Tuesday 20 October 2015

Daily Dose of GK : 20th October, 2015

Daily Dose of GK : 20th October, 2015


1 PM Narendra Modi, President Pranab Mukherjee to launch one stop research funding mechanism 'IMPRINT':

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee will next month launch a single window funding clearance mechanism backed with a Rs 1,000-crore kitty to get Indian technical institutions to conduct original research in areas where the country is heavily dependent on foreign technology.
The move to set up a one stop funding system has been made after a number of scientists and researchers conveyed how the current bureaucratic systems were coming in the way and delaying projects as well as discouraging institutes from taking them up. 

2.Urvashi Rautela crowned Miss Diva 2015
Model-actress Urvashi Rautela on 18 October 2015 was crowned as Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva 2015 at a star-studded event in Mumbai. With this, she became India’s representative for the Miss Universe pageant.
 A part of Femina Miss India pageant, Miss Diva competition chooses India's representatives for Miss Universe and other pageants after Miss Universe Organization awarded back the franchise to Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.

3.Konkan Railway to set up a tunnel technology institute at Margao in Goa
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu announced on 19 October 2015 that Konkan Railway will establish a tunnel technology institute at Goa's Margao town. The institute will enable training for the technology, which is still not available in India.
The institute, which is first of its kind in the nation, will be established in the honour of former Railway Minister George Fernandes, who is said to be the driving force behind the Konkan Railway. The institute will be called as George Fernandes Institute of Tunnel Technology.

4.Narendra Modi inaugurates IDFC Bank

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the IDFC Bank in New Delhi. IDFC Bank Limited, which started its operations on 1 October 2015, is an Indian Banking company with headquarters in Mumbai that forms a part of IDFC, an integrated infrastructure finance company.
IDFC Bank was granted a universal banking license in July 2015 by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

5.Aditya Birla Group launches fashion portal abof.com
Announcing the launch of abof.com, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group said, "The e-commerce sector is a sunrise sector from an investment point of view".
The new venture will compete with the likes of Flipkart-owned Myntra and Rocket Internet-backed Jabong, besides horizontal e-commerce players such as Amazon and Snapdeal.
Birla sees abof.com remaining an independent company at least in the foreseeable future. But, going ahead, Birla stated abof.com can be open to roping in an investor.


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Word list- 31 : News paper terminologies (Words compiled from “THE HINDU”)


Word list- 30 : News paper terminologies (Words compiled from “THE HINDU”)


Monday 19 October 2015

Daily Dose of GK : 19th October, 2015

Daily Dose of GK : 19th October, 2015


1.Post-doctoral fellowship in name of APJ Abdul Kalam
The ministry of environment, forest and climate change has announced the launching of post-doctoral research fellowships in the name of APJ Abdul Kalam on his 85th birthday.

The post-doctoral fellowship programme of the ministry is targeted towards young scientists working in the area of environment and ecology in the country, said the press release issued by ministry of environment and forest. The target group of this programme are young scientists who have completed their PhD, or are about to complete their PhD, in areas related to environment and ecology and possess a good, academic record. 

2.Housing.com appointed Mani Rangarajan as CFO:
Realty giant Housing.com on 18 October 2015 appointed Mani Rangarajan as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO). 
Housing.com is a Mumbai-based real estate search portal, which was founded by a group of 12 students from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in June 2012. The website allows the users to search for housing based on location, number of rooms, budgets and various other filters.

3.Novak Djokovic won 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters tennis title:

World Number 1 ranking Novak Djokovic on 18 October 2015 won the 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters tennis title in the men’s singles category. To clinch the title, the top seeded Serbian player defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2 6-4 in the final match held in Shanghai, China.
In early 2015, Djokovic joined Roger Federer and Rod Laver as the only men in the Open era to reach all four major finals. 

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Sunday 18 October 2015

Daily Dose of GK : 18th October, 2015

Daily Dose of GK : 18th October, 2015


1.Swadhar Greh scheme approved by Haryana Government for women in distress

 The Haryana Government on 18 October 2015 approved Swadhar Greh scheme, which will assure economic and social security to women in distress. 
The scheme will work upon providing basic amenities, such as shelter, food, clothing and health along with economic and social security to women in distress.  Also, the scheme will make sure that the special needs of these women are taken care of.

2.Indian short film An Old Dog’s Diary wins award at 2015 London Film Festival :

An Indian short film, An Old Dog’s Diary has won prestigious Best Short Film Award at the 2015 London Film Festival (LFF). The award was bestowed by the British Film Institute (BIF) at 59th edition of LFF.
The 11-minute film has been directed by Shai Heredia and Shumona Goel. It story of film reveals the cultural conditions of Indian avant-garde painter Francis Newton Souza’s work and its institutionalisation by assembling the puzzle-piece evocations of his portrait. 

3.Telecom operators to compensate consumers by Rs 1 for call drop: TRAI

Telecom Regulatory Authority of Indian (TRAI) has made it mandatory for telecom operators to compensate consumers by Rs.1 for call drops with effect from 1 January 2016.
As per new TRAI rules The compensation will be limited to three dropped calls in a particular day. It is mandatory for telecom operators to send a message to the calling customer within 4 hours of the occurrence of call drop along with details of amount credited in his account. In case of post-paid customers, the compensation details of the credit should be provided in the next bill.

4.Smita Patil: A Brief Incandescence by Maithili Rao launched:

The book titled Smita Patil: A Brief Incandescence authored by Maithili Rao was launched on 18 October 2015. The book, which was launched on Smita Patil’s 60th birth anniversary, acquaints the readers with a remarkable journey of the short-lived actress.It traces the journey of the actress from her childhood to stardom. The book shows glimpses of Patil’s controversial marriage and untimely tragic death.

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Saturday 17 October 2015

Daily Dose of GK : 17th October, 2015

Daily Dose of GK : 17th October, 2015


1.Nepal Elects First Woman as Parliament Speaker:
Nepalese  Parliament unanimously elected UCPN-Maoist lawmaker Onsari Gharti Magar as the Speaker of the House.
Nepal's Constituent Assembly was converted into the legislative Parliament after the promulgation of the Constitution on September 20 following which K P Sharma Oli was elected as the new prime minister defeating incumbent Sushil Koirala in a contest which became necessary after parties failed to forge a consensus amid violent protests over the country's new Constitution.

2.Bank of Baroda has conferred poet, lyricist and advertising guru Prasoon Joshi with Maharaja Sayajirao Bhasha Samman.
The bank said in a statement that the award, in memory of Bank of Baroda’s founder Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad-III, was given to Joshi for his outstanding contribution in promoting Hindi.

3.AMFI, the industry body for mutual funds, on Friday elected Leo Puri of UTI AMC as its new Chairman.
The Association for Mutual Funds in India (AMFI)  retained A Balasubramanian as Vice-Chairman. 
The mutual fund body also decided to improve the representation of smaller fund houses in the decision-making process. The 13 lakh crore mutual fund industry is comprised of 44 fund houses,

4.M.K. Surana will be the new chairman and managing director of Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd
Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd (HPCL) is  India’s third largest oil marketing company. The Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) selected Surana for the top job at HPCL after interviewing a dozen candidates. Surana, 53, is currently the chief executive officer of Prize Petroleum Co. Ltd, the upstream oil exploration arm of HPCL.

5.Mumbai metro users can recharge their smart-cards on Paytm
Paytm, a leading mobile commerce platform, has tied up with the Mumbai metro to offer online ticketing and recharges on the ‘Paytm platform’. With this initiative, Paytm has further widened its bouquet of offerings to consumers and added another use case for the Paytm wallet.



Daily Dose of GK : 16th October, 2015

Daily Dose of GK : 16th October, 2015



1. Supreme Court allowed use of Aadhar Card for all Central and State Welfare schemes on voluntary basis
The Supreme Court on 15 October 2015 allowed the use of Aadhaar cards for all central and state schemes, including Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and employee provident fund and pension schemes, on voluntary basis.
The government cannot force citizens to enrol for the card. The government cannot make it a criterion for benefits under various schemes. Also, the absence of an Aadhaar card will not disallow people from benefiting from these schemes.
2. RBI formed Financial Inclusion Fund with 2000 crore rupees corpus
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 15 October 2015 formed a single Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) with a corpus of 2000 crore rupees. The fund was formed by merging the Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) and Financial Inclusion Technology Fund (FITF). The new FIF will be administered by the reconstituted Advisory Board constituted by Union Government and will be maintained by NABARD.
3. Rameswaram, birthplace of Dr. Abdul Kalam, included as 498th town under AMRUT
Union Minister of Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu on 15 October 2015 declared that former President Dr. Abdul Kalam’s birth place Rameswaram has been included in Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for providing basic urban infrastructure.
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) was approved by the Union Cabinet on 29 April 2015. The mission aims at providing basic infrastructure facilities in 500 cities with an outlay of 50000 crore rupees over the next five years (2015-16 to 2019-20).
4. Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) set up with 200 crore rupees by Union Government
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on 14 October 2015 introduced a scheme called Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) with an initial amount of 200 crore rupees. The scheme aims at enabling support to victims of various attacks, such as rape, acid attacks, human trafficking and women killed or injured in the cross border firing. It will also support and supplement the existing Victim Compensation Schemes (VCS) notified by states/UT administrations.

5. Govt flags off Science Express special train on climate change
The government flagged off the ‘Science Express Climate Action Special’ train from Delhi, as part of its initiative to sensitize the masses, especially children and the youth, about the issue of climate change, in the run-up to the global climate summit in Paris slated for December.
The Science Express—a joint initiative of the ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC), the ministry of railways and the ministry of science and technology—has had an eight-year run. Last year, its theme was biodiversity. The Climate Action Special was flagged off by union minister for science and technology Harsh Vardhan along with railway minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu and environment minister Prakash Javadekar.

Daily Dose of GK : 15th October, 2015


Daily Dose of GK : 15th October, 2015

1. Kailash Satyarthi selected for 2015 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Award:
Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi has been selected for the prestigious 2015 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Award. (This award recognise the works and deeds individuals who have improved the quality of lives and inspired people to greater heights). He has been awarded this award in recognition for championing the cause of child reform and ending all forms of violence against children. Kailash Satyarthi had won Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 and shared it with Malala Yousafzai. He was at the forefront of driving few agendas Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were announced at United Nations SDG Summit in September 2015.

2. Tata Housing tied-up with Facebook to sell its affordable homes online:

Real estate developer Tata Housing on 14 October 2015 tied-up with social networking firm Facebook to sell its affordable homes online. For this purpose, Tata Housing launched the new campaign titled ‘Social sell on    Face book. Through this new campaign Social sell, the company plans to sell around 250 units of its new five-acre residential project in Goa called Goa Paradise.
Earlier, Tata Housing tied up with real estate portal Housing.com and online marketplace Snapdeal to sell its housing units across the country


3. Portugal became the first European country to sign the MoU on establishment of Nalanda University

Portugal on 9 October 2015 became the first European country to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of Nalanda University.
Nalanda University is a non-state, non-profit, secular and self-governing international institution mandated to be engaged in the pursuit of intellectual, philosophical, historical and spiritual studies. It was established through Nalanda University Act, 2010 and formally inaugurated on 19 September 2014.


4. Uttar Pradesh Government launched mobile app ‘mSehat’ for health workers

Uttar Pradesh government on 13 October 2015 launched the mobile app ‘mSehat’  for health workers to record maternal and infant data in real-time.
The application is aimed at improving the infant mortality rate outcomes. mSehat is a cloud-hosted solution to facilitate remote access and enrolment from across the region through 2G-enabled mobile devices. The recorded data will be stored in the cloud, which will act as the central repository.

5. Pranab Mukherjee becomes 1st Indian President to address Israeli Parliament Knesset
Pranab Mukherjee became first Indian President to address Israeli Parliament Knesset. He is also is first Indian President to make a state visit Israel.

Both countries also signed agreements on double taxation avoidance, cultural exchange and academic fields.

Wednesday 14 October 2015

Daily Dose of GK : 14th October, 2015

Daily Dose of GK : 14th October, 2015

1.Jamaican writer Marlon James won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for Fiction:

Jamaican writer Marlon James on 13 October 2015 won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for his novel 'A Brief History of Seven Killings'. With this, James became the first Jamaican author to win the prize in its 47-years of history.
First awarded in 1969, the Man Booker Prize is recognized as the leading award for high quality literary fiction written in English. The award promotes the finest in fiction by rewarding the very best book of the year. 


2.China operationalises Zam Hydropower Station on Brahmaputra in Tibet:

China has operationalised the 'Zam Hydropower Station' built on Brahmaputra River(Brahmaputra River which is known as Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet)  which has raised concerns in India over the likelihood of disrupting water supplies of River.
The dam is considered to be the world’s highest-altitude hydro-power station and largest of its kind. Annually it will produce produces 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. The power station is located in the Gyaca County of Tibet and is considered as the largest in this region.

3.Delhi government launched Bill Banvao, Inaam Pao scheme: 

The Delhi Government on 13 October 2015 launched 'Bill Banvao, Inaam Pao' scheme to encourage people to receive or demand proper bills for purchases.
The bill must include the registration number (TIN) of the dealer, full name of each item purchased, rate of tax charged against each and total sale value (excluding VAT). The winner will be selected through a computerized draw of lots using the unique IDs generated against each bill received by the department.


4.Arun Jaitley chosen 'Finance Minister of the Year, Asia' by Emerging Markets
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was chosen as 'Finance Minister of the Year, Asia' by London-based publication Emerging Markets in October 2015 for his decisions and stewardship of India’s financial direction leading  India for  relative economic success.

Apart from this, Atiur Rahman, the Governor of Bangladesh Bank was named as the Central Bank Governor of the Year, Asia 2015.

In 2014, the magazine had named governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Raghuram Rajan for Central Bank Governor of the Year award for Asia.
In 2010, it also chose Pranab Mukherjee as 'Finance Minister of the Year, Asia'.

5.Green Indian Mission plans approved for 4 states

Union Environment Ministry has approved annual plans of National Mission for Green India (GIM) of four states viz. Kerala, Mizoram, Manipur and Jharkhand. In this regard, National Executive Council (NEC) has approved the Perspective Plans (PP) and Annual Plan of Operations (APOs) of GIM submitted by 4 states.


The approval has been granted for alternative energy devices such as bio-gas, LPG, solar devices, biomass-based systems and improved stoves. These devices in turn will help to reduce pressure on forests and provide carbon emission benefits, along with health and other associated benefits.
GIM is one of the 8key Missions outlined under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). 

Word list- 28 : News paper terminologies (Words compiled from “THE HINDU”)


Tuesday 13 October 2015

Word list- 27 : News paper terminologies (Words compiled from “THE HINDU”)


Word list- 26 : News paper terminologies (Words compiled from “THE HINDU”)


Daily Dose of GK : 13 th October, 2015

Daily Dose of  GK : 13 th October, 2015

1. P S Jayakumar takes over as MD and CEO of Bank of Baroda.
P S Jayakumar, has taken over as the chief of Bank of Baroda at a time when the bank is under the investigation glare for an alleged fraud and black money transactions worth over Rs 6,000 crore. Last week, it was alleged that a whopping Rs 6,172 crore was remitted from Bank of Baroda to Hong Kong camouflaged as payments for non-existent imports like cashew, pulses and rice. The amount was allegedly deposited in 59 accounts in cash as advance for imports that never existed.
In mid-August this year, the government had roped in private sector professionals to run two of its largest banks  Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank. Ravi Venkatesan, ex-chairman of Microsoft India, has been appointed the non-executive Chairman of BoB.


2. Indian Diaspora in UK launches 'Modi Express' bus ahead of Modi's November visit.
The Indian community in the United Kingdom launched a 'Modi Express' bus that will take the travellers on a tour around iconic landmarks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit to the country in November 2015. Modi is expected to address the Indian community at Wembley Stadium on 13 November -- the day of Diwali celebrations.

3. India inks Rs 130-crore deal for 194 micro light aircraft.

India signed a Rs 130 crore deal for 194 microlight aircraft from Slovenian company Pipistrel Aircraft, for use by its National Cadet Corps (NCC), Air Force and Navy. At the Defence Acquisition Council meeting chaired by defence minister Manohar Parrikar in July, the nod was given for buying and staggering the microlight aircraft from Slovenian Aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel.


4. India funded 5 million US dollars grant to Palestine as Budgetary assistance.
India on 12 October 2015 granted a cheque of 5 million US dollars to the Palestinian government as a budgetary support. The grant was handed over by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee  during his visit to Palestine. Mukherjee also reiterated India’s support to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis based on negotiations with UN Security Council resolutions.

5. Veteran Malayalam filmmaker I.V. Sasi honoured with J.C. Daniel Award.
Renowned Malayalam filmmaker I.V. Sasi on 12 October 2015 was awarded with the prestigious J.C. Daniel Award for the year 2014 for his contributions towards the Malayalam entertainment industry. . In 1982, his film Aaroodam won the Nargis Dutt Award for the best feature film on National Integration.In 1982, his film Aaroodam won the Nargis Dutt Award for the best feature film on National Integration.

Daily Dose of GK : 12th October, 2015

Daily Dose of  GK : 12th October, 2015

1.Mission Abaas launched in Odisha to provide affordable houses to urban poor.
The Odisha Government on 11 October 2015 launched Mission Abaas, state’s urban housing mission, to provide affordable houses to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Low Income Groups (LIG) and slum dwellers. The scheme aims at fulfilling the promise of protection and welfare of slum dwellers by providing affordable housing along with basic amenities such as piped water supply, electricity, concrete roads, drainage and community centre. As notified in August 2015, Abaas will be the nodal agency to execute the Policy for Housing for All in Urban areas.

2. K P Sharma Oli of CPN-UML elected as the new Prime Minister of Nepal.
Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)-CPN-UML was elected as new Prime Minister of Nepal. With this victory, he became first Prime Minister of Nepal under the newly adopted secular, republic and federal Constitution of Himalayan country. It was adopted in 20 September 2015. Born on 22 February 1952 in Terhathum District of Nepal. Commonly known as K P Oli. Earlier had served as Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Girija Prasad Koirala-led interim government formed in 2006.

3. YES Bank gets RBI nod for mutual fund, AMC and Trustee Company.
Private sector lender YES Bank on Monday said it has got the RBI's approval to set up a mutual fund, asset management company (AMC) and a trustee company. In a regulatory filing, YES Bank said it "has received an approval from the RBI to sponsor a mutual fund, and to set up an asset management company and a trustee company."Asset management companies and trustee companies will be wholly owned subsidiaries of YES Bank.

4. The 2015 Nobel Prize in Economics awarded to Angus Deaton
Angus Deaton, a British economist, has won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Economics “for his analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare.”By linking detailed individual choices and aggregate outcomes, his research has helped transform the fields of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and development economics,” the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.
Angus Deaton is a professor in the Economics Department at Princeton University, where he looks at the determinants of health in rich and poor countries, as well as on the measurement of poverty in India and around the world.
The award was established by Sweden’s central bank, Sveriges Riksbank, in 1968 in memory of Alfred Nobel.


Monday 12 October 2015

Daily Dose of GK : 10th October, 2015

Daily Dose of  GK : 10th October, 2015


1. Future Group partners Patanjali Ayurveda
 Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved announced a tie-up with the Future Group on Friday under which its products will be available at the Big Bazaar, KB’s and EasyDay outlets. The inspiration to go in for the partnership with the swadeshi firm to offer its wide-range of products, said Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani at the launch, came from the tie-up between the U.S. retail giant Walmart and FMCG firm P&G. Within the next 20 months, we expect to jointly do business worth Rs.1,000 crore, Mr. Biyani announced.

2. Sekhar Basu appointed as chairman of Atomic Energy Commission
Sekhar Basu was on 9 October 2015 appointed as the chairman of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). By virtue of this position, he will also occupy the office of secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). He will succeed RK Sinha who superannuates on 23 October 2015 and will be in the office till 19 September 2016. Basu is presently the director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, and also the Chief Executive of Nuclear Recycle Board (NRB), which is a part of BARC.
3. Kerala Government launched Operation Valsalya to track missing children
The Kerala government on 9 October 2015 launched the Operation Valsalya project to trace, rescue and reunite the missing children with their family. This ambitious programme is envisaged to be implemented on the lines of the much acclaimed Operation Smile project in Ghaziabad.

4. Andhra Pradesh Government launched e-Pragati project
Government of Andhra Pradesh on 9 October 22015 launched Andhra Pradesh State Enterprise Architecture (APSEA). It is alternatively called as e-Pragati project. It was launched by the state Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at a function held in Visakhapatnam.It aims for a transformational change in the way government services are conceived, designed, delivered and consumed.


Sunday 11 October 2015

Daily GK Update: 9th October, 2015

1. ICICI Bank Launches mVisa Electronic Cardless Transactions for Pockets App
i. The ICICI Bank on Thursday launched a service enabling customers to make electronic payments from their smartphones at physical stores, e-commerce portals, radio taxis and utility billers, among others, without swiping a debit card.
ii. The service is based on 'mVisa', a new mobile payment solution from Visa. ICICI Bank, India's largest private bank, is the first bank globally to launch a mobile app based on 'mVisa' solution for consumers and merchants.

iii. The service has been introduced for its customers in Bengaluru only with 1,500 merchants brought under the fold of mobile electronic payments. The service will be rolled out in other cities shortly.
iv. The process involves scanning a Quick Response code at a merchant location without swiping the card.

2. Music composer AR Rahman named as Cultural Ambassador of Seychelles
i. Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman was on 8 October 2015 named as the Cultural Ambassador of Seychelles for his contribution in enhancing the country’s Art and Culture Development.
ii. One of the most globally popular Indian music icons, Rahman has won two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe, besides national recognition in his illustrious career.
iii. Despite of all these awards, Rahman will also receive the fifth Hridaynath Mangeshkar award 2015 on 26 October 2015 by veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai on the birth anniversary of Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar, the late younger brother of legendary playback singers Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.