to debate global economic and social issues on the lines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. 19. India’s second Kalvari-class Scorpene stealth submarine “INS Khanderi” has been launched in___ Mumbai, Maharashtra. Note:  Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century.  The submarine is expected to be delivered to Indian Navy by the year end. 20. India’s first-ever solar powered boat “Aditya” has been launched in the state____ Kerala. Note:  The 'Aditya' is the 75-seater boat fitted with 78 rooftop solar panels.  It will ferry along a 2.5 kilometre route between Vaikom and Thavanakkadavu 22 times a day. 21. ‘SEZ India’ mobile app has been launched by the union ministry for special economic zones____ Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Note:  The app would help the SEZ units and developers to find information easily and track their transactions on SEZ Online System. 22. The Chinese Mobile handset brand 'Gionee' has signed as the brand ambassador___ Virat Kohli. Note:  He will be joining Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt. 23. The union railway minister Suresh Prabhu has released an Android-based mobile application named app to promote ease of ticketing through digital transactions_____" IRCTC Rail Connect app ". Note:  Rail Connect has been developed to bring the power of next generation e-ticketing system like high performance and enhanced security.  The IRCTC Rail Connect will also be inter-connected with IRCTC AIR, Food on Track mobile apps to facilitate the booking of air tickets and food through e-catering. 24. India successfully test-fired the Guided Pinaka rocket from Integrated Test Range launch pad at ____ Chandipur (Odisha). 25. The committee has submitted report on Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) to the Union Government___ Sumit Bose committee. Note:  The committee was constituted to study the objective criteria for allocation of resources to States and identification and prioritization of beneficiaries under various programmes using SECC data. 26. The union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has inaugurated the three-day International Conference and Exhibition on Re-enforced Plastics (ICERP) at _____ Bombay Exhibition center. 27. The Tamil Nadu tourism department has launched a mobile app ______ Pinakin. Note:  User can listen to interesting stories, facts and trivia about the sites in two languages Tamil and English.

 It also provides other information such as ticket prices, parking details and dress code.

28. The 58th edition of India International Garment Fair (IIGF) was held in _____ New Delhi. Note :  The fair was organized by Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) India.  Around 312 participants from 14 states of India has participated in the Fair. 29. The Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma has announced to host the mega-cultural event "Bharat Parv" from 26th January at ____ Red Fort. Note:  Bharat Parv will be organized from 26th to 31st January at Red Fort.  Festival aim to generate patriotic mood and promote the rich cultural diversity of the country, include food festival, crafts mela and cultural performances from different regions of the country. 30. The committee has recommended quota for girl students in IITs____ Timothy Gonsalves committee. Note:  The number of seats for male candidates will not be affected and this will help IITs achieve the one lakh target by 2020. 31. Mobile app has been launched by the union ministry for special economic zones ___ SEZ India. Note:  It will provide detailed information related to special economic zones.  The app would help the SEZ units and developers to find information easily and track their transactions on SEZ Online System. 32. The 2nd edition of Ministry of External Affairs’ annual conference “Raisina Dialogue” was held at ____ Taj Palace (New Delhi). Note:  The theme “The New Normal: Multilateralism in a multipolar world”. 33. “Mission 41K” has been launched by the union ministry to save energy___ Ministry of Railways. 34. The portal has been launched by the Union Government for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)____ Shagun portal. Note:  The purpose of the portal is to capture and showcase innovations and progress in Elementary Education sector of India by continuous monitoring of the scheme. 35. Who has become the most dynamic city out of 137 cities as per the 4th annual edition of JLL City Momentum Index (CMI) 2017___ Bengaluru. Note:  The rankings are based on parameters such as population, technology and R&D, connectivity, output and corporate activity, education, and real estate investment.  There are six Indian cities Bangaluru-1, Hyderabad-5th, Pune-13th, Chennai-17th, Delhi-23rd and Mumbai-25th in the list of 30. 36. The Chief Guest for the 2017 Republic Day of India_____ Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 37. Indian personality has become judge in the 2017 Miss Universe pageant_______ Sushmita Sen. 38. The first flight is likely to take off next month under the government's ambitious regional connectivity scheme _____ UDAN (Ude Desh Ke Aam Naagrik). Note:  Under the scheme, the fare for a one hour journey of approximately 500 km on a fixed wing aircraft or for the 30- minute journey on a helicopter will be capped at Rs. 2500. 39. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated a month-long awareness drive on fuel conservation in New Delhi___ "Saksham 2017". Note:  The drive aimed to create awareness amongst masses towards judicious utilization and conservation of petroleum products along with the use of energy efficient appliances.

50. The govt. will invest how many crore rupees in North East in telecom infrastructure in the next two years____5,500 crore rupees 51. The state government has organized Farmer’s Martyrs day to pay homage to the martyrs of 1894 farmers’ rising in the state___ Assam. 52. To celebrate India's 68th Republic Day, the world's tallest building has lit up in the color of the Indian____ Burj Khalifa tower (Dubai). 53. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully ground tested the Cryogenic Upper Stage engine meant for the rocket____ GSLV-Mark-III.

States News

1. The Bargarh Dhanua Jatra festival has started in the state____ Odisha. Note:  The 11-day gala event will set the stage for all mythological places related to Lord Krishna based in the ancient city itself.  It is considered to be the world’s largest open-air theatrical festival. 2. The state governments have signed MoU to prepare State Resident Data Base (SRDB)____ Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. 3. A new health scheme 'NTR Arogya Raksha' has been launched by the state government____ Andhra Pradesh. Note:  It will offer medical insurance to those who were not covered under any of the existing health schemes of the state government.  The health scheme will provide the medical treatment to the people below Above Poverty Line (APL) at Rs. premium per annum.  Rs.2 lakh worth medical treatment would be provided free of cost in any 432 corporate hospitals in the state. 4. Who has inaugurated 10-day Island Tourism Festival 2017 at Port Blair in Andaman & Nicobar Islands ___Lt. Governor Jagdish Mukhi. 5. The city who hosted the International Conference on Yoga for Diabetes ___ New Delhi. 6. “Good Samaritan Policy” has been launched by the state / union territory __ _Delhi government. Note:  Rs 2,000 and appreciation certificate will be given to people who help road accident victims in the national capital.  The scheme is intended to encourage people to take accident victims in emergency situation to hospitals so that someone’s life could be saved. 7. The Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi has declared 'null and void' Chief Minister V Narayanasamy's order banning use of social media for the ______ official communication. 8. India’s largest public WiFi service has been launched by the state government_____ Maharashtra. Note:  The facility will provide 500 Wifi hotspots across various locations like Kalanagar in Bandra, Vidhan Bhawan, Bombay High Court and Mumbai Police Commissioner’s office. 9. The three-day International Kite Festival (fourth) has begun in _____ New Delhi. Note:  Professional kite flying experts from across India like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jaipur, Chennai, Kerala, Punjab, Delhi and the globe are taking part in the festival.  A special kite making demonstration has been also organized where professional kite flyers will showcase their expertise and demonstrate the art of kite making. 10. The 21st edition of National Youth Festival was held in ___ Rohtak (Haryana). Note:  The festival has organized every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.  The 2017 theme of festival is “Youth for Digital India”. 11. The world’s first "Gender literature festival" will be held in the state of India___ Bihar.

Note:  It will held in the second week of Aprit 2017.  The purpose of this initiative is to create a platform, to exchange ideas, and to share and learn experiences of renowned people in the field of gender-based or focused literature.

12. The first-ever Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) International Dance festival has been held in the ___ Hyderabad. Note:  Nearly 100 performers from 9 countries show cased their traditional and contemporary dance nuances.  Countries including Maldives, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Philippines, Fiji, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Malaysia and India took part in the festival. 13. The Insurance company that tied up with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for capital support to enterprises_____ Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). 14. Digital Dakiya scheme has been launched by the state government to encourage cashless transactions____ Madhya Pradesh. Note:  In this scheme, Digital Postman will visit different places of state to teach and encourage people about cashless transactions and its benefits. 15. The 2017 Dantan Gramin Mela has started in the states___ West Bengal. Note:  28th edition of Dantan Gramin mela has displayed the rural handicraft skills of the people of the region.  The different goods ranging from textile to terracotta will be on display 16. India’s first state to launch ‘Aanandam programme’ to help the needy persons____ Madhya Pradesh. Note:  The places have been fixed in each district where the economically sound citizens can donate items for the needy persons under the programme. 17. Who has declared second capital of Himachal Pradesh ___ Dharamsala. Note:  Dharamsala was already marked prominently not only in the map of India but of the world due to its significance owing to many reasons, including the Dalai Lama's abode. 18. The state government has decided to allow the sale of white kerosene in open market___ Karnataka. 19. The government has approved the installation of solar energy devices at a cost of Rs 44 crore in all 25,962 Anganwadi centers in the State___ _Haryana. Note:  LED lights and fans in these centers would be run with solar power.  This scheme would reduce electricity bills of 'Anganwadi centers' by Rs. 12 crore annually. 20. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated a month-long awareness drive on fuel conservation in New Delhi___ Saksham 2017. Note:  The drive aimed to create awareness amongst masses towards judicious utilization and conservation of petroleum products along with the use of energy efficient appliances.  Saksham is aimed to educate on various steps for fuel conservation through activities like Quiz Show, Saksham Asian Cycling Championship, Walkathons, concerts and other activities across the country. 21. The Bihar state government has launched a campaign to make state addiction-free ____ Nasha Mukt campaign. Note:  Formation of over 11,000 km long human chain across the state.  The human chain covered all panchayats of the state and over two crore people participated in this human chain. 22. The 10th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF)-2017 was held in the state_____ Rajasthan. Note:

9. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed pact with the country’s space agency on satellite launch technology ____ France. Note:  The space programmes of both countries are complementary in terms of comparable size and sharing similar objectives.  ISRO is the second partner of CNES, in terms of volume, after NASA. 10. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has recently released its 12th edition of the ____ Global Risks Report 2017. Note:  This year’s report will provide an outlook on the threats facing the world in 2017. 11. Who has become the world’s first country to shut-down the Frequency Modulation (FM) radio broadcasting network and started its’ switching to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) ____ Norway. 12. India and Sri Lanka has signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) to construct rain water harvesting sustem at a cost of 30 crore Sri lankan Rupees in northern Jaffana District____ 3000. Note:  3000 rain water harvesting systems at a cost of 30 crore Sri Lankan Rupees in northern Jaffna District. 13. The International conference for peace talks between Israel and Palestinians will be held in the city___ Paris (France). Note:  Around 70 nations delegates are expected to re-affirm support for a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict. 14. Who has become the first country in the world to officially recognize parkour as a sport___ The United Kingdom. 15. The country has conferred national order of knighthood honour on former Union Minister of State for External Affairs Eduardo Faleiro ___ Portugal. 16. The Country who has test-fired the first submarine-launched Cruise Missile Babur-3 ____ Pakistan. 17. The International conference for peace talks between Israel and Palestinians will be held ____ Paris, France. Note:  Around 70 nations delegates are expected to re-affirm support for a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict 18. The first-ever Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) International Dance festival was held in the city ____ Hyderabad. Note:  Around 100 performers from 9 countries show cased their traditional and contemporary dance nuances. 19. The country who has become an associate member of European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)___ India. Note:  Now, India will enhance participation of young Indian scientists and engineers in various CERN projects and bring back knowledge for deployment in the domestic programmes.  The CERN operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world and the headquarters is located at Geneva, Switzerland. 20. The India Innovation Index (III) will be developed by the international organization to measure innovation performance of Indian states ____ World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Note:  The index will be based on key pillars of innovation and sub-indices that together will assist in tailoring policies that promote inclusive growth. 21. The world’s biggest cricket stadium will come up at _______ Motera area (Ahmedabad). Note:  The stadium will be constructed at a cost of Rs 700 crore, spread across a 63 acre land and seating capacity of 1. lakh people.  Designed by architect firm M/s. Populous and the construction has been given to Larsen and Turbo (L&T).

22. The International Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic plants of India was held in the city ____ New Delhi. Note:  The 2-day International Symposium on Medicinal and Aromatic plants of India was held in New Delhi.

Books & Authors

1. The book “Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life” has been authored by ______ William Finnegan. Note:  The novel is an old-school adventure story, an intellectual autobiography, a social history, a literary road movie and an extraordinary exploration of the gradual mastering of an exacting, little-understood art. 2. The book “You Got Magic” has been authored by ______ Neel Madhav. Note:  The author brought to you wacky and extraordinary tricks with which you can amaze your friends and family. 3. The book ‘The Future of India’ has been authored by _____ Bimal Jalan. Note:  The author argues that it is the interface between politics, economics and governance, and their combined effect on the functioning of Indian democracy, which will largely determine India’s future. 4. The book ‘The Island of Lost Girls’ has been authored by ____ Manjula Padmanabhan. Note:  This is the story of Meiji – the only girl who has remained untouched and un-mutilated in a country that has savaged its entire female population. 5. The book 'Scattered Souls' has been authored by _____ Shahnaj Bashir. Note:  It is a powerful collection of stories focuses on life loss and death in the Kashmir Valley. 6. The book “Just Another Jihadi Jane” has been authored by ____ Tabish Khair. Note:  The novel is about friendship, faith and alienation that tell the tale of Islamist radicalization from the inside. 7. The book “Death Under The Deodars: The Adventures of Miss Ripley-Bean” has been authored by ___ Ruskin Bond. Note:  The book “Death Under The Deodars: The Adventures of Miss Ripley-Bean” has been authored by Ruskin Bond published by Penguin India. 8. The book “The Untold Vajpayee: Politician and Paradox” has been authored by _____ Ullekh NP. Note:  It is in news because of making controversial statements about Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani. 9. The author of the book The People's President: Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is _____ SM Khan. 10. The book “Bose: The Indian Samurai – Netaji and the INA Military Assessment” has been authored by____ G D Bakshi. Note:  The author claimed that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose did not die in a plane crash. 11. The book “Magpie Murders” has been authored by ____ Anthony Horowitz. Note:  The book is a cunning re-invention of the thriller formula by the author. 12. The book “My Odyssey: Memoirs of the Man behind the Mangalyaan Mission” has been authored by _____ Dr. K Radhakrishnan. 13. The book “The Untold Story of Talking Books” has been authored by _____ Matthew Rubery. Note:  The book focuses on the social impact of audio- books. 14. The author of the book titled ‘Jinnah Often Came to Our House’ has been awarded with The Hindu Prize 2016 is ______ Kiran Doshi. 15. The book “An Unsuitable Boy” is the autobiography of which Indian personality____ Karan Johar

9. Indian cricketer has been inducted into Legends Club ‘Hall of Fame’ ___ Kapil Dev. Note:  He has been inducted into Legends Club "Hall of Fame" in presence of former India captains Ajit Wadekar , Sunil Gavaskar and Nari Contractor at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai.  He was also India's national cricket coach for 10 months between October 1999 and August 2000.  The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame recognizes the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket's long and illustrious history. 10. Indian village has been conferred the UNWTO Award for Innovation in the category of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO)____ Govardhan Ecovillage. Note:  This is for the first-time India has won such recognition from the UN in the NGO sector.  The award was presented to HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj, the founder of GEV, at the annual UNWTO ceremony in Madrid, Spain. 11. Who has won the prestigious award ‘The Hindu Prize 2016’ _____ Kiran Doshi. Note:  The novel is set against the political turmoil of the subcontinent from the early part of the 20th century, ending with the Partition and Independence.  The award carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs.5 lakh. 12. Who has won the 2016 Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the transportation sector under the Aviation category____ Delhi International Airport Limited. Note:  The Delhi Airport has also been adjudged the world’s number one airport in ACI ASQ survey in 25- 40 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) category for two consecutive last years.  The Golden Peacock Awards instituted by the Institute of Directors (IOD), India in 1991. 13. Who has been bestowed with the Venezuela’s first-ever Hugo Chavez Prize for Peace and Sovereignty for his fight for peace___ Vladimir Putin. Note:  The prize was created by the president of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro in honour of the late socialist leader Hugo Chavez. 14. Who has been bestowed with the highest peace time gallantry decoration ‘Ashok Chakra’ ____ Hangpan Dada. Note:  He was killed at Naugam sector in Jammu and Kashmir in May 2016 while fighting terrorists.  The award was received by his wife Chasen Lowang Dada. 15. Who has released a special stamp cover featuring Olympic medalists PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik, and Dipa Karmakar ____ The Indian postal department. 16. Who has received NTPC award 2015-16 from the Union Power Minister, Shri Piyush Gayal.___ Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) Note:  DVC Chairman Andrew W.K. Langestieh has received the prize amongst the power sectors for implementation of the official language.  The Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) is a government organization which operates several power stations in the Damodar River area of West Bengal and Jharkhand states of India. 17. President Pranab Mukherjee has announced how many names of recipients of the year 2017 Padma awards, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri_____ 89 persons. Note:  Padma Vibhushan (7), Padma Bhushan (7) and Padma Shri (75). 18. A scientist at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) has been selected for the National Geoscience Award - 2016___ Keshav Krishna.

19. Noted Indian eye doctor has been selected to the 2017 Ophthalmology Hall of Fame instituted by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery___ Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao. Note:  He will be honored at the ceremony in Los Angeles at the annual meeting of the ASCRS on 6th May 2017.  The L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) was established in 1987 at Hyderabad as a not-for-profit, non-government eye care institution. 20. Who has won the 2016 TS Eliot Prize for poetry ____ Jacob Polley. Note:  The award ceremony was organized at the Wallace Collection Gallery in London(UK).  Jackself is a sequence of narrative poems partly inspired by his childhood in Cumbria, England.  The coveted award was founded by T.S. Eliot's widow Valerie in 1993 and is now run by the TS Eliot Foundation.

Obituaries

1. Tyrus Wong, who passed away was the legendary Disney artist of the country___ United States. Note:  He was best known for his sketches for the Walt Disney animated feature 'Bambi'. 2. Imtiaz Ahmed, who passed away was the former cricketer of _____ Pakistan. Note:  He featured in Pakistan's first Test played in Delhi against India in October 1952 and went on to play 41 matches as a wicket keeper-batsman. 3. John Berger, who passed away was the renowned author of the country ____ United Kingdom. Note:  His best-known work was Ways of Seeing, a criticism of western cultural aesthetics.  He also won the Booker Prize for his novel G and donated half the prize money to the radical African-American movement. 4. Karnataka Minister has passed away while he was in Chikkamagaluru to attend the silver jubilee celebrations of the Transport Cooperative Society at Koppa _______ H S Mahadeva Prasad. 5. Veteran actor who passed away recently was belonged to the state___ Ambala (Haryana). Note:  The noted actor was known for his versatility from Bollywood to Hollywood and from independent to art films.  He earned international fame in many British films, such as “My Son the Fanatic”, “East Is East”, “The Parole Officer” and others. 6. Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan, who passed away was the famous musician of musical instrument____ Sitar. Note:  He was regarded as one of the ‘Sitar Trinity’ of India along with Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Vilayat Khan. 7. Former President of Iran has passed away in Tehran, Iran____ Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Note:  He served as president from 1989 to 1997 but lost to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad when he ran again in 2005.  He was a part of the religious establishment and regarded as "pragmatic conservative" open to improving ties to West. 8. The former President and prime-minister of Portugal has passed away in Lisbon, Portugal___ Mario Soares. Note:  He played a central role in the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Portugal and India in 1974. 9. The renowned sociologist of Poland has passed away at Leeds, England____ Zygmunt Bauman. Note:  He was one of the world’s most prominent and prolific European sociologists writing on issues as diverse as modernity and the Holocaust, postmodern consumerism and liquid modernity. 10. English singer-songwriter has passed away in Sussex, England____ Peter Sarstedt.