1 Apr 2013 ... Current Affairs- April 2013. April 1 ... Current Affairs - January 2013 ... Indian
versions of costly anti-cancer drugs marketed by multinational drug ...
Current Affairs April 2013
Current Affairs from April 1, 2013 to April 30, 2013
A publication of Nirdeshak.com
CONTENTS
Current Affairs- April 2013 Curated by Ravindra Agnihotri
Engaged in several initiatives which focus on
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developing and implementing value-added learning tools and systems for today’s youth. Was actively involved in educational radio segment. Developed methodology and framework of NTS, a one of its kind of service providing testing solutions for competitive exams. Founder of nirdeshak.com
RAVINDRA AGNIHOTRI
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Current Affairs - January 2013
April 1, 2013
learning seo from the experts
1) BJP President Rajnath Singh announced party’s 76 member core parliament team of office bearers on 31 March 2013, in which Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was also inducted in the parliamentary body of the BJP. What unique distinction was earned by Narendra Modi with this induction? – He is the first and only Chief Minister to have been inducted into party’s parliamentary body, which is the highest decision making body of the party (It was a clear indication that Narendra Modi is being pushed to national politics to take a probable central role in the Lok Sabha elections for 2014) 2) What is the name of the yatra started by social activist Anna Hazare from Amritsar on 31 March 2013? – ‘Janatantra Yatra’ (walk for democracy) – A series of public rallies are to be organized to press a 25-point agenda under the banner of ‘Janatantra Yatra’ to garner people’s support against the Congress-led UPA government ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha polls and make people aware of its efforts to ditch the Jan Lokpal bill. Hazare had floated ‘Janatantra Morcha’ after the protests on Lokpal Bill fizzled out and Team Anna split, with a faction led by Arvind Kejriwal forming a political party
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3) India was affected by one of the biggest cyber-attack and under-sea cable cuts in recent times as numerous important subsea cables were disrupted due to cable cuts recently. The disrupted cables include – South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 (SMW-4), India-Middle East-Western Europe (I-ME-WE) and Europe India Gateway (EIG) systems. This disrupted was reported from which place? – Near Alexandria (Egypt) – The services provided by Bharti Airtel, Tata Communications, State-owned BSNL and MTNL were largely affected by this cable cut which is also termed as bazooka attack in networking parlance 4) Who was appointed at the President of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) India on 31 March 2013 at the conclusion of 82nd Annual General Meeting of ICC India? – Rajan Bharti Mittal, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises (ICC India is the Indian affiliate of the Paris-based ICC, the world business organisation with presence in over 90 countries) 5) The first Greenfield renewable solar photo-voltaic project of NTPC was commissioned on 30 March 2013 at – Port Blair in Andaman & Nicobar Islands 6) What procedure has been adopted recently by public sector banks (PSBs) for sale of properties to recover payments from defaulting borrowers in order to ensure a free, fair and transparent process? – e-auction (During the last meeting of general managers (recovery/legal) of all PSBs held in December 2012, it was advised that all auctions of immovable properties, under the “Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002 be carried out through e-auctions. The PSBs have started implementing the same advice) 7) Who took over the reins of NSE (National Stock Exchange), India’s largest stock exchange on 1 April 2013? – Chitra Ramakrishna (She took over the post of CEO from outgoing Ravi Narain) 8) What was the amount of employment opportunities created by 8 key manufacturing and service sectors of the Indian economy during six months of July – December 2012, as reveled in the bi-annual survey of the Labour Bureau released recently? – 1.68 lakh (Employment opportunities grew by about 9% during the period as compared to the first half on 2012 (January – June 2012), during which 1.54 new jobs were created)
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April 2, 2013 1) Supreme Court on 1 April 2013 dismissed Swiss pharmaceutical chain Novartis AG’s petition seeking patent protection for one of its anti-cancer drugs used for treating blood-cancer, patent right for which was rejected in 2006 by the Chennai-based Intellectual Property Appellate Board. What is the name of this drug? – Glivec (Award of patent to Novartis for this drug would have barred Indian firms from manufacturing generic drugs. Novartis had been fighting a long legal battle for Glivec and developments in this case were watched with very keen interest by international pharmaceutical firms. Novartis’ defeat in this case is seen as a big victory for generic drug manufacturers of India and would allow hugely cheaper Indian versions of costly anti-cancer drugs marketed by multinational drug companies) 2) Analog television signals were closed from mid-night of 31 March 2013 in how many cities of India under the second phase of TV digitalization drive in India? – 33 cities (These 33 cities are Agra, Allahabad, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Howrah, Hyderabad, Indore, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kalyan-Dombivli, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Meerut, Mysore, Nagpur, Nasik, Navi Mumbai, Patna, Pimpri- Chinchwad, Pune, Ranchi, Sholapur, Srinagar, Thane, Varanasi and Visakhapatnam. Earlier analog signals were proposed to be closed in 38 cities. The deadline for digitalization was extended in Bangalore and four cities of Gujarat (Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara) on court orders)
April 3, 2013 1) Supreme Court on 2 April 2013 vacated its order restraining Italy’s Ambassador Daniele Mancini from leaving India as the two Italian marines, accused of killing two fishermen returned back to India to face the proceedings as per commitment given by him to the court. On which date Mancini was directed by the court to not leave India without its permission? – 14 March 2013 2) What is the main feature of the new Lokayukta Aayog Bill, 2013 passed by the Gujarat Assembly on 2 April 2013? – This bill seeks to end the role of the Governor and the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court in appointing the Lokpal or ombudsman (The Bill proposes a seven-member selection panel headed by the Chief Minister, which will recommend a candidate for the Lokayukta’s post, and the Governor’s role would only be to ratify the candidate) 3) Tamil film stars including superstar Rajnikanth, R Sarath Kumar and Ajith Kumar undertook a day-long fast at the premises of South Indian Film Artists’ Association in Chennai on 2 April 2013. What were the main demands of Tamil film fraternity who undertook this fast? – The rehabilitation of Sri Lankan Tamils and an international probe into the alleged war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan Govt.
3) Circulation of private newspapers resumed after about 50 years in which country on 1 April 2013? – Myanmar (Private newspapers were banned in the 1960s by the late dictator Ne Win, who imposed a state monopoly on the daily press. Four private newspapers went on sale on Monday. The Associated Press became the first international news agency to open a bureau in Myanmar since the new government took power two years ago)
4) Mukesh Ambani struck a deal worth Rs. 1,200 crore with his younger brother Anil Ambani on 2 April, in which Mukesh will use his younger sibling’s optic fibre network for launch of his telecom venture. What is the name of Mukesh Ambani’s new telecom venture, which would roll-out 4G services in the country through Anil Ambani’s Reliance Communications Ltd. (RCom)? – Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. (Under the terms of the agreement, Reliance Jio Infocomm will utilise multiple fibre pairs across RCom’s 1,20,000 kilometres inter-city fibre optic network to provide the backbone for rolling out its 4G services)
4) Petrol price was reduced by________ from midnight of 1 April 2013 by oil companies – Rs. 0.85/liter (This reduction in petroleum price was due to fall in international oil prices and is the second reduction in rates in two weeks)
5) Which Indian state celebrated its 77th Foundation Day on 1 April 2013, with numerous programmes organized all over the state? – Odisha (Orissa) The state was carved out from an amalgamated region of Bengal-Bihar-Orissa in 1936. Odisha’s foundation day is celebrated as “Utkal Divas”
5) Who was named as the new Prime Minister of North Korea on 1 April 2013? – Pak Pong-Ju (He was appointed at the annual meeting of the Supreme People’s Assembly, the rubber-stamp style parliament of North Korea. Ju was reportedly sacked as prime minister in 2007 after proposing a U.S.-style wage system. He replaced Choe Yong-Rim)
6) India’s first fully private greenfield airport is to be set up at which place according to announcements made recently in this regard? – Karaikal (Karaikal is situated in Tamil Nadu but comes under administrative control of the union territory of Puducherry (Pondicherry). Greenfield Airport means a new airport which is built from scratch in a new location because the existing airport is unable to meet the projected requirements of traffic. The Karaikal airport is to be built by Coimbatore-based Super Airport Infrastructure (India) Private Limited)
6) Who was appointed as the new Chairman of India’s leading pharma company Reddy’s Lab on 1 April 2013? – G.V. Prasad (He filled in the place created by founder-Chairman Anji Reddy’s demise last month) 7) What is the name of the rebel leader of the Central African Republic (CAR), who has recently proclaimed himself as the President of the country and has now appointed a new cabinet? – Michel Djotodia (Djotodia is the leader of the Seleka rebel movement, that began its advance to the capital Bangui during December 2012. Later, peace was struck with President Francois Bozize in January 2013 in an agreement, in which Bozize was allowed to finish his term in return of some concessions. But now Michel Djotodia has broken the agreement, forcing President Bozize to flee the country) 09 www.NIRDESHAK.com
7) Which country recently became the first South-Asian country to auction spectrum airwaves for 4G (4th Generation) mobile services and is to start 4G mobile very soon? – Sri Lanka 8) IPL 6 kicked off through a scintillating opening ceremony on 2 April 2013 at Kolkata. What was the venue of this opening ceremony, which is not a venue for official cricket matches in Kolkata? – The Salt Lake Stadium (also known by its formal name Yuva Bharati Krirangan. This is at present the largest stadium in the Indian-subcontinent and is used for football matches and athletics events)
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April 4, 2013 1) What is the name of the substance developed by Chinese scientists, which is claimed to be the lightest substance in the world? – Carbon Aerogel (This substance has a density only one sixth of that of the air. Prior to it Graphite Aerogel was the lightest substance, which was developed by German scientists last year and which had a density of 0.18 mg/cubic centimeter. Carbon Aerogel has been developed by scientists of Zhejiang University and has a density of only 0.16 mg/cubic centimeter) 2) What was the name of an activist of Students Federation of India (SFI), whose death allegedly in police custody on 2 April 2013 in Kolkata sparked-off massive protests in the city? – Sudipta Gupta (The main opposition party of West Bengal, the CPM, jumped into protests demanding a judicial probe in the incident) 3) In a CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) report tabled in the Gujarat Assembly on 3 April 2013, the CAG came down heavily on the state govt. and several state public sector undertakings for causing loss to the exchequer by bestowing undue favours to large corporate entities. What was the estimated loss to state exchequer reported in this CAG report? – Rs. 580 crore (CAG report claimed that major beneficiaries of state govt.’s policy were Reliance Industries Limited, Essar Steel Limited and Adani Power Limited) 4) Beijing Olympics bronze-medal winning boxer Vijender Singh on 3 April 2013 gave his samples for dope testing to the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). He had earlier refused to give his samples ever since he was linked to the seizure of heroin last month following which the Punjab Police confirmed that the boxer had consumed the recreational drug 12 times. NADA is an autonomous body under which ministry? – Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Govt. of India with headquarters in New Delhi
8) An international experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on 3 April 2013 reported the observation of an excess of positrons in the cosmic ray flux, the source of which could be the elusive dark matter. This forms the most important part of the first results from the experiment, which sheds new light on dark matter. What is the name of this international experiment? – Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) Thesearch for dark matter is one of the objectives of this space-borne AMS even as it is being actively searched for in ground-based experiments such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and other experiments in deep underground experiments 9) President Pranab Mukherjee on 3 April 2013 signed which keenly watched bill, which was passed by both houses of the Parliament during March 2013? – The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013 (The bill provides for strong anti-rape laws and for the first time brings stalking and voyeurism under criminal offences if committed more than once) 10) A recently released survey on children with disabilities (CWD), revealed that while 99% of these children liked attending regular schools, 57 per cent teachers were not trained to understand their special needs. This survey was commissioned to examine the enrolment, access and retention of CWD. Which institution conducted this survey? – NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) – This survey found that special needs of children with mental illnesses were neither being identified nor being addressed seriously, with a vast majority of techers not knowing how to cater to the specific needs of CWD
5) The first match of IPL season 6 was won by which team? – Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who defeated Delhi Dare Devils by 6 wickets in the first match of this season held at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on 3 April 2013 6) India’s power regulator, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) offered a breather to Adani Power Limited (APL) by allowing the utility to temporarily hike electricity tariffs from its imported coal-based 4,620 MW power station, in its order of 2 April 2013. Where is this power plant of APL’s situated? – Mundra, Gujarat 7) President Pranab Mukherjee has recently rejected the mercy petition of a Haryana rape convict who was released on parole and went on to murder five members of the victim’s family. After this rejection the convict would now be hanged next week. What is the name of this convict, whose mercy petition was pending for last 14 years? – Dharampal
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April 6, 2013
April 5, 2013 1) Who is to be awarded the 2013 Templeton Prize worth $1.7 according to an announcement made by the Templeton Foundation on 4 April 2013? – Desmond Tutu of South Africa (He was awarded for helping inspire people around the world by promoting forgiveness and justice. Tutu was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for standing up against white-minority rule. Templeton Prize was established in 1972 by the late American-born investor and philanthropist John Templeton and is worth more than the Nobel Prize in terms of monetary value. The prize would be given at a ceremony at the Guildhall in London on 21 May 2013)
1) India’s premier investigation agency Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s 50th anniversary is being celebrated. The Golden Jubilee Function of the agency is to be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee on 6 April 2013. When was the CBI established? – On 1 April 1963 (It was established through a Home Ministry notification which converted erstwhile Special Police Establishment (SPE) into CBI as need was felt for it to not only probe bribery and vigilance cases but also those panning across state and national boundaries)
2) Two-day talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries on a range of topics including Iran’s nuclear energy program are to be held at Almaty (Kazakhstan) on 5-6 April 2013. Which countries constitute the group of P5+1? – China, Russia, France, Britain and the US plus Germany (Iran and the P5+1 have held several rounds of talks with a focus on the Iranian nuclear energy program. The last round of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group was held in Almaty on 26-27 February 2013. P5+1 refers to 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, Russia, France, Britain and the US) plus Germany. It is a group of countries which in 2006 joined diplomatic efforts to bring transparency in Iran’s nuclear programme)
2) What was the name of a mapping contest held in February-March 2013 by Internet giant Google, complaint against which was filed by the Survey of India recently on charges of jeopardising national security interest and India’s National Map Policy? – Mapathon 2013 (Google had launched the Mapathon contest between February 12 and March 25, asking Indians to map their neighbourhoods and send their maps so that they can be uploaded in the search engine’s sites. Google had also said it would reward the top 1,000 participants)
3) What is the name given to a new Facebook application for Android-driven smartphones and tablets that was unveiled on 4 April 2013 by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Menlo Park, California? – Facebook Home (Facebook Home is the main engine which would drive Facebook’s to-be-launched mobile phone. This new phone is being manufactured by Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer HTC and is called “First’. This phone would be made available to US consumers from 12 April 2013)
3) First case was reportedly registered under the newly constituted women’s protection bill (Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013) at Delhi recently on stalking charges, which was incorporated in the bill. Which section of Indian Penal Code deals with stalking in this newly incorporated bill? – Section 354 D of the IPC (This case was registered against a 25-year-old man, manning the counter of a cab company at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, who allegedly was stalking a female passenger who arrived at the airport through a flight from Ludhina)
April 5, 2013
4) CII’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2013 was held in which city, where Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on 4 April 2013 gave his vision of corporate India? – New Delhi (The AGM was held on 3 and 4 April 2013 and was titled “India of Tomorrow: Imperatives of Growth, Security and Governance”)
4) Who is the new President of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), who tenure would be effective for the year 2013-14? – S. Gopalakrishnan (He is a co-founder and executive co-chairman of Infosys. Gopalakrishnan takes charge from Adi Godrej)
5) Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, the 85-year old Man Booker Prize winner and a winner of two academy awards, who passed away on 3 April 2013 at her home in Manhattan, was associated with which famous film production house which had Indian connections? – Ivory Merchant Productions (Jhabvala won Man Booker Prize in 1975 for her novel “Heat and Dust” and won Academy awards (Oscars) for Best Screenplay for two films – “A Room With a View” (1986) and “Howards End” (1992). Ivory Merchant Productions was collaboration between producer James Ivory and Indian director Ismail Merchant)
5) The case of two Italian marines has now been registered by which agency on 4 April 2013, who was handed over the case by the Home Ministry recently? – The National Investigation Agency (NIA) – The two marines Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone are being tried for allegedly shooting two Indian fishermen Jelastin and Pinku on 15 February 2012 from onboard an Italian naval ship ‘Enrica Lexie’ in the Arabian Sea
6) Public sector power major NTPC announced relocation of a 1,600 MW coal-based project proposed to be built in Gajmara in Odisha to a new place due to delay in land and environmental clearances. This project worth about Rs. 11, 000 crore is now to be build in which state? – Madhya Pradesh (at Gadarwara) 7) What is the name of a vessel coming from Dubai, which was intercepted off Mumbai coast on 4 April 2013 by the Coast Guard on suspicion of carrying a satellite phone? - ‘MSV Yusufi’ (The Coast Guard intercepted calls allegedly made through the Thuraya satellite phone on board the vessel and subsequently intercepted the vessel and arrested 5 persons) www.NIRDESHAK.com
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6) Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf’s nomination papers for a becoming a candidate in a parliamentary constituency in Pakistan’s Punjab province was rejected on 5 April 2013 for which reason? – On the ground that the signature did not match the one on his national identity card 7) Who was recently appointed as the chairman of the Construction Skills Development Council (CSDC)? – Ajit Gulabchand, Chairman of Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) – CSDC is a skill council set up for the construction sector approved by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), a public-private partnership of the Union Ministry of Finance 8) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 4 April 2013 announced decontrol of country’s sugar sector after accepting the recommendations of a committee on sugar price decontrol. Who was the Chairman of this committee, which submitted its report on 27 March 2013 to the Union Govt.? – Dr C. Rangarajan, Chairman Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister
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April 7, 2013 9) Which two archaic policies pertaining to sugar control were abolished by the govt. in the announcement made to decontrol sugar sector of the country? A) The levy sugar mechanism has been abolished for 2 years. Under this mechanism, the sugar producing companies were liable to sell 10% of their produce to the government at subsidised rates of Rs10 per kg less than the open market price (This move is expected to result in release of almost 3 million metric tonnes of sugar from the ambit of subsidized prices) B) The regulated release order mechanism has been abolished. Under this mechanism sugar companies had to sell only a certain percentage of their produce in the open market 10) International Workshop on Green National Accounting was held on 5 April 2013 at – New Delhi
1) Who on 6 April 2013 became the first Indian to successfully circumnavigate the globe, solo and non-stop in a journey of over 150-days? – Lt. Commander Abhilash Tomy of the Indian Navy (Tomy completed his journey by his boat INSV Mhadei. He started his journey on 1 November 2012 from Mumbai’s Gateway of India and arrived at the same spot on 6 April. He sailed around 23,100 nautical miles, crossing the Indian, Southern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. His route, from West to East, took him south of the continents of Australia, South America and Africa, thus rounding the three ‘Great Capes’ — Cape Leeuwin in Australia, Cape Horn in South America and Cape of Good Hope in Africa. INSV Mhadei was custom-built for the Indian Navy in 2009 and is named after a river in Goa. Tomy was accorded a warm welcome for his feat by the President Pranab Mukherjee) 2) Indian sportswoman Rahi Sarnobat, who was in the news recently, is associated with which sports? – Shooting (Rahi became the first Indian pistol shooter to win a gold medal in an ISSF World Cup, when she won a gold medal in the World Cup in Changwon in South Korea on 5 April 2013. Anjali Bhagwat, Gagan Narang, Sanjeev Rajput, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Ronjan Sodhi and Manavjit Singh Sandhu are other Indian shooters to have won gold medal at ISSF World Cups, but they all were rifle shooters unlike Rahi who is a pistol shooter) 3) Next phase of union govt.’s ambitious Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) scheme would be started from which date, as announced in a meeting of the National Committee on DBT held on 5 April 2013? – 1 July 2013 (Under this new phase 78 more districts would be included in the DBT scheme, with which total number of districts covered under the scheme would rise to 121. DBT scheme would cover 1/5th of the country with this proposed expansion) 4) What is the name of a Bangladeshi hard-line Muslim group, thousands of whose members rallied in country’s capital on 6 April 2013, demanding enactment of an anti-blasphemy law in order to punish those who insult Islam? – Hifazat-e-Islam (Members of this group are targeting a group of bloggers who have of-late seeking capital punishment for those found guilty of war crimes during nation’s 1971 independence war) 5) What was the result of the meeting of P5+1 group of countries with Iran on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, which concluded at Almaty (Kazakhstan) on 6 April 2013? – Talks failed to reach any conclusion (The two sides failed to reach an agreement on an approach to reducing fears that Iran might use its nuclear technology to make weapons. P5+1 refers to 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, Russia, France, Britain and the US) plus Germany) 6) India on 6 April 2013 regained its place in Davis Cup’s Asia-Oceania Group I after taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in their relegation play-off tie at Bangalore. India defeated which team in this relegation play-off? – Indonesia (Indian doubles pair of Leander Paes and Sanam Singh defeated Indonesia’s pair of David Agung Susant and Elbert Sie by 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 to take India again into Asia-Oceania Group I) 7) Who will play against India’s Vishwanathan Anand for the Chess World Championship title in November 2013? – Norway’s Magnus Carlsen (Carlsen got the right to play for World Championship title after winning the IET Championship at London, where he defeated Vladimir Kramnik of Russia in a tense final match. Carlsen is now the highest rated chess player ever and is fancied by many to become new chess world champion)
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April 8, 2013 8) What are the main features of the revised consolidated guidelines on FDI issued by the union govt. on 6 April 2013? – It incorporates the changes with regard to foreign investment in multi brand retail sector (which was increased to 51% last year), single brand retail sector (which was increased to 100% last year) and allows Pakistani nationals to invest in India
1) Which agency on 7 April 2013 carried out the successful test fire of the medium-range nuclear capable Agni-II missile, which has a strike range of more than 2,000 KM? – The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Indian Army (The test was conducted from a mobile launcher from the Launch Complex – 4 of Integrated Test Range (ITR) situated at Wheeler Island off the Orissa coast. The test was carried out as part of a training exercise by the SFC as this missile has already been inducted into the services) 2) The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has recently given its approval to build how many more nuclear power plants at the Kudankulam Nuclear Complex in Tamil Nadu? – Two (CCS have its go-ahead to a Russian offer of about Rs. 40,000 crore for the project. The go-ahead was given a few days before the offer lapsed on 31 March 2013) 3) Union Govt. is expected to set up a separate intelligence unit to check the menace of tax-evasions and stop leakage of revenue, name of Directorate of Anti Evasion (DAE) was proposed for which. DAE is proposed to be set up to check evasion of mainly which tax? – Service Tax (The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has detected service tax evasion of Rs 9,800 crore during April-December period of the last fiscal (2012-13) against Rs 5,000-6,000 crore in the same period of 2011-12) 4) What is Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s deadline for Indian commercial banks to avail chip-based debit and credit cards for all their customers who do international transactions? – 30 June 2013 5) Appointment of Sindhushree Khullar is being considered for which post by the Union Govt., even as the opposition is expected to oppose this proposed appointment on grounds of some controversies associated with her? – CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India) Sindhushree Khullar’s name is being considered for CAG as present CAG Vinod Rai’s term is to end on 22 May 2013. However, Khullar’s proposed appointment as CAG faces hurdles as her name featured in the 2G and Commonwealth Games scams and she was also summoned by the JPC last year, who was probing these scams) 6) India defeated Indonesia by what margin in the Davis Cup relegation play-off tie at Bangalore, which concluded on 7 April 2013? – 5-0 (With this win, India again regained its place in Asia-Oceania Group I)
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April 9, 2013 1) Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who passed away on 8 April 2013, was the only woman prime minister in Britain’s history. In which years she led the country? – From 1979 to 1990 (She governed the country for the longest continuous period in office by a British premier since the early 19th century and led the Conservatives to three election victories. Some of her greatest achievements were privatizing numerous British govt. corporations, leading a war to recover the Falkland Islands from Argentine invaders and striking close relationships with numerous important leaders of her time including US Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev)
8) The Biodiversity Special Science Express, which was re-launched in its 2nd phase on 9 April 2013 from Delhi’s Safdarjung railway station, is an initiative of which ministry? – The Ministry of Environment & Forests (The present run of the train is the 2nd Phase in the two phase programme envisaged to cover a minimum of 100 locations on broad gauge network of Indian Railway across the entire length & breadth of the country)
2) Which sector has been allowed for the first time by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to start degree colleges in the 2013-14 academic session as per recent announcements made by the AICTE? – Private corporate groups (The AICTE has allowed a private limited company or public limited company, with a turnover of Rs. 100 crore each year for the past three years, to start an under-graduate, post-graduate and diploma institute. So far corporate groups were only allowed to organize lectures and specific projects at AICTE-approved technical groups) 3) Which city of India would host the upcoming final of World Chess Championship, to be held between India’s current World Champion Vishwanathan Anand and Norway’s world no. 1 Magnus Carlsen? – Chennai (This final would be held between 6 November and 26 November 2013) 4) Which Indian two-wheeler company has recently joined hands with German automaker BMW’s motorcycle division BMW Motorrad to manufacture a new series of motorcycles below the 500cc segment? – TVS Motor Company (This deal will give TVS access to BMW’s legendary motorcycle technology. However, the two company would only join hands for technological collaboration and would continue to sell individual versions of the bikes through their own channels) 5) Social activist Medha Patkar has been on an indefinite fast to protest against evictions from which slum of Mumbai? – Golibar (This slum area located in Mumbai’s Khar (East) has been witnessing huge outpouring from civil society and social-activists since several slums were razed in the area, which had allegedly been in existence for last 60 years. Patkar has been protesting against Mumbai’s Slum Rehabilitation Scheme’s ill-functioning and also against Union Housing Minister Ajay Maken’s tirade against slums) 6) Who took over as the new Chairman of NASSCOM on 8 April 2013? – Krishnakumar Natarajan, Managing Director and CEO of Mindtree (He took over from N Chandrasekaran, MD and CEO of TCS, who served as the Chairman for the year 2012-13. Natarajan’s tenure would be for 2013-14. NASSCOM is the body that represents the $100 billion Indian IT-BPO industry) 7) Which insurance company was appointed by the Union Govt. as the manager for the Rs. 2,000 crore insurance fund, which would cover oil imports from Iran? – General Insurance Company – GIC (A decision had already been taken to create an insurance fund that would allow refiners to import crude oil from Iran, which has been on the decline during the past one year due to U.S. and EU sanctions)
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April 10, 2013 1) Which new feature is to be added to newly issued Aadhaar cards as stated by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to an RTI activist recently?- Date of Birth (Till now, only year of birth was mentioned in the Aadhaar Card but an RTI activist Avinash Prabhune pursued the matter with the UIDAI. After his perusal, UIDAI accepted the proposal to incorporate date of birth in Aadhaar card, which would facilitate people to avail benefits of several government and non-governmental schemes that require age validation)
8) Who was appointed as the fourth President of Kenya on 9 April 2013? – Uhuru Kenyatta (He is son of Kenya’s first President Jomo Kenyatta who was country’s president from 1964 to 1978. Uhuru becomes the second sitting African president to face charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over allegations that he helped orchestrate the vicious violence that marred the 2007 elections. He succeeded Mwai Kibaki)
2) Five Indian soldiers who were part of a peacekeeping UN contingent in an African country were killed in a suspected militia attack on 9 April 2013. In which country this incident took place? – South Sudan (Two officers and three soldiers from 9 Mechanised Infantry battalion and 6 Mahar Regiment were escorting a convoy of UN vehicles from Gurmuck to Bor in South Sudan when a suspected militia group attacked it. A contingent of 2,200 Indian Army personnel is serving in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan) 3) Which premier agriculture cooperative organisation of the country has recently dragged union govt. to the court contending that the govt. has no shareholding in it and is under the mistaken belief that it has jurisdiction on the cooperative organisation? – IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertilizers Cooperative) – Union govt. has recently asserted that IFFCO stands covered under the administrative jurisdiction of the Department of Fertilizers and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). This assertion was made in light of some alleged financial irregularities in IFFCO, which were claimed by a leading English daily of the country) 4) Press Club of India (PCI) Chairman Justice Markandey Katju recently announced plans to set-up an organisation, which would take up cases of persons who were wrongly accused or unjustly convicted. What is the name of this proposed organisation, which will have its headquarters in New Delhi? - ‘The Court of Last Resort’ (It will have units in all the States of India and will have Katju as its chief patron) 5) What is the name of the political party started on 9 April 2013 by expelled Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Pyari Mohan Mohapatra? – Odisha Jana Morcha – OJM (OJM is actually a forum launched by Mohapatra, which has now been converted into a full-fledged political party. Mohapatra has been Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s non-official advisor for over a decade. He was first suspended and later expelled from the party after he allegedly plotted a coup to unseat Patnaik) 6) Who was announced as the winner of Madhya Pradesh Govt.’s prestigious ‘Lata Mangeshkar Samman Alankaran’ on 9 April 2013? – Hariharan, famous Hindi playback singer (This is the 28th edition of this award, which was first awarded in 1984-85 to legendary musician Naushad. The Lata Mangeshkar award is given to a musician and a playback singer in the alternate year. Last year, Rajesh Roshan was named for the award) 7) Who was announced as the winner of Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Award for 2013? – Jaya Bachchan, actress (The award would be presented by legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar on 24 April 2013. Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Award, instituted in the name of Lata’s father, recognises service in the field of music and films)
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April 11, 2013
Current Affairs - January 2013
1) According to data released by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) car sales in the country fell by 6.69% in 2012-13. Car sales fell for the first time in how many years? – 10 years (This is the first annual decline in car sales since 2002-03, when car sales had dropped by 2.09%) 2) A Delhi court on 10 April 2013 set aside the CBI closure report on Congress leader Jagdish Tytler and ordered the reopening of the case against him in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, thus giving a huge set-back to him. In which year the CBI had filed a closure report, after reinvestigating the case on court orders? – In 2009 3) Meghalaya Power Minister on 10 April 2013 informed the state assembly that Bangladesh has opposed the construction of two hydro-based power projects along the Indo-Bangladesh border in the state until the two countries sign a water sharing agreement. Which two dams are these? – The Mawphu dam across river Umiew and Myntdu dam across river Myntdu in East Khasi Hills and West Jaintia Hills districts, respectively (Bangladesh’s Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) is of the view that the two dams might cause adverse impacts in various sectors in Bangladesh due to change of water flow) 4) Robert Edward, the inventor of In Verto Fertilization (IVF) technique, popularly known as test-tube baby technique, passed away on 10 April 2013 at the age of 87 in Britain. When was the first baby born with assistance of the IVF technique? – In 1978 (The first baby born with this technique was Louis Brown, a girl. Edwards was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010 for his invention) 5) Which passenger train derailed at Sitheri in Tamil Nadu on 10 April 2013, in which one passenger died and more than 30 were injured? – Muzaffarpur- Yesvantpur Express, which was bound for Bangalore (Sitheri is about 90 km from Chennai) 6) What is another name of the nuclear-capable Hatf-IV ballistic missile, which was successfully test-fired by Pakistan on 10 April 2013? – Shaheen-1 (This ballistic missile has a range of 900 km and can hit targets in India) 7) The much-anticipated general elections in Malaysia are to be held on which date, as announced by country’s election commission on 10 April 2013? – 5 May 2013 (Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak had dissolved country’s parliament on 3 April 2013. His party National Front, which has ruled for 56 years, is expected to face its toughest challenge yet from the opposition People’s Alliance coalition in this election) 8) A member of the third generation of the Amarnath family made his first-class cricket debut recently. What is his name? – Digvijay Amarnath (Digvijay’s grandfather late Lala Amarnath scored India’s first ever Test Century and later on went on to lead India and is a father figure in Indian cricket. His father Surinder Amarnath, who captained the Indian Schoolboys Test Team, later went on to score a century on Test debut like his father Lala Amarnath. His uncle Mohinder Amarnath played a leading role in India’s first ever World Cup win in 1983 and was one of the most popular cricketers of his era. Digvijay has now joined his legendary family of cricketers with his first class debut in Sri Lanka)
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Current Affairs - January 2013
April 12, 2013
1) Which Indian state on 11 April 2013 launched a new scheme titled “Amma Hastham” with an objective of supplying nine essential food items to the poor at subsidized rates? – Andhra Pradesh (“Amma Hastham” means mother’s hand. Under this scheme the poor would be provided 9 items which include wheat, wheat flour, palm oil, red gram, salt, sugar, tamarind, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. The scheme was launched by Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy on the occasion of Ugadi, the Telugu New Year) 2) An inter-ministerial committee was constituted last year to review existing and ongoing hydroelectric projects on river Ganga and its tributaries, which has submitted its report. Who is the chairman of this committee? – BK Chaturvedi, member Planning Commission (This committee has suggested that instead of stopping construction of dams on Ganga emphasis should be on re-designing these dams, which could ensure availability of adequate flow for the river. However, report’s suggestions are rejected by many organisations and persons who are opposing construction of dams on Ganga) 3) The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) of the Ministry of Defence has crossed an important milestone in its last meeting held on 2 April 2013. What is this important milestone? – DAC for the first time decided to allow Indian private entities to participate in a bid for making artillery guns (Till now the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) used to automatically get these orders. OFB will also have to bid to get order now. This is for the first time that the Union Govt. has decided to let the Indian private sector make an offensive weapon platform) 4) Famous cricket almanac “Wisden”, which is popularly known as “The Bible of Cricket”, recently completed how many years of its publication? – 150 years (This almanac’s official name is Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack and was first published in 1964 and its 150th edition was published on 11 April 2013. Wisden was started by English cricketer John Wisden 5) What is the name of Honda Motor Company’s first diesel car in India, which was launched on 11 April 2013? – Amaze (The car was launched in diesel as well as petrol version. Amaze series has been launched by Honda’s wholly-owned arm in India – Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL)) 6) The global sales of computers during the first three months of 2013 fell by about 14% as reported by International Data Corporation (IDC), the research firm engaged in IT segment projections. According to IDC’s report computers are being given a tough fight by which devices? – Smartphones and tablets 7) Who recently became the country’s first recipient of the Aadhaar number-linked payment system under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme? – Madduri Lakshmi Devi, a daily wage-earner from Andhra Pradesh (The national launch of this scheme was done on 1 April 2013 at Kalikiri village in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh in the presence of Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and Union IT and Communications Minister K Kriparani) 24
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April 13, 2013 1) The Supreme Court on 12 April 2013 rejected the mercy petition of Devinderpal Singh Bhullar, who was seeking commutation of his death sentence to life term because of inordinate delay in his execution. Bhullar was member of which terrorist organisation? – Khalistan Liberation Force – KLF (He was awarded death penalty for triggering a bomb blast in September, 1993 outside Youth Congress office in Delhi killing nine people. Maninderjeet Singh Bithaa, then Youth Congress chief was badly injured in this blast)
April 14-15, 2013 1) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 12 April 2013 recognized the government of which African country after more than 22 years? – Somalia (The country will however still not be able to borrow from the IMF, due to its outstanding debts of about $352 million. Somalia has been a member of the IMF since 1962, but was in chaos starting in the early 1990s amid civil war and lack of a government)
2) Dada Saheb Phalke Award for 2012 is to be given to which film personality, as announced on 12 April 2013? – Pran, famous villain of yesteryears’ Hindi films (Dada Saheb Phalke is India’s most prestigious award given in the field of films. The award, named after the father of Indian cinema Dada Saheb Phalke, will be conferred on Pran on 3 May 2013, which would also marks 100 years of cinema this year)
2) According to a latest Food and Agriculture Integrated Development Action (FAIDA) report released jointly by international consultancy firm McKinsey and CII (Confederation of India Industry), which agricultural segments would be the catalysts for the next wave of growth in the farm sector? – High value agricultural products and Processed Food (According to this report five key produce — mango, banana, potato, soya bean and poultry — are likely to drive the next wave of growth in the industry. India’s food exports are projected to grow from Rs. 1.4 lakh crore in 2011 to Rs. 7.72 lakh crore by 2030)
3) 102 year old Bangladeshi Benod Behari Choudhury, who passed away on 10 April 2013 at Kolkata, was last of the revolutionaries who took part in a famous uprising against the British. Which uprising was this? – Chittagong Armed Uprising of 1930 (Choudhury used to live in Chittagong in Bangladesh and was brought to Kolkata in January 2013 for treatment as he was suffering from respiratory problems, where he passed away)
3) Noted industrialist Rama Prasad Goenka, who passed away on 14 April 2013 at the age of 83 in Kolkata, was Chairman emeritus of which famous business house? – RPG Enterprises (Goenka was also known as ‘takeover king’ of Indian industry, due to his hostile takeover moves during 1980s, when he acquired several prominent companies including Ceat Tyres, KEC International, Searle India, Dunlop, Gramophone India. Another popular name of his was his acronym RPG)
4) Which academic institution of Kolkata came into news recently due to it being vandalized by protestors belonging to the ruling TMC? – Presidency University (The prestigious institution was vandalized by supporters belonging to TMC in protest against Left Front’s attempts to manhandle West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee and Finance Minister Amit Mitra in New Delhi a few days back. West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan on 12 April 2013 apologized to students and teachers of Presidency University for violence in the institution, saying he failed in his responsibility as chancellor)
4) Who won the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix, final of which was held on 14 April 2013? – Fernando Alonso (Spain) of Ferrari Team (Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) of Lotus got second spot while Lewis Hamilton (Britain) of Mercedes was third. This was year’s fourth race of Formula One and was held at the Shanghai circuit. Force India’s Paul di Resta was eighth and was able to collect four points for his team)
5) Which European country’s Senate on 12 April 2013 passed a landmark gay marriage bill that will legalize same-sex marriage in the country by summer? – France (French Senate (upper house of parliament) passed the bill amidst protests by the opposition. The bill was already passed in the lower house (National Assembly) in February) 6) What is the name of a film award conferred upon Amitabh Bachchan on 11 April 2013 by the Andhra Pradesh Govt.? – N T Rama Rao National Film Award (This award was given on Ugadi, the Telugu New Year. Telugu actors Nagarjuna and Mahesh Babu were other recipients of this award) 7) What is the name of a new service launched by Google, which has been designed to deal with accounts of persons who die or are unable to operate their accounts for long periods of time? – Inactive Account Manager (This service offers users of Google’s Gmail, Drive, Google+, Picasa and other Google services an easy-to-use template that specifies what should happen in the event they die or become inactive for a specified period of time. Users can specify whether they want the service to take effect after three, six, nine or 12 months of inactivity. They can also specify different actions for different service such as giving an attorney power to go through emails and granting family members access to pictures in Picasa)
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5) An inter-ministerial panel on Brahmaputra River has recently submitted its report to a cabinet of secretaries. What were the main recommendations of this panel, which is headed by the Cabinet Secretary? – The panel has asked the union govt. to intensify monitoring construction projects on the middle reaches of the river by China and has also cautioned that China may replicate the same in the Great Bend area, from where the river enters into India 6) What was the name of the recently dead Polish-born US researcher, who developed the first successful oral vaccination for polio? – Dr Hilary Koprowski (Although not as well-known as fellow researchers Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin, Koprowski’s 1950 clinical trial was the first to show it was possible to vaccinate against polio, the crippling and sometimes fatal disease that’s now all but eradicated) 7) What was the percentage increase in Indo-Pak bilateral trade during 2012-13 as compared to previous corresponding year of 2011-12? – 16% (India’s exports to Pakistan stood at $1.6 billion as against $1.4 billion during previous year. Total imports from Pakistan during 2012-13 stood at $488 million as against $335 million in the previous year. This is the highest-ever figures for Indo-Pak trade, despite tense relations between the two countries during this period)
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April 16, 2013 1) Supreme Court in its decision on 15 April 2013 allowed translocation of Asiatic lions from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh, saying the species is under threat of extinction and needs a second home. Madhya Pradesh govt. had sought translocation of lions to which of its sanctuaries? – Kuno Palpur Sanctuary (The apex court gave 6 months of time to the wildlife authorities concerned for relocating the lions. Currently there are around 400 Asiatic lions in Gujarat’s Gir sanctuary. Gujarat has been opposing the move to trans-locate lions to Madhya Pradesh contending that it had sufficient infrastructure to conserve its lions population) 2) Nicolas Maduro was elected as the new President of Venezuela, as announced in the official results after the Presidential Elections of 14 April 2013. Maduro was elected by less than 2% majority in a very closely contested election. Who was Maduro’s challenger, who was candidate of the unified opposition, who has demanded a recounting? – Henrique Capriles (Maduro received 50.76 % of the votes to 49.07 % for Capriles, with more than 99 per cent of the ballots counted. Maduro was late Hugo Chavez’s chosen candidate for presidency) 3) Who was convicted guilty of criminal conspiracy and other offences in the 2010 Pune German Bakery bomb blast case by a Pune sessions court on 15 April 2013? – Mirza Himayat Baig (The terror attack had killed 17 people, injured 64 and wrecked the popular eatery. It was the first major terror strike in Pune that dented its tag of being a peaceful city. Baig is the only person arrested in this case) 4) The Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court on 15 April 2013 quashed the notification for formation of which new district of Uttar Pradesh, which was formed by the Mayawati Govt. in 2010? – Amethi (Mayawati had issued a notification on 1 July 2010 for creating a new district called Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar (CSM Nagar) by including many districts of Amethi, Rae Bareilly, Gauriganj and Sultanpur. Later the new state govt. changed of CSM Nagar as Amethi. The bench termed notification for formation of this district as invalid as Govt. of India had imposed an embargo between 1 January 2010 and 31 March 2011 on creating new districts) 5) Gold prices dipped for two days continuously in Indian markets, which resulted in almost 10% depreciation in gold prices. What was the main reason for this decline, which is expected to continue for a few more days? – Global investors have begun withdrawing their investments in gold and are now investing more in US markets on account of signs of recovery in the US economy 6) US aid to India has been continuously declining in recent years and continuing with this trend the US Secretary of State John Kerry proposed a 16% cut in aid for 2013. What is the main reason for this continuous decline in aid? – This reflects the transition from a traditional “donor-recipient” relationship to a “strategic partnership” between the two countries 7) What was the inflation for wholesale price index (WPI) for March 2013 as declared by the govt. on 15 April 2013 and what is the important significance of this figure? – 5.96%, It is the lowest headline inflation rate for last 3 years (Decline in inflation rate is expected to result in a rate cut by the RBI in its forthcoming annual monetary policy review) www.NIRDESHAK.com
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April 17, 2013 1) Which famous marathon was targeted on 15 April 2013 in a twin-blast in the US, in which 3 people died and around 150 were injured? – Boston Marathon (Two blasts were trigerred near the finish line of this famous annual marathon at Boston which featured some 27,000 runners from all over the world. US authorities have not described these attacks as terrorist attacks. This annual marathon has been held since 1897 on the third Monday of April) 2) A major earthquake was triggered on 16 April 2013 near the Iran–Pakistan border in which over 75 persons died in Iran and Pakistan. Tremors of this earthquake were also felt in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and India (western and northern India). What was the epicenter of this earthquake? – Near Saravan in Iran (Magnitude of this earthquake was 7.8 on the Richter scale) 3) Indian Railways celebrated how many years of India’s first passenger train journey on 16 April 2013? – 160 years (India‘s first passenger train journey took place on 16 April, 1853, between Bombay and Thane. Three steam locomotives – Sahib, Sindh, and Sultan – carried 400 invited passengers in 14 carriages and began their journey covering a 34 km distance) 4) Who was announced as the winner of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for fiction for 2013 on 15 April 2013? – Adam Johnson for his book “The Orphan Master’s Son” 5) 27th edition of North-East Games recently concluded at which venue? – Imphal (Hosts Manipur won the overall team championship in the games for 22nd time) 6) Which state’s Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution requesting the Centre to award special category status to the state during the month of April 2013? – Odisha (This resolution was passed by the Assembly on 4 April 2013, which is the second such resolution forwarded by the state. First such resolution was passed on 18 November 1997, which was not cleared by the Union) 7) Which Indian-American economist from the Harvard University won the prestigious John Bates Clark Medal, which is often described as the “Baby Nobel”? – Raj Chetty (He became the first person of Indian-origin to win this medal, which is awarded to an American economist under the age of 40 who is adjudged to have made a significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge. John Bates Clark Medal is widely regarded as one of the field’s most prestigious awards, perhaps second only to the Nobel in economics) 8) Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), which is India’s largest retirement fund manager, is set to tighten norms for premature withdrawals by discontinuing a practice that allows its subscribers to pay for their life insurance policies from their PF account. Which para of the EPF Scheme, 1952 deals with this issue that the EPFO is now planning to delete? – Para 62 (This para permits a member to direct the PF department to finance the premium on his or her LIC cover by using the funds of PF account) 9) What was the result of the dope test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on samples of boxer Vijender Singh, which were announced by the Sports Ministry on 16 April 2013? – The results were negative, which thus gave a huge respite to Vijender (The Punjab Police had claimed that Vijender had consumed heroin 12 times after procuring it from drug smugglers. His sample was taken on 3 April 2013 by NADA) 28
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April 19, 2013
April 18, 2013 1) The Jnanpith Award, which is India’s most prestigious literary award, is to be awarded to which literary personality for year 2012, as announced by the Jnanapith Award selection committee on 17 April 2013? – Ravuri Bharadhwaja, Telugu novelist, short-story writer and poet for his work Paakudu Raallu (Jnanpith Award was constituted in 1961 and was first awarded to Malayalam author G. Sankara Kurup in 1965. 2012’s award is 48th edition of this prestigious award) 2) What is meant by tariff value of gold and silver, which was slashed by the union govt. on 17 April 2013? – Tariff value is the base price on which the customs duty is determined to prevent under-invoicing (The government slashed the tariff value of gold and silver to $499 per 10 grams and $890 per kg, respectively, taking into account weak global prices of the precious metals) 3) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 17 April 2013 proposed to double renewable energy capacity in the country by 2017 while addressing the Clean Energy Ministerial Meeting. What is the proposed renewable energy production capacity that he proposed India should achieve by 2017? – 55,000 MW (India’s capacity stood at around 25,000 MW in 2012) 4) Which south Indian city was hit by a low intensity blast on 17 April 2013, in which 17 people were injured? – Bangalore (This blast was triggered outside BJP’s Bangalore office which was buzzing with activity ahead of the assembly polls to be held on 5 May 2013) 5) Supreme Court on 17 April 2013 granted how much more time to actor Sanjay Dutt to surrender to serve his three-and half-year jail term in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blast case? – Four weeks (Sanjay Dutt had requested for six months time to enable him complete his pending film projects) 6) What will be the median age of India by year 2020 as stated in a report titled ‘State of the Urban Youth, India 2012: Employment, Livelihoods, Skills,’ a report published by IRIS Knowledge Foundation in collaboration with UN-HABITAT? – 29 years (With this India would be the youngest country in the World with 64 per cent of its population in the working age group, stated the report. With the West, Japan and even China aging, this demographic potential offers India and its growing economy an unprecedented edge that economists believe could add a significant 2 per cent to the GDP growth rate) 7) A 10-member high-level working group constituted to examine the report prepared by the expert panel headed by environmentalist Madhav Gadgil on Western Ghats, has recently submitted its report to the Environmental Ministry. Who is the head of this working group? – K. Kasturirangan, eminent scientist (This working group has suggested that all industrial activities, mining, power generation, etc. should not be allowed in a 60,000 sq km. ecologically sensitive natural landscape of Western Ghats. The working group has however not recommended any regulatory mechanism for remaining 96,000 sq. km. area of the Ghats. The Madhav Gadgil panel had recommended that the entire Western Ghats should be declared as an ecologically sensitive area) 8) Which country on 17 April 2013 became the first country from Asia-Pacific region to give legality to homosexual marriages? – New Zealand (It became 13th country in the world to adopt homosexual marriages. New Zealand’s Parliament passed the related bill by a 77-44 votes)
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1) Union Govt. was successful in clinching a broad consensus on the contentious Land Acquisition Bill in an all-party meeting held on the issue on 18 April 2013. The Govt. agreed to a key demand of the opposition which had suggested that instead of acquisition, the land could be leased to developers so that its ownership will remain with the farmers and would provide them with regular annual income. Which bill is proposed to be amended to facilitate ground-breaking provisions in land acquisition? – The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011 2) Election Commission of India on 17 April 2013 announced its plan to issue driving license-like plastic voter-ID cards and replace the existing laminated ID-cards. In which states this proposed card is to be issued first? – Assam and Nagaland 3) According to the latest report on extreme poverty released by the World Bank on 18 April 2013 how many people are living in extreme poverty globally? – 1.2 billion (This report is titled “The State of the Poor: Where are the Poor and Where are the Poorest?” and its uses latest world development indicators) Other important points mentioned in this report are : 1. India accounts for one-third of the world poor (people living on less than USD 1.25 (about Rs 65) per day) 2. Sub-Saharan Africa still accounts for more than one-third of the world’s extreme poor 3. Extreme poverty headcount rates have fallen in every developing region between 1981 and 2010 from half the citizens in the developing world to 21 per cent 4. Extreme poverty was cut to 6% in the Latin American countries from around 12% two decades ago 4) For the first time an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was used to record an anti-naxalite operation in the country on 16 April 2013. This was done in an operation carried out in which state? – Chhattisgarh (Nine Maoists were killed in this operation) 5) How much increment in dearness allowance (DA) for central govt. employees was approved by the Union Cabinet on 18 April 2013? – 8% 6) The US Senate on 17 April 2013 blocked a gun control bill, which proposed to put check for gun buyers, a ban on assault weapons and a ban on high-capacity gun magazines in the US. Passing of this bill was keenly awaited in the country in light of the Newtown school incident in which 20 children were killed in a barbaric firing in December 2012. By what margin was this bill rejected by the US Senate? – 54-46 votes (The bill required at least 60 votes to be approved. President Obama described this voting as a shameful day for Washington while parents of the deceased children of Newtown slammed the Senate) 7) Which town in Texas, US witnessed a huge explosion in a fertilizer plant on 17 April 2013 in which 15 persons died? – West (West is a small town some 80-Km away from Dallas)
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April 20, 2013 8) The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has proposed to pass a new law that will regulate foreign labour in its member countries, amid concerns in India and other countries over a similar law passed by Saudi Arabia that seeks to reserve 10% jobs for the locals. What is the important provision in the proposed GCC law that is expected to affect workers from countries like India the most? – This law includes returning marginal and un-skilled foreign workers to their home countries (GCC is a six-nation conglomerate that includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates)
1) What is the name of India’s 6th commodity exchange which started its operations on 19 April 2013? – Universal Commodity Exchange or UCX (UCX is promoted by Commex Technology in joint venture with IDBI Bank, IFFCO, NABARD and REC. Other 5 existing commodity exchanges of India are NCDEX, MCX, ICEX, NMCE and ACE) 2) Who became the first woman to be appointed as Special Director General of the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) on 18 April 2013? – Aruna M. Bahuguna (She became CRPF’s highest ranked woman official till date, which is India’s largest para-military force) 3) Which state govt. recently provided right to arrest to village guards (Chowkidaars), thus becoming the first state in the country to do so? – Haryana (Haryana Govt. recently dissolved the Punjab Chowkidaar Act and instead introduced the Haryana Chowkidaar Act, 2011, which provides right to arrest to chowkidaars. However, after making an arrest a chowkidaar has to hand over the arrested person to police instantly) 4) What is the name of the suspect involved in Boston Marathon explosions of 15 April, who was killed by the security officials on 18 April 2013- Tamerlan Tsarnaev (Other suspect in this case is Tamerlan’s brother Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, who was claimed to have been captured by the Boston police on 19 April 2013. The two brothers belonged to Chechnya and were believed to be supporters of Chechen independence movement) 5) Who was announced as the winner of the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration for 2011-12? – Om Prakash Choudhary, Former collector of Chhattigarh’s Dantewada district (Choudhary was selected for educational initiatives he introduced in the district that witnessed a great deal of naxalite violence in the last decade) 6) Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who became the first President in Pakistan’s history to be arrested, was arrested in which case? – Imposition of emergency rule in the country during 2007 in which many judges were illegally arrested 7) In view of heavy economic sanctions against it, Iran recently suggested which country’s name to India, where India should deposit rupee payments for crude oil? – Russia (Iran suggested that India should deposit rupee payments in a local branch of a Russian bank and withdraw them in roubles in Moscow to pay the Iranians (Iran has not received 55% payment component from India since February 2013 after the closure of Euro deposits through Turkey’s Halk Bankasi. The balance 45% is parked in the Iranian account of India’s UCO Bank with a large chunk remaining unutilized)
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April 21, 2013 1) What is the name of a new network launched by the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on 19 April 2013, which aims to improve implementation of policies, programs, and projects, which the 12th Five Year Plan has declared as the critical necessity for accelerating more inclusive and faster growth? – India Backbone Implementation Network – IBIN (IBIN has been modeled on the very successful Total Quality Movement (TQM) in Japan which in the 1960s and 70s transformed the capability of Japanese organizations in the private and public sectors to deliver results. The IBIN movement will disseminate techniques and skills for collaboration, coordination, and better planning through a network of agencies in the country. The partners in the expanding network already include more than two dozen institutions such as the Administrative Staff College of India, the Indian School of Business, SEWA, WISCOMP, UNDP, GIZ, the World Bank, FISME and other business associations) 2) Which province of China was hit by a 6.6 magnitude earthquake on 20 April 2013 resulting in over 150 deaths and over five thousand injured? – Sichuan province in southwestern China (This region was hit by a massive earthquake in 2008 also, in which over seventy thousand people died) 3) A life-size wax figure of Sachin Tendulkar was unveiled at which cricket ground in Australia on 20 April 2013? – The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) 4) Which country was the largest recipient of remittances from the World Bank during 2012 as per announcements made by the bank on 20 April 2013? – India (India received $69 billion worth of remittances from the bank. India was followed by China (USD60 billion), the Philippines (USD24 billion), Mexico (USD23 billion) and Nigeria and Egypt (USD21 billion each)) 5) What are the main features of the National Policy for Children, 2012, that was approved by the Union Cabinet on 18 April 2013? Important Features of National Policy for Children, 2012 1. Every person below the age of eighteen years perceived as a child and childhood declared as an integral part of life with a value of its own 2. Gives emphasis to right of every child to life, survival, development, education, protection and participation, equal rights for all children without discrimination 3. Policy provides for a long term, sustainable, multi-sectoral, integrated and inclusive approach is necessary for the harmonious development and protection of children 4. Lays down the guiding principles that must be respected by national, state and local governments in their actions and initiatives affecting children
April 22, 2013 1) An Indian woman mathematical genius, nicknamed “human computer” for her ability to make complex mental calculations, passed away on 21 April 2013 at the age of 80. Who was she? – Shakuntala Devi (In 1977, she extracted the 23rd root of a 201-digit number mentally. On June 18, 1980 Shakuntala Devi demonstrated the multiplication of two 13-digit numbers 7,686,369,774,870 x 2,465,099,745,779 picked at random by the Computer Department of Imperial College, London by giving answer in 28 seconds only) 2) Which battle was chosen as Britain’s greatest battle in a contest recently organized by Britain’s National Army Museum? – The Battle of Imphal / Kohima of 1944 during the World War II (The British defeat over the Japanese in horrendous jungle conditions turned the tide against the Japanese Army. This battle was chosen over the more famous Battle of Waterloo and D-Day battle at Normandy) 3) Which cricketing legend of yesteryears was recently appointed as the new ambassador-cum-advisor of the Delhi Daredevils team in the ongoing IPL 6? – Sir Vivian Richards 4) Who were the winners of the London Marathon 2013, which was held on 21 April 2013 at London? – Men’s race was won by Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 15 seconds while women’s race was won by Kenya’s Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya in 2 hours, 20 minutes and 15 seconds (This was the first major marathon since the Boston Marathon, which witnessed twin bombings) 5) Serbia’s Novak Djokovic ended Spain’s Rafael Nadal’s continuous reign at the Monte Carlo Masters with a 6-2, 7-6 victory in the final on 21 April 2013. Nadal was the only player in the world to have won a major tennis tournament for how many times in a row, which was broken with this loss? – 8 times (Nadal enjoyed a 46-match winning streak at Monte Carlo) 6) Who won the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix, final of which was held on 21 April 2013? – Sebastian Vettel (Germany) of Red Bull team (Second and third places were claimed by Finaland’s Kimi Raikonnen and Romain Grosjean (France), both belonging to Lotus team. Force India’s driver Paul de Resta equaled his best ever finish in F1 by finishing at fourth position)
6) Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s sprawling farmhouse was on 20 April 2013 declared a “sub-jail” by the administration following his judicial custody remand by an anti-terrorism court. Where is this 5-acre farmhouse situated where former military ruler will be kept in detention till 4 May 2013? – Chak Shahzad area in the outskirts of capital Islamabad
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April 23, 2013 1) Mobile Women Commando Squads were pressed into service in which state of India on 22 April 2013, which claimed that it is first of its kind of service in the country to check crime against women? – Punjab 2) Former Chief Justice of India and one of the most prominent faces of judicial activism in India Jagdish Sharan Verma passed away on 22 April 2013 at a Gurgaon hospital. Which was his most recent and important contribution in Indian judiciary? – He headed the three-member committee to suggest improvements in criminal law to tackle crime against women, after the Delhi gangrape in December last year (The newly passed Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013 included many recommendations given by Verma Committee) 3) Which Indian city recently became the first South-Asian city to come out with a heat action plan, with an objective of informing residents about extreme hot climate to be tackled by the city in near future? – Ahmedabad (The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) introduced the heat action plan (HAP) on 16 April 2013 by tying up with some renowned institutes of the world in an effort to make city’s population more aware about adverse affects of growing heat and take appropriate remedial actions for the same) 4) How much fund was announced to be spent in the proposed revival plan of the beleaguered PSU HMT Limited by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) recently? – Rs. 1,083 crore (Of the total Rs. 1,080 crore, Rs. 450 crore has been proposed as cash assistance and the remaining Rs. 630 crore has been earmarked as non-cash assistance. HMT Limited was formerly known as Hindustan Machine Tools and is engaged in manufacture of machine tools, tractors and watches. HMT Limited is presently a loss-making enterprise) 5) Market regulator SEBI on 22 April 2013 allowed 47 entities to set up AIFs. What is the meaning of AIF? – AIF stands for Alternative Investment Funds, which is a newly created class of pooled-in investment vehicles for real estate, private equity and hedge funds, over a period of ten months 6) What was the theme of Earth Day 2013, which was celebrated all over the world on 22 April 2013? – Face of Climate Change (Earth Day is an annual day on which events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection. The concept of Earth Day was conceived by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO conference in 1969) 7) India will for the first time host the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals, two of the most prestigious world team championships of a sport. With which sport are these championships associated? – Badminton (The Thomas Cup is the Men’s World Team Championships of Badminton while the Uber Cup is Women’s World Team Championships of Badminton. These championships will be held later this year) 8) Famous Carnatic instrumentalist Lalgudi Jayaram passed away on 22 April 2013. He was associated with which instrument? – Violin 9) Who will become Bangladesh’s 20th President as only his nomination was filed with country’s election authorities for presidential elections? – Abdul Hamid (Hamid was nominated by the ruling Awami League, which has overwhelming majority in the Parliament. Presidential election was required to select a replacement for President Zilliur Rahman who died last month) 10) Which Uruguayan footballer was fined by his team Liverpool for biting his opponent Branislav Ivanovic in a football match against Chelsea on 21 April 2013, in a bizarre incident in the English Premier League (EPL)?- Luis Suarez 35 www.NIRDESHAK.com
April 24, 2013 1) One of the first playback singers of the country, who gave such evergreen songs like Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon, “Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar” and “Kajra Mohabbat Wala”, passed away in Mumbai on 23 April 2013. Who was this legendary singer? – Shamshad Begum (She ruled Hindi playback singing in the 40’s and 50’s and Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar started her playback singing when Begum was at the peak of her career) 2) Which valley of Ladakh was the centre of controversy between India and China as India charged Chinese troops of launching an incursion deep across the border through this valley? – Depsang Valley (Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, an official in the Jammu and Kashmir Govt. accused Chinese troops of crossing 10 km into Indian border and undertaking a deployment on 15 April 2013. Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai summoned the Chinese ambassador Wei Wei to South Block to lodge an official protest against the forward deployment) 3) The Standing Committee on Coal and Steel in its report tabled in Parliament on 23 April 2013 said that the coal mine allocations done between 1993 and 2010 were done in the most non-transparent manner and natural resources were distributed to few fortunates through abuse of power by the then ruling dispensation. Who is the Chairman of this standing committee? – Kalyan Banerjee, an MP of the Trinamool Congress 4) What is the name of world’s first returnable satellite which was launched recently by Russia and which is primarily committed to biological research in the space? – Bion-M1 (This satellite was launched on 19 April 2013 through a Soyuz carrier and would be used to study the effects of spaceflight on animals to prepare for human interplanetary flights) 5) Whose name came to highlight on 24 April 2013 as the strongest candidate on way to become Italy’s new Prime Minister? – Enrico Letta 6) Which Indian actress got the privilege to have been nominated as a member of the 9-member jury for the upcoming 66th Cannes Film Festival? – Vidya Balan (This prestigious jury is headed by renowned filmmaker Steven Spielberg. Another Indian actress Nandita Das was included in a separate jury for short films. Director Shekhar Kapur and actress Sharmila Tagore have previously been a part of Cannes jury) 7) Chris Gayle of Royal Challengers Bangalore scored the fastest ever century in cricket history off just 30 balls on 23 April 2013 while playing against Pune Warriors India in the IPL. Whose 9-year old record was broken by Chris Gayle? – Andrew Symonds (Symonds scored a century off 34 balls in a T-20 English county match between Kent and Middlesex on 2 July 2004. Gayle, who scored 175 not out, became the highest individual scorer in T-20 match by breaking record of Kolkata Knight Riders’ Brendon McCullum, who had hit 158 off 73 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore) 8) Who was appointed as the President of Editors Guild of India (EGI) on 23 April 2013? – Narasimhan Ravi, Former Editor of The Hindu and director of Kasturi and Sons Limited (EGI is an organisation of the editors of various magazines and newspapers of India)
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April 25, 2013 9) A huge scam to the tune of thousands of crore was unearthed recently, in which lakhs of people especially in West Bengal were duped by a chit-fund company headed by Sudipto Sen. Sen was arrested from Jammu & Kashmir on 23 April 2013 along with the company director Debjani Mukherjee and another official Arvind Singh Chauhan. What was the name of this chit-fund company? – Saradha Group 10) Union Govt. on 24 April 2013 extended the last date of e-filing of service tax return for the second half of 2012-13 to August 31, 2013. What was the earlier date of submission for the same? – 25 April 2013 (The date of submission has been extended as the form to file service tax return i.e., Form ST-3, for the period October-March of 2012-13 is expected to be available on ACES (Automation of Central Excise and Service Tax) around 31 July 2013 )
1) A new keyboard layout especially for touchscreen devices like smartphones and tablets has recently been developed at St. Andrews University (US), which is expected to give competition to the conventional QWERTY keyboard. What is this newly developed keyboard called? – KALQ Keyboard (This new keyboard was developed by the university in association with Montana Tech, US and Max Planck Institute for Informatics, Germany. In the new keyboard, all vowels were placed in area which was assigned to right thumb, while the left thumb had more keys. With error-correction algorithm, the users who were trained could reach 37 words in a minute. KALQ thus provides better typing performance) 2) Plans to set up India’s first underground strategic naval base were recently opposed by Ministry of Environments and Forest, which opposed the diversion of over 600 hectares of reserved land for this base. Where was this naval base proposed to be set up? – At Rambilli near Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) 3) What was the projected growth rate for Indian economy for 2013-14 as suggested recently by the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC)? – 6.4% (The PMEAC on 23 April 2013 suggested that the downturn for Indian economy has bottomed out and if investments are pushed towards completion the economy can spring back from the 5% rate of growth recorded in 2012-13) 4) How many life insurance policies were sold during 2012-13 (till December 2012), as per an announcement made in the Rajya Sabha on 23 April 2013 by Minister for State for Finance? – 2.69 crore (The sale of life insurance policies has been witnessing a continuous downtrend since 2010-11. In 2010-11 total number of policies sold stood at 4.81 crore. This figure came down to 4.41 crore in 2011-12. Decline in number of life insurance policies is attributed to fall in sales of unit-linked insurance segment and general market trends) 5) Who is set to take over as new director of IIM Ahmedabad to become first person from an overseas institute to head any of the 13 IIMs in India? – Ashish Nanda (Nanda is currently Robert Braucher Professor of Practice at Harvard Law College. Nandy is expected to succeed Prof. Samir Barua who completed his tenure in late 2012) 6) Two anti-terrorism prosecutors, including an Indian-American, were recently entrusted with the responsibility to nail the lone surviving Chechen-origin Boston bombings suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. What is the name of the India-American prosecutor who was entrusted this responsibility along with William Weinreb? – Aloke Chakravarty (He is presently an Assistant US Attorney for Massachusetts) 7) Which deal was the first one in Indian civil aviation sector since govt. changed the FDI norms in this sector? – Jet–Etihad deal, in which India’s Jet Airways agreed to form a strategic alliance with Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways by selling its 24% stake to Etihad for Rs. 2,058 crore (This deal would give Jet access to Etihad’s network while Etihad will get access to the Indian market) 8) A new medi-claim facility for holders of kisan credit cards (KCCs) was launched on 24 April 2013 by Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. This new facility is being offered to KCC holders of which bank? – Dena Bank (This facility is being provided by Dena Bank in association with the United India Insurance Company (UIIC) and is the first such initiative launched by any bank in India)
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April 26, 2013 1) What was India’s total indirect tax collection (actual) during 2012-13, as announced on 25 April 2013? – Rs. 4.74 lakh crore (The revised estimate for indirect tax collection for the year was Rs. 4.68 lakh crore. Total excise duty collection stood at Rs. 1,76,457 crore whereas total customs collection stood at Rs. 1,65,896 crore during the year. Better than expected collections have provided a major relief to the govt. in meeting the fiscal deficit target of 5.2% of GDP for 2012-13) 2) The Union Govt. on 25 April 2013 set up a task force to look into the affairs of chit fund companies of the country in wake of the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam in West Bengal. This task force has been set up under which establishment? – Serious Fraud Investigations Office (SFIO) 3) Which textile embroidery handicraft of Lucknow was recently accorded the status of a full-fledged brand by virtue of it being registered by the Geographical Indication Registry, Chennai as a geographical indication brand? – Zardozi (Lucknow’s Zardozi embroidery work was recently registered as Lucknow Zardozi brand and the registration was secured by Lucknow-based Kalatmak Handicrafts Self Help Group Foundation. The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act came to force in India in 2003) 4) Which major summit meet is to be held in Sri Lanka during November this year, demand for which’s boycott have been growing large, particularly from people and politicians of Australia? – The biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting – CHOGM 2013 (CHOGM’s boycott is being sought in light of allegations of human rights violations of Tamils by the Sri Lankan Govt.) 5) The existing Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana or SJSRY would be replaced by which new plan, as proposed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation recently?- National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) 6) In a convergence of all living US Presidents on 25 April 2013, a new Presidential Centre and a library was named after which of the living US Presidents in Dallas? – George W. Bush or Bush Senior (President Barack Obama and four former Presidents – Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush (Bush Junior) were present in this convention) 7) On 25 April 2013 Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal crashed out of the ongoing India Open Super Series being held in Delhi. World No.2 Saina lost to which un-fancied player in this match? – Yui Mashimoto of Japan, ranked 44 places below Saina (Saina lost the match by 21-13, 12-21, 20-22)
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April 27, 2013 1) After the multi-crore Saradha chit-fund scam, the union government has decided to drastically amend legislations governing market regulator SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India)’s power to police chit fund companies. The new proposed law will give SEBI the power to regulate all chit-funds, nidhis, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and cooperatives – whether listed or not – if they raise money from the public in any manner. Which section defines a collective investment scheme, from which SEBI has been kept out currently? – Section 11AA (The current SEBI Act, 1992 specifically keeps SEBI out of collective investment schemes like chit-funds) 2) Who was selected as India’s next Home Secretary, who will take charge from R K Singh on 30 June 2013? – Anil Goswami (He will be the first officer from Jammu & Kashmir to be appointed to this powerful post. Goswami is an IAS officer of 1978 batch) 3) Sarabjit Singh of India, currently on a death row in a jail in Pakistan, suffered head injuries after being attacked by a fellow prisoner on 26 April 2013. He was subsequently admitted in a hospital in serious condition. Sarabjit has been serving his prison term in which jail of Pakistan? – Kot Lakhpat (Kot Lakhpat jail currently has some 17,000 prisoners though its official capacity is only 4,000) 4) Who was elected as the new President of Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 26 April 2013? – Takehiko Nakao of Japan (Nakao will take charge from Haruhiko Kuroda, also from Japan, who resigned from the ADB top post to assume the charge of Bank of Japan governor) 5) What is the name of the Australian mining tycoon who on 26 April 2013 launched a new political party, United Australia Party, and who had earlier announced building a replica of the ill-fated ship Titanic? – Clive Palmer 6) India’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) posted its highest ever quarterly profits ever, for quarter ended 31 March 2013. What was company’s net profit for the quarter (1 Jan 2013 to 31 Mar 2013)? – Rs. 1,147.5 crore (This is despite tough market conditions for automobile companies presently) 7) Indian Railways recently reduced the advanced booking period (ARP) of the tickets from the existing four months to two months in an effort to keep a check on the trend of large scale cancellations after ticket bookings. From which date this new announcement comes into effect? – 1 May 2013 (Indian Railways issued a notification about the same on 25 April 2013. However, the bookings which were done up to 30 April 2013 under already existing ARP of 120 days will not be changed)
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April 28-29, 2013 1) Dave Gold, who passed away recently, was founder of which famous chain of stores? – 99 Cents Only Store (Gold founded the first 99 Cents Only store in 1982, which expanded into a billion-dollar empire in three decades) 2) The West Bengal Govt., reeling under the effect of the Saradha group going bust rendering lakhs of depositors paupers, is coming up with a new bill on 30 April 2013 to safeguard the interests of depositors. What is the name of this proposed bill, which will make all payments of benefits of any kind by any financial institution punishable with imprisonment for a maximum period of life and maximum of fine of Rs. 5 lakh? – The West Bengal Protection of Interest of Depositors in Financial Establishments Bill, 2013 3) How many years’ extension was given to Jammu & Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra on 27 April 2013 by the President? – 5 years (The term of Vohra, who took over as Governor in 2008, was to end on 25 June 2013. He is the first civilian governor of J&K in 18 years after Jagmohan)
9) An India-Saudi Arabia joint working group has been formed that will work toward minimising the fallout of the Saudi’s Nitaqat policy on Indians. This group would hunt for solutions such as providing alternative jobs within Saudi Arabia and making the exit smooth for those who may have to leave the country. Who is heading this group? – Sibi George, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy and Ahamed Al Humaidan, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for Labour Affairs (Indian workers have been hit by the policy, which reserves a certain percentage of the workforce in commercial establishments for Saudi nationals. This newly formed group will hold its first meeting in Riyadh on 1 May 2013) 10) Who was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Italy on 28 April 2013? – Enrico Letta (Letta is the deputy head of the Democratic Party and his appointment has ended two months of political stalemate since February’s inconclusive election when he brought together former political rivals in a broad coalition government)
4) Which airline became the first to fly Boeing’s beleaguered 787 Dreamliner since air safety authorities grounded the Dreamliners in January 2013? – Ethiopian Airlines (The airline flew the first Dreamliner 787 on 27 April 2013 from Ethiopia to Kenyan capital Nairobi. In another significant move Japan also okayed Dreamliner’s return to air) 5) Which planet was at its brightest on 28 April 2013 as it positioned itself directly opposite the Sun on this day? – Saturn (Saturn was at its opposition on this day. An object is said to be at opposition when the Sun is on one side of the Earth and the object is directly on the opposite side. The result is that the object is fully illuminated by the Sun and appears disk-like) 6) Which district of Madhya Pradesh was connected to the network of Indian Railways on 26 April 2013? – Tikamgarh (The first train to travel to Tikamgarh was the passenger train between Tikamgarh and Jhansi, which was sanctioned in the Railway Budget of 2012-13) 7) A first of its kind of bill for protection and welfare of widows in India has been drafted recently, which seeks to provide for measures to be undertaken by the state for the protection, welfare and maintenance of neglected, abandoned and destitute widows by establishing a welfare board and creating a separate fund for these women. The proposed Protection, Welfare and Maintenance of Widows Bill, 2013 is a slight improvement on a similar document tabled in the Lok Sabha by Professor Mahadeorao Shiwankar in 2007 as Private Member’s Bill that lapsed due to the dissolution of the House. Which institution has drafted this bill? – Sulabh International (The draft Bill proposes a subsistence allowance of Rs. 2,000 per month for each woman — to be revised as per price index — in addition to free residential accommodation, education, vocational training, employment and medical facilities) 8) The Maharashtra Govt. on 27 April 2013 started releasing water to a dam in the water-parched Marathwada region from upstream reservoirs on the orders of the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court. This is expected to bring some relief to the parched districts of Maharashtra’s Marathwada region. Which dam is this? – Jayakwadi dam (This dam had been especially built to address the irrigation and drinking water woes of Marathwada. With the region in the grip of an acute water crisis, the net water reserves of the Jayakwadi dam stand at a perilous 1.54 tmcft. The dam runs a deficit of 3.34 tmcft)
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April 30, 2013 1) The Civil Aviation Ministry on 29 April 2013 allowed domestic airlines to unbundle services such as carrying check-in baggage, serving meals and allotting preferential seats, and charge separately for them. The move allows airlines to keep a lower base fare and give passengers the flexibility to pay for services they need, thereby reducing the overall cost of travel. These changes were done on recommendations of a report titled ‘Economic Regulations to Airlines Ticket Pricing in India‘. This report was prepared by which consulting firm? – Nathan Economic Consultants 2) Which state govt. on 29 April 2013 launched a digital Krishi Card, which would become a gateway for farmers to avail benefits like subsidies and loans given by the state government? – Goa (This Card was launched by Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. This digitally coded card will spare the farmers from repeatedly producing the documents to avail subsidies) 3) Syrian Prime Minister Wael Al-Halki survived a bomb attack on his convoy in capital Damascus on 29 April 2013. 6 people were killed in the blast, which was triggered in Mezze district. Which organisation/group carried out this bomb blast? – The Rebels of President Bashar al-Assad who have been opposing his rule and are now striking in the heart of the Syrian capital. More than 70,000 people have died in the ongoing civil war in Syria, being fought between loyalists of the President and his rebel groups 4) India’s newest stock exchange, MCX-SX, announced plans to introduce trading in its futures and options (F&O). From when F&O trades can be carried out on exchange’s flagship SX-40 index? – 15 May 2013 5) In a major reprieve for the Rs. 65,000 crore NTPC Ltd., India’s apex power regulator CERC (Central Electricity Regulatory Commission) dismissed a petition filed by a lobby group representing private power developers, which alleged that NTPC abused its dominant market position. This lobby wanted the CERC to cancel power pacts signed by NTPC with state distribution utilities between 1 October 2010 and 5 January 2011. What is the name of this lobby that includes several private power producers? – Association of Power Producers – APP (12 private producers, which are members of AAP, had moved this joint petition to CERC. These producers include Adani Power, AES (India), CLP Power India, Reliance Power, Essar Power, GMR Energy, Tata Power, Jindal Power, JSW Energy and Lanco Infratech) 6) Banaras Hindu University (BHU) recently sent a proposal to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to open two new campuses, one in Uttar Pradesh and the other in Maharashtra. Where these proposed campuses are being planned to be set up? – Rae Bareli (UP) and Amravati (Maharashtra) – BHU has been working on a proposal to establish a new campus for women at Rae Bareli. BHU’s South Campus at Mirzapur (UP) is also being proposed to be converted into a full-fledged rural university 7) Bangladesh cricket team ended their long losing streak in Test cricket on 29 April 2013 by winning first test match since 2009. Bangladesh defeated which team in this match? – Zimbabwe (Bangladesh defeated hosts Zimbabwe by 143 runs in Harare and they dedicated this rare win to the hundreds of people who died in a building collapse in capital Dhaka last week. Bangladesh had scored a historic 2-0 Test win over West Indies in 2009 and were unable to score another Test win since)
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